Dhanya Damodaran

Feb 16, 20203 min read

Medley In Italy

Updated: Jul 25, 2020

Visited In August 2011

Benvenuto in Italia!!

We drove from Austria, crossed the border of Italy and finally reached Venice. Venice is a dream destination for lovers, honeymooners and families.

The itinerary in Italy was

1) Venice

2) Florence

3) Rome

4) Pisa

We were here in August, and was really hot weather. It is said that there are 8-10 hottest days in Italy, and we reached Venice on one of those. However hot the weather was, we enjoyed Venice and the Gondola ride.

We walked around the St Marks Square and Basilica. The Lion of St Mark, which symbolizes Venice, can be seen standing tall on a high pillar.

The much awaited Gondola ride through the water streets of this beautiful place was an one of its kind of experience. Numerous hotels and restaurants overlooking the Venetian canals, Casa de Marco Polo, Rialto Bridge, The Bridge of Sighs etc can be viewed in course of the ride. The Bridge of Sighs is famous - It has small windows and connected the prisons built along the canals. It is said that the prisoners could catch the last glimpse of Venice through those windows before they were executed.

We also visited the famous Murano Glass factory and had a look at the art of making beautiful glassware.

The next day morning, we drove to Florence - Established by Julius Caesar; the birthplace of Renaissance, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historical city has numerous sculptures from the world famous sculptors and artists. There is a lot to see here... lot of walking, so be prepared with snacks and water. Most importantly, beware of pick pockets.

Cathedral of Santa Maria, Uffizi Gallery, Galleria dell'Academia which houses the world famous statue of David by Michelangelo can be visited here.

The exotic sculptures from Florence. The biblical character David is in the first two pictures.

We walked around and also got the panoramic view of the city and then left for Rome

Rome - The Eternal City - rich in history, culture, art and sculptures. We started with the iconic Trevi Fountain by tossing a coin. According to the legends, if you toss a coin, you will return to this city; two coins then you will return and find your love in this city; three coins then you will return, find your love and marry in this city. Coins worth thousands of Euros are collected from the fountain and goes for a good cause.

We visited the Colosseum, however did not enter the monument; clicked pictures with guys dressed up as Gladiators. Then, we saw the Roman Forum and the Spanish Steps. We also watched the change of guard at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the seat of the President of Italy.

We visited Vatican - the seat of Pope, which you can read in the Vatican forum

The next day, we drove to Pisa, to view the wonder of the world - The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The complex consists of the Pisa Baptistery, Cathedral and the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower leaned during its construction due to the softness of the mud in its base. Later on, efforts were put in place to make sure the building doesn't lean any further and collapse. We continued our trip to Switzerland from here.