RSSPlanning a Trip to Italy?
By The Real Todd Harrison | April 09, 2008 | 7:26 PM | 1 Comment
I Put the 1st in Class ...
If you are thinking about going to Europe anytime soon, I have to tell you about a few of my favorite experiences during my most recent trip. Just so you know, I get absolutely nothing for endorsing places, wines or other things ... In fact, all I will get for writing this article is a dinner coupon for Sizzler. I am writing about these things because I like them and appreciate the finer things in life.
Jumping across the pond is a long flight; much longer if you are starting from the west coast. I was planning a trip to the U.K. and Italy and all of my buddies kept saying I had to fly Virgin Upper Class. I called Virgin and inquired about prices. The agent tells me, "Those seats will cost you $10,586, per seat." I laughed and said thanks.
I then checked my AMEX rewards benefits and cha-ching! You can fly Virgin Upper Class, roundtrip, for 100,000 points. Or, if you don't have the points, you can buy them. The last I checked it was $25.00 for 1,000 points. I am no mathematician but that looks like $2,500.00 to me. A hell of a lot better than the $10,586 quoted. Why am I talking about this? I have flown first class on a lot of different airlines to a lot of different places around the world. Virgin by far is the best. Your seat reclines completely flat into a bed. They offer a full menu of food and a decent wine list. You can order whatever you want - whenever you want it. You can even get a massage or manicure. I could go on and on but if you have never experienced mile high luxury, it is time to do it. If you are just going to Italy, Virgin does not fly direct form North America. I would rather fly Virgin into Heathrow and then take British Airways or another airline for the remainder of the trip into Italy.
Ok...I got a little sidetracked. My main purpose in writing this article was to tell you about some of my experiences during my last trip to Italy. I took my wife and we went to Venice, Florence, and Positano.
Venice: Some people do not like Venice. I love it. I have been there a half a dozen times and it gets better each time I go. Yes, there are a lot of tourists but, they are everywhere from Hollywood to Dollywood, Venice to Australia and everywhere in between. Venice is a place where you can mingle with the locals and literally walk through the entire city in a day or two.
If you are willing to spend the cash and a lot of it, I have two suggestions. First, stay at Hotel Danieli. It is steps away from the Piazza San Marco, the Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. The hotel's main building is the original 14th century palace of Doge Dandolo, a Venetian gothic landmark extravagantly appointed with marble, stained glass, gold leaf columns, Murano glass chandeliers and unbelievable antiques. There are a lot of great hotels in Venice but if you want to go first class, try Hotel Danieli.
Only a few steps away from Danieli is probably one of the most famous bars in the world - Harry's Bar. Harry's Bar was opened in 1931 by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani. It has long been frequented by famous people, and a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, inventor Guglielmo Marconi, Charlie Chaplin, Truman Capote, Orson Welles, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Aristotle Onassis, Peggy Guggenheim, and Woody Allen.
The food and drinks are incredible, but so is the price. A couple of hors d'oeuvres and a few Bellini's could cost you a couple hundred bucks. I say who cares...you are on vacation and worth it!
http://www.cipriani.com/cipriani/Locs/ven.htm
Florence: There are only a handful of restaurants that I would declare as the best; Mastro's, Beverly Hills; Del Friscos, New York and Dallas; Golden Coral, Omaha and La Giostra in Florence, Italy.
La Giostra, which means "carousel" in Italian, is owned and run by Prince Dimitri Kunz d'Asburgo Lorena, and his food is as remarkable as his charm. The unassuming restaurant is located down a small alley and if you didn't know where it was you could miss it. The menu is in Italian only - but who cares? In perfect English the prince or one of his sons will describe a favorite dish like taglierini con tartufo bianco, a decadently rich pasta with 
white truffles or whatever else intrigues you. The portions are big and they start you off with the complementary hors d'oeuvres, which is a meal all by itself.
La Giostra is in a sixteenth century tiny building with arches in red brick and once hosted the merry-go-round in Salvemini square, from which the princes got the name of their restaurant. Today there are only just sixteen tables, where the beautiful and famous people alike can eat, drink, and be merry.
For you wine lovers, the "list" is incredible. They have a cellar with hundreds of different wines from all over the world. Of course, they carry a huge selection of Italian varietals. La Giostra has the best selection of Brunello and pure Sangioveses I have ever seen. If you are into decanting, you have never seen decanting like how they do it at La Giostra. The entire dining experience is incredible.
http://www.ristorantelagiostra.com/inglese/frameset.html
Positano: While Hotel Danieli ranks among the best, Il San Pietro is in a class of its own. This spectacular 5 star hotel with 62 rooms individually chiseled into a cliff makes the top-10 list of European hotels each year. Il San Pietro is located just 2 km east of Positano on the main road to Amalfi. This spectacular property started as the home of Carlo Cinque in 1962. Literally, nothing existed at the site except for the ancient little San Pietro chapel. 
The hotel's main lobby is open and expansive with sitting areas, antique statues, and paintings. The rooms are all different is size and shape, each uniquely decorated, and each with its own views of the Mediterranean. The hotel offers a private beach. To get there, guests must descend down an elevator directly in the middle of the cliff. Once you arrive the door opens to a cave fronting on a beach and a pier for sunbathing.
The location is fantastic because of the proximity to Positano and other Amalfi coast towns. A very convenient shuttle service runs back and forth between Positano and the hotel, so parking in the village is not necessary. Amalfi and Capril are only short boat rides away.
If you want to be where A-Listers hang out, this is the place to be. During one stay I was hanging with Julia Roberts and the next time with Colin Farrell. Everyone at the hotel, staff and guests included, are typically laid back and friendly. Il San Pietro is an incredible place to relax, drink wine and appreciate life.
http://www.ilsanpietro.it/english.html
Hope these suggestions are helpful when planning your next vacation to Italy.
Ciao...
"The Real" Todd Harrison
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