Ciao Bella!
Us Detwiler’s really did Italy right this last week! For Semana Santa, (Spring Break for Catholic countries) my parents planned an epic trip for all of us around the northern part of the country. We had the best time hiking, sightseeing, museum hopping, and of course, eating so much delicious pasta and pizza.
Since we went to so many different places and had a full itinerary, I’m going to break this recap blog up by location. I’m also just going to hit the highlights so it doesn’t end up being a bear of an article. Don’t worry though, I won’t be skimping on the photos!
Pisa, Tuscany (March 22nd)
Last Friday, I flew to meet my parents and Megan in Pisa for our first European reunion since I studied abroad. We had chosen to start our week-long Italian adventure at the one-and-only Leaning Tower of Pisa. I bumped into my parents while snapping some photos, and we cheerily said our hellos.
Megan and her good friend JP arrived a bit later and the five of us climbed the winding staircase to the top of the tower. The constantly changing grade of the steps had a dizzying effect, but the views from the highest point were worth it! JP took a wonderful family picture for us and we enjoyed the views of the surrounding buildings and mountain ranges.
Before taking the train back to our homebase of Lucca, we stopped at a restaurant and had a smattering of Italian classics and random vegetarian dishes. A constant throughout this trip were the delicious side vegetable, and the eggplant at this place kicked off that trend.
We topped the night off with the best gelato we had in Italy and it seriously put Spanish gelato to shame...sorry Flor!
Lucca, Tuscany (March 22th-24th, March 26th)
My first morning in Lucca, my parents and I woke up and went to walk to the 5k loop around the outside of the old city. There is a large wall surrounding the historical part of Lucca with a pedestrian and biking only path on top of it. We saw the participants of the free weekly wall race and admired the city from all angles.
My mom and I stopped by a bakery and bought a traditional Luccan vegetable pie to try for breakfast. I thought it would resemble a quiche before tasting it, but the flavor was much more nutmeg-y and sweet. It sounds weird but I thought it was delicious!
Before leaving for our afternoon trip to San Miniato, we rushed up the Torre di Oro in the center of the city to get a birds eye view. Lucca is a quieter place than Florence or Milan, but it was the perfect spot to have our call "home" for the first half of our trip.
San Miniato, Tuscany (March 23rd)
The five of us hopped on a train to the more rural "city" of San Miniato to experience the beautiful Tuscan countryside and check out their truffle scene. Megan has become quite truffle obsessed since living in Florence and the guidebook said that San Miniato was un-rivaled in terms of the fungus.
We hiked up to the highest point of the area and climbed the San Miniato tower to get the best views of the surrounding hills. JP and my dad had some sprinting races up some of the steepest parts and I'm not sure if we ever declared a winner. JP also showed off his gymnastic skills once we had reached the tower.
After taking a few pictures, we meandered through town stopping at the most beautiful bike shop on the way. Feeling a bit snacky, we opted for an assortment of small desserts and a cup of molten dark chocolate for my mom. A Herbst chocaholic through and through!
All in all this was the perfect afternoon excursion for us to experience a slower-paced, less tourist centered part of Tuscany. I think my parents are eager to plan a bike excursion through towns and countryside just like this in the near future.
Monterosso, Liguria (March 24th)
Our Sunday trip to the coast of Italy got off to a rocky start due to train strikes that cancelled every single one of our options. There were no trains or busses running from Lucca to La Spezia and not wanting to waste our day waiting in the station, we jumped in a taxi and drove there.
We got right to our plan of hiking once we arrived in the northern most village of Monterosso and had our overnight things safely stowed in the hotel. After grabbing some goods for a picnic lunch, we began the incredibly steep ascent to a church overlooking the bay.
The mountainous terrain around Cinque Terre is unforgiving whether you're climbing upwards or scuttling downwards and a couple miles into this hike, we were all feeling it. My mom commandeered a natural walking stick that another hiker had left behind and this makeshift hiking pole would accompany us for the next day and a half (being left behind and fetched again a few times over).
For our post hike dinner, we went to an adorable place called Da Eraldo and had arguably the best classic Italian food of the entire trip. Our waiter was wonderful and hilarious and the pesto lasagna and pistachio tiramisu were crowd pleasers all around.
We explored a bit of the town itself after dinner and walked along the coast and up (again...) to an old monastery. The moon was full, or nearly full, and it created the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing nighttime stroll. The town of Montesorro is exceedingly picturesque and with the winding streets and outdoor lights, it really felt like we were in an Italian film.
Cinque Terre, Liguria (March 25th)
This day was my favorite of our trip and it involved an all day hike south from Monterosso to the final village of Riomaggiore. We woke up early-ish, had a full spread of breakfast and started in on what would end up being 10 miles of walking.
We stopped in each of the seaside villages (Monterosso, Veranza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore) to admire the architecture, fuel up on snacks and give our knees a rest. Since almost all of these towns (except for Corniglia) are at sea level, we were constantly descending and ascending (steeply I might add) as we made our way along the coast.
Before beginning this hike we were unsure if it would be possible since the path is "officially closed" due to damage from a landslide years ago. Thankfully however, my parents inquired at the information desk in Monterosso and we were told that the trails are currently hike-able. There had also recently been an international ultra-marathon trail race held in the area and so we were confident that the path would be safe enough for us.
The highlights of this hike were buying fresh pomegranate juice from a man who had a stall along the trail, trying the special lemon flavored Manarola gelato and getting to see the beautiful villages from all different angles. The lowlight was most definitely the scramble up the last ascent from Manarola to Riomaggiore. It was so steep and rocky that we were all on hands and knees for parts of it.
We caught our train back to Lucca and had a relaxing and casual dinner of local veggie pizza and red wine left for us by our Airbnb host. All of us had aching legs and sore shoulders from carrying our overnight packs, but it was an epic adventure that will forever be remembered.
Florence, Tuscany (March 26th-29th)
Our spell of good weather ran out almost instantly upon our arrival to Florence but we still made the most of our three days in the city. The first day we played a bit of catch-up and took advantage of Megan's apartment to make a homemade lunch and do some laundry.
With a little break in the weather, I showed my parents Piazza Michelangelo and we hobbled down from the vista just in time for a quick change and refresh before dinner. Skye and Renne had also just arrived in Florence and we had a reservation at Megan's favorite restaurant for the six of us.
It was a hearty, delicious meal filled with lots of wine and laughter. I was so happy to have all these people in the same place and it really felt the collision of two worlds.
The next day began early with a tour of David and the dome of the duomo in the pouring rain. We had an eccentric and very knowledgable tour guide who was trying his very best to keep everyone engaged and in high spirits. Unfortunately, after getting decently soaked through, I started to feel quite miserable.
Both the statue of David and the artwork on the inside of the dome were incredible and I am so grateful that we had the chance to see both of them especially during the busy pre-Easter week. When the tour wrapped up, my family decided to use the rest of our ticket entrances (for the cathedral, bell tower and museum) the following day so we could get out of the rain and have some lunch.
For dinner that night we did a cooking class! After Megan and I had such a great experience making pasta and tiramisu the last time I was in Florence, we had wanted our parents to participate in something similar.
This class was a bit more involved and we ended making a four course meal: a summer version of eggplant parmesan, fettuccine with tomato sauce, balsamic chicken and vegetables and tiramisu. We had two adorable sisters join our prep table and the six of us made quite the team.
Everything was delicious and I was particularly impressed by how tasty the tomato sauce we made was. I think the eggplant parm was the crowd favorite and we will definitely be making our own rendition at home this summer! Better get growing some eggplants.
We spent a majority of our last full day in Florence taking advantage of our tickets for the remaining attractions. My parents and I went to the duomo museum and learned all about the construction of it's signature dome. We then met up with Megan and summited the bell tower to get views of the entire surrounding area.
After a lovely lunch and exploring the cathedral, we met with an old family friend for a walk. Shea, whose family used to live in Mystic, happened to be in Florence at the same time as us since he was visiting his girlfriend, Zoe, who is studying abroad. It was so nice to get caught up with him and to meet her! I think Megan has a new friend in Florence now :)
We rounded out the evening with a wonderful dinner at a bookstore that doubles as a restaurant and cafe. It was such a cool, unique atmosphere and the food was so interesting and delicious. Also, the cheesecake that Megan and I split will never, ever be forgotten or overthrown from it's spot at number one on my list.
Megan suggested we go to a riverside brunch spot for our last meal in Florence and it did not disappoint in any aspect. The food was so aesthetically stunning and tasted equally delicious! I am definitely going to try to replicate the pesto/avocado poached egg situation I ordered when I'm home for the summer.
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna (March 29th)
Our stop after Florence was to the less touristy city of Bologna that is renowned for it's culinary scene and endless covered walkways. I was really excited about this stop because Bologna is also home to the oldest university in the western world and I had my mind set on visiting it.
One of the only university rooms open to the public is the operating (surgery) theater where many ancient surgeons had their beginnings. We learned about the unique design of the ceiling of the room and about such people as the "father" of modern cosmetic surgery.
We hurried through the main square to get some lunch before the restaurant closed, and boy are we glad we did. Our Airbnb host recommended a vegetarian/vegan restaurant and everything we ordered was perfection.
After a nap, some more walking around and a slightly disappointing dinner, we returned to Piazza Maggoire where there were quite a few people milling around and enjoying the mild night air. There was a man playing renditions of popular songs on his violin and the music created the perfect atmosphere for our last night all together.
Milan, Lombardy (March 30th)
Our final stop on our Italian tour was to the modern, cosmopolitan city of Milan. We had less than one day to explore and we chose to use our time on the magnificent Milan duomo. The building is one of the most impressive examples of architecture I have ever seen and its long history warrants a multi-hour tour.
After having a bit of trouble finding our guide, we began touring the outside, inside and roof of the structure. We learned about the most famous statue that is present in the duomo: Saint Bartholomew flayed to show his muscles and bones. The "robe" wrapped around him is actually his skin and it forms a third leg that reaches the ground.
After exploring the impressive roof of the duomo and enjoying the views of the city, we popped inside the duomo museum and cafe for a snack. We had a very interesting interaction with an older Italian man who was too fond of my mom leading us to leave in a bit of a rush.
We had our last meal with Megan at a delicious pasta place before putting her on the train and catching the shuttle bus to the airport. My parents and I had quite the adventure trying to get to the hotel from the airport, but we eventually made it.
This trip exceeded my expectations and it was so nice to travel Europe again as a family! Thank you so much Mom and Dad for planning our itinerary and making sure everything went smoothly <3 And, thank you to Megan for sharing your inside Italy knowledge with us. Here's to many more trips all together!
Your blog is SO WONDERFUL!! Love to hear about the food, beauty and feel of all these amazing European spots. I recall feeling the same way about Lake Como area, magnificent! You are a gem Jessica!!!!
Great recap Jessica! Loved being with you and Megan!