We Celebrated Our Tenth Wedding Anniversary in the Mesmerizing Italy!

It was our tenth marriage anniversary and we chose Italy as it had always been on my wish list. Our weeklong trip was with our 4-year old. Getting a Schengen stamping was not easy even when it was our second one. For the visa application, you just need to show a confirmed itinerary. You can also buy an itinerary from a website.

We flew with Qatar Airways. Within Italy, we used public transport. There were two kinds of trains: Le Frecce High-Speed Trains and regional trains (normal speed). Rates for the high-speed option fluctuate with time so book in advance for a cheaper fare. You can either book the tickets online or purchase them from the railway station.

Our first destination in Italy was Cinque Terre where we stayed at Hotel Firenze e Continentale La Spezia. We enjoyed the service and the hotel was clean enough for us.  

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At the railway stations, you can buy a Cinque Terre Card that lets you board any train or bus within Cinque Terre (within 24 hours of purchase). We took the train to explore villages like Manarola, Vernazza, Riomaggiore and Monterosso al Mare. Do not miss the sunset at Manarola!

Our next stop was Rome where we had booked Hotel Madison but as Rome is a popular destination, hotels get overbooked so they shifted us to Hotel Galles which was a little far from the main railway station, Roma Termini.

Although the rooms were not spacious, the hotel had better reviews than Hotel Madison, we enjoyed the breakfast, and a metro station was near the premises. Another important thing about travelling in Italy or Rome is that you should book the sightseeing tickets online as wherever you would go, there are very long queues even if it is not a peak season! Find a combo ticket for the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Another option for buying cheaper tickets is through a non-official vendor. Even after having a ticket, you will have to wait in a queue but a smaller one!

The gigantic structures overwhelmed me. There is a legend that if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, then you are likely to return to Rome someday!

The next day, we headed to Pantheon, which was free to enter. Our next stop was Vatican City, we took a short metro ride from Pantheon; being weekend, the city-state was extremely crowded. Then we visited St Peter's Square and the Sistine Chapel (the official residence of the pope); the entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel was through a combined ticket.

From Roma Termini, we boarded a train to Florence where we were supposed to spend two nights. We had to book two different hotels due to a lack of availability. One night was at Porta Faenza, a hotel built over the home of a Florentine merchant with an impressive display of antiques.

We loved the charming old city of Florence, as there were so many art galleries and museums while the city was compact enough to explore on foot. After sunset, we headed to Piazzale Michelangelo or Michelangelo Square for panoramic views of the city. There are buses that go directly to the square but we could not locate the bus stops for the same so we ended up trekking and it was worth the effort!

The other hotel we had booked was Hotel Desiree. Again, due to overbooking, they sent us to the pathetic Domus Florentine Hotel!

Our next place to see was the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The freestanding bell tower is located in the city of Pisa, an hour’s train ride from Florence. The four-degree lean is due to an unstable foundation. The tower lies behind the Pisa Cathedral and its construction took almost 200 years.

Our final destination was Venice where we had booked Hotel Ca' Zusto Venezia which was constructed on an ancient aristocratic palace. The boutique hotel offered us a free upgrade and the rooms were lively and spacious. Each hotel room had a Turkish name as the owner did business with Turkey back in the 14^th century. This was the best hotel during our entire trip!

After exploring the streets at night, the next day we began sightseeing. We visited attractions such as Piazza San Marco, St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Then we headed back to Milan at Holiday Inn Express Milan Malpensa Airport. The hotel was very good, with a free shuttle to the airport.

Tips for Travellers

• Italy has a lot to explore and a week or two are not enough!
• There will be a lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes.
• You do not need to know Italian to enjoy a trip to Italy.

Although we took a flight to Bangalore the next morning, I had dropped a coin at Trevi Fountain so let us see when we return to Rome!