Italia

The countryside in Italy looks similar to Austria, with mountain scenery and villages nestled in them. It was 13 degrees in the morning with a strong wind on the highway. Our coach driver, Luigi (not sure how to spell it!) was pretty representative of the Italian people; friendly, laidback, crazy driver wearing dark sunglasses and very stylish clothes. You could almost mistake him for a Salvatore Ferragamo model! We drove for 5 hours to Venice (Italian: Venezia) and reached in the afternoon, by when it was warm and sunny at 24 degrees. After lunch, we headed for a cruise through the Adriatic Sea that took us to the city of islands.

Cruise to Venice

Venice


We opted to go for a 30 minute ride through the canals of Venice in its famed gondolas. The ride was beautiful, romantic and relaxing. It was completely worth the 17.5 euros we paid for it! As our gondola moved through the inner canals, we saw old houses and hotels on either side of it. We emerged into the Grand Canal in the Rialto area, a financial and commercial centre. This place houses the Rialto bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) over the canal, which was home to the Jewish moneylenders in earlier centuries.

Gondola ride

Ponte di Rialto

After the ride, we walked around Venice, looking at the local shops selling masks, cheap bags and clothes (mostly of Bangladeshi make). Venice is best seen walking or in a gondola. Next we went to a Murano glass shop, where we also watched a demo by a master craftsman on the art of glass-making. There were beautiful showpieces, vases, animals, jewelry at moderately expensive rates.

Murano glass making

The weather was warm and pleasant in Venice, with the temperature close to 30 degrees. We walked to the Saint Mark's Square (Italian: Piazza San Marco), said to be one of the most photographed squares in the world. It was very crowded, with tourists, locals and pigeons. Saint Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco), located in the Piazza is a beautiful structure, with some Islamic influence. At the Piazza, you can sit at the many restaurants and cafes, or browse through the very expensive shops, while listening to musicians serenading you.

Basilica di San Marco

Basilica di San Marco

Piazza San Marco

The city of Venice has beautiful buildings painted in reds, yellows and bright colors, with balconies full of blooming flowers. The inner city has exquisite bridges over the canals. To complete the picture of beauty and romance, we saw a Venetian bride and groom walk towards the church where they were to be married.

Venetian houses

As we waited for the cruise boat that would take us back to the Italian mainland, we stood looking at the Bridge of Sighs, which is attached to what was once a prison. Prisoners, just before receiving the death penalty would be taken to the Bridge of Sighs to get a last view of land. They were rumored to sigh in despair as they looked at the beauty of the world they were leaving, giving the bridge its name. We spent the night in the nearby town of Padova, in Hotel Marconi.

Bridge of Sighs

Pisa

At Padova, we woke up to an early sunrise at 4.45 am. It was a 4 hour drive to Pisa. The place was warm and sunny at 25 degrees. A gate leads you into Piazza dei Miracoli, which houses the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, a bell tower where Galileo performed his experiments, the cathedral known as Duomo Pisa and sprawling green lawns. There is a lot of cheap Bangladeshi merchandise to be bought, especially some really cheap bags supposedly made of leather. It was nice to walk about and sit in the lawns. We ate local  pizza and pasta at a restaurant there. The atmosphere is relaxed and laidback, which goes perfectly with the lazy drawl of the Italian people.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Duomo Pisa

Piazza dei Miracoli

Florence

From Padova, it was a 1 hour drive to reach Firenze (local name: Florence). Florence was the birthplace of Renaissance art and architecture and one of the wealthiest cities in the medieval period. We took a walk through the city. It is truly a city of romance! We came upon the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Mary of the flower). The city was once so rich that it had commissioned the cathedral door to be made of pure gold, as a witness to the opulence and splendor! The original has been kept elsewhere, and a bronze replica stands for everyone to see.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

The cathedral is the fourth largest in Europe. At one time, political, administrative and economic activities took place inside the cathedral. The paintings, pillars and sculptures are rich in artwork and stand tribute to the ancient people of Florence.

Inside the cathedral

We walked from the cathedral to the Piazza della Signoria, named after the Signoria that ruled Florence. A replica of Michelangelo's statue of David stands in the Piazza, at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio (meaning Old Palace), the town hall of Florence. The statue is said to portray the moment in David, the Biblical hero's life when he had made his decision to fight Goliath and was standing in preparation for the fight. His stand and expression portray defiance and are a symbol of bravery to the Florentine people. Florence was invaded several times in the ancient days, and David's defiant look in the direction of Rome portray this.

Statue of David (left), Hercules and Cacus (right)

Michelangelo Buonarroti

The Piazza della Signoria has several sculptures, among them Benvenuto Cellini's statue of Perseus With the Head of Medusa, Fountain of the God Neptune, Cosimo I de' Medici's statue, Bartolommeo Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus.

Fountain of Neptune

Perseus and Medusa

From the Piazza, it was a short walk to see the Ponte Vechhio (meaning Old Bridge) which crosses over the River Arno at its narrowest point. The bridge houses several jewelers, art dealers and craftsmen. While the bridge was used in the olden times by all of Florence, the Vasari Corridor was built just above the bridge for use only by members of the Medici family.

Ponte Vechhio

We walked along the River Arno to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which has bronze replicas of some of Michelangelo's famous works. From here, you can get a panoramic view of Florence, which is spectacular! There was a South American duo playing flutes in the square, giving it a very pretty and romantic aura. We stayed at the Hotel Mirage in Florence.

Panorama of Florence

At the Piazzale Michelangelo

Vatican

First view

The square

Sculptures on St Peter's Basilica

From there it was a 4 hour drive to Rome. We visited Vatican City first. At 30 degrees, it was quite warm. We had a local guide called Joanie, who kept us entertained with several well-placed jokes. We crossed the River Tyber, and had a view of St Peter's Basilica. The structure is splendid, giving off a sense of history and grandeur. Michelangelo's artwork in the Basilica is a treat to see. It houses the sculpture of Mary holding Jesus' dead body while not weeping over it, a feeling that rises above human emotion. The square is large, beautiful and great.

 

Swiss guard for the Pope

Rome

After Vatican, we visited the Fontana di Trevi, the famous wishing fountain of Rome. It was so hot that we wasted no time in buying some delicious Italian gelato. From our bus, we saw the Forum, a political and economic legal center of old. We walked to the Colosseum through the Path of Triumph, used by victorious soldiers returning home after a war. The ruins of the Colosseum are majestic indeed, and evoke such a sense of power, history and sadness.

Fontana di Trevi

Colosseum

Our guide informed us that the gaps and holes in the structure were due to locals making away with the marble and iron, which the building was so rich in, over the years. Nearby was a 3D rewind show, which takes one through the history of Rome and stories of gladiators. We stayed at the Hotel Aldobrandeschi on Grand Raccordo or Ring Road. The weather was warm and sunny at 24 degrees.

This was the day I felt very sad to leave a place which feels almost like home! Italy is a country of romance and warmth, beauty and history, and of course great food!

On Sunday, we had a 15 minute drive to Rome Aeroporti, which houses a really nice duty free section. I could not resist buying Italian coffee and cookies, and had my last (amazing) cappuccino and pizza. It was a 5.5 hour flight to Dubai, a 4.5 hour stop at Dubai and then back home to Mumbai!