italy
May 8
Sam and I united in the Dublin airport today! I was travelling from Seattle on an Aer Lingus plane where I was seated next to a chatty man from the Navy who munched on a family size bag of Skittles as he enthusiastically told me he was visiting Ireland for the fifth time. Sam also travelled a far way from Killarney, Ireland, where he had just attended a conference and presented a very elegant poster on his research.
To board our flight, we were shuttled to a remote area of the airport that was devoid of food. I ate an unexpectedly delicious panini in the back of the plane while Sam ate a scary blood sausage looking thing at the front of the plane. Sam was excitedly placed in row two of the plane, which had never happened before, though I was surrounded by screaming Italian children, I slept the entire flight.
We landed in Rome around 7:00pm and took the train to Roma Termini. From there, we laboriously dragged our suitcases across the cobblestone to our hotel. Our hotel provided some comfort and basic necessities but more importantly, was a suitable stopping point on our way to Cinque Terre which we would be arriving at tomorrow.
We set down our things and left in search of dinner. We ate at a homey restaurant called Trattoria Pizzeria Porta Maggiore located across from ancient aqueducts. Sam looked at the ruins with great wonder and frequently exclaimed to me about how cool he found them. We excitedly ordered our first Italian meal: carbonara, meatballs, and grilled vegetables. The carbonara was creamy and delicious, the meatballs large and flavorful, while the vegetables were too salty. Overall, it was delectable and hearty and consequently, we needed to take a digestive walk after. We circled the aqueducts to get a thorough view, awed at a large monument constructed by a former Roman slave, peered at some basilicas, and returned home when our jetlag caught up with us.
May 9
On this marvelous day, I woke up in Rome. Where a thousand years ago fellow humans and animals, some consequently extinct, were tortured for sport. Today, I desperately wanted to visit the famous site of these happenings. I patiently waited for Sam to wake up until I couldn’t take it anymore. I told him I’d be heading out soon and that it was ok if he wanted to keep sleeping. I knew he would get up and follow me out.
Energized by the novelty of a new city, we walked miles marvelling at the architecture and the Italians. My first order of business was ordering a cappuccino. Sam ordered a weird pink croissant which was obviously made to trick tourists.
We soon made our way to the destination of the day: the Colosseum. The Colosseum was so grand and beautiful it was hard to imagine that 500,000 people and over 1 million animals died here in the name of entertainment. It even had a retractable sun roof like Seattle’s Lumen Field and T-Mobile Stadium. We circled the premises discussing the asymmetric shape and dimpled surface. To my surprise, I discovered running drinking water everywhere which seemed wasteful. Later, I learned that the running drinking water system is an outcome of one of the Roman’s most sophisticated engineering accomplishments. The city receives so much clean water that it must be constantly running to depressurize the water system as well as prevent bacterial build up. Since the water runs constantly, it ends up flowing through the city like a river and ultimately, little to no water ends up wasted.
On our way to the train, we stopped by a bustling market where we purchased granitas and sandwiches to accompany our long journey to Cinque Terre.
On the train between La Spezia and Cinque Terre, we caught glimpses of the glimmering coast line that left us in awe. At our hotel Stella Della Marina, we were greeted by an Italian man named Gabrielle who gave us a lay of the land with striking precision and clarity.
The beach was glorious. There is nothing in the world like the Mediterranean ocean. Even Sam went in. I was very proud of him. I lay in the ocean like an inflatable raft and felt intense happiness. All around my feet were translucent looking fish with huge, curious eyes. They were adorable, and I felt accepted by them. Long after I went ashore, Sam stayed in and swam with the fish. Before we left, I had an extended photoshoot on the rocks. On our way home, we got delicious gelato which filled me with overwhelming joy.
Back at our hotel, we got ready for dinner. I wore my new long dress from Mexico City to eat at a restaurant called Il Casello where we sat on a ledge overlooking the coastline. It was stunning, and I fell in love with Italy. We drank spritzes and ate seafood pasta consisting of fish, mussels and clams. It was spectacular, and I could not have been happier to be there with Sam.
Post-dinner, we went to Lapo’s for a drink and dessert. On our way there, a man was playing the piano with exceptional skill. The sound of my favorite instrument against the crashing waves was almost too much for me to handle.
I slept soundly knowing I had the best day.
May 10
I woke up early today and wrote one line in my blog:
I am having the best time in Italy. It is so romantic, beautiful, and fun.
I cannot emphasize this enough.
Today, thunderstorms and rain were on the weather forecast. I woke up early and crept up to breakfast where I was greeted by Gabrielle and dramatic ocean views. For breakfast, Gabrielle had arranged a spread of meats, breads, fruits, and sweet pastries. I drank a cappuccino alongside a little bit of everything and it was spectacular. After a while, Sam woke up, and I returned to have a second breakfast.
Since it was cloudy, we had a slow morning relaxing in bed. However it never rained, so we decided to do the iconic Blue Trail that connects Monterosso to the four other fishing villages that line the coastline southward. The trail started with some steep stairs and we quickly noticed an abundance of lemons. They were everywhere!
Throughout the hike, the views were breathtaking. To my right was the vast unending expanse of aqua Mediterranean ocean. To my left was the steep mountainside carved into stair-like terraces used for farming. Along the way, we passed small pit stops selling lemon granitas and small snack pastries. It was dreamlike as we continued up and down through the mountains stopping at each village we passed. Sam’s leg quickly grew sore, much to his frustration, causing discourse around rehab and surgery.
At Vernazza, Sam and I had a quick spat and then angrily hiked until we finally came to a stand still and argued and cried as bypassers silently passed us on the narrow trail. It was uphill from there.
Literally because from Corniglia, we ascended and descended 1200 feet of stairs. At Corniglia, which is the only village to exist above shore, we ate focaccia pizza and gelato and peace was restored.
Around this time, the sun came up causing the thunderstorm warning to become comically incorrect. At our final destination, Manarola, we settled down for a victory cigarette with wine and bruschetta. I was exhausted having woken up so early, and Sam let me nap for 30 minutes in his lap at the marina. I fell asleep instantly in the warmth of the sun listening to the soft crashing waves. Sam observed nearby Italians creating beautiful watercolors of the coastline.
At home, we stopped by Ristorante Al Carugio Monterosso Al Mare and ordered some seafood pasta and fresh pesto pasta since we learned that pesto originates from Cinque Terre. A cat passed underneath our table during dinner, signaling good fortune. In the dim, candlelit alley, I thought about how we had another perfect day.
May 11
I woke up from a long and deep slumber this morning and knew it would be another great day. Sam and I slept in almost long enough to miss breakfast. After pecking around upstairs, we hung around our room and listened to the soft rainfall coming from the overcast hues outside our window. Sam and Cindy proceeded to do an intense leg workout to keep Sam’s rehab in check, building muscle and burning calories in preparation for our libations of the day.
Around noon, we ventured outside and got a table at Da Eraldo which was highly recommended to us by Gabrielle. Inside, we were led past cozy, wooden nooks with red checkered tablecloths to a warm corner lit by a kerosene-style light lamp. The menu was perfect and we believed this must be the perfect authentic Italian seafood restaurant.
We ordered glasses of wine and the Fantasia di Mare which was a raw fish sampler featuring swordfish, smoked tuna, salmon, salted anchovies, and fried cod. It was presented beautifully and extremely fun to eat as we nibbled around the plate. Sam and I were in love and grateful to have discovered such a wonderful restaurant. For dessert, we ended with cappuccinos and a divine tiramisu. Somehow, the prices here beat out every other restaurant we had been to - despite its legendary local status. There could not have been a better rainy day lunch.
Later in the evening, we headed to the final village of Riomaggiore. If you’ve seen pictures of Cinque Terre, you’ve likely seen the colorful homes built on the staggering cliff side towering over crashing waves. It turned out to be even more stunning in person, and Sam and I climbed up and down numerous staircases to see every angle of the coastline.
As a snack, we tried a seafood cone which I had been eyeing for many days at this point. We sat on the bench and ate the freshest calamari ever. Next, I had the brilliant idea to visit a deli. We bought pesto by the gram, a giant ball of burrata, and fresh baked focaccia. I dream of the Italian delis now. We devoured everything on the windy cliffside and then walked the famous Via dell’Amore path that connects Riomaggiore to Manarola. Sam and I realized this was overpriced and likely for people who didn’t do the Blue Trail. Nevertheless, I appreciated its beauty while Sam made fun of the lore and mystic they tried to build around the path.
Back at home, we ordered a sandwich in the shape of a circle and ate it in bed. Fabulous day!
May 12
It was sunny again today! I rushed to the beach but found chaotically high tides and violently crashing waves. Sam and I sat under some luxury umbrellas until someone came over and scared us away with the price. We strolled around and found a statue of a large man carrying the earth on his shoulders by the water. It was beautiful out and slowly we strolled back to our hotel to checkout and shower.
As a last stop, we had to stop by Da Elrado and this time we split a full pan fried sea bream. It was so tasty, and I generously encouraged Sam to eat one of the fish eyeballs which he said was “not too bad”.
We said our final farewell to Gabrielle who reassured us he would be here waiting when we returned. Naturally, we got a gelato to accompany our train ride back.
Our train was delayed but we eventually reached Florence. To reach our hotel, we boarded a tiny bus which swerved through the cobblestone streets almost injuring many people in the process. We got off in front of the Duomo which overwhelmed me with its staggering beauty and grandness. Our hotel was right next to it in an old but majestic building.
We meandered through the narrow streets of Florence where everything felt grand and was built with quality and care that you don’t see in America today. It filled me with wonder and awe. I immediately thought about how I need to bring my family here.
For lunch, we got in the sandwich line at the viral All’Antico Vinaio. I rated my sandwich 6/10 while Sam rated it 7/10. It was filled with mortadella and pistachio pesto and stracciatella.
Afterwards, we made our way to Point Vecchio, an area along the river where vendors sell watercolors, sketches, and other beautiful art outside the Medici gallery. To cross the water, we walked over a bridge with beautiful arched legs and window shopped for expensive watches.
For sunset, we went to the Michelangelo Plaza where a mob of Americans gathered around a British duo. They sang songs like Sweet Caroline while an old man came and corralled people into a dance circle, tirelessly throwing people into the middle. It was very sweet and wholesome to watch. There were couples, crowds of sorority girls, friend groups, and families. We sat on steps that perched over the city and watched the sun dip below the cityline listening to the live music and watching the drunkards dance around.
Afterwards, we visited a historic wine window. Florence used to use wine windows to evade city tax on wine. Later these windows were used to minimize contact while selling items during the Black plague. They lay dormant and sealed up until Covid and now are a tourist staple. I furtively rang the bell and purchased an aperol spritz from an anonymous woman. We later learned that locals never use these wine windows.
Sam and I walked around the beautiful city with our drinks and stopped to pick up some massive slices of pizza.
May 13
Today we woke up to go on a walking tour. I love a walking tour because it orients you around the city as a local tells you stories and fun facts you’d otherwise never know.
We learned about the powerful Medici family, their role in Michaelango’s life, the mystery behind the dome of the Duomo, and the origins of the renaissance. It was very interesting but Sam and I couldn’t help feeling that after two hours, we had barely scratched the surface of the history in Florence.
After the tour, we sipped cappuccinos and ate croissants. For lunch, we naturally went to a rival sandwich shop and discovered it to be even tastier than the last. 8/10 from me. 9/10 from Sam.
In the evening, we went to the Uffizi gallery which was previously home to the powerful Medici family and now a gallery displaying their various collections. As we learned on the tour, multiple members of the Medici family each collected different items such as portraits and buffs. These were displayed in the long hallways of their house where the ceiling was adorned with regal murals. The hallways had offshoot rooms where they stored their paintings including The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.
For dinner we went to try the famous Florentine steak. It was distinctly massive, coming in at 2.6 kgs. Though not too different from other steaks I’ve had, it was juicy and satisfying. Afterwards we went to an Irish pub where Sam ordered a ridiculously big stein of beer and I drank a Bellini. We sat by the Duomo in awe of the beauty Florence has to offer.
May 14
This morning we started the day with a perfect cappuccino and a portugues egg tart. My goal for the day was to buy myself a purse. I succeeded and also bought my sister a purse and my dad, uncle, and cousin wallets with their initials.
Today was a big travel day as we had to voyage back to Rome.
After a long day, we made it to our seaside hotel in Fiumicino. We had our final hurrah at a cozy Italian restaurant there where we ordered swordfish carpaccio and fresh pasta. For dessert we found a gelato spot and strolled through the local neighborhood.
We went to bed happy and content with the wonderful week we had exploring.