The Palazzo Vecchio holds plenty of Florence, Italy’s history and culture.

Florence – a must see in Italy

My Italian sojourn in October of 2011 included a “mandatory” visit to the city of Florence, or Firenze in la lingua Italiano.  It is the cultural capital of Italy because it is home to many museums and renaissance structures. In fact, it is where the Renaissance actually began.   My family, which included my mother, father, and older brother, traveled, quite comfortably, by train from Venice to Firenze. Train travel in Italy is on-time, clean, and quick.  We traveled 1st class which allowed us a private seating area with reclining seats, internet hook-up, and a spacious table for four.  In a little under 2 hours we were pulling in to the train station called Santa Maria Novella.  I love the Italian language.  It just seems so….musical.

The centrally located Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco was in walking distance of the train station and main attractions of Florence, Italy

Hotel location is key in Florence, Italy

Our hotel was within walking distance from the train station.  The hotel Il Guelfo Bianco was centrally located in Florence, which was a great plus because, walking or taking a cab, would have been too much of a hassle.  The rooms were typically European; a tiny bathroom with uncomfortable beds, and overpriced. However, it did afford us a great starting point to see the city.  We were there for only two days so location was the key to this visit.

Visit Michelangelo’s statue of David on a visit to Florence, Italy.

A stroll through Florence Flea Market

Our day started with a stroll through a vibrant flea market where “hucksters” hawked everything from scarves to leather jackets.  We did buy some cool looking scarves for only $5 bucks, and it was fun haggling with those guys. Next stop was the epicenter of Florence, the piazza San Giovanni.  Here is where the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore is located.  This is an ornate, huge Catholic Cathedral completed in 1436 and built from green and pink marble bordered by white marble.  It is an imposing and magnificent structure.  It was done in the Gothic style replete with gargoyles, spires, and buttresses – a masterpiece of renaissance architecture.

Allow plenty of time to stroll and take in the grandeur of Florence, Italy’s Santa Maria Del Fiore

Piazza della Signoria

From there, it was just a short stroll to another famous piazza, or square, called the Piazza della Signoria.  The piazzas are areas in Italy’s towns and cities where people mingle and share a glass of wine, or a cappuccino while people watching or discussing the day’s events.  It is quite a departure from the hustle and bustle of daily life in America.   Italians seem to savor the day more than we do in the states.  This piazza may be recognized by Jersey Shore fans because it was featured in the opening credits during the season the Jersey Shore cast was visiting Florence. This piazza featured a famous museum called the Uffizi Gallery. We had the distinct pleasure of visiting this museum where we gazed open-mouthed at the works of Leonardo da Vinci (The Adoration of the Magi), Sandro Botticelli (spring and the Birth of Venus), Rembrandt (self portrait) Michelangelo (Don Tordi) as well as others like Giotto, Raphaelo, and Caravaggio.  It is a special treat to actually see the portraits and statuary made famous in books movies and television up close.  There is nothing like it.  In another museum called the Accademia Gallery, one can visit Michelangelo’s famous statue of David.

One of the oldest bridges in Europe, the Ponte Vecchio spans the River Arno in Florence, Italy.

Ponte Vecchio spans Italy’s Arno River

On the second day, we woke early and ate breakfast in the hotel.  As is typical in Italy, most hotels  include breakfast with the room rate.  Breakfast in the hotel saves money and time, even if the fare was just adequate.  In all fairness, the croissants were fresh, warm, and plentiful. After breakfast, we meandered toward another famous attraction called the Ponte Vecchio. This is one of the oldest bridges in Europe.  It spans the River Arno, where we saw spirited boat races, which seem to be a pastime many Florentians enjoy judging by the crowd cheering from the bridge.  The bridge is home to may gold artisans.  we window shopped extensively and marveled at the intricate and creative designs crafted by Italian masters whose families have been working in gold for centuries.  The bridge is rimmed by charming tratorrias and quaint arts and craft shops.  These are endless and one can take literally days to visit all of them.  Each little boutique offers its own special take on what Florence has to offer. My mother wants to go back just to shop.

Happiness and a latte in Florence, Italy

Happiness in Florence, Italy

We returned to the hotel after a rather tasty meal of risotto and pizza at a nearby trattoria.  Sleeping was a challenge, because the bed was like a slab of concrete, and the street noise was incessant.  Did I mention this was all included for the paltry sum of $225 per night?  The price of happiness in Florence, I guess.

Florence was great and remains a “must see” in any visit to Italy! What are your favorite places to visit in Italy?

This is a guest post by Shane McCormick of National RV Parks. Photos courtesy of Shane McCormick. Hotel photo courtesy of their website. In his late 20′s, Shane enjoys travel and offers tips and hints about travel destinations. You many follow Shane on Twitter For all things travel-related, follow travel expert Nancy D. Brown on Twitter.

An Interview with Luxury Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown

While travel writers criss-cross the globe in search of amazing adventures to share with our readers, we are actually a fairly tight knit community. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting many of my fellow travel writers, yet we stay connected via Twitter, travel blogging networks, meet ups and e-mail. Often times I’m asked how I got my start in travel writing or to name some of my favorite destinations. Fellow travel blogger Guido van den Elshout recently included me in his Ten Questions series. The following interview appears on the Happy Hotelier and includes more information than you’ll ever want to know about me.

Northern California Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown in Carmel

1. Who are you?
I’m a wife and a mom to two teenagers (Kendall and Evan) living in Northern California. I write the “What a Trip” column for the Contra Costa Times Lamorinda Sun newspaper and the What a Trip blog. I’m the Lodging Editor at Uptake’s Lodging Blog (see Nancy’s posts here.) I’m also a public relations director.

Before kids (bk) I owned Brown Miller Communications, a public relations agency.

Currently, I live in the East Bay, 20 minutes outside of San Francisco with my husband, our teens and a yellow Labrador retriever. I love that we are surrounded by hills with cows mooing in the distance, yet San Francisco is only a BART ride away.

2. What do you like about what you do?
As a journalism graduate, I love that I’m paid to write about travel. I enjoy traveling, blogging, going to new places and meeting the people that make things happen in the industry. My kids have entered the independent stage, so they don’t mind when I’m gone for a few days. I have a dream job.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
I’m sure this is a familiar battle cry, but travel writers and journalists, in general, don’t make a lot of money. I’m sad to witness the demise of quality magazines and newspapers.

4. Please tell us about your blog and your aims for it?
My “What a Trip” blog began as a place for me to showcase my freelance writing. The blog morphed into a resource for my newspaper readers and then reached a global audience when it was selected for Travel @ Alltop.

I enjoy attending events such as the Luxury Travel Expo, the Book Passage Travel Writers conference, as well as conferences like Blogher so that I can share what I’ve learned with my readers. It’s also wonderful to meet my online friends in person.

My goal for “What a Trip” is to contribute fresh, informative content while increasing traffic and RSS readers. It’s also time for me to accepting advertising on the blog.

Northern California Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown in Anchorage, Alaska

5. Your top three destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Switzerland was a magical trip for me. During a summer tour of Europe while I was in college, we arrived in the mountain village of Wengen at night. The next morning I opened the hotel shutters and there stood the magnificent snowcapped Jungfrau. With cows grazing in the distance, their bells clanging to the rhythm of their hoofs, I vowed to return to this paradise with my future mate. It should be noted that I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. However, I did return to Wengen, Switzerland to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary.

I read in a glossy travel magazine of an Alaskan fishing lodge that served the guests warm chocolate chip cookies upon arrival via float plane. Pointing to the dreamy picture in the magazine, I said to my husband, “We should try that!” Several years later, when we could financially afford the trip, I was disappointed to hear that Within the Wild Lodge Owners Carl and Kirsten Dixon had sold Riversong Lodge. We met new owners Randy and Robin Dewar and had a fantastic fishing weekend. I am hooked on Alaskan fishing lodges.

Give me a warm Pasteis de Belem tart from Lisbon, and I’ll return to Portugal in a flash. As a San Francisco area native, I marveled at the similarities with this coastal, cosmopolitan city. Late fall is an ideal time to visit. Save time for a Eurail day trip to the charming town of Sintra where a UNESCO world heritage site awaits your fantasies of what a European castle should look like. In a word: charming.

6. Your top three accommodations you’ve ever stayed today and why?
The Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon is a family run resort on the Rogue River. It’s got it all; gorgeous grounds, great fishing and jet boating, amazing food and friendly staff. I need to get back there.

St. Helena, California’s Wine Country Inn oozes romance. Perhaps it was my in-room massage overlooking the vineyard that set the stage. Then again, it could have been the bubble bath in the bathroom with the surround sound speakers and stained glass window streaming rainbow colors over the tub. But it was probably the breakfast in bed room service that put this family-owned inn at the top of the romantic list. Any day in wine country is a good day in my book.

In doing this interview, I’m noticing a theme of family run properties. Mendocino, California’s Alegria Inn is no exception to the rule. Owners Elaine and Eric Hillesland make every trip to the Inn and Cottages special. The property is located within easy walking distance to the historic village of Mendocino with some rooms offering ocean views. Perhaps the most memorable part of my stay at the Alegria was the fact that I came home with a bed from the Inn. Not just any bed, a Flobed made in nearby Fort Bragg.
As a travel writer, I sleep around a lot. This eco-friendly natural latex mattress had me at hello or should I say, good night? My husband and I love our Flobed mattress. Both of our teens covet the mattress but custom beds don’t come cheap. Until I win the lotto, the prince and princess will have to sleep with the pea in the mattress. By the way, the Princess and the Pea is a Hans Christian Andersen fable for anyone wondering about the reference.

7. Your top three most memorable food experiences to date and why?
The Sardine Factory in Monterey, California is a special occasion restaurant located off Cannery Row. We were seated in the arboretum, surrounded by glass windows. The sommelier came over and helped us select a bottle of pinot noir. We had the signature abalone bisque and I had the best piece of swordfish I’ve ever tasted. They brought a sorbet palate cleanser between courses that was served in a swan ice sculpture. After sharing a chocolate lava cake we had a flaming coffee drink for dessert. It was served tableside and everyone was looking at the waiter as he lit our drinks on fire. The waiter and sommelier called us by name all evening. It was very decadent, but as you can see, I remembered every detail. It was fantastic.

Some 20+ years ago and my boyfriend, now husband, and I were backpacking through Europe. A Parisian magazine editor and his wife befriended us and took us to this neighborhood bistro in Paris for a typical French meal. We had steak tartar, pommes frites, haricots verts and a wonderful Beaujolais Nouveau. I still have the label from that bottle. The meal and the company were magnifique.

Café Beaujolais, situated in the tiny coastal village of Mendocino, California is like a cat with nine lives. Opened in 1969, the Pitzenbarger family lived in the upstairs of the house & served dinners. In 1977 Margaret Fox turned the cozy bistro into a culinary destination and eventually added a bakery. The restaurant landed in the hands of loyal customers Steve and Ashley Jenks in 2000. Current Chef David LaMonica and co-owner Kristy Bishop purchased Café Beaujolais in 2006 and continue the tradition of organic produce and locally sourced food.

I love Café Beaujolais for its homemade soups and breads. If I lived in this town, I’d be waiting at the back door of the brickery like a galavanting hound dog returning for his daily meal.

8. Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation/food experiences to date and why?
Home to Christopher Columbus, Genoa, Italy is not a friendly town. My husband and I had slept through our train stop and when we awoke, we were in Genoa. Assuming this was a Mediterranean beach-front town; we hopped off with our backpacks and started looking for cheap lodging. During our visit in 1986, I remember the place as dark and not at all friendly to tourists. I couldn’t interpret anything on the menu at the café and our waiter was not happy with my questions. Finally, I ordered what I thought was seafood pasta; instead I received a small plate of tiny fried smelt. We also learned that the beach access in the town is by private club entrance. Somehow we managed to get to the beach and were reprimanded at every place we tried to place our towels. After one night in Genoa, we were happy to return to the train.

Last spring break we decided to visit the Grand Canyon via Las Vegas with our teens. I decided to use a travel agent for this trip as I was not familiar with Las Vegas. She recommended Circus Circus. What a mistake. Our room was in the older tower with paper thin walls, aging furniture and a screenless window looking down to the RV parking lot. My daughter jokingly called it the suicide room because of the easy access out the window. We attempted to visit the swimming pool and were temporarily trapped in the elevator.

Unfortunately, we were booked here for two nights and when I tried to cancel the room, which was priced at rack rates, I was told this wasn’t possible because we had booked a ‘discount’ package from our travel agent. Our location on the strip was horrible and the closest dining was a very crowded Denny’s restaurant with a long wait. Lady luck was not shining on us in Vegas.

I landed in the hospital one time when I contracted Campylobactor from a dim sum restaurant. Looking back, our positive travel experiences have greatly outnumbered the bad times. Afterall; travel is an adventure and one never knows what waits around the bend.

9. Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
Born and raised in the Bay Area, I consider San Francisco my city. My friend Wendy Perrin of Conde Nast Traveler magazine asked for layover recommendations while in San Francisco. For foodies, I recommend a Wok-Wiz Chinatown tour with Shirley Fong-Torres. For those preferring Italian, GraceAnn Walden offers Mangia North Beach walking tours. Take a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf and stay at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square. See my post Say Yes to Airport Layover in SFO.

10. Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
As the mother of two teenagers I thought you might ask why it is important to keep young adults traveling. While many youth in our community have passports, I feel these documents come with a responsibility to represent our country; open our eyes to how others live and to give back to communities we visit. Mission trips are an affordable way for teens to experience different cultures without iPods and cell phones.

Kendall, Cory, Nancy and Evan Brown vacation in central Oregon

Kendall, Cory, Nancy and Evan Brown at Paulina Plunge, Central Oregon

Samantha, Zanna and Cassie Zulch Visit Italy's Amalfi Coast

Posted by Nancy D. Brown

My recent article for the Contra Costa Times began on the streets of Italy's Amalfi coast, ventured to Quito, Equador and the Galapagos Islands, where a high school biology teacher introduced her student's to a living classroom and ended with the author jet boating up Oregon's wild Rogue River. 

The Tourist's Have Landed

With roller bags bumping along the cobblestone streets of Amalfi in the Campania region of Italy, Orinda’s Zulch family of five had American tourist stamped across their foreheads.

“The first couple of days we didn’t know what to do with ourselves,” reflects Zanna. “Eventually, we found the one woman in town who baked the bread and discovered where the locals shopped. We loved the farmer’s market with its beautiful fruit, fat plums and lemons for making Limoncello.”

The family traveled by water ferry to picturesque Positano and hired a boat to explore the caves and grottos. Known for its Italian pottery, the quiet town of Ravello was a highlight for dinner and drinks away from the crowds. The Zulches took a ferry to the Isle of Capri to ogle at the designer stores and high-end jewelry. “We had a nice lunch at Gemma’s with a great view of the island and water,” remembers Zanna. Her advice tip: “give yourself way more time at the airport. Everything is overbooked so you could loose your seat home!”

High School Students Learn  Environmental Science in Quito, Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands

Campolindo High School Students Visit Ecuador

Students and parents from Campolindo High School found their way home from Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with teachers Amanda and Tom Renno and Holly Thompson.

Biology Teacher Amanda Renno noted that her favorite place was Isla Floreana. “There were only about 60 people who lived on the island, yet they had a school,” remarked Renno. “The main road was dirt, yet they had streetlights.”

The group was also able to visit a pirate cove, see penguins and tortoises, and snorkel with sea lions.

“We were able to observe different ecosystems in a very small land area,” noted Renno.

The 45 minute drive from the airport to the town covered at least seven ecosystems. They even saw a cactus growing in the middle of a rain forest! Renno added that it was amazing to see students who wouldn't normally interact, do so willingly.

The group selected EF Tours, which came recommended by teachers from Acalanes who have traveled with the company for a decade.

“I think travel for students is invaluable," affirms Renno. “The practical skills they gained, as well as the science content, were something they would never get in the classroom. I hope that I sparked a traveling bug in each and every student!”

Travel Bug Takes Me To Coastal Oregon

Oregon's Tu Tu Tun Lodge on the scenic Rogue River

The travel bug brought me to Tu Tu Tun Lodge, located on Oregon’s scenic Rogue River outside of Gold Beach. Its name is taken from the area's first inhabitants, the Tu Tu’ Tunne Rogue Indians.

“This place has a soul of its own,” shares Owner Laurie Van Zante. “We get that it’s all about relationships.” Indeed, during dinner prepared by Chef Justin Wills, Van Zante showed each guest to their chair, thoughtfully matching dining companions.

There is a certain elegance, yet laid-back comfort at this family-owned lodge. Priced on the high-end, each of 16 rooms offers a river view, some with fireplace and outdoor soaking tubs. Family reunions, corporate retreats or girl/guy getaways are welcome in two suites or two guest houses. Full dining is offered May through October, while discerning travelers might consider a winter visit. Off-season, the lodge room rates are a good deal and feature winemaker dinners and cooking classes.

If you bring the kids along, a ride on Jerry’s Rogue Jets, is in order. A nature-based adventure trip, the boats run from May until mid-October and are suitable for multiple generations.

Lafayette’s Bonnie and Marty Sivesind took their grandkids to Grant’s Pass, Oregon where they boarded the Hellgate Jet boat  for a two hour scenic trip on the Rogue. They also visited Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center, an animal refuge park.

Yes, dear reader, summer has ended and the kid's are back in school.  What better time to pack your bags and travel?  I'm off to Carmel for the Labor Day weekend.  Are you headed anywhere interesting or are you one of those cutting edge Staycation trendsetters?