An Italian Sojourn

Italy had been on my bucket list for a long time for its sights, sounds and flavours. I have read before that Italy is totally different from the other parts of Europe. I wanted to see for myself if this was true! And that’s how I decided to visited the country with my sister and brother-in-law, and we stayed there for a week. Its rich history and amazing architecture have been maintained without affecting its natural wonders. We visited two places, mainly — Cinque Terre and Rome. 

Cinque Terre is a must-see destination for all travel enthusiasts. Actually, it’s made up of five destinations — Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso Al Mare. Cinque Terre is a collective name for these five villages along the coast of the Liguarian Sea. Each village is just five minutes away by train from the previous one. It is amazing how different they are from each other. This place is a paradise for people who love to enjoy nature while appreciating the local architecture. If you want to thoroughly adore the breath-taking views of the Mediterranean, you should go for a walking trail, through pine forests and terraced vineyards. 

Colosseum in Rome

One interesting aspect is that most of the major destinations charge a tourist tax on a daily basis. I had to pay 2 euros per day at Cinque Terre and 2.5 per day at Rome! You can always find a long queue in front of monuments and historic sites. So, it is better to reach your sight-seeing spot earlier. 

Since we all are vegetarians, we couldn’t experiment much with the cuisine. But even for a vegetarian, there are so many things to try in Italy. Their kinds of pastas and pizzas are totally different from what we get in India. I had the best pesto pasta in Vernazza. I would even say that it can’t be categorised under junk food. In most restaurants or roadside eateries, pizzas are made fresh in firewood ovens. If you ask for a vegetarian pizza, it will have a rich topping of at least five vegetables. 

We spotted a lot of seagulls and had a good time chasing them and taking their close up shots! Buying water bottles are super expensive in Italy. So, we filled our bottles with water from the fountains on the streets of Rome. It was so fun! The water is really good and is cold in some places.  We also enjoyed watching the sunset, listening to street musicians playing piano and guitar. 

Most of the locals speak broken English as Italy is very touristic. The people whom I encountered — be it ticket counter staff or shopkeepers — were extremely helpful and polite. Though a tourist-friendly destination, be aware of your belongings and surroundings. You will hear this advice on every train and train station. 

Poornima

If you are going to stay for a week or so, it’ll be good to learn a few Italian words. Locals will be more than happy to help if you start your conversation with ‘Ciao’ than a good morning or a hello! I am not aware of other seasons. I went in summer, the time it gets flooded with international tourists. There was cool, sometimes chilly breeze, in Cinque Terre, but Rome was hot, even for a person from Chennai!

— As told to Merin James