I took an Art Appreciation class in college. I’m no artist, but I do appreciate culture and creativity. I remember how HUGE the text book was–seriously 5 inches thick or more! But, hey, there was a lot of full page photos of art in there. I also remember that, time after time, the caption would state that the art was housed somewhere in Italy. A lot of it was in a town called Florence. I told myself that I would one day go there and see them in person. Add that to my love of good Italian food, and I was sure I’d make it there someday!
Two years ago, that dream trip came true! I found an amazing deal online with a reputable company. So we bought the 6-day Tuscany package in March, and eagerly awaited our trip in late November. (We’ve found that if you book waaaaaay out and during off-season, you can save a lot of money on most international trips). I spent the next 8 months studying Italian on a language app (look up Memrise, it’s fun!). The good news is that most Italians speak some English, which was a relief to me and my beginner Italian skills. I also researched the weather and what to pack. The best thing I did to prepare for my trip was to look up what to see and where to go. I didn’t want to waste a minute while I was there!
Finally, the long-awaited day came. First, we needed to take a flight to get out to the east coast. We stayed in New York City for a couple of days and took in the sights there, which was a mini-trip in itself. There’s so much to see and do in that big city! Our flight was postponed a day, so we stayed one more night in New York. I learn to just roll with the punches when traveling: nothing is written in stone, plans are really just plans, there’s always a way to work it out. Yes, we’d lose out on some pre-purchased train tickets and would have to book an extra hotel night in Italy, but it was all OK in the end. I mean, we were ACTUALLY going to Italy!!!! No complaints here:)
We flew out in the evening, so we arrived in Italy in the early morning. As we flew over Paris in the dark I looked down on the sparkling city lights. Soon, we descended over the Swiss Alps, tinted pink and purple in the dawn’s light, as we landed at the Milan Airport. Bellisimo! (“Very beautiful” in Italian.) What other enchantments awaited us, I wondered?
Our package included airfare, hotels, and a car rental. So first stop was at the car rental counter at the airport. The lady behind the counter apologized over and over again because all they had left was “very large cars.” I guess because the flight was delayed, the previously reserved cars were allowed to be rented by others (makes sense). I tried to imagine what kind of large car she was talking about: a large van, a limo, a moving truck? Imagine my surprise when the car that was in front of me was smaller than our four-door Mazda 6 at home! I laughed at how this could be considered a “very large car.” We rented it, and went on our merry way. Imagine my further surprise when that car could barely maneuver through tiny cobblestone streets or fit in any parking spots. My advice: rent a tiny car OR stick with the great train systems! We drove the scenic route, south through the old fishing town of Genoa, through the countryside dotted with villages and castles, until we got to our hotel in Montecatini. It was conveniently located just 20 minutes by train from Florence and other Tuscany sights. That night, we had dinner, unpacked, and got some rest.
We hopped on the train to Florence the next day. The town was so quintessentially Italian: the architecture, the narrow cobblestone streets, the little shops, the outdoor cafes, the huge cathedrals, and statues everywhere! I was in love with Florence! What added to the magic was that it was already decorated with colorful Christmas lights strung across the little streets. We spent the day in the famous Uffizi Gallery looking at the same art and statues I studied years ago. Way more impressive in real life! We crossed the Ponte Vecchio bridge – an iconic shop-covered bridge that dates back to Medieval times. We stopped for gelato (ice cream) because we were told by other travelers to try every gelato any chance we got, because it’s so much better than US ice cream. No twisting our arms there! We also ate paninis (grilled sandwiches) on the patio of a cafe, right in the shadow of Il Duomo (the dome) – a cathedral with a red domed roof that stands above the rest of the town. Unfortunately, they were all sold out of tickets to climb to the dome and view the city. We’ll have to come back and do that next time! Mostly, we wandered the winding little alleyways, finding new neighborhoods, shops and new restaurants all over the city. It was so wonderful! We stayed until the last train, then rode back to the hotel happy and tired. If I would’ve know how fascinating Florence would be, I would have planned at least TWO days there.
The next day we drove through the countryside: winding roads over green hills, little towns, vineyards all over the place. Just like a postcard! We were on our way south to Rome, via the ancient towns of San Gimignano and Siena. Our first stop, San Gimignano, is a little hillside town encircled by 13th-century walls, with a skyline of medieval towers jutting up above the medieval houses. It looks out over the Tuscan vineyards, where you can take in the panoramic views. The second stop, Siena is a world heritage site because of it’s gorgeous cathedral. This town sprawls over three hillsides and is famous for its piazza called Il Campo, where an international horse race has run along the rim of the piazza every summer, since Medieval times. We drove on from there, and made it to Rome by nightfall.
Rome was incredible! Everything I hoped for and more. Saturated in ancient history, landmarks, art, religion and culture, there’s so much to do! We got up early and bought pastries from a corner grocery store, then hit the streets. We were equipped with a tourist map the hotel gave us, which was priceless in helping us find the sites among the many winding streets. First, we climbed the Spanish Steps, then took photos in the Piazza di Popolo (People’s Plaza) where we admired the statues, fountains, and huge Egyptian obelisk. Next, we crossed the statue-lined bridge to the fortress Castelo Sant’Angelo. Down the street, we grabbed a quick lunch of authentic pizza and gelato before moving on. Most of our time was spent in the Vatican, walking past the 4.5 miles of art, statues, tapestries, and relics. I especially loved the Sistine Chapel ceiling. We also went to the Pantheon, the beautiful Trevi fountain, the Roman Capital hill (with ancient ruins of the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus), and the Colosseum. We walked almost 17 miles in 12 hours, so we were truly on the go! But we squeezed it all into one day, which is all we had because of the flight delay at the start of our trip. It’s definitely better to have more than one day to explore Rome, if you can.
The next day we were making our way back north through Tuscany. We stopped in Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. We especially liked the cathedral and the cemetery on the same grounds. We stopped in La Spezia, to take the train to the famous Cinque Terre region, five colorful seaside fishing towns built on the cliffs of the Mediterranean Ocean. We got there at sunset, and walked to the top of Lover’s Lane to see it. So romantic! We arrived at our Milan hotel late.
The last day we spent in the Lake Como area, on the border of Switzerland. We drove over the border, just because we could, and explored some quaint little towns alongside a lake. We stopped at a cafe and sampled their thick, rich, Swiss hot chocolate….heaven in a cup! We came back over the Italian border, to the town of Como. Situated right on a beautiful blue lake, the town is a playground for many rich and famous. Lots of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a large cathedral. We were lucky enough to arrive on the day that Italy officially kicks off the Christmas season! There was a huge Christmas Market, with hundreds of little booths set up with their foods and wares. This event was obviously a local favorite, and was crowded with visitors. We enjoyed wandering through the streets and taking photos of everything! We sampled prosciutto, cheeses, cakes, nougat, and many other tasty treats. Kids were ice skating in an ice rink. There was even a Christmas laser light show on the Cathedral! We chose a fancy restaurant right on the piazza to enjoy our dinner. It was a three course meal to remember! Now I wished we had spent more time eating than sightseeing!
We headed backed to Milan after our meal, and remembered that we hadn’t seen their famous cathedral yet. Better late than never! I’m glad we did, because it was beautiful! We were amazed with how massive it was. It’s only second in size to the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican (which we sadly didn’t get to see because we took the wrong door OUT of the Vatican City instead of INTO the cathedral). Most impressive is that the exterior is covered with hundreds of life-sized statues of saints and biblical figures. It took six centuries to complete! Next to it is the Victor Emannuel III Galleria, a collection of illustrious shops and upscale dining under a huge glass canopy. We had to take a stroll through that, and was awed by the Christmas decorations and lights. We grabbed one more gelato, hopped on a trolley car, and walked through the cobblestone streets of old town Milan to the parking garage. We wished we had time to explore the castello (castle) nearby. But it was closed for the night.
The next morning, we returned the rental car and waited for our flight. It was surprising to see that the heart of the Milan Airport is really a mall of designer stores! Gucci, Prada, Armani, Valentino, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana–just wow! We ate crepes for breakfast, hopped on our flight home, and waved goodbye to the beautiful Alps as we soared home to America.
Our dream trip had come true, and we had many wonderful memories (and loads of photos) to cherish. I love Italy! The people are awesome. The landscape is stunning. The history is enthralling. The artwork is breathtaking. The food is THE best thing that has ever touched my taste buds. I definitely need to go back again to irresistible Italy!