Italy

Usually, travelogues start and end with the travel. But the trip to Italy was unique in so many ways that it has to be extended beyond that.

Inception - three months before the day of travel.

Why Italy?

First, it had been on my to-see list for a long time, since our days in London in 1995-96, but somehow my husband was vehemently against it.

Second, as most of you know, my husband has been travelling frequently to London over the past 5 years. He had accumulated miles as a British Airways frequent flier member and suddenly realised that a majority of those points would be expiring by the end of 2019.

Third, he and his friend were turning 50 this year (they were born one day apart) and they wanted to celebrate it in a special way.

Last but not least, the four of us hadn't been on a vacation together in a long time.

So, many birds in one shot - international vacation.

Now that the why has been established, the next question - where? Europe was the choice based on travel time from India. While we covered quite a bit of Europe in our earlier travels, there were still some places to cover like Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece and my long-time request Italy. Somehow, Italy it was.

The next step was fixing the itinerary. Visa application requires travel documents including local travel, accommodation bookings etc. etc., so we set about planning the itinerary. Due to paucity of time, I was in a new job, had already taken quite a few holidays, I felt guilty taking more than a week, we stuck to the standard tourist route - Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome. But it seemed too hectic and I was compelled to seek a ten-day leave and Naples was added to the list.

Applying and obtaining Visa was in itself a great adventure. Those who travelled to Italy would vouch for it. There are two ways to apply for Visa - directly at the embassy or through VFS services. Each channel has its own set of documents to be submitted. Since we were in Hyderabad, we had to go through VFS. We made the mistake of following the Embassy checklist. We were sent home and asked to come again with the proper set of documents. We did that and were still harassed for improper documentation. Like the bank statement, it said last three months, which we got but then apparently it should be up to 2-3 days prior to the submission date!!!! Anyway, the waiting game started. We applied two months ahead of the travel and didn't hear from the Embassy for three weeks. We tried calling but all our calls got diverted to VFS and they didn't have any information, as their job was limited to collection and delivery of the paperwork. It was really frustrating. My friend started coming up with alternate plans since none of us wanted to cancel our vacation plans. Finally three weeks after applying, five days before the travel date we got our Visas. Apparently, we were the lucky ones, there were people who got their Visas on the day of travel!!!!!

Execution - things that could have been disastrous.

First, we neglected the fact that it was winter. Not exactly forgot since we did pack warm clothing but did not factor in the duration of the daylight. By 4-4:30pm, it would be too dark to carry on any site seeing. We had planned meticulously and accommodated two days for leisure and relaxation. We had booked Airbnb with stunning views, gazebo, solarium and more to utilize those leisure days to the maximum. Due to the short days and my insistence to cover everything on the list, the two rest days were consumed and we ended up tired.

Second, rains. We did not anticipate rains and due to that, we were stuck with wet clothes, smelly rooms and lugging umbrellas around. Luckily, except Rome, other places the rain would subside whenever we were on the road. The Venice floods started the day after our visit. We were in Airbnb at Rome and in that locality, the centralized heating was not to be switched on till mid-November (global warming, I guess). So not only dampness but we had to deal with the cold during the nights.

Third, tickets to museums and cathedrals. Though most of the websites warned us about long queues and to pre-book the tickets, we overlooked that advice. The reasons being multi-fold. Major being the time of our visit. We thought it would be a lean period and there wouldn't be much crowd, wrong, I guess there were many others who thought like us. There is an option at most places for guided tours and skip the line tickets, which were more expensive. So we ended up prioritising the places and going in only for the major ones like the Vatican, Colosseum, and Pisa.

Third, the food turned out to be a major issue. I know Italy is famous for its food!!!! While I enjoyed Italian cuisine, my husband and friends were tired of the "bland food", they were craving for spices. We did visit a few Indian restaurants but they were not satisfied and ended up cooking one day!!!!! I had issues with their hot beverages, they were not hot enough. It was raining and cold and the tea, coffee, hot chocolate were lukewarm at best.

Fourth, we relied heavily on local transport throughout the trip. This worked out quite well and even though lugging the luggage didn't seem too strenuous, I would still recommend taking cabs when you have luggage. Another convenient thing was that the metro tickets were valid on the buses too, which was very convenient once we realised it. Google Maps was a boon, it made our lives so easy. The only time we had a problem was the train from Florence to Rome, it got delayed by about two hours. Without any prior intimation, we had to spend almost half a day at the station.

Conclusion - home sweet home.

By the time we were ready to pack our bags, the feelings were mixed. While the food and all the walking made homecoming a pleasure, the hectic schedule and lack of relaxation made it equally hard. Luckily we had planned the return on Saturday and we had two days to get over the jetlag before the gruelling daily schedules. I tried beating the jetlag by not sleeping during the daytime both on Saturday and Sunday and was feeling quite fresh by Monday morning. But then it is not easy to fool jetlag, it hit me on Tuesday and I had to take the day off and sleep throughout!!!!!!

Let us now dive into the adventure Italy was......click here

Italy - the visit

So, finally, we landed in Milan Airport, Italy. I had been waiting for this trip to Italy for so long, I was excited. As arranged, a taxi came to pick us and take us to the hotel. We checked in, freshened up and decided to see the sights.

Milan

First stop - Duomo di Milano - the cathedral of Milan. We took a train from the hotel to the cathedral and the cathedral loomed in front of us as soon as we stepped out of the station, giving us the feeling of having reached Italy finally. Till then it was just open spaces and buildings. First impression - so many pigeons. Second people flocking around to sell us wares greeting us with a Namaste and references to Salman Khan and Bollywood!!! Next, I wanted to visit Santa Maria to have a glimpse of Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. But alas the tickets, apparently, have to be booked three months in advance, without that Santa Maria seemed a bit drab. On the way, we visited Porta Sempione - the city gate of Milan. By then we were tired and had an early morning train to catch to Venice the next day, so we grabbed a bite on the way and called it a day. 

Venice

The train journey from Milan to Venice brought back memories of Eurostar - London to Paris and was quite comfortable. Venice - what to say. It lived up to my expectations. People tried to dissuade me from visiting Venice, saying it is all hype and not worth a visit. Might be it lowered my expectations, but I liked it. Our first stop Piazza San Marco - St. Mark's Square. While I savoured the sights of the Basilica and the Campanile, my travel mates booked us on a Gandola ride. It was really amazing going through the narrow canals and under the numerous bridges, people greeting each other - straight out of a Bollywood movie!! Also, this was the first time we tasted authentic Italian food - the standard pasta, spaghetti, ravioli and pizza but the taste was somehow amazing.

Pisa

Next day from Venice to Florence. Again by local train. We dumped our luggage and headed out to Pisa. We took a train and a bus and then a short walk to - Piazza del Duomo, Pisa. Lo and behold - Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took tickets to go up the tower. Not for the faint-hearted, let me warn you. The steps are spiral and steep. We all know it was an architectural fiasco which became a famous landmark, but what I didn't know was that the original architect got his name removed from the records. He realised his folly after the first level and abandoned the project. Later it was taken up by different architects each correcting and adding a level to it, and achieving a structure which compensated for the error and stood erect (in a way) for centuries to come. The view from the top is amazing, the number of people who can enter the tower is restricted. Pisa was where we started our encounter with rains, though the sky thoughtfully cleared whenever we were on the road. Also, Pisa was the place I had the best-tasting pizza with the famous eggplant topping. 

Florence

Once back from Pisa, we still had time to do a bit of shopping at Florence. We were located quite close to the famous Mercato di San Lorenzo and got lured into the road-side market. Since the sky was dark with clouds, most of the shops were packing up for the day. I still managed to buy their famous leather handbags of good quality for reasonable prices. 

Next day, visiting yet another Piazza del Duomo, this time in Florence. By then my travel mates had enough of climbing, so while they waited I went up the Giotto’s Campanile, for a view of the city and the Cathedral. The queue leading up to the Cathedral was too long and we had a train to Rome to catch. We decided to give it a skip and though, I wanted to see David by Michelangelo, I had to give it a skip, too.

Rome

The train from Florence to Rome got delayed by almost two hours. This meant that we reached Rome quite late in the day and given the short winter days our entire itinerary went for a toss. This was my first encounter with Airbnb - a two-bedroom apartment. Though the rain and damp weather was a big letdown we still managed to enjoy the stay.

Day 5: We took the metro to Spanish Steps - very impressive. Being a Sunday, the mass was in progress when we reached the Trinità dei Monti church. Next stop, Colosseum and Roman Forum. Here we took a guided tour which included Colosseum, Palantine Hill and Roman Forum. This was a really enlightening experience. Though we read about the glory and fall of the mighty Roman empire, it does not come close to the realisation that dawns on you, when you behold the actual ruins. Such imposing structures, the ruins themselves are so imposing imagine the sight in their full glory. Lunch was at a locally recommended authentic amazing Italian place, where the host burst into an Italian song when all I asked was for a pic!!!! 

Post lunch we roamed around Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, savouring the famous Gelato. Both of these were a big let down, not the gelato though. Though Trevi fountain was beautiful and impressive it was too cramped and too crowded.

Vatican

What can I say? All that glory, power and grandeur. The only way to enter St. Peter's Basilica is through the Vatican museum. You walk past all the artefacts and paintings belonging to the church, collections of previous Popes, enter the Sistine Chapel and then the Basilica. Words cannot describe the visual treat that is Sistine Chapel. Gazing at it gave me a neck crick wonder how Michelangelo painted it. Then I took the lift and stairs up the Duomo for a bird's eye view of Rome and the Vatican. The stairs were something else, spiral all the way till the top, places, where we got some respite from the spiral, was along the curved edge of the dome, making the walk inclined, really scary. But then what a view! We also get to see the offices and living quarters of Pope and the ex-Pope. Really impressive.

Once outside I walked down the main avenue to reach the River Tiber. This is when the rain really pounded on us, leaving us soaking wet. Finally, I found a place that served vegetarian Lasanga, yummy. My food checklist was complete with the exception of crepes which we had later that evening and biscotti which we got at Naples and which I am still enjoying!!!!

Naples

Next day we started our drive along the coast to Vico Equense, Naples. Again we underestimated our drive time. Actually not the drive time but the number of breaks we would need to drink in all the scenic beauty. I guess after almost a week of ruins, cathedrals and bell towers, it was a welcome break. 

Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius

Another and last day for some more ruins and walking. Pompeii was vast which I did not anticipate. Unlike Rome, this one a natural disaster. Entire city wiped out by molten lava. Climbing the mighty Mount Vesuvius was an entirely different experience. The walk up the mountain was steep and long-winding, I gave up twice before reaching the top. And view from there amazing. But what was more amazing was the steam and sulphuric vapours emanating.

Well, that was the last stop for the trip. From canals to Vulcano; from ruins to cathedrals; from scenic drives to brutal steps; we have seen it all done it all. And I am willing to do it again. Such is the beauty and allure of Italy.