We're back! Well, we got back on Sunday, but jet lag is, like, lame.
The food and wine, in general, were my favorite part. We did a fair amount of research and basically always had a specific place in mind for lunch, dinner, and the daily gelato. We had excellent food! Because Italy is so touristy, I would say that that more relaxing, walk around until you find a place that looks tasty plan, is not a good idea, unfortunately. (Not that I really ever do that in the US if I can help it.)
Six Highlights
1. Going to the top of the bell tower in Siena + the bus ride itself from Rome to Siena. Tuscany is so, so beautiful, especially in the Spring, and both of these gave us amazing views.
2. Getting to and eating at La Bottega del 30 in Tuscany, about 25 miles from Siena. We had a terrifying taxi ride over with Fabio, who drove in the pedestrian city of Siena like it was a video game, and then sped down the narrow country roads while passing cars on the shoulders and around blind bends. Thankfully, when we finally got there, the restaurant handed me a prosecco aperitvo and that calmed my nerves and made the experience seem charmingly Italian. We did the chef's tasting menu, and sat there for almost three hours with our endless courses and bottle of wine. The chef came out multiple times to tell us about what she was making. And then we got to hang out with her cat in the vineyard outside as we waited for Fabio to come pick us up.
3. Going to a tiny deli in Siena, run by Antonio, the Ron Swanson of Tuscany. Antonio had a curled mustache and made us giant roast pork and pecorino sandwiches. He told us that good pizza in Italy was made exclusively in Naples, that we were wasting our time with touristy activities in Siena, and was generally horrified that we didn't know the specific vineyards our wine had come from over the past couple of days. He tried to rectify this by opening up bottles from his shelf and making us taste them. Apparently saying "Chianti Classico Riserva from a local Tuscan vineyard" is providing no information to an Italian who knows his wines.
4. The 1.5 hour coastal hike from Corniglia, where we stayed in the Cinque Terre, to Vernazza. It's mesmerizing to walk from one cliffside town to another, through the mountains and along the ocean. We walked from Vernazza to Monterosso as well, but on a mountain trail instead of a coastal trail, and that was not a highlight. (Although in retrospect, this six hour hike was not a lowlight either, although I thought I was going to cry at the time.)
5. People-watching with my ice cream cone, in a small plaza outside of a trendy gelateria in the Monti neighborhood in Rome. Italian bambinos are so adorable. And I don't know how Italians manage to wear pants, boots, long sleeves and sleek sweaters when it's 75 degrees out and not melt into sweaty messes. Amazing.
6. Our night out in the Pigneto neighborhood, a sort of eastern suburb that we stayed in on the second leg of our trip, which was blessedly off the map and un-touristy, but filled with really fun bars and delicious restaurants. We walked around eating and drinking for about five hours without even realizing it.
Three Lowlights
1. The Vatican. Easily the worst sightseeing experience of my life. The crowds, panhandlers, and heat at most of Rome's major sights were unpleasant, but I have never wanted to cross something off my "to-see" list and get the heck out more than when I was in the suffocating forced march through the Vatican Museum to the Sistine Chapel.
2. Eating in the Cinque Terre. Our research failed us here. These five tiny towns are just so touristy, they are basically resorts. There was no off the beaten path that we could find, and the tourists were so...awful. Like, yelling recommendations to each other on where to eat based on whether the staff had good English. One night I think I had the dreaded frozen and microwaved pasta. I mean, we didn't starve or anything, and actually had rather excellent breakfasts at the cafe owned by the woman whose apartment we rented, but eating mediocre pasta in Italy makes me so sad.
3. The huge fire in the Rome airport, the day before Eddie was supposed to fly in from Paris to hang out with me. They canceled his flight! Luckily, our international flight the next day was not affected, although the inefficiency of the Rome airport could be a separate item on this list, if I were feeling in the mood to criticize...
Overall, a very good trip! It made me miss Spain a lot, especially Madrid. (Pigneto reminded me a lot of Madrid.) I think even the major sights in Spain are less popular than minor sights in Italy, and being able to communicate freely with locals when I travel is important to me. Too bad I am not going back any time soon, since we spent all of our money!
