VERCELLI
Hotel/Restaurant:
GIARDINETTO
Via Luigi Sereno 3
Great place to stay the night before going to the Milan airport (Malpensa).
011390161 257230
VERONA
Visit the Castelveccchio (Museum), Ponte Scaligero, St. Zeno Maggiore and the Arena.
Restaurants:
GREPPIA
Vicolo Samaritana 3
34577
RISTORANTE LISTON
Via Dietro Liston 19
8034003
Hotels:
HOTEL TORCOLO
Vicolo Listone 3
0458007512
HOTEL AURORA
Piazza Erbe
045 594717
FIDENZA (SORAGNA)
Hotel and Ristorante:
LOCANDA DEL LUPO
0524597100
LAGO DI COMO
If you want to see the alpine lakes the wonderful(!!!!!) Hotel San Giorgio is about 1.5 hours from the Milan airport (Malpensa). Have dinner at Villa D’Este. Visit Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, take the boat from Cadenabbia to visit Bellagio.
Hotels:
VILLA D’ESTE
22012 Cernobbio
031 348834
SAN GIORGIO
22016 Lenno
0344 40415
ALBERGO LENNO
22016 Lenno
034457051
RIOMAGGIORE (Cinqueterre)
Hotel:
VILLA ARGENTINA
0187 920213
Take the train to visit the other four villages or walk the trail along the sea to Manarola.
MONTEROSSO AL MARE (Cinqueterre)
Hotel:
PORTO ROCA
0187 817502
PORTOVENERE (beautiful village just south of Cinqueterre)
Hotel:
ROYAL SPORTING
0187 900326
FERRARA
HOTEL S. PAOLO
Via Baluardi 9
0532768333
TRATTORIA LA ROMANTICA
Via Ripargrande
765078
GALLARATE (Malpensa Airport Milano)
JET HOTEL
Via Tiro A Segno 22
0331772100
RESTAURANT La Routa
Via G. Leopardi 4
680635
This is the perfect solution to the night before you fly out of Milan. Wonderful La Routa is a 5 minute walk from the Jet. The Jet is 10 minutes from Malpensa.
MONSELICE
Stay here to see Petrarch’s villa in Arqua Petrarca and the volcanic Euganean Hills.
HOTEL CEFFRI
Via Orti 7b
0429783111
SANSEPOLCRO
Restaurant/Hotel:
OROSCOPO
Via P. Togliatti 66/68
A great place on the way to Urbino to visit the Buitoni pasta factory and Piero Della Francesca’s great fresco.
ASSISI
Hotel:
CASA DI SANTA BRIGIDA
Via Moiano
075 812693
Trattoria:
LA FORTEZZA
Via della Fortezza 2
075812418
CREMONA
The charming city of the world’s rarest and best violins.
Ristorante:
LA PRIMA
Via Cavitelli 6
0372 411383
NAPLES AREA: PAESTUM
The Greek temples are worth a long journey to see. Better than in Greece.
Hotel:
ALBERGO VILLA RITA
Via Principe di Piemonte
0828 811081
NAPLES AREA: VESUVIUS
YOU SIMPLY MUST GO TO THE TOP…TRUST ME.
NAPLES AREA: POMPEII
Skip Herculaneum and concentrate on Pompeii. UNFORGETTABLE!!!
RAVELLO
MY FAVORITE PLACE IN ITALIA!!! VISIT VILLA RUFOLO AND VILLA CIMBRONE!
Hotel:
CARUSO BELVEDERE
Via Toro 52
089 857111
SORRENTO
Hotel:
HOTEL AMINTA
ISCHIA
Take the boat from Pozzuoli or Naples to magical Ischia. You should walk to the Castello from the boat. Take the bus to Fontana, then hire a mule (or walk) to the top of Mt. Epomeo.
POZZUOLI
Visit Solfatara, an active volcano you can walk into from the side. WOW!!!
GAETA/FORMIA
Hotel and Restaurant:
HOTEL CASTELLO MIRAMARE
Via Balze di Pagnano, Formia
0771 700138
Request outside dinner on the terrazzo (incredible view of Gulf of Gaeta with Ischia in distance)!!!!
VENICE
HOTELS
ISTITUTO S. GIUSEPPE
Ponte della Guerra, Castello 5402
041 5225352
This convent near S. Marco is a favorite but you must be inside by 11pm. Venice hotels are very expensive. We prefer Mestre (below) or this convent listed above.
CIPRIANI
Isola della Guidecca 10
041 5207744
(on a separate island)
DANIELI
Riva degli Schiavoni 4196
041 5226480 FAX
(in the center)
HOTEL KETTE SAN MARCO
2053 Venice
041 5207766
VIOLINO D’ORO
RESTAURANTS
ANTICA SACRESTIA
SS. Filippo e Giacomo, Castello
041 5230749
DA CARLETTO
Calle delle Bande, Castello 5272
041 5227944
AQUA PAZZA
Campo Sant’Angelo
MASANIELLO
Campo Santo Stefano
Dont miss these churches: San Zanipolo, Frari and Torcello.
MESTRE (Venice)
HOTEL PIAVE
Via Col Moschin 6/10
041929287
Stay in this small comfortable hotel with parking in Mestre when visiting Venice. It is a short walk to the station where trains depart every 10 minutes for the brief passage to Venice just across the lagoon.
SICILY
You need a minimum of two weeks to do it right. Here are my top not-to-be-missed picks:
Greek Temples: Agrigento, Segesta & Selinunte
Norman Cathedrals: Cefalu & Monreale
Volcanoes: Etna & Stromboli