July 6, 2024
With iconic landmarks like the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and Michelangelo’s David, Florence is a Renaissance gem distinguished for its art, architecture, and cultural heritage.
“No one has ever been able to decide if it was a miraculous coincidence or simply in the nature of the surrounding countryside that Dante, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Galileo and so many other giants were all Florentines.”
Eve Borsook, The Companion Guide to Florence
A quick cab ride and we are in the Florence historic district by 9a. The morning features a walking tour of Florence to see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Chiesa di Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, Gates of Paradise, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Dante’s House. We don’t get to Michelangelo’s David, but after reading about these places for so long it’s an incredible morning of sightseeing!
We’ve got free time in the afternoon to explore of our own. Michelle and I find Trattoria Enzo de Piero down an alley and stop for a glass of wine (or two!) and some appetizers for lunch.
Then we meet up with Greg, Kim, Sophie, Hugh, and Mallory for more shopping before stopping for happy hour at Museo Della Bistecca. Dinner is at Baldovino Bistrot. Tomorrow we head to Rome!
July 5, 2024
Breakfast is at the hotel. I’m not a breakfast person. At all. But I’m not complaining about starting the day with a fresh-baked croissant, a little fruit salad, and a few slices of absolutely amazing tomatoes!!
At 8a we check out and board the bus for the 90-minute ride to Verona as we make our way to Florence later this afternoon.
We’re in Verona for a few hours. Tourist busses have to park outside of the city so we get a lot of walking in to see Castelvecchio (the old fort), the Romeo and Juliet balcony at Casa di Giulietta from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and the Arena di Verona Roman amphitheater.
At 12p we’re back on the bus continuing on the way to Florence. I’ve written about this before, but I really don’t mind time on the bus. It’s a good time to download some pictures from the first part of the day, update my calendar with the places we visited, and a chance to work on the day’s blog post. And it’s a great chance just to look out the window and enjoy the passing countryside. I’m never bored on the bus. I’ve always got something to do. And I’m in a place I’ve never been before. I’m soaking it all in!
We stop for lunch at an Eataly x Autogrill and then we’re back on the road. But it’s a long haul to Florence with bumper to bumper traffic like it’s the Capital Beltway in DC. After a while the traffic eases and the terrain changes as we move from the coastal flatlands to the more mountainous area of Tuscany around Florence. The landscape is stunning and punctuated by many very long tunnels. I missed the landscape pic and settled for the tunnel instead.
We get to Florence a little after 5p. We check into our hotel, check out the local super market for supplies, and then make the walk to the historic center of Florence for dinner. Bianca says it’s a 10 minutes walk. It takes us 30 minutes!
Really, really hungry by the time we get to Ristorante Rubaconte. And the pizza dinner is incredible and well worth the walk. Also, Tiramisu!!
Tomorrow we explore Florence!
July 4, 2024
After a couple of days getting here, we begin our first full day of sightseeing. Breakfast is at the hotel at 7a, then we board a ferry to the islands that make up Venice.
Venice is famous for its network of canals, iconic gondolas, and architectural masterpieces like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Its historic significance as a major maritime power is reflected in its palazzos and marketplaces. Venice’s blend of art, history, and culture makes it a captivating destination for travelers to visit.
We start on the Island for Murano for a glass-blowing demonstration at Ferris & Lazzarini.
Then we get back on the ferry to head over to San Marco and the heart of Venice to see the Doge’s Palace.
And see the Antonio Canaletto they have on display … one of my favorite painters!!
Next we take a gondola ride and experience the famous canals!
Back at the hotel for dinner I sit with Terry, Beth, and Patrick. This is the first time I’ve traveled with them and it’s great to get to know them early in the trip. Tomorrow we head to Verona and then to Florence!
July 3, 2024
On the bus from Milan to Venice …
The Boston Logan departure of British Airways Flight 212 was delayed a couple of hours on Tuesday evening but arrives at London Heathrow on Wednesday morning almost on time.
After a layover with just enough time to grab a cup of coffee we board British Airways Flight 574 to Milan Linate airport and arrive around 1:30p.
Although we’re just passing through, a few notes about Milan. The city is a global fashion capital and a hub for design and innovation. With significant historical landmarks such as the Milan Cathedral and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Milan is home to world-class museums and galleries. Milan plays a crucial role in the economy as Italy’s financial center, offering a dynamic blend of business opportunities, cultural experiences, and culinary delights.
We’re quickly through immigration and customs, meet Bianca, our Explorica tour guide, and board the bus for the several hour drive through the more industrialized part of the Italian countryside on the way to Venice.
Tomorrow we start the serious sightseeing with a day in Venice!!
July 2, 2024
From Terminal E at Logan Airport in Boston …
It’s been a couple of years since my last international travel to Israel, so it’s good to be starting another trip. And I’m really looking forward to this one!
After what seems like weeks of pre-departure prep and packing, the day starts early on United Flight 641 from Washington Dulles to Boston Logan. That leaves me with a fairly good layover, but after several very busy days getting ready, I’m happy to take it easy for a few hours before we board British Airways Flight 212 to London Heathrow. And that leaves time for an extended post with some background, the itinerary, and a review of the photo gear I’m traveling with …
As a graduate student at Ohio University working towards a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production, I decided to minor in Art History as a way to study composition, light, and shadow. My art history coursework focussed on Florence, Venice, and the Renaissance. Between that and watching Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy I knew I needed to get to Italy. And although I’ve been traveling for a number of years, all these years later I still haven’t made it to Italy while everyone I know has! So now it’s time for me to see Italy in-person.
The itinerary for this trip includes a return to Greece and Turkey. I’ve avoided returning to a place I’ve already been, mostly because there are other places on my bucket list that I’d like to see first. But this trip features places in Greece I haven’t been before … and the Aegean islands really are worth visiting again … also, the food in Greece was incredible! I’m looking forward to a few weeks of Mediterranean cuisine!
So here is the itinerary for this trip to Italy, Greece and Türkiye!
| July 2, Day 1 DC to Boston to London | Fly to London |
| July 3, Day 2 London to Milan to Venice | Travel from Milan to Venice with dinner enroute |
| July 4, Day 3 Venice | Venice walking tour, St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace |
| July 5, Day 4 Venice to Florence | Verona tour, Romeo and Juliet balcony, Verona Arena, travel to Florence |
| July 6, Day 5 Florence | Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Chiesa di Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, Gates of Paradise, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Dante’s House |
| July 7, Day 6 Florence to Rome | Travel to Rome, Ancient Rome, Colosseum, Forum Romanum, Piazza Venezia |
| July 8, Day 7 Rome | Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona |
| July 9, Day 8 Rome to Sorrento | Travel to Naples, Capri, and Sorrento |
| July 10, Day 9 Sorrento to Pompeii to Bari to Patras | Pompeii, travel to Bari, overnight ferry to Patras |
| July 11, Day 10 Patras to Olympia to Tolo | Olympia, Ancient Olympia, travel to Tolo |
| July 12, Day 11 Tolo to Athens | Mycenae, Epidaurus, Corinth Canal, travel to Athens |
| July 13, Day 12 Athens | Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Athena Nike, Omonoia Square, Syntagma Square, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch |
| July 14, Day 13 Cape Sounion | Cape Sounion, Temple of Poseidon |
| July 16, Day 15 Celestyal Discovery | Cruise to Kusadasi, Turkey Cruise to Patmos |
| July 17, Day 16 Celestyal Discovery | Cruise to Rhodes |
| July 18, Day 17 Celestyal Discovery | Cruise to Crete Cruise to Santorini |
| July 19, Day 18 Return to Athens | Free day |
| July 20, Day 19 Athen to London to Boston | Fly to Boston |
| July 21, Day 20 Boston to DC | Fly to DC |
What I’m packing … This is a lengthy trip and requires careful consideration of what to bring, balancing what I want to carry (or can) with capturing the best photos and video of a bucket list trip! I’m bringing the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera with the recently released Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR zoom lens. For a faster ultra-wide option I’m bringing the Nikkor Z 20mm f1.8 S prime lens. For timelapse video and places where a smaller camera might be more manageable, I’ve got the DJI OSMO Pocket 3. Getting clean ambient audio of locations is key to making post trip edits faster, so I’m bringing a DJI Mic (just the mic transmitter and not the receiver). Although I’ve traveled with the Vanguard Kinray Lite for many years I’m bringing a different camera bag on this trip. I recently got a hold of the Gura Gear Kiboko City Commuter 18L+ for use on this trip. With its rear panel camera compartment and roll top access, this will take some getting used to, but I think will be a good addition to my travel kit.
While I’m traveling I will post updates here on the blog each day. If you want to get an email when I post an update subscribe by entering your email address in the subscription box. I’m looking forward to sharing these updates with you!
Workflow!! For Brad and Gina, this is the post they have been waiting for … It’s been about 6 months since the Cuba trip and I’m way overdue…
I’ve been back from Peru for a couple of weeks now and all the photo and video files are downloaded to my desktop computer and backed up onsite and…
Here’s the video recap of my spring 2015 South Africa safari adventure. For those of you interested in the technical details …
I pulled together some aerial shots in FCPX from the 2015 flying season into this short compilation shot using the DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter. Technical details …
View from the balcony ...
Michael S. Liberman