Fabulous Florence

After spending two days in the beautiful Cinque Terre region of Italy, we boarded another train to Florence, the capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance.

Our apartment was located within walking distance of all the main tourist sites.  Shortly after checking in, we wandered over to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly known as "Il Duomo di Firenze."  This cathedral is massive and takes up nearly the entire square.  There was a huge line to go up to the dome around mid-day, and a slightly less huge line at the bell tower to get tickets to enter the paid sites of the cathedral.  I would say that it is worth it to go up the dome, which is the largest brick dome in the world, designed by the famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi.  The views of Florence are beautiful, but if you're even the slightest claustrophobic I would not recommend going, as the 463 steps to the top are on a winding staircase that is quite narrow and extremely crowded with people.  There were times where we had to squeeze to the side of the steps, getting up close and personal with the people heading the opposite way on the same set of stairs.  Mid-way up to the top you can walk around the inside of the dome and see the amazing painting of The Last Judgment on the ceiling, done by a number of artists who collaborated together on this massive painting of 3600 square metres.

Due to the crowds and hours of entry, we bought our tickets to the Duomo a day in advance (the tickets are good for 24 hours) and then went the next day shortly after lunch.  We ate lunch at the top-rated sandwich shop in Florence - Panini Toscani.  This small panini shop is take out only (only a few tables out front on the pavement), always busy, and located directly across from the Duomo.  You can grab a sandwich to go and save time by eating it on the street while waiting in line to go up to the dome.  The thing that was unique about Panini Toscani was that the owner lets every guest sample three kinds of cheeses and meats before you make your decision.  Ordering is simple since you only really have a few options to choose from which will not overwhelm you.  You choose your bread and then let them know "cheese #1, meat #3" etc.  After that, you get to choose other sandwich toppings like sun dried tomato, roasted peppers, eggplant, etc.  Your fresh Italian panino is made right before your eyes.  It's like Italian "Subway"!  You can even get a bottle of vino for take-away to go along with your delicious panino.

Another great place to eat was the Mercato Centrale, just around the corner from the Duomo.  On the ground floor of the building you'll find numerous vendors selling all the best of Italian cuisine - bread, prosciutto, salami, cheese, olives, limoncello, you name it.  Upstairs you'll find a very cool trendy food court of sorts, with plenty of food and drink options.  It has a great atmosphere and the only problem with the place is that you'll find it hard to choose where to eat, as everything looks delicious!

Despite the amazing food, Florence's true attraction is its rich art history.  Florence truly is a city for art-lovers, and our cultural education didn't stop at the Duomo.  We decided to head over to the famous Uffizi Gallery one morning to take in the masterpieces.  This museum is located right near the river, directly next to the Ponte Vecchio.  Even though we arrived somewhat early (within half an hour of the opening time), there was a huge line to get in.  We realized that it was extra busy that day since it was the first Sunday of the month, which means free entry.  After waiting for nearly an hour, we got inside the museum and immediately I felt overwhelmed.  There was art everywhere (as expected in a famous art museum) and I didn't know where to begin.  Normally I get easily bored of religious art but the art here was quite impressive.  After a while though we were experiencing art overload and after hitting up famous pieces (my favourite was Botticelli's Birth of Venus) we decided to call it a day.  If you highly enjoy Renaissance art I would recommend making a visit to the Uffizi Gallery, otherwise I would say to skip it due to the long lines.  There are also plenty of other art galleries to visit in Florence, but beware of museum burn-out!

This was my second trip to Florence and I'm happy that I got to experience some new attractions here.  One thing that I remembered about the first time I visited Florence was a square called Piazzale Michelangelo.  In the square is a bronze copy of the famous David statue which overlooks the Arno River.  This place has the best view of Florence and is a popular location to watch the sun set.  We visited the square just before the sun went down and had some wine and appetizers at a table outdoors - the perfect place for the sunset, people-watching, and to take in the beautiful city of Florence.

Hiking the Cinque Terre

As an avid traveller I enjoy reading about all things travel.  About eight years ago I read about a place in Italy called "Cinque Terre."  I saw photos of colourful seaside villages impossibly clinging to a rocky coast, the buildings looking as though they were ready to topple from the cliffs into the turquoise water below at any given moment.  I immediately was intrigued and knew that I had to visit this magical place of the "five lands" and when we decided that we were heading to Italy in the spring, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Cinque Terre is made up of five villages on the Ligurian coast of Italy, and is easily accessible by train from many cities around the country.  We took the train from Milan to Levanto and then transferred to a train which took us to Riomaggiore, the southern-most of the five coastal towns that make up the Cinque Terre.

We stayed at a cute apartment with a perfect location in Riomaggiore, easily accessible from the train station, close to the sea, and not too far uphill.  There is a great little loop of a walking trail beginning near the train station of Riomaggiore which takes you up into town and back down the hill towards the sea.  On this path you pass by old churches, a small waterfall, and cute homes of the locals, with lemon trees growing in their gardens and beautiful flowers blooming from cracks in the cliffs.  There is a lookout point from where you have an aerial view of the train station and sea below, with a few benches to stop and enjoy this lovely town.  On the way down the path towards the water you will pass by many small shops and places to eat.  Our favourite was Vertical Bar which had great drinks and sandwiches.  There was also a nice restaurant called Enoteca Dau Cila right down by the small bay where fishing boats come in.

On our second day in Riomaggiore we decided to do the popular Cinque Terre hiking trail which connects all the five villages.  Unfortunately due to landslides, the part of the trail called "Via dell'Amore" between Riomaggiore and the next town Manarola is closed at the moment, so we took the train to the town of Corniglia, a few minutes and a few Euros away.  In Corniglia we climbed 382 steps from the train station to the main part of town.  Corniglia seemed to be the most quiet of the five villages, and after passing through and taking a few photos along the way, we were on our way to the next town of Vernazza.

Vernazza was like a postcard - I couldn't stop taking photos!  We ate at a small restaurant perched up on a cliff overlooking the village.  We ordered lemon juice with our meals, as lemons are famous in the area.  It was quite bitter and I had to put a lot of sugar in it... I guess when life hands you lemons you really should just make lemonade.  Sitting outside with my lemonade and eating my delicious spaghetti at that restaurant was one of the highlights of my experience at the Cinque Terre.  The view was unbeatable!

After descending into Vernazza and hiking several more kilometres we reached the northern-most town of Monterosso al Mare.  This town had a rocky beach which we stopped at for a rest, but the water was too cold for swimming even though a few brave souls were in it!  Monterosso is the biggest town of the Cinque Terre, and felt busier than the others.  Since Monterosso was the end of the trail for us, John and I decided to take the train back to our neighbouring village of Manarola which we couldn't access by hiking trail.  It was funny how it took us a few minutes to arrive in Manarola by train where we took hours to hike there!

At Manarola John and I visited a place called Nessun Dorma which was perched on a cliff overlooking the village - the perfect spot to have a spritz and some bruschetta before heading back to Riomaggiore by train.  After hiking the Cinque Terre we were pretty tired but the day was very fulfilling.

Hiking the Cinque Terre is beautiful, but not a walk in the park.  As someone who doesn't hike much, I found the uphills to be tiring at times, but overall I would say that it wasn't extremely difficult.  Most people seem to hike the trail beginning in Monterosso (the opposite way we did) which I believe requires more uphill climbs.  I found the hike challenging enough, and welcomed the chance to burn a few calories after eating all the delicious Italian food!  I've read that during rainy weather the paths may be closed for the safety of hikers.  Luckily we had gorgeous weather during our entire stay there.  Along the hike I was surprised by the variety of plants growing on the paths.  There were so many beautiful flowers and HUGE cactus plants.  Yes, the area is quite touristy but I would recommend visiting it because there is something special about these five villages.  Hiking from Corniglia to Monterosso was around 7 kilometres and took us most of the day with a few rest stops and a lunch break.  To hike the Cinque Terre you need to buy a trail pass which can be purchased from the small checkpoints along the way.  One more amazing place checked off my travel wish list!

One day in Milan

To be honest with you, I didn't know much about Milan before visiting.  Venice has canals.  Florence has art.  Rome has the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican, the... well, everything.  Even though Milan is Italy's second-largest city, all I knew about it prior to our trip was that it was considered a "fashion capital" and was a business centre of the country.  However, in 2015 it was ranked #1 on the New York Times' "52 places to go in 2015" and was the host of the World Expo last year as well.  While trip planning, I also found out that Milan is home to Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper painting.  I was excited to learn more about this city which was new to all of us.

When we arrived, we were greeted by my cousin Michele who is studying in Milan.  Michele was our tour guide for the day.  Our first bit of sightseeing came after we checked into our apartment and walked down the road to the Piazza del Duomo, a large square with a massive cathedral... the Duomo!  The Milan Cathedral is the second-largest church in Italy (after St. Peter's Basilica) and one of the largest churches in the world.  You can't miss this place if you're walking by!  Its facade is quite imposing.  The inside is also impressive with its huge stained glass windows and heavy columns.  The sheer size of the Duomo caught us all by surprise!

The Duomo is next to the famous shopping mall - Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.  If you're looking for high end fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, or Gucci this is the place for you.  The Galleria is beautiful to walk through, with its high vaulted glass ceilings.  Even the floors are nice, with colourful mosaics of the city's coat of arms and an interesting tourist attraction - a mosaic bull which is worn down from tourists spinning around it on their heels in the hopes that it will bring them good luck.  I have no idea how this began, but we did it anyway... who doesn't want good luck?!

We had pre-ordered tickets to view The Last Supper painting (yes, you need to pre-order online) so from the Galleria we made a quick stop for lunch to eat a delicious panino (in a place with a little old nonna fussing over us), and then walked over to the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie church where we would find Leonardo's masterpiece.  When visiting this famous work of art, you need to pre-arrange for a specific time and show up with your printed ticket receipt.  You wait for a short period of time and then are let into an air tight room with a limited amount of people.  You view the painting in silence and are free to move about the space.  The painting covers one side of the room while another huge painting which I had never heard of (Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano) covers the other side.  Visitors only have 15 minutes to view the paintings before the glass doors open and you are ushered out into the obligatory gift shop.  Overall, the experience of seeing The Last Supper in person is worth it, but you must plan your visit in advance.

After viewing the painting and making a trip back to the Duomo Square, we walked around the city a bit more.  I was surprised to see Roman ruins in the middle of a modern street, but that's how Italy is... the old mixed in with the new.  It's amazing how much history exists in this country.

Michele took us to a popular area of the city called Navigli, which is a district named after the canals passing through it.  I had been searching for the true Italian "aperitivo" experience since I arrived in Italy, and this was it.  We went to a place named after my new favourite Italian drink, Spritz.  Many Italians like going out for an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink)... plus food, before they eat their real dinner.  For the price of one drink (less than 10 Euro), you have access to an incredible spread of pre-dinner "snacks."  Let it be known that "snacks" in Italy consist of lasagna, meatballs, pizza, pasta, and a whole bunch of other delicious foods that you would normally eat for dinner.  The buffet also had a dessert section, complete with a huge tub of Nutella which you could spread freely on anything.  Winning!

After spending a few hours eating and drinking, we said goodbye and "grazie" to Michele who was an amazing tour guide for us.  Milan is a cool place which seems to offer more than what is expected if you look below the surface.  I was grateful to get the "local" experience by spending time with Michele and seeing his side of Milan!

A colourful day trip to Burano

I love visiting new places, and even though I had been to Italy once before my recent trip, I had never been to any of the islands around Venice.  The perfect day trip from Venice is Burano, which is only around an hour by ferry.  This colourful fishing village would be a dream for any photographer with its brightly-painted houses, cute flowerpots sitting on window sills, and lines of laundry blowing in the wind.  Burano has picturesque wooden bridges and sunny canals which make it the ideal place to stroll around.  The island is famous for lace, which you can find while window shopping in the small souvenir shops that line the canals.

There are a number of restaurants to choose from, especially of the seafood kind.  We visited a family-run restaurant called Da Primo.  We ate at a table outdoors, perfect for people watching.  The service was excellent and we all enjoyed our food.  With most of the items on the menu being seafood, I was able to get a simple pasta with oil and garlic.  It was so fresh and delicious!  For dessert I couldn't resist getting tiramisu after seeing other people eating it around me.  I was not disappointed!

If you're looking to get away from Venice and see something new, I would highly recommend taking the boat over to Burano for a day.  We loved it so much we didn't want to leave!

Venice - The Floating City

It's been a long time ago, but at the end of March I got the chance to visit the beautiful city of Venice again.  The last time I visited was in 2005, and this time around I was still enchanted by the city built on water.  It seemed like everywhere I turned there was another photo-worthy view of a bridge crossing over the narrow canals, a delicious panino in a store window, gelato piled up in small mountains encased in glass counters.  Venice is such a unique place that you can't really compare it to anywhere else in the world.  Sure, I've been to cities like Amsterdam, Bruges, and St. Petersburg which are full of stunning bridges and canals too, but Venice has a certain charm and buzz that can't be found anywhere else.

We visited Venice during the Easter weekend, which meant lots of tourists and "traffic" on the narrow streets and bridges all over the city.  We stayed at a lovely apartment in the Cannaregio district of Venice which was a bit of a walk to St. Mark's Square.  Sometimes it was difficult to navigate our way back from the square due to the winding roads and getting distracted by cute souvenir shops and tasty snacks (thank you, Google Maps for saving us), but Venice is the kind of city I didn't mind getting lost in.

During our stay in Venice we did the compulsory touristy gondola ride, but despite the 80 Euro price tag it's worth it to view the city from the water and experience floating down the Grand Canal, watching all the people indulging at the cafes and tourists clicking photos from bridges above us.

In Venice it is also essential to visit St. Mark's Square, the bustling "Piazza San Marco" in Italian, which is one of the best places for people-watching.  This time around we went up St. Mark's Campanile - the huge bell tower in the middle of the square.  It was well worth waiting in line, and we didn't even need to climb any stairs, as an elevator took us to the top for an amazing view over the city.

In Venice I also discovered one of my new favourite drinks, the "Aperol spritz," an orange-coloured drink usually served with an olive here, which you can find people drinking everywhere in the city.  John preferred the "Campari spritz" which tasted more bitter... I wasn't a fan!  I could spend hours sitting at a cafe drinking spritz and eating pizza, just watching people pass me by.

I've heard a lot of people criticize Venice, saying it smells and is a tourist trap (similar to things I've heard about my favourite city - Paris).  However, tourists go here for a reason.  It's not just about canals and gondola rides!  This city has a quaint charm and many outlying islands to explore.  I liked Venice more the second time I visited and am happy I got the chance to spend more time getting lost in this classic Italian city.