During the trip I along with my family had last year with the destination to Venice, we decided to book our days in Treviso, which is just 30 km away from the city we were mostly interested in, also taking it as an opportunity to see a bit more of Italy than the most popular parts of it.

While we only had 3 days in total properly dedicated to traveling since our flights compromised two of the other days, we decided that it was best to begin with Venice on the first day, the islands surrounding this on the 2nd day, ending up with an entire day for Treviso which would make our adrenaline level slow down for a bit, not depending on trains anymore since we were literally a few steps away from the place that represented home for us.

So along with many places seen in the village that for me looks more like a tiny city based on the touristic attractions it has, as well as the economy and all the businesses going on, we did see plenty of cool spots that unfortunately don't enjoy the same popularity as those from Venice, but which felt a bit closer to our explorer taste that allowed us not to run in crowds of tourists every 50 meters.

One of the places we saw was Porta San Tomaso which we had our first interaction with when we landed but due to the darkness outside we couldn't really enjoy all its details and beauty.
Since we were still about to find its history, the energy that I felt at the beginning was that of familiarity since the gate was very similar to one of those I've seen when exploring Alba Carolina Fortress from my country, Romania.
Even though I explore foreign countries for new things, cultures, and places to see, I've always found it very interesting to run into those spots that make you feel closer to home than you actually are because you realize that the world is not as big as you think judging by these aspects.
Additionally, the gate is quite similar to arches of triumph that are already quite famous in many countries of Europe. But Porta San Tomaso is just one of the three such gates in Treviso, marking itself as the most imposing and nice-looking one that dates for almost 500 years.
The decorations that can be seen on and around the gate are made of Istrian stone that reflects the pattern of the classic triumphal arches without receiving the name of a proper Arc de Triomphe.

Like in the other cases, this gate used to make the connection between two important roads in town, but which ended up now allowing car access through this place serving as a route for the tramway. The new use only lasted a few years until it was reworked and ended up remaining a gate that can only be accessed by feet exclusively dedicated to pedestrians.

The imposing and beautiful side of the gate represents the backside of it while the front one is a lot more minimalistic making you barely realize that you are crossing such a piece of art that can only be admired from the other side.
Yet a situation that I don't think I've ever met so far being used to see the beauty presented on the front side but considering that the back side is a lot more visible from the street than the front side which you can only reach when walking along all kind of terraces and pubs, I think it's a pretty good excuse to have everything on the opposite.

The architectural design is not the single difference between the two sides of the gate but also the text located on the top having the name of this written in Venice on the back side and the same text written in Latin on the front side, creating a parallel between the aristocratic culture from Venice and the rural one that belongs to Treviso.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

The name of the gate refers to a nearby church dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury which was destroyed, but the name only came out a bit later since it was originally known as „Porta Mazzini” or „Porta Nana” that supposed to represent the name of the one who built it.

Along with the beautiful details of the gate that will make you stop and stare for a while, there is also the Botteniga River which completes perfectly the whole scenery and does a great job keeping nature close even in the heart of the rural/urban life.

Walking just 750 meters away from the gate we ended up in a place that once again felt familiar to us since I lived in Bucharest for a couple of years and the scenery seemed similar to Dambovita River that makes you take a break from traffic noise right in the middle of the city!
Even though it sounds like a cliche, the reality is that small things like this one can improve a lot the mental health of those who feel like sticking closer to nature even when they are not able to travel for this purpose.
A similar effect we felt from Ponte delle Università that is linking the Garibaldi Riviera to the Santa Margherita Riviera.
Despite the thing that the bridge is located right in front of a university, this one connects the complex of the former civil hospital of San Leonardo and the former Military District making it an important and respected place on this part of the village.

The bridge was built a lot later than the gate, happening in 2006 which represents a whole new century with lots of changes in terms of architectural designs and decorations, but somehow, it still kept its origins not bothering too much the overall impression of the village that is looking absolutely stunning from many points of view.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Just like in the case of Porta San Tomaso we reserved a few minutes to spend at the bridge too, looking at the water, the fish swimming by, but also to fill our hearts with a new energy that now while writing this post, I do miss.

It also represented one of the last things we were going to see before having our flight the next day, so I guess the nostalgia was already kicking in, but I simply love these moments when you don't have the pressure of time anymore and can sit for a while to admire every single detail of a place that who knows if you'll ever see again.

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Treviso is a small town in Italy that is more known for having the airport that brings lots of tourists to its territory when being interested in visiting Venice. Unfortunately, a big part of the tourists who lend here continue their journey to Venice, not being aware of the beauty Treviso can offer too, especially since we are talking about a place less populated by tourists where you can get to feel the authenticity of this part of Italy without being bothered by crowds of visitors.

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Let's travel together #276 - Porta San Tomaso and Ponte delle Università (Treviso, Italy)

During the trip I along with my family had last year with the destination to Venice, we decided to book our days in Treviso, which is just 3...

Let's travel together #276 - Porta San Tomaso and Ponte delle Università (Treviso, Italy)

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The metropolitan city of Italy "Milan" had changed my whole perspective while being there during my Summer Euro Trip 2023. It was one of the busiest cities I have ever explored yet I fell in love with this city. So, I decided to share my experience with you about Milan city before writing about the precise locations of Milan that I had explored. I came to know about Milan when I was a student of Architecture. The Gothic Cathedral Duomo di Milano was one of the architectural structures I had to study as a student. The benefit of being an architect is I see and observe those small details that generally people ignore. People like to know about culture and history but I mostly notice the infrastructure and architectural part of the city.

Milan is a well-known city in the world for its high fashion industry and designs. When it comes to talking about Prada, Dolce Gabbana, or Versace; everybody knows about Milano, Italy. I own Prada Sunglasses and I bought them with my hard-earning euros so when I was in Milan, somehow I felt a connection with the city. It's like the only brand you own comes from Milan and it's a surreal feeling.

We went to Milan from Switzerland and we stayed there for 2 nights although we got only half a day to explore Milan City. The hotel we stayed in was far from central Milan but that was one of the reasons we couldn't see the city during nighttime. It was a hot summer day and after our breakfast, our car drove us to the nearest location of Duomo di Milano cathedral. From our dropoff location, the cathedral was a 5-minute walk. From far away, the beautiful cathedral was inviting us.

I will write a separate post describing the astounding Cathedral.

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Milan is one of the busiest and most crowded cities I have ever explored and I kinda liked it. I am the kind of person who actually avoid crowds and feel overwhelmed now especially due to my sickness but I kinda fell in love with Milan and the sea of people didn't bother me at all. I was so excited and felt grateful to be there as that city was always on my bucket list after Rome. The tourist crowd starts from the Cathedral and spreads within the city. If you want to avoid crowds, you have to go to the early morning to see the Lonely Cathedral. Both scenarios are completely different. I was later informed that if I wanted to take photos, I should come to the cathedral point in the early morning. But it never happened, unfortunately. Anyway, in the photos you actually cannot see the crowd because I took very unusual photos for this post by avoiding crowds.

The city tour bus was offered to us but I decided to explore the city on foot. I knew I would miss exploring a lot of places but the experience I gathered from walking wasn't possible on a tour bus. I wanted to have a real experience of Milan city and I was happy that I took the decision. Obviously, a hot sunny day was the barrier, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius but I am from a hot country so I was able to bear with that.

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What kind of architectural style I should expect in Milan, obviously Roman Architecture. Most of the structures in Milan are examples of astounding Neoclassical Architecture; the architectural style that came from the classical elements of Greek and Rome architecture and flourished in Rome first. I have seen Neoclassical architecture before but the source of this architecture is Italy and one of the city Milan. This city is a rich source of history, culture architecture, and of course delicious food.

After visiting the cathedral, I randomly followed the streets and ended up seeing a lot of this metropolitan city. One of the major issues was pickpocketing, I had to be very careful of my wallet. Other than that, I really enjoyed my 8 hours being in Milan. I also bought some souvenirs, sunglasses (of course Prada) and make-up from Sephora. Well, seeing high-end fashion brands and stores made me realize I am so poor. Tons of people were in branded stores. I also noticed that tourists come to Milan not only to see the city but also for shopping. I mean if you have money, why not...

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While walking, we discovered historical locations like the Celtic era and Roman times (Roman ruins in Milan) and Medieval Porta Ticinese. At one point, we were so tired that we thought about taking the tram but after having a refreshing drink, we were able to come back near the Cathedral. Milan City is a financial hub and as a metropolitan city, everywhere was crowded. I could've taken the tour bus and could have a comfortable city tour. Also, I could have seen a lot of tourist locations in Milan but I had wanted to have a real experience in Milan, a pleasant experience. So, I don't regret that I haven't been to many tourist locations in Milan because the experience that I gathered was precious. We had amazing food in Milan, we found the restaurant area near the cathedral and tasted amazing Italian Delicacies.

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The building I saw in Milan was different than other neoclassical architecture in other cities. Architectural structures are really well-preserved and even some local buildings are also nicely preserved. The streets in Milan were not narrow but I was expecting narrow alleys. Or maybe I followed bigger streets so that I didn't get lost. If you are not into fashion, you still can enjoy and experience the designs of the modern fashion industry. You can enjoy your lunch somewhere outdoors near the tram line. I saw such an atmosphere in Poland, Warsaw, and then in Italy.

What I love about Milan Italy is the culture. Locals are friendly even though it's a tourist city. If you ask a waiter to explain the cuisine, they will explain to you no matter how busy the restaurant is. The food service is fast and tons of dishes are available to taste. If you don't like fashion, you can always go to local stores. I bought a water bottle and the price was cheaper than in the Netherlands. Food prices were expensive compared to other cities in Italy and the reason was understandable. After all, it's a busy city.

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Some members of our group took a city tour by bus and after discussion, I realized my way of seeing Milan is completely different than theirs. That's why no matter how busy and packed this city is, I may visit Milan again.

Source.

Explore Metropolitan city "Milan, Italy" through My Eyes

The metropolitan city of Italy "Milan" had changed my whole perspective while being there during my Summer Euro Trip 2023. It was ...

Explore Metropolitan city "Milan, Italy" through My Eyes

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We've seen so many parts of Italy and places during our initial trip to Venice, that I often miss up writing about some of those discoveries. One of them being the Museo Provinciale di Torcello.

Sadly, we are speaking about a very small island with very few activities and places you can see during your stay in Torcello, but at least it represents one of the places out there that I can say that I covered entirely, because it was hard not to.

One of the places that truly caught my interest while walking around, was Museo Provinciale di Torcello which came pretty unexpected since these kinds of figures and statues are more likely to be met in or around Rome, which was definitely not the case for Torcello that is around 400 km away from the capital of Italy.

However, as most people know, Italy is pretty famous for its history both from the past but also the one that is basically written even in the 21st century, so thinking again about meeting this Archaeological museum in Torcello, makes a lot more sense now.

But along with the Archaeological Section of the museum, the building also shelters a section for Medieval and Modern findings.
The whole activity of collecting Archaeological artefacts began in 1870 when the prefect of Venice, Luigi Torelli, purchased Palazzo del Consiglio located nearby to house all the things he was about to find and start gathering, summing up the museum we can see these days.
However, just two years later the building was given to the Province of Venice, so all the artifacts had to find a new home, thus taking birth Museo Provinciale di Torcello.
After Luigi Torelli died, the passion for collecting interesting pieces of history was passed to Cesare Augusto Levi who got involved pretty fast, also bringing pieces from other parts of Italy, one of them being Rome, the one I mentioned before.
For the next 80 years, the collection of artefacts kept having different people to lead the passion, each of these taking part more or less into improving the collection until 1949 when the whole direction was assigned to Giulia Fogolari who got involved into a radical restoration of the objects exhibited, also opening up the section for medieval and modern objects to be displayed.

But as things rarely happen with no connections from the past, the place where the museum was born is on Torcello Island which represented for many years a point of arrival and place of trade between the sea and hinterland for the Roman cities of that time that met with the eastern and northern sides of Europe for business.

The island played a major role in the economic system of the Roman Empire, but after centuries passed and the place faced various invasions and the formation of the Roman‑Barbarian kingdoms, these activities were taken to other places for the sake of keeping the locals safe.

Sadly, even if the origins of Torcello are more ancient than those of Venice, this one doesn't enjoy the same popularity as the most famous city of Italy we also explored, talking about less than 30 people living in Torcello in 2024. The single activities they can have are either fishing or farming, while the main source of income comes still from tourism.

Even if the door was open at the museum, this one was not available to be visited during our trip because it took place off-season, but from what we understood, the main elements part of the exhibitions are inside the building, including various objects from the early-Veneto, pre-Roman, Roman, Byzantine, and early medieval periods.

There is also an archive room with all the official documents of Venice and when Torcello was suppressed, but also papers showing the ecclesiastic life Torcello has been part of.

Happily, even if we missed all of these, there are enough objects and sculptures placed outside the museum that are available all the time. While most of the elements part of the exhibitions sheltered by Museo Provinciale di Torcello are basically findings on and around the island, there is also a huge variety within these, talking about objects and works embracing the Greek, Etruscan, Central Italic, Paleoveneto and Roman cultures.

The elements that are not connected in any way with the island or history itself, were bought from pure passion from antiques markets or donated by other people sharing the same hobby. But as history speaks any language and it's a very vast area of knowledge, I'm sure the museum was more than happy to bring a bit of diversity within its elements and culture.

Hence why, you shouldn't be surprised to notice columns, busts, heads of divinities, and specific animals of Greece, nor Roman ceramics, or specific elements of the Adriatic Sea.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

The Modern and Medival Sections instead, include documents and objects from the first centuries of the Christian era, as well as the Early Middle Ages that focused mainly on the Byzantine influence over the island.

Sadly, we didn't manage to see any of the elements part of the Modern and Medival Sections as these are entirely displayed within the museum, but the whole atmosphere, along with very few people around gave me the feeling of an almost forgotten part of the island where history still manages to live through its remains.

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The complete address of Museo Provinciale di Torcello is Piazza, 30175 Isola di Torcello VE, Italy and it's open only on Saturdays and Sundays for one hour between 4-5 PM at no entrance cost. We got a 24-hour pass to use vaporetto which is a bus water that takes you to all the islands around Venice, but there are also a few more options such as:

• via ACTV public service: LN line (North Lagoon) and T line (Torcello) being needed to change it in Burano
• via Venice - Fondamenta Nouve - Burano - Torcello
• via Mainland - Punta Sabbioni - Treporti Burano - Torcello

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Let's travel together #294 - Museo Provinciale di Torcello

We've seen so many parts of Italy and places during our initial trip to Venice, that I often miss up writing about some of those discove...

Let's travel together #294 - Museo Provinciale di Torcello

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Lately, I've run a lot into monastery, church and cathedral posts, which made me thinking that I should bring my contribution as well to my reserved corner of the internet even though not much has passed since I shared a similar place, but from a different country.

I've always said that this kind of religious places represent one of the richest locations one can visit because it comes with lots of stories, experiences, unique architecture, and pieces of history no matter what the faith of those stopping by is.

And with that thought, visiting religious places was never missing from our lists no matter if we were travelling in our home country (Romania), or abroad.

Spotting Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo was not hard, as it is amongst the tallest buildings from Burano and you can notice it pretty much from any side of the island, which makes it even easier for you to reach it because you can make your way towards the church only by following the tower without needing the GPS or other coordinates.

The church with the tower that stirs so much curiosity is placed in the center of the island being surrounded by lots of terraces and shops from where you can get souvenirs, so even if you don't have it planned as a stop during your trip, you will end up seeing it pretty close anyway.

We were actually stopping here and there gathering souvenirs for our loved ones when we realized that we were approaching the church so much. We did have it on our list of what to see while being in Burano, but only realized later that the path takes us by itself in that direction without using our phones for coordinates, which made things a lot easier and enjoyable.

However, the side you are going to reach by following the main path on the island is that with the entrance to the church which we couldn't visit because of having our journey during a break in the schedule of the visiting hours. For that reason, we decided to follow the way to the right so we could admire the tower even closer, which is actually the main point of interest over the whole building.

So... in case the tower seemed a bit inclined while checking the pictures, keep in mind that this is real and there is not a problem with the pictures.

The leaning bell tower is actually often compared with the famous tower of Pisa, but while that one has a lot more stories to go along with, there is not much information about the one belonging to the Church of Saint Martin Bishop from Burano, making it stir even more controversy.

The single legend standing for the tower of the church is that of an angel who fell from the sky in 1867 during a storm who hit the tower, making it become inclined.
But a more appropriate story is that of speaking about a church dating since the 9th century with the addition of the tower in the 18th century, where plenty of restorations were done, along with having the overall island face more land subsidence that made the tower get inclined around 1.83 meters.
And based on its weight and an island that perhaps is slowly sinking as it happens with Venice, this one is expected to keep leaning like the Pisa Tower by the passage of time.
But while I haven't seen Pisa Tower yet, even though checked tens, if not hundreds of pictures shared of it already, I still think that the danger is not that high on the tower of Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo since the inclination is not that visible already.
Actually, there are just a few angles from where this one seems inclined, while obviously, that's not the case for Pisa Tower which can be seen from any direction.

So whether the legend is real or not, I still find it a pretty interesting spot on Burano Island where you can take a break from all the colourful houses that make this place so popular, especially since we are speaking about many centuries of history which are still stored carefully inside the church.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

And speaking of the church, keep in mind that this represents one of the most challenged religious places I've met, facing a big fire that destroyed the main aisle and the pipe organ which is so important for every church. Hence why, the shape of Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo was never a well-defined one facing various restorations that more or less changed its previous look.

For this reason, there is not a proper entrance to the church, but one that was improvised in a Renaissance style that belongs to a different building, namely the Chapel of Santa Barbara.

The wall brick that can be seen in the pictures provides access to a different yard than that of the church and the tower, which might be confusing for most of the tourists. But the actual way of getting inside and seeing everything a lot closer becomes a real challenge since very few water buses reach the island when the church is open.

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The complete address of Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo is P.za Baldassarre Galuppi, 20, 30142 Venezia VE, Italy and it's open daily between 8 AM to 7 PM with a break between 12 PM and 3 PM when it's closed.
In order to reach Burano Island you will need a waterbus or water taxi. We decided to go with the waterbus which has a station right on the island but from there you will still need to walk a few more minutes until reaching the church. The waterbus lines taking you to Burano Island are: Lines 4.2, 5.2, 12, and 14.

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Let's travel together #298 - Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo (Church of Saint Martin Bishop, Burano)

Lately, I've run a lot into monastery, church and cathedral posts, which made me thinking that I should bring my contribution as well to...

Let's travel together #298 - Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo (Church of Saint Martin Bishop, Burano)

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Ahhhh... this is a little trip that I had taken as one of my last concert tours in Europe. Honestly, as much as I hate travelling (yes yes, I know... I had chosen the wrong job for that...)... there are some moments which make it really quite worthwhile.

One of the perks of travelling with an ensemble is the fact that you don't pay for the hotel... of course, depending on the ensemble and the touring budget, this can either mean that you end up in dodgy hellholes... or glamorous mansions. Mostly, it is something in between.

For this tour, our last night was in the interesting little villa complex on the outskirts of Pistoia. I think it was chosen because it was outside the town, which meant that we would all have an easy getaway to the airport on the next morning.

... as the tour bus drove into the villa complex before the seating rehearsal, there was a sense that this could be one of the nicer, more relaxing places that would have stayed at. Honestly, it looks very much like one of those places that you would book in the middle of France or Italy... where you book a holiday to get away from the flatness of Netherlands and get away from the digital life (ha ha... just joking, my wife will tell you that I never get away from the digital life!).

Even just looking out over the carpark, you can see that there is ample opportunity to go for walks, or just to sit and read a book in a bit of relative peace.

Okay... the decor is a bit strange in the foyer. My friend thought it was really cool, and that she would love those chairs in her house... I'm a bit worried about her. Corona-time has been a little bit stressful for her, and it might be that things are starting to crack...

... these are the sorts of chairs that Mr and Mrs Santa Claus would be sitting in... not the sort of thing that you would have in a home, unless you were living in a pre-Revolution French aristocratic mansion. Hmmm, perhaps there is something that my friend is hiding from me...

Moving up to the levels of where the guest rooms are... you see that the decor is a little less in the style of soon to be deposed and deceased royalty and more in the fashion of an old person's home. That said... there is something comforting about such an old style, it isn't anything that I would have in my own home... but the thought of just sinking into one of those chairs whilst sipping a nice Scotch and reading a book or discussing philosophy... or something.

The corridors are the usual rat-maze of similar looking corridors... at least the carpet is somewhat clean and not doubling as an optical illusion...

Making our way into the rooms, I found that the rooms were a touch on the unheated side (it was the start of winter...). So, it is possible that this place is perhaps a better place to base yourself in the warmer months of the year... on the other hand, it wasn't freezing either... and definitely not overheated and dry like most other hotels.

One notable thing was that the rooms were incredibly spacious as well... perhaps I got lucky with the room allocation. When we are travelling as a group, we don't always get the same types of rooms depending on the availability of the rooms. Usually, the soloists and the singers get the best stuff... otherwise their egos would destroy them from the inside and we would have to suffer the rest of the tour with their complaints and grumbling. Given that on this tour, I was just a rank and file tutti player, I don't think I got special treatment!

... and I couldn't complain about the view either! It is really nice not to have a view of a cemetery or a car park... or the airport runway!

The down side to this villa is the distance away from the town... there is a restaurant attached to the villa, but by the time that our concert finished and we go back here, it was well and truly closed... although, I do suspect that that had more to do with corona regulations rather than an actual regular occurrence.

Sadly, we were only here for a single evening... and given that I had to leave at 4 am for a flight... I didn't really get to enjoy the views and the quietness so much. However, if I every do find myself in this area... I think I would be considering staying here! Or maybe in that little house high up on the hill... or maybe in the mountains behind...

 

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Grand Hotel Villa Cappugi: Pistoia, ITALY

Ahhhh... this is a little trip that I had taken as one of my last concert tours in Europe. Honestly, as much as I hate travelling (yes yes...

Grand Hotel Villa Cappugi: Pistoia, ITALY

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Portofino wasn't in our initial plans, but as we ended up renting a car in Milan, we started researching where we could go.

One of the options was to drive to Monaco, France, however, due to the number of hours driving we chose to go to a beach in northern Italy.

After some research, we were torn between Cinque Terre and Portofino, and Portofino won.

We left Switzerland and took the road towards Milan, where we spent one night in the hotel that had been paid for and reserved.

The day started in Milan with that typical Italian sweet breakfast with Cornetto and jam, a shame it didn't have my favorite flavor, pistacchio, but doppio espresso was present.

We left as early as possible and followed the road towards Genoa, a port city that is much bigger than Portofino and that one day I want to visit too, but this time we wanted a smaller city to visit.

After a few hours of driving, we arrived at one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. A port with colorful houses facing the sea, crystal clear water, and several boats and speedboats anchored creating a beautiful landscape.

We spent a few hours exploring the city, walking through the streets and shops, and discovered that Portofino has been a destination for many famous people, becoming an exclusive vacation spot for many cinema celebrities.

To maintain its charm, Portofino has strict building restrictions to preserve its appearance.

We strolled around the port with luxurious boats moored and managed to observe some fish and jellyfish in the crystal clear waters of Marina di Portofino...

Chiesa di San Giorgio

On the way, Chiesa di San Giorgio, a small church located in the city center with charming architecture and traditional Italian elements such as frescoes.

Its location in the city is a reference point and we had the opportunity to visit the interior, admire the sacred arts, and take a moment to be grateful.

But for me, what impressed me most was this facade, which I found very beautiful, and also the incredible view you can see from up there, one side the sea, the other the city...

The floor with a Compass Rose drawn on it is also a separate highlight.

The statue of the Madonna del Mare also stands out high above, protecting the church and the city.

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Faro di Portofino

Then we started a trail to the Portofino Lighthouse or "Faro di Portofino" in Italian, which is on top of a hill and has an incredible panoramic view of the city and the sea.

The structure of the tower is painted white, a really cool contrast to the green and blue scenery around it.

The lighthouse has a long history of providing guidance to sailors in the region and in addition to its practical function, it is a cultural and historical reference point.

The surrounding trees and vegetation are also a highlight, asking for a break to contemplate and connect with this incredible nature. I noticed several people sitting, talking, taking photos, and picnicking there.

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On the way back, the trail makes a fork that leads back to the center of Portofino and the other takes us to Spiaggia Dell'Olivetta.

We continued down the coast until we reached the beach to try to cool off a little from the heat.

Spiaggia Dell'Olivetta

We begin to descend towards the beach and on the way there are several exuberant houses full of trees and flowers and gardens, which open up to reveal incredible views of the sea.

I felt like stopping and seeing the view from each of the houses, with that thought of: maybe I'll drop everything and move here?!

Of course, I stopped several times to admire the views and take photos. The further down I went, the more I could hear the sea waves until when we arrived, I saw this little hidden beach, I fell in love with it.

There was a family getting ready to leave and we thought: Now the beach is ours!!

And so it was, we could enjoy the beach, dive, listen to music, and relax. My only fear was the jellyfish, as we had seen some in the port. Fortunately, none stuck to me. Ufa!

This contrast between the calm atmosphere of the beach and a city with the vibe of Portofino showed me that this beach really is a gift, hidden, almost as if it were a secret.

After a good swim and relaxing on the beach, it was difficult to leave Spiaggia.

But the time came to leave and we had to go back, and to come back, the trail was more difficult, this time going up... The good thing is that we were already used to and in shape with going up and down hills all over Italy.

Castelo Brown

Another very famous tourist spot, but which we were unable to visit, is Brown Castle, which is located next door, on top of a hill overlooking the city and the sea. We couldn't get in as it was closed for renovations.

The panoramic view from up there must be really cool. I already want to go back to visit this castle and see this view.

We took the opportunity to stroll around Portofino's main square a little more and then went back to the car to take a snack break.

Portofino is a small and very charming city that lives up to its name, It really was a good choice to visit Portofino and this beach.

It only gets better!

S. Margherita Ligure

An Italian jewel of a city, which mixes the charm of the past with modern sophistication.

Santa Margherita Ligure also serves as a beautiful base for exploring other towns in the region. Great location.

This place has become a popular spot for Italian high society and tourists from other parts of the world who choose this city to escape the heat of the European summer on their luxurious boats and speedboats.

Many tourists walk around the region looking for a seaside vacation full of shops, restaurants, and art galleries, not to mention the charm of the buildings.

The buildings have eclectic architecture with different styles, some more classic Italian, and others more modern.

As you walk along the promenade you will come across elegant and colorful buildings and around every corner a unique vision of architectural creativity.

Rapallo

Leaving Portofino towards our hotel and arriving in Rapallo, to be honest, we didn't have many expectations about this place, but it was really cool to visit.

A city that was initially just a stopping point, surprised us with its mix of an inland city and a coastal city, with all the charm of an Italian city Vera, ended up being an experience in immersing ourselves in Italian culture.

Our plan was to return to Milan and enjoy our stay there, but we found a good and cheap place and decided to stay there until the next day, take the opportunity to rest, and then head straight to what would be our last destination in Italy.

With the check-in done and the car stored, we went for a walk along the seaside promenade, had some gelato, and looked for somewhere to have dinner.

Highlight here is Piazza Martiri per la Libertà, another recommendation we had and went to check it out. A very charming square that is a great place to stroll in Rapallo.

There are several cafes and restaurants around the square with tables on the sidewalk, great for eating outdoors in a cool environment on hot nights.

In the center, this beautiful gazebo with a ceiling painted with a wonderful and colorful afresco, all lit up creating a beautiful central highlight in the square.

We met some local people and they were so receptive, wanting to know where we came from, what we were doing, and other conversations. Conversation in Italian, even though my proficiency in the language wasn't the best, but the communication flowed very well.

Being in a more touristy city where not everyone speaks English took me out of the comfort zone of switching to English and I had to put my Italian into practice.

People were always patient with me, teaching me, correcting words and accents, and recommending restaurants to us.

We decided to try one of the restaurants which was magnificent, starter accompanied by a great Primitivo wine and then a rare steak, fries, and dessert. Just seeing this photo makes me want to go back there to eat more and drink more of that wine.

And that's how Rapallo, which was just a place to pass through, became a place to have dinner, shower & sleep, and also learn more about local culture, which makes me reflect that often the best travel experiences happen when you go off plan. and let it flow.

Now let's go to sleep as there is now only one place left in our plan to visit, this journey through Italy is almost coming to an end.

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Portofino, a Gem of the Italian Riviera

Portofino wasn't in our initial plans, but as we ended up renting a car in Milan, we started researching where we could go. One of t...

Portofino, a Gem of the Italian Riviera

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