TO ITALY, WITH NONNA. (PART 2 OF 3)
My once-in-a-lifetime adventure through Italy with my Grandmother for her 80th birthday.
Folks, apologies for the delay — I have had some BIG life changes, and I’m finally getting my sea legs back under me. I’m going to start pumping out two essays per week, so please subscribe and share with your friends!
(If you haven’t already, please start with Part 1 of 3 HERE)
And so the adventure begins…
ROME
We arrived at the airport about an hour before my Mother and GK arrived; I was going on about 2 hours of sleep, and that’s being generous to myself. We grabbed some double espressos and a much-needed croissant, and waited for the ladies to arrive.
Upon arrival, GK was striding along like she owned the place—my Mother said GK slept almost the entire time. I went up to customs with GK and the gatekeeper asked, “are there any illegal substances in your possession?” I chuckled at GK’s response, “no there certainly is not!”
We popped in a cab, and off to Rome we went! We ended up staying at a nice, large chain hotel for the first night; it was in the city center and was walking distance to many attractions, as well a 5 minute walk to Roma Central Termini. If there is something I have learned in my travels it’s that a good first night’s sleep is the key to starting off an international trip on the right foot. A nice hotel gives you the comfort you need after that long, economy-sized flight to get over there. If you get Day 1 right, you’ll get the rest of the trip right. Also, it was very important to put my Mother and GK in a familiar environment, before we immersed ourselves into the live-like-an-Italian lifestyle.
We had a solid half-day to wander around Rome and do some light sight seeing; however, the first and most important thing for me to do, whenever I get to a gluttonously delicious destination like Italy, is eat! Our first stop was a place I had visited before, Prosciutteria Cantina dei Papi, and it was even better the second time. This was a recommendation from a friend, and it does not disappoint. It is a TINY establishment that seats you on wooden stools that look like they were hand-crafted in the time of the Roman Empire; it’s more of a small cave, than a restaurant, but that’s what makes this place all the more special. They specialize in charcuterie boards that are prepared to whatever your belly desires. On top of the food, they also have an amazing selection of wine. Speaking of wine…the best thing about ordering wine outside of the United States is it’s cheap, it’s delicious, and the “house red” or “house white” is the go-to choice. Unlike the States, where everyone buys wine by the glass or the bottle, most establishments have or make their own wine, and it’s almost always served in a beautiful, ornate, ceramic carafe that looks as though it was passed down, several generations, from someone else’s Nonna. So, when in Rome (or anywhere in Italy) always order the house wine…you will not be disappointed.
After filling our bellies, I pulled up Google Maps and we started to roam the streets of Rome (I’ve always wanted to say that!). Rome, in my opinion, can be a mixed bag. To be fair, MOST large European cities can be a mixed bag. Are they worth seeing? Of course. Do you almost always have to fly into the big city? Of course. Does the big city have spectacular things to offer? Of course. However, the downside of a big city is that it’s packed with locals, even more packed with tourists, and maybe even more packed with street hawkers. The United States, as we know it, is 250 years old (that’s 1776 for the kids who didn’t know this already), so it doesn’t compare to any city in Europe that has been there for centuries while also being established, conquered, invaded, and reestablished by many different Emperors, Kings, and Queens along the way. All this being said, seeing one of these classic cities (like Rome) is almost like two worlds collided — one part of the city, the “Old Town” as most call it, is like something from a fairytale because it’s almost unbelievable the first time you see its enchanted charm and rustic beauty, and the other part of the city is the new, modern rip-off of an American industrial city. One minute, you’ll be walking down a street that has three different cell phone stores, a pharmacy, and a supermarket, and the next you “accidentally” walk into the Colosseum; it’s so unbelievable that you’d have to see it to believe it.
The Colosseum was on all of our “must see” lists, and it did not disappoint. You can wait in the long ass line, or you can buy tickets ahead of time and see different sections of the amphitheater, depending on what interests you the most. I recommend climbing up to the top, so you can have a birds-eye-view, or seeing the dungeons as it is creepy and thrilling all at the same time. Are you not entertained!?
One of the best things about Rome is how easily accessible some of the big, iconic attractions are. In the same afternoon, you can see the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain all in one fell swoop. As mentioned, you will turn a corner and realize that you’re standing, smack dab in front of one of the most iconic attractions in the world. I have told, and will continue to tell, people that you really can do Rome in one day, if you must, and two days gives you the opportunity to see everything you need.
We had a full Day 2 planned for Rome, so, after The Colosseum, we headed to an early dinner to finish the night off with some carbs and Spritz’. An Aperol Spritz, as it’s commonly known, is a very refreshing cocktail made of: 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda water; fill the glass with ice and garnish with an orange slice and you have a cold, crisp cocktail suitable for any Italian day. GK had never had a Spritz before, so I was very excited to see what she would think. As you can see below, she hated it…
It was very important for me to make sure DAY 2 was reserved for Vatican City. GK is an old-school, Goonies-never-say-die Catholic. Her life, her family, and her ideals revolve around, and are heavily influenced, by God. I believe a large part of her decision, when choosing Italy, was in part so she could see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. I, myself, had not seen Vatican City, so I was also intrigued by its reverence. Remember, in part 1 of this story, when I said “sometimes you need to throw money at the situation?” This is one of those moments…
If you want to see the Sistine Chapel, with a thousand or more people, you can simply buy a cheap ticket online and join the herd of tourists looking to sneak a photo for IG with their selfie sticks. I believe it’s around 14 Euro to gain entry, with the other peasants, OR you can go to VIATOR and book an “exclusive first entry ticket” for around $55 USD. We chose to book the latter, and it was one of the best decisions we made on the entire trip.1 The regular, peasant entrance ticket ends at the Sistine Chapel, but the “first entry” ticket STARTS you in the Sistine Chapel; this part, I actually did not know was going to happen, so it was the most pleasant of surprises. We met our guide, outside in the square, and after a brief discussion she said “follow me”, and we went through an old door, that took us down a corridor, and then spit us out in, you guessed it, the Sistine Chapel.
Words can’t describe what it’s like the first time you lay eyes upon Michelangelo’s ceiling. At first, you’re in such sensory overload that your head is twisting and turning at every second, but then you happen to look up and realize you’re standing directly underneath the ceiling that you have “seen” a million times. Your heart skips a beat, and you follow along until you find that extra famous section where the fingers are almost touching — The Creation of Adam, portraying the creation of mankind by God — and then you become completely still as a wave of unexplainable and unimaginable emotion fills your entire mind, body, and soul. It truly is an out of body experience. I heard a security guard tell someone which way to go, so my trance was finally broken, but it was then that I realized how “exclusive” this tour really was because I started to look around and noticed there were MAYBE 30-40 people with us in this room. That’s right, only 30-40 people in the entire Sistine Chapel; however, just when I thought this moment couldn’t get any more surreal, I looked over and saw GK sitting, alone, on a tiny church pew, staring up at the ceiling, all by herself…
I watched her for about 30 seconds, trying to guess what was going through her mind, and just when I was about to take my phone out to snap a photo of her sitting there…I stopped. We live in a world where we are “rewarded” by our peers when we “show off” the most amazing moments of our lives. This moment, with GK sitting alone on the pew, will forever be MY moment. No one else saw her. Everyone was looking up at the ceiling, as you should, but I was watching my 80-year old Grandma experience a life-long dream; this special moment was just the beginning of our extraordinary adventure.
VENICE
Venice is an anomaly. The entire city is built on 126 islands, separated by canals, and the city is almost entirely linked by 472 bridges. There are no cars allowed on Venice, and everyone has to get around by foot or by boat; even the trash is picked up by boat. Only about 50,000 people live in Venice proper, but its cultural significance and popularity have caused Venice to become a polarizing city. On one hand, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be one of the most beautiful (if not the most beautiful) cities in the world; on the other hand, Venice faces extreme “overtourism”, which creates overcrowding and serious environmental problems, in large part because it hosts up to 30 million tourists per year — that’s the entire population of Texas (270,000 sq. miles), each year, heading into Venice (160 sq. miles).
Wrap that around your brain for a second.
I would say the majority of people, if not all, who I talked to about Venice, told me to skip Venice. “It’s gross”. “Too many tourists.” “Dirty as hell.” “It’s always flooded.” Technically, they’re not wrong, BUT I’m glad I didn’t listen to a single one of them, because we had an absolute blast in Venice. Additionally, you will only have “that first visit to Venice” once…so don’t blow it. Venice is in a class of its own; it feels as though it could be its own, very tiny, country.
Venice has six, main sestiere, or districts, that make up the main quarters of the city. It is imperative that you understand the different neighborhoods, because there are some that you want to avoid, like the plague, if you can2.
After much research, I decided to find us a spot in the Cannaregio district, and I was very pleased with the choice. It’s on the Northern side of the island, and it has easy access to the Vaporetto stations3. Most people, from what I read, stay in San Marco or Castello as you’re right in the heart of everything, but be warned it does get crowded; Venice is tiny, so when she fills up…she fills up.
We took an early morning train from Rome to Venice, and when we arrived at the train station we hopped on the Vaporetto to take in the city. It really is a magical way to “enter” a city, and again…you’ll only get that “first time riding into Venice on a boat” once, so take it in and enjoy the ride.
I will say, if you’re going to Venice you better sure as shit hope it isn’t raining, because carrying your luggage around is not ideal — pack light (my Mom, and GK, obviously ignored this). We found an amazing AirBnB that I highly recommend as it’s clean and in a great location; it sits right on a side canal, so the view is incredible, and it’s walking distance to plenty of shops and cafes.
Our main goal in Venice was to simply live like a Venetian. We did some tours (the Doge’s Palace was really fun, and I recommend this tour HERE), but our sights were set on eating, drinking, and living like a local. We were very spoiled, because the weather was impecable while we were there. If you’re an early riser on vacation, like myself, I highly recommend getting out right when the sun comes up because Italians love to sleep in; therefore, you have the entire city to yourself, or so it seems.
Venice really is a spectacular, one-of-a-kind place; you’ll never experience anything else like it. We managed to eat and drink our way through the city — large quantities of cicchetti4, a local delight, washed down with liters of spritz’, and finished with some amazing Venetian wine — just in time to prepare ourselves for Florence and Tuscany which, in my opinion, is where your true gluttonous-self will blossom into all its glory.
GK loved Venice, and it definitely was on top of her bucket-list. I witnessed my Grandma step into another “world” that I’m sure she only ever imagined through a great book or television show. By the end of our stay, the jet-lag had worn off, but we were all loosening our belts, because if we did anything…we indulged.
TUSCANY
Walk —> Boat —> Train — > Taxi —> Car was the sequence of events needed to get from Venice to Tuscany.
We hopped back onto the Vaporetto, for one last hoorah, and sailed to the train station. We (and by we, I mean I) packed the bags onto the carriage, and off we went to the Metropolitan City of Florence to grab the rental car. My family loves to play card games, so we made sure to pack two decks as we had plenty of down time on the trains to relax and play cards.
My Grandma loved all sorts of card games; some of my oldest memories are learning to play solitaire with her and my Grandpa, playing hearts or spades for a nickel a game, and playing “video poker” on a hand held device they had in the mid 90s. I had to help hold the cards for GK because she had developed ET (essential tremor), which is a movement disorder that caused her hands to shake quite often. By the end, it was imperative that we ordered her a to-go cup, so she had a straw and a lid. It’s a strange thing, old age, because there are more commonalities between being a toddler and an elderly person than we like to admit.
As we pulled into Florence, we took a taxi to the car rental offices and picked up our sweet, sweet ride: a 2017 Toyota Sienna…my first family van! Sadly, there were no photos taken of the van, but she was a workhorse, I can promise you that.
After doing some research, I found a beautiful B&B located in the heart of Tuscany. Ancora del Chianti B&B was the place we were meant to find; a diamond in the rough. Speaking of rough…fun fact, Google Maps doesn’t work quite as well as it does here in the States, so keep that in mind. On the way to the B&B, the GPS had me drive up a “side road” to get to our final destination. When I say “side road”, what I really mean is a dirt track, filled with rocks, that is going through an olive grove. We popped up over a ridge and saw a man and a woman standing on a much nicer road, that looked like a driveway, and they both looked completely baffled. I quickly got out of the car, waved my very American wave, and said “Hi, we’re here for the B&B!”
Laura, our host, was absolutely incredible. From the moment we saw her, she beamed with pure joy with an enthusiasm for life. Laura and her husband, Filippo, left the big city of Florence, in 2000, to live a life in contact with nature, silence, and beauty. The grounds have a yoga and meditation room, an art studio, and a wonderful dining room. Additionally, each mini-house has its own patio with breathtaking views of Tuscany.
If you have never stayed in a proper Bed and Breakfast, I highly recommend you adding it to the top of your list. I have stayed in a B&B in Italy, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Romania, all of which were delightful, and I believe it’s a wonderful way to learn about the culture. As the title states, you get breakfast each morning, prepared for you by your host, and it’s always a great way to see how each culture eats. In Italy, for example, they love to serve cold cuts for breakfast, which I absolutely love. Fresh cheese and mortadella? Check please! My Mother and GK weren’t as thrilled with the cold cuts, but they did enjoy some Italian espresso, homemade yogurt, and fresh berries from the farm. Laura would sit with us, tell us about her life, and she would amuse all of our (my) questions while we all sat around the breakfast table.
“Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go. Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.” - Anthony Bourdain
Tuscany might be the most relaxing place I have ever been, but I am partial to a good countryside. Besides, how can you not feel at peace Under the Tuscan Sun, ammiright Diana Lane?! The first full day in Tuscany was filled with wine and cheese. We stopped at Castello Vicchiomaggio for some Sangiovese, and it was a a great introduction to the wines of the region. The wine associate poured me the Super Tuscan (a wine that’s primarily Sangiovese blended with another, more common grape like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon), and said “I’m sure this will be your favorite.” It was, indeed. I smiled and nodded, and she said “typical American” and then walked away. GK loved a good glass of wine, so she was in heaven.
Next, we went to a small town in Northern Tuscany, Santa Christina, for a wonderful wine, cheese, and olive oil tasting. I found the experience HERE, on AirBnB Experiences, and it was an absolutely wonderful afternoon. This is a natural farm that’s absolutely adorable. We started the day with a tour of the small wine making facility, followed by a walk through the olive groves, and then a visit to where they keep all of their animals.
After the tour, we sat outside, together with a group of five other people, and enjoyed some wine, cheese, and olive oil that all came from the farm. The first winery we went to was a BIG Tuscan winery, whereas this is a small, Mom and Pop farm that only sells to local markets. Out of the two, I think the farm was our favorite as it felt like we were all part of the family. At the end of the meal, I asked if I could buy some bottles to take home with us. The host, shocked, said “you want to buy wine?” I said, “of course!” She ran and asked another person, and she said she’d sell me each bottle for 15 Euros. I foolishly only had room for three bottles, otherwise I would have bought two cases of wine, so I chose the three shown in the photo. When the host brought me the bottles she was carrying something else with her. She smiled, and then unwrapped a gift, “this is for you.” I looked at it and it was a fresh can of olive oil to take home with us. Amazing. Wonderful. Truly a great experience.
The following day we decided to drive to Siena for the afternoon. Siena turned out to be an incredible day-trip, and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. As a castle-walled medieval town, Siena sits on the top of a large hill, overlooking the valley below; therefore, you must take many escalators from the car park to get to the main city centre. As weird as this sounds, it’s like going to a mall and taking the escalators up to the next level, except times it by ten and surround it by a large castle wall. Once you get to the top, you walk along some alleyways until you’re spilled out into this…
Siena was my favorite non-major city we visited. I thought it was a very unique town, and I wish we would have had more time there. GK thought the architecture was otherworldly, and she particularly loved the gothic art in all of the churches.
On the other side of town we went to climb the famous Torre del Mangia, a 285-foot stone tower, built in 1325 for the Virgin Mary. My Mom is terrified of heights, and this far exceeded GK’s foot-time for the day, so I climbed the almost 500 stairs to the top to see a view of the city. If you’re going to do anything in Siena, make sure to do this…
On the way back to Greve in Chianti, from Siena, we decided to pit-stop in another small Italian village: Castellina in Chianti. Another hidden gem! I don’t quite remember why this was on my list, but this was a perfect pitstop on the way home. We wanted to grab a bite to eat, so we pulled in and started walking through the city. We found it to be very quiet, which made sense on a midweek April day, but it was as charming as a city could be.
My Mom and GK popped into some great artisan shops, and we explored the city the way it was supposed to be seen: with a couple of hours to burn while taking in the the charming city that looked like it was out of a fairytale.
We walked by a restaurant that was very busy. Naturally, we were intrigued, so we peeked in to see what all the commotion was about. There seemed to be a long wait, so we looked across the way and saw a man with the largest smile, and a perfect Italian mustache, gleefully waving us over. Usually, I would ignore him, but there was something about that guy that was so cartoonish I had to see it for myself. I’ll let you be the judge…
This guy was the most enthusiastic human being I have ever encountered. He said, “sit, drink, eat, be happy!” Then, in less than 10 minutes, the table was covered with charcuterie, fresh bread, and a large bottle of Chianti. After another 15 minutes, he brought in two full plates of pasta for us to share, one of which happened to be one of the best veal ragu’s I have ever had in my life. By the time we left, I had bought a jar of the ragu to take home with me5, and, after shaking hands with the man fifteen times in a row, we were back on the road to our B&B.
On our last night in Tuscany, we drove down to the tiny village of Panzano to have one of the best meals of my life. I planned ahead and made us a reservation at Dario Cecchini’s famous butcher shop/restaurant.
As most of you already know, I am a huge Anthony Bourdain fan, so when I first saw Dario Cecchini on No Reservations, and then again on Chef’s Table, I knew I had to add it to the list. Dario is a caricature of himself; you almost can’t explain him to someone, because they’d need to see him to believe he was real.
When you first walk in to his butcher shop, pre-dinner, you are greeted with copious amounts of Chianti, followed by lots of antipasto, before the big man, himself, gets behind the case and starts sharpening his knives while projecting poetry in Italian:
“For the devil, and to be clever…so you can air your brain, and get better ideas.” — Dario Cecchini
We had yet to move upstairs, to the main restaurant, and GK had already had enough, “We haven’t even had dinner, yet, and I’m already full on meats and wine…good grief!”
After wine-and-meat-hour down at the butcher shop, the entire group heads upstairs to what looks like a larger version of “The Last Supper”. Forty chairs surround one, large wooden table, and the table is stocked with magnum bottles of Chianti Classico. You have two options to pre-order — the regular menu, which is the most meat heavy menu I have ever had, or you can choose a vegetarian menu. Pro-tip: if you’re going with someone else, I highly recommend you order one of each option and share; there is more than enough food to feed a village, so enjoy all of the amazing fare.
Before, during, and after the food comes out the gentleman above continuously walks around to give everyone shots of grappa, on top of the wine, just in case you needed a little extra pick-me-up. As you can see from the photo, GK was starting to get overwhelmed…and dinner still hadn’t even been served!
This meal ended up being a wonderful experience for all parties involved. We met so many new people, as everyone is sitting together, and the bistecca alla florentina never stopped coming out. They figured out a way to make this as unpretentious as possible; my biggest problem with famous restaurants is the snootiness is palpable from a mile away, more often than not. I wasn’t sure how my Mom or GK would take this, but it was a very unique experience that, by the end, GK said, “I’ve never done anything like this before.” I couldn’t have drawn up a better last night in Tuscany; the camaraderie of the evening was a perfect cherry on top of the sundae.
I am very glad we stayed in Tuscany, in the middle of the trip, after the move-your-ass pace of Rome and Venice, especially with GK, because I felt like it was the downtime everyone needed. Although we had a lot planned, there always seemed to be a perfect level of relaxation for the entire stay. Additionally, if we did Tuscany at the beginning of the trip, I feel as though we would have been tired and cranky, and we wouldn’t have enjoyed a slower pace, as we would have been antsy.
After Dario gave us the most potent meat-sweats of our lives, we headed back to the B&B for one last sunset. We were all about to head in, to pack our bags for the following morning’s departure, when GK said, “isn’t it just beautiful?”
Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoy, as I enjoyed, my special time with my GK. Stay tuned for part 3 of 3, as it will be coming this weekend.
Until we meet again!
VIATOR is your one-stop-shop for all tings tours and tickets for most, large attractions. I always recommend buying the tickets ahead of time, and you can keep everything on the app. For the “exclusive first entry ticket” click HERE.
HERE is a great guide on the 6 main neighborhoods. We stayed in Cannaregio, and I would stay there, again, in a heartbeat.
When in Venice, you need to travel by boat. The airport and the main train station end at the water, so you must get on a boat to get to mainland Venice. You can find vaporetto information HERE.
Cicchetti includes tiny sandwiches, plates of olives or other vegetables, hard boiled eggs, small servings of a combination of one or more of seafood, meat and vegetable ingredients laid on top of a slice of bread or polenta (cold boiled cornmeal). Of course, it is important to combine them with a glass of wine!
As great as this ragu was, I would never get to experience it again. I forgot to take it out of my bookbag, so when we got to the airport to leave they found it and took it away. I begged the man to take it home and enjoy its amazing flavors, but, without hesitation, he threw it away without a care in the world.
Really enjoyed it!