danon, did you take the little tourist train from Piazza Maggiore to the Sanctuary of San Luca? We didn't do that one so we didn't see the Sanctuary or the green hills. We took the tourist train that goes around the old town.

I agree the students' quarters (University district) is very interesting, and I enjoyed staying there. My husband not so much . . . he grumbled about the graffiti.

Karen, I love your photos, especially Basilica San Vitale.

I love Italy, and we can laugh about it now, but our first family trip there was a scorching mid summer, much of it to very crowded destinations (Cinque Terre, Florence, Verona), packed like sardines and standing room only in hot buses to Siena and Ortisei, we daytripped to Venice with a gazillion other tourists… and yet, fabulous.

We took a taxi up the hill and walked down.
From Bologna ,we went on a day trip to Florence ( we had visited a few years earlier and loved it)
It was so crowded that time, we only stayed for a few hours.
After Bologna , we went to Venice.. The Biennale was on but we managed to enjoy our stay in spite of the “ invasion “.
.

Karen, we’ve never been to Bologna or Ravenna despite multiple visits to Italy over the past several decades, your pictures transported me there, thanks! We saw some stunning mosaics in Sicily when we were there in April 2022, the intricate work and detail, not to mention the gold, is just jaw dropping.

We were in Milan, Rome and Naples this May, but sadly my husband wants us to visit newer pastures, especially as we are growing older. I know this makes sense, but nonetheless revisiting an old haunt is an extra special joy!

geetika, I had thought the mosaics in Sicily were impressive--and then I went to Ravenna.*

*Caveat: I visited Ravenna in 2016, when there were no timed tickets, no crowds even though I visited in high season, etc., so it may be more laborious to see them these days.

Danon, one of band's old sound techs has been the producer of the Biennale for several years now. He is apparently in charge of most of the major staging, including lights and other visuals. He got the gig after his own private T.O.-based company (Westbury National) became a major player in the PA/lights staging business. He now lives in Leslieville, a couple blocks from us.
I am done. the fest

geetika,
I would love to visit favorite places but because we are in our 70's the majority of our trips are to new places, too. So I understand how you and your husband feel.

Leely2, the crowds weren't bad at all in Ravenna in May. The Neonian Baptistry and the Mausoleum are the only 2 places that have timed tickets.

Thank you to everyone who has been following along. I will be spending the next 2 weeks with our daughters and their families so I might only have time to post one installment during this time. I will have more time during the first week of August. Our next destination is VENICE!!!! In case you are waiting with bated breath, I will tell you now that we love, love, love Venice!!!! In fact, it was love at first sight. The key to enjoying Venice is where you stay. We stayed in the Dorsoduro district, away from the maddening crowds. And it was heaven on earth! Venice is definitely one place I would love to re-visit if we stay healthy long enough. :)

Enjoy your time with family. Perhaps think about returning to Venice in winter; it is a totally different atmosphere to Venice in warmer weather and we loved it just as much.

Enjoy!
I love Venice too and looking forward to the rest of the report.

Lovely Trip Report
 

Karen, I’ll be long along for your trip report. One quick question- what luggage did you travel with? I see that you used a lot of train travel. I’m in the beginning of planning a trip to Spain next year and I’m just worried about getting our luggage on and off the trains,
Thanks

Yes, Venice is special, that first look of the canals…😍 We’ve been multiple times, I remember chasing pigeons as a six year old when I first went with my parents. Our last time was in 2014, but don’t envisage going back, so your descriptions and pictures will only add to the nostalgia Karen!

uppsala30, suggest you do carry-on only, I have found it’s the best way to go. A week’s worth of clothes which I wash along the way, a couple of dresses and mix and match tops and skirts/pants. Even in winter I am able to manage with just a small suitcase, plus a backpack.

Not sure what Karen did, though I am sure it must have been something similar.

Karen, have a great time with your family! I continue to be delighted by your report.
I also loved Venice, I can't wait for more.

uppsala30,
I normally travel with a 24-inch suitcase (which I check) and a 16-inch suitcase (which is my carry on). For this trip, because we were using trains primarily, I didn’t bring my 24-inch. Instead I brought my 21-inch and my 16-inch. My 21 inch felt heavy because it was packed to the gills.

I told Ed several times he should downsize to a 21-inch but he insisted on bringing his 24-inch in case we needed room for purchases. I told him we will only buy t-shirts for our grandchildren and maybe tea towels for our daughters. Well, he didn’t take my advise and later regretted it. He also uses a backpack.

Because my 21 inch was heavy, I had difficulty maneuvering it. So Ed would carry my 21 inch and his 24 inch onto the trains, which was not easy. Sometimes younger passengers helped him with the luggage. So you should definitely bring less than what we did, that’s for sure. I don’t use a backpack because I have arthritis in my back, and it would be much too painful to wear a backpack.

Believe it or not, we saw passengers with more or bigger luggage than us!

Regarding gifts, we purchased 6 bottles of red wine in the Valpolicella region and had them shipped home for us and our daughters. Not too expensive. So we didn’t need the larger suitcase for gifts. And our family would certainly understand the need to pack light and wouldn’t expect gifts anyways.

That's good. When I went, I did it spur of the moment as a day trip from Bologna so timed tickets might have created some wrinkles. As noted above, I was truly dazzled by the mosaics.

I am curious how you navigate with two suitcases. Does one sit atop the other? I went to Italy with my mom, who is in her early 80s, this past fall. Two small suitcases might have been a good option for her, and I thought about, but I couldn't imagine how it would work. (In this case, no pun intended, I would have taken one of her suitcases, so I would have been the person dealing with two.)

Love Venice any time of year, so looking forward to that!

Karenwoo, just popping in to once again say how much I enjoy your TR. have a lovely time with your family.

im one of the rare folks who aren't in love with Italy; so it's a good thing that I have no desire to return to Florence, or Venice. But someday I'd still like to visit Milan to see the last supper, and also CT. I appreciate your honesty in your TR and not sugar coating everything.

Karen,

We are just returning from three weeks in Aspen so am late to your report. I loved reading about Pietrasanta! My husband and I spent a week there in 1994! This brought back such memories.

I am thrilled to read about Parma! We have a couple trips planned to London but then hoping to get my Italy trip back on track. I am thinking of two weeks in Parma and two weeks in Venice.

Was Parma buzzy at all? How would you compare it to Lucca?

When my husband and I went to Spain 2 years ago we both had 24 inch suitcases and it was no problem at all as all the trains we took were level to the platform so basically we just wheeled them on. Unlike the trains in Italy where you usually have to lift your suitcase up several stairs to get onto the train.
I have just returned from a trip to France and Italy with a friend and we both had very heavy 24 in suitcases and we managed the trains just fine, even carrying our cases upstairs on the TGV from Nice to Paris. Having said that I am very strong and lift weights regularly to stay that way, if you aren't terribly strong then a 21 in suitcase might be best.

Apart from hauling the suitcase on and off trains, I also find it hard to pull them on the cobble stone streets which are so common in Europe. And sometimes the Airbnb doesn’t have an elevator and you have to carry the suitcase up. At almost 70 I’m in relatively good health and shape, but this is something I find hard. Not just going up, but carrying the heavy suitcase back down at the end too.