The Italian Traverse

Our journey across Italy took only three days, but we squished in as much sightseeing and adventure as we could!

Day One

After a final climb in Finale Ligure, we hit the road along the coast, soaking in the views of quaint towns along the sea until we reached Vernazza, one of the five towns in Cinque Terre National Park. Evidenced by the fellow tourists, I wasn’t the only one who had googled “Best Towns Italian Coast”, but this stop was worth it. We twisted through the maze-like walk streets in the colorful town and hiked up on the park trail which connects the villages to get a magnificent view. The region grows grapes and produces unique wines, so we couldn’t resist a tasting before continuing on to Pisa.

We made it to Pisa in time for pizza and to see the leaning tower at night! As soon as the tower came into view, we started giggling, and didn’t stop as we appreciated the building from all sides and took obligatory goofy Pisa pictures.

Day Two

We work up early in Pisa and explored the town while everyone else was still asleep. The tower brought just as many laughs as the night before.

Our next stop was a crag in Avane, right next to Pisa, where we climbed until the blazing sun won out. What better to do on a hot day than to find a swimming hole?!

A quick detour brought us to the town of Camaiore which we now know is a climbing destination. Luckily we had the swimming hole all to ourselves, complete with a waterfall, crystal clear water, and a sunny lizard rock.

Feeling refreshed, we continued to Florence (or Firenze) where we took in the architecture and ice cream. You could spend days here, but we only had an afternoon. We are saving the rest for next time!

Our final stop for the day was Modena, the birthplace of balsamic vinegar! Here we visited Alan’s mom’s childhood neighbor from Venezuela and enjoyed her delicious arepas!

Day Three

Modena is the birthplace of Enzo Ferarri, so we couldn’t resist visiting the Ferarri museum in nearby Maranello! We spent the morning posing with beautiful cars, admiring the design of Formula 1 champion cars, and feeling inspired by the marriage of engineering and art.

After a quick lunch stop at an awesome castle in Ferrara, we made it to Venice. We reluctantly bid farewell to the van for the night and entered the magical city. We wandered the streets, crossing canals on cute bridges, feeling swept back in time. In addition to the incredible architecture, views, and boat journeys, we enjoyed great food! Fresh pasta, cicchetti (Venetian tapas), gelato, and the best tiramisu.

Day Four

In the morning, we caught a fantastic view of Venice from the church at San Giorgio Maggiore. In stark contrast with Piazza San Marco, there was nobody there! After spending the early afternoon exploring Venice, we continued on to Slovenia!