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From One City to Another.
That's the English translation of this entry's title, Da Una Città all'Altra. I feel it describes my travels in Italy, and the translation is only there to add a bit of extra flair. I should mention that I still have mostly zero knowledge of Italian (a testament to how far English can get you), but I just couldn't think of a better name. From One City to Another by itself felt too boring, so Google Translate helped me out and I think it fits!
Anyways, title explanation out of the way, I left Venice about 10 days ago and headed to Bologna. This city would have completely flown under my radar had it not been for a glowing recommendation from the friends I met in Peschiera. I was originally intending to go straight to Florence, but I was presently surprised by the charm of this city, and I'm glad I stopped over for 2 nights.
I stayed in the Ostello Bello hostel, part of the same hostel chain I stayed at in Milan, which has locations across much of Italy. It's a very reliable, good hostel, with curtains and cleanliness and everything you could need; this one in Bologna even had a fully-stocked kitchen full of free ingredients, which was a first for me. I haven't done much cooking for myself on this trip, but when the ingredients were free, I couldn't resist.
So one night, while I was cooking and eating a pasta dinner, I met an American man named Dillon, who I ended up speaking with for the rest of the night. He has lived such an interesting life, from a gambler to an oil rig worker to an entrepreneur to an investor, coming from nothing and now, in only his mid 30s, spending his days traveling the world. I don't know if that is my exact goal, per say, but it was very cool to see someone living against the norm, and making it work. After all, this gap year is a small example of that in itself. He told me, "there are no rules," which hit home. You can seriously live your life however you want. We then proceeded to come third in the hostel foosball tournament (I was sure we'd win), so I guess you can't get everything you want in life.
The most unique thing I found about Bologna were the porticoes, the arched walkways that make up its sidewalks. Apparently, according to someone else I met at the hostel, after the establishment of the University of Bologna, immigration caused the city's population to grow - a natural occurrence in most cities - but in Bologna they approached it differently. They expanded their existing buildings horizontally, over the roads, and created these porticoes; such an elegant and artful solution to a problem many cities deal with in other, less picturesque ways.
Oh, and Bologna is also famous for its cured meats (it's in the name), so I made sure to get a very meaty sandwich on focaccia for lunch. Overall, I really enjoyed my day and a half here, and I took some images I'm quite proud of.
Asinelli Tower
Framed
Porticoes
Then, I made my way to Florence. This city is so large and full of life, and the fact that I enjoyed it so much makes me that much more excited to see Rome, its larger, busier, more famous counterpart (from what I've been told).
Firstly, you cannot go to Florence and miss the Piazza Michelangelo. My first day in the city - as I like to do to acquaint myself with a place - I went for a run from the hostel across the city, dodging and weaving through the masses of tourists, and eventually crossing the river Arno to get to the plaza. It has an amazing view over the entire city, and was a perfect lunch spot on the days that followed.
One night, the hostel was hosting a food and wine tour of Florence. How could I refuse? Seeing the main cathedral was even more spectacular at night than in the day, and I can attest that both the food and the wine in the city are very good. Shoutout to Tatiana, who saw me walk out of a pizza restaurant without my backpack and reminded me of its existence. My passport and camera could've been gone if not for her attentiveness, but luckily my sprint back to the shop meant I got to it before it got stolen.
I decided to stop into two museums in Florence, the first of which being the Leonardo DaVinci Interactive Museum. DaVinci spent his early career and received his artistic training in Florence. This man was revolutionary, to say the least, and all of the replicas of his inventions in this museum must have been spectacular in his time. To me though, this museum felt like a glorified collection of doohickeys and gizmos, which were only fun to fiddle around with for a couple minutes. Worth it? Up for debate.
Of course, the Uffizi Gallery didn't disappoint. Think of it like Florence's Louvre. I found the influence of the Medici family very interesting, who basically ruled Florence in all but title during the 1400s. I went to the museum with some friends I'd made on the wine tour the other night, and afterwards we all went and got gelato at Gelateria della Passera. This spot was very popular, with a line out the door and around the corner, but it has got to be the best gelato I've had in Italy (so far). I feel like I say that every time.
On the topic of long lines, I highly recommend FN Pasta Fresca, a takeout pasta spot in Mercato Central which is famous for their 6 euro menu. Any pasta you want, with any sauce you want, for 6 euros each. Just be prepared, I stood in line for about 30 minutes. It was worth it, and any other restaurant would happily charge you 18 euros for pasta of the same quality, and of a similar portion size.
Florence was also where I paused to write my previous entry, Halfway Ramblings. Check it out if you haven't already.
Leonardo DaVinci Interactive Museum
Oh, and on my last day in the city, I took a brief trip to Pisa, because everyone I met said it wasn't worth spending the night. It's true, there really isn't anything in Pisa besides the area around the leaning tower. Still, I knew I'd regret it if I didn't visit, and it gets an overly-bad rep, in my opinion. The city has its own charm, and I was able to get a few decent street photos, which I wasn't expecting. Plus, I got the classic picture I came for (which everyone comes for), so it was worth it.
So yeah, my time in Florence was spent wandering, creating, eating, laughing, and making friends. However, even though I would have loved to spend some more time in this city, my time was cut short. Keep reading, so I can explain.
Piccione a Firenze
Matching
Sun Streaks
When doing my research before this whole trip had even started, I heard that you could stay in monasteries as a form of cheap accommodation. Earlier on this trip, so as to secure a spot, I found a random place in between Florence and Rome and decided to go for it. It would be a new and interesting experience, which is what this is all about after all. I booked it through www.monasterystays.com, and since then, those dates have been set in stone.
I found myself sitting in Florence realizing I had a bit more time to kill in central Italy than I anticipated. I would have loved to stay in Florence for longer, but the Ostello Bello hostel I was staying in was the most expensive hostel I'd ever booked, and so it wasn't feasible to spend any more time in the city. I hadn't accounted for this, so I went on the search for available, okay-priced hostels in a decently-sized city in central Italy that didn't have terrible reviews, with room available for the next 4 nights. There were barely any results. I managed to find one in a town on Italy's east coast called Rimini. It didn't look like anything special, but I really had no another choice, so I booked a stay at the Sunflower City Student Hostel, and I was on my way.
Rimini
Luckily, Rimini turned out to be a bit of a hidden gem. I was there in October, in the off season, and it was very quiet in the hostel for the majority of my time. That being said, on my first night I was thrust into a karaoke session with a group of Argentinian lads. Even though I didn't speak Spanish, we traded songs and had a good time. I'm sure that in the summer it gets very lively down by the beach, and to me Rimini feels very much like an Italian Barcelona.
The downside of this unexpected time for me was that I caught a small cold. Plus, the hostel room had a ton of mosquitoes, covering me in bites when I woke up, and there was a man (built like a freight train) in the bed across from me whose snores sounded like a cruise ship's foghorn. I'm not exaggerating.
Even so, my time here was great. From the piers on the Mediterranean beaches to the colorful houses in the city center and remnants from the Roman empire, Rimini has a lot to offer, and inspired me a ton. I included some aesthetic photos - ones I wouldn't normally show - below, because I found the seaside so pretty. One day on the pier, I met a man named Roberto, who was one of many fishermen out on that beautiful Saturday. He didn't speak much English, but he was totally up for an impromptu photoshoot with him and his fishing rod. You can find those images, plus more street photography that I'm proud of from my time in Rimini, on my Instagram.
Roberto
One day during my stay in Rimini, I took a day trip to the small independent country of San Marino, sitting landlocked within Italy. I wanted to visit because it would add another country to my list, and with it being only an hour long bus trip from Rimini, it was perfect for a day trip. I was expecting a small, unassuming place in the Italian countryside, so when I got off the bus and was greeted by a gorgeous vista, with rolling hills dotted with small towns and mountains fading into the distance, I was blown away. It was a beautiful early October day and the trees were starting to turn yellow; the scent of autumn was in the air, and I again got the feeling of true freedom. The world is huge, and when there is such beauty hidden in places you would have easily disregarded as more of the same, it seems impossible to see it all. I certainly intend to try, though.
Anyways, the capital city of San Marino, with the same name, sits atop Monte Titano. If you're an avid reader of this blog, you may remember that I visited Andorra earlier on my travels. Both of these countries are about the same geographical size, so naturally I found myself comparing their similarities and differences. Both have a strong sense of national pride, which was very apparent as I walked around, and is the reason why they're still independent to this day. However, while Andorra is nestled within the Pyrenees, giving it a cozy and "hidden" vibe, San Marino proudly sits high up, isolated on a small mountaintop with a gorgeous view over the surrounding Italian countryside.
After a meandering walk up the city, I found myself at the Prima Torre, or the First Tower. It was 8 euros for access to all the historical sites in the city, but - in my opinion - the one that's most worth visiting is the Seconda Torre. Both gave gorgeous views, but the Seconda Torre is the highest point in the city, and looks out over everything. To get to the top floor, you have to crawl up this very narrow, claustrophobic ladder, but if you can manage it, I promise it's worth it.
The path to the Seconda Torre
A misconception I had about Italy before I spent so much time here was that it's a fairly flat country (aside from the very north). That is not the case. My train journey from Rimini to Assisi, which took me down along the coast and then inland through mountains and rolling hills, was beautiful and captured the essence of Italian nature on the cusp of autumn. I just stared out the window, in awe that a country which has so much else to offer (pasta, pizza, etc) could also have such natural beauty. When I arrived in Assisi, a mixup with the location of my accommodation meant I found myself walking up through the entire city, lugging all of my bags. It gave me a new appreciation for the elevation and very much non-flatness of Italy.
Assisi is a medieval town built up on a hillside, full of cobblestone streets, narrow staircases, pizza shops, and churches. A super picturesque place, with tons of religious significance (I have seen my fair share of monks and nuns walking down the street). I stayed in Saint Anthony's Guest House, run by members of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Sitting adjacent to a monastery, the guest house is very quiet and unassuming, and having my own small room for a few nights was amazing, as it always is.
The WiFi password was also literally called "ATONEMENT," which I found hilarious.
The house library had a short book on the life of Saint Francis, a friar from the 1200s who founded the Franciscan order of Christianity, and whose tomb is within the large basilica on the edge of Assisi. His influence on the town was immense, and it was interesting to sit and read about the values of humility and charity which he preached; I can really get behind the sense of community that's present here.
Staying in a monastery felt like staying in a very peaceful - albeit sparse - hotel (with religious decorations). The appeal was the town itself, full of monasteries like this one, and people united by faith. If I'm being honest, my time in Assisi was mostly used to relax and write this blog. It's normal to have off days and slow days, and what better place to relax than a religious guest house?
A view of Assisi from the guest house
Let me briefly go off on a tangent. I can safely say that by now, I have honed the skill to be able to walk around a new city and regularly produce 20 Instagram-worthy keeper photos. This really came as a surprise to me, but 20 seems to be that magic number, which I can regularly hit after a day of shooting a new place, day after day. This also means that each post has something special, and I am proud of each image, to have made the cut. It's easy on Instagram to scroll through someone's feed, only swiping through the first or second image in a carrousel before scrolling. If I was focused on numbers, I would spread out my posts more, to give more attention to each photo. I think compiling 20 images from a day in a place gives me more fulfillment, and so that's what I'll stick with.
However, there's something very satisfying about spending a solid amount of time in a larger city, and compiling my Instagram posts based on themes or similarities, not just day-by-day. That's one reason why I'm very excited for my next stop, where I'll have a full week to settle in and explore, and work on making some more themed selections.
I've spent more time in Italy than any other country on this trip, and I've enjoyed constantly moving from one city to another, discovering their own different stories, characteristics, and shades of Italian culture.
It doesn't stop here.
Now, onwards to Rome!
Mark
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