Last month, my wife and I took a much-needed vacation to the land of pasta, olives, wine, beautiful art and designer clothes – Italy. We spread our nine days across three cities: Milan, Venice and Florence.
The Duomo cathedral in Milan
Milan is more of an industrial city in Italy, a business hub and of course the center of fashion. From a tourist’s point of view, it does not offer as much as other parts of the country, so we limited our time there to just one day, during which the highlight was the Duomo, Milan’s massive cathedral, one of the largest in the world. To get to the top, we had to climb more than 300 stairs! But the view was spectacular and very worth it.
Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) in Venice
We headed next to Venice, a city different from any that I have ever visited in my life. Venice is composed of seven islands, interlinked by a series of criss-crossing canals that one navigates using either the “water buses” (vaporetto), water taxis, or the ever-popular and extremely expensive gondolas. It is a city you can get lost in, walking through narrow lanes and over tiny bridges, losing all sense of direction unless you consult a map. The tourist hub of the city is the famous Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) often considered one of the most romantic squares in the world. It was indeed quite impressive, but we found the heat – 32/33 degrees – and the summer crowds to detract from the experience somewhat. We consoled ourselves with plenty of fresh pizza, some delicious gelato (Italian ice-cream) and of course lots of wine.
The skyline of Florence seen from across the Arno River
After a couple of days in Venice, we took a train to Florence, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is known for its Renaissance art and architecture, including the famous sculpture by Michelangelo, David. Located on the banks of the river Arno, Florence offers spectacular views of the city and of the neigbouring Tuscan hills from several vantage points, including the top of the famous Duomo, the large cathedral in the heart of town. One of the other famous sights in Florence is a 1000-year old bridge called the Ponte Vechhio, which is lined with jewellery shops all long its length. Other than art and architecture, Florence is of course known for its delicious cuisine, including the famous bistecca fiorentina, or Florentine beefsteak. Eating a nice steak is usually a highlight of my vacations abroad, and I was not disappointed in Florence!
We made a couple of trips outside Florence as well, including to the famous wine region of Chianti, where we toured a vineyard, saw the fermentation process, and sampled some great wines. We also took a day trip to the city of Siena in the heart of Tuscany. In the Middle Ages, Siena was a big rival of Florence, and several battles were fought for supremacy between the rulers of both cities.
When it was finally time to head home, we were a little tired from all the walking, a little heavier from all the food (at least I was!), and a little eager to get back home after living out of a suitcase for so long. But we were both very relaxed as well, and intent that we would be taking another vacation to Italy in the not-too-distant future. As they say, “Long Live Italy!” or “Viva Italia!”
Nakul Pasricha,
Head, Process and Planning, Drishtee