The flight from JFK leaves at 11pm, so we took dinner in the Emirates Lounge prior to our flight. Wine selection in the lounge is pretty uninspired, so I ended up going with a dirty martini.

There are only 3 people in the first cabin tonight, so the flight attendants greet us by saying welcome to your private jet. Our first time in these first class suites and they are pretty amazing - so quiet and relaxing - with the door that slides shut and closes off your private suite. I decided to skip the meal, but stayed up long enough to try a couple glasses of the '08 Dom with caviar service. Time for about 4 hours of sleep, then noon arrival at MXP. Bags are waiting at the carousel after a quick trip through immigration. Hop into a taxi and head to Milano Centrale station to hop our express train to Rome. Three hours later and there we are - let the celebrations begin!

Our hotel for the Rome portion of the trip is the Portrait Roma - which is right off Via Condotti a couple of blocks from the Spanish Steps. We absolutely love this small intimate hotel, which has some of the best service and most comfortable rooms of anywhere we have ever stayed.

Our arrival at the hotel coincides with the red carpet walk down Via Condotti for the Rome Film Festival which is honoring Quentin Tarantino. Was fun to watch him and others walk down the red carpet with a marching brass band from the window of our room. It just so happens that our hotel is hosting a small cocktail party for Quentin on the roof deck of our hotel and as guests of the hotel we are invited to attend. So the next two hours we spent sipping wine, eating canapés and watching Quentin work the room - regaling his guests with stories of filming Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Was kind of surreal and very entertaining.

Tarantino on the Red Carpet


View from the Portrait Roma Rooftop


We decided to go out for a late dinner at a local casual restaurant Santovino - close by to our hotel. Warm evening so we sat outdoors and had some starters and pasta accompanied with a lovely bottle of Fiano.

Cariciofi alla Giudia


Fiano

Our first full day in Rome, begins as it will every morning with breakfast on the outdoor rooftop of our hotel with 360 views over ancient Rome. Today we begin our walking adventure with a self-guided tour through the Quartiere Coppedè. This neighborhood was described as a fantastical mishmash of many architectural styles designed by architect Gino Coppedè in 1919. Very whimsical and off the beaten path, highly recommended for architecture fans and walking enthusiasts as this is a bit out of the way. We began our walk up and over the Spanish Steps (empty at 8:30 am) and through the Borghese Gardens and we made our way to the destination. One of our favorite things to do is break the morning up walk with a stop in local café. Fully caffeinated we wound our way back through the Gardens, down to Piazza del Popolo making our way to our first lunch destination Colline Emiliane. Managed to log in six miles before lunch – a great morning!

Spanish Steps at 8:30am


Borghese Gardens


Quartier Coppedè



Fontana delle Rane


Piazza del Popolo


Colline Emiliane is a traditional Roman restaurant that has been in business since 1931. The doors opened at 12:30 and by 12:45 every seat in the small restaurant was occupied. A reservation here is absolutely required. We started with the antipasto platter a selection of all the appetizers – meats, cheese, caponata etc…. This seemed the thing to do as every table ordered the same. Followed up the Tortelli di Zucca which was amazing. The wine today was a delicious Falanghina from La Sabilla.



Rome is just lovely today with 60F weather and the leaves just starting to turn. Despite a threat of rain, we had dry weather all week. After lunch, we continued our wonderings down through the Pantheon piazza – one of the few places in Rome where we saw lots of tourists – as they were checking vax cards and only letting a controlled number of people in at time. Then over to the Piazza Navona, followed by a walk along and over the Tiber. Our destination is Enoteca Constantini a wine store we like in Piazza Cavour, thought we'd pick up a few bottles to have back at the hotel.

Piazza Navona




Walk along the Tiber


Dinner tonight is at my husband’s favorite Roman restaurant, Al Moro. While some people find the service here a bit brusque, we really love the old school waiters and lively atmosphere. Our server tonight convinced us to try the Roasted Porcini mushrooms and tomatoes, which was delicious. We shared a Bucatini Amatriciana and then had our usuals Veal Escalope with Artichokes for me and Sole Al Moro for him. All accompanied by a lovely bottle of Rosso del Bepi. The restaurant is located just beyond, the Trevi Fountain so we like to take a pass through there on our way home. Still lots of tourists, but not nearly as many as pre-Covid days.



Roasted Porcini, Potatoes and Tomatoes


Veal Escalope with Artichokes


Sole Al Moro


Rosso del Bepi



Trevi Fountain at night

Today our daily walk takes us through the historic center of Rome, past the Pantheon and over to Capitoline Hill, where we love the breathtaking view over the Roman Forum. From there we decide to wander around the Jewish Ghetto and up stopping for our morning coffee break in the charming Piazza Mattei, home to the Fontana delle Tartarughe (turtle fountain). We then continued our walk past Piazza Venezia over to see the delightful Via della Pilotta with its scenic arched pedestrian bridges.

Pantheon


Roman Forum view from Capitoline Hill


Fontana delle Tartarughe


Via della Pilotta


From here we begin to make our way over to today’s lunch destination, Urbana 47 which is located on Via Urbana – a lively street of restaurants and boutiques. Another new neighborhood for us we really enjoyed strolling here. This is a fun more youthful and casual place with quirky indoor décor, although we dined outside. Today for lunch my husband had the Caprese Salad, and I had the Fiori di Zucca to start and we shared an order of Cacio e pepi and the amazing Tiramisu for desert. The food was tasty, although I have no pictures to share.





After lunch we continued our walk through the Quirinale piazza and Gardens before heading back to the hotel for some downtime. Logged another good 9 miles of walking today so feeling a nap is in order.

Quirinale



Tonight’s dinner is at another favorite Cul de Sac, located just behind the Piazza Navona. As usual we walk to and from dinner as the weather is once again amazing. We had a long leisurely dinner here tonight with two bottles of wine and great chat with the sommelier. Started as usual with a mixed salumi and formaggi platter then Roman Pasta – always Amatriciana for me and Cacio e Pepe for him. Once again no food pics – having too much fun! We love the casual, energetic, friendly vibe here with a great selection of wine and absolutely zero pretense.









Walking home past Pantheon at night – my favorite!

Today we took a winding stroll over to Via Guilia and then walked along the river to get back to our lunch spot near our hotel. On the way, we passed by Il Goccetto, one of our favorite wine bars, unfortunately no time to squeeze in a visit on this trip.





Lunch today is at Dilla, another of our favorite spots, right smack in the heart of the Via Condotti shopping district, it’s perfect for people watching from your outdoor table. We started with a shared Caprese Salad followed by their delicious Cacio e Pepe. Paired our meal with an enjoyable bottle of Pietracupa Greco.



Dinner tonight is across the river in Trastevere, so we headed out about three hours early to fit in a walking tour of the neighborhood and an apertivo before dinner at Taverna Trilussa. Trastevere is very youthful with more of a college vibe, lots of bars and funky little shops. Some charming alleys and churches. We wandered around for a couple of hours, visited all the key landmarks and listened to street musicians before stopping at Antico Caffe del Moro for an Aperol Spritz and Italian craft beer. We laughed at the laundry hanging from the line directly above our table.


We love dining outdoors at Taverna Trilussa and are charmed that they serve the classic Roman pastas directly from the pan. The fried Zucchini Flowers stuffed with cheese were absolutely delicious! For the first time I tried the Gricia rather than the Amatriciana and while I enjoyed it I still prefer the “ciana”. The walk home tonight was particularly beautiful with the bridges glowing over the Tiber.

Time to explore another new area for us this morning so we taxied over to Villa Pamphili, the largest park in Rome. Set high on hill behind the Trastevere neighborhood, this area boasts some amazing views over central Rome. The Park is very natural with meadows, wooded areas, a large pond, and the grounds of the impressive Villa Doria Pamphili. The pathways are well laid out for walking and jogging, and it seems a popular place for exercising or relaxing in nature. We really enjoyed our morning here and would highly recommend adding this to any multi-day itinerary. After doing a five-mile loop through the park, we opted to walk back down the hill, through Trastevere and over the river to our lunch destination.













Lunch is at LIFE Ristorante, a place we highly recommend in the Via Condotti shopping district. Really great food and service, a bit more modern and refined in style with warm hospitality. The first place so far that has offered truffles on the menu, so we were excited. For starters we had Cariciofi alla Romana and grilled Asparagus with sesame seeds – both dishes were outstanding. For mains I had the homemade Ravioli filled with burrata in parmesan cream with white truffles and he had Gnocchi with artisan sausage, asparagus, and black truffles. It was Sunday afternoon, and we were relaxing after the long morning walk so we shared the pastry with pistachios stuffed with cream and strawberries for desert. All accompanied by a lovely bottle of Sergio Mottura Latour a Civitella – a new producer for us that we really enjoyed. Awesome meal!








Some afternoon down time, followed by a wandering stroll through the Jewish Ghetto, Campo di Fiori ending with pre-dinner cocktails in Piazza Farnese. Tonight’s dinner is at Roscioli Salumeria – always delicious. We ordered a bottle of ’09 Borogno Liste, as it was one of the few with any age on the list. Drinking pretty open and well. Started with Burrata with shaved white truffles (twice in one day!!) and a salumi platter. For mains we went with our standbys Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana accompanied by a side of Cariciofi alla Romana. A great meal!

Our last day in Rome, we began with a walk over to and up the Aventine Hill. A bit of a climb up to the see the Garden of Oranges and the Keyhole of Rome. Very scenic views of Rome from here and it seems to be a quiet less touristed area. The keyhole literally provides a view of the cupola of St. Peter’s by squinting through an ancient keyhole and down a covered hedge row. The light unfortunately was not correct for capturing the view on camera, but it was a cool sight to see in person. On our walk back we stopped for a view of the Circus Maximus and then headed over for a coffee break in the Pantheon Piazza – something about the energy of that building really lifts my spirits.

Views from Aventine Hill



The Garden of Oranges


Fountain of the Mask


The keyhole – with unsuccessful photo attempt!




Circus Maximus overlooking Palatine Hill


Coffee/Tea break with a view of the Pantheon


Lunch today was at nearby Ristorante Grano – a new place for us but one that will definitely be added to our list. We shared some starters – the Fava bean puree with sauteed chicory and the braised meatballs with mint & garlic sauce. For mains we had the Risotto and the Fish of the day. The food was excellent, and the service was warm and attentive. Our wine choice was another new producer for us, 2019 Oltre Torrente Derthona – also quite enjoyable. After lunch a bit of shopping was in order, so we headed over to a few of our favorite shops, followed by a glass of wine on the patio at the Hotel Russie - a lovely way to spend our last afternoon in Rome.




Drinks on the Hotel Russie patio Stravinskij Bar


Dinner this evening is back over the river and up the hill at Antico Arco – a refined restaurant with a more modern take on the traditional Roman cuisine. We enjoyed our meal here, but ultimately have decided we prefer the more casual and traditional style of dining when in Rome. Had a nice bottle of 2013 Vignetti Massa Costa del Vento to pair with our dinner. Started with Amberjack tartare with ginger & green bean salad and the Open Kebab which was a deconstructed take on kebab with Moroccan spices. For mains we had the Beef Tenderloin and the Sea Bass. And for dessert we had this lovely and light concoction of meringue and citrus. After the large meal, we opted to walk back down the hill, through Trastevere and back to our hotel for a final drink on the roof. All in all an amazing stay in Rome – our favorite city in the world beside New York!

This morning we bid goodbye to Rome and made our way to Florence for the next leg of our trip. the train to Florence. We had made advance reservations on the 10:25 Frecciarossa - a brief 90-minute ride. The conductors actively check tickets and vaccination cards on board and all travelers are required to wear masks. A scenic ride through the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside and we arrive at Santa Maria Novella station. The taxi queue was short, and we were on our way to our hotel, The Portrait Firenze, sister property to our hotel in Rome. The hotel's location is very central, just beyond the Ponte Vecchio overlooking the Arno. Unfortunately, our room won’t be ready for a few hours, so we dropped our bags and headed out for a light lunch at Mangiafoco – a casual place located a short walk from the hotel. Deciding to go much lighter today we both opted for the Chicken Caesar salad with avocado – nice to take a little break from pasta. To accompany our lunch the Donna Olimpia 1898 Bolgheri.


We still have some time to kill, so we stroll around the neighborhood, past the Piazza Signoria, Duomo and Baptistry and then over to check out the Four Seasons Hotel and its lovely gardens. The bar there looks lovely, and we still have an hour to kill, so why not stop for a drink. Arriving back at our hotel around 4:30, we are finally checked into our lovely suite overlooking the Arno. The rooms at the The Portrait are very spacious and the views are killer, and the welcome gift of fresh strawberries and a bottle of wine is much appreciated.

Stroll around the neighborhood





Drinks at the Four Seasons Bar


Killer view from our room


Welcome Gift


Dinner tonight at Trattoria Camillo is the only disappointing meal of the entire trip. I was excited to try this place as my research showed it was traditional and well thought of. Unfortunately, it just did not connect for either of us. Very popular and bustling with lots of American tourists – way more than we had seen anywhere in Rome. The wine list was a bit uninspired with the prices seeming very high for the youngish offerings. We settled on a bottle of 2015 Pian delle Vigne, which was fine but nothing we couldn’t grab from the corner store at home. We started with a Caprese Salad and had a chicken scallopine and a curry dish – both were kind of boring and underseasoned – wasn’t inspired to take pictures. This is a restaurant we would not return to.



After a somewhat lackluster dinner experience, we had a beautiful walk back to our hotel and enjoyed a bottle of ’18 Emidio Pepe overlooking the view of the Arno from our room. Munched on our fresh strawberries while listening to tunes we were able to stream to the room speakers. Very pleasant ending to the evening and somehow managed to kill the entire bottle!

We began our day with a walk over to Santa Maria Novella and a stop at one of my favorite shops, Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella – a beautiful shop and a great place to load up on Christmas gifts – lotions, candles, scents etc…. We then headed across the river towards Santo Spirito.
Santa Maria Novella

Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella

Santo Spirito


We spent the rest of the morning wandering around the neighborhoods and then made our way to lunch at Le Volpi e l’uva, a small, friendly funky wine bar. We absolutely loved this tiny little place with a handful of outdoor tables that can be reserved. Unfortunately, the menu did not include the wine names and I didn’t take picture of the labels as glasses were poured so no specific tasting notes to record. For 5euro per glass we sampled and shared most of the whites and a few of the reds.
Marche Verdicchio di Jesi – ’20 – bright, fresh and energizing
Sicilia Etna Bianco ’18 – mineral, salinity with some nice texture
Veneto Breganze Vespaiolo ’20 – first time with this variety – quite tart and dry
Alto Adige Kerner ’20 – lots of apple notes with nice acidity
Campania Forastera Ischia ’20 – first time with this variety – stone fruits and herbal – enjoyable!
Campania Tramonti Costa Amalfi ’20 – Falanghina based and very refreshing with minerals and texture
Toscana Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva ‘15
Toscana Brunello di Montalcino ‘15

To accompany all that wine, we shared a mixed salad, a caprese salad and the most delicious flatbread with Asiago and crispy prosciutto – delicious! The service here was very friendly and the day pleasant so we a bit tipsy by the end of lunch. Highly recommend this as a lunch destination for any stay in Florence.






After lunch we headed to the nearby Boboli Gardens for a long stroll in the lovely natural setting with views over Florence and the surrounding countryside. A bit more shopping after the park and then back to the hotel to rest up before dinner.






We started our evening with a cocktail at Le Terraza the rooftop bar at the Continentale Hotel next door – reservations are required even for cocktails.


Then on to dinner at Giostra – a restaurant we have always enjoyed on prior visits. The food tonight was once again delicious and the hospitality was warm as expected, the wine list was a bit more challenging as there were only current vintages available despite what was listed on the menu. For some reason I neglected to take a picture of the wine we ended up with probably because it was not particularly memorable. For dinner we shared the artichoke carpaccio, tagliatelle with Tuscan ragu and veal scallopine a limone. The food was great! A lovely walk back to the hotel past the Palazzo Vecchio which was nicely lit up at night.

Morning walk along the Arno down to Santa Croce and around the surrounding neighborhoods. Stopped at Cibreo Caffe for our mid-morning coffee/tea break. Wandered around the Central Mercato to look at all the amazing food stuff available for sale. What a treat it must be to be able to grocery shop here and bring home the bounty for a beautiful meal.



For lunch we made our way back across the river to dine at another wine bar, Pitti Gola e Cantina, which overlooks the Pitti Palace. The outdoor tables here are very sunny – so be prepared with a hat and sunglasses. Another great option for a lighter lunch with a terrific wine by the glass selection. We shared a mixed cheese plate and mixed salumi plate, and a spaghetti dish.








Dinner tonight at Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco. We shared the pappardelle with wild boar ragu and Bistecca alla Fiorentina with potatoes. The steak was massive and while we were able to make a dent – it was still way too much for two people.




After dinner and a short walk back to the hotel, we ended with a night cap at the Caffe’ Dell’Oro – overlooking the Arno. A nice way to end our visit to Florence.

After breakfast and final walk up and around the Duomo, we checked out and headed back to the train station to catch our 11am train to Bologna – a super quick 30-minute ride. Our hotel for the Bologna portion of the trip is the Grand Hotel Majestic “Gia” Baglioni. We are a bit early so our room is not ready, so we stopped for a coffee/tea in the hotel bar while we waited. After dropping our bags in the room – time to head out and explore Bologna – our first visit to this charming city. A totally different feel from other Italian cities, the sidewalks are entirely covered with porticos. Lots of youthful energy here as this is foremost a university town. We loved it and were anxious to explore. First stop was lunch at the highly recommended Mozzabella – our first pizza of this trip. Really innovative varieties with lots to choose from as well as a robust take-out business. We opted more traditional with the burrata and prosciutto version which was delicious! Paired the pizza with a glass of house Grillo – but did not get the label so no tasting note.




After lunch we continued our exploration of the city – wandering around the various neighborhoods – very walkable and quite compact. Wandered down to the Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna and got our first views of the Due Torri (two towers).
Piazza Maggiore:





Due Torri:


We finally ended up in the streets of Il Quadrilatero with its bustling market. Our friends had recommended that we visit Osteria del Sole – the oldest wine bar in Bologna – open since 1465. They do not serve food – but welcome guests to bring their own – easily sourced in the nearby mercato. We stopped at Simoni and grabbed some Mortadella bites – mortadella baked inside a bread roll. Then headed over to Sole and sipped on some local wines, soaking up the century’s old atmosphere. Really fun way to spend an afternoon.






Dinner tonight was at Via Serra – hands down the best meal of our entire trip. The experience was amazing from the wonderful hospitality, delicious food, and relaxing atmosphere. The only knock here is the rather limited and basic wine list, but that is okay as the food is the star. Concerned we would struggle with the Italian menu; our gracious host recited the whole thing to us in English. We ordered the Crostini di crescenti con la Cunza cotta (pesto Modenese), scaglia di Parmigiano e Balsamico and the Cappelle di Porcino (mushroom caps) gratinate con Caprino (cheese), Pangrattato (breadcrumbs) e Nocciole (hazelnuts) to start. Then for pasta dishes we had the Tagliatella di sfoglia gialla al Ragu di Prosciutto di Parma and the Gramigna del nostro torchio paglia e fieno con Ragu di Salci – a local pasta with sausage that was delicious. Then we shared the Guancia brasata con Purè e Giardinera – braised beef cheek with potato puree and vegetables. We passed on desert but were treated to a complementary glass of homemade Nocino – a walnut digestivo. A truly outstanding meal!

Started our morning with a walk down and through the Giardino della Montagnola, a slightly run down, yet still pretty park with a grand entry staircase. We then meandered our way around the various neighborhoods and always ended up back in the town center. Love the old buildings, porticos, students, and café culture here.





For lunch we decided to get in line early at Sfoglia Rina – a no reservation café and pasta shop that apparently makes the best tortellini in town. They open at 11:30 and the line starts forming before that. We went with the very traditional tortellini in broth, which was served with a small salad and Bolognese bread. A glass of house white wine to accompany – so no tasting note. Highly recommended for a delicious and inexpensive lunch.




After lunch we visited the Teatro Anotomico – a medical school dating back to the 1600’s where they would conduct anatomy lessons on cadavers on the marble table surrounded by the students in theater. Very interesting stop and beautiful old building.




We wanted to have a leisurely afternoon and enjoy a nice bottle of wine, but the wine bars generally do not open until 5pm, so we ended up heading to the patio of our hotel and opening a nice bottle of Fiorano we bought in Rome. Very relaxing afternoon as our trip starts to wind to the end.


Dinner at All’Osteria Bottega, was interesting – we had some language barriers as the staff did not speak any English, but it all worked out in the end. The food here was very good although not quite as magnificent as Via Serra the night before. We did a mixed plate of salumi – which unfortunately (for us) included a portion of lardo – must be an acquired taste. We also had the lasagna, tagliatelle ragu and short rib. All accompanied with a nice bottle of 2013 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis.

Our last day of vacation, so we got a bit later start and exited our hotel to find the starting line of the Bologna Marathon directly outside. It was five minutes to the start of the race, so we stayed and watched the elite runners leap off the line at the starting gun – very festive! Lots of crowds today in town for the race. We wandered down through the Piazza Maggiore, taking in the beautiful fountain of Neptune. Our destination today is the beautiful portico walk up to the Basilica di San Luca – considered to be the longest covered walkway in the world. It iss 3.8km long with a gain of 215 meters in elevation. The first is mostly flat with the elevation coming all in the second part – a bit of a workout to get your heart going after all that pasta and salumi! Very beautiful and different, worth taking the morning to explore if you have a few days in Bologna.

Fountain of Neptune




By the time we finished and returned to our hotel to collect our COVID test results (negative!), the marathon had concluded, and the streets were thick with groups of spectators looking Sunday lunch. Unfortunately, this is the one day we did not have reservations, so finding a lunch spot proved to be difficult and somewhat disappointing – alas what are you going to do. We made up for this by heading to Enoteca al Risanmento, somewhat away from the city center and much quieter for a nice bottle of wine. This place was great, friendly service and broad selection – highly recommend. On our way back to the hotel, one final shot of the two towers.





Our dinner which also happens to be our anniversary was at Oltre – which was highly recommended on many websites and blogs. More in the sleek and modern style and while the food was good, it wasn’t particularly memorable. Our wine choice the 2010 Larmandier-Bernier Vielle Vigne du Levant was excellent. I had the meat tortellini with parmesan sauce and my husband had the stuffed tortelloni. We shared a cod dish for the main. Desert was something with a foam topping – not good we didn’t finish. Altogether felt cold and a bit underwhelming – could just be after 12 nights of dining out we were done, but ultimately, I prefer the more traditional places.

The sticker covered entrance to Oltre:







Really enjoyed our visit to Bologna and will definitely return!!