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You are here: Home / Archives for italy

Skipping the Crowds in Tuscany

April 11, 2017 By Jillian

It’s hard to believe it has been more than 10 years since I first stepped off the plane in Rome to live in Florence for a semester.  It was a long bus ride to Florence, made better by the views, which only increased in stereotypical Tuscan colors as the sun neared the horizon an d we neared Florence.  Grand stone buildings, wide avenues, tiny alleys, we had finally arrived. So had the first trickling of the hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Florence each year, many of them booking luxury accommodations in Tuscany.  We were all enchanted by the same thing – the romance, the color, the light, the magic.

By the time throngs of tourists descended on Florence just before Easter it was time to get out of the city and escape the crowd.   Don’t get me wrong, I love the history, culture and art of Florence, but so does everyone else.  Here are two of my favorite places to avoid the crowds in Florence while still enjoying the enchantment of Tuscany.

 

Fiesole

Fortunately the closest escape is a short bus ride from Florence’s center, so if you are the type of person who wants to pop in and out of the city on your vacation this is a good place to center yourself.  Fiesole sits perched on a hill above the city, but with its quieter streets, surrounding olive orchards and villas, it seems a world away.  Fiesole is the kind of place most people drive through without stopping, but if you are the type that wants to stop and smell the roses, soak up the experience, or enjoy the magic of the Tuscan hills Fiesole is a good place for you.

If you are the hiking or leisurely strolling sort, there are a lot of beautiful roads to travel in Fiesole.  You can easily walk from the center of Florence to Fiesole in about an hour. Remember it is mostly uphill, so wear comfortable shoes.  Perhaps the better way is to walk from Fiesole down to Florence.  You can follow a map, or more adventurously just follow gravity and continue to walk down the slope.  There are several shops off the main Piazza in Fiesole if you want to purchase picnic supplies in town and set yourself up on the side of the Monastery of San Angelo.  There’s a few bench overlooking the terraced hills down to Florence – a breathtaking view of the city without the crowds!

If you’re looking for something more quiet and adventurous take a walk from Fiesole to a nearby town, like Settignano.  We took a bike tour, but you can also walk from Fiesole to the top of Montececeri and then into the village of Settignano. I did this with both my Dad (on foot) and my roommates Mom and Aunt (on bike), so it’s age friendly. If you’re a history or culture buff you may appreciate the historical significance of Montecerceri – this is where Leonardo Da Vinci is said to have taken his flying machine to test it.  The hill is also dotted with caves, quarries and Etruscan ruins, so it’s a great place to “get lost” without fearing a night in the woods.  When you’re ready for a drink, or some nourishment, head down to Settignano, a blink if you miss it kind of place that has real charm.  Not much of a tourist attraction, the town is known for being the home of Michelangelo and the marble quarries that produced some of the Renaissance’s most famous sculptures.  Roman ruins, like almost everywhere else in Italy, are intertwined with the most modern of engineering feats, so don’t ignore an outcropping of old stones.

 

Lucca

Slightly further afield, closer to Pisa is Lucca. I fell in love with Lucca from the first moment I saw it.  A city still enveloped by its Renaissance-era walls, Lucca has the buzz of Florence without the extreme crowds and tour groups.  It’s the perfect place to feel like a local, to indulge in la dulce far niente, or the sweetness of doing nothing.   If you are looking for a place to sit in a piazza, sip wine or enjoy a gelato without any interruption in your day, this is the place to be.  Any one of the large or small piazzas will make for the perfect backdrop to a vacation of indulging in Tuscany’s food, culture or drink.  The area surrounding Lucca is rolling hills of vineyards and medieval towns and ruins, still vibrant with life and culture today.   Now do you understand where my love of the city comes from?

The best way to experience Lucca is to do so on foot.  Am I sounding like a broken record?  But seriously, Italy is meant for walking. The medieval town walls are still intact and now serve as a sidewalk of sorts around old town Lucca.  Beyond the pleasure of being slightly above the streets and parks, the Passeggiata delle Mura crosses the major areas of the city, allowing you do to a “highlights” tour on foot without car traffic.  You can also rent a bike and in the summer you may find yourself in the midst of a cultural show or play on the Passeggiata.   If you are a history lover, you’ll notice that the wall is one of the largest intact star shaped walls left in Europe.  If you’re a nature lover, you’ll notice that different trees are planted on each of the main sides of the wall.

One thing I love about Tuscany are the old churches.  Each has it’s own look, feel and ambiance, with each architect, sculptor or painter trying to outdo someone else.  You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the artistry and magic of these churches or in the major city centers either.   Some refer to Lucca as the city of 100 churches.  While I can’t speak to the number of churches, I can offer that they are distinct in style (more similar to Pisa!), and the Duomo di Lucca, unlike those of the large cities, only faces a small square.  To me this is symbolic of Lucca as a whole – unpretentious, yet a gem not to be missed!

I learned quickly that no matter where you go in Tuscany you will be surrounded by delicious food, decadent wine and some of the most hospitable people on the planet.  When you’re ready to escape the crowds of Florence, consider giving Fiesole or Lucca a try!

Filed Under: Destinations, Europe, Headline, Italy Tagged With: italy, study abroad, Tuscany

Photo: Venice – The history of the gondolas

January 30, 2012 By Danny

These gondolas are nothing more than flat-bottomed row boats used for years in Venice. Originally used as the primary means of transportation, they have largely been replaced by more modern watercraft…usually with engines.  Nonetheless, these boats are very well suited for the Venetian Lagoon and are often found along the Grand Canal.

Once the single most important watercraft in Venice, the Gondolas now are seemingly only used by tourists.  People come from all over the world keep these boats from going extinct and their captains in business at the same time.  This picture here is nice because it shows Venice as a nice, peaceful city…those who make it out to Venice for carnival however know better!

IF YOU GO:  You’d better hurry up, check out one of the many Apartments in Venice for rent, and visit this place before it is too late.  The city is sinking and although modern engineering will probably keep it afloat for years to come, there will likely be some serious changes.  Trains come to Venice from all over Italy and Europe so there really is no excuse not to visit!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user Dr. Savage via a creative commons license.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo series.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: boat, gondola, italy, venice, water

Photo: Rome’s Pantheon

December 28, 2011 By Danny

The Pantheon is one of the most famous buildings in Rome. It was originally commissioned by the famous Marcus Agrippa as a temple for gods of Rome. An Emperor named Hadrian rebuilt the circular monument in 126 AD.  Somehow, despite being used continuously since the 7th century, it is one of Rome’s best preserved buildings.

Part of the allure of the Pantheon is that at 2000 years of age it remains to this day the world’s largest dome made of concrete.  It has a portico of heavy granite and a vestibule which is rectangular in shape and it  has a beautiful opening, in this photo here, to the sky in the center. Both the diameter and the height to oculus remain the same distance making the dome something of a sphere.

IF YOU GO: There are lots of similar buildings in Rome like Pantheon. There are some beautiful Rome apartments for rent as long as you remember to keep exploring the beauty of the city. Enjoy the vibrant and dynamic mix of architecture which the buildings in Rome have in store for you.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user Steve p2008 via a creative commons license.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: italy, pantheon, rome

Photo: Is He Naked?

November 23, 2011 By Jillian

Just Kidding.  When you think of Florence though, what comes to mind? Hopefully it’s art, art and more art.  Florence is literally busting at the seams with incredible art.  The heart of the renaissance, Florence and the Medici family attracted the best sculptors and painters from around Europe.  Their work remains in the churches, public buildings and yes, even homes, today.

One of the most spectacular buildings to come out of the renaissance is Florence’s Duomo.  Constructed by architect and artist Filippo Brunelleschi, the dome is actually comprised of two domes.  After city fathers refused to allow buttresses to hold the weight of the dome, a contest was held to see who could devise a new way to distribute the weight and build the enormous dome.  Brunelleschi won and with his design, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore became one of the most well-known roofs in the world.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Try to avoid high tourist season in Florence.  The city has so much to offer it’s hard to get through the crowds during high season.  If you leave the main tourist area and venture across the Arno or out toward some of the lesser known piazzas you’ll be charmed by the beauty of the every day. Apartments in Florence tend to be popular with art students, who still come to study and learn from the masters.  You’ll enjoy getting to know the local gelaterias (ice cream shops) in your neighborhood.  It’s common to have a cone with two different flavors, just keep it in the same family (fruit or cream, not both!)

Photo Credit: Flickr user Chiarra Marra under a creative commons license.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: architecture, art, florence, italy, rivers

Photo: Afloat in Venice

November 10, 2011 By Jillian

Venice, the city of canals.  Stretching across 117 small islands, the city is most renown for it’s waterways, which create a labyrinth of tiny canals between buildings.  What fascinates most visitors is the architecture, the buildings literally built atop the water.  Perched on wooden piles, the buildings have withstood the tides and floods of the centuries and even to the untrained eye appear as architectural marvels. It may seem illogical to build on wooden piles, but below the surface of the water, where there is little oxygen, alder wood decomposes at a very slow rate.

Today however, Venice is undeniably losing the battle against the water.  A series of industrial wells dug in the early 20th century began draining the aquifer below Venice, causing buildings to begin sinking.  Although the wells are no longer in use, it’s unclear as to whether the damage can be undone.  For now at least, it’s a losing battle.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Venice is know for it’s beautiful art- from music and performances to incredible art and architecture.  You can stay on the mainland (Mestre) and take a boat across, but it’s more atmospheric to find apartments in Venice for short term rent and soak in the ambiance.  It’s not an inexpensive place though, a coffee on St. Marks square can set you back 10 euro.


Photo credit: Flickr user Danny Nicholson under a creative commons license.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: italy, venice

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