Italy

Italy was amazing and just what I needed. I've been wanting to get back to Europe since my last trip 5 years ago. Now was kind of the perfect opportunity for a trip so I took advantage of it and just went; I planned everything in about a week and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. Traveling alone is such a different experience, and a great way to self-reflect. I had 10 full days in Italy, between Rome, the Cinque Terre, Florence, and Siena.

My travels started off a little shaky. My flight was delayed so I, with 3 others, were re-routed through Boston (instead of NYC) and then on an Alitalia flight to Rome. Except that Delta failed to let Alitalia know we were coming. We finally got checked in and then the printer wouldn't work. I ended up getting on my flight with a hand-written ticket, no kidding.

Rome: I spent 3 days in Rome, taking in all the sights. I have seen a lot of the biggies before so skipped some and just re-visited the ones that were truly amazing, like St. Peter's, the Borghese Gallery (my favorite), and the Colosseum/Forum area. I also decided to seek out sculptures by my favorite artist, Bernini. Last time I was in Rome, I found that every sculpture I loved was by Bernini. Now I can basically pick them out. So I did a little research before I left and went to some smaller churches and searched out Bernini. It added a little something extra to my Rome experience (since I've already been to Rome twice). I also discovered some new statues and artists in the Borghese Gallery I hadn't noticed before because I had been so preoccupied with those by Bernini.


Rome has always been a series of mishaps for me and this time was no different. There are too many to recount. I was scammed at least a couple of times and just had trouble in general. I tried to visit a church, Santa Maria Vittoria, 3 times but due to various mishaps, never got to go inside. There's a Bernini statue there I was trying to see. I love Rome but it's such a big city and involves so much walking. It was nice to leave and get to the beauty of the Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre: My last attempt at visiting the Cinque Terre ended quickly due to some poor planning (ahem.... Dan Vogt). We arrived during a festival and there were no hotels ANYWHERE and we had to leave. So this time I made sure to have a hotel in place before arriving. I've wanted to do the 7 mile hike that connects the 5 hill towns along the water for 5 years now and I finally got my chance. The hike was unbelievable, although my calves hurt for the following 3 days. There is nothing better than a hardcore hike to clear your mind and reflect. It took a little over 4 hours to do the hike and I have never seen so many stairs in my life. And when I say it was on the water, well, it was ON the water. In some places, the path was about a foot wide and then there was a sheer drop to the rocks and water below (no railing).

I had some great dinners and ordered the local cuisine, which was pasta with seafood. There were things on my plate staring back at me and others that I couldn't quite determine how to eat. But it was an experience. I met a man who was also dining alone (maybe 55ish and not creepy) who asked me to join him for wine one night. He was from the hill town I stayed in (third generation). We talked about Italy, the U.S., politics (everyone is interested in Obama over there), etc. It was awesome- the complete cultural experience that I never could have had if I wasn't traveling alone.

I spent some time exploring the 5 hill towns and just relaxing. I had a terrace in my room that overlooked the water. The weather was perfect for the 2 days I was there and I even sported a tank top and flip flops one day. It could not have been more beautiful and I did not want to leave.

Florence: The shopping was incredible. I had no appreciation for leather the last time I was here. Or bags. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I have a bag obsession (it must be genetic, mom). I am a sucker for cute bags and Florence was like my little piece of bag heaven. I got a couple of bags, also a jacket, and a couple of belts. Great deals.

I did a walking tour of Florence. We visited places that I never would have seen otherwise and the tour guide had all kinds of interesting stories and bits of history to share. That's what makes it real to me; I love the history. I also visited a lot of the better known sights, like the Duomo, Pitti Palace, Medici Chapel and Tombs, one of the smaller churches there, and the Central Market, which had things I had never seen before. One thing I can say about the Italians: they eat every part of the pig, which does impress me in some ways. I saw pig feet, brains, intestines, organs, and uh, penis, for sale in the market. Crazy.

I have to comment on the boys in Florence. They are creepy. I can't tell you the number of times guys asked me to go out or whether I needed "an Italian boyfriend". One of the vendors actually hugged me which basically made my skin crawl. I was staying at a hotel with an American owner and she explained that there are a lot of students in the area and American girls have a "reputation". Needless to say, I did not spend any time with any of the Florence boys.

Siena: I wanted to visit one of the smaller towns in Tuscany and chose Siena. It was amazing. The cathedral is more interesting than some of the better known ones, like the Duomo in Florence. There were several interesting museums and crypts and places to view the hills of Tuscany. This was a very relaxing place to spend one of my last days in Italy.

I returned to Rome to fly home. It was evening and I was exhausted and went out looking for a quick bite to eat. I passed the Santa Maria Vittoria church and it was open even though it was after closing hours. I just happened to pass by during Friday night mass! I went inside, listened to the last 15 minutes of the mass, and then was able to do a quick lap of the church and see the Bernini statue that I had unsuccessfully tried to see 3 times when initially in Rome. It was the perfect ending to my trip.

I met a ton of people on my travels, including a couple from Nashville, a couple from Australia, a woman from Michigan, the Italian man, and a guy from NYC on my flight home. It was such a different experience going alone and I really enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed the gelato and the wine. There is nothing better than gelato. The goal was to have some at least everyday and I'm pretty sure I succeeded in that. The wine was also great, of course, and I had some each evening- just ordered whatever the local specialty was (white in the Cinque Terre, red everywhere else).

I returned from Italy feeling refreshed, back to myself again, and ready for the next chapter in my life. There's nothing like a trip to clear your head. For those that know my normal travel style, I journaled about everything on my trip (literally filled an entire journal). Those are the best souvenirs I have from my travels. I like capturing the details of the mishaps and sights, as well as the very strange things that go through my head.

My recommendation to those that have thought of travel but haven't done it yet and figure they will go someday........ go now! You will never regret it and it will change your perspective on the world. Plus, I noticed in the last 5 years that more things are being roped off and/or being moved to museums. The longer you wait, the less authentic the experience will be. Now I just need to decide where my next adventure will be..............