Sights, sun, and good food; one week in Italy went by way too fast. While in Italy I was able to visit Rome, Florence, Tuscan wineries, and Pisa.
My first day in Rome was a hot one! On my first day it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, feeling like 102, with a blazing hot sun and minimal to no breeze. The next few days were hot, but never quite as insanely hot. However, I didn’t let the heat stop me from seeing everything I wanted to see. My first morning in Rome I didn’t have any plans so I wandered around the city, seeing multiple of the large sights including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Roman Forum. In the afternoon I had a walking tour scheduled where I was able to learn more in depth about the Spanish Steps, Roman aqueducts, Trevi Fountain, and the Roman Forum. Since most of the day was spent wandering the city, I was able to see a lot. By the end of the day my phone told me that I had walked 12 miles!
Day two in Rome was similar in schedule to my first day, but in reverse. I started the day with a walking tour, this time learning about the Column of Marcus Aureus, Temple of Hadrian, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Castel Sant’Angelo with a view of The Vatican. Since my tour ended near The Vatican, I made my way there and was able to see the main square and the outside of Saint Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. I didn’t wait in line to get tickets to go in however, since I was wearing shorts and The Vatican has a dress code stating that your knees must be covered. Originally I had planned to wear pants so that I would be able to go into at least one of The Vatican’s museums, however when getting ready I noted that the weather app said it was supposed to be as hot as my first day and pants were going to be too hot! By not going into either of these sights, it just means that I have even more reasons to go back and visit Rome again someday!
In Rome, my busiest day was my third day. As a college graduation gift, my brother gifted me a “skip the line ticket” for the Colosseum. I got an early start to my day and thanks to Rick Steves and his Audio Europe app, I was able to take a tour inside the Colosseum using his free recorded tour and it was great. Included in the entrance ticket to the Colosseum is also the entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. While there I was also able to tour using Rick Steves Audio Europe app and since the weather was much nicer this day I found a few nice places throughout both the Forum and Palatine Hill to sit, read, and enjoy the weather and sights. This was my favorite day in Rome. Not only did I like the Colosseum, but I also had a nice time visiting the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and the ability to just sit back and relax and take in the sights. One of my favorite things about solo travel is the ability to stop and spend as much or as little time as I want in a place and to be able to sit back and read, relax, or just soak up the sights and sounds.
While the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill were my favorite sights of Rome, another thing I really enjoyed, and found extra helpful with the heat, was the abundance of free flowing water fountains throughout the city. Below Rome there are still large aqueducts and because of this the city has over 600 free flowing, cold, fresh water fountains where you can fill up your water bottle or just get a drink.
After Rome, I hopped on a bus and headed to Florence. In Florence I started my first full day with a walking tour of the city. Of the walking tours I took in Italy this was my favorite and I was able to not only learn about the different attractions of the city but also about the city's gastronomy, Medici family, and art. The first flavor of gelato, Buontalenti Crema, is said to have originated in Florence, and was made using egg, cream, and sugar, however, when created it wasn’t able to be chilled so it was drunk. Later on it was frozen to make gelato and you can still find this flavor at some gelaterias throughout the city. I was able to try it on my tour and it was delicious. It was rich and creamy and the egg provided a rich depth of flavor. One person on my tour compared the flavor to that of eggnog. Another Florentine food is a sandwich made with the stomach of a cow and the stomach is boiled with vegetables, this sandwich is called Lampredotto. They also have other popular sandwiches such as the Schiacciata, which is not made with cow stomach.
In Florence I was able to do a lot of wandering through both the touristy areas and non-touristy areas, both of which were fun. One thing I liked about the non-touristy areas was that they were not only quieter but also the buildings sometimes seemed to have even more character to them. While wandering around Florence was fun, on my last full day I booked a half day wine tasting tour that took me out into the Tuscan countryside, specifically the Chianti region. On this tour I was able to visit two different wineries and try a variety of wines, including two different Chianti wines and two wines made with Sangiovese grapes, which are also used to make Chianti. An interesting piece of information I learned on the tour is that the black rooster is the mascot of the Chianti region.
On my final morning in Italy, I woke up bright and early and took a train to Pisa, where my flight to my next destination was flying out of. Since my time in Pisa was very limited, I walked with my two heavy bags from the train station of Pisa to the other side of the city to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was able to see the sights and walk through the city on my way there. While at the Leaning Tower I enjoyed the view and ate a small grocery store breakfast before heading back across town to the train station to get to the airport. While I found it cool to be able to see the city, I did question myself the entire walk there and back as to whether or not it was worth it since I was carrying all of my belongings and sweating with the two backpacks on. I have yet to come to a conclusion, and while I tell myself now that I shouldn’t do something like that again since it’s exhausting, I know at some point I will end up doing something similar - walking too far with all of my stuff just to see a sight.
"Traveling isn’t something you’re good at. It’s something you do, like breathing."
- Gayle Forman
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