Rome

St. Peter's Square

If I moved to Italy (someone please force me by knife point), Rome would be my city.  Ancient ruins in the middle of a modern city.  It's ultra romantic, yet feels like a bustling contemporary city.  I loved it.  We spent 4 days in Rome.  I think it was enough time to see everything we wanted to see, but I think I could've spent a full week wandering around and I wouldn't have been bored for a second.

Where We Stayed:  Hotel Montreal.  The room was a little dreary, but it's location within walking distance to the Colosseum and Forum and one block from the Subway, made up for it.  I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.  It's walking distance to the train station, as well.  And the concierge was amazing.  So very, very helpful and spoke perfect English.  This hotel also had a good continental breakfast that we fueled up on every morning.

Things to Do:

Colosseum:  Hello, Captain Obvious.  Spectacular.

Inside the Colosseum

Forum:  It almost feels like a cemetery.  Plus it was overcast the day we went, fitting.  We walked up to Palatine Hill.  We visited Caesar Augustus' house.  There is still vivid-colored paint on the walls.  It's incredible.



The Forum

Fresco on Caesar's Ceiling

A Wall at Caesar's House

Circus Maximus:  I knew there was nothing there, but after looking at ruins all day, I figured there would be some sort of remains there.  Not so.  It is merely a park.  But it's amazing to see how large it is.  And it's comforting to watch young kids playing soccer there.

Kids Play at Circus Maximus

Aventine Keyhole:  Climb to the top of Aventine Hill.  You'll pass a beautiful park overlooking the Tiber.  If you would have known such a gorgeous park existed there, you would have brought a picnic, or at least some pastries to enjoy while you sat on the bench overlooking the city.  Continue walking up the hill.  You'll see some humvees and men with large guns.  But do not fear.  Look to your right and you will see two large doors, one with a keyhole.  Look through the keyhole.  You will see St. Peter's framed perfectly between a tunnel of trees and bushes.  It's pretty nifty.

Aventine Keyhole

Scavi Tour:  Book this way ahead of time and be sure to bring your confirmation number.  You actually get to pass the Swiss Guards and enter the Vatican!  This tour takes you underneath St. Peters through the tombs that St. Peter's is built upon.  St. Peter's was intentionally built on a pagan cemetery.  Go Christianity!  Anyway, the tour is very cool, and you can hear mass going on upstairs.  Highlight of the tour is getting to see what is thought to be the actual tomb of St. Peter, aka the Disciple and first Pope.

Inside the Vatican

Vatican Museum:  So many great rooms filled with art, but the highlight is the Sistine Chapel and it was packed, even in January.  Bring some ibuprofen because your neck will begin to ache.

St. Peter's Cathedral and Square:  Beautiful cathedral, and I loved the square.  It had been pouring all day, but as we ate lunch the sky cleared and it was almost warm outside.  There was a huge nativity set up when we were there.

Saint Peter Wants You!

Trevi Fountain at Night:  Go see it at night all lit up and toss in your coin.  It's so romantic, and less people.  Visit during the day for excellent people watching.

Trevi Fountain at Night

Piazza del Popolo:  My favorite piazza in all of Italy!  There is a beautiful fountain, an out-of-the-place Egyptian obelisk, and two domes that divide the three roads that branch out from the piazza.  We went early in the morning and it was quiet and picturesque.

Tiber River:  From Piazza del Popolo, we walked along the river to Castel Sant'Angelo. We didn't go inside, I don't even know if you can.  Great views of St. Peter's.  Beautiful walk.

Trees Along the Tiber

Castel Sant'Angelo

Piazza Navona:  Three gorgeous fountains and great people watching.

Campo di Fiori:  Not the best market in January, but I'm sure it's fabulous in the warmer months.

Pantheon:  Amazing ceiling.

Pantheon Ceiling

Spanish Steps:  Nice views of Rome from the top.  Excellent people watching.

View from the Spanish Steps

Via del Corso:  It's the Michigan Avenue of Chicago, the 5th Street of NYC, and the Rodeo Drive of L.A.   I bought a great hat at a store called Kilt for 19 Euros.

Places to Eat:

Pizza e Mortadella:  When we left the Colosseum, we were hungry.  But we wanted to go to the Forum right next to us.  There are a number of food stands at the Colosseum, but they are uber expensive for bad food.  So we wandered up the street and came across this deli/supermarket.  I ordered a ham, mozzarella, & lettuce sandwich.  Hubs had a sandwich with melted cheese and deli meats.  We were able to eat while walking, exactly what we wanted.  Sandwiches for 2 = 10 Euros.

Sa Tanca Crostaceria:  A Sardinian restaurant with red walls and crazy set pieces.  The food wasn't spectacular, but it was a truly unique restaurant.  Appetizers + Dinner + Dessert + Wine for 2 = 58 Euros.

Da Baffetto 2:  The original Da Baffetto was closed so we went to the second incarnation.  The pizza was very good, even though I again made the mistake of ordering a pizza with too many toppings.  Stick with 1 or 2!

La Mensa di Bacco:  This restaurant was near our hotel, close to the train station.  I had a delicious cannelloni.  Hubs had rigatoni alla Amatraciana.  We also shared a carafe of wine and tiramisu.  Forgot to write down the cost but good value.

Matricianella:  This was one of the fancier places we ate at on our trip.  The place was packed with locals and we ate outside.  There were heat lamps to keep us warm.  I had truffle pasta and it was so truffle-y.  Too much, in my opinion.

Pompi:  Go there and get the best tiramisu.  Don't be scared away by the crazy-long line.  It moves fast.  10 Euros.

Tiramisu from Pompi

On our last day in Italy, Israel invaded Palestine.  There was a peaceful protest going on near our hotel.  I snapped a few photos.

Pompeii

Vesuvius Looms

Pompeii is a fascinating and slightly haunting place.  If you travel to Italy, you must visit.  We took the Circumvesuviana train and spent a few hours walking around.  It was pouring almost the whole time we were there, but we had our umbrellas.

We did splurge on a guide book at the gift shop (9 Euros), which I recommend.  The houses aren't labeled and it's helpful to know where you are and what you're looking at.

Bring a snack or a picnic lunch.  We purchased chocolate croissants at Pintauro for our Pompeii trip.  Way to plan ahead!

I've posted a few photos of my favorite sites, most notably, the Amphitheatre, a smaller version of Rome's Colisseum.  However, unlike the Colissium, in the Amphitheatre, you can walk around on the ground where the gladiators fought and died.

Entrance to the Amphitheatre

Small Theatre



Large Theatre

 Maybe it was because it was dark and raining, but Pompeii was empty when we were there.  Maybe saw twenty other tourists the whole day.  Yet another reason to go to Italy in January.

Naples



Piazza del Pebliscito


Naples was the surprise of the trip for me.  It has a reputation for being crime-ridden and dangerous.  And lately, with all the garbage collection strikes, really, really dirty.  When we were there it was not scary or barricaded with garbage bags.  We walked around at night at what we found out later was a "bad" neighborhood.  I felt as safe and secure as I do walking in my own neighborhood.  I think Naples has an unfair stigma because it isn't as pristine as the rest of tourist-packed Italy.  Since Naples doesn't have as many tourists, it doesn't have the revenue to keep all the graffiti away.  But I loved the city.  It felt more urban and diverse than anywhere else we went.  Dare I say it reminded me of Barcelona (although it's been over ten years since I've been to Barcelona, so maybe I would feel differently now).  Just be careful you don't get taken out by a motorbike.

Street View from the National Archaeological Museum

Where We Stayed: Piazza Bellini.  This hotel was fantastic.  It felt brand new, with modern decor.  The ceilings were high.  The bathroom was great.  The continental breakfast was almost as good as the one in Florence.  Free internet access.  Everything was great.

Things to Do:

National Archaeological Museum:  This museum houses many of the works of art discovered at neighboring Pompeii.  We went to the museum before we went to Pompeii, because that's what our schedule allowed.  I don't know if it might be better to go to Pompeii first because then you would have a reference point for the art.  Either way, definitely visit the museum.  It has an amazing gladiator exhibit.  And just like your favorite soon-to-be-out-of-business video store, it has an over 18 room where all the "erotic" artwork" is.  Kinky.

Via Toledo:  This is the main shopping street in Naples.  Definitely worth walking down just to see the sights.  The road goes all the way to the sea.

Side Street off of Via Toledo

Piazza del Pebliscito:  This is where Via de Toledo meets the sea.  There was an amazing art exhibit going on while were were there.  This was my favorite second favorite Piazza in all of Italy.

Art Exhibit at Piazza del Plebescito

Places to Eat:

Naples is home of pizza, and they aren't joking.  We went to a couple pizza places.  The first one was Trianon di Ciro.  The New York Times named this the best pizza in Naples, and I would have to disagree.  It was good, don't get me wrong.  But the best?  Nah.  I'm from Chicago.  I know good pizza.  I had the Pizza Forte with ham, mushrooms, and sauce.  No cheese, which I didn't notice when ordering.  My bad, because I like cheese on my pizza.  Hubs had the 8 Flavors pizza, which was better than mine.  The pizza was good, but we weren't dying to go back.  Two Pizzas + Wine for 2 = 23 Euros.

Pizzeria di Matteo:  The best pizza in Naples!  This pizza was great.  I had the Capricciosa with ham, mushrooms, and artichokes.  The sauce was bright with fresh tomatoes.  Hubs had the Bufelo, just mozzerella and cheese.  He learned the pizza lesson quicker than I.  With a good thin crust pizza with a great sauce, you don't need toppings.  Cheese + 1 should be the maximum.  2 Pizzas = 13.50 Euros.

My Capricciosa Pizza at Pizzeria di Matteo

Ristorante 53:  This place off of Piazza del Dante.  We were famished after the museum and strolling down Via del Toledo so we ducked in here.  Lucky find.  I had rigatoni with seafood and Hubs had penne with tomato sauce.  Pasta + Wine for 2 = 20 Euros.

Pintauro:  Naples' oldest bakery.  We tried the sfogliatella, a Neopolitan specialty.  So, so good.  I tried sfogliatella again in NYC at Di Ferrara, the only other place I've ever seen it.  Sorry New York, Pintauro's was better.

Sflogliatella from Pintauro

Siena

Siena is a small, medieval, Tuscan countryside town.  It's the only small town we went to on our trip, so I can't compare it to anything.  We had a good time there, arrived in the evening, spent a full day, then left early the next morning.  You don't need a lot of time there, but I'm glad we had a full day.



All the streets in Siena look like this

Things to Do:

Il Campo:  The main draw of Siena.  It's a beautiful piazza in the middle of town.  Every year in the summer a horse race takes here called Il Palio.  Hubs climbed the bell tower and took some great photos.  I felt like I had conquered my claustrophobia and height issues at the Duomo in Florence and I didn't want to push it, so I stayed on the ground.

View of Il Campo from the belltower

Santa Maria Della Scala:  So back in the day Siena tried to compete with Florence and built their own cathedral with its own Duomo.  From the outside, the camparison is a little pathetic.  However, I think Siena's cathedral kicks Florence's ass.  Beautiful etchings cover the floor.  Palio photos and memorabilia cover one of the walls.  In fact, the horses even go inside the church to be blessed before the race.  It's that hardcore.



Ceiling in the Choir Room



Places to Eat:

Trattoria Papei:  This place was really great.  I had my favorite pasta of the trip, papparadelle cinghiale (boar sauce).  Hubs had a roasted hen dish with a lentil sauce.  The place was packed.  Highly recommended. We even tried to eat there a second time and we were only in town for a day and a half!  Unfortunatly, the restaurant was closed when we tried to go back.  I didn't write down the price, but affordable.

Where We Stayed:  Cannon D'Oro.  This hotel was fine.  We actually had a room with a nice view which I looked out at when I did my makeup in the morning.  There was a continental breakfast, but it wasn't nearly as good as the one in our Florence hotel.  Location was good for the price.

Florence

Florence feels stuck in the Renaissance, in a good way. Cobblestone streets. Statues and fountains in the center of town. Rustic cuisine. We were there for 3 days, and there was plenty to do. It was the perfect amount of time.

We arrived by Eurail and checked into our hotel.

Where We Stayed: Alba Palace Hotel. This hotel was fabulous. The room was bright and felt brand new. A continental breakfast is included and a large room off of the lobby is devoted to it. Every morning we had our fill of cereal, pastries, yogurt, juice, deli meats, and cheese. Great way to start they day. I highly recommend this hotel.

Places to Go:

Central Market: Shop around and buy a something leather for a great price. Then go to the indoor market and browse all of the amazing meats and produce.

Battista Doors: Right next to Il Duomo are the Battista Doors carved in gold. Very powerful.

Il Duomo: The exterior is beautiful. The colored stone looks like painted wood. You must climb to the dop of the Duomo. Even if you're like me, not in the greatest physical shape, afraid of heights, and moderately claustaphopic, it's worth it. The view is spectacular.

View from Il Duomo

Santa Croce: Amazing cathedral that houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Gallileo, Dante (although not buried there), and Machiavelli. These men were buried properly.

Ufizzi Gallery: So many great works of art, most notably, Bottecelli's "Birth of Venus."

The Accademia: Home of the David. Okay, I was not excited about seeing the David. We've all seen it, and it's everywhere in Florence. However, I was really blown away when I saw it in person. The size. His face. I'm so glad I saw it. There are also unfinished Michelangelo sculptures and casts of marble statues that rest throughout Florence.

Ponte Vecchio: Beautiful old bridge filled with elegant shops.

Ponte Vecchio

Loggia: Fun plaza with many statues in the center of town.

Boboli Gardens: Beautiful Gardens at the Pitti Palace. The perfect place to wander aimlessly for a few hours even in the winter. And lots of fat cats!

Capelle dei Medici: Elaborate tombs of important member of society.

Places to Eat:

Gelato, gelato, gelato! There are gelato shops everywhere in Florence, and most of them were open in January. I ate gelato every chance I got. While we were waiting for our train out of Florence, I even made a couple block run to get one last taste!

Food Stands: There are a number of food stands near the Central Market. Whether at the Central Market, or on the street near the Capelle dei Medici, one should try the Trippa alla Fiorentina. Yes, tripe. It wasn't my favorite thing ever, but I liked it, and Anthony Bourdain would have been proud that I was eating innards.

Trattoria Mario: We started out with a bowl of each soup: fagioli and ribollita. Oh my. Ribollita soup is one of the great discoveries on our trip. It's a bread soup, sometimes with beans. It tastes a little like Thanksgiving stuffing as a soup. It's so delicious. I ordered it at almost every restaurant in Florence. But I think my favorite version of it was at Mario. From there, we shared a tortellini pasta and a beef filetto (Mario is known for its steaks). Besides the food being great, the ambiance is also really unique. The tables are all long and narrow. The restaurant gets packed with people from all walks of life, and you end up sitting very close to strangers. We ended up sitting next to another American couple who were vegetarians (in a restaurant renowned for its steaks) which was interesting hearing them try to negotiate with the waiters. Soup + Pasta + Steak + Wine for 2 = 30 Euros.

Il Latini: This restaurant also had great atmosphere. And the food was good. The ribollita was good, although I didn't like it as much as Mario's. Il Latini's specialty is in rustic preparations of meats. I had a cut of beef roast cooked in a tomato sauce that fell apart when I cut into it. Hubs had roast rabbit that was also very good. We shared a dessert trio, but we enjoyed the vin santo and biscotti that was complimentary more than the dessert. All in all, a really fun meal. You know it's going to be a good time when your table has a jug of wine on it and they charge you by how empty it is when you leave. Dangerous :) And the service was top notch. Soup + Entree + Dessest + Wine for 2 = 65 Euros.

Pastries, biscotti, & vin santo at Il Latini

Il Fratellini: Great sandwiches, fast. Perfect for eating on the go, and cheap. 2 sandwiches = 5 Euros.

Trattoria 4 Leon: Solid food, cozy atmosphere. Soup + 2 entrees + wine for 2 + tiramisu = 40 Euros.

La Grotta di Leo: Very unassuming. Decent Pizza. Excellent tiramisu. I didn't write down the exact cost, but I remember it was cheap!

Pizzeria Nutti: I had a really good meat-filled tortellini in creamy tomato sauce. Hubs had pizza that was not-so-good, so even though it's called "Pizzeria" Nutti, stick with the pasta. Pasta + Pizza + Wine for 2 = 28 Euros.

Venice

The Lion of Venice, Palazzo Ducale on Left

We arrived the evening of January 2 by waterbus. Fog shrouded the city and we could barely see the shore when we were right upon it. The mystery was the perfect way to be introduced to Venice. It felt like waking up in a dream and experiencing a new world where we would spend our next few days.

Places to See:

St. Mark's Cathedral & Square: Not the most amazing cathedral in a country filled with amazing cathedrals. Get there early. The lines are long and only so many people are allowed in at one time.

Piazzo San Marco

Campanile: Worth the admission. Bring your camera.

Palazzo Ducale: Also worth the admission. A beautiful palace, for a man with no power who was treated like a king. Walk across the bridge of sighs.

Rialto Bridge: The heart of Venice. Lovely and surreal. Good people watching.

Venice is all about wandering around and getting lost. And finding your favorite hidden piazza. We particularly enjoyed the Dorsoduro neighborhood. It was more peaceful and less touristy than everywhere else. Good views of Venice from Punta della Dogana, and a lovely walk to get there.

Punta della Dogana - my favorite place in Venice!

Regata delle Befana: Okay, this one is a cheat. It only happens once a year, on January 6th. But if you happen to be in Venice in the dead of winter and it's January 6th, do yourself a favor and go to the Rialto Bridge! Aging, accomplished male rowers dress up as the Befana (a witch who puts candy in Christmas stalkings on Epiphany) and have a paddle gondola race down the Grand Canal. Truly great entertainment, an unexpected jem.

Winner of the 2009 Regata delle Befana

Places to Eat:

When I was researching for quality, yet affordable restaurants, Venice seemed to get a bad rap food-wise. Personally, I found the food in Venice was some of the best in Italy. I'm sure you can pay a lot for not-so-great food, but there are plenty of places that are reasonable and delicious.

Osteria La Zucca: I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Make sure to make a reservation. It is tiny. The retaurant used to be entirely vegetarian, but they now also serve meat dishes. I'm not vegetarian, but I couldn't resist the vegetable plate: six vegetable dishes all in unique sauces. I love variety, so I was in Heaven. It was a spectacular meal next to a canal. Our best meal in all of Italy. But I'm biased because I was proposed to about a minute after we left on a small brown bridge on a quiet canal, and I think the meal had something to do with it. Magical. Appetizers + Dinner + Dessert (shared) + Wine for 2 = 60 Euros.

Al Casin dei Nobili: Had a wonderful black pasta with shrimp in an arugula sauce. My favorite pasta dish I had in Italy. Really cozy atmosphere. Dinner for 2 + wine = 60 Euros.

Autica Osteria Ruga Rialto: We tried to do a bacaro crawl, but many of the restaurants were closed for the holidays. This place was open and buzzing. Great atmosphere, packed, lively crod. 4 Drinks + a few snacks = 10 Euros. Great deal.

Da Pinto: Perfect al dente spaghetti. Excellent calamari. Modern, yet cozy. Lunch + wine for 2 = 35 Euros.

Trattoria Ca D'Oro: Great polpette (meatballs, but more like croquettes). Thick, hearty spaghetti, excellent pasta. I had it with fish, which meant anchovies. So many anchovies. If you love anchovies, this is your dream dish. I am not the biggest fan, but that's my fault, not theirs. Polpette + 2 pastas + wine for 2 = 28 Euros.

Vizio Virtu: Made a couple of trips to this chocolate shop. Divine hot chocolate is the best defense against sub-freezing temperatures.

Cafe Florian: Yeah, it's overpriced. But, come on, Cassanova hung out there and it feels insanely regal. Pastries + coffee for 2 = 26 Euros.

Bruschette: A little hole in the wall sandwich shop. The gay pride flag was waving and Madonna played during our entire lunch. Good times. Lunch for 2 = 12 Euros.

Where We Stayed: Hotel Ai do Mori. Small room (to be expected in Europe), comfortable bed, and a hot shower. We didn't go to Venice to stay in the hotel. Perfect for getting a good night's sleep and right off of St. Mark's Square. Next time, we'd probably opt for somewhere a little more out of the way in the less populated Dorsoduro.

sleeping gondolas

We did not ride any gondolas. It was below freezing during our stay. Paying mucho dollars for a slow, cold ride down a canal did not sound appealing.

Italy - On a Budget

So, my husband and I love to travel. Two years ago we both made lists of where we most wanted to travel in the world, and Italy was at the top of both of our lists. Okay, so it was set. Going to Italy. Now, budget. What can we afford? Italy is expensive. What do we want to see? How long can we take off work? So, we researched and answered all of these questions. We came up with 17 days (including travel) in which we would visit Venice, Florence, Naples/Pompeii, and Rome, and we would not spend over $6000.

At the time, Hubs and I were not married so we were splitting the bill at $3000 each which would include all airfare, hotels, food, tours and excursions, and souvenirs. This was a number we were comfortable with. So, how does one go to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks, eat three restaurant meals a day, sleep in a private room with a bathroom, and go to all the museums they fancy for $3000? You go to Italy in the dead of winter. Yeah, it's cold. You bring a warm coat, a scarf, and gloves. The daylight hours are reduced, which is probably the biggest downfall of going in winter. But, you can set your little alarm clock, get up early, and have a full day in the sun. The pros completely outweigh the cons: airfare and hotels are significantly cheaper than going in the summer, and the tourist headcount is way down so you can actually see everything you came to see.

We did a lot of research before we left. I don't believe in making daily itineraries to make the most of your time, but we did map out what area of what city we wanted to go to each day, and I made a list of attractions we might want to see. We'd look at the list a couple of times a day. "Oh, we didn't see that. Should we go there?" Whether yeah or meh, this system works for us. We don't have a rigid checklist scheduling us, just a few guidelines, and we let the trip happen.

One area we were really concerned about in our budget was food. We are big eaters. Foodies, if you will. And the American Dollar was weak. I believe when we went it was about $1.65 = 1 Euro. Sucksville. But that's the way it is, and we took that into account when we budgeted. So when on a tight budget, there must be research. I did a lot of restaurant research because I wanted to eat the best food possible for the amount of money we wanted to spend. Trip Advisor is a great resource. And the blogosphere is awesome. Ah, technology!

So, that's a long intro into our Italy trip. But I want to write about the wheres and whys and hows in hopes that someone else who wants to go to Italy may find this info as useful as I would have. I also want to emphasize that travel is something that you have to prioritize if you want to do it. I hate when I tell travel stories to people and they give me that attitude like, "oh, well, I would travel if I could afford to," implying that I have more money than they do so I'm lucky enough to travel. Look, I'm not complaining. I live a blessed life; I'm happy and healthy. But people who travel do not have mystical sparkly travel money that magically falls in their lap when they're hankering for a vacation. Hubs and I put money aside throughout the year for trips that we may or may not take. It's part of the monthly budget: rent, utilities, groceries, entertainment, travel. The only way I've found travel to be affordable is to have money specifically for travelling. It's that simple. So save and enjoy.