Buongiorno! It had been on my list to visit for a while, but only when opportunity to go to Italy came around and I started planning what to do there did I realized the sheer quantity of "not to miss" sights there were. I signed up last minute for a conference that took place in Rome and had three weeks to prepare for the three week long trip. First thing was first, I got some Italian CDs for the car and a pocket dictionary to learn the language. It turned out that it was very easy to convert from Spanish to Italian and I was able to get around without a hitch. And what a beautiful language. The melodic flow, rhythm, and accents were a pleasure to listen to and try to imitate!
The people there were very friendly as well. It was very easy to strike up conversations, which usually resulted in a half Italian half English jumble as we would both practice our foreign language. I was traveling alone on this one, making it easier to meet locals and other travelers. Actually, I was hardly ever alone. The conference I wanted to go to turned out to be in the middle of the summer - tourist season in Italy, so there were plenty of other travelers to briefly unite and explore with.
	Even though Italy has some amazing mountains, volcanoes, and trails for climbing and hiking I decided, unlike my usual trips, I would not do any extreme sports and dedicate this trip to exploring the Italian culture, history, and the arts. Three weeks could have allowed me to see quite a bit of the country, however I decided to concentrate on just a few areas and leave many places to explore the next time…very convenient. I only had reservations for a few nights of the entire trip set as I wanted flexibility for unplanned deviations - perhaps a bit risky in the peak tourist season, but it worked out well. I was able to make reservations as I went along by e-mail or phone.
I divided the trip basically into three parts. I decided to ease into the vacation in the coastal region called Cinque Terre by the Italian Riviera (4-days), then hit the busy cities of Roma (Rome) (8-days) and Firenze (Florence) (4-days), and finish up in the laid-back Toscana (Tuscany) country side (4-days).
Immediately after flying into Roma, I hopped on a train heading north bound for Le Spezia in the Liguria region. In a half daze from the long flight over I caught glimpses of cramped cities, lone villas surrounded by stands of the tall skinny cypress trees, fields of sunflowers, dramatic mountains, and hill top castles. In Le Spezia I jumped trains to one that runs along the coast to the Cinque Terre (the five lands or villages). Once only accessible by sea they are five small villages perched on the edge of cliffs and rocky coast line. Most still do not have any cars in them and a train that cuts under the mountains and only briefly see daylight at the stops is the main means getting to and from the cities.
I stayed in Monterosso al Mare the furthest town west. It was the largest of the five with plenty of excellent restaurants, a late night bar, and a couple beaches rather than the rocky coast at the others. For three days I relaxed here - tossing frizbee on the beach, eating amazing seafood, hiking around the town getting a feel for Italian cities and language, joining up with various other travelers, and enjoying gelato often. Mmmm gelato - so creamy and perfect on a hot day! I think I ate gelato most every day of the entire three week trip.
	Itching to stretch my legs I hiked the Cinque Terre trail. It follows the coast line connecting the five villages - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. It winds up and down the mountains offering great views of the coast and the villages as you hike through vineyards hugging the steep slopes. The towns were very tight and colorful, perched on top of cliffs, squeezed almost to a busting point. Part way through the hike I joined up with some fun women (Avery, Rebecca, and Lauren) from the States. They were teachers out traveling Europe together. We had a great time hiking the trail, tossing the frizbee in the ocean, racing up the steep tight streets, dancing to a random accordion player's tunes, and what not. I found Vernazza, the one showed with the protected cove, to be my favorite village for the beauty of the city and variety of sights, but Monterosso, with the beach and restaurants, I think is the best choice for a base camp to explore the others.
After easing into the language and rhythm of Italia, I jumped in feet first into big city touring. First was timeless Rome. It was amazing. Wandering the cobbled streets I happened upon wonderful Roman or Renaissance artifacts everywhere I turned. The remnants of a wall here, a column there, an amazing fountain tucked in a small square - and so on. It seemed like the whole city was built of marble.
I stayed in Trastevere on the West side of the city in a laid back area with some great restaurants and within walking distance to most areas in Rome. The bus system was also very convenient for getting around the city. I had eight days to explore and I was still not able to see everything I wanted to see.
I started out with the Vatican touring St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museums. The history, architecture, sculpture, and paintings were breathtaking. I got to the Vatican early in the morning when there were very few people and first walked in to a huge circular piazza with many sculptures of religious icons peering down from atop a pillared structure. At one side is the imposing Basilica with its dome rising above everything else in the city. The interior was gorgeous containing marble pillars, floor patterns, and elaborate sculptures including Michelangelo's dramatic Pieta.
	I then climbed the dome designed by Michelangelo to gaze across the city. Monuments and Roman ruins peeked out everywhere, fighting from being overtaken by the modern city.
With my aching feet resisting, I spent the rest of the day in the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. To be face to face with the some of the best works of art in the world was overwhelming, especially since it was so sustained. There was room after room of art, sculpture, and other artifacts of Roman, Etruscan, Greek, and Egyptian origins. It was much like the British Museum in London, but with much more religious art and it had a homier feel rather than an institutional museum feel. It took quite a bit of time to make it through the various rooms with the Michelangelo, Raphael, and other painter's frescoes. The scenes were so very complex and large that you really had to take your time to appreciate them. Meanwhile hoards of people file past giving brief glances…
	Rome in the evening was almost as bustling as during the day. People usually started thinking of dinner around 9:00 and then many walked around afterward. I followed suit since when in Rome might as well roam… I found the city to be more beautiful at night than day. All the ruins, pillars, arches, and fountains were lit up beautifully and it was easier to imagine the city as it were during the time of the Romans and how it might have been to be there then.
One morning I got an early start touring and started on the Palatine hill. Overlooking the city of Rome, this area was the location of the emperor's palaces. Among the remnants include many palaces, a stadium, gardens, baths, aqueduct, and just below was a grassy area that used to be Circus Maximus. Complete with skyboxes, Circus Maximus was the arena that housed the chariot and horse race track used for nearly a thousand years. Waves of history hit walking through the area. Occasionally treading over patterned marble flooring in place as they were two thousand years ago and catching a glimpse of a partial wall painting that used to cover all the brick structures in this area.
	Next was the Roman Forum. While maybe depressing and a let down at first glance, a little bit of imagination transforms the broken columns and ruins into one of the inspiring places I have been in this world. Two large arches at either side of the Forum greet travelers and tell of the glory of Rome.
Within the arches lay the remains of the center of the ancient Roman Empire. Basilicas and temples line the roads. Some still reside nearly fully intact, others with only the foundation since the marble and pillars were often taken to build other structures in the city after the fall of Roman Empire.
Just outside the Forum sat the nearly intact Colosseum, the amphitheater used for gladiatorial combat and animal fights. The arena's floor is gone now exposing the network of passageways below for animals and people to make entrances from below.
	While touring I met a couple fun frizbee players from the States Damian and Nick. We tossed the frizbee for a while outside the Colosseum as I'm sure the ancient Romans did thousands of years before us… or at least as they wanted to…I'm sure their marble disks did not fly as well as ours!
	Later that night we stumbled upon a free Roman Symphony Orchestra performance in the Piazza del Campidoglio. An amazing performance made all the more powerful by the setting. The Piazza was surrounded by an amazing fountain, many giant statues, and Museums topped with even more statues.
The next day I just hiked around Roma viewing some of the smaller quieter sights and then met up again with Avery, Rebecca, and Lauren that evening. For some reason we thought the Spanish Steps would be a good place to meet… As it turns out these amazing tiered sets of steps were packed with hoards of people sitting and chilling, most likely from a long day of shopping as the steps are by the high end Italian fashion district. We managed to find each other (even with out cell phones - imagine that!) and after dinner wandered over to my favorite place in Roma - the Trevi Fountain by night. Originally designed by Bernini and later completed by Nicola Salvi depicting Neptune flanked by two horsemen, one with a wild horse and the other calm - representing the two different moods of the sea. The beautifully carved sculptures meld into the surrounding raw marble seascape with pools, streams, and waterfalls. The masterpiece becomes even more dramatic once lit up at night. It is not surprising that of the four times I visited the fountain at all hours of the night and day there was always a crowd gazing in appreciation. (The framed photo at the top of the page is also the Trevi)
The next four days were dedicated to the purpose for my going to Italia - a conference on environmental control and life support systems for space vehicles. It was a great conference highlighting new research, technology, and trends. Lucky after the daily sessions there was time to finish exploring the city and surrounding area sometimes with friends from the conference including the BioServe crew, roommate Keith, and Brooke from NASA Langley. Some of the spots included the Capitoline Museums with more amazing sculpture, the Pantheon a huge Roman dome structure, and a small town just outside of Roma for a banquet.
	Still, with much more to see in Roma I had to keep going. Next stop was Florence. The city was nestled in a river valley with green rolling hills rising around. Of course I visited all the major attractions while in Florence - the Accademia, the Uffizi, the Duomo - all amazing. As the center for the Renaissance and home of the Medici it is one of the world's greatest artistic capitals.
The sculptures in the galleries were amazing. Michelangelo's David and Slaves were stunning, as were many other sculptures including those at the Piazza della Singoria, foremost among them was The Rape of the Sabine Women. The paintings were overwhelming. Most all of the pieces in the Uffizi were recognizable and to see the detail up close or step back and have it all meld together was a delight.
To get a good view of the city I again felt compelled to climb the highest points around - Brunelleschi's Duomo rises above the city and Piazzale Michelangelo that overlooks Firenze. Besides the architectural feat of the Duomo, it is also very colorful since red, green, and white marble was uses to build the exterior and the terracotta roof helps bond the church with the rest of the city. Also very picturesque, was the Ponte Vecchio or old bridge, with shops lining it and an upper corridor allowing the Medici to get around without having to mix with the public.
	Ready to get away from the crowds and big cities, I began the third stage of my trip - exploring the Tuscan country side. I started with a couple road bike rides through the area with guides and pro racers Dominic and Catherine from Best Tuscan Tours. As we spun through the country side past vineyards and villas they offered helpful advice on how to ride better and more efficiently. The terrain was quite hilly, a nice change from the all up then all down type climbs in Colorado (a bit more oxygen too), and on the way back we joined up with some other riders to form a pelaton and cruised! It was great to get the muscles working again after all the traveling. Dominic mentioned that I was one of the fastest he had taken out in the hills, this was to both of our surprise since I had done the riding in my Chaco sandals. I was hoping to rent clipless shoes, but it was not to be … riding with sandals is like having air conditioning for the feet!
I spent the next few nights in a small villa called Fagiolari in a quiet town called Panzano. Fagiolari is a small and simple, but beautiful B&B with a big kitchen. So by day I would tour the country side and by evening I took cooking classes while drinking wine and cooking with olive oil and herbs all grown on the land at the villa. Giulietta, a wonderful Italian woman, ran the place and taught the classes. Each night we would cook a four course dinner with highlights such as: gnocchi, spinach ricotta ravioli, risotto, sauces, tiramisu, ricotta cheese cake, and much much more. They were some of the best meals I had through my entire trip.
	Besides cooking, Giulietta's was a great base camp for exploring the vineyards and the old hilltop cities throughout Toscana. Laurens, Laura (a fun Dutch couple also staying at Fagiolari), and I tasted many great wines and learned all about Chianti Classico, balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto making.
I can see why the Italians are into sports cars. I rented a small car with a manual transmission and had a blast weaving along the roads. The roads would twist and turn shoot up hills then back down as I flew past vineyards, olive groves, and fields of sunflowers (used as a nutrient renewal crop) or wheat. I toured across the land visiting many small walled cities that have hardly changed since the middle ages including San Gimignano, Volterra and its Etruscan museum, Pienza, and Pitigliano. Some had castles, some had many towers, all were unique and interesting. Built on hilltops or cliffs for defense and preservation of the lowlands for farming, they would rise up above you toured through the land.
	Completing the tour I drove back to Roma sadly to fly back home. One side note, if I ever have to drive through Roma again I will grab a local off the road to at least navigate if not drive! The signs were unreadable etched in marble on the sides of buildings, the roads veer every which way with one way streets galore, and they were all packed with cars and mopeds… crazy!
Anyway, ciao for now and as always if you would like to see any other pictures of specific parts of the experience, or want higher resolution copies of what are on the web site, just let me know. Also, don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. jon.pineau@colorado.edu Check out some pictures from other trips here