Permanent Honeymoon

Villia La Massa

On the banks of the Arno River, Villa la Massa offers luxury that seems a world away from the city. Seems a world away, but the resort is actually on a few miles from the center of Florence. As one of the Leading Hotels of the World, this resort offers a country experience in the midst of one of Europe’s most romantic cities. Situated in the rolling Tuscan hills, the hotel offers beautiful views of the Arno and the surrounding villages. The villa dates back to the age of the Medici (16th century) and was turned into a hotel in 1948. The hotel has 37 guest rooms all recently redone in a elegant Tuscan style.

The dining experience is wonderful, with local dishes and regional specialties. They also have an extensive wine list.

The villa is surrounded by a peach and olive orchard and offers nice, relaxing walks through the property. The property also has a heated swimming pool.

When we went to Villa la Massa, we were supposed to stay in Venice for another two days, but decided to move on to Florence earlier because of the bad weather and service in Venice. Villa la Massa was an excellent choice. We spent an extra two days there, with sun reflecting off the winding river and peace and quiet. Even though it is close to the city center (and therefore close to the museums and sites of Florence), it seems like it is out in the Tuscan countryside. The pool was not open when we were there, because it is only open in the summer months. Although we didn’t have the kids with us, the Villa offers many opportunities for kids including nearby horseback riding, the pool and baby-sitting services.

The Villa is rather pricey, it is well worth the expense. For a relaxing time close to Florence, Villa la Massa is a great choice.

Hotel Imperial - Vienna, Austria Europe

When we went to Vienna to visit Juliana’s cousin, we were booked at the Hotel Bristol in the center of the city. But we really wanted to be at the Hotel Imperial. The Hotel Imperial is world-renowned as an elegant and luxurious destination for visitors to the city of Beethoven and Freud. As we checked in at the Bristol, we immediately knew that there was a problem. At the registration desk, the attendant and the manager stepped into the back and began an intense discussion in German. It seems that they didn’t have our reservation at the Bristol. Bad news.

The good news, however, was that they decided to book us in a suite at their sister hotel – the Hotel Imperial. We were thrilled. Unfortunately, when we got to the “suite” we found it was a simple room with an alcove closet and a large bathroom. Not our definition of a “suite” for sure. Oh well. So, Juliana decided to take a shower after our short, crowded flight from Florence to Vienna. While she was in the shower, a maid came through the wall – literally. She apologized, but told me in her marginal English that she had to open the “salon” for us. So, she opened the door on the wall opposite the bed and I discovered that the salon was more like a ballroom. Thirty feet by fifteen feet with twenty-foot ceilings, the salon was unbelievable. With antique paintings of Austrian royalty, the salon completed our suite. I called to Juliana, “I’ll be in the salon!”

Needless to say, the Hotel Imperial was impeccable. We had a wonderful time there, but didn’t eat in the restaurant because of dinner plans with Juliana’s cousin. The Hotel Imperial is located on Ring Zero of Vienna – actually the very center of town. After a day in our “suite” we had to vacate the second morning to make room for the leader of an African nation (really, it’s true). The Hotel Imperial is everything we hoped it would be and we thank the management of the Bristol for making room (and lots of it) at the Imperial.