I Got My Chance to Vacation in Italy, and It Was Everything I Hoped it Would Be
I have been very fortunate to have traveled a lot in my life, but one thing I had never had the opportunity to do was to vacation in Italy. I finally made the plunge in 2007, and I have to admit that it was everything I had hoped it would be.
My family and I flew into Rome and spent three days touring the city. I went and saw all of the touristy stuff, like the Vatican and the Coliseum. I saw some of the old churches in the city, like the Basilica of St. John Lateran, but probably the thing I most remember from that portion of my vacation in Italy were all of the piazzas and how relaxing it was just to sit there and watch the people come and go.
From Rome, we went up to see Florence, which is easily one of my favorite cities in the world. I am a great lover of art, and this is the place to be for art lovers. I visited the world-renowned Uffizi art museum, and it was everything that I imagined it would be. There was a distinct difference between Florence and Rome, as well, but they each held a special place in my heart during my vacation in Italy.
From Florence, our vacation in Italy took us to the very unique city of Venice. I loved being able to ride on a gondola and take in the sights, and my wife loved the fashionable clothing the city has to offer. I have heard that the city is actually sinking, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to see it, just in case it is completely underwater in the future.
After Venice, we made our way further north to the city of Milan. This was another great opportunity to see one of the destinations I have always wanted to see, and that is the La Scala opera house. It is one of the most respected opera houses in the world, and being able to see it and imagine the debut of so many Puccini and Verdi operas practically gave me chills.
Besides all of the wonderful sights we took in, one of the best things about our vacation in Italy was the great food we enjoyed. It was almost enough just to go there and sample the great and diverse cuisine the country has to offer.
Our vacation in Italy is something that I will never forget for as long as I live and something I will always look back on with great fondness. It was one of those rare occasions in life where you really look forward to something for a long time, and when you finally get to do it, it turns out better than you ever imagined possible.