Itinerary:
Day 4: FLORENCE- Mercato Centrale, Pizza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, Duomo, Piazza Michaelangelo, Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Boboli and Bardini Gardens, Piazzale Michaelangelo
Day 8: ROME – Vatican city and museum, Castel Sant’ Angelo, Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Novona, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia
Milan is a major fashion and finance hub, not where we wanted to focus the bulk of my time, but a tremendous place to launch from. There’s I fascinating dichotomy between northern and southern Italy that we were able to appreciate. The north being seen more as the workaday economy drivers, more in line with Continental Europe, and the south seen as the life-savoring, devil-may-care natives from a bygone era. This makes sense in a country that has only been a united peninsula since 1861 after consolidating a number of different states to create the Italy we now know. So, now that you have a bit of history, let’s get back to the itinerary!
Milano Centrale
The train from the airport to Malpensa Airport to Milano Centrale is a commuter train that takes about an hour. Milano Centrale is a marvel and is also apparently the largest railway station in Europe by volume. The station also has a fascinating history. Mussolini is said to have used this station as a symbol of the power of his regime-the imposing stone platforms and steel canopies overhead are very evocative. My next train would be the one to take me to Venice.
I hopped out at Venezia San Lucia station, here I am! I’ll never forget the short walk and descending those steps to the first view of the canals. Many people just had to sit down right there and process what they were seeing, pictures can’t do this sinking city justice. I kept it together and found a ticketing booth very near the train station selling the vaporetto passes. This was an absolute necessity and was literally a ticket to ride anywhere in and around the city via taxi boats called vaporettos. With a simple self scan, you’d wait for these boats to efficiently slam into a pick up spot and hop on, never tied up for more than a minute so don’t be shy about jumping on. However, if you do miss one, no big deal just hang out for another 10 minutes and another will be around. There are far worse places to wait!
The ride to our hotel in the sestieri (district) of Dorsoduro near Accademia Bridge saw us steering in the direction of a beautiful sunset and made for some of our best pictures. You could take photos until your fingers bled in just the first hour there, so pace yourself, you’ll get plenty. I found my stop and ventured down towards our hotel. Google maps can be spotty in the pedestrian only world of alleys and side streets, but I can’t think of a better place to get “lost” on the planet Earth.
The hotel, as many are, was inconspicuous from the street, but opened onto a lovely courtyard and was a comfortable place to stay for three nights. After dark, I found a cozy little eatery no bigger than a small apartment to have dinner. I was welcomed in and seated next to the kitchen, which resembled a kitchen you would see in any run of the mill Italian residence. There were actual Italians eating there, so I felt good about my choice. I had my first taste of squid ink pasta, which I unexpectedly fell in love with. The ingredients in Italy were all so fresh, it really gives you a new outlook on what food could and should be. I capped dinner with a lovely tiramisu and coffee. You can only contain yourself for so long inside while you’re in Venice. You just feel this overwhelming urge to be outside and soak in the history. After getting my fill of walking aimlessly (I never got tired of it), I decided to head back for the night and charge up for tomorrow. This was most definitely a successful first day in Italy.
Hotel: Hotel Bella Arti- Great location, breakfast, friendly staff, comfortable, clean
Had a nice early wake up and checked out our continental breakfast. This was a good chance to figure out the coffee situation in Italy. I could drink an Italian black coffee (basically a double shot of espresso in a cute little cup) any time of day.
I spent a great deal of time canvassing our home sestieri of Dorsoduro for starters to get a lay of the land. I used the Accademia Bridge as the closest landmark to my hotel, which gave me a sliver of orientation. If you look at a map, the city of Venice looks like a fish with it’s head facing west. The district of Dorsoduro would be about where the belly of the fish would lie in this analogy. I made a point to get comfortable with the vaporettos, my card was good for 72 hours of unlimited use and could get us on any one of these efficient vessels. The boat swings in, a quick knot is made to briefly secure it, gate swings open, riders depart, new riders jump on and away it goes. They don’t miss a beat.
When you think of Venice, you think of gondolas on the canal, right? Well, there were plenty of them in all of their glory. I opted not to do one, because they are pricey and you can see and do so much on the water with just your taxi pass. An interesting take on the gondola that could offer you a taste of one without the steep price would be the traghetti. These are basically large “commuter” gondolas, steered by two gondoliers instead of one and can carry multiple parties from one side of the canal to the other. Traghettis would typically run you a few Euros vs. as much as a hundred Euros for a private ride. Long story short, you have multiple transit options.
That morning, I decided to float down the Grand Canal towards the Rialto Bridge which is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. It is touristy but a must to behold and cross over.
Rialto Bridge
Next, I visited biggest attractions in Venice…Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square, which contains the beautiful Basilica Cathedral. Also in this square is Doge’s Palace which used to house a number of former rulers. In this square, you’ll see elevated boardwalks which seems odd until you realize how frequently it floods there. In fact, many of the first floors of buildings you see along the waterways are unoccupied as water levels creep up and fill the streets during certain times of year.
Piazza San Marco
That night I ate along a stretch of canal outdoors. It was a very memorable meal and the surreal nature of our trip was setting in as we watched boats idle by. I ventured ever further from any crowds or human life at all. The city was truly ours after the day crowds thinned. I stumbled across the steps of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute which offered a spectacular place to sit and gaze at the canals, day or night. This was another favorite moment of mine in Venice. It was time to head back, tomorrow we would be covering major ground.
From just down the block from the hotel I could see across the Giudecca Canal to the south and see the island of Giudecca. I was interested in seeing this place from the get go and it was a short boat ride across. The boat ride also went by the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is a good place to jump off, snap some photos, climb to the top of the cathedral for some great views of Venice (for a price) before you hop back on to the next stop, which is the island of Giudecca itself. It was refreshingly quiet over here and was a great place to quietly comb the streets and get a feel for how different it was. It was a bit more residential, but had plenty of cafes and even a cute little park on the far south side for a peaceful look out over the Adriatic Sea.
Church of San Stae (Chiesa di San Stae)
I then decided to head up into the old Jewish quarter, located in the sestieri of Canareggio, which is in the far north part of Venice (the top of the head/spine of the “fish” if you will). I truly loved this walk. It felt like the small calles (streets) got even narrower and maze like. I found more locals up this way and enjoyed a quick stop at a cafe as I watched some well behaved dogs play in a piazza.
I initially didn’t have plans to travel out to more islands, but I saw a taxi stop on the water and said what the hell and hopped on for the island of Murano. This is where a lot of intricate glassblowing pieces are made and an interesting stop indeed. However, on the way there, we passed by a stop for the Cimitero di San Michele and jumped off to walk the grounds and appreciate a bit more of Venetian culture. People are still interred out here and there are remarkable monuments and little memorials to lost loved ones. It was a quiet and sunny day and I walked slowly around, just being grateful for my current fortunes and appreciating the value of life.
Okay, back onto the vaporetto heading towards the island of Murano. The skies began to get overcast and darken and bit of a sprinkle started, but not so much to put a damper on our stop. After browsing collections of uniquely blown glassware (really is impressive) I decided to stop for lunch. It seems everywhere I go, there has to be at least one meal that you’re glad you tried, but wouldn’t do again. For me, this came in the form of Sardine Saor – a concoction of sardines, onions and vinegar served with cold noodles. I'm talking whole, rather large completely intact sardines lightly pan-fried perhaps? I pushed through and ate a good helping of it. I had some polenta and beer to offset it a bit, but glad Iexperienced an authentic Venetian dish.
So with a stomach full of sardines (optimal motion sickness meal), it was time to head back to the mainland. Uh oh, here comes a storm. So people were packing the docks hoping to cram their way onto these boats, which had both a limited amount of seats below deck and standing room only on deck. We packed this baby to capacity and set sail back toward the heart of Venice. I sat below deck as the waves were splashing against the tiny windows down there, making it feel like we were in a submarine.
That night I found a nice little cozy and inexpensive restaurant known as an osteria to toast a trip well done thus far. I had a sampling platter of some more regional dishes meatballs, octopus, breads and cheeses, also…sardines again! However, these were grilled and filleted, phew. Afterward, I did more strolling, stopped at an enoteca or little wine bar of sorts for a small glass to cap the night off. I was leaving ultra early the next morning to catch a high-speed train to Florence, so it was time to call it a night. What a privilege to have seen this mythical city!
Up well before dawn today in order to catch a early train to Tuscany’s capital and largest city, Florence. A roughly two hour high speed train ride took me right into the city’s Santa Maria Novella train station. It’s a very compact, walkable city and you’ll find most of the main sights on the north side of the Arno River which flows through the city. Florence is known as the home of the Renaissance and the birthplace of our modern world.
I had yet another wonderful hotel, very near the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) so I could walk out the door to the bustling city. The market has an indoor and outdoor element, inside there is fresh food, produce and eateries showcasing some of the region’s renowned delicacies. It turns out that organ meat of all varieties is a common old school staple for many Florentines. So I popped into a small sandwich shop, feeling a bit indecisive. The menu was all in Italian and the staff spoke a small bit of English. I managed to ask something to the effect of, “what do locals eat?” The man says, around here they like to eat “trippa.” Which is exactly what I wanted. I feel like all of the staff’s eyes fixed on me in anticipation of a loud gag as I took my first bite. I quickly took another bite and they asked how I liked it. “Love it”... and I really did.
Outside, you’ll find the many stalls of street vendors selling a wide range of items. I unsuccessful attempted to haggle over some luggage, nothing ventured nothing gained, right? It’s very pedestrian friendly and at times feels like an open air museum as you pass countless statues.
I found myself in the Piazza della Signoria, which is absolutely overflowing with works of art. Take some time to look at these expertly crafted monuments detailing everything from celebrations to executions and riots. It even used to house the actual statue of Michaelangelo’s David. I was so saturated with viewings of jaw dropping statues from mere feet away that I opted not to pay to see David (now contained in the Accademia). As I paced along, I also happened upon the Piazza della Repubblica, a large open area once the site of the original Roman Forum. I knew Italy was steeped in history, but it’s absolutely mind altering to just stand in many of these iconic areas.
Piazza della Repubblica
I was looping my way around, looking to get to the site that dominates the landscape and skyline of Florence, the Duomo sitting at a height of nearly 400 feet. From close range, you have a hard time capturing even a fraction of it. You can stare up at it and make yourself dizzy noting the delicate touches on the building. This is one of the most popular places that nearly every tour will lead you to at one time or another. It’s a masterclass of architecture and point of civic pride for many Florentines.
Duomo in Florence
Next I would be heading to a place where I could really capture the Duomo in a picture all while the sun set low in the sky. This place? The Piazzale Michaelangelo on the other side (south) of the Arno River.
I crossed the famous Ponte Vecchio lined with gold and silver shops.
Looking at the rolling hills of the Tuscan landscape with the river carving through it is just stunning….even more so when I’m in the picture.
Oh, did I mention we were going to be doing a ton of walking to get up to the Piazzale Michaelangelo? From city center of Florence. I popped in to a little gelato shop and gobbled down the sugary sustenance. One should mention that Florence is THE gelato capital of Italy, they take great pride in this and it absolutely shows. The Italians are all rather svelte so it must be the gelato, so dig in! After gelato, I lounged for a bit on a paved area, sloping down from the side of a building. This building turned out to be the Pitti Palace, you literally can’t swing a cat without hitting something notable. On the other side of this was the Boboli and Bardini Gardens, which I wanted to traipse through. However, I was running out of time and opted to skirt these and make a beeline for my final destination to see sunset.
You finally get to the last ascent up towards the Piazzale Michaelangelo and your excitement lifts you. I never tend to question an outrageous set of stairs or lengthy walk when I travel because they tend to be worth the legwork. It may have also helped that a man was playing the theme song to Mario Brothers on an acoustic guitar, internally motivating me to climb like those tireless plumbers.
I eventually popped out onto the very top. A crowd was gathered, all trying to find the best viewpoint. I eked my way up to the edge where we had it just right. A vendor was selling little bottles of wine right there, so let’s each toast with a (small, we’re not total lushes, plus wine is basically like oxygen to many here) bottle of wine to a job well done and a beautiful sunset a long way from home. Basically, if you aim your camera in the direction of the city, you’ve just bagged yourself a priceless picture. Other notable structures in the skyline to pick out in no particular order are the towers of the Palazzo Vecchio, Badia and Bargello-served as torture and execution prisons under the powerful Medici reign of many moons ago, the basilica of San Lorenzo, basilica of Santa Croce, and you’ll note the green dome of the Synagogue of Florence. It’s a fun treasure hunt if you find yourself curious while up there.
Sunset at Piazza De Michelangelo
As the sun finally went out of sight just over the hills to the north of Florence, I knew I could slow my pace a bit and savor the walk back. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the far hill town beyond the city was Fiesole, which would be the first stop on our bike excursion the following day…hmm sure looks far away! Florence started to really come alive with performers and artists painting murals right on the road. I went back by the Duomo, seeing it from such different perspectives really gives you the whole sense of its sprawling beauty. This travel is at full press and I had been up for about 19 hours by then, so time for some sleep. Good night to enchanting Florence!
Hotel: Hotel City- Central location, comfortable, clean, friendly staff
Today I awoke to the sound of rain and peered out to see accompanying gloom and temperatures in the mid 50’s range (Fahrenheit…I need to work on my Celsius calculations). A bike ride albeit an electric assist set of wheels, through the Tuscan hill country and looping back in Florence sounded less than appetizing from my warm hotel, but I’m still glad I did it.
So what is an electric bike? Serious question, I thought it had some sort of motor you revved up and you could assist it if you felt compelled. No, it’s more of an extra push based on how you pedal. I kept mine on the highest level of assist, because honestly even that felt challenging. It took a couple of passes by the store to feel comfortable enough to get moving on an 20km Tour de Tuscany.
These bikes were heavy, like fall over if you’re not careful at a stop heavy-even moreso on a slippery cobblestone surface. I’m pretty confident on a bike and followed the route given to us on the pre-programmed map. The streets were busy and slick, but I’ve watched enough bikers in Europe to know that cars will give me a relatively safe berth. Phew, just navigating to the edge of town had me pretty tense. It took me through what I believe was a pedestrian only underpass and won us some bizarre looks from locals…I swear I’m just following the map! I made it out of the thick of things to the edge of town, where I would begin the climb up to Fiesole. The route led up a steep winding two way road without a bike lane. The road cut through areas that had high cement walls on either side and curves creating blind spots for drivers. Okay, this is intense, but it’ll surely settle out once we’re to the top. After getting to an area that plateaued into a little town before Fiesole, I parked under the safe overhang of a building to think about whether it was worth it to continue. The weather was brutal, I was cold and wet and my confidence in completing the bulk of this trip was shaken. How could this be, the reviews stated it was a cakewalk and even sedentary middle-aged men wrote jokingly about their ability to do this with flying colors. I’d like to meet these “out of shape” blokes! Being on a slick surface with that jolt of an assist, made for an uncomfortable opportunity to slip, but the hills were such that anything less than a strong assist would find you trying to push a mighty cumbersome, heavy piece of machinery up mostly 45 degree angle and steeper inclines. I wanted the payoff.
I traveled through other small villages and eventually into wide open countryside hoping to end up at a winery on the outskirts of Florence. There was an underlying sense of anxiety because there was a possibility of not making it back to the city and bike shop if we didn’t eventually get on the right route. We traversed steep hills both up and down. As we were thinking we were getting closer and took a short break to breathe, a friendly farm dog ran up to greet us in the middle of nowhere. We loved on him and were very touched and energized by this. This had to be a sign! Within a short bit from there we found the secluded winery…first taste of relief.
I snapped a few weathered pictures and trudged into the tasting area to warm up. I had a glass and bought a bottle to take with me. I have come too far not to have something tangible to show for the ride.
As I descended the hills back towards Florence, the city came into view and the path took me along the Arno River. The sun came out and it actually got a bit pleasant….where was that before?! After getting back through the thick of traffic to find the bike shop, with a dead phone, we waddled wearily up to the shop, where our Scottish friend came out to greet us. He could tell we had an absolute slog of a day and was very kind and apologetic. “I don’t want ya to have a sad time, it should be a happy time.” (said with Scottish brogue).
Woo, I just have to tell that story in great detail. In truth, I have no regrets about trying it. It made us stronger for the rest of the trip and I think was a painfully important lesson in travel. There’s no amount of research and preparation that is too much and always have a backup plan!
Okay, so we’re back in the city, ready to head back to the hotel to get cleaned up and into something warm. Naturally I took a well deserved extended nap waking up when it was dark. This felt like an inside night, so with the steely confidence gained from my bike survival mission, I headed to pick up some Indian food for a “take away.” The streets were quiet and the restaurant couldn’t have been more than 500 meters from our hotel. I got to the street and what do you know, my phone is ready to die. I basically memorized the route, so no big deal….I wish. I made it there fine. I haven’t the greatest recollection, but I either thought I knew a shortcut or completely turned myself in the wrong direction. St. Petersburg, FL is on a firm grid, you can’t get lost for more than 5 minutes there. Grid?…in an ancient Italian city, fuhgettaboutit. The next thing I knew my phone was dead, I was somehow back at the train station where we arrived at the city. The streets were quiet with few people out. I’m now in a minor state of panic. At one point, I thought, what the hell, let’s go against my instinct and do the opposite. It worked for George Costanza (for all you Seinfeld fans). I came to another crossroads scratching my head. At that moment, I noticed a particularly massive mound of garbage bags along a street corner that was against the cafe we had coffee at this morning! Yes, I know this. Our hotel was within a block of here. I finally found it after at least 45 minutes of walking. Saved by the trash! Perhaps that’s a good inscription for my tombstone ha.
Here’s the best part, the food was exquisite (if not a little colder than it was 45 minutes earlier). Alright, now I ain’t leaving this room for a damn thing until sunrise 🙂
So after a brief stop in lovely Tuscany, it was time to hit my final destination, Rome! During the 90 minute train ride I was mentally preparing myself for a frenetic paced city, that may well be as intimidating as the hulking Coliseum. As we approached the Roma Termini train station, people were securing their backpacks in front of them like they were getting ready to charge off the train and go into battle. Once we de-trained Iweaved our way out to the street and had our first glimpse. The city was absolutely bustling and the driving was reminiscent of Formula 1 with smart cars and scooters, but this felt great. I took a bit to get courageous enough to cross these streets like the Romans did, but once I got comfortable and walked a few blocks, I got the swagger down.
The whole stay, I couldn’t help but appreciate the Tetris-like parking employed by the brave drivers here. Now I was more excited than timid and ready to embrace this city. What to do now, let’s wander a bit! With this in mind I headed to north Rome toward the Villa Borghese Gardens.
Enroute, I stopped at the magnificent, yet touristy Trevi Fountain. Touristy or not, you really should see it, the craftwork is exquisite, you just keep finding new obscure elements the more you gaze at it. I had a nice sample of limoncello from a nearby shop while I took in the sights. You’ll see people chucking coins over their shoulder while facing away from the fountain, which is said to ensure that someday you’ll return to Rome. I like that sentiment, but Rome already had me hooked so no coin tossing needed.
I arrived at the Borghese Gardens, essentially Rome’s version of Central Park, and strolled the tranquil grounds. There is a large art gallery on the premises that you have to pay to get in, but if you’re an art buff, I’m told it’s worth admission.
Borghese Gardens
Like much of Italy, the streets and strolling offer an open air museum that is as memorable as anything we’ve ever paid to get in. The gravel walkways are lined with the busts of dozens of prominent Renaissance-era historical figures and offer you the chance to snap photos and get face to face with these longstanding, weathered displays. As I returned to my starting point, I was treated to a panoramic view of Rome and were able to pick out The Vatican and speculate about a few other buildings I would be seeing in the coming days.
Spanish Steps
I didn’t realize it, but we were actually at the top of the Spanish Steps at this moment in time. I would come to realize this soon enough. Heading a bit further north, I stumbled across the Piazza del Popolo and followed a sign that indicated we were heading down a main drag that lead to most of the city’s main sights. This was a lively pedestrian thoroughfare full of high end shopping and street performers.
Piazza del Popolo
That night I found a nearby casual Italian place and each tried a different pizza. By now I knew you just eat the whole thing and don’t try to cut it like you would at Pizza Hut. Artichokes were in season, so I found them in a number of offerings. So I tried a Pizza Capricciosa (fun to say and delicious) and a pie with prosciutto. Both were delicious!
There was still so much to see, but I was determined and actually did end up succeeding in seeing a great deal of the city. Rome quickly found a way into my heart, bella Roma!
Hotel: Regina Giovanna- Close to the train station
Up early and ready to beat the rush to the Colosseum. Buy your tickets ahead of time unless you are a glutton for punishment. Every day here saturates you with history, so pace yourself! I walked about 25 minutes from the hotel towards the Ancient Roman marvels of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum. These sights are very close together in the city center and make a lot of sense to buy a combined ticket (ahead of time) for. First off, I hopped into the line for the Colosseum, which had the largest line queuing up and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the entire world. It almost didn’t feel real as I processed how big of a step back in time we were taking. Once through the gates and dispersed inside of the massive structure I was able to spread out and be fairly unencumbered by any crowds.
My description simply cannot do justice; you’re walking into an oval amphitheater built in A.D. 80 made of volcanic rock estimated to have held as many as 50,000 plus spectators for everything from gladiatorial battles and executions to dramatic reenactments of cultural significance. Mind blowing to think of the architectural ingenuity (and insanely rigorous labor) that sprung these structures to life. I spent around an hour and a half exploring the different levels and browsing through artifacts. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had much to see. I think a tour would be appropriate and interesting depending on how invested you are, but we were really cramming today.
I exited and headed west past the Arch of Constantine to the nearby Forum and Palatine Hill, where emperors used to reside. Much of the remnants have been reduced to rubble, but this is really a nice place to wander in peace and stir your imagination. You can see the emperor’s private chariot course, known as Circus Maximus during your stroll.
This afternoon, I would be taking The Original Rome Capuchin Crypts and Catacombs Tour. There were a number of options and underground tombs to visit, but I’m very pleased with this decision. I would highly recommend this somewhat morbid, but fascinating dive back in time.
The tour lasted three and a half hours and I feel like I got our money’s worth. We bused to multiple locations and started by going outside of the city walls of Rome to our first destination. Watching a large bus maneuver Roman traffic is wildly impressive.
You will not be able to photograph in all areas of this tour as many stretches contain sacred religious pieces and highly fragile heirlooms. Also of note is to dress somewhat conservatively (no bare shoulders, knees covered), churches tend to frown on showing a ton of skin! The last part of the trip takes you through the actual Capuchin Crypts, containing the bodies and bones of these monks displayed grandly in ornate fashion. I loved to see how much more diminutive people from bygone eras were and reflected on the somber messages they espoused.
I will never get sick of that feeling of being so far from home and just being a fly on the wall in a foreign land. Breathe it in, it’s very special. Travel is endlessly rewarding.
Alright, here we are over a week into our Italy sojourn and ready to hit another unmistakable landmark. Vatican City is the religious capital for 1.2 billion Roman Catholics all over the world, home of the pope, and a tiny, independent country surrounded entirely by the city of Rome. This destination is on the far west end of Rome, across the Tiber River and a great place to bus to. I got the first glimpse of St. Peter’s Square while working my way around our target, the massive Vatican Museum. You’ll see the Swiss Guards adorning their brightly colored uniforms and throngs of excited people everywhere on the outside. The inside is breathtaking, literally miles of displays to walk along which culminates in the Raphael Rooms and Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. I’d safely speculate that even the most discerning of art and culture lovers would be dumbfounded after floating through here.
Note: The same rules about modest clothing apply, no Daisy Dukes or Lynard Skynard cut-off T-shirts for all you Florida people (I kid)!
Vatican Museum
After roughly two hours, I worked my way out into the trendy Trastevere neighborhood along the west bank of the Tiber River. I browsed some street markets and found a nice little place to grab lunch. I enjoyed some Bucatini Amatriciana, which I found delicious. I'm no food connoisseurs and don’t savor many elaborate meals while overseas, but for the most part I feel like I do a decent job of always getting a helping of the local dishes.I do love the Italian way of life, they savor and appreciate the simple things that we either mass produce or speed through. Life is really short so cherish those seemingly mundane moments, conversations and meals.
After lunch, I passed by the imposing Castel Sant’ Angelo as I worked our way south along the riverbank. I really enjoyed taking it slow through this area and peering down into the river from our high point on the ledge.
I stumbled upon the Campo de’ Fiori (“field of flowers”) with it’s intimate neighborhood feel. Turns out this was a great place to start walking and link some sights together. I then popped out onto the vibrant Piazza Navona. Now, I’m telling you I suffer from unbridled nostalgia sometimes, but I just loved this spot so much. It was lively with break dancers (who knew), beautiful fountains and surrounded by restaurants and lively cafes. It makes sense that this sprawling oblong square once served as a giant racetrack. I was sure to snap a picture of a bakery that used a likeness of Homer Simpson on it’s sign, bonus points to me.
Piazza Navona
I could start to see a bit of an increase in foot traffic and realized I was actually happening upon the Pantheon (temple to all of the gods). This day was the definition of a bit of dumb luck. It was nearing dinner time and people were beginning to fill up the little square. I enjoyed seeing police pull up in a tiny station wagon about the size of a sub-compact Ford Pinto, with three officers hopping out just to have a smoke and mingle.
Oriented back in the direction of the hotel, I cut southeast and entered the Piazza Venezia. You’ll see a gigantic (200 feet high, 500 feet wide!) monument dedicated to Italy’s first king Victor Emmanuel.
I held our breath watching the absolute beehive of a traffic circle nearby, defensive drivers be damned! The city was entirely lit up now and it was such a pleasant evening. I passed a rowdy sounding Scottish pub and doubled back to check it out. A big rugby match was on and people were enthused to say the least. I just stood in the area where Mussolini used to whip crowds into a frenzy in the 1930’s and now I'm having a pint watching rugby two blocks away. Italy, I love you.
Piazza Venezia
Rome is somewhere you could easily spend a week or more, and still leave much unseen. It’s built in literal layers, with each century and period stacked onto the next. I was able to unearth just a few in my stay there and I consider that an absolute privilege.
If I had one city in one country to implore someone to visit, my vote goes to Rome.
Back to Milan! You are basically traversing from one unique identity to another when going from south back up north. The weather turned to rainy and overcast and the temperatures dropped. Architecture changes and the vibe is different.
Milan has the renowned Duomo cathedral with a magnificent rooftop and is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Last Supper in addition to a Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum, churches, castles and piazzas.
Hotel: Hotel Terminal- Close to the train station
I was in the perfect spot to conveniently hop a train from the next door Milan Centrale station to Milan Malpensa Airport for an early flight.
I rave about Italy often. I still want to see so much more of Europe and beyond. I have been captured by everywhere I have visited and have a fondness for nearly everything I’ve come across. If you have one and only one country to visit the rest of your life, I submit to you Italy. The climate, the landscape, the history, the people and language, the food. It has it all.
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