Notes from Italy

A friend has asked for recommendation about traveling to Italy. So I've looked back at three trips and have compiled some notes and thoughts for the record.

October 2016

ROME

• Gary works with someone who grew up in Rome. We rented an apartment from one of his classmates. It was in a real neighborhood and in the evenings we just hung out at the Trattoria on the square around the corner with all the neighborhood people. This in itself was a good experience. The link in my trip notes is not working. If you have interest in this I will ask our friend about making a connection.
• Paid for a Vatican private tour guide through Walks of Italy. That was money very well spent…no lines, a small group, entry into so spaces others weren’t able to go, etc.
• Thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Roman Forum and Palatine area. Seeing the first churches was unbelievable.
• Colosseum - of course, go. Don’t get fooled by the people dressed like Centurians asking if you’d like a picture with them ….. scam!
• The Appian Way - Rome’s first super highway was worth a visit. You can rent bikes here but we didn’t. The best catacombs we’ve ever visited were here.
• Museo e Galleria Borghesuffi 
• throw a coin in the Trevi fountain because you are a tourist

FLORENCE

• Uffizi - get tickets ahead of time
• Duomo and baptistry…need to wear respectable clothes is what my notes say. Don’t recall what that actually meant!
• visit the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy est. in 1221 by Dominican monks - it is so beautiful

MODENA

• took a small group food tour and am so glad we did! Stops were at a balsamic maker, parmesan maker, and the meat museum.
• Ferrari Museum because you're from the other Motor City. If you like this kind of thing read the book Go Like Hell by A.J. Baime. Gary and I both enjoyed the book.

VENICE

• I have few regrets in life but I regret not riding a gondola in Venice. Do it!
• Squero di San Trovaso -gondola boatyard, can see how one is made
• We took a boat to Murano where they do a lot of glass work. That’s where we bought the pendant lights in our kitchen.

May 2019

MILAN

• Duomo - get your tickets online ahead of traveling. Pay the extra to go to walk on the rooftop. Gary and I don’t really like heights but we were so glad we did this. It’s quite remarkable!
• La Scala Opera House - we bought tickets the day of to go to an opera. This isn’t a preferred music genre for us but it was a fun experience.
• Leonardo Science and Technology Museum - it was interesting and would be a good choice if you have a day of inclement weather
• The Last Supper by Leonardo. I went in skeptical that this would feel touristy but seeing the art in the space that it was created for brought me to tears. Get tickets now! It sells out well in advance.
• The Monumental Cemetery - sounds weird, but it was extraordinarily beautiful to walk around. We stayed at the AC Hotel by Marriott around the corner from here. 

CINQUE TERRE

• some of the best hiking of our life!
• seafood is incredible
• adored our apartment despite the challenging walk up the stairs … it included a private rooftop patio. We stayed in Riomaggiore.
• Take a sea shuttle between towns at least once so you can see the towns from the water — a picturesque perspective.

LAKE COMO 

• Bike It! Bellagio
• We stayed in the center of Verenna. We could walk to the town square and one night there was live music on the square.

October 2021

NAPLES

• didn’t care for the city but also didn’t regret going. We just stayed too long. One day and one night there would be enough. It was dirty and loud and the traffic was nuts. 
• Highlight was Mt. Vesuvius. Take a bus to the entrance of the park and walk to the top of the volcano. 
• The second highlight was Pompeii. 

SORRENTO

• AirBnB An amazing host - especially gracious when we locked ourselves out of the apartment :)
• Used Sorrento as our base to go to Isle of Capri….so, so charming.  We chose a water taxi to get there that was like a tour pointing out interesting things along the way. It was good.
• Took a bus to the town of Amalfi. Visiting the Museum for the start of handmade paper was surprisingly interesting.

ASSISI

• AirBnB Lovely space and a great location
• Just being in town and hearing all the church bells is well worth going there. But visiting the St. Frances Basilica and learning the history of the town was remarkable.
• One of our very best dinners ever was at Osteria Piazzetta Dell'erba

TUSCANY- Chianti region (I think!)

• We stayed at an olive farm for 5 days. Gary wasn’t on vacation these days so we’d explore in the mornings and then he worked in the afternoons and early evenings. We fell in love with our hosts who were about our age and we had shared life experiences. Elizabeth offers pasta-making classes and this is where we learned how to make ravioli. We drove to little towns in the mornings and for some dinners. During the afternoon there were trails I could walk. It was a really special time.
• The best day trip was to Siena. If you go, obviously go inside the cathedral but we found the tour of the ancient hospital fascinating also. The town of Lucca was good too.