Hotels – Travel Breezers

Rome – October 25-27

A four hour drive from a great visit from Tammy, Val and Leslie in Camaiore, Italy brings us to the amazing city of Rome and the Hotel Artimede (https://www.hotelartemide.it/en/). The Artimede is in a great location – very centrally located – and is a nice “city” business hotel. And a pretty decent price for Rome, which is generally very expensive. Manevering the car through the busy streets of Rome to return the rental car at the Roma Termini train station was crazy, but Shawn handled it like a champion.

After getting checked in, we made our way to a great restaurant called Il Fellini (https://www.ilfellini.com). Medium price – for Rome – great service and delicious food. A great way to finish off a long day.

The next day we had a Vespa tour of Rome that our marvelous travel agent, Tammy Cane had highly recommended and booked for us (http://www.theartoftravelbytammycane.com). So, so fun. Though not for the faint of heart, this is a fantastic and super fun way to experience the sights, smells and streets of this city in full Italian style.

After getting us oriented to scootering through the very busy Roman streets, our guide Michele took us to the ruins of one of the Roman public baths – the Caracalla – which was named after the cape worn by Emperor Marcus Aurelius (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Garden,_Rome).

At the height of the Roman Empire, almost everyone went to a bath house daily. This particular bath house was large enough to serve over 20,000 citizens at a time. And it was very egalitarian – when wearing “bath” clothes, no one could tell who was rich, poor or powerful.

Our next stop was the “Orange Garden” on Aventine Hill (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Garden,_Rome). From this oasis in the middle of one of Rome’s nicest residential areas, there is an amazing view of St. Peter’s Cathedral and many of the great sights of Rome. Totally recommended on a nice sunny day!

Afterwards we headed to the historic meat-packing district – which is now a music school – and the famous terra-cotta hill. A giant hill made from the remains of terra cotta pots which had been discarded over many centuries (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Testaccio)

Then, after a coffee and some delicious authentic pastries, we drove back through Rome to the scooter rental shop. This was the best part of the trip as we really got to see Rome like Romans. Was so cool to see neighborhoods full of artisan shops and cool looking restaurants. It made us want to spend much more time in Rome.

That evening we went to the rooftop bar at the swanky Hotel Eden. This place is five star plus. Super nice. If you can go for sunset – which we did – it’s quite spectacular.

View at sunset from the rooftop bar at the Hotel Eden

Now – off to Santorini and Mykonos for a week in the Greek islands!

Chianti – May 31 to June 7

9 hours of trains through Italy takes us from Bari to Tuscany.

We’d been in Tuscany before on a guided Butterfield & Robinson cycling trip. Shawn and I wanted to ride again, but this time decided to do the planning on our own. We got super lucky surfing the internet and found Tuscany Bicycle in the town of Gaiole in Chianti [https://www.Tuscany bicycle.com/en/]. The owners, Fillipo and Michelle, were extremely responsive, by text, email and phone and got us set up with some terrific Pinarello road bikes.

Shawn in Gaiole with the Rooster – the symbol of Chianti Classico

The bike shop even suggested a great hotel – Rocca di Castagnola [http://www.msnhotels.com/rocca_castagnoli.htm] – a restored stone villa on a hilltop surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

The property also has an excellent restaurant [http://www.ilcelliere.it/en/] with a terrific staff and was only about 5km from Tuscany Bicycle’s shop.

Fillipo gave us a map and some great suggested rides. However, as the lead navigator, I may have made a few mapping miscalculations that led us up some very steep hills. Shawn aptly named our tour, “Lost Roads.”

However, my guiding was not totally bad. We did capture the stunning poppy fields in bloom and made some great stops in picturesque towns with great cafes. This did renew (somewhat) Shawn’s faith in me as her guide, even though the hotel was straight up a 600 meter hill at the end of the day.

In fact, my (mis) guiding also took us onto the Strade Bianchi – the famous “white roads” of Tuscany – which happen to be gravel. These are rideable, but can be challenging for the less experienced. This resulted in some colorful language – in both English and Italian – from my one person crew. On the positive side, the paved roads are in great shape, there aren’t that many cars, and at the top of nearly every hill is an exquisite view and sometimes a delightful village.

We rode four full days and loved it. If you like cycling, food and wine, a visit to Chianti in spring time is a trifecta of excellence.

A great place to get an espresso and meet lots of other cyclists is Caffe Eroica in Brolio [https://eroica.cc/eroica-caffè]. Great coffee and croissants and directly across the street from the tasting room at Brolio Vineyards – the inventors of the “Ricasoli formula” which forms the basis for all Chianti Classico wines. This is also the place where they came up with the idea for L’Eroica, an annual cycling mega-event [https://www.eroicagaiole.com] where everyone is required to ride vintage (70’s and prior) bikes and clothing. It’s a huge event that is run largely on the Strade Bianchi. If anyone out there wants to do this, I’d love to come back and do it with you!

Towns not to miss while cycling are Radda in Chianti – where we had a fantastic lunch at Ristorante il Girarrosto [http://www.rosshotels.it/ita/hotel-ristorante-chianti.html?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral] –

and Castelonuevo Berardenga – where we also had a great lunch at La Taverna della Berardenga [https://www.thefork.com/restaurant/la-taverna-della-berardenga/57796]. These are both beautiful villages with nice shopping and restaurants for lunch. As well as cool cafes if you need a mid-morning shot of espresso!

We also rented a car – which we recommend as Tuscany is pretty big and there is a lot to see.

Great towns to visit are San Gimignano, Montalcino and Pienza (Shawn’s favorite). All have beautiful architecture, fantastic food and, of course, shopping.

View from the back of Pienza – great place for wedding shots!

There is so much good food and wine in Tuscany. It’s hard – really – to find a bad meal. But the best we had this week was likely La Bottega del 30 [http://labottegadel30.it/en/]. This is a Michelin starred restaurant in the tiny village of Villa al Sesta. So, so good. Thanks Jen for the tip!

Tuscany is a fantastic place. If you haven’t been here, you should go. If you have, you should go back. I’m sure we will. But now – we are on our way to Croatia to meet some great friends!

Puglia – May 23 to 30

A car from Positano to Naples and then a bus from Naples to Bari gets us to Puglia – the “heel of the boot” of Italy. With so much other great stuff to see in Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice, Amalfi, Tuscany – most Americans don’t make it this deep. And that’s unfortunate, cuz it’s another pretty great place.

We rented a car – Jeep Renegade subcompact SUV – and after crowbarring ourselves and massive amounts of luggage inside, made our way to Polignano a Mare, a cliff side town on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.

First thing you notice about Polignano a Mare is that it’s really beautiful here. Check out this beach.

And the little town is also excellent. Quaint walk streets loaded with restaurants and cool shops purveying hand made Italian goods. Looked like a choice spot for a wedding party.

Main shopping street in Polignano a Mare

The cliffs here are very dramatic. Caught a couple of good shots from the drone!

If you’re feeling like a big spender, try The Grotto [https://www.grottapalazzese.it/en/]. We passed – even after hearing a good review from the Rosen’s – cuz its 150 euro per person (not including wine), and it seemed like a lot for the four of us. But it’s a spectacular location for a super special dinner – as you can see from this shot.

The Grotto – built into a cave in the cliff

We passed on The Grotto, but there are many other great options. After gorging on meat, cheese, tomato and more cheese for the past week(s), we found a great pescatarian place called Mint Cucina Fresca. [https://www.facebook.com/mintcucinafresca/]. This place was fantastic and somewhat healthy.

Our Airbnb here was totally adequate. If you are looking for two clean bedrooms and a bath – for less than $150 per night, we can recommend this place. [https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/casa-lilla-polignano-a-mare1.en-gb.html?aid=376370;label=log-7hXcdXmQIAnytr80ankEYwS267778187023%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-297601666715%3Akwd-317486742176%3Alp9058686%3Ali%3Adet%3Adm;dist=0;sb_price_type=total;type=total&] But understand that it does not come with a place to park. And parking in this town is like Hermosa Beach in summer. So be forewarned about that.

Also, there are other very good – non-rocky – beaches close by. Monopoli, about 20 minutes by car south, has excellent sandy beaches. We went to the Lido Sabbiadoro beach club [http://www.lidosabbiadoro.com/en/]. Apparently we were here just prior to the summer crush. They had about 200 lounge chairs and umbrellas and only about 15 guests. But it was clear they were getting ready for the “on” season. In any case, it was a great white sand beach with beautiful blue water.

After three nights in Polignano a Mare, we it was time to for a road trip. First stop was Alberobello. I was chastised for calling it “Albertoburrito”. Sorry. This is the town with the famous “trulli” homes. If you’ve ever done any internet research on Puglia, you’ve likely seen these cute little structures with cone shaped roofs. Yes – it’s a bit touristy – but a totally worthwhile and fun day trip. Another great place to to eat, drink and shop. I found a cool scarf – yes going totally Euro – and Shawn found some jewelry – you must be shocked to hear that.

Albertoburrito was just a stop on the way to our actual destination, Gallipoli. This is not the site of the famous and devastating World War I battle (that’s in Turkey), but instead is another great Italian beach town.

The old town in Gallipoli is on a very small island connected to the mainland via a bridge. We didn’t know that you’re not supposed to drive in the old town – or on the tiny stone walk streets – but that’s where Google Maps directed the Jeep Renegade toward Relais Corte Palmieri hotel [https://www.relaiscortepalmieri.it/old-town-hotel-gallipoli/, our home for the next four nights.

The Corte Palmieri is very charming. A blend of old architecure, relaxing balconies and terraces along with a great location. We had the Luna room which had a private terrace. The girls had a different room (can’t remember the name of that one) with a funky loft. I think both rooms together were about $300 per night (including breakfast). So a pretty good value for four travelers.

Roof Terrace at Corte Palmieri from the drone

The public beach in Gallipoli is a bit “tired” looking, but there are many beach clubs near town.

Gallipoli public beach likely “rocks” in Summer, but pretty dead in May

Following a hotel recommendation (which also came with a complementary ride), we went to Lido Sottovento [https://www.lidosottovento.com]. A nice club with white sand and blue water, but due to a particular seasonal tide, there was a ton of vegetation floating in the water which made it a bit unpleasant to get in the sea. This was not the case at the clubs about 300 yards on either side of Lido, but we just got a bit unlucky on that one.

In any case, we received a tout from a Scottish woman that had a house in Tuscany. She told us to take a 45 minute drive north to Porto Ceasareo. Taking her advice we found a club called Bahia del Sol [http://bahiaportocesareo.com]. Excellent lounge chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks along with great sand and pretty warm water. Great way to spend a day. Again, we were here in late May so the beach was relatively uncrowded. I suspect that if you come here in July it will be totally packed!

As you might recall, we love a day on a boat. We were fortunate to hook up with Francesco at ZaBoat [http://zaboat.it/coming-soon.html] who took us on a half day cruise around the Gallipoli coastline. Great way to spend a super hot and humid day!

And yes, we did go to some cool restaurants. The finest was the Palazzo del Corso at the sister hotel of the Corte Palmieri. We went at sunset and the view was absolutely spectacular.

Sadly, the food did not live up to the view. It was good, but for the price – which was relatively high – we expected better. Nonetheless, we had a great time!

On our last night were getting ready to get some food and we heard what sounded like a marching band in the alley next to our terrace. Shawn exclaimed – “ you just missed it, we have to get down to the street”! So we raced down to the street and found the procession of a marching band, about 200 people and various clergy. Very cool.

Parishioner tossing rose petals at Virgin Mary

Unfortunately, our time in Puglia was coming to an end and we made the two and a half hour drive to departing planes and trains in Bari. Sadly, we were all heading in different directions. Nikki to see her boyfriend Ben in Paris. Nicole, home to LA. And Shawn and I to Chianti. OK, not so sad 😉!

Biarritz to Bordeaux – May 7 to 18

I know that I’ve become a bit tardy in recent reporting. Apologies to my four readers. “The warm summer breezes, french wines and cheeses, kept his ambition at bay – Jimmy Buffet.” It’s very easy to do nothing in France.

A plane from Florence to Madrid and a connection to San Sebastián gets us to a little town just outside the airport called Hondarribia. Firmly inside the Basque Country. I think they just seceded from Spain. No worry. If it’s not on Fox it’s all fake news anyway. Or is that CNN? 😂

For one night we lodge at the three-star Hotel Obisbo, a 15th century structure converted into a funky hotel (not in a smelly way, it’s actually super clean) that’s a five minute taxi from the airport. And less than $100 for the night. Small room, but tidy and comfortable. Expecting an “airport city”, the little town of Hondarribia, with cobbled streets and a cool, old church is a pleasant surprise.

We happened upon a great little restaurant called Danontzat with the best – and I mean the very best – Foie Gras that I’ve ever had [http://gastrotur.net/gastroteka-danontzat-hondarribia/]. Per the owner, the goose is not force fed, but lives under a fig tree and eats the figs that fall off the tree before its liver is sacrificed. Hmmm. But so, so good!

The next day we take a short taxi ride – about 30 minutes – to the incredibly swanky town of Biarritz. It’s like Beverly Hills and La Jolla had a love child and dropped it on the coast of France. Got an Airbnb here that was awesome – if you’re not too tall. [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21127022?eal_exp=1528163641&eal_sig=e462d639ef00767c9b17605f5399969f58f3b6f7df636ef5e7e210bca39f44c9&eal_uid=116697965&eluid=0&euid=51a1f103-cfe9-45b1-9d03-6d18093aff7c]. Not a problem for the vertically challenged Klein’s. One small room (kitchen and living area) downstairs with a queen size bed in the loft. The shower is upstairs and the toilet is down. It’s challenging to navigate the spiral staircase downstairs in the middle of the night and the ceiling upstairs is a bit low, but the incredible location wins out.

We’re just above the Grande Plage, one of the top surf spots in France – and, I think, one of the best “city” beaches anywhere.

During our three day early May (and a bit rainy) visit, the waves were about 5-8 feet with about 50-75 surfers in the water most of the time. Really cool to watch out the window.

This town is super glitzy. The winding cobblestone streets are full of great bistros and shopping. The Grand Plage promenade is loaded up with tables for lunch, snacks and drinks on the shore – a perfect spot to take in the coastal views, and enjoy the surf action.

Unfortunately for us, it was mostly cloudy and rainy, but when the sun did poke through you could imagine an awesome summery day in Biarritz.

Other cool attractions include a better than expected aquarium – with this very rare French blue lobster.

An impressive cathedral on the cliffs above the surf.

And a great stone walkway to take in the superior ocean views.

We’d totally recommend Biarritz for a two or three day visit. Probably better in the summer, but the crowds are likely massive as well.

Think Lizbeth Salander might be hiding here in BTZ

It’s a two hour train ride from Biarritz to Bordeaux where we meet Kevin and Linda Rosen (once known as Linda Glick and, of course, 1984 UCLA Lambda Chi Alpha Crescent Queen) our traveling companions for a week in one of France’s finest wine regions. Linda, an amazing planner, arranged an Airbnb in the best part of Bordeaux’s old town for our first two nights.

Located on the Garonne River, Bordeaux was one of the most important trading ports in the 18th century. For some reason, I had in my mind that it was a little village, but it’s most definitely not. It’s actually the sixth largest city in France – with about 250,000 people and the hub of one of the world’s preeminent wine growing regions. It’s full of activity and great architecture – old and modern.

For wine aficionados, you’ll already know that “left bank” refers to wine regions on the west side of the Garonne River and “right bank” to those on the east side of the river. I know you knew that – it was just a refresher.

Linda arranged dinners at two fantastic restaurants – Solena [http://www.solena-restaurant.com] and Le Boucheon Bordelais [https://www.bouchon-bordelais.com]. Both are excellent. Solena is a bit more “fine dining” – it is a Michelin rated restaurant – and Le Boucheon is a bit more of a bistro, but both are great.

Our excellent planner also put together a very nice wine tour with Elodie [www.bordeauxwithelodie.com]. Elodie picked us up at our apartment – which was convenient cuz it was raining – and took us to the left bank to tour and taste the finest of Chateau Lafond-Rochet (AOC: Saint Estephe), Chateau Beychevelle (AOC: Saint-Julien), and Chateau Kirwan (AOC: Margaux).

These are all Grand Cru Classe labels from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. In the Medoc region – which encompasses the left bank – the Grand Cru Classe ratings were established in 1855 and have not been re-rated since. No matter, these left bank winemakers continue to represent quality and their Chateaus are extremely impressive – along with the wines. A great day of tasting (that’s “degustation” for the oenophiles) and touring, as well some fine wine education.

Next we’re off to our Backroads cycling trip along the Dordogne River and the “right bank” of Bordeaux. Yes, life is getting rough! Team Rosen/Klein meet our trip leaders at the train station and shuttle with a group of seven others “cyclists” to the village of Pontours to pick up our bikes and take a warm-up ride through the bastide town of Molieres and some lovely tree-lined paths along the Dordogne River.

Molieres – Ms. Rosen (former pro art director) knows how to set up a pic!

After about 20 miles, we reach our destination – and home for the first two nights, Le Vieux Logis [http://www.vieux-logis.com/en/], a Relais & Chateaux listed property in Tremolat. It’s a beautiful, elegantly restored estate, formerly dedicated to tobacco production. That night we are blessed with a fantastic dinner at the property’s own Michelin one-star gourmet restaurant. Was so great. Especially since it was paid for many month’s ago.

The next day, however, brings a challenge. Rain. We had packed our cycling clothes in January – and shipped them to Nikki in Italy so we could pick them up just before this trip – dreaming only of sunny days. So our rain gear was a bit make-shift. Crescent Queen Rosen, on the other hand was fully equipped for the battle with a long water proof coat, gortex pants and even shoe covers. So good to be a “planner”. 😊 No matter, 10 out of our group of 11 (one was smart enough to pass this IQ test and not ride) saddled up and rode in the rain to the Rouffignac Cave [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/france/rouffignac/index.php] to view prehistoric cave paintings of woolly mammoths, rhinos, bison and horses. I usually find this kind of stuff pretty boring, but these petroglyphs are actually pretty cool. But go on a warm day. Transitioning from a cold wet ride to a colder wet, damp cave is not ideal. Nonetheless, the hot bath back at Le Vieux Logis was awesome!

Day 3 brought slightly better weather and an overcast ride through the wonderful countryside of Bergerac (remember “Cyrano de Bergerac”). After a stop at 16th century Chateau de Monbazillac – which is cool if you like old chateaus – we ride our way to Chateau de Vigiers, a fabulous resort with an awesome looking 27 hole golf course [https://vigiers.com/relais-hotel-dordogne.html]. This resort is also endowed with a Michelin one-star restaurant – and we finished off the day with another gastronomic delight!

Backroads (and Butterfield & Robinson) always save the best for last. As the weather continued to improve, we make our make our way to the gem of the right bank, Saint Emilion – a UNESCO World Heritage site. The riding remains sublime as we wind through some of the world’s finest vineyards toward Hostellerie de Plaisance [https://hostelleriedeplaisance.com] an amazing hotel in the best location in town directly adjacent to the tower of Saint Emilion’s monolithic church.

Hotellerie de Plaisance is five star in every sense. Beautiful rooms with terraces overlooking the old city, amazing service and, of course, their own vineyard.

That evening our guides had arranged for a “wine school” with Benjamin, an expert oenologist from Vignobles and Chateaux, one of the top wine negotiants in Bordeaux. After an hour of excellent (and actually interesting) instruction, we were fully prepared to taste/drink some fine Bordeaux reds at a great St. Emilion pizza spot with the Rosen’s.

The following morning we finally see a mostly sunny day and suit up for another wonderful ride through the villages and vineyards surrounding St. Emilion. Wine expert Benjamin joins us for lunch and a tour at Chateau Pavie, a Premier Grand Cru Classe vineyard. In St. Emilion, this seems to matter a bit more than on the left bank (Medoc), as the ratings are re-evaluated every 10 years (not just held over from 1855).

After the ride we take a private tour of the catacombs and Europe’s largest monolithic church – Eglise Monolithe [http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com/uk/1-discover/31-the-12-inescapable-monuments/5-the-monolithic-church-and-its-bell-tower.html] – which happens to be directly under our hotel. If you find yourself in St. Emilion, this place is a must see. It’s a huge church, carved underground in the limestone plateau. Really feels like something out of a Tomb Raider movie. Sorry there are no pics – they are not allowed inside this church.

Our journey to French wine country concludes with a truly gut-busting (and delicious) six-course dinner at our Hotel’s two star Michelin restaurant, La Table de Plaisance. Fantastic cap on a great week!

Linda and Shawn with Josh – one of our Backroads Guides

Although we are sad to put Bordeaux in the rear-view mirror (and to say au revoir to the Rosen’s) we are happy to be flying south to meet up with Nikki and her BFF Nicole for a few days in Positano and a week in Puglia.