Tuscany Region (Pisa, Siena, Turin & Aosta)

16 September 2011 (Pisa)

Today's wake up call came at 06:00AM, breakfast at 06:45, bags outside the hotel and on the bus at 07:45. It was one fine sunny day and a scheduled trip from Genoa to Pisa excites everybody inside the bus. Ken, our young and handsome tour guide from EU travel & tours entertained us by sharing his experience about his work and how he managed to bring big groups to different parts of Europe. While listening to his stories, I have noticed that we are passing through a lot of tunnels. There are actually 50 tunnels between Genoa and Pisa and along the way, we can see big quarries of marbles. We reached Pisa in less than two hour.

I’ve never seen the leaning tower before and it’s supposed to be one of those things you have to see while in Italy. Personally, there's nothing much to do in Pisa. After taking photos that's it, but it was also funny to see other tourist standing and posing with arms up, pushing the tower to the left or to the right while some are trying to hold it up (ooppss I am one of those). I just leave to you to do the research why it began to lean, wink!

I haggled for some souvenirs and after 3hours, we left Pisa. It was pretty uneventful, but at least I can say I've been there.

17 September 2011 (Siena)

 
 One of the finest examples of Italian Gothic architecture I have seen was the Cathedrale di Santa Maria in Siena. Like a zebra, the walls are covered with black and white stripes from bottom to top.

 Siena was not as touristy as other cities in  Italy, one of the underrated city I think. 

Piazza del Campo. It has a very unique shape, something like a big big pizza:-)

What I enjoyed  most in Siena was sitting in the piazza, as what many others did. Sitting here with my two favorite flavored gelato on hand made me appreciate life, the many great things it can offer to us.

20 September 2011 (Turin)

Often overlooked by tourists and without being aware of the history of this city, we moved to the “not so frentic” city of Turin . At last, the streets are extravagantly wide, no queues and was able to breathe the very fresh air of Italy (after 5 days, with exaggeration hahaha).

 Honestly, I don't have any idea about Turin. It is only on our trip that I had a little understanding and knowledge about the city (poor Marivic, studied and graduated in an exclusive catholic school but didn't even know about the "Shroud of Turin", maybe I went to the toilet haha).

Inside Palazzo Madama, a visit to Luigi Mainolfi's ceramic installation 'Turin looking at the sea'. Mainolfi is known as one of the most relevant post conceptual Italian artists. Since 1996, he has been making ceramic portraits of his friends and acquaintances from actors, writers, artists, photographers, collectors, craftsmen, doctors, lawyers etc. This is also one of the interesting place I have visited so far. Italy is absolutely full of arts!

20 September 2011 (Aosta)

 

 At last, it is a one whole laid back day, no time pressure, no crowds and no need to take lots of photos. After lunch, we will leave this historic country for a romantic time in Switzerland. 

We had a stop at Aosta, located in the northwest of Italy surrounded by high mountains of the Alps. It is such a delight to see picturesque view around you. 

I can't find words to describe my happiness. 

We had a great day doing absolutely nothing. Perhaps the pressure of not having a lot of time is what forces one to enjoy a trip to the fullest and that's what we feel on our last day in Italy.

Milan

18 September 2011

By the time we left Venice the weather is perfectly good, but not my mood. There's really no perfect tour and when you found yourself lost in a big crowd, its like a disaster. The supposed to be meeting place was not followed and so my remaining time for buying souvenir was wasted. It's like every trip must have a moment like this, a comedy of errors where you are walking from and to saying , I know it's here somewhere or it's almost time, where are the rest? I even asked the vendor if they see someone wearing like this hahaha, one of the crazy things I did. Thanks goodness, my roaming mobile helped me to reach them. 

Soon before we reach our next destination, we stop at Autogrill for some snacks. Autogrill became our favorite stop before and after reaching another city in Italy. A good authentic Italian espresso (must try) and a grilled sandwhich plus a lot of refreshments are always available.

 Pasta, cheese  and wine are among the famous products of Italy and you can find it in Autogrill. Different colors, shapes and textures that you will find it more as decoration rather than food. 

By the time we arrive in Milan, its almost noon. The three hours bus trip was longer than expected because of some road works. Known as one of the Fashion Capital of the World, Milan is home to famous designers like Versace, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabanna, Giorgio Armani etc. A fashion city and yes, they justify it with the clothes they wear (from bags, boots from all shapes and sizes, suits/coats and a lot more).


 A lovely commercial street of Milan, our first stop upon reaching the fashion city.

 Castello Sforzesco

 Inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, where all the luxurious and branded products are in store. We saw the first Prada stall in the world, almost 100 years of age and the Louise Vuitton with its elegant and classic facade. I just hope I have the luxury to buy one here:-)

 I got curious on the long queue, mostly ladies. They are digging their heels into a mosaic of bull because it will bring good luck, according to them. I wanted to try, but with the long queue, maybe its not yet my luck haha.

 Going outside the Galleria is the Milan's Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. (It is one huge mass of marble, containing about 3,500 statues, nearly 100 gargoyles, and far more butresses, pinnacles, pillars and arches - source from Wikipedia). I wanted to go around and enjoyed myself feeding the pigeons but our tour guide forbids me to do so. She warned me the danger I am facing once I feed those pigeons. Never ever accept any food from the men who will offer, otherwise you'll end up paying more or worse, you'll be harassed until you give in. A dollar cost of food could reach up to twenty to fifty euros. Screaming for help will not work here in Milan and in other Italian cities, bear that in mind.

Venice

19 September 2011

Venice is beautiful, but not when it is raining. I woke up early and excited for our next destination but before I even looked out of the window, I could hear the raindrops falling. Not exactly the way I pictured ourselves on our Venice tour.... it is cold, cloudy and wet. It definitely dampened my mood because all my pictures looked dull.

 Water taxi (motoscafi) as they are called in Venice is a scenic way to travel the cannal-filled city. It is a different experience, wondering how they live in a place where boat is the only means of transportation in the city aside from walking. With almost forty five minutes of travel from the train station, I could barely contain my excitement as we draws closer to the city. I tried to bring back my enthusiasm, forget about the bad weather, and let nature take its course.

 After alighting from the motoscafi, we arrived at Doge's Palace. The weather is bit friendly now, clear skies and the water surrounding the city turned to its true colors. I have noticed the hordes of people walking to the same direction, very much like ants who know they are on a trail because they keep bumping into their fellows. While waiting for the others, I wasted no time taking photographs around.

Venice is of course the gondola. It is the famous Venetian vessel also considered the most elegant means of transport. Gondola rides are the most expensive thing to do in Venice. The other incredible thing is that there's no cars, crazy right? There are hundreds of different canals located around the islands and more than four hundred bridges allow people to get where they need to go.

 I soon found myself along the alleys surrounded by gondolas. It is an awesome feeling. I used to see gondolas only in pictures with the gondoliers, but now it is in front of me, inviting me to ride and explore the canals around the islands.

 On our way to the St. Mark's Palace, we passed by a small waterways. It really became clear to me  what happens when the tide comes in. The bottom of the buildings are basically uninhabitable, and can only be used for storage but things still need to be kept up off the ground. All along the walls, we could see green marks that showed how high the water levels could get during acqua alta. Somewhat an eyesore, these makes Venice unique among other countries.

The traffic scene along the small canals. Once the rain stopped, local Venetians and tourists are  all out making way to their destinations. Watching this scene relaxes me, maybe I'm used to seeing cathedrals and monuments for the past three days. The main canal here is busy with boats and it creates a really unique atmosphere. Ah, only in Venice!

 The weather is really inevitable. Dark thick clouds started to cover the sky again, and at any moment I'll need to open my umbrella or prepare Jonathan's poncho. We were now at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). As we comes nearer to the campanile, there are literary hundreds of people lined up to get inside.

Our local tour guide gave us a little background about Venice. While some interesting facts were shared and explained, it is a bit hard to comprehend and absorb every details of it. As much as I want to lend my ears to him, I am more interested to explore, discover and see it for myself.

 Details of the Basilica's exterior (upper part) shows St. Mark's angel, the winged lion (the symbol of Venice) and statues of Greek horses. The colorful one on the middle part is The Last Judgement.

 We also visit the Murano, famous for its glassware. During our visit we explore shops, factories and watch the skilled glass-blowers as they create works of art. You'll also have time to visit a museum showcasing the world-famous Murano glass (picture taking is not allowed, sob).

Another canal and another bridge. 

I passed by this hallway and noticed this beautiful, old and classic cafe. Caffe Florian, one of the oldest coffee bar in Italy and the most expensive in Venice. I remember our tour guide once told us that in if you want a free toilet in Venice, order a coffee in one of its cafe and you'll get a free toilet:-) 10euros per cup, although that includes the surcharge for sitting outside in the Piazza. Nope, I'm not buying. I still prefer gelato for three euros (it's really expensive in Venice).

Yes, at some point you’ll have to use the toilet. Rest assured there are also toilets at all the major tourist sites, but be prepared to pay.  City visitor passes covers free toilet use but you need to spend for some souvenirs that is over priced.  Unless it is very urgent, then I don't mind spending.  Using toilet cost 1.50 euro at San Marcos Square.

We hadn’t yet travel down the full length of the main canal, and so hoped to make it all the way down to San Marco and back, but due to timing (departure of our motoscafi) we had to cut it short. Being there gives life to the imagination I had long kept in mind and experiencing it makes all the difference. Even though we didn't stay too long, I have expressed my admiration for that city time and again.

Florence

18 September 2011

If you're going to Italy, you should definitely plan on visiting Tuscan's capital, Florence. A city full of amazing arts, famous people/artists like Galileo Galilei, Rossini, Donatello, Botticelli and Michelangelo, world renowned museums and monuments. The city street scene was playful, full of  young and old roaming the streets, street vendors everywhere, and overall a much cleaner and happier sight compared to Rome. Florence is not a city you want to rush.

The Gothic interior of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is cavernous and is particularly known for its stained glass windows and marble pavement. It is one of Florence  busiest main square, huge but full of life. The other highlight of a visit to Piazza del Duomo  is the Baptistery and the Campanile. Compared to Rome, every roads eventually leads to the main square and each has its own church and statue. After taking a lot of photos, we headed to Piazza dell Signoria and was then amazed with the statues surrounding it.

 The ultimate masterpiece and the star attraction in the piazza is Michelangelo's David. But this is just a replica, the original statue of David can be seen in Accademia. While I do think  it is a worthwhile visit, I wouldn't recommend it if you only have one day in Florence.

 Few blocks from Piazza is the Arno River which runs through the city and is the second most important river in central Italy. The street to bridge along the river side is also packed with  street vendors selling different kinds of artifacts from Florence mementos, jewellery etc.

Make sure your camera is on the right setting before taking your photo here, otherwise, you'll need to queue again until you lose your temper because of the crowd.

While on our way to the main Piazza, I was surprised seeing few people using the street as their canvas. It’s worth to see a smile on so many people’s face as they walk past, or stop and watch. It's really amazing!  Other things that caught my attention are the graffiti and cars, as if it was cut into halves haha. Now I have another "first time" added to my long list.

 

A trip to Florence is not complete without a visit to the leather market.

Here you can wind away the hours looking at leather products like hand bags, belts, coats, accessories, clothes, souvenirs and other items according to the seasons. I spent two hours walking around the market bargaining for leather goods. Of course, I'll not leave the market without having bought one. Just a reminder by the way, If the police catch you buying a knock off version of something with brand from a street vendor, you can be fined up to ten thousand euros. You'll see plenty of people on the street selling imitation Gucci , Rolex watches or Prada for a very cheap price.

Got my sweet tooth satisfied, stracciatella is a must tried flavor.

A never ending street experience, we were also entertained by a group of marching bands around the city. 

 Overlooking the Arno, the city and the rolling hills of Tuscany, a walk to Piazzale Michelangelo is the best place to relax after long hours of strolling. 

 

If I could go back to Florence, I would again indulge in these things in a heartbeat. It has been a pleasure and a true blessing to have been given this opportunity.