I would sum up Italy as gorgeous, full of character and super romantic. My favourite city without a doubt has been Venice. I will certainly be back for a visit but next I will not be alone.
The only downsides to Italy are that fuel is more expensive than the rest of Europe and the most direct roads anywhere are toll roads. There are a lot of toll roads!
I arrived in Italy on Thursday morning following a leisurely breakfast in Monaco.
I had met some lovely guys in Interlaken, Switzerland, who told me that I had to visit Clinque Terre (five lands). The manager at my hotel in Monaco confirmed this so I thought I probably shouldn’t miss it. I’m so glad I didn’t!
The Clinque Terre National Park was the first national park established in Italy. This only happened in 1999 two years after the area was included as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The five hilltop towns (Monterossa al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore), which lie on the Ligurian coast, are linked by train as well as coastal walks. I managed to experience both.
Below are a few photos of the area for your viewing pleasure.
I knew I didn’t have time to see all the towns so I decided to visit Monterossa al Mare. As it turns out it is the largest of the five towns. This made finding a hotel easy and also gave me the opportunity to get out of all my riding gear and enjoy the sunshine in the shorts and flops. Not much makes me happier than that!
There is such a fabulous vibe in the town. Of course it is heaving with tourists, mostly American, but there where a good number of Australians and even some South Africans mixed in there too. It’s not surprising though, we get everywhere (*giggle*)!
I decided to take a little time out and walk to the next town, Vernazza. The recommended walking time is 1.5 hours and I had read in a blog that this section is the most difficult. I was ready for a challenge!
As long as your knees are okay (there are a lot of steps) and you don’t stop too often the route takes an hour. It is pretty challenging though. I had a brief stop in Vernazza to have some water and met a lovely young couple from Seattle. After a very pleasant 10 minute chat I was on my way. I had to see the next town, Carniglia.
After a 50 minute walk I was in Carniglia; another stunning little town. This one I may even call a village. It’s really small and intimate; just how I like it! This was definitely my spot to enjoy some lunch.
Following lunch I headed off to find the train. Trinity was calling. I found more stairs; this time they were all downhill though. Phew! The train was certainly interesting. It could give a London Underground trip in rush hour a run for its money i.e. it was packed! Luckily the trip was only 10 minutes and the packed train actually added to the atmosphere.
It was now time to hit the walled cities of Lucca and Pisa. Lucca came at the recommendation of the hotel receptionists, while Pisa was a no brainer. Who wouldn’t want to see the leaning tower of Pisa! Well here it is along with a photo from Lucca. The rest are on my Facebook page.
Both cities were great! Of course I only explored the old cities but who ever really gets to see all of any city, so I think that’s okay.
I spent the night in Ferrara which certainly deserves a mention. It’s located roughly midway between Florence and Venice. The town is full of character and was certainly full of characters as there was, what looked like, a gaming festival on. This men’s that there were a bunch of people dressed is some interesting costumes walking around the city. I didn’t take any photos of them but ai did take a photo of the most colourful street I have come across in Italy. I absolutely loved this street. Below is why.
Last but certainly not least are two of the great cities, Florence and Venice. As I have already mentioned, Venice was definitely my favourite. I found Florence a little too big and difficult to negotiate on the bike. Venice was smaller and more intimate which you already know I love. Also, the water was a better colour. The water in Florence was the colour of green olives which I found a bit off putting. In Venice the water is still not a great blue but it’s better than green for sure. The pure romance of the city makes you forget about the water.
Both Venice and Florence have a wonderful combination of narrow cobblestone street and large impressive squares. I remember learning about Piazza St Marco when I was doing my Town & Regional Planning degree at university. I never thought I’d actually be standing it it. It was so exhilarating! Then again, I felt like that the whole time I was in Venice; like a kid that had just discovered a candy store.
Below are some photos of the cities and the stunning buildings that form part of them.
I made a wise move today when I visited Venice. I parked my bike on the mainland and caught a boat to Venice. This allowed me to approach Venice from the water and also leave stuff on the bike. Woohoo… freedom!
I only had two hours in Venice but I made the most of it. I walked as much of the city as I could, having a slice of pizza (it had to be done) and a bottle of water on the trot. I would happily have stayed longer but I needed to head east. I have exactly a week left to get home and I’m a long way from home!
As I write this I’m having dinner in Trieste next to, you guessed it, another American couple. Apparently the hit list for Americans is the UK, Italy and France. Yes, I asked them. Anyway, moving on.
Trieste is the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. Founded by the Ancient Romans (I’m excited all over again), it’s on the doorstep to Slovenia, which is where I am heading tomorrow. Officially this will be the start my journey back to London.
Before I call it a night I would like to wish all the dads out there a happy Father’s Day. I’m so glad I got the chance to speak to mine his morning. It was the best part of a pretty amazing day! I love you dad! X
Mel & Trinity 