The view from our canal-facing room at guesthouse Ponte Chiodo, Venice Italy

A reader asked the following questions about Ponte Chiodo, my favorite Venice accommodation.

Good morning.  I hope all is well.  My wife and I are taking her mom to Italy in February, March 2012 for her 60th birthday.  I am in love with Ponte Chiodo.  It seems like a very nice place, and it really seems the views of the canal will help make Venice a truly memorable experience for her. It also seems that there are plenty of Venice things to do close by. I have a few questions if I may:

1. Mattia recommended the double superior room on the first floor for my mother-in-law.  Which room would you recommend for my wife and I?  Size doesn’t necessarily matter for us, so we were drawn to the garden view you recommended.  Which floor was this on?  Does it have a double bed?  Was the bathroom en suite?

2. Speaking of beds, how are the beds?  Are they comfortable?  Are they comparable to what we consider Queen size here in the States?

3. My mom-in-law has MS.  She is still able to get around, but she has her days where she has a little less energy and may be a litle more inclined to take it easy one day (all the more reason for staying here; when she wants to sit and relax, she still has a wonderful view).  I noticed that Ponte Chiodo may be a little further away from the sites.  In your opinion, is Ponte Chiodo still a good option for us?

The window and view from garden-facing room at guesthouse Ponte Chiodo, Venice Italy

Let me know your thoughts if you are willing and able.

Thanks so much!
Brad

********************

Nice bathroom with natural light in garden facing room

You will love Ponte Chiodo. My husband and I can’t wait to go back.

1. The garden view room we stayed in was on what we would call the third floor (Italians call it the second floor because they don’t count the ground floor).

I really liked the room because for 30 euros a night less than the canal facing room you still got a room that is bright, nicely decorated, high ceilings, nice view, and the nicest ensuite bathroom of all the rooms at Ponte Chiodo (the bathroom was bigger than others, and also had a nice big window. The bathrooms in the canal facing rooms are interior to the building, so do not have natural light).

Only about 3 feet from foot of bed to dresser in our garden-facing room

Having said that, be aware that it is a very narrow room. I would estimate that it is 7 feet wide by 12 feet long (not including the ensuite bathroom). Once you put your luggage on the floor you have very little space to walk around.

The width of the queen size bed takes up nearly the entire width of the room (you have just a sliver of space to get off the bed). And from the foot of the bed to the bureau at the other end of the room there is only about three feet of walking space (see photo).

Mattia warned me that it was a very small room. I was expecting a dark garret or closet, so was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the charm of the room.

I would have no problem choosing the garden facing room again, since I have already had the experience of staying in a canal facing room.

By the way, in case you were wondering…canal facing rooms are just as quiet as garden facing rooms.

Our canal-facing room at Ponte Chiodo Guesthouse, Venice Italy (second floor superior room)

MY ADVICE: Since this is your mother-in-law’s 60th birthday and you don’t know if she’ll ever get to Venice again, my advice would be to choose a canal facing room, because it is the ultimate Venice experience to open your shutters in the morning and look down at the canal and all the local life that happens around it.

2. The beds are extremely comfortable. In Europe they push two twin beds together to make a queen. Very strange but that’s just how they do it. We slept very well at Ponte Chiodo.

3. Your mother-in-law will have plenty to do even if she doesn’t want to venture far from Ponte Chiodo. Within a three minute walk is a neighbourhood shopping street, with a beautiful array of shops, restaurants, bakeries, etc. The only thing that may be a problem for her is the little bridge that she will have to cross to get there. It has about 5 steps up and then down. She could also walk in the other direction which, as I recall, is completely level right out to the sea. Everything is beautiful and charming and she will love it!

As far as getting to the major sights, you are a 5 minute walk from the Ca’Doro vaporetto (water bus) stop. You just hop on it and then get off at any of the major sights.

There is a restaurant very near Ponte Chiodo (maybe 3 minute walk) that served the very best pasta that we have ever had. I think it is called Restaurant Ca’Doro but the locals know it by another name. I can look it up if you like.

For more information or to make a booking enquiry, go to Guesthouse Ponte Chiodo.

Snack Bar Sarpi in Venice

We’d just arrived in Venice after a 20 hour flight. Somehow I had mislaid the map with directions to our guest house. Tired and confused, I went into a tiny little snack bar. I figured since this was a tourist street the guy would certainly  speak English. Using my one Italian word, I said “Scusi” and pointed desperately to my lifeline – the slip of paper with the guest house address and phone number on it. The fellow  shrugged and shook his head.  I asked which of the numbers I phone from the pay phone.

Don’t assume all Italians speak English

I was making that classic tourist mistake of thinking everyone speaks English. He smiled and bustled off. I thought, “Oh, he’s going to get his telephone.” I watched as he rummaged under and over his cappuccino machine.

My hero - Moro from Snack Bar Sarpi

Assuming he was looking for his phone, I waited for a long time. Eventually he came back and smiled and looked at me expectantly. I smiled at him. He smiled back at me. This went on for quite a little while.  Finally, he looked at me and raised his eyebrows. I realized he had not understand a word I’d been saying and probably wondered why I’d been standing there for ten minutes without placing an order.

I did the pantomime thing and finally he pantomimed back, “Do you want me to phone?” I practically fell onto the counter with gratitude and relief, nodding my head furiously, “Si, si, si.” He grabs his cell phone, phones the number and within 15 seconds, he’s got the directions for me, which were “Go down to the first bridge, turn left. Go over the little nail bridge.” That’s all it was. We were so close.

A grand excuse to have our first glass of Prosecco

Celebrating our arrival in Venice with a glass of prosecco

I will be eternally grateful to Moro from Snack Bar Sarpi.  It was so, so nice of him and it meant so much to us. After using up his time, I didn’t want to walk out without purchasing something, so that was just a grand excuse to have our first glass of Prosecco in Italy. Mind you, it was only 11:30 a.m. local time, but I thought, “Heck, it’s 3:30 a.m. back home and it’s perfectly fine to drink champagne in the middle of the night.” We went ahead and had a glass of Prosecco and toasted each other. We had finally arrived in Italy.

Latte di Luna restaurant in Pienza, Italy

Looking for restaurant recommendations for the hilltowns of Tuscany? I’ve gleaned some insider tips from Ferenc Mate’s delightful memoir A Vineyard in Tuscany.

Mate loves food and wine with a passion. While renovating his dream house in Tuscany and starting his own small winery, Mate enjoyed meals at these favorite restaurants:

Trattoria Latte di Luna in Pienza

Most of the reviews I’ve read stress that Latte di Luna serves simple, home cooked meals.  You won’t find anything fancy, but you will find tasty local specialties at  reasonable prices.  Very popular so make reservations. See photo at right and read  slowtravel.com reviews.

Trattoria La Torre in Monte Oliveto Maggiore

Although Mate recommends this restaurant, I found mixed reviews online. On the positive side, travellers Jane and Ken say “If you visit the abbey (which you should), then plan on having a very nice lunch in the ristorante. We so enjoyed it there.”

But TuscanHouse warns “Ristorante La Torre at the Abbey is a big operation to accommodate the frequent busloads of tour groups and sometimes fails to give good food or good service”.

Closed on Tuesdays
53020 MONTE OLIVETO MAGGIORE
Tel. +39 577 – 707022

Trattoria da Mario in Buonconvento

Buonconvento is a lovely small town and not very touristy. Mate mentions eating at Trattoria da Mario in Buonconvento, and apparently he is not alone in his enjoyment of this restaurant. A report on slowtravel.com has this to say about the eatery:

We came back and had dinner at Da Mario in Buonconvento. I will say no more than Da Mario is a gem of a local ristorante with great ambiance (mangiare a fuori) and dynamite food and is considered a secret find by the local inhabitants of this working village.

Via soccini, 60
53022 – Buonconvento
Tel. 0577.806157

Trattoria La Tagliola in Arcidosso

Trattoria La Tagliola in Arcidosso

On TripAdvisor.com the one review for this restaurant proclaims “Migliore ristorante ad Arcidosso”. I don’t speak Italian but it’s safe to assume  this means something along the lines of “best restaurant in Arcidossa”. The reviewer gave it the highest rating – 5 stars.

On Trattoria La Tagliola’s website you can see more photos of the restaurant interior, along with a sample menu.

Bagnoli, Arcidosso
Tel. +39 0564 967351

Trattoria Sciame in Montalcino

Located just a block from the fortress, Trattoria Sciame in Montalcino is a small restaurant with a big reputation. Many independent travellers recommend Trattoria Sciame, as do the big guide books.  Frommer’s writes:

You’ll be lucky to wrest one of the seven tables (crammed into Sciame’s small, modern dining room) away from the devoted locals who fill it with clamorous chatter almost every night. The food here is firmly cucina casalinga. You needn’t decide on an appetizer because everything is gathered together in the antipastone misto. Top honors go to both the pinci al cinghiale (fat spaghetti in a sauce of tomatoes and wild boar) and the zuppa di fagioli (a bean-and-cabbage soup poured over bread, with a red onion slice over it). Afterward try a pollo arrosto (roast chicken or guinea hen) or the scaloppina agli asparagi (veal scallop with wild asparagus). For dessert, order the cantucci e ossi di morti con moscadello (almond cookies and brittle, hollow “bones of the dead” cookies with sweet white dessert wine).

Prices are reasonable – about $7 – $14 for each course.  Closed Tuesdays, the last week of July and the month of February. Reservations strongly recommended.

Via Ricasoli 9
53024 Montalcino
0577 848-017

Entrance to La Taverna Nello in Siena, Italy

Looking for a Tuscan cafe that serves vegetarian food in Siena, Italy?  I’ve got a great suggestion for you.

Nello La Taverna

Nello La Taverna is sometimes referred to as La Taverna di Nello.  This is a Tuscan restaurant that serves a good number of vegetarian dishes.  It’s on the Via del Porrione 28 and the phone number is 0577-289043 (reservations recommended).  If you’re trying to find this lovely Siena restaurant, it’s on a narrow, stone-covered street very close to the Piazza del Campo (the big piazza).  We discovered that the easiest way to find La Taverna di Nello is to approach it from the Piazza del Campo. To orient yourself,  stand facing the tall clock tower and then look for the little street just to your left that leads off the Piazza del Campo. The restaurant is just a few doors down the street.

We visited La Taverna di Nello on a warm evening in October. It’s got an  inviting atmosphere with brick walls, racks of wine bottles and interesting orginal artwork.  The decor and menu has a bit more of an “upscale” feeling than your typical Tuscan family-run restaurant.

Specialties include great salads made with the common Tuscan ingredient, radicchio, and other vegetarian delights. How does ravioli in a velvet creamy artichoke sauce sound (14 Euros)? Or crepes stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh truffles (20 Euros).

The food was lovely and the service from our English-speaking waiter was kind and attentive.

There are rave reviews from other customers on the Nello La Taverna website (note: the restaurant’s website seems to be down), such as this one:

La Taverna Nello in Siena, Italy

When I visit Siena, I always make sure I include a meal at Nello La Taverna in the Via Del Porrione, a small side street off the campo. They make the most wonderful Porcini Tagliolini which arrives as fresh egg noodles folded with the fresh porcini mushrooms. The pungent, gutsy flavours of these mushrooms require only a dash of the best olive oil and perhaps a clove or two of crushed garlic to bring out the best they have to offer and at this time of year, you will find them folded through risotto, a multitude of pasta and even char-grilled whole and dressed with a little balsamic. We also enjoyed the local pasta called ‘pici’ which is a kind of roughly extruded, thick spaghetti, served simply with diced, briefly stewed tomatoes and basil.

Another customer wrote:

Ristorante Nello La Taverna, just off Il Campo, is one of the best Tuscany cafes. We had gnocchi with bolognese sauce and the gnocchi was to die for! They melt in your mouth! Also had great wine and deserts (puff pastry stuffed with ice cream and hot chocolate sauce). He is very friendly and the atmosphere is charming.

Summary

Highly recommended restaurant in Siena, Italy. Ristorante Nello La Taverna, Via dei Porrioni 28, tel. 0577 289043  Closed on Sundays.  Map