Other than a few days in the Dolomites in 2024 I had not been to Italy in 50 years! I would say that after all of the European countries I have visited over the years, that the country of Italy is a true masterpiece in and of itself due to the abundance of churches and art everywhere. I have become more interested in art and architecture lately and wanted to revisit some of what I had seen in the 70's (like the David, the Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, etc) but this time I wanted some guidance. So I booked a Rick Steves tour and added several days before and after the tour. All Italy; it was fabulous!
So....April 1 a friend and I flew to Milan from Tampa. We flew home from Naples May 17. Here is a short (?) summary.
Milan; 2 nights. Highlights were seeing the Last Supper and climbing around the rooftop of the famed Duomo. Quite an impressive building and after seeing it all lit up on TV every night during the Winter Olympics it was so much fun to see it in person.
Verona; 2 nights. Easy to walk around and enjoy the arena and other areas of town. I know it was cheesy but I kind of wanted to see Juliets balcony. Did not though because there is now a charge to just go in the grounds and you needed a ticket, and we just moved on to something else.
Ravenna; 2 nights. We came for the mosaics and were not disappointed. A true feast for the eyes. The colors were so vibrant, yet so old!!
Padova; 2 nights. Loved touring the university and getting to learn about famous professors (like Galileo) and students that have passed through these halls, the discoveries that were made here (fallopian and Eustachian tubes as an example), seeing the first anatomical theater in the world and finding out that the first woman in the world to graduate from a university in 1678 was from this university. The famed Scrovegni chapel was a true marvel and I wish wish wish I had booked more than one time slot. 15-20 minutes is not enough time. The Basilica of Saint Anthony was almost overwhelming to me there was so much to look at inside (I would soon realize this was not unusual 😜).
Venice; 4 nights. I had been here a few times in the 1970s as a young backpacker and was quite excited to revisit. I couldn't stop smiling as I walked out of the Venice train station (where I once spent the night on a bench and was rudely kicked out at 4 in the morning!!). I'm still smiling thinking about that city. However, I will say, if I were to only visit the "tourist" spots I would be not as happy. The crowds can be overwhelming. But wander off the main areas, eat in a local neighborhood, relax in a non tourist square, get lost a bit and you will fall in love.
The last two nights of the four in Venice were part of the 17 day RS Best of Italy tour. To be continued....