I have been writing on this blog for over two years now, and most of the things I’ve written about are regarding the financial and psychological side of retirement. This is what “new” retirees want to discuss, am I right? Or maybe a trip to Italy.

Well, the one thing I haven’t spoken about is my wife and I going on our biggest adventure yet. That’s because we just got back a few weeks ago, and I’m still assessing the trip, to be honest with you. Yes, it was really fun. We went to Italy, which was always a dream of mine – and hopefully my wife’s as well!

I’m done assessing, and also recovering, from the big trip to Italy. I’m ready to discuss what it was like so others may benefit, or be forewarned, about the reality of travelling to Europe right now.

To be sure, the time of year is a big consideration.

The Big Five Cities We Visited

To start, I guess I should let you all know where in Italy we went, since it was really five major cities in total. We started in Rome, then went to Naples, on to Florence, Venice, and finally Milan. Phew! It was a grueling, food-fueled, non-stop experience we will never forget.

Was it great? Absolutely, yes. Was it hotter than we planned? Yes, again. Before the trip, I kept checking the weather reports for several weeks to see what we could expect. Sounded good, like mid-seventies during the day, low fifties at night, just right for us as we are living in Florida and right now it’s much hotter than that. Can’t wait!

However, by the time we got to Rome to start our adventure, it was starting to get hot already. Mid-May in Rome isn’t normally at ninety degrees, but it was already approaching this milestone. But hey, I don’t want to make this whole blog post about the weather!

Rome – the Ancient City of Wonder

We enjoyed Rome, where we stayed for three days. Seeing the obvious sites was definitely fun – the Forum, the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, and even the Great Synagogue in the heart of the Jewish quarter. Although it was somewhat crowded, it was manageable and we got to view everything we came to see.

The food was delicious of course, the pasta, the pizza, and finding a place to eat was never a problem in Rome. There are hundreds of places to go, depending on how much you want to spend and the type of food you wish to eat.

Probably the most famous and well-known place was the Vatican, where we spent several hours walking through the various museums and sites. It was overwhelming to some degree, the only downside being you had to keep moving the whole time. Not only were we in a group, the employees who work there don’t want tourists to stop and take numerous pictures, so you have to be quick about it! We managed though.

Next, we went to Naples

Ready or not, we moved on to Naples next. Once we got there, it was also amazing. The view of the Gulf of Naples was breathtaking from our hotel, which was on the fifth floor and couldn’t have been nicer. No rain clouds to be seen in three days, we were prepared for a vacation of a lifetime.

 Not knowing much Italian, we used our phones to translate – Google translate, to be exact. It’s rare that you need to speak much Italian though, although it comes in handy to know some phrases such as “dove il bagno” and “grazie mille” – where’s the bathroom, and thank you very much. Politeness is always appreciated and attempts to speak the language bring a smile as well.

One of the group activities we enjoyed was making a Neapolitan pizza by hand, which was a bit challenging for me as my cooking skills are limited. No matter, they served us a really good pizza later on.

It helps to stay in a nice hotel, but we didn’t have many meals that weren’t truly excellent.

We made a side trip to the Island of Capri, which I was not familiar with at all, but turned out to be beautiful. Once again, amazingly clear skies helped as the mountains and surrounding hills dotted with homes were everything you come to Italy to see. It’s truly something that pictures don’t do justice to.

The Tower of Pisa and Florence

What trip to Italy is complete without seeing the leaning tower of Pisa? You guessed it. At this point the weather was even hotter, and shade was not in great supply near the Tower, so we walked slowly and drank a lot of water.

Florence was on my list of cities to see for many years and didn’t disappoint. From the numerous landmarks, including the Duomo, there are many beautiful homes in the hills surrounding Florence. We stopped at a place where one of the replicas of the statue of David can be seen and took pictures of the surrounding area while being mesmerized by the beauty.

I sent some pictures to my daughter, and she said it looks like a postcard. Yes, indeed.

A day trip through the streets of Florence was great, however the crowds are a little much this time of year already. We were in a group, so going out early wasn’t an option for us.

However, I recommend doing as much sightseeing in the morning, if possible, to beat the heat and the crowds.

The statues, so many statues! That along with the beautiful artwork that was everywhere, especially in the churches, was amazing to see. The sense of awe, how these buildings have stood for many centuries, is truly an experience.

Venice, the Island Where Boats Rule

Getting to Venice from land is possible only by boat, in case anyone doesn’t know yet. So, waiting for the boat to pick you up is necessary, but the trip to Venice is very cool as long as you like boats. Some people don’t like boats and got sick, just a heads up!

What’s to see in Venice, besides the boats? How about the Basilica, St Mark’s Square, and of course the Bridge of Sighs. And don’t forget the food, which was again very good. I had a chance to try a seafood/spaghetti dish that was fantastic!

And don’t forget the wine – I haven’t spoken at all about that yet. My wife is more into wine, and she enjoyed the trip we made to a winery near Florence. I’m not a huge fan, but did drink more wine than I have anywhere else on this trip.

Back to Venice! Anyway, we only stayed two days, and one of those days my wife was sick. She wasn’t the only person either – we at first thought it might be food poisoning but decided it was heat exhaustion instead and maybe dehydration.

Big PSA – if you are walking between five and eight miles per day, drink lots of water! Your body will thank you for it. Take breaks, especially if you are not in the best condition physically.

One thing to note, if you hadn’t heard they have free water fountains all over most big cities in Italy. They are pretty easy to spot, and the water runs continuously in most of them. Very cool and drinkable water, I should add. Also monitored for safety by the city as well, so you won’t get sick (as far as we know).

Sirmione near Lake Garda and Milan

You probably think I’m leaving out a lot of details in this post, and you’re right. I didn’t mention the bathrooms, many of which you have to pay to use. Not a problem, only about one Euro in most cases, but keep some pocket change with you in case.

Oh, and some bathrooms, especially in older small cities like Padua, have a hole in the floor. No bidet, or toilet, just a hole. With tile around and some places to put your feet, but still a hole basically. Be ready for that.

We saw the medieval castle near Lake Garda, which was nice, but opted not to go inside as the line was crazy long. Taking in the sites at the lake was enough for us, again it helped that the weather was beautiful. The countryside was also breathtaking; did I mention that?

After that we continued on to Milan, which was everything people say about it. A very modern looking city in some ways, but still with many ancient sites to see as well such as the Milan Cathedral, the Piazza del Duomo, and the world’s first shopping mall called the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. What can I say?

If you like expensive shopping, this is the city for you. They have all the big names – Gucci, Prada, Louis Vitton, Versace, Armani, etc.

Oh, but no McDonalds. They kicked them out around 2012. Really.

Lake Como and Switzerland Dream Day

On the fourteenth day of our trip, we went to Lake Como in Northern Italy. Again, we had great weather which created an absolutely dreamlike atmosphere at this beautiful lake. No wonder so many famous people make this place their home (no we didn’t see George Clooney or any famous people).

The boat ride was nice, maybe a little fast for my taste, but very entertaining. The guide told us all about the homes seen on the hills surrounding the lake, and they were right out of a movie. I was taken by the landscaping; how do they trim those trees so perfectly?

Some of the homes were owned by some famous people, some apparently by Russian mobsters, others by corporate giants – I don’t remember any of their names, so it doesn’t matter.

Once the ride around the lake was finished, we hopped on the bus and took a brief trip to Switzerland! Italy and Switzerland share a border, so the ease with which we transported into the Swiss countryside was seamless.

If you didn’t know it, you wouldn’t be able to tell where Italy ended and Switzerland started, save the brief border crossing we had to go through. Checking the driver’s credentials, and we were on our way.

Somehow, we managed to come to the town of Lugano on a day when they had a dog show, with a small crowd cheering on their favorite pooches. For some reason there were children’s rides set up as well, which was nice.

After eating lunch on the top floor of a building near the center of town, we made our way back through the town to check out a green market, a pharmacy, and several other stores.

The End is Near

This was the last day of our trip, and we were both very sad to have to return to the United States, especially knowing we had an eight-hour flight to endure. That is always the most brutal part of travelling to Europe I suppose.

All in all, it was a fantastic vacation, and since my wife had just retired only weeks before this trip, it was very meaningful for both of us! The trip of a lifetime, to be sure.

Will we go again? Who knows, but next time probably not for 15 days. That’s a long time to be walking every day, even though we both lost about 5 pounds.