Italy Travel - Florence Restaurant Mamma Gina

The Other Side of the Arno...Out of this World

Another stop for the locals is Mamma Gina, where the lombarta is a must, among the best that we've had.

The staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and immediately makes you feel welcome.

If we lived in the neighborhood, you'd frequently find us here.

[Proceed across the Ponte Vecchio, take the first right, Borgo San Iacopo, and it's short ways down on the left.]

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Italy Travel: Celestino - Florence Lunch not on Rick Steve's List

Become Part of the Family of Oltrano

After shopping at Casini Leather, dine at Celestino.

Ask for the owner, Bruno Celestino, and tell him you are a Web Vision Italy viewer and a friend of Giorgio at Casini Leather.

Subito, you are a member of the Oltrano family.

This is where the local merchants lunch...need we say more.

Proceed over the Arno at the Ponte Vecchio toward the Pitti Palace. Celestino is about a half a block from the bridge on your left. The Vasari Corridor passes over the restaurant. Casini Leather is across from the Pitti Palace, about 2 blocks and a half after the bridge, on the right.

Italy Travel-Florence-Real Tuscan Food in Florence

Let's be honest. With a million-plus tourists flooding Florence, do you think you are really getting authentic Tuscan food in every restaurant?

Of course you must visit Florence to visit the Uffizi, the Duomo, the Arno, the Baptistry, etc., for jewelry and leather -

BUT for the real secrets of where the locals eat in Florence, follow us (at times it might be a short cab ride, but well worth being served what the Florentines themselves are eating).

Jump aboard, first stop, Oltrarno, Hosteria del Bricco.

Handwritten menu, crostini alla toscano a must, the wine list is a personal escort to the cantina, family run, and very reasonable.

Stay tuned for stop #2. And click here for more video about Italy travel to Florence

Hosteria del Bricco Via di San Niccolo 8r; 055 234 5037, closed Monday.

Italy Travel-Florence-Restaurant October 4 2008

Italy Travel - Como: It's not just a pit stop on Lake Como

Most tourists come and go through Como on the their way to other destinations on Lake Como. But we think Como itself is worth a day or so. The architecture is beautiful, there are museums and obviously theatre (Turandot was being performed while we were in Como), high fashion without the high price tags, lively caffés and wine bars at night, and chefs very willing to prepare dishes you want for items not on the menu.

Traveller's Tip Repeat -- in early October, a cashmere sweater is a necessity when the brisk wind blows off the lake.

Lake Como - Italy Fashion 2009 Alert

Fashion update. In Como, an hour or so north of Milan, the fashion capital of the world, everything has turned purple. For women, for men, even for babies in carriages.

Close Encounters of the Como Kind

At our hotel's front door, we caught a bus to Como, with the intentions of renting a car. But after scraping by buildings, trees, other buses, winding around curves, cars backing up to make room, having cars pass our bus on the narrowest ''2''-lane road at speeds too hight to calculate, we decided we weren't driving.

We have driven most everywhere in Italy, but Como, like Capri, is not for the faint of heart.

So we spent the day in Como, a beautiful city on the lake, high-fashion shopping, fantastic museums and churches, and a 10-star lunch of risotto and of veal cutlets alla Milanese.

Then back to Cadenabbia by hydrfoil: no stress, and best of all, without a scratch.

Traveler's Tip -- cashmere scarves saved the day, as the mountain tops around Como received their first snow. Early for snow the locals tell us [October 3rd].

Lake Como Ferry-Go-Round: Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna, Lenno, Tremezzo

We puchased an all-day ferry pass.

Then we started our ferry-go-round on the central part of Lake Como., beginning at Cadenabbia, where we are staying, on to Bellagio, where we lunched and shopped, then to Varenna, for an espresso, around to Lenno, where we walked, and on to Menaggio, where we shopped again and sipped a local red wine, Sassella. Menaggio captured our hearts.

Our last stop will be Tremezzo for dinner.

Such is day on a ferry-go-round in Lake Como.