Tag: Italy

Staying in Rome near the Spanish Steps

A moonlit view just steps from the entrance of the Hotel Scalinata di Spagna Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Could You Get Any Closer than the Scalinata di Spagna? With less than 24 hours to spend in Rome, the Brawny Sherpa and I would need to be strategic in selecting a hotel so that we could see those last…

A Double and the Duomo

A room with a view of the Duomo in Florence Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

A View on a Budget in Florence Our quick stay at the Soggiorno Battistero in Florence is just long enough to appreciate anew the place across from the Duomo referred to as the Baptistry. So thrilled with our view right…

Venice in Winter

Will Venice still deliver magic when the weather is cold and gray? Photo credit: Michael Ciavardini

I love Venice in the springtime; I love Venice in the fall. But will Venice in winter meet expectations? The Bashful Adventurer gives it a try.

10 Good Things about Holiday Inn Express Rome

Holiday Inn Express Rome–San Giovanni Photo credit: Michael Ciavardini

Have you been in a Holiday Inn lately? I had not, but find myself staying in Holiday Inn Express Rome–San Giovanni (not far outside the walls of the old city) as part of a package that mostly involves incredibly low…

Street Art, Rome

Better than beige, as seen on the street in Rome Photo credit: Michael Ciavardini

In case a traveler needs to see just a little bit more art on any given trip to Italy: enjoy the fizzy pink lady in Rome. You can find her on Via Assisi not far up from Via Tuscolana before…

Contemplating Austria

Contemplating Austria

Understanding the Viennese Paradox Anticipating a visit to Vienna, I am trying to understand the place, its past, its present. Mention Vienna and pastries come to mind along with classical music. Austria as a nation is a bit more confusing,…

What Happens in Italy Stays in Italy

A Mid-Life Road Trip Everyone Wants to Take Looking for escape on a chilly mid-winter day, one might reach for a copy of The Trip to Italy (2014), starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing themselves on a high-end road…

The Wild Backstory

Although my idea of “roughing it” involves having to walk from my cabin to a clubhouse for dinner, I still enjoy books about more rugged adventures involving far more outdoorsiness than I am ever likely to pursue. I sometimes imagine…

On Lake Vacations

If I live on a lake, do I really need to vacation at a different one?, I wonder as the Brawny Sherpa, the Bonus Adventurers, and I jump into the car and head north toward Lake George, N.Y. I laughed…