Six Weeks in Western Europe / Highlights (Feb-April, 2025) / PORTO, SINTRA, MILAN, VIENNA, FIRENZE, NICE

As a blogger, I really should be ashamed of myself. It was the longest time we've spent on vacation together (6 weeks), and we covered a large swath of area. And yet, I was pitiful in my effort to take notes and photos. These were stays of roughly 7-10 days, living in mostly Air B and Bs and touring in: Porto, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Firenze, Italy; Vienna, Austria; and Nice, France. The best I can do now is make some a few notes, comments and suggestions, and maybe steer you a bit among destinations that offer almost too much to do and see. GENERAL/MODUS OPERANDI: Of course, travels to European cities will almost always challenge our budget, and as a retired American, I like to be careful of expenditures these days. There were few splurges. We thought the Air B&B options we researched and chose were generally very good and convenient. Among the benefits are cooking facilities that allow one to buy food at the markets and eat at home for breakfast, and often dinner. Laundry is another big benefit. The "free" hotel in Milano (use credit card points when you can, people!) was fine. We took one Uber the whole time we were in Europe. Trains, subways and trams are excellent, safe, reasonable and generally on time. When we crossed national borders, we had our passports ready, but they were checked only once by a conductor. We walked a lot, and averaged like 18000 steps a day. In general we kept our overhead down when possible, but never denied ourselves something to eat, drink or see. PORTO, PORTUGAL: Porto is the European city I would move to right now, if asked to choose one. We felt super-comfortable in Portugal generally, and this town is very beautiful without trying too hard, and feels a bit easier to navigate and enjoy compared to Lisbon (although Lisbon certainly has its own charms). Also, Portugal is slightly less expensive than other European tourist centers, which stretches your dollar and ability to experience. Our Air BandB in Porto was located around Rua Mouzinho, which is roughly city center. On that street is Bartolomeu Bistro & Wine, a wonderful restaurant with a very tasty raw tuna dish.Strongest recommendations are: free walking tours, Mercado do Bolhao, a daytrip for a Winery Tour in Douro Valley, and the spectacular Lello Bookstore. Of course, enjoy all the port that flows so freely; it is the drink of the gods. SINTRA, PORTUGAL: Sintra is easily reached from Lisbon, just a short train ride. It is a very interesting and unique place, full of medieval vibes, castles and Christian mysticism; it should not be missed if you have the chance to visit. For digs, I certainly recommend Chalet Saudade, which is like a block from the train station. It is a vintage guest house with beautiful rooms and very helpful staff. The chalet is associated with an excellent cafe across the street. Take a free tour and visit one of the many castles (perhaps Madonna will invite you to hers). A fine meal can be had at Romaria de Baco, although the night we were there one of their guests was loud and fairly annoying. MILAN, ITALY: There's quite a bit to do in this under-touristed Italian center of industry, fashion and art. This was the only time we stayed in a hotel, Hotel Gran Duca di York. We had a good deal on this, paying with credit card travel points, and it was comfortable. The must sees: the grand Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (with all the fashionistas vogueing and taking selfies), and DaVinci's The Last Supper (with tour, if possible). You must not miss this trinity! We wanted to see La Scala, the famous opera house, but it was very expensive, and the web site offered different kinds of tours, performances and experiences, all challenging to navigate! Have a Negroni and people-watch, enjoy a good meal somewhere (Ricci Osteria on Via Pasquale Sottocorno is pretty good), do some walking around. VIENNA, AUSTRIA: This was my first visit to Vienna, a well-planned and beautiful city full of magnificent architecture, culture and sweets. We stayed at the Adina Apartment Hotel, an interesting combination hotel and apartment units with a nice bar, gym and pool. It enjoys a great location on the tram and near the city's main train station. Service was spotty, but not to cause any real issue. We took another Viator walking tour, which was a terrific way to see some main tourist sites, including the apartment where Beethoven lived for awhile. The Belvedere Museum and Albertina Museum are both incredible, as is the Schoenbrunn Palace, a must see. As a general guideline, follow Klimt masterpieces -- go to where they are shown and you will have no regrets! We saw classical music at Musivereinspl, a wonderful experience, but not inexpensive. Delicious wiener schnitzel at Griechenbeisl and Figlmuller Wollzeile, both decidedly old school and popular with tourists. The city's many sausage stands (just those two words together gladden my heart)are supposed to be excellent and they look tasty, but we did not have the chance to try them. The two most famous cafes -- Sacher and Central -- are tourist magnets, but we found that Sacher was overrated and not worth the wait. There's a beautiful old medieval clock, the Ankeruhr Clock, that is quite interesting and worth a visit. One cool thing about Vienna is the ability to take excellent daytrips. We took the train to Bratislava for the day, and took a walking tour of the town and a bus trip to a castle fortress nearby. Fun and easy. FIRENZE, ITALY: Well, this was a very busy part of our trip, since our intention was to do a deep dive into Italian Renaissance Art. We stayed on the far side of the Arno, in the area called Santo Spirito. I recommend it highly, but I would not recommend the Air B&B where we stayed. One must acclimate into a heavy tourist atmosphere, but the city's pleasures and treasures are worth it, no doubt. I encourage you to see as much of you can of the touristt "must sees" -- the Uffizi Gallery, Bobili Gardens, the Duomo and Baptistry Museum, David at Galleria dell'Accademia, Basilica Santa Croce, and the Cappelle Medicee. Yes, they require tickets, some planning, and are best visited with a tour. But please, have patience and see as many of these phenomenal sites as circumstances allow. This was my third or fourth trip to Firenze, but I had missed several of these places because of the hassle factor involved. Let me add hastily that I am sooo glad I finally took the opportunity to see the Medici Chapel, and spend more time at the Uffizi, for example. These sights are life-changing and unforgettable. They are the reason why the city is so important historically and culturally. You will not regret making the effort! Later, you may be interested in reading The Agony & The Ecstacy by Irving Stone, the fantastic story of Michelangelo's life. One very useful tip: see the Basilica Santa Croce with our new friend, Dan Harper. Dan is an American who has devoted himself to this incredible Basilica, with its stunning Giotto frescoes, and tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. Dan presents his audience with the exciting back-stories and details, and one pays what one wishes. This is the best tour from our time in Europe. But there's more! In back of the Basilica, some of the finest quality leather goods (in a town known for leather goods) are sold at the venerable Leather School. The folks there love Dan, and if you go with him, discounts and courtesies abound. In addition, ask Dan where to eat around town and he will give you a good list of his fave trattorias. And, incredibly, when you go to these establishments and mention that Dan sent you, you will be "upgraded," either in hospitality or with a complementary dessert. We were pretty well blown away by this. And it worked even in Sienna. Find Dan on Reddit or elsewhere on the internet. He is a treasure of resources. We took a Viator day trip by bus to Pisa and Lucca. I recommend Pisa without question, with a visit to the Leaning Tower but perhaps more important, the outstandiung Duomo nearby. Lucca was underwhelming, but I think we missed some of the beauty and things to do. Our guide was a bit scattered, and spoke with herself constantly. We also did a day trip to Sienna, to see the lovely Duomo and Baptistry, and the town center where the Palio is run each year. NICE, FRANCE:I have been to Nice at least three times, and I highly recommend not only for its privileged location relative to The Cote Azure, Liguria and Provence, but because the town is full of stunning architecture, incredible views, museums and food. The climate is lovely as well. The international Nice Airport is fairly close to town. We stayed at an Air BnB on Rue France, just at the edge of the tourist area. It is an excellent location just a short walk from the Promenade Anglais and sea views. As always, a "free" walking tour is a great way to get oriented and receive tips about where to visit. The flea and food markets in Old Town are fun and offer lots of local products. The Chagall and Matisse museums are in town, but in residential neighborhoods. Worth special mention near the Chagall Museum is the small, reasonable and very tasty restaurant called Mr. Po. Excellent Vietnamese bowls. It's very easy to work out bus travel to visit towns along the Cote Azure. The Foundation Maeght just outside of Saint Paul du Vence has indoor- and outdoor- spaces to show off its world class collection of fine art, sculpture and photography. It was a revelation! There's a tea garden there as well. The Renoir Museum is in Cagnes-sur-Mer. In Eze, you can climb up high to the Exotic Garden for free, and eat in one of the sweet restaurants on the walk up. Also, for those interested in the making and sale of perfume, the Fragonard company has its factory in Eze. All of this is accessible by public buses.