Italy
Welcome back! I’m glad you are hear with me today. Today I will be sharing my trip to Italy from 5/21/24-5/30/24, with some photos at the end.
5/21-5/24: Milan, Italy
We started our trip off in the northern part of Italy, in Milan! Our first day was quite eventful, going atop the Duomo di Milano, seeing breathtaking views of the gothic architecture and the modern buildings adjacent, and going into the Cathedral, taking in the grandeur from the outside and inside. We then took a walk around the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, spinning on the bull and shopping in the beautiful stores lining the mall. We finished our day with a rooftop dinner next to the Duomo and walking around the city. The next day we woke up bright and early to catch a ferry on Lake Como going to Como, Bellagio, and Varenna. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side, and it did start raining, but we were able to still visit the various municipalities. We started off in Como, visiting the Life Electric and the Tempio Voltiano before going to Bellagio shopping and getting lunch while it was raining. Then we went to our final stop, Varenna, which was very beautiful and walkable. After exploring the province, we took a train back to Como which allowed us to get mountain-side views of the setting sun and the still water. The next day, we were back in Milan, shopping in the Galleria and I fulfilled a dream of mine! I bought my first ever designer bag. It’s a purse from YSL, and I absolutely love it! I saved up money from my job to buy it, and am incredibly proud to have gotten it. We spent the rest of the day looking around stores, smelling perfumes, trying on clothes, and spending time together as a family. The next day, we headed off to Florence, Italy using the train system.
5/24-5/27: Florence, Italy
After getting off the train in Florence, we went straight to Forte Belvedere to see the magnificent sunset and view of Florence with the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore clearly visible. The walk up was a hike, but the sight was worth it. There also happened to be a concert at Forte Belvedere, so we enjoyed pizza while listening to the music and taking in the sights. We also saw the Piazzale Michelangelo and walking down, saw these cute waterfall like structures that fed into a koi pond! Once it got dark, we walked around the city and saw the Fountain of Neptune alongside the Campanile di Giotto. The next day, we took a train to Pisa, to see the one and only leaning tower of Pisa. We went up the tower and saw the historic bells, and also saw the Cathedral and Baptistery. There were breathtaking paintings in the Cathedral and very intricate murals on the inside of the dome ceilings. Coming back to Florence, we saw a ceremony that looked like a changing of the guards, but I’m not quite sure what it is. There was a long march with people dressed up banging drums and priests also walking along. The next day was a shopping day, and we visited many shops, including the famous Officina Profumo (Santa Maria Novella) which had a gorgeous interior and amazing perfumes. We ended the day with dinner, gelato, and a walk along Ponte Vecchio (arch bridge with many shops lining the walkway). The next day, we leaded off to Rome, our final stop!
5/27-5/30: Rome, Italy
Our first day was just a travel and chill day, we got settled and adjusted to the much busier (and polluted) Rome. The next day, we started by going to Capitoline Hill where we saw aerial views of Rome and architecture like the Roman Forum. At this point, we were a little sick of pizza and pasta (don’t judge me), so we defaulted to our factory setting and got Indian food. After feeling energized and very full, we visited the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The next day, we explored the Colosseum, listening to an audio tour while taking in one of the 7 wonders. The Colosseum took up much of our day, but we were able to see the famous mirror selfie Church (Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola) but didn’t wait in line for the photo :(. Afterwards we visited the Temple of Hadrian and its spectacular dome before calling it a day. On our final day, we ventured out to the Piazza San Pietro in Vatican City to see St. Peter’s Basilica. All I can say is wow. The sheer size of the basilica coupled with the absolutely priceless art, sculptures, and the architecture of the church was completely awe-inspiring. We practically spent the whole day there, with there being so much to see and plenty to photograph. After wrapping up the day with dinner and gelato, we were ready to embark on our journey home.
As a whole, Italy was such an amazing experience! I loved the architecture and ruins that we got to explore, being a history enthusiast myself. While the sheer amount of walking was daunting, it didn’t feel crazy as there was always something to marvel at to take away the pain :). I hope you enjoyed hearing about our trip, and please leave a comment below if you have any questions/anything you want to share! See you next time.
