Italy (July 17-26)
In preparing for this trip, Italy was the place I was most looking forward to visiting. I had no idea what this country had in store for us. Some of my favorite and my least favorite memories came from our time in Italia, but let me start from the beginning.
After winding down the Italian Alps, we stopped in Egna for our first taste of true Italian food. Delicious! We finished our drive to the enchanting city on the water, Venice. Crammed into a busy vaporetto, we followed our guide through the winding streets to our hotel. This was personally one of our favorite hotels due to its central location.
For dinner I tried to branch out and try something new, in the form of squid ink pasta! It wasn't my favorite, but it was a fun experience.
Moving swiftly on to our next adventure organized by our guide, a gondola ride down the canals, serenaded by a couple of talented musicians. This was a magical experience, one I will cherish forever. I can still hear the slap of the water against the gondola and see the lights of restaurants we pass dancing in the reflections on the water. Ah, amore.
We then took an evening stroll around Venice, taking in the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square, and Bridge of Sighs in the cool of the evening. The next day we would see these sights full of tourists in the heat of the afternoon. The tour's location at a central hotel on the island made it possible for us to experience Venice without the hoards.
More treasures awaited us the next morning. With another great walking tour guide, we traversed cannals and alleyways, making a stop at a mask maker's shop. The tour guide translated for the craftsman as he demonstrated his art to us. What a special experience!
But we weren't done with Venice yet! Our wonderful tour guide listened to our specific request to find some authentic Venetian glass jewelry and took us all to a family owned workshop. Here we watched as the craftsman formed unique beads right in front of us. This wasn't an experience listed in the tour, but just our Rick Steves tour guide going the extra mile to make our time magical. After purchasing some pieces, we celebrated together with Aperol Spritz. Bella Venezia!
Oh, Roma!
We hit the ground running in the capital of Italy, starting with the small country of the Vatican City. With some helpful hints from our guide, we zoomed through countless rooms, hallways, and chambers of the Vatican Museum. With only a hour or two to spare in this vast collection, we had to prioritize. When we finally made it to the Sistine Chapel, we could stare up at the ceiling for as long as our necks would let us.
Our guide arranged for a lovely walk through the Heart of Rome, where we saw such sights as the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona before walking back to the hotel.
The first sight I had of Florence nearly brought me to tears. The birthplace of the Renaissance, where Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, and many more thrived and practiced their work. The sight of the Duomo rising on the skyline was breathtaking. I am so thankful that our guide found time to stop at Michelangelo's Piazza before heading down into the sweltering city of Florence.
Seeing the artwork and sculptures I had read about in books boggled my mind. Michelangelo's David was huge and intricate, Botticelli's Birth of Venus stopped me in my tracks. Our museum guide shared that one time a guest fainted at the sight of the Birth of Venus; I am not surprised. The rich culture and history of art in this city filled me with such energy that I decided to see it at sunrise.
Not yet 5:30am and my parents and I are standing on the Ponte Vecchio as the first blush of color lights the sky. The streets are empty but for a van or two making deliveries. The cool breeze flows off the water. We had the place to ourselves. We captured shots of the Duomo right as the golden rays touched its peak. If I could suggest anything to you as a traveler, I would say, wake up early, go to bed late. These are the magical times where you can truly take in the beauty.
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And this is where everything went sideways.
The next morning, my dad woke up congested. A covid test later and we were calling our tour guide. My dad had covid.
That was the end of our journey with the Rick Steves Best of Europe tour. But, not the end of our adventure!
Our fantastic tour guide helped us through all of the procedures, and on to our next steps. Now, a great feature of the tour with Rick Steves was being able to avoid the hassle of finding our own lodging, transportation, activities, etc. While we had no idea where we were going next, we did still have our handy Rick Steves book and some tools to help us as we looked forward to tomorrow.
Our tour guide became our best friend and support. Even as she continued to guide the rest of the group through their events, she was always available to help and even called some of her personal contacts trying to find us the right fit for the rest of our time in Europe.
The next few days passed slowly with lots of napping, picking up UberEats, and taking advantage of the always empty rooftop balcony.
Sunday came and my dad tested negative! We had him take a few tests just to be sure. We were now free to go - well, where are we going to go?
I made some reservations and plans, using Rick Steves chapter on Rome, and we were able to hit some of the main stops, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, and the Forum. Even though we were off the tour, it was helpful to have the book to add some extra information to our visits.
That night we booked a flight out of Rome, reserved an Airbnb in France, and prayed that this trip would finish as strong as it started.
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So, Italia, while I cherished my time in Venice and Florence, and would eventually love to make it to the Cinque Terre, I think I personally need a break from Rome, but la vita e fatta cosi, or such is life!
