European vacations

I visited Verona in the context of a trip where I saw a different small city every day for a week. I feel as though my visit could not have done it justice, and it was just enough to whet my appetite to return.

Verona is wonderful if you don’t want to go to the countryside, but you also aren’t up for a big urban center like Rome or Milan. There are enough sites, stores and restaurants to keep you entertained for a long weekend and maybe even a full week.

We were part of a larger group - 28 folks to be exact! The ski area we went to is in the Italian Alps in the midst of the Dolomites, a kind of rock/mountain formations that are really striking and beautiful. The rock is soft sedimentary and coral rock that was an ancient seabed 200 millions years ago and was thrust upward with the rest of the Alps range, sculpted by glaciers and eroded by wind, water and freezing cracking. Because it is relatively soft (compared to marble or granite and other igneous and metamorphic rock) and its layering characteristics, it breaks off in a vertical manner and provides sheer walls and very steep peaks. They are spectacular, to say the least. They also have a unique coloration that, when combined with the spectacular sunset rays of the sun, give off the brightest and most beautifully brilliant red/orange glow, almost like flame much like the rocks in Sedona, AZ. The tops of all the Alps peaks are about 11,000 - 12,000 ft. elevation.

The Piazza Il Duomo (or Duomo Plaza) is the heart of Milan, and the most famous plaza in the city. Milan isn’t known for its beauty as many other cities in Italy are, but the Duomo is an exception, being quite intricate, large, and beautiful. The Piazza is large and attracts just about every tourist to Milan, as well as many migrant workers who seem to use it as a hangout after work. Though it is absolutely safe. Periodically, especially during the December holiday season, there will be a stage set up and free concerts for the public to enjoy.

I purchased a 3 day Eurail pass to Italy for my wife and I, which cost 306 Euro. I travelled from Rome-Florence, Florence-Venice, and Venice-Milan (a typical tourist itinerary in my opinion). Each segment required a 30 Euro supplement since we travelled on the high-speed trains, bringing our total cost to 396 Euro. When I priced out the trips I took individually, the total cost for the EXACT SAME TRIPS, in the exact same class (1st) would have been 256 Euro, which in USD is a RIPOFF of about $200. Eurail has yet to respond, to my inquiry, but I don’t expect good results. My advice to anyone thinking of doing this is to get on the Trenitalia website and price out your itinerary before you purchase Eurail passes. There is a reason that ONLY people visiting from OUTSIDE of Europe can purchase these…because the locals would know they are a tourist RIPOFF!

Milan.

Why you should go there?

I can think of 3 good reasons. On business, since milan is the commercial capital of Italy, as a gateway to other destinations, if you are flying into Milan, or to go shopping.

If option 2 is your case, then you won’t be interested in this op.

If you are there on business, Milan hosts quite few good restaurants. If money is no objection, the Restaurant “Il Teatro” at the “Four seasons Hotel” is a treat. The address is Via Gesù 6/8 02-77081435.

Like the tradition says, if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain you will return to Rome. Our last trip to Italy, that included a stop in Rome, was 30+ years ago but we did make it back, so the tradition may have some truth to it.

Thirty years ago we were young and flexible, so we drove into Rome after visiting Florence, without a hotel reservation and into some of the worst traffic on the continent. We ended up getting a reservation through one of the Tourist Information Centers outside of the city (we stayed at the Pension Barrett, which is now a condo ).

I lived in Florence for three months this summer studying Italian. The school I signed up with, Leonardo da Vinci, put me in an apartment less than 20 feet from Piazza del Duomo, on Via San Lorenzo. This is arguably the best location in the city, as it’s near the main shopping areas, museums, and local markets.

I could see the bell tower on the piazza from my window, and walked by the area every day. The sheer size of the cathedral and its monumental facade impresses everyone that walks by. If you are only passing by Florence, you have to visit the Piazza del Duomo!

Properties
City
London
Region
England
Country
United Kingdom
World Region
Europe

Reviews

che brutto

Positive None
Cons: Dirty, dark, ugly

I was stunned when I had to connect through Heathrow and saw the ugliest airport imaginable. It was dark, dirty, depressing and the restrooms were filthy. I couldn’t even find a place to sit while waiting for my connecting flight.

Also interesting, jewelry that I had on that set off the metal detector alarm at Malpensa in Milano did not set off the metal detector at Heathrow. I’m not sure what that was about but it make me nervous.

A short summary

This trip report will focus on the trip that my wife Nikki and I took to Rome in the period from July 2nd - 7th 2005. We targeted out places that we wanted to see during our trip. On our list was the usual stuff such as the Vatican, Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna, Colosseum, Forum, Capitol etc. With all of this on the list there was no rest for the wicked Please visit my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com to see pictures from our trip. Get in touch if you have any questions or comments.

After going through London and Paris, I have to say that Italy was a country filled with the most pleasant Europeans that I have ever met. That’s not to say the English were rude (I won’t even mention the French), but they just didn’t have the friendliness that I felt in Italy.

We didn’t have as long in Italy as I would have liked. A little over a week. We started in Milan, which was perhaps the smartest overnight train stop we ever made. It was worth it to see ‘The Last Supper’. At the time they were still restoring it. Now it’s complete. I couldn’t make out Judas’s coins, but I’m sure they’re fully restored now.