Florance

Italy –Florance-Rome-Venice-Milan-Bologna, 2013

There are tons of information about Italy that you can learn so much even if you spent little time. Lucky for me because even though this was my one of the “bought ages ago” trip and I had time I actually spent very little time doing my research before my trip. Now, research combined with my real time experience I will tell you what I liked and what I thought “wish I had known this before” kind of things. A brief summary is at the top as usual but do take a peek on the details because experience is talking 🙂

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Travel: Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world so you will find lots of tours, direct flights and many other ways to get there all year around. If you chose a less known location as your arriving-leaving point such as Bologna you can find even more cheap deals. Once in Italy travel by train is a really comfy and price friendly option. Of course the timing of your trip will be your first crucial decision because summer times are really crowded and prices are really high.

Visa: You should have a Schengen visa.

Food: I don’t even have to tell you right 🙂 All kinds of pizza, pasta, tortellini, risotto, panini, tiramisu, gelatino, coffee, wine… Since this is such a huge topic for Italy, I made another guide specific for cafes and restaurants of Italy, you should totally check out cafe guide to know more about what and where to eat in Italy.

Sightseeing landmarks:

Too much to mention all of it, and besides if your trip concept is cute coast cities or wine tasting it will be a completely different Italy experience but I will talk about major trio cities of Italy and two additions to that.

Florance:  Duomo Cathedral and Square, Uffizi Museum, Michelangelo square where you can see the whole city, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Signoria Square (Piazza della Signoria) which is like an open museum and David statue in Galleria dell’Accademia museum.

Rome: Collesseum (you will be shamed if you return from Rome without seeing this). Rome Forum, Trevi fountain, Gallery of Borghese (and I won’t speak to you if you return without seeing Daphne and Apollo statue of Bernini here), Pantheon and technically it is not Rome but you should definitely, most certainly visit Vatican the Holy City.

Venice: Just city itself 🙂 really, its beauty lies in getting lost in its streets but if you need a name San Marco Square, do a Gondola tour and if you have more time visit a nearby island.

Milan: Milan Cathedral (Duomo) and Square,  and near that Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Art lovers might wanna check out the famous Last Dinner .(but they should totally book in advance)

Bologna: Maggiore Square (Piazza Maggiore) and if you have awalk around this place you will come across Neptune fountain, Santuario di Santo Stefano Basilika and Asinelli and Garisenda towers.

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I made quite 2013 the year of “longer than I usually do” holiday year. and I bought tickets to Bologna 6 months ago since they were like super cheap. Because they were on November which is kind of risky time for the cold and rainy weather but luckily we had quite the sunny days and didn’t have to go through peak time crowded Italy experience.

Where to Stay: Italy will offer you many options. You are sure to find somewhere to suit your needs and budget. Below are my criteria for each of these cities and places I found accordingly;

For Florance,  I preferred to rent an apartment so that I can pretend to be an art major living in this art everywhere Renaissance city, for Venice I felt like I should pick a place as close to the train station as possible to avoid dragging my luggage in a no taxi city, for Rome I thought number one criteria should be location close to center and please let the breakfast be included since I couldn’t do it in my other options,  for Milan, after seeing the center hotel prices, I took the “ok we’ll find a way it doesn’t need to be that close to the center” approach and finally for Bologna I voted for the “go for the at least 4 star hotel” since it’s the end of the trip and I would likely to be in need of extra comfort.

Let’s get into detail of my picks according to these criteria!

So in Florance, I rented an apartment near Duomo from Think Florence.  It turned out to be a super lovely house with every necessary utility from plates, forks, wine openers to hair blowers, ironing tools to kitchanware even including a microwave oven. Of course it had air conditioning and wireless. Bed was soft and comfortable with perfectly white sheets. It was like a fully functioning house where owners went away and we were happy guests. It was just the house in my mind. I mentioned many utilities here especially because it is usually not the case when you rent an apartment, you usually get the very basics, if you are lucky maybe a glass or two and a fork but this place has full dinner sets and separate lovely wine glasses. And it is not finished, this house had a really important thing, it had second windows when shut making the room go completely dark.  I can’t stress enough how important sleeping is when you are travelling. Because it is the basic need you have to satisfy to fully enjoy your travels. Hence having sleeping place which can go pitch black with no sound is really important as it will make improve your sleep quality.  Seriously I’m not over stating the importance of sleep quality. And if anyone thinks I might have exaggerated the pitch blackness in the room let me quote you the exact conversation me and my friend had in that room.

My friend who slept before me didn’t see later I closed the second windows and room became completely dark. I don’t think she was aware of such function too. In the morning, when we woke up around 9-10 am (a time where it should be very bright) since the room was completely dark I heard she calling me in a tone of panic and fear;

–Elciiinn, waaake up! Why it is not morning? Where is the sun?

I was paused for a moment since I couldn’t processed what she meant at first but seconds later I realized she didn’t know about the windows,

–It is alright darling; I shut down the windows after you slept.

-Noo, it is not alright, even if it’s closed there should be some light, did we not wake?

only way left to comfort her was to open the windows again to let the sunshine fill the room 🙂

To sum it up, I found just the place to feel like I’m living in a nice house in Florance experience. But for longer stays I’m not sure how the cleaning thing works, as we stayed for 3 nights only and I think it was after that cleaning is made.  Also if you don’t check in between 2-6 pm you need to pay an extra fee, just so you know.

In Rome we stayed at l Dormienti which has a good location and a budget friendly alternative. Though at first it had a “seems too budget friendly so it can’t be any good” feeling to it, it was a decent choice which over delivered to our expectations. First of all cleaning was good which is an important factor and likely to be negative point for budget friendly alternatives but it wasn’t the case. They did daily cleaning and change of sheets once in every 3 days. Hotel staff was friendly and helpful, even helping us with using their phone to book a reservation at Borghese. And best part, breakfast was included but it was in the cafe below which was a cute little chain cafe of Illy’s. A coffee and a croissant may seem plain but it is what they usually eat for breakfast in Italy. There are too many things to do in Rome so a quick start with a decent breakfast is a good thing! I like to eat breakfast in different places enjoying new cafes too but if your trip is over a week you may want to include couple of breakfast included days as not thinking where and what to eat specifically for breakfast can be a good thing especially for busy sightseeing trips.

In Venice, I preferred a place near to train station since that’s how we planned to arrive and I knew there is no land vehicle to use. Even though I didn’t have a big or heavy luggage I didn’t want to drag it with me along narrow streets of Venice. And after visiting Venice, I stand by my choice 🙂 I booked a room in Ca’ Lucrezia, it seemed like a good option close to station and not a budget enemy. They underestimated how close it was to the station! As it took us literally couple of minutes to arrive from station and it was a real hassle saver. It was very easy to find and settle to our hotel. It was a small, heavy old style furniture kind of hotel at its own pace. Having internet and breakfast included in our price was a bonus and they did have little of variety in breakfast which was a pleasant surprise for us. Because even though we loved coffee and croissant it was nice to at least have the option to eat cheese, salami, butter and jam. Though they were one kind and in little boxes, it was the thought that counted! Reception leaves at 3 pm but they give you key so it is not problem.

You will find that in general Milan has higher hotel rates (unless you are going to Venice in festival time!) and Milan doesn’t have many hotels near center. So I found Hotel Perugino as a winner of money I’m willing to pay/distance from center criteria. According to the hotel’s page I seem to have caught a good promotion for 70 euros a night but I suspect it is a promotion repeated. Hotel was old and so was their staff but it gave a nice feeling as we took advice from a white haired Italian gentleman. This one has its own pub and transportation wasn’t a bother and I ate the best tiramisu of my life on my way to this hotel, so not likely to particularly chose again but it wasn’t a bad decision on my part.

So what’s left? Bologna.

I went to Bologna as the base for cheap tickets and frankly didn’t expected much from the city. Since it was the last city we visited in Italy we were like “we already seen the basics of Italy” and were doubtful that we will particularly enjoy Bologna. However Bologna proved us wrong as it turned out to be a compact cute Italy with a bit of everything and we enjoyed our time there. As it was the end of our trip, I figured we could probably use a better accommodation so I booked a one star above our general travel accommodations and booked a 4 star hotel named  Grand Hotel Elite. Again I used a promotion on their page and for a 60 euro it was nice. We didn’t spent much time in hotel so I can’t say much about it!

Food-Drink: Italy is like one of the best places to eat. Even if I don’t say anything you are already thinking about pizza, pasta, tiramisu…Just eat it. Unless you are extremely unlucky or really god at picking all the wrong places, you are likely to have a good eating experience in Italy. My only advice is try to find a family restaurant and try tiramisu there. And try a cheese plate because they really have good cheese and much variety. And needles to say, ice cream (gelato) for all seasons is a good dessert.  Also there are pubs with small open buffets which you can also go for dinner and it is a good option for 5-10 euro choice. Overall start dieting before you go there!

Sightseeing:

Gee, there is just too much to see in Italy.

Let’s start with Rome, as tourist 101 do not come back till you have seen Colosseum , Roman Forum and before you throw a coin to the Trevi fountain. Colosseum and Roman Forum are very close to each other and it is the sensible option to buy their tickets combines as its discounted and time efficient to visit both on the same day. My advice is to visit Colosseum in the morning and then go to Roman Forum. Because Roman Forum is really huge and it will take good time to even just walk around. If it is your first time you might be a bit disappointed on how little left of them compared to their former glory but still thinking about the rich history and the fact that these places are over 2000-3000 years old really gives you goose bumps!

Around Trevi fountain, you will find many cafes and places to hang out. It will be very crowded so it may not be as “romantic” as you thought it would be but nevertheless it is stunningly beautiful. By the way you are supposed to throw your coin over your back and it is supposed to ensure you come back to Rome. (So it is not a couple love wish thing :))

As for the museums, like rest of the Italy you have many options but one of the most popular one is Gallery Borghese as it hosts many masterpieces. I liked this place very much not only it host one of my favorite masterpieces Bernini’s Daphne and Apollo statue but it is a villa and you visit it with reservation only so it was very nice visit since with reservation system they have crowd control.  Also check out Bernini’s other works (ladies do not miss hnadsome David! no not the famous David- that one is Michelangelo’s and it is in Florance, this one is Bernini’s David).  But in Rome, even if you just wander into a seemingly random church you might see a work of a master and it is really impressive and beautiful to say the least.

I would like to say for mythology lovers like me Pantheon in Rome will be interesting to visit, but it is not as it has been turned into a church thousands of years ago so only thing that will give you Pantheon feeling is the outside columns. But still, it is nice to see.

Also other than these landmarks, Spanish stairs and many lovely streets of Rome waits for your visit as well. I also liked Via del Governo Vecchio street as it was full of particularly nice cafes and restaurants.

And last but not the least, when in Rome, except behaving like a Roman do, visit Vatican. No excuses. Seriously you will be amazed, it is so splendid and extravagant and it really is a sight to see so many valuable artworks of all kinds together with a presentation that matches their values. Not to mention it is a spiritual place even if you are not a Christian. I would strongly suggest buying your tickets online though to avoid long queues that exist even in non-peak seasons.

Florance is very easy and deligthful to wander around as it is considerably small compared to Rome. Your first stop will likely be Duomo Square where the famous Duomo Cathedral stands in its glory. Even though I considered myself a veteran for visiting cathedrals around the world, the sheer size of it was a surprise for me. Duomo will charm you with its size, and details of its door. think about it, it is so massive and required so much work that even the grand children of masters who started working in Duomo worked for Duomo until its finished. Entry inside is free but real charm is outside. You can climb the tower if you are willing to take 400 steps and pay 10 euro.  Also we didn’t have any problem but even my friend living has experienced it that apparently the area in front of Duomo is a very good spot for thieves looking for easy prey. So please be mindful as you adore this majestic structure.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge is the sight you will probably come across on many Florance themed pictures. It is an old structure and colorful from the outside and little craft shops on it are nice to wander around. Michelangelo Square is where you go to see a good view of the city and a fake David statue resides. It is where you take “I was in Florance picture” place.

Florance is such an art loving city you can easily tell why it is one of the leading cities of Renaissance. Signoria Square is like a open air museum (Piazza della Signoria) but do not miss Uffizi Museum. I have visited lots of museums but I don’t remember seeing a museum so full of artworks. They have so many paintings that their walls are full up till the ceiling and some are so high that you can’t even see them. Also Florance is where you can see the famous David statue by Michelangelo, you should visit Academia Gallery for it. Seeing the original is impressive, do not the fakes everywhere took your motivation!
Also we went to a restaurant which is formerly a prison, and it was a different dinner ambiance. I wrote about it more here, but if you just want to check it out the name is Ristorante Le Carceri.

I arrived Venice by train and the moment I stepped out of train station I was stunned! I felt like a country side villager that came to the city for the first time, I knew it was going to be beautiful but I just loved the city built upon canals. Maybe since our time was limited here it looked even more beautiful to me but every corner is a shot for a photo masterpiece. Walking around on the narrow streets that twists and turns like a labyrinth, taking a look at mask shops, all the other small souvenir shops and restaurants… Of course our timing was good enough to avoid peak time tourist season so I was able enjoy a piece of serenity on the streets of Venice instead of crushing with many people around me. Also at night, streets looked even more charming but in a sense of a good vampire city feeling whatever that means. but seriously if there are vampires, Venice is one of their favorite places I tell you! You will also see the main square and there is also Juliet’s house (which I haven’t visited) but another popular activity in Venice is to visit close by islands which are famous for their glass artworks. Also if you are around February do attend Venice festival as you will have a chance to experience the true magic of Venice masks!

I added Milan to my route especially to get a more modern Italy feeling. Because usually for starter Italy trips Rome, Florance and Venice take the spot lights.

Update 2017: I couldn’t enjoy Milan much in my first trip because of having less time and cold better but I understood its beauty on my second visit -which I’ll write soon! Until then, major headlines for Milan would be: 

The Duomo in Milan was a gorgeous site for sure, seeing the smallest details of such a massive building you can’t help but think “of course it will take you 600 years to finish if you pay this much attention!” And old style shopping center nearby and large shopping streets were nice as well. Milan was a city of fashion in my mind before I visited so I may have expected people to go around in noteworthy outfits all the time 🙂  I didn’t have time to visit Last Supper painting too, so I can’t say I had a chance to indulge sufficiently in Milan’s charms.
As for my last stop Bologna, I liked the city center a lot. Walking through old structures between nice restaurants and shops surely felt nice. Weather was quite cold here during out trip here but once we get a hot wine from one of the street sellers, we immediately cheered up and find strength to venture more.  Bologna reminds me a lovely city in Turkey, named Eskişehir. As both cities gives me the friendly feeling of nice places with good cafes but without the hassle of big city problems such as traffic or over crowd or stress… And as you might have thought yes Bolognese sauce is originally from here. We ate in a lovely place named Bar Il Calice which I wrote in more detail on second part of this Italy guide.

Overall, it was one of my most memorable trips; I enjoyed seeing many beautiful sites, historical places and truly had delicious meals. What could I want even more? Oh yes, I will certainly be back for wine theme tour to other places of Italy I haven’t seen and a coastal Italy tour… You can’t go wrong with any kind of Italy tour 😉