ITALY OUR WAY

Recently while visiting my mother’s home she had the TV tuned to a sitcom. In the episode, the family was vacationing in Italy and I heard one of the characters say “There is something about this place, there’s a feeling here. It’s more simple…it’s like they get it, they know how to live.” That immediately resonated with me because I felt that exact vibe while in Italy. It has been several years since my Italian adventure but this got me reminiscing and I felt the urge to write about it. Although I have been to some amazing locations before and since, this one was the trip of a lifetime.

When not in Rome

I cannot count how many times I have heard it. “You went to Italy and didn’t visit Rome?” That is correct, we did not. If we make it back we will hit Rome, along with Naples and other cities in the southern region but tight schedules with limited time to explore isn’t our travel style. We wanted a slower pace so we focused on a smaller area up north. We spent 12 fabulous days in the country and I wouldn’t have changed any of them. I still have vivid memories of walking through the tiny town of Corniglia and being greeted with Buongiorno by the locals. I can still taste the delicious food and wine and will never forget the breathtaking views.

Weather

We chose travel dates for the end of August and the beginning of September to align with our 10th wedding anniversary. The weather was warm but not too hot although one day reached 100 degrees. Most of the days were low to mid-eighties, which is perfect walking around weather for us. Packing was easy. My travel wardrobe consisted of light knit and cotton sundresses which were easily rolled to maximize luggage space.

We flew into Marco Polo Airport and took a water taxi to our hotel. The scenic boat ride gave us an amazing first look at Venice as we arrived at our hotel. Of our four stays, only here did we opt for a luxury hotel over Airbnb. The beautiful 5-star Bauer Palazzo sits alongside the canal and offers incredible views of the city from multiple terraces. It is in the heart of Venice and we were able to see most of the city on foot.

Venice bustles with tourists and St. Mark’s Square was always a hub of activity. St. Mark’s Cathedral or Basilica di San Marco with its impressive architecture caught my eye immediately upon entering the square. This cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Venice is open to the public and I strongly recommend taking a walk through it. If you prefer guided tours and skip-the-line options they are available for both the Basilica and Doge’s Palace. There is plenty of history to explore here and it is a popular location for catching a gondola ride.

Of course, you can’t be in Venice without taking a stroll across the iconic Rialto Bridge. It’s the oldest bridge that crosses the canal and connects the sestieris (Italian subdivisions) of San Marco and San Polo.

We enjoyed a food and wine tour in the Cannaregio and Jewish Ghetto neighborhoods. This included stops at six different restaurants as well as a guided tour of these districts which are steep in culture and tradition. This allowed us to mingle with other travelers from all over the world and proved to be a fun and very filling evening.

Lido is a tiny island, a sandbar actually, and only a short boat ride from Venice. We spent a full day here walking around the town and along the beach. Then by chance, finding ourselves at the red carpet event for the Venice Film Festival. This little island made quite an impression on us and I wrote about it in a previous post. If you didn’t catch it you can read it here.

After 3 glorious days in Venice, we caught the train to Florence.

I had booked a place in the middle of the city through Airbnb and the host was kind enough to have her son meet us at the train station and walk us through town to the apartment. I should add that I have stayed in numerous Airbnb’s and have had mostly good experiences. However, I have never found hosts more kind and accommodating than I did in Italy. They are also very reasonably priced.

We only had a couple of days in Florence but we made the most of them. Upon arrival, we walked across the street to Piazza del Mercato Centrale for a bite to eat. This trendy two-story market is a perfect place to stroll around and check out the fresh fish, meat, produce, pastries, cold cuts, or just about any other food you can think of. We picked up some pizza slices and red wine and relaxed in the center court to unwind from our day of travel. We were soon joined by a group of young men there to toast their friend’s impending marriage the following day. The group was friendly, as we found most to be in Italy, and we joined in on the celebration. After some engaging conversation (and many drinks for the groom-to-be) we even snagged an invitation to the wedding. Which, it turned out, was taking place in a castle! We regrettably had to decline.

Florence is full of museums but the one I really wanted to visit while in Florence was Galleria dell’ Accademia, the famous art museum that is the home of Michelangelo’s sculpture David. I jumped online just a couple of hours before heading over and bought a Skip-the-line ticket for just a few dollars over the admission price. I was pleased I had done so after arriving and seeing the line to enter wrapped around the building. The exhibits were amazing with some dating back to the 13th century and we spent a good part of the day here.

Usually, the best places to visit are the ones that you learn of from the people who have gone before you. As was the case for a little town called Fiesole where we would enjoy our 10-year anniversary dinner. I was in a shop in Boulder, Colorado buying some travel accessories when the owner told me about this amazing place on the hills of Florence with a scenic high view of the city. The restaurant was perfect. We dined on the outdoor panoramic terrace and enjoyed some delicious cuisine on what would be our last night in Florence.

Cinque Terre is a group of five villages along the rugged seaside of the Rivera coastline in Liguria, about 100 miles northwest of our location in Florence. Since we wanted to have a vehicle to drive the Tuscany countryside, we decided to pick up our rental on our way out of the city, and keep it for the remainder of our trip which would ultimately have us driving it back to Venice to catch our return flight to the states. Although possible, driving around Cinque Terre is not advised. The roads leading to the villages are narrow and steep with many curves. It’s much easier to reach by train so we drove to the station in La Spezia and left our car at their Central Parking overnight. The cost is $25 and there is an option to pay ahead online to reserve a spot since space is limited.

We got off the train and walked up the 382-step brick pathway to get to Cornigila, the village where we would spend the night. We again used Airbnb and again the host met us in town and escorted us to our room. Although small, the room was clean and quaint with a balcony that had an incredible view over the coastline. That evening we would view the sunset behind the brightly colored dwellings which were situated on steep cliffs. A storm rolled in and we watched the clouds gather over an increasingly angry Mediterranean after which the lightning lit up the sky resulting in the most spectacular display.

Each village of Cinque Terre has its distinct characteristics (you can find descriptions here) Cornigila, being the most tranquil of the five was a good fit for the tone of our trip. There are many hiking trails, and you can hike the five towns with some effort. Although not considered a technically challenging hike, portions are quite rugged. We only ventured out a short distance but hiked up some fairly steep inclines to catch sight of the connecting villages.

Tuscany was foremost in our desire to visit Italy. We had dreamed about driving the countryside, rolling hills of vineyards as far as the eye can see. From my first sight, driving down from Cinque Terre, I realized it would be even more breathtaking than I had imagined.

We first heard of the small medieval town of San Gimignano from a couple we met who had recently spent their honeymoon in the area. It was on my mind as I searched for a location to stay in Tuscany and found a farmhouse on Airbnb just a few minutes from the town center with a view of the skyline in the distance. The farm, owned by two families, is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees with a river running end to end. There was a friendly, English-speaking concierge on the premises who proved very helpful with questions and suggestions. One family hosts a huge family-style meal that consists of five courses of mouthwatering genuine Italian fare. We dined with the other guests visiting from all over the globe and thoroughly enjoyed the company.

My idea of heaven still is to drive the gravel farm roads of Umbria and Tuscany, very pleasantly lost. 

FRANCES MAYES

Driving around and exploring the remote regions of Tuscany we felt as though we were seeing the true authentic Italy, getting a good look at daily life for the locals. This was also the only time when the language barrier came into play. Here even ordering food could be a challenge. Like the time my husband ended up with a tuna sandwich (which he hates) after believing he had ordered caprese at a lunch counter deep in the countryside. We were over 5,000 miles from home, in outlying locations miles from a major city while knowing only a handful of words in the native language. Yet, these were the best days!

Tuscany Towns

This is where the journey ended but I am hopeful to see this amazing country again. It is still in my sights to return for an extended stay in the near future.