Italy Hotels

Some thoughts on hotels. The first hotel listed under each city is the one that we plan to use. Then I tried to give a couple of options from Expedia of "fancier" hotels--I don't know these locations personally, I was just using guest feedback, location and price to try to offer some options. All locations are very central unless otherwise noted.

FLORENCE (2 nights, March 31 - April 2)

Jay and Lauren will be staying in my apartment.

1) Home in Florence

Type: Bed & Breakfast

Location: Literally across the street from Jay and Lauren. The neighborhood, Santo Spirito, is right on the other side of the Arno River from the most famous attractions (the Duomo, the Uffizi Museum, etc.), but it's a little quieter since it's outside the madness.

Price: $90/night for a standard double.

More information: http://www.homeinflorence.com/?act=home&l=en

2) Sampling of Expedia options (each about a 25-minute or so walk from Jay and Lauren's location):

San Gallo Palace, 4 stars: $122/night

Grand Hotel Cavour, 4 stars, gym equipment for Aunt Debi: $157/night

ROME (3 nights, April 2 - 5)

1) Hotel Panda

Type: Hotel, 3 stars

Location: Spanish Steps.

Price: $150/night for a standard double.

More information: http://www.hotelpanda.it/xing/xmain1.asp

2) Sampling of Expedia options (all in the same Spanish Steps area):

Hotel Delle Regioni, 3 stars, $172/night

Hotel Homs, 4 stars, $245/night

**There were other well-rated, 4-star hotels with work-out equipment starting as low as $180 but they were less centrally located.

REGGIO CALABRIA (2 nights, April 5 - 7)

1) Casa Blanca

Type: Bed & Breakfast

Price: $90-110/night for a standard double.

More information: http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-italy.com/pagina_prezzi.cfm?id=21848&IDRegione=3

2) Sampling of Expedia options (the locations are harder for me to know, but I'm assuming this is more or less in the same area):

Hotel Albanuova, 4 stars, $148/night

iPhone + Paris, Part Deux (SM)

This time: photos from last weekend's long run, in preparation for the ten-mile Paris-Versailles race, one week from today. This is along the Seine; on Sunday, they close off the road to cars, so it fills with joggers, roller bladers (not as good as the ones in Central Park, sadly for Jay and Lauren), kids on bikes, etc.

I took one picture every ten minutes along my run--basically, I had Green Day's "Jesus of Suburbia" on loop, and when it got to the end of the song, I would stop and snap one. My personal favorite is the one from inside the half-mile-long tunnel underneath the Tuilleries gardens. When I'm down there, I like to pretend I'm running from the zombie apocalypse.

Hope you enjoy.