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We had the good fortune to stay in some fine hotels and apartments. Although we had the misfortune of booking one hotel through a shady site (see previous post about Verona), all of the places we stayed were beautiful, clean and offered breakfast in charming breakfast rooms. I have always loved the European breakfasts that are offered by hotels. I wish they had something comparable in North America.
Here is the list of hotels and their cities:
Bologna: Una Hotel Bologna; Viale Peitramellara 41/43
This hotel is very modern and really not to my taste but it was very nice and close to everything including the train station. We chose to begin our road trip after here and found that the car rental company was a block away from the hotel. There is a large, beautiful old hotel a short walk down the street that is incorporated into a lovely park. We had the good fortune to visit this park one evening on our way home and listen to a wonderful orchestra playing for a private party on the terrace of this grand hotel. In Italy, there is a treat around every corner.
Venice: Molino Stucky Hilton; Guidecca 810
We chose to stay on a neighboring island instead of the main island of Venice. This hotel is beautiful but does not offer a free breakfast. Guidecca is quiet and has the same architecture and canals of Venice but is quaint. Our hotel had free water taxi service to Venice so we never had to pay for transportation.
Lucca: Hotel Ilaria; Via Del Fosso 26
This hotel was also recommended by Maven Joan Shapero and it is a must. In fact, Lucca is a must. The hotel is quaint, charming, and the staff is very accomodating. In the main lobby, there is a snack bar that is always filled with cookies, pastries, espresso, water, wine. The breakfast room has a beautiful outdoor patio and the selection of food items is excellent. There is parking available.
Tellaro: Locando Miranda; Via Fiascherino 92
Locando Miranda is a must. Above is the view from our room"s balcony. The town is very small but worth every minute. The restaurant is a five-star fish restaurant but the prices are reasonable. Breakfast is served in this charming dining room. Parking is available. Tellaro is a great place to stay while visiting Lerici, Portevenere and Cinque Terre.
Verona: Hotel Accademia; Via Scala 12
This hotel is beautiful and the breakfast room is filled with exquisite treats. It is here that we had the difficulty with the less-than-reputable booking agent but the hotel still found us a beautiful suite and could not have been more professional and kind.
Padua Hotel: Grand Italia Hotel; Corso Del Popolo 81 (near train station)
Our room was not ready when we arrived so to accomodate us, they gave us a huge suite instead. Okay, I'll take it!! This room was more like an apartment. Although the hotel and its rooms appear very modern, they have kept the original charm of the breakfast room which has 12 foot ceilings and sculpted ceiling medallions.
This location can be a bit dicey in the evening. We were walking back to our hotel after dinner and a fight broke out between some of the African men who sell fake purses (you will see these men in nearly every city in Italy, with the exception of Verona). This fight escalated with one man breaking a bottle and chasing the other man with it. Time for Jerry and Pam to flee the scene!
Retaurants:
We ate in many fine restaurants in Italy but there are two that stand out for me. While walking around Verona one afternoon, I stumbled upon a very attractive little restaurant on one of the many squares in Verona. It was far away from the central area which appealed to me. The menu was intriguing so I mentioned it to Jerry and we decided to spend our last night in Verona at Antica Torretta; Piazza Briolo 1.
The service was extraordinary, the dishes were unique, the decor was stunning and the food was absolutely delicious. And to top it off, the prices were extremely reasonable for a restaurant serving five star food. There was one downside to this place - the bathrooms. They were clean but in some of the restaurants in Verona, regardless of size, price, style, the toilets are porcelain plates on the ground which one must straddle. Now, I have very poor balance and I was wearing heels at this time while attempting to use this contraption. My advice? Spend more time climbing hills in Verona to build up your leg muscles. This activity will serve you well when attempting to use a washroom.
My next favorite restaurant was another one I stumbled upon in Bologna called Ristorante Il Moro; Via de Falegnami 5.
For lunch, I chose a cheese stuffed tortellini with a poppy seed butter sauce. All I can say is that this meal was orgasmic! One bite and I was singing its praises. While walking around Bologna that day, all I could think about was that dish. I could not get it out of my mind. So we decided to have dinner there and although our lovely seasoned waiter (he served us during lunch too) tried to encourage me to sample something else from their extensive menu, I just had to have the tortellini again. I wasn't disappointed. I now make it at home but mine is not as good because I don't make my own tortellini and as I've mentioned before, the fresh ingredients in Italy make all the difference in the taste of the food.
Buon Appetito!!
Here is the list of hotels and their cities:
Bologna: Una Hotel Bologna; Viale Peitramellara 41/43
This hotel is very modern and really not to my taste but it was very nice and close to everything including the train station. We chose to begin our road trip after here and found that the car rental company was a block away from the hotel. There is a large, beautiful old hotel a short walk down the street that is incorporated into a lovely park. We had the good fortune to visit this park one evening on our way home and listen to a wonderful orchestra playing for a private party on the terrace of this grand hotel. In Italy, there is a treat around every corner.
Venice: Molino Stucky Hilton; Guidecca 810
We chose to stay on a neighboring island instead of the main island of Venice. This hotel is beautiful but does not offer a free breakfast. Guidecca is quiet and has the same architecture and canals of Venice but is quaint. Our hotel had free water taxi service to Venice so we never had to pay for transportation.
Lucca: Hotel Ilaria; Via Del Fosso 26
This hotel was also recommended by Maven Joan Shapero and it is a must. In fact, Lucca is a must. The hotel is quaint, charming, and the staff is very accomodating. In the main lobby, there is a snack bar that is always filled with cookies, pastries, espresso, water, wine. The breakfast room has a beautiful outdoor patio and the selection of food items is excellent. There is parking available.
Tellaro: Locando Miranda; Via Fiascherino 92
Verona: Hotel Accademia; Via Scala 12
This hotel is beautiful and the breakfast room is filled with exquisite treats. It is here that we had the difficulty with the less-than-reputable booking agent but the hotel still found us a beautiful suite and could not have been more professional and kind.
Padua Hotel: Grand Italia Hotel; Corso Del Popolo 81 (near train station)
Our room was not ready when we arrived so to accomodate us, they gave us a huge suite instead. Okay, I'll take it!! This room was more like an apartment. Although the hotel and its rooms appear very modern, they have kept the original charm of the breakfast room which has 12 foot ceilings and sculpted ceiling medallions.
This location can be a bit dicey in the evening. We were walking back to our hotel after dinner and a fight broke out between some of the African men who sell fake purses (you will see these men in nearly every city in Italy, with the exception of Verona). This fight escalated with one man breaking a bottle and chasing the other man with it. Time for Jerry and Pam to flee the scene!
Retaurants:
We ate in many fine restaurants in Italy but there are two that stand out for me. While walking around Verona one afternoon, I stumbled upon a very attractive little restaurant on one of the many squares in Verona. It was far away from the central area which appealed to me. The menu was intriguing so I mentioned it to Jerry and we decided to spend our last night in Verona at Antica Torretta; Piazza Briolo 1.
The service was extraordinary, the dishes were unique, the decor was stunning and the food was absolutely delicious. And to top it off, the prices were extremely reasonable for a restaurant serving five star food. There was one downside to this place - the bathrooms. They were clean but in some of the restaurants in Verona, regardless of size, price, style, the toilets are porcelain plates on the ground which one must straddle. Now, I have very poor balance and I was wearing heels at this time while attempting to use this contraption. My advice? Spend more time climbing hills in Verona to build up your leg muscles. This activity will serve you well when attempting to use a washroom.
My next favorite restaurant was another one I stumbled upon in Bologna called Ristorante Il Moro; Via de Falegnami 5.
For lunch, I chose a cheese stuffed tortellini with a poppy seed butter sauce. All I can say is that this meal was orgasmic! One bite and I was singing its praises. While walking around Bologna that day, all I could think about was that dish. I could not get it out of my mind. So we decided to have dinner there and although our lovely seasoned waiter (he served us during lunch too) tried to encourage me to sample something else from their extensive menu, I just had to have the tortellini again. I wasn't disappointed. I now make it at home but mine is not as good because I don't make my own tortellini and as I've mentioned before, the fresh ingredients in Italy make all the difference in the taste of the food.
Buon Appetito!!
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