|
SIENA I ROME I VENICE I CINQUE_TERRA I FLORENCE I |
|
How to get there/ around: Getting to Siena is pretty easy. First, get yourself to Rome or Florence( Florence is easiest.) From Rome take the train to the Siena train station and then a public bus(be sure to buy an .80 cent ticket and validate it on the bus.) to Siena's city center. Ask the bus driver if he will be driving to Piazza Gramsci: Va a piazza Gramsci? |
View of Siena at Dusk |
From Florence it's easiest to take
a Sena bus to Siena because it will take you right away to the historical center
of the city. From the train station in Florence exite walking away from the
trains to your right. The Sena bus station is across the street and around the
corner. Late at night and if you have a eurail pass you can take the train from
Florence and then take a public bus into siena's historical center.
Once in Siena you can pretty much walk everywhere. The streets are cobblestone
and narrow so watch out for
cars and scooters. Make sure to have a map and to keep an eye open for the tourist
signs directing you to the main sights.
Where to Eat: For a quick
meal try Tutto Pizza or Mister Pizza. Both have large slices for small prices
to go and are on the same hard-to-find street. Ask anyone who's been in Siena
for more than a day and they can help you find them. Both are good but at Mister
Pizza you're more likely to find hotter, fresher pizza but also longer lines.
Hot tip: At Mister pizza if there are a bunch of people waiting around the entrance
but there's no one ordering this means that there are new pizzas about to come
out of the oven. It's worth the wait for the fresh out of the oven slices.
For sit down but still cheap meal try New York Pizza which is near Piazza Il
Campo. The pizzas are delicious and a perfect size for one person. If you want
a pizza more like home opt for doubling up the dough on your pizza.
For a fancier dinner try Gli Archi. The food is good but the prices reflect
the fancier reputation.
|
Piazza il Campo ready for the Palio and full of spectators. |
What to Do: The best thing to do on a sunny day in Siena is to relax in Piazza Il Campo and watch the passersby. This is the closest you will come to looking/acting like a Siena native. Piazza il Campo is the location of Siena's biannual Palio. |
This action-packed horse race is held in the square in July and August. At these times all of Siena, and a huge number of european and american tourists, jam themselves into the center of the square to watch jockeys and horses vie for the honor of winning this historic event. The teams are the Contradas which are sections of Siena. Sienese families belong to the contradas by their heritage and are bound to that team for life. There are two winning Contradas each year, one for each race, and the winners celebrate for about a month and a half after the race is over. The celebrations include large contrada dinners in the streets, food, wine, and music festivals around Siena, and the contrada memebers generally wear the Contrada flag tied around their necks and hang them around the area.
|
UC students in Public Park during art class. |
There is also a
hard to find, quiet park with a gorgeous view of the countryside around
Siena near IL Duomo. IL Duomo is worth the hike up-hill. The outside is
gorgeous and the inside is peaceful. If you can get to Siena between August
and October you'll see the world-famous floor mosaics inside(the rest of
the year they're covered with cardboard.) |
Front view of IL Duomo. |
|
Sunset view of IL Duomo from the Panorama. |
Right Next to Il Duomo is the Museo del Duomo. The medieval works, sculptures, and ornate decorations are great to see but the main attraction is the panorama at the top of the museum. This 15-ft long pathway with three-feet high walls is the best place to see Siena and the countryside. This is a great place to watch the sunset but beware, the museum closes at sunset and an employee will undoubtedly be shooing you out right as the sun falls.The second best view, but somewhat more famous, view of Siena is from the tower in the Palazzo Pubblico in Il Campo. The approximately 300 stairs to the top of the tower make you appreciate the view, and the rest, at the top all the more. There is also a historical museum in the Palazzo Pubblico. |
|
Dusk view of the San Domenico Church in fog. |
Siena is also very famous for the holdings of the San Domenico church just inside the city walls. Inside is one of St. Catherine's fingers and her head. Both are well-preserved for all to see. While on the St. Catherine tour you can also visit St. Catherine's sanctuary which is near the church. |
St. Catherine's head as seen in the San Domenico Church. |
| When you're done with the cultural sight-seeing, check out some of the spots for young travelers. First, there are a countless amount of bars and pubs all around Siena. One favorite spot is the Australian Pub. On Via Pantanetto near IL Duomo here you'll find Australian souvenirs and beers. Up the street, if you want to dance, find IL Cambio behind two discreet white doors(you can't miss it at night, you'll hear the music.) If you want a calmer evening out check out The Tea Room in Piazza Del Mercato behind the Palazzo Pubblico. This place has countless kinds of tea, laid-back music(live on every other wednesday) and board games to play. There are many other treasured bars all around Siena but half the find is finding them in your night-time wanderings. |
| How to get there: Rome is accessible by plane, bus, and train. If you take the bus into Rome you will arrive at the Tiburtina train station. Be wary because the people at Tiburtina are less than reputable. Keep an eye out and you should be fine. If you take the train just remember that there are both the Termini and Tiburtina train station. Termini is more central than Tiburtina. From Tiburtina or the airport take the metros into the center. |
The Coliseum in Rome. |
Where to Stay: Most people
say not to stay near Termini because it's unsafe after dark but as long as you're
on your toes and aware of your surroundings the area is fine after dark. Hostels
are generally cheaper near the train station so if you're not travelling alone
it's worth staying in that area. Hotel Des Artistes (V. Villafranca, 20. 06
445 43 65; www.hoteldesartists.com) is south of the station. The rooms are clean
and cheap and there's a small café with free Internet. Dorms are generally
around $18.
Special Tip: Steer clear of Hostel Alessandro. The hostel is north of the train
station. Past travelers have gotten ill, shared a bed with bed bugs, and the
managers were not very helpful.
Where to Eat: Near Vatican City is Ristaurante Guido (V. Borgo Pio, 13.
06 687 54 91). Although the place doesn't look like much, only a whole in the
wall with a food counter and two tables, the food is cheap and delicious. Don't
be scared off by the extremely casual atmosphere. Try the tortellini al pomodoro
and have a talk with Guido, which is very amiable
|
|
What to Do: Rome is the home of many incredible ruins. Definitely check out the coliseum, the forum and the Pantheon. One incredible place worth visiting is the Villa Borghese. With beautiful gardens and a park surrounding it's a nice place to visit on a sunny day. The collection inside the Galleria Borghese is absolutely breath taking with incredible Bernini sculptures and ceiling paintings to match. Left: Bernini's Statue of Apollo and Daphne. |
|
Greek Statue "Laocoonte" as seen in the Vatican Museums in Rome |
Vatican City is a full-day trip. Get a pass to see the Vatican museums(show up early because the lines extend for ages.) All of the Vatican museums are worth seeing and at the end, like a cherry on top, is the Sistine Chapel. Save at least thirty minutes just to gaze in awe and the ceilings and walls. While inside the Vatican Museums be sure to look for the famous Laocoonte statue in the sculpture galleries. Also worth visiting is St.. Peter's basilica, make sure you climb up to the cupola. |
One of Bernini's many creations, the altar in St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. |
|
The Trevi Fountain in Rome at dusk. |
The
Trevi fountain is another Roman treasure. Be sure to throw three coins in
when you're there: One for love, one for a wish and one to ensure that you'll
return soon. There are some great gelaterias around the Trevi fountain.
Look for a gelateria where the gelato is duller. The bright colors mean
that the flavoring is artificial. Also be sure to visit the Piazza DI Spagna. Although the Spanish steps are always incredibly crowded it is worth seeing, especially at night when everything is lit up. |
|
How to Get There: Getting to Venice is easy from anywhere in Europe. There are trains from all over Italy and beyond that take you to the Venice station which is right in the center of the city, next to the grand canal. Where to Stay: Venice is more expensive than most cities in Italy because it is smaller than rome and Florence but has the same size tourist industry. Finding a place under 30 Euros will be tough unless you're willing to stay in a hostel in a shared room. One good place is the albergo gerotto calderan. Look for it on any hostel website. It's pretty stark and the people are rough but it is clean and right in the middle of a great shopping market. |
The Grand Canal at night from a Gondola. |
|
Our Gondolier, Giacobo, after a romantic ride on the Grand Canal. |
Where to Eat: If you're staying at the gerotto calderon there is a great restaurant right outside that is good and relatively reasonably priced. If you walk out of the front door of the albergo it's just ahead on your left side. The waiters are extremely friendly and you can eat outside for a nice view of the square around you. Once you wander towards the tourist the tourist areas finding good, cheap meals becomes almost impossible. The best way to find a good place is to wander around, get lost, and eat at the first restaurant where you don't here any English and there is no tourist menu. One great place I found while wandering is the Ostaria "Sora Al Ponte." It's pretty out of the way but worth finding. The address is San Polo, 1588 but finding a place by a street and number in Venice is tricky…. Good luck. What to Do: Venice, like other big cities has plenty of fun places to visit. Walk across the Realto bridge to see all of the shops with masks and the rest of the tourists in the city. Get youself lost in the winding streets and see the Italians. Take a gondola ride if you're the romantic type but it won't be cheap and remember that most gondola prices are set by the city so you won't be able to get yourself a deal. While on the Gondola be sure to ask the gondolier to sing. Our gondolier, Giacobo, offered some wonderful arias while taking us on a tour of the less seen canals in the city. |
|
If you enjoy seeing museums
check out the academia and the Peggy Guggenheim museum. They're very near
each other. While the academia will give you the typical history of art
in Venice, the peggy Guggenheim collection has a selection of modernist
and expressionist artists such as Pollack, Dali, and Boccioni. This museum
is a personal favorite because it is smaller, easier to handle and it
boggles the mind that one person could own so much incredible artwork.
Some interesting must-sees at the museum include the graves of Peggy Guggenheim's
poodles in the yard and the canal-front statue with a detachable "member."
|
Statue of a man with a detachable "member" outside of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. |
|
View of Monterosso, in Cinque Terra. |
Cinque
Terra translated into English is "five lands." These five towns
on the northern Italian coast are well worth the multiple-leg trip to get
there. How to Get There: In order to get to Cinque Terra you first have to get to La Spezia. Trains from all over Italy go to La Spezia several times daily. From La Spezia you can hop onto a train to one of the Five Towns(Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Monorolla, and Rio Maggiore) or you can get to the dock and take a scenic boat trip to the towns(Boats do not go to Corniglia because it is on a cliff unlike the other towns which are on the water.) Start at a town at one end, for example Monterosso, and hike to the other towns. |
Where to Stay: Although the
towns are tiny and do not have many official hotels, it seems that everyone
who lives there has an extra room or small apartment to rent. Look for signs
for "Camera," meaning room, and if the person owning the place does
not have vacancies chances are they know someone who does and they will take
you over there themselves.
Where to Eat: The one thing about Cinque Terra is that it is basically
impossible to find an inexpensive restaurant. Go to a store and buy sandwich
food or suck it up and spend a little more on your meal. The food is wonderful,
especially if you like seafood, so it could be worth the extra penny.
| What to Do: Hiking between the towns is the main reason that people go to Cinque terra. You hike along a cliff high above the coastline. The trails weave in and out of luscious green forests. The views of the ocean, the towns, and vineyards are priceless so be sure that you have a camera and lots of film. The hikes are not easy but doable with a pack on your back. Generally the first twenty minutes of the hikes are the hardest because you have t hike up stairs from the coast to the cliff. Be sure to bring lots of water with you because there are no pit stops along the way and check the road conditions because rains can cause landslides on the trails which will block your path. |
A hike through vineyards in Cinque Terra. |
|
View of the bay in Vernazza, Cinque Terra. |
If you want to relax a bit
in a town spend some time in Vernazza eating ice cream, having cocktails
and jumping off the jetty. The bay is a great place to swim and the rocky
jetty is a great place to bask on a sunny day.
|
How to get there: From far
away places fly into Florence and then take a bus or a train to the city center.
Florence is easy to navigate with a map. The train station and the Sena bus
station are around the corner from each other near the church of Santa Maria
Novella.
Where to Stay: Florence is a city of many hostels and hotels. Generally
the hostels are all a gamble but that's half of the adventure. There are many
places in the vicinity of the train station, which is a good place to stay.
By the train station the entire city is accessible and so is the rest of Italy.
Ostello Archi Rossi (V. Faenza, 94r. 055 29 08 04) is near the train station
and comes recommended. There is, however a lockout and a curfew. Dorms are around
$20 and there's free Internet.
| Where
to Eat: The same rules apply for Florence as for most big cities. There
is a wide selection of food but near the tourist attractions you'll pay
too much for too little. Wander down the side streets and find the pizza
and pasta places that don't have neon signs. If you're in a hurry and aren't
too picky there are many fast food restaurants directly across from the
train station. Trattoria Mario, (V. Rosina, 2r. 055 21 85 50) has great, cheap dishes and a local crowd. They only serve lunch. Definitely a place worth trying.What to do: The Duomo in Florence is a must-see attraction. Pay a price and climb to the top of the cupola. It's well worth the strain and money. |
The Duomo in Florence. |
|
Botticelli's "Primavera," as seen in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. |
Right near the Duomo is the Uffizi gallery. Generally by afternoon lines are hours long and only big groups can make reservations. For this museum it is worth getting up super early to beat the crowds. The museum is on the large side so that the early start will give you the full day that you need to explore all of the artworks. Be sure to find Botticelli's "Primavera" and "Birth of Venus." |
|
Michelangelo's "David" at the Academia in Florence. |
Another famous museum worth visiting is the Academia. This is the home of Michelangelo's David. The museum is pricey, about eight dollars, but David is such an unbelievable piece of artwork to see in person that it's worth it. Also be sure to take a look at Michelangelo's "Prigionieri." This series of sculptures are male figures that look like they're literally imprisoned in the stone, thus the name prigionieri that means prisoners. |
One of Michelangelo's "Prigonieri" at the Academia in Florence. |
If you feel the need to empty your
pockets a little more be sure to find the famous Florence marketplace which
includes countless leather stands. Prices are a lot cheaper than you will find
in the states or in other stores in Italy and the experience of searching and
bartering is truly Italian. The marketplace is in the area behind Santa Maria
Novella (the church, not the train station but if you can't find and tourist
or native can point you in the direction. Also worth seeing is the Ponte Vecchio,
which is also surrounded by leather and other stands and is lined with gold
and silver jewelry shops.
