Historic time to be in Italy

Deb and I finally decided last summer to make our debut in international travel, booking a trip to Italy with overnight stays in Rome, Florence and Venice, including several stops in between on a motor coach through the Trafalger travel company.

Among the other stops were the remains of Pompeii, buried by the volcano eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.; the leaning tower of Pisa; and the scenic hill town of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis (1811-1226) and the Basiclia of St. Francis, a massive two-level church.

Another highlight was the town of San Gimignano, a scenic hill town in Tuscany southwest of Florence. It is the home of Gelateria Dondoli, celebrated as having the world’s most famous Gelato in 2024. (We agree. It was delicious!)

During our stay in Venice, we got to see the historic art of glassblowing on the island of Murano, and the multi-colored houses on the fishing island of Burano. The bright colors distinguished one home from another before addresses were assigned to houses. Current owners must retain the original color unless an appeal to local government is approved.

Each of our major city stays — Rome, Florence and Venice — had elements that stood out and would make it hard for us to pick a “favorite” part. I highly recommend visiting Italy to anyone who is considering it.

However, when we booked the trip we had no idea that Pope Francis was going to die just before we departed, and his funeral would be held on the VERY DAY we were scheduled to tour St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

Obviously, our tour arrangements had to be changed. On the day of the funeral (Saturday, April 26) we took a short walk from our Rome hotel to the historic Colosseum. The street going by the Colosseum happened to be on the route of the funeral procession from St. Peter’s Basilica to the burial at Santa Maria Maggiore.

We saw the top of the white vehicle carrying Pope Francis along that route as we waited in line. There were an estimated 400,000 people lining the procession route and to witness that kind of outpouring of emotional support at such a historic moment was powerful. The next day, on our way back from Pompeii, we did get a chance to stop at St. Peter’s Square and stand among the thousands of folding chairs still in place from the massive funeral.

There were far too many highlights on the trip to post a litany of them here, But we do have a few impressions of Italian life and the historical culture of the region.

Our first ride through the streets of Rome just hit us with so much of a sense of deep history, hundreds of years before there was anything developed in our country. Our first stop was at Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and entertainment venue in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills. The ancient Roman architecture is fascinating.

That stop, and the Colosseum, were breathtaking highlights for me, just thinking of everything that has taken place on those grounds.

But the museums and beauty of Florence, including getting to see Michaelangelo’s statue of David, his two-ton masterpiece from the 16th century, was very memorable. And, of course, a gondola ride and walking along the many canals of Venice, with its unique blend of shops, restaurants, and museums, was unforgettable.

Authentic Italian food is wonderful. What we appreciated is that most meals consisted of two or three small courses, and a dessert item. But none of the portions are overwhelming, so we didn’t leave overly stuffed like we experience at some American restaurants. And, we saw a touch of Creston in Rome! A Bunn-O-Matic coffee machine was in our hotel breakfast room.

One of the benefits of being part of a travel group is the chance to meet people from all over the world, and in many cases, develop friendships. We shared phone numbers with folks from New York, Ohio, Texas, Minnesota, Canada and Australia. It’s enlightening to see the customs and way of life that are different from your own day-to-day experience here.

We were newbies, but hopefully it’s just the start of more adventures to come. After traveling domestically together for 45 years, I guess we were due!

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Email: malachy.lp@gmail.com

X: @larrypeterson