Enjoy!

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Greve in Chianti one summer. All the hill towns in the area you will be staying are fun to explore! Sienna and Florence are worth major time. Lucca (north of Pisa) is fun, Cortona is beautiful, San Gimignano, Volterra, Montefioralle (tiny), wow, take me!

We loved the wine and were surprised by a great white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Take me!

Dinner and a stroll in Piazza de Michelangelo in Florence were a highlight. Great views and a festival atmosphere. Did I mention 'take me!' yet?

Brush up on your Italian and find a friend to practice speaking with, possibly at your favorite Italian restaurant. Try to anticipate things you might want to say and memorize a few key phrases/sentences. Personally, I always like to keep trips a bit loose and flexible, in order to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. I would want to visit all of the fountains of Rome plus the San Carlo Church, designed by Borromini - my favorite baroque architect. Borromini was famous for the way he manipulated positive and negative space and for the his undulating curves. I would also want to visit Santa Maria della Vittoria to see Bernini's statue The Ecstacy of Saint Teresa. For ancient buildings, the Pantheon is a definite must while in Rome.

You might want to check out some movies shot in Rome before you go, such as La Dolce Vita or The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield. JM has some very interesting tips on visiting Rome, although the movie is incredibly campy - although possible not intentionally so.

Sienna is a favorite town for architects, and so you might want to read up on its architecture before visiting.

Kevin and I are tentatively planning a trip to Italy for next year and are considering trying to do a house swap with someone in Tuscany.

Lars

Oh Chase, have fun. I know Sherry (sheshebop) has gone, maybe more than once. I know Cathy (mustangs) has been there, since her daughter had a "destination wedding" in Italy. Ann (spacific) has been there and is going back, I think.

I have no advice at all, other than take pictures and have lots of fun. Then let me know about it when you come back. Elery wants to go to Italy and Greece in the next couple of years. I don't really care to, but he has his heart set on it, so I'll go along and smile.

Annie

I've not been to Italy...yet! But when I go, I definitely want to spend some time in Lucca. Looks like it could be a day trip from the area of Arezzo and Siena, north of Arezzo and west of Prato, not far from Pisa either.

A whole month in Italy??? Sounds heavenly! I hope you can send us reports and pictures. We want to see the food too!

Slow Travel.com should have tons of good information for your month stay in one area.

Have fun!
Teresa

Why, you lucky duck, you! A whole month....such splendoriferousness! Florence was my favorite city, but Rome! Ah, Rome. I loved it. And I'm sure Assisi is on your list.

If you get a chance, get down to Naples and Pompeii. Naples is very different from a lot of Italy...many Italian Americans, including my dad, emigrated from Naples and Sicily. They are the stereo-typical Italian Americans we think of, but the "other" Italians look and behave very differently. I was very surprised by that when I was there.

Enjoy!

I am so jealous! Italy is one of the places I want so badly to visit but have not gotten to.....yet.

Tim isn't big on traveling and I don't have my travel-partner girlfriend anymore, so I need to find a new travel partner.

(I wonder if I would fit in your checked bag...I'm not really all that big. heeheehee)

Have a great time and we'll be waiting for a full report complete with photos!

Linda

Chase, I am so green with envy! I went on a garden tour to Tuscany 4 years ago(has it been that long?) and loved it. Rome was my least favorite place but we were only there one day and it was hot as Hades and very crowded. It was our last day and so different from Tuscany. We stayed in some very interesting B&B's; one had been a monastery and the breakfasts there were, to coin a much used phrase, to die for. How I would love the luxury of a month! No need, I'm sure, to say enjoy to it's fullest.

Jude

In Florence you must go to the Mercato Centrale - you can have a great lunch at one of the stands - including a carafe of Chianti. My favorite restaurant was Trattoria Angiolino on the other side of the Arno - the gnocchi are to die for. Also a must is Vivoli - for the best gelato in Florence. Sienna is beautiful and San Gimignano is beautiful...Drink wine, visit the museums and markets - enjoy it. -maria

Hi Chase:
Have a good time in Italy.

My daughter and friends went to the same places and had a great time.

Her friend has relatives in Tuscany so they stayed there a couple of days.
They loved the Vineyards and wine tasteing.

Then they went south to Sicily and took a boat trip around to Calabria, to visit my namesake town, " Badolato ".
My DD brought me a souvenir book of Badolato.

I was supposed to go with them but could not, because of physical problems.

Have fun in your travels. Taste some wine for me!!!

LOU

Hopefully you can find a castle to stay in at least one night. Or maybe that's just one of my must do's.
Like Teresa mentioned - I have gleaned a lot of travel tips and itineraries from Slowtravel.
San Gimignano is a Tuscan favorite.
2-a-day are a must as far a Gelato is concerned.
Don't let the Roman gladiators at the Coliseum take your picture--it will cost you.
Do go all the way to the top of the Tower of Pisa and the Vatican.
Make reservations on line for the Sistine Chapel.
Don't bother buying Italian pottery. I coddled my pieces carefully all the way back to the US only to find the same pieces at TJMaxx.
Have a wonderful time!!!

Okay, so those aren't great tips, but I can't contribute more than what you have already gotten from our well travel CF friends.

What a wonderful sounding trip Sharon. Please, please, please post a few pictures, food and others, during your trip. We all need to share it with you.

I have only been to Rome in Italy - waiting to go back and visit much more of the country.

One of the most awe inspiring, mystical, magical times of my life was high mass at Santa Maria Maggiore, in Latin with Gregorian chant. We were there on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and there was a procession of Cardinals, beautiful in and of itself. But I had researched what churches had the best choirs for Gregorian chant and at the time we were there, about 8 years ago, there was a Mass every Sunday there in Latin, with chanting. The Basilica of of Santa Maria Maggiore is spectacular from an art and architecture standpoint also.

I can't wait to hear more about your trip.

Lee

Chase - You're in for a marvelous time! I hire out (cheap!) as a tour guide :)

Ok, first, do everything that mustangs said. She's exactly right!

Here are a few more thoughts:

- Don't have a car in Rome or any other major city. When you do drive to many of the wonderful Tuscan hill towns, park outside the city walls, always. Otherwise, you could get stuck in permit parking, pedestrian only areas really easy (ask me how I know).

- If you want to dine with Italians instead of Americans, don't even think about going to dinner until 10 pm, even later in Rome. It's easy to make the shift if you take a nice break in the middle of the day, start up again about 5 or 6 pm, stop for an aperitif and a small bite, participate in "la passeggiata". The pace works well because many/most shops are closed in the afternoon for 3-4 hours anyway.

- Instead of pottery, look for linens to bring home. There are such beautiful table runners, napkins, etc. found throughout Tuscany. (much lighter to carry too!) Also, to find cool Italian designed kitchen gadgets, you don't need to go into fancy shops, check out the small town hardware stores.

- Check out www.bbc.co.uk languages to learn a bit of conversational Italian. Really good. I'm going through "Italian Steps" right now.

In Rome:
- The Trastevere area across the river is great for evening people watching - street performers, open air concerts, restaurants, very lively. A really great, casual pizza place in that area is Dar Poeta (vicolo del Bologna 45) - tiny tables, jam packed, really fun. The restaurants around the piazzas tend to be really so-so foodwise, but good for people watching.

- Campo dei Fiori market - best fresh fruits and vegetables and olive oil tasting and salami and...

- Salumeria Roscioli and Roscioli Restaurant - "450 different kinds of cheeses, more than 100 different kinds of cured meats, a wine list of 2200 labels, 20 different types of homemade breads and a professional team of sommeliers and chefs." - right near the Campo dei Fiori (via dei Giubonnari 21 & via dei Chiavari 34)

- In general, eat at restaurants that are not directly on the main piazzas. They're often tourist traps.

- Purchase the Roma Pass (you can do so at the subway station closest to the Colosseum). Not only do you get good value, you also get to go in a special line to get in to the Colosseum, saving hours of wait time. (And stay away from those "gladiators" taking photos. Major trap, many horror stories about them.)

On the way from Rome to Tuscany:
- If you have the time to stop over for a night or two on your way to Tuscany, you must stay at Castello di Proceno. (www.castellodiproceno.it) A true castle in the same family for generations. You can stay in apartments within or attached to the castle. The owner, Cecilia, will take you on a private tour of the tower which is like a private museum. The food at the restaurant in the restored stable - amazing. And she's an expert on Etruscan history if you are interested. Very reasonably priced. Beds and pillows, not great but the experience is worth it.

In Tuscany:
- Siena, DH's favorite small city in the world
- Chiusi: great underground museum Etruscan history, Roman waterways. Osteria la Solita Zuppa: really small place, no written menu, just let them take care of you, expect to spend hours there - slow food at its very best.
- Terme Bagno Vignoni (thermal baths): go to the baths for the day, soak away your aches and pains.
- Definitely go to hear the chanting at Santa Maria Maggiore.
- Florence: If you stay overnight, I highly recommend Antica Torre Tornabuoni - great location. We had a suite with a small private patio overlooking the Arno. Go for drinks on the rooftop deck. Worth the splurge. Don't get gelato from any place on the Pontevecchio - lots of ripoffs. Plenty of gelato places everywhere otherwise. The Galileo Museum - small and wonderful. Mercato Centrale - yes! If you do wander the flea markets all around the market, and are interested in Italian leather, make sure it's real Italian leather - lots of fakes.

I could go on, let me know if you have particular questions or interests. Since you're there for a month, if you do decide on a side trip further out, such as Venice or the Amalfi Coast, I can offer suggestions there as well.

www.slowtrav.com is a good source of info. I have not been disappointed with recommendations I found there. I like using Rick Steves' books as the best source for general areas of interest, and tips on museum and transportation passes, but if you use them for restaurant and hotel suggestions, be aware you'll run into lots of other people carrying his book.

Hope this helps.
Ann

OMG you folks are spinning my head! I have been doing a lot of online research but there is nothing like first hand recommendations.

Any advice on the wine tours in Tuscany? The information on the WEB is a bit confusing with regards to how one chooses a good winery to visit. Clive says a bad vineyard in Tuscany is likely an excellent vineyard in our experience and I need to stop fussing!

The little farm house we have rented has a kitchen but it is not our intent to cook for ourselves much. However a baker arrives each morning on his bicycle with an assortment of his "wares" and there is an espresso machine in the kitchen.

We are 10 minutes from Arezzo, 15 minutes from Sienna and 25 minutes from Florence, by car...Clive is not convinced that is true for a non Italian driver! I do believe I am on my way to heaven!

Let me digest all you have offered and get back with tons more questions !

I am so darned excited!

We never did any organized multi-vineyard wine tour, so I can't help you there, but here are a couple of suggestions for wine tasting and tour information.

In Montepulciano, you can visit the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the local wine consortium. There you can taste the wines of all the member vineyards and get more information on specific winery visits. You can also take a tour of the cellars below the town. Montepulciano has lots of wine bars and wine shops with cellars and tunnels under the shops that are like museums themselves. But I'm sorry, I don't know remember any particular shop names.

If you prefer the Brunello di Montalcino (and the less pricy, yet delicious Rosso di Montalcino), I'd suggest starting with a visit to La Fortezza (the fortress) in Montalcino. In the fortress walls houses a really cool wine shop / wine bar. They have tastings of hundreds of wines from the region. And again, the folks working there are full of information about specific wineries in the region.

Here is a link that might be useful: A source for Montepulciano winery tours

Oh, Sharon, I do wish you a great time! I'm also envious, but very happy for you. I don't have a long bucket list, but Italy is one of the things on it. I can't give you any advise other than to have fun!

Sally

any recommendations? Heck ya! Relax, drink vino, and have a good time kicking up your heels. It'll all be here when you get back. Just rest so you can be you again.

Safe trip!

-Robin

Oh Sharon you must be so excited. That sounds like an absolute dream vacation. Looks like some great recommendations too.

I hope you and Clive have a great time.

(I must have emailed the wrong addy this summer- sorry we missed you)

Janet

Sharon, That would be my dream vacation. I hope you and Clive have the most amazing time together. Take notes and lots of pictures.

Ann
PS. Who is going to be the voice of reason on Hot Topics while you are gone?

We stayed in San Gimignano..loved it..and we stayed right outside of Assisi..
I loved Florence..Greve:)..San Gimignano..Siena.. Montepulciano,Rome,Castellucio(in the fog..:))Perugia...Montalcino..

,Todi,Spoleto..Lago Trasimeno..Isola de Maggiore..Orvieto..Norcia,Spello,Chianti,,Cortona..

etc etc..
You will LOVE your trip..

VENICE!!!! at night too if you can..buy a watercolor in Florence:) Take the ferry to
Lago Trasimeno..

Everything is just so memorable and enjoyable..I agree if you are not w/ Italian travel companions..knowing a few words or bringing a dictionary is a must.

Forgive some of my typos..

Perugia a must:)

I loved the olive trees..

You will have a ball.
Best,Monique