During our most recently trip to Italy, in between Florence and Cinque Terre, we spent a few days in the mountains. We did two amazing hikes (in one day, I’d recommend spacing them out a bit better!), the details of which you can find below.
Category: Italy
A trip to the Tuscan Mountains
We had the best time in Tuscany! This was the part of the trip I was least excited for and it wound up being my favourite part.
Where to stay
We stayed in Mulina, which was quite well located for the two hikes we ended up doing. The flat was really quite and spotlessly clean, with a nice area for eating outside as well. We’d definitely return here in the future.
Where to eat
(Just a note, that as this was during the COVID times, all of these places had outdoor and socially distanced seating.)
Lunch
We ate some of the best food of the trip in this area. On our way up we stopped at Osteria La Risvolta for lunch and ordered off the server’s recommendation. It was insanely good. Every day we planned to go back, but we kept finding new places to try and sadly never returned.
The second day we had a picnic lunch on top of Monte Forato – bread, meats, cheeses and wine of course. It was lovely 🙂
Dinner
The first night we had dinner close by at Trattoria Luciana Mulina. This was out of convenience, though our host did recommend it, and though it’s laid back looking, the food really surprised us. It was also totally delicious and a great local spot if you’re nearby.
After our epic day of hiking, we ate at Il Soggiorno. This place is kind of crazy to get to (you drive down a long windy road that isn’t totally convincing as a road), but the staff were so lovely and the food was so good and the portions were giant.
The one place we wanted to try but couldn’t was Osteria Candalla. If you’re going to be in the area (hiking or swimming most likely!), this place is popular enough that it’s necessary to book ahead.
What do to
Isola Santa
We did the best stuff! The day we arrived it was hot and we wanted to find somewhere to cool down, so we drove up to Isola Santa lake, which is nestled in this adorable village, and swam around. The water was so refreshing and you swim right over ruins of Medieval buildings.
Hiking
The next day we did two hikes because we couldn’t choose between them. If you plan to do this, I’d suggest breaking them up though I am not the fittest person in the world and survived doing both in one day.
We spent the morning hiking Monte Forato, mainly because we saw the peak on the way to Isola Santa the night before and decided it would be fun to climb – and it was!
Then we spent the afternoon doing the magical Candalla waterfalls hike.
You can read the details here!
We only had two days in Tuscany, if we go back we’ll stay longer and explore more. I thought we’d lack for things to do but there is so much on in this area. I can’t wait to return!
A return to Florence
We had such a lovely time in Florence. Even though it’s so modern, the city centre is so unchanged it always feels a bit like stepping back in time. We stayed here, and can highly recommend it as it was charming, well placed, and even had an air con. There are a lot of steps up though, so only fit for those glad to climb a ton of stairs.
I’ve already written a full itinerary for Florence here. We mainly followed that, while trying out new food options.
Italy Trip in the times of COVID
As you might have seen, we have some very exciting news! Our journey wasn’t the easiest, and after an early miscarriage in August we were desperate to get away from lockdown life for a bit. Luckily, there was a travel corridor open with Italy at the time and despite generally having an extremely low risk appetite for COVID exposure, we decided to take a trip to Italy to try to find some happiness. And we had the best trip!
COVID
Other than the flights, where we took precautions like sanitising our seats, not using the restrooms (or moving at all), not eating or drinking anything (thus never removing our masks) and where we didn’t have to sit with anyone else in our row, the trip felt completely safe. Italy is much, much stricter than the UK when it comes to COVID, so we were actually much safer there than back in London. All transport was socially distanced, train stations had people checking temperatures, and busy streets had police mandating masks at all times – even just walked about. No one in London wears masks just walking around outside, so it was a really nice change of pace!
Florence
We spent two days in Florence, eating the best food, drinking out in the sunshine, and just enjoying the gorgeous city. I have a full Florence itinerary here, and you can read about this trip here.
Tuscany
We then moved up into the mountains for a taste of the countryside. We ate the best meals here, went on two epic hikes, and swam in some really wonderful places!
Cinque Terre
I went to Cinque Terre a few years ago alone, and was so keen to return with a travel buddy. My hen do was actually going to be here in July, before COVID delayed the wedding. We stayed in Vernazza, my favourite of the five towns, and did nothing but eat, read and swim. It was heaven.
PISA AND (FINALLY!) GETTING MY ID CARD!
A few months ago I had my first interview at my current job, and left it so (unusually) confident, that I arranged a spur of the moment flight to Italy for the next day, as I knew if I was hired I’d need my proof of right to work in the EU. I had originally planned to get it a few weeks out, and fly into Milan, rent a car, and drive out to the tiny mountain town my ancestors were from. However, with one day’s notice, Pisa ended up being much cheaper, and was about the same distance as Milan. It was also quite close to Cinque Terre, and this unplanned, last minute trip became one of my all time best travel experiences.
I flew into Pisa and stayed at Hostel Pisa. It was walking distance from the airport, and can I just say any city where you can walk to the airport is OK in my book. I was only spending one night in Pisa, and didn’t arrive until 4:00 pm, so my expectations weren’t high. However, I had the best night. I don’t have major Pisa recommendations, other than the tower, obviously, and the most fantastic dinner/drinks place.
I headed straight for the tower because the light was fantastic and I wanted to see it in all its glory. While there I asked two girls to take my photo, and they recognized me from checking into the hostel. They were returning home to Germany a year volunteering at in International Hospital in Jerusalem, and we also joined up with a guy who had just arrived in Europe for a year abroad in Florence.
On the walk to the tower I had stopped to take passport style photos for my ID card. (They did not come out well—Gareth kindly pointed out the shading makes it look like I have a five o’clock shadow, which is an accurate analysis of the photo). Nearby, I saw a dock on the river that looked like it may be a restaurant. I mentioned it to the crew I had met, and we decided to head there for dinner. It ended up being such a lovely night. Two of us were heading home after a long journey, both to graduate school. One was arriving for the first time in a country he was about to make into a home, and I was there to get proof of my newly recognized European citizenship. Arno Vivo was half on a dock and half on a floating raft, where we grabbed a table. There was live music, mood lighting, and the buffet style food was free with a drink. We shared a bottle of wine and swapped travel/life stories, and it was one of those moments that reminds you how absolutely wonderful travel can be.
The next morning I walked back to the airport to pick up a rental car, and headed out for Vernasca. I was so nervous the whole drive, that they would be closed (our communication was all in Google-translated Italian, and I wasn’t confident they’d be open until I arrived), or that I didn’t have the proper documentation. It seemed too easy, honestly, after the process leading up to it had been so drawn out and difficult.
The drive was beautiful, through the mountains and farmland, and the little village was so cute.
I headed straight for the municipal building, and there was one woman working behind the counter. She was expecting me, and we chatted away—her in Italian, me half in Spanish and half in hand gestures. She filled out my ID card right there (so easy, it’s just made of paper!), and handed it to me with a big hug and a congratulations. It was such a surreal moment, being in my ancestors old village, even being in Italy, and I’m honestly so grateful that’s how I received my ID, rather than at a consulate in LA or London. Afterwards I wandered around the town a bit—there’s a big church up a hill right behind the municipal building that offered incredible views. It was insanely cool to get to explore the place Giovanni and Maria were from before moving to the states, and I’m so glad I was able to.
I was eager to drop the car off because that night started the second part of my trip—Cinque Terre!
24 Hours in Venice
Going to Italy during Semana Santa helped me realize something about myself–I hate tourists. Not just other people, but I don’t like being one myself. It’s probably why whenever I go anywhere I even moderately connect to, I’m convinced I’ll move there one day and experience the place like only a true local can. That said, I don’t want to move to Venice. Venice is like Prague to me–too magical to be real. I couldn’t ruin Venice by actually moving there and having to worry about running late for work or changing the kitty litter or any other real life burdens. I want to preserve it’s otherworldly charm, but I do still want to go back. Because of Semana Santa the cheapest hostel I could find was over $45 and I could only afford a night there.
Venice was my second stop of 17 day trip over Semana Santa, and to be honest about the fact that travel is not all wonderful all the time, my night in Venice was not the best. Usually I love traveling alone, but after Rachel left Italy to go back to London, I was facing another week alone before Gareth and I met in Zagreb, and I suddenly felt really lonely. Add in that I didn’t arrive until the sun was beginning to set, and that romantic Venice is not exactly the ideal place to be single– I spent the most of the night sticking close to my hostel and on the phone with Gareth. Lame, I know.
Luckily after a good night’s sleep I remembered how much I actually love solo travel, and got my mojo back. I spent the day wandering through the maze like passages, stopping in awe every few minutes that a place like that actually exists.
I don’t have a ton of suggestions for how to best “do” Venice, because I don’t think I did it properly. I have a few suggestions based off of lessons I learned, however.
Book early – and by this I mean everything. Accommodation, certainly. But there are places online you can arrange a gondola share, because they are privately hired and seriously expensive. That said, the looks on people’s faces as they rode convinced me they are worth it.
Get off the beaten track – the restaurants that have their menus in a dozen different languages aren’t going to be the ones with food you never forget. One of my biggest regrets was the place I chose for dinner. I was staying in the Jewish area, an immediate left after crossing the Guglie bridge. I had wandered deeper into the city, and it was getting dark. I knew it was a bad idea, but I settled for a place on Rio Terà San Leonardo that was filled with tourists and served legitimately bad food. On the five minute walk back to my hostel, along Fondamenta Cannaregio, I passed about three places lit by candle lit and filled with Italians. Learn from my mistakes. And probably go to dinner on that street cause it looked amazing.
Buy a water bus day pass. The pass is 20 euros and a single journey is 7.50. The ride is such a good tour of the city, and to have been able to go to San Marco, Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore, and back to Guglie all on a water taxi would have been great.
Set aside time to get lost – this, I did, and it was one of my favorite parts of the day. As I wandered back from San Marco to Guglie, I passed through quiet, residential areas that were nearly empty, and offered just as much charm as the packed city center. I also stumbled upon La Bottiglia, which is an amazing deli. They asked me to trust them and built me the most incredible sandwich. If you like sandwiches, this is your place.
Saint Mark’s Square – They charge an outlandish price to sit and have a drink, but you should do it anyway. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s everything you imagine when you think of Venice. Have the Prosecco, obviously. Sit and listen to music and watch people try get a photo with the pigeons. Drink in the magic of the city, and if you’re like me have to remind yourself over and over again that you haven’t fallen into a movie set, but that Venice is a real place that exists in the world.
Though I only a day in Venice and I certainly need to go back to learn more about this magical place, I am so happy I was able to go at all. It was the perfect transition to solo travel before I went on to Slovenia.
TWO DAYS IN CINQUE TERRE
Back at the end of August, I unexpectedly flew to Italy and was able to spend three and a half days in coastal Italy. It was one of my favorite trips ever, and below you can find my Cinque Terre guide to the tips and tricks I wish I had known before going!
GETTING THERE
Cinque Terre is incredibly easy to get to from Pisa. You just take the train to La Spezia, where you can change to the train line that connects the 5 towns. In La Spezia buy train passes for the days you’ll be in Cinque Terre, which makes exploring all the towns super simple. The passes are 13 euros for one day, or 23 for two, and include unlimited access to the trains, hiking trails, and (spotty) wifi. The trains run from Levanto to La Spezia and stop at each of the five towns along the way.
WHERE TO STAY
Because I booked so late, my options for staying in/around Cinque Terre were quite limited. Nearly all the hostels were completely booked, even in the surrounding towns. I booked the only place available, Affittacamere Patrizia in Riomaggioare. It had some reviews that made me hesitate, but lacking other options I didn’t have much of a choice.
The place was strange—I booked two nights and I stayed in separate buildings each night—a bit annoying because I had to respect check in/out times, and arrange to pick up/drop off my bag around their front desk opening hours. The first night I was literally sleeping in the front room—there were three bedrooms and a bathroom off where I was staying, and the front door opened to the room my bed and one other were in.
The second night I was in a new house, staying on the top floor in the kitchen, but it had a great balcony and it was the only bed in the room, so it was nearly like having my own apartment. If I had more notice I’m not sure I’d stay there again, but I wouldn’t hesitate to return in a pinch.
When considering where to stay, you can read the below to get a feel for each place. But my biggest tip is to stay within Cinque Terre, as the mornings and evenings without the crush of day tourists were my favourite times. It also doesn’t matter much which town you stay in, as they are all exceptionally easy to access and hop around. My picks for best to stay in are Vernazza and Riomaggiore.
THE VILLAGES
RIOMAGGIORE
Riomaggiore was the quietest of the towns, and it was quite small. The food was delicious and the place was stunning, probably the most beautiful of them all—this is where I stayed and I’d definitely be happy staying there again. There’s less to do than the other towns, but as a base it’s pretty perfect. It’s built on a giant hill, so be prepared for a steep incline to get anywhere! It had a good amount of rocks to use as a mini beach, and a few places to jump in as well. (Mom, that’s for you!)
MANAROLA
Manarola felt quite young and hip. It was lively and had a fun vibe. The harbour had a place where it was possible to jump off, so people who were braver than I dove off the rocks. I think a lot of people list this as their favourite town, and while it was up there for me, it wasn’t the top of my list.
CORNIGLIA
All the guides I read suggested skipping Corniglia if short on time, and I considered it. I’m so happy I didn’t! It was quite unlike the other towns—it’s high above sea level and there’s no beach access. However that gives it really nice views, and the town felt a bit more chilled and artistic. There were some cute shops, unique looking bars and coffee shops, and it had more shade than the other towns. If it wasn’t such a hike to the train and/or nearby towns, I’d consider staying here. I hiked in from Manarola and out to Vernazza, and both hikes were incredible but very hard—and the walk up to the town from the train was stairs on stairs on stairs. Be prepared for a work out, no matter how you arrive.
VERNAZZA
I loved Vernazza. It had two beaches, one hidden through a rock tunnel that was created after a huge rock slide, and another spot along the harbor next to the cliff that leads to Monterosso. The food was good, the gelato better, and I spent more time here than anyway other town. When I come back, I’ll either stay here or return to Riomaggiore.
MONTEROSSO
Honestly, Monterosso wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t go until my last day, and by then was already so in love with the other four towns, I’m not sure I gave it a fair shot. I spent the least time here, and it felt much more developed and urban than the others. It’s the only one that has a sand beach (I HATE sand, but maybe this is a selling point for someone else), and it was set up more like a resort, which is also not my vibe. It looked big and like there would be some great shopping, so if those things appeal to you, maybe spend a bit more time there than I did.
WHAT TO EAT
GELATO
You only need to go to one place, and that’s Gelarteria Vernazza. I tried the others, and none came close.
BREAKFAST
I did some real searching, but didn’t find anything other than pastries and yogurt as breakfast options. Eggs were not a thing as far as I could tell—if someone finds them please let me know in case I ever go back!
DINNER
I had dinner both nights in Riomaggiore, which was great. All the food I had there was delicious, and recommend Trattoria la Grotta and Pizzeria Da Mam’angel if you’re looking for good food that isn’t going to break the bank.
DESSERT
I know gelato technically is dessert (though I utilized it as a lunch), but Monterosso is also well known for Torta Monterossina Ricetta, which I tried at Pasticceria Laura and it was SO good. It was the best part of the town for me.
TO DO
BOOKS
Bring books! I only brought one (The Story of the Lost Child, by Elena Ferrante, which I highly recommend), and there was so much time for reading I blew through it, and struggle to find other English books available in the towns.
HIKES
I hiked Corniglia to Vernazza and Monterosso to Vernazza. They were fantastic, and if you’re in any kind of shape I highly recommend them and any other hikes that are open. They had stunning views and were a great work out—honestly both were much harder than I anticipated, and I planned poorly and did the first one right at noon, when the sun was directly overhead. Plan to go earlier in the morning, or later in the afternoon, bring a lot of water, maybe a snack, and definitely be prepared to sweat. Luckily there are beaches at either end with some seriously inviting water, and there is a cafe high in the cliffs at the midpoint of the Corniglia/Vernazza hike.
ART
One of my favorite things to do when I visit a place is collect some kind of art, so I can bring a piece home with me. There was a really cute art store in Vernazza owned by Antonio Greco where he shows his work. I got two prints there, which make me insanely happy whenever I see them. One was by Antonio, and the other was the Imago Cinque Terre poster. I get compliments on them all the time. They were affordable as well!
DINNER AT IL TEATRO DEL SALE
Il Teatro del Sale is an all you can eat dinner followed by a show, and the kind of dining experience you’ll remember forever. You’d think it would be overflowing with tourists, but when we went we were the only non-Italians in attendance. It’s the kind of place you immediately feel at home in, almost like you’re all having dinner in someone’s (huge) living room. There are private tables and community tables and as everyone gets up to collect the next dish at the same time, it feels like one big group dinner.
It’s run by a husband and wife team, he handles the food, she handles the entertainment. Together, they make quite the pair and have turned the place into a Florentine treasure. There are hundreds of dinner options in Florence, but you can tell this one is in the heart of the city and its history.
It’s a members only club, so to attend you have to become a member. It’s 7 euros to join and around 35 for the meal. Not exactly cheap, and also the (unlimited) wine that is included is quite literally undrinkable–and this is coming from a girl who thinks Franzia and two buck chuck is surprisingly tasty. We kept checking to see if other people were drinking it, wondering if maybe it had oxidized and no one noticed, but no. It was only a small few, but some people went back for seconds. We tried to power through, if only to be polite, but it was honestly like drinking nail varnish. Suffice it to say, we did not finish our (small) glasses, and they only sell wine by the bottle. The cheapest is another 30 euros, not ideal, and not an inexpensive night.
That said, everything else was amazing. The food was delicious. Like, really, really good. And there was tons of it. I eat a lot and even I was super overwhelmed with the amount and variety in front of me. The service was excellent, though we had an amazing language barrier experience.
The way the place runs is there’s always food being served on a table that you can just go grab. While this is happening the chefs are cooking a ton of other things right from the kitchen, and when that is ready the chef yells out, in Italian, what the next course is, and you line up and wait for them to hand you a plate. Easy enough. However, this was described to us as “when the cook screams, you must go running because there is a situation in the kitchen.” After a slightly concerned second wondering exactly what situation occurring in the kitchen would cause the chef to scream, we realized what he meant. It was hilarious and sweet and so nice to not be the one making little sense in a second language for a change!
The show afterwards was my favorite part. It was two older guys, and I’ve never seen anyone love what they do so much. One of them was literally grinning and jumping around the entire time, and if I can be half as happy and content as he is, I will consider myself a success.
They serve brunch as well, and next time I’m in Florence I will definitely be back. I highly recommend this place to anyone wanting an authentic Italian experience!
48 HOURS IN FLORENCE
YOU GUYS. I had the most incredible Semana Santa in the history of the world. Probably. At least top 10.
Just so we have a general timeline to work with here, I left Logroño on Thursday, April 6th, spent the night in Barcelona airport once again (it went better this time). I flew out on the 7th at 6:00 am, and started a whirlwind trip around southern and eastern Europe.
Florence from April 7th to April 9th
Venice from April 9th to April 10th (too short!)
Slovenia from April 10th to April 12th
Zagreb from April 12th to April 16th
Zadar from the 16th – 17th
Split from 17th to 19th
Mostar from the 19th to the 20th
Dubrovnik from the 20th to the 22nd
Whew! It was a LOT of travel and a lot of moving around, but it was the perfect road trip itinerary and a great way to see Croatia. The only things I would change would for it to have been longer, so I could have spent more time in Venice and Mostar. Also so I could have gone to Sarajevo and Montenegro, haha. It’s never enough!
Itinerary
Doing Florence in 48 hours is sad, because you’ll fall in love and have to say goodbye so quickly, but totally doable. The city is very walkable, things tend to be grouped together, and in just over an hour of walking you can see the major sights.
- Start at the Galleria dell’Accademia to check out the amazing artwork and say hello to David.
- Then head to the Duomo and see the Cathedral, climb to the top if you were smart enough to book tickets, and hang out in the plaza for a bit. Everything is so beautiful.
- On the way to Ponte Vecchio stop at Palazzo Vecchio before windowing shopping all the gorgeous old jewelry.
- Take a left and head to San Niccolò, a laid back and artsy neighborhood filled with great places to grab some food and have a few drinks. Even when Florence is packed around Easter holidays, you’ll still feel like you’ve escaped the tourists.
- From there, make your way up to the viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo, where you can soak in everything you’ve just seen and done. If the timing is right, you could enjoy the best sunset in town.
- Head to Il Teatro del Sale for a unique and authentic dinner. You’ll have done all the touristy bits in the beginning of the day and end it with a view, dinner, and show that you’ll remember forever. Not a bad itinerary!
Dinner
We had two excellent dinners in Florence, which isn’t too surprising considering Italy’s renown the world over for its cuisine.
- As I said above, Il Teatro del Sale was an incredible culinary experience, as well as an event complete with a show.
- Our first night we ate at Culinaria De Gustibus Bistrot. And thank god we did. Our food was amazing. We had so much of it, and they kept bringing us free extras. I cannot recommend this place enough. It was cozy, had a great ambiance, and a great place to catch up over a bottle of wine.
Our Trip
Florence was the perfect introduction to Italy, and it was the perfect time to go to Italy, considering my recent Italian news! I arrived at 8 am on no sleep, but as our (amazing, beautiful) flat wouldn’t be ready for hours, I decided to explore the city. I wandered around Ponte Vecchio (in my exhaustion it took me far too long to realize that’s where I was/it was even a bridge, haha), and looked at all the jewellery I’ll never be able to afford. I ended up at Piazza Pitti, where people were sunbathing and locals were selling artwork and crafts.
I found the perfect place to lay down and wait for Rach to arrive, and my favorite part of Florence, just by heading to the greenest bit on the map. I walked quite a ways until I got to Piazzale Michelangelo, where I was rewarded with the absolute best view of Florence. I headed down to the gorgeous Rose Garden and read my book, basking in happiness and feeling pretty astonished that I could finally call this country a little bit mine.
Rachel arrived and we settled into our flat. YOU GUYS. This flat… there are not words or pictures that do it justice. It was HUGE. And GRAND. Its front door was the biggest door I’ve ever actively used. It had a little old lift that we got slightly stuck in. The windows and shutters were dreamlike. Oh and also it had a mural painted on the ceiling, because why not.
After an early night we decided the next day would be our tourist day. We’d hit all the major sights. Advice: book everything in advance. We didn’t and definitely should have. First we went to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see David. The line was long but there were people selling tickets to skip the line for only about 10 euros more, which seems like a scam, but is not. We decided it was worth it, especially as we had discovered we couldn’t go to the top of the Duomo at the Cathedral of Florence because they were booked for days.
I’m not going to lie, we were slightly uncultured and honestly debated if seeing David was worth it. In case you need any convincing, I am here to tell you that it is one million percent worth it. He is stunning. When I was in Amsterdam I was happy I went to the Van Gogh Museum, but none of the paintings really surprised me. I’d seen prints, they were cool to see in person but that was kind of it. David was nothing like that. He was huge. He was a masterpiece that caused awed silence and extended observation. The whole museum was worth it on its own but you guys. Don’t miss David.
From there we headed to the Cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio, which are pretty close to each other. After that it was a direct shot across the river and back to my favorite place, the neighborhood leading to Piazzale Michelangelo, San Niccolò. We grabbed a menu of the day lunch at Trattoria Cent’ori (good not great), before heading up to check out the views. We wine hopped our way back to our flat to get ready for the ultimate dining experience: Il Teatro del Sale.
 We spent the next day wandering around eating, taste testing all the gelato, and checking out Palazzo Vecchio. Even though we only had a weekend there, I feel like we saw the main things, and even got out of the tourist heavy areas for more authentic experiences.