Ciao, bentornato! (Hi, welcome back!) This week, we’re traveling to Tuscany, Italy. Unlike our other destinations, Tuscany actually isn’t a city...it’s an entire region! Tuscany is located in central Italy, and Florence is its capital. Other well known provinces in Tuscany include Pisa and Siena. When my family visited this past summer, we stayed in a small town called Staggia. In all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy most of Tuscany - the only part I did love was Florence. However, the reason I didn’t like it might have something to do with both my sister and me getting carsick on the way to Volterra, which is city in the province of Pisa. (There are lots of hills in Tuscany - keep that in mind if you get motion sick easily!) Volterra itself was actually pretty nice. You can see the Teatro Romano, which used to be a Roman amphitheater. I didn’t go inside of it, but apparently you can, and it costs just a few Euros. If you don’t want to go in, though, you can view it from the city wall promenade that overlooks the theater and other parts of the city. Volterra is honestly a nice place to walk around and experience, but in my opinion, it didn’t make up for the car ride… (View of Volterra) In addition to Volterra, my family also drove to Siena. There, we saw the Duomo di Siena, which is also known as the Siena Cathedral. It was huge (in an intimidating or humbling way), but it was gorgeous! We also went to the Piazza del Campo, which is where the famous Palio di Siena horse race takes place. Click here for more info about the cathedral, and click here to learn about the horse race! (Siena Cathedral) Another famous landmark that you might want to see is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. While my family didn't get to visit Pisa, I've heard that it's pretty remarkable. There are so many places to visit and things to see in Tuscany. Other than Florence, which I absolutely loved, I didn't really like the rest of Tuscany...but, that was because I wasn't feeling so great. If you’re planning on visiting, don’t think of it negatively, as most parts of Tuscany are honestly beautiful. I just wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it…
Anyways, thanks so much for reading! Next week, we’ll switch things up a little bit - instead of visiting somewhere new, I’ll share a traveling story with you :) [Originally posted December 3, 2016 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com]
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Hi, welcome back to my travel blog! Our next stop is Venice, Italy - you might know it as “The Floating City”, the “City on Water”, the “Bride of the Sea”, or the “City of Masks.” Whatever you know it as, I'm sure you'll agree that Venice is an amazing place to travel to! Venice is truly an incredible city, from the canals to the masks, the gondolas to the glass products. Not sure what I’m talking about? Well, to be honest, I didn’t know anything about the masks or the glass products until I visited. When I arrived, though, I quickly learned that the Venetian masks are part of an old tradition - every year, the city hosts the “Carnival of Venice”, and people attend the carnival dressed in fancy costumes and elaborate masks. Click here for more information/facts about Venetian masks and the Carnival of Venice! As for the glass products, you’ll see immediately why Venice is famous for making them. There are tons of glass shops in all of the piazzas, and they sell colorful glass vases, bowls, necklace pendants, ornaments, etc. Other than the masks and glass objects, one of Venice’s main attractions is obviously the Grand Canal. You can’t leave Venice without seeing it! (Also, if you want to travel by water, you’re going to be on it - water buses, water taxis, and gondolas are the main ways of transportation, besides walking.) It’s breathtaking, and if you get to watch the sunset from the canal, you’re going to be amazed. Additionally, St. Mark’s Square (a.k.a. the Piazza San Marco) is one of the busiest places in Venice, but it’s really pretty. This is where the Basilica di San Marco and the Campanile di San Marco are located. The Basilica di San Marco is a cathedral, and it’s beautiful from the outside. You can also go inside for free, but keep in mind that there is usually a very long line. While you’re in the Piazza San Marco, I would definitely recommend going up the Campanile di San Marco, which is a bell tower - the view from the top is honestly spectacular. I think it costs about €8 per person, but it’s totally worth it! Overall, visiting the Piazza San Marco is a great experience. There are lots of gelaterias, restaurants, shops, etc. surrounding the square, but they're apparently very expensive. Even if you don't eat here, several of the restaurants have bands or orchestras playing live music, which I thought was pretty cool. Click here for more information about the Piazza San Marco.
Thanks again for reading, I hope that you're enjoying our "vacation!" Our next destination is still to be determined, but I can promise you, it'll be a lot of fun :) [Originally posted on November 17, 2016 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] Hey again, welcome back! This is a continuation of my first post, “There’s No Place Like Rome.” I’m going to tell you about a couple more landmarks that you can see, a tip or two about transportation, and more! The Trevi Fountain is gorgeous, even though it is extremely crowded. Be prepared for big crowds, and don't forget to toss a coin into the fountain - this supposedly will ensure that you return to Rome. Click here for the official website, and click here for more interesting facts about the Trevi Fountain. If you look at TripAdvisor and other websites, they'll say that the Pantheon is one of the the top things to visit. In all honesty, I didn't think that it was that amazing, but it's only a few minute walk from the Trevi Fountain; if you're there, then check it out - if not, I don't think you're really missing too much. As for transportation, my family and I used the “Roma Pass” to get around. There are many different ones you can buy (some will include museum passes), but I think that the most important part of the pass was the access to the buses, Metro, and trams. However, walking is the probably the easiest type of transportation for several parts of Rome, so be prepared for that! Click here for more details about the Roma Pass. And of course, a visit to Italy isn't complete without eating pizza, spaghetti, and gelato/sorbet. The food in Rome was great, and surprisingly, they had several dairy, egg, nut, and gluten-free options. My sister and I have lots of allergies, so we were worried about food. All of the restaurants that we ate at in Italy were able to accommodate us, but I would definitely encourage you to print out a list of your food restrictions in both English and the country's language. I'll post more about the food in one of my next posts! One other tip for visiting Rome: -Be on the lookout for pickpockets! Make sure that you watch your bags at all times. A couple more pictures... Thanks so much for reading, I hope that you enjoyed my posts about Rome. Next week, we’ll take a trip to Florence!
[Originally posted on October 27, 2016 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] Starting off my travel blog with a post about the Eternal City! Rome itself is filled with world-famous buildings, including the Colosseum and Vatican Museums. My family and I were only here for a few days this past summer, but we were still able to see so many things. It honestly can be a little overwhelming. So, here are a few of the things that I say you can't miss "when in Rome!" First and foremost, the Colosseum is something that you must see - a trip to Rome isn't complete without it! I would also highly recommend going inside. You'll be able to see the place where the gladiators actually fought, which I think is pretty cool. The only thing I didn't love about my visit to the Colosseum was the heat - the weather in Rome in late July is uncomfortable to say the least, but that was because of the not-so-great timing of our trip. I also encourage you to go into the Roman Forum, which used to be a major piazza and meeting place (over two thousand years ago.) It's located really close to the Colosseum. The ruins are still in pretty good condition, but just a warning: the pathways are a little uneven and the stairs can be steep/rocky, so it’s a little hard to walk on. Other than that, though, I enjoyed my visit to the Forum and the view from the tops of the buildings are really nice! Another must-see in Rome is the Vatican Museums. The art inside is absolutely phenomenal, especially the Sistine Chapel. Looking up at the ceiling and scanning the art on the walls while listening to the audio guides was one of my favorite parts of Rome. Unfortunately, the Sistine Chapel has a strict no-photography policy, so I couldn't take any pictures. For more info about the Colosseum and Roman Forum...
Click here (The lines are extremely long, so make sure you buy tickets online!) In the Vatican Museums, make sure that you are aware of their policies about bags, clothing, etc. Click here for more info Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed my first post! Next week I’ll finish up with Rome and give you a couple more hints/tips! :) [Originally posted on October 20, 2016 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] |
AuthorHi, I'm Amanda! I'm 18 years old and live in California. Outside of school, I love photography, traveling, reading, gymnastics, diving, DIYs, vegan baking and cooking, and spending time with my friends and family. Categories
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