Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy

The area near this large church is one of the amazing areas of Florence!  It feels a bit surreal to see the cathedral and baptistry in person.  It's so massive and the art work and architecture is awe inspiring!  I bought a combo pass ticket that allowed me to visit the baptistry and museum, which were quite nice.  My approach was to visit the church from the outside.  I also dropped by at early morning hours to get some great photos, both film and digital.  I focused more of my time on the baptistry and the museum, which houses many amazing relics and pieces of art.  Both of them are worthy of a visit!  If you don't mind narrow staircases or heights you can also plan ahead to visit the bell tower or the dome of the cathedral, or even both.  You might also enjoy visiting the inside of the church but there can be rather long lines at times, just so you know.  Also, you might notice in the photo above that I was thankful to have a view of the church from the rooftop patio of my hotel.

Below is a great description from the official website.  You can also get tickets there on that site as well. 

"Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the largest churches in the world. The plan consists of a triple-nave basilica with the presbytery area nested within, dominated by the large octagon of the immense dome, around which are three radial apses (or “tribunes”), each consisting of five chapels. The cathedral is 153 meters in length, 90 meters wide at the transept, and 90 meters high from floor to base of the lantern. The title “Santa Maria del Fiore” (Lady of the flower) alludes to the name of the city, "Florentia", or “city of flowers”, “destined to bloom”, and to its emblem, the Florentine lily." 

If you'd like some tips on Florence in general please see this post.

Here's a Google map of the location in Florence to give you an idea of the area.

Thanks for dropping by.  Feel free to share your tips in the comments or just say hello.  Ciao.

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Three Italy train tips for Liguria and Tuscany

 

Using trains in Italy can seem a bit daunting at first.  However, once you get used to it then it's really pretty straight forward.  I'd like to share some tips that I've learned and what options you have available.

App, in person ticket sales, or ticket machine at the station

I'll skip ahead to what I liked best which was the TrenItalia app. I purchased ahead, using Wi-Fi.  If you have data for your phone in Italy then it's likely even easier...  The machines at the stations are decent too although I ran into a situation in one of the Cinque Terre towns where the machine didn't take my credit card and I was glad to have cash to buy a ticket from someone nearby.  Which leads to the third method which is buying in person.  I feel like this works fine for short trips like between the towns in the Cinque Terre depending if there's a line or not for tickets.  One thing to keep in mind for longer trips is that it's good to have enough time for changing trains and also it might be hard to communicate your preferences if you don't know Italian.  Also, if you opt for a paper ticket be sure to punch it with one of the machines before you board (the ticket sales folks can show you where the machines are).

(on the way to Florence / Firenze!)

First class

First class can be nice for longer trips since you'll have more leg room and I noticed it was often less crowded as well.

Be prepared to show your ticket and don't just board any train

TrenItalia staff do check tickets frequently so be aware.  Also, I heard of folks getting a fine for boarding the wrong train because they wanted a different time which was more convenient for them instead of their scheduled departure.  I saw a young lady worker kick a guy off a train that was mouthing off to her and did not have a ticket either.

Thanks for dropping by and learning about train tips in Italy.  Feel free to share your tips in the comments or just say hello.  Ciao.

If you enjoyed this please consider supporting my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel .  It would really help me out and keep the cameras rolling and clicking!  Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

P.S. This blog uses some affiliate links so that I can keep bringing you great independent content.

 

  John 3:16 ✝

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Riomaggiore

I traveled to Riomaggiore by train in the morning, one day in late April 2023, from my home base of Monterosso Al Mare.  I arrived pretty early, around 9am, while there was still good morning light for photography and before a lot of tourists were out.  I didn't have much of an agenda.  I just wanted to explore, hike around a bit, and do film and digital photography.

Exploring the town with the many little pedestrian side streets is fun.  Good shoes are recommended of course because of the amount of steps.

The morning light was wonderful and it was nice and peaceful without a lot of folks there in town yet.

(film photo from an Olympus Trip 35)

There were fun little details to be enjoyed like the clothes hanging from clothes lines, rusty postal signs, the morning light striking the buildings and streets just right.

(another film photo)

One doesn't have to walk too far to find stunning views.  This can either be by getting your heart rate up and hiking up by the cemetery or just finding a level coastal path.  Especially in the spring time with the flowers in bloom the vistas can be quite something!

The small harbor and view points could be what you've already seen in photos but seem so much more impactful in person.

There are nice little sights in the town including the church (Church of San Giovanni Battista), a small tower, the harbor, etc...

(another film photo)

I hope that you've enjoyed this short overview of one of the Cinque Terre towns.  Have you been there before or plan to visit?  Feel free to say hello in the comments.  Ciao.

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If you enjoyed this please consider supporting my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel .  It would really help me out and keep the cameras rolling and clicking!  Thank you.  

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Manarola and Corniglia

The two smallest towns of the Cinque Terre are fun to visit.  If you take the train you can easily see both, depending on what you'd like to do.  Some even try to cram all five into one day but I don't recommend it, if you would like to take your time and enjoy exploring.  Also, if you're ambitious you can tackle the hike between the two towns (I haven't tried this one yet myself).

Corniglia is a cute little town.  From the train station it has a lot of steps up to the town.  There's also a road that winds up to the town a bit more gradually.  Be safe either way you choose!  There's also a shuttle or taxi if you prefer.  At the top of the stairs in Corniglia, you'll find a nice restaurant with decent pesto, outdoor seating with some shade and a nice view.

There are some really nice views to be had as you explore Corniglia.  The small pedestrian streets, a couple squares, and the church are also some highlights.

Manarola was probably my favorite out of the two.  It also has excellent views, a small harbor, and a panoramic vineyard trail.

The trail was one of the highlights for me.  It wasn't crowded.  The views were amazing and it was a nice peaceful walk as well.

The churches and cemeteries are interesting spots to visit.  Depending on the weather and the waves you can check out the small harbor for swimming as well.  The Punta Bonfiglio is a good spot for taking in the amazing sights.

I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of these pleasant towns.  Feel free to drop a comment with any thoughts, questions, or if you feel like sharing your travel dreams or plans.  Ciao.

If you enjoyed this please consider supporting my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel . Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

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  John 3:16 ✝

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Florence (aka Firenze)

 

Florence, aka Firenze, is quite the city!  There's too much to see in just a couple days, depending on what you want to see and do.  However, if you do only have a couple days you can still see and experience a lot, like I did.  I traveled there by train in the spring of 2023 from my home base in the Cinque Terre (first class on TrenItalia is nice for more legroom by the way).

My approach to Florence was pretty simple and revolved around three things.  

1. to see some museums and key sights
2. enjoy food, wine, coffee, pastries, etc... (sustenance is needed after all the walking of course)
3. explore and enjoy photography (film and digital)!

For popular museums like the Uffizi, getting a ticket online can save you time and stress.  I spent a couple hours there and it has a lot of excellent art to see from well known and lesser know artists as well.

Getting tickets ahead is advised for the baptistry, museum, the Duomo, also (they have combo tickets available; climbing the dome or bell tower is even an option).  I focused my time on the baptistry and museum as well as seeing the splendid Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore from the outside (even better at sunrise if you get the chance).  It must have been amazing to attend a service at the Duomo shortly after it was finished!

For a hotel or place to stay it's helpful to have a spot in the historic part of the city that's walkable to most places.  You can get to most places on foot if you don't mind putting some steps in.  My hotel was close to the Piazza della Repubblica.  It also had a small rooftop area that afforded some solace and great views.

(view from my hotel)

Speaking of putting some steps in, the Boboli gardens are a grand location to take in the views and escape the crowds.  There's so much to see and I didn't actually see it all before my stomach told me it was time to find some great pasta, which I did in the Oltrarno.  It's hard to imagine this large garden area being private for the Medici family many years ago.

Other sights that I enjoyed seeing were: Piazza della Repubblica, Palazzo Vecchio (look for the face on the outside wall near the Uffizi by the way), Ponte Vecchio (which you can get a great view of from the Uffizi), the Oltrarno (great restaurants, nice church, and Piazza Santo Spirito), and many fun details as well.  These fun details included: sign art, the lily of Florence, lions, and much more!

Caffè Gilli is worth a stop for great coffee and pastries.  Visit the bar if you'd like the more economical prices, versus dining at a table.  It's located right in Piazza della Repubblica which is a very nice area.

Here are a few more photo and video highlights that hopefully will inspire your own travel plans.

(The amazing original baptistry doors are in the museum.)

Did I like Florence?  Very much so.  In fact, I'm looking forward to going back some day.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this far.  I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of Florence.  I could have shared more but wanted to keep this fairly short.  I benefited from using online resources and a good guide book to plan, as well as just exploring on my own.

I've been blessed to have readers from various countries. Feel free to say hello in the comments and perhaps share where you would like to travel. 

If you enjoyed this please support my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel . Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

P.S. This blog uses some affiliate links so that I can keep bringing you great independent content.

 

  John 3:16 ✝

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Vernazza and the hike to Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza is a beautiful town in the Cinque Terre.  It can get quite busy during the day but if you come in the morning or later in the day you'll find less people typically.  A lot of folks come during the day either by train or by boat.  I went there a couple times during my trip in the spring of 2023.  Once I went late in the afternoon, around 4 pm, to do the hike from there to Monterosso al Mare (more on that below).  The other time I came back in the morning to visit the helpful Poste Italiane office and then I grabbed a good breakfast as well at Il Pirata delle 5 Terre.

Vernazza is a quick train trip from the other Cinque Terre towns like Monterosso, and not too far from other nearby towns like Levanto.  My choice for a home base was Monterosso al Mare.

The town has nice sites like: the quaint Church of St. Margaret of Antioch, the small beach and marina area, the Doria tower / castle, as well as exploring shops and restaurants.  I would imagine that if one stayed in a rental or hotel here that you might get a better sense of its charms in the morning or evening when it's less busy.

Amazing views can be had if you're willing to tackle some stairs and explore the little side streets.  Views like this one below for example!

The hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare is challenging but stunning views are waiting for those who persevere the rocky trail.  Of course it's good to do it when it's not too hot.  It's a memorable hike but best to be prepared and only go when it's dry as there's lots of rocks.  Late in the day in the spring you might not need a park pass.  I did not need one in 2023 late in the day in springtime.  No flip flops are allowed and it's about 2 hours long.

vineyards near Monterosso al Mare

The hike was quite fun for me even though it was challenging.  I just made sure I was careful but also enjoyed moments along the way to take some digital and film photos.  The postal office in Vernazza helped me mail back my exposed film to the USA by the way.

When you reach the end you might just opt to have some fresh focaccia at one of the best places around - Il Frantoio.  I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of Vernazza and one of the hikes available in that area.

If you enjoyed this please support my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel . Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

P.S. This blog uses some affiliate links so that I can keep bringing you great independent content.

 

  John 3:16 ✝

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