Italy: Summary 1

Whew. Life has sure been hectic. It’s not slowing down yet either, but I must not allow myself any excuses to not post. Must. Write. Post.

So here goes. The big trip summary. I could write pages and pages, but I’ll be merciful. You get just a summary. In a way, this also a recap for me, since I ran out of time and energy to keep a daily journal. Looking back on previous posts, I see I finished off Ireland but gave you pretty much nothing on Italy. So here goes.

We booked a tour for this trip. It was our first time in Italy and we wanted the highlights, with a view to returning another time for more in-depth experiences. This worked well, I think, with some disappointments, but mostly a week full of Wow. Italy is full of history, and a highlight trip is going to hit the places that show you the most famous parts. So we saw a lot of statues, paintings, incredible buildings, and really, really old towns.

And we ate. A lot. I believe I’ll save that for a separate post.

Our itinerary included Venice, Modena, Florence, Siena, Pienza, Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Isle of Capri. Each place had its own flavor and specialty. All were amazing places and I’m so glad I got to see them. I’m a lucky gal.

I already posted a couple of pictures of Venice, but you need more. There’s just something wild about a city built around canals.

We also went to the island of Burano, a fishing village with beautiful colorful houses.

Modena was a blast, but since it was just a pit stop tour of a balsamic vinegar farm/factory, I’ll put that in the upcoming food post. You’ll love it, I promise.

Florence – holy cow, almost every Italian genius you can think of was born in Florence. The town really plays this up, with lots of museums and statues everywhere. This is where you can see the original statue of David. You can’t take pictures in that museum, but there’s a copy of the statue outside in a plaza. There are better pictures of this statue online, I’m sure, so I’ll show you some buildings and other statues.