Amparo's travels & musings

Venice, the floating city

Published on Jun 23, 2021Mar 8, 2022 by Amparo's travels & musingsLeave a comment

400 bridges connecting 118 little islands to form the beautiful city of Venice. No wonder it’s known as the city of bridges! Every step, every turn leads to another bridge. How long do you think it would take to cross them all?

Venice was one of our last stops on our month-long road trip across Italy last year. It’s as if Venice knew and it welcomed us with the darkest of storms. We hid in a nearby cafe and almost gave up. People were running trying to find shelter; street vendors replaced selfie sticks with umbrellas and the plastic ponchos were out in full force. This was not your typical storm… just as quickly as it had started it disappeared and with that most of the tourists as well!

There are so many beautiful places to see and I will list them below, but the most important thing when visiting Venice is to wander. Forget about maps and itineraries for an hour or two and just wander the streets of Venice. I recently came across a quote by Ella Maillart that says ‘One travels to run away from routine, that dreadful routine that kills all imagination and all our capacity for enthusiasm’. Enjoy getting lost for a little while.

Now, if you are limited on time and only have a day to explore the city, here are my top places to visit.

Piazza San Marco

This is the heart of Venice and where you will find some of the most famous buildings in the city.

Campanile di San Marco

First stop, Campanile di San Marco. The views from the top are incredible and can be reached via the lift.

Basilica di San Marco

Next stop is St. Mark’s Basilica. This is probably one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. More than 8000 square metres of mosaic cover the walls, vaults and cupolas of the Basilica. The extensive use of gold in the background of the mosaics and the ever changing light that streams through the windows of the Basilica make it an incredible sight. Make sure to head up to the balcony for a brilliant view of the Piazza San Marco and to see the stunning sculptures that decorate the Basilica.

Doge’s Palace

Once you’re done at the Basilica head over to the Doge’s Palace but be warned the queues to enter are quite something so get there early.

Bridge of Sighs

Next to the Doge’s Palace you will find the Bridge of Sighs which got its name from the cries and lamentations of prisoners who were transported from the Doge’s Palaces’ criminal courts to the prison just over the bridge.

Stroll along Riva degli Schiavoni and enjoy some lunch or a ‘spuntino’ whilst you enjoy the view of the waterfront.

Ponte di Rialto

Now let’s head over to Rialto Bridge, grab a gelato on your way there at Gelatoteca Suso. Ice cream here is delicious! The Rialto Bridge is especially beautiful at sunset so you might want to come back later but be prepared for large crowds.

If you like visiting churches you came to the right city, there are so many to choose from and you will find dozens along your way.

Murano and Burano

If you still have time or have more than one day, make sure to visit the islands of Murano and Burano. You can access them via water bus from Piazza San Marco as well as from Fondamente Nove.

The island of Murano, is best known for its glass and you can take a tour of one of the factories as well as go to the Museo del Vetro (glass museum). When buying glass items in Venice make sure it has the official ‘Vetro Murano Artistico’ trademark, always try to support local businesses.

Next is Burano which you will have probably seen a million times on social media and for good reason. The colourful fishing village of Burano is famous for its beautiful lace but more than anything you will have heard about Burano due to its incredibly colourful houses. The origin of the colourful houses is unknown but some say it was to help fishermen returning from the sea. Due to the heavy fog, fishermen had trouble recognising their homes and so they decided to paint them with different colours which I guess makes sense but I’m not sure how true this is. Either way, enjoy this colourful and cheerful island and make sure to eat at one of the local fish restaurants.

Getting around Venice

Venice is small enough for you to be able to walk to all the main attractions and if you’re tired you can take a Vaporetto (water bus) which is always fun.

Where to buy tickets

AVM/Actv tickets can be purchased from the following sales channels:
•   Venezia Unica point of sale throughout the historic center of Venice and on the mainland
•   authorized retailers
•   automatic ticketing machines at the main AVM/Actv public transport arrival terminals and waterbus stops
•   AVM Venezia Official App
•   on line on www.veneziaunica.it
•   on board waterborne services

If the weather is bad or your time in Venice is very limited, then you can buy a ticket valid for 75 minutes for €7,50 or a time-based travel card which allows free circulation on all the ACTV vaporetto lines around the city and to the lagoon islands, as well as free circulation on the urban Mestre and Lido land-bus and tram lines (except for travel with origin or destination at Marco Polo airport – see the official ACTV fares for full details) and use of the People Mover:

20,00 € – 1 DAY TRAVELCARD
30,00 € – 2 DAYS TRAVELCARD
40,00 € – 3 DAYS TRAVELCARD
60,00 € – 7 DAYS TRAVELCARD

Where to store your luggage

There are luggage facilities at the three main transport hubs in Venice. You’ll see the sign Deposito Bagagli which are the luggage storage offices. Piazzale Roma – across from the ACTV office and next to the People Mover station.

Enjoy your trip to Venice!

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Have an amazing day!

Monday Musings

Published on Jun 14, 2021Jun 14, 2021 by Amparo's travels & musings3 Comments

It’s a warm spring evening, just past golden hour and a light rain has started.

A light breeze plays with my hair; the humidity making it curl and stick up wildly. I love to sit out on the balcony and watch as the sun goes down. More than anything, I love the smell of the rain. A little feather lands on my notepad as I am scribbling away incoherent thoughts accompanied by thunder, church bells and the sudden crash of a crate falling somewhere nearby makes me jump.

Passers by start running for shelter as the rain gets heavier and heavier and I watch as my neighbours rush to put their laundry inside the house before it all gets ruined. I continue to sit and watch as the streets become empty and the rain turns into hail; all of this in the space of 10 minutes! two minutes later the skies clear.

Whenever it rains like this, I can’t help but smile because it reminds me of this one particular day, during a holiday visiting family in Colombia. I was around 8 I think; I remember it was raining so much! I remember tilting my head back and letting the rain fall down my face and thinking how odd it was that the rain felt so warm. It was the first time I had ever experienced tropical rain. I can’t remember whose house we were in, but I remember the small concrete tile patio surrounded by plants and feeling incredibly happy, there was so much excitement in the air. It is one of the happiest memories I have with my cousins. Playing in the rain barefoot; the endless laughter, splashing and silliness. Pure joy. I remember we had this little set of tin pots and plates which we filled with mud and mixed with rainwater that was by that point up to our ankles. We didn’t have a care in the world. All that mattered was that we were together, having the time of our lives.

Hope that my little ramblings bring a smile to your face and make you think of a time you felt as happy as I did that day in the rain. I would love to hear about it too if you don’t mind sharing 🙂

A day trip to Bergamo Alta

Published on Jun 10, 2021Jun 10, 2021 by Amparo's travels & musings1 Comment

Hello from beautiful Bergamo!

I love visiting Bergamo, specially Città Alta (the upper city). It’s a charming medieval walled city full of winding roads and beautiful architecture. Despite how busy it can get during the weekend, it still feels quite peaceful.

Usually, to get to città alta we would take the funicular from Bergamo Città Bassa (lower city); but this weekend, as the queue for the funicular was so long, we decided to walk. If you plan on doing this, wear comfortable shoes! I thought my sandals would be fine but because of the material my foot kept sliding all over the place and I had to walk at a snails pace!! You see, città alta is on a hill and walking up, there are parts that are REALLY steep, BUT the views are worth it. It’s like something out of a movie.

I wouldn’t advise walking up to Città Alta in the middle of summer as it is way too hot, so definitely take the funicular; but during spring and autumn it’s perfect. Something that I absolutely love about this time of year in Italy, is that jasmine flowers are in full bloom and they smell incredible. Walking up to the old town they were everywhere and I think that’s what kept me going. Make sure to take breaks to take photos and stay hydrated!!

Our first stop was the Piazza Vecchia – the heart of Città Alta!

Here, you’ll find restaurants, café’s and some of the most important buildings in Bergamo.

Piazza Vecchia in the evening seen from the other side

If you walk to the back of Piazza Vecchia, past the arches you will find the beautiful Cappella Colleoni and right next to it the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, which is definitely worth visiting. The beautiful and ornate interiors of the basilica were designed by Lorenzo Lotto, mostly known for his perceptive portraits and mystical paintings of religious subjects.

To the left of the basilica is the Duomo, also known as the Cattedrale di Sant’Alessandro; and opposite the Duomo you will see the Battistero di Bergamo.

Make your way back to the funicular for Upper Bergamo and go up Sant’Eufemia hill, it’s a 6 – 7 minute walk from the Piazza Duomo up to the Rocca Fortress which has some amazing views. Best place to enjoy the sunset in my opinion.

Another great spot, not just for photos but for some great food is San Vigilio Hill. You can take the funicular up there and it only takes a few minutes.

Once you’re done in San Vigilio you can take the next funicular down to Città Alta and continue exploring the medieval town through its endless maze of cobblestone roads. Also, don’t miss the panoramic views from the Punto Panoramico di Colle Aperto, you can see the Orto Botànico from here as well as the mountains.

Comune di Bergamo – Piazza della Cittadella

What to eat

There are so many brilliant little bakeries and café’s you really can’t go wrong.

The two things that you should try whilst you’re here are the Casoncelli Bergamaschi which are pasta filled with a mixture of bread crumbs, egg, parmesan, ground beef, salami or sausage. These are usually served in a butter and sage sauce and are quite a simple dish but full of flavour. You’ll find this at pretty much every restaurant. Another thing to try is the polenta cake which I found a bit too sweet for me but still nice. If you like marzipan you will love this.

Another dessert to try, is the stracciatella icecream from La Marianna, it is where it was first created and they continue to make it in the same way.

Getting around

The funicular is the best and quickest option but you can also take the bus, numbers 1 and 1A take you to upper Bergamo. From Bergamo airport, you can reach the city by taking the Airport bus.

Upper Bergamo as well as the centre of Lower Bergamo are limited traffic areas. On Sundays and public holidays car traffic is prohibited from 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 7pm. With daylight savings time, access is also banned Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 1am.

Information point – the office is on Via Gombito, 13. It is open from Monday to Thursday 9am – 1pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm; and Friday to Sunday from 9am – 5:30pm.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Happy exploring!!

A hidden gem in Como

Published on Jun 2, 2021 by Amparo's travels & musings1 Comment

Buongiorno!

Today is the Festa della Repubblica in Italy (Republic day), it’s a national holiday and celebrates the day when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in 1946 making Italy a republic.

And a day off work in Italy means another trip of course! We had initially planned on going to Parma but changed our minds last minute and headed over to Como. Glad we did! We found the most amazing jewellery museum/café called Lopez. It’s on Via Vitani, 32 for anyone that wants to go whilst you’re in Como.

As we walked in we were greeted by Maria Grazia and her son and the most amazing collection of antiques, jewellery and vintage fashion. I could not stop smiling, I was in heaven! Everywhere you look there’s a beautiful piece of history. What I loved the most about this place, was that it felt like you were being transported back in time to someone’s dressing room, someone’s lounge, someone’s life! and in a way, it is; it’s Maria Grazia’s life work and you can really tell how much she loves it. I felt so inspired by everything and above all, inspired by Maria Grazia.

Lopez is a family run business and not only do they manage the museum and café but also sell antique jewellery and they host tango lessons as well as conducting seminars on gemology. All of my favourite things in one place!

After a tour of the place we sat down for tea, cake and biscuits. Something that I really miss about London is going to beautiful café’s with my friends and doing things like this! There’s nothing quite like it.

Apart from being slighty worried about accidentally breaking something, it was definitely the best way to spend our afternoon in Como.

I’ll leave the link to their website here so you can have a look if you’re curious. Maria Grazia and her son were incredibly welcoming and everything was perfect. I can’t wait to go back again so I can spend more time looking at everything. Also, so that I can actually do all the touristy things so I can tell you all about it!

www.lopez.como.it

Hope you enjoyed this post! Have a wonderful day!

Michelin starred restaurants in Milan

Published on Jun 1, 2021Jun 2, 2021 by Amparo's travels & musingsLeave a comment

Buongiorno!

Following on from my recent post about Milan, I wanted to share this list of all the restaurants in Milan that currently have Michelin stars (as of 2021). I have included price ranges and the link to each restaurant’s website for ease.

And just in case you haven’t seen my previous posts, here are the links! 🙂

Buon appetito!!