Italy

Lecture by Sarah Murdoch Here is a list of topics, places, and random thoughts illustrated by slides in this lecture:
Milan/Milano Cathedral, climb onto roof Galleria La Scala Opera House Leonardos Last Supper, disappointing Michelangelos last Pieta Italian Lakes District Lago di Como Varenna is best town Bellagio, classier resort town on lake Ferry daypass lets you town-hop Alps Sud Tirol/Alto Adige, Dolomites, bi-lingual Bolzano, Kastleruth good homebases Alpi di Siusi Great hiking Curious cuisine - Spaghetti and sauerkraut Otzi the Iceman in Bolzano Venice/Venezia Europes best preserved big city St Marks Square, Europes living room Rialto bridge and market Vaporetto, slow boat down Grand Canal fine intro tour Doges Palace, Bell tower, St Marks Glass blowing demo just off main square Great art Accademia, Scuola San Rocco Gondola expensive but worthwhile Traghetti ferry gondolas, very cheap Wander, get lost, youre on an island, its ok navigate not by streets but by landmarks and signs Flood in winter acqua alta Magical evenings, staying in town makes a difference Carnival, 40 days before Easter, masks Stand-up-progressive-Venetian-pub-crawl-dinner, see Rick Steves Italy for step-by-step, cicchetti = bar snacks Nearby islands: Burano (famous for lace and colorful houses) Murano (glass works) Torcello (oldest island settlement, mosiacs) Lido (residential core and sand beaches) Temptations near Venice: Ravenna fine Byzantine mosiacs, 2 hours s. of Venice

Verona home town of Romeo and Juliet, fine old town Florence/Firenze Birthplace of Renaissance Duomo = cathedral, center, dome by Brunelleschi Arno River, Ponte Vecchio Bargello best sculpture San Lorenzo and Leather Market Central Market, good for specialty foods Food in Florence is some of best in Italy Possibly best gelato is found here Uffizi Gallery Botticelli, best Italian paintings Baptistry - Ghibertis Gates of Paradise David and Prisoners at Accademia, Michelangelo Duomo Museum original doors, Donatello Santa Croce, burial place of famous Italians Pitti Palace, modern Italian art, park is nice for picnic Cinque Terre 5 tiny towns on Riviera between La Spezia and Genoa Vernazza is best town Wine, hiking, swimming Consider sleepy Levanto as a base Carrara, best marble quarries

Hilltowns of Tuscany and Umbria Pisa, tipsy tower, one hour from Florence San Gimignano towers Siena Medieval charm, Campo, Palio festival Assisi, St Francis town Orvieto, Duomo Volterra, Etruscan city Rome/Roma Colosseum, 50,000 numbered seats Forum, center of ancient city Palatine Hill Circus Maximus Capitoline Hill city hall and great museum Victor Emmanuel Monument Pantheon best preserved Roman building Villa Borghese, fine Baroque art museum and park Many, many churches to visit with great art - Moses by Michelangelo in St Peter in Chains church, St. Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini at Santa Maria della Vittoria Vatican center of Catholicism, become a temporary Catholic, climb St. Peters dome Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel Cappucchin Monastery, bones galore, off Piazza Barberini Passeggiata, or the evening stroll, Piazza del Popolo down via del Corso Trastevere the seedy, colorful side of river Night spots, Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps=over-rated Piazza Navona for tartufo gelati, dinner at Campo di Fiori, atmospheric square Side-trips from Rome: Tivoli Villa DEste fountains, Hadrians Villa Ostia Antica, Europes most under-rated site, (Romes ancient seaport, an easy subway ride from downtown) Naples, Sicily and South Hairy urban jungle, 2 hours south of Rome, birthplace of pizza Best to see Naples fast and sleep in Sorrento Pompeii, stopped by Volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD Herculaneum, better preserved than Pompeii Pompeii art in Natl museum, Naples Sorrento Romantic tourist town, easy base for Amalfi Coast, Paestum, islands, Vesuvius, one hour from Naples, Amalfi Coast exciting bus ride, beautiful villages of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello Scenic tourist trap Isle of Capri

Sicily cheap/easy flight from Rome to Palermo or Catania, fascinating mixture of cultures and history, very different than Italy, excellent food Palermo, lively, gritty with colorful markets Cefalu, best beach bum town in the south Best Greek ruins Agrigento, Syracuse Taormina, elegant resort town with ancient Greek theater

Resources
Recommended Guidebooks: Rick Steves Italy Rick Steves Rome Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany Rick Steves Venice Rick Steves Italian Phrase Book Rick Steves Italy Planning Map Rick Steves Europe 101: History & Art for the Traveler Rick Steves Heart of Italy Rick Steves Tours: Best of Europe (7 days in Italy) Best of Italy Best of Village Italy Best of Sicily & South Italy Best of Rome Best of Florence Best of Venice, Florence, Rome DVD & Blu-ray: Rick Steves Italy (2 disks: Italys Cities and Italys Countryside) Italy Through the Back Door- Blu-ray TV Series: Rick Steves Europe 13 episodes on Italy Radio Interviews: Lots of Italy materials see www.ricksteves.com/radio Audio Tours Podcast: Rick Steves Audio Tours podcasts for the great museums and sights of Venice, Florence and Rome free and fun! See www.ricksteves.com/podcast Website www.ricksteves.com specifically these sectionsPlan your Trip, Graffiti Wall, Travelers Helpline

Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door

130 4th Avenue North, Edmonds, Washington 98020 425-771-8303 www.ricksteves.com