Category: Travel Italy

Three days and five trains, plus one planned replacement bus, across Europe to Firenze [Florence] in Tuscany and not a hitch. Given our experiences of appalling train reliability in the northwest of England, this seemed remarkable.

Why Travel by Train?

We have been trying to save the planet for decades and choosing sustainable travel options is second nature. We first travelled across Europe by train in 1991 with our five-year old son. Strikes in France disrupted the ferries and the trains on that journey and our trip to Milan was memorable for a lot of waiting around, some thoughtful French train staff and not always having enough food. For some reason, we were not put off and continued to use public transport to Slovakia, Spain, Germany and Austria through the 90s and 2000s

Since buying a campervan, our train travel has been in the UK and from campsites. We wanted to travel on the rails across Europe once again.

Why Firenze?

Somehow, we have travelled around Firenze and Tuscany plenty of times but never visited the city. Everytime, we thought about how busy it would be and how hot and bothered we would get and we stayed in the countryside. It was last winter’s jigsaw project that inspired us. The jigsaw showed the Duomo di Firenze and, as we worked on the pieces, a plan to visit began to emerge. Firenze is easy to reach by train, has plenty of accommodation, lots to see and do and the Duomo looked awesome! An out of season trip sounded perfect.

The Journey, Day One

The Lancaster to London Euston train was the part of the journey I was most nervous about but Avanti managed to run a service. We gave ourselves plenty of time for a leisurely walk to St Pancras via Camden. We had selected an evening Eurostar as this was cheaper and the journey was uneventful. A top tip was to buy Metro tickets on the Eurostar so that we could get straight to our hotel when we arrived. We stayed at the Novotel right outside the Gare de Lyon, which I highly recommend.

The Journey, Day Two

Leaving our bags at the hotel, we walked to the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, as our Gare du Lyon train didn’t leave until mid-afternoon.  This vast cemetery is crammed with monumental graves, arranged around rows of narrow paths that climb the hillside.  There are so many famous people buried here, you will want to look out your own heroes. We firstly looked for the grave of the author Colette, finding a simple black granite stone adorned with flowers. Oscar Wilde’s grave was a modernist fanciful creation in concrete. Cobbled lanes and narrow earth paths wind around the hillside and we eventually found Jim Morrison’s grave.  This American singer-songwriter and lead singer with the band The Doors is popular. His life was not without controversy and his actions not always exemplary but we came in respect of his music.

The 14.48 TGV from the Gare de Lyon to Milano hurtled through the French countryside faster than our campervan. We cruised through the snow-covered mountains in the dusk until we reached Saint Jean-de-Maurienne, where, thanks to a landslide, we had to leave the train for a replacement bus through the Frejus Tunnel to Oulx. We had about 40 minutes to wait in Oulx in the chilly mountain air before the train arrived for the last stretch. We arrived in Torino [Turin] at around 22.00 and walked briskly to The Turin Paradise Hotel.

Day Three in Torino

Torino has been on my must-visit list since I saw The Italian Job and the minis racing through all those arcades. Breaking our journey here for a couple of days was an easy thing to arrange when we booked our tickets with Rail Europe.

Everything about The Paradise Hotel was lavish, including the breakfast buffet. Served in a high ceilinged airy room there were cheeses, yoghurts, cereals, fruit and veg, different breads, four types of honey and a whole table stacked with various croissants, including charcoal ones! This was better than anything we could serve up in our campervan.

It was a sunny day and we had a ball exploring Torino. From the fascinating National Mountain Museum on Monte di Cappuccini, where they seemed to have some of our old camping gear to Café Fiori, one of Torino’s elegant and historic cafes. We tried the local beverage, bicerin, a chocolate-coffee combo that was confusingly sweet and bitter at the same time.  We walked around the large outdoor market, under grand arcades, found some of the locations from The Italian Job and window shopped.

Vermouth rosso [rojo in Spain] is one of my passions and Torino is where this aperitif was first concocted. At the stylish hotel bar we ordered vermouth rosso and the bartender spotted two interested amateurs and organised an impromtu tasting. Having chosen our vermouth he poured glasses, added a curl of lemon and bought bowls of olives, crisps and peanuts. This felt such a luxurious start to our evening we needed bringing back down to earth and we ate in the nearby M**Bun, a slow fast-food restaurant.

The Journey, Day Four

Our final train to Firenze was just three hours. There was no buffet car, just a vending machine that dispensed nothing that resembled coffee! The appartment we had booked was about 25 minutes walk across the River Arno. We had a week in a flat that overlooked The Boboli Gardens and we felt in the centre of things. We dropped our bags and set off to explore.

Walking in and around Firenze

Over the next seven days, we walked around the city, getting our bearings and enjoying finding quiet corners as much as the big sights. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio many times, had evening aperitifs in the Piazza di Santo Spirito and were often drawn to the Duomo, just to enjoy its magnificence.

The dancing starlings in the evening sky in Piazza Santa Maria Novella was one of the unforgetable sights and sounds of Firenze. This grand piazza was also where we joined the rally to remember Ukraine on the second anniversary of the full-scale war and invasion by Russia and it became a special place for us. 

Bellosguardo – Steep hilly lanes from Porta Romana in the southwest of Firenze took us along the Via San Carlo and to Bellosguardo.  Dotted with grand villas, olive groves and vineyards the views over Florence were wide.  Cimitero di Soffiano, a vast cemetery with burials on different levels and an art deco style was a highlight on this walk. 

Fiesole to Settignano – The number seven bus climbed high into the hills of northeast Firenze to Fiesole. After coffee, we visited the remains of a Roman theatre and baths and an Etruscan Temple. Setting off hiking, we followed narrow lanes and tracks to Monte Ceceri, a maze of trees and small quarries. The network of paths was confusing and online maps such as Lokus and Komoot were useful.  At viewpoints we stopped to enjoy the panoramas over Firenze.  It was a spring-like day, the birds were singing and breathing in we got a lungful of pine. We descended into Maiano and then doubled back, contouring around the hillside on paths through varied woodland and by terraced olive groves.  This part of the walk was much quieter than Monte Ceceri. A damp path took us steeply down to a stream and then climbed up to the houses of Settignano that perched on the hillside.  In this sleepy village we caught the next bus back to Firenze.

South of the River Arno along Via Colli to Piazzale Michelangelo – Skirting around the Boboli Gardens, lanes packed with villas took us to Forte Belvedere, which wasn’t yet open for the season. Following Via Colli we wound above Firenze, each turn opening up new views over the city. We turned off the main road, picking up paths to Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte.  The church is surrounded by a crowded cemetery and has Firenze spread below. Piazzale Michelangelo thronged with visitors, even in February, but the views of the River Arno, the bridges and the magnificent Duomo are spectacular. We descended through a pretty garden with sculptures.

We visited some sights

The Boboli Gardens cost €10 per person and are perfect for strolling, although beyond green there is little colour from flowers. In February they close at 16.30 and for the last 20 minutes a continuous announcement that the garden is closing is broadcast. This reverberates around the, until then, peaceful gardens! We felt we were in a public announcement torture chamber!

The Galleria dell’Accademia for a dose of art and to see Michelangelo’s David. We had to queue for about 30 minutes, even in February!

The Duomo is a full day in itself. We booked Brunelleschi tickets that can be used over three days, although you still have to join queues. We climbed the cupola and the campanile [both 400+ steps] because we love getting above the roofs of a city. The views were astounding. We also visited the interior. Travel light as you will be searched over and over again!

Palazzo Davanzati is a Firenze palazzo on four floors and arranged around a covered atrium with internal balconies. The rooms are all interesting and sumptuously decorated and at the top of the house is the kitchen.  There are vases and paintings and ornate furniture from different centuries from the 14^th to the 19^th centuries.  For €6 this was great value in a generally expensive city and interesting and I am suprised how few people seem to visit.

Museo Galileo – Seeing the actual telescopes that belonged to Galileo was astonishing and it was hard for other exhibits to compare to this. It is the place to help you appreciate intricate and shiny scientifi instruments as works of art. There is also an interactive room where we could play at being Galileo!

We visited a couple of churches – The Basilica di San Lorenzo had an austere air to it but the cloisters are light and airy. There are paintings and sculptures by Donatello. Santa Croce, a Franciscan Monastery in front of a handsome piazza, has many memorials and frescoes and double cloisters.  There was some information about the 1966 flood that caused so much devastation.

Siena – It was a chilly grey day when we caught the train to Siena for the one hour and twenty minutes journey. Steps and escalators climb up to the city level inside the walls. The streets are narrow and hemmed in by stone buildings, that open up at Il Campo, an undulating public space used for horse racing twice a year. Santa Maria della Scala was the highlight of our Siena trip, this large building complex is a former hospital and is now a museum and art gallery on many floors.  The 15th century frescoes showing life in the hospital delighted us with their colour and life, telling stories of the everyday. This warren-like building had other exhibitions, including works by 20^th century artist Giuseppe Gavazzi.

A couple of notable places to eat

Caffe Scudieri near the Duomo was expensive but charming.  The pinenut torta was tasty and not too sweet and the cappuccino was the best ever, the perfect combination of bitterness and creamy smoothness.

Brac, a bookshop and restaurant that is all veggie and all delicious.  We ate surrounded by shelves of bottles of wine and cookery books and had a piatto unico each.  This was three dishes, a salad, a pasta and a special dish.  The food was elegantly presented and so tasty.  The ginger sauce on my tortellini was exquisite.  Anthony’s fennel salad was fresh and the pasta with a spicy sauce was excellent.  My mouth is still watering thinking of this meal!

Return Journey

Day One – Firenze to Torino and Torino to Paris, with a replacement bus service in the opposite direction. We stayed at the same hotel in Paris.

Day Two – Paris to London and London to Lancaster.

Summing up

We were away for eleven nights, seven in a self-contained flat and four in hotels. The whole trip cost us around £3,000. It is more expensive than a campervan trip but the train was a more sustainable way to travel for such a distance.

Travelling by train still felt like the perfect way to cross long distances in Europe, meet people, experience different cultures and relax while the scenery passes the window. We used the expertise of The Man in Seat 61 in our planning and if you’re thinking of doing a similar trip, this is a good place to start.

Firenze in February seemed busy but I guess this is nothing compared to summer months there. I couldn’t describe it as peaceful and the backdrop in the city centre is the constant rumble of suitcase wheels. Those of us who fling a rucksack on our backs have no comprehension why these are so popular! The weather was mixed with some fine spring-like days and some wet and chilly days. The good thing about a city holiday is that the weather doesn’t really matter.

Northern Italy is pretty much all jaw-dropping beautiful.  We had been driving through green alpine valleys, stopping often to stand and look in awe at the craggy mountains above and the ice-blue river we were following.   Leaving the stunning River Cellina valley we followed the Torrente Cimoliana to the pretty village of Cimolais, all the time making a note to come this way again.  We drove over the Passo di Sant’Osvaldo coming down to the village of Erto.  Ahead I could see a scoured hillside, devoid of trees or vegetation, this certainly looked out of place.  We stopped the ‘van to take it in, at first wondering if this was a quarry but quickly realising the mountainside was too steep for such activity.  The scale of the ‘M-shaped’ scar on the hillside was hard to take in but we realised we were looking at a landslide.  What we didn’t realise at that moment was how devastating the landslide had been.  We had stumbled upon the Vajont Dam and the legacy of the disaster that occurred here on the night of 9 October 1963.

The Vajont Dam, a 265-meter high arch dam was in 1963 considered an amazing construction that created a large reservoir in the mountain valley.  The dam was well built and still stands as it withstood the unprecedented destructive power of that night.  On the 9 October 1963 a huge slice of the mountain slid in to the reservoir behind the dam.  Around 260 million cubic metres of rock hit the water and this created a massive wave that breached the Vajont Dam, the displaced water rising high and pouring with unimaginable force in to the Piave valley below, gaining speed all the while.

We stopped below the Alpine village of Casso that clings to the mountainside.  From here we could see the scar on the flank of Monte Toc and look down on the Vajont Dam that stands as a memorial to the thousands who lost their life.  We walked below Monte Toc trying to take in the scale of this avoidable disaster.  As the dam was planned and built many people warned about the geological instability of the area and the risk from the dam but corrupt and powerful institutions failed to listen.

We drove down the mountainside to the town of Longarone.  This lovely town is below the dam and in 1963 it was flattened by the tsunami of water that poured over the dam.  In the moving museum in the basement of the modern church there are photographs showing the aftermath and the names of people who died.  It is estimated that around 2,000 people were killed that night and I thought about all those lives cut short.

Although I left feeling somber, I was glad we had stopped to learn about this disaster that has left its mark on this beautiful landscape.

For photographs of the reservoir and the destruction of the landslide take a look here.  Today the Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane has been created to bring tourism back to this incredible and beautiful area.

 

Brescia in Lombardy in northern Italy might not be at the top of your list of Italian cities to visit but in my experience it won’t disappoint.  You might have Rome, Venice and Florence on your wish list but over the years I have realised that less well known cities are always worth spending time in and that everywhere has something to offer and I particularly appreciate visiting cities that are not overwhelmed by other tourists.

From our campsite near Iseo it was easy and inexpensive [€6.60 each] to take the train to Brescia for the day.  This proved to be an excellent and relaxing day out in a lovely city that has plenty to offer.  We arrived without a map but this was no problem as Brescia handily has signposts to all the major attractions in the city.  Our first stop was the monumental Piazza della Vittoria, a 1930s piazza that is striking and I rather liked its brutalist charm.  The post office with tall striped columns dominates one end of the piazza and Brescia’s first skyscraper is here, a 40-metre high brick structure with decorative details.

Through a collonade is Piazza della Loggia, an attractive 15th century Renaissance piazza that contrasts sharply with Piazza della Vittoria.  Piazza della Loggia has buildings and memorials to many important events in Brescia’s history.  Below the clock is an emotional memorial to a bomb attack by fascists against an anti-fascist demo on 28 May 1974.  Nearby there is a statue remembering those who died in the 19th century ten-day rebellion against Austrian rule.  The piazza is dominated by the ornate palazzo, now the town hall.  Opposite this is a 16^th century clock tower whose clock is only of limited use for a time check as the dials of the clock show the phases of the moon and the signs of the zodiac.  Two charming figures, ‘i macc de le ure’ or ‘Tone and Batista’ strike the hours on a bell.  There are cafes around the piazza and it is a lovely place to stroll or sit and people watch.

We continued to Piazza Paulo VI which is packed with important and impressive buildings and symbolises the religious and civic power of Brescia.  Most unusual is the old cathedral; this circular structure was built in the 11th century and was disappointingly closed when we were there.   Next to this is the new cathedral, a more frothy building from the 17th century.  We chose to sit in a lively cafe and have our lunch in this grand piazza.

We followed the signs for the Museo di Santa Giulia a unique and complex museum, housed in an 8th century Benedictine nunnery.  The museum site comprises exhibits within buildings that are within buildings; the whole spanning many centuries and this can make it difficult to fathom at first but I found the self-guided tour with information in both Italian and English helped me to understand the context and history.  On this vast site there are three churches including Santa Maria in Solario which has extravagant colourful frescoes.  Also beautifully decorated is the nun’s choir where the Benedictine nuns of the Santa Giulia convent took part in services while hidden from view.  There is a crypt and Renaissance cloisters too that visitors can explore.  Dotted around the buildings are modern sculptures that I felt contributed to and enhanced my enjoyment of this museum.  Underneath the monastery garden archaeologists found the remains of Roman villas and I followed the walkways over these buildings; the perspective from above gave a good sense of the layout of the villas and great views of the intricate mosaics.

As if all those buildings and art were not enough, the museum also includes displays of artifacts from Roman to Venetian periods of Brescia’s history; something for everyone’s interest but you would need days to look at everything.  A big draw is the Roman bronze life-size winged victory statue from the 1st century.  This impressive bronze of a woman draped in a cloth glimmers with layers of beautiful colours and appears to move and flow.

The whole of Santa Giulia is harmonious and interesting and exploring this amazing museum took so long we ran out of time for Brescia’s other sites.  We will have to return to Brescia one day to see the castle, all the Roman remains, the Museo delle Mille Miglia … .

We finished our day in Brescia back at the elegant Piazza della Loggia.  We sat relaxing with a beer in a cafe and listened to the clock strike the hour before catching the train back to Iseo.

The northern Italian city of Milan is the perfect city for a short break and its popularity has grown in recent years following the 2015 Expo.  A couple of days were certainly not enough to see everything in Milan but we managed to pack in some of the well-known and lesser-known sights creating a weekend that was pure Italian and gave us glimpses in to the spirit of the city.  These are my highlights for your own visit:

Piazza del Duomo – You won’t want to miss getting to the Piazza del Duomo.  From here you will be overwhelmed by the extravagant and ornate front of Milan’s gothic Duomo.  Once you have taken in the grandeur of the cathedral, look to your left to see the equally stunning entrance to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 19th century shopping mall.  This is the heart of Milan and a must for every visitor and it is always crowded but gazing at the surrounding splendour you forget the hordes.  Strolling through the Galleria to La Scala is free; visiting the Duomo isn’t and except maybe in the depths of winter involves joining queues.  The experience not to be missed is climbing up to the terraces on the roof of the Duomo and going here at sunset has many advantages.  Late in the day the queues are shorter and the crowds less; we were the next to last group in the lift to the roof [the staff tried to put us off, telling us we might not get up before they closed but we stuck with it] and with no further visitors following us we could find some quiet corners among the many statues that adorn the building.  Reaching the front of the Duomo that faces west and the setting sun, I could hear the music and chatter from the surrounding rooftop bars. The disadvantage of going late at night was that we couldn’t get in to the interior until the next day and so had to queue again [for about an hour and a half] and after so much build up the interior of the Duomo is a bit of a let down.

Coffee and cake in a classic italian Cafe – Pasticceria Marchesi has been making cakes and coffee since 1824 and is worth the expense for the excellent coffee and delicious cakes.  There are three shops in Milan and we visited the charming and smaller cafe near to Sforza Castle.  As lunch time approached the cafe became busy with people coming in for lunch and a swift coffee and the system of ordering from one counter and paying at a till appeared chaotic.  We had been walking all morning and enjoyed a relaxing sit down in the calmer back room so felt we had our money’s worth.

Panzerotti Luine – Eating in Milan is rarely cheap so you need to take the opportunity for something affordable when you can.  For a few Euros you can buy delicious Italian streetfood; fried, baked or sweet panzerotto, a stuffed bread snack.  The classic panzerotto is fried with a mozzarella and tomato filling.

With locals walking tour – Over two-and-a-half hours our guide took us to places we would never have found without her local knowledge and gave us an inside flavour of the city and this proved to be an excellent introduction to Milan.

Rinascente food hall and roof top cafe – I could have spent hours in the food hall at Rinascente department store; it is packed with Italian goodies.  It is also worth climbing up the seventh floor of this store for the roof top cafe.  We visited in the early evening and had a selection of Campari cocktails and snacks for the full Milan experience with a view of the ornate roof line of the Duomo and surrounded by noisy chattering Italians.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper – It is an incredible story that this painting on the wall of the Refectory at the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie survived at all.  In its 500-years it has lived through being an armory, prison and animal shelter, as well as bombing and many restorations.  It is claimed that the last restoration in the 1990s took the painting back to its original and it certainly brilliantly and humanly captures a moment in the story of the last supper.

Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore – You could spend all your days visiting churches in Milan and you might walk by this unassuming church and not think twice about popping in but make sure you do.  Inside this former convent are such glorious frescoes on every inch of the walls it is worth seeking out.

Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio – Near to the Navigli district and one of the oldest churches in Milan, this church doesn’t have the abundance of frescoes of the Chiesa di San Maurizio but has some interesting features including an early Christian church underneath the existing building.  In the 15th century Portinari Chapel there are colourful frescoes on the ceiling and an ornate ark with the remains of Peter Rosini, known as Peter Martyr or Peter from Verona, the prior of Como.

Naviglio Grande – You can walk or cycle for many kilometres along this canal that once was used by ships bringing the marble for the Duomo in the centre of Milan.  On a rainy morning we attempted to work off some of the calories we had consumed in the cafes, restaurants and bars of Milan by walking some of the canal.  Near to its end the canal area has been gentrified and is now lined with cafes and there are often market stalls.  After working up an appetite we found a canalside vegan cafe for a delicious and healthy lunch.

Buskers – I like to find time to stop and listen to or watch some of the many street artists wherever we visit and I will happily hand over some change to say thank you for the entertainment.  The street artists of Milan are regulated and are usually high quality artists.

Braidense National Library – Enter the courtyard of the old Palace of the Collegio Gesuitico di Brera, pass the classrooms full of students at the art college and climb the stairs to the library, opened to the public in 1786 thanks to Maria Theresa who considered that Milan needed “an open library for the common use of anyone who wants to cultivate his mind, and acquire new knowledge.”  The peaceful and atmospheric library has shelves of old books and holds temporary exhibitions about some of its collection.

Brera Botanical Garden – Tucked away behind the Braidense National Library we found this small botanical garden famous for its old Ginkgo biloba trees.  Here were signs of spring with blossom on the trees and flowering bulbs.  In summer this would be a cool place to relax that is away from the bustle of the city.

Parco Sempione – Beyond Sforza Castle is this large park that is popular with both visitors and locals.  Covering 116 acres the park has many grand monuments and winding paths among grass that are perfect for a walk.  On our visit there was a fairground in the park with terrifying rides.