Benvenuti in Italia!! We started planning this trip in 2018 with an eye toward going in 2020. Unfortunately, early that year, this little thing called COVID hit. We thought “oh it will be over in a few weeks. We should be fine by July when we leave.” WRONG!! So 2020 was a no go. But, we finally made it in 2024!

VENICE

We flew into Venice and hit the ground running as were only there for 24 hours. We took a water taxi from the airport to our Air B&B and coming into the city that way was so cool. We dropped our bags and headed off for the Grand Canal Cruise. It was a great way to get ourselves acquainted with Venice.

The image above left is the Rialto Bridge which is the oldest of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal. It started out as a pontoon bridge in 1173. The current form shown above was completed in 1591. So, it is only 400 years old! The bridge is lined with stores and is always bustling. Its a great place for watching people and the beautiful gondolas floating by.

Speaking of gondolas, we think this is a MUST!

(Apologies to those out there who think a gondola ride is just a big rip off.) Our gondolier took us down Venice’s equivalent of the side streets. He shared some history, some of his favorite places in Venice, and a few local stories. For the record, the canals in Venice did NOT become completely clear and clean during COVID. We had an amazing experience.

In our second 12 hours, we hit most of the Venetian highlights including Saint Mark’s, the Doge’s palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. We also sought out the best gelato in Venice and ate some authentic Italian pizza!

Carousel - click on images to see more. River Boat from airport to Venice, Mom, John and Christina, canals of Venice, St Mark's Basilica, Mom standing in front of The Bridge of Sighs - used to walk prisoners from courthouse to prison, and lets not forget the food, Pizza & Gelato from Suso’s Gelatoteca.

FLORENCE

Our next stop was Florence, a beautiful city full of history. The first night we were pretty tired from the flight, our 24 hour whirlwind tour of Venice, and a three-hour train ride. So, we decided to hit a restaurant near our place called Al Tranvai. It was a local spot where we had tasty food and BOTTOMLESS WINE for $5…and it was GOOD!! Besides the great wine, the best thing about this night was we learned about I’ Desio which you will read about once we get to Tuscany and Montefioralle.

There is so much to see and do in Florence, you could create an entire website on that alone. Since we can’t do that, here are three of our favorite things from Florence.

First, we were committed to finding one of Florence’s famous wine windows. Image below. You simply walk up, peer into the window and order a glass, or two, of delicious Italian wine. Then you stand outside, drink your wine and visit with everyone else doing the same thing. It was awesome.

Next on our list was seeing the statue of David. We, of course, had seen it many times in pictures, but they simply don’t do it justice. Standing in front of it was awe-inspiring. It is so much bigger, and far more detailed than we would have expected. It truly leaves you almost speechless.

Third and final on this list was taking a pasta-making class. We made three different pastas with three different sauces from scratch. Our host/teacher was so fun and so informative. At the end of the class, we got to eat what we made, and with all humility, we have to say it tasted fantastic! Check them out at Pasta Class Florence.

The Duomo, cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese oof Florence. It was started in 1296 and finished in 1436.

Image Carousel - click on images to see more. Piazza Della Republica, Bartolomeo Amanatti Neptune’s Fountain, Street Art, Donatello in the Museo Del Bargello, Michelangelo’s original David in the Galleria dell’Accademia

TUSCANY

While we enjoyed Florence, we LOVED Tuscany! The hills, wine, people, agriculture, incredible beauty, amazing history, and did we mention, great WINE! What more do you need?

Our First stop: Castello Di Verrazzano

This was the birthplace of famous Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who was the first European to explore the east coast of America from Florida to New England (and that is how that bridge in NYC got its name). These days the castle is an active winery. The picture below shows grapes drying. They hang the grapes for months, letting the air flow in and out of the building to build up their sugar content to make sweet dessert wines. Tuscany is also famous for its balsamic vinegar which is out of this world. Like wine, the vinegar ages in small wooden barrels.

Our second stop: Marchesi Antinori Winery

This winery was rated the #1 winery in the world in 2022. The Antinori family has been making wine since 1385…26 generations of the family have been involved! It is world renowned for the architecture of the winery and the taste of the wine. We had a wonderful lunch on their outdoor terrace overlooking the vineyards and sent home some of our favorite wines.

Tuscan Countryside

After our wine stops, we headed deeper into Tuscany and got to visit several medieval towns including Sam Gimignano (6th century), Monteriggioni (13th century), and Montefioralle (11th century). Walking the streets of these ancient walled towns was incredible. We like to joke that you know something is old when Christopher Columbus thought it was old. Well, these towns all qualify.

In Montefioralle, we had lunch at I’Desio. I’Desio is, and isn’t, a restaurant that is built right into the walls of the city. The building itself is the owner’s home. He opens his outside patio to guests and serves lunch/early dinner from noon to 5 five days a week. There is no menu. There is whatever Daniele has decided to make that day. You get multiple courses with unlimited wine for a crazy low price. The setting was amazing. The food was amazing. The whole experience was amazing!

We spent a few days in Siena and Greve in Chianti before returning to Florence for our train ride to Cinque Terre.

CINQUE TERRE

Cinque Terre, meaning the five towns, is a string of five ancient fishing villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore), perched high on the Italian Riviera just south of Genoa in northwest Italy. We stayed in Riomaggiore. To say it is picturesque would be an understatement. To say it was brutally hilly would be spot on!

The towns all lie in a line just 7 miles long. The adventurous hike between towns. The rest of us take the Cinque Terre express train that runs as often as a local bus route. Staying at the far eastern end, we took the train to far western end and worked our way back. The landscape is beautiful with mountains running right down to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. There are endless opportunities to eat and drink while watching the waves of the ocean come and go.

If there is a downside to Cinque Terre, it has to be the stairs. Almost nothing is flat. In Corniglia, we had 383 steps to go from the train station to the town. Photo below. It certainly tested our physical condition and stamina. BUT, we were way better off than the young couple we passed at the bottom of the steps. They were dragging two of the largest suitcases we had ever seen, and the young lady was wearing high heels. We were taking odds on how many steps they would make before they gave up or got divorced!

Corniglia - View from the town to the train station.

Image Carousel - click on images to see more. John waiting for a beverage in Monterosso, Porto Venere Church, Town of Corniglia, View of Monterosso from the top, So many stairs!, Riomaggiore over looking the sea and the harbor from our place.

Northern Italy