Ttabb

My family and I are are traveling to Florence and Rome over Spring Break.
Unfortunately we will be arriving in Florence the Saturday before Easter Sunday and will only be there for two days before taking a train to Rome. Any suggestions as to what we could do while the city is closed down for the holidays?

We have the main sites covered with a guide in Rome but looking for some fun, local things to do while we are there. I am just starting my research and have found this site to be quite helpful so far. I like the feeling of getting first hand info. rather than that of a travel book which can get a little touristee sometimes.
Anybody??

kybourbon

Not to disappoint you further, but many things close in Rome Easter Monday as it's a major holiday.

discovery

Hello Ttabb, is not true, for Easter i think all Museum are open so for restaurants and bar, probably all the others shops are closed, in rome on Monday is the same you can easy find all you need consider that we have lots of tourism in this period across all Italy.

I hope a nice travel for you and your family.

Ttabb

Thank you for your response. That is great to know, we were afraid everything would be shut down.Do you think we will find the same in Florence. At the moment we are due in Florence on the Saturday before Easter. We are hoping to change it so we can people watch around the Vatican on Easter.
Any great recommendations for fun things to do besides the obvious with teen girls? Any great casual restaurant ideas?
I appreciate your help.
Ttabb

kybourbon

You can attend mass at St. Peter's square Easter Sunday. The Vatican museums will be closed Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Rome will be wall-to-wall people that weekend.

Many of the museums in Florence are closed Mondays year round.

ellenem

In Florence, if you find things closed, take a walkin the Oltrarno area and up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo for a beautiful overlook of Florence and also arcoss the surrounding green hills. (You can also take a public bus or cab to this spot, and then walk down the hill only.)

sandi_travelnut

Are any of the teens interested in Science and History (Museo di Storia della Scienza- Piazza dei Giudici 1)? There's an incredible Science museum right on the Arno by the Uffizi. It has some of Galileo's telescopes and other incredible items. It really is a fascinating place. I will post the

discovery

Hello Ttab,

here is the calendary of vatican mseum

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...fo_Orario.html so you can watch when are open.

Mauro Roma

LJ

Although the Trattoria Antellesi has changed hands since the days we went there for dinner with a group of teens, it was the perfect place and judging by recent reviews still maintains the standards without shocking prices. The food is good and it is a restaurant where locals go. Here is the info: Trattoria Antellesi (Via Faenza 9R, tel. 055 216990).

I have very fond memories as I took my 83-year-old Mom and our 16 year old daughter and 5 of her chums out to celebrate the birthdays of daughter and nana...truly a night to remember!

mamc

Be sure to see Michelangelo's David while in Florence. It is a good idea to find our if the Accademia is open on Saturday or Sunday and, if it is, make reservations.

Eat lots of gelato, sit in the Piazza della Signoria for cappucino or a glass of wine, don't miss the Duomo. There is plenty to look at in Florence even if things are closed. One of my favorites is Santa Croce. Churches are usually open even if other attractions are closed.

travlintoes

Thanks for the info, Discovery. Am I understanding correctly that the cost of the entry and 2 hour guided tour of the Vatican is 14 euros per adult? That is, if it is reserved directly through the Vatican?

Thanks.

Judy

Ttabb

Thank you all for the great information, it will be most valuable on or trip. I am so looking forward to experiencing these two wonderful cities.

LJ, was that restaurant in Florence or Rome?

Ttabb

While my family and I are in Rome we are planning on taking a tour of the Jewish Ghetto. A friend told me about a great restaurant there but she can't remember the name...she thinks it starts with a D and it's the last restaurant on the street???
Does anybody have an idea of what the name of the restaurant might be?

LJ

Trattoria Antellesi is in Florence, near the Straw Market.

gruezi

Dear Ttabb,

Da Giggetto is on via del Portico d'Ottavia. I have not been, but perhaps this is the one your friends meant?
06 686 1105

We feasted on fried artichokes and fried mozzarella at:

Piperno at Via Monte de Cenci.
06 686 1113.

Yum, yum, yum. You will not be disappointed - this was our last meal in Rome and I had been looking for the fried artichokes everywhere but no place had them... until....

gruezi

gruezi

forgot to say my teenagers loved this food...

annhig

Hi Ttabb,

we arrived in Raome on easter sunday [great timing] to find lots of things shut. especaily food shops which was a little difficult as we were in an apartment - we couldn't shop proerly until the tuesday.

however, loads of restaurants WERE open so you should be able to eat.

on easter monday, the forum, colosseum and palatine hill were open, which was enough fo us for one day. on the tuesday, we ducked out of the monstrous vatican queue [the world and her husband were in st. peter's square that day] and tried to see the castel san angelo, but it was shut - their normal day off is Monday, so they were having the tuesday as well.

but trastevere was open - all shops, restaurants, churches.

my message is that even if some things are shut, others will be open.

and by the thursday, the crowds were easing off, and it was just normally crowded.

before you make any decisions about Flroence or rome, i would hit google to see what will be shut on easter sat/sun. you might be better off in Florence on sunday. for example, I just googled the uffizi, and the official website suggests that it'll be open on easter sunday.

make sure that you get the official one - www.polomuseale.firenze.it and look for the english flag. you can now book on line with only the 3E pp booking fee. this applies to the accademia too and they both have the same web-site. if you have booked, you won't need to worry about the crowds too much.

good luck,

regards, ann

you could then travel down to Rome on easter monday.

Ttabb

Thank you Ann. You are so right, I looked into what was going on in Florence and they actually have a big festival on Easter Sunday called Explosion of the Cart ("Scoppio del Carro," fireworks, bonfire in wooden cart. I am sure there is so much to see just walking down the streets. I believe you are correct, it does looks like the Uffizi is open that day, along with some other places. I'm just looking forward to exploring this beautiful city.

sandi_travelnut

In Rome, we also had incredible fried artichokes (in the Jewish Qtr) aat on Il Portico on via del Portico d’ Ottavia, 1e.

MaureenB

I loved Florence when I visited in May 2006. My daughter had studied there during that semester, so she showed me her favorite places.

I think your teens might enjoy seeing a 'department store' in the center of Florence. There's a very nice rooftop cafe there, from which you get a close up view of the Duomo. I highly recommend getting a snack or a meal there. Here's the info from my notes:

". . . my daughter took me to a rooftop café, which overlooks the Duomo. It is on the top of a nice little ‘department’ store. I think it’s called Ristorante Ottorino, via delle Oche, 12-16r. We enjoyed wine and salads, on the sunny afternoon, with a close-up view of the Duomo. A very nice introduction to Florence for me."

Here are my notes on the other restaurants and places she recommended:

". . .one of her favorite restaurants, the Trattoria Garga on Via del Moro 48/R, phone 055 2398898. We had an amazing meal there, probably my best in Italy. My dish was veal with avocado, which sounds odd (most really good dishes do, I think), and was mouth-watering. Our waiter was a riot-- singing and joking all over the restaurant. It was a friendly, lively, bustling atmosphere with excellent food. We paid 81EUR for two, with a half-liter of house wine.

We also took the bus up to the San Miniato church, to visit it and enjoy the sweeping views over Florence. It’s pretty to see the Duomo and all the rooftops of Florence from that perspective. Walking down the hill a bit, we found a little café with a nice outdoor terrace, which actually looked across the hills at the college’s villa. It was a nice place to take a break, again with caprese salads and wine.

We returned to town and finished our shopping mission: to find a wallet and a belt for my son. My daughter’s recommendation was a little store on Via del Corso 69/r, called Leonardo da Vinci. A very nice woman runs it, and my daughter thought her prices were the best for quality pieces.

. . .one of my daughter’s favorite restaurants, Acqua Al 2 (pronounced 'aqua al duo'), Via della Vigna Vecchia, 40/R, phone 055 284170. They are known for their perfect steak with balsamic. I had it and was impressed. (They are now opening a restaurant in San Diego, believe it or not.) This restaurant is known throughout Florence, and is very popular, so it gets loud and crowded, but very worth it, even though the service was a tad spotty. We split a half-liter of house red wine, and we paid 50.70EUR for two dining.

. . .After the Accademia, we found a place to sit on the patio and enjoy a nice lunch, at Trattoria Za-Za, at Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26R. It's popular with business people, and we enjoyed nice omelettes there. Lunch for two, with a glass of wine for each, was 25.50EUR."

Enjoy beautiful Florence!
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