Destination #13: Rome & Florence, Italy
Italy is known for its romance, beauty, cheese and gelato. So naturally, I safely assumed that I would love it there. We arrived first in Rome on a Thursday (21st) and headed straight for the Trevi Fountain. It was packed with tourists as expect, and it was an impressive sight to behold. I couldn't help but thinking back on the Lizzie Mcguire movie where she makes a wish at the Trevi by throwing a coin over her shoulder and a handsome Italian pop star walks up to her seconds later. I forced Cliffton to join me in making a wish, he usually frowns on silly superstitious things. But honestly, it felt absolutely Disney magical. After our wishes were made, we wandered on down to the Pantheon. It's a beautiful Roman temple dating all the way back to 125 AD which is unbelievable. I can't imagine how they created such a beautiful domed ceiling. And all the marble in the temple...must have taken lots of man and animal power. After taking plenty of top notch pictures, we began searching for food. For dinner we discovered this delicious prosciutto place called La Prosciutteria. We ordered a "medium" board and were presented with what felt like a HUGE boogie board sized arrangement of cheeses, olives, bread and prosciutto. We ended the evening wandering around the Piazzo Novona, PIazza San Pietro and Spanish steps with gelato in hand. It was a perfect Roman evening.
On Friday we dedicated the whole day to visiting the Vatican. I am absolutely glad that we did. Not only because I am Catholic, but because as an studio art major I was able to see in person great works of art that I've seen only in the pages of my textbooks. St. Peter's Basilica is magnificent and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel paintings are heavenly. However, I must say that if you aren't Catholic, or an art enthusiast (or even if you are) you may want to skip Vatican City. It's one of those tourist attractions that you are proud to say you experienced, but it is uncomfortable, scorching hot in the summer, crowded, with ridiculous security lines, and no pictures are allowed in the Sistine etc...etc. We left the Vatican feeling sweaty, slightly crumpled and exhausted from being herded like cattle. I still had a smile on my face though.
Our last full day in Rome was spent at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. On this day, Cliffton for the first time ever was sick of being a tourist (it only took him 76 days). Cliffton is a nomad and an absolute trouper when it comes to snapping photos, walking up that final steep hill, or forgoing a meal to experience an adventure. I am usually the one dragging my feet, or getting homesick. But we pulled through, and still were able to appreciate how amazing the ancient Roman architecture is. We ended the day with a Poke-walk through the Villa Borghese, a lovely park nearby.
We left the hustle and bustle of Rome for Florence on Sunday morning. When we arrived in Florence we immediately felt a little calmer. It's a much more peaceful and quiet atmosphere. On Sunday we took it easy and walked around Piazza del Signoria and got some gelato at Gelateria de Niro.
Monday we walked along Ponte Vecchio, a beautiful bridge lined with local jewelry shops. We learned that during WWII it was the only bridge that was not bombed. The rumor goes, that the German army general stationed in Italy took a liking to this bridge, and thus it was spared. I also overheard a tour guide saying that in fact it was Hitler that liked the bridge...so who knows. Nevertheless, it is the only remaining historical bridge from before WWII in Florence. After crossing the bridge we took a stab at going to the Boboli gardens only to find that they're closed on the last Monday of every month (random!?) We spent the rest of the day wondering around the Medici Palace, Mercanto del Porcellino, Piazza del Signoria, and finally we climbed up a fairly steep hill to get to Piazza Michelangelo which showed a beautiful view of Florence at night.
On Tuesday, we braved the long queues for the Santa Maria del Forno, also known as the Duomo. It took us 2.5 hours, but this wasn't so bad, because we lined up early in the morning to beat the heat. We climbed up to the top of the dome and were able to see the gorgeous view. It took 463 steps for us to get there and it was completely worth it! After that we desperately searched for some Chinese food (too much bread and cheese for the past few weeks). We were pleasantly surprised to find that there were quite a few options, and the Sichuan restaurant we settled on was quite good and spicy. We had La Prosciutteria again for dinner, and headed up to our hotel's rooftop bar to see another beautiful view of Florence. The Duomo, bell tower, and brick red rooftops create such a unique cityscape. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before.
On our last day in Florence, we did the Duomo part two and headed straight for Giotto's bell tower. The line was significantly shorter, it only took us about 20-30 minutes to get in. The stairs felt a little harder for some reason, mostly because it is a tight space and it's the middle of summer. However, it's my opinion that the view is more beautiful from the bell tower. You get a good view of the Duomo from here. Overall, I preferred this experience to climbing up the dome. But Cliffton disagrees with me- he liked the dome better. After our lunch at Gusta Pizza (which was delicious), Cliffton and I went our separate ways. I took some time to visit the Uffizi Gallery and he spent some quiet time at a nearby cafe. The queue for Uffizi is known to be long, but on this Wednesday afternoon (around 2:30pm) it only took me about 30 minutes. It was completely worth it. Uffizi houses the legendary Birth of Venus by Botticelli, and La Primavera. They are even more breath taking in person. I remember admiring these paintings in my art history text book, so when I finally laid my eyes on them I felt absolutely giddy and awe struck. I was also surprised to see a lovely collection by Leonardo da Vinci and a painting by Caravaggio (can't remember the name of it). If you enjoy Renaissance artworks I definitely think it is a must when in Florence. My only regret is not being able to hop on over to see Michelangelo's David. For our last night in Florence we braved the steep hill up to Piazza Michelangelo again. But this time to catch the sunset.
For our trip to Italy there were only a couple things we didn't particularly like: very long lines for most touristy things, it's very dusty, lots of trash on the ground, Rome is not as walkable and the train station is meh, more expensive food (without a huge variety) and last but not least the Pokemon there are not diverse (lots of Magikarp in Florence though). For me, Italy is definitely one of the more romantic destinations on this trip. I definitely feel like it's a place one should visit at least once in life if you're a lover of art, cheese and wine. From the cobblestone paths, Piazzas around every corner, beautiful marble drinking fountains, and majestic stone statues there is an undeniable charm about Italy. Rome and Florence are truly beautiful. Next time we are in Italy, I think we would try something a little more peaceful on the country side. :) <3 Until next time, we'll be in Barcelona!
