ITALY TRIP REPORT
I planned for almost a year for this trip to Italy. I had wanted to visit Italy for a long time, my husband not so much. I hoped that if I waited, he might relent. Nope, he still wasn't interested. I thought about it and at the age of 66 I decided that I wasn’t getting any younger, healthier or richer. We talked about it and I decided to go solo. It would be the first time I had ever traveled alone. I was nervous about it, but I’m a Super-Planner Extraordinaire and felt I could do it.
Off I went to start the big plan! When we take a big trip, we know we’ll probably never be able to return, so I plan a very busy itinerary! Some might think it's too busy, but it works for us. We also have to travel on a shoestring budget, what my family calls, “champagne taste on a beer budget” :) This trip I was nervous about being solo and tried to plan an itinerary where I could see and do everything I wanted and then just go to bed and sleep well.
My big dream was to see the Pope and the Vatican as well as many churches, some museums, eat great food and drink wonderful wine, take lots of photos (I took almost 3500) and just see Italy. Spoiler alert–all accomplished!
I’ll list my day-by-day itinerary and any notes I feel appropriate. I always have a Plan B in my itineraries and I had to pull that out several times during the trip. Even though I researched opening days/times/etc, I found that Italy doesn’t always adhere to my schedule :)
Pre-trip I bought both the Firenze card and the Brunelleschi pass for Florence. Both were very good choices for my trip.
With lots of online help and advice this was my itinerary:
September 10-25, 2024
Fly IND-JFK-MXP
3 nights Stresa
4 nights Florence
7 nights Rome
Fly FCO-ATL-IND
My flights were great, early into Milan. 9:00 am Alibus to Stresa was on time and a great bargain. My adventures began in Stresa!
DAY 1–
–10:00 am arrive Stresa and check in at Hotel Milan Speranza Au Lac
–wander Stresa, get over jet lag, get my feet wet traveling solo and being in Italy
(went inside to see the lobbies of the old money hotels along the waterfront-fabulous!)
–St. Ambrogio & Theodolo church
–lunch from CarreFour grocery deli (delicious) eaten at the waterfront park
–stroll waterfront
–Gelato L’Angelo del Gelato (OMG my 1st gelato ever and it was delicious)
–bed (exhausted)
** Was upgraded from a simple single bed room to a corner room with a king bed and 2 balconies!! It was a fantastic room with great views of the city! Thanks Lorena! I LOVED the hotel!
DAY 2–
–ferry to the Borromean islands (Isola Bella & Isola Pescaderia. Spent 2 hours in the extravagant palace and 1.5 hours in the gorgeous formal gardens on Isola Bella. Back on the ferry to Isola Pescaderia. A pretty little 2 street fishing village.)
–dinner at the hotel (delicious sole fish, pasta, potatoes, green beans, bread and cheesecake & puff soaked in amaretto, house wine)
** I am really enjoying the atmosphere of Stresa! It's a small, without being boring, beautiful town with lake and mountain scenery, the people are friendly and I’m getting into this solo traveling.
DAY 3–
–Santa Caterina Hermitage trip canceled due to high winds and no ferry service–disappointing! Plan B into play
–went back to room and slept for 2 hours
–trial walk to the train station for my early morning departure to Florence tomorrow
–browsed shops and sat on the piazza watching a street musician and had a sandwich from CarreFour and gelato again
–strolled the north part of the waterfront walkway
–6 pm Mass at St. Ambrogio & Theodolo
–caught up travel journal, repacked, sat on the balcony and enjoyed my last night in Stresa
** So disappointed to miss the Hermitage! Stresa was the perfect place to get over jet lag and get used to being solo and the Italian culture and the hotel was beautiful. I really loved Stresa!