What to do in Italy

Rome

There are so many interesting facts about Rome that most people don't know. Such as, Rome was built in 753 BC on seven hills. Romans invented concrete and was used on the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum over 2100 years ago!

There is a law in Rome that allows cats to live without disruption in the place where they were born. If you look carefully, you will see hundreds of wild cats climbing the walls of the Colosseum, and sleeping among the ruins of the Forum. At the Largo de Torre de Argentina you can see a cat sanctuary amongst the ruins of four Republican temples.

Top Things to See and Do
Tour the Vatican, visit the Colosseum, go inside the Pantheon, make a wish and throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, sit in the Piazza Navona, walk the Gianicolo Hill (Passeggiata del Gianicolo) for spectacular views, visit the oldest church in Rome - Santa Maria in Trastevere, tour the Castle of Sant Angelo, climb the Spanish Steps, visit the Piazza del Popolo, go inside my favorite place - Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. There's so much more to be discovered!

Before you go
Make sure you have an excellent pair of walking shoes. Your major method of transportation will be walking or by taxi!

Wifi, Internet and Cell Phones
There's plenty of wifi and Internet everywhere.

Food and Water
Water is totally safe to drink from the tap in Rome! As far as food goes; there are so many incredible places to eat in Rome. I would eat at a different place every night. Don't be afraid to ask for a meat and cheese plate for dinner either along with a glass of wine!

If you want to see some fantastic live music performances then you must go to the Teatro Arciliuto, located in the Piazza di Montevecchio, 5, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Phone: +39 06 687 9419. You can have drinks upstairs and you will be led downstairs below ground level to listen to a concert by some wonderful Italian performers. I highly suggest you do this!

What to Purchase
Scarves, sunglasses, Pope items, wine and cheese!

Venice

The romantic city of Venice is made up of 118 tiny islands connected by over 415 pontes (bridges) that rise over the canals with approximately 350 gondolas (boats) that navigate the waters. One of four major bridges is called the Grand Canal, and you probably have seen it in many photographs on the web.

The city is believed to be sinking at the rate of 1 millimeter per year, which is approximately .03 inches and usually floods when the tides rise. I have seen this for myself and it's very interesting how this town recovers. In the last 50 years, the city's population has been cut in half, from 120,000 people to only 60,000 today. Mostly due to the high costs of having a home there along with the flooding waters and sinking city.

All the reason to visit Venice, is that it's gorgeous, romantic, and someday it is predicted that it will only be a national park.

Top Things to See and Do
Piazza San Marco is a square located in the heart of Venice where it will lead to the Church (Basilica) of San Marco and San Marco's Bell Tower, the Doge's Palace and the Torre dell'Orologio (Clock Tower). Many people believe the best view of Venice can be had from the tower. Don't forget the bridges either! Must sees are the Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs, the Academy Bridge, Ponte della Costituzione, and the Ponte Minich. Of course there are many more than those I mentioned, but those are some of my favorites!

You will notice many elaborately decorated face masks throughout the boutiques in Italy. A tradition from 1162 has carried on for years called the Carnevale di Venezia. The Venetians would dress up and wear masks that sometime represent occupations, such as the Colombina mask, the Medico della peste-maks of (The Plague Doctor), and the Moretta / Servetta muta (Servant) mask. I really think it was a pagen tradition and a great way to have a party, drink a lot and do crazy things!

Before you go
Wifi is erratic in Venice. Some hotels offer free wifi, but if you need it around the city, then contact Venezia Unica and you will have to pay, but you must sign up at least a week in advance.

Check the weather! The best time to go to Venice, is before summer and after September. I have been three times, summer, winter and fall. My favorite has been in the winter in February. It was super cold, but it was gorgeous and the night atmosphere is super romantic! There are hardly any tourist at all and we found lots of gorgeous clothing on sale! Women wear furs during the winter...something rarely seen in the US. Summer weather is miserably hot...no lie. If you like to sweat all the time, then go during summer months.

Wifi, Internet and Cell Phone
Wifi is erratic in Venice. Some hotels offer free wifi, but if you need it around the city, then contact Venezia Unica and you will have to pay, but you must sign up at least a week in advance.

Food and Water
Yes, you can drink water from the fountains! The water is great so don't waste your money on purchasing plastic bottled water.
Food is quite expensive in Italy. We usually purchase bread, wine, cheese and salami and eat it at a park or palazzo. As far as gelatto in Venice, I recommend La Boutique del Gelato, which is the best gelateria in Venice. We like it for the quality of the ice cream, the portions, and the friendliness of the staff. La Boutique del Gelato is on the Salizada San Lio, next to the Hotel Bruno.

What to Purchase
Take a water taxi (vapareto) to the Island of Murano and watch the glass blowers create some gorgeous vases. Extremely beautiful island and take home some gorgeous glass art. Door knockers are very popular too along with handmade paper goods.

Florence

Top Things to See and Do
A must see is the Piazza (Plaza) del Duomo where you will find the Florence Cathedral with the Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Giotto's Campanile, the Florence Baptistery, the Loggia del Bigallo, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Arcivescovile and Canonici's palace. The west zone of this square is called Piazza San Giovanni. The history dates back to the 13th century.

Another famous plaza of Florence is the Palazzo Vecchio, the gateway to the famous Uffizi Gallery.

Florence will not disappoint you. It's breathtaking and romantic and I have eaten some of the most delicious Italian food in this wonderful city than in any other in Italy.

Before you go
The Uffizi is closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly. Anytime you want to visit a museum in Europe, make sure you check their website for their closing days. Also, many museums have free days or a discount day. Send them an email if you are unsure.

Wifi, Internet and Cell Phones:
I never had a wifi or cell phone problem in Florence. Many hotels, cafes, eateries, bars, and museums have free wifi.

The "Firenze WiFi" service allows Florence citizens and tourists to free surf the net up to two hours a day in about 200 areas of the city. The wireless connection is provided by the municipality of Florence and you don’t even need to sign up for any website and the like.

The areas of the city where most people connect to the net are Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza San Giovanni, Lungarno degli Archibusieri, Piazzale Uffizi, Orsanmichele, Piazza del Grano and Oblate, but the service is continuously expanding.

Money
The currency in Florence is the Euro.

Food and Water
Water is perfectly safe to drink from the tap in Florence. I highly recommend eating at Ristorante Buca Mario.

What to Purchase
I purchased a gorgeous pair of black leather boots. They are so soft and supple along with a matching purse. They were unique and you won't find any of leather goods made in Florence in other cities in Italy. Many leather makers do not sell their goods outside of Florence. My husband forgot to purchase a satchel and called the store when we got home in the US and asked if he could purchase on-line and they said no. Hmmm.

Pisa

Top Things to See and Do
Piazza dei Miracoli, Torre di Pisa Duomo (Leaning Tower), Pisa Battistero (Baptistry), and the Chiesa (Church) di Santa Maria della Spina that is located on the bank of the Arno River.

Before you go
You can book your entrance in advance online to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, however, you should know that you will have to climb over 300 steps to the top.

Wifi, Internet and Cell Phones
Most tourist public buildings will have free wifi, so you don't need to worry. If you need it 24/7, then get in touch with your carrier prior to leaving your country.

Food and Water
Drink up all the water from the fountains in Pisa...it's perfectly safe!

What to Purchase
A small replica of the Leaning Tower!

Cinque Terre

Top Things to See and Do
Cinque Terre: is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto. The Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas. Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Park. Cinque Terre is beyond crowded during the summer months (June-August) and I recommend going in May, September, or October. It's super easy to get from town to town on either foot via hiking trails or by train. Stay in La Spezia or Portovenere to save money. The Cinque Terres villages are from north to south: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. All breathtaking villages with wonderful sights, churches, great eating, gelato, and wine!

Before you go
Make sure you have hotel reservations. If you cannot find a room in one of the "five" (Cinque) "cities" (Terre), then checkout accommodations in La Spezia. La Spezia is a port city and it's inexpensive and has a train that takes about 35 minutes to get to Monterosso to begin your adventure! Check the Cinque Terre website for weather conditions. Sometimes the trails close from town to town due to mudslide or rockfall. Here is the website: http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Ecentri-visita.php and when you are finally get there, you can visit the Cinque Terre Welcome Center for a map and current conditions. Be ready to purchase a Cinque Terre Card that will provide you with local train rides and entry to the trail system. The card is not sold on line; only at the Welcome Centers. As of today (7/12/17) to the next year, the trail from Corniglia to Riomaggiore is closed. The CT card includes the following and can be purchased at any of the Welcome Centers:

Second class travel with the regional and regional fast trains (except for the IC/ICN/FB trains) in the route Levanto - La Spezia (and vice versa)
Access to the Park area
Guided visits, depending on the planning
Poetic Nature Paths at Parco Letterario Eugenio Montale and Parco delle Cinque Terre according to the program
Use of the Bus Services managed by ATC among the villages
Use of the toilets with fee
Participation in the workshops of the Park's Environmental Education Center, depending on the planning
WI-FI internet connection in the Park's Hot Spots
Reduced-price ticket to visit the Civic Museums in La Spezia (Amedeo Lia, Castello San Giorgio, CAMeC, Sigillo, Palazzina delle Arti, Etnografico, Diocesano)

Wifi, Internet and Cell Phones
With the purchase of the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card, you will get wifi Internet connection in the Park's hot spots. Don't expect any free wifi points because this is an ancient area and there are not cell phone towers. Cell phone and wifi are spotty. Don't expect anything more, so get used to being disconnected, unless your hotel has wifi.

Money
Exchange rates fluctuate. You can pre-purchase Euros before you head out to Europe, but I usually exchange when I get there. I use Travelex to check the rates https://www.travelex.com/currency/euros prior to flying to Europe. You can also pre-purchase from Chase and Bank of America for free if you have an account with them.

Food and Water
Drinking water in Italy, including Cinque Terre is fine. There is nothing wrong with it and there are strict guidelines in Italy on their water system. You can take a Camelpak and fill it with water from public water fountains. No need to purchase water bottles and add more plastic to this earth!

What to Purchase
Wine, wine, and more wine and cheese. Nothing special to purchase here, but the wine is regional, so enjoy a glass or two! Don't forge to drink a little Lemoncello too.