More Italia

I wish I’d had the time to blog more in Italy--it’s so much harder to get the impressions down after the fact. But I still want to share a few of my pics, and talk about a few of the places I haven’t talked about yet.

Cinque Terre

Unfortunately our day in Cinque Terre was the one day it rained during the vacation. And it was cold! That didn’t stop me from sitting on the top level of the ferry to get these beautiful pics:





The towns of Cinque Terre have so much charm. They also have gorgeous beaches, (which we didn’t get to use). Another thing I really wanted to do, and didn’t have the time, was to hike between the villages. We walked a brief stretch on one of the trails, and the view was gorgeous. Next time!

Milan

I’m usually not a shopper, and I did not think Milan would be one of my favourite stops on the trip, but it was! The energy, money, and pace reminded me of London. As you’d expect, everyone is dressed to the nines (this is true in much of Italy, but especially in the North). Even the children are dressed in expensive shoes. I actually managed to buy some new clothes, in record time. At one point McHotty was in line to pay for a few things, while I was off to the next shop. I purchased a dress, a tunic, and a couple of sexy tops, all for 100 euro. I also learned, I love negotiating a deal for a knock-off bag.





Venice

Venice is probably my favourite city. When we stepped out of the train station, and I caught my first sight of the Grand Canal, I had one of those really moving moments, where I feel a lump in my throat (this also happened to me in the Blue Grotto, in Capri). And it happened again in Venice, at dusk, when the lights suddenly came on in the square. Stunning. We will be back to Venice one day, to share it with Cakes. I want to be there to see her face when she sees this beautiful, unique city for the first time.




Rome

We finished the trip in Rome. Again, like Florence, we just didn’t have enough time. We expected this, and knew it was the trade-off for getting to see so many different places in so little time. No regrets. But like in Florence, we didn’t have time for any museums. Another place we’ll have to get back to. We did do an excellent guided tour of Imperial Rome, including the Coliseum. The Coliseum made me feel really strange--it’s hard to get your head around the fact you’re standing in a place where so much violence took place.




We only had a day in Rome, but we did make it to Vatican City. We visited St. Peters, and were wowed by the grandeur.



Photos can’t capture it. By this time, we were beat, so we had to skip the Vatican Museum (we needed to get back to our hotel in time for a last-night quickie in Rome, and a nap before the farewell dinner). And speaking of the farewell dinner, I still have to tell you about the people. Next post!