A Trip Back: Italy Part 6 – Rome!

We took an early train to Rome and arrived in time for lunch. After checking into our hotel (which happened to be right behind the Trevvi Fountain), we stopped for a quick bite at Osteria Allegro Pachino, just at the edge of the fountain.

We loaded up on reasonably priced and tasty pizza and pasta with cheese and pepper before starting off on a little self guided sightseeing.

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Our first stop was obviously the Trevi Fountain. Although lovely, it was quite crowded (and apparently always is during the day) so we snapped a few photos, tossed in a few coins over our backs for good luck and kept moving.

We meandered by countless pretty courtyards and interesting shops, including this one that sold Pinnochio dolls in every size imaginable, as we made our way to Piazza Venezia.

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The Piazza is in the center of Rome and intersects several major roads.It reminded me of visiting the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

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Our next stop was the Pantheon. Again, very crowded, but spectacular to behold.

The Pantheon was one of the many buildings in Rome that gave me a true appreciation of the amazing architecture. It seems impossible that something that grand and refined could be built so long ago, let alone still be standing after all this time.

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A Trip Back: Italy Part 5 – Bike Tour

After our delightful day trip to Pisa, Haley and I were ready for another day in Florence. We decided to switch it up a bit and signed up for a bicycle tour! We met early and got fitted for our bikes and helmets and met our amazingly knowledgeable guide, Philip.

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After some bike safety basics, we spent the morning riding around Florence, stopping at various monuments and historical sights for brief explanations and interesting tidbits from Philip. Our group consisted of about six people so it was not difficult to hear or stay together.

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As the morning wore on, we made our way out of the city and up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo.

The Piazzale sits on a large hill and offers the most stunning panoramic views of Florence and is well worth the walk or ride, especially at dawn or sunset!

We took in the views, took lots of pictures and then walked even further up hill to the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, a beautiful church, considered to be the most scenic in all of Florence.

We continued our trek towards through the Tuscan countryside to Galileo’s house! This was his last residence before his death.

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We stopped for a family style lunch at a quaint restaurant close by that was just opening for the day. The restaurant had beautiful views and a sweet courtyard garden out back.

After lunch we hopped back on our bikes and made our way to Villa Le Piazzole, a gorgeous historical Renaissance Villa that has been turned into a bed and breakfast.

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A Trip Back: Italy Part 4 – Pisa

We had a free day in Florence before our next big tour so we decided a day trip was in order. One of the proprietors of our hostel suggested Pisa or Lucca, which he described as a walled city with a greenway/garden on top of the walls. Lucca sounded right up my alley, (You can rent bicycles and ride on top of the walls!) but we decided we simply could not leave Italy without seeing Pisa. When I make my way back to Italy (someday!) Lucca will definitely be a must do!

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We took the train from Florence to Pisa and arrived around lunchtime.

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We stopped right outside the station for a quick kebab (I would call it a Gyro but in Italy, it’s a kebab) to get a break from all the pizza/pasta we had been consuming and then made our way towards the tower.

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Pisa was rather small and at first glance seemed deserted. I would soon see that ALL the people were on the other side of town, at the base of it’s most famous piece of architecture of course.

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The leaning tower started to peak above the buildings as we got closer, which made the approach very exciting.

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A Trip Back: Italy Part 3 – Tuscany

We woke up bright and early the next day, ready for our tour of the Tuscan countryside. This tour, ‘The Best of Tuscany’ would turn out to be my favorite of the trip and I would highly recommend it (and the ArtViva Tour Company) for anyone looking for a fun day trip from Florence. The tour took us through three Tuscan hilltop towns; San Gimignano (My favorite!), Monteriggioni and Sienna and a winery tour, tasting and lunch…talk about bang for your buck!

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San Gimignano was our first stop, surrounded by walls and famous for its many towers it was utterly charming.

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Walking through it’s medieval gate felt a bit like stepping back in time.

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Adorable shops lined the streets, including one that sold the most delicious wild boar salami that we couldn’t resist sampling.

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We explored the small town’s architecture and took in the incredible views from it’s highest point.

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On our way back through town we stopped for a gelato from the shop that had won “Best Gelato” in all of Italy for several years running!

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After leaving San Gimignano we headed for the Palagetto Winery Estate.

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A Trip Back: Italy Part 1 – Venice!

My younger sister and I both love to travel and decided that when we both happened to have the summer off a few years ago, (my first year working for a school and her junior year of college) we should take full advantage. With the help of Fodors and a cousin who had lived in Florence for a few years, we planned a trip to Italy and hit the airport the day school let out!

Airport!

We flew into Venice, and from there our itinerary took us to Florence, Rome, and finally the Amalfi Coast with day trips to Tuscany, Pisa, Pompeii and Naples thrown in for good measure.

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Venice is certainly a city unlike any other I’ve ever visited. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, especially in the evening, sometimes a little smelly, but undeniably magical being surrounded by water and traveling everywhere by boat. We took a vaporetto (water bus) from the airport to our hotel. This was not only the cheapest transportation option, but it made several stops along the line, just like a regular bus, so we were able to do a little sight seeing as soon as we arrived.

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Our hotel was located just outside of the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), Venice’s main public square.

The downside to this location was that it was quite crowded with tourists at all times, but the plus was that it was a very easy landmark, and as we soon found out, navigating the twisty alleyways and streets of Venice is not for the faint of heart!

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