Village Hopping In Italy

The overnight train ride from Munich to Florence was quite an experience.  We had first class sleeper cars that included two berths, a very small bathroom and an excellent porter.  He greeted us with a bottle of wine, fruit and cheese.  It was hard to sleep because every time the train stopped at a station I wanted to look out the window.  The porter woke us up bright and early the next morning with fresh coffee and a continental breakfast.
 
We “slid into” Florence around 7:00 a.m. and headed to our villa in a small village outside of Florence, San Casciano.  A taxi took us to Villa Mangiacane. The entrance to the villa was a long winding road that opened up to a breathtaking view of 600 acres of olive trees and vineyards.It was too early to check-in but we felt very welcome after eating a breakfast fit for royalty.  What a way to start a day!
 
Our rooms were located in the main building with a view across the valley to the center of Florence. Villa Mangiacane captured the style of the Italian countryside with elegant furniture and historical paintings and tapestries.  We relaxed each evening on the veranda outside of our room and enjoyed a bottle of wine and good conversation.   
 
The villa was the perfect place to relax, unwind and enjoy the surroundings. Transfers were provided each day to the main street in San Casciano, where we enjoyed several delicious lunches at the local restaurants.  Everyone was very friendly and always making suggestions for a local wine or Italian dish….all excellent.

After two nights at Villa Mangiacane,  we rented a car and traveled across the Tuscan Valley to explore the countryside.  We found the driving to be an adventure in itself.  Be prepared for curvy roads and occasional encounters with local traffic.  It was a great way to get the feel of the Tuscan Valley and to be able to stop and go along the way.

We visited several villages and ended up spending two nights in Volterra at the Hotel Villa Porta all’Arco.  The villa was located directly across from the entrance to the city center.  Volterra sits on the top of a hill so we began our climb each morning along the winding cobblestone path to enter the city arch.  This is a charming village! Wander the streets.  Visit a Roman theater and, once again, enjoy a delicious meal at a local restaurants.

We headed back to Florence after our experience in Volterra to board the train to Naples. The train ride from Florence to Naples takes approximately 3 ½ hours and when we arrived in Naples, we were met by our driver who took us to Positano, Italy. Private transportation from Naples to Positano is THE way to go!  The road is very narrow and curvy with breathtaking views of the Amalfi coastline.  You definitely want to take in the view and not worry about oncoming traffic.  It takes an experienced driver to negotiate the turns and you need to see EVERYTHING.

Positano is a cliffside village and full of local culture and charm. A winding staircase lead us to the front desk at our hotel, Buca di Bacco. Our rooms were magnificent and the view from our balcony was incredible.
 
The shops in the village were preparing for the weekend celebration.  Palm Sunday, we woke up to the local church bells ringing.  Everyone headed down the winding cobblestone street to the local church, while all the shops handed out fresh flowers and palms.  Later that day, we took a water taxi to the train station and traveled to Rome.
 
Our last night in Italy was at the Hotel Bernini Bristol in the heart of Rome.  It was later in the evening so we enjoyed our “last meal” in the rooftop restaurant with a delightful view of Rome.   It is a beautiful city!  LH

Editor's note: Ricky and Sally also had a memorable rooftop meal in Rome.