I know it is only a replica, of course. The original of Michelangelo’s David is safely tucked into the Accademia Gallery just north of where I am standing outside Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. But there is something about seeing what is perhaps the most famous sculpture of all time in its original spot, where it was…
Way back in 2002, when this writer was just a college student, one of my closest friends spent a semester studying abroad in a small town in Italy I’d never heard of. The experience changed her life, and for more than twenty years, I’ve heard her wax poetically about Siena. So when I realized that…
Most visitors to Florence make a beeline straight for its most famous sight: the Duomo. The fourth largest church in the world (behind St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in London, and the Duomo of Milan), it dwarfs the city around it, although perspective makes it seem a bit smaller from the square immediately surrounding,…
Though connected to the San Lorenzo Basilica, the Medici Chapel has a separate entrance - and a separate entrance fee. Stepping inside, one finds simple entombments of some of the more minor members of one of the world’s more famous families, including that of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, who bequeathed the family’s vast collection…
Shockingly, Florence existed before the Renaissance. There was a city here before the art and culture that would come out of Florence would change the world. There were buildings; there were people. And while little of that is a draw for tourists, it is important to talk about what Florence was prior to the official…
The morning dawns cool and clear, a lovely respite from the heat of my apartment for the month in Florence. As I make my way down to my hotel lobby, I am asked if I want breakfast inside or out on the terrace. The answer is a no-brainer, and my cappuccino and I make our…
For years, whenever I was asked if I liked everywhere I traveled, my stock answer was, “Except Naples. Naples sucks.” I spent a single day in Naples in 2009 as part of a western Mediterranean cruise, and while I only really saw the city between the cruise terminal and train station (on my way to…
It tastes different here. I say that after my first bite of perhaps the most simple pizza I’ve ever consumed in my life. Just a basic crust, tomato, basil, and an amount of cheese I’d have never thought could satisfy my desire for the stuff… and I find myself closing my eyes after every mouthful,…
Editor’s note: sometimes the best destinations are those nearest to home. This is a lovely few-day itinerary for Ventura, California from Jackie. For more of her trip ideas, click here to visit her index page! Most of us enjoy the peacefulness of the beach, watching and listening to the waves, watching sea birds and just…
All over the Mediterranean, magnificent structures built by the Romans are still in evidence. From the Colosseum and Roman Forum to aqueducts, theatres, and more, it seems that every place the ancient Romans touched has remnants of their engineering marvels. But while these amazing buildings are spectacular, they are just fragments of Roman life, as…