Everything you've read, watched, or dreamed about is true.
Italy is lovely. I am grateful to have visited Italy three times. The most recent visit was just 2 weeks ago. My friend Liz and I spent the first five days exploring Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio with a rental car from a home base in Soriano nel Cimino. The final three days were spent in Rome. I loved driving in the countryside exploring villages and towns. Our little yellow Fiat served us well. (I am so grateful we returned the car before our days in Rome. There are some crazy drivers there! I also loved that we took the train to Florence. There is something perfect and charming about riding a train in Europe - it doesn't matter where. A trip to Europe wouldn't have felt complete without it.)
I thought I'd try these collages. It'll be easier to get an idea without having to scroll through a ton of photographs. You may click each collage to see it a bit larger. If there are any individual pictures you would like to see full size, let me know, and I'll send them to you.
Day 1: Soriano nel Cimino
charming, quiet, small, perfect
Day 2: Viterbo, Montefiascone, Bolsena, Orvieto
All were charming in their own right, but I've had a soft spot for Orvieto since I visited with Lissy and Mom on a frozen January afternoon years ago.
Day 3:Pienza
My favorite. It's everything I dreamed a Tuscan village would be. Perfection.
Day 3: Siena (which I don't have pictures of, yet. I left my camera in the car, outside the old city center walls. It was lovely and the main square reminded me of Piazza San Marco in Venice.)
San Gimignano and Volterra
S.G. is a mideval city with multiple tall towers, which sits on a hill above vineyards
Volterra was known for its alabaster craftsmanship before the days of Stephanie Meyer. My drive to Volterra was the most fun because it was a really winding two lane road, which made me feel like a superstar because I was the one doing the passing.
Day 4: Perugia, Assisi, Bevagna
Perugia is home to Baci and other chocolate delights, Assisi is home to an astounding concentration of churches for a small town, and Bevagna is just a small village that is home to small number of Italians. We stopped there last and it was during the siesta hours of 1:00 pm and 5:00pm, so we were out of luck.
Speaking of which: The Italians are serious about their summer siestas. Liz and I became somewhat used to it. It is a bit strange because there is a ghost town feeling. In a more romantic light, it feels like a fairytale when the whole village is put under a sleeping spell. The streets are empty, stores are closed, and there is no noise. The only people I would see were one or two other whispering tourists walking around aimlessly.
Day 5: Florence
The beauty of Florence is its artistic heart. I was so grateful Liz was a repeat visitor as well, so we breezed past queues and only visited the Uffizi Gallery. We wandered the streets, ate gelato, and tried to avoid the overwhelming swarms of tourists
Last 3 days: Rome
Cliched, but I do feel this way about Rome:
"Each, in its own way, was unforgettable. It would be difficult to - Rome! By all means, Rome. I will cherish my visit here in memory as long as I live. " Roman Holiday
I have always loved Rome. It came as a surprise on my first visit over 10 years ago. This visit was full of familiarity. Liz and I were easily deterred from the museums because of the crowds. Three hour long queues are not how we wanted to spend our holiday. We, again, wandered streets, taste-tested gelato, sipped frizzante water, and lounged at meals for hours.
Grazie per la vostra ospitalità, Italia.
