Category: Italy

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Of course we drank wine every day of the trip. And, of course we ate a lot of good food. Every region of Italy has its own food specialties. Rome has spaghetti carbonara, which I ate every night for dinner. (And every restaurant served it differently!)

Our last guided tour on our trip was of the Vatican. I had booked at 7:30am tour so we could see the Sistine Chapel and get into St. Peter’s Basilica before the crowds. Just so you know, that is my illegal photo of the Sistine Chapel because photography is not allowed in the room (ask forgiveness, not permission…)

The Pope was giving a speech that day, so our entrance to St. Peter’s was delayed, but it was worth the effort to see the church. I can’t even describe how magnificent and awe-inspring it is. Photographs do not do it justice to the vast greatness of the size, nor its beauty. Even when you’re there, it’s hard to comprehend that the altar structure alone is almost 100 feet tall.

Our last day and a half were spent wandering around Rome, taking in the sights. There certainly wasn’t enough time to visit or see everything. We visited the Villa Borghese gardens, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon (Chris loved telling other tourists about the domed ceiling with the 30 foot opening at the top!), and many piazzas and fountains in Old Rome. Even as the cold rain soaked us, we took it all in.

And I vowed I HAD to back. There is still so much to discover in Italy!

We hope you enjoyed our photographs of Italy (and maybe learned a little of the area and its history)! I’m already dreaming about my next opportunity we will go….

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

All roads lead to Rome.

When you visit Italy, there’s no way you can go without a trip to Rome. The influence of the Roman Empire still has a hold over us today. I wanted so much to see the art, the architecture and soak up all that history, religious and otherwise, in person.

Twelve miles long and circling 5.3 square miles, the Aurelian walls were used to protect the city until the 19th century. Our 4-night, 3-day stay in Rome was all inside these old city walls. This walled area, Old Rome, was pretty safe and easy to walk–the only time we got a taxi was when we left for the airport at the end of our trip.

We felt completely safe walking around, even at night. All of the tourist books had me so worried about pickpockets, but as long as you’re cautious, it’s not really a problem.

It was amazing how many people would be out late. Even at midnight, famous sites, like Trevi fountain were filled with locals and tourists. The city boasts that they have over 900 churches, most of them Catholic. The doors were unlocked, often propped open, and people would just wonder in to look around.

I definitely recommend paying for a tour guide if you are visiting the Forum, which is known as Ancient Rome. I would not have gotten much out of walking through the area without a guide. This area is the original center of Rome, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries B.C. Many of the oldest buildings are here, and knowledgable tour guides can bring that history to life as they explain what the ruins you’re looking used to be.

Another tour I was happy that I pre-arranged and paid for was the Colosseum. Only limited tours that are arranged in advance are allowed to tour the lower level, where animals and slaves would have lived, or the top level with the best view. Again, having educated tour guides (ours had the equivalent of PhDs) made the tour insightful and entertaining.

In Part 2, I will finish up the sights of Rome, including the Vatican and around town. To be continued….

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

The story of Pompeii holds the imagination of so many, from school children to adults. I remember, even as a child, being fascinated with the city that was destroyed by a volcano, so it was no surprise to me when my youngest son learned about it in kindergarten and it was all he could talk about.

Pompeii was still rebuilding from an earthquake that occurred in A.D. 62 when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. That eruption buried the city under 30 feet of hot volcanic ash. Over the following centuries, the city was forgotten until a chance rediscovery in 1599. Excavations began in 1748, giving us preserved examples of typical middle-class Roman life.

A tour guide would have been useful here (next time!) because the self-guided tour provided with our tickets was lacking. I became the substitute guide, reading aloud to our group from a travel book I had brought, so we got a lot of history nuggets there. It was interesting to see how this city once looked and imagine what life was like for the citizens of Pompeii. And it’s surprising how similar their lifestyle was to ours today.

The public bath houses even had an outdoor gymnasium for working out before they took a relaxing hot bath! Pompeii had over 130 bars, restaurants and hotels, 40 bakeries and 30 brothels. It had been a busy place in it’s prime!

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

The Amalfi Coast was an unexpected experience. It wasn’t the historical sites, though it has plenty; it was everything else. Everything from the endless stairs to the crashing waves and coastal view.

Getting to our hotel in Positano, known for their linen clothes and Limoncello, took more work than we’d planned. To avoid the narrow, windy roads that barely hug the steep cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, we had already bought boat tickets to travel from Salerno to Positano. Unfortunately, the famed “siesta plan,” where businesses close in the afternoon so Italians can nap, threw off our timing. The car rental office didn’t reopen until after the boat was schedule to set sail.

After some worried frustration, we decided our friend Jessica and I would take the boat. Our friend Jeff and Chris stayed behind to deal with the car and would meet us later.

When Jessica and I arrived to the dock of lower Positano, a porter told us it was too many steps to lug our luggage, we should let him carry our bags or take a bus for 12 euros each. I told him I was strong (and I thought that was enough money for 2 bottles of wine!). He laughed at me. But 220 stairs later, the view from my balcony was worth lugging my own luggage.

One of our most relaxing nights of the trip was sitting on the balcony, eating our “picnic” dinner from a local deli, chatting and enjoying the view once we all met up again.

I loved sleeping with the balcony doors open, listening to the waves of the Mediterranean Sea crash on the pebbly, rock beach below. Italians don’t have screens covering their windows or doors, so leaving the balcony doors wide open was a surreal, freeing experience for me.

Positano was a beautiful town and more relaxing than I thought it would be!

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

Montepulciano was, by far, my favorite town in Italy. My only regret is not spending more time there.

When we planned our trip, we thought the time would move slower, that we’d get to linger longer. We thought there would be time to visit vineyards and wineries and to slowly sip wine. There was not. But, even with only being there one night, a mere 15 hours, Montepulciano made up for it.

This town was added to our itinerary because Montepulciano is known for their wine. Being less touristy, it has retained it’s tuscan charm more than the other area towns. I had read that one of the Twillight movies was filmed here, but that didn’t seem to be a bragging point with locals.

We arrived in time for a wine tasting at the town’s oldest wine cellar, Cantina Fattoria della Talosa. Taking steep stairs, we went down into the 16th century winery’s caverns, where they store the wine casks. One of the owners did the wine tasting for us and then showed us around, talking about the winery. It felt like he was letting us in on his Italian gossip, including airing their fights with the other local shop owners.

We were told that Italians drink wine every day and prefer to drink “house” wine, which is cheap, Italian wine. We were also told that Italians prefer wine that has less perfumes and ones that taste more of grapes.

Afterward, we enjoyed one of the best meals of our trip at a small restaurant right off the town piazza. We had to leave right after breakfast, so the next morning we got up early to go walk around to photograph the town. That calm, quiet time before tourists, and many locals too, were out was relaxing and beautiful. I wish we’d stayed there more than one night.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

Once upon a time, Siena had wanted to be bigger and grander than it was. It actually rivaled Florence for power and prestige, but then in 1348, the Black Plague hit and Siena never recovered.

We had just a few hours to check out the old walled city, as Siena was just a side-stop for us as we traveled through on our way to Montepulciano. Siena is an old city with a newer, modern city wrapped around it and is the biggest of the Tuscan region.

With a population of about 50,000 (only 18,000 inside the walled section), it’s the same size it was before the plague. Travel agents and tourists gravitate to Siena, with so many claiming to love this city. I’m sure this is because it offers both the history of the past and the conveniences of the 21st century. For me, it was too big and commercial to really enjoy.

The jewel of the city is the 13th century Gothic cathedral. As grand as it looks, it’s really the back side of the much larger failed vision they had. This church was supposed to be the largest church ever built (because they were trying to outdo Florence), but the plan was abandoned after the Black Plague because they thought God was punishing them for being vain and greedy. Plus, the city was just too hilly and they ran out of money.

After a quick look around and some lunch, we had to move on.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

I love Volterra, Italy because it remains fiercely loyal to its Etruscan roots.

We only had one day here, so we had to make the most of it. The views were stunning and the stories about this city made its past come alive for me.

Volterra’s history goes back further than the Roman Empire. As the oldest of the walled cities in the Tuscany area, it dates back over 2,400 years. You can still see one of the stone arches from the old city walls built by the Etruscans in the 4th century BC, which inspired Roman design.

Even after the city was conquered by Rome and later taken over by the Medici family, Volterra has kept its independent thinking and proudly shows off its history. We got an amazing tour of the town and learned about its past from Annie, an American who now lives in Volterra with her Italian husband. I recommend her tours: volterrawalkingtour.com.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

While visiting the ancient walled city of Volterra, Italy, I spent a lot of time enjoying the old buildings. The doors and doorknobs were especially interesting to me. The texture and shape just begged to be photographed. I loved the worn wood and intricate stonework.

More images from Volterra are coming soon!

The Tuscan hills of Italy hold a lot of rich history. Walled towns still stand above the countryside below, as they have for hundreds and hundreds of years. Vineyards and wineries thrive in the fields between the towns, which I’ll admit was a huge draw for me.

We started our tour of Tuscany on the windy hill roads in a rented car. This is definitely not for those with a sensitive stomach. The twisty lanes hug the hills and their tight turns can be nerve-wracking for even the calmest drivers–and passengers! Our first stops were a winery outside of San Gimignano and then the town itself. The winery was exactly how I imaged a Tuscan winery would be, complete with a view of the vineyard below. It was perfect.

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

You either love it or you hate it.

Florence, Italy seems to stir up strong emotions for those that live there and those that visit. It’s a proud, prestigious, ancient city that was established in 59 BC by Julius Caesar and is considered the home of the Italian Renaissance, with its share of the limelight throughout history.

The view of the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo is among the best from our trip, and my personal favorite sight while we were in Florence. We went there at both sunset and again during the day and were rewarded with a beautiful vista of the city with the Duomo that is iconic to the Florence skyline.

I wanted to love Florence. And, really, I can’t tell you exactly why I didn’t. The amount of art and history, from Michelangelo’s David to the stories of how the Medici family practically took over the world (okay, not exactly- but they did control a lot of Tuscany), are vast and interesting. There were great restaurants and the food was delicious. And I didn’t have the typical complaints about crime or rudeness that haters have. Everyone I talked to was polite and helpful. I thought the city was clean and safe enough, even with riding public transportation and wandering around the downtown streets at 3am.

Of all the Italian cities that we visited, Florence didn’t hold up to my expectations, by no fault of its own. It’s a beautiful city, full of the history that I love. I didn’t hate it, and I wanted to love it, but I left feeling that something was “missing”…. I feel disloyal to Italy enthusiasts everywhere when I say I can’t think of a compelling reason to go back. (But if you ever go, I hope you love it- and I’d be happy for you to tell me why!)

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2