Travel Gourmande

How's your Saturday going? Weekend is travelling at lighting speed as always.

Speaking of speed, the train ride from Rome to Florence was approximately an hour and a half. The Trenitalia's final destination was Milan and Florence, being the first stop.

We stayed in Hotel Residence La Contessina, a few blocks away from the train station located at the heart of the city and is walking distance from the Florence Duomo. It is a stylishly designed hotel inclusive of a breakfast buffet with lots of homemade goodies at a very reasonable price. We love the place! The standard loft type suites include a foyer, spacious bathroom, huge living area, kitchen and dining. The space is perfect for a family or a couple on a honeymoon. Each of us took our own separate rooms. The bedroom is located on the mezzanine and each suite is equipped with LCD screens. The atmosphere is very homey and the receptionist is very accommodating and helpful, making our very brief stay in Florence a memorable one. The suites open up to a central courtyard that we all find very charming.

We were all excited to explore the historic city centre immediately. Cobble stone streets lined by cafes, shops, restaurants and pubs housed in elegant well preserved Renaissance buildings. It was a Saturday and the square was filled with weekend flea markets. The vibe was festive. It made me understand why it has been nominated as the most desirable destination for tourists around the world.

Piazza del Duomo, Baptistery on the Left

Florence Cathedral

The walk to the Piazza del Duomo was entertaining, watching tourists decide where to go for dinner and all the fashionably dressed elegant locals out and about. We sat at Piazza della Republica people-watching until it grew dark. It was like sitting at the front seat of a fashion runway. No doubt why Florence was once Italy's fashion capital.

Piazza della Republica

By late evening, we found a very welcoming restaurant not far from our hotel, Ristorante La Falterona situated along Via Zannoni. The tables were along the street with table cloths, candles and obviously marked as more than casual dining. We were gladly accommodated. We took advantage of the evening by ordering a fine selection of Chianti Classico Reserva. The taste was smooth and one of the best wines I've ever tasted. For more information on the restaurant click here . We were serenaded by a street musician, a music student practicing his craft in the streets of Florence. He played several of our requested songs with his classic guitar. His great voice drifted joyfully in the air over delicious local cuisine. Three greats: Food + music + great wine.

It was a night to remember! A perfect evening of bliss.

Trip to Rome will not be complete without visiting the Vatican.

Our final morning tour ends at St. Peter's Basilica. Thank heavens for the tour, we were able to cut the long queue at St. Peter's Square. Escape the hassle by booking a tour before hand. If you're not not a big fan of tour buses, there are online sites where you can purchase VIP passes for both St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums.

St. Peter's Basilica

We went for a tour of the basilica's interior having seen Michelangelo's Pieta for real. I was happy to see the gigantic Baroque baldacchino, a sculpted bronze canopy over the altar. I remember studying this in my History of Interior Design class back in college.

We had two hours of free time before our afternoon Vatican Museums tour. With a map, I guided my companions for a quick detour. Check out the train map here. We took the metro station walking distance from St. Peter's. From there, we took the Metro line A going to Piazza di Spagna station for the famous Spanish Steps. Atop is the Trinita dei Monti, a beautiful french church overlooking the square.

Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square)

Fontana della Barcaccia is the fountain at the foot of the crowded piazza. We had lunch in a restaurant at the southeast part of the square (as shown below) overlooking the column of Immaculate conception.

Colonna dell'Immacolata

We took the metro's red line once more. I was our team's official navigator. (Yes, a woman can read a map!) I was happy to have found our next tour's meeting point just right next to Stazione Termini. From there our tour bus took us to the Vatican Museums.

Vatican (view from the museum window)

The highlight of the tour of course was viewing Michelangelo's two masterpieces, Genesis (Creation) and Giudizio Universale (Last Judgement). Photography there is forbidden, hence the absence of the Sistine Chapel fresco on the barrel vaulted ceiling of 800 sq. meters here.

It's interesting to note that Michelangelo was hesitant to do it when he was commissioned to decorate it in 1508. Mainly because he considered himself a sculptor and not a painter. Yet, after completing it for 15 years, his magnificence outshone those of his teachers'.

The experience of being embraced by these frescoes during my visit was highly spiritual. Shy to admit, but I had tears running down my face while I was staring up at those beautiful frescoes.

Imagine, these artists worked on all of these works with love, passion and dedication. Day in, day out, upon waking up in the morning and most probably sleepless evenings, I wonder how that made the artists feel. Did they feel bored doing the same thing for a long time? Did Michelangelo still feel the same enthusiasm after his 10th year of painting the drape cloth on one of the figures? Terrible stiff necks? Did they get frustrated at some point when they couldn't get a line to be straight in some of the trompe l'oeil shadows? What if one color messed up, were they allowed to curse out loud inside the chapel? Or were they completely immersed in God's love? Were they in a trance as their brushes moved along a hundred percent inspired?

One of the frescoes

The works are incredibly mesmerizing. I could spend days there.

The museum tour was ended by going down a huge spiral ramp/staircase. We headed back to our hotel located behind the Vatican walls. By the way, don't trust the locals in Italy when they say, " It's walking distance, just 2 minutes away." Those "2 minutes" could mean walking for 30 minutes. Remember, for us spoiled expats where walking is usually a mere activity inside a mall, those 2 minutes could mean a LOT of walking.

We saw this tunnel on the way back to our hotel.

Tunnel leading to St. Peter's Square

The day of course was nicely ended with a night of Italian gourmandise at a local restaurant.

That reminds me, it's time for dinner. Ciao!

Hello to you fellow travelers! I'd like to share the second part of the morning tour in Rome.

What I appreciate most in Centro Storico is that it can be explored by walking.

I highly recommend you to book your hotel within Centro Storico.

It's very convenient to be in walking proximity to most of the major sites.

One of the sites that I've always longed to visit was the Pantheon. It was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a circular temple where a different god or goddess rests on each altar or apse.

Solid granite Corinthian Columns

I stood for a few minutes while touching the column wondering how they were able to lift each massive column up there. Not to mention building the gigantic granite pediment at the portico. I was flabbergasted!

The Pantheon

The architecture was brilliant given the time there was no pre-cast concrete yet, nor modern tools to allow building a perfectly shaped dome. The oculus (central opening to the sky) allows the light to pour in. It is the only light source apart from the main entry in the temple. You can imagine, it is dark inside and the sun shifts the angle of the beam similar to a sundial throughout the day. Up until today, it still is the world's largest un-reinforced concrete dome.

The first concrete dome ever built composed of coffers.

The rectangular piazza in front of the temple is scenic, with a central fountain and obelisk. It is decorated by excited tourists with their digital cameras bordered by cafes and restaurants.

Piazza della Rotonda

Walking distance away is Piazza Colonna. A rectangular square with a towering column of Marcus Aurelius at the center. On top of the column sits the statue of Saint Paul. Palazzo Chigi is the official residence of the Prime Minister.

Piazza Colonna. Palazzo Chigi on the left.

A short distance away stands Piazza del Montecitorio where the Palazzo Montecitorio, the Italian Chamber of Deputies is situated behind the ornate obelisk. The palazzo was designed by Lorenzo Bernini.

Piazza Montecitorio

I think it's time for a break. What about a dose of gelato?

Ciao!

It is better to start the whole Rome experience by conditioning ourselves first that it is impossible to cover Rome in one trip. There is just so much to see! Do prepare before hand by listing down the sites of utmost priority to you.

I would have been pleased to explore Rome following a 6-hour walking tour based on the film Roman Holiday from the Lonely Planet. Much to our enthusiasm, one of my companions has a back problem and we had limited time in Rome (exactly 1 day and a half) and we wanted to see as much of it as possible. The most practical way was taking a tour of our choice- the Classic Rome Tour exploring the highlights or shall I say Rome's tip of the iceberg.

The Classic Rome Tour's highlights are:

Castello St. Angelo - Trevi Fountain - Piazza Navona - Piazza Colonna - Piazza del Popola - Pantheon - St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square

The advantages of taking the tour is, you get special VIP passes that allow you to cut the long queues at St. Peter's Square. Lots of tourists, it's amazing!

Here are some snapshots at the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona

Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is Italy's largest and most famous Baroque fountain. It was built in the 15th Century as an ending part of Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct built in 19 B.C. It is the central feature located at the Trevi Square in the Quirinale District. Designed based on the sketches of Lorenzo Bernini, Nicola Salvi and Pannini

A coin toss in the fountain. Legend has it that if one tosses a coin, there's a guaranteed return to the Eternal City.

Approximately 3,000 Euros worth of coins are collected daily according to our tour guide All of which are donated to charity.

The Trevi Fountain is also the popular site of Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday.

Piazza Navona is one of the world's most famous squares. The shape is elongated as it used to be Domitian's stadium. The stadium was paved over in the 15th century to create the square

Lorenzo Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers

Popular fountain and monument depicted in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons where it was listed as one of the altars of science. Four Rivers; Danube, Ganges, The Nile & La Plata.

Students on a field trip

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (The Fountain of the Four Rivers)

Do you notice how the statue on the left is positioned against the Church of St.Agnese in Agone? The church was designed by Borromini, Bernini's main rival. Bernini however, finished the fountain first before the church.

Fountain of Neptune by Giacomo Della Porta at the North end of Piazza Navona

One of the liveliest squares in Rome surrounded by restaurants, cafes and night clubs. A walking distance from the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain.

Ciao!

Have a great Easter Monday!

Happy Easter to Everyone! I've missed you all! You might all be sharing this wonderful Sunday with the family and friends hunting for the colorful eggs. While preparing today's post, I'm currently munching the chocolate bunny a very dear friend gave me today.

I just arrived back in reality after almost ten weeks in Italy for the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Prior to our working schedule, we took a sightseeing detour to see the grandeur of Rome and the famous architecture everyone has been talking about featured in popular films such as Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, When in Rome, Eat Pray Love, Angels and Demons..so on and so forth..oh we could go on with the list.

If you're based in Dubai and planning to explore Italy in few days by train, there is an interesting Emirates flight that is worth taking. It flies from Dubai Terminal 3 to Rome's Fiumicino Airport with a return flight back to Dubai from Milan's Malpensa Airport.

Upon arriving on a Thursday evening at Fiumicino Airport, there is a shuttle outside the terminal across the street that will take you to the city with a last stop at Stazione Termini. If you're travelling alone, this would be a better alternative. If you're in a group, you could also take a shared minivan service that will drop you off straight to your hotel for an approximate Eur 45-60 depending on the number of people and destination. It starts off at Eur 35 per person with an additional Eur 6 per person. For that we were being charged roughly Eur 47. Do take note that the airport is quite far from the city centre about 30km away.

We took the shuttle instead that cost us Eur 7 per person. There are two bus stops. We were booked very close to the Vatican City. As we were passing through Stazione San Pietro, I recognized the street, but we missed the bus stop. Two of my companions were seated at the far end of the bus. I was frantically hailing them to get down, but they didn't understand me and were merely waving back thinking I was having a great time. That wave cost us another Eur30 for a cab ride that took us round and round the city.

Beware of some cab drivers there. Some will take you for a ride, literally. We had the misfortune of meeting one that night, having realized only the next day when I checked it on the map that I got from the hotel reception.

We stayed in Starhotels Michelangelo for a very good rate including breakfast. It was the peak season and there were rumors of hiking up prices even more due to the events taking place at the Vatican City so we booked it online via Hotels.com weeks before travelling. We were pleased with that.

We ended the evening by a late dinner at a typical Italian pub and ristorante around the area and by booking two day tours the next day commencing at 8:30AM.

Check what happens next in Day 2

Ciao!

Among all the chateaux, I have seen so far, this is my favorite. Chateau of Chenonceau is one of the most visited castles in the Loire Valley and throughout France for that matter, second to the Palace of Versailles. It is situated in the small village of Chenonceaux.

We travelled through the Loire Valley in a small car with a good old map and found the place quite easily as there are markers and signs on the road that would lead you to the castle
.

The chateau's architecture is a combination of late Gothic and Early Renaissance. This is where architecture and nature are brought together in perfect harmony. Delicate gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, remarkable potager, maze, farm, the serenely majestic river, all of which surround this magnificent work and tribute to celebrating history and architecture.

Let's dig a little bit deeper into the history of this castle. This was built on the River Cher sometime in the 11th Century originally owned by the Marques family. It was later sold to Thomas Bohier, Chamberlain for King Charles VIII. It was rebuilt in the 16th Century overseen by his wife Katherine Briconnet where a new residence was built by demolishing the fortified castle and mill. She often hosted dinners for the nobility and King Francis I has been an honored guest twice.

Marques Tower

King Francis I, who has the penchant for great architecture seized the castle later from Bohier's son for unpaid debts. When he passed away, his successor, Henry II gave it as a gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. She was strongly attached to the castle and initiated the construction of the arched bridge to connect it to the other side of the river.

River Cher (View from the castle windows)

When King Henry II died, his widow, Catherine de Medici had Diane banished from the castle and in exchange gave her the Chateau Chaumont. Queen Catherine made Chenonceau her favorite residence adding more gardens and threw spectacular evening parties. The grand gallery over the arched bridge to celebrate the ascension of her son, Francis II to the throne. After the queen's death, the castle has been the residence of succeeding mistresses and wives of nobility. It was later saved by Madame Louise Dupin from destruction during the french revolution. It was then passed on and bought by a millionaire Daniel Wilson for his daughter who trew parties beyond her means which was later seized and sold to a Cuban millionaire in 1891, Jose-Emilio Terry.

During the World War I, the gallery was used as a hospital ward. Later, during the Second World War, it was used as an escape from the Nazi occupied zone of one side to the free zone on the opposite end.

The Dining Room of the Chateau Employees

Bread Oven (Left) and Pantry (Right)

Kitchen Stove (Left) and Five Queen's Bedroom (Right)

The chateau was later resurrected back to its former glory by the Menier family. Hats off to the artisans responsible for the restoration and upkeep of this castle. The chateau has been wonderfully maintained with fresh flowers.

View of the Arches and East Facade of Pont du Diane

So much to do and so little time. During summer, the chateau enables visitors to hire rowing boats. There are also play areas specifically made for kids. It is also an ideal haven for artists, as it open its doors once a year to exhibitions at the first floor gallery. It is such a delight to be there either admiring the history indoors or the beauty of nature outdoors. I would love to visit it again.

It 's already the weekend here. Have a great Thursday Everyone!