Jeff Few

Spain is the birthplace of Paella, but it was Valencia that introduced the dish to the peninsula. A good paella should be mostly rice and real saffron, and La Pepica does not disappoint in this regard. Its Paella Valenciana was delicious, cooked with chicken instead of seafood in a cast iron pan that comes straight from the kitchen to your table. The 2 of us could have ordered this alone and been very well fed that evening.

The beachfront restaurant attracts locals and visitors in equal numbers and counts Ernest Hemingway as one of its regulars in the nearly 100 years they’ve been open. The first impression you get of the place is deceptive; the blindingly bright fluourescent lights certainly don’t make for an inviting ambiance, but the courteous service and excellent food more than make up for it.

We arrived in Valencia the night of a soccer game between Valencia C.F. at Barcelona. We walked outside the train station to wait for a taxi in a line about 100 people long. Turns out that most of the cabbies were home watching the game on TV.

Unlike Italy, the Spanish take queue etiquette very seriously. When an older woman tried to cut to the front, she and the cabbie who took her fare got an earful from a middle-aged businessman in front of us. It made me appreciate being able to speak Spanish so that I could understand his tantrum.

I wouldn’t make a point of visiting Lucca, especially if you haven’t been to Florence yet, but it’s a cute little town albeit a bit touristy. We were going to bike the ramparts, but we were a little worn out by the previous day’s drive from Positano. It looks like a nice ride though.

http://www.garga.it

This place was fantastic. It was close quarters with lots of annoying Americans when we visited, but the Tuscan cuisine and attentive service was superb. I highly recommend the agnello saltato alla rosemari (rosemary lamb) served with roasted fingerling potatoes. The cheesecake alla Sharon (the Canadian-Italian proprietor) made with ricotta (or mascarpone?) was scrumpulescent. Screw Flanders!

I’ve been here for 14 hours and I’m ready to move here. All of the hustle and bustle of Rome with less pollution and more sophistication.

Not only is this a beautiful city, but it’s wall-to-wall hotties everywhere you look. My neck is sore from all the craning and head turning I did today; I’m lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend.

Excellent place to stay while in Positano, the first city conceived on a vertical (rather than horizontal) axis. Speaking of which, this place is easily an 800-foot climb from the beach. Save yourself the walk by booking the seaview junior suite (room 216), whose Jacuzzi tub looks out over the ocean. Just like being down there except with less sand in your nooks and crannies. And jets!