A Million Moments

Travel expands the horizon of knowledge at times even better than a book does, we do have a saying in Kannada that speaks of it which roughly translates to Read a book & travel the country. After my previous travel to Arunachal Pradesh where I came across some brilliant people, I never imagined that my next destination(s) shall be the dream of many all across the world, Europe! It was the longest & first international vacation I ever had so far and was really wonderful. This vacation is even more special because it was with both my parents. It was a package tour with an Indian operator.  The Vacation started in Milan, Italy in the east and concluded in Paris, France in the west. This series shall cover all the cities & countries that I visited within the span of 13 days! 

Just like all my travels this one too started with an early morning flight to New Delhi from Bengaluru. Further the journey was towards Milan with a long layover at Delhi giving us ample time to explore the humongous T3 of IGI Airport. The Maharaja of Skies, Air India was the carrier and I must say it was really pleasant. Onward flight from Delhi to Milan was close to 9 hours and was an hour late due to weather but the hospitality of the crew was really homely. On landing, at immigration I realized how much the Chinese travel and the influence they have in Europe. They do have sign boards in Mandarin across airports and tourist destinations. Day 1 was over with us retiring to our Hotel in Milan. 

It was a clear day on & Day 2 began with full of excitement and Adrenaline rush as the vacation was actually going to begin. We bid bye to Milan and headed towards the first destination which is the floating city of Venice! This city, unlike many, is a bunch of more than 100 islands in a lagoon across the Adriatic sea. Venice is the capital city of the Veneto region of Italy. Veneto was an independent state until 1866CE after which it was conquered and made part of the Kingdom of Italy. In the ancient times, Venice/Veneto was a major financial & maritime power being the center of commerce. It was a trade hub for silk, grain and spice. 

Sailing across the Grand Canal of Venice in a Gondola

We reached Fusina by noon and took a boat to St. Mark’s Square in Venice. As we sailed through the Adriatic sea towards Venice, we savored our first lunch in Europe on a boat. On reaching our destination we walked towards the Gondola ride point for the ride across the Grand Canal. It was definitely magical to wade through the canals of Venice and wonder how the buildings were made amidst the canals. We had a glimpse of the Bridge of Sigh, which connects the palace & prison after conviction. This is the last place from where the convicts could get their last view of the outside world. After the ride we proceeded towards the St Mark’s Basilica and the square where we explored around the shopping area and cafes before heading towards our Hotel in Arezzo & calling it a day. The St Mark’s Campanile in front of the church is definitely remarkable. It was originally built in 900 CE and was rebuilt in 1912 when it collapsed due to an earthquake in 1902. The entrance to St Mark’s & the watch tower require prior reservations and definitely time as we have to wait in long queues. 

St Mark’s Basilica & Watch tower

It was yet another clear day on Day 3 & it was planned to visit the Ancient city of Rome & the smallest country The Vatican city which is a holy place for Catholics all around the world which is also the residence of Pope, their religious head. First stop for the day was Trevi fountain which is built in 18^th Century. The word Trevi is traced back to Latin which means the intersection of three streets. It attracts tourists from all over the world and yes it was too crowded. One has to be very careful about their belongings at such places. One can explore the cafes & shopping lanes that lead to the fountain. One should definitely taste the Gelatos when around Trevi. 

We further had a city orientation tour as we headed towards The Vatican. Rome has very carefully protected and maintained their heritage and proudly exhibits it. Rome definitely felt Indian. Once we reached the Vatican, we got down and walked towards the St Peter’s Basilica. It was definitely a very long line to security to enter the Church, make sure to carry your umbrellas and caps and are well fed. The church which was built for over 120 years from 1506 to 1626 is one of the holiest shrines for Catholics. It is definitely an architectural wonder. The Roman architecture, wall & ceiling paintings enrich the beauty of this church. You can see the statue of Mother Mary carrying Jesus sculpted by Michelangelo in this church. After spending a good time at the church we further headed to the Roman Colosseum which happens to be one of the seven modern wonders of the world. It was a mere photo stop. After clicking our photos we headed towards our hotel in Arezzo & gear up for the next day. 

A peek into the holy Vatican church

Streets of Rome

The Roman Colosseum

The rain returned on the Day 4 of our tour as we headed towards Pisa to visit another modern wonder of the world. Thankfully, it stopped once we reached our destination. On reaching Pisa after 5 days we finally had our first Indian tea! It was definitely delicious so we did not bother to convert the price to INR! After enjoying our tea thoroughly we headed towards the area where the world famous leaning tower of Pisa is located. The tower is a bell tower as part of the church complex along with a cemetery. The tower was built in the 14th century as the construction went on for almost 200 years and yet ended up tilting due to weak and soft foundation. Who knew this very weak tower would end up being one of the wonders of the modern world? So never be ashamed of your flaws or shortcomings. You never know how they would benefit you in life. So always believe, “Everything happens for good!”. One can visit the church and also climb up the tower. The stairs up the tower are very narrow and short and again long queues await you. 

The leaning tower of Pisa

After spending a good time in Pisa, it was time to bid adieu to Italy. Italy is definitely very beautiful & carries a rich heritage which the people are striving hard to preserve. The terrains were very soothing. Definitely, I will come back soon and explore more of this part of our world. 

In the next blog we will read about my journey to one of the most dreamy destinations in a new country! Meanwhile, do read my Indian travel stories here.