I had a terrible time finding the Hotel Flora here in Venice. I knew that was going to happen because the hotel provided a very explicit set of directions which contained the phrase, “You can’t miss it.” Trust me: Yes, you can. The…
Yesterday was the day I had set aside for seeing something of the area surrounding Siena. While touring around the Tuscan countryside, I mentioned to my guide how pleased I was with my first experience traveling by train in Italy. She said that Italians constantly gripe and complain about their rail service. “Trains often…
The internet connection is sluggish — that’s how to describe it when it’s performing at top speed — so I shall seize this opportunity to (try to) post several photos taken yesterday and today. For whatever reason, I drew a room with an amazing view of the Tuscan countryside. Streets in Siena run…
SIENA–My first meal at the Hotel Athena last night was good, but there was really only one pasta dish: spinach-filled ravioli with a wonderful cheese-cream sauce. Could it be that the more upscale the restaurant, the less likely it is that you will find a variety of pasta dishes? If that’s true, then I will…