Italy Part Ten - Going Home - Final Thoughts

Waking up early at six thirty to prepare for our trip home, I find myself both satisfied with my trip and sad to return. Italy is gorgeous beyond compare, with so many historical buildings and sights that are impossible to explore completely in a week and a half. I feel as though I’ve seen the intricacies of another world, but I know I've only scratched the surface. That being said, vacation can never last an eternity, and I miss my bed and my cats. This post is dedicated to all the details I noticed during my trip that I was unable to remark on in my previous posts, as well as my own personal ranking of things we’ve seen and hotels we’ve stayed at.

1. One thing to note about Italy is that the smoking culture is at large here. It seems everyone in Italy smokes, and it’s nearly impossible to escape the smell, even in restaurants. That being said, there were also many waste disposals dedicated to cigarette butt's. Even the airport had a dedicated smoking section. The only place I am certain smoking was not allowed was on the chairlift in Capri Island, due to the signs posted forbidding the action.

2. While the cities were always bustling, they were also shockingly clean. I expected more homeless people to be present, as in America, a city means a slew of homelessness. However, this was rarely the case in Italy. There were occasionally bags of trash on the street, but very few compared to San Francisco, another large city I visited in 2021. I later learned that during the night, street cleaners swarm the streets, collecting trash and keeping the city clean in the cover of night.

3. As you may have guessed from my previous posts, there are gelato shops every twenty feet in Italy, which is shocking until you realize how much business they receive from both tourists and local Italians. At one point, we saw two gelato shops owned by different people standing right across from each other, and yet both shops had a small line of people. It made me think briefly of America’s gas stations, which gave me quite a laugh.

4. Italy is a crowded place; if you get claustrophobic easily, as my mother often does, it's best to find a way to manage that before traveling. This also makes it a prime spot for pickpockets in busier areas, though we were able to avoid this with a few simple zipper locks. All that being said, there were a few instances where I caught myself being tailed, and if I had not had the proper protections, I may have lost my wallet. If you visit Italy, this is something to be cautious of. I also learned after the trip that Americans have a bit of a reputation in Italy for beating up pickpockets, and the locals are completely supportive of it, even if the police are not.

5. Big cars are a no-go. The only big cars are tourist vans and buses; nearly everyone else is driving a motorcycle, a small three-wheeled car for one, or a bike. If you want to take your SUV to Italy, think again. Furthermore, traffic instructions here are a mere suggestion, not a rule. It took several days to get used to the sudden stopping, starting, and swerving of vehicles that seemed willing to pass over any street or sidewalk regardless of space available. Additionally, the roads are narrow, with the sides of the vehicles nearly scraping against the walls on every tight street. At one point, there was an American driving a normal-sized car down the street in Florence, blaring music with the hood down. I watched as he passed several Italians who rightfully laughed at him as he drove past their shop.

6. Every hotel requires the key to be inserted into a slot by the door if you wish to retain power, including heating or cooling. This was not an issue, but it was an interesting adjustment. I believe the purpose of this extra step is to help save the environment by assuring that no empty rooms are receiving needless power that could be reserved. Every hotel also had specific instructions for cleaning and advising on environmental protection, which further backs my theory.

7. While every restroom had toilet paper and soap, I found there were many differing shapes to the bowls. Many had rectangular bowls, and even more were missing seats, which was very unusual. Every toilet had two flush functions: number one and number two. I assume this is also an effort to conserve water for environmental reasons. However, a welcome change is that, unlike American public restrooms, the public restroom doors close all the way with no small gap for peeking. The walls go all the way to the floor, or only an inch from the floor, so no one can see another's feet. However, most, not all, but most (especially city) bathrooms cost to use. The public bathrooms were also often underground with little ventilation, so expect a musty, unpleasant sewer smell.

8. Every hotel had two toilets, which I found out later was the second toilet with a sink attachment and drain was actually a bidet. Now I am not unfamiliar with the concept of a bidet, having one in my own home that I missed dearly during the duration of this trip. However, I am unfamiliar with the concept of a bidet sitting as an entirely separate toilet. Seems inconvenient to me, and now having used both, I can rightfully claim Asian bidets are better as they are attached to the toilet you are using.

9. Many of the hotels offered a pillow menu with various options. I thought this was adorable, and ordered a migraine prevention pillow at each one. I will say, the migraine pillow was a blessing for my comfort, and I’ve been searching for one to buy in the US without much luck. I’m not saying I should have stolen a pillow, but I wish I had saved some of the manufacturing details so I could find and purchase my own.

10. I didn't realize how addicted to sugar America is until I entered Italy. Foods that I was used to being super sweet, like hot chocolate, were being served with a shocking lack of sugar. While this was a bit unpleasant at first, I found that my taste buds adjusted over time.

11. In Rome, especially, many of the cities had random "spouts" in the street that spew clean drinkable water. This was especially helpful as someone who is an avid water drinker. However, if you order water at a restaurant, it is not free. Water in restaurants is served in either glass or plastic bottles. If it's in a plastic bottle, the cap will not come completely off. I assume this is to prevent litter, and while it takes a moment to get used to, it has become one of the most appreciated quirks. I felt sad traveling back to America, where I now have to keep track of my water bottle cap.

12. Pigeons are the common city animal even in Italy. I thought in Venice it might change to seagulls, but nope, still pigeons.

13. You might think that the ruins can only be seen in cities like Rome or Pompeii, but that is not the case. The Ruins of ancient Rome are scattered all throughout Italy. This became especially apparent during our train ride, when we passed too many ruined and abandoned buildings to count. I imagine these ruins weren’t valuable enough or close enough to major landmarks to show to tourists, so they were left to sit among nature and wither away. It was kind of peaceful to see these small ruined buildings rushing by, but also sad, realizing we will never know their story.

If I were to rank the hotels we stayed in, I would rate them as follows:

1. La Favorita - Sorrento

   1. The La Favorita in Sorrento was easily the best hotel we stayed at. It was listed as a 5-star hotel, and that shining rating was reflected in every corner of the building and restaurant. The ground of every room was marble or mosaic tile, the beds were marvelously comfortable, and the bathroom was so spacious and clean. Not to mention the breakfast selection was huge and delicious, with so many options to choose from, I wish I could have stayed another day.

2. Star Hotels Metropole - Rome

   1. The Stars Hotels Metropole in Rome was another great hotel. It had an extremely large breakfast selection, but I didn’t personally find the food served very tasty, which was a bit disappointing. However, the beds were very comfortable, and the bathroom was large with a huge bathtub to relax in.

3. L ‘Orologio - Florence

   1. The L ‘Orologio in Florence was a nice hotel. I have no extreme complaints, aside from the paper-thin walls and door. The beds were comfortable, and the bathroom overall was quite functional, though a bit confusing. Unfortunately, there was no bathtub in this hotel, but that’s alright.

4. Antico Doge - Venice

   1. The Antico Doge in Venice is ranked the lowest because its beds were extremely hard, and our bathroom was absolutely disgusting. My parents thankfully didn’t run into the bathroom issue, but our bathroom was covered in mold and smelled like rotting fish so badly we had to keep the door closed so as not to let the stench leak into our bedroom.

If I were to rank the sights we have seen, I would rate them as follows:

1. Pompeii

   1. Pompeii was by far my favorite attraction. Walking through the ruins felt like being transported to another time, seeing firsthand where the people of the past walked, lived, and enjoyed their days. Furthermore, while I know it’s grim, I’ve always had a fascination with death and darkness. This made the tragedy of Pompeii extremely interesting to me, as I learned how exactly they were killed, and what their final moments must have been like. It’s amazing to think that in just one day, the entire city had been covered in ash from Mount Vesuvius. Life truly is unpredictable, and should never be taken for granted. You never know when the next unthinkable tragedy might occur and put an end to all that you hold dear. It makes me grateful for the life that I have, and reminds me to enjoy each moment to the fullest.

2. Vatican

   1. Despite not being a religious person myself, the Vatican is so beautiful that I could suddenly see the appeal. Not to mention, there were so many historical artifacts within that were not inherently religious; it felt as though there was something for everyone to see within the smallest country on earth. Much like Pompeii, the reason this is ranked so highly is because of the sheer amount of information I learned while on tour. I also found it very fascinating to learn how Christians of the past tried to alter statues and other works of art to censor their nudity to fit their own ideals. As sad as it is to see all the alterations, I found it unsurprising that these alterations were made with Christian ideals in mind. Even back then, Christians were trying to control how others lived and viewed art. Seeing our current political climate, it seems not much has changed.

3. Colosseum

   1. The Colosseum held a larger-than-life energy that was impossible to ignore. Learning about the gladiators, the emperors, and the history behind the large arena put into perspective the everyday life of a Roman. I love the idea that the arena was built as a love letter to the people of Rome, not as a show of wealth. All my life, I had heard of the Christian martyrdom that took place in the arena. I was shocked to learn that this was untrue, considering how well-known the false fact is today. Though it was this very fabrication that saved the Colosseum from destruction and repurposing, so I suppose I can forgive the lie.

4. Statue Of David

   1. I know it seems strange to rank the statue of David so highly on my list. However, he was just so dang beautiful, I found myself unable to rank him any lower. Looking at David, I felt like I could feel the love and appreciation Michelangelo felt when he carved such a magnificent being. Clearly, I am not the only one who feels this way, as the rest of Florence puts so much weight and importance on the attraction. Traveling through the city, you would struggle to find a gift shop without at least one trinket dedicated to the statue. In fact, even in cities like Rome, which have plenty of attractions of their own, you can find Statue of David trinkets for sale.

5. Turuziello Farm Tour

   1. The Turuziello Farm Tour gave me a glimpse into another life. It was fascinating to see exactly how the lemons are grown and how the cheese is made with such care. Each bite of food I was served was beyond delicious, and I found myself yearning to join their family by the end of the experience.

6. Leonardo Da Vinci Museum

   1. I will be the first to admit I did not know Leonardo Da Vinci was such an inventor. That being said, it was fascinating to learn all he had designed and innovated during his time. It left me wondering how many of his original inventions or designs led to much grander exploits and ideas later in our human history. I also learned after my post that apparently Leonardo and Michelangelo had quite the ongoing rivalry. Who knew?!

7. The Pantheon

   1. The Pantheon was very different from my initial expectations. Because of its age, I had assumed it would be in a state of relative ruin, but this was not the case. Not only was the Pantheon remarkably upheld, but it was also resting in the middle of a busy square with visitors constantly pouring in and out! I did not realize until visiting that the interior of the historical building was circular, with a large, domed ceiling. I think if we had a tour guide for this miraculous beast, I would have ranked it higher on my list. Live and learn, I suppose.

8. Venice

   1. The city of Venice was beautiful in a way I had never experienced. It was fascinating to see how the city had adapted to work without cars, transporting everything, even trash, by boat. It was also fascinating to see the beautiful designs made of glass, though my empty wallet made me unable to bring such trinkets back with me.

9. The Trevi Fountain

   1. The Trevi Fountain was a beautiful sight to see, and learning about the interconnected waterways of Rome was fascinating beyond belief. The reason this attraction is ranked so low on my list is purely due to the fact that we did not have a tour guide when seeing it. Furthermore, the fountain was not something to be “explored” so much as something to walk up, see, and then move on.

10. Florence Basilicas

    1. I understand that my ranking of the Florence Basilicas is alarmingly low, and it’s entirely due to personal preference. I am not a religious person, and by the time we were able to view the basilicas of Florence, I had already seen countless basilicas every day prior. I was ready to see something new in Florence, which I did with the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum. However, the sheer number of basilicas in Italy began to feel like a dime a dozen. That being said, I am still satisfied with all that I learned about these beautiful buildings, and happy I saw them.

11. Capri Island

    1. Capri Island was very beautiful, with gorgeous gardens and stunning peaks. However, in my personal opinion, beautiful is all that it was. Our tour guide did not offer much history regarding the islands, and when researching on my own, the majority of the history I could find simply listed all the famous people who loved the Islands for their beauty. I wish there was more history to this location other than “So and so loved the island, it was beautiful”. By the end of our day on Capri Island, I was thoroughly convinced that the isles, while stunning, is primarily a tourist trap for shopping.

If you’ve made it this far, I want to extend a huge thank you for reading. It’s impossible for me to express the sheer amount of gratitude I feel for my viewers in full. I try to make interesting and engaging posts when I can, and I am always so thankful to see the viewer count on each one, knowing that my silly little writings are not falling into the void, never to be seen again. So to all my readers, thank you!

As stated, this is the last post I will be making about Italy, since I have nothing more to remark upon regarding my trip. While I’m glad I get to return to my personal poems, sort stories, and reading topics, a part of me is incredibly sad that I no longer get to share with you the excitement of my travels. I learned so much during my trip, more than I could ever successfully convey, and I feel that I have been changed as a person upon returning. My eyes have been opened to another world, a more peaceful, happy, contented world. This makes it all the more difficult to return to America, where our current rhetoric is hate, capitalism, and survival amid a hostile political environment. Nevertheless, it’s where my life is, where my cats are, and where my family lives.

However, this does not change the gratitude I feel for my viewers who have read these posts. I need to express again that you don’t know how much your participation means to me. So to all my fellow readers, thank you again, and I hope to have new content available for you soon.