so we are getting ready for our trip in July and have decided to see Italy
in our favorite way of travel thus far...rent a car!
Sure we've gotten lost in downtown Costa Rica
and driven through dark Australian roads after midnight
but we LOVE IT.
I have become a decent map reader/navigator
and really it is a fantastic way to make the most of your time in a new country.
We're planning to make a few of these stops in our renal.
Specifically: Venice, Verona, Florence and Pisa.
I'm still trying to finish up our plans but here are the sites I'm most excited about:
Pisa:
- Leaning Tower: created by Bonanno Pisan, who got concerned when three tiers in the tower began to lean badly to the south. Things go worse at the rate of 1mm a year, but it gave Galileo a chance to throw rocks from the bell tower to test his theory of gravity. Today it is 4.1m (13.5ft) off the perpendicular.
Florence:
- Michelangelo's "David" in the Accademia
- Uffizi Galleries to witness the Botticelli and Leonardo de Vinci paintings in person.
- Visit one of the Leonardo da Vinci museums to see models of his invention
- Bargello to see Donatello's "David" for a different interpretation from Michelangelo
- Piazza del Duomo
- Pote Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence
- Of course we'll make time for some gelato
Venice:
- Ponte Rialto (Bridge of Lovers)
- Basilica San Marco
- Climb the Campanile
- Tour the Palazzo Ducale and Bridge of Sighs
I am sure we'll be taking trains and ferries too
so there will be plenty of this going on
...please give pass along any tips/suggestions/euros that you may have accumulated on your travels...
We're so excited about the trip and do not want to miss out on any "must see" venues!
Pisa:
- Leaning Tower: created by Bonanno Pisan, who got concerned when three tiers in the tower began to lean badly to the south. Things go worse at the rate of 1mm a year, but it gave Galileo a chance to throw rocks from the bell tower to test his theory of gravity. Today it is 4.1m (13.5ft) off the perpendicular.
Florence:
- Michelangelo's "David" in the Accademia
- Uffizi Galleries to witness the Botticelli and Leonardo de Vinci paintings in person.
- Visit one of the Leonardo da Vinci museums to see models of his invention
- Bargello to see Donatello's "David" for a different interpretation from Michelangelo
- Piazza del Duomo
- Pote Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence
- Of course we'll make time for some gelato
Venice:
- Ponte Rialto (Bridge of Lovers)
- Basilica San Marco
- Climb the Campanile
- Tour the Palazzo Ducale and Bridge of Sighs
I am sure we'll be taking trains and ferries too
so there will be plenty of this going on
...please give pass along any tips/suggestions/euros that you may have accumulated on your travels...
We're so excited about the trip and do not want to miss out on any "must see" venues!
In Italy, trains and buses are the way most "locals" travel - in fact most people do not even own cars! On public transportation you get all that time to look at the beautiful scenery, to chat up the locals, and you don't have to worry about parking, which is a nightmare in Italy. Also, the drivers in Italy are worse than Houston during a zombie apocalypse! Walking and getting lost is the best way to find the best spots, too. Florence is beautiful (loads of Dante stuff to do! definitely climb to the top of the Duomo). Let us know about the other towns; I haven't made it to the others you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThanks Renee! I totally forgot about Dante; I must read it again before we go :) you're a stellar dame!!
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