by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
The last time I visited Italy was 1997. Sadly, it was same year we lost Princess Diana.
Twenty-seven years later, I returned to Italy again for a friend’s destination wedding in Stresa, a town north of Milan. We continued to make this a longer vacation and traveled to Cinque Terre, stopped in Pisa for pictures, continue to Florence, Venice with boat trips to Burano, Torcello and Murano and back to Milan for the return trip home.
Time has definitely changed. We have the internet to plan and book our own flights. Booking accommodations from Booking.com and Agoda.com. These days you can “Skip the line” to visit the museums and see Italy’s sightseeing tours, attractions and excursions from Getyourguide.com and Viator.com. Travel blogs, Facebook groups and Instagram are just a few social media resources that were helpful in planning this trip.
After 3 days of wedding events, Curtis and I continued our trip to Cinque Terre. A 3 ½ hour train ride from Milan. Cinque Terre is located along the Ligurian coast of Italy, consisting of five picturesque villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre is known for its colorful cliffside buildings, beautiful hiking trails and breathtaking sea views. The area is part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villages are connected by scenic trails, making it a popular destination for hikers and tourists alike.
There are so many people traveling these days. To avoid the crowds, we got up early in the morning and visited these towns. We were able to get some nice photos without any people around. We did our share of hiking from Vernazza to Monterosso and Via dell’Amore.
The Via dell’ Amore, also known as the Path of Love, it connects Riomaggiore to Manarola. This scenic coastal trail offers breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea and is an excellent opportunity for a romantic stroll with your loved one.
The new path had just reopened in August 2024. It was closed for 12 years due to a destructive land slide that took out the side of the mountain. It took the Italian Engineers 12 years to engineer new anchors and create a new walking path for “lovers”.
Searching for good food is always a requirement on these trips. We ate a lot of fresh seafood with pasta and rewarded ourselves with gelato afterwards. We even squeeze in time to take a dip in the Ligurian Sea. Salty sea water is good for the skin.
While taking the train to Florence, we made a quick detour to Pisa. With our carry-on luggage, we arrived in Pisa early in the morning at 8:00am and spent 2 hours taking those fun shots before the massive tour groups arrived. After the photo shoot, we hopped back on the train to Florence.
After we checked into our hotel, we went to the Duomo Firenze and admired the interior beauty of its architecture. We had a 6:00pm reservation to climb up to the top see a closer view of Brunelleschi’s Dome. (463 steps). When we got to the top, we were greeted with view of Florence, with the sunset in the background.
The next day we had the “Skipped the line” passes to see the iconic Michaelangelo’s David (Naked of course). We brought advance passes to visit the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.
Florence is home to world-famous art and architecture, including masterpieces by artists like Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Florence is also famous for its vibrant culinary scene. You can’t leave Florence without trying the Florentine Steak. We carnivores came out in style and devoured that steak.
From Florence we took the train to Venice. Again, massive crowds of people all around. Venice features a network of canals instead of roads, with gondolas and boats serving as the primary modes of transportation.
We took a tour of the St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the iconic Rialto Bridge. Also included with our tour was a ride on a Gondola. It’s my first time taking the ride and the Gondoliers do not sing like they do in Vegas.
On the next day, we purchased a 24-hour boat pass and went to the islands of Burano, Torcello and Murano.
One of my bucket lists was to visit Burano. It’s known for its vibrant, colorful houses and lace making traditions. Burano is full of brightly painted buildings creating the perfect picture postcard scene.
Torcello is one of the oldest islands in the lagoon and less populated. Its peaceful to go there because there wasn’t a lot of tourists. The island offered natural landscapes with marshland and wetland.
Murano, famous for its glassblowing artistry. You can walk around the stores and see the intricate glass blowing art work.
It was nice to visit these islands. It took us away from the hustle and bustle of Venice.
The last place we visited before flying home was Milan, known for its culture and one of the fashion capitals of the world.
We visited the Duomo di Milan, one of the largest gothic cathedrals in the world. We had reservations to climb to the rooftop for breathtaking views of the city. I mean how often do you walk around the rooftop of a Cathedral?
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the famous shopping arcade lined with high end luxury boutiques and cafes. Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, as well as other high-end boutiques were there.
One of the highlight was seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, the iconic mural housed in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
We had our last supper with friends at Osteria Treno. This restaurant that was featured in CNN Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy.
We had the regional Milanese Osso Buco with saffron risotto and it was delicious.
Curtis and I had great time on the trip. We didn’t get picked-pocket nor we lost our luggage. Traveling for 2 weeks is stirring up my interested on where to go next? The world is a huge place. Stay tune for 2025.
