The past two weeks of the trip have been filled with smaller proportions of people and greater proportions of fresh mountain air. But following our time in Slovenia, we would spend the final days of our trip bouncing from city to city in two of the most famous Southern European countries, the first of which was Italy. I’ve never regretted renting a car to travel around Europe, but the experience of driving in Italy is about as close as I’ve come. By far the worst drivers I encountered throughout the entire trip were encountered here, and Italy is probably the most expensive European country to drive across if you’re at all concerned about timing. The less than orderly driving habits apply to how most people walk about in the streets here as well. Swerving left and right. Quick stops. There’s no logic to the way vehicles and bodies move. Despite this, there’s still plenty of friendly people and, of course, much to see here that makes these minor quibbles worth it. We didn’t have too much time before we were due to meet friends in Spain, but during our time in Italy we still got to see some of its most famous places and attractions.
Venice
West from Bled, Slovenia we drove across the border where we encountered some men dressed in krampus outfits were flagging down cars at the old border check station, trying to sell drivers holiday bread. We eventually arrived at our home on the mainland of Venice. Most locals live here and commute into the archipelago every day via boat or the long bridge that connects the islands to the mainland. While visiting Europe during the offseason doesn’t often make for the best weather, it does ensure there’s half as many tourists flooding the streets than there normally would be. Fortunately for us, the weather was actually still pretty warm. We began our Venice trip by hopping on the bus and riding it across the bridge until we arrived at Giardino Papadopoli. This park is a small space of green on otherwise crowded island consisting entirely of floating buildings. From there we made our way to the 13th Century, Gothic style Basilica dei Frari. This would begin a long line of sites on our tour of Italy that casually house the works and/or bodies of renowned Renaissance artists. Inside Frari are two works and the tomb of early Renaissance artist Titian.
We spent most of our time walking around the islands from place to place across the many bridges which connect them all. The most well known of all these bridges is the Rialto, which has shops on either side which sell mostly jewelry, clothing, and accessories. The concept and the bridge itself are still very impressive, nonetheless. Right next to Rialto Bridge is a high-end shopping center. If you’re looking to buy expensive colognes or designer handbags, then Fontego dei Tedeschi is the place for you. If you aren’t, then it’s still the place for you because of the free rooftop terrace which offers panoramic views of the city. The magic of Venice is something that needs to be experienced from above as well as down on the street, and this is one of the best places to get the former. From there we walked over to Venice’s most well-known square, St. Marks. We took in the gorgeous interior of St. Mark’s Basilica, the immensity of Doge’s Palace, and caught a glimpse of the Bridge of Sighs. The blue waters at the edge of St. Mark’s Square separate the main islands from the outer island of Lido and Giudecca.
On the following day, we started things off by visiting the Peggy Guggenheim museum. This never-completed Venetian mansion houses the personal collection of its namesake, acquired throughout the 20th Century. The patronage of Guggenheim helped propel artists such as Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, and many other modernists to fame throughout her life. The art collection is thus, though somewhat small, quite impressive and well-curated. On the other side of the main hall you can also walk out of the doors and step right up to the edge of the canal. Wooden pillars jut out of the ground and provide a place for boats to dock against the property. Not only do you see numerous great works of art here, you can vaguely imagine yourself in the life of a wealthy Venetian while you walk the grounds.
We ate lunch at a local favorite tucked into the winding back alleys of the city known as Rosticceria Gislon. We ducked into the tight staircase which led us to an upstairs dining room and ordered a couple local specialties including mozzarella in carrozza. This breaded cheese treat still has me wishing we were in back upstairs in Venice right now. Despite being in Europe for a while, we also promptly forgot just how much a liter is and became the giggling foreigners who felt obligated to polish the entire carafe of prosecco we ordered. Our final stop was the Basilica di Santa Maria which houses another 12 works by Titian. We arrived just after riposo (siesta) and were one of only a few others in the building. Following this we watched the sunset as we made our way back to the mainland and prepared ourselves to make the drive to Florence the next day. I’ve seen some commentary online that Venice doesn’t feel real and there are often too many tourists to really enjoy it, but in our experience, Venice still holds its fairytale feel and is worth a trip. Considering that massive plans are now under consideration to save the city from the inevitable effects of climate change, I also feel fortunate to have seen it while it still...exists.
Florence
Before completing our drive to Florence from Venice, we made a detour to Treviso to visit Lexi’s longtime pen-pal friend. There he showed us around the town and took us to an excellent pizza place in Piazza dei Signori. We ended up staying in Diacetto, a very small town to the East of Florence, and commuting into the city via Italy’s excellent train network every day. Our first stop in Tuscany’s largest city was the Galleria dell'Accademia. This large museum dedicated mostly to sculpture is the home of Michelangelo’s David. I knew this masterwork was a must-see, but until we were standing right in front of it I had no idea just how incredible it really is. Before you actually stand before David, there’s a lot of Michelangelo’s plaster molds and sculpture work that are a lot rougher in detail. This build up really allows you to appreciate how strikingly perfect David appears to be. He’s massive. He’s completely smooth. Arteries bulge from his perfectly positioned muscles. Michelangelo studied for years to replicate how posture and position create detail in the body’s appearance, and David is the penultimate example of the body’s final and most ideal form. Here’s an example of something we can show you wonderful photos of, but just can’t be fully appreciated unless you are there. The Galleria dell'Accademia also includes a number of other impressives sculpture, but unfortunately they suffer the fate of being in the same building as David, and just can’t capture the same attention.
After admiring David, we made our way to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. We didn’t plan well enough to enjoy everything the property has to offer, but it’s certainly an impressive cathedral and possibly the number one place to see if you’re ever in Florence. Furthermore, our time in Florence coincided with a long holiday weekend in Italy for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Worship of the Virgin Mary is nearly equal to that of Jesus Christ in Italy, and thus she gets her own holidays near the time of Winter Solstice. Essentially what this meant for the Florence part of our trip was that everything was packed with both tourists and locals. We ended this day by hiking our way across the Amo River and up a hill to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo. Panoramic views of the city greet you here and provide an excellent place to enjoy the sunset and a hotdog if you so choose.
Our next day in Florence started with a trip to a sandwich restaurant recommended by Lexi’s friend in Treviso. All'Antico Vinaio has two identical counter-serve shops on the side of a narrow street near the river that serve what turned out to be the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. Fresh-baked, thick panini bread with nothing but proscuitto, cheese, and a truffle paste in between turned out to be the perfect combination. While we waited for our sandwiches, the bread was brought from the shop across the street while the sandwich artists (that label definitely applies here) easily cut slices from the wheels of cheese and large cross-sections of meat. For a mere two euros you can also hook yourself up with some takeaway wine. It was a bit early in the day and we had already been having our fill in the evenings so I declined, but it’s definitely not a bad idea.
We took our sandwiches and devoured them by the river before making our way to the Uffizi Gallery. Originally constructed as an administrative building for the ruling Medici dynasty, it now houses more of Italy’s endless collection of renowned artworks. Giotto, Boticelli, Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and many more line the walls. Our favorite here is probably “The Birth of Venus” by Boticelli. We spent the rest of the day walking around the city before making the trip back to our small town to enjoy the Tuscan scenery. Florence is a town with a lot to see and do, but of all the places we went in Italy it was probably my least favorite. It’s absolutely essential to go for David, the Basilica, great food, and works of art, but overall the city feels dirty and lacks a certain charm I felt about Venice and Rome. Poor me, I got to go to Florence and it wasn’t as good as some other places I’ve been. I’m so mad about it!
Rome
Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, London, New York, Tokyo, Rome. There’s much to see throughout the entire country of Italy. Months could be spent traveling here nonstop without taking it all in, but if you haven’t been to Rome, then you haven’t really been. We budgeted extra time for visiting the home of the early Renaissance, the seat of the Roman Empire, the heart of Catholicism and Christianity for more than a thousand years - and they may have not invented double parking, but they’ve perfected it.
We decided to break up our time here into geographic areas so that we wouldn’t wear ourselves out trying to do too much each day, and the first of these areas to visit was Vatican City. We didn’t plan anything too extensively for most of our trip, but it was clear to me I would enjoy our time in the world’s smallest country more if we woke up early and arrived as soon as possible. Sure enough, as sun rose over the city we walked right up to the security checks for St. Peter’s Basilica and breezed right through. Walking through St. Peter’s Square gave me the same sort of surreal feeling I had in Paris. It’s a little hard to imagine places that are so historically significant really coming to life. Entering the Basilica is no different. Our excellent audio tour explained how the sculptures that decorate both the bottom and top of the nave are several feet different in height to give them the appearance of having the exact same size when viewed from below. The gold letters quoting scripture that encircle the top of the walls are seven feet tall. The stained glass window contains an image of a dove that’s over six feet tall, though it appears to be no more than a foot or two from where you stand in the nave. The entire structure was built around the old St. Peter’s Basilica which was then disassembled and carried out the doors after the new church’s completion. The dark canopy over the altar itself, designed by Bernini to make the altar feel closer to the parishioners, is almost 100 feet tall. The Statue of Liberty, Air Force One, The Sphinx, the world’s largest submarine, and the Space Shuttle could all fit inside. It’s big.
St. Peter’s also contains a lot of impressive art, but probably the most important work is Michelangelo’s “The Pieta.” Another incredible piece of sculpture, Michelangelo’s portrayal of Mary holding the dead body of Christ is on display near the entrance. If you’re up to it, no visit to St. Peter’s is complete without the long climb to the top of the dome. From there are the best views of Rome you’ll see from anywhere in the city. After descending the steps we grabbed lunch before heading to the Vatican Museums. The Catholics were kind of in charge of a lot of stuff for a while, so they’ve got a pretty impressive collection of artifacts from around the world and European artwork. Some of the highlights include the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps (my personal favorite), and more Michelangelo works. Included (and necessary) with your admission to the Vatican Museums is the Sistine Chapel. It’s situated at the end of the museums, so understandably, you might be tempted to rush to it. Don’t. You’ll miss a lot of good stuff.
Nevertheless, you’ll eventually make your way into the world’s most celebrated work of art. Make sure you spend a good amount of time here absorbing what you see into your brain, because no photos are allowed. Covering the entire ceiling are depictions of different events in the Bible, but none more famous than Adam and God in “The Creation of Adam” where their fingers meet in the spark of life. Michelangelo’s work not only literally depicts Biblical stories, but also represents the optimism of the Renaissance.Later in life he was commissioned to paint “The Last Judgment” on the wall behind the altar, and his themes have noticeably shifted to misery and death. This wasn’t just a result of depicting Revelations, but also from the fact of living in the now war-ravaged European continent. About 100 years ago, the walls and ceiling were covered in smoke and dirt from hundreds of years of wear inside the church. The frescoes were cleaned and restored, but you can still see small squares showing what it used to look like. The difference is stark. Art restoration is impressive. We spent a little over half an hour inside the Sistine Chapel, and I’m not sure it was enough.
Our next day in Rome started with the Colosseum. Things became surreal again. In modern times we regularly build stadiums that are grander, but being having been to those places made the Colosseum no less awe-inspiring. The walls of one side still tower above you as you walk through the concourse, and the decay of the floor allows you to see into the previously subterranean areas where deadly animals would pop out at gladiators. Directly across from the stadium is the Roman Forum. You’ll need a good audio guide to really understand what you’re looking at here, but they can be had online for free. Some of the highlights here were the funeral pyre of Julius Caesar, Temple of Venus and Roma, the Senate, Basilica of Maxentius, and the Via Sacra. Much of it is in advanced decay now, but the Roman Forum still exudes history. Near the Forum is Palatine Hill, which is filled with more ruins and provides multiple vantage points to view the city from. These activities took up much of the first part of the day, but we still made time to visit Piazza Venezia, eat gelato on Isola Tiberina, and see the Altar of the Fatherland. This monument to Italian unification is a giant neoclassical building that sticks out on the skyline from no matter where you are in the city.
On our final day in Rome, we decided to do a self-guided walking audio tour that would take us to many of the city’s greatest sights we hadn’t yet been to. This began with Campo d’Fiori and Palazzo Farnese. Campo d’Fiori houses a market that sells various food and cooking products which all surround the central statue of Giordano Bruno. Executed by the Catholic church in the 16th Century for positing the Copernican model of the universe, it was erected in protest of the Papal rule of Rome in the 19th Century and continues to be an annual gathering place for freethinkers on the anniversary of Bruno’s death. From there we continued to the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, a Bernini-designed fountain that represents the four great rivers of the world (known at the time). We continued on past the Madama Palace, the new home of the Italian Senate, and arrived at the Pantheon. One of Rome’s best-preserved buildings, the Pantheon was originally constructed as a temple to all the Roman gods. It’s grand dome is still the largest one in the world constructed without reinforcement. The size of the dome and the building is apparently small from the outside, but once inside, it is you who feels small. Inside the Pantheon are tombs of Victor Emmanuel, who united Italy, and the artist Raphael. Despite the large number of tourists, the Pantheon was a much quieter place than I expected.
After leaving the Pantheon we eventually made our way to the Trevi Fountain. We found an open place to sit and enjoyed both the fountain-watching and the people-watching while we ate some more gelato. The Trevi Fountain was recently restored and is quite beautiful, but it is smaller than I expected. We spent some time relaxing at the fountain before walking over to the Spanish Steps as our final destination. Sure, they’re pretty famous, but I feel as though the Spanish Steps might be one of Rome’s more underrated attractions. It’s a place where Italy’s famous piazza culture, the beauty of an ancient city, and the result of converging cultures all come together. It was the perfect way to end our time in Rome.
Now that I’m a few weeks removed from it, my attitude towards Rome and Italy are noticeably different. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed basking the glory of Italian history and food culture while I was there, but I had a few reservations about it while I was there. I still believe of all the places I visited in Europe, Rome is just one city I could never see myself living in. The bus system was dirty, crowded, and never on time. The city outside of historical areas seemed to lack care - I even thought it reminded me a lot of Bangkok. The free-wheeling Italian culture doesn’t translate well to activities that require some order, such as driving and walking. Despite all this, I really enjoyed my time there. A quirk I noticed about Italy that was more prevalent than anywhere else we’ve been is how strangers seem to strike up conversations with one another as though they’ve known the each other for a long time. I enjoyed that. And whether you end up deciding that you too could never really live in Italy, I think you’ll find it just as essential as I did to visit. There’s simply too much culture and history here to miss. Oh, and the food ain’t bad either.