SUMMARY: Italy

Italy is probably the closest we have come to seeing an entire European country. We started in the north after crossing the alps, stayed in the cheese, meat, and balsamico producing region of Bologna and Modena, continued into the Tuscan region of Florence and Siena, went as far south as Naples before ending in Rome, the heart of the Ancient Western World. It is one of our favourite countries in Europe, and Rome is one of our favourite cities to visit; the only other real contender is Berlin. 

Things we liked:

• Food: Wine, cheese, meat, pasta, gelato, everything
• Amazing food tours led by passionate locals
• Alfredo e Ada, restaurant in Rome
• Michelangelo
• Bernini
• Fine leather goods (wallets and bags, perchance)
• Roman ruins and history spread across the country
• Pantheon
• EuroStar trains: fast and plush

Things we didn't like:

• Naples
• Bed bugs
• Tourists everywhere
• Americanization of Florence and parts of Rome
• Cars and scooters on narrow streets

Interesting findings:

• Italians are always well dressed and made us feel too casual
• No lockers in train stations, instead there is a bag check that costs 5 Euro per bag (very expensive)
• Appeared to be less smokers than Germany and Austria
• Surplus of stationary stores

As always, here are some extra pictures that didn't make the first cut.

*Our first meal in Italy at the train station in Tirano

*Daryl's artistic shot of the Duomo in Milano

*Cheese making in Modena, Italy

*Our very animated food guru, Alessandro

*Covered sidewalks in Bologna (almost all sidewalks are like this)

*View from the tower in Bologna

*Bronze doors in Florence (these doors took the artist 25 years to carve)

*Daryl along the Arno River in Florence

*Jackie along the Arno River in Florence

*Franciscan Church in Siena

*Unfortunate resident of Pompei, Italy

*Painting in brothel in Pompei, Italy

*Daryl rocking the sunglasses in Italy

*View of Mount Vesuvius from Pompei

*Interesting fountain in Rome

*Santa Maria in Trastevere Church

*Sculpture in Capitoline Museum in Rome

*Military band playing outside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City

*Remains of a very large basilica (Roman building of Law) in the Forum

*Daryl listening to the audio guide in the Forum

*The remains of Jackie's boots...both heel soles fell off and the wood on the heel began to rip away. These boots did not make the trip from Rome to Dubai.