Terry
I've been reading your past answers to questions and have received great advice from it. However, I would love to hear your feedback on this specific trip I'm planning. First off, we're 4 guys(ages 27-28) from Los Angeles. We're planning to travel May 11-26, 2008. We found a great fare from LAX to LHR, nonstop, that we're about to purchase. During this time, we plan to make the most of the trip. Thus, we want to start out in London for a few days, not much, just to really say we've been there(plus its our flight's destination). From London, we want to fly down to Barcelona and take a train across Southern France into Milan for about 5-6 days. We want to stop in some cities along the way(Nice, Cannese, Monaco, etc.). We're not sure how the train situation will work out for this so this is definitely a big part of my question for you. After Milan, we want to take a quick flight down to Rome for some sightseeing. After Rome, we need to head back to London to catch our flight back home. If we have a few days to spare, we wanted to hit either Amsterdam or Stockholm before we reach London for our flight.
Obviously, this is an aggressive schedule. My friends and I are really looking for a blend of traditional sightseeing(just major attractions) and relaxation(food, wine, beaches, nightlife, etc.) We plan to come back to Europe later in our lives for a more in-depth visit. But for now, we want to do as much as we can while we have these two precious weeks off(its hard to get this much vacation time this early in our careers). As far as budget, we each have allotted $4-5K for this trip, including airfare(which right now is $650 RT from LAX to LHR). We think we can travel within Europe cheaply through RyanAir, Easyjet, etc.
So, given that. What are you thoughts, suggestions, advice, feedback on any of this?
ANSWER: Hi . . . Bryant!
You noted: “this is an aggressive schedule.” You are 100% correct that “this is an aggressive schedule.” How to fix and fine-tune it?
Here is my feedback. I am not trying to be negative, just realistic and honest. You do have a great, low airfare, but it is for May 11-26, 2008 as things start to get much busier with crowds, delays and congestion in these prime and popular parts of Europe. Therefore, you cannot travel as quickly and easily as you would hope and desire if going at an earlier time. It will take and require more patience, money and planning to make it all flow SMOOTHLY!
To start out in London is great, but your first day there will be limited due to time to get through that airport into main London, plus the jet lag and body clock adjustments, etc. You can fly down to Barcelona, but it will take time to get to the distant London airport for that flight, time for arriving early and going through security, etc. The airport that Ryan Air and others use is at a long, long distance from central Barcelona, etc. Europe is somewhat compact, on paper, but it takes more time to get from main part of London to main Barcelona than you are thinking and planning right now. There are lots of logistical hassles, delay and frustrations to consider as you try to pack it ALL into your aggressive schedule. Initially in the first few days, you can play “run and gun” in your travel, but it will get old and you want to slow down a bit so you can better ENJOY IT!
Then, to take a train from Barcelona across southern France into Milan will take almost two full days with all of the train changes, delays between departure times, etc. You can check www.raileurope.com for detailed schedules. You will have to look at Barcelona to Montpelier and then Montpelier to Nice, etc., for exact schedule times. There will not be one seamless, quick, easy routing from Barcelona to Nice, as an example.
After Milan, you can try a quick flight down to Rome, but I would also check out the rail options. The air flight might be quick between these two airports, but it takes lots of getting out to airports and dealing with their long time requirements. It’s not as easy or quick from main Milan downtown to main Rome by air. Sorry! And in going from Milan to Rome, you are miss a stop in super wonderful Florence and Tuscany, etc.
After Rome, could you use a few “spare” days to hit either Amsterdam or Stockholm before reaching London for your return flight. It is possible? Anything is possible, but Ryanair and others go into a totally different airport than Heathrow. You’ve got to get from that “other” airport back over to Heathrow. That all takes lots more time, money and patience. If you really want a BLEND of traditional sightseeing and relaxation(food, wine, beaches, nightlife, etc.), then you will need to determine your highest priorities on what to see and where to go. At the end of your “vacation time”, you don’t want to arrive back too tired and worn out that you are wasted for the next week or two. On budget, I would aim and hope for the $5K level for this trip. For this busier late May time, better, quicker logistics cost more than you think, the Euro is high and the dollar low, food and beverage costs can add up quick, cheap places to stay are not as handy or enjoyable that wastes limited time, etc.
If you narrow your focus to a shorter list of THE highest priority places, it can work out better. Look forward to hearing more back from you, including that ranking of your priorities in rank order. Have you visited Paris or Europe previously? Do you want to see much of country areas in Europe or just the large cities?
Does this start to help a little? What are your reactions and needs for added information? Be happy to answer other questions after learning more from you. Be sure to complete the evaluation section so that our "bosses" on this volunteer service know we are working hard to make inquiring minds as happy as possible. ENJOY! Merci Beaucoup!
Thanks. Terry Casey in Columbus, Ohio
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
Thanks for the feedback. You're right, I didn't figure in the logistics too much. That gives me a better perspective.
I have been to Europe(Paris, Prague, and Budapest). But each trip was short and only that city. And, we're more about the cities that have great beaches and nightlife then the countryside. We figure we can do that later in our lives.
In terms of priority, I think for us its more about relaxation and fun. Barcelona and Southern France seem to be our best bet to spend the most time in. Do you think we should just find a flight straight to Barcelona instead of rerouting through London, and then getting a return flight from Rome? Also, would it be easier to rent a car or take a train across Southern France, knowing that we'd like to stop off certain cities to enjoy the beaches, dining, and nightlife?
You make very good points in your answer. Thanks for the time you put into it.
ANSWER: Hi . . . again . . . Bryant!
Thanks for the added info and background. Paris, Prague and Budpest are all wonderful. I'm glad you've been to those great places and are now seeing the "logistical" perspective.
Now with more time and your friends for this trip, you can have a great time. Your potential plan of flying into Barcelona directly and then going back out of Rome would be a much better, more focused plan. That would be a great idea with lots of options off of that routing you mentioned. Below are some notes on Provence, traffic and beaches there. I would suggest while there getting a little sampling of the country in such wonderful areas as Provence and Tuscany. You'll love it!
You can rent a car in Spain and drop it in France or Italy. BUT, the costs and drop charges might make that more difficult and not affordable. You can avoid driving in Barcelona(which is very congested) by the taking the train up to Narbone in France, get your car there and explore more along the coast from there. Then maybe you could take a train into Italy from Nice or nearby and get a car in Italy. Or you could do the rest of your travel in Italy by train, depending on your exact planned stops. You'll need to check the cost and time factors BOTH WAYS to see what works best. I will be happy to answer any other questions on Barcelona, Southern France and Italy. I can send added notes and tips for super wonderful Barcelona and Italy, if needed. Let me know if that would be of value and where in Italy you are planning to visit. ENJOY! Merci Beaucoup!
Thanks. Terry Casey in Columbus, Ohio
PROVENCE: WHY IT IS A GREAT PLACE? ITS WONDERFUL OPTIONS: Why do people love Provence? It is a region having a love affair with the land, earth and environment. The landscape is lush and verdant. Open-air markets have baskets of fresh herbs, fruits, flowers, fabrics, etc. The colorful spirit of the Mediterranean fills the air. Provence is nature at its purest. The sky is a piercing shade of blue. Fields are abundant and the air is clear. The climate ensures that spring, summer and fall yield magnificent and varied harvests. Throughout France, Provence is known for the best of everything natural. People in the area take great pride in these natural traditions for what they grow and how it is prepared in each village and every kitchen.
LOCATION: Provence has at its southern edge the famed Cote d’Azur with its wonderful coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. Generally Provence is consider the area east of the Rhone River with the Alps being the eastern border. Provence enjoys a southern sun that shines 320 days yearly, giving the region blue skies and mild temperatures year round. It is most picturesque in the spring with its flowering trees and shrubs. Summer offers local markets full of fresh harvests. Mid July is when the lavender field are in full bloom, filling the country air with a soothing fragrance. The Mistral winds can bring icy temperatures on bright sunny days. Getting lost can be fun in Provence. You can stumble across a charming village, history abbey or great tree-lined roadway. KEY PROVENCE LOCATIONS: AVIGNON is "one of the great art cities of France". Its old part of town has the Papal Palace, seat of Popes 1309-1377, street musicians perform near palace; art museum in Place du Palais open Wednesday through Monday, population of 87,000, town is on Rhone River. Once the religious, political and financial capital, Avignon is today a cultural capital and plays host annually in July to the largest festival of live theatre in the world. It has some of the best example of Gothic architecture in Europe.
AIX-EN-PROVENCE(population of 125,000) with Cezanne's studio on the road to Entremont; university town founded 122 B.C. as first Roman settlement in Gaul, near thermal springs, dining at Gu et Fils. An elegant and beautiful town, the visitor will enjoy discovering its ‘thousand fountains’ as he or she roams through its labyrinth of narrow streets. Aix-en-Provence is also renowned worldwide for its unique classical music festival.
Car travel to such nearby areas as ARLES, highest priority area city with Roman ruins, including 20,000 seat arena where bull fights are held in the summer; founded 49 B.C. by Julius Caesar, population of 52,000, Van Gogh's former home. Tarascon has its 15th century castle. LES BAUX is a very neat medieval village with great views that has no major population now, but tourist flock to soak its history and great views. You should dine right near there at L'Outau de Beaumaniere for ONE OF THE BEST MEALS YOU CAN HAVE IN FRANCE(lunch is more affordable).
NIMES was settled 121 B.C. and has a population of 140,000. Around the time of Julius Caesar, Nimes was a bustling city on the strategic Via Domitia linking Rome to Iberia/Spain. Nimes's arena, temple and nearby aqueduct are among the best-preserved in all of the former empire. Cars are banished from the compact old city dotted with other ruins, enhancing the feel of yesteryear. The Maison Carre is an almost impossibly pristine Roman temple.
ST. REMY his its Roman ruins, a population of 9000 and is the setting of world-famous literature. Saint-Remy is one of the most representative of Provençal towns and allows the visitor to appreciate the true charm of this oft-celebrated region of the country. It comes as no surprise that Saint Remy, like Cannes or Saint Tropez, is a destination for many well-known personalities. This Gallo-Roman village is on the plains 20 km south of Avignon. Residents more recent than the Romans include Dr. Schweitzer, Dr. Nostradamus and Van Gogh. The picturesque, old village is protected by the circular 14th-century wall which is lined by its protective circle of buildings. Its dolphin fountain is located in the shaded square in front of a 16th century old convent. This is a busy, active village, with a good selection of restaurants and hotels for the traveller. Among the shops are a few with some regional pottery, including some beautiful sunflower plates influenced by Van Gogh. The road between St. Remy and the autoroute(at Cavaillon, 17 km to the east) is a scenic drive out of the past: the road is lined by plane trees .
PONT DU GARD(Roman aqueduct/bridge) to the west of Avignon is a must see; Saturday AM market at Uzes near Pont du Gard can be totally charming and wonderful. Try good Provence website of:
www.provencebeyond.com
Try Avignon’s official tourism office: www.avignon-et-provence.com
COASTAL SUGGESTION: The old village of Eze, along the coast between Nice and Monaco, hangs up in the mountains above the water and crowds. It's wonderful to visit. Great, great views! Totally charming! Have lunch or dinner there at one of the two great eating places and feel like you're sitting on the edge of paradise!
CONGESTION, TRAFFIC WARNINGS: Be properly warned that Nice, Cannes, Monaco, etc. can and will be extremely crowded during their peak tourism periods. Lots and lots of people(both residents and visitors), too many cars, too few highways and limited land between the mountains and sea to hold all comfortably and easily. The movies have made these large cities seem attractive and appealing. Do not Cary Grant and Grace Kelly seem to be having fun there? So glamorous and exciting?! For movies, they make it seem so wonderful. If you are rich and in the “best, right” areas, it can seem and be wonderful. BUT, that congestion might be a turn-off. It depends on what are you expecting, seeking and willing to pay for to hang with the rich and avoid the mobs in these famed areas.
WEATHER/BEACHES FOR THIS AREA? It is NOT always hot and perfect beach weather during all months of the year in this region, especially in the November to April period. Also, the beaches are not all perfect, nice and sandy, gently sloped, etc., as some have experienced in Florida, the Carolinas, California, etc. The movie images paint a perfect picture! BUT, in many areas for some months, the beaches can be rocky and the weather mostly in the 50's and 60's. Sunny, probably. Windy, maybe. Not trying to be negative, just realistic! Timing in this area is important! Movie-like expectations must be matched with reality and your timing for visits in this area. Also some of the best beaches in a few peak areas are reserved for private hotel or resort use only. Not all of the best beaches are open to the general public.
COTE D'AZUR/NICE
The Cote d'Azur was "discovered" in the late 19th century as an illustrious winter wonderland for the privileged classes of British, Swiss and Russian societies. Climatically favored even in the winter, Nice was praised for its therapeutic benefits which drew foreigners searching for the dry, warm weather necessary to cure what was ailing them. Enchanted by this undiscovered paradise, the same families returned year after year until an affluent community of royalty, courtesans and artists flourished in the prosperous atmosphere of Belle Epoque Nice.
Today, Nice is a spectacular fusion of French and Italian culture, customs and cooking. Even the language, le Nicois or Nissart, spoken almost exclusively by the local population up until the beginning of the 20th century, is a hybrid of Italian—the official language of Nice from the 16th century until 1860, and French—the official language thereafter. This amalgam of cultures is also responsible for the wonderfully robust and flavorful Nicois cooking, based largely on olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, basil and other local produce.
Easily accessible to its international airport or by TGV Express train from Paris' Gare de Lyon in five and a half hours. With budget airlines such as Air Lib and Easy Jet, round trip fares between Paris and Nice can be had for competitive prices, sometimes less than a train ticket. Accommodations are plentiful but reservations are strongly recommended all year round so as not to waste time searching for vacancies. This is especially true in the summer months when millions of tourists flock to Nice's sun-baked shores.
Depending on the season, you are almost certain to witness a festival, parade or other spectacular event that transforms the city into a veritable extravaganza. From Carnival in February to the Jazz Festival in July, there is always an attraction to entertain locals and visitors alike.
It is suggest to start your day in Vieux Nice(Old Nice), with a cafe creme in the Cours Saleya and observe the vibrant Marché aux Fleurs(Flower Market). In addition to a colorful assortment of regional flora, this market specializes in locally grown fruits and vegetables and regional products such as honey, lavender, preserves and—of course—olive oil. Don't miss the vast assortment of exquisitely confected marzipan figures and rich candied fruit which make for excellent, inexpensive souvenirs. If you prefer a more structured overview of Old Nice, make your way to the Palais Lascari, a magnificent Baroque palace which is now a museum and the meeting point for several guided tours throughout Nice. For specific information, contact the palace directly.
Climb the sweeping stone stairs to the Chateau de Nice where you will be rewarded with another delicious treat, a breathtaking view of the Baie des Anges. For those that prefer to save their breath during their visit of this ancient site, there is an elevator at the foot of the cliff.
You can stroll along the port and choose among several fine seafood restaurants or venture back into the narrow streets of Old Nice for more indigenous cooking. For a lighter version of regional dishes in a refined setting, reserve at the Petite Maison on rue St. Francois de Paule—steps from City Hall, the newly renovated Opera House and Alziari, the indispensable address for fragrant olive oil, jars of tapenade or olive spread and big green bars of olive oil soap. Cross the street and sample the addictive chocolate covered almonds at Auer, an old fashioned confectionary dating back to 1820.
Vieux Nice/Baroque Treasures: Begin at the Prefecture and take rue Ste. Reparate to the Place Rosetti where Finocchio, an enticing gelateria, offers the sinful Italian ice cream. If you're feeling guilty after your sweet indulgence, confess next door at the Cathedral of Ste. Reparate. Named after the patron saint of Nice, this impressive church is an excellent example of the Baroque architecture that flourished in Nice during the 17th century.
If you prefer to venture out of Old Nice for dinner and if lunch plans didn't include a visit to the port, don't exclude this destination which makes for a particularly pleasant evening program. After admiring the stunning array of yachts in the marina, relax at the upscale L'Ane Rouge, a sophisticated seafood restaurant serving classical regional dishes.
WEB-MAPPING FOR FRANCE:
Use this website to get any detailed maps you need. Scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the directions with your details on where are coming from and going to. It will give both graphic maps and written point-by-point instructions.http://www.mapquest.com/maps/main.adp?country=FR
orhttp://www.mapquest.com/directions/europe.adp?do=nw
RAIL SCHEDULES: You can go to this website
www.raileurope.com
and check all of the various train options, timings and costs on rail travel within Europe. Great, very useful site!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
Hey Terry
Just wanted to follow up with you on our changed itinerary based on your recommendations. Here is it:
May 12 - Los Angeles to Barcelona
May 13-16 - Barcelona
May 16 - Barcelona to Nice(flight)
May 16-21 - Nice
May 21 - Nice to Rome(flight)
May 21-26 - Rome
May 26 - Rome to Los Angeles
What do you think? I think it definitely less agressive than my previous schedule. Plus, we'll get to enjoy each city more since we added days for each stop.
So, what are you suggestions for either city(Barcelona, Nice, Rome) in terms of lodging, attractions, beaches, restaurants, nightlife, and other activities. Now that we have our flights, we're in the process of finalizing the rest of the itinerary.
Look forward to reading your feedback.
Thanks again for all your help.
Best
Bryant
Guys Trip To Europe For 2 Weeks
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Guys Trip To Europe For 2 Weeks
by Alhrik » Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:52 pm
- Alhrik
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:38 pm
Guys Trip To Europe For 2 Weeks
by Graysen » Fri Jun 27, 2014 3:25 am
Hi . . . again . . . Bryant!
Great improvement towards a much more effective and workable schedule. With the focused time in these three areas, you will have flexibility to consider more "day-trips" from these cities to other nearby and wonderful country options, if it works and is of interest.
In mid May, you can hope for the best in weather, but it might not be perfect "beach weather" in Nice or Barcelona. It will be better than in April, but not peak hot weather as more like in summer. Good luck!
For vacation rentals by owners, here is a good site to check: www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe
I have used this site many times and it offers nice variety with better than average value. For hotels, you can try:
www.tripadvisor.com
www.hotels.com
Below are a bunch of notes on Barcelona, Nice and Italy. Tuscany and/or Florence could be a nice day-trip from Rome. So much to see and do in these three key and enjoyable areas. Let me know any other questions.
THANKS. Terry Casey
COTE D'AZUR/NICE
The Cote d'Azur was "discovered" in the late 19th century as an illustrious winter wonderland for the privileged classes of British, Swiss and Russian societies. Climatically favored even in the winter, Nice was praised for its therapeutic benefits which drew foreigners searching for the dry, warm weather necessary to cure what was ailing them. Enchanted by this undiscovered paradise, the same families returned year after year until an affluent community of royalty, courtesans and artists flourished in the prosperous atmosphere of Belle Epoque Nice.
Today, Nice is a spectacular fusion of French and Italian culture, customs and cooking. Even the language, le Nicois or Nissart, spoken almost exclusively by the local population up until the beginning of the 20th century, is a hybrid of Italian—the official language of Nice from the 16th century until 1860, and French—the official language thereafter. This amalgam of cultures is also responsible for the wonderfully robust and flavorful Nicois cooking, based largely on olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, basil and other local produce.
Easily accessible to its international airport or by TGV Express train from Paris' Gare de Lyon in five and a half hours. With budget airlines such as Air Lib and Easy Jet, round trip fares between Paris and Nice can be had for competitive prices, sometimes less than a train ticket. Accommodations are plentiful but reservations are strongly recommended all year round so as not to waste time searching for vacancies. This is especially true in the summer months when millions of tourists flock to Nice's sun-baked shores.
Depending on the season, you are almost certain to witness a festival, parade or other spectacular event that transforms the city into a veritable extravaganza. From Carnival in February to the Jazz Festival in July, there is always an attraction to entertain locals and visitors alike.
It is suggest to start your day in Vieux Nice(Old Nice), with a cafe creme in the Cours Saleya and observe the vibrant Marché aux Fleurs(Flower Market). In addition to a colorful assortment of regional flora, this market specializes in locally grown fruits and vegetables and regional products such as honey, lavender, preserves and—of course—olive oil. Don't miss the vast assortment of exquisitely confected marzipan figures and rich candied fruit which make for excellent, inexpensive souvenirs. If you prefer a more structured overview of Old Nice, make your way to the Palais Lascari, a magnificent Baroque palace which is now a museum and the meeting point for several guided tours throughout Nice. For specific information, contact the palace directly.
Climb the sweeping stone stairs to the Chateau de Nice where you will be rewarded with another delicious treat, a breathtaking view of the Baie des Anges. For those that prefer to save their breath during their visit of this ancient site, there is an elevator at the foot of the cliff.
You can stroll along the port and choose among several fine seafood restaurants or venture back into the narrow streets of Old Nice for more indigenous cooking. For a lighter version of regional dishes in a refined setting, reserve at the Petite Maison on rue St. Francois de Paule—steps from City Hall, the newly renovated Opera House and Alziari, the indispensable address for fragrant olive oil, jars of tapenade or olive spread and big green bars of olive oil soap. Cross the street and sample the addictive chocolate covered almonds at Auer, an old fashioned confectionary dating back to 1820.
Vieux Nice/Baroque Treasures: Begin at the Prefecture and take rue Ste. Reparate to the Place Rosetti where Finocchio, an enticing gelateria, offers the sinful Italian ice cream. If you're feeling guilty after your sweet indulgence, confess next door at the Cathedral of Ste. Reparate. Named after the patron saint of Nice, this impressive church is an excellent example of the Baroque architecture that flourished in Nice during the 17th century.
If you prefer to venture out of Old Nice for dinner and if lunch plans didn't include a visit to the port, don't exclude this destination which makes for a particularly pleasant evening program. After admiring the stunning array of yachts in the marina, relax at the upscale L'Ane Rouge, a sophisticated seafood restaurant serving classical regional dishes.
CONGESTION, TRAFFIC WARNINGS: Be properly warned that Nice, Cannes, Monaco, etc. can and will be extremely crowded during their peak tourism periods. Lots and lots of people(both residents and visitors), too many cars, too few highways and limited land between the mountains and sea to hold all comfortably and easily.
DINING: You didn't ask, but on dining in France, assuming you're not looking for the high-end, pricy places, the great news is that most any place will be very good to great to excellent. It's hard to have a bad meal in France!! The secret is to do some asking where you are staying and/or of others you meet there for their local suggestions. Then apply the eyeball test! If it looks touristy and the people sitting there(or the staff) are bored and uninterested, then that place probably should be avoided. If it looks like there are locals there and/or they are enjoying it, then it will probably be very good. Or maybe even better!
Here's a good "balancing suggestion" for saving your dining budget. Grab your lunch at one of the many bakeries/boulangerie/patisserie shops. Most are very cute and wonderful. Great breads! Get a sandwich, pastry, drink. Maybe some cheese. Other nice fresh things. Maybe spend only $4-5-6 a person. Eat in a park area or bench in Paris or the country side. Like a little picnic! Saves money and time during a busy day. Allows a little more budget for dinner in the evening.
FINAL KEY POINT: Read up, in advance, with such books(maybe from your library) as Eyewitness France(great maps and pictures) . . . or the Michelin Green books . . . to help you target what you most want to see and enjoy to fit your needs and taste. Don't wait until you get there to decide what you want to do. And be flexible. There could be strikes, rain, etc. that will require you to be able to adjust quickly to take advantage of your best available options each day.
A. KEY STRATEGIC ITALIAN TIPS
1. Relax and enjoy! The Romans already controlled the world once and are not in that much of a hurry. It will all work out. Be patient! That's their approach to life!
2. It's hard to have a bad meal in Italy! If you like seafood, you'll find lots of great dishes there. But most everything is wonderful. Enjoy the food!
3. The driving in the cities can be a little crazy, but the Italian are great, defensive drivers . . . very alert and aggressive. Outside of the cities, it’s much easier and lots like driving right here in Ohio.
ITALY FAST FACTS: Total land size is slightly larger than Arizona, but the population is 58 million, nearly twice that of California. The “boot” is 800 miles long by about 100 miles average width, May is one of the four best months for Italian travel(better weather and not over-crowded with tourists). Italy is the world’s largest wine producer.
KEY ITALY AREAS/HIGHLIGHTS
FLORENCE(pop. 384,000), best options/priorities of Il Duomo Cathedral(open 9 6 daily), if ambitious, climb to the top of the tower, great views, good way up; Palazzo Vecchio(their historic town hall) has great old rooms, climb higher for wonderful views of town; Uffizi Museum and Gallery(open 9-7, closed Monday) enjoy wine on their patio overlooking the Vecchio Plaza near the end of the museum visit; Accademia with Michelangelo’s David(8:30-7); Ponte Vecchio bridge; Santa Croce Church, lots of the famous buried there; Pitti Palace(open 8:30-7, closed Monday). Try to get advanced tickets for both the Uffizi and Accademia. This could save much time waiting in line. Things are busy now, but not as bad as in the late Spring and Summer.
ROME(pop. nearly 3 million) This vivid city has so many unforgettable images: St. Peter's Dome against a pink-and-red sunset, the city's silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn; the array of broken marble columns and ruins of temples of the Roman Forum; a Bernini 17th-century colonnade resting against an Egyptian obelisk carried off from Heliopolis while Jesus was still alive; Renaissance frescoes in a papal palace built on top of the tomb of a Roman emperor.
Rome went all out to spruce up for 2000 and the Jubilee with decades' worth of grime from pollution scrubbed from the city's facades, revealing the original glory of the Eternal City. Many of the most popular areas(such as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona) are sparkling and inviting again.
Whether they're still time-blackened or newly gleaming, the city's ancient monuments are a constant reminder that Rome was one of the greatest centers of Western civilization. In the heyday of the Empire, all roads led to Rome, and with good reason. It was one of the first cosmopolitan cities, importing slaves, gladiators, great art, and even citizens from the far corners of the world. Despite its carnage and corruption, Rome left a legacy of law; a heritage of great art, architecture, and engineering; and an uncanny lesson in how to conquer enemies by absorbing their cultures.
But ancient Rome is only part of the spectacle. The Vatican has had a tremendous influence on making the city a tourism center. They created great Renaissance treasures and even occasionally incorporated the old into the new- as Michelangelo did when turning the Baths of Diocletian into a church. And in the years that followed, Bernini adorned the city with the wonders of the baroque, especially his glorious fountains.
Rome is also a city of sounds, the peal of morning church bells, yielding into an urban symphony. The streets fill with cars, taxis, and motor scooters, all blaring their horns as they weave in and out of traffic; the sidewalks become overrun with bleary-eyed office workers rushing to their desks after stealing into crowded cafes for the first cappuccino of the day. The shops lining the streets open for business by raising their protective metal grilles as loudly as possible. Before long, fruit-and-vegetable stands are abuzz with activity as homemakers, maids, cooks, and others arrive to purchase their day's supply of fresh produce, haggling over prices and clucking over quality.
By 10 am the tourists are on the streets, battling crowds and traffic as they wind their way from Renaissance palaces and baroque buildings to the famous ruins of antiquity. Indeed, Rome often appears to have two populations: one of Romans and one of visitors. The traffic is worse than ever, complicated by a confusing lay-out of changing street names, twisting directions, etc.
More than Florence or Venice, Rome is Italy's treasure trove, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement -- Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling to Federico Fellini filming La Dolce Vita and 81?2 .
Rome's 2,700 years of history are laid open with every step. Nero fiddling, Mark Antony praising Caesar, and Charlemagne being crowned. Walk in their footsteps past the masterpieces of Michelangelo, sip your caffè in the shadow of Mussolini, and dodge Vespas speeding by Baroque palazzi and Egyptian obelisks.
Siena . . . a Must See & Do of Tuscany!
Siena is . . . the city of the blessed Virgins and the "Balzana"; black and white; decisive, just as its heraldic symbol; passionate and contemplative; always climbing and descending; clear and at the same time obscure; steep and narrow streets; the red of the Piazza del Campo appearing blinding and suddenly. In the alleys, in the museums and oratories of the Contrada, the spiritual songs of the Palio evoke very ancient rituals and modern allegories, while during the evening the shuffling of soles on the deserted pavement is in contrast with the peacefulness of the green valleys providentially enclosed within the wall, which ancient administrators had erected hundreds of years before it became common practice. Siena is also the Cathedral and the extraordinary panorama from the Facciatone; the Sala del Pellegrinaio in Santa Maria della Scala, the Libreria Piccolomini and the prestigious Accademia Chigiana; the enormous Medicean fortress that on the inside, at the Enoteca Italiana, harbors the most precious wines of Siena, Tuscany and the peninsula; sweet-smelling Trattorias, sweet spices, the sounds of the artisans and spouting fountains; Fontebrande and the mystery of the Diana, a famous river underneath Siena; the alchemy geometry of the Piazza, suggestively neo Gothic and cathartic. And these are the reasons why "Siena opens up its heart more than any other place," as the famous inscription reads on the Porta di Camollia.
BARCELONA IS SPAIN'S SECOND CITY, but it bubbles with special vibrancy in its narrow Gothic Quarter alleys and along the grand boulevards. This top Mediterranean trading center is also the capital of the proud region of Catalunya. With Franco's fascism now history, Catalunyan flags wave once again and the stirring, patriotic Sardana dances are a weekly event at the cathedral. Barcelona has had an illustrious past as a Roman colony, Visigothic capital and 14th-century maritime power. Just enjoy it. LIVE IT! IF YOU'RE IN THE MOOD TO SURRENDER TO A CITY'S CHARMS, LET IT BE BARCELONA.
Stroll down the main street, the RAMBLAS. This grand boulevard, more than a Champs-Elysees, takes you from the elegant Placa de Catalunya to the rough port, a 20-minute walk. You'll find the grand opera house, ornate churches, plain prostitutes, pickpockets, flower stalls, artists, street mimes, an outdoor bird market, classy cafes, great shopping, and people eager to charge more for a shoeshine than you paid for the shoes. Rent a white metal chair for 50 pesetas and observe. The Ramblas, which means "stream" in Arabic, is an endless current of people and action. Duck in the lively produce market on the Ramblas. Best in the morning, Mercat de Sant Josep is an explosion of chicken legs, bags of live snails, stiff fish, delicious oranges, and sleepy dogs. Try a tortilla espanola(potato omelet) and cafe con leche in the market's cafe. Wander deep in the Gothic Quarter, a tangled grab-bag of undiscovered and grand squares, schoolyard plazas, art nouveau storefronts, baby flea markets, musty and classy antique shops, and balconies with jungles behind wrought iron bars.
The centerpiece of the Gothic Quarter is its colossal CATHEDRAL, a fine example of Catalan Gothic, started in about 1300 and completed 600 years later. Rather than stretching toward heaven, it makes a point to be simply massive. Don't miss the cloister with its wispy garden. Nearby, the Picasso Museum is on the pilgrimage route of modern art lovers. Far and away the best collection of Picasso's(1881-1973) work in Spain, this is a great chance to see his earliest sketches and paintings and better understand his brilliance. He'd mastered the ability to paint realistically when just a teenager. Follow his progress as his skill geometrically increased...to cubism.
GAUDI, another artistic genius, left his mark on Barcelona's architecture. The city is a scrapbook of the galloping gables and organic curves of this hometown boy. A devoted Catalan and Catholic, Gaudi's toil was for his soil. Completely immersed in each project, he often lived on-site. Gaudi's most famous and persistent work is the unfinished Sagrada Familia(Sacred Family) church. From 1891 to 1925, Gaudi worked on this monumental church of eight 100 meter spires that will someday dance around a 160-meter granddaddy spire. With the cranes, rusty forests of rebar, and scaffolding requiring a powerful faith, it offers a fun look at a living, growing, bigger-than-life building. Take the lift(200 ptas) or the stairs(free) up to the dizzy lookout bridging two spires for a great city view and a gargoyle's-eye perspective of the loopy church.
Barcelona is a walker's paradise. It has old and new, sea and mountain, postmodern and primitive. To saunter through its Gothic Quarter, along the dark, narrow streets and past the ancient artisans' shops, is to be transported back to the Middle Ages. Walk up Passeig de Gràcia, past the chic boutiques and the daring, whimsical buildings by Antonio Gaudí. This city is known as Spain's capital of design. This city spruced itself up considerably for the 1992 Olympic Summer Games, a face lift that is still paying off. Dozens of old factories and seedy restaurants that blocked access to the waterfront were torn down, creating a Mediterranean beach marvelous for strolling and sunbathing. Near the Old Port are a new aquarium and an Imax theater, excellent diversions for those with kids in tow. In 1995, the city opened the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, a glistening white sun-drenched building designed by the American Richard Meier.
The Gothic Quarter resembles a maze, with surprises wherever one turns. On torrid summer days, the Cathedral's well-shaded cloister, with its cool stone and many plants, is the perfect escape. Cavelike bars, with sausages hanging from the ceiling, look like they came straight out of a Cervantes novel. The romantic should not miss two well-preserved squares: the Plaça del Pi, known for its cafes and guitar-strumming troubadors, and the Plaça de Sant Felipe Neri, an oasis of serenity with a gentle fountain.
Dine at the usual hour, for those in Barcelona, of 11 pm along with the waterfront. The great seafood never tasted better in that setting, feeling the pulse of people, fun and enjoyment. ENJOY!!
Best Dining Bets from Frommers:
Best Catalán Cuisine: This hip Gràcia town house, Jean Luc Figueras(tel. 93 415-28-77), offers a sultry Kama-Sutra dining experience. Traditional and innovative at the same time, the cookery here is a showcase for the talents of the clever chef and owner, Jean Luc Figueras, who stamps every dish--made from the finest raw materials--with his personal touch.
Best View: Part of the fun of going to Barcelona is dining with a view of the water, and Can Costa(tel. 93-221-59-03) not only offers that but also serves up some of the city's most succulent seafood. It has prospered since the eve of World War II, luring patrons who came to sample traditional recipes from the best baby squid in town to a classic Valencian shellfish paella.
Best Decor: Once Beltxenea(tel. 93-215-30-24) was a chic, elegant apartment in the Eixample, but in 1987 it was converted into a restaurant. The dining rooms still retain the atmosphere of exclusivity and elegance, and these days, the restaurant serves some of the best Basque cookery in Catalonia.
Best Value: The most celebrated restaurant in La Boquería, the covered food market of Barcelona, is Garduña(tel. 93-302-43-23). Originally a hotel, it was converted into a restaurant in the 1970s, today serving artists, writers, actors, and others in a blue-collar atmosphere. The food is super-fresh; you get hearty seafood medleys here at prices far below what most other restaurants charge. It also offers one of the best fixed-price menus in town.
Best Seafood: On the main thoroughfare of Gràcia is Botafumeiro(tel. 93-218 42-30), where you get the city's best array of seafood. The chief attraction is mariscos Botafumeiro, a myriad selection of the best shellfish in Spain, with one plate arriving right after the other. The fresh fish is flown daily to Barcelona, often from the coast of Galicia, where the restaurant owner comes from.
Best Continental Cuisine: In this chic part of town, chef Josep Bullick of La Dama(tel. 93-202-06-86) turns out a delectable cuisine that rivals many of the top restaurants of Paris. After sampling such dishes as the langoustine salad with orange vinegar, you'll be won over by his bold innovative cuisine. Peerless ingredients and a faultless technique produce such dishes as roast filet of goat, which may not sound appetizing, but in this chef's hands it becomes a dish of wonder.
Best French Cuisine: Jaume de Provença(tel. 93-430-00-29) boasts modern French cuisine that's often perfumed with the delicate spices and aromas of Provence. Chef Jaume Bargués enjoys a well-earned reputation as one of Barcelona's finest chefs. Haute cuisine is handled here with deft hands, and imagination and vision go into the constantly changing menus that depend on what's the best and the freshest in any given season.
Best for Creative Cuisine: Red-haired Mey Hoffmann, daughter of a German father and a Catalán mother, lures the most discriminating palates to Restaurant Hoffmann(tel. 93-319-58-89), in the Barri Gòtic. Her cuisine is the city's most creative, a perfect medley of dishes inspired by both Catalonia and neighboring France. Everything from her fine tarte with deboned sardines to her ragout of crayfish with green risotto tastes superb, each dish inventive and based on market-fresh ingredients.
Best Wine List: Neichel(tel. 93-334-06-99) enjoys a dedicated loyal following, drawn not only to Jean-Louis Neichel's French and Catalán cuisine, but also to the best wine list in the city--a medley of the finest vintages from both France and Catalonia, as well as throughout Spain. The sommelier helpfully guides you to the perfect wine for your meal, which might include filet of sea bass in a sea urchin cream sauce. He doesn't push the most expensive selections, either.
Best for Late-Night Dining: The good food at Els Quatre Gats(tel. 93-302-41 40) is prepared in an unpretentious style of Catalán cookery called cucina de mercat(based on whatever looks fresh at the market that day).This is the most legendary cafe in Barcelona, patronized by the likes of Picasso when he was wandering around the port at the tender age of 18. In the heart of the Barri Gòtic, it becomes particularly animated late at night, serving food and drink until 2am.
Best Local Favorite: Since 1836, 7 Portes(tel. 93-319-30-33) has been feeding locals its several variations of paella, including versions with rabbit or with sardines. It offers one of the most extensive menus in Barcelona, and is a classic, mellow place with waiters wearing long white aprons.
Best Desserts: There's no contest. Imagine a restaurant, Espai Sucre(Sugar Space)(tel. 93-268-16-30) that does nothing but create spectacular desserts, except for a few savories. Barcelona's most unusual restaurant weaves magic with an array of dessert concoctions that are daringly inventive and great tasting.
Best Picnic Fare: There's no better place for the makings of a picnic than the Mercat de la Boquería, in the center of the Rambles. Also known as the Mercat de Sant Josep, it's one of the world's most extensive produce markets, an attraction in its own right. Dating from 1914, it offers aisle upon aisle of attractively displayed produce from both sea and land. Many of the ingredients are already cooked and prepared, and can be packed for you to carry along in your picnic basket.
Tip from an E-Mail of a visitor there in 1997:
Quatros Gatos(the 4 cats). It's in an alley in the old section of the city off Las Rambles. It's hard to find and most cab drivers don't know about it. It feels like you've stepped into a Hemingway novel. It was a hangout for artists around the turn of the century-Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, et al. The food is great and we were the only non-Spanish speakers. I was with a restaurant reviewer for the San Francisco Examiner. Had a monk fish dish that we both agreed was the best fish either of us had ever eaten. I ordered a second, but Rebecca ate most of it. You should go to the harbor and eat paella on the terrace too.
Where to Eat from 1998 NY Times: For a spectacular view of the Mediterranean and equally impressive seafood, Cal Pinxo is the place to go. Situated in Barceloneta, an up-and-coming neighborhood originally built for fishermen's families, this restaurant, at 124 Baluard,(34-93) 221-5028, has excellent paella, sea bass(lubina) and esquexada, a seafood salad full of olive oil and cod. Try a bottle of Yllera, a smooth red wine from Old Castile. Dinner for two costs about $65, with wine. A popular place for business executives and artists is Senyor Parellada, a bright yellow room filled with plants. The restaurant, at 37 Argenteria,(34-93) 310-5094, has excellent hake with donostiara sauce, containing olive oil, butter and lemon, and angler fish with burnt garlic. Dinner for two: $65, with wine. Widely considered one of the best tapas bars in a city famous for tapas, Cal Pep, 8 Plaça de les Olles,(34-93) 310-7961, has seafood galore. At night, there are often lines for the bustling marble bar, but it is worth the wait. Try the succulent baby squid(chiperones), the grilled shrimp, the mussels and the spinach with garbonzo beans and garlic. Dinner for two: $60, with wine. Budget-minded tourists might try Agut, 16 Gignas,(34-93) 315-1709, with an $8.50 lunch menu with entree, wine and dessert included. At night, menus are à la carte. The vegetable pie with tomato sauce was tasty, as were the filet of hake with Provençal sauce and the lasagna with escalivada, a mixture of grilled peppers, eggplant and onions. Dinner for two: $40, with wine. The $6.50 lunch menu is a stunning bargain at El Convent, in a converted medieval convent, at 3 Jerusalem,(34-93) 317 1052, just behind the colorful Boqueria food market. One recent lunch time, appetizers included lentil salad, baby squid salad and asparagus with garlic mousse. For a sense of what Barcelona was like at the turn of the century, when it was awhirl with intellectual ferment and a passion for design, try a romantic dinner at the Quatre Gats, 3 Montsio,(34-93) 302-4140, a tavern that opened in 1897. While a teen-ager, Picasso designed its first menu. Ask for a small table on the wrought-iron balcony, overlooking the pianist and violinist. Unfortunately, the food is not as impressive as the ambiance. Dinner for two: $60, with wine.
From Fodors, Top Rated:
DROLMA, Passeig de Gràcia 70, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/496-7710
Over EUR35
Named(in Sanskrit) for Buddha's female side, Fermin Puig's intimate perch in the Hotel Majestic was an instant success. The menú de degustaciò(taster's menu) might have pheasant cannelloni in foie-gras sauce with fresh black truffles or giant prawn tails with trompettes de la mort(black wild mushrooms) with sôt-l'y-laisse(free-range chicken nuggets). Fermin's foie gras a la ceniza con ceps(cooked over wood coals with wild mushrooms) -- a recipe rescued from Fermin's boyhood farmhouse feasts -- is typical of Drolma's signature blend of tradition and inspiration. Reservations essential. Closed Sun. and Aug.
CAN MAJÓ Almirall Aixada 23, Barcelona, Spain Phone: 93/221-5455, EUR26 to EUR35 , Barceloneta
On the beach in Barceloneta, Can Majó is one of Barcelona's premier seafood restaurants. House specialties are caldero de bogavante(a cross between paella and lobster bouillabaisse) and suquet(fish stewed in its own juices), but whatever you choose will be excellent. In summer, the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean is the closest you can now come to the Barceloneta chiringuitos(shanty restaurants) that used to line the beach here. Closed Sun.-Mon.
CAN GAIG, Passeig de Maragall 402, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/429-1017
Over EUR35
This traditional, first-rate Barcelona restaurant is known for a balanced and superb high quality in design and cuisine. Known for its market-fresh ingredients and cooking that is experimental yet based on ancient recipes from Catalan home cooking, the menu balances seafood and upland specialties, game, and domestic raw materials. Try the perdiz asada con jamón ibérico(roast partridge with Iberian ham). Reservations essential. Closed Mon., Holy Week, and Aug.
TRAM-TRAM, Major de Sarrià 121, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/204-8518, EUR26 to Over EUR35
At the end of the old tram line above the village of Sarrià, Isidre Soler and his wife, Reyes, have put together one of Barcelona's finest culinary offerings. Try the menú de degustaciò(taster's menu) and you might be lucky enough to get marinated tuna salad, cod medallions, and venison filet mignons, among other tasty creations. Perfectly sized portions and a streamlined reinterpretation of space within this traditional Sarrià house -- especially in or near the garden out back -- make this a memorable dining experience. Reservations are a good idea, but Reyes can almost always invent a table. Closed Sun. and late Dec. early Jan. No lunch Sat.
BOTAFUMEIRO, Gran de Gràcia 81, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/218-4230, Over EUR35
Barcelona's finest Galician restaurant, on Gràcia's main thoroughfare, has maritime motifs, snowy tablecloths, wood paneling, and fleets of waiters in soldierly white outfits moving at the speed of light. The Mariscada Botafumeiro is a seafood medley from shellfish to fin-fish to cuttlefish to caviar. An assortment of media ración(half-ration) selections is available at the bar, where pulpo a feira(squidon potato), jamón bellota de Guijuelo(acorn-fed ham), and pan con tomate(toasted bread with olive oil and tomato) make peerless late-night snacks. People-watching is tops, and the waiters are stand up comics.
CASA LEOPOLDO, Sant Rafael 24, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/441-3014, EUR26 to Over EUR35
Hidden in the dark Raval west of the Rambla, this restaurant owned by the Gil family serves fine seafood and Catalan fare. To get here, approach along Carrer Hospital, take a left through the Passatge Bernardí Martorell, and go 50 ft right on Sant Rafael to the Gil front door. Try the revuelto de ajos tiernos y gambas(eggs scrambled with young garlic and shrimp) or the famous cap-i pota, stewed head and hoof of pork. Albariños and Priorats are Rosa Gil's favorites. Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
AGUT, Gignàs 16, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/315-1709, Under EUR15
Wood paneling surmounted by white walls, on which hang 1950s canvases, forms the setting for the mostly Catalan crowd in this homey restaurant in the lower reaches of the Gothic Quarter. Agut was founded in 1924, and its popularity has never waned -- not least because the hearty Catalan fare is a fantastic value. In season(September-May), try the pato silvestre agridulce(sweet-and-sour wild duck). There's a good selection of wine, but no frills such as coffee or liqueur. Closed Mon. and July. No dinner Sun.
Great improvement towards a much more effective and workable schedule. With the focused time in these three areas, you will have flexibility to consider more "day-trips" from these cities to other nearby and wonderful country options, if it works and is of interest.
In mid May, you can hope for the best in weather, but it might not be perfect "beach weather" in Nice or Barcelona. It will be better than in April, but not peak hot weather as more like in summer. Good luck!
For vacation rentals by owners, here is a good site to check: www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe
I have used this site many times and it offers nice variety with better than average value. For hotels, you can try:
www.tripadvisor.com
www.hotels.com
Below are a bunch of notes on Barcelona, Nice and Italy. Tuscany and/or Florence could be a nice day-trip from Rome. So much to see and do in these three key and enjoyable areas. Let me know any other questions.
THANKS. Terry Casey
COTE D'AZUR/NICE
The Cote d'Azur was "discovered" in the late 19th century as an illustrious winter wonderland for the privileged classes of British, Swiss and Russian societies. Climatically favored even in the winter, Nice was praised for its therapeutic benefits which drew foreigners searching for the dry, warm weather necessary to cure what was ailing them. Enchanted by this undiscovered paradise, the same families returned year after year until an affluent community of royalty, courtesans and artists flourished in the prosperous atmosphere of Belle Epoque Nice.
Today, Nice is a spectacular fusion of French and Italian culture, customs and cooking. Even the language, le Nicois or Nissart, spoken almost exclusively by the local population up until the beginning of the 20th century, is a hybrid of Italian—the official language of Nice from the 16th century until 1860, and French—the official language thereafter. This amalgam of cultures is also responsible for the wonderfully robust and flavorful Nicois cooking, based largely on olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, basil and other local produce.
Easily accessible to its international airport or by TGV Express train from Paris' Gare de Lyon in five and a half hours. With budget airlines such as Air Lib and Easy Jet, round trip fares between Paris and Nice can be had for competitive prices, sometimes less than a train ticket. Accommodations are plentiful but reservations are strongly recommended all year round so as not to waste time searching for vacancies. This is especially true in the summer months when millions of tourists flock to Nice's sun-baked shores.
Depending on the season, you are almost certain to witness a festival, parade or other spectacular event that transforms the city into a veritable extravaganza. From Carnival in February to the Jazz Festival in July, there is always an attraction to entertain locals and visitors alike.
It is suggest to start your day in Vieux Nice(Old Nice), with a cafe creme in the Cours Saleya and observe the vibrant Marché aux Fleurs(Flower Market). In addition to a colorful assortment of regional flora, this market specializes in locally grown fruits and vegetables and regional products such as honey, lavender, preserves and—of course—olive oil. Don't miss the vast assortment of exquisitely confected marzipan figures and rich candied fruit which make for excellent, inexpensive souvenirs. If you prefer a more structured overview of Old Nice, make your way to the Palais Lascari, a magnificent Baroque palace which is now a museum and the meeting point for several guided tours throughout Nice. For specific information, contact the palace directly.
Climb the sweeping stone stairs to the Chateau de Nice where you will be rewarded with another delicious treat, a breathtaking view of the Baie des Anges. For those that prefer to save their breath during their visit of this ancient site, there is an elevator at the foot of the cliff.
You can stroll along the port and choose among several fine seafood restaurants or venture back into the narrow streets of Old Nice for more indigenous cooking. For a lighter version of regional dishes in a refined setting, reserve at the Petite Maison on rue St. Francois de Paule—steps from City Hall, the newly renovated Opera House and Alziari, the indispensable address for fragrant olive oil, jars of tapenade or olive spread and big green bars of olive oil soap. Cross the street and sample the addictive chocolate covered almonds at Auer, an old fashioned confectionary dating back to 1820.
Vieux Nice/Baroque Treasures: Begin at the Prefecture and take rue Ste. Reparate to the Place Rosetti where Finocchio, an enticing gelateria, offers the sinful Italian ice cream. If you're feeling guilty after your sweet indulgence, confess next door at the Cathedral of Ste. Reparate. Named after the patron saint of Nice, this impressive church is an excellent example of the Baroque architecture that flourished in Nice during the 17th century.
If you prefer to venture out of Old Nice for dinner and if lunch plans didn't include a visit to the port, don't exclude this destination which makes for a particularly pleasant evening program. After admiring the stunning array of yachts in the marina, relax at the upscale L'Ane Rouge, a sophisticated seafood restaurant serving classical regional dishes.
CONGESTION, TRAFFIC WARNINGS: Be properly warned that Nice, Cannes, Monaco, etc. can and will be extremely crowded during their peak tourism periods. Lots and lots of people(both residents and visitors), too many cars, too few highways and limited land between the mountains and sea to hold all comfortably and easily.
DINING: You didn't ask, but on dining in France, assuming you're not looking for the high-end, pricy places, the great news is that most any place will be very good to great to excellent. It's hard to have a bad meal in France!! The secret is to do some asking where you are staying and/or of others you meet there for their local suggestions. Then apply the eyeball test! If it looks touristy and the people sitting there(or the staff) are bored and uninterested, then that place probably should be avoided. If it looks like there are locals there and/or they are enjoying it, then it will probably be very good. Or maybe even better!
Here's a good "balancing suggestion" for saving your dining budget. Grab your lunch at one of the many bakeries/boulangerie/patisserie shops. Most are very cute and wonderful. Great breads! Get a sandwich, pastry, drink. Maybe some cheese. Other nice fresh things. Maybe spend only $4-5-6 a person. Eat in a park area or bench in Paris or the country side. Like a little picnic! Saves money and time during a busy day. Allows a little more budget for dinner in the evening.
FINAL KEY POINT: Read up, in advance, with such books(maybe from your library) as Eyewitness France(great maps and pictures) . . . or the Michelin Green books . . . to help you target what you most want to see and enjoy to fit your needs and taste. Don't wait until you get there to decide what you want to do. And be flexible. There could be strikes, rain, etc. that will require you to be able to adjust quickly to take advantage of your best available options each day.
A. KEY STRATEGIC ITALIAN TIPS
1. Relax and enjoy! The Romans already controlled the world once and are not in that much of a hurry. It will all work out. Be patient! That's their approach to life!
2. It's hard to have a bad meal in Italy! If you like seafood, you'll find lots of great dishes there. But most everything is wonderful. Enjoy the food!
3. The driving in the cities can be a little crazy, but the Italian are great, defensive drivers . . . very alert and aggressive. Outside of the cities, it’s much easier and lots like driving right here in Ohio.
ITALY FAST FACTS: Total land size is slightly larger than Arizona, but the population is 58 million, nearly twice that of California. The “boot” is 800 miles long by about 100 miles average width, May is one of the four best months for Italian travel(better weather and not over-crowded with tourists). Italy is the world’s largest wine producer.
KEY ITALY AREAS/HIGHLIGHTS
FLORENCE(pop. 384,000), best options/priorities of Il Duomo Cathedral(open 9 6 daily), if ambitious, climb to the top of the tower, great views, good way up; Palazzo Vecchio(their historic town hall) has great old rooms, climb higher for wonderful views of town; Uffizi Museum and Gallery(open 9-7, closed Monday) enjoy wine on their patio overlooking the Vecchio Plaza near the end of the museum visit; Accademia with Michelangelo’s David(8:30-7); Ponte Vecchio bridge; Santa Croce Church, lots of the famous buried there; Pitti Palace(open 8:30-7, closed Monday). Try to get advanced tickets for both the Uffizi and Accademia. This could save much time waiting in line. Things are busy now, but not as bad as in the late Spring and Summer.
ROME(pop. nearly 3 million) This vivid city has so many unforgettable images: St. Peter's Dome against a pink-and-red sunset, the city's silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn; the array of broken marble columns and ruins of temples of the Roman Forum; a Bernini 17th-century colonnade resting against an Egyptian obelisk carried off from Heliopolis while Jesus was still alive; Renaissance frescoes in a papal palace built on top of the tomb of a Roman emperor.
Rome went all out to spruce up for 2000 and the Jubilee with decades' worth of grime from pollution scrubbed from the city's facades, revealing the original glory of the Eternal City. Many of the most popular areas(such as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona) are sparkling and inviting again.
Whether they're still time-blackened or newly gleaming, the city's ancient monuments are a constant reminder that Rome was one of the greatest centers of Western civilization. In the heyday of the Empire, all roads led to Rome, and with good reason. It was one of the first cosmopolitan cities, importing slaves, gladiators, great art, and even citizens from the far corners of the world. Despite its carnage and corruption, Rome left a legacy of law; a heritage of great art, architecture, and engineering; and an uncanny lesson in how to conquer enemies by absorbing their cultures.
But ancient Rome is only part of the spectacle. The Vatican has had a tremendous influence on making the city a tourism center. They created great Renaissance treasures and even occasionally incorporated the old into the new- as Michelangelo did when turning the Baths of Diocletian into a church. And in the years that followed, Bernini adorned the city with the wonders of the baroque, especially his glorious fountains.
Rome is also a city of sounds, the peal of morning church bells, yielding into an urban symphony. The streets fill with cars, taxis, and motor scooters, all blaring their horns as they weave in and out of traffic; the sidewalks become overrun with bleary-eyed office workers rushing to their desks after stealing into crowded cafes for the first cappuccino of the day. The shops lining the streets open for business by raising their protective metal grilles as loudly as possible. Before long, fruit-and-vegetable stands are abuzz with activity as homemakers, maids, cooks, and others arrive to purchase their day's supply of fresh produce, haggling over prices and clucking over quality.
By 10 am the tourists are on the streets, battling crowds and traffic as they wind their way from Renaissance palaces and baroque buildings to the famous ruins of antiquity. Indeed, Rome often appears to have two populations: one of Romans and one of visitors. The traffic is worse than ever, complicated by a confusing lay-out of changing street names, twisting directions, etc.
More than Florence or Venice, Rome is Italy's treasure trove, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement -- Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling to Federico Fellini filming La Dolce Vita and 81?2 .
Rome's 2,700 years of history are laid open with every step. Nero fiddling, Mark Antony praising Caesar, and Charlemagne being crowned. Walk in their footsteps past the masterpieces of Michelangelo, sip your caffè in the shadow of Mussolini, and dodge Vespas speeding by Baroque palazzi and Egyptian obelisks.
Siena . . . a Must See & Do of Tuscany!
Siena is . . . the city of the blessed Virgins and the "Balzana"; black and white; decisive, just as its heraldic symbol; passionate and contemplative; always climbing and descending; clear and at the same time obscure; steep and narrow streets; the red of the Piazza del Campo appearing blinding and suddenly. In the alleys, in the museums and oratories of the Contrada, the spiritual songs of the Palio evoke very ancient rituals and modern allegories, while during the evening the shuffling of soles on the deserted pavement is in contrast with the peacefulness of the green valleys providentially enclosed within the wall, which ancient administrators had erected hundreds of years before it became common practice. Siena is also the Cathedral and the extraordinary panorama from the Facciatone; the Sala del Pellegrinaio in Santa Maria della Scala, the Libreria Piccolomini and the prestigious Accademia Chigiana; the enormous Medicean fortress that on the inside, at the Enoteca Italiana, harbors the most precious wines of Siena, Tuscany and the peninsula; sweet-smelling Trattorias, sweet spices, the sounds of the artisans and spouting fountains; Fontebrande and the mystery of the Diana, a famous river underneath Siena; the alchemy geometry of the Piazza, suggestively neo Gothic and cathartic. And these are the reasons why "Siena opens up its heart more than any other place," as the famous inscription reads on the Porta di Camollia.
BARCELONA IS SPAIN'S SECOND CITY, but it bubbles with special vibrancy in its narrow Gothic Quarter alleys and along the grand boulevards. This top Mediterranean trading center is also the capital of the proud region of Catalunya. With Franco's fascism now history, Catalunyan flags wave once again and the stirring, patriotic Sardana dances are a weekly event at the cathedral. Barcelona has had an illustrious past as a Roman colony, Visigothic capital and 14th-century maritime power. Just enjoy it. LIVE IT! IF YOU'RE IN THE MOOD TO SURRENDER TO A CITY'S CHARMS, LET IT BE BARCELONA.
Stroll down the main street, the RAMBLAS. This grand boulevard, more than a Champs-Elysees, takes you from the elegant Placa de Catalunya to the rough port, a 20-minute walk. You'll find the grand opera house, ornate churches, plain prostitutes, pickpockets, flower stalls, artists, street mimes, an outdoor bird market, classy cafes, great shopping, and people eager to charge more for a shoeshine than you paid for the shoes. Rent a white metal chair for 50 pesetas and observe. The Ramblas, which means "stream" in Arabic, is an endless current of people and action. Duck in the lively produce market on the Ramblas. Best in the morning, Mercat de Sant Josep is an explosion of chicken legs, bags of live snails, stiff fish, delicious oranges, and sleepy dogs. Try a tortilla espanola(potato omelet) and cafe con leche in the market's cafe. Wander deep in the Gothic Quarter, a tangled grab-bag of undiscovered and grand squares, schoolyard plazas, art nouveau storefronts, baby flea markets, musty and classy antique shops, and balconies with jungles behind wrought iron bars.
The centerpiece of the Gothic Quarter is its colossal CATHEDRAL, a fine example of Catalan Gothic, started in about 1300 and completed 600 years later. Rather than stretching toward heaven, it makes a point to be simply massive. Don't miss the cloister with its wispy garden. Nearby, the Picasso Museum is on the pilgrimage route of modern art lovers. Far and away the best collection of Picasso's(1881-1973) work in Spain, this is a great chance to see his earliest sketches and paintings and better understand his brilliance. He'd mastered the ability to paint realistically when just a teenager. Follow his progress as his skill geometrically increased...to cubism.
GAUDI, another artistic genius, left his mark on Barcelona's architecture. The city is a scrapbook of the galloping gables and organic curves of this hometown boy. A devoted Catalan and Catholic, Gaudi's toil was for his soil. Completely immersed in each project, he often lived on-site. Gaudi's most famous and persistent work is the unfinished Sagrada Familia(Sacred Family) church. From 1891 to 1925, Gaudi worked on this monumental church of eight 100 meter spires that will someday dance around a 160-meter granddaddy spire. With the cranes, rusty forests of rebar, and scaffolding requiring a powerful faith, it offers a fun look at a living, growing, bigger-than-life building. Take the lift(200 ptas) or the stairs(free) up to the dizzy lookout bridging two spires for a great city view and a gargoyle's-eye perspective of the loopy church.
Barcelona is a walker's paradise. It has old and new, sea and mountain, postmodern and primitive. To saunter through its Gothic Quarter, along the dark, narrow streets and past the ancient artisans' shops, is to be transported back to the Middle Ages. Walk up Passeig de Gràcia, past the chic boutiques and the daring, whimsical buildings by Antonio Gaudí. This city is known as Spain's capital of design. This city spruced itself up considerably for the 1992 Olympic Summer Games, a face lift that is still paying off. Dozens of old factories and seedy restaurants that blocked access to the waterfront were torn down, creating a Mediterranean beach marvelous for strolling and sunbathing. Near the Old Port are a new aquarium and an Imax theater, excellent diversions for those with kids in tow. In 1995, the city opened the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, a glistening white sun-drenched building designed by the American Richard Meier.
The Gothic Quarter resembles a maze, with surprises wherever one turns. On torrid summer days, the Cathedral's well-shaded cloister, with its cool stone and many plants, is the perfect escape. Cavelike bars, with sausages hanging from the ceiling, look like they came straight out of a Cervantes novel. The romantic should not miss two well-preserved squares: the Plaça del Pi, known for its cafes and guitar-strumming troubadors, and the Plaça de Sant Felipe Neri, an oasis of serenity with a gentle fountain.
Dine at the usual hour, for those in Barcelona, of 11 pm along with the waterfront. The great seafood never tasted better in that setting, feeling the pulse of people, fun and enjoyment. ENJOY!!
Best Dining Bets from Frommers:
Best Catalán Cuisine: This hip Gràcia town house, Jean Luc Figueras(tel. 93 415-28-77), offers a sultry Kama-Sutra dining experience. Traditional and innovative at the same time, the cookery here is a showcase for the talents of the clever chef and owner, Jean Luc Figueras, who stamps every dish--made from the finest raw materials--with his personal touch.
Best View: Part of the fun of going to Barcelona is dining with a view of the water, and Can Costa(tel. 93-221-59-03) not only offers that but also serves up some of the city's most succulent seafood. It has prospered since the eve of World War II, luring patrons who came to sample traditional recipes from the best baby squid in town to a classic Valencian shellfish paella.
Best Decor: Once Beltxenea(tel. 93-215-30-24) was a chic, elegant apartment in the Eixample, but in 1987 it was converted into a restaurant. The dining rooms still retain the atmosphere of exclusivity and elegance, and these days, the restaurant serves some of the best Basque cookery in Catalonia.
Best Value: The most celebrated restaurant in La Boquería, the covered food market of Barcelona, is Garduña(tel. 93-302-43-23). Originally a hotel, it was converted into a restaurant in the 1970s, today serving artists, writers, actors, and others in a blue-collar atmosphere. The food is super-fresh; you get hearty seafood medleys here at prices far below what most other restaurants charge. It also offers one of the best fixed-price menus in town.
Best Seafood: On the main thoroughfare of Gràcia is Botafumeiro(tel. 93-218 42-30), where you get the city's best array of seafood. The chief attraction is mariscos Botafumeiro, a myriad selection of the best shellfish in Spain, with one plate arriving right after the other. The fresh fish is flown daily to Barcelona, often from the coast of Galicia, where the restaurant owner comes from.
Best Continental Cuisine: In this chic part of town, chef Josep Bullick of La Dama(tel. 93-202-06-86) turns out a delectable cuisine that rivals many of the top restaurants of Paris. After sampling such dishes as the langoustine salad with orange vinegar, you'll be won over by his bold innovative cuisine. Peerless ingredients and a faultless technique produce such dishes as roast filet of goat, which may not sound appetizing, but in this chef's hands it becomes a dish of wonder.
Best French Cuisine: Jaume de Provença(tel. 93-430-00-29) boasts modern French cuisine that's often perfumed with the delicate spices and aromas of Provence. Chef Jaume Bargués enjoys a well-earned reputation as one of Barcelona's finest chefs. Haute cuisine is handled here with deft hands, and imagination and vision go into the constantly changing menus that depend on what's the best and the freshest in any given season.
Best for Creative Cuisine: Red-haired Mey Hoffmann, daughter of a German father and a Catalán mother, lures the most discriminating palates to Restaurant Hoffmann(tel. 93-319-58-89), in the Barri Gòtic. Her cuisine is the city's most creative, a perfect medley of dishes inspired by both Catalonia and neighboring France. Everything from her fine tarte with deboned sardines to her ragout of crayfish with green risotto tastes superb, each dish inventive and based on market-fresh ingredients.
Best Wine List: Neichel(tel. 93-334-06-99) enjoys a dedicated loyal following, drawn not only to Jean-Louis Neichel's French and Catalán cuisine, but also to the best wine list in the city--a medley of the finest vintages from both France and Catalonia, as well as throughout Spain. The sommelier helpfully guides you to the perfect wine for your meal, which might include filet of sea bass in a sea urchin cream sauce. He doesn't push the most expensive selections, either.
Best for Late-Night Dining: The good food at Els Quatre Gats(tel. 93-302-41 40) is prepared in an unpretentious style of Catalán cookery called cucina de mercat(based on whatever looks fresh at the market that day).This is the most legendary cafe in Barcelona, patronized by the likes of Picasso when he was wandering around the port at the tender age of 18. In the heart of the Barri Gòtic, it becomes particularly animated late at night, serving food and drink until 2am.
Best Local Favorite: Since 1836, 7 Portes(tel. 93-319-30-33) has been feeding locals its several variations of paella, including versions with rabbit or with sardines. It offers one of the most extensive menus in Barcelona, and is a classic, mellow place with waiters wearing long white aprons.
Best Desserts: There's no contest. Imagine a restaurant, Espai Sucre(Sugar Space)(tel. 93-268-16-30) that does nothing but create spectacular desserts, except for a few savories. Barcelona's most unusual restaurant weaves magic with an array of dessert concoctions that are daringly inventive and great tasting.
Best Picnic Fare: There's no better place for the makings of a picnic than the Mercat de la Boquería, in the center of the Rambles. Also known as the Mercat de Sant Josep, it's one of the world's most extensive produce markets, an attraction in its own right. Dating from 1914, it offers aisle upon aisle of attractively displayed produce from both sea and land. Many of the ingredients are already cooked and prepared, and can be packed for you to carry along in your picnic basket.
Tip from an E-Mail of a visitor there in 1997:
Quatros Gatos(the 4 cats). It's in an alley in the old section of the city off Las Rambles. It's hard to find and most cab drivers don't know about it. It feels like you've stepped into a Hemingway novel. It was a hangout for artists around the turn of the century-Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, et al. The food is great and we were the only non-Spanish speakers. I was with a restaurant reviewer for the San Francisco Examiner. Had a monk fish dish that we both agreed was the best fish either of us had ever eaten. I ordered a second, but Rebecca ate most of it. You should go to the harbor and eat paella on the terrace too.
Where to Eat from 1998 NY Times: For a spectacular view of the Mediterranean and equally impressive seafood, Cal Pinxo is the place to go. Situated in Barceloneta, an up-and-coming neighborhood originally built for fishermen's families, this restaurant, at 124 Baluard,(34-93) 221-5028, has excellent paella, sea bass(lubina) and esquexada, a seafood salad full of olive oil and cod. Try a bottle of Yllera, a smooth red wine from Old Castile. Dinner for two costs about $65, with wine. A popular place for business executives and artists is Senyor Parellada, a bright yellow room filled with plants. The restaurant, at 37 Argenteria,(34-93) 310-5094, has excellent hake with donostiara sauce, containing olive oil, butter and lemon, and angler fish with burnt garlic. Dinner for two: $65, with wine. Widely considered one of the best tapas bars in a city famous for tapas, Cal Pep, 8 Plaça de les Olles,(34-93) 310-7961, has seafood galore. At night, there are often lines for the bustling marble bar, but it is worth the wait. Try the succulent baby squid(chiperones), the grilled shrimp, the mussels and the spinach with garbonzo beans and garlic. Dinner for two: $60, with wine. Budget-minded tourists might try Agut, 16 Gignas,(34-93) 315-1709, with an $8.50 lunch menu with entree, wine and dessert included. At night, menus are à la carte. The vegetable pie with tomato sauce was tasty, as were the filet of hake with Provençal sauce and the lasagna with escalivada, a mixture of grilled peppers, eggplant and onions. Dinner for two: $40, with wine. The $6.50 lunch menu is a stunning bargain at El Convent, in a converted medieval convent, at 3 Jerusalem,(34-93) 317 1052, just behind the colorful Boqueria food market. One recent lunch time, appetizers included lentil salad, baby squid salad and asparagus with garlic mousse. For a sense of what Barcelona was like at the turn of the century, when it was awhirl with intellectual ferment and a passion for design, try a romantic dinner at the Quatre Gats, 3 Montsio,(34-93) 302-4140, a tavern that opened in 1897. While a teen-ager, Picasso designed its first menu. Ask for a small table on the wrought-iron balcony, overlooking the pianist and violinist. Unfortunately, the food is not as impressive as the ambiance. Dinner for two: $60, with wine.
From Fodors, Top Rated:
DROLMA, Passeig de Gràcia 70, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/496-7710
Over EUR35
Named(in Sanskrit) for Buddha's female side, Fermin Puig's intimate perch in the Hotel Majestic was an instant success. The menú de degustaciò(taster's menu) might have pheasant cannelloni in foie-gras sauce with fresh black truffles or giant prawn tails with trompettes de la mort(black wild mushrooms) with sôt-l'y-laisse(free-range chicken nuggets). Fermin's foie gras a la ceniza con ceps(cooked over wood coals with wild mushrooms) -- a recipe rescued from Fermin's boyhood farmhouse feasts -- is typical of Drolma's signature blend of tradition and inspiration. Reservations essential. Closed Sun. and Aug.
CAN MAJÓ Almirall Aixada 23, Barcelona, Spain Phone: 93/221-5455, EUR26 to EUR35 , Barceloneta
On the beach in Barceloneta, Can Majó is one of Barcelona's premier seafood restaurants. House specialties are caldero de bogavante(a cross between paella and lobster bouillabaisse) and suquet(fish stewed in its own juices), but whatever you choose will be excellent. In summer, the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean is the closest you can now come to the Barceloneta chiringuitos(shanty restaurants) that used to line the beach here. Closed Sun.-Mon.
CAN GAIG, Passeig de Maragall 402, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/429-1017
Over EUR35
This traditional, first-rate Barcelona restaurant is known for a balanced and superb high quality in design and cuisine. Known for its market-fresh ingredients and cooking that is experimental yet based on ancient recipes from Catalan home cooking, the menu balances seafood and upland specialties, game, and domestic raw materials. Try the perdiz asada con jamón ibérico(roast partridge with Iberian ham). Reservations essential. Closed Mon., Holy Week, and Aug.
TRAM-TRAM, Major de Sarrià 121, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/204-8518, EUR26 to Over EUR35
At the end of the old tram line above the village of Sarrià, Isidre Soler and his wife, Reyes, have put together one of Barcelona's finest culinary offerings. Try the menú de degustaciò(taster's menu) and you might be lucky enough to get marinated tuna salad, cod medallions, and venison filet mignons, among other tasty creations. Perfectly sized portions and a streamlined reinterpretation of space within this traditional Sarrià house -- especially in or near the garden out back -- make this a memorable dining experience. Reservations are a good idea, but Reyes can almost always invent a table. Closed Sun. and late Dec. early Jan. No lunch Sat.
BOTAFUMEIRO, Gran de Gràcia 81, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/218-4230, Over EUR35
Barcelona's finest Galician restaurant, on Gràcia's main thoroughfare, has maritime motifs, snowy tablecloths, wood paneling, and fleets of waiters in soldierly white outfits moving at the speed of light. The Mariscada Botafumeiro is a seafood medley from shellfish to fin-fish to cuttlefish to caviar. An assortment of media ración(half-ration) selections is available at the bar, where pulpo a feira(squidon potato), jamón bellota de Guijuelo(acorn-fed ham), and pan con tomate(toasted bread with olive oil and tomato) make peerless late-night snacks. People-watching is tops, and the waiters are stand up comics.
CASA LEOPOLDO, Sant Rafael 24, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/441-3014, EUR26 to Over EUR35
Hidden in the dark Raval west of the Rambla, this restaurant owned by the Gil family serves fine seafood and Catalan fare. To get here, approach along Carrer Hospital, take a left through the Passatge Bernardí Martorell, and go 50 ft right on Sant Rafael to the Gil front door. Try the revuelto de ajos tiernos y gambas(eggs scrambled with young garlic and shrimp) or the famous cap-i pota, stewed head and hoof of pork. Albariños and Priorats are Rosa Gil's favorites. Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
AGUT, Gignàs 16, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: 93/315-1709, Under EUR15
Wood paneling surmounted by white walls, on which hang 1950s canvases, forms the setting for the mostly Catalan crowd in this homey restaurant in the lower reaches of the Gothic Quarter. Agut was founded in 1924, and its popularity has never waned -- not least because the hearty Catalan fare is a fantastic value. In season(September-May), try the pato silvestre agridulce(sweet-and-sour wild duck). There's a good selection of wine, but no frills such as coffee or liqueur. Closed Mon. and July. No dinner Sun.
- Graysen
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