Arrivederci Italy! Highlights of my Simply Italy Contiki Trip

As I get home and return to my normal life, I 'd like to do a re-cap of the highlights of my Contiki trip in Italy. This trip was so much more than I expected, from the yummy Italian food to meeting awesome people all over the world and the various different sights, it was the trip of a lifetime :). 

So in no particular order, 10 highlights of my Contiki trip:

1) Missing the ferry on Capri because I wanted to go see Mount Solanto in Anacapri. 

the view was pretty awesome though

2) Speaking French on a boat tour around the Cinque Terre ( Italian Riveria area). I had studied some French in school but it was fun to be able to somewhat communicate with a native speaker.

Portovenere, part of the Cinque Terre that you can only get to by train or boat

 3) Getting my bag inscribed in Florence

4) Wine tasting in the Tuscany Region

5) Exploring Florence at night

 6) Walking around the flooded St. Mark's square in Venice

7) Overlooking the beautiful Lake Garda at the Alps.

Serene, quiet, beautiful

8) Doing a cheesy Pisa photo

really...a must for any tourist to Italy

 9) Visiting St. Peter's basilica and the Vatican museum

so many people!

 10) Climbing the dome in Florence and almost being blown away

There were many more moments but I don't want to bore you till the cows come home. Rather than goodbye, the Italians like to say Arrivederci,  which means until we see each other again (which I like much better). To Italy, and all my new Contiki friends, Arrivederci!

Lost in Romantic Venice

 We have now travelled to the romantic city of Venice where the best way to get around is by boat and the city is a series of islands connected by bridges and canals. Every time you cross a bridge, you are going to another island. 

I saw some gondoliers practising their craft...awesome!

Parked gondolas in front of St. Mark's square

 We had a bit of rain today and combined with the high tides, this can flood St. Mark's square. The Italians call this Aqua Alta, which means high water. 

Children playing around in the flooded water

 

The rain got worst over the day but I was all prepped with my umbrella and trench coat.

Venice is a beautiful city, but it's quite easy to get lost in the winding streets. The best way to get anywhere is to follow the black and yellow signs towards San Marco or Rialto bridge.  As you leave St. Mark's square, the number of people decrease dramatically and you get to appreciate the beauty of Venice at your own pace.

Everywhere you turn seem to look like this

I also got to try the squid ink pasta, famous from this region. I can't believe I never tried it before because I really liked the taste! I guess all the black from the pasta just really turned me off. 

As the day got on, the clouds parted and I took some nice shot of the coast.

I'm currently near the Italian Riveria region. Tomorrow will be my last leg of the trip in Rome. Have a good night everyone :)

Florence and the rolling hills of Tuscany

The next stop on my Contiki tour is in Florence and the Tuscany region. Apparently this is considered part of Norther Italy and the culture is very different from the south. The first thing on our tour was a wine tasting in the Chianti region. 

Could you tell I've had a lot of glasses?

 The vineyard we were at also produced olive oil, balsamic vinegar and other products. I really fell in love with their extra virgin olive oil that I tried, so much so that I had to buy a bottle for home.

Mm...yummy bread and wine :D

 The flowers were booming in her garden and I couldn't resist taking a photo of one. 

We arrived in Florence at night so I got to walk around the city a bit before I hit the sack. I must say, this was probably the best time to see any of the sights since the squares are empty and all the statues are lit up. 

The old Palace

 The city is extremely well preserved and seems to have stayed the same for the last 500 years. There are bronze and marble statues at every corner, carved by the masters of Renaissance art. 

Perseus killing Medusa

 Food was everywhere too and I loved the biscotti I had in Florence!

A must-see is the Santa Maria del Fiore church near the city center. Gorgeous architecture and you get to climb the dome for a view of Florence. 

We got to go up to the Michelangelo square which is the highest point in the city. The view was amazing :). 

I will be sad to leave this beautiful city, since I think this was where I have felt most at home so far on this trip. The city is made for pedestrians and I see locals biking everywhere, what's not to like?

The Beautiful Island of Capri

Today was dedicated entirely to the island of Capri, just off the coast of Sorrento in souther Italy.

Of course, it wouldn't be Italy without crazy drivers and highways carved into the sides of cliffs. 

Pedestrians share this small cobbled road with those speedy Italian drivers

The day started off with nice sunshine and a clear view of Mt. Vesuvius. 

We arrive on the island of Capri after a half hour ferry ride. 

I love this

The first part of the tour was a boat tour around the island and it was a great way to see the island! Definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to see this place but short on time. According to google, a grotto is a term for a small cave. Since Capri was formed by volcanic lava, there were many such examples of grottos all over the island. The minerals also give the grottos their distinct water colour.

The green grotto with its emerald waters

There was one swim stop along the way and I jumped into the Mediterainian sea for a small bit! The water was a bit cold and salty for my liking though (too spoiled with Canada's lovely fresh waters).

Lunch was a small little restaurant my friend found through smell in a little tiny alley. We tried the famous Caprese dish ( buffulo mozzerella, tomatoes etc..). And it was delicious! A must try for anyone who wants to do something local. 

Doesn't look like much..but it was really really good.

After lunch, I caught a bus to the nearby town Anacapri where I went on this crazy cable lift car to get to Monte Solaro, the highest point on the island.

The lift was very rickety and you sat like this for the next half hr.

The view at the top was absolutely amazing and worth it though! You get to see all sides of the island and if today was a clear day, it would've been even more breathtaking.

Look at the sheer drops on those cliffs! Not for the faint of heart or those afraid of heights. 

It's not Italy without gelato. According to our guide, a local place was suppose to supply the pope with gelato. How could I not go for it after hearing that?

I wil say that they have a ridiculous amount of flavours and the two that I tried, mango and melon, were quite good. :)

Have a good one everyone!

Ciao Roma ! Day 1 + 2: Rome , Pompeii and Sorento

I will be on a Contiki tour of Italy over the next little while. Join me in my Italian adventures and check back for more updates :).

Day 1- Arrival in Rome 

I arrived in Rome in the late afternoon and didn't really get a chance to go explore the city until sunset. Rome is absolutely beautiful! It has a lot of energy and it's a mix of old Roman ruins, beautiful churches and little Vespas zipping all over the place. 

My tour started off with a dinner at a local restaurant and I asked my tour manager to let me get off in the center of Rome to see the city a bit. Luckily, I managed to get to the Colosseum by sunset and the deep blue sky made a beautiful contrast against the orange light they have at night.

The shot of the night however was this longer than usual exposure shot. Love the light streaks :D.

Of course, what's Italy without Gelato? I went to a nearby place for some gelato and it was probably better than any Canadian gelato I've ever had. Delicious :). 

Day 2- Pompeii and Sorrento

We leave Rome in the morning to head to the ancient city of Pompeii near Naples. Pompeii is the town that was destroyed almost 2000 years ago when the nearby volcano erupted, spreading ashes over the town and killing and preserving everything inside it.

I was very surprised at how many shops there were in this town of 25000. This is one of those things that I recommend doing with a guide since there were very few explaination/signs and its a very large area to explore alone.

Most of the roofs collapsed but many of the walls remained

After Pompeii, we continued south to Sorrento. The drive there was very scenic and I really wished that we had more chances to stop. It seems like something that would be really fun for a couple to do, yet the roads were quite treacherous and Italian drivers seems to not be fond of following rules, so I would only recommend this drive for an experienced driver.

Tomorrow I will be heading to the island of Capri and the day after will be Florence. I shall update again when I have more time/ access to wifi.

Ciao!