Rick Steves’ "Postcards from Europe" Riviera on the Rocks Rick Steves I’m unable to travel in Europe anymore without doing a little research. Hoping to round out my coverage of Vernazza, I have a list of reader-recommended B&Bs to check out. First on the list is Ivo. Ivo, who runs the best bar in town, [...]

Major festivals include the Explosion of the Cart, when a cart full of fireworks is exploded in front of the Duomo on Easter Sunday; the Feast of St John the Baptist, patron saint of the city, on June 24th; the Gioco del Calcio Storico, featuring football matches played in 16th-century costumes, held in June in [...]

The Ponte Vecchio perhaps represents progress of humankind through the centuries more specifically than any other monument in Italy. Built by the Etruscans, the bridge has withstood many storms and many assaults by invading legions. Located over the widest part of the Arno River, the bridge has been rebuilt and restored countless times throughout its [...]

SHOPPING — A few if the most important markets: Mercato di San Lorenzo (San Lorenzo Market), Piazza San Lorenzo near the Basilica and in Via ell’Ariento Probably the most important market in Florence for clothing, leather goods and any number of souvenirs. Open 7:00am to 2:00pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Mercato Centrale (Central Market) Open [...]

The National Museum "Il Bargello", Via del Proconsolo, 4 Hours: Daily from 8:15am to 1:50pm. Cost: Euro 4.00. The original home of Bargello, or head of police spies, where Masterpieces of Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini, Donatello are presented, along with priceless ivory, enamel, jewelry, tapestries and weapons. For a complete listing of the state museums of [...]

Michelangelo Square The Piazzale Michelangelo offers a magnificent panorama view of Florence. This bustling square, a fashionable meeting place for the 19th century upper middle classes, is still evocative and memorable, especially when the sun sets over the river. In the center of the square is a copy of Michelangelo’s statue of David, in bronze. [...]

"U na insalata mista!" laughed Christina, our instructor, after we announced our names, countries of origin, and occupations in fragmented Italian. From Sweden and Singapore and seven countries in-between, we had gathered in Siena to study Italian at the Centro Internazionale Dante Alighiere, the school’s very name promising a rigorous approach to the study of [...]

"My room at the inn looked out on the river and was flooded all day with sunshine. There was an absurd orange-colored paper on the walls; the Arno, of a hue not altogether different, flowed beneath. All this brightness and yellowness was a perpetual delight; it was part of that indefinably charming color which Florence [...]

Florence is well known for its fine toiletry shops. On a recent trip there I found a possible reason for this fame. The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. It was founded in 1612 by Dominican friars, and their recipes are still used today. The pharmacy [...]

Imagine a magical place, where you can be transported back hundreds of years to medieval times. And in this place there are small villages, towers and castles clinging to the tops of hills. Imagine finding a small church in a wood containing frescoes by one of the Italian masters. And when you look around you [...]