Buon Giorno…Prego…Amore…Mangia…Ciao…
Just a few of the phrases you’ll hear as you travel in Italy.
Italy is a favorite country to visit for many of us. Yes, it’s (usually) hot, maybe crowded, loud, a bit dusty and I don’t really understand the language much, but it’s “bellisimo!”
The Italian Riviera is beautiful and less crowded than its French counterpart. Here you’ll find towns with the names of Rapallo and Portofino. In Portofino you can take a glass bottom boat trip to see “Jesus Christ in the Sea.” It is a giant white cross – perhaps Jesus Christ was on the cross but I don’t knowl - lying at the bottom of the ocean. On a tiny hillside hamlet, you used to see the young ladies in Lorsica, balancing wrapped bundles of straw on their heads walking down the street. And, in this very poor community, there is small but beautiful Catholic Church with magnificent stained glass windows with gold everywhere. Prominent over the altar is a list of contributors to the church building fund.
Then who can forget the excitement of Venice with its beautiful bridges? St. Mark’s Square was beautiful – a wonderful and interesting place to stop to relax and have a coffee or soda. There is shopping in the nearby shops and don’t miss visiting the Murano Glass Factory.
Rome is spectacular. About an hour out of town are the Tivoli Gardens. Many years ago if you toured it at night all of the fountains had colored lights and the sights were simply fantastic. Today, if you return to Tivoli Gardens, you might be disappointed because the energy crisis has hit and all of the colored lights have been replaced with white lights and to some it’s not the magical place it once was. The Coliseum is interesting but now it has the iron gates and fences, and the wild cats seem to be gone. The Vatican was very impressive and if you visit in a “Holy Year”, you can visit areas not usually available on public tours.
One of the most beautiful regions of Italy is “Lago di Como” minutes from the Swiss border and about an hour from Milan. There is a famed, lakeside Villa D’Este, where climbing wide stairs from its magnificent lobby lead to unique and beautifully decorated rooms. Some have wood-burning fireplaces and private balconies. The estate’s park consists of 25 acres of gardens and is spectacular with a bridge, fountains, stonework and statuary.
Pick only three or four areas and plan to spend a few days in each. If you see something you like, buy it because you might not find anything like it again.
L. Paganini
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