Italy

Often called Il Divino (“the divine one”), Michelangelo di Lodivico Buonorrati Simoni—more commonly known simply as Michelangelo—is one of the most heralded figures of the Renaissance. Receiving commissions for his work at the young age of fourteen, Michelangelo’s artistic career spanned more than half-a-century, creating masterful works in several mediums. Today, Michelangelo’s iconic sculptures, paintings and frescoes are what make Italy an important stop for any art lover.

This fall, Realtraveler DareToDream, traveling from Chicago with her niece, stopped in Florence, Venice, Rome and Vatican City during her tour of Italy and the United Kingdom. She writes about the immense feeling of wonder that filled her while making her way through the splendid hallways of the Sistine Chapel; about being staggered by the beauty of Michelangelo’s Pieta in Rome; and of the intricate details of the Medici Chapel in Florence. Michelangelo is widely known for his incredible depictions of awe-inspiring grandeur and DareToDream perhaps captures it best in this passage from her journal:

“We fast paced through halls after halls of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts dated thousands of years back, until we reached the unparalleled sublimity of Sistine Chapel. The ceiling that is filled with Michelangelo’s paintings drawn by his angelic hands. I don’t know why. Right there, the time seemed to have stood still. A sense of sacredness and also sadness overwhelmed me. I didn’t have enough time to study/enjoy it. Nothing can bring me back to Rome, but this one. Even so, the sight of these biblical/religious paintings/frescoes on the ceiling has [quenched] my thirst for art. I can live peacefully even if I don’t visit another art museum for the rest of my life now that I have seen it.” (more…)

DareToDream spent eight days in Italy seeing almost all of Michelangelo’s work from the hallowed inner sanctums of the Vatican to his various sculptures in the Medici Chapel. Surprisingly, she opted not to see Michelangelo’s most famous work, the sculpture of David, satisfied only to see a replica of the statue in the courtyard of Uffizi. After nearly an entire week of traveling around Florence to visit

almost every museum in the city, DareToDream was afflicted with a strange, self-diagnosed illness that should serve as a warning to other museum-going Realtravelers not to over-do it: “I had what they called-ART HANGOVER. My niece must have been thrilled to hear that. :-)”

Michelangelo’s art can be found in almost every major city throughout Italy, making for a great road trip for any art lover. Those that are interested in making the trek should definitely check out DareToDream’s blog for tips and advice about where to stay and what to do.

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When many think Italian food, chances are what comes to mind is a fairly standard image, one of pasta with meatballs or sausage, cheese-filled lasagna, chicken parmigiana covered in savory red sauce and many other dishes that have become the staples of Italian restaurants across America. The truth is, however, that what we commonly experience as Italian food is, in general, only an incredibly small slice of the amazing variety of tastes, textures and colors that make up Italian cuisine. No doubt, Italy is as famous for its incredibly diverse cuisine as it is for art, architecture and culture.

So what better way to experience the vast variety of what’s available in this Southern European nation than to make food an integral part of your travels there? The answer is there is none because pound for pound, a trip across Italy can be one of the most rewarding travel experiences and a true dream trip. From the fresh, simple tastes of Tuscany, to the spicy red sauces of central Italy, to any of a number of regional specialties, often influenced by neighboring countries of France, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Austria, you won’t be disappointed for even a second.

But don’t take it from me. Check out what RealTravelers Mike & Jac had to say about the amazing food they experienced during their road trip across Italy. Their first stop was Rome.

“On our first night in Roma we headed to Pizzeria San Callisto which we had read about as the best pizza in Roma… We sat outside (very cold by the way but better vantage point) and tasted some different bruschettas (yum!) and then the famous pizzas that lived up to expectations, falling off the plate and were brimming with flavour and freshness…

The Supermarceto is also worth noting - there are no supermarket chains around (in small or capital cities) but they all have proper delis where they slice whatever meat you like fresh off the bone/leg… There is a fine selection of wine at the supermarceto and even if you spend 4 euro on a bottle of a Chianti it is probably twice as good as a glass of house wine at an Aussie pub.” (more…)

Next stop was Florence, a city that needs no introduction, and for Mike & Jac the cuisine was as much a part of what made this unspeakably beautiful city memorable as the sites and attractions.

“On our first night we went to a nearby trattoria that was recommended in a guidebook – and it was on the mark! The Trattoria Contafino was a family run restaurant, full of locals enjoying the fantastic meals – primo (a pasta or soup), secondi (meat or fish) plus bread and side salad/veg and a ¼ litre vino for 11 Euro. The presentation of the food was simple but the flavour was sensational and the service homely. People often queue up out the front for a table. Also the dolce (dessert) was fabulous for an extra few euro – these Italians know how to make a fresh baked cheesecake and tiramisu!…

[The next day] we could not resist popping into our already favourite trattoria just around the corner – Mike tried rabbit for the first time and I had chicken with some fabulous artichoke sauce, of course there was primi and I had the most delicious ravioli with ragout (bolognaise) sauce and Mike was in heaven with the freshly rolled egg pasta fettuccine with pesto…We are not exaggerating – of all the meals in Italy prior to Florence and also the ones after (as we write this we are actually in Venice at the end of our Italy stay) it really did set the standard by which we would measure other meals – conceding that we were privileged to experience such an establishment (we went three times by the time we left Florence!).” (more…)

From there they continued on to the small village of Casoli in Bagni Di Lucca, where they stayed in a chalet and were able to experience truly local flavor in what can only be described as an intimate setting. Could anything else so perfectly epitomizes the emphasis on local flavor in Italian cuisine?

“As promised, Maria’s husband Daniel picked us and our luggage up at the carpark – Casoli is an 11th century medieval village complete with narrow cobbled stoned paths and accessible by foot only and with a population of only 35!

After a much deserved sleep we woke to the sound of Maria preparing our breakfast downstairs (ended up we were staying in a two story chalet with our room upstairs and our own dining room and lounge downstairs). It was a feast! Omellette, two types of cheese, salami, yoghurt, cereal, juices, bread, jams (they grow fruit and make their own preserves to sell at nearby markets), fresh coffee brought in once we were sitting, and a whole cake (of course we did not eat it all!)!” (more…)

I think it’s safe to say we all hope Mike & Jac will fill us in on the rest of their trip through Italy. But even this set of incredible experiences are only a piece of what you can find during your own travels. So get to planning and get to packing! Here are some resources that can help you:

Rome Hotels
Florence Hotels
Lucca Hotels

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