Venice, Italy

I decided to spend a few hours wandering around Venice while en route to Austria. Having visited many years ago, I wanted to see both the main and off-the-beaten paths of this canal city.

Venice certainly has its magic, with its ubiquitous gondolas, canals, bridges and churches. I particularly enjoyed wandering along the alleys and the smaller canals. However, I am getting tired of visiting touristy areas, as it is quite annoying to have to “fight” with people for a view. It is difficult to truly enjoy a view when there are tons of people yapping and shouting. I believe that a place loses its character and charm when too many tourists swarm the area.

Rome, Italy

Rome, the “eternal city” was originally not on my itinerary. I had visited with my family 13 years ago for 1 day and had remembered it being chaotic and polluted. However, that visit was so long ago that I had forgotten the city’s ambience. Plus, having thrown a coin into the Trevi Fountain then, I was ready to come back!

I found Rome to be surprisingly pleasant. Yes, there are those crazy drivers and hordes of tourists (almost half of the people walking around were), but there are pockets where you can savor alone. For example, plenty of churches can be enjoyed without the maddening crowds. Plus, many parks and hills are available for one to enjoy views and calmness.

Rome is the probably the quintessential “open-air museum”. History in the form of churches, monuments, obelisks and ruins abound in every corner. The must-sees, including the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum (which is the “zoo” of all “zoos”), Palantine, Forum, Spanish Steps, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, can be enjoyed relatively crowd-free in the early morning. I found it fascinating that ruins and structures from thousands of years ago could stand right in the heart of the city.

One part of Rome that I personally did not enjoy was walking along the Via Appia Antica, a 2,000-year-old road leading out of the city that is surrounded by catacombs, churches, ruins and villas. This is the road of “all roads lead to Rome”. My disappointment stems from the fact that most of the sites were shielded from the road by walls. Furthermore, the road was so narrow that sometimes, cars whizzed by a few inches from me. I felt like I was fighting for my life the entire trek!

For me though, the positives in Rome far outweigh its negatives. I will definitely be back and spend at least one week for my next visit. Three days was not enough!

Florence and Tuscany, Italy

Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and as such, half of the city were tourists. Most of these tourists were from the U.S. I have never seen so many American tourists outside of the U.S.! I guess they all head to Italy since some of them perceive the French as being unwelcoming.

While it was nice to be surrounded by Medieval and Renaissance buildings, at times it was overwhelming to be swarmed with tourists. Highlights include Pont Vecchio, the only Renaissance-style bridge remaining; the Duomo, the green, pink and white marbled structure with frescoes; Palazzo Vecchio, with its replica of Michaelangelo’s David and tall tower and the Uffizi Gallery, with its vast collection of art throughout the centuries.

I also visited the Tuscan hill towns of Siena and San Gimignano and understand why so many Americans are in Italy. Italian food and the Tuscan landscape are promoted and idealized in the U.S. The hills and vineyards of the region were indeed stunning. Add city walls, churches, Medieval buildings and you’ve got a fairytale setting!

One food that I discovered and now love is focaccia. This crunchy bread, sprinkled with salt

and topped with olive oil, is simply the best! Just like I had to have my daily baguette and pain au chocolat in France, I have to have a focaccia and gelato everyday in Italy.

Verona and Mantova, Italy

I hadn’t visited Italy in 13 years (except for a brief stop in Cinque Terre a few years ago) and was excited to revisit the tourist sites , sample the food and live la dolce vita. My first stop was in Verona, a city in the north central part.

I had envisioned Verona to be part of the crowded, chaotic Italy I had in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by the relative calmness of this city. Verona is the scene of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Juliet’s house, site of the famous balcony scene was of course swarmed with tourists. I did not come to Verona to see Juliet’s house; rather, I came to wander the streets of this charming, historic city. The architecture was the typical pastel-colored buildings (yellow, red, orange with green shutters and brown roofs). Most of the churches and palazzos (palaces) were from the Renaissance era, made with brown bricks. These edifices also frequently contain courtyards.

Verona also has two Roman era structures, an arena and an amphitheatre, both of which house performances during the summer. One particular highlight was crossing the bridge to the other side of the river, climbing up to the Castel San Pietro and admiring the views of Verona from above.

Mantova, on the other hand, is a UNESCO world heritage town surrounded by three small lakes. It too, has plenty of Renaissance era churches and palaces that make for a pleasant stroll around town.

Now, for the ultimate highlight--what did I eat? My mission was to eat my way around Italy in order to gain knowledge as to what constitutes Italian food (I am often confused at its authenticity when I eat Italian food in the U.S.). The first item I savored was tiramisu gelato, which literally translates to ice cream but is creamier than American ice cream.

Then I went for an apertivo (pre-dinner drink). Unlike Spain, where one often has to buy tapas in addition to the drink, in Italy, some places have free buffets if one buys a drink. The buffet I ate had finger sandwiches (with salami and prosciutto), finger pieces of pizza, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, potatoes, puff pastries, cantelope, and strawberries.
To top off my great visit, I also ate a pizza Napolitana. Pizza in Italy is always thin-crusted, which is the style that I prefer. Unlike the U.S. pizzas, the one I ate did not have as much cheese on it.