Who: Marilyn and Wayne Zimmerman of Loveland with grandchildren Sydney, Tim and Sarah
Where: St. Mark’s Piazza, Venice
Best meal: Aside from the lavish meals the tour provided at the three fine hotels, our best meals were those in our rooms with purchased pizza or various local cheeses, meats and breads. Not only were these meals less expensive, but we could have a more meaningful evening as we amusingly highlighted the events of the day. The most memorable restaurant we discovered was in the Umbrian hilltop village of Orvieto. Nannoamelia is located on a quaint street of picturesque shops with colorful pottery. The restaurant served the tastiest pasta, particularly the spaghetti carbonara.
Best deal: In March 2005, The Denver Post Travel section featured the Tauck intergenerational tour of Italy. That story firmed our tentative plan to take the family to Italy as an educational experience. A year later the dream came true as we, our son and wife and three grandchildren learned and laughed our way through Rome, Orvieto, Florence and Venice. The tour is rather pricey, but as a “best deal” it was a sound investment in developing a lifelong appreciation of history, art and architecture.
Best time to go: May. In March we probably had smaller crowds, but the air was rather chilly, in the 50s, and the hotel swimming pools were not yet open. The children missed less school, however, with the March date.
Best travel tip: To take in more of the vast marvels of Rome, arrive three days before a tour with plans of seeing unscheduled sights. Then linger in Venice an additional day or two. Taxis in Rome are definitely helpful in maximizing time and minimizing fatigue. In months preceding the journey we held a few “Italy nights” with appropriate meals and entertaining ways of providing the children pre-tour basic knowledge of geography and history of Italy, comprehension of terms like “aqueducts” and familiarity with names like Julius Caesar and Michelangelo.
