BEST OF

Café Florian
Sip a cappuccino for all it's worth (prices are outrageous) at eighteenth-century café Florian in Venice with its view of Piazza San Marco, the Campanile and the incomparably exotic Basilica.

Palazzo Te
Experience the delight - for some, the shock - of the frankly erotic frescoes decorating Mantua's Palazzo Te; it's an unforgettable lovers' retreat created by Renaissance artist/architect Giulio Romano for Federico Gonzaga, a fabulously wealthy prince, and his mistress.

Trattoria Corrieri
Tuck into the world-famous culinary masterpieces of immaculate Parma - emphasis on five kinds of prosciutto and real parmesan cheese - at the memorable, but not overpriced, Trattoria Corrieri.

Galleria dell'Accademia
In Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia, have a personal encounter with Michelangelo's David , the stalwart nude hero placed in his own domed space like some pagan god in a cult shrine.

Assisi
In Assisi, attend one of the fairly frequent concerts in the Upper Church of the Basilica di San Francesco, a space so beautiful and uplifting the music truly takes on celestial dimensions.

Abruzzi
At the very old-fashioned pensione Abruzzi in Rome you'll open your shutters in the morning to the imposing, timeless façade of the Pantheon, the most perfectly preserved of all Roman temples.

Da Michele
Sink your teeth into an authentic pizza in the most traditional of Neapolitan pizzerias, Da Michele in Naples, where savory pies are fashioned according to the three most time-honored recipes: marinara, margherita and ripieno.

Monte Solaro
Take the scenic chairlift ride up to the top of Monte Solaro, the highest point on the island of Capri, for stupendous views of the entire Bay of Naples.

Mount Etna
Climb to the uppermost level of the third-century BC Teatro Greco in Taormina, Sicily, for a view of snow-capped Mount Etna, then let your gaze plunge to the turquoise sea far, far below.