Travel Diary: Rome, the Vatican, and Southern Italy

Ready for more experiences in Italy?

From my last post about the north, you can probably discern that I very much enjoyed my time in that area. And now, I'll take you down to the central area with Rome and the Vatican, then further south to the coastal cities.

Andiamo! 

Vatican City

Duration of stay: 4 hours

This was my second time visiting this tiny country, and I was able explore more of the museums this time. When I had preciously come through here, we went through the main part of the city, the Sistine Chapel, and came out the other side of St. Peter's Basilica. This time, my group was escorted through the museums by a very informative guide before we moved on to the Basilica. There were also far less crowds this time.

One of the interesting aspects of Vatican City is that it is a Catholic province but there is artwork, mostly in sculptures and mosaics, of Greek and Roman mythological figures. It's extremely common to find symbols of Romulus and Remus with the She-Wolf who raised them, but finding statues of Jupiter and Diana in a place dedicated to the Catholic faith has always made me scratch my head. 

Ta-da! I'm on a tapestry!

Regardless, the art here, whether based in mythology or the Bible, is unlike anything you will ever see in your life. You will see the infamous Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo, which you are forbidden to take pictures of, incredible tapestries, and intricate maps that were painted back in the Renaissance era. It's all quite breathtaking!

Now St. Peter's Basilica is technically outside of the Vatican, but is still just as incredible to visit. You can also pay to go to the top of the dome, which is cheaper to go up the 300 steps, or you can pay extra to take the lift for the first part, then go up the next 200 steps to the very top where you can view all of Rome! My travel buddy and I opted for the lift but were still completely wiped after going up those extra stairs to the top. By the time we had reached St. Peter's Square, we were done for the day and just went back to our hotel for the rest of the afternoon. Those stairs are the real deal!

Panoramic shot from the top of the Dome. This may be the only instance of getting an entire country in one picture!

Whether you are Catholic or not, going through the Vatican is worth it for the Sistine Chapel alone. And if you're going to try to reach the top of the Basilica, do it at the end of the day so that you can take the rest of the evening off. Even if you're at peak physical shape, that ascent is no joke.

Pompeii

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

You may have heard of this city before, as it's one of the most famous cities ever buried by a volcano, but its notoriety comes from the fact that under the volcanic ash that buried this area, the city itself was almost perfectly preserved. Many of these ruins have been lost to time, but walls, pillars, roads, mosaics, and a few structures are still intact. 

To see how much of this ancient city has been uncovered and opened a rare door into history is incredible. But then you come across the plaster casts of people in their final moments, the devastation of these citizens' final moments becomes very real and extremely eerie. I chose not to snap any pictures of these casts because I personally felt like it would be disrespectful. I don't hold it against anyone who did take any pictures, as it is still a rare experience to come by wherever you go, but I for one didn't feel okay doing that.

Watch out for the streets, for they weren't meant for walking, they were meant for sewage runoff back in the day (GROSS!). You can also find phalluses all over the place, which were intended to direct the people to the closest brothels. Crazily enough, some of the artwork inside these brothels displayed the, ahem, "services" that these prostitutes could offer, and anyone who wanted to engage them simply needed to point at the picture of what they wanted to pay for. Paintings were used because not everyone spoke the local languages and pointing to the pictures made communication clear!

Oh my!

Outside of the city, there's a market that sells souvenirs, many of which celebrate ancient Pompeii's focus on prostitution (if you catch my drift). There are also some jewelers here who make pieces from the lava rocks dug up in the area, making for cool pieces to wear!

Absolutely incredible that these mosaics are still in this good of condition after surviving one of the worst natural disasters recorded!

If you're a fan of archaeology or history, this is definitely the place for you to visit. If you have a slightly immature sense of humor and just want to find the hidden men's parts all over the place, this may also be the place for you.

Naples

Duration of stay: overnight

If you're looking for an affordable city to visit in Italy, Naples, or Napoli, will be one of the first cities recommended to you. Many of the cities we had visited up to this point had appeared on the more affluent side, but Naples is not. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted mostly for its focus on the arts and architecture. 

Naples is also the birthplace of pizza, so you will find pizza places everywhere around here. There are also dozens of theaters and uniquely designed duomos. One thing that stood out to me personally was that the people here truly love their city, but pedestrians do not have the right of way when crossing the street.

Our group rushed through here, so we didn't have much of a chance to experience the city. Once our tour ended, nearly everyone wanted to return to the hotel. Several areas we passed through felt a bit ghetto, and there were piles of trash everywhere. The pizza was immaculate, and the restaurant that provided dessert for us had some of the nicest servers we encountered, but overall, the city was just okay. More time there, particularly in the daytime, would likely have improved my opinion.

Still, there are many travelers who highly recommend this city and make the effort to stay there when going through Italy. If it's this endorsed, then there must be some magic here that I wasn't able to experience in my brief stay. Once again, it's one I'll have to pass through again.

Capri

Duration of stay: 6 hours

WOW.

Just...wow! Our first taste of this isle was in a cruise going around this island, and it was incredible! Not only is there incredible scenery all along the coast, but you can also enjoy a visit to the Blue Grotto, a cave with natural luminescence when the sun shines through (amazing acoustics too!). Best €14 I spent on the whole trip! We also stopped twice for swimming in the Mediterranean, which is something I would recommend over the beaches since those are usually overcrowded. 

Back on the shore, the city is tiered on the hills, but there aren't any stairs between the tiers (GASP!), but they have a tram that will take passengers up the city center level for a small fee. The views from the city center are exquisite, but with the lowest level of the city made mostly for ferries and boat taxis, the majority of the tourists were in the center, making pedestrian traffic a bit congested. 

There are extremely fancy restaurants and shops here, so the prices here are a bit higher. However, the food quality, regardless of if it's a sandwich shop or sit-down ristorante, is extremely flavorful and delicious. In fact, one of the best gelato shops I went to was here in Capri!

Even with the cruise, I felt that 6 hours is probably a good amount of time to spend here. The island is small and well worth the day trip, but unless you are going to spend time hiking here, the tourist areas can be explored within a few hours. I definitely want to hike those hills someday!

Positano

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

One of the many gorgeous cities on the Amalfi Coast, Positano is an extremely picturesque city that you will frequently see on travel sites and Instagram. Like most of the cities on this coast, Positano is built into the side of the coastal mountain range, and therefore has many stairs. Its main draw for tourists is its immaculate beaches.

I split off from my group in this city because the lovely people I was with opted to do more swimming, but I was already dry and wanted to explore. I wound up going upwards into the higher tiers of the city where there were fewer crowds and incredible views. Unfortunately, the higher you go, the fewer sidewalks there are, and the streets up there are narrow.

Regardless, like the other beach cities we'd been through, there were only readily accessible shops and nice restaurants. The beach is the main draw, and while it provides an amazing view, there isn't much to do here. There are some hikes nearby, particularly the Path of the Gods, but if you're here for swimming and shopping, then this is the place for you. I enjoyed this city, and it's worth spending a few hours in.

Vietri Sul Mar

Duration of stay: 2 days

Further south along the Amalfi Coast, our group basically stayed here for the hotel. We stayed at a lovely lodging that was directly on the cliff, providing amazing views of the sea and parts of Salerno to the south. Overall, we didn't spend much time here.

We had dinner at one of the local restaurants the first night, which offered lovely food, then went on to Amalfi, and eventually to a winery and villa near Salerno for some fine dining the second night. The roads here are even more winding than in Portovenere, so much so that we were all encouraged to wear our seatbelts! And even to reach our bus, which was too large to make it down to the hotel, we had to ascend several streets, with at least one or two sets of steep stairs to climb too. It made for a good workout, especially after eating so well!

It wasn't until we were leaving that we were led through the main part of the city on one of the higher tiers, and it had a lot of character to it! There were mosaics depicting daily life all over the place, and some of animals, particularly chickens and roosters. This added a unique aspect to this coastal city, but sadly we could only pass through. It definitely seemed worth coming back to for further exploration!

Amalfi

Duration of stay: 6 hours

Oh yes, you've seen pictures of Amalfi. 

It is amazingly beautiful here. It is similar to Positano in that its main focus is on swimming. The beaches here are immaculate, but like all the beaches along the Amalfi coast, there's a beach where you can swim for free, or you can reserve a space for yourself or a group, though you will be charged €25 per person, no matter if your group is staying in one section.

Another boob fountain!

What makes Amalfi different though is the architecture. Positano's look has the classic Italian design, whereas Amalfi has a distinct influence from Northern Africa, giving it a more unique look. The local duomo was different from others I'd seen in the north because they weren't made from marble, but it had beautiful incredible artwork painted on the outside. The first sight was breathtaking!

Amalfi also features lemon farms, and our group was led on a tour of one such farm. The aroma of lemons was refreshing, and not in that American cleanser way. And the lemonade, limoncello, and lemon cakes they served were all sumptuous. Lemons are one of Italy's top exports, but here in Amalfi, they taste the best. Don't visit this city without trying at least one lemon-based dish or drink!

Now for the unexpected adventure: another hike. I had planned on joining some of the girls in my group for shopping, but then another guy in my group found a hiking trail to explore, so I joined him instead. We traversed the Via Paradisio trail and were able to view gorgeous waterfalls, and pass by the ruins of old water processing buildings. That was definitely a unique experience, and well worth checking out!

I enjoyed Amalfi, more for the hike than anything else, but after rejoining my friends in my group they expressed that most of their time was spent in the shops, which wasn't much to go on. After having spent time through Cinque Terra and Positano, another beach city starts to look like any other one. It's still worth visiting for a few hours. Now if you are here for the hiking, there are several other trails around that highly rated, and I would say check out at least one of them!

Also, the Amalfi coast does have several other cities worth visiting, though we weren't able to stop at any of them. But, if you can, try to catch a ferry or local cruise that goes up and down the coast at nighttime with a bottle of wine or prosecco. Seeing these cities alight and reflecting off the Mediterranean is a lovely experience, and a little romantic, depending on your company!

Roma

Duration of stay: 5 non-sequential days

Everything began and ended here.

I chose to save the Eternal City for the end since we came here three separate times: to kick off the tour, coming in halfway through to sadly lose some of our trip family, while gaining new family, and then ending before a good number of our group moved on to Sicily. I have been to Rome before and was heavily jetlagged then to the point that I wasn't cognizant enough to fully enjoy the experience. It was refreshing to be here in a fully awake state!

So, what's there to be said about this city that all roads lead to?

To start, it's the height of ancient civilization, and perfectly blended with modern industrialism. And there's graffiti everywhere.

If you're a history buff, you'll probably be right in your element here. The main city is filled with structures and sculptures dating back thousands of years, and some of the more modern buildings have ruins that have been excavated below their foundations and allow for tours. Some don't even require tours, like the ruins below the Termini. 

There are smaller museums open for exploration, and large churches everywhere that are free for pilgrimage or just for admiration. There's free water from fountains scattered throughout the old and modern parts of the city, and there's elegantly sculpted decorative fountains that don't have drinkable water, but still add culture wherever you encounter them. And there is amazing food on every corner! The further you are from the city center, the better the food is in both quality and cost. 

Now being one of the most popular and historically significant cities on the planet, you will absolutely encounter traffic everywhere. There are crowds and long lines, but the bustle is also part of the charm. With so many people across the globe in this one major city as you, you find that there are so many different ways to encounter Rome. You and someone from another country could be looking at the Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps and have completely different experiences. Someone could look at the streets and be overcome by the architecture, while another would be excited by the shops, and yet another could be trying to imagine the various events that happened in the very same place.

That's amore!

Rome is also considered one of the most romantic cities in the world, and, well, I can't really see it with my own eyes as to why, though my experiences would say otherwise. In my post about my best travel stories, I mentioned a young man I kissed in Paris, and he and had I met in Rome. This time, I wasn't even IN the city for 2 hours when I was approached by another young man who had never been to Rome before and stuck with me for a few hours as we explored! He and I did try to meet up again, but we weren't able to, which was fine by me. So, I don't know if it truly is this city or what, but while I haven't felt the romantic part of Rome, it's certainly demonstrated that just about anything can happen in that department!

Italian modern art

Overall, this is definitely a city that is worth visiting at least once in your life. The history, the food, and landscape, it's all incredibly unique. There are fewer places in the world with so much culture and history and being able to delve into it all is a one-of-a-kind type of travel. Put it on your to-do list!

And these were the cities!

So, what about the rest of the country? What are some foods to try, and are there other drinks than wine out there? How can I avoid possible trouble? Is Uber available?

Well, I'll go over some details about Italy that would be best to know if you're planning to go, especially if you'll be going solo. Keep an eye out, because good things are coming, and there may be a delay in posting this upcoming blog. But it's coming!

Ciao

All images were taken by me or by using my device and not to be used without permission. Gifs courtesy of Giphy.

Travel Diary: Northern Italy!

Ciao, friends!

I know this post was supposed to be about the Redding Waterfall Loop, but I wound up booking a trip to Italy, and that's what this blog is really about: travels! Part 2 of the Loop will still be coming, but it'll be pre-empted by several posts about Italy.

I was lucky enough to book a trip through Contiki to go throughout the country of Italy on the "Simply Italy" tour and traveled with some wonderful people and an awesome tour guide. Though I went all throughout Italy, this post will focus on the cities visited in the northern region. Rome and the southern areas will be featured in the next post. 

Before we continue, Italy's Covid travel status has been fluctuating for the last few months. It has gone from being safe for vaccinated travelers to requiring any non-EU travelers to present a negative Covid test 48-72 hours before entering or leaving the country. If you are planning to visit Italy, please be advised that this can change at a moment's notice, as these regulations changed DAYS before I was scheduled to leave. Be prepared to make and adapt to any last-minute changes that may be enacted before making it to the airport.

Also, Italy is requiring all EU residents to show proof of vaccination with the "green pass." If you are not an EU-resident just visiting the country, your vaccination card, plus an ID (usually your passport), is required to visit many attractions and historical sites. Your physical vaccination card, or a digital QR code that can be scanned, will do fine, as many of these attractions and sites have switched to scanners for physical, downloaded, or app-purchased tickets.

Siena

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

This entire city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is very much deserving of the honor! The main city is still very much intact with its historic roots, with the buildings retaining the look of the last hundred or so, with little, but just enough, modernity. One of the things I noted about this city is that to enter, the streets incline upwards, and then dip downward into the city center.

During my brief visit to this city, I came across the "Terra Mater," a series of sculptures by Andrea Roggi. Some of these were spheres alone, while others were spheres with two figures kissing while tree branches sprouted from their bodies. It was a fun little side quest to do while exploring the city streets.

Like many Italian cities, the city features a duomo, or a cathedral. Most Italian duomos are magnificent pieces of architecture that aren't to be missed. Siena also featured several shops promoting truffle-based foods. Truffles are popular in this region, and the products they produce generally come in the form of spreads and oils. I participated in a tasting of the spreads and took home a jar of a parmesan and cream truffle spread. 

Spending only a few hours here didn't seem like enough time, so I would recommend staying at least 4 hours when passing through.

Firenze

Duration of stay: 2 days

Better identified as Florence, this city is best known for its art and museums. There is definitely an air of sophistication here, and with fewer tourists here than last time, I felt less of a drive to rush from one place to another. 

This city is best known for its duomo than any other city in Italy and is also the home of Michelangelo's famous David sculpture. Now there are 3 Davids in Florence: a bronze statue at the Piazzale Michelangelo, a replica outside the Piazza della Signoria, and the original in the Accademia Galleria. You can also find statues of gods, artists, writers, and philosophers all over place.

Here's one of the statues, this one of Perseus by Cellini

If museums are what you're looking for, there are 72 to choose from! The most popular is the Uffizi Gallery, which has so much art on its walls that you can turn around in the main hallway and see pieces that you hadn't realized were there the first time you looked. The Accademia is a smaller venue, so you probably won't take more than 30 minutes there, and is definitely worth checking out if you want to visit more than one museum.

Besides the duomo and museums, there is also a bronze boar statue worth checking out, and if you rub his nose, it's said you will return to Florence again (I took a picture with him last time, so apparently it works!). And there's the Ponte Vecchio, the one bridge in Florence that wasn't destroyed during WWII, now home to many jewelry shops. There are some amazing views of the Arno River from this bridge. 

The dinosaurs, Heihei (L) and Wash (R) were added by me. You can follow their adventures on IG with #theadventuresofwashandheihei

Florence is also in the Tuscan region, so you can arrange for wine tours from the city. This also means that when ordering wine from restaurants, you're likely being served a house wine from Tuscany. And if you're looking for night life, there's some fun karaoke venues!

I visited Florence the last time I visited Italy in 2019, and I wasn't too impressed with it that time. A second visit raised my appreciation for how apparent the love of art is here. 

Tuscany

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

This was also my second visit to Tuscany. On this trip, we dined at a beautiful venue where we were given a demonstration on how to cook risotto. The wine was immaculate here, and the views were spectacular! While not a wine tour, dining at one of the vineyards or family-owned restaurants are worth every penny. 

Make sure to check reviews of the wineries and restaurants, as they tend to be a little pricey, though worth every penny. If you can afford to go to more than once, do it!

Pisa

Duration of stay: 1 hour

Many travelers have been to Pisa and were disappointed because they had higher expectations, but honestly, Pisa is a venue worth passing through. If you're expecting to spend an afternoon here, it's not worth it. Spending just an hour will do.

Nothing to it!

You will undoubtedly want to do a picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa (c'mon, everyone's gotta do it!), but after that, there's little else to do here. There are some shops, a street market, and a few places to grab a quick bite, but there's little else to do here. Drop by, do your Instagram pics, and continue on your way.

Lucca

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

Yet another city we merely passed through, but what a delight! We entered the old city, still walled off from the Renaissance, and explored the streets and shops. One of the things I noticed about this city was that there were more men's clothing shops than I'd seen in any other city we'd been to thus far. 

My favorite picture that I took in this city!

Most Italian cities I ventured through had many winding streets, but this city had the some of the most confusing streets. I had to keep my phone on hand with Google Maps open to navigate the place. However, my travel buddy and I did find the best pizza shop I experienced in the whole of the county, a lovely pizzeria called Pizzeria da Felice. As delicious as it was, one slice was equal to half of what constitutes as a medium pizza in the States, and I ordered two slices! Lord save me, I ate the whole thing though, and it was delicious!

The city also had an outdoor art exhibit going on called Lucca Biennale: LuBi Off, featuring art made of paper products. The artists came from all across the world and used various methods and types of paper to create unique sculptures. I only came across two of the featured works, but they were certainly impressive. 

This is another city I would have wanted to spend more time in. It may be a small city, but I loved the atmosphere here. If you have a few hours to spare, they would be well spent here.

Portovenere

Duration of stay: 2 days

A small city just outside of La Spezia, it can be reached with supremely winding and narrow roads. It is a quaint little town with friendly residents, and it's right on the seashore so you have direct access to the docks if you have a boat, and you can see the cruise ships making berth on the other side of the bay. 

This town just so happened to have a street fair going on at the same time of our visit. There were a few food trucks and vendors to check out, and a few bars open, though only one stayed open past 9:00 pm. Other than that, there wasn't much to do unless you go to La Spezia, which has train access to the Italian Riviera, and further north through to Monaco and France. The locals though, they knew how to have a good time!

This is probably the only instance of having safe fun with giant knives!

It's a nice place to stay for a quieter retreat, but beware the roads getting there!

Cinque Terra

Duration of stay: 8 hours

Cinque Terra is comprised of 5 cities:

Monterosso

Vernazza

Corniglia

Manarola

And Riomaggiore

These five seaside cities are considered some of the most beautiful in the country and provide the most exquisite views of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the cities being connected by rail, you can hire charter boats or take cruises to jump between the cities, or you can reach the cities by interconnected trails. Right now, the trails between Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are inaccessible due to mudslides, but the trails connecting Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia are intact. 

These cities are not only on some of the most incredible hikes in the world, they also feature picturesque beaches, sublime wines, and sumptuous seafood. If you opt to do the hikes, you'll not only work up a healthy appetite between destinations, but you'll work it off too! Oddly, these hikes featured lots of stairs, so if a good lower body workout is what you're looking for, put on a good pair of pants or shorts and workout shoes and head out on those trails!

Honestly, the views are what made this part of my trip my favorite. Being able to see the coastline from a higher altitude than the cities themselves, and even seeing them from afar, just made the entire experience all the more enchanting. This is truly a place that needs to be experienced by every individual traveler. Whether you're here for the swimming, cruises, shopping, or even just finding an isolated area with a magnificent view and curling up with a book, these cities will provide something just right for your perfect vacation or traveling experience.

Lake Como and Bellagio

Duration of stay: 4 hours

We took a lake cruise around before landing in Bellagio. Lake Como is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, bordering both Italy and Switzerland. Two noted movies were shot at one of the houses on the shore: Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. George Clooney also has a house on the lake. Once you step on the shore and look at the scenery, you'll understand why it's earned its reputation. 

No sand here!

On a standard map, the lake itself is shaped like an upside-down Y, and Bellagio is situated on the shore right where the lake splits off into two different directions. It looks just as posh as you'd think it does, and the seaside part of the city certainly maintains that façade. The further you are from the shore, the more it looks like any other Italian city, though it still looks fancier than all the others. It also has the most beautiful stairways. It's an odd feature of any city, but the stairways were certainly worth checking out!

This is yet another area I would have enjoyed spending more time in. There were other cities on the lakeshore that seemed worth swinging by for a visit, and Bellagio's unique brand of sophistication is worth staying a few hours for. And seriously? Take a picture on one of those stairways if there's nobody on them. It'll make you feel like a legit model!

If you find one of these stairways empty for a picture, you'll have hit the jackpot!

Milan

Duration of stay: overnight

Our stay here was sadly not as long as we had planned due to traffic. We made it to the hotel we were staying at in the late afternoon and couldn't hit the town until about 7:00pm. By then, most of the attractions and areas worth visiting were closed or in the process of closing, and since no one had eaten yet, most of our group scattered into smaller groups to find dinner.

However, Milan definitely had that atmosphere of modern fashion that one would expect from it, and the most modern feel to it with colorful lights and big screens promoting high-end Italian products. To me, it almost felt like a blending of New York City's Times Square with Florence.

And the clothes! Milan is the fashion capitol of the world, and just about everyone here was at the top of their fashion game. The women were out in their best outfits, most in Italian looks, while others were sporting popular looks from all over Europe and the US. The men? Most were in suits or had taken great care in putting together their look while out on the town. Be still my heart, it was hard for me to focus with so many well-dressed men surrounding me!

It was definitely disappointing that we couldn't spend more time here, but you know what? That just means I need to come back to truly experience this city!

Verona

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

"Two houses, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we set our scene..."

Anyone who read Romeo and Juliet in high school will recognize this opening line. And Verona itself? Quite fair! With much of its popularity due to the Shakespearean tragedy, the city has a love for the dramatic, complete with a large amphitheater and promoting the local arts programs.

Verona is also renown for being the city that author Dante Alighieri referenced in his famous series, The Divine Comedy. There are multiple locations, mostly piazzas and churches, which are believed to be direct influences in parts of his stories. One of the security guards at Juliet's Balcony gave me a program for a tribute to Dante's legacy and implied that I should check out these other locations. I sadly didn't have enough time for that, but you can check out more information about this event here. 

And speaking of Juliet's Balcony, this is certainly a highlight of the city! Made popular in recent years by the film Letters to Juliet, this is a small museum offering tribute to Shakespeare's most popular young heroine. You have to pay to see the balcony itself, and for a few euros more, you can enter the museum and even take pictures on the recreation of the famous stage set. You can also go to the statue of Juliet outside of the museum and rub her boob for good luck in love, or even buy a keychain of that same boob. I did neither (though I did get a picture of the latter!).

Of all the cities we merely passed through that I would like to revisit, Verona would be at the top of my list. The city's devotion to literature was inspiring, and I can see myself not only exploring, but mingling with the locals to discuss how art has inspired this city the way it has. 

Venice

Duration of stay: 9 hours, split between two days

To quote Indiana Jones: "Ah, Venice."

This amazing picture was not taken by me, but one of the guys in my group over 6 ft. tall who volunteered to snag a good shot for me

Most tourists and visitors are familiar with this city based on its infamous canal systems, but I was more interested based on informative videos on its rich history, one of which you can find here. Being built on a lagoon, it was a powerhouse of trade for hundreds of years, and you can see influences of other countries on some of the buildings. Though the city is focused more on the tourism industry, the locals here clearly love their city and are passionate about it.

Taking on the canals in a gondola is plenty of fun, but exploring the streets? Now that was an unexpected delight! It is difficult to maneuver, what with the routes being extremely narrow in some areas, and constantly trying to find which bridges to cross to find where you want to go, but I for one found it charming. I love exploring cities, but there was something very different about Venice in particular. I felt a unique sense of wonder as my friends and I roamed around. 

Like all the other major cities, this one has many museums with checking out, and multiple duomos. The main duomo, St. Mark's Cathedral, is attached the to Doge's Palace, an ornate government building that was turned into one of these museums and is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the Palace, you can access the Bridge of Sighs, a walkway connecting to the dungeons where prisoners from centuries ago would be escorted after sentencing. And there is one of the most unique bookstores in the world, Libreria Acqua Alta, that you can mill through for free, but very slowly due to the pedestrian traffic.

One last thing: Venice also has a mascot, a rubber duck, who is often see in pictures through their tourism Instagram @myveniceexperience. Our wonderful guide was delighted to see that I brought my dinosaurs, Wash and Heihei, too, and we took a picture together! And they even have a rubber duck shop! 

Some tourists have expressed that they thought Venice was overrated, but regardless of that, at least come for yourself and make your own judgment call. My call: totally worth it.

Burano

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

If Venice wasn't enough of an amazing enough experience for me, Burano took whatever was left of my breath away. One of the neighboring islands in the lagoon, Burano is small but still has a canal system, and has the most genuine feel of any of the cities we had passed through thus far. Most of the city is housing, but it features its own leaning tower, shops, and restaurants. And there are no cars!

This city is best recognized for almost all of its building being painted in bright, radiant colors. The shops sold items that weren't made with only tourists in mind but were on the shelves because they were produced on the island. This made the prices a little high, but they were extremely good quality. And the food? So good! Being an island, their restaurants featured many seafood dishes, which were so yummy!

There isn't much on this island, but it has such a casual atmosphere that you feel more relaxed when exploring. If you have the opportunity to come by here, then do it. It is not to be missed!

Bologna

Duration of stay: 2.5 hours

In a similar vein as Milan, this city was able to balance the expected Italian look with modern architecture, though this city feels more industrialized than focused on fashion. Bologna is noted for its towers and producing some of the best deli meats in the country. 

Of all the cities we visited, this was the one where I spent the least amount of time exploring. I hit the shops because there were clothing shops everywhere and I wanted to pick up some new threads, which sadly was a fruitless endeavor. 

Here's the local duomo

The one thing that stood out to me the most though was this fountain.

Yes, that's water spraying out of that woman's boobs. It was too funny to pass up. As for the city itself, I would come back here to try to experience it a little better, so I unfortunately can't provide a more thorough review of it. I still enjoyed this city, and would love to come back to climb some of those towers!

This Concludes the North!

In case you can't already tell, I wound up loving Italy more than I had expected to. So, what about Rome, the Vatican, and the cities to the south? What did I think of those cities?

Well, looks like you'll have to keep an eye out for my next post! 

Gifs courtesy of Giphy. All pictures taken by me or by friends using my device and not to be used without my permission.