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Dipti Nair
Doha
What are the best things in Italy? Is it the history, the art and heritage, the famous cathedrals and museums, or is it the fashion, the fast cars, or even the cuisine and coffee? What is it that I must not miss on my first trip to Italy? Those were my thoughts as I landed at the Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome.
Little did I realise that Italy and its various sights are more than just a destination that you can check on your bucket list. To get the true essence of this Southern European country, you must open your eyes and look beyond the travel brochures.
However, as with any destination, I would recommend seeing the popular sights. In Rome, it starts with the Colosseum. Anyone who has watched the Russell Crowe blockbuster Gladiator is sure to be familiar with the Colosseum, but this massive amphitheatre is quite a vision up-close. Built in concrete and sand in 72 AD, this structure is still strong and standing thanks to many restorative works. This is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Rome and while visiting, I would recommend hiring a tour guide, as they can really bring the Colosseum to life with their colourful stories of past emperors, gladiators and the fabulous animal circuses.
The Roman Forum with its ancient ruins of government buildings is another place worth visiting. The forum was the centre of day-to-day activities in ancient Rome and thus, a very important part of its history. Rome is one of the oldest cities of the world, and with its ancient buildings and restored structures, you can see evidence of its age everywhere you go. Yet, even the ruins look well-maintained. Every other structure in Rome, or in fact in the whole of Italy, looks as if created by a master sculptor, and with so many iconic artists originating from this country, most of them probably are.
While in Rome, don't miss a trip to the Vatican, an independent state entirely surrounded by the city of Rome. It houses the famous Vatican Museums, one of the greatest art galleries in the world. The museum is famous for its spiral staircase, the Raphael Rooms and the exquisite Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's frescoes on the walls and ceilings.
There is a door just as you exit the Chapel, on the right side, that will take you directly into St Peter's Basilica. Not many people are aware of it and it's mostly tour guides who use it. If you miss that short-cut, you will have to exit the museum and subject yourself to yet another long line to enter the Basilica through the St Peter's Square. St Peter's Basilica is one of the most opulent and magnificent cathedrals in the world with an interior that is truly awe-inspiring. While at the Vatican, look out for the majestic Swiss Guards, the smallest and oldest army in the world, on the right side of the Basilica. Their colourful uniforms and medieval weapons are a sight.
My next stop was the lovely city of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is a city that will make you love art even if you know nothing about it and for true art lovers, it is paradise. The whole of Florence feels like an open-air museum with its amazing architecture and art at every nook and corner.
The city is small with all the major sights including the Florence Cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, Galleria dell'Accademia within walking distance. However, we stayed at a villa a little away from the city and with easy access to nearby towns of Pisa, Siena and Lucca. Staying away from the city and its hoard of tourists also gave us an opportunity to experience the Tuscan life, interact with locals, visit the markets and enjoy some home-cooked food.
We also rented a car for a long and picturesque drive through the Tuscan countryside and into the historic city of Siena. However, fair warning, if you are planning on driving in Florence, renting a car can be an expensive affair. Also the traffic rules are different from what we are used to in Qatar and if not careful, you can be fined heavily.
From Florence, we moved on to the destination I was most excited about, the romantic city of Venice. A city built around canals and connected with bridges, Venice on first sight, totally captivated me. The only way to travel between the different islands is by water-taxi, unless of course you prefer to walk. The cobblestoned streets of Venice have been captured in many movies. Its artistic bridges and marvellous buildings make for the most amazing photographs.
One of the high-points in Venice is Piazza San Marco, an amazing public square in the centre of Venice. The Piazza is surrounded by many fabulous buildings including St Mark's Basilica, The Bell Tower and Doge's Palace. Besides being filled with people and great marvels of architecture, Piazza San Marco is also home to flocks of pigeons. We were approached by people offering us the opportunity to feed the pigeons from our hands, for a fee. It is advisable to refrain from doing so as pigeon feeding is banned. The Piazza also has many restaurants and all of them have live music. It was an amazing experience to walk through the Piazza and take in the different sights and sounds that are truly Italian.
While we were enjoying an exceptionally beautiful symphony played by a band outside a restaurant, a tourist suddenly kicked off her heels, pulled out satin slippers from her purse and performed an impromptu ballet. That, for me, was the spirit of Italy.
A tour of Venice is incomplete without a gondola ride, and while a romantic gondola ride in the moonlight sounds fabulous, I would advise against it as there are many mosquitoes in the canals that get exceptionally belligerent at night. While Venice is no doubt fabulous, I also feel it is over-rated. You will be truly awed by everything on your first day but then, things start to get monotonous. We tried to walk it to enjoy the narrow boulevards and Venice's many street performers but after a point the long winding streets crowded with tourists started to feel like a maze with many dead ends. After one particularly long walk where we got badly lost, I got back to my hotel room, exhausted, thinking that I would be happy if I never saw another bridge or canal again. My recommendation - just stay one night, to take in the sights and enjoy the views, Italy has other fabulous cities worth spending more time in.
Western culture is believed to have originated in Italy and the modernity of this country is not measured by the number of sky scrapers but by the infrastructure and that includes its fantastic transportation network. All of Italy is easily accessible by public transport like trains, trams and buses which have an efficient, affordable and very punctual network. Another impressive thing about Italy is the abundance of beautiful water fountains that dispense refreshingly cold drinking water for free.
However, avoid visiting Italy in summer; it's not only unbearably hot but also chock-a-block with tourists. Another thing to remember is that you have to pay entry fees for almost every museum or attraction. Wherever possible, purchase tickets online to avoid long queues.
And when in Rome, eat like a Roman; Italian food goes way beyond pizzas. Open your mind and savour the delectable flavours and tastes this country has to offer.
Someone once said that 'Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life'. For me that's very true, as even though I have left the enchanting country, its amazing landscapes and lifestyle keep haunting me and beckoning me to return. Italy remains a place to fall in love with over and over again and for me it will always be a dream like no other.
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20/09/2017
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