Italy 2007: Itinerary
I skipped my Cornell graduation and went to Italy by myself for 5 weeks in the spring of 2007. I planned out the entire route and booked everything in advance to avoid stress and wasted time while there. I also took 3 semesters of Italian in preparation for this trip, which made getting around infinitely less difficult (and quite literally saved my ass on one occasion). Being familiar with the language and culture beforehand really enriched my experience overall, and immersing myself in it only added to my understanding. After awhile, speaking in Italian became more natural – I even started thinking in Italian!
Naturally you can’t plan for EVERYTHING ahead of time, so there were some instances where I wanted more or less time than I’d budgeted for certain places, and I adjusted as necessary (if I could). But overall, I don’t think I could have crafted a better trip. I put so much time and effort into preparing and it totally paid off because the whole experience was so rewarding. I look back on my time in Italy and more than anything am proud of myself for planning, making it happen, and doing it solo.
My chronicles are detailed in each blog entry, but highlights include: almost being picked up by an Italian boy, almost being drowned by a horse, almost being stranded in the middle-of-nowhere rural south, almost getting pink eye while in Rome, almost having all my stuff disappear in Milan, sleeping on the overnight train twice, and consuming nothing but pizza/pasta every night.
ITINERARY
May 15: Flight: JFK to London Heathrow, 8:30pm-8:35am
May 16: Flight: London Heathrow to Milan Malpensa, 11:05am-2pm
Sleep: Milan | Hotel Medusa
May 17: Arrive at Lake Como around 10am
Sleep: Menaggio | Ostello La Primula
May 18: Lake Como
Sleep: Menaggio | Ostello La Primula
May 19: Arrive in Venice in early afternoon
Sleep: Venice | Casa Alloggi Gerotto & Calderan
May 20: Venice
Sleep: Venice | Casa Alloggi Gerotto & Calderan
May 21: Venice
Sleep: Venice | Casa Alloggi Gerotto & Calderan
May 22: Venice
Sleep: Venice | Casa Alloggi Gerotto & Calderan
May 23: Bologna until early evening, then to Rome
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 24: Rome
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 25: Rome (Vatican tour)
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 26: Rome
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 27: Rome
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 28: Rome
Sleep: Rome | The Yellow
May 29: Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento
Sleep: Sorrento | Mami Camilla
May 30: Sorrento, Capri
Sleep: Sorrento | Mami Camilla
May 31: Amalfi
Sleep: Amalfi | A’Scalinatella
June 1: Amalfi, Paestum
Sleep: Amalfi | A’Scalinatella
June 2: Amalfi
Sleep: Amalfi | A’Scalinatella
June 3: Matera
Sleep: Matera | Le Monacelle
June 4: Alberobello; overnight train to Rome
Sleep: train
June 5: Arrive in Rome at 6:15am; arrive in Sora at 10:15am
Sleep: Abruzzo NP | Italy Farmstay
June 6: Italy Farmstay
Sleep: Abruzzo NP | Italy Farmstay
June 7: Italy Farmstay
Sleep: Abruzzo NP | Italy Farmstay
June 8: Arrive in Assisi mid-afternoon
Sleep: Assisi | Hotel Ideale
June 9: Arrive in Foligno mid-afternoon; Evening in Spello for Infiorate
Sleep: Foligno | Ostello Internazionale Pierantoni
June 10: Back to Spello for Infiorate (late morning/early afternoon); Arrive in Florence by early evening
Sleep: Florence | Ostello Santa Monaca
June 11: Florence
Sleep: Florence | Ostello Santa Monaca
June 12: Florence
Sleep: Florence | Ostello Santa Monaca
June 13: Florence
Sleep: Florence | Ostello Santa Monaca
June 14: Florence; Overnight train to Torino
Sleep: train
June 15: Arrive in Torino at 7:20am; Arrive in Gran Paradiso NP early-afternoon
Sleep: Gimillan | Albergo Belvedere
June 16: Gran Paradiso NP
Sleep: Gimillan | Albergo Belvedere
June 17: Mt. Blanc cablecar; Arrive in Milan around 9pm
Sleep: Milan | Hotel Medusa
June 18: Flight: Milan Malpensa to London Heathrow, 12:00pm-1pm
Flight: London Heathrow to JFK, 3:25pm-6:05pm
