Just came back from 2 weeks in Italy and want to thank everyone who helped me w my trip and would like to do the same for others so here is my post and if anyone has any direct questions you can email me at vilen49@yahoo.com

A. Amalfi coast: stayed in great hotel in Positano, Covo Dei Saraceni. Directly on beach, marvelous views, great staff. Hotel resturant very good first night, not as good the second time we ate there. Went to Ravello, Amalfi and Capri. Ravello beautiful, up on a hill ovelooking sea. If you can have lunch at Palasso Sasso. Amazing views. Had dinner at Maxs, Mediterano, and Don Alfonso 1890. Dinner at Don Alfonso is a eating delight. The resturant rivals anything here in NYC. Food was eloquently served and the staff excellent. They have an amazing wine cellar which you must see. Maxs was very good in a setting of a art gallery. They also have cooking classes there. I would skip Mediterano, although it was clearly a local place, not many tourists, but the food was fair at best.

B. Florence: stayed at Hotel Benivieni. Small hotel near the Duomo. Smallish rooms but clean with newly renovated bathrooms. Run by family who were helpful. Good location, near Dumo and Ponte Vecchio. Eat at 3 resturants:

1. 13 Goobi; food good but they did not honor our reservation which was annoying.

2. La Giostra; cant say enough about it. The chef comes out and explains everything and gives you a plate filled with different appetizers. The chefs son, who wears about 250 bracelets, is a character who also explains the dinners. It was my daughter's 21st birthday that night and without me asking for it, they brought her a cake at the end of the dinner and sung happy birthday. The food was excellent, the best night for sure in my two weeks in Rome.

3. Trattoria Graga; noting special at all and was expensive.

C. Rome. stayed in a great new hotel the Rose Garden Palace. Beautiful rooms and bathrooms, gorgeous lobby and eating and bar area. Very good location across the street from American Embassy

I got around Italy by using drivers. While expensive I did not want to use public transportation because of events in London. I hired a driver to take me from Rome to Positano, Jack the Driver who I ended up using for 5 days in Positano and who eventually took me to Florence. He was so nice and so knowlegable that he served as our driver and guide. He also was considerably cheaper tnan the drivers the hotel was going to get for us. We spent a lot of time with him and we have invited him to come stay w us whenever he comes to the US. If anyone wants his number you can e mail me at vilen49@yahoo.com. Just by way of example the hotel informed me that they would get me a driver to take me from Rome to Positano for 600 euros. Jack the Driver was 350. The hotel in Florence told me that they would get me a driver from Positano to Florence for 1100 euros. Jack was 700

I am happy to answer any questions I can about my trip which was for 2 weeks for my 25th wedding anniversity and my daughters 21st birthday ( my 17 year old son also came) you can email me at vilen49@yahoo.com