Today was a relatively easy and uneventful travel day with a not-too-early flight from Rome and a home arrival in the early evening. I enjoyed everything I saw and experienced on this week-long Classic Italy tour, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
Our day started early with a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica. It was quite an experience to be there and see the sculptures and paintings in person as opposed to just seeing photos of them in art books.
After an afternoon rest break, we had a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. These photos are all from the Museum as no photography is allowed in the Sistine Chapel.
See the documentary and take a 3D virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel’s Ceiling and Last Judgment presented by ItalyGuides.it:
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This morning, we left Florence and took a high-speed train to Rome. We stopped at a local restaurant for lunch, and then took a city bus tour of Rome, stopping at the Coliseum for a visit.
We drove to our hotel and ended out day with our farewell reception and dinner (held one day in advance as we would be visiting the Vatican Museum the following evening).
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Today we had a welcome change of pace as we drove to the Chianti Classico countryside. We stopped at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial; it was beautiful, quiet and peaceful with a definite “Normandy vibe”.
We drove on to the Badia de Passignano winery for a tour of the wine cellars and lunch, which included extra-virgin olive oil tasting and Tuscan cuisine paired with regional wines.
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Our day started with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery for a guided tour. There were many, many people, so it was challenging to take decent photos, but the beautiful sculptures and paintings, especially the famous ones, were definitely worth seeing in person. After the tour, since our afternoon was free, I chose to stay at the Uffizi and spent additional time touring the portrait galleries and (of course) shopping at the gift shop.
‘Primavera’, Botticelli
‘The Birth of Venus’, Botticelli
‘Baptism of Christ’, Verrocchio and Da Vinci
‘The Holy Family’, Michelangelo
‘Portrait of Galileo Galilei’, SustermansIn the evening, we had a private tour of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
‘Penitent Magdalene’, Donatello
‘Bandini Pieta’, Michelangelo
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After an early breakfast, we took a high-speed train ride to Florence where we attended an art history lecture, “Florence: A Profile of the City”, at our hotel (Bernini Palace). Founded in 59 BC as a Roman colony, Florence emerged as an independent city state and became the cradle of the Renaissance under the patronage of the wealthy and powerful Medici family.
After a buffet lunch, we took an orientation walking tour of Florence, which included a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, the home of Michelangelo’s famous “David” sculpture. Our day ended with dinner at Frescobaldi.
Neptune’s Fountain
Cosimo de Medici Equestrian Monument
Duomo and Baptistry
‘David’, Michelangelo, Galleria dell’AccademiaSee more photos:
Today’s weather was overcast but mild. We started our tour of St. Mark’s Square with a visit to the Doge’s Palace/Prisons. Our local guide gave us a quick overview of the history of Venice and told us about the “snitch mailboxes” (for reporting crimes) located outside the Palace. The interior is filled with statuary and paintings.
One of the “snitch mailboxes”
After touring the palace, we took a gondola ride along the canals of Venice.
After the gondola ride, we returned to the Square to visit St. Mark’s Basilica. One of our tour “extras” was a “skip the line” admission for a walkthrough (although we still had to stand in a shorter line to get in). Gold mosaic tile and beautiful paintings cover the ceilings and walls.
I spent the rest of the afternoon “people watching” while walking around St. Mark’s Square and along the waterfront and then back to the water taxi to our hotel. I had an early dinner at the hotel as we would be leaving by train for Florence early in the morning.
A pigeon enthusiastically digs into a bowl of pretzels at an abandoned sidewalk cafe table
Monument to Victor Emmanuel II
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Our welcome dinner wasn’t until 6 PM, so I slept in and had a mid-morning breakfast. Afterwards, I visited the hotel’s photo gallery in the lobby.
Molino Stucky Photo GalleryThe weather was beautiful! I took an early afternoon walking tour of the south side of the Grand Canal, moving east away from the hotel, where I took these photos. The walkway is lined with small shops, cafes, restaurants and private apartments and homes. I saw some people fishing off the pier and some artists sketching views of the Canal from the steps of the Il Redentore.
Gesuati
Il Redentore
St. Mark’s
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My flight to Venice was uneventful. I met some of my fellow travelers who, like me, were arriving a day early, and we took a water taxi from the airport to our hotel, the Hilton Molino Stucky, which is located on the Grand Canal. I had a lovely room with a great view of the Grand Canal. After a two-hour “catch-up” nap, I enjoyed a nice dinner in the hotel’s Rialto Bar & Restaurant with chardonnay, chicken Caesar salad, tiramisu, and cappuccino.
