Travel: SORRENTO, ITALY

*read my adventures along The Amalfi Coast here first!*

I don't know how anyone drives around southern Italy. We'd decided to drive from Rome airport down to Sorrento which had seemed like a great idea at the time, but four and a half hours later plus some very, very tight roads and some very, very brazen drivers made us think that maybe we wouldn't be doing the same should we return to this part of the country...

Regardless, we made it to Sorrento in one piece. After parking up in one of the world's smallest garages, I wasn't expecting much from our Airbnb, so imagine my surprise when we walked into something akin to the Palace of Versailles. Hidden in a nondescript apartment block, grand rooms plucked straight from the scenes of Downton Abbey awaited. Not bad, particularly considering that this whole place was cheaper than the cost of two rooms in any of the nearby hotels, plus allowed us a lot more space to call our own.

After settling in, it was time to get out and explore. We were very close to what we discovered was the main street, which made getting around very convenient. With such a long drive under our belts, it seemed about time for dinner, so we opted for a colleague's suggestion of O'Parrucchiano La Favorita. From the facade on the street, I'd expected a small homey restaurant. Instead, three tiers of restaurant stretched before us - half inside, half outside, and hundreds of lemon trees. This restaurant well and truly was the Tardis, and an extremely beautiful one at that. We split a starter, my highlight of which was the fried zucchini flowers filled with ricotta. I followed this with gnocchi alla Sorrentina - potato gnocchi in a tomato sauce with smoked provola cheese. It wouldn't have been a true Italian meal without tiramisu for dessert, as well as the local speciality - lemon delicizia, a dome shaped cake filled with lemon cream and covered in lemon icing. Very nice, but could've been even more lemony. 

Good food continued the next morning when we went to Bistr96 for coffee and cornetti/ brioche / croissants (depending on where you're from). We got one with cream and cherry, the pain au chocolat's even tastier cousin, and a plain cornetto which they hand-filled with Nutella. Yum. Our first day was all about exploring Sorrento, so that's what we did - walking along the touristy streets with their thousands of lemon-themed souvenirs - limoncello, lemon soap, lemon candles, lemon printed clothes - anything you could think of, they'd made a lemon version of it. And that's without even considering all the lemon-based food and drinks you could buy too, as well as lemons of all shapes and sizes, including some about the size of a small basketball. 

We ate a homemade lunch outside - fresh foccacia with burrata and little tomatoes - before I had my second form of lemon food/drink, a granita from David's Gelateria. Essentially just crushed ice, lemon juice, and a little bit of zest, it's very simple, but oh so refreshing. Perfect for all the walking we had planned. First, down to the Grande Marina, and then up, up, up and out of the city. The higher we got, the better the views of Mount Vesuvius - quite an impressive backdrop. 

Our aim was the Roman ruins at Bagni Regina Giovanna. The road wasn't great for pedestrians (is anywhere in Italy?), along pavements or no pavements at all, with lost tourists and speedy Napolitan drivers tearing along the road next to you... Upon arriving there, you'd be hard pressed to find the Roman ruins, but it's a pleasant place to stop and admire the scenery, or take a dip in the hidden cove.

Dinner that evening was at Qui Sorrento, a small bistro a bit out of town, but so very worst the walk. We started off with a complimentary amuse boche of foccacia with a homemade salted butter, plus various other breads. I'm trying my best to get with the Italian way of eating dry bread, but I'm not there yet, so asked the lovely waiter if I could have some vinegar. They didn't have any, but what they did have was the world's most incredible red wine reduction. It was utterly delicious and I could've downed a whole bottle of it. In fact, we loved it so much, we asked if we could take some home, to which they obliged. Incredible - and the meal hadn't even properly started yet! They have a selection of starters which change on a regular basis, and they even made a special vegetarian one for me, which was delicious - a selection of small plates including blooming artichoke, asparagus with parmesan, variations of carrot, beetroot, fresh pizza dough with mozzarella, and a semi-sweet cube of provola wrapped in white chocolate. So delicious! This was followed by a mini scoop of olive oil ice cream to 'cleanse the pallet' before the main course. I'd opted for pasta e patate, which was nice enough, as were the other mains we ordered. We'd already had such a lovely meal, and that was without even including dessert. We had a kind of lemon soufflé, and a chocolate mousse with berry gels and coulis, both of which were utterly delicious. An incredible meal worthy of a Michelin star. Definitely the one to visit if you come to Sorrento.

Breakfast the next morning was at Bar Ciokochris - coffee and cornetti with almonds, orange marmalade, and chocolate. We were heading out of Sorrento the next day, so it was down to the harbour to catch the ferry to Capri - you can read all about that here! There was plenty of time for ice cream once we got back, so I made my way to Fresco. The reviews had said they made the best pistachio ice cream in Italy, so that was a must. I'm a bit of a chocolate orange fiend, so that made up my second flavour, and it was an excellent pick. The pistachio was indeed very nice, but that chocolate orange was even better. Best ice cream of the trip.

The only thing left on that day's agenda was dinner, so later, we walked down to the main street with a stunning sunset overhead. Our destination was Accento, a restaurant coincidentally located opposite O'Parrucchiano La Favorita, the restaurant we'd tried the first night. However, unlike that restaurant, this one was less Tardis like, and a standard sized restaurant on the inside. Predominately a seafood restaurant, there were lots of fresh things on the menu, including a pricey antipasti selection, and various fish dishes and pastas, including a black squid ink pasta. I had ravioli alla Norma - pasta filled with aubergine and smothered in tomato sauce. Pretty nice, but we'd really been spoiled by dinner the night before. I'd heard a chocolate soufflé being offered for dessert, but sadly they'd run out before we could order it, so we skipped dessert and instead enjoyed a small glass of limoncello on the house. Nice!

The next morning, we went to back down to the harbour, but with no success - the seas were too rough for the ferries to be heading out. Well, guess we ought to think about what to do over breakfast at Bar Pasticceria Monica for what turned out to be our cheapest yet - only €6.50 for coffee and cornetti! And tasty ones too - Kinder Bueno, chocolate chip, and dark chocolate. Having mostly recovered from the terrifying driving and tiny garage of a few days prior, we decided if there were no boats, the car would have to do. As such, we cruised out of Sorrento and onto the coastal road to check out the towns along the Amalfi Coast - read about that here!

Back in Sorrento before four o'clock, we still had time for more excitement before dinner. Checking out hikes from Sorrento online, we picked one that would take us up to Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi. It was pretty steep and not the easiest, but again, the views made it totally worth it - sweeping vistas of Sorrento, Vesuvius, blue skies and sea - very pretty. It took us about an hour to get up to the town, where we took a quick look at the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazie before heading a different way down. This one took down impossibly small and steep roads that we saw a few cars struggle up (GPS malfunction, we think!), past huge lemon and orange groves, through forgotten towns, and to viewpoints with spectacular views. The last part brought us down a path with a tiny chapel at the top and stations of the cross on the way down. Not the easiest hike, but definitely a highlight of our time in Sorrento.

I had worked up such an appetite on our hike, and where better to satiate it than at a Trattoria. We'd chosen Torna a Surriento, a little family-owned restaurant with the friendliest servers around. We were welcomed in literally with open arms, and attended to well throughout our meal. We started with a huge sharing platter of clams, mussels, sardines, fritters, fried zucchini flower stuffed with mozzarella, a mini caprese salad, and parmigiana - aubergine cooked with tomato sauce and cheese. I was already full by the time the main arrived - I'd seen the words 'fresh pasta' on the menu and was sold. Mine was a kind of spaghetti alla nerano, a simple pasta dish made with fried courgette / zucchini and provolone cheese. Very flavourful, and a pleasant homey place to have dinner.

We'd been so impressed with Pasticceria Monica that we decided to go there again the next day, this time for double cornetti since we'd be travelling the next morning. This meant taste-testing new flavours including Nutella, chocolate chip, white chocolate, and apricot. A very local bar that's well worth a visit. We headed back down to the harbour, fingers crossed that the boats would be running that morning. As luck would have it, they were, which meant a beautiful day in Positano - check that out here!

After a day full of hiking, we headed back to Sorrento. My legs were certainly feeling it, but that didn't stop us from taking a quick walk around 'hidden Sorrento' - I Giardini di Cataldo, with all of its lemon and orange trees, and past all of the five star hotels with their seafront views - I wouldn't mind staying at one of them! It looked like an ideal place to watch the sunset, but we had plans before the sun went down - dinner!

We'd actually booked our last night's dinner on our first night in Sorrento since they were booked for all the other days we were there. From their food, you could see why. We had a wonderful dinner at Trattoria dei Mori, sitting outside as we were served complimentary parmesan dough balls, followed by a sharing platter of sardines, octopus, zucchini flower, and stuffed artichoke. There were not one, but two vegetarian specials, so of course we had to try both. Gnocchi with a pumpkin puree, and homemade pasta with aubergine and tomato sauce, both served with buffalo mozzarella. Super tasty. Given it was our last night, what better way to treat ourselves than with three different desserts - tiramisu, buffalo milk cheesecake, and a traditional Easter cake with a delicate custard filling and dried fruit - all washed down with some complimentary limoncello. All of the restaurants we tried were very good, but this would definitely rank second after Qui Sorrento.

And with that, all we had left to do was drive back up to Rome (this time it took us a whopping five and a half hours). Yes, we'd seen parts of Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast that you don't see on Instagram - the horrendous traffic and the hordes of tourists being notable examples - but we'd also seen the best of it - the stunning scenery, incredible food, and much needed relaxation time. Worth a visit, at least once in your life.

And that's it from my current adventures down south! Don't worry, there'll be more Italian adventures coming soon (Genoa and Turin are up next!) so stay tuned to my Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when they're posted. Thanks so much for reading! 

Travel: THE AMALFI COAST, ITALY (Positano & Maiori)

 

*check out my travels to Capri and Anacapri here first!*

After a few days exploring Sorrento, it was about time to head out and explore the Amalfi Coast. Day 1 was by car - you certainly wouldn't catch me driving along the coastal - way too skinny roads with fairly constant traffic and huge buses trying to squeeze past too! And that's all without mentioning the hundreds - nay, thousands - of cars parked along the road. It seemed like tourists would literally be walking miles into the towns, just so that they could find somewhere to park. It was insane! Needless to say, we didn't stop as we passed through the most popular towns of Positano, Praiano, and Amalfi, a pretty small section of coast which ended up taking us an hour and a half to drive through.

Indeed, it was only until after we'd lost most of the tourists that it was even possible to stop, at the small town of Maiori. We had coffee, a real ciocolatta calda, and a traditional Easter cake at Pasticceria Napoli di Nicola e Aniello, along with a little walk along the promenade, before hopping back into the car. Needless to say, none of us were keen to make the return journey back along the coastal road, so we found a much more central route towards Salerno and around by Pompei back to Sorrento. Much more tolerable. 

The following day, we decided to hop on the ferry from Sorrento, and an hour later found ourselves in the picture perfect town of Positano. Much nicer to take the boat there rather than brave those wiggly car park-like roads! First thing on the agenda? Well, coffee, of course. We headed up the hill, past the cathedral and fancy touristy shops, to Casa e Bottega. An upmarket cafe and bruncherie, this cafe takes full advantage of gullible tourists. €7 for a small glass of orange juice? I think not. A little caffe orzo it was, although to be fair, I suppose you were paying for the view as well. They seemed pretty keen to turn the tables after us, so we didn't stay long.

Like Capri, rather than spending our time in the main town, we headed up. A beautiful lemon-ceramiced balcony provided the perfect place to admire the tiered houses on the hill that are splashed all across Instagram (and now this blog). And then began the steps. There were a lot of them. I'm talking thousands, and it was tough - probably tougher than the hike we'd done the day before, and that's saying something! A solid hour of non stop climbing later, and we reached the town of Montepertuso. Honestly, there wasn't much to see up here - we'd gone around the corner from the views of Positano - but you could continue up to Buso di Montepertuso which I guessed would've offered some very pleasant vistas. We had to be back at the port for 2pm, so decided to skip it, but not before the world's most refreshing spremuta d'arancia (freshly squeezed orange juice) that was definitely well and truly needed. 

We walked down via an alternate route - still thousands of steps, but past an impressive natural rock formation full of stalactites. Pretty cool. It was crazy to see how far we'd gone up by the time we were back at sea level. Such a great feat deserved to be rewarded, and no better way that with a cup of ice cream. I'd read reviews about the lemon sorbet at Collina, which apparently came in a hollowed out lemon. They didn't seem to have them when we got there, but they did have lemon sorbet, which we got along with sfogliata, a puff pastry baked good that you can find in the pasticcerias in Italy. Tasty. Then it was back to the ferry and to Sorrento for some incredible food and scenery - coming soon to this blog! 

Bucket list item checked off! I hope you enjoyed reading about my time on The Amalfi Coast. I'm always in search of the most beautiful places on this planet - where should I aim for next? Let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and stay tuned for my Sorrento blog, coming next! Thanks so much for reading!

Travel: CAPRI & ANACAPRI, ITALY

 

*check out my last Italy adventures - The Tuscany Diaries - here first!*

For this trip, we'd chosen to base ourselves in Sorrento, but that didn't mean we'd be staying there the whole time. Our first sejourn out of Sorrento was to Capri, which took about forty minutes by ferry. However, as soon as we arrived, we headed the opposite way to everyone else - away from the main town. Instead, we were headed to Anacapri, another of the towns on the island. The way there isn't for the faint of heart, with hundreds of steps and again, not great pavements, if at all. The route was pretty much devoid of tourists as those going to Anacapri tended to take the bus or taxis, but we enjoyed soaking up the views on the way. 

An hour later, we were in Anacapri. Little white shops lined the windy streets, and we walked down to Capri Cakes for coffee and, you guessed it, cake. I decided to get a cioccolata calda (hot chocolate), knowing that in Italy, they're usually better than most - so thick they're more like a dessert than a drink. Sadly, this was more a standard hot chocolate than what I'd wanted, but the caramel flavour was very pleasant. Being in Capri, of course we had to try the Caprese cakes, and got one chocolate, one lemon, both of which were very nice. 

Fully satiated, we decided we would hike up to Monte Solaro. Google Maps told us it would only take a little over half an hour, but that ended up only being to the start of the trail. We'd made it this far, so it seemed a shame to stop there, so we continued on, even though we were definitely not on anything you could call a real 'route', instead probably one carved by the mountain goats that made this area their home... We did eventually make it to the top, and it was definitely worth it. I felt a great sense of achievement looking down at how far we'd come, and there was an even better way of getting back down, at least to Anacapri - a single person chairlift! I don't think I'd even seen one of those before, but it was great fun to be scooped up in the chair and then float over the hills for a solid ten or so minutes. Super fun. 

Back in Anacapri, we could've taken the bus back to the harbour, but where would the fun in that have been. Instead, we walked via Capri to see what all the hype was about. In comparison to Anacapri, I didn't like Capri at all - so crowded, and basically just somewhere to shop. We didn't stay long, and walked down to the harbour to catch the boat back. We'd been told when buying our tickets that morning that the time printed on our ticket didn't really matter, and we could get on any of the boats leaving. The guys at the port disagreed. Well, they disagreed with those whose tickets they checked, which was probably only about half of the people heading to the boats. We watched numerous people with tickets after ours walk onto the earlier boat without being checked, but we just happened to be one of the unlucky ones so had to wait an hour in the sun before we could get on our alloted boat. A bit annoying, but thankfully we didn't have anything we were rushing back for except dinner back in Sorrento - yum! 

I loved being a tourist in Capri and Anacapri, and particularly the unexpected ride on the chairlift - something I'd definitely recommend for any visitors to the beautiful island. Have you visited Southern Italy? Where else should I go? Let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry, where you'll also be the first to know when my next blog is posted - thanks for reading! 

Travel: VIAREGGIO, ITALY - The Tuscany Diaries

*check out my last instalment of The Tuscany Diaries in Pisa here first!* 

And so we'd come to the last destination on our whirlwind Tuscany tour - the coastal town of Viareggio. Our accommodation here was a small summer apartment with two identical bedrooms and very beachy vibes. My morning in Viareggio began well with a tasty Nutella filled brioche from Puccinelli Pastry Cafe, but went a bit off the rails from there.

I made my way towards the beachfront to catch a glimpse of the sea, but found it completely blocked off. Not a surprise, as it was the day of Carnevale, but the road wasn't due to shut until 9am. It was 8:45. Could I go through just for a look at the sea? Not without a €22 ticket. The main reason of coming to Viareggio was to see the sea, and now we were being told we couldn't do so without paying for it?

With no other options, we decided to buy tickets, and through we went, although it turned out that the ticket only really gave you access to a section of the promenade that must've been less than 1km long, but encapsulated pretty much all of the public beach. In fact, arguably the best part of the beach, the Molo pier, was outside of the ticketing area, so we could've gone for free, but alas. The next few hours were spent walking in and out of the ticketed area, sitting by the beach, and making the most of our ticket by checking out all of the floats that would come to life for the parade later that afternoon.

It's no surprise that one of my favourite things about visiting new places is trying the cuisine there, and whilst many might think Italy is just 'pizza' and 'pasta' (guilty), there is so much variety even between these two types of food. I'd been told that a pasta shape called pici was famous from this region, and had been looking out for it as we moved through Florence, Lucca, and Pisa. It was in Viareggio that I finally found it, at a restaurant on the main promenade called Fanatiko. The dish, cacio e pepe, is a simple one with cheese and pepper, and was very pleasant. Glad to have ticked it off!

As the parade drew closer, the area got busier, so we found a spot by the side of the road and waited for the festivities to begin. With three loud bangs that sounded like gunshots (whose idea was that?!), the parade kicked off. Over the next two hours, we watched dancers and performers make their way along the road ahead of huge floats. They were so intricately detailed, with manually controlled moving parts. We saw floats with the likes of an Italian singer dressed as the Pope, Don Quixote, a giant ant, a polar bear, Joe Biden riding on an American flag buffalo, dragons, and so much more. They were all so carefully crafted, and incredible to watch come by, almost touching the sides of the buildings as they went.

As the last few floats passed us, we saw that it was already time to head back to the station for our return home, and even that was something special. Cruising along past La Spezia and Cinque Terre, we watched the sun set over the ocean with beautiful colours stretching across the skyline. And there you have it - a four day whirlwind tour of Tuscany. I can't wait to see what's next. 

And there we have it - the final instalment in The Tuscany Diaries (at least until next time...) I hope you enjoyed reading all about them - have you visited Tuscany? What areas would you recommend? I'd love to hear them - drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry, where you can also stay up to date on all of my future travel adventures. Thanks so much for reading! 

Travel: PISA, ITALY - The Tuscany Diaries

*Read about one of my favourite cities in Italy - Lucca - here first!*

After Lucca, I wasn't sure anything could stand up to my expectations, but if one place was going to try, it'd certainly be Pisa. We arrived after sunset, and so headed directly to our accommodation for the night - Magnolia Comfort and Rooms. It was decent, but in a bit of a weird location and besides, after the wonderful stay we'd had in Lucca, anything else was bound to be a disappointment.

First item on the agenda - dinner. We walked into the main part of town, past the tower. I'll be honest, I was really surprised to find that it really is that 'leany' in real life! We'd picked Ristorante Allabona for dinner, an eco-friendly restaurant that serves all their food on biodegradable plates. We shared a selection of pecorino to start, and I had a fairly plain bowl of pasta with tomato sauce for the main. Fine, but nothing incredible.

The same cannot be said of the following day's breakfast. Our choice that morning was Filter Coffee Lab, which had a great selection of breakfasts, from avocado toast, to muffins, to pancakes with Nutella. Bet you can't guess which one we went for.

We'd make the smart decision of booking tickets for the Tower that morning, so didn't have to worry with stressing about times and the like. The price to enter the Tower was €20, whilst the price for all the buildings on the Piazza dei Miracoli was €27, so it seemed to make sense to buy the ticket that encompassed everything. We arrived at the Tower for our 11:30 booking, and were brought into its hollow centre, where we learned that it had previously had an even bigger angle of lean! Pretty cool. 

Then, we started to climb. I was fascinated by how the part of each step most faded varied with each step, because of course you were going round at at angle. There was a mid section, and you could then continue up to the top for lovely views of the piazza and beyond. We were lucky enough to be up there just as the huge (and very loud) bells tolled noon, much to the shock of one of my travel companions!

We were ushered away from the top so the next group could come up, so headed back down to explore the rest of what the ticket offered. First, the Basilica, which had a bit line stretching from it's front doors (bear in mind we weren't even there in the high season!) It was a large and impressive building, as many churches in Italy are - they really know how to make them!

Next came the Battistero, a big circular building with a large font in its centre; and the Camposanto, a rectangular complex with cloisters you could walk around and admire the frescoes. After all that culture, we were in need of something to eat, so headed away from the centre towards the university district. My friends opted for filled focaccia, but I was in the mood for cecina - a Pisa speciality which is essentially a savoury pancake made of chickpeas. I was losing hope of finding some when I found a tiny shopfront selling them for a mere €1.50 a slice. Hot and tasty.

From hot to cold, we next headed to Gelato Dipendente, which some reviews had claimed was the best ice cream in Italy. After trying their Nutella and biscotti flavours, I can tell you it's not. It was fine, but had nothing on some of the gelaterias I'd tried. If you really want the best gelato in Italy, get the squisatone flavour at Amorucci in Como - my biggest and best secret, laid out for you.

Nicely full, we had some more culturing to do. We breezed around the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo with its carved marble and nice view of the Tower, and to Museo delle Sinopie, with paintings and fresco outlines. After all that, I think we had more than enough of culture, and good thing too - just time for a few touristy snaps in front of the tower before our train to the next destination. Onwards! 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my time in Pisa! If you've visited, I'd love to hear what you enjoyed, and where else you think I should head to next. Send me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry, where you can also be the first to know when I post my next instalment of the Tuscany Diaries! Thanks for reading! 

Travel: LUCCA, ITALY - The Tuscany Diaries

*check out my last Tuscany destination - Florence / Firenze - here first!*

After a quick sejourn in Florence, we rolled through the Tuscan hills, arriving in Lucca as the sunset. What's Lucca? I had the same question, and can now easily answer with 'my favourite Tuscan city'. We walked from the station along the wall of this walled city to our B&B, La Terrazza di Via Elisa. It was utterly gorgeous. Literal suites with huge beds and bathrooms, complimentary coffee, a pretty living room and terrace, and all for €25pp! I cannot recommend enough - we loved it.

In spite of a big lunch in Florence, we'd worked up quite the appetite, something that would've been easy to fix had everywhere we tried in Lucca not already been full. We ended up at Ristorante Pizzeria K2, which although not our first choice, was a real delight. I had a delicious pizza with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, olives, and pesto. So good!

After a great night's sleep, our first day in Lucca began with coffee and brioche (courtesy of my lovely friends!) in bed - the best way to start any day. Our first stop of the day was Torre Guinigi, one of Lucca's many towers, but with the added excitement of having trees growing at the top. It felt like a lot of stairs to go up, but once at the top, were afforded lovely 360 views of Lucca and its surrounds, with towers and mountains stretching out before us.

We'd picked a particularly windy day to go up,  so we didn't stay too long - plus there was so much of Lucca still to see. The best idea of the trip came from one of my compatriots - what better way to see so much of the city than by bike? We collected a fleet of bikes from Gigabike - €10 each for the whole day, and then we were off. We cruised along the cobbled streets, past churches and towers, to the main square, and then up onto the wall, around the entirety of which you can cycle. The second best idea of the day came next - a picnic on the wall! We'd picked up supplies at a nearby supermarket and had a wonderful (windy) lunch of fresh Italian produce - bread baked that morning with straciatella, sundried tomatoes and homemade pesto, all in one of the parks on top of the wall. What a great idea!

We rode through the busy centre, but the best thing about the bikes was that they got us easily away from the crowds, something we all really appreciated. With the end of the day drawing near and more cities still to visit, there was time for one more snack stop - this time coffee and cake at Santa Zita. Still working on loving coffee, I picked a specialty coffee - with Nutella, shredded coconut, and a swirl of whipped cream, it looked more like a cocktail or dessert than a coffee. I had it alongside a slice of creme brulee cake, which tasted as you'd expect it to - like creme brulee. Both were fine, but I think they'd opted for style more than substance - plus no cake will ever beat Cernobbio's Cafe Anagramma's Sachertorte!

And just like that, our time in Lucca had come to an end, but what a wonderful day and a bit it had been. Lucca, you have my heart. Now, onto the next location! 

Thank you so much for reading about my time in Lucca! I'll have even more exciting travel blogs around Tuscany up on the blog very soon... stay tuned on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and let me know where your favourite places in Europe are. Thanks for reading!  

Travel: FLORENCE / FIRENZE, ITALY - The Tuscany Diaries

*check out my last trip to Bologna (food galore) here first!*

With days off far and few between, I was definitely going to take full advantage of being given two in a row. In fact, we was going to use them so productively, we'd planned a whirlwind tour of Tuscany in just four days. 'You can't do that! You'll never experience Tuscany that way!' a friend cautioned me. Watch us.

 

The Tuscany tour began in the city most people would associate with the region - Florence / Firenze. We hopped off the train at Santa Maria Novella Station and mosied over to the nearby Basilica - my first taste of Florence architecture, with its highly intricate designed facade. 

This set the stage for what was to come, as we headed into the centre of town. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore was so beautiful, it's hard to convince myself that it's not greenscreened when I look back over the photos! Absolutely beautiful. Nearby, you'll find Piazza della Signoria, where a replica of Michelangelo's David can be found (I plan on returning to see David in his full glory in the Galleria dell'Accademia someday soon), along with plenty more statues.

Italians sure love their rivers, so we stopped for photos at Ponte Vecchio, before crossing in search of food. We had two items on our bucket list - bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine steak) and ribollita, a traditional soup/stew made with beans, bread, and vegetables. Both were easily found at Trattoria de' Guicciardini - I opted for the ribollita, and if you're looking for something hearty, you won't find anything more so than this. It was thick and flavoursome, and definitely enough to fill you up for the day. 

Of course there's lots to do in Florence, and we'd been told that one of the best ways to see as much of it as possible was from the Giardino di Boboli. Indeed, located behind Palazzo Pitti, this was a great place to walk around for a few hours, admiring the plants, fountains, and most importantly, the views. Make sure you go right to the top, where there's a garden looking away from Florence - this was probably my favourite, gazing over the rolling hills of Tuscany with their cypress trees and little churches. 

The sky was clear as we walked back down, admiring the dome of the Cathedral from way up high. It was a short trip to Florence, but a good indicator of what to expect there. I'll be back, but for now, onto the next place! 

I hope you enjoyed today's travel blog! Still three more Tuscan cities to visit in this series, so keep up to date with all my travel adventures on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and let me know where you're off to next! Thanks so much for reading :)

Travel: BOLOGNA, ITALY

*check out my last Italian (foodie) adventures to Bergamo here!*

What do you think of when you think of Italy? If you're anything like me, you probably think art, designers, famous landmarks, and above all else, food. Lucky for me, there's plenty of cities famous for food that I have, and will, visit, but one that was recommended to me again and again was Bologna, home of the bolognese! 

I arrived on a rainy afternoon to Bologna Centrale train station, and walked first to my accommodation for the night, a small hostel called Il Nosadillo. The hostel only has three rooms - one male, one female, and one mixed, and is quite possibly the quietest hostel I've ever stayed in (definitely not complaining!) 

Bags dropped off, it was time to get out and explore, and most importantly, find something to eat. I checked the internet for recommendations, and above everything else was one restaurant, Sfoglia Rina. The reviews spoke of it's delicious tortellini, a pasta famous in Bologna, and one that I had been told I had to try while I was there. One slight problem - everyone else wanted it too. The queue when I arrived stretched around the corner - I didn't feel like queuing for two hours in the cold, so decided to cut my losses and try somewhere else. 

My choice: Bonelli Burgers, a bold decision for a vegetarian, particularly when the menu didn't seem to suggest that there was anything non-meat related on the menu, bar chips. But still, a plate of chips wouldn't be a bad option, would it? Nonetheless, I asked the staff if they had any veggie options, and was surprised to find Bonelli has a 'secret menu' including a grilled cheese burger which may well be the best grilled cheese I've ever had (and I've had Five Guys grilled cheeses!) A soft bun, perfectly melted cheese, fresh crispy lettuce, and the most delicious caramelised onions I have ever eaten in my life, dripping with flavour that you couldn't help but dip your bread into. Amazing. 

Bologna is a city full of culture, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to take advantage of one type of culture that you just can't get living in a smaller city like I do - English language films. My Italian leaves a lot to be desired, and if I wanted to see something on the big screen, there was nowhere better than Bologna. 

On the outskirts of the city, I found Cinema Lumiere, a large round building which, as it turned out, was not where I would be watching my film that evening. Part of the same company was Sala Cervi, a one-room cinema not too far away. I actually really enjoyed it - just four rows of seats, a big screen, and a great movie (in English with Italian subtitles). Honestly, a great way to spend the evening. 

After a quiet night in the hostel, it was time to carpe the diem. Breakfast was included - breads, yoghurts, cheeses, and juice - not a bad way to set yourself up for the day. I certainly needed 'setting up', because I was off for a hike! My destination? Santuario Madonna di San Luca. My route? A steep one. 

From my hostel, the sanctuary was a good hour's walk away, up hundreds and hundreds of steps. It was a drizzly morning, so I was pleased that most of the route was under covered walkways, with ample stops along the way showing the Stations of the Cross. 

At long last, I had made it up to the sanctuary, renowned for offering beautiful views across Bologna. That is, on days not like the one I'd come on. As luck would have it, everything was covered in a thick fog meaning I could see little beyond the trees right in front of me, reminding me greatly of my time in Innsbruck. I'm sure everyone else is correct that the view really is good, but alas for me, it wasn't meant to be. 

Thankfully, I hadn't come all that way for nothing, as the sanctuary itself was a large and beautiful church. Inside, huge domed ceilings lifted the eye upwards, before it was drawn back to the beautiful altar with colours straight out of a night sky. You can actually go right up to the altar to admire the dappled marble walls, expertly painted images, and gilded sculptures. Absolutely beautiful. 

Happy with my trip to the monastery, I took the long walk back, opting for a scenic route to return me to the centre of town. I'd picked up a walking tour map the night before, and it was now time to use it. My journey began at Piazza Maggiore, with it's famous statue of Neptune overlooking the plaza, trident in hand. The piazza is wide and surrounded by important buildings like the city's town hall, the Basilica of San Petronio, home to the largest sundial in the world. 

I walked onwards along Via dell'Archiginnasio, full of exclusive shops just a tad out of my price range (although they did look very nice!). This took me to Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, part of the University of Bologna. A quick detour inside allowed me to admire the architecture and intricately painted walls, and see why Bologna is such a popular city for students to come and study at. 

The tour notified me that we were now moving from 'Bologna The Learned' to 'Bologna The Fat' - that sounds more like it! I ended up back in the narrow streets of the Quadrilatero, the old city market, with bars and restaurants spilling onto the street that you have to weave your way around. This is also the area where I'd tried to find dinner the night before, so just for good measure decided to check again. Alas, the queue for the restaurant was just as ridiculous as the day before, so my tortellini would have to wait. 

My next stop was Piazza Santo Stefano, home to what seems like a large church, but is in fact four (previously seven!) and a very interesting place to explore for a while and see how the architecture of the city and it's religious buildings have changed over the centuries. 

Passing through the covered passageway of Corte Isolani (which also looked like a very pleasant place to stop for something to eat), I found myself at the foot of the Two Towers, the tallest of the twenty still standing towers in Bologna. There is a possibility to climb the 498 steps to admire views over the city, but after my failed attempt that morning, I thought I was better off doing something else. 

There's honestly nothing better than finding some good food to pass the time, and I was ultra determined that I would not leave Bologna without having tried some of it's famous tortellini. Fancy restaurants out of the question (queues? No thanks), Bottega Portici seemed like a good choice. This busy place off of Via dell'Indipendenza is essentially a fast food joint - you go in, order your food on touch screens, receive a buzzer, and wait for your food to be ready. I picked tortellini with a tomato and basil sauce, and headed outside to secure the last available table. 

Then, I faced a problem. I didn't want to leave my table unattended and risk losing it whilst I went inside to pick up my food, but I couldn't leave my bag there to mark it and risk it being stolen in the busy city. I decided to ask the two girls at the table behind me to watch my stuff, which probably ended up being the best decision I made in my whole time in Bologna. 

As I came back out with my tray, the two girls asked if I'd like to join them. Sure! I had a lovely time chatting with them for about an hour - about their hometown, university life in Bologna, my experience growing up in London and, of course, food. It was such a simple but uncommon gesture - to invite a stranger to join you for lunch - but it really was such a highlight of my trip, and truly reflects the hospitality of Italians. If these were the only two people I met in my whole time in Italy, I'd go home thinking how lovely the people were. 

I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant way to round up my time in Bologna. Overall, I wouldn't class Bologna as my favourite city in Italy to have visited - honestly, I'd expected there to be more to do (although the weather might have had something to do with that). However, there were some real highlights - I had a damn good burger, had a very nice cinema experience, saw a beautiful church, and met some lovely people. A resounding success in my books. 

Tips for visiting Bologna:

- If I were you, I'd go in Spring or Summer. From my brief trip there, it seems like two of the major attractions (Santuario Madonna di San Luca and the Two Towers) are really ones best enjoyed with good weather, and if you head in darkest winter like I did, you're probably not going to get that

- Further to this, I'd also recommend visiting on a weekday. I was there on a holiday weekend when places were busier than usual. I'd have loved to have tried some of the best rated restaurants or stayed longer in the narrow streets, but the number of people there put me off, so I imagine it's a more enjoyable city when it's less busy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my culinary adventures in Bologna! If you've visited, I'd love to know what the best thing you ate was (and indeed what cities you think are best for foodies like me!) Drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry or in the comments below - thanks so much for reading!