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Italy 2018

June - July 2018
Our first family trip to Italy. 2 weeks. Places covered; Milan, Lake Garda, Venice, Cinque Tera, Florence and Sienna, and Rome. Read more
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  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 1

    Landed in Milan

    June 19, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We landed in Milan at 10:30am. We then took a Malpanese Express from the airport to Milano Centrale. The family ticket was €33. During our stop at the final station, our train had a breakdown and we were stuck for 30 minutes. We reached our apartment around 2pm. After settling in we went for lunch to Eppol (recommended by our host). The place was ok. The food was a average and not nearly as good as we expected. However, we still wolfed down all the food, considering how hungry we were. On our way back we went to a grocery store for water and other incidentals. And the stopped at a truly awesome bakery Panarello. Famous for Canoncinno...something like Canonillis. We observed people order coffee and drink it right at the counter. This place did not have any seating but even at the restaurant where we had lunch, I noticed the same thing. After the long travel, we were tired so we went to the apartment and slept for a couple of hours. We woke up and decided to follow our originally planned itinerary, and go to Brera. A neighborhood part of the historic Milan. There is a famous 1km long cobbled street with amazing open restaurants and shopping. Typical place for photo op. By the time we reached around 9:30pm, all shops were closed but there was a lot of activity and life around all the restaurants. After we finished our walk back and forth we selected a restaurant called ‘Taverna del Borgo Antico’. We ordered a half bottle of white wine, Caprese Salad, Bruschetta, linguine with clams, penne pasta and an amazing pizza. The food was much better than lunch, and easily met our expectations. After dinner we went back to the apartment. The first day in Italy was eat, sleep and then eat and sleep. A good way to start a vacation.Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    2
    Day 2

    Explore Milan

    June 20, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Day of Milan started early based on our family standards. We were out by 9am. We started with a breakfast at Panarello,we had absolutely loved it, Ordered coffee, and croissants and ate it on the counter as others.

    We decided to use Uber or taxi for our internal commutes. I understand the metro, trams and buses make the city very accessible. It is $1.50 for each trip each person, but a day pass is about $8.50. Given the heat and seeing how crowdy some of the trams were, we decided to avoid it. Uber is about 1.5 times the regular taxi. Later in the day we found out at about the MyTaxi app that is like Uber but for local taxis that are cheaper.

    We started our day at Milano Di Duomo. After some initial pictures went to the tickets of office. Bought Duomo Pass A which allowed us to go up to the Terraces via an elevator instead of the stairs. $16 for adults and $8 for kids (6-12). After getting the tickets we headed straight to the Terrace as I had read in one of the blogs that the Terraces tend to get really crowded. In case you want an Audio Guide which I would recommend then you need to go to the Cathedral first as the Audio Guides available only in the Cathedral. To return the Audio Guides you have to come back inside the Cathedral but can avoid the lines if you tell them you are going to return the guide. Both the Terrace and the Cathedral were grand and absolutely awesome and definitely worth the visit. The cathedral especially, the high ceilings, beautiful walls of stained glass, and the large gothic columns were utterly breathtaking. We truly enjoyed learning about the history; thanks to the Audio Guides.

    After the Duomo we passed through the Galleria. It is truly remarkable; the high arches, shopping and restaurants. But it was all high end brands and amazingly expensive. Although we didn’t buy anything only strolled through the mall the unique architecture was enchanting and the place was a mustsee.

    After the Galleria we headed for lunch. Adi and I both were looking forward to this place for a while. It was recommended by a friend and had some amazing reviews online. We headed to Luini (http://www.luini.it/). You HAVE TO try the panzerotti. We got a bunch of different ones to share. Pesto and Mozzarella was the best. GREAT LUNCH. No place to sit here....we had to take our food, we sat on stairs near by where bunch of others were eating the same stuff. But I would suggest to go to the nearby Piazza della Scala...very close by where there are benches and tree shade. We saw it later when we were headed to get Gellato from a place suggested by our Taxi driver. Grom on Via Santa Margherita. After a little difficulty when we found the shop, we were disappointed to see that this place was closed for renovations. Instead we got Gellato from the neighboring shop which looked very fancy but were not too impressed with what we ate.

    With our Gellato in our hands we walked towards Castello Sforzesco. It was hot and walk made us tired. It was about 1pm. We considered going back to the apartment and coming back in the evening. But decided to take a break in Spizzico. Bought some waters and drinks and relaxed in the back of this fast food restaurant where they had a lot of seating the back. We spent nearly in an hour here relaxing playing video games etc. And Shailaja took some time to check out the nearby shops.

    After an hour we headed to the Castle. I think we all were dealing with jet lag in addition to the heat. Even though the castle and the museums inside are nice, we were a bit like zombies walking around. After the Castle, we skipped the Sempoine Park as originally planned and came back to the apartment to relax / sleep. We were back by around 5pm.

    After sleeping for a couple of hours, showers, etc. we headed to Navigli for dinner. What an amazing place by a canal. People kayaking in the canal. Open restaurants and bars lined up all along the Canal. We decided to get greek food at Greek Fusion. This place had great reviews and it lived up to it. After dinner we walked along the Canal, stopped to get some Gelato and coffee. Even at 11:00 pm on Wednesday night there was a lot of activity. We soon headed back and were back in the apartments a little before midnight.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 3

    Drive to Lake Garda

    June 21, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today we had to rent a car that we were going to keep for the rest of the trip until we got to Rome. We got a quick breakfast and then Aditya and I went to get the car. Vir and Shailaja stayed back and went to explore the shops. Renting the car took longer than expected. The Hertz location is not in the Central Station but a few streets away and then as always lines at rental car companies are the longest.

    Once we got the car we picked up Shailaja and Adi, and set off for Lake Garda. Driving a car in a new country is a little nerve racking initially but very soon I was fine. The highways, Autostrada are excellent, as good or even better US highways. Once we got to Lake Garda the views of the lake and the towering mountains were beautiful. It was also started to get a bit cloudy with a forecast of showers in the evening and tomorrow. It started to also cool down so the weather was perfect.

    Our plan was to eat lunch at Limone but given our delays in Milan, we needed to find a new lunch place as most restaurants close at 2 pm. We decided to stop at any place where parking would be convenient. We found a restaurant with parking right in the front, La Terrazzina. It is right on the edge of the hill overlooking the lake. The views from this place were breathtaking.

    After lunch we briefly stopped at Limone and then headed to our hotel in Riva Del Garda. We checked in a went for a swim. The hotel had a nice pool with a waterfall and massagers in the pool. The one thing that confused us thoroughly was the temperature in the "hot" tub was the same as the pool. We spent about 90 minutes in the pool and then went up to our room to shower before leaving for dinner. While waiting his turn for the shower, Vir was taking pictures from the 6th-floor balcony and dropped his phone 🤷‍♂️. There is not much left of the phone.

    While leaving for dinner we noticed that the hotel also has a huge game room with pool tables, foosball tables, and ping pong table. Since we were hungry, we thought we might come back after dinner. For dinner, we decided to walk to the city center about 20 minutes walk. It was a nice walk and we crossed many good restaurants. In the city center next to the marina, we didn’t find any good restaurants so decided to walk back and eat at one of the many we crossed on our way. We ate at the Hotel Rialto restaurant. Across from the restaurant, we noticed a lot of activity at the gelato place, Flora. So after dinner, we headed there for Gelato. First truly awesome Gelato of our trip.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 4

    Explore Malcesine and Drive to Venice

    June 22, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Day 4 we got ready and headed to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast. It was a full continental breakfast spread with omelet station, smoked salmon, Charcuterie, fruits etc. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast and ate way too much. After breakfast, we headed to Malcesine. It was a 20 minute beautiful drive with people cycling, the lake full of para-surfers, boats and lots of antique convertibles on the road (possibly coming from a road show.

    Just entering the town of Malcesine we knew it was going to amazing. We were lucky to get parking in the lot closest to the castle. The cobblestone paths through narrow streets surrounded by shops and restaurants were amazing. We headed to the castle. The castle had small little museums spread across the castle. The one I like the most had an animated video and exhibit explaining the struggle between Milan and Venice to take control of Lake Garda. The best part though was the views from the castle’s highest tower. It is quite amazing that they have kept it open for public. The 360-degree views were breathtaking, makings for some best panoramic pictures with Malcasine town on one side and gorgeous lake Garda on the other.

    After the castle, we took a break in the town. Shailaja and I got wine while the kids enjoyed their soda and appetizers. We didn’t have much of an appetite for lunch given our heavy breakfast. We strolled a bit around the town and then started for Venice. We decided to skip the cable car as it was a cloudy day.

    Since we rented the car we all talked about stopping in a random town on our way and having our meal. So today for our late lunch we decided to do exactly that on our way to Venice. So 45 minutes into our journey around 2 pm we exited the Autostrada and entered a random town. There was a beautiful castle on top of the hill and we were at the base. It was a decent size town but it was totally deserted with all the shops and restaurants closed. It was really spooky. We went through the narrow alleys and saw only three or four people in all. We decided to quickly get back on the Autostrada and head towards Venice. We stopped in Verona for a quick lunch and coffee.

    In Venice, we parked at Garage San Marcos (€32/day). Our host, Allysandra, meet us right at the garage and walked us to our flat. About 10 mins walk. Venice right from the start was wonderful. We all very skeptical about Venice being smelly due to water, full of mosquitoes, etc etc. but all the buzz of the ferries, boat, and people was just amazing. Our flat was in an old building in Santa Croce but the flat was recently renovated and very modern.

    After relaxing in the flat for a while we left for dinner to the Dorsoduro area. We walked past the Campo San Margarita, it is the university area with a lot of youngsters and full of life. We then stopped at a bar (name) for wine and Cicheti (small appetizers or tapas). And then had dinner at name, which we just found while walking. After dinner the kids wanted gelato so we headed back to Campo San Margarita, all gelato places were closed but the area was now even more packed with very little place to walk, full of youngsters drinking, enjoying, and being loud. Kids felt a little out of place and were getting a bit scared. So we went back to the apartment dead tired after a long very enjoyable day.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 5

    Explore Venice

    June 23, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We had an extremely late start. We originally planned to eat breakfast at the Rialto Fish Market but by the time that we got there, the vendors had already started closing down. Instead, we had brunch at a Pizzeria, Farini, where the pizza was simple but delicious. After our meal, we crossed over the famous Ponte di Rialto (Rialto bridge). It was extremely crowded and honestly, it looks better in the photos. There was, however, a great view of the Grand Canal and a great photo spot. After we crossed the bridge we were confronted with the grand St. Mark’s Basilica. This was one of the few Basilicas we went to that was as grand on the inside as the outside. Since the tickets were free there were enormous lines. It took at least 30 minutes to get in. Once we entered we were greeted with the huge murals that covered all the walls. We also laid out eyes upon the Basilicas most precious treasure, a nail from Christ’s cross. After our adventure through the Basilica and it’s terraces we decided to just walk by Doge’s Palace without entering it. We were tired and thirsty and decided to stop at a cafe for Coffee and gelato. After our quick snack, the plan was to go back toward the apartment. On the way, however, we joined a line for a gondola ride, since we knew we could not leave without doing one. It was a wonderful experience since it wasn’t that hot. We took a lot of photos, relaxed, and enjoyed Venice by boat. After our quick detour, we still headed back to the apartment and took a nap. That evening we had planned to eat dinner in the Cannaregio area but decided to eat close to the flat and call it a day.Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 6

    Drive to La spezia- stop at Lambo Museum

    June 24, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The day began with a late start, as usual. We had a guided tour of the Lamborgini Museum and we were getting late. It took us 20 minutes to get to the car as we had to carry all our stuff back to the parking lot, which was a 12-15 minute walk. Since we hadn't eaten breakfast we stopped for a quick brunch at a highway service station. After our quick meal, we rushed to the museum and barely made it there in time. The museum was small but definitely impressive. There were many cars on display, there were no ropes and we could get as close to the cars as we wanted (without actually touching them). We saw many cars, some were no longer in production, some were used in movies, but every single one had a story behind it. The most interesting part was getting to know all the stories and learn about the history of this prestigious car brand. After our 1-1.5 hr tour of the museum, we were on our way to La Spezia. Once we arrived we carried the usual routine of carrying the luggage up to the apartment without an elevator. After meeting with our hosts and getting freshened up, we took a walk through the town's center in search of dinner. Being tired of pasta, we decided to eat sushi at iSushi. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal as it broke the monotony of pasta and pizza. After the meal we walked towards the water, it was beautiful and we were just in time for the sunset. On the way back to the apartment, we stopped for gelato. The only reason we choose this particular place was because of its loud lively music. We sat outside and enjoyed the assortment of flavors of gelato we ordered. By the time we got back to the apartment it was time for bed and like that, the day concluded.Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 7

    Explore Cinque Terra

    June 25, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We parked our car at the La Spezia Central Station and took the train to Monterosso to start our Cinque Terra trip. Monterosso is the biggest of the five villages. At Monterosso, we saw the Monument of San Francesco d’Assissi, Spiaggia di Fegina (rock formations in the sea), the Giant (rock sculpture on the side of the hill) and a cemetery. From there, we took the ferry to Vernazza. Short 10-minute scenic ride.

    In Vernazza, we walked through the village. Got Bruschetta and Gelato to share and then started our 90-minute hike to Corniglia. This was a tough hike but every view and picture is a postcard shot. There is a small cafe at the hilltop considered midpoint of the hike. We stopped there for a much-needed break. Not used to hiking in the blazing sun we all were a bit winded and tired. We enjoyed the orange and lemon juice and some splendid views before moving on to complete the rest of the hike.

    As we entered the village we stopped at the first restaurant for lunch. I had spaghetti with pesto which was fresh and tasty, it was gobbled down in minutes. After lunch, we walked through the village. Instead of going to the next village we decided to go back to La Spezia back to our flat to rest and then return later in evening for the sunset and dinner.

    Manarola is supposed to have the best sunset views. We got back to Manarola around 8 pm and headed straight to Nessun Dorma for dinner. It has over 4000 reviews for the best sunset views. And the place surely lives up to it. From a food perspective it only has cafe food which was great but for dinner, I was hoping to get some past and meat. After an amazing time, we took the train back to La Spezia and ended the best day of our trip so far.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 8

    Drive to Florence- stop at Pisa & Lucca

    June 26, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After an extremely satisfying and tiring day at Cinque Terra, today we had a late start to our day. We left La Spezia at about 11:30 for Pisa. We found a parking very close to the main square and spent about an hour there. Took lots of pictures of us trying to "hold" up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We also walked through the square with the Duomo and Baptistry, which was just as grand as the famous leaning tower. We then headed to Lucca.

    At Lucca, we parked at Piazza Santa Maria and then walked the famous Via Fillungo. We had a nice relaxing lunch in the Piazza San Frediano right beside the Basilica and then walked through the old town. Then we saw the Piazza Anfiteatro. Climbed the 8 large floors of the Guinigi Tower and got a 360-degree view of the town from there. We ended our visit to Lucca with coffee and desserts at the Piazza San Michelle.

    After that, we headed to Florence. Our host checked us in. Provided some recommendations. We relaxed for a couple of hours. Had dinner at Piazza Santa Maria Novella.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 9

    Explore Florence

    June 27, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We had a quick breakfast at 7:45am as we were were we had to get to our Walking Tour at 8:30am.
    Walking Tour of Florence started at the Piazza San Marcos and covered the Galleria Dell Accademia, Basilica di San Lorenzo, Duomo, Basilica di Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte and Vecchio bridge.

    In the middle we got 90 minutes for lunch that we decided to get Gusta Pizza. A highly rated pizza place. No place to sit. Ate in front Pitti Palace. Home of the Medichi family. After lunch we completed our remaining part of the walking tour by going into the Uffizi and seeing masterpieces from Michalengo, Donatello, Leonardo Da’Vinci, Jochta and others.

    After the tour we headed back to the apartment to rest with a stop at Perche No! for Gelato, a place recommended by our tour guide. Best Gelato of the trip so far.

    We got back to the flat, slept for a couple of hours, showered and then went out to get dinner. Today, after many days without Indian food we decided to get some. We went to Gandhi Ristorante and the food was surprisingly very good. After dinner we retired to our flat.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2018
    Day 10

    Explore Chianti- Castello di Verzzanno

    June 28, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Late start to the day. Spent most of the day in Chianti at a beautiful winery on top of a hill. The winery tour was very informative about Chianti wines. The lunch after the tour was spectacular and very possible the best meal we have eaten so far. On top of the food, the dining room offered amazing views of the vineyard. It was three course preset menu. The Salami platter was good with the pork cheek the best of all the meats. The pure Balsamic vinegar that they served was wonderful. It takes about 10 years to get the best quality. The ones that we buy at most grocery stores are commercially produced and taste very acidic but this one seemed less acidic and quite sweet with no added sugars. The Salami was followed by pasta in marinara sauce followed by pork / wild boar chops. They served us unlimited wine 3 different reds and a couple of white. All that wine made us a bit too happy and we left our backpack with passports at the winery. Luckily 10 minutes into our drive back to Florence we realized our bag was missing and we went back to the winery. We had loved our afternoon and wanted to return in the future but didn’t expect it to be so soon.

    We went back to our flat and slept for a few hours. In the evening we had dinner close to our flat. Our most relaxing day of the trip.    Read more

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