Italy: Florence and Tuscany

First Day in Florence

For our last morning in Rome, we visited the same coffee bar near our hotel for breakfast. We slowly sipped our coffees and ate our croissants as we watched the madness of Rome's workforce dash in for a shot of espresso before quickly continuing on to wherever they worked.  With the last flakes of our croissants gone, it was back to our hotel to finish packing for our late morning train ride to Florence.  

We made sure to get one last glimpse of the Colosseum and Forum during our 15 minute walk to the train station.  Thankfully, it was still early in the day and the Roman sun wasn't yet high enough to make this an uncomfortable hike with our luggage.  The train ride itself was uneventful but pleasant (in first class thanks to our EuroPass), so we'll skip to arriving in Florence.

It's only a 5 minute walk from the Florence train station to the historic center with the Baptistery and Duomo (Dome).  The crowds became more noticeable the further we got from the train station until we finally stepped into the Piazza del Duomo, where the Renaissance began. 

This was as far as we had to walk with our luggage, because our room was located right in the Piazza.  In fact, after check-in, Ashley raced to the window for this view of the Baptistery and Duomo. Epic.

Italy: Rome

Travel to Rome
Breakfast was once again served on our balcony overlooking Positano.  It was the perfect way to spend our remaining time in Positano before beginning the journey to Rome.

Our plan to get to Rome was to take the ferry to Salerno in order to get a different view of the Amalfi Coast.  From Salerno, we would take the train through Naples and up to Rome.

The ferry took about 70 minutes and hugged the Amalfi Coast, providing a beautiful contrast to the previous day's drive along the coast.  We both spent the majority of the ferry trip hanging out the window watching the coastline pass by.

After arriving in Salerno, it was a short walk from the ferry dock to the train station.  Before long we were boarding our car and pulling out the sandwich and melon prosciutto salad from the Delicatessen in Positano.  This train picnic would be one of the better lunches of our whole trip.

It took about 3 hours, stops included, to reach Rome's Termini station.  Debarking from the train car brought us right into large crowds, which was quite different from our time on the Amalfi Coast.  

After getting our bearings, we quickly took off for a 15 minute walk to our B&B, Nicolas Inn.  We had printed a picture of the front doors because we had read online that the address could be hard to find.  Sure enough, the front doors were large and did not easily indicate that an amazing B&B was within.

The owner, Melissa, is an American Expat and was an extremely helpful and friendly host.  In addition, it was a great home base to explore Rome, with the Colosseum and the Forum only a few blocks away.

It didn't take long before we were off to get our first glimpses of Ancient Rome and it's many historical sites.  After seeing the Colosseum from afar, we turned and passed by Trajan's column on the way to this afternoon's focus - the Pantheon.  

It was crowded both inside and out, despite being late afternoon.  However, that still couldn't take away from the grandeur of the only continuously used ancient building in Rome.  Inside, the lone light source (other than the open doors) was the skylight high above.  Beautiful sculptures near the pillars accentuated the architecture.  It's no wonder that Renaissance artists came here to study the dome and supporting architecture.

It was then back to our B&B's neighborhood to try some of the local pizza recommended to us by Melissa.  We wanted to keep it quick tonight so we could get started on Rick Steves' suggested Night Walk Across Rome.  Starting from the Forum, we walked past the Victor Emanuel Monument as the sun dipped behind buildings both new and old.

Evenings in Rome bring cooler temperatures and many of the locals come out to slowly stroll and chat along the many pedestrian friendly zones and plazas. Piazza Navona was one of these plazas and had a beautiful and popular fountain located in the middle.  Tourists and Romans walked slowly by, some stopping to sit and enjoy the parade of people.

Our true goal for the night, other than enjoying the streets of Rome, was to visit Trevi Fountain.  We were both somewhat surprised by just how crowded and commercialized (large advertising on building walls) Trevi Fountain was at night.  It did, however, provide for some great people watching while we enjoyed the magnificent fountain. Before leaving we completed the famous tradition of tossing a coin over our shoulders into the fountain to ensure a return to Rome.  

It was a similarly pleasant walk back to our B&B.  Today had only been a small taste of Rome, but it was already exceeding our expectations. Tomorrow would be a full day of visiting many of the historical sites of Ancient Rome.

Ancient Rome

We experienced breakfast as the Romans do - standing at a counter eating a croissant and sipping a cappuccino at a popular spot near our room.  It was fun to watch someone come in, order an espresso or coffee, slam it down quickly, and then run back out the door to work.  We, however, took our time.

Leaving the B&B for the Forum, our host Melissa warned us that it would be a very hot day and to frequently use the drinking fountains located in and around Rome's most popular sites.  It would be good advice.

Before heading to the sites, we purchased a Roma Pass, which we highly recommend if you plan on visiting at least two major sites and/or using public transportation while in Rome. The Pass includes the cost of public transportation, free entry to your first three Roman sites, discounts on visits to remaining sites, and you get to skip the entry/ticket lines. It is valid for three days and costs around 25 Euros. You can purchase one at any of the major sites or at tourist stands (TI) throughout the city.  Since we planned on taking the Metro to the Vatican and visiting many of the ancient Roman sites, the Roma Pass was the perfect choice for us. 

With our Roma Pass in hand, we set off towards Ancient Rome. The Forum was a short two block walk, and we were one of the first few tourists to enter today.  We relied on more of Rick Steves' audio guides (and maps) to explore the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum.  These worked out great for us and provided a free alternative to see these sites at our own pace with an informative guide talking us through the history of the key places of interest with a touch of humor.  Due to the condition and how old many of the structures were in the Forum, it was often difficult to determine what you were walking past or looking at unless you had some sort of guide and map.

Ancient columns and blocks were strewn about, but we could still imagine important Romans walking these streets 2000 years ago. In the picture below, notice how elevated the structures of modern day Rome are compared to the Forum, which is due to  continuous rebuilding over the course of 2,000 years. Archaeologists started excavating in the 18th century and it is still an active excavation site today. We actually saw some excavation in progress during our visit.

On a side note, don't underestimate the strength of the Roman sun. The Forum offers little, if any shade, so it is easy to get sunburn while touring the area. Make sure to apply your sunscreen.

We took a connected path to Palatine Hill, which overlooks the Forum. In Ancient Rome, the emperors and other elite lived on Palatine Hill and visitors can see remnants of their grand palaces. From the highest point, you can also see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

The palaces even included their own stadiums for entertainment. Speaking of stadiums, we also caught a glimpse of the Colosseum from Palatine Hill. Between the personal stadiums and the nearby Colosseum, the emperors had only to go a short distance to witness the spectacles of that era.

Walking down from Palatine Hill, we were greeted by the Arch of Constantine as we made our way to the Colosseum. As expected, there were crowds of people in this area. We had been warned to pay close attention to our valuables in this area since pickpockets frequent the attraction. While the men dressed as gladiators outside the forum may provide a fun photo opportunity, they could actually serve as a way to distract tourists for nearby pickpockets. Fortunately, despite all of the warnings, we had nothing but positive experiences with the people of Rome during our visit.

From the exterior, the Colosseum seems as large as a modern day stadium, which is especially impressive considering the building tools and materials available at the time it was build. It was exciting to walk up to one of the most recognizable ancient structures in the world. Since the structure remains intact, it is easy to imagine crowds of 50,000 Ancient Romans in togas approaching the stadium for good old fashioned violent fun.

With our Roma Pass, we bypassed the long ticket lines and went immediately to the entrance turnstile. Once inside, we listened to another handy (and free) Rick Steves' Audio Tour, which guided us throughout the interior. 

Even with the first glimpse of the main arena, you understand just how intricate the large scale productions must have been. Although you can no longer see a field or floor, you see the underground network of tunnels that allowed gladiators, animals, etc. to move about seamlessly before being released to the crowds' delight. On at least one occasion, they even flooded the arena for a mock naval battle. 

The inside concourse includes exhibits explaining the history and art of the Colosseum. When were there, there was a special exhibit about Emperor Nero (known for exceptional violence even by Ancient Roman standards). As we walked through the concourse, we saw numerous frescoes depicting gladiators in action. Perhaps, they served as the ancient "coming soon" posters. 

One good vantage point from inside the Colosseum provided an excellent view of the Arch of Constantine, the Forum, and the crowds of tourists below. 

Sweaty and with tired feet, we left the Colosseum for our air conditioned room.  After cleaning up and relaxing inside for an hour, Melissa (our host) recommended dinner at Ristorante Santa Cristina (reservations strongy recommended).  It was a pleasant fifteen minute walk to this family owned restaurant tucked away into an easily missed alley.  We both felt like the only tourists stopping in, which is what we were looking for.  Served by the adult children, we both our enjoyed meals of pasta with zucchini flowers and green gnocchi  with gorgonzola sauce.  According to Nate, the gnocchi was the single greatest entree of our entire European trip.

Happy and full from a wonderful meal, we made a quick pit stop at our room to grab our camera equipment for some night time photography of the Colosseum.  Even at night, there was still a small but sizable crowd observing and photographing the ancient structure.  With some patience and trial and error, we were able to find several vantage points that resulted in a few favorite shots.  Seeing the Colosseum lit up at night is a very different, but must-do and worthwhile experience.

The Vatican

After another breakfast of croissants and cappuccinos in the cafe next door, we embarked on our journey to Vatican City. We walked to the closest Metro stopped and used our transportation Roma pass to take the subway to Vatican City. The public transit was clean, uneventful, and rather easy to navigate.  Once we stepped out of the Metro, we headed to the Vatican Museum with our prebooked e-tickets. The lines at the Vatican Museum can get quite long so we strongly advise booking your reservation ahead of time on the website and printing your tickets before you leave home. 

Our ticket let us access the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica (which actually free to the public if you aren't interested in visiting the other parts of Vatican City). Once again, we used a Rick Steves' audio tour that we downloaded at home before leaving for our trip. The tour highlighted many art treasures including School of Athens by Raphael.

After wandering around the various wings of the museum, we headed into what is probably the highlight of the entire tour...the Sistine Chapel. We made sure to take a seat along the side to stare up at the magnificent ceiling. Unfortunately, we do not have any photographs as they are forbidden and we are rule followers. It's hard to forget this rule as the security guards constantly yell out "NO FOTOS," but even this could not detract from the experience.

After exiting the Sistine Chapel, we stopped in St. Peter's Square to refill our water bottles. Rome is filled with free drinking fountains that have fresh, clean water, which really helps in the heat of summer. Plus, the usually look more like decorative fountains than our boring silver water fountains at home. 

Before heading into the Basilica, we spent some time walking around St. Peter's Square. We were both surprised by just how large of a space it was. When we see it on television for papal audiences, it is filled with people. We didn't realize just how many people pack the Square until we saw it in person. We even had to break out the wide angle lens to fit it all in a frame. 

If you plan on visiting St. Peter's Basilica, you need to know about the dress code, which is strictly enforced. No shorts, miniskirts, or bare shoulders for men, women, or children. If you arrive unprepared, vendors sell scarves outside to cover your shoulders or wrap around your waist. Otherwise, when you enter, you'll have to wear paper-towel type cover-ups. It's easiest (and respectful) to just dress appropriately for the day.

One of the reasons we spent some time in the Square before entering the Basilica was because we were waiting for the sun to lower in the sky. Our guidebook recommended entering St. Peter's Basilica in the late afternoon in order view the beams of light coming in through the windows. We are certainly glad that we waited because the lighting inside the Basilica was breathtaking at this time of day and it added a mysterious ambiance to an already majestic structure.

Once inside, we plugged our headphones into our phones to listen to the Rick Steves' audio tour of St. Peter's that we downloaded before we left home. The tour took us into the various side chapels to admire great works of art such as Pieta. However, we were often distracted by the grand size of the church (largest in the world) and the light beams that seemed more impressive from any angle. The main aisle of the Basilica marks where other famous churches end (such as St. Paul's in London and Notre Dame in Paris), which really makes you appreciate the scale. 

Before heading home, we took one last look from St. Peter's Square and chuckled at the uniforms of the Swiss Guards who protect Vatican City.

On our way back from a full-day of sightseeing at the Vatican, we got off at the Metro stop (Flamanio) closest to Piazza del Popolo. Our handy Rick Steves' guidebook included a map of a recommended nighttime stroll through Rome called the Dolce Vita Stroll, which would take us From this Piazza to the Spanish Steps. Before starting the stroll, we detoured into Santa Maria del Popolo to view works by Caravaggio (sometimes the Art History major in Ashley takes over). After exiting the church, we started the stroll. Most evenings, some of the main streets close to traffic and become pedestrian only zones, which was one of our favorite aspects of Roman life.  Locals and tourists all slowly strolled along the walkways window shopping and enjoying the night air with a cone of gelato. Our walk ended at the Spanish Steps. Like the Trevi Fountain, it was crowded but we were still able to find a small spot to sit down on the steps to people watch and enjoy the atmosphere. Definitely a memorable way to spend our last night in the eternal city. 

While sad to leave Rome, we both looked forward to studying the Renaissance in Florence tomorrow. 

Italy: Pompeii and Amalfi Coast

At last, our European trip has arrived.  After many hours of planning and watching Rick Steves episodes, we were ready.  We flew Air Berlin into Dusseldorf, waited out a 4 hour layover, and then continued on for an early afternoon arrival in Naples, Italy.

To help combat jet lag, we had decided months before that we wanted to visit Pompeii on the way to Positano in order to stay active into the evening.  We were already planning on hiring a driver for a day trip along the Amalfi Coast on our second day, so we used the same service, Francesco Marrapese Tours, for the drive to Pompeii and Positano.

Luca, one of Francesco's business associates, was holding a sign with our name outside.  It was the first time we had experienced that, but we were both happy to quickly find our ride and be on our way to Pompeii.  It didn't hurt that he drove a Mercedes van.

It was a relatively short ride to Pompeii, most of which was spent listening to Luca talk about the surrounding area.  As we made our turn in to the Pompeii entrance, Luca suddenly started yelling 'No, No, No' at a man walking nearby.  Apparently his father was that man and was in the area hoping to catch a ride home.  We both laughed once he explained the situation.

Using a free to download Rick Steves podcast and map for navigation, we spent the next two hours on a self-guided tour of Pompeii.  Pompeii is a special place, a Roman town destroyed centuries ago that is now preserved for us to see and experience.  You can see casts of bodies frozen in time, beautiful frescoes in the Roman baths and villas, a bakery, restaurant, and even chariot tracks carved into the streets.

Ashley especially enjoyed hopping along the 'cross walk' stones.  These were used to keep your feet dry when the streets were wet.

Many of the large open areas and main buildings in Pompeii are crowded with tourists, but side streets and lesser known villas and buildings provided a chance to step away and really enjoy the experience of walking where Romans had.

The crowds continued to thin as the afternoon wore on, allowing for more quiet as we finished our walk through Pompeii.  As we were leaving, the clouds also thinned enough to see the ominous Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

Tired, but having enjoyed Pompeii, Luca drove us the remaining hour to Positano.  It will be hard to forget that first sight of Positano, with the colorful houses and buildings rising from the harbor straight up the mountain.

After checking in, we walked down to the harbor for dinner.  We were fortunate and found a cute place with an open table perfect for people watching as the sun went down.  Dinner was served quickly, but nearly two hours later and exhausted, we realized that we had to ask for the check in order to pay and leave.  Good to know for the remainder of our time in Italy.

Before going to sleep, we sat quietly on our balcony and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Positano.  Singing could be heard across the way intertwined with the occasional sound of a Vespa passing through.  Ah, the sounds of Italy.

We woke fairly early the following morning because Francesco was picking us up for a full day excursion along the Amalfi Coast.  We enjoyed homemade croissants and other goodies for breakfast on our balcony overlooking Positano.

Francesco met us at our hotel with his Mercedes van at the agreed meeting time.  The street is one way through Positano, and if we would have missed Francesco, he would have have had to drive another 20 minutes to complete the loop back to our hotel.

First destination of the day was Sorrento, located on the northern side of the peninsula.  Sorrento is known for its large lemons and limoncello, a lemon liqueur.  Along the way, Francesco shared some history of the area, including the plants and trees (i.e. olives) that were harvested locally.

We had several stops for pictures around town and then were free to walk through the main shopping district to look for gifts.    

After Sorrento, Francesco drove us back over to the Amalfi Coast to spend the remainder of the day.  The roads here were very narrow and winding with occasional 'blind' turns.  We felt safe and comfortable, and Francesco's itinerary had us avoiding the large buses and crowds as much as possible.

He knew all the best spots to stop along the way, allowing for different perspectives of Positano that we wouldn't have had otherwise.

After Positano was Amalfi, the namesake town of the Amalfi Coast.

Again, we were dropped off in town and were free to explore on our own.  The duomo in town is a must-see.  After some window shopping (and not buying) past the boutique stores, we were on our way for lunch in Ravello high above the shoreline.

Lunch was at a small family owned restaurant and served on the outdoor patio with an expansive view up and down the Amalfi Coast.  It was a perfect spot for a relaxed lunch.

Following lunch was a stop at the gardens at Villa Cimbrone.  This was a lush, beautiful garden in Ravello.  Several sections were named after Roman gods, and the look and feel was what one would imagine for a Roman garden centuries ago.

It wasn't until we got near the edges that we realized the gardens extended to the cliff's edge with a thousand foot drop.  The Infinity Terrace can be difficult to walk out on, but the amazing view of the Amalfi Coast encouraged all visitors.  This is also where we convinced Francesco to join us for a picture.

Ravello was our last stop for the day.  We stared out the windows as we passed along the Amalfi Coast on our way back to Positano.  Being able to comfortably enjoy the ride along the Amalfi Coast, in addition to Francesco's knowledge and friendliness, made this an excellent way to experience the region.  

It was late afternoon when we arrived back in Positano and we decided to go walk along the harbor and do some shopping.  Many of the small fishing boats were pulled up for the day, giving Ashley many photo opportunities.  There was also a number of street artists, and after some deliberation Ashley picked a watercolor for her travelling collection.  Needless to say, it was a good stroll along the beachfront before we began the walk back up to our room.

As you could guess, Positano has many stairs.  Some of the higher houses in Positano may need to ascend and descend several hundred steps just to do grocery shopping.  The section shown below led up to our B&B and was conveniently right next to a Delicatesen (tomorrow's lunch).

Our dinner reservations were at La Tagliata, which is located high above Positano.  A shuttle picked us up in town and drove us 15 minutes along a steep, narrow, winding road.  Some of the other passengers vocally disapproved of the trip up, but we thought it was part of the experience.

La Tagliata was family owned and had two serving times for dinner each evening.  The adult children served and interacted with the guests while the parents cooked in the kitchen.  All the food was from the family farm or the ocean and was cooked with Italian love.  

In addition to the great food, we had a view that can only be described with a picture.  Positano was below us as we and the other guests watched the sun fade behind the mountains.  Near the end of dinner, the mom came out from the kitchen to check on the guests and was greeted with many thanks and clapping.

It had been a long day of sightseeing and was easy to fall asleep after a large dinner.  Tomorrow we would be departing the Amalfi Coast for the big city of Rome.