VENICE

So much has been written and said about Venice that you all probably know everything about it, but if my experience is any indicator, you've hardly scratched the surface of this wonderful city. From the Rialto Bridge (left) to Murano, Venice offers unique experiences to everyone.. Susan and I spent just two days there in 2005, and I can't think of a single moment where we were disappointed.


Our trip to Venice actually began in Lugano, Switzerland early on a Saturday morning. We were told that there was no room on the train, or at the very least, no reservation available. We changed trains in Milan, and even though we had 1st class train passes, the best we could get were 2nd class seats with our reservation to Venice. The car that our seats were on was at the far end of the train, and we were late , so we jumped on the first car, intending to walk back to our car inside the train. It was a great idea, until we realized that 10 feet inside the first car, the mass of humanity standing in the aisles was not going to part for us.

Only a couple sitting in the wrong compartment who were unceremoniously moved by the harried conductor, allowed us to sit down - an hour and a half into the three hour journey.


Arrival in Venice was an adventure. Fortunately, a friend who has spent a lot of time there over the years, gave us the game plan on getting anywhere in Venice. We bought a two day Vaparetto pass which allowed us unlimited access to Venice's "mass transit" system.



The Grand Canal is Main Street, with as much traffic as any major city, except it's all boats. We traveled most of the length of the Grand Canal to get to our destination - the Academia Bridge. Our hotel, the American Hotel, was on a quiet little canal a few blocks away. The staff was great, the room was reasonable, and the stairs were numerous. The sidewalk cafe at the base of the Academia Bridge was a wonderful first meal in the city. We had a great view of San Marco (St. Mark's Square), across the canal. Walking the neighborhoods was a real learning experience. We found numerous potential customers in areas that probably hadn't seen an American tourist in years.


Sunday morning, Susan found a church that did Gregorian chants. We had to back track all the way around the city to get to it, and while the church was quite beautiful, the chants were remarkably mediocre. We met a pair of sisters, biological, not religious, from Canada who had spent some time in Tuscany at a villa that sounded fantastic. Who knows, maybe on this trip we might be able to find it ourselves.


On the way out of town on Monday, we met with our new friend Matilde Dolcetti at the Scoula Grafica. Matilde and her son run one of the most prestigious graphics workshops in Italy. Our visit was an opportunity to finally connect with a long time customer, and to hopefully cement that relationship.


Next: On to Florence

VARENNA

Our proposed Day 1 starts (or is it ends?) in Varenna, Italy on beautiful Lake Como. After the flight from Chicago to Zurich, a relatively short train ride to Varenna is the order of the day.

Varenna is on the Golden Triangle of Lake Como. This is the triangle formed by Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna. These three towns accommodate car ferries. Passenger ferries also run from these terminals. Varenna is the only lake side town that has a railway station, from which ferry connections will take you to the other main towns. Como, Lecco and Colico at the Lake's extremities are the others.

Varenna is the ideal location for exploring the Lake. We recommend you plan your days out by ferry and sample the riches of each town and village. No need to worry about wine or time, just eat, relax, shop and enjoy the calming influence of this beautiful lake


Varenna is the place to get away from it all, but also be in touch with the rest of the Lake. For the romantics, the historians or for those who love peace, tranquility and a history that goes back thousands of years this is the place. Varenna is an ancient fishing village with close to 1000 residents spread along a steep hillside overlooking Lake Como. The first evidence of Varenna existence dates back to 493. After the nearby isalnd of Comancina was destroyed the population increased and flourished. The warring factions, as with much of Lombardy saw Varenna at odds with Como on many occasions and the rule of Varenna pass in typical Italian family tradition from the Visconti family to the Sfondrati's. Today Varenna is a lovely spot to chill out, although be aware that shops and even restaurantsd have been known to shut for lunch, so expect the better things in life to take longer.

Piazza's, Walkways and Villa's

What is there to do in Varenna? It would be quite easy to give you a days itinerary if you wish to just visit some of these are listed below. We would however recommend Varenna as a base for exploring due to its location on the so called "Golden Triangle". Villa Monestero, which is few minutes walk from the central square (Albergo Royal Victoria) toward Fiumelatte. The villa, as the name indicates, was a Cistercian convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. It was founded in 1208 by a group of faithful followers who had escaped from Comacina Island, after the Island was destroyed during the war between Milan and Como. For more comprehensive information see this link of http://www.discovervarenna.com/ Another villa, not quite as grand but worth the visit and of historical interest is Villa Cipressi in Via IV Novembre, which also meets the waters edge! These Villas and their grounds will occupy a few hours! We suggest you stroll through the cobbled streets and explore the narrow alleys. You may even find out why people leave bottles of water outside their houses. There are a few restaurants along these streets, small, family run and with a good choice of Italian foods. For the more Pizza orientated there are two on the main square one attached to the main hotel. The waterfront in Varenna is relatively small with boats bobbing in a very small harbour area and the expected restaurant with tables and chairs covering this splendid view!You can walk to the ferry, along a wonderful promenade over the water, past a wonderful ice cream shop, the friendly ducks (check out the villages ornitholigical museum aswell) and lazy fish drifting in the sparkling water. The Ferry area is naturally less tranquil, but has some magnificient villas overlooking the wharf and its own piazza. If the ferry isn't there already, then sip a late Latte at the local cafe and soak up the refreshing lake air!

For the more athletic

For the more athletic then there are lots of walks up hills and down valleys. For example, Perledo, only a 3 minute drive is a good hike and results in magnificent views over the Lake.

The altitude also proves a bonus on blisteringly hot days. If you want to enjoy this vista at breakfast and over an evening glass of wine then try staying at the magnificient Vista D'Oro Apartments, a brand new exclusive and beautiful development on the hillside overlooking Varenna.The 7th Century Queen of Lombardy, Theodolinda lived the last years of her life in Castello Vezio, a castle, the ruins of which can be found at the top of the hill overlooking the town. This castle lent protection and thus prosperity to the locals, enhanced by the opening of a quarry for Black Marble. This marble was used for local building and was also used in the famous Duomo of Milan. You can walk up to this castle and see what remains, imagine the wealth and power and wonder at the views! In contrast one of Varenna's more famed son's, GB Pirelli, did not bring any wealth or fame home, no tires, no factories and not even a calendar!

THE TRIP BEGINS

Recently, Susan and I were filling out forms for what was to us a new website - www.tripadvisor.com. During a discussion about places we have been, and places we'd like to go, we began to formulate a plan for a group trip to celebrate a milestone birthday.

As these things usually do, it took on a life of its own, so we've begun sending out rough itineraries for a trip to Italy scheduled for about 18 month from now. We don't expect that everyone will do the same trip, and maybe no one will do it all, but for the time being it'll be fun to plan for it.

So, as of today we're looking to start our part of the trip by flying from Chicago to Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich is an amazing city with great restaurants, good transportation and fantastic shopping. From Zurich we head to the lake country around Varenna, Italy.

After a day or so in Varenna, we head back to one of our favorites - Venice. We went to Venice in 2005 and were so taken by the city that we can't wait to get back, while it's above water. The trip from Venice to Florence is a relatively short jaunt by train.

Florence is one of Italy's truly fantastic cities. The history, art, culture and food are absolutely top shelf. I suspect that no one will see more than just a slice of Firenze in the 3 days that we'll be there, but it's still worth the trip.

From Florence, we're off to Rome - the Vatican City, Colisseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and about 3000 years of history. I'm really looking forward to this part of the trip - never been there before.

Next, we'll be off to the Isle of Capri by way of Naples. Susan has always wanted to go there, and where she wants to go so do I. But, the best part of the trip from her point of view may be the next couple of days in Ravello, along the Amalfi Coast. We're hoping to book a class at Mama Agata's cooking school. From the pictures at her website, it is glorious location with the opportunity to learn to cook Italian style from an expert.

Finally, we'll head back to Rome to catch a return flight to Chicago. Of course, who knows? We could head back up north to the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) in Northwestern Italy, or maybe Lake Como or, well let's save that for another day

Day 1 Travel to Zurich, Switzerland

Day 2 Arrive in Zurich http://www.frommers.com/destinations/zurich/

Day 3 Train to Varenna, Italy

Day 4 Day in Varenna http://www.varennaitaly.com/english.html

Day 5 Train to Venice

Day 6 Day in Venice http://www.venetia.it/

Day 7 Train to Florence

Day 8-9 Free Days in Florence http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/florence_italy.ht

Day 10-11 Rome http://romeitaly.ca/

Day 12-13 Isle of Capri http://www.capri.com/

Day 14-15 Ravello http://www.sorrentoinfo.com/surrounding/ravello_italy.htm

Day 16 train to Rome

Day 17 Return to US

The web addresses are listed just as starting places for you to look at - from there, you're on your own.