Our Road-trip Through Italy
We recently went on a two week holiday to Italy. We decided to make it a road trip – a more affordable way to travel through Italy, especially when you coming from South Africa where the rand has been doing a downward dip for a while now.
We made the necessary travel arrangements before leaving home, like make all the hotel bookings via Booking.com and hired a vehicle - Ford Fiesta, which we picked up just outside of the Malpensa Airport (Northern Italy). And yes we (four adults) had to pack ‘super lite’, in view of the size of that car-boot… a bit of a squeeze but we managed just perfectly though, well I suppose we had too…
The entire road trip and stay in the various places was really amazing, wonderful, enjoyable, and most importantly…Fun!!! We went from Milan to Genoa, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Venice and then to Sahaja Yoga Ashram. Here we go…
Milan Situated in northern Italy and really a metropolitan city for sure, well I read it is the largest metropolitan area in Italy and second-most populous city in Italy after Rome.
The city has been recognized as the ‘World’s Fashion and Design capital.
Milan is the destination of 8 million overseas visitors every year, attracted by its museums and art galleries that boast some of the most important collections in the world, including major works by Leonardo da Vinci. - Wikipedia
Genoa also known as Genova Here we enjoyed some amazing views. Genoa is simply "beautiful!". The views from the hotel was also fantastic - which over looked the Mediterranean Ocean. Genoa is of my favorites also this is where I had my first ‘Gluten-Free’ Pizza!
Genoa has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean. It is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union.
Over 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera.
Pisa
Located on the western coast of Italy is one of the smaller cities in the Tuscany region and although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), the city contains more than 20 other historic churches, several medieval palaces and various bridges across the Arno, -which we didn’t visit, since we were mainly interested in seeing this spectacle –The ‘Leaning Tower’, and a spectacle it was…
Florence
Interesting one for me, with lots to see and do. Narrow (brick and cobble) streets that explained the bicycles just everywhere – I would call it ‘bicycle city’. Another Yay... was that there was a ‘Gluten-Free’ Pizza restaurant, just opposite our hotel, so needless to say I found myself frequenting this restaurant.
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and most populous city of the Italian region.
Florence was a centre of medieval
European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.
It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages"
The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the Historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.
Florence is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.
The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries which my husband was just too keen to visit almost all of them with me dragging my body to catch up.
Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. - Wikipedia
Florence:
Nelson Mandela Memorial/Forum.
Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018
Rome
The capital city of Italy, it is also the country's most populated city of Residence. The Vatican City is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states. Rome has the status of a global city. In 2016, Rome was ranked as the most popular tourist attraction in Italy.
(Rome was not one of my favourite though. Also, seeing graffiti everywhere was a bit of a shocker and the sight of weeds everywhere was another shocker! Maybe the weed-cutting contractor was on leave…)
Venice
A city in north eastern Italy…was fascinating and interesting. It is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by 400 bridges. The islands are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers (Piave begins in the Alps and flows southeast into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice).
Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their architecture, and artwork. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Venice has been known by many names e.g. "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals." I would go back if the opportunity presented itself again. -Wikipedia
Sahaja Yoga - Italy
The last 6 days we spent at Ashram, which was an absolutely heavenly experience.
Thank you!
