Destination: Italy

Photos: Arezzo, the Forgotten Town

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

If You're Going to San Francesco...

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [398]

YOU MIGHT HAVE TROUBLE FINDING AREZZO in your Italy guidebook—even Rick doesn’t bother with it. Arezzo is older than Florence but it didn’t have Michelangelo. It is in Tuscany but it isn’t a hill town but it . The Sunday morning ... Read more >

The ❤️ of Tuscany: Montepulciano and Pienza

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [347]

THE PROBLEM WITH A VISIT to the “Heart of Tuscany” is deciding wether to Drink or Drive! Since this was an “Under the Tuscan Sun” sort of day, I drove, despite the offerings of relentlessness wine shop owners of Montepulciano.... Read more >

Photos: More Tuscan Hill Towns: Montepulciano and Pienza

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

Hill Towns of Tuscany: San Gimignano and Volterra

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [480]

IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN TRAVELING IN TUSCANY, you won’t find a better guidebook than Rick Steve’s ITALY. And if you’ve forgotten to buy a copy, you can download tips, itineraries and even walking tours. If you are especially lucky you ... Read more >

Photos: Hill Towns: San Gimignano and Volterra

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

Suddenly Sunny Siena

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [354]

HAVING A RENTAL CAR GIVES US a lot of freedom. But we also need a place to park, free parking if possible, which can make finding lodging difficult. In Siena, where cars have been banned since 1966, parking is verboten so we’re staying outside ... Read more >

Photos: Siena

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

Lucca—City of 100 Churches

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [595]

WE DIDN’T COUNT 'EM, OF COURSE, but Lucca is said to be the “City of 100 Churches.” As a matter of fact, on our visit ten years ago we barely noticed them. In truth, the only mention I gave Lucca in my “vagabonds” journal ... Read more >

Photos: Lucca

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

Cinque Terre—Riomaggiore, Manarola (and Bonassola)

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [359]

THE VIA DELL’ AMORE—LOVERS’ LANE—is the most famous and romantic stretch of the Cinque Terre coastline, connecting the picturesque villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola. Since the trail remains closed there we skipped the Cinque ... Read more >

Cinque Terre—Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso

Sat, 9 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [344]

WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT Cinque Terre is back in business. Well almost. The hiking trail that runs from town to town is open only from Corniglia to Vernazza and from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare, the two more difficult sections. It won’t be ... Read more >

Cinque Terre—Taking Time to Smell the Garlic

Fri, 8 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [304]

RENTAL CAR PRICES IN EUROPE ARE DOUBLE what we remember from a decade ago. Europcar still had the best deal—€37/day including the Pisa-Bologna drop off charge. The Fiat 500 is probably the smallest rental we’ve ever had but with the ... Read more >

Photos: Cinque Terre

Fri, 8 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Photo Gallery

More Treasures of Pisa

Thu, 7 Oct 2021 | By graynomadsusa | Views [266]

WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED to visit the Sinopie Museum until we had seen the original frescoes at the Campo Santo Cemetery. Offically Camposanto Monumentale,   Campo Santo was originally constructed to house the graves that were scattered ... Read more >