This will be a very abridged recount of our trip to Italy last September. I have dreaded uploading all these images and the amount of time it would take to organize this information but it's already been too long so I am just going to do it as succinctly as I can and enjoy basking in the memories once again.
Let me start first by stating a few simple facts:
1. I gave AH 3 years notice for this trip and to start saving his pennies. I told him when I turn 40 he was taking me to Greece but as the date came closer, and it was apparent that the economic stability of Greece was questionable (like would public transpiration even be working, etc.), we switched gears and chose Italy because it is also a historically rich country that also happens to be beautiful.
2. September is an awesome month to travel in Europe. The weather is perfection and the crowds are small!
3. Always pick awesome traveling companions. Jason and Wendy were really amazing and it made the trip that much better having them along.
4. Good shoes are a must. I wore my ultra thick Teva flip flops 70% of the time and they were awesome.
5. Don't be afraid to rent a car. Some of our most favorite places we went would never have been possible by train. Sure the drivers are crazy and the roads are narrow and unmarked, but in this age of amazing GPS technology (especially Nokia maps - NOT iPhone crap maps) you really can't get lost. Perfecto!
6. Be prepared to pay a lot for food (especially if you are coming from a country like America where food is crappy and cheap). We learned quickly that it is much cheaper to get food from the local corner grocer (they make you super yummy sandwiches). Restaurant food is very expensive for the poorest quality, plus they charge you 2 euros per person just to sit at the table and you have to pay for water (a very small bottle of water). So I say if you are going to eat out, buck up and pay for the good food since you are already paying a small fortune just to sit down anyway.
7. Credit cards are NOT accepted everywhere. Why? Because Italian's know how to get around paying taxes and they want cold hard cash in order to do so. The best way to get cash is not to pay through the nose having your money exchanged, rather hit up an ATM in the country and pay a lot less to get your money in the correct currency.
8. The myth that the hotel rooms and bed are small was just that, a myth. Every place we stayed had "normal" sized beds as compared to the U.S., and considering that we stayed in hotels and hostels that's impressive. One hostel we stayed it was actually it's own apartment with living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc. Very spacious!
Welcome to Venice.
As we flew into Venice my initial response, viewing it from the sky, was "That's it?" Small little island doesn't look so great from the sky on a cloudy day with murky water. However on the ground (or water) it is fantastic! So so beautiful, so clean, so amazing!
First water taxi ride.
Trying to find our hotel.
Found it! Super old, wonderful little hotel (Al Palazzetto). The sweetest family runs this place, the breakfast was very good and we got to see the owners little son off on his first day of school.
Seeing the sites of Venice. Amazing architecture, lots of canals.
Touring the Piazza San Marco
One of our day trips took us over to Murano - the island where they make the famous Murano glass. Of course we have learned that one of the best ways to see a new place is to look for geocaches - Jason found one with the help of the locals, yelling out their doors and windows where it was located.
One of the glass factories (most had "no photo" policies).
We did a tour of the Palazzo Ducale - talk about ornate!
AH is a bit taller than the average Italian 700 years ago.
A view from the Ducale window.
The BEST gelato of our entire trip (we ate a lot of gelato) was found at Grom.
Unfortunately they only place we ever found a Grom was in Venice.
Unfortunately they only place we ever found a Grom was in Venice.
The Basilica di San Marco
Along the Canale di San Marco after one of the cruise ships came into port.
Loved taking the water taxis round town.
This building, with the maroon awnings, is the very first casino ever.
Time to head on to our next destination, Florence, via the fast train
(pay a little more, get there a little faster).
(pay a little more, get there a little faster).
Florence was fantastic. The perfect sized city with a great vibe. As soon as we left the train station we ran into a large group of missionaries from our church who had just finished a zone conference (no photo). It was great to see them at work!
Here's the view from our hostel.
This hostel was in a great location, nice people worked there and we had our own apartment!
This hostel was in a great location, nice people worked there and we had our own apartment!
We had dinner at a quaint little restaurant with wonderful food.
A bit of the night life.
This famous bridge (Ponte alle Grazie) houses jewelry store after jewelry store.
One morning we decided to climb to the top of the famous Duomo (463 steps). As you neared the interior top you came out to see the artwork at the peak of the dome up close. It was amazing.
Once you reach the top the view is without end.
The next destination on our trip was Cinque Terre.
These five remote villages along the Ligurian coast are stunningly colorful and beautiful. Each village is easily accessible by train, just a few minutes apart from each other. While you can hike from village to village be forewarned that the trail is often washed out and only little sections are open, as was the case during our time there.
We had to switch trains in La Spezia to get to Cinque Terre.
Of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre we stayed in Riomaggiore (the most southern) in a hostel. This hostel required several hundred steps up a steep mountain to get to our room (this helped make up for all the food gelato we ate). On our arrival day we figured we actually climbed nearly 3000 stairs in all (between Florence and Riomaggiore). Sore thighs the next day for sure!
The water was spectacularly blue!
The train station in Riomaggiore.
A mountain view from our hostel.
The water view from our hostel. (nice!)
Enjoying a little relaxation time at the beach in Riomaggiore.
Riomiaggiore proper.
Post beach shower station.
Oh I miss it! So beautiful.
The view from our hostel one evening.
The next day we took the train to Monterosso (northern most town). The beaches here were very nice and expensive (you have to pay to be on most of them) - so we went in search of the "free" public beach (which means the vendors hit you up all the time to buy their goods). So worth it!
Took a little hike up the mountain in Moterosso to a cemetery. It was kind of falling apart and yet very cool to be in a place that is so old at the same time.
We headed back to the beach where AH and Jason did some diving off the rocks.
This was one vendor I didn't mind trolling the public beach and quickly said "Si!" when she came by. Obviously I have no shame or modesty as I discreetly disrobed.
Oh well, when in Rome. . . I mean Cinque Terre.
She did a great job!
Oh well, when in Rome. . . I mean Cinque Terre.
She did a great job!
The next town we visited was Vernazza. Very beautiful, very popular, very crowded - no good beaches. We decided to take the trail and walk/hike to Corniglia instead of taking the train.
It was a fun adventure!
It was a fun adventure!
The views along the way.
Jason lead us "off trail" to go to a beach he read about. It was a steep trail through some bamboo and olive trees that took us to an old train tunnel. The beaches are currently held hostage by a bunch of drugged up squatters. Luckily we had two burly guys with us who are fluent in Spanish (if you don't speak Italian, and they don't speak English, chances are (and were repeatedly) someone speaks Spanish) and made friends with these locals. The beach at this location looked nice except for the fact that the only people there were naked men. Hmmm..... not for us.
As we made our way through the old train tunnel (pitch black - must have flashlights) we were half scared to death when we heard a train coming! Apparently the new tunnel runs parallel to the old tunnel, just a few feet higher. That was quite the surprise. Corniglia itself was the least interesting of the five towns, being up on the hill and not on the water. We didn't stay very long.
On to Pisa!
After Cinque Terre it was time to move south and inland through Tuscany. This part of the trip required a car so we stopped in Pisa to pick up the car and see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
AH did an amazing job driving on the crazy road in the city and in the countryside.
Wendy and I playing cheesy tourist.
I loved Tuscany! It is absolutely how every movie portrays it to be - rolling countryside with ancient cities surrounded by tall fortress walls. Along the way I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Volterra (famous from the Twilight series). Unfortunately we didn't see any vampires or Robert Pattinson (maybe that's really to good thing?).
Teatro Romano - ruins of the 1st century BC Roman theater.
In Tuscany we decided to stay in San Gimignano and found a really nice B&B to stay in at the last minute - Locanda La Mandragola. The rates were really reasonable, location was perfect and the breakfast was very good. They also run a wonderful upscale restaurant and as guests of the B&B we got a special rate on an amazing dinner!
View from our room.
Outside the B&B
The sites of San Gimignano.
The restaurant entrance.
Dinner - yum!
B&B breakfast serving area.
The wall that surrounds the city.
Wendy found a real walnut tree, and it was the season for picking and eating.
After leaving San Gimignano we headed south to Orbetello where the flamingos can be found (but not on this trip - bummer). Anytime AH and Jason get together you better believe a hot springs will be involved. This trip was no exception as we found our way to the Saturina hot springs. It was really more of a hot river and very unique and fun stop. Surprisingly no nudists at the hot springs, though a lot of men wore speedos.
We finally made it to Orbetello but unfortunately the weather turned on us. It was gloomy with clouds and the town did not represent itself very well (though we did meet the nicest people at a local restaurant). We did spend a few hours investigating a nearby island but it was pretty much a bust - not my favorite part of the trip. Too windy to swim or sun bathe, no good sites to see.
We finally made our way to Rome!
We turned in our car at the airport and took a taxi in to Rome proper (scariest taxi ride ever). DO NOT DRIVE IN ROME! It is just not worth your sanity or safety.
I wish we had gone to Rome first.
This was towards the end of our trip and frankly we were all getting a bit tired.
Rome is massive and requires energy to see it all.
We did our best but I am sure we missed a lot too.
This was towards the end of our trip and frankly we were all getting a bit tired.
Rome is massive and requires energy to see it all.
We did our best but I am sure we missed a lot too.
I found us a hotel near the Vatican which was really nice for AH and I and really terrible for Jason and Wendy. Our room had been recently remodeled and their room was old and worn.
The entrance to Vatican City.
We didn't see the Pope, but we did see a lot of amazing art!
Saint Peter's Tomb
The famous Swiss Guard on duty.
A beautiful bridge in Rome. On walking bridges, such as this one, you will find have lots of illegal vendors selling their goods. It was very interesting to see them take lots of time to set up their goods and then sweep it all up into a blanket when the police would come around.
Touring the Vatican museum.
That is my kind of bath tub!
We went to all the standard famous sites: The Pantheon, The Vatican, The Colosseum, Piazza Navona, The Campidoglio, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, Trastevere, Sistine Chapel (No Photos - and they meant it!), etc.
There don't seem to be any rules regarding parking. Park anywhere and any way you can or want. The same goes for crossing the street - don't expect the drivers to stop for you, it won't happen and you'll be left hanging on the corner all day. You have to walk out into traffic in order for the cars to stop and let you cross.
The BEST gelato in Rome is Old Bridge Gelateria just outside the Vatican. So delicious and well priced. It wasn't unusual to see a line of people down the block, waiting to place their orders, nor was it unusual to see priests and nuns in that line. We literally ate gelato there at least twice a day.
I am still sick of gelato all these months later.
Our last full day with Jason and Wendy we toured the Spagna neighborhood (below). They left that evening (a day before we did) and ended up spending the night in Paris. AH and I spent the evening retouring the Basilica di San Pietro in Vatican City again. It was nice to go back, an hour before it closed, and see it all again. There were fewer people there and some areas that had been closed during our initial tour were open so we were able to see more of the building and art.
Initially, following the trip, everyone kept asking me "how amazing was it?" and I didn't seem that enthusiastic about it, but in reality I was just so overwhelmed by the experience and hadn't been able to really process it all. It took several weeks to really appreciate all the beauty and the amazing adventures we had.
I definitely plan to go back and revisit some favorite locations as well as tour the southern half of the country. If you are wanting to go you must plan for at least 3 weeks but 4 would be better to get a complete feel for all that is Italia!
No comments:
Post a Comment