A Few Days in Milan
May 2, 2014, 12:18 am
#106
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: europe
Programs: EX²-*wood platinum, EX-hyatt diamond, sixt platinum, hilton silver, leaders club, esselunga verde...
Posts: 2,048
Was two weeks ago in Como. Even there is now a ZTL and therefore less parking.
May 2, 2014, 6:49 am
#107
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
You can get to Varenna from Milano Central train station by taking a local train for only a few euros. You can stay in Varenna, or take a wonderful ferry ride to any of the other cities. Bellagio is only a five minute ferry ride away, if you choose to stay there. The lake is so big that getting from a town on one side of the lake to a town on the other side is much by ferry than by car. I don't know what your overall agenda is, but if it's possible to go to the Lake without a car it will be cheaper and much easier, and you will be better off not wasting a day in industrialized, worn down, industrialized Como.
May 24, 2014, 5:50 am
#108
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,604
This is a matter of opinion. Parma is a small one afternoon stroll of a town, with a river that runs through it that is almost always dry. For a quick tour of Italy Parma is not on most people's top ten or fifteen list. Along with its adjacent city Reggio-Emiglia, it is at most a half-day trip, except for people who have already experienced a lot of Italy.
Florence is also a matter of opinion. It is spectacular for museums with Renaissance art. For sightseeing, not so much. You can walk along the River Arno and see the Ponte Vecchio. Of course, there is infinitely more to do. But if you only have a few days, you may want to concentrate on the, "knock your socks off," sites, and not on places that are worth seeking out only after you've seen the major sites.
In my opinion, the Parma, Bologna, Florence triangle is nowhere near as mystically beautiful as Venice, which is a city like no other. Serene, romantic, no cars, no smog, no noise except for boats. I wouldn't recommend dropping three days in Venice just to see Parma or Bologna, or even to spend more than a day in Florence.
Each area of Italy has its own food fans. The area around Bologna, Modena, Parma, is flat. They could not grow olive trees, hence, they have no olive oil. The only fat they have had for cooking is beef lard and pork lard. The food in these three cities and is this area of Italy is delicious to some because they like heavy beef and lard laden food. That's a matter of taste. It is not generally accepted that florentine or bolognese is the best way to experience food in Italy.
In Liguria, Venice, Naples, etc., there are other sources of oil, mainly olive oil, and the cooking is based on it. Meals are based on seafood and olive oil rather than lard, beef, and pork. Some people prefer that.
Italy offers a lot of choice. If you've been to Italy many times, it is great to explore those three towns in the triangle. But for a brief itinerary, I don't think someone should drop Venice to see those similar cities.
Nowhere in the world Prepares you for Venezia. You can just walk around and everywhere you turn, every church you enter, every alley you walk into, is full of beauty. And if you like seafood, it's pretty hard to beat, as long as you stay away from Piazza San Marco, Ponte Rialto, and any other touristy area.
Florence is also a matter of opinion. It is spectacular for museums with Renaissance art. For sightseeing, not so much. You can walk along the River Arno and see the Ponte Vecchio. Of course, there is infinitely more to do. But if you only have a few days, you may want to concentrate on the, "knock your socks off," sites, and not on places that are worth seeking out only after you've seen the major sites.
In my opinion, the Parma, Bologna, Florence triangle is nowhere near as mystically beautiful as Venice, which is a city like no other. Serene, romantic, no cars, no smog, no noise except for boats. I wouldn't recommend dropping three days in Venice just to see Parma or Bologna, or even to spend more than a day in Florence.
Each area of Italy has its own food fans. The area around Bologna, Modena, Parma, is flat. They could not grow olive trees, hence, they have no olive oil. The only fat they have had for cooking is beef lard and pork lard. The food in these three cities and is this area of Italy is delicious to some because they like heavy beef and lard laden food. That's a matter of taste. It is not generally accepted that florentine or bolognese is the best way to experience food in Italy.
In Liguria, Venice, Naples, etc., there are other sources of oil, mainly olive oil, and the cooking is based on it. Meals are based on seafood and olive oil rather than lard, beef, and pork. Some people prefer that.
Italy offers a lot of choice. If you've been to Italy many times, it is great to explore those three towns in the triangle. But for a brief itinerary, I don't think someone should drop Venice to see those similar cities.
Nowhere in the world Prepares you for Venezia. You can just walk around and everywhere you turn, every church you enter, every alley you walk into, is full of beauty. And if you like seafood, it's pretty hard to beat, as long as you stay away from Piazza San Marco, Ponte Rialto, and any other touristy area.
The trip to Italy was so nice, we're doing it twice!