Revisiting the stunning destinations in Italy
October 7, 2021 – Back in Italy again after over ten years. It is hard to believe it has been that long. But then, we have traveled to many places since – Nepal, Vietnam and Cambodia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and Japan twice. Plus, visiting places in the US like Vermont, California, Oregon, Florida, Arizona and of course our own Washington state. And postponing the trip a year and a half due to covid. It was so great to find ourselves here again!
I am happy to say that we saw almost everything in Rome that we hoped to. The Villa Borghese was closed the Sunday we were there, but that’s the way it goes when your time is limited. We arrived late afternoon, so a walk through the cool neighborhood of Trastevere seemed in order. We ended up stopping for dinner at little family-owned place a bit out of the way and had the best pasta ever - so creamy and smoky. That with a pizza and local red wine topped off our reintroduction to this fascinating city and country. We walked over ten miles a day in Rome, taking the sightseeing bus once or twice to get to somewhere more easily. I found myself once again in awe of the scale and grandeur of Rome. The Pantheon is pretty impressive from the square, but once inside you see how stunning this place truly was and is, over all the centuries it has been there. Same with Piazza Navona, and the Roman Forum, Coliseum, the Capitoline Museum, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo and a hundred more.
Into Chianti country
Having a car was part of the package deal for this trip. While we didn’t use it in Rome, possibly the highlight of the trip for me was exploring so many small country roads connecting less well-known hilltop old towns and castles. There are so many of them, and the smaller ones are easily accessed and walkable without the crowds of people. I loved coming upon country hamlets where the little roads shrink to one lane as you maneuver between places built in a slower time. One must be always alert though, as I averted a head-on collision more than once.
We visited Florence twice, mostly because we got the date wrong, and the Uffizi Gallery was closed on Monday. I guess getting the days mixed up is another part of traveling, as the days blend together and one must be aware of holidays and closures. I did a sketch on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio medieval stone bridge (famous for its gold jewelry shops). We also climbed the 400 steps to the top of the Basilica of Santa Maria, with its views of all of Florence. Afterwards we drove to the old town in Siena, stopping on the way at Monteriggioni castle.
San Gimignano and Volterra were of course wonderful and amazing, as was the countryside in between. I bought some wild boar sausage in San Gimignano, but it was a little too heavy for my taste. Do they still hunt and serve wild boar?
We stayed in the countryside at a large older villa that seemed a bit lost in time or forgotten. At first it seemed empty of everyone including the owners, but eventually we realized it wasn’t haunted or abandoned, just quiet and off-season.
And finally to Venice
What can you say about Venice? It hardly seems real, like it was built in a dream. We stayed outside of the city and took the train in to the station, a very nice way to start the day. I love these old cities that were built for walking, with the narrow streets and the many bridges over the canals. Coming upon San Marco is a stunning experience. We marveled at the façade while in line, truly inspiring. Then inside it is again worthy of awe. It is hard to fathom the work involved in creating all the huge murals using tiny tiles – smaller than a half inch square. I’ve heard there are a billion tiles in it.
A boat trip to three islands in the surrounding Venetian Lagoon, including the glassblowing town of Murano, was interesting and offered great views of the area. Our last evening there we wandered through the neighborhoods south of the Grand Canal, hoping to stumble upon a tucked away restaurant for our last dinner in Italy as we slowly made our way back to Santa Lucia train station. We found one that had a menu full of seafood, so we had some amazing shellfish, pasta, and a local chilled Cabernet Sauvignon. Mission accomplished! It also happened to be on my birthday.
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