Bella Vita | Italy
“Yet again, another country that has completely captured my heart!”
I've been to places where I have a picturesque image in mind and sometimes i'm less impressed than I thought I would be. Italy really brought my ideas and everything I imagined to life. I'm not even sure where to begin on this one!
This was an 18 day vacation - way too short I know! ;) So, since so much happened in those 18 days I will just give you the highlights of the trip. The must do's in my book and some little tips to help you save some cash. Because as we all know, flights these days are crazy. Especially in the summer months!
Venice
After a loooooong flight we finally landed in Venice and it was everything I imagined and more! It was literally like walking onto a movie set. Not only that, but with the abundance of pasta and wine (2 of my most favorite things in the world) I was pretty much set on never coming back. We walked down to the cutest restaurant we could find open at the time - after taking about a million pictures every 10 steps, but finally we sat down for our first authentic Italian dinner. Spaghetti bolognese, bread with olive oil and of course a red glass of wine. Bon Appétit! It was perfection. Sitting outdoors by the water, Italian music playing in the background and great conversation with some of the most important women in my life. Aside from checking out all the amazing sites in Venice we also took a day to do some island hoping. Here are the Venice must do's and don'ts. But most importantly, don't be afraid to get lost in these cities. For that is when you experience the real culture. Wander and get lost in the streets that many famous artist and musicians have also walked down, embrace everything that has to be offered and enjoy these wonderful places!
Do:
- Murano Island | This island is known for there glassblowing. Cute place with a lot of shopping and cafes. A couple hours here is plenty!
- Burano Island | Amazing little island with brightly colored homes and authentic lace items. A lot of gelato shops and art.
- Basilica Di San Marco (St Mark’s Basilica) - Picturesque! Amazing inside & out!
- Piazza San Marco
- Rialtos Bridge
- Chiesa della Salute
- Guggenheim Museum
- Acqua Alta bookstore - Great photo opps here!
- Camping/glamping! We found this place on our last day in Venice and even though we had a hotel booked, we decided to go glamping instead. This was THE BEST!! We spent hours talking to new people and hearing everyones travel stories. This is definetely a place I want to come back to. A cheap bus ticket and short drive will get you into town. Camping Rialto.
Dont:
- I've got nothing! Everything we did was just awesome!
Florence / Tuscany
We took the 6 hour train ride from Venice to Florence the next morning. I was super impressed with this train. Extremely comfortably seats, tons of leg room, wifi, power adaptors and very very clean & new - I would recommend Italo over any other train companies. purchasing and picking up your tickets was very easy through the kiosks located in the train stations. You can also purchase at anytime of the day through the same kiosks. This is ideal for those of you who are playing it by ear.
6 Hours later and we are officially in Florence! Our airbnb couldn't have been in a better location. Walking distance to everything and overlooking Ponte Vecchio. (Which I learned means "Old bridge") Everything in Florence had so much character. The cobblestone streets, super friendly people and so much history. I'm not a history buff by any means, but I just loved all the culture this place had to offer. The lifestyle is exactly what I strive for. Urban living. Walking downstairs to the market for your groceries, having your local coffee shop where they know you by name and having afternoons on the patio with your neighbors because everyone is just that close. One day soon! :) So below are a few things that were awesome! But my favorite day of all was our private tour through Tuscany. We booked through Chianti Private Tours. They not only had a fabulous stress free day planned for us but our tour guide Martina Grillini was just awesome! The day started with coffee and baked goodies and we drove through some of the most beautiful areas of Italy. Vineyards lined the acres and acres of land creating the most picturesque views. She was great enough to let us stop at any point to take photos and trust me, there was a lot of that going on! Making our way to our first vineyard for some amazing wine tastings and turns out we were on property with the queen. We got a private tour of the cellars and learned a lot about the process of wine making. As you've read from my last post I am a huge wine connoisseur. This was like a dream come true! Napa Valley ain't got nothing on this! We switched vehicles from our large van into an old school jeep where we did some off roading to our next stop. A family owned vineyard that bottles no more than 200 bottles a year. All organic and family run business. Truly inspiring!!! We meet the vinter. (wine maker) A super young (and super handsome guy might I add). We got a cooking demonstration of freshly made pasta and snacked on bruschetta, cheese and meats in the process while chatting up the father, son and grandmother that lived on property. This was a full day of stopping from town to town, shopping, indulging in the best wines, food and being accompanied by family and great new friends! I HIGHLY recommend doing this tour if time allows. This was by far my favorite day in Italy. Plan for a full day of fun!
Also don't forget to leave a lot of room in your luggage for all the purchases you'll be making. I didn't think I would be doing much shopping during my visit but ended up with a few new purses, shoes, wine, oils and more... so much more that I ended up having to check another bag! That leather market will get ya!
- Leather Market
- Piazza Della Signoria
- Uffizi Gallery - One of the most famous museums in the world! View artwork from some of the most amazing artisans -Botticelli - Michelangelo - Raphael & Giotto to name a few.
- Pallazo Pitti
- Galleria dell'Accademia - A must do to see the statue of David
- Ponte Vecchio
- Tuscany/Chianti
- Local Opera - These are super intimate settings held in churches
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is a string of seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. Each of the 5 towns has colorful homes and vineyards that cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the region’s famous sauce, pesto. Cliffside hiking trails link the villages and from here, you have the best scenic views! We didn't do the hike from village to village but we did take the ferry across to all and the train back home. Each town was packed with people, so much hustle and bustle and it was fantastic. The shop owners wheeling and dealing, the cooks in the restaurants serving up great meals, the tourist admiring the locals and visa versa.
This was our spot to finally get some relaxation in... We didn't really get much of that but it's hard when you're only in a town for 4 days or so. We did enjoy our morning mimosas on the patio and our cafe lattes at the cute coffee shop by our place. Being able to walk by the little markets and pick up some fresh fruit to take with you to the beach. It felt like easy living. The night art markets and live performers on the streets is what really did me in. Every single building, no matter how old was just gorgeous. That's easy to say coming from AZ where every home seems like a cookie cutter home. I would love to come back here with more time. So much exploring left to do!
- Monterosso - The best place to layout. The beach is sandy unlike the other towns.
- Vernazza - Stony beach, but rocks are large enough to layout on.
- Corniglia - Known as a nude beach and is usually quieter.
- Manarola - Many large rocks surround this beach. Not the best for laying out but a gorgeous area.
- Riomaggiore - A public beach with boulders and crystal clear waters east of the village.
“Travel tips for Italy”
- Standing at the bar at any coffee shop, restaurant or bar while having your drink or food will save you anywhere from $2 -$7! Most places charge a "il coperto" fee.(sitting/service/cover charge)
- In Venice make sure to purchase the multi day vaporetto pass. Trust me! You will use it waaaaayy more than you expected. Hoping on and off at any location is ideal.
- Having meals near the touristy areas will cost you at least twice as much. Make your way a few blocks outside of that crowded area and have a more authentic experience.
- Bars in Venice practically feed you full meals to come have a drink. If you're hanging out at the bar for more than 30min or so they will bring out multiple tapas plates to munch on. Much better than a bowl of mixed nuts huh!
- Make sure to validate your train tickets before getting on!! I can't stress this one enough. They have fee's from $5-$200 for not validating. You can find the machine before every train platform. It takes 2 seconds.
- Don't order insalata verde and expect anything more than a bowl of lettuce. After a couple weeks of pasta, a salad sounded amazing... A bowl of lettuce is what I got. lol
- Italians are used to taking orders as listed in the menu. If making special requests be aware that you are most likely pissing someone off.
- Pack as light as possible. You will have to lug your luggage down cobblestone streets, stairs and on & off trains. I learned this the hard way. As usual, I didn't use half of the stuff I brought. If you need something, buy it there!
- Dinner is served around 7:30pm - 9pm
- Bread isn't served with oil and balsamic vinegar unless they cater to americans - If you can, resist asking the server to provide them & dine like the locals do.
- Many shops and restaurants close from 1-4pm. Italians enjoy going home to have lunch and spend time with their families. Wonderful tradition!
- You can't hail a cab. You need to either call for one or go to an actual taxi stand.
- Since most places charge the Il coperto fee, tipping in Italy isn't a must and usually never done. If you decide to tip 5-10% is the most common.
- Ask for your check after a meal. "il conto". Servers will not automatically deliver it to your table.
“You made it to a country that has inspired visitors for centuries. Embrace its beauty and lifestyle, its literature, art, and music. Exchange smiles with Italians and take home memories of a truly magnificent country, unlike any other in the world.”
