Assisi, in Umbria, is a hill town of great note. From Montepulciano, an hour drive makes a great daytrip. The Basilicas of Saint Francis (San Francesco) and Saint Clare (Santa Chiara) are located there as are several other interesting churches. Some churches allow photos, but many do not, especially if there are masterworks on the…
Tuscany has many hill towns. Such towns invite day trips for exploring and wandering, with unexpected bits of history, art, and culture. Have good walking shoes and anticipate walking up and down hills. During tourist season parking is at a premium – particularly in hill towns. If you’re fortunate enough to find a parking space,…
Streets, roads and highways in Italy can be an adventure. Outside major cities, and even in parts of those cities, many streets have no sidewalks, or the sidewalk has become a parking lot or a restaurant space. Sometimes drivers stop to run into a store, regardless of the flow of traffic or the difficulty of passage…
In the height of Montepulciano is the Duomo (cathedral). The diocese consists of Montepulciano, Chiusi, Pienza and surrounding small towns. There is also a cathedral in Chiusi (see part 7), and both are listed a “co-cathedrals.” The Duomo in Montepulciano is much larger, with some beautiful side chapels, but overall seems a bit plain…
Odd observations: If you are coming to Italy, be sure to have a credit card that does not charge for foreign transaction fees. Several competing companies have such cards and, in the long run, can provide considerable savings to a traveler. Very few merchants do not take credit cards. Do not withdraw money from…
The winter is definitely the off season in Tuscany. The streets in the small towns often have few people, except on weekends and holidays. Many of the restaurants and stores in Montepulciano are closed. The temperature has generally been in the 40s and 50s, and there may be light rain once per week or so. …
We have been in Montepulciano for three weeks. Due to COVID and cooler weather, we go out sparingly. We go to the supermercato and some other stores for food. We have tried two pizza places for “fast food” to take home. I did not come to Italy for pizza, but we have found a place…
If staying on a long-term visa, as permisso da soggiorno must be completed within eight business days of arrival. The kit is obtained from the post office. The Italian postal service offers services in addition to mail, including a place to pay bills, a place to submit some types of forms, and banking. Generally expect…
Arriving in Italy and making our way to our apartment involved getting to the train station, walking to the hotel, and staying overnight. We had heavy bags and the weather was very cold, so we regretted the 17-minute walk. Finding dinner on New Year’s Day was not easy, but we did find a decent restaurant…
We flew out of GSP, a small and friendly airport with easy check-in. In order to fly to Italy in the age of COVID-19, we were required to take a rapid COVID test within 24 hours of departure. Delta lists sites one can order tests for monitoring online, and we used these. Order these tests…