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Touring Smaller Towns in Italy 10/11 – 10/26 

From our month in Montenegro, we flew to the Italian airport at Venice, one day before the start of our Rick Steves Tour.  That gave us the opportunity to enjoy another evening, and another great dinner, in Venice. The next day we moved to Padua/Padova where our tour would start.  

Traveling with our Friends: Sara and I were also happy to welcome our long-time best friends, Ann and John Boughtin, who joined us for this tour, and for our subsequent travels to Salzburg and Vienna.   

We stayed one night near the Venice airport and took the bus onto the main part of Venice where we walked and had dinner overlooking the canals.
Having fun waiting for Ann and John to arrive through the airport doors.
With our traveling buddies once again, Ann and John Boughtin. We've traveled with them to England, France, Greece and ,now, this trip to Austria and Italy.
We arrived in Padua a day before the tour. Evan and John sit on the steps and chat while......
......Ann and I shop the bargains on the market square.

This Rick Steves Tour of Village Italy in 14 Days took us through smaller towns, like Padua, Assisi, and Siena, important in Italian history, but not the big tourist spots like Venice, Florence, and Rome.  We could appreciate more of the Italian countryside while visiting many of the “Hill Towns” in Umbria and Tuscany.  Local guides at many stops were provided to help us appreciate our visits.  Our full-sized bus can seat up to 45 people, but Rick limits the size of his tours to keep them more comfortable, manageable, and fun. On our bus we had one RS guide, one driver, and 25 happy travelers.  

Our itinerary for the tour.
On our first day together, our tour leader, Ann, gave us this clever way of remembering each other. When meeting 24 new people at once it sure was helpful.

In general, the sights in Italy include great architecture, especially the churches, and great artwork, usually within those churches. It’s all Roman Catholic, of course. So visiting a cathedral is like visiting a museum of religious history and art – but thankfully it doesn’t take quite as long. So, much of this post features religious art. For this post, we will just mention highlights of this busy tour and share the beauty of Italy with a few photos.   

This is the Piazza del Duomo or the Cathedral Square. The Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is the main place of Catholic worship in Padua and the seat of the bishop of the diocese of the same name since at least the 4th century.
Next door to the cathedral is the Baptistery of Padua filled with amazing frescoes created in the 14th century.
Photos can't capture the beauty of these frescoes.

Padua / Padova is a great city to explore on foot. We learned about Saint Anthony of Padova at the huge basilica bearing his name. The afternoon before the tour began, Ann and Sara especially enjoyed a wine tasting opportunity at a central marketplace. When our RS Tour began, a local guide took us into the Scrovegni Chapel which houses beautiful frescoes of Giotto.  

We had so much fun tasting wine. For 20 Euro we received a glass and could taste as much wine as we could manage....all afternoon. There were at least 30 or more different wine vineyards represented.
Inside the Scrovegni Chapel are frescoes by Giotto dating to the early 14th century. They are considered among the greatest masterpieces of Western art.

In Ravenna we visited the Byzantine San Vitale Basilica with its stunning mosaics, and then the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. After a quick walk around the town and lunch on our own, we were back in the bus on our way to Montefalco where we would spend the next two nights.  

Byzantine San Vitale Basilica. Construction began in 526 and was completed in 547. It is an important surviving example of early Byzantine art and architecture, and its mosaics in particular are some of the most-studied works in Byzantine art.
Examples of the Byzantine art and the mosaics.

Next morning we headed off to Assisi, the hometown of Saint Francis. It’s a lovely hill town featuring the huge Basilica of St. Francis, which features amazing and beautiful artwork. On this warm, sunny day, we also enjoyed lovely views over the countryside.  From Assisi, we traveled out to the countryside near Trevi where we watched an experienced trainer and dog as they hunted for truffles. Then we enjoyed a “farm to table” dinner that featured plenty of truffles.

We are driving towards Assisi, a hill town in central Italy’s Umbria region. It was the birthplace of St. Francis (1181–1226), one of Italy’s patron saints. You can see the Basilica of St Francis on the left.
Basilica of St Francis. Construction was started shortly after the death of St Francis and completed in 1253. The lower basilica holds St. Francis’s tomb.
Walking the streets of Assisi. Beautiful art murals on the walls of the buildings.
Posing for a photo at the foot of a stairway going up to a higher level of the city.
So many photo ops from the bus window....we are driving through the country to our "truffle experience". There are many small hill towns in this part of Italy. Interesting fact: Villages were built on the hills to help reduce mosquito born illnesses like malaria
This man and his dog are official Truffle Hunters. Truffles are edible fungi that grow underground. Truffles are VERY expensive - often more than $1000 per pound.
A black truffle. The dog can smell the truffle in the ground and starts digging, but won't eat the truffle. There are multiple types (colors) of truffles. And a season for hunting each. Truffles are difficult to cultivate and to find which is why they are so expensive.

Next day we went to another, less visited, Umbrian hill town of Todi, for a taste of life in Italy where it was not dominated by tourism. From there we headed to Orvieto,  our next stop for an amazing wine tasting at a local, family-owned winery: Tenuta Le Velette. Definitely our best wine tasting experience ever. Then on to our hotel in town.   

The hill town of Todi. We took a funicular from the parking lot to the town at the top of the hill.
The main square of Todi.
Beautiful views of the countryside below.
Tenuta Le Velette Winery: This family-owned winery has been growing grapes and making wines here since 1877...although the history of wine making in this area goes back 1000 years or more.
Tasting of 4 wines paired with local produce, ham and cheese. We really enjoyed these wines and had 6 bottles shipped back to New Jersey.
Ann, along with 3 others in our group, are asked to taste and describe the "notes".

Orvieto is another great hill town to explore. The Duomo di Orvieto is a large 14th-century Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The facade is just gorgeous, and the San Brizio Chapel features fascinating frescoes by Signorelli.  In town we enjoyed the vibrant marketplace and walking the town walls. In a small street near the cathedral, we discovered Il Mago di Oz, (“The Wizard of Oz,”) a small shop featuring all sorts of antique toys and artifacts, and the Mago himself as a most gracious host. This was one of those special small finds that we’ll remember from his trip.   

I really loved the town of Orvieto. The beautiful roads and pedestrian areas lined with stone buildings, shops and restaurants.
The Duomo di Orvieto was another one of those breathtaking cathedrals that commanded the town square. It's considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy, if not the world. Beautiful mosaics illuminate the front facade.
Remember that we took a funicular to get to the town. we are on the town walls looking down and along the edge of the walls surrounding the city.
A beautiful sunset from the wall, overlooking the countryside beyond and below.
Another great travel moment with our friends, Ann and John.
The joy of walking through a village or town without a plan - you never know what you can discover. This quirky little shop, Il Mago di Oz, with the charming proprietor was a great discovery and experience.

Moving from Umbria into the heart of Tuscany, we visited the Etruscan Museum in Chianciano. This takes us far back in history to learn about this long lost pre-Roman civilization.   

A small and fascinating museum that is considered one of the finest Etruscan museums in Italy.. We had a delightful guide explaining the highlights of the museum.
An artifact from mid 7th Century BC grave.
Our group participates in a cooking class at the Agriturismo La Pietriccia near Chianchiano. And, then a wonderful lunch from our efforts.
Ann helps the chef make sausages.
John is making gnocchi.

Next day we visited another Tuscan hill town, Volterra, before passing on to our next location, Lucca. After a walking tour to familiarize us with the town, we explored on our own. Lucca is not a hill town, but we did enjoy walking the town walls. On a day-trip from Lucca, we visited a traditional olive oil mill, to sample Italy’s famous extra-virgin export and enjoy a farm lunch. 

We pass by another beautiful hill town with olive groves and a vineyard flowing to the bottom of the hill.
Volterra is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC. It is believed to have been continuously inhabited as a city since at least the end of the 8th century BC
This gate (Porta all'Arco) is the only Etruscan remains of the ancient walls of Volterra. Built in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, it has survived to today
Our tour leader, Ann, is taking us on a walk through Volterra.
The Roman Theater of Volterra was excavated in the 1950s. We are viewing it from above - it's so much bigger than it looks from the photo.
Streets of Volterra
Our bus parked outside the walls of Lucca, and we walked under the walls into the city.
A beautiful walking trail has been created on top of the walls. We walked for miles enjoying the views of the city from a higher viewpoint.
Under the walls is a network of tunnels used as bastions.
The Chiesa di San Michele in Lucca was built over the Roman forum and was first mentioned in 795. It was rebuilt in 1070 in this location.

On the next day we were supposed to visit the quarries in Carrara that provide much of the world’s best marble, preferred by sculptors around the world, and then to take a boat ride up the coast along the five towns of the Cinque Terre.  But the day was too wet and stormy for either event. So our guides found an alternative that was especially worthwhile, a visit to the sculptors’ workshop near Carrara. We enjoyed the opportunity to speak with the sculptors and see their amazing works, both traditional and modern, in progress.  

Not a great photo - it's from the bus on a rainy day. It's a photo of the Carrara marble quarry. We were suppose to go up to the mines but there was flooding along the way. Instead we went to a sculptures' workshop. It was fascinating!
This space is shared by several artist. We watched and talked to several of the sculptors.
Visiting the marble sculpting cooperative gave me such an appreciation for sculpting. This is a big slab of the most valued white marble - the most desired for sculpting. The artist is measuring the dimensions for the proposed piece before making any cuts.
This was fascinating! The object on the left is a fabricated model made of cloth and plaster from the vision of the artist. The piece on the right is the beginning of the marble sculpture. You can see the shape coming to life.

Next stop, Levanto for two nights. It’s just a bit northwest on the Ligurian coast above the Cinque Terre towns. After settling into our hotel, we decided – despite the grey skies – to take a recommended walk in the other direction, through a long tunnel and up to Bonassola. Unfortunately, we had reached Bonassola when the clouds opened and began to drench us. We were grateful for the tunnel but still exposed for a long walk back to our hotel. Oh well. Let’s hope for better weather tomorrow. 

We start our walk along the coast to Bonassola. The skies were pretty ominous but we take a chance. We thought there would be more covered tunnels than there were. So we got pretty wet when the rains came.
A quiet street near our accommodations in Levanto.

The Cinque Terre includes five towns along the jagged Ligurian coast that Rick Steves has made a major tourist attraction. Sara and I have wanted to walk the hike that connects them all, but access depends upon weather and the time of the year. Our day was better, usually clear with some threat of rain, but the hikes would be ill advised. However, our guides provided us with passes for the train that goes directly through all five towns.  So we set off in the morning on the train down to the furthermost town from Levanto, Riomaggiore, to begin our journey through the Cinque Terre.  We did it all in one day, spending an hour or more in each lovely seaside town:  Riomaggiore –> Manarola —> Corniglia –-> Vernazza —> Montterossa, and from there back to our place in Levanto. 

I think this is one of the iconic viewpoints of the Cinque Terra in Riomaggiore.
This photo is taken from the front viewpoint in front of the orangish house in the previous photo.
A closer look at Riomaggiore. Definitely a tourist highlight! When a new tour bus arrived, there was always a large mass of people together.....and then it subsided until the next tour bus.
A beautiful walk along the coastline.
This is the town of Vernazza. No cars enter this town of 600 people - except on Tuesdays. Although only 600 residents, an estimated 7000 visitors per day enter the town.
We are standing at the beach with the town of Vernazza in the background.
Looking back at the town of Corniglia.
Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the 5 Cinque Terre towns. It is more like a beachside summer resort. We found it very relaxing - with fewer tourists.
Walking along the coastal path in Monterosso al Mare.
Many cafes and restaurants along the pedestrian ways.

The next day we headed north to Orta San Julio on Lake Orta (Lago d’Orta).  We enjoyed time to explore the town on our own, and to take a scenic boat ride out to Isola San Giulio, the small island in the lake which features the Basilica di San Giulio, a monumental old seminary. Today it’s home to a Benedictine monastery.  

This is the view from our room overlooking Lake Orta in Orta San Julio. Lake Orta lies in the foothills of the Alps. We will take a boat ride over to the island (Isola San Giulio) and see the Basilica di San Giulio.
The square in Orta San Julia.
Looking back at the city as we take the boat to the island.
The Basilica of San Giulio - built on the remains of an earlier 9th century structure.
After touring the Basilica, we were invited to do a quiet, meditational walk through the grounds. It is now a Benedictine monastery.

This was our second Rick Steves Tour, and we did enjoy it. We like longer stays in each place, but this is the way to see a lot given a short time period. Rick’s selects wonderful local tour guides to bring the landscape and the history to life. We especially enjoyed sharing this with our best buddies, Ann & John, as well as the new friends. We even discovered that another couple, Joe & Rochelle, are neighbors with their second home in Jersey City. We’ll be keeping in touch with them for sure.  

Our group with our tour leader, Ann. What a great two weeks!

After our “Arrivederci Dinner” tonight, we said goodbye to all our new travel friends and made our plans for tomorrow.  For Sara, Ann, John and I, it was off to the airport near Milan for a flight to Vienna, followed by a train across Austria to our next destination, Salzburg.  

On our way to Austria with Ann and John....