|
A one month trip through Italy
I don’t know how often I’ll post. In the next four weeks, but the plan is to visit the following places, all of which we’ve been to, but not since the late 90’s: The Cinque Terre, Tuscany centered on Siena, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Matera, Puglia area centered on Ostuni, And Venice. All of this is subject to change. Here is my first installment:
It’s been over 20 years since we last were in the Cinque Terre, and we were anxious to see what changes had taken place. Since our last visit there was a devastating flood in 2011 when 13 people were killed and which left Vernazza, arguably the most charming of the five villages, under more than 10 feet of mud and debris, and which took 2 years to rebuild. Mass tourism has also had an impact. Since our first trip here in 1995, the Cinque Terre has landed solidly on the tourist map. Rick Steve’s 2020 guide to all of Italy uses a photo of Vernazza for the front cover! That’s a lot of pressure on a small fishing village that was virtually unheard of outside of Italy 30 years ago. Add to that the addition of the Cinque Terre to the itineraries of cruise ships docking in La Spezia, which would (pre-COVID) routinely disgorge hundreds of passengers into the tiny medieval streets and stairways. We had seen videos and it wasn’t a pretty sight. So it was with some trepidation that we were returning to a place where we have made many happy memories. Originally, our stay in France was going to be coming to an end at this point, as we were scheduled to return to the US, but with the COVID situation in the US at a peak, and Riverside County in CA particularly hard hit, we decided to extend our time into a tour of our favorite places that we had visited in Italy during the 2-1/2 years of living and working here in the late 90’s. Fortunately, Italy currently has one of the lowest rates of new COVID cases in Europe, and a fraction of what they are experiencing back home. Masks are required virtually everywhere, including outside in high traffic locations. Italy had the longest lockdown in Europe, shutting down first and opening up the latest. People are still very careful, and rightfully so. No one wants a repeat of their tragic number of fatalities. But enough of that, on to happier thoughts. Most people come here to experience the unique environment that isn’t really found outside this area of Italy. These five villages are practically vertical. The “streets”, if you can call them that, are really just a series of stairways, and they all seem to go only up! When we came here the first time, one of the locals told us, “In the Cinque Terre, you die standing.” This phrase has stayed with me. Does it mean that people are healthier and live longer because they have to walk everywhere? Or does it mean that the only way to get around is on your feet. When you no choice in the matter, you walk until you take your final step. Because there is virtually no flat terrain on which to farm, the Ligurian hills above the villages were terraced, in order to provide land in which grapes, olive trees and of course, basil, for their world famous pesto, could be planted. A complex series of trails was created to allow the farmers to get around, and which allowed mules to do the heavy lifting. Eventually, they turned to a mechanical solution, in the form of a small funicular-like system of single rail tracks which allowed them to move product around, suspended from baskets driven by little cog wheel motors. The Cinque Terre is now a national park, and most people come to hike these trails between the towns, which can also be accessed by train and by boat. Today we did the 90-minute hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. It was hard work but the views leaving Vernazza as well as approaching Monterosso made it worth it. After lunch we toured around town before heading back to Vernazza by boat. This is our fifth visit here, as it was one of our favorite place to take visitors when we were living in Bologna, but I didn’t realize how emotional it was going to be for me. It wasn’t until we were on the boat coming back that I remembered that our last time here was with my mother, from whom I get my love for travel. I remembered us laughing while the boat was leaving the dock, as she tied a scarf around her head because she was afraid her wig was going to blow off. Such a bittersweet memory to think about now, yet one I wouldn’t change for anything. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de6d5b530.jpeg Vernazza from the trail leading out of town. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...158befe2a.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8f8c6ed34.jpeg Vernazza fading into the distance https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...43f4ef4d0.jpeg From the trail https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dbf59cc5c.jpeg One of many small bridges https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3fca74cf3.jpeg Approaching Monterosso al Mare from the trail https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97deb97c1.jpeg The original elevated train https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3951e2d4.jpeg An example of the terraces for farming https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...449600e49.jpeg Monterosso al Mare looking very inviting https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f3c5ae88.jpeg Monterosso https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45fbfe75e.jpeg Coming back to Vernazza by boat (and more terraces above it) https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79e59cd92.jpeg Vernazza at night |
Manna from heaven.
Can you draw it out until the election? |
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures.
|
How lovely to see a trip report! Thank you...
|
Thanks for the memories. We, too, visited CT back in 1995, the one and only time. Perhaps will return one day but not in the high season.
|
Russ, what an itinerary you have to look forward to! Hope it all goes well.
In Matera, maybe check out funky cafe 'Area8' and APE tour with Vito (ph. 39 393.1772506). If the new luxe suite has finally been completed at 'La Corte dei Pastori', you may wanna check it out. Fantastic location right beside church San Pietro Caveoso, many excellent views in different directions. The market scene in Morgan Freeman's 'Ben Hur' movie was shot in the B&B's courtyard. I'd also set you guys up with Daniel Craig, but he's not returning my calls anymore. Something about 'security for MI5 agents.' I am done. The end. |
Originally Posted by zebec
(Post 17159059)
Russ, what an itinerary you have to look forward to! Hope it all goes well.
In Matera, maybe check out funky cafe 'Area8' and APE tour with Vito (ph. 39 393.1772506). If the new luxe suite has finally been completed at 'La Corte dei Pastori', you may wanna check it out. Fantastic location right beside church San Pietro Caveoso, many excellent views in different directions. The market scene in Morgan Freeman's 'Ben Hur' movie was shot in the B&B's courtyard. I'd also set you guys up with Daniel Craig, but he's not returning my calls anymore. Something about 'security for MI5 agents.' I am done. The end. |
Our goal today was to visit the remaining three of the Cinque Terre villages. Our original intent was to take the hiking trail from Vernazza to Corniglia, but the weather forecast was a 90% chance of rain, so we decided to train it instead.
We started with Riomaggiore, the eastern-most of the villages and the first one we visited on our maiden trip to Italy in 1995. It was still there, as pretty as ever, but no matter how much I try to live in the moment, there is always something from the present which evokes something from the past. Today it was seeing the restaurant where we had our first meal in the Cinque Terre, 25 years ago. Before that trip, I had been listening to Italian language CD’s, so I was excited to try out my barely registering skills, when I ordered our first course, “L’antipasto Del Mare Grande”. The waiter laughed and explained that instead of ordering the large antipasto of the sea, I had ordered the antipasto of the large sea. I like to think we were both right, because they started bringing out plate after plate of the freshest, most delicious seafood we had ever tasted. A highlight was something I had never liked before, because I had only ever had it from a can: anchovies. But these were nothing like the smelly, hairy abominations I had tried previously. Dressed only in oil and lemon, these delicious little creatures tasted like a summer day distilled into each tangy bite. For my main course, I ordered the seppie, which the waiter translated into cuttlefish. I’d never heard of it, but hey, I like fish, so how bad could it be? What arrived was a giant white beast which resembled a squid, adorned with nothing but the parallel lines of the charcoal grill. It was bigger than the plate on which it rested. I wasn’t sure if I would have the stomach for it, but I at least I had to try it. I ate every last bite. It was one of the best things I had ever tasted. The texture was just the right firmness without being the least bit rubbery. I now order it almost every time I see it on a menu somewhere, but nothing will ever taste as good as that first time In Riomaggiore. Next on the agenda was Manarola, the village just to the west. Before the 2011 flood, it was possible to take a pleasant 20-30 minute walk between the two towns on a paved path, evocatively called the Via dell’Amore, but believe it or not, it still has not been repaired. As a result, we took the train again, for a fast three minute ride. Smaller than Riomaggiore, it doesn’t take much time to see Manarola, but we spent almost as much time there. We were transfixed by the process of bringing a small fishing boat up to the quayside, high above the water. Unlike Riomaggiore, Vernazza or Monterosso, this little fishing village has no real marina, just some giant boulders which form a beautiful, if impractical, little pool of calm water, barely big enough to maneuver two boats. As a result, they use a large winch to lift the boats up to dry ground high above. Our last village of the day was Corniglia, which has the distinction of not only being the only one of the five villages without sea access, but also of being the highest one. This is immediately felt after exiting the train station and being greeted with stairs as high as the eye can see. Yes, there was a shuttle bus waiting there, ready to take the less intrepid traveler quickly and easily to the village high above, but neither of us was willing to hop on that rolling pétri dish, so we huffed it up to the top. By now it was lunch time, so our reward was some of those delicious fresh anchovies and octopus to start, and pasta with pesto or sea bass to finish. Up to this point the alleged 90% chance of rain had yet to materialize, so we decided to hike the trail back to Vernazza. Although it was shorter in duration than the hike from yesterday, it had a much greater vertical ascent and descent. In fact, the highest point in the seaside trails that link all the five villages occurs in this section. Fortunately, there is a bar serving refreshments and a killer view right at this very spot, 30 minutes by foot from civilization. But we pushed on, ready to be back on horizontal ground again, and it was all down hill from there. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f173789d5.jpeg Riomaggiore https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20ba17020.jpeg Riomaggiore https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5ddfaced3.jpeg Manarola https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4d1e0d1c1.jpeg Manarola https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f62c88ce0.jpeg Bringing up the boat in Manarola https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...51f64900a.jpeg Fresh anchovies...yum! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7a037a95e.jpeg Manarola from Corniglia https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...16a831d8b.jpeg Corniglia from the trail https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3da4ef7f7.jpeg So lush it’s almost tropical https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...95ea5712a.jpeg The long way home https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...93997c610.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b78410d15.jpeg |
Really enjoying your report and your gorgeous pictures. Brings back great memories of our visit to the CT in 2012. What a nice trip you have planned. Looking forward to more of your report.
|
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing these experiences as they bring back wonderful memories. Right now, since our travel plans to Italy have had to be cancelled due to US flights not permitted to Europe, we enjoy reading of the travels of others.
|
I fought my jealousy of you enough to plunge into reading your TR and I'm so glad I did. It'a really great that some of us are able to enjoy Italy at the moment even if the rest of us can't and your photos are outstanding.
One question that I don't think you answer in your otherwise comprehensive account - how are you choosing your accommodation. All booked in advance? Hotels, apartments or Air BnB? |
Originally Posted by annhig
(Post 17159439)
I fought my jealousy of you enough to plunge into reading your TR and I'm so glad I did. It'a really great that some of us are able to enjoy Italy at the moment even if the rest of us can't and your photos are outstanding.
One question that I don't think you answer in your otherwise comprehensive account - how are you choosing your accommodation. All booked in advance? Hotels, apartments or Air BnB? We booked through AirBnB and Booking.com. All are apartments or guest houses with kitchens so that we can have two meals a day at home, and so that we can avoid contact with other people as much as possible. With one exception, we chose places with liberal cancellation policies with full refunds for cancellations 1-7 days before arrival, depending on the location. This way if there is a change in the COVID situation in Italy we have some flexibility. We’ve been following the N.Y. Times published new cases/100,000 for preceding 7 days, which breaks it down by Italian province, and I’m happy to say that most are well below our county in CA. From our experience so far, more Italians seem to be taking distancing and masks seriously than the French, where we were the past several months. |
Our fantastic dry weather finally gave out yesterday. Just as I was out getting our morning “cornetti” for breakfast, someone turned on a giant tap in the sky, and it was torrential, transforming the 55 steps from the street up to our apartment into Niagara Falls. Shoes soaked to the insoles, we squished our way to the car with our luggage and took off for the three hour drive to Siena.
I like to breakup long drives with sightseeing, or lunch, or ideally both. As luck would have it, Lucca, one of our favorite Tuscan cities, is almost exactly halfway between Vernazza and Siena. We entered through the enormous walls which protect the city. One of our favorite things to do is rent bicycles and ride along the top of these ramparts, which now form a great, green park encircling the historic center, but on this rainy day we made a bee-line for St. Michele in Foro, a basilica whose fantastic 13th century facade is topped with Archangel St. Michael. This was followed by a stroll up the very smart Via Fillungo to Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, whose oval shape traces the outline of an ancient amphitheater, which has long since disappeared. Last time we walked these streets, a wonderful antique fair wound it’s way though the city, and we spent hours admiring things with dimensions too big for our car or price tags too big for our wallets. Along our walk, we spied a nice, moderately priced restaurant with outdoor tables sporting enormous oversized umbrellas which seemed to do a reasonable job of keeping dry the tables underneath. At noon on the dot, we grabbed a table and decided to share a plate of assorted crostini, followed by a pasta course, our first Tuscan meal in a couple decades. Within minutes, the server set down a tray with 5 slices of crusty bread, each adorned with a different savory topping: porcini mushrooms, sugo di cinghiale (wild boar), fegatino (smooth chicken liver pâté), tomatoes and garlic, and lardo (very thinly sliced pork fat; think pork belly without the meat). One bite and we were instantly transported back to 1997, and our first summer living in Italy. We had booked a couple nights in Montefalco, a charming hill town south of Perugia, in Umbria. It was the weekend of August 15, Ferragosto, which celebrates the Virgin Mary’s rise, body and soul, into heaven. But we had no idea what a major holiday it was. Each of the four quarters of the town was hosting their own taverna, a local outdoor feast. For 5000 lire each (less than $3.00 American at the time), you could gain entry to the dinner, which included an antipasto, primo, secondo, dessert, wine, water and coffee. Clearly this was not a money making venture, but instead a local tradition, just for the inhabitants of this little town, and we were the only “foreigners” there. We were seated at picnic tables and waited on by the village’s exuberant children, whose serving skills were in inverse proportion to their enthusiasm; their parents manning the outdoor grills to feed all of their hungry neighbors. We were ecstatic be included in their celebration, and the inhabitants were more than a bit interested in us, these exotic creatures who had turned up on their doorsteps for such a festive occasion. The first dish to come out was an assortment of crostini, with exactly the same variety of toppings as today. This was followed by more food than a human should consume in one sitting. And it was only the beginning of a memorable night. After dinner there was a procession of the townspeople holding candles and carrying a statue of Mary into the main piazza, where a bit later, a brass orchestra played covers of Beatle tunes (I kid you not), and to top it off, fireworks. The image of that fantastic night flashed through my mind the second I bit into one of those fragrant crostini. Such is the connection food has to our emotions and our memories. A direct line from our tastebuds to our brains, and to our hearts. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cdce69750.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d6bf6268e.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4c7763ef5.jpeg |
lovely to read your experiences and how they spark your reminiscences.
Your accommodation choices sound very sensible for the time too - good plan to cut down on eating with others, especially indoors. From what I hear from my italian friends, they are indeed dealing with it pretty well. Much better than us anyway. |
Thanks for this report. Planning a huge trip to Italy in a couple of years ... hopefully, if I'm still around. Opening a bottle of Chianti to follow along.
|
Thank you, russ_in_LA, for this wonderful TR and stunning photos. Italy has my heart...you have my full attention! 🍷🍕
|
So glad I stumbled on your TR. Thank you so much for doing it--fabulous photos! Looking forward to continuing to follow along.
Its been 8 years since we visited Puglia & Matera, but maybe something in our TR will be helpful. Our guide was fabulous and really enhanced our understanding of Matera. https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ort-tr-953589/ |
Although we had been to Siena several times before, it was never with as few crowds as we experienced yesterday. In fact, we saw only one organized tour group over the course of the entire day. As a result, we covered more territory than we ever imagined.
Of course, the center of Sienese life, literally and figuratively is il Campo, the main piazza, where the Palio horse races are held each summer. In fact, the owner of the AirBnB we are staying in is a local man who actually won this race one year. This is a really big deal for the rider and his entire neighborhood “contrada”. As I write this, I’m looking at photos of him riding a victory lap in full medieval regalia, as women are crying out of happiness. It all looks terribly exciting. The focal point of il Campo is the Palazzo Publico, crowned by the Torre del Mangia, which unfortunately wasn’t open, so we weren’t able ascend what was once one of the tallest secular towers in Italy, built so that Siena could have bragging rights over close rival Florence. We did have a memorable climb with our friend Garrett in the late 90’s, when he and I had decided to climb the ladder to the highest level where the bell is located, while Sam stayed on the level just below the top, in order to take our photo from below. We were hamming it up right under the bell when the clock struck the hour directly over our heads. The sound was so terrifying, my knees gave out and I collapsed to the floor. Of course Sam found this infinitely entertaining, while I was less than enthusiastic about the entire experience. Of course, it’s impossible to miss the Duomo, with its dramatic Beetlejuice black and white columns, the spectacular scenes illustrated in the pavement, and the vibrant frescoes of the Piccolomini Library. The baptistry was an absolute joy to experience with a total of 5 (!) other people inside. New for us was the crypt, which was discovered in 1999 and opened in 2003, after being buried for over 700 years! The Duomo museum is particularly popular under the best of circumstances, due to the access to the views from the top of the unfinished portion of a planned Duomo expansion; however, this was the only point in which we felt that social distancing was forgotten, so we made a hasty retreat toward the exit, through the gift shop, of course, which is located in a gorgeous former church adjacent to the museum. You know you have too many churches when you have a spare one lying around to use as a gift shop! We also really enjoyed Santa Maria Della Scala, a particularly eclectic museum inside a former hospital, with a mix of historic and contemporary exhibits. The deal of the day goes to the Palazzo Piccolomini, a Renaissance style palazzo with gorgeous frescoes with a total admission charge of gratis. Anyway, we must have walked the full length of the city several times, from San Francesco to San Domenico, and Porta Romana to Porta Camollia. Fortezza Medicea, a large fortress in the northwest of the city, from which we enjoyed spectacular views of the Duomo and the Torre del Mangia rising from the medieval brick palazzi on the slopes below, was particularly appealing in the last golden rays of the late afternoon sun. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dce7baca6.jpeg Palazzo Publico with Torre del Mangia https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...36aa3ceed.jpeg Duomo https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...be4aaaa15.jpeg Duomo pavement https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5d439ca8.jpeg Duomo https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3ebc99793.jpeg Duomo https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...65e1c9625.jpeg Piccolomini Library https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de9b3afc8.jpeg Fresco from the Duomo crypt https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2aef70ffe.jpeg Baptistery https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9e8caa9a9.jpeg Exit through the gift shop https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3edfbaa32.jpeg Palazzo Piccolomini https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5967a3a6e.jpeg Duomo rising from the city https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a478c3575.jpeg Torre del Mangia city view https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...400ad77a4.jpeg Palazzo Publico night https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...27ad2b3b6.jpeg That’s the moon perfectly centered in that doorway. Our timing couldn’t have been better. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...87eea9f76.jpeg Duomo night |
What a wonderful narrative and great memories of our trip back in 1995 you are conjuring up! Cinque Terre is officially back on my Family Vacation List so I can share it with them.
|
Thanks for more great photos, Russ. Despite the crowds which got worse every time, we loved Siena the 3 times we visited. The last time we went we discovered not only the worst painting of the christ child ever [we used to amuse the kids on churches and part galleries by asking them to find the ugliest baby, which outraged the late lamented fodorite Zeppole] and the the Basilica of St. Francis which as well as having a wonderful presepe [nativity scene] has a fascinating exhibit about the "miracle of the bread". Despite having been consecrated in 1730 this communion bread remains as fresh today as it was then. Allegedly. Worth finding if like us you enjoy such obscure sights.
[More details here: [url]http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/siena.html] |
The Siena Duomo is truly special. Again, great shots. When DH and I first visited, we were early enough to pass a wonderful bakery. He talked for months about how nice Siena smelled.
|
You reminded me of the worst day of our holiday....getting lost on the the way to the bus depot, therefore arriving with seconds to spare but no seats, a packed and hot ride, a sweltering Siena, a long queue for tickets to Duomo, a grumpy family - but finally we are in!
Astonishing. But, your photos are a reminder we need to return in better circumstances. We did not explore at all, it was so hot and fatiguing and we all just wanted a seat on the return ride! Your photos are wonderful. |
I especially love those two Duomo shots: 'rising from the city' plus 'the pavement.'
We're all travelling vicariously through you and yours, Russ. I am done. The Bridge of Sighs. |
Thanks for the feedback and kind words everyone. More to come!
|
San Galgano and San Gimignano
Friday night was stormy, and we woke up Saturday to lawn furniture strewn all across the lawn of our AirBnB, and even the cover of the new spa they had recently installed had blown completely off and down the driveway. After tidying up we set off on our way.
Since we had walked our feet down to stumps in Siena, we decided that today would be a driving day. We started out with a trip to the abbey of San Galgano, an incredibly photogenic 14th century religious complex whose roof collapsed in 1786 and was never repaired, providing a stunning setting for photographers who come from miles around. Believe it or not it was raining when we left the house, but it was crisp, clear and breezy when we arrived here. Somebody up there must like us 🙂. Our original plan was to have lunch in San Gimignano, but having left San Galagno later than anticipated, my grumbling tummy prompted a stop in Colle Val d’Elsa, where a weekly market was just closing down. We chose an outdoor table at a small family-run trattoria, and the owner seemed surprised, saying that Italians can’t eat outside when there is a breeze. I assured him that we were made of hearty stock and he said not to blame him if we wake up with a cold in the morning. Soon, another couple of tourists sat outside as well, but when the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, they moved inside, which prompted the wife to say in Italian (and not realizing we could understand) “you know it’s cold when even the foreigners are moving inside”. We had just paid for lunch when another squall passed through, soaking us to the bone on the way back to the car. Fortunately, it stopped by the time we reached San Gimignano, having had the happy effect of dispersing the crowds. For a couple of hours it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...987672338.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e536def5d.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...06699d40a.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f34b4cab0.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1dcd7ec7a.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...76f10763a.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7be62d18f.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20a616245.jpeg |
Russ, you have no idea how great it is to read a TR over breakfast again, just like the old days....
|
more terrific photos. Bravo!
|
Florence
Having lived an hour away in Bologna, we had been to Florence many times, but this is the first time we have been to Santa Maria Novella since 1995. I had forgotten how huge the complex is! Of course, one of the most beautiful chapels was reserved for the gift shop.
We also went for the first time to the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy next door, which is now a temple to all things fragrance. The interior spaces are absolutely gorgeous. It was too crowded to get any good photos, but at the end of this post is a link to some images. The exterior of the Duomo is always stunning, even more dazzling now that the facade has been cleaned up. We decided not to do the dome or campanile, too many people in too close of quarters, but we did go inside the cavernous church, which seemed rather plain after the exuberant exterior. We only had access to the back half of the nave, so we couldn’t see the frescoes in the dome. The Palazzo Vecchio, however, was worth the price of admission. We really enjoyed the frescoes of the grotesques, which seem very specific to this region, as well as some of the more subversive subject matter. 😉 Santa Croce is always a pleasure, with its relatively restrained exterior and gorgeously over the top altar, almost exactly the opposite to that of the Duomo. New for us was the Galileo Museum, chock full of interesting actual scientific inventions from the renaissance to the 19th century. We briefly considered walking across the Ponte Vecchio but it was packed, and much like the Duomo (and some https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d34029989.jpeg Santa Maria Novella https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...32f266ca7.jpeg Santa Maria Novella gift shop https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eb9bcf67a.jpeg Sam trying to blend in at the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b75fa7318.jpeg Duomo https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...96d6f6093.jpeg Duomo https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...113c46562.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68542d3fa.jpeg Palazzo Vecchio https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d337b94dc.jpeg Grotesques https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...632509e12.jpeg Water plying his trade https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...795728fe6.jpeg Neptune https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e4e1664b7.jpeg Santa Croce https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b34864ec.jpeg Santa Croce https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7d4455c27.jpeg Galileo Museum https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e4f36fd6e.jpeg Palazzo Vecchio https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a995465ca.jpeg Ponte Vecchio people from my hometown), it’s prettier from the outside than within. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1M...orceLoading=15 |
Thanks for the TR posts. Really enjoy your posts and the photos are great too! Glad you are able to take advantage of the good weather and small crowds. It's a rare travel opportunity under the circumstances. Look forward to reading about your travel down to Rome and Amalfi. I wrote up some of our best experiences from our 2017 trip in the following travel blog post if you are interested in some ideas: https://travelfam.wordpress.com/category/italy-2017/
|
FYI, the last two lines of my last post ended up after the photos for some reason.
|
On Sunday we checked out of our Airbnb, a nice house in a small hamlet, about 10 minutes north of Siena, with gorgeous views of the countryside. When we arrived it was Elisabetta who checked us in, but upon leaving we met her husband, Gianni. He lit up when I mentioned that we had seen the photos of when he had won the Palio. Speaking only in Italian (I have to admit, I’m rusty after 20 years) he enthusiastically explained that he had actually won a total of 7 times since 2012!
The weather was pretty ugly as we left Siena, about 50 degrees and pouring, but we hoped that our good fortune with escaping the rain would continue when we stopped for lunch in Orvieto. Unfortunately, no such luck, but we figured we could at least take refuge in the Duomo, where I have been wanting to go again, to see Signorelli’s frescoes of the Last Judgement. When we got to the Duomo, every single door was locked except one leading to a beautiful side chapel dedicated to worship, but no access into the main nave or the San Brizio chapel where the Last Judgement is located. We decided to huddle in the entryway of the Etruscan museum directly across the piazza from the gorgeous facade to see if the church would actually open. Finally, the front doors opened to let in for Sunday mass. We thought we would take a few minutes to see the frescoes and then be on our way, but the chapel we came to see was behind a locked gate and there were ropes lining the sides of the church which prevented us from even approaching it. So we finally admitted defeat and waded back to the car through the ceaseless downpour. One ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary day was that we saw a porchetta food-truck on the way out of town. I had been dreaming of a porchetta sandwich I had in Rome years ago and was super happy to dig in, right on the spot. It did not disappoint. The succulent pork is seasoned with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and stuffed into a crunchy ciabatta. We sat in the car in the rain and devoured them like we hadn’t eaten in days. Our other planned stop on the way to Rome was about 30 minutes away, at Civita Vecchia di Bagnoregio. This is a beautiful, car-free small village located high on a volcanic “tuffa” plateau, which can be accessed only by pedestrian bridge. We were surprised to see other people like us who were crazy enough to slog from the parking lot and across the bridge in the rain, but despite the cold and the damp, it was awfully nice to see it with so few people. The low-point of the day, however, was the place advertising sheep’s milk ricotta gelato, only to find that it wasn’t gelato at all, but just some regular ricotta with Nutella dumped on the top. The experience literally left a bad taste in our mouths. So we set off again towards Rome. On a previous trip to Rome, we had rented a car for the day, in order to visit the village my grandparents were from. The return trip back to the city at that time was so harrowing, I vowed never to drive in Rome again. So why were we now driving to Rome yesterday? Well, for one thing, Sam was driving this time 😉. But also, I intentionally planned our arrival for a Sunday, where we would not get caught in rush hour traffic. In addition, we planned to park on the outskirts and taxi in from Tiburtina station. Yet, despite these precautions, we still ended driving in circles though a construction zone, and when Google maps said we had arrived, all we could see was a driveway that looked like a small bomb had gone off on it, angling sharply down and out of sight. Rather than committing the car to an off-road 4x4 driving experience, I decided to hike down to the underground garage and confirmed that we had, indeed found the right place. A 20 minute taxi drive later, we arrived at our home for the next five days, a wonderfully renovated AirBnB apartment, located a one minute walk from the Pantheon. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb44b02b5.jpeg View of the Sienese countryside from our house on a non-rainy day. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71132c440.jpeg Orvieto Duomo https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...684d02ff6.jpeg Civita Vecchia di Bagnoregio https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7db2ba0a7.jpeg Ricotta slathered in Nutella: the expression says it all |
Rome
We awoke Monday morning to more rain, so we weren’t in a rush to get going, especially given that the next three days were forecast to be sunny and warm. We did go out to replenish our supplies of toiletries, then rushed back to the apartment to dry off my shoes and socks with a blow dryer, before setting out again for lunch. I may as well have worn sponges on my feet for all the protection that my nylon Nikes were providing.
Normally we try to avoid restaurants on main piazzas, as they tend to be the perfect storm of high prices, low quality and bad service, but given that I had just dried out my shoes, we ended up choosing our lunch spot on the Piazza della Rotunda based purely on proximity to our apartment. We figured that, whatever it lacked in other attributes, it would make up for with a fabulous view of the Pantheon. We were, however, pleasantly surprised. The waiter offered us complimentary Proseccos to start, the service was friendly and efficient, the food was good and reasonably priced, and they also offered free limoncello to finish. Sure, it was chilly and damp sitting under the awning outside in the rain, but we left happy. This still didn’t stop me from drying off my shoes and socks again before our next outing, a trip to the Galleria Doria Pamphilj. About seven years ago, I had read a very dishy article in Vanity Fair on Prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj, the Roman heir to the massive Pamphilj fortune and its vast art collection (Here’s a link for a very entertaining article, that almost reads more National Enquirer than Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/201...ily-crisis/amp ). So I filed away a note in my brain that next time we were in Rome, we should make a point to see the gallery. I’ve taken a total of one art history class in my life, so I’m no expert, but all I can say is, “Wow”! Not only is it a stunningly beautiful building, with an interesting and unique private art collection, but it has the best audio guide I think of any museum I’ve been to ever, narrated in part by Prince D.P. himself. As a result, it’s a great combination of the history of the family (which includes Pope Innocent X, 1644-1655, essentially the King of the Papal States at that time), art history (the prince knows his stuff, having been educated in England and worked at Sotheby’s), and personal family anecdotes. We learn, for example, that the original terra cotta floors were polished with beeswax, and that he and his sister got yelled at as children for roller skating on them. (They really are just like us!) Or how the scheming sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X, referred to at the time by her detractors as the “Popess”, convinced her brother-in-law that it was beneath the church to collect taxes on brothels, persuading him to instead assign that function to her, and in the process, cementing her family’s fortune. Usually I burn out on art museums quickly, but at the end of our too-fast 75 minute window I was ready to go on for another hour. Fortunately, by the time we got out of the museum, the skies had cleared, the sun had come out, and the temperature had increased by 9 degrees from lunch time. This was a perfect chance for a stroll to see some of the nearby sites, such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon again, this time without the rain. One thing that was clear as we hit these major tourist hubs: no tourists. Usually the Trevi fountain is thronged with crowds, this time, we had a seat on the steps with no one in our view. This was repeated at each location. Back at our apartment, as we are resting our aching feet and absorbing all we have seen and done, the sound of opera singing is wafting up from the piazza below, and we are feeling very, very fortunate. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7ea5fcede.jpeg Lunch with an old friend (No, not Sam, the Pantheon!) https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...137c36b80.jpeg Rain coming through the oculus in the Pantheon. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8968cbfd.jpeg Galleria Doria Pamphilj: Hall of Mirrors https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e97ec8247.jpeg Galleria Doria Pamphilj: Ballroom https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7516d42a3.jpeg Galleria Doria Pamphilj: Orchestra section https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b529219c0.jpeg Brother to Pope Innocent X (whose son would inherit the fortune). https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...daf46ce56.jpeg Galleria Doria Pamphilj https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60ba1b659.jpeg Pope Innocent X thought this portait of himself was “troppo vero”, too real. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d43f49128.jpeg Galleria Doria Pamphilj https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7a237c2f.jpeg La “Popessa” https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...43b062173.jpeg Trevi fountain https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cbbe97a2d.jpeg All the water in Rome is potable https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd81dd0cd.jpeg Spanish Steps https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...86e7cd1b7.jpeg Taking a break in Piazza del Popolo https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ae3dc5ee3.jpeg Piazza Navona https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e47e676f2.jpeg Looks like octopus is on the menu at the Neptune residence tonight. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab6e2aa3f.jpeg Honey can you help me? I can’t seem to get this T-shirt off! |
Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s
We booked tickets on-line for the first available time at the Vatican Museums and showed up about 15 minutes early. They let us right in, so we walked directly to the Sistine Chapel and were amazed to find a total of five other people. The normal capacity is about 2000 at any given moment. Last time we were there it felt like twice that amount, with the cacophony of multiple tour groups being surpassed only by the ceaseless amplified voice of the guards telling everyone to be quiet. This time it was to possible to be alone with our thoughts and the beautiful artwork.
Since this chapel is about halfway through the museum complex, we decided to go back to the beginning and rent the audio guide. Like a trip through an IKEA showroom, this necessitated continuing through the entire maze of rooms to the end in order to restart at the beginning. Unfortunately, the second time through we spent too much time listening to everything in the Egyptian, Etruscan and Classical Antiquity rooms, so next thing we knew it, it was time for lunch, for which we had prepaid on-line. Given that this was in the Pine Court, near the beginning, this entailed yet another walk through the entire complex, about a 20 minute trek each time. Lunch was a hit and miss affair. The rigatoni all’amatriciana wasn’t bad, but the chicken course tasted like it was cooked the day before and partially reheated in the microwave, giving it the delightful consistency of luke-warm rubber. After lunch, we headed back for a third trip through the museum, in order to finish where we left off. By the time we got to the Sistine chapel again, there were about 80 people there, which I suspect was about the peak for the day. After about 4 hours total, we headed for St Peter’s which seemed weirdly vacant, given that the cavernous space is usually teeming with crowds. All in all, a beautiful if exhausting day. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b4f21776d.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...55ccb55c3.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1487a2888.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3aec7093f.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf61a4d41.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...976c4842d.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...632e9e5dc.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f06d2a2e1.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cd9733894.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d54abd497.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5841243db.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c4cc906e0.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1e5ec50cc.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...35ade4d76.jpeg |
Thank you so much. I was in Italy seven years ago and we were lucky to hike Cinque Terre. I want to go back. Have a great trip.
|
All of 5 people in the Sistine Chapel? I must be dreaming. You lucky people. You had the Vatican all to yourselves. Empty corridors? Thanks for the magnificent photos.
|
I am following along and loving all of the photos. Thank you for the trip report.
|
Russ, great to see a trip report from you again and I can’t wait to read through this. But I have to ask right away, how were you able to travel into Italy as the latest information I see is that US citizens are not allowed to enter for non-essential purposes such as tourism. Do you hold a passport from a non-US country perhaps? My niece was just able to settle in Italy but she is doing graduate studies and apparently Italy is making exceptions for students.
|
Originally Posted by MinnBeef
(Post 17162408)
Russ, great to see a trip report from you again and I can’t wait to read through this. But I have to ask right away, how were you able to travel into Italy as the latest information I see is that US citizens are not allowed to enter for non-essential purposes such as tourism. Do you hold a passport from a non-US country perhaps? My niece was just able to settle in Italy but she is doing graduate studies and apparently Italy is making exceptions for students.
|
Originally Posted by russ_in_LA
(Post 17162416)
Hey MB, nice to hear from you! We were fortunate that we had obtained long-stay visas for France last January which allowed us entry into France, and by extension, Italy.
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:21 PM. |