Trip to Venice

Next up on our Italian trip was Venice.  After boarding the super fast 2 hour train from Florence we managed to navigate the water taxi system and enjoyed a 45 minute cruise down the Grand Canal to our hotel by St. Marks.  

Each of the cities we visited were unique but there is just something about Venice with all the canals, gondolas and tight buildings that make it a bit more magical to me.  

For the afternoon we toured Doge Palace where once again we were made aware that the museums in Italy are more ornate than anywhere else I have seen.  

A gondola ride was up next before dinner.  It was romantic and beautiful to see the city floating down the canals.  People would stop at the bridges above and wave. 

The next morning we went to Campanile Bell tower to take the ride to the top for a city view.  

After receiving a tip on how to skip the line at St. Marks Basilica we got right in and were again taken back by the beauty and enormity of the church. 

  There was a nice museum on the second floor and a terrace to look out on the square.  For the afternoon we stopped at the Rialto Bridge Market area to buy some Mureno jewelry.  With another great meal eaten we visited about every church we came across, and there are lots of churches. 

Walking around the city at night with the canals light by the lights of the homes was beautiful and tasty with warm Neutella crepes.  Another small city so it was easy to get around as long as you had a good map as some of the paths would lead to dead ends. 

Blood red orange juice from Sicily was everywhere and fantastic

On our last day in Venice we took a tour of a Mureno glass factory, enjoyed the live music on the square of St. Marks, ate one last caprese salad and 3 scoops of gelato before catching the airport water taxi.   

Super narrow paths

Venice was unique not just for the architecture but it had different types of shopping, the restaurants menus would be in multiple languages often including Mandarin, the prices were higher for basic goods, more signs were in Italian and there was less English and we saw more families with strollers attempting the steps than in the previous cities.  Having a few days without cars on the island was pleasant and getting lost in the narrow pathways was actually fun.    

Venice Opera House

It was a lovely trip to Italy and I am glad Mark and I were able to take this time together.  Having kids along for all the museums and walking would have been too much for them and us.  Italy was different than I expected, more beautiful, less modernized in certain aspects and had a few quirks here and there to remind you that you are not in America or South Africa any more.  I hope someday we can get back when the kids are older for them to see the amazing sights and a trip to the south coast is on the list.  

Trip to Florence

The Duomo

After Rome our next stop in Italy was Florence.  I was amazed by how easy it was to navigate the train system and in 1.5 hours we were in Tuscany.  A more compact city we ventured out to climb Giotto’s Bell tower though the line had a 2 hour wait so we skipped it and stopped by the San Lorenzo Market.  I am not sure how much leather one person needs, but Mark and I did our best to stock up on the locally produced handbags, wallets, and belts.  The smell of genuine leather gets me every time.  

The Duomo Cathedral was beautiful, but I liked the outside 

even more with all the beautiful marble colors. 

Pitti Palace

Pitti Palace Gardens

Next we went across the Ponte Vecchio bridge to Bardini Gardens and the Pitti Palace.  I was told there was a great view of Florence from the Gardens and I can agree.  That evening we ate in the Oltrarno area and started to get a bit better with our Italian ordering. 

After wandering through the gardens we strolled through the Ponte Vecchio bridge to do some window shopping and enjoy the view.  

The Ponte Vecchio bridge reminded me of the gold souks in Dubai 

as the entire bridge was lined with jewelry shops.  

The next morning we took a tour of Accademia to see the art and I was glad David was visible from all sides and not backed up against a wall.

One of several works Michelangelo did not get to finish.

Next we did a walking tour of the city and though we enjoyed spring weather so far on our trip the temperatures dipped that day and it was quite chilly.

The Mayor's office is on the right and in front is a copy of the status of David where the original was once on display but then moved inside due to the weather.

On our last evening we delighted in some authentic Italian pizza.

Orsanmichele Church

On our last morning in Florence we enjoyed a morning walk as you could cover the city center quite easily.  Florence was much cleaner than Rome and the shopping was outstanding.  The street our hotel was on was lined with high end designer shops.  Not as many locals spoke English in Florence but we managed to find our way around.  Next up was Venice.  

Trip to Rome

There were several public holidays that fell around Easter this year so it was a perfect time to take a vacation for Mark and not miss much work.  Originally we were going to do a family trip but then I asked my mom if Mark and I would pay for her flight over from America would she consider staying long enough to feel comfortable if we went on a couple’s trip and she watched the kids.  We were thrilled she said yes as this opened up the possibilities of where to go.

I don’t think there is a place Mark and I don’t want to visit but there are some more easily done without kids so we looked at the weather, travel time, time zone changes, and came up with Italy.  We had 10 total days to spend and planned to visit Rome, Florence and Venice. 

Our first stop was Rome.  We arrived in the afternoon, made our way through the most insane customs cattle line I have ever seen, and that evening we went on a four hour food tour.  

Fiori Piazza boasted a lively nightlife

Starting in the Jewish Ghetto and making our way through the central part of Rome we stopped at 6 restaurants tasting all sorts of delectable dishes and gaining insight on Rome from our guide.  The restaurant Nonna Betta served the best fried artichokes and Anthony Bourdain agrees.  

  The best pieces of information we learned was how to pick restaurants and gelato shops.  He advised to never eat at a restaurant that lured people in with a waiter outside, that provided free wifi and had pictures of the dishes on the menu.  For gelato he said if the colors of the gelato don’t occur naturally then it is not real artisan gelato.  Look for muted colors and pistachio should almost be brown.  With these suggestions we ate very well on our trip, sometimes going into places and walking right back out or venturing on a 45 minute quest for the perfect place, but our taste buds were happy.

On our first full day we took a 4 hour tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.  I am thankful we did an organized tour as we learned way more than I could have soaked up from a book.  We added on the 3^rd floor and the underground tour which provided amazing viewpoints of an epic time in history.

Underneath the main floor which
 has deteriorated away were tunnels where the
animals and fighters were kept. 

How the Colosseum originally looked with a retractable roof. 

The ground floor as you walk into the Colosseum.  The main floor has deteriorated but they built a small remake of it so you can get an idea of the magnitude of the place. 

Looking down from the 3rd floor, the center floor would have been fully covered with trap doors letting up the fighters and animals. 

In the underground area they have made a replica of the pulley system used to bring up animals into the ring to fight. It was amazing to me that the entire floor of the Colosseum was done using stone in a herringbone pattern. 

 

After viewing the Colosseum we toured the Roman Forum and saw the Circus Maximus. 

That afternoon we did a little shopping, surprised that the prices were actually very reasonable and enjoyed the tourist packed Trevi Fountain. 

 My favorite meal during our trip was this evening at a mom and pop restaurant where I enjoyed a seafood linguine.  I also have a new love of sparkling water which the country seems to enjoy more of than still water.

During our first day we learned that Italy mostly works on a cash system, though it was tough to find an ATM in Rome.  There are water fountains everywhere that you can fill up a bottle at or plug up and drink out of regularly.  Everyone we encountered spoke English but most people we encountered were tourists actually.  We easily walked to most venues, taking taxis which were quite cheap when necessary.

For our second day we set out early to tour the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica.  Again an organized tour was the way to go, we got in early before the crowds, learned an amazing amount of info and enjoyed the company of three other couples.  I really don’t have words to describe the Vatican.  Every inch of the place was covered in art, including the tops of the windows.  

It was unlike any other museum which hangs pictures on the walls, here even the walls, ceilings and floors were adorned with art.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel but it was surreal to stand inside and admire Michelangelo’s work. 

From paintings to tapestry and sculptures there was more than your eyes could even take in.   The beautiful ceilings were my favorite and every hall seemed to be better than the one before. 

The Vatican and St. Peters Basilica were packed, probably since it was Easter week so everyone was touching everyone, though people moved gracefully and no one seemed to mind.  I did not care for the countless curio shops inside the Vatican that would be mixed in with the beautiful artwork.  I would be looking at a painting then there would be postcards and calendars for sale when I turned my head.  I was surprised at the size of St. Peters and since it is the year of the Jubilee we were able to enter through a special door.  While hundreds of people walked around the Basilica there was actually a mass going on in one corner of the building. 

The Pope no longer lives in the Vatican but a home within the city walls.
His office is the second from the right of the darker tan building on top with the door open so it has a black background. 

After our tour we crossed the Tigris River and enjoyed a lunch at a very local restaurant as even the menu did not include English (most menus have English and Italian) but the helpful owner just ordered what he thought we would like.  He was spot on and it was nice to be only among the locals.  

All of the walking was tough on my pregnant body so we would rest for a bit every afternoon to ease my back.  But not for long as there was too much to see. 

Inside the Pantheon, the dome of inspiration for St. Peters

Pantheon

We visited the Pantheon, Emmanuel Monument to see the city from high up, ate more gelato, and saw too many Piazzas to count. 

Rome's version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers like in the US

Colosseum in the back

Vatican in the back left. 

Another beautiful Piazza

 We stopped for dinner at one of the restaurants we visited on our food tour and strolled back to our hotel in the sky lit city for our last night.  

Victor Emmanuel Monument

One interesting aspect about Rome is that there are ancient ruins everywhere.
We would be walking down a street and stumble upon these magnificent relics.

Up next, our trip to Florence.