Ciao Italia - The North (Milan, Verona, Venice)

From the quaint Tuscan village of Lucca, we drove due north to the fashion capital of the world: Milan. Before we left for the trip, we read in travel books that August is when Italy generally shuts down while the citizens go away on holiday. We knew this wouldn't affect big tourist sites, but we wondered if we would ever encounter closed shops or restaurants. Florence didn't seem to close down in August, but Milan was another story.

The main reason we stopped in Milan was to see Leonardo DiVinci's famous "Last Supper". We also saw the magnificent Milan Duomo, the Galleria, and the Castle Sforza. We chose to stay at the Hotel Capitol Milano which was within easy walking distance to the building the houses the "Last Supper" but wasn't nearby too much else. The hotel was right downtown, and I mean RIGHT DOWNTOWN. Driving the narrow, confusing, one way streets was very scary and the GPS made all the difference in the world. Very few Milan hotels offered parking, so we were thrilled to find one that met all of our qualifications (4-star, free breakfast, a/c) and also had parking. Let's be clear about something, however. Just because a hotel advertises parking, doesn't always mean they have AMPLE parking or even convenient parking. The Hotel Capitol Milano had 3 teeny tiny parking spaces in their garage below the hotel. You were responsible for parking your car, but then you had to surrender your keys to the front desk because by parking your car in the first space, you blocked the other 2 cars. I don't even want to think about how many times our car was moved around in the 2 days we stayed in this city.

We arrived in the evening, had one full day in Milan, and then left early the following day. Our day in Milan was packed full starting with a bit of a hike to the Milan Duomo. After starting in Florence, I didn't think anything could top the awesome Florence Duomo. Overall, I liked Florence much better than Milan (Milan is much more of a modern, cosmopolitan city where Florence is a time capsule of Tuscan Italian charm), but the Milan Duomo is an amazing sight. If you like gothic architecture, it's an absolute must see. Unfortunately, our "downtown" hotel was a good 45-60 min walk from the Duomo. Not wanting to drive again, we took advantage of a cool August morning and walked off our breakfast. After seeing the Duomo and walking around on the roof, we walked through the luxurious shops of the Galleria twisting our heels in the "jewels" of the bull for good luck (and we weren't the only ones). From there we stopped for a quick visit to the Leonardo DiVinci science museum (very few signs in English and not air conditioned - TOO hot in August) before we went back to our hotel for a short afternoon break. When we were out in the morning, it didn't phase us how empty the streets were because it was on or before 8AM. Walking back to the hotel, however, it was closer to 1PM, and the streets were still empty. It was then that we realized what people meant when they said some places shut down in August. The city streets of Milan were completely deserted. Shops and cafes were closed and there was no one around but us. The biggest problem this presented to us was that there was no where for us to eat lunch. Where did we eat? McDonalds. So disappointing to waste one of our Italian meals at McDonalds, but we didn't have much of a choice. Lunch in Italy is from 11-1, and if you miss those hours, you're stuck with whatever is open. Sadly, we waited until 2 for lunch (because our breakfast at the hotel was so filling), and we couldn't find anything else.

Twist your heel for good luck!

To see the "Last Supper" you have to pre-buy timed tickets. They only allow a very small number (I want to say 8 or 10) into the viewing room of the "Last Supper" at one time. We stalked the website because you could only order them a month in advance and they sold out very quickly. They weren't expensive, but same-day tickets were not an option. When our time came, we went through 2 security lock doors before entering the room where the fresco is stored. I knew so little about Italian art before getting there, so I admittedly expecting to see a framed piece of artwork (insert justified laughter here). When I entered the room, turned to the right, and saw the fresco splashed across the entire wall, I was awestruck! Also in the room is another picture that you can see, and since you're there for 20 mins, you have a good opportunity to view both. (Of course I forget what the other one is.) That activity concluded our day in Milano. We also went to see the Castle Sforza, but I honestly don't remember anything about it but the garden in the center. I'm not saying it's something to skip, but it didn't leave a lasting impression. And it's a lonnngggg walk to get there.

Our next big Italian destination after Milan was Venice. It's a pretty straight forward 4 hour drive from Milan to Venice, but instead of driving that all in one day, we decided to take a pit stop to the Italian speaking Swiss town of Lugano. This beautiful lake town is a favorite vacation spot of celebrities, but we hit a double negative on this one. It wasn't very bustling in August, and we were there on a Sunday. That didn't stop us from dining and shopping but we didn't spend more than a few hours there. So much for our big venture into Switzerland.

Instead of continuing onward to Venice immediately, we made a pit stop in the city of Verona, the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Verona really played up the idea of being the setting of a famous play, so there were all sorts of tourist traps like Juliette's balcony (maybe they were trying to trick tourists into believing that Juliet was a real person?). The true gem of Verona, however, is their Roman amphitheater. Second only in size to the Colosseum, the condition of this facility is still goo enough to be used. We got tickets to see a concert version of the opera Aida though we left part-way through because our tushies hurt from sitting on ancient Roman stone seats. (Side note: the decision to see Aida was not previously planned. We got tickets from the box office just a few hours before the evening show. There were "orchestra seats" available, but we opted for "stadium" seats which were on the upper tiers of the amphitheater. It was an awesome experience.

Amphitheater in Verona before Aida

Our hotel: Hotel Leopardi was one of our favorites from the whole trip. The rooms were the largest and the price was the lowest. We didn't know this at the time, of course, but we would go from the cheapest/largest hotel room to the most expensive and smallest hotel room upon our arrival in Venice.

The city of Venice is another world. You can't drive a car into Venice, so we arranged to park our car for the duration of our stay in a large parking garage outside the city, and walked into town carrying our bags (another reason to pack light). Venice is an easy walking city, but there are water buses and water taxis that make transport very easy. We were in Venice for 2 full days, and to help us get around easier, we purchased the Venice Card/Pass which included many popular tourist attractions and also unlimited use of the water buses. If you're going to be in Venice for any significant amount of time (i.e. 2 days or more) I strongly recommend the Venice tourist pass. They were a little difficult to pick up when we first got there, and we waited in line for what seemed like forever, but before too long we had them in our hands and made our way to the Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal.

Venice hotels are expensive! We had a pretty difficult time finding one that met all of our criteria and still fell under $200/night. The Hotel Carlton was around $195/night (before taxes) but it had everything we wanted including a great location on the grand canal. Our rooms were super small especially compared to the Hotel Leopardi in Verona, but otherwise it was a lovely hotel.

During our visit to Venice we saw St. Mark's Square (and clock tower), St. Mark's basilica, the Doge's palace, the Bridge of Sighs, and Murano and Burano islands. We did not take a gondola ride. Some people say you can't go to Venice and not take a gondola ride, but in my opinion they've become an over priced tourist trap. You can see the gondolas all over the place. Admire them without wasting your precious pennies. St. Mark's square and basilica, on the other hand, are really incredible. Unlike the Milan Duomo where the structure is a true reflection of gothic architecture, the basilica in St. Mark's square is classic byzantine architecture. We waited in line for a long time to go into St. Mark's basilica (probably an hour), so just a heads up for you there to plan extra time there for that.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but in order to enter Italian churches, all patrons must have their shoulders and knees covered. Some places give you smocks if you're not dressed appropriately, but other places simply turn you away. Make sure to dress accordingly. The men in our group wore pants on the days we went to any churches and the ladies wore short sleeves and skirts that hit below the knee. On that day we stood in line to enter St. Mark's basilica, we were all cursing the dress code. We stood baking in the August sun while waiting in line, but it was well worth it. The inside is beautiful and we paid a few euros extra to see the crypt and treasury.

The Doge's palace was a big disappointment for me. The history behind the Doge was interesting enough, but the entire palace...is empty. You walk from room to room to room reading plaques about how this was the room where the people waited before they were received by the Doge, and then you saw the room where the Doge received people, but they were just big empty rooms. Every now and then there would be a chair or bench symbolic of the type of furniture that would have been there, but fires had nearly destroyed the palace years ago, and few furnishings remain. If there is anything you have to skip, I would say to skip this. It's on the Venice pass though, so if you have the time, and want to see what I'm talking about, feel free. You do get a good view of the Bridge of Sighs from it.

Murano and Burano Islands are neat and easily accessible on the water bus. There isn't much to do on Burano island except for drinking in the beautifully colored homes. The houses along the canal are painted in bright colors and it was very pleasant to stroll down the street while shopping. Murano Island is famous for producing Murano glass. (Have you ever seen those pretty glass beads on a Pandora bracelet? They're all made on this island.) While we were there, we saw a glass blowing demonstration and did some shopping. Murano glass comes in all shapes and sizes. You can buy an 8 Euro necklace or an 800 Euro vase. How big is your souvenir budget?? :)

Burano Island

Whatever you plan on doing in Venice, be sure to save time for shopping. As I mentioned before, Venice is a different world. It's not like any city you've ever seen before. It's more of an amusement park than a city. The shops are great with their glassware and Venetian masks. You can feed the pigeons (yes pigeons) in St. Mark's square or climb the clock tower for a great view. It's a magical place and definitely worth a visit.

Our stay in Venice concluded our trip to the North of Italy. The next day we set out for the seaside town of Sorrento. Click on my next post which hits the highlights of Sorrento, Capri, and Roma!!

Thanks for reading!

- Foxy the Traveler