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The tour, which began in Rome, is designed so that guests stay for two
nights in each city – except for La Spezia – allowing for a travel day followed
by a day of free time and some leisurely sightseeing. It includes breakfast daily
and five dinners, which gives participants ample opportunity to sample some
of the rich Italian cuisine on their own.
Included sightseeing is complemented by optional tours priced individually,
some of which include dinners such as the Dinner in Tuscan Hills, an
evening of local specialties at a restaurant deep in the lovely countryside –
wonderful antipasti with 20 dishes to choose from and Chianti wine from the
restaurant’s own vineyard, all in a garden setting while being serenaded by a
talented operatic baritone and an accordion player.
The Vatican’s treasures were the highlight of our stay in Rome, and the
benefits of group travel meant that our visit was pre-arranged so there was no
need to join the incredible line up waiting to enter The Vatican. We toured
the museums, the Sistine Chapel with its
famous ceiling, and vast St. Peter’s.
Florence and its treasure-trove of
priceless art was a sharp contrast to the
Cinque Terre. The towering Duomo has a
wonderfully ornate façade of white, red
and greenmarble and a beautiful 14th-century
campanile or bell tower by Giotto,
separated from the church in the Italian
manner. In the Galleria Dell’ Accademia’s
gallery you’ll find the original sculpture of
David, Michelangelo’s masterpiece in
white Carrara marble. Surprise for those
who haven’t seen it before – it’s taller than
one would expect, some 17 feet from toes
to curls in fact.
Italy’s north country is filled with scenic
delights.Aswe left the last of the threemajor cities on the itinerary, our excellent
driver, Franco, headed the coach north, driving along the Benta Canal and
its rows of elegant classical villas designed by Renaissance architect Andrea
Palladio, to Vicenza, a prosperous city at the heart of a fertile agricultural region.
Passing through Bassano de Grappa, where Italy’s fiery liquor is created,
we entered the Dolomite Mountains, driving past jagged peaks and towering
rock faces of pink and beige, turning rosy red in the glow of sunset. We were
now en route to the winter playground of Cortina d’Ampezzo, dozing in its
post-ski and pre-summer season doldrums. The unpolluted air and a lazy day
in Cortina came as a tonic and later the drive through the mountain passes
fromCortina to Bolzanowasmemorable. Thesesnow-capped peaks and Alpine
meadows provide some of Europe’s best skiing.
There was much to see in Verona, including the alleged balcony where
Juliet was supposedly courted by Romeo, a charade that Verona cherishes as
fiercely as the Scots do their Loch Nessmonster. And the crowds that pack the
courtyard lap it up. AMiss Verona is elected every year, we were told by Ernesta,
but she actually holds office for two years, the second asMiss Juliet. Her duties
then – to reply to the flood of letters the city gets each year addressed to Juliet
and asking advice on matters of the heart. “Bizarre,” said Ernesta. “Would you
ask for advice from a 14-year-old with suicidal tendencies?”
Bedding down with History
Travelling by coach on Insight Vacations’ ‘Italian
Elegance’ tour brought with it the benefit of staying
at hotels with a touch of history in addition to their
four-star comfort. Quality hotels in desirable locations,
just as they promise.
In Florence, we stayed in a quiet residential
district 15 minutes from the heart of the city at the
Hotel Gabriele D’Annunzio. Set in attractive
gardens that featured an outdoor swimming pool,
this was formerly the monastery of San Girolamo in
Coverciano. Tastefully furnished, the guest rooms
had all themodern facilities including air conditioning,
satellite TV and a mini bar.
Tucked away just 50 metres off St Marks
Square in Venice, the imposingly named
Albergo Cavalletto & Doge Orseolo is one
of the oldest hotels in the city, a renovated
building dating back to 1308 that overlooks
the Orseolo Basin where gondoliers congregate
to pick up and drop off passengers. Winston
Churchill and Richard Strauss both stayed at
the hotel, now a member of Best Western,
which has 107 rooms.
On the Corso Italia, the main street of the
elite ski resort Cortina d’Ampezzo, Hotel
Ancora is one of the oldest hotels in town
(1825) and is an attractive Alpine-style building
with wooden balconies. It has a cozymain
dining room with Gothic arches, and vaulted
ceilings in its suites, which have blue frescoes and
hand-painted antique furniture. There are two
delightful terraces overlooking the street, one
covered. It’s amember of the Charming Hotels group.
On the western shore of Lake Maggiore, in the
town of Baveno, is the Grand Hotel Baveno, a family-
owned resort set in elegant gardens and with
views of the mountains and the lovely Borromean
islands offshore. An impressive lobby with a colourful
domed ceiling sets the tone for an elegant resortstyle
property with indoor and outdoor swimming
pools, Turkish bath, and health club. It has 350
rooms and suites, two bars and two restaurants.
Some of the superior rooms feature fine textiles and
very large balconies overlooking the lake.
Handily located a block from Termini Railway
Station in Rome, 300 metres from Santa Maria
Maggiore Basilica and close to the Trevi Fountain and
the Opera House, Hotel Massimo D’Aglezio dates
back to the 30s and its renovations have been
faithful to the original. Its 197 rooms combine 19thcentury
and Art Deco styles, and the hotel has a fine
restaurant.
For more information, please see your preferred travel professional.
Photo courtesy of Insight Vacations.
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