Our time in Naples was limited but we made sure to fill it with all the pizza. All of it. For six meals straight we ate pizza. The two times we ate breakfast, it was leftover pizza from the night before. Elizabeth has always said her favorite food is pizza. And while it wasn’t to the level of the gelato challenge, I think after six meals in a row, she could have used a break.
A few sweets to balance it out.
Pizza Meal #1
Pizza Meal #1
Our first pizza stop in Naples.
Pizza Meal #2/3
Pizza Meal #2/3
Pizza Meal #4
Pizza Meal #4
Pizza Meal #5/6
Pizza Meal #5/6
Of the pizza meals, one and four were the best. The first for it’s simplicity. The fourth for it’s craziness of doing a stuffed crust style with ricotta. Our favorite was the star shaped ricotta pizza. We also made sure to try the local sweets to balance out all the savory pizza.
During our only full day of Naples we ventured out to see one of the cities destroyed by the 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius eruption. I had talked Elizabeth into visiting Herculaneum instead of Pompeii. It was closer to Naples, less crowded, and we were able to see all of it in half a day.
Vulcan
Herculaneum differs from Pompeii in a couple of ways. One way it is different is that all organic material survived the blast (due to how the ash/hot gases fell on this city). In Pompeii the organic material did not survive once it was covered in ash and that is why you get the molds of people cowering in the wake of the eruption. The first surge of ash from Vesuvius fell to the south and only a wee bit landed on Herculaneum. After the first dusting of ash, many were able to flee. Once the second round of ash/hot gases landed on the city the wood, food, roofs etc. were preserved. And you also get this…
It was previously thought that all the inhabitants had escaped. Sadly these souls did not and were instantly killed by another ash cloud. These skeletons were not found until the 80’s. To be clear I’m not sure that these are real, they could be casts of the remains found in the 80’s.
Another difference between Pompeii and Herculaneum is that the latter was wealthier so the homes were more lavish. Some of the elaborately decorated houses are on display where you can view the brightly colored walls and mosaics.
*I highly suggest you click through the pictures to see the details better.
Although it was a quick trip, it was full of amazing sights and plenty of incredible stories about the city that was once so vibrant before being covered in ash. We eventually left Naples for Rome, our last overnight stay in Italy before moving over to the Adriatic side of the Mediterranean.
The next morning we got up to get a look at the major Rome attractions before all the other tourist started to mill about. It worked great. Excuse the athletic gear. We were on the fence if we wanted to make this a morning run, as you can see by the pastry breakfast we decided against the run.
Trevi Fountain
Cookies for breakfast
We had a big day of eating ahead of us. Our first food foray into the day was a tour of the area we were staying. Trastevere has become the hip, trendy, gentrifying area of Rome lately. It’s the Brooklyn of Rome. So we walked around eating ourselves sick. Food tours tend to cost a small fortune, but wow do they fill you with more to eat than you can stomach. Cookies from a 40 foot conveyor belt. Homemade Suppli. Porchetta. Fresh pasta and a wine list the size of a cinder block. And for dessert an ancient artifact in a cellar. While we were waiting on our dessert to finish cooking, they took us to the restaurant cellar and explained that someone managed to find a six foot bronze horse hanging out. Only a couple thousand years old. It is now in a museum.
Sweets
Sweets
The wine “list”
Porchetta
Suppli
Cookies from the place with no sign.
After a long nap, we headed to our pasta making class. We loved the class in Barcelona and had high hopes about this one.
View from our rooftop cooking class
It was a blast. We had an incredible view of Rome from our rooftop cooking station. We had hilarious company from a couple of Canadians and an older guy from Dallas. The guy from Canada, with Italian heritage, managed to completely botch his pasta. Ours turned out great but Elizabeth was better. I’m hoping this gets me out of our kitchen so often. We made ravioli and a long pasta.
Elizabeth is a little unsure
Teamwork makes the dream work.
One of these is not like the others. That one is Elizabeths.
Both were really good. We had so much fun talking I forgot to take any pictures of the finished product.
Our final day in Rome was back to the Vatican. It was a Wednesday and Elizabeth had an appointment with the Pope. I had decided to sleep in while Elizabeth went the recommended 2-3 hours early to grab a sit in the summer sun. And wouldn’t you know it, good things come to those who wait.
After sleeping in an additional 2 hours, I decided to show up right at showtime. While I’m walking up, Pope Francis is driving around in Pope-mobile. As you can see from the pictures, I within about 10 feet of the Holy one. Somehow Elizabeth knew this was going to happen and reconciled that I probably needed to see him more than she did.
Here is Elizabeth’s best picture. Pretty good.
Here is my picture. I think you can tell the improvement in quality.
The rest of our day involved pizza, pasta, and packing for Naples and Croatia. We were leaving Italy and headed to the Balkans. We would finally get the beach time I though I needed.
Since we decided to take it easy in Rome, we booked only one tour for day three in the city. In case you didn’t know, Rome is city upon a city, upon a city. The ground underneath the current city is compared to a lasagna. There are layers and layers of history. On our tour we booked we explored some of the darker layers of that history lasagna. This 2-part tour visited bone chapels, catacombs, necropolises and later provided a walking tour filled with Rome’s haunted history.
Basilica of Our Lady
Basilica of Our Lady
Basilica of Our Lady
The first part of the tour was far more interesting than the night walking tour. It started with a visit to the crypt of a capuchin monk monastery (no photos allowed). Between the 1500s and 1800s, the bodies of the deceased monks were used as decorations for the crypts. The monks did not fear death Seeing the bones of their fellow monks gave them hope for the eternal life that awaits them after death. The bone decorations skirted a lot of lars. The government finally cracked down on the the monks. Now human bones are no longer allowed for decorations. This means that if any decorations fall off the wall, it cannot be replaced. It also means that all the monks that were buried in the chapel (awaiting decomposition and later use as art) can never be disturbed.
The second stop on our tour took us out of the city and into the catacombs in the countryside (also no pictures). It was at this stop that we walked through the underground labryinth. This was not the type of tour where you want to stray from the group. We learned about the particular burial practices of the time and how the practices changed over the years… from modest to the decorated, individual to family plots.
Our last stop for the day tour took us back into Rome to the Basilica of Saint Clement that was sits atop a necropolis. A necropolis by definition is a city that was once above ground, at city level, but over years was buried. Below the church are remnants of older churches and a pagan Mithra chapel. By the pagan chapel you could identify a street with apartments on each side. It is amazing to think that a city can be changed so much that roads and buildings could be covered and forgotten
The current church on top of the older chapels.
Ruins throughout the city
After this last stop, part one of our tour ended and we headed back to our apartment for dinner. Clay cooked another delicious pasta dish. Before we met up for the second part of our tour, we grabbed our daily gelato. At this point, we were no longer enthused about gelato. It didn’t help that at this particular shop it was gross. I didn’t know there could be such a thing as bad gelato, but we had found it. After this evening, gelato eating became a chore.
Sadly the gelato was only a sign of the tour to come. The second part of our tour had no ghosts and very little substance. It did provide a nice, quiet walk along the river and city as it changed from twilight to dark. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a nice way to end the day.
The next day was a big one. It was Vatican day. As a Catholic, this was at the top of my list of things to see. Clay was nice enough to oblige. To get a proper look at the place, we booked another Context tour. This tour was courtesy of Clay’s sister and her husband. When you are doing certain things in life, you don’t want to do them halfway. And the Context tour provides an excellent informational tour of the Vatican.
Elizabeth with a building in the background
sculpture
building
sculpture
sculpture
mosaic
awesome art
massive bowl of marble
mosaic
marble that no longer exists
The Vatican hosts an amazing collection of all sorts of Italy, from paintings to tapestries, to sculptures and architecture, it has it all. They even have a modern art museum with a Dali in the collection.
pope stuff
Dali
other modern art
art
art
in the hallway of Italy
in the hallway of Italy
Hallway of Italy
The downside of course is the crowds. Worse than any football game I’ve ever been to. Almost the entire time you feel like being on a conveyor belt squashed between people. Seeing the Sistine Chapel, was akin to being crammed like sardines in a well painted tin can. It’s nice, but we both felt like the buildup was more than the actual place. There are a lot of incredible things to see in Italy, moreover Rome, that are not near as crowded. Even some of the rooms before getting the Sistine Chapel are really remarkable, but you don’t feel like you can enjoy it because of A. The crowds and B. You are rushing to get to the finish line aka: The Sistine Chapel.
We eventually exited to St. Peter’s. Tough to be crowded in a place so big. There are many remarkable things in the church, but we will only mention two here. First the canopy/baldachin. It is incredible large an ornate. Like most things in the Vatican it has a bit of a sinister side. All the bronze used to create the canopy was melted down from the pantheon.
The second is the stained glass widow behind the canopy. It looks like stained glass, but it’s really marble of different thickness to let in more or less light. It is also surprisingly large. It was and I’m sure continues to be beautiful.
After a quick lunch break for pizza and gelato, we headed back to the Vatican. Not for more churching (as Clay likes to call it), but for what’s under the Vatican. I got us tickets to the Scavi tour. This is a Vatican run tour of the Necropolis and St. Peter’s tomb sitting beneath the Vatican. This not a typical tour that people go on. You have to be flexible when getting tickets. Instead of picking a tour time, you tell the Vatican when you will be in town and they tell you when you can go on the tour. We were excited and intrigued about what to expect, especially when the tour closes with us getting to see the bones of the first Pope of the Catholic church, St. Peter. The Peter of the apostles in the bible, Peter. The one with the keys and on this rock I will build my church… that Peter.
Before the tour starts, we are having to pass through the Swiss guards to get to our meeting point. I am already feeling excited. Then we get the whole no picture talk before the tour suddenly (in Clay’s words) takes a CIA/Da Vinci Code turn. We head to a glass door only opened with a special pass. Our small group crammed into a small hallway so that door can close completely before the next glass door is allowed to open with our guide’s special pass.
It was not easy to get down there. Most of the tour was interesting. We learned how the necropolis was not originally a Christian burial place, but eventually turned into one. After a fair amount of walking around, we go through a long process of explaining about Peter’s bones. Then the guide showed a hole in a wall that was illuminated. Inside the hole is a Plexiglass box filled with bones of a man who is believed to be Peter. They are sure the tomb is Peter’s, but they are less sure of the bones. The bones are of the time period and the bones are surrounded with lore, but no one can really say for sure.
Nevertheless, it was a fascinating tour and the Vatican does an excellent job of not sugar coating what they seem to know or not know.
They say you need a whole lifetime to see everything in Rome. That may be true, but we stayed for a whole week and managed to see enough to satisfy us… At least for now.
For Italy we had loose schedules created. For Rome in particular we used the website Visit A City to help create a 7 day schedule. The website creates daily schedules based on distances and opening/closing times. Instead of consulting 394 different websites, we were able to just use this one to create an appropriate schedule for us.
Our adventure started mid day when we met our AirBnB host in Trastevere. Normally we do not have anything of note to say about our hosts, but this guy went above and beyond. As you may remember, our first stop once we get settled is to go buy groceries. At our new home in Trastevere, our host had already purchased groceries for us. It was amazing how thoughtful he was to stock the cupboard for the week. We still went to the store, but fresh pasta demands that kind of trip.
Once settled, we raced on to complete our to-do list of the day (as determined by our Visit A City schedule). Our first steps in Rome were to a church naturally. We made a visit to Santa Sabine. This church is extremely old and also provides an amazing view of Rome.
The next stop on the list was a walk to the Baths of Caracalla. These Roman baths are some of the largest in Rome. The baths gave us beautiful views of mosaic floors. Most of the designs I would want in my own home. Clay was beside himself. It never gets old looking at Roman mosaics and Clay sought them out in most all the countries we visited. You may remember that we had a look at Morocco mosaics. (We also made a trip in Montenegro to see them. Whenever we get the blog caught up, you will get to see those.)
Besides the mosaics, the sheer size of the bath house structure was amazing. It still baffles me how structures of this size were created and how long they have stood.
After our visit to the baths we took a walk to visit a pyramid from year 12 BC. So there is that, just hanging out at an intersection. It was a little bizarre to see in the city.
We then headed on to a better view of the city in time for sunset. While on our walk we noticed a line of people at the front door of a building. People were queuing up to the door and taking a peek through the door’s keyhole. After taking a look, most giggled to their comrades or took pictures through the hole and then went on their way. I (Elizabeth), ever afraid of missing out, had to know what everyone was getting a gander of. Clay, ever the one with little patience, decided to keep walking to the sunset viewpoint. It took me about 30 mins or so to get to the keyhole. I had no idea what to expect when I took a peek. As I approached I had only a few thoughts of what it could be:
Something that was going to scare me. No one had peeked and jumped, but I was still slightly afraid.
A beautiful statue. Italy is covered in beautiful works of art. I thought it may be just a marble statue in a garden and people are only allowed to view it through the keyhole. Clay joked that it was an enlarged version of The David’s most prized area.
At this point I should say that I was convinced there was a garden inside. The question for me was what was in the garden. I finally settled on a quite group of animals hanging out in a garden behind the door.
As you might have guessed, all my hypothesis were wrong. Instead behind the keyhole was… Well I guess you are just going to have to see for yourself. It would be a pity to spoil such a surprise.
I did share with Clay what I saw behind the keyhole. He will probably tell you if you buy him a good beer or BBQ dinner.
We ended our day at Eatly to buy some fresh pasta. Since we had been in Italy a while and had devoured several meals for “inspiration”, we were ready to try our hand at cooking fresh pasta on our own. Clay successfully made a few pasta dishes for us to enjoy as we booked tours for our stay in Rome. Word to the wise: It may not always be better to plan ahead, but it definitely would be less stressful.
The next morning we started with a free walking tour around the city. As usual the tour was a great introduction to Rome. We got to see our first Vatican building (one of the few outside Vatican City), Trajan’s Column, the Spanish Steps (closed for renovations), the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. It was a lot to see before lunch, but I think that can sum up Rome.
In the afternoon we went to the Borghese Gallery. We booked a tour of the gallery the night before so we weren’t exactly sure what we were getting into. The gallery is a smallish collection of impressive art. There were mosaics, marble statues, and traditional paintings. Two of the more memorable pieces we saw were Bernini statues. One statue titled Apollo and Daphne, although only one piece, told the whole myth of Apollo and Daphne. Our guide did an excellent job telling us the story while also walking us around the statue as it played out. The second statue by Bernini is The Rape of Proserpina. This is so detailed that you have to stare at it for several minutes before you accept that it is only marble.
We ended our stay at the gallery by strolling through the gardens. We only saw a small part of the gardens. It is worth sticking around the gardens for a bit. We didn’t get to see near enough of it.
After our walk through the gardens, Clay was determine to see the Colosseum. I wanted to see it too, so we made the forty minute trek across town to get a good look at what we would be touring the following morning.
For our dinner we bucked tradition and made reservations at a more modern restaurant. We were treated to an array of wonderful dishes. Our prix fixe meal was for seven courses, but those seven multiplied to 12 and we left with our stomachs busting at the seams.
The next day we went back to the Colosseum for a proper tour of the place. This tour was with Context. We highly recommend this company. Although their tours are on the pricey side, it is basically private. Our tour group consisted of four people. The tour guide (an archaeologist who actually worked on site at the Roman Forum), us and one other tourist.
Our guide’s love for Roman history was contagious. He first took us to the Colosseum where we learned that it’s actually Flavian’s Amphitheater. There are a lot of Colosseums, but there is only one Flavian’s Amphitheater. In our small group of four, we (I mean Clay) had the opportunity to ask all the questions we wanted. Clay could not have been happier with this arrangement.
After all of Clay’s questions were answered and we got a good look around the amphitheater we headed out to the Roman Forum. This ancient plaza played host to many of the government buildings at the time. The large size of the plaza is difficult to take in. In some areas you have a full front of a building, in others you have just the rough blueprint from the foundation stones. There are rouge columns with ornate capitals here and there. It really is an impressive sight to explore.
After our usual tour ended, our guide walked us to the area we wanted to eat lunch in. He also stopped into a church that we thought might be interesting. Again the tour company and our guide were great and went above and beyond.
We later visited the Capitoline Museum. Although the museum was great, we mainly were there for another view of the Roman Forum.
After all the touring we headed back to Trastevere and stopped at a fresh pasta shop to buy provisions for dinner. This shop was owned by two sisters from Sardinia. We would learn on another tour that the brothers of the sisters own the restaurant across the street. Although our own Sardinian, Rachele, was back home we were always reminded of her.
Fresh off a our large bus tour around Italy, we were ready to actually enjoy the city of Florence. Our scheduled tour had notified us that we would be the only two people on the tour. Music to our ears. Of course the downside was we wouldn’t be the only people at the Uffizi Gallery or the Accademia.
The Uffizi is a real museum. It houses a lot of different pieces and had several “masterpieces”. Elizabeth seems to have taken a shine to Botticelli based on her experience at the Uffizi. She also liked the 400 some odd portraits that line the Uffizi’s walls like crown moulding. All the portraits were painted by one man who captured the most famous nobility, clergy, artists, etc. of the time. I was also pleasantly surprised with the Uffizi. Our tour covered many different artists and styles, not focusing on anything in particular.
A familiar sight. This was part of series of paintings depicting Florence at the time. It was like looking at an old photograph.
The ceiling is adorned in oyster shells.
Post coffee break, we headed to the Accademia. Everyone goes here for just the David statue. Our guide also showed a few works here worth viewing, but only after viewing the David.
The statue is worth every penny. Massive and beautiful, it’s truly incredible.
The other things to view at the Uffizi
Includes the Medici coat of arms.
Not done with enjoying art for the day. We also headed to a modern art exhibit in town. Having exhausted my appetite for old European paintings, I suggested we visit a traveling Guggenheim collection.
We were not able to visit the Guggenheim in Venice and I was bitterly disappointed. Luckily, this exhibit seemed to have left the Venice location dry. It was quite extensive. Sadly, I still don’t like modern art, particularly the collections from the Guggenheim, but I knew this before I entered.
Then why go? Because it was different from anything we saw in all of Europe. These collections of “art” hardly qualify, but we find it interesting nonetheless.
The rest of our day was spent walking along the city streets. We stopped into the Duomo and discovered it was not as spectacular on the inside. The final highlight of the day was me ordering dinner in Italian. Food, drink, numbers, cash exchange, the whole bit. The guy working didn’t even need me to repeat anything. Truly a high-water mark for my Italian immersion.
During our last day in Florence we attempted to get a better understanding of city. One of the best ways to get to know a place is to taste it. Acting on a friend’s recommendation we booked a Walks of Italy food tour. We love food tours. Not only is it a good way to experience a city, but it also can challenge you to eat something that wouldn’t normally be on your own personal menu.
Our food tour started, as all good tours should, with wine. We were given free reign to just fill up our glasses as we wanted to sample the local wine and to accompany the crostini provided. Talk about a breakfast of champions…
A glass a day…
Next up we tasted one of the more exotic delicacies – Lampredotto. This is typical dish of the city and is made from the fourth stomach of a cow. We were some of the few that ventured to try the dish. We were able to try the meat in two different sauces. It is usually served in sandwich form but we were happy to eat it with fork.
Yum!
Although it doesn’t look like much, it was actually quite tasty.
After we had our fill, we made our way to the local market. It was here that we saw Food Network star Giada. She was filming for her show in the market. Our guide did not take notice. Instead she snaked us around the stalls and took us to a stand in the back corner. At this stand we learned about (and tasted) the more traditional cuts of meat like prosciutto. At the stand we also sampled a variety of cheeses and olives. We ate until we were stuffed.
After the antipasti, we headed to another part of the market to have lunch. I wasn’t sure how much more we could eat, but somehow we managed to devour our pasta, salad and a couple of glasses of chianti. The tour ended with a stop for gelato. We were thankful that we met our gelato quota, but most thankful that we didn’t have to eat another thing.
We spent the rest of the day walking off lunch. We visited the Basilica of St. Croce where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried. We ended our time in Florence by meandering up to Piazzale Michangelo for a last view of Florence and enjoying another beer at Archea and pizza at GustaPizza (P.S. We highly recommend this pizza place). The next day we left Florence and headed to Rome.
Getting in and out of Cinque Terre was easy since it’s all done by train. But getting to somewhere can be quite time consuming. We arrived in Florence around midday. Rachele had been here before, at least once or twice, so we followed her around like lost puppies. Nowhere in particular, just getting a feel for the city and seeing where all the main attractions live.
Not really art.
Not the real David.
BFF
Uffizi from across the river.
Ponte Vecchio.
Duomo
Duomo bell tower.
I was exhausted from the train and from hauling a broken suitcase, with no handle, a little over a mile across cobblestone streets and sidewalks. I was in need of a decent beer.
All over Italy they have great wine. The best in the world. Second to none. But we are not much for wine. Sure we occasionally partake, but craft beer is light years better and more interesting. The craft beer scene in Europe leaves a bit to be desired, but a brewery in Florence was supposed to have decent brews.
We headed over to Archea Brewery in hopes of finding a place to hang our hats. We sampled the local wares, as well as some non-Archea beer. The non was better, particularly one of the sours. I let Rachele try the sour beer I was enjoying so much. She looked at me as if I had tried to poison her. I think she drank water the rest of the time.
The brewery was across the river from where we were staying and we hung around that part of the trying to find a pizza place. Rumor has it, in Italy you don’t want to eat any pizza north of Florence. Since we were in Florence, and with Rachele, we wanted to get some good pizza.
We can’t seen to remember the name of where we went. I know the general location on a map, but it’s almost impossible to figure out. Nevertheless, we enjoyed three of the best pizza’s ever eaten even though we were not in Naples. Our favorite pizza you could hardly call a pizza. It had double dough (or as Italians would say, double pasta). Imagine a full sized calzone. The pizza was normal and then they draped an entire crust on the top of the pizza. It’s not mushy because these things cook at around 900 degrees.
Yum!
Double pasta. Double deliciousness.
It was a great experience in a tiny little restaurant. Our Italian leader was pleased with the pizza especially upon hearing the head pizza maker talk, apparently, with a Napoli accent.
Since Rachele had already been to Florence, we felt the need to head out of town and experience nature. Best way to do this, Tuscany. The next morning we hoped in a van with two other women and our happy group of five (plus a “guide”) headed to wine country.
Our tour first took us to San Gimignano. A medieval town overlooking the Tuscan region of Italy. The rain rolled in on our way, but managed to clear up a bit by the time we were about to leave town.
Winning gelato
View from the bell tower
Town center
Views from the tower
City streets.
After an hour or so milling about the town we headed out to begin the wine section of our tour. The first vineyard we visited went through a whole spiel on how to drink the wine, savor the wine, smell the wine. That’s one annoying thing about the whole wine tasting tour, they won’t let you just enjoy the wine and have an opinion. The amount of unnecessary fussiness is a huge detriment to the experience. Although the wine, with all the pretentiousness, was rather good, the lunch was the real star. Where else can you get homemade lasagna with a truffle oil sauce?
Our venue for lunch.
Discussing the oaky notes of the red wine.
Truffle oil lasagna.
Discussing the cherry fragrance of the wine.
Our second and final wine stop was much less stuffy. The wine wasn’t as good, but the views were better, and the person in change was more personable. The rain rolled in again, forcing us inside, but we managed to finish all our tastings. At the end of our tastings we were able to sneak down to the cellar to see where they keep the wine. We also learned about grape flour. Once the grapes are all used for wine, the remaining skin can be made into flour and used just like any other flour. This was definitely the fact of the day.
Vineyard views.
The cellar.
Grape flour.
After a day filled with wine and rain, we were all ready to head back to Florence and take a nap. This was Rachele’s last day with us. After a quick nap, she headed back home to Sardinia. It was sad to see her go, but were delighted we could spend a few days with her and look forward to our paths crossing again in the future.
We miss this ray of sunshine!
We liked Tuscany so much we decided to head back the next day. We had not been able to see Siena or Pisa the day before. Our time in Florence was on the short side so we thought it would be best to see Siena, more of Tuscany, and Pisa on a big bus tour. Although we did get to squeeze these spots in, we paid dearly with our sanity.
One thing I worked hard to do on our trip was to not get involved in large tours. We tried any tour that mentioned small groups. No more than 12 people or so. The internet is rife with complaints about large buses hauling lazy travelers all over a country, attempting to maximize the tourist ability to check something off a “list”. Sadly, we fell prey to this exact occurrence on this tour.
It was not an enjoyable day. 12 hours on a bus of 55 people visiting San Gimignano, Siena, and Pisa. (Pisa, I should add, is two hours away from all the rest of this stuff, making it a really stupid thing to try to add on to a day)
Our tour group. Too many people.
A few highlights:
San Gimignano (again)
On day two in San Gimignano we had clearer weather so I was able to take better pictures of the views. We also didn’t feel the pressure to see anything else in the town. We spent our time there meeting our gelato quota and sipping prosecco as we looked out over the vineyards. Time well spent.
Siena
This was our favorite part of the day. In hindsight we would spend a whole day in Siena. The tour provided a local guide for the city. We learned about the Palio di Siena which is a horse race that is held in the middle of the town. The horse race is between 10 of the 17 contradas. Each contrada represents a different city ward. They have their own mascot (varying from snail to wave to eagle), colors, and rivals. Of course there is much pageantry about it all, but at the core the race is three laps around the main plaza in the city. When one is declared the winner (the loser is the contrada that came in second not last) the members of the contrada celebrate at the cathedral.
The main bell tower in the plaza.
Contrada map.
Contrada sign. The city signs let you know when you are entering a new contrada.
The cathedral in town may be my favorite church. The moment you walked through the doors your jaw can’t help but drop. The structure is unique from the outside as it is made from local stone so it actually looks black and white (The cathedral in Florence looks more green and white). The black and white stone can also be found on the inside along with mosaic floors, works from Donatello and Michelangelo, as well as a library filled with colorful frescoes. Everywhere you looked it was beautiful.
I wish we could all be as sassy as this angel.
Pisa
The leaning tower of Pisa is a sight to see, but it was a surprise to learn that it is tower within a complex of about 4 buildings. There is a church, a baptistry, a monumental cemetary… All of these buildings make up Pisa’s cathedral square. The leaning tower is only the bell tower. It was surreal to turn the corner in Pisa and see nothing but stark white buildings and luscious green grass. Only after the initial shock of colors do you notice that a bell tower is peeking around the cathedral corner.
The next 45 minutes were wasted trying to take funny pictures. We’ll let you decide which is best.
I went for the classic pushing it over.
Look its not leaning!
Elizabeth went for the ole its falling on me bit.
Pisa was the last stop on our very long and large tour. It was great to see it all but please don’t do large tours. Don’t let friends do large tours. Instead spend the day focusing on one thing you really want to do.
We left Bologna early in the morning, grabbed a couple of those fancy muffins we were addicted to, and boarded the train.
Ten minutes later a woman showed up and started pitching a fit that we are in her seat. She was speaking French, refused to speak English, and also refused to provide her ticket so we can verify where everyone was supposed to be sitting.
We were getting embarrassed at the entire production. We were fairly certain we were in the correct seats, but mistakes do happen. The woman proceeded to try to pull in other passengers to corroborate the fact that these seats are hers. She put her jacket on the seat hooks and had been sitting there before we got on, so the seats are hers. There is no way she made a mistake.
Once the woman finally got her ticket out, she realized that she had been wrong the entire time. Instead of apologizing like a decent human, she asked for her jacket and sat on the other side of the isle, where she was supposed to be the entire time. And then she commenced to complain about us to the new person sitting next to her.
As we left the train, she was talking to her husband in near perfect English.
The train to the five cities from La Spezia did not include rude guests, and it made up for the awkward experience with the views. The train hugs the mountainside and occasionally there are windows in the tunnels that provide a glimpse of the sea and its vastness. It’s really cool to be barreling down the tracks to look out and see the ocean and no land. A bit terrifying, but beautiful.
Elizabeth pointing to the apartment we stayed in.
Once we arrived in Manarola, we settled in with our usual routine: groceries, snacks, a bit of takeaway pizza. To top it all off we watched the sun set.
The next day was highly anticipated for weeks. Rachele arrived and joined us for our Cinque Terre adventure.
Since the Camino, we had been keeping in touch with our two friends of the Camino, Candice and Rachele. Candice had been in Italy with us, but four or five days ahead and we were never able to meet up again.
Rachele had headed back to Sardinia after the Camino, but she had made plans to visit us if she could. Luckily, she was able to join us and we had some of our team back.
It was great to see her again. We hugged and laughed, happy as could be that someone met us silly Americans on the Camino and decided we were OK people.
We grabbed lunch across the bay from Manarola. We caught up with each other, although it was only about a month since we had last played together.
After lunch we decided to get a head start on hiking between the cities. One of the main reasons people visit Cinque Terre is to hike between the five cities. Our first hike was between Manarola and Riomaggiore. It was a little tiring, but it was nice to be a little active. Up until then, we had been spending a lot of our time eating and drinking.
Riomaggiore
Views from our climb.
Hidden beach to be found just around the corner.
There is a small beach filled with large rocks in Riomaggiore.
After hiking to Riomaggiore we rewarded ourselves with our daily allotment of gelato. After dessert, we grabbed tickets for the train back to Manarola. When we arrived at the train station we were surprised to learn the Italian railway workers were on strike and no trains were traveling. Of all places to be stuck, a mountain town an hours’ walk from our apartment was not ideal. Thankfully, our native Italian came in handy, and we learned the strike was to end at 6 PM, so we only needed to kill a couple of hours.
Post a few drinks at the nearest bar, the train finally showed up, and we were allowed to take the one minute train ride back to Manarola.
At this point, we would have had an average dinner and gone to bed.
Instead, we were bombarded with delicacies from a far away land, Sardinia. Rachele’s father owns a food store back in Sardinia and she brought over just about everything the country produces. Eight different cuts of cured pig meat, two cheeses, olive oil, a liqueur call Mirto, a special type of pasta made on the island, bread, and tomatoes. She said these tomatoes were the best tomatoes and better than any other Italian tomato.
All of these were produced in Sardinia. How she managed to get all this food through the airport amazed us.
Something that also appeared at our apartment was a cheese called casu marzu. It is just pecorino cheese. But it has been left out in the sun to develop another flavor thanks to the help of maggots that grow in the cheese. It is a popular cheese produced on an island in the Mediterranean. It is not entirely legal to have/sell the cheese.
How it made it to our apartment is unknown. I’m guessing a cheese fairy.
We enjoyed trying all of the delights Rachele brought over to us. We also enjoyed trying the maggot cheese even though it had been refrigerated and no longer contained living maggots. And we don’t know how it got to our apartment.
We are certain that it did not come from anywhere in Sardinia. So drop it.
Cinque Terre is known for its beautiful cities and the enjoyable hikes between each. The next morning, Rachele and I were more excited to visit Monterosso and enjoy the only beach in the five cities.
Elizabeth, ever the task master, informed us that we would be walking between each of the cities, and could not stay too long at the beach. We had views and hikes ahead of us. We (Rachele and I) only agreed to this plan because the water was only a few degrees warmer than freezing.
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From Monterosso to Vernazza, the trail was packed with cruiseshippers. It was a bit treacherous, especially when it was too narrow for two people to walk past each other. The trails are well traveled, but not well maintained. For all the money they charge tourists to torture themselves along the trails, they should be in much better condition.
Vernazza was a lovely little town, perhaps the prettiest of the bunch. We enjoyed some delicious focaccia and a wedding party. The town was packed to the gills though, and we departed for Corniglia.
Focaccia Break
Yum
Double Yum
View of Vernazza From Above
The “sea” trail between Vernazza and Corniglia was still open, as others have been landslided out of commission. These sea trails though do not exactly live next to the sea. They are not boardwalks. They don’t allow you to gently walk next to the rolling waves. The trail is still halfway up the mountainside and not for the faint of heart. Thankfully each trail contains less people, as each continued to be difficult.
The views of Corniglia from the sea trail and the trail leaving town are breathtaking. I don’t know if it is worth it to most people for the views, but they are almost worth the hiking.
Leaving VernazzaHeading to Corniglia
Leaving Corniglia and heading to Manarola, we had to take a trail back up to the mountaintop since the sea trail was gone. This hike was extremely strenuous. Rachele and I made our displeasure known, as we thought it would be much more of a leisurely day and less of a military type march through the jungles of western Italy.
Corniglia to Manarola
Corniglia to Manarola
Corniglia to Manarola
Corniglia to Manarola
Corniglia to Manarola
View of Manarola From Above
I think the views on this section to Manarola were my favorite though. You get to walk through the vineyards on the mountainside with views of the sea and Manarola. This part was difficult, but rewarding.
Look Ma, no guardrails!
Needless to say we crashed after our strenuous day on the trails. Having slept soundly after our exhausting day, we were excited to visit each city in another way. We decided that it would be nice to see the towns from the sea. We also wanted to ride the ferry to the hidden sixth city that was the best city of our coastal exploration.
Portovenere By Sea
Riomaggiore By Sea
Another trip to Vernazza
Portovenere is a sixth city on the coast. It reminded me of a miniature Porto. A great riverwalk with hills behind the entire city, making walking a pain. But the town was cute, the church was interesting, and the fortress looked imposing.
Striped Church
Striped Church Inside
Striped Church Inside
Striped Church Inside
Striped Church Inside
Striped Church
The three of us walked around town, grabbed lunch, and just enjoyed each other’s company. If was fun to not have much to do other than walk around an adorable town. We also caught another ferry around a couple of islands and got to see where marble used to be quarried.
Walking around town
Cruising around.
Cruising around.
Walking around town
Cruising around.
Cruising around.
Cruising around.
Gelato break.
Cruising around.
Rachele treated us to another dinner of Sardinian delights as we prepared to head out to Florence the next day.
As our usual Sunday schedule dictated, we woke up and went to Mass. After Mass, Clay insisted on eating at a restaurant that served and American-style brunch. I was sure this would end in disaster. I make an effort to not eat “American” abroad because it usually leads to disappointment, but not this time. The brunch exceeded my expectations. It was like we were back in the USA brunching on a lazy Sunday enjoying waffles, pancakes, real bacon, a muffin (the jam filled that we like so much), fresh fruit and American coffee. The coffee, while it couldn’t hold a candle to Italian or even Spanish coffee, did remind me of home.
We then headed to the old home of the University of Bologna. The university is noted as being the first and oldest in Europe. It was heavily damaged in World War II, but later rebuilt from the original pieces found in the rubble. You can visit the municipal library established in 1838 and the former anatomy room where they used to carve up cadavers, which was built in the 1600s.
The infamous anatomy table.
After getting schooled, we went in search of a famous gelato place in Bologna that was recommended by our Modena tour guide. Yes our gelato challenge was still happening. It was day 8 and we were still enjoying gelato. We waited in line for 15-20 minutes. The line was out the door. It was the best to date. Our flavors were vanilla based and not too wild, but they were delicious.
The next day we spent in Bologna should not have been there. When we were planning our trip, we made a mistake and booked an extra night in Bologna. Not sure how it happened, but we’re glad it did in a town as slow and relaxing as Bologna.
On our bonus day we decided to walk the porticoes of Bologna. The city planners instituted the porticoes to protect people from the weather as the milled about. Bologna has the longest portico in the world with 666 archways. The portico leads from downtown to a church on a hilltop. We covered about half on the way up and decided to walk all the way into town to finish them all off. The idea was better than the act. It isn’t the most thrilling walk, but it’s about the only way to get to the top of the hillside.
We grabbed lunch at a shop that deals in meats and cheese. They skirt some laws about health codes so they serve food (the meats and cheeses they sell as if you were at a grocery store) on plates, but they do not have a menu and will not bring the food to your table. They offer suggestions, but cannot have anything set in stone or some such. Very peculiar, but also very tasty.
We took a little nap before dinner where we indulged in more stuffed pasta. The highlight of the night was going to a small bar and Clay eating a sugar cube that had been soaked in a high grain alcohol. The closet/store sets the cube on alight before the patron, Clay, blows it off and then eats it. A lovely gimmick. Clay can assure you the booze did not completely burn out. He mentioned that the inside of the cube was equivalent to downing lighter fluid. Lucky him.*sips reasonable glass of prosecco as Clay laments his decisions*
It was fun day all around and a great way to leave Bologna. The next day we were off to Cinque Terre, not before buying a few muffins first.
The goal of getting to each city in Italy was to arrive in time to be able to eat lunch. Why was eating lunch so important? Because we were in Italy and I didn’t want to miss a meal while on a train. Italy still does a fair amount of siesta nonsense, so a lot of places are not open between 3:30 and 7, making it very important to not schedule a tour near lunch, otherwise you’ll miss the chance to eat.
Thankfully all the major train stations have a place called VyTA. They sell a muffin that has jam or chocolate stuffing in the middle. We discovered them in Milan and tried to eat a apricot, chocolate, or berry muffin at every train station we encountered. I don’t think I ever grabbed a picture, but they are decent muffins. The sweet fruity or chocolate filling only enhance how deliciously terrible they are for you.
Chocolate muffin deliciousness.
We didn’t eat too many before arriving in Bologna though, so after we settled in we headed straight out for lunch.
There were plenty of cheap places by us selling day old schwarma or offering the popular afternoon buffet. Loud music was everywhere. Youths chain smoked out in the cafes. Graffiti tags covered any wall nearby. Turned out we were staying within the campus of the University of Bologna. That would explain the cigarette smoke and seedy vibe of the entire area. Sleep would be difficult, especially with the music/food festival and the political propaganda being yelled out on the stage in the square, but it was interesting none the less.
We walked around Bologna with not much to see or do. Like Porto, there is not a lot of pressure to see things in Bolonga. Unlike Porto, thankfully, there is no importance placed on codfish. Instead, Bologna cares about stuffed pasta’s.
As we wandered, we ran into the two famous towers in town, built in order to keep an eye on the surrounding areas to keep the city safe. We also strolled in and around Santo Stefano, a collection of seven churches dating back to 5th century.
Inside the seven churches.
Santo Stefano
A look at the porticoes in the city.
The two towers. They used to be the same height.
We found a place for lunch quite a ways from the busy city center. We had hit the lunch rush. The restaurant was packed, as was the outside, as was the entire basement. We finally got seated in the bowels of the restaurant and made note that places in Italy don’t always go up a level to seat you, sometimes they go down.
Our meal would end up being one of the best we had in Italy. We had a basic panini with proscuitto and cheese and a couple of pasta dishes, ravioli and a ragu with wide noodles. Every thing we ordered was very good. It was also pretty cheap. Good pasta dishes in Italy ran around 8-10 USD.
As we continued to walk around the city, we decided to try out the walking tour from the Bologna Tourism Office. Normally, we only do free walking tours to learn about cities. Up until Venice, every single tour had exceeded our expectation. We could not find one of these in Bologna so we went with a regular tour provided by the city of Bologna.
The first half of the tour never even left Piazza Maggiore. We covered all the old buildings in the square, with a particular focus on the cathedral. Folks in Bologna wanted it to be bigger than St. Peter’s in the Vatican city and it was on track to be so. Then they ran out of money. It was so under-financed they couldn’t even cover the entire facade with marble, much less add. Later a pope decided to build a college next to the church, squashing all hope that the church would be extended any further.
Ohhh were halfway there…
Scaffolding
Where the side of the church stops.
They made it into a lovely window.
Each chapel is decorated in their own way. This was one of the most beautiful.
We walked around a bit to see the University of Bologna (the oldest university in Europe)…
the markets of the city…
the worlds longest sundial…
Where the sun hits the floor telling the time of year.
The whole in the ceiling that lets the sunshine through.
a famous painting of the Divine Comedy…
The whole wall.
Heaven
Purgatory
Hell
… and a group of terracotta statues.
The statues, housed in a quaint church that was once part of the hospital of the area, were some of the best art we have ever seen. Not just on this trip, but ever.
The whole gang.
The statues known as “Compianto sul Cristo morto” (Lamentation Over the Dead Christ) was made up of six separate individuals standing in a semicircle overlooking the dead Christ. The most moving of the figures is Mary Magdalene who looks as if the air from her screams are blowing her garments away. The expressiveness the artist was able to give the figures is incredible. It is an injustice to only call them amazing.
After our tour, we strolled around the city unsure of where to go, but excited to be wandering. Music was alive and in the streets. Bands seemed to be parked in the road, playing songs from all over the world. Some we knew, most we didn’t. We managed to find a canal in Bologna (not sure why Venice has such a monopoly).
At we decided that we are stuffed pasta family. The best pasta dishes we devoured are the one’s with meat, cheese, spinach, etc. inside the pasta. I guess we love surprises.
We headed back to our place, unsure if the scene had toned from earlier in the day. It had not. Instead, they had ramped up the racket. The food part of the “festival” was comprised of a rather eclectic cuisine. Our favorite was the Spanish place serving “traditional” Spanish food. Its menu included paella, but also tacos and nachos. Not as authentic as we thought.
Our terrace at day.
Our terrace at night.
The next morning we started our biggest bestest (expensivest) tour yet. With not much to do in Bologna, we had set to visit Modena for a day. This region of Italy is home to Parmesan cheese, Balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto. All of which have a designation so these particular foodstuffs are stamped, sealed, graded, approved, what have you to let everyone around the world know where each came from.
This particular tour didn’t visit places that gave you a hard sale. The tour was more informational and learning-based compared to tours which gave you a little info and then shove you in a shop to hawk their wares. We were finally rid of the Moroccan tour standards.
The tour picked us up next to the train station in Bologna. So before we even started a tour devoted to just food, I ran over to the station to grab one (maybe two) of those jam filled muffins. With another successful meal in Italy completed, our bus took off for the Parmesan factory.
Being in an industrial factory is not glamorous or sexy. Our pictures show us in all the regalia of visitors touring a cheese making facility. Our tour guide affectionately referred to our fashions as the latest Gucci spring fashions. So glamorous. While in our hairnets, we learned everything there is to know about making Parmesan. The most interesting bits of info were about the Parmesan during it’s aging process.
Officials visit each Parmesan factory to check the wheels of cheese. They use a small hammer and other tools to ensure there are no air pockets inside the wheel and it has no significant defects. If mold or a hole develops on the outside of the wheel, they can burn that section to insure bacteria does not spread.
Some wheels are affected so much that it cannot be sold as official Parmigiano-Reggiano. If this happens they scuff the outer edge of the wheel and sell it at a discount. If the wheel is in even worse shape, they end up turning it into the Parmesan cheese Kraft would sell for you to sprinkle on your spaghetti and meatballs.
Once we finished the factory tour, we were able to sample some of the cheese. Of course it was excellent and we bought some 48 month aged. The purchase process was to rummage through a box with various aged Parmesan cheese at various weights, find what you want, and drop some cash in the same box. It was quite the no frills operation.
We arrived at the prosciutto factory next. They weren’t working since it was a Saturday, but we were able to tour the facility with the owner and learn about the process. They also have a formal meat shop selling the cuts they produce, as well as cheeses and other products from around Europe.
Our guide tried his best to give a great understanding of how everything was organized, but the owner, in his excitement and enthusiasm for his profession, could not stop himself from interrupting our guide to give us additional information. It was amusing because the owner only knows Italian and our guide would have to calm him down in Italian and then translate what the owner said to us.
The sampling of meat products was fantastic. Various prosciutti were passed about. The specialty of the house was present, prosciutto stuffed with black truffles. This creation of the owner was my favorite of what we sampled. We ended up buying a fair amount of different cuts, excited for what dinner would look like back in Bologna.
The final food stop was the stop we were most excited about, Balsamic vinegar. What you buy in the grocery store is not real Balsamic. Even the $20-30 bottle isn’t authentic Balsamic. The real stuff runs $50 or more and is aged for at least 12 years. It’s like buying a quality scotch or whiskey.
This was our first foray into authentic Balsamic and it did not disappoint.
We learned about the barrels. In the family (because of course this is a family business), when a child is born a collection of barrels is created for the him or her. The barrel collection is made up of 5, 6, or 7 barrels of decreasing sizes in various woods. When the child moves out or gets married, the barrels enter the hands of that person. The gentleman who owns the business had his four year old daughter with us and showed us her barrels. He showed us his barrels. He showed us his grandfather’s barrels.
We learned about the production which is rather simple and about the aging process which is quite complex. Wine is cooked down and placed in the largest barrel. Each year a bit from the largest barrel is moved to the next, slightly smaller, barrel in the line. This continues until it reaches the smallest barrel. Eventually, you take from the smallest barrel and you have finished Balsamic.
It was a fantastic learning process and we procured a 25 year bottle of Balsamic. We are using it sparingly.
The day continued as we headed out to Maranello to visit the Ferrari Museum. There was an option to drive a Ferrari, but a few things prevented it from happening for me. The first was the sparkling wine I had at the prosciutto place. The second was the fact that none of the cars have a stick shift. If I was gonna drive a sports car, I wanted it to be an authentic experience. The third was the price. And number four was that I had not driven a car in three months. Not any car at all. I’d been in a few taxis, but not behind the wheel of anything since the US. Probably not a good idea to start back with a Ferrari.
The museum was filled with beautiful cars. But you probably had that figured out.
We closed the tour with a very long lunch. It consisted of enough stuffed pasta, grilled meat, and wine to sink a battleship. It was an excellent meal and the folks on the tour with us were pleasant company.
We arrived back in Bologna and took naps. Dinner was a collection of our treats from the day’s tour.
Some people would only take a day trip to Bologna or maybe stay a night or two.We are not some people. We spent four days in Bologna and enjoyed every one of them. The next post will cover the last half of our Bologna stay.
From One Side Of Italy to Another – We left Milan in the morning and arrived in Venice before lunch time. Upon arriving, always by train, you exit the station and the grand canal is there to greet you. It’s neat to be on the train and head from the mainland to the island, but a much cooler experience once you see the canals.
Hello Venice!
We were staying on Murano island, the glass blowing island, for our few days in town. We had to quickly learn about the vaporettos, especially if we were ever gonna get anywhere. We didn’t make any mistakes and quickly made our way to our airbnb on Murano.
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
Commute to our apartment
It was as awesome as the pictures had made it out to be. It was on a canal without feeling cramped and had an incredible view of the church across the way. Staying in Venice is incredibly expensive, so we were fortunate to find this place at a more reasonable price.
Perfect view!
Back on Venice island, we walked around the city, taking it all in and trying to find a respite from the tourists. This was more difficult than any place we had traveled thus far. The main tourist attractions were slammed with people.
The views around Piazza San Marco
The views around Piazza San Marco
The views around Piazza San Marco
Luckily, I found a place just a few turns off the Rialto bridge where tourists were not congregating. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and some small sandwiches for only a couple of bucks a piece.
We began our tour of the Doge’s Palace not long after lunch. It’s a very impressive building typifying the greatness of the former Venetian Empire. While the tour itself was lacking in substance, the architecture and paintings made up for it. A marvelous building to go with a long running empire.
We left there to walk around the city and figure out if we wanted to do anything else in the city. We couldn’t get enough of the streets and canals. All you want to do in Venice is explore. It’s a wonderful, magical place.
We closed the night with dinner back on Murano. It was lovely and quiet, away from the hoards of tourists. Staying on Murano was a great idea, even if it took a bit to get back into Venice each day. We knew by 4-5 each day, Murano would be given back to the locals and people living there. The streets would be empty again. And we could stroll along them for hours.
Besides a walking tour, we had nothing else do to the next day. Sadly the walking tour was terrible (the only free walking tour to ever not be fantastic). The tour provided little information about Venice’s past and focused more on what typifies modern Venice. Nevertheless, we carried on.
During the day we wandered around the street, piddling here and there, ate gelato, went to an old rundown bookstore, and found the famous Venetian mask shop. Suffice to say the mask shop was much smaller than we expected and difficult to find. Upon arriving, we were met with a small selection of handmade masks, the most beautiful out of our price range. We chose not to purchase any and left a bit sad that it didn’t work out.
Enjoying a treat on the walking tour.
Elizabeth was begging to have her picture where Indiana Jones once stood.
We learned that Venice has its own dialect that does not use the double constant. Vandals have taken to the street to remove the doubles in these non Venetian-Italian signs.
Remnants of older architecture can be seen inbetween the current windows.
This was common to see on nearly every corner.
Gelato challenge.
We knew where we wanted to eat dinner, but it was still early so to kill some time before dinner we headed to a cichetti place. It’s the Italian, specifically Venetian, version of tapas. I had read some great things about this spot and we endeavored to find it. Elizabeth wanted to use a paper map (stone age) instead of google maps. Granted google maps isn’t great in Venice as the streets are narrow, but the idea of us walking around actually looking like tourists was too much for me to bear.
Nevertheless, she got us there (with discreet glances at her map). Even if the doorway looked to lead to certain death, inside was another story. It was a nice open space with a dozen or so different cichetti and a nice little bar area. The food was cheap and getting a cocktail (Aperol spritz) and a glass of prosecco for only $2.50 each felt like stealing. Sure the places to stay in Venice are outrageous, but you can find plenty of great places to eat and drink in the city that will keep the pocketbook in decent shape.
As we enjoyed our much needed beverages, we realized the deals were only the second best thing at the bar. The music selection was finally not terrible. Not only was it not terrible, it was excellent. We had been suffering through top 40 every where we went, except Morocco (which only seemed to play late 80’s/early 90’s pop rock or Adele). The music here was Motown, the big hits too. Nothing obscure, just hit after hit you could sing along too.
We left Bacarando on a high note and headed to dinner to close out another beautiful day in Italy.
The next morning we decided to visit Burano and pick up a souvenir or two. Before Burano though, we needed to experience Murano and the glass blowing.
We were up a little too early to catch most places putting in work and the place’s that were open felt the need to charge to watch a guy breath into a long tube. We left the area disappointed, but determined to find a place making glass. We found two that were free to watch. It was impressive and hot.
America
The first group we watched were making larger shapes so they were consonantly working the glass without us ever getting to see a final product. The second we visited was making medium to large animal figures. Within 20-30 seconds of pulling the “glass” out of the furnace, the craftsman began pulling, tugging, and adjusting the malleable goop to turn it into a horse or tiger or whatever was being produced that day.
It was quite impressive. It also took a sad turn. The same gentleman went to place one of his works into the final fire to set the shape and his hook got caught, allowing the figurine to come plummeting to the ground, fracturing into many pieces. He looked a bit dejected, but everyone who had watched was even more sad. The piece was no more though, and he began to replicate what he had just lost.
Catching a vaporetto to Burano, we hoped the clouds would hold off so we could enjoy the colorful island. The weather did not cooperate. We walked a bit and visited the shops on the main drag. We grabbed lunch and watched the rain fall on the cruise ship crowd who had mere minutes on the island before having to head straight back on their boats.
We did buy some small lace items on Burano, dropped them at our place on Murano, and headed back out for one last afternoon in Venice.
We made it to the cathedral, St. Marco, and enjoyed the free entry. The terrace of St. Marco provided great views of the mass of humanity constantly crowding the piazza nearby. The church itself is amazing. The mosaics are incredible. The craftsmanship is astounding. They just don’t make things like the used to.
To commemorate our time in Venice we bought some art, haggling the entire time for a good deal. How I can haggle over art without crumbling is weird considering my inability to do the same in Morocco. I think it’s because it starts at a reasonable price everywhere else but in Morocco where they start by asking for your first born.
Sadly we had to leave to get back to dinner on Murano. The meal was ok, but the impending thunderstorm pushed us inside earlier than planned. We Bologna was up next, a city not near as many people visit, although they should.
cornetravel 