Return to Rome

Well this is it…our last few days in Rome!

We enjoyed a comfortable train trip from La Spezia and arrived about 2ish. This time we found our accommodation really easily as it was in the same area as when we were here a few weeks ago. I can’t believe we are back already but I have to admit I think I’m ready for this to be the last few days.

When we were here before we didn’t really do too much as we thought that Rylan would like to see the site as well. After settling into the room, we headed to the Colosseum to see if we could find a tour to fit in with a trip to the Vatican tomorrow. We ended up getting a S.U.P.E.R Pass which gets you into the Colosseum and two visits to Palentine Hill (Roman ruins). We were advised to purchase this ticket away from the Colosseum to avoid the queues and then go there to book a tour. We did this and it was great advice as there was only one in front of us to get tickets. 

We then headed off to the Colosseum and got in without having to wait in any queues. We decided against a tour and just got the audio guides because we decided we might as well do it this afternoon without having to rush and fit everything else in tomorrow.

The audio was good once we got the hang of it and it’s an amazing site. 

It’s incredible to think that it is still standing almost 2000 years after it was built. Although half it is missing, you can almost see the crowds and the gladiators battling. It wasn’t only use for gladiator battles, it was used for animal hunts, mock sea battles, re-enactments of famous battles, executions and dramas. It is believed that over 500,000 people and over 1,000,000 animals were killed during the man vs beast games held.

At it’s full capacity it could hold up 65,000 people. There are separate areas for the elite and the general public. The steps to the general admittance area were incredible steep and I think it would have been a hazard to attend as a spectator let alone as a competitor. It was crowded as we wandered around like all other attractions but it was OK.

The next day we had a tour booked for the Vatican in the afternoon so we decided to take advantage of our S.U.P.E.R Pass and visit Palantine Hill. This is another incredible archaeological site  that is right in the middle of the old town district. It unbelievable to think that this site has been preserved in the middle of a major city. Walking into the site is like stepping out into the countryside.

The hustle and bustle of a busy city is left behind and you walk through this calm, beautiful area while soaking up the history and wonder of the emperors who lived here. It’s a big area and we didn’t get to see all of it as we ran out of time and had to get over to the Vatican.

We decided on the way to the Vatican we would walk to the Pantheon. This is a church built by Emperor Hadrian. We didn’t have time to go in but it’s impressive from the outside with it’s huge columns out the front which only makes you wonder how on earth the stood these columns up.

We were toying up with a taxi or walking to the Vatican but we as we were in a tight very busy square we decided to start walking to find an easier place to get a taxi but ended up walking all the way much to Terry’s annoyance. Good old Google Maps got us to the Vatican Museum steps although Terry insists it took much longer than Google predicted.

The crowds around the Vatican were ridiculous and it only got worse when we got inside the museum. I’ll probable upset quite a few people but unless you have an emotional connection to the church (which I don’t) or you are an art lover the overwhelming crowds make this an almost impossible experience to enjoy. There is no disputing the museum, the art and the chapel are spectacular but you can’t enjoy any of it because you are either constantly being pushed forward or stressing out because you fall behind and suddenly you’ve lost your group and almost have to fight people to get back to them.

The Sistine Chapel is beautiful and an incredible work by Michelangelo but I found myself getting annoyed in there as well as the priest was constantly asking people to be quiet but still a constant murmur in the church and I don’t think it was from praying.

I don’t think I’ve been so relieved to finally make it out into the fresh air. We were lead out the front of St Peter’s Basilica and in front of the massive Vatican square which was also swarming with people. I had a quick look in the basilica by myself but by that time we were all so jaded by the whole experience we just wanted to leave. This is our last night with Rylan and I guess I’m also a little sad about that too. We found a taxi and headed back to the apartment.

Early the next morning we said our goodbyes to Rylan and I saved him from the tears this time, they came a little later so I’m glad we have a busy day ahead. We headed for the bus pickup for a trip to Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. Hadrian is villa is huge archaeological complex that includes a theatre, libraries, a stadium, many water features, thermal baths, servants' quarters and underground supply tunnels. 

Obviously, these are ruins but some parts have been replicated to get a sense of the grandeur of the whole site. Our guide Alfredo was excellent and obviously very passionate about this place. There is a model replica of the entrance to the villa at the entrance and we only got to see about a quarter of it because we only had a few hours.

After the villa we went to the town of Tivoli which is where the Ville d’Estre is located. Villa d'Este was built in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, the son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este and is built on the side of a hill creating the most spectacular views. The garden is a series of beautiful terraces that incorporates a multitude of fountains which are at every turn.

The organ fountain that sits near the top of the garden is very impressive and overlooks the big fishponds. It’s extremely ornate and has a working water organ.

The garden is separated into rooms and spaces and one has a massive urn in which water cascades down into a large pond. I’m sure we didn’t see all the garden but again we ran out of time.

Well that’s it for our trip to Italy. It’s been quite different to how we’ve travelled to Europe before and I think we did quite well but there’s a few tips I wish I knew before we went like
Rome airport has long queues both coming in and out of the country. Allow extra time for these queues, oh and there’s a train you have to catch to get to and from the main terminal.

• Know the public holiday especially if they create a long weekend and you want to travel on the last day.
• The public rail system is fantastic but we felt more comfortable booking our tickets a day or two before, but it wasn’t always necessary.
• The My Taxi app is fantastic. It’s like Uber but is much cheaper and very accurate.
• If there are particular tours you want to do…book them early!
• Prepare to get lost in Venice numerous times.
• There are better ways to get tickets to venues than joining the huge queues
• You can get accommodation fairly easily at the last minute but it did create a bit of stress for us but I do think we overthought it
• If there is an attraction you want to visit, don’t be swayed by other people’s opinion. We all have to decide for ourselves.
• Trust Google…it works

La Spezia & Cinque Terre

We arrived in La Spezia about 2:30 pm and we were all surprised at how big it is. I think we all though it was a small sleepy port village. It’s not, it has quite a large port, large enough to dock cruise ships! It has lots beautiful 5-6 story apartment buildings and I swear that people must be part mountain goat as there are stairs everywhere. This is going to test the legs even more.

Our apartment is another lovely one and though not as spacious as Florence it’s still very good. It’s in a great location being only ten minutes walk from the station and less than five to the main shopping/restaurant area. We tried to get into a restaurant that had really good reviews but they were fully booked. I asked the waitress if she could recommend another place and what she suggested was probably one of the best meals we’ve had in Italy.

We headed off about 9:00am the next morning for Rio Maggiore, the first town in the Cinque Terre National Park. It’s only a 15-minute train from La Spezia. When we got off the train we weren’t quite sure which way we should go so we kind of just followed the crowd until we found somewhere for breakfast.

Rio Maggiore

After breakfast we started following the crowd again but this time it was the wrong crowd and I think they may have been leading us to one of the hiking tracks. We decided to turn back and follow the other crowd and this is more of what we wanted to see. The view up the valley into the hills and also down to the sea were pretty good.

Manarola

Next stop was Manarola. This one was a little easier to navigate and we soon found our way down to the port. It is another bustling village filled with tourists and we only added to the chaos. It was meant to rain most of the day but so far there has been only a little sprinkling of rain and it’s not cold at all. From here we had the option to take a ferry but Rylan and I decided that we would walk from the next town, Corniglia, but the ferry didn’t take us there. The funny thing about these towns, is there is no major attraction at any of them. It’s just about strolling through the streets taking in the atmosphere of the towns and the scenery.

This is about 1/3 the way up the stairs

Next stop is Corniglia which is perched high up on the hill and is a killer to get to. The stairway just kept going up and up and up. I guessing there were about twenty flights of stairs but it felt like a a hundred! I thought it would never end. I have a feeling that I am going to have the sorest legs tomorrow and I’m not looking forward to that.

View from the top

We finally made it to the top and like the other towns we made our way to the main area. This is where we stopped for lunch. Corniglia seemed to be a bit more tourist focused with a lot more shops and cafes. We found a nice little outdoor restaurant in a lovely piazza.

From there, Rylan and I decided we would take the walking trail to the next town. Terry preferred to take the train so we decided to meet him at the other end. At the start Rylan and I both thought that Terry should have come because it looked like the track was going to be inland and not on the edge of a cliff.

That's Corniglia in the background (where we'v come from)

Then we hit the high stuff and some of it didn’t have railings and wasn’t very wide. It was safe though and you come across quite a few people coming from the opposite direction. All our walking and stair climbing must have paid off because I found the track OK. I wouldn't say it was easy but at each point where I thought I’d had enough of climbing up a steep track or climbing more stairs it seemed to level out and I would be fine again. The views were magnificent and again photos cannot do it justice, especially on a hazy day.

Vernazza from the trail

It took us about one and half hours to get to Vernazza and that was with stopping for photos or just taking in the view. I think the hardest bit was coming down into the next town. The uneven steps seemed to take for ever. We found Terry and it seems he had a nice time without us. When Rylan and I got there, we had a quick drink and look around and then decided to move on.

Terry and I decided to take the train to the last town, Monterosso. Rylan had decided to take the walking trail instead of the train and was going to make his own way back the apartment in La Spezia when he finished. It was supposed to take about two hours.

Monterosso beach

Monterosso is a beach side village that is right down on the water’s edge with a completely different feel to the others. When Terry and I got to there we decided we would head for the beach and get ourselves a drink. It was lovely just sitting in the beach enjoying the sun, especially when the forecast was for rain most of the day. We were sitting and relaxing and then got a message from Rylan asking where we were. He had made it to town in probably a little over an hour. Pretty good going. He said the climb out of the last town was pretty tough but it was OK from there. Oh, to be young and fit, although I’m pretty happy with my effort. We were going to catch the ferry back to get a different perspective on the towns but it was getting late and with the light fading so we opted for the train home.

Cinque Terre was all I expected it to be and it’s quite amazing the difference in the five towns that are geographically so close. We returned to La Spezia exhausted and hungry and found a little restaurant that was cheap and offered a small menu that changes almost daily based on what is available. The staff were lovely and the meal was delicious.

Tomorrow we are back to Rome to finish our trip.

Florence, Tuscany and PIsa

Today we made our way to Florence. We only have the afternoon to explore the city because we have a full day tour out to the Tuscan countryside and the mandatory Leaning Tower of Pisa.

We arrived about midday and luckily, they let us into our apartment to leave our bags there. This apartment is huge by comparison to all our other accommodation. It’s a two bedroom apartment with a spacious lounge and dining area as well as a separate kitchen…but wait there is more! We actually have two balconies.

We decide the best way to explore the city was to use the hop on hop off bus (a favourite of ours). This took us through the beautiful tree lines streets. There seems to b
e green spaces everywhere in Florence or maybe the buses only take you down the green streets.

We decided our first stop would be Michaelangelo Piazza which is high up on a hill overlooking the entire city. Its an amazing view and like all other famous tourist spots it’s teeming with tourists. Rylan and I hung near the edge and poor Terry hung admiring the view from a distance.

Next, we decided on was the small town of Fiesole which also perched very high on the hills that overlook Florence. Here there are Roman ruins and it is believed this is where Leonardo Da Vinci experimented with the idea of flight. We ended up spending quite a bit of time there wandering through the ruins and then through the museum that was also on site. 

By the time we finished there the day was almost over so we decided to find a place that our host suggested for dinner. It’s called Centrale Mercato and it is a huge food hall that is filled with dozens of food vendors selling delicious food. It was one of the places that you didn’t know where to look next because everything you look at looks so good. 

We ended up enjoying a night of great food, good wine and a bonus for the boys, there was a huge screen that had the soccer playing (Real Madrid and Barcleona).

We made it back to our apartment for a good night’s sleep in preparation for a long day trip to Tuscany hills and a visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The first stop was Sienna which is a beautiful Tuscan town that has an unusual centre square. The town is built into a valley and all streets eventually run to the piazza in the centre of the town which opens out to a large fan shaped square that is front of the large gothic styled town hall. Another unusual fact about this square is that they hold a racehorse around the square twice a year. When you see how tight it is you wonder how that could possibly hold a race. 

The paved area around the top of the square is covered with dirt for the race and all the spectators view from the centre area. The are 17 ward who all enter a ballot for a horse to race but only ten horses run each race so some wards miss out. The rivalry between the wards is quite intense at this time.

Further up the hill is an amazing gothic style cathedral of black and white marble that was built in the 13th century. It looks pretty good for it’s age. When you enter it is very dark with distinctive black and white marble walls and columns. 

The entire floor is covered with intricate panels of mosaic tiles. The artworks and statues are all amazing but I found it all quite oppressive, so we decided not to stay too long. 

We decided to make our way back to the square for a coffee.

Next was a visit to a farm in the Chianti region. This is a working winery, olive and dairy farm. The setting was beautiful and the area all around was lush and beautiful. After a quick tour of the winery and a visit to see the cows that Rylan loved (he loves all animals) we had lunch that was included in the tour out on a lovely deck that gave a view of the surrounding farm and the medieval town of San Gimagnano. Lunch was simple but delicious all made from local produce form either the farm or the area.

Back on the bus we headed for San Gimagnano. The is a beautiful old village that has retained it’s medieval charm. So much so that it has a museum for medieval torture which was like a train wreck that we had to look at even though we knew we would cringe at some of the things we saw. It’s unbelievable what they put people through if the thought they were a witch, or even it was perceived they were guilty of some wrong doing.

Things got a bit more positive after that as we made our way to the centre square. This is where you can purchase a champion gelato. The owner of the store was greeting everyone waiting in line. As he got to ask he asked where were from. When we told him near Melbourne, Australia he got very excited and asked “Do you know my friend Guy Grosso?”. We said of course we know him we were practically neighbours. I noticed when we were in the store there were quite a few photos of famous people who had visited his store.

After the gelato I took a quick walk around the town to see what else there to get a few photos.

Our next stop was Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. Before I got there I imagine that it was a tower standing all by itself. I was surprised to see a beautiful cathedral right beside. After we got a few tradition tower shots we sat around people watching until it was time to go.

It was a very long day by the time we got back to the apartment so we just got some pizzas on the way home.

Tomorrow we head for La Spezia so that we can visit the Cinque Terre. I’m really looking forward to that.

Venice

Sorry but is is a long post as I've got so behind with this blog I've decided to combine the three nights in Venice into the one post.

Arriving in Venice was just what we expected except the sun still wasn’t shining much to the disappointment of Rylan who is hoping to get some colour back on his skin after eight months in Scotland.

Our first challenge was to find our accommodation. Our host had given a map so we used that to find the apartment. I think we only took one wrong turn and we found the accommodation without too much problem. 

Our apartment is the ground floor apartment right on a canal and we frequently have gondolas and water taxis pass by which is quite a unique experience.

As could can imagine Venice is like a maze and there is no direct route to anything and it’s not even really logical to think that you can turn down the next street to get back on track because more than likely that the street will take you to a canal…with no bridge. Quite often you have to cross back and forth over canals to get to your destination.

Our first destination was the Rialto Bridge which is the most famous bridge in Venice. All the way the streets are packed we people and there are little shops all along the way. After what seemed like the longest time we turned a corner and there was the bridge, although it was almost invisible under the sea of people that were on it either crossing or stopping to take photos from it.  It’s a huge marble (as everything is in Italy) bridge that is divided into three sections. And is the main thoroughfare from the centre island to San Marco Square. We stopped for a drink on the Grand Canal and watching water buses, taxis and gondolas go by.

After our drink we started off again for this time looking for San Marco Square. It was pretty easy to find as there are quite a few signs directing you there. Still twisting and turning we arrived at a tunnel and as we walked through we enter a huge square and there was music playing and now we really have arrived in Venice.

As we entered the square we faced the museum and to our left is the stunning St Mark’s Basilica. It’s a huge church that is adorned with frescoes, columns and statues. The square is huge and it’s swarming with people. You just stand and the edge with your jaw dropping just a bit.

Since meeting up with Rylan everything seems to be about food so we had to find somewhere to have some lunch. After lunch we spent the rest of the day exploring the streets and canals. We go lost quite a few times but that was okay because while Google Maps is not 100% reliable when you get into the really narrow streets, it’s good enough to keep you fairly well on track.

We just keep wandering and marvelling at this city until quite late into the evening so it was late when we got back to the apartment. Our apartment is another that you access through a courtyard and although it is tighter than our one in Milan it’s position is quite good.

The next morning, we woke looking forward a trip to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. The first two I have heard about but not the third. It was a tour that lasted about 4 ½ hours. Once again we navigated our way through the maze and this time it seemed a lot easier. We found a a place to eat that was part of a large hotel and it was nice to find something that was a bit more like what we eat for breakfast at home. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before but the Italians are not big on breakfast.

The first island we visited was Murano which is famous for it’s beautiful blown glass. We watched a demonstration of glassblowing and the guy made is so easy. He was obviously and very skilled man and we were told he had been in training for 25 years. The first item he made was a vase and the second was a horse which I found more impressive. It took him about five minutes.

Next we had a little time to explore the island but not much though. We only had about 20 minutes so it really wasn't long enough. Like Venice it is a series of islands connected by canals.

Next stop was Burano which is famous for lace making. Burano is probably the most colourful town I’ve ever seen. It is very cheerful with its bright coloured houses. Everyone is painted in a bright bold colour and you can’t help but smile when you see them. You would think with the clash of all the colours it would look awful but somehow it works.

We only had forty minutes to explore this island and it’s really not long enough. From the dock you approach a square and you think there is not much there but as you round the corner there is a long wide street the is lined with shops that are mostly filled with textiles.

From this street you can see church tower which has a terrible lean. It seems that Italy is full of only structure that appear to be falling over. I’ve got to the point that I don’t seem to be able to take a straight photo. This photo of this tower is definitely the tower and me. 

Our next stop was Torcello. This island is very different to the others and apparently it was the first island that was settled on and Venice came later. 

There are not a lot of inhabitants on this island and the main attraction is the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta. Unfortunately we didn't make i that far. As we walked along the canal we came to a lovely stone bridge over the canal.

We decided to stop for lunch and chose a restaurant that had a beautiful setting and the food was delicious. We ran out of time to explore the island and toyed with the idea of staying longer and catching the water bus back instead of our tour but then decided against it. Rylan went back the next day and said it didn’t take very long so see the whole island so maybe it was a good idea. For anyone coming to Venice I wold advise against a tour as you don’t get enough time at each island. Rylan said catching the waterbus was really easy and you could spend as much time as you wanted.

When we got back to Venice we decided we would take the obligatory gondola ride. 

These are expensive but a fun and very relaxing thing to do. Our gondolier was lovely and he took us on a tour that lasted longer the 30 minutes we paid for. The skill of the gondoliers is amazing the way the navigate their way around the canal as some of them are pretty tight. Obviously they can’t see around corners and they don’t have a horn so they call out so that anyone coming from another direction knows that they are coming.

The next day Terry and I decided on a tour of St Mark Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Our guide was excellent telling the history of the church and it’s construction. The basilica is impressive from the outside with its beautiful frescoes depicting the history of the church. Inside it gets even better. The entire church is adorned with amazing mosaics with lots of gold that shimmers as you look up at each image. Like many churches you’re are not allowed to take photos.

After the basilica we were taken to the Doge’s Palace. This is the historical parliament building and it decorated with the most amazing artworks on every wall and ceiling. Our guide was obviously in his element in this building and I found out later that he is an art historian. You enter into a central courtyard and it is obvious by the styles the each wing was built in a different era as the style of the facade is quite different.

We were taken through the various rooms where people sat and waited before addressing parliament. Quite impressive waiting rooms. Finally, we entered that parliament hall where all 2000 parliamentarians would sit at once.

Prior to the 13 and 14 century a prison was created on the ground floor of the palace but they ran out of room and created a new prison across the canal. To connect the two, they built a covered bridge from the palace to the prison and in this is called the bridge of sighs. It’s called this as there is a small window where the prisoners would sigh as they got their last glimpse of the free world.

With the tour over we had also received a free ticket to the museum. Another impressive building filled with artifacts. If there is one thing the Italians do well, it’s history. This photo is probably my favourite bust/sculpture because the subjects are often sad, wistful or stern but they never seem to be happy like this one.

That’s about it for Venice. It’s an intriguing and fun place to visit, never really quite knowing where you are and ending up in areas that you have seen before. It’s definitely a place to visit if you are in Italy.