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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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:
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.
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!
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."
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.
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.
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