Let’s Go Italy… Our journey from Austria south into Italy was a long one but the scenery couldn’t have been more beautiful. In total it took us two days to reach Venice but the first day of driving provided us with a taste of home as it felt as though we were in the Rockies, complete with glacier streams and dense, lush forests’. The weather turned on us though and by the time we reached Venice the skies had pretty much closed in. We decided to give it a try in hopes that it might clear up and made the trek into the floating city anyway. You cannot drive into Venice as there are no roads, so we parked our beast and headed for the fairy. Their fairies work just like a metro system in any other European city complete with various lines and in a few stops in we were in San Marco Platz, the hub of Venice. We managed to walk a few of the tiny winding blocks but were soon after hit with torrential rains. After attempting to wait it out, and emptying our shoes, we decided to find our way back to our ferry stop. Sadly this is not a city that you can take in when it’s raining- quite literally everything closed and so we decided we would move on and perhaps come back this way later on and give it another try. Regardless of the rain, I am so happy to have been able to see this iconic city, it is certainly one of the best places I could imagine to have a great bottle of wine and take in the city… weather permitting that is!
Back on the road and heading for Rome in hopes of better weather, we once again set out for what was a two day drive. We are so fortunate to be travelling in our camper and be able to change our itinerary and be as flexible as we want. We really couldn’t be happier that we decided to travel this way!We arrived in Rome after another long few days of driving but Italy really does provide some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in which to drive across- from the most amazing agricultural golds and greens to steep valleys and of course wineries. Upon entering the massive city, were lead to a few campgrounds by Mio, some of which existed and some of which we believe were only a figment of her imagination. We eventually made our way to a campground just outside of town. We were pretty exhausted from all the driving so we set up camp and settled in for the night. Luckily for us we ended up in a campground full of Dutch people, all of who had great advice for us not only for Rome but other parts of Italy and the French Riviera as well. None of our neighbours could believe that we took a year off from work and the more people we meet, the more grateful we become- some people aren’t even allowed two weeks off consecutively.
The next day we opted to forgo heading into Rome and instead get ourselves situated at the campground and get organized after having been on the road for a few days. Forgoing Rome for one day is one thing, but forgoing our regular patio sessions is never an option, so we set up our own patio outside our camper complete with wine and cheese. We would have opted for a dip in the amazing pool at the campground but they required everyone to wear a head cap, along with a few other ridiculous rules, we decided to give it a pass and just enjoy the quietness of the campsite and the amazing weather.
The next day we took on Rome- or shall I say it took on us! We had a pretty attainable list of things to see and do for the first day, or so we thought! We started off by taking the shuttle bus to the train station and then took the metro to the Colosseum. It is quite literally the first thing you see as you come out of the station. We were so taken aback- no matter how many times you’ve seen the imposing structure in movies or pictures, nothing prepares you for the real thing! We hiked up the hill to get a full vantage point so to really take it all in, and of course get some great pictures as well! Luckily for us we had done our research and opted to buy a Roma Pass at the metro station which provides you two free museum entrances of our choice and a discounted rate at the rest of the sites in the city. More importantly, and unbeknownst to us, it meant we didn’t have to wait in line and were able to bypass the hundreds of people and go right inside. Clearly the pass paid for itself right then and there!As you walk in to the Colosseum, you are right away struck by the sheer size of it. From outside, while massive, it doesn’t seem as big as it does as soon as you step in- it is truly colossal. A labyrinth of walkways, cells and secret passages, you can almost picture the gladiators preparing for battle and the thousands of people cheering in the stands.
The Colosseum had many uses in its day and while perhaps most well-known for the gladiator battles that entertained the ancient Romans, there were also many plays, executions of both prisoner and martyr, religious ceremonies, festivals and much more. The ancient Romans believed that as long as the Colosseum stood, Rome would stand. But through many centuries and many hard times, the toll is evident on the historic structure. At one point during a Roman Empire battle, iron was so precious and hard to come by, the Romans removed all of the iron from the outside of the building and today the outside of the structure is left pock-marked with thousands of holes.
Much of the space of the upper level of the building has been converted into a museum space with all kinds of ancient Roman artefacts. It is amazing to see everything that they were able to accomplish with so little. Tools, the blueprints of which are still utilized today for farming and other trades, originated here and while most of Europe is filled with all kinds of important and amazing history, this kind of history is hard to beat.
Just outside of the Colosseum is Mount Palintino- the archaeological remains of ancient Roman society. From various palaces, to sporting fields, and churches- you can easily spend a whole day wandering these amazing grounds. En route, we passed through the Arch Di Constantino and I of course took a picture of my Constantijn (Stijn’s full name) before heading to a Panini stand for a sandwich before heading into the archaeological site. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to stand in line here either thanks to our Roma Passes!
We explored the various sites and were amazed at how much has been discovered- and at the same time, how much they are still discovering. The whole area is an active dig site with new discoveries happening all the time. Our favourite site was the Forum- or the centre of ancient Roman society. This is the place where all things political, religious, academic and otherwise took place. Oh to be able to go back in time and not only see these discussions and lively debates, but to be able to hear the woes of these ancient people.
With our feet extremely worn out from all the walking on cobble stone, we decided that day one would soon come to an end- but not before we walked the Spanish Steps. Meandering our way to the Spanish Quarter took us through the heart of the shopping district with all the couture fashion houses- sadly for me these price tags are not a part of our reality but we enjoyed window shopping just the same! As we reached the Spanish Steps we were greeted with heaps of locals and tourists taking a moment or two to have a beer and enjoy the sunshine on their faces. Local musicians provided just the right touch of ambiance to make it the perfect end to our first day of exploration.
Back at the campground and completely exhausted, I half- heartedly made dinner before crawling into bed even before the 3 and 5 year-old German kids behind us! What can we say but Rome kicked our butts- in the most fabulous of ways of course!
The next morning we were slow to stir but still wanted to try and make the 9 a.m. shuttle bus from the campground. With a far less ambitious day planned ahead of us, we made our way to the centrum in search of Piazza Navona, one of the more popular Piazza’s in town. When we arrived we were greeted with three amazing fountains and a square filled with local artists. While we love walking around looking at all the art work on display, we’re slowly becoming convinced that these too are mass produced in China. It seems as though the style and imagery is the same in every city we go and more often than not, the person selling the artwork isn’t even the artist. None the less, original art or copies, it still provides for great ambiance and a nice way to spend a morning!
Continuing on our journey of authentic and local food, we headed to the next Piazza over- Campo de’ Fiori- to take in the local farmers’ market. We have been so amazed with the quality and affordability of all of the food in Europe thus far, and so far Rome is no exception. Stall after stall of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh bread and cheese and seafood too. We stocked up on fresh veggies, pasta, cheese, pesto and of course olives before sitting down at a neighbouring wine bar for a little break. There is no better way to really take in a city and soak up its vibe than sitting at a café looking out over a busy square. Cleary this is one of our favourite past times and not too many days pass by without us sitting down for a glass of vino or two at some square or another!With our fresh purchases in hand we walked around town for a while longer before heading back up the Spanish Steps to the nearest metro station and headed back to the camper to cook up yet another delicious meal- thanks to the lovely old Italian ladies at the farmers’ market!
Our last day in Rome would end up being one of our favourites. We had saved Vatican City for the last day, where we hoped after a more restful day yesterday, we would be able to take in all the sights effortlessly. As we entered the massive stone walls to the City, we were amazed to walk into San Pietro Square and see and hear the Pope giving his Sunday blessing. Though neither Stijn or I are Catholic, or particularly religious, it is still amazing to be witnessing the Pope address his many adoring followers. He spoke of peace and tolerance and addressed the many groups of people holding their various national flags- religious or not, his message is an appropriate and much needed one. Following the Pope’s address, we made our way along the square where Stijn was amazed by a Farari exhibition, seemingly an odd place for such a display, but he was delighted none the less. Making our way down the main street of the Vatican City, we were amazed to see just how freely people can come and go. There were of course police and other security, but there has been no shortage of that ever since we entered Italy, and this was no different. The street was lined with cafes and various souvenir shops and people going about enjoying a beautiful Sunday. It wasn’t at all what I had expected and I was pleasantly surprised.
Out of sheer luck we happened to be walking down a side street when we saw a band preparing to serenade someone of importance- it turned out to be one of the Cardinals of the Vatican which was really quite neat to see. He had just given Sunday Mass and was leaving out a side door along with some other VIPs. Luckily we weren’t the only ones snapping pictures of the religious figure- we were joined by a whole row of nuns doing exactly the same thing! Perhaps I’ll have to see if I can find out just which Cardinal this was, after all, if the nuns are impressed perhaps we should be too!
We continued our exploration of the Vatican in hopes of being able to go into the Basilico di San Pietro, home to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum but sadly for us everything was closed today. We should have realized as such, it being a Sunday and all, and disappointed not to be able to see the Sistine Chapel, but none the less we were pretty happy with our Pope sighting and decided to head for lunch.
We found ourselves a fabulous little ristorante and enjoyed a long lunch on the patio complete with a litre of white wine, a funghi pizza, spinach and ricotta ravioli, bread and salad- delicious! It’s not hard to taste why the Italians eat for hours- I’d be hard pressed to choose just one item from any of the given menu’s we’ve seen so far!
After our Italian feast we headed back to the campground again to get ready to make our way to our next destination the following morning. On our way to the French Riviera, we stopped in Florence for a day. There are quite a number of amazing things to see and do in Florence, aside from the just experiencing the beautiful city itself. We found a parking spot along the river and grabbed our bikes and hit the road for a full day of exploration. Our first stop was the Santa Croce- the resting place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and Machiavelli among others. The church itself was spectacular and to be able to see the tombs of so many great thinkers’ and artisans’ all in one place was truly amazing- and affordable… it only cost five euro’s! Also inside was an amazing and famous leather shop, where for centuries they have been teaching the various leather crafting techniques and churning out much-sought after products.
The building seemed to go on forever- on the other side of the courtyard was an Al Fresco exhibition that was on loan from a museum in Serbia, as well as a permanent exhibition showcasing some of the great art that Florence is known for.
After having seen so much in one place we were back on the bikes and headed for perhaps one of the most famous area’s in Florence- Palazzo d Signora- home to the replica statues of Michelangelo’s David, Neptune, and many other famous statues by the likes of Donatello and Raphael. It is in this amazing square where we decided to park the bikes, grab a Panini and walk around for a bit. We stumbled into so many amazing places including the Piazza della Replublica, the amazing Biblioteca Laurenziana and the Battistero. There is so much crammed into a relatively small area, it seems there’s something amazing around every corner!
The magic would soon wear off though… as we returned to our bikes we found that the straps for my bike rack had been stolen- and while minor left a bad taste in my mouth none the less. Annoyed but not too deterred… yet… we headed for the famed Ponte Vecchio Bridge. This amazing bridge is the only one that survived World War II and is so unique it is a must see. Each side of the bridge is line with shops that appear to have been at one time homes for the local Florentines’. Now most of the shops are jewellery stores and provide some really unique pieces and of course amazing views of the city. Knowing our parking meter was nearly running out we decided to make out way back to our camper, plug the meter and grab a bottle of champagne from and head to a park to enjoy it. Unfortunately we returned to find that our camper had been broken into but luckily we had taken most of our valuables with us, as we always do, but had only hidden our computer. Luckily the thieves didn’t find that or anything else of value but they still managed to leave us feeling quite violated. I was relieved to find out that they hadn’t stolen our collection of parking change or our champagne (PHEW!) so we put our little home back together and then sat outside in the park with our bottle of champagne to toast our victory (or somewhat) over the thieves! We later realized that they did manage to steal Stijn’s Rayban sunglasses but luckily I have quite an assortment of sunglasses from both Thailand and Indonesia to more than make up for it… even if they are floral!Feeling sour about being robbed twice in three or so hours, we decided to get back on the road and out of Florence (or robbery row as we now call it)! We made our way into the Mediterranean and closer to the French Riviera. Along the way, we managed to find an amazing parking space looking right over the beach and just above a bike path, so we grabbed it and called it home for the night. Before grabbing the bikes and hitting the beach I made some bruschetta with the amazing fresh tomatoes we had bought earlier and left the flavours to mix while we explored.
The bike paths are really amazing in this part of Italy- they stretch right across the coast line and provide a great way to get to and from all of the many coastal towns in this part of the Riviera. We hit the trails amongst the many Italian road bike racers and enjoyed the scenic view and the coastal breeze before hitting the beach for our first official Mediterranean swim!
Back at the camper we enjoyed the fresh baguette and the bruschetta for a light dinner before grabbing a bottle of wine and hitting the beach to take in the lovely scenery and an even lovelier evening! It’s been a few weeks now since we’ve been at the beach and it’s nice to be back! The amazing breeze provided a cooler camper to sleep in and we even had an ocean view!
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