My friend Vera and I went to Italy! Three nights in Rome, and two nights each in Cinque Terre, Florence, and Venice. Clearly, dozens of books have been written (and updated annually) about the must-see treasures in each of these areas. On the one hand, we saw a lot! On the other hand, only a thimbleful! Here are my impressions from the trip — and in some cases, I’ll even tell you about the famous things we saw!
The first day in Rome was exciting because we have friends there — Vuka and her young son, Teddy. Our plan was to see the Trevi Fountain and then meet them for lunch. But we got lost! We couldn’t find the fountain! But we did find a table at a charming little restaurant. So Vuka and Teddy came and had lunch with us and then escorted us to the Trevi Fountain and then to their residence, which is virtually across the street from the Colosseum! Seeing how the residents live — and the world treasures all around them — was a delight.
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Vuka lined up our tour of the Colosseum on day two. It included Palatine Hill with amazing views of the city from the top. She also lined up a tour of the Jewish Ghetto. Though the Colosseum is phenomenal, and unbelievable, I think the most meaningful part of the day was seeing the Stolperstein in the Ghetto. These so-called “stumbling blocks” exist throughout Europe and each one marks the last “chosen residence” of a Jewish person who died in the Holocaust. Each block gives a name, date of birth, date of transport to a camp, and the date of death for that individual. Over 100,000 of these are found in European cities. It is said to be the largest Holocaust memorial and it is moving beyond words.
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Alfredo is a very handsome tour guide and friend of Vuka’s who took us through the Vatican Museum on our last day in Rome. I must say that as thrilling as it was to see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, it was almost anticlimactic after seeing all the ceilings — and artwork — that came before it at the museum.
An amazing place to be sure, but again, a more mundane sight was my favorite part of the day. While walking around Piazza Navona and its surrounds with Vuka, she said the best part of Rome is there is always a breathtaking surprise around the corner — a statue, fountain, fresco, or the like. She gleefully reported, “There’s magic everywhere!” A great mindset for any day in any locale…
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On to Cinque Terre next via the train. Trains are not a common mode of transportation in Cincinnati, so it was fun and unique to travel by rail in Italy. I loved Vera’s plan for travel days. We slept in, had a leisurely and lavish breakfast, packed up, and got ourselves to the train station. The trips from city to city ranged from two hours to four. Getting into the new city in the afternoon allowed us to check into our hotel, rest a bit, and then to have dinner and get the lay of the land for our one full day in the new area.
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As a side note, I have always traveled with tour companies in the past and they have been in charge of my luggage. This trip was a do-it-yourself job for moving baggage. Thus, I was thrilled that I heeded the advice of a friend. She said she leaves her pretty clothes at home. She packs functional stuff that mixes and matches and folds compactly. Her game plan involves only two pairs of shoes that she alternates daily. This method of packing helped me NOT to feel like a pack horse on planes, trains, and (coming soon) water taxis!
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Cinque Terre is a part of the Italian Riviera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a group of five towns dramatically perched on the coastline of Italy. The pastel-colored buildings are stacked one on top of another, all overlooking the harbors below. The way it is built was as mind-blowing as a magic trick to me. How did they do that?!
In Cinque Terre, one can hike a seven mile trail between the five villages, or take a ferry, or train. It is recommended to see the area from the water, so we took the ferry in one direction and came back on the train.
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On to Florence next and our date with Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria Dell’Accademia. It was remarkable! But going from the sublime to the ridiculous, our taxi ride through the streets of Florence was also worthy of remark. We were on a narrow, narrow road with buildings on both sides and there was a man standing in the road, perpendicular to a building. Through her open window, our cabbie tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to turn parallel to the wall so our car could fit through!
Will I possibly remember that as long as I will the David? Or the Ponte Vecchio? (Built in the 1300s, it is the oldest bridge across the Arno and currently lined with fabulous shops.) And what about the Piazza della Signoria, which is an outdoor sculpture gallery — and Vera’s favorite part of Florence?
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Our last stop was Venice. If we were lost in Rome, and mind-boggled by the how-did-they-build-it aspect of Cinque Terre, and tickled by the narrow streets of Florence, Venice topped them all in each of these aspects.
We tried every mode of water transportation — a gondola, a water taxi, and the Vaporetto (a public waterbus). And we saw lots of things like the Basilica, the Companile (Bell Tower), the Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge, and Murano. But the best part of Venice was uniquely Venetian. As my tour book says, “Treat getting bewilderingly lost in Venice as part of the fun.” So trust me, we had loads of fun!
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And speaking of fun, Vera and I had a commitment to do two things while in Italy — to eat gelato daily and to toast each other with an Aperol Spritz daily. We were spectacularly successful in that regard. I also think we were successful in seeing lots of major sights, though in the grand scheme of things, it was just a thimbleful. But that’s ok. It’s a perfect excuse to return to Italy someday. I, for one, am up for more gelato, Aperol Spritzes, and Alfredo…oh and more Vuka and Teddy too!
