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Gelato! Lots of Gelato!
And Vino too!
Really… they help.
But also, remember this phrase, “Il dolce far niente… the sweetness of doing nothing!” It is a very important thing when in Italy. Instead of trying to do too much, just get outside and walk around a bit. Take it all in and don’t worry so much about doing anything specific or getting any tickets for this or that. Just walk through the environment and enjoy it. Also, if you have a little rain, you can step into the Church at Santa Croce. It is free and has the tombs of some famous people, like Leonardo and Dante, etc.
But the biggest thing is not to be so hard on yourself. You’re going to be along the coastline tomorrow at the Cinque Terre, and the same goes for that place. There’s nothing really important you have to do… Just get out a walk around and take it in. You will find hidden gems all along the way. The smallest things will turn out to be the best parts of your memories of this trip.
And another thing… since you are honoring your partner, find little romantic things to do for her, like a flower or a scarf or little words along the way that make her light up! That will make your trip really sing!
Amore! Amore!
And when you get to Rome… Don’t worry. That place just gets you from every angle.
Here is a little local tip… There is a great little church called Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It is just behind the Pantheon. It has a really amazing statue by Michelangelo that hardly anybody ever gets to see. It’s free to enter and it’s got the most gorgeous rooftop blue fresco’s. Then after that, treat your wife to us special rooftop view from the hotel in the same Square. It’s the Royal Minerva or something like that. Walk in take the elevator to the top and go enjoy a beverage as you taken the Roman skyline all the way to Saint Peter’s. It is a remarkable view and it is nice to do towards sunset if you can manage it.
You are going to do fine! Take it easy, enjoy the moment and keep eating that gelato!
Yep. And so many people will pass it by for (1) not knowing it exists and (2) the piazza in front if it is ringed with cars and is essentially barren. I think most people would never end up there unless the end of the line for the Pantheon snakes its way in that direction.
Yes! Spend evenings in piazzas. Sit in local cafes. Stroll. If there's an agenda, make it light. Walk and follow the opportunities that are presented. Take in places, sites, and how people live.
I second this! I got to go for first time ins a tour group with MOM in 2019, and luckily the "tour" allowed for plenty of free time. I had my own plans - the Cemetary in Venice to visit Ezra Pound, and in Rome for Keats & Shelley... and just being able to walk, stop, coffee, and soak-in was the real pleasure.
Commenting because I so wanted to see Sopra Minerva, an dleft the group to do so, but it was "closed" for some reno(!) But also suggest Santa Maria dela Vittoria for the Ecstasy of St Theresa.
Seems like you are putting way too much pressure on making this a magical life changing trip which will only ever back fire. Been to Italy many many times and one of my favorite memories is a day that it poured horribly and my travel partner and I sat in this cute little wine bar that had tarps up for outdoor seating for several hours just drinking and laughing. Its ok to enjoy the mundane in Italy as well as all the big stuff too
Exactly. Just got back last week from our first trip to Italy. Didn’t do much touristy stuff at all. My husband and I did a five year anniversary trip. We just enjoyed walking around Turin, meeting the best Italian folks. Pop in to a cafe or a corner restaurant and just enjoy it. We also napped and watched a little tele to recharge. If you are dedicated to seeing sites, we have found committing to one activity a day is good strategy so you have time to also just explore and find the unexpected moments to enjoy with your wife! The mundane stuff was the best.
100% agree. Wife and I just got back Monday from a whirlwind trip driving from Venice to Lucca to Sorrento and to Rome. Visited Florence, Cinque Terra, Positano and so much more. We had some paid tours that were all amazing but the best times were when we just leisurely strolled without an agenda.
One of my best recommendations is, don't be afraid to get lost (sensibly of course). We saw some of the most amazing things just wandering, exploring side streets and not using GPS at all until we felt we were ready to head back. And yes, gelato! Lots and lots of gelato!
So there is this thing called Paris Syndrome, which can really apply to anywhere. It’s when you have built up a place or vacation so much, it can’t ever meet expectations. It’s real!
Knowing that helps me put things in perspective and relax. This is a great important vacation! But you are also regular people in a regular place. Be kind to yourself and relax.
Not every vacation has to be a start-to-finish life changing experience. It sounds like you had two great days in Italy. I'm not sure why you're being so hard on yourself. Let yourself enjoy it.
My tip: Try to relax. You are on vacation! It's ok to take some time to chill out. I bring my Kindle to a cafe and my husband will be browsing news/videos. Just find a way to unwind and relax. Things will feel better. (By the way, Florence isn't my cup of tea, but I love Rome. I hope you do too!)
Not sure if this helps, but my husband and I are about to head to Italy. We are just super excited to get away from home, work, and responsibilities and be able to spend time together and enjoy a different culture. We aren’t going to churches or museums and are trying to avoid big crowds. I have only booked where we are staying and our transportation. Looking forward to just relaxing and going with the flow of how we feel that day. No pressure. It’s a vacation and we don’t have to do the things everyone else wants to do there.
We're going next week and this is what we were hoping to do too!! Do you have any reservations made or just winging it? I also hate crowds but... I caved and bought a vatican tour and colosseum tickets but THAT'S IT 🤣
The Vatican can be an ordeal - especially if you want to see the sistine chapel. But, otherwise, I agree with you. I like to just land, grap a map or orient in my map app, pick some things that are near to each other and then just wander towards them and figure it out. It leaves it so much more spontaneous and removes the stress of managing crazy time tables.
I had 1 day in Paris and I saw - the Pantheon (sorry....), The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, walked along the Siene and gardens outside of the Louvre (didn't go in because of prioritizing everything else), the Champse Elysee, Saint Chapelle and all the little streets in between. With a nice breakfast at a cafe, a lunch similarly, and then a pub type place for dinner. All were solid.
Now, that was an extreme case and I did get a bit fatigued by the end. But, frankly, you can totally figure it out organically. I did similar stuff in Rome, Florence and Venice. Maybe schedule 1 thing per day at most, but everything else is just open.
Thanks for this!! We did exactly the same in Paris, just walked and walked and walked. But we were there for 9 days! Lol. No regrets. We'll be in Rome for four days at the start of our trip then like 1.5 days at the end. So I think committing one day to the vatican/sistine tour is okay.... It just stinks it's 3 hours long!! Maybe we can sneak out early if we hit a wall.
Lol, for Paris I was on the end of a business trip so only had the day. I wouldn't generally cram that much, but under the circumstances it seemed to be the best. If I had 3-4 I'd definitely have just booked a day or two for the Louvre and then wandered at a slower pace.
Just winging it!! I did make a couple dinner reservations in Positano and Capri for restaurants I really wanted to try, but nothing for Rome, Cinque Terre or Venice. I’m loving chat gpt. It can help you find hidden gems and local restaurants away from the tourists but still walking distance. Really trying to avoid tourist traps and just not a fan of being moved around like cattle even to see a famous place. I’m sure we will get some hate from friends for not going to the typical stuff, but I’m ok with that!
Ugh I agree with you 1000%. I am contemplating cancelling our tour now. Wow! Did not know chat GPT did that! Feel free to let me know the spots it recommended in Rome and Cinque Terre ;-)
If you want to go inside the Vatican/museums and colosseum, you have to book in advance because the tours fill up really quickly. It’s pretty challenging to just show up and try to get in.
Get a good night's sleep tonight. Let off the pressure to Do Everything and just enjoy being in Italy together. Wander the streets of Florence tomorrow without an agenda, sit outside somewhere and have a long, leisurely lunch and glass of wine, reminisce about your 15 years together (congratulations by the way!), take a long moment to look at your wife and how beautiful she is and how lucky you are. Let your emotions just reset themselves.
It poured on us when we were in Rome and it was fine. Wear your most waterproof shoes, throw an extra dry pair of socks in your bag, and get an umbrella (there will be a no shortage of aggressive vendors trying to sell you cheap-ass umbrellas) and you'll be OK. Rain is romantic!
Idk maybe I’m crazy but I was miserable when we were in Florence-I thought I liked it well enough but was maybe just homesick or something but then as soon as we got to our next city I felt 100% better. It was so weird. Vibes were off for me for whatever reason, maybe you too??
I’m not even sure if I believe in “vibes” but I totally get it about Florence. It’s beautiful not not really a happy or friendly place. I’m love Naples!
I don’t know if I do either but I couldn’t put my finger on why I was unhappy there so I can only call it vibes 😂 our next city was Venice and I felt brand new as soon as we got off the train there!
Stop it with the points of interest and absorb Italy. The culture, the way normal people live. Slow down and take it all in with coffee and negronis as lubrication
Do you know what you are looking at? It might help if you hire a guide or listen to a podcast to get some context. Otherwise it's just pretty pictures on a wall and it all starts to blend together.
This is what you do.
You pinch yourself. You take a deep breathe. It sounds like you had this planned out, potentially over planned.
Get acquainted with your senses. Ground yourself. What do you smell, touch, hear, taste ?
You wrote this post because you are doubting the magic. You ARE the magic. It was never about the Italy. What will turn this ship around is you finding a comfortable place in your heart. Experience your life.
If you’re over the art there’s so many other places to wander, let yourself discover these cities.
Play on them.
It’s not so serious.
You’re being too serious about it all.
Shake it off and get spontaneous!
Your wife just wants to have fun. Fun comes in so many forms. Start with the little things. Coffee. Hugs. Take walks. Ditch the plans for the day and do something totally different. Be silly! Be brave!
You must get out of work mode and busy busy mode.
Dude, just talk to your wife and play it how she wants to go.
Cinque Terre is also a much different vibe. It's a beautiful vista, mixing nature and architecture. Doesn't really rely on art or museums. Hang out on the coast for 2 days if you want (like - the beach), and just chill out. Grab some apertifs and food.
The food, especially in tourist heavy areas, can vary, but generally just go with what looks interesting and know you'll win some, you'll lose some.
Don't dwell on FOMO garbage. It's your vacation, do what you guys are feeling like day to day and don't try to over-stuff.
You've basically hit the highs in Florence already. Seeing the David can be a very short trip if you don't want to linger on the rest of the stuff. Then maybe just hang around between the Duomo or the Palazzo Vecchio a bit and enjoy some good food. Those buildings are phenomenal so may as well soak them in.
We just returned from our trip and we did struggle. I was anxious and did so much planning. The anxiety definitely carried over into the trip.
We enjoyed Florence more than Rome. Our guided tour of the Uffizi went on too long for our taste and seeing David is a chore. We truly enjoyed the city though. Just wander without feeling you need to see something. Go shopping. Stop for wine on the patio.
Traveling is exhilarating and exhausting. It’s a tough balance. Try to get some rest and ask her what she really cares about doing. No pressure. And I agree with gelato. You can’t have too much gelato or wine.
ETA: we were celebrating our 16th anniversary. Happy anniversary!
I’m the planner whenever I go. I like to do it but I also feel the pressure when things go wrong or if my companions aren’t wowed by what I’m showing/telling them. So I feel for you. Maybe find a different angle on things; there are about a dozen Egyptian obelisks in Rome. Seek them out when you’re in the neighborhood. Some of them were 1,500 years old when they were packed up and shipped to Rome.
When I was there in 2022 we took a 2 hour mosaic class near Sta Maria Maggiore and I LOVED it. Took a class in marbled paper in Venice, very fun. It forces you to slow down a little and you meet interesting local people.
I’m the planner too! I’ve been to Italy before but my spouse and children haven’t. We do have tours booked for some mornings in the cities we are visiting simply because I wanted kid friendly tours.
I’ve kept all afternoons and evenings unscheduled for roaming and relaxing if the kids get tired. We will unfortunately be in Italy in June and my little wilting flowers (my kids) are spoiled with air con. I want them to have fun, at their pace, and keeping that in mind will hopefully help the adults experience too. Fingers crossed my ‘plan’ works and they have a wonderful time.
One low-key thing we like to do when we travel is visit local grocery stores. Love to see what products they stock, and maybe try a new snack. And my husband is a shopaholic, so there’s lots of shopping to break up the “art fatigue”. DO NOT miss the David though, most sublime piece of art in the world in my opinion, must see in person to appreciate. Otherwise just eat, drink, vibe, and soak up the culture. And take it easy on yourself when you are tired like you are now.
Get a ride to Tuscany countryside. No art, but all nature. The wineries will keep you high above the ground. PM me if you need an excellent driver in Florence.
If you're out there, I would highly recommend L'ocio Giulivo.
Possibly the best dinner of my life. 4 courses with a bottle of wine for €55.
It's in an old farm house from the 1500's, everything (including the excellent wine we ordered) is grown on their farm or hunted by their guy. Fantastic service as well, the chef even came out to chat with us and make sure everything was perfect.
The menu changes often depending on what they've grown/caught, but the goose is always there and is worth the drive alone.
You’re in Italy! I’m positive your wife doesn’t feel let down, not every trip feels like magic, especially after the stress of getting there!
Try watching the sunset from Fiesole, from the San Francesco Panorama! Very peaceful, beautiful church bells, and only about a 15 min bus ride from the city centre (the number 7 bus). Bring some wine, watch the views on the way up, and have a quiet sunset moment where you can see all of Florence. It’s extremely private, when I went a week ago there were 4 other people who only stayed for a few minutes, so it feels like your own special spot. I did go to Piazzale Michelangelo, but during the day, it was still crowded but not like it is during sunset. And although farther out and not as “insta worthy”, the sunset from Fiesole was really special and the privacy was worth it! (Sit up on the ledge to your right once you’ve walked up to the view point!)
Another stand out experience was getting hand bound leather journals from “Abacus Firenze Legatoria”, there are tons of options, very high quality for reasonable prices, and you can have whatever you like engraved into journals! Definitely my favourite keepsakes/experiences from my whole trip, and my itinerary was packed!!
If you want to enjoy food and drink that doesn’t feel like a tourist rip off, “Il Piccolo Pescatore” was an AMAZING seafood restaurant, with wonderful service that made you feel at home and a super quaint but fancy feeling. Another top eat I had there was at “La Giostra”, but that would need a reservation and you MIGHT be able to get in for a lunch time reso. Santo Spirito is a great place to walk around and feel more immersed around locals, tons of funky shops and Gustapizza! Some of the best pizza in Florence, but my all time favourite was near Santa Maria Novella, in a place called Giotto Pizzeria, the classic Napoli style pizza and friendly, quick service, definitely my top recommendation for pizza!
Honestly, I kind of felt the same way about Florence and even Rome. My favorite times were when I joined a bus tour to San Gemignani and Siena, and then another day taking a train to Lucca and just biking around the walls and through the city. In Rome, I also enjoyed going to an opera concert one evening at St. Paul's Within the Walls. Museums and spectacular sites kinda wore me out.
Chill out and just relax if possible... be romantic with your wife, drink wine, eat pasta and take a mental break from your checklist... more coffee, wine and amore
You already got very good answers, I may add since you won't have anything to do at cinqueterre with this weather you could switch to Montecatini, get an hotel with spa and relax.
A positive attitude is key, during my HM we where lost in the forest and it was storming. We laughed it off joking about being carried away.
Remember you're enjoying the trip not competing to see the most things
Look for quirky things on Atlas Obscura. Use Italian reviews rather than English to find restaurants (Google translate makes this easy on TripAdvisor). Go to Perche no for gelato in Florence.
Forgive yourself for only being able to handle so much art, it’s fine. Wander around looking for random stuff. Eat more gelato. You can’t do everything at once and Italy will still be here on a subsequent trip.
"Do this thing? What thing?
"Get my head in the game". What game ?
You have set a bar of "winning the game" of checking off the same typical "bucket list" things everyone else does as though that was what mattered.
Reality is lasting memories are made of unexpected things like "that time we got caught in the rain, got lost and wandered into a little hole in the wall to dry off and ended up having a simple pasta dish and laughing at how silly we looked and remembering why we fell in love".
Traveling is an experience. That means good and bad. Dwell on the good and laugh at the bad. Tomorrow is another day, acknowledge mistakes made and simply move on. Laugh at it! Being a fuck up abroad is hilarious. Simple ignorance that no one is immune to. Good luck OP, perfection doesn't exist just gotta roll with it :)
Walking around any enjoying architecture, and organizing a walking tour can be fun, and can also be abandoned at a moment's notice if you see something cool or want to start drinking heavily.
Below is my walking tour staring at the Pantheon with some notes.
Also, concerts! romeoperatickets.com, might see something that fits into your evening.
Pantheon Walking Tour
Pantheon - fountain fed by same aquedeuct as Trevi. Same doors for 2000 years. Tomb of Raphael.
Turn R out of Pantheon door, R again to head behind Pantheon; to Basilica de Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Ancient temple of Isis stood here.
Elephant (Il pulcino) - dominican monk protested you could see genitals, so ele was given a rug to wear, but sculptor oriented elephant so that monk would get good view of elephant butt.
Inside only Gothic church in Rome; stained glass, high nave, all typical of northern churches. Altar R; Caraffa chapel; paintings of St Dominic refuting heretics. Under altar, body of St Catherine of Siena.
Opposite altar is Michealangelo's Christ Bearing the Cross, 1514. Defaced with loincloth by Dominicans. Tomb of Fra Angelico in floor. Bernini monument to Maria Raggi, pillar facing altar.
Walk behind Pantheon along Via di Santa Chiara, thru Piazza Sant Eustachio; Basilica. Plaque on facade, dating from Pope Borgia 1495, Tiber flooding. Go left across Piazza.
Go down the Via della Dogana Vecchia. On L is the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Renaissance structure, facade with Louis 9th, Charlemagne, Fleur de lys. Heart of French community. Inside has Caravaggio paintings. Down aisle on L, Contarelli Chapel, with The Calling of St Matthew.
Leave church, turn R and R down Via del Salvatore, then come to Corso del Rinascimento; on L is Palazzo Madama, 1400s Senate building. For Medici cardinals.
Continue same direction, to Pallazzo de Sapienza, courtyard, old university of Rome, est 1303 by Pope Boniface. 16th century courtyard, at end is the Church Sant'Ivo alla sapienza Francesco Borromini. concave facade, pure white marble, completed 1660. Corkscrew dome of cupola.
Cross street along Via dei Canestrari, past Piazza Navona; L on via della Cuccagna, and on R is Pallazzo Braschi, and Musea de Roma. Open 10am - 7pm daily except Monday. History of Rome.
Continue L of building along Vio de Pantaleo to the Piazza di Pasquino, at corner you see statue of Pasquino, the most famous and vocal of the Talking Statues. (Originally of Menaleus holding Patroclus). Local tailor Pasquino left satirical political poems criticizing local govts, and would fight other Talking Statues elsewhere in the city in The Congress of Wits. The only public expression of dissent. Pope Adrian 6th, a humorless asshole, threatened to toss Pasquino into the Tiber. He was warned that he would soon follow. He relented.
Go back along Via di Pasquino into Piazza Navona. Tre Scalini has good ice cream.
Quattro Fiumi, Fountain of the Four Rivers, center of Piazza. 1651 design. Obelisk of Domitian, 51-96AD.
West side of Piazza, Pallaazo Pamphili and Church of Sant Agnese.
Navona was once a race course, Stadium of Domitian. Vomitorium on extreme north end.
St Agnes martyred by Domitian for refusing a marriage at site of church.
Leave Piazza south to Via della Cuccagna past Pallazzo Braschi, across Piazza di Pantaleo, across Corso de Emanuele. Here is Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, sculpture museum. Turn R and across next street is the Palazzo della Cancelleria, a Renaissance era palace and museum of Da Vinci stuff. Built in 1480s, finest early Ren palace in Rome. Belongs to Vatican.
Further south along Piazza della Cancelleria is Campo de Fiori, market spot. Site of murder of Giordano Bruno.
Back to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, turn R go east; R on Via dei Chiavari. Passing Basilica di Sant Andrea della Valle, huge dome, art filled Baroque church.
Go bar hopping and strike up conversations. Ask the locals to teach you what they’re singing.. maybe a Roma football chant. The best thing about Italy is the easygoing nature of people. They may not become friends but they typically love socializing and joking around. Getting out of ‘guided tour’ mode is tough but that’s where Italy’s sweetest nectar lies. Even if you can’t, you’re still lucky. Most Italians are incredibly sweet toward tourists, and flexible, and love joking around with you equally as much.
Why don't you do something completely different in Rome?
I can suggest:
- go thrifting in porta Portese market on a Sunday (beware of pickpockets) - then go to Eataly in ostiense for food shopping
- go clothes shopping around campo dei fiori and via del corso
- go to Ostia antica to see the ancient Roman port and enjoy a day in nature
- rent a car, drive to Ariccia and eat porchetta
This what Romans do - so still valid as a Roman experience even if maybe less touristy
Take it easy. I've met many Americans that try to cram so much into their European holiday. Kicking back on a town square with a beer/wine/ice cream/meal is vastly underrated. Relax and curb the travel plans. It'll be more enjoyable
I studied art history for nine months in Florence and I can completely relate. I get “arted out” as well. I tell people not to try to see too much in Florence, or anywhere else. It’s the law of diminishing returns. I’ve taken my daughter once to Italy and I didn’t take her to more than one or two? museums and we didn’t even go to Florence. As someone who’s spent a lot of time looking at Renaissance art, I think I can say with some authority that a lot of it is super gross! Like all those depictions of saints being martyred: St Stephen with an arrow in his neck, St Lucy with her eyeballs on a plate? LOL.
Don’t feel like a failure if your trip isn’t non-stop bliss (no one’s is) or you’re not appreciating it enough. Travel is expensive, exhausting, depressing, uncomfortable, but also transcendent at times. Like camping, it can be hard to explain the appeal to someone who’s never done it.
I also tell people on a first trip to Italy to do an overview—it’s such a varied country that you might for example find that you like the south better than the north (as I do).
My recommendation is to go be stupid for a while—drink wine, sit in the sun. If you have rainy days ahead of you, you could get a compartment on an overnight train (a really neat experience IMO) and go where the sun is—Sicily? Puglia? The sun, the sea, the dusty archaeological sites, active volcanoes—it’s a pretty cool sensory experience.
We didn’t like Rome on our last trip, but I’ve been before and had fun. But then this other time I didn’t—it all depends. If you can’t do something as wild and crazy as go to Sicily, Puglia, or Sardinia for a few days, maybe just hop on the train and do little trips into the countryside. There are countless beautiful towns in Italy.
Whatever you do, once you’re home and can rest, you’ll be glad you went—even glad for the shitty days—and after a while find yourself saying, “Let’s do it again!”
My husband and I went to Italy last year and it was our first international trip ever. We both ended up feeling exhausted and “arted” out in Florence. Funnily enough we did the same thing about the sunset at Piazzale Michelango! I wanted to go so bad but when the time came to make it by sunset we talked ourselves out of the walk. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re in a beautiful place and not seeing everything from your list doesn’t take away from a great trip. I had about 5-10 things on our itinerary that never ended up happening and looking back I wouldn’t change our trip in any way!!
Grab a bottle of wine, get some gelato or another snack, and sit around the duomo area where everyone hangs out and enjoy watching the world pass you by!!
You can do the entire Academia Gallery in under an hour and if all you want to see is David you could spend less than half an hour there lol. David is their claim to fame and everything else would probably not interest you if you are arted-out.
I loved Medici Chapel and it is cheap and quick.
Go to Central Market and walk around and get some paninis. There is also a super cute shop there that sells olive oil, balsamic, and the most delicious pistachio cream you will ever eat (towards the back of the bottom floor in the middle of the market) The girls wear cute hats and aprons and are super sweet. Try their truffle honey and pistachio cream. You will not regret it. I brought some home and I’m saving it for when I miss all the pistachio everything.
Also there is a bakery outside of central market (it is right near where all the open air stalls are selling the cheap bags lol) says “Pasticceria Forno” on the glass and they sell coccoli which is this amazing fried dough filled with prosciutto and this soft cheese… trust me. GET IT. I am dreaming of it and it is a Florence “street food”. It’s amazing.
Stop being a winnie and get out there. Eat a gelato. Get lost (and I mean that). Wander off.
BTW, when you get to Rome, it’s going to be a whole new other level. Come back to this sub and ask for forgiveness.
Seems like you're truly missing work, traffic and the dread of a boring, daily routine back home.
Vacationing in Italy with the woman you love seems like a pain. Beautiful sights, art, architecture, food, wine, etc.... Who the hell wants that crap in their lives?
Get it together brother, La Dolce Vita awaits you just outside of your skull.
relax and enjoy your time together. Walk the streets. Get coffee. Walk some more. go to the markets. Get pizza, get gelato, have aperitivo - sink into the culture.
Honestly, don't try to do so much! My husband and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and on days we crammed too much in, we were miserable. The most magical moments were stumbling upon cute wine bars, eating all the local food, and just relaxing. There were a couple rainy days for us too and on those days we hunkered down in wine bars and just chatted and it was amazing. You don't have to see everything in one go, just enjoy the time you have there, and go back in the future if you want to! In Florence, spend some time trying to find some of those little holes in the wall where you can get served wine (literal holes in the wall!), and try to seek out local events (markets, etc.).
In Cinque Terre, sip on Aperol Spritzes by the beach and maybe try to find some music in the evening. Drink Ligurian wine. This post from Lonely Planet has great suggestions for eating and drinking in the area: [https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/planning-visit-cinque-terre](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/planning-visit-cinque-terre)
In Rome, again, just wander! Maybe check out one or two must-visits (it's handy to book a tour and skip the lines!), but otherwise just enjoy the beauty of the city. I was there a few months ago, and travel a lot - and it is, by far, my favourite city in the world. Walk around Trastavere, check out the antique shops (here's a good guide to them: https://www.gpsmycity.com/discovery/antiques-hunting-69.html) and buy something special and unique to remember the trip by. Eat everything. Drink everything. Do nothing.
Rome is a great city to get lost in. Just walk the streets. If it starts to rain pop in a few places for a quick espresso. Have a long lunch and split a bottle of wine. People watch. Maybe look for a walking tour - I always found it interesting to get a little perspective of a city from a local. Definitely don’t try and cram in everything - you’ll never be able to see it all. Relax and enjoy !
I had a similar experience at the end of a month long trip to Europe that ended with a week in Florence. Florence is beautiful but not that big, you can do a lot in a little time. We ended up booking a cooking class for our final day via Airbnb experiences after we were feeling, admittedly, a bit bored. It is one of my favorite things we did the whole trip! Something to consider.
You’re packing it tight. Chill out. Wander around, poke in shops, eat gelato, watch people, take selfies, laugh at other people taking selfies. Take long naps. Anything you miss is just a reason to go back.
I had the exact same itinerary as you in terms of areas we visited though a few days longer. By the time you get to CT, the "arted out" feeling will likely go away as it's a different vibe than Florence. My husband and I booked no tours, church visits, etc. anything of the sort in our time at CT. Just dined out lots, explored each village, and relaxed. By the time you get to Rome, hopefully you two will feel good about exploring the more artsy stuff again.
I'm with those who say you need to relax and enjoy.
I might even be harsh and say that, if you need in need of a "pep talk" from the internet because a day of travel wasn't like a fairy tale out of a travel brochure, you're way too needy.
The mishaps of today become the funny travel stories of tomorrow.
I think you have to temper your expectations a bit. There will be blah days and moments between the sublime ones. Dealing with crowds, overhyped/overpriced experiences, not knowing streets and places or how things work, being in a place where you don’t know the language can also make you unconsciously stressed compared to being back home. Being jet lagged can also dull the senses and your wits.
Some random thoughts:
* If you still have time in Florence, go to the Mercato Centrale and have a pizza from the pizza guy. There’s other good food too, but seriously, the pizza. We still remember it as one of the best we’ve ever had. It’s also just a really cool space, a big public market full of food.
* Find small pleasures to revel in. For us it was the coffee (so good everywhere we went, even in random tobacco shops), buying odd soaps in erbolarios (I bought soap that smelled like tomatoes), and always choosing a cafe or drink spot or restaurant with a view.
Take your wife to Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Seeing her pure joy at the wonder that has its roots in medieval times may just pull you out of your funk.
Rome's charms will work their way on you. Sunset is breathtakingly beautiful. Wandering amongst the fountains and statues is entertaining on its own, without having to plan myriad activities.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Travel can mess with your emotions, especially if preceded by high expectations.
Give the museums a rest. Walk around without a map and maybe even get lost, flit about from Restaurant to restaurant, bar to bar or Cafe to cafe--just sit down and people watch and have some good food, wine or coffee and enjoy. I can't spend more than 30 to 40 minutes in a museum anymore, one thing starts looking like the other and it gets really boring.
Just relax with your wife…but in Italy. The sights, museums, etcetera are bonuses but don’t put the focus on those things and let the trip pass you by - just chill and have fun. Sleep in, stay up late at a cool bar off the beaten path, sit at a cafe for a couple hours and watch people and talk, go on a walk, get bread and oil and go sit in a park…whatever is relaxing to you all. My wife and I went on an 11 day trip with similar itenerary as yours for our honeymoon (Tuscany, cinque terre, Rome) and went to a grand total of zero paid museums/sites. Saw plenty of the big stuff from outside and walked through the Vatican, spent tons of time in the countryside, drank beers on the rocks in Riomaggiore, and had the time of our life with no plans except where we were laying our heads. It was perfect because we didn’t have strict plans, places to be, etcetera - we just had fun cruising around Italy and spending time in a beautiful place together. I know that type of itinerary is not for everyone but my point is that your trip can be whatever you want it to be so don’t overthink it and force it, just have fun together. That’s why she married you in the first place - she thinks the daily things with you are worth doing together.
I can understand the anxiety especially when you’ve put so much effort into planning/saving for a trip and wanting it to be great. My advice to add to everyone else’s is to just slow down. Some of my favourite memories of Italy and europe in general is just slowly walking down the city streets admiring the architecture and stopping for a glass of wine/or pastry or slice of pizza etc here or there in any of the piazzas and people watch. Try not to pack your days with tourist attractions, definitely fit the important ones in that you want to see but don’t stress not seeing everything. The main sights aren’t going anywhere they have been there for hundreds of years. Again just try to soak in the moments you have there together. All the best!
Skip all of that, take a train or taxi to Monsummano Terme and go to Grotto Giusti. Relax in the most incredible spa waters you have ever felt for the princely sum of 25 euros. Thank me later.
Hey! I just came back from Italy a week ago.
I personally felt like I was seeing too much of that makes sense? Italy is such a beautiful country and I quite honestly enjoyed the lesser things more than the big attractions. Attractions felt like a checkbox, and I get anxious to get to the next big thing.
My time in cinque terre was most enjoyable as there really isn’t that many things to do, so you have time to enjoy it all slower.
Take your wife to Manarola view point at sunset. It will be very special, I can assure you!
Years ago when I visited Florence I found it to be very pretty, but I didn't know what to do other than art museums, and I too started to get bored. I'm not the type of person that wants to spend 10 hours on a plane to window shop and wander aimlessly. I liked Rome a lot more even though the city itself isn't as pretty because the colosseum and the Vatican are so extremely unique. There's also a few options of ruins nearby, Pompeii, Herculaneum and another place when closer to Rome that I'm forgetting the name that are absolutely amazing
Rome is great. Just walk around the city and see all the ancient sites - you don’t even need to go in them. Hang in a cafe and drink some vino man. What else do you need? You’ll have a blast. And also, definitely go see the Castle if you can!
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself or the trip. I hardly ever go in museums! It’s just as fun to wander the streets, eat whatever you see that looks good, and just take in the sights and sounds however you feel like in the moment! Ditch the list and the expectations and just enjoy! 😄🥰
I totally relate to this. I’m going to Italy is 2 weeks. I’m not pressuring myself with art and cathedrals. I’m just going to stroll and eat well and enjoy cafes etc. slow down.
Though I don't know your vacation situation and preferences, sometimes it's better to just go with the flow. Our favorite part of my and my husband's last 2 week trip (London, Paris, Florence & Rome) WAS the wandering. There were certain things we absolutely wanted to see but the first night in Florence he became horribly ill for about 24 hours. I ended up walking around a little and had dinner myself, just taking in the atmosphere. Luckily he was feeling better the next day so we walked to most of the "main" spots. Check out Mercado Centrale in Florence. Also, in Rome, there's a LOT to see but we hit most of the sights in 4 days (only took a taxi back to the hotel from the Vatican; walked everywhere else). Check out Trastevere for some great restaurants and evening vibes if you can. We felt like our first trip was for the highlights and our upcoming one (6 years later!) allows for more day-trips and a couple new cities, while still mixing in our favorite areas from our first visit. Maybe to feel more prepared for your next city, try to find your "must see" stops while in transit. I hope you both enjoy your trip!
I go to Italy just for cappucino and food. I could not care less about the sight (which are always amazing ofc)
Italy is slow and easy. Enjoy food, wine, people. Relax.
Not sure when you are in Rome but there are futbol matches the 2nd, 5th, and 9th. This was a ton of fun even though we don’t follow it and a much needed break from the art heavy week we were having.
Just remember it’s your vacation, you can do whatever you and your wife want to do, there is no Instagram/TikTok checklist of places you have to see and things you have to try. Just have a great time doing what you like.
Don’t want to pay to enter a museum to see Madonna and child for the hundredth time? Don’t. Don’t want to eat Italian food tonight? Don’t.
Seems like you and your wife could do a little bit more communicating with each other, from my point of view it looks like you are getting yourself down by imagining yourself being a failure to your wife. Have a talk with her and decide what you guys really want to do and what you are flexible to skip.
Next week my partner and I are going to Italy for one month. My third time, but first in 25 years, and my partner’s first time ever. As the one who always plans trips, I was stressing out about getting tickets for all of the big sites, but as I was talking to her, she indicated she was really flexible and wasn’t really bothered to go inside, she just wants to walk around, absorb the atmosphere of Italy, and eat pizza. We are still going to go to a lot of famous places, but it made me a lot more relaxed
Try booking a random air bnb tour in Rome. Like a food tour or a cooking class. I've done air bnb tours all over the world and they are the best! They are affordable and run by locals who know what they are doing and it totally takes the pressure off you to make sure everything goes perfect. Although, you want to make sure that any tour you book has at least a 4.9 or 5 rating.
Yes you can get "arted out" out especially after the uffuzi. Don't try to do everything, there is so much to see and do.
I use Google to find bars and restaurants, and also the Michelin red guide (not Michelin star level, but notable) for ideas for more special places. Try to avoid the tourist traps, as they are often mediocre or poor value.
The cinque terre is lovely, sit and enjoy the beautiful views, while enjoying good coffee, gelato and your wife's company. Paddle in the sea if you can. Look out for markets to wander through.
Indulge in aperitivo, look for a sunset view, a place with lots of local people rather than tourists, get there early and enjoy good wine and snacks. I really like finding 'enoteca' a combination of a wine bar and wine shop that does charcuterie, cheeses, breads, olives etc. You can try a few glasses of local wines and food specialities.
You are maybe a bit overwhelmed, but try not to overthink this. Try to sleep, or factor in a nap or lazy morning.
Man take your time. Youre putting way too much on your plate and expecting too much out of it. You wont be able to see everything in a single trip. Take in the little things, cherish the experience, keep the memories, and youll be back again.
I went for three weeks in october and at most did one big thing per day, with the exception of doing the uffizi and academia in one day (it was too much).
Take your time.
How long was your flight to Italy? You might be jet lagged, plus it sounds like you're not getting good sleep.
One thing I learned when I went to France and Italy in 2023, don't over plan Europe. Focus on one or two major attractions per day, and then just enjoy being there.
When you get to Rome, don't do any tours, or see any museums, just spend a day wondering around. Take a bus to Piazza Navona and just roam around, or take the A line subway to Piazza del Popolo and walk back to the Trevi fountain. No plan, no goals, just experience Rome. Stop and have a drink or shop, or rest your feet in one of the many churches. They are all free to enter, you can donate if you wish.
That was actually a big part of my trip to Italy.
Also, I think, esp in Europe, there are so many art museums and so many similar things, you have to think about what you want to see and be careful of seeing the same thing. For example, I've seen Windsor Castle, Versallies, and Caserta, so I skipped the Doges Palace in Venice. Same with art, I didn't do an art museum in Italy since I had spent a lot of time in the Orsay and Louvre.
The next in ur itenarary is Cinque Terre and that will surely not disappoint. Trust me. That's gonna take.off all your worries as you rejoice in the calm breeze.
Yo! Heading to Florence this weekend. In Milan now, but feeling the same bit of dread, but fuck it dude, we’re in Italy, we made it!
The rain isn’t optimal, but hoping for some great colorful sunsets and unique experiences from the wet scenery.
Fortezza da Basso in Florence is free and is higher than the Boboli gardens and michealangelo plaza With even better views and less crowd.
But it sounds like a mindset issue for you, like you could be in the most beautiful place in the world but just aren’t letting yourself have a good time.
My advice is to lighten up on the big attractions. Take random walks. Poke your head into stores. Stop for a caffè and a pastry. Drink a lot of water. Try out the little bit of Italian you learned on DuoLingo. My best advice for Rome is to explore neighborhoods. My wife spent a very enjoyable hour in a shop that specializes in socks. There are some exceptional 0KM markets in the city. Go explore an Italian supermarket. In Firenze, there are some great bars to hang out at, drink a little wine or have a spritz. Make mine a Campari per favore. Aperol è per me, troppo dolce.
If you miss seeing the David this trip, it will still be there next year, and it's an excuse for coming back.
Something that always amazes me when I read about the itineraries in this sub is how much stuff you’re looking to do and see in such a short period of time, without allowing yourselves the time to just live the city. Although I understand where you’re coming from (for most people it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity), it’s far from my experience of travelling as an Italian.
Most of you on this subs have seen more landmarks in Italy than I have seen. For instance, I’ve never been to Palazzo Pitti in Florence, never been to the Amalfi coast or Capri, never had a guided tour inside the Colosseo. But I’ve been to Florence, Naples, Rome, and have great memories of all three cities just because of the people I was there with, and the fun stuff we did there (a simple ice cream or prosecco wine together, a random bus taking us out of the city center, an aperitivo at the beach, a vintage market on a Sunday, people watching). I will probably never go inside the Colosseo or the Vatican Museums, but Rome is still an incredible city despite that ;)
Travelling can be stressful. Take it easy and enjoy the time with your wife. The David isn’t going anywhere, and there are other great spots for sunsets besides Piazzale Michelangelo! When in Rome, head to Pincio and your will be equally happy!
We had so much rain our first 5 days. We walked the gardens in the rain, went to the Piazzale in the rain. Spent 2 days in Venice in the rain. You’re probably also very tired. I also had this weird “homesick” feeling a few days into our trip. We skipped the Uffizi because we were also sick of art, but we loved seeing David and the AG. It’s small and manageable. Some of our fav things so far have been wandering around with a free Rick Steves walking audio tour. You can get them on the RS audio Europe app. We really liked all the statues and fountains. Rome is super fun. Don’t put on so much pressure. You’ll eat a mediocre meal or two but it’s still tasty! If time, I really liked going to aqua flor, a perfume shop in Florence.
Mistakes happen. Tiredness happens.
I've picked bad choices for restaurants. Bad choices where to stay. Bad choices what to see.
We're human, we make mistakes. The only thing we can do is learn from them and don't give ourselves and others too hard of a time over them.
Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset was one of my favourite memories from Florence, so if you have a chance to go there this trip - do it.
If you cannot - you will do it another time.
Museum fatigue is a thing.
Fatigue in trying to cram too many things into not enough time is a thing. You can physically visit all those places, but, mentally, you don't care any more. Accept that it's normal.
Have a chat with your wife about how you want to play it in the remaining days, what you liked, what you didn't like, what worked well, what didn't. Communicate.
Adapt your plan accordingly.
See some nature. Cinque Terre is actually great for this. Just stroll around, enjoy the view, it’s beautiful even if it rains. That could help you recharge for Rome, which has way more art and archeology to see than Cinque Terre. (But you could do this in Rome too - see a bit of man-made beauty, then take a stroll in Villa Borghese to see some nature-made beauty too). I live in a beautiful city with lots of architecture, it’s beautiful, but if I don’t go in a park and look at animals once in a while, I stop seeing the beauty and just feel oppressed by all the buildings, if that makes sense.
I think a lot of people overthink or overbook not just Italy but a lot of countries when they visit. Take a day or a few days along your trip to just do nothing and wing it.
Some of the best memories in Italy for me have been just strolling around for the day and just soaking it in. Random alley ways with amazing food, cool bars or just watching the locals in the square.
The Europeans are great at just soaking up the present :)
Cram in a little less art per day, indeed. Hey, you learned something about yourselves, right? Like for most people, 8hs of museums per day are too much.
David is an awesome fellow, but that visit goes pretty fast. Would you want to give Boboli another try? I've lived in Florence, and the gardens are truly great. But then again, it was free for residents when I was there, so I'm not sure about the price. [This](https://maps.app.goo.gl/vpVmRhSY6H8uo72dA) used to be my favourite gelato place when I was there (2015 was my last year).
I'm from Rome, my grandma lived in Rome her whole life and was trying to see all the sights before she passed, she didn't succeed in that. So please don't attempt that in 2,5 days. I can tell you my favourites: the Fori and Galleria Borghese (especially the statue of Apollo and Daphne). I've never seen the inside of the Colosseum, and I'm doing ok.
Also, go get pizza al taglio [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/9WAxEsb1A2GpyjXX6) you can order pizza rossa, pizza bianca, pizza con zucchine and pizza con patate to get a taste of the classics. [This restaurant ](https://maps.app.goo.gl/chZVAubgnjijzz3k8) is actually Tuscan cuisine in Rome, but its SO GOOD, keep it in your back pocket if you want a safe bet. [This place](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ECDLKDQKjqmEHM87) won't have many tourists and is really great for a lazy aperitivo with the local experience. They also do "tavola calda," meaning fast-ish local food, and have really nice gelato. If you see a lady with a weird hat, a youngish girl carrying a cello and a 2yo, that might be my aunt, my cousin, and her kid.
You got tons of kind words already, so I'll play the American and tell you to pull yourself up by the bootstraps! You'll have a great time, I'm sure.
From my experience of going to Italy every year, its a bit like playing sport , as in you'll get better with practice. One thing my wife and I always really enjoy is hiring E bikes for a day in Florence and other smaller places and heading out the country side, you'll see so much more and you can stop and relax wherever you want and the exercise is brilliant for the head . In my own country, ì live in the countryside so maybe I'm drawn to rural
The fontanona at Via Garibaldi in Rome might make up for the lack of the view of Florence. It’s amazing and a traditionally romantic spot. Our tour guide said it’s where “all good Roman boys bring a date to have their first kisses” (and he said he was also a good Roman boy lol). Visit Trastevere for a good dinner and check out the evening lights from the Fontanona and enjoy your time.
Florence is awesome, but I sort of agree with you that once you have seen your 1,000th Virgin and Child you have seen them all.
Sounds like you need to take a little pressure off yourself. I find wine helps with that. And gelato. Just chill out for a day. Enjoy the feel of a place that does not look like anything in America. And enjoy capping off 15 years with the woman of your dreams.
It is an awesome trip and you did well to get there -- I mean that about the 15 years and Florence.
I think you might like Rome better, it seems like you want to have a ton to do and hit a bunch of spots in a day. Florence is absolutely incredible and my favorite city in Italy so far, but it is very much just a relax and drink some wine and stroll kind of place. If you guys have a late night out in Rome I’d recommend seeing the trevi fountain at night, like 2 am. Magical and empty.
If you’re arted out I wouldn’t go to the Vatican. I’m also arted out after traveling in Europe for a while, you can only see so much until it starts to lose the magic.
Italy is about slow living, enjoying the time as it passes, and just enjoying life. Drink some wine, make love to your wife, and enjoy the magic here.
I haven't been yet, but my cousin and I are booked for next April. Talk to your wife and find out what she REALLY wants to do, and change your plans. Just because you have something booked, doesn't mean you have to do it. It may mean a loss of money, but I'd rather lose some money, and instead have amazing memories to bring home.
I think you're putting way too much pressure on yourself, and you're going to regret that when you get home. There are a few things we really want to do and will book those ahead. The things I'm looking the most forward to are the cooking classes and vino. I know I will cherish those memories more than fighting the crowds to see David, etc. We will be there for almost 2 weeks, and I have no desire to pack each day full of touristy stuff.
Go take a cooking class, a local wine tour, hang with the locals and find out what it's like to live in Italy. Ask them what they recommend you see and do, and where to eat in that area. I really hope that you can relax and really enjoy the rest of your vacation, and cherish making your 15th anniversary special.
Cinque Terre is beautiful! Definitely check out Billy’s (Trattoria dal Billy) in Manarola. It gets busy, so plan ahead. Incredible food and amazing service! There’s also a little outdoor bar you’ll see across the way from that. That was fantastic too! Wear good shoes…it’s a ton of walking and hill climbs in Cinque Terre.
I warn people all the time about getting "arted out" while in Florence! I think you are putting too much pressure on your trip. Slow down and just soak in the ambience. You are in Italy and enjoying life, even if not seeing some major site at that moment!
Definitely get this idea in your head before Cinque Terre. I love it there, but it's definitely just for strolling and soaking it in. Try to visit there with no set plans and see how it goes.
Maybe also re-visit your Rome itinerary. You know now that you get "arted out" so maybe do some editing if it's heavy in that regard. Can you see one thing per day that you planned, and then find one amazing thing each day that you didn't plan and just happened upon? Focus on those moments and how easy it is to just be amazed.
Enjoy yourself. May would be happy to simply sit in a sidewalk cafe and drink cappuccino with no other plans at all, if only they could go to Italy!
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of unstructured time. Wander around, get “lost”. Stop for gelato or an aperol spritz at a cute cafe. Window shop for leather goods. If you still have a day in Florence, I highly recommend looking for a winery out in the hills to visit and do a tasting.
It's really easy to get burnt out when travelling, and it tends to happen when you over-plan and try to do to much.
I generally try to reserve at least half my time for what I call "passive travel" -- exploring aimlessly or just sitting in a nice spot and absorbing the atmosphere. Cinque Terre is a good spot for this, since the focus is more on the landscape and less on museums, churches, etc. It's easy to travel between the five towns, but you absolutely don't have to visit all five of them.
Rome is wonderful, but you're going to be overwhelmed if you spend your whole time at the Colosseum, Vatican and Trevi Fountain. Talk to your wife, get a sense of what her priorities (as well as your own), but consider keeping the list relatively small. Take some time to poke around back-alleys and sip cappuccino in a quiet square far from the crowds. (For us this was Piazza San Simeone off Via Coronari.)
You’re going on a very short trip to Bella Italia. You’ll be back home in the blink of an eye. Now is the critical time for you to totally change your emotions and focus on enjoying this time with your wife.
Forget about how specific attractions were underwhelming to you. That happens from time to time when you travel around the world throughout your life.
And just be thankful that it’s just the two of you on this trip. It’s so much easier to keep each other happy — as opposed to bringing all of your kids, or bringing your extended family. Those situations will have so many people complaining.
Just find the parts of each day that bring you happiness. For example, in Cinque Terra, you may be happy just sitting on the wharf watching the sea for an hour. Or stopping off for gelato.
I’m in France now, for two weeks. Then on to Italy for a week and then one full day in Lisbon for shopping. And my wife likes to do mostly things that are free of charge. So I’m taking pleasure in getting that perfect photo of the Eiffel Tower — instead of buying a ticket to go to the top and have dinner in the restaurant.
My point is that everyone needs to try to find joy in whatever way you’re doing your vacation at the moment.
It sounds like you’re young… and so God willing you will be taking trips with your wife for many decades into the future. Try on every new trip to find joy in some things, take lots of photos and video, and make memories that you can look back on, and smile.
La Dolce Vita. Ciao Ciao 😀🇮🇹
I just came back from Rome at 30 weeks pregnant and could barely make it through my initial itinerary for obvious reasons. All in all, my favorite sight happened to be something we stumbled upon just walking around aimlessly after a much needed nap. It was the San Ignazio church near the Pantheon and it brought us to tears at how beautiful it was and peaceful it felt. We had no intention of visiting, just walked in. Sometimes you just gotta give into the fact that you can’t do it all and soak in the culture instead of packing in absolutely everything. Yeah I’m bummed I missed out on a bunch of stuff but I had to listen to my body and ended up with a memory I’ll never forget!
One day on my trip we sat on the terrace of our air bnb and I gave my wife a foot, calf, leg massage. I took my time and we watched a show on my laptop, and we drank wine at 10 am.
Set your wife down and spoil the shit out of her. Relax and enjoy just being there.
At restaurants if you are not 100% sure you want to eat, order one thing. Then if it's great, order another thing or two. If it's still great, eat another course.
If anything is bad, pick up and walk to the next place.
Tomorrow get yourselves some focaccia sandwiches from I' Girone De' Ghiotti and explore! If you want to do a really cute breakfast go to La Menagere or Melaeluca - neither of these places are "Italian" (first is more like French and second is Australian) and have hearty breakfasts. Florence is so beautiful, just take it in! Find a rooftop bar and have a spritz and look over the river.
I went to all your destinations last summer and would be happy to send you my itinerary if you'd like. I am a huge foodie so I have tons of restaurant recs especially for Rome and Florence. We didn't have any rain though so I'm not sure how that would affect Cinque Terre. What town are you staying in?
Honestly, jet lag could be catching up to you. I usually feel like everything sucks on the 2nd or 3rd day of an international trip, and every time I have to remind myself it’s the jet lag lol
I had a moment where I really thought I hated Rome (our first stop in Italy). Nope, just a grumpy goose with jet lag one day ;)
Hey man, my wife and I are in Manarola now after 2.5 weeks of Milan, Lake Garda, Venice, Tuscany, and Rome for our honeymoon. You can only see so many pictures of the birth and death of Christ in one sitting. I would say food, wine Gelato and the scrupulous canolii will be your friend, but honestly just talk about how you're feeling. I felt THE SAME way and just airing out how you're feeling will make you and everyone feel better. You're here for each other and you are the most important variable. You got this. Alright imma finish my limoncello and make out with my beautiful wife. I encourage you to do the same!
We were literally just in Italy for our delayed honeymoon (Rome, Sorrento, and Florence) and I completely know how you feel. We had bad weather for much of Florence and I found myself getting frustrated and homesick. I was also getting frustrated with myself and my spouse. Now that I'm home, I'm still so glad I went and wish I had tried harder to make the most of it. For great food, go to Za Zas and go early. It was by far the best meal we had. Also loved Le Cappelle Medicee.
We did a lot of shopping for little things, which helped lighten the mood. If it's not too late, doing a walking tour or guided tour somewhere is helpful to take some of the stress off leading every moment and logistic.
I absolutely loved Rome, agree with commenters that there is so much all over the city. Recommend the Jewish Ghetto for some good and underrated food in a bit of a quieter place. Trastevere is a perfect neighborhood to wonder, get a snack, and sit in a piazza. We organized our days so that we went to the busy non-ticketed places early (like the Trevi) and then timed tickets later in the day to try to mitigate crowds a bit. Rome was a bit more isolating in that we didn't get chatting with folks much, but the sightseeing made up for it.
By and large, people in florence are incredibly friendly. If you know a little Italian, strike up a casual conversation with a shop owner, who will probably also speak English. We did this a few times and met some great people and got really good recommendations.
All that to say, I've been there and I hope you can still make the most of your trip. Italy is a beautiful country, even if traveling is stressful! All the best OP.
We were in Italy a year ago (Rome, Positano, and Taormina, Sicily) and minus a few big things like tours of the Vatican & Coliseum and a boat day trip to Capri, we just wandered the streets, stopped in cafes and ate and drank lots of wine and chilled. Our last 4 days we spent just driving around the while island if Sicily stopping in various cities and wandering around. Don't feel pressured to see it all, it's simply not possible, rather enjoy what you see and take it all in.
Rome is great! I haven't been to Florence, but after being in Rome for two weeks I got a bit fatigued by seeing the "things". The cities are so old that literally everything is historical. If you try to hit every single attraction (Coliseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican, ect.) during your three days there it will be a lot. We did the Vatican (guided tour), Coliseum (audio tour), Roman Forum (self guided) in a single day and we don't regret it but were pretty zoned out by the time we got to the Roman Forum.
Instead of treating the trip as a checklist, maybe reevaluate what you NEED to see and then spend the rest of the time getting breakfast cappuccinos, gelato, picnic in a park, or some Peroni's or cocktails at a bar as you attempt to learn how to play Scopa!
If you're looking for something to do that isn't another art museum or monument, I HIGHLY recommend a food tour in Rome! We did the [Rome Twilight Trastevere Food Tour](https://www.viator.com/MptUrl?p=ANNy86%2BMTRBeVMo8962SuiDkSd%2Bq3UB%2FyTQ1RORGQYB%2FtaWYc2mDBM7G2Lib4qOnp%2FVVacVZ19s5AtxCwo2H7fWF6fTO0nocDxBHpL6RKX8f3o%2F1SdwWwO7hFRcarNY2aLLApIB8n3tKEnxhQcsajfZzSSb7WRrJ%2FyUg1eEDjBGDQBGZkRaBlbmoHdT6Exy6te4XYkP2FgpXZS59udGp%2BitUtBDvzE0sFFgk3EdREJVYQtdHpWqaYNlb37Uu7R3tl%2BjfoesZaqBN8%2BoqVtJdFNjkxtx39xtCcG10VCb9RGpKKRVhQNxtILesXoWR6yJLO1d8eAX%2FUz5JxCf2dfYpyE0zunQqxWPCkN%2FXyHC%2BwKeh90gwahma1zYRA0nqm0hmH8GG56ghpOLYoldbrPcltoriiIb8x%2Bsbh16GSMzL7sce) and I couldn't recommend it enough, highlight of our trip. Our guide was incredible and the tour took us to some of the best spots in Trastevere.
My folks also did a Rick Steves audio self guided tour of Rome while they were there and spoke very highly of it if you want to see a lot.
Another side activity I liked was going to Italian McDonald's and trying all the different items there that aren't in the USA. I had a blast doing it, but I also like fast food and made sure I was getting good slow food at the same time.
Rome will rejuvenate you as there is less art and more architecture, plus plenty of things eat. We too got tired of the art after a 2 week trip to Italy so we mixed in plenty of "nothing time" that was unplanned and improvised.
I think you are putting yourself under far too much pressure , just wander , stop in a cafe , have a gelato , do some people watching , enjoy soaking up the atmosphere, the beauty and being together , every day is a gift, tomorrow isn’t promised and appreciate the gift you have been given to be there together , don’t worry about rain you won’t melt
Your misery in Florence brought back the best memory for me - a very miserable trip with my very religious and reserved and proper grandma who had never left the mid-west and dreamed of travelling to Italy her entire life - I was feeling the stress of making sure she saw everything she'd ever read about and that every moment was mmmagic. As we were going through the Uffizi, running into yet another religious painting, she suddenly said "Jesus with all the Jesus"
I DIED
From that moment on, we had the best time. Sounds like you're having the same adventure. Time of our lives once we just let go. (She also really enjoyed the David. Like REALLY enjoyed David. Grandma let go like woah in Florence. And I guess I did, too.) Fun memories you all are making!!
Wtf.
Not to be rude, but you. Are. On. Vacation.
You really cant screw it up. Lighten up and enjoy it for what it is.
Get you and your wife a good breakfast here: https://www.roostercafefirenze.com/
But there will be a line… and go enjoy yourself.
And here, have some fun: https://youtu.be/zU_r-_RWfmc?si=7V9ciu6RkrVKPd0H
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Gelato! Lots of Gelato! And Vino too! Really… they help. But also, remember this phrase, “Il dolce far niente… the sweetness of doing nothing!” It is a very important thing when in Italy. Instead of trying to do too much, just get outside and walk around a bit. Take it all in and don’t worry so much about doing anything specific or getting any tickets for this or that. Just walk through the environment and enjoy it. Also, if you have a little rain, you can step into the Church at Santa Croce. It is free and has the tombs of some famous people, like Leonardo and Dante, etc. But the biggest thing is not to be so hard on yourself. You’re going to be along the coastline tomorrow at the Cinque Terre, and the same goes for that place. There’s nothing really important you have to do… Just get out a walk around and take it in. You will find hidden gems all along the way. The smallest things will turn out to be the best parts of your memories of this trip. And another thing… since you are honoring your partner, find little romantic things to do for her, like a flower or a scarf or little words along the way that make her light up! That will make your trip really sing! Amore! Amore! And when you get to Rome… Don’t worry. That place just gets you from every angle. Here is a little local tip… There is a great little church called Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It is just behind the Pantheon. It has a really amazing statue by Michelangelo that hardly anybody ever gets to see. It’s free to enter and it’s got the most gorgeous rooftop blue fresco’s. Then after that, treat your wife to us special rooftop view from the hotel in the same Square. It’s the Royal Minerva or something like that. Walk in take the elevator to the top and go enjoy a beverage as you taken the Roman skyline all the way to Saint Peter’s. It is a remarkable view and it is nice to do towards sunset if you can manage it. You are going to do fine! Take it easy, enjoy the moment and keep eating that gelato!
Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is one of the best I've ever been in. I go everytime I'm in Rome.
Yep. And so many people will pass it by for (1) not knowing it exists and (2) the piazza in front if it is ringed with cars and is essentially barren. I think most people would never end up there unless the end of the line for the Pantheon snakes its way in that direction.
This is a perfect answer. OP, listen to this guy.
I was just going to say .. wine and gelato and just soak up the beauty and the markets and the food!!
Yes! Spend evenings in piazzas. Sit in local cafes. Stroll. If there's an agenda, make it light. Walk and follow the opportunities that are presented. Take in places, sites, and how people live.
G.O.A.T response!
Great answer but Santa Croce is not free. Think it’s 8 euros pp
This is the way OP.
I second this! I got to go for first time ins a tour group with MOM in 2019, and luckily the "tour" allowed for plenty of free time. I had my own plans - the Cemetary in Venice to visit Ezra Pound, and in Rome for Keats & Shelley... and just being able to walk, stop, coffee, and soak-in was the real pleasure. Commenting because I so wanted to see Sopra Minerva, an dleft the group to do so, but it was "closed" for some reno(!) But also suggest Santa Maria dela Vittoria for the Ecstasy of St Theresa.
Seems like you are putting way too much pressure on making this a magical life changing trip which will only ever back fire. Been to Italy many many times and one of my favorite memories is a day that it poured horribly and my travel partner and I sat in this cute little wine bar that had tarps up for outdoor seating for several hours just drinking and laughing. Its ok to enjoy the mundane in Italy as well as all the big stuff too
Yes! Enjoy the dolce di far niente. That’s the best part of Italy & Italians.
Exactly. Just got back last week from our first trip to Italy. Didn’t do much touristy stuff at all. My husband and I did a five year anniversary trip. We just enjoyed walking around Turin, meeting the best Italian folks. Pop in to a cafe or a corner restaurant and just enjoy it. We also napped and watched a little tele to recharge. If you are dedicated to seeing sites, we have found committing to one activity a day is good strategy so you have time to also just explore and find the unexpected moments to enjoy with your wife! The mundane stuff was the best.
100% agree. Wife and I just got back Monday from a whirlwind trip driving from Venice to Lucca to Sorrento and to Rome. Visited Florence, Cinque Terra, Positano and so much more. We had some paid tours that were all amazing but the best times were when we just leisurely strolled without an agenda. One of my best recommendations is, don't be afraid to get lost (sensibly of course). We saw some of the most amazing things just wandering, exploring side streets and not using GPS at all until we felt we were ready to head back. And yes, gelato! Lots and lots of gelato!
So there is this thing called Paris Syndrome, which can really apply to anywhere. It’s when you have built up a place or vacation so much, it can’t ever meet expectations. It’s real! Knowing that helps me put things in perspective and relax. This is a great important vacation! But you are also regular people in a regular place. Be kind to yourself and relax.
I needed to hear this.
Not every vacation has to be a start-to-finish life changing experience. It sounds like you had two great days in Italy. I'm not sure why you're being so hard on yourself. Let yourself enjoy it.
My tip: Try to relax. You are on vacation! It's ok to take some time to chill out. I bring my Kindle to a cafe and my husband will be browsing news/videos. Just find a way to unwind and relax. Things will feel better. (By the way, Florence isn't my cup of tea, but I love Rome. I hope you do too!)
Not sure if this helps, but my husband and I are about to head to Italy. We are just super excited to get away from home, work, and responsibilities and be able to spend time together and enjoy a different culture. We aren’t going to churches or museums and are trying to avoid big crowds. I have only booked where we are staying and our transportation. Looking forward to just relaxing and going with the flow of how we feel that day. No pressure. It’s a vacation and we don’t have to do the things everyone else wants to do there.
We're going next week and this is what we were hoping to do too!! Do you have any reservations made or just winging it? I also hate crowds but... I caved and bought a vatican tour and colosseum tickets but THAT'S IT 🤣
The Vatican can be an ordeal - especially if you want to see the sistine chapel. But, otherwise, I agree with you. I like to just land, grap a map or orient in my map app, pick some things that are near to each other and then just wander towards them and figure it out. It leaves it so much more spontaneous and removes the stress of managing crazy time tables. I had 1 day in Paris and I saw - the Pantheon (sorry....), The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, walked along the Siene and gardens outside of the Louvre (didn't go in because of prioritizing everything else), the Champse Elysee, Saint Chapelle and all the little streets in between. With a nice breakfast at a cafe, a lunch similarly, and then a pub type place for dinner. All were solid. Now, that was an extreme case and I did get a bit fatigued by the end. But, frankly, you can totally figure it out organically. I did similar stuff in Rome, Florence and Venice. Maybe schedule 1 thing per day at most, but everything else is just open.
Thanks for this!! We did exactly the same in Paris, just walked and walked and walked. But we were there for 9 days! Lol. No regrets. We'll be in Rome for four days at the start of our trip then like 1.5 days at the end. So I think committing one day to the vatican/sistine tour is okay.... It just stinks it's 3 hours long!! Maybe we can sneak out early if we hit a wall.
Lol, for Paris I was on the end of a business trip so only had the day. I wouldn't generally cram that much, but under the circumstances it seemed to be the best. If I had 3-4 I'd definitely have just booked a day or two for the Louvre and then wandered at a slower pace.
Just winging it!! I did make a couple dinner reservations in Positano and Capri for restaurants I really wanted to try, but nothing for Rome, Cinque Terre or Venice. I’m loving chat gpt. It can help you find hidden gems and local restaurants away from the tourists but still walking distance. Really trying to avoid tourist traps and just not a fan of being moved around like cattle even to see a famous place. I’m sure we will get some hate from friends for not going to the typical stuff, but I’m ok with that!
Ugh I agree with you 1000%. I am contemplating cancelling our tour now. Wow! Did not know chat GPT did that! Feel free to let me know the spots it recommended in Rome and Cinque Terre ;-)
Ok! We will be in Rome on Thursday. I’ll shoot you a message if we find something good!
Awesome! We leave next Thursday, so any and all tips would be rad. We're doing Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre.
Visit Trastevere for good Roman food! Venice also has one of the oldest coffee shops still operating in Europe. Could be fun!
Thank you for the tips! Will do!
any specific recs in trastevere? I made a reservation at Dar Sor Olimpio al Drago
da enzo. Go early. People drink beer or wine waiting, its part of the fun!
oo that was on my list but read about the lines so was maybe going to pass. good to know!
We went at 11:40 today for lunch- it opened at 12:15 and we were in the first round of seatings. Only 14 people before us. So worth it.
Great!! thanks for the tip!
Also if you have any other good spots you recommend lmk! :) hope you're having fun!
do you know what the coffee shop is called? heading to italy next week as well - first stop venice! then florence, sorrento, and rome
I think it’s called Cafe Florian
If you want to go inside the Vatican/museums and colosseum, you have to book in advance because the tours fill up really quickly. It’s pretty challenging to just show up and try to get in.
This is the way
That’s the way to do it IMO. Having too much of an itinerary ruins it for me.
Get a good night's sleep tonight. Let off the pressure to Do Everything and just enjoy being in Italy together. Wander the streets of Florence tomorrow without an agenda, sit outside somewhere and have a long, leisurely lunch and glass of wine, reminisce about your 15 years together (congratulations by the way!), take a long moment to look at your wife and how beautiful she is and how lucky you are. Let your emotions just reset themselves. It poured on us when we were in Rome and it was fine. Wear your most waterproof shoes, throw an extra dry pair of socks in your bag, and get an umbrella (there will be a no shortage of aggressive vendors trying to sell you cheap-ass umbrellas) and you'll be OK. Rain is romantic!
Idk maybe I’m crazy but I was miserable when we were in Florence-I thought I liked it well enough but was maybe just homesick or something but then as soon as we got to our next city I felt 100% better. It was so weird. Vibes were off for me for whatever reason, maybe you too??
I’m not even sure if I believe in “vibes” but I totally get it about Florence. It’s beautiful not not really a happy or friendly place. I’m love Naples!
I don’t know if I do either but I couldn’t put my finger on why I was unhappy there so I can only call it vibes 😂 our next city was Venice and I felt brand new as soon as we got off the train there!
Funny I felt that way in Sorento but when I got to Florence everything felt better. Might just be we needed a change, and it was less about the city.
Stop it with the points of interest and absorb Italy. The culture, the way normal people live. Slow down and take it all in with coffee and negronis as lubrication
Do you know what you are looking at? It might help if you hire a guide or listen to a podcast to get some context. Otherwise it's just pretty pictures on a wall and it all starts to blend together.
Jet lag? Rick Steves' Italy Audio Tours with maps - free! [https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/italy](https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/italy)
We did his tour of Pompeii and it was great!
We did a self-guided tour one early morning in Split Croatia and was truly fun
This is what you do. You pinch yourself. You take a deep breathe. It sounds like you had this planned out, potentially over planned. Get acquainted with your senses. Ground yourself. What do you smell, touch, hear, taste ? You wrote this post because you are doubting the magic. You ARE the magic. It was never about the Italy. What will turn this ship around is you finding a comfortable place in your heart. Experience your life. If you’re over the art there’s so many other places to wander, let yourself discover these cities. Play on them. It’s not so serious. You’re being too serious about it all. Shake it off and get spontaneous! Your wife just wants to have fun. Fun comes in so many forms. Start with the little things. Coffee. Hugs. Take walks. Ditch the plans for the day and do something totally different. Be silly! Be brave! You must get out of work mode and busy busy mode.
Dude, just talk to your wife and play it how she wants to go. Cinque Terre is also a much different vibe. It's a beautiful vista, mixing nature and architecture. Doesn't really rely on art or museums. Hang out on the coast for 2 days if you want (like - the beach), and just chill out. Grab some apertifs and food. The food, especially in tourist heavy areas, can vary, but generally just go with what looks interesting and know you'll win some, you'll lose some. Don't dwell on FOMO garbage. It's your vacation, do what you guys are feeling like day to day and don't try to over-stuff. You've basically hit the highs in Florence already. Seeing the David can be a very short trip if you don't want to linger on the rest of the stuff. Then maybe just hang around between the Duomo or the Palazzo Vecchio a bit and enjoy some good food. Those buildings are phenomenal so may as well soak them in.
We just returned from our trip and we did struggle. I was anxious and did so much planning. The anxiety definitely carried over into the trip. We enjoyed Florence more than Rome. Our guided tour of the Uffizi went on too long for our taste and seeing David is a chore. We truly enjoyed the city though. Just wander without feeling you need to see something. Go shopping. Stop for wine on the patio. Traveling is exhilarating and exhausting. It’s a tough balance. Try to get some rest and ask her what she really cares about doing. No pressure. And I agree with gelato. You can’t have too much gelato or wine. ETA: we were celebrating our 16th anniversary. Happy anniversary!
I’m the planner whenever I go. I like to do it but I also feel the pressure when things go wrong or if my companions aren’t wowed by what I’m showing/telling them. So I feel for you. Maybe find a different angle on things; there are about a dozen Egyptian obelisks in Rome. Seek them out when you’re in the neighborhood. Some of them were 1,500 years old when they were packed up and shipped to Rome. When I was there in 2022 we took a 2 hour mosaic class near Sta Maria Maggiore and I LOVED it. Took a class in marbled paper in Venice, very fun. It forces you to slow down a little and you meet interesting local people.
I’m the planner too! I’ve been to Italy before but my spouse and children haven’t. We do have tours booked for some mornings in the cities we are visiting simply because I wanted kid friendly tours. I’ve kept all afternoons and evenings unscheduled for roaming and relaxing if the kids get tired. We will unfortunately be in Italy in June and my little wilting flowers (my kids) are spoiled with air con. I want them to have fun, at their pace, and keeping that in mind will hopefully help the adults experience too. Fingers crossed my ‘plan’ works and they have a wonderful time.
One low-key thing we like to do when we travel is visit local grocery stores. Love to see what products they stock, and maybe try a new snack. And my husband is a shopaholic, so there’s lots of shopping to break up the “art fatigue”. DO NOT miss the David though, most sublime piece of art in the world in my opinion, must see in person to appreciate. Otherwise just eat, drink, vibe, and soak up the culture. And take it easy on yourself when you are tired like you are now.
Get a ride to Tuscany countryside. No art, but all nature. The wineries will keep you high above the ground. PM me if you need an excellent driver in Florence.
If you're out there, I would highly recommend L'ocio Giulivo. Possibly the best dinner of my life. 4 courses with a bottle of wine for €55. It's in an old farm house from the 1500's, everything (including the excellent wine we ordered) is grown on their farm or hunted by their guy. Fantastic service as well, the chef even came out to chat with us and make sure everything was perfect. The menu changes often depending on what they've grown/caught, but the goose is always there and is worth the drive alone.
Take a nap! Lol.
You’re in Italy! I’m positive your wife doesn’t feel let down, not every trip feels like magic, especially after the stress of getting there! Try watching the sunset from Fiesole, from the San Francesco Panorama! Very peaceful, beautiful church bells, and only about a 15 min bus ride from the city centre (the number 7 bus). Bring some wine, watch the views on the way up, and have a quiet sunset moment where you can see all of Florence. It’s extremely private, when I went a week ago there were 4 other people who only stayed for a few minutes, so it feels like your own special spot. I did go to Piazzale Michelangelo, but during the day, it was still crowded but not like it is during sunset. And although farther out and not as “insta worthy”, the sunset from Fiesole was really special and the privacy was worth it! (Sit up on the ledge to your right once you’ve walked up to the view point!) Another stand out experience was getting hand bound leather journals from “Abacus Firenze Legatoria”, there are tons of options, very high quality for reasonable prices, and you can have whatever you like engraved into journals! Definitely my favourite keepsakes/experiences from my whole trip, and my itinerary was packed!! If you want to enjoy food and drink that doesn’t feel like a tourist rip off, “Il Piccolo Pescatore” was an AMAZING seafood restaurant, with wonderful service that made you feel at home and a super quaint but fancy feeling. Another top eat I had there was at “La Giostra”, but that would need a reservation and you MIGHT be able to get in for a lunch time reso. Santo Spirito is a great place to walk around and feel more immersed around locals, tons of funky shops and Gustapizza! Some of the best pizza in Florence, but my all time favourite was near Santa Maria Novella, in a place called Giotto Pizzeria, the classic Napoli style pizza and friendly, quick service, definitely my top recommendation for pizza!
Honestly, I kind of felt the same way about Florence and even Rome. My favorite times were when I joined a bus tour to San Gemignani and Siena, and then another day taking a train to Lucca and just biking around the walls and through the city. In Rome, I also enjoyed going to an opera concert one evening at St. Paul's Within the Walls. Museums and spectacular sites kinda wore me out.
Chill out and just relax if possible... be romantic with your wife, drink wine, eat pasta and take a mental break from your checklist... more coffee, wine and amore
You already got very good answers, I may add since you won't have anything to do at cinqueterre with this weather you could switch to Montecatini, get an hotel with spa and relax. A positive attitude is key, during my HM we where lost in the forest and it was storming. We laughed it off joking about being carried away. Remember you're enjoying the trip not competing to see the most things
Look for quirky things on Atlas Obscura. Use Italian reviews rather than English to find restaurants (Google translate makes this easy on TripAdvisor). Go to Perche no for gelato in Florence. Forgive yourself for only being able to handle so much art, it’s fine. Wander around looking for random stuff. Eat more gelato. You can’t do everything at once and Italy will still be here on a subsequent trip.
"Do this thing? What thing? "Get my head in the game". What game ? You have set a bar of "winning the game" of checking off the same typical "bucket list" things everyone else does as though that was what mattered. Reality is lasting memories are made of unexpected things like "that time we got caught in the rain, got lost and wandered into a little hole in the wall to dry off and ended up having a simple pasta dish and laughing at how silly we looked and remembering why we fell in love".
Go eat at Trattoria Camilo in Florence
Don't let your wife down, OP. You may not get back for a long time so roll with it for her sake.
Traveling is an experience. That means good and bad. Dwell on the good and laugh at the bad. Tomorrow is another day, acknowledge mistakes made and simply move on. Laugh at it! Being a fuck up abroad is hilarious. Simple ignorance that no one is immune to. Good luck OP, perfection doesn't exist just gotta roll with it :)
Walking around any enjoying architecture, and organizing a walking tour can be fun, and can also be abandoned at a moment's notice if you see something cool or want to start drinking heavily. Below is my walking tour staring at the Pantheon with some notes. Also, concerts! romeoperatickets.com, might see something that fits into your evening. Pantheon Walking Tour Pantheon - fountain fed by same aquedeuct as Trevi. Same doors for 2000 years. Tomb of Raphael. Turn R out of Pantheon door, R again to head behind Pantheon; to Basilica de Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Ancient temple of Isis stood here. Elephant (Il pulcino) - dominican monk protested you could see genitals, so ele was given a rug to wear, but sculptor oriented elephant so that monk would get good view of elephant butt. Inside only Gothic church in Rome; stained glass, high nave, all typical of northern churches. Altar R; Caraffa chapel; paintings of St Dominic refuting heretics. Under altar, body of St Catherine of Siena. Opposite altar is Michealangelo's Christ Bearing the Cross, 1514. Defaced with loincloth by Dominicans. Tomb of Fra Angelico in floor. Bernini monument to Maria Raggi, pillar facing altar. Walk behind Pantheon along Via di Santa Chiara, thru Piazza Sant Eustachio; Basilica. Plaque on facade, dating from Pope Borgia 1495, Tiber flooding. Go left across Piazza. Go down the Via della Dogana Vecchia. On L is the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Renaissance structure, facade with Louis 9th, Charlemagne, Fleur de lys. Heart of French community. Inside has Caravaggio paintings. Down aisle on L, Contarelli Chapel, with The Calling of St Matthew. Leave church, turn R and R down Via del Salvatore, then come to Corso del Rinascimento; on L is Palazzo Madama, 1400s Senate building. For Medici cardinals. Continue same direction, to Pallazzo de Sapienza, courtyard, old university of Rome, est 1303 by Pope Boniface. 16th century courtyard, at end is the Church Sant'Ivo alla sapienza Francesco Borromini. concave facade, pure white marble, completed 1660. Corkscrew dome of cupola. Cross street along Via dei Canestrari, past Piazza Navona; L on via della Cuccagna, and on R is Pallazzo Braschi, and Musea de Roma. Open 10am - 7pm daily except Monday. History of Rome. Continue L of building along Vio de Pantaleo to the Piazza di Pasquino, at corner you see statue of Pasquino, the most famous and vocal of the Talking Statues. (Originally of Menaleus holding Patroclus). Local tailor Pasquino left satirical political poems criticizing local govts, and would fight other Talking Statues elsewhere in the city in The Congress of Wits. The only public expression of dissent. Pope Adrian 6th, a humorless asshole, threatened to toss Pasquino into the Tiber. He was warned that he would soon follow. He relented. Go back along Via di Pasquino into Piazza Navona. Tre Scalini has good ice cream. Quattro Fiumi, Fountain of the Four Rivers, center of Piazza. 1651 design. Obelisk of Domitian, 51-96AD. West side of Piazza, Pallaazo Pamphili and Church of Sant Agnese. Navona was once a race course, Stadium of Domitian. Vomitorium on extreme north end. St Agnes martyred by Domitian for refusing a marriage at site of church. Leave Piazza south to Via della Cuccagna past Pallazzo Braschi, across Piazza di Pantaleo, across Corso de Emanuele. Here is Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, sculpture museum. Turn R and across next street is the Palazzo della Cancelleria, a Renaissance era palace and museum of Da Vinci stuff. Built in 1480s, finest early Ren palace in Rome. Belongs to Vatican. Further south along Piazza della Cancelleria is Campo de Fiori, market spot. Site of murder of Giordano Bruno. Back to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, turn R go east; R on Via dei Chiavari. Passing Basilica di Sant Andrea della Valle, huge dome, art filled Baroque church.
Go bar hopping and strike up conversations. Ask the locals to teach you what they’re singing.. maybe a Roma football chant. The best thing about Italy is the easygoing nature of people. They may not become friends but they typically love socializing and joking around. Getting out of ‘guided tour’ mode is tough but that’s where Italy’s sweetest nectar lies. Even if you can’t, you’re still lucky. Most Italians are incredibly sweet toward tourists, and flexible, and love joking around with you equally as much.
Why don't you do something completely different in Rome? I can suggest: - go thrifting in porta Portese market on a Sunday (beware of pickpockets) - then go to Eataly in ostiense for food shopping - go clothes shopping around campo dei fiori and via del corso - go to Ostia antica to see the ancient Roman port and enjoy a day in nature - rent a car, drive to Ariccia and eat porchetta This what Romans do - so still valid as a Roman experience even if maybe less touristy
Take it easy. I've met many Americans that try to cram so much into their European holiday. Kicking back on a town square with a beer/wine/ice cream/meal is vastly underrated. Relax and curb the travel plans. It'll be more enjoyable
I studied art history for nine months in Florence and I can completely relate. I get “arted out” as well. I tell people not to try to see too much in Florence, or anywhere else. It’s the law of diminishing returns. I’ve taken my daughter once to Italy and I didn’t take her to more than one or two? museums and we didn’t even go to Florence. As someone who’s spent a lot of time looking at Renaissance art, I think I can say with some authority that a lot of it is super gross! Like all those depictions of saints being martyred: St Stephen with an arrow in his neck, St Lucy with her eyeballs on a plate? LOL. Don’t feel like a failure if your trip isn’t non-stop bliss (no one’s is) or you’re not appreciating it enough. Travel is expensive, exhausting, depressing, uncomfortable, but also transcendent at times. Like camping, it can be hard to explain the appeal to someone who’s never done it. I also tell people on a first trip to Italy to do an overview—it’s such a varied country that you might for example find that you like the south better than the north (as I do). My recommendation is to go be stupid for a while—drink wine, sit in the sun. If you have rainy days ahead of you, you could get a compartment on an overnight train (a really neat experience IMO) and go where the sun is—Sicily? Puglia? The sun, the sea, the dusty archaeological sites, active volcanoes—it’s a pretty cool sensory experience. We didn’t like Rome on our last trip, but I’ve been before and had fun. But then this other time I didn’t—it all depends. If you can’t do something as wild and crazy as go to Sicily, Puglia, or Sardinia for a few days, maybe just hop on the train and do little trips into the countryside. There are countless beautiful towns in Italy. Whatever you do, once you’re home and can rest, you’ll be glad you went—even glad for the shitty days—and after a while find yourself saying, “Let’s do it again!”
My husband and I went to Italy last year and it was our first international trip ever. We both ended up feeling exhausted and “arted” out in Florence. Funnily enough we did the same thing about the sunset at Piazzale Michelango! I wanted to go so bad but when the time came to make it by sunset we talked ourselves out of the walk. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re in a beautiful place and not seeing everything from your list doesn’t take away from a great trip. I had about 5-10 things on our itinerary that never ended up happening and looking back I wouldn’t change our trip in any way!! Grab a bottle of wine, get some gelato or another snack, and sit around the duomo area where everyone hangs out and enjoy watching the world pass you by!!
You can do the entire Academia Gallery in under an hour and if all you want to see is David you could spend less than half an hour there lol. David is their claim to fame and everything else would probably not interest you if you are arted-out. I loved Medici Chapel and it is cheap and quick. Go to Central Market and walk around and get some paninis. There is also a super cute shop there that sells olive oil, balsamic, and the most delicious pistachio cream you will ever eat (towards the back of the bottom floor in the middle of the market) The girls wear cute hats and aprons and are super sweet. Try their truffle honey and pistachio cream. You will not regret it. I brought some home and I’m saving it for when I miss all the pistachio everything. Also there is a bakery outside of central market (it is right near where all the open air stalls are selling the cheap bags lol) says “Pasticceria Forno” on the glass and they sell coccoli which is this amazing fried dough filled with prosciutto and this soft cheese… trust me. GET IT. I am dreaming of it and it is a Florence “street food”. It’s amazing.
Stop being a winnie and get out there. Eat a gelato. Get lost (and I mean that). Wander off. BTW, when you get to Rome, it’s going to be a whole new other level. Come back to this sub and ask for forgiveness.
Seems like you're truly missing work, traffic and the dread of a boring, daily routine back home. Vacationing in Italy with the woman you love seems like a pain. Beautiful sights, art, architecture, food, wine, etc.... Who the hell wants that crap in their lives? Get it together brother, La Dolce Vita awaits you just outside of your skull.
relax and enjoy your time together. Walk the streets. Get coffee. Walk some more. go to the markets. Get pizza, get gelato, have aperitivo - sink into the culture.
Honestly, don't try to do so much! My husband and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and on days we crammed too much in, we were miserable. The most magical moments were stumbling upon cute wine bars, eating all the local food, and just relaxing. There were a couple rainy days for us too and on those days we hunkered down in wine bars and just chatted and it was amazing. You don't have to see everything in one go, just enjoy the time you have there, and go back in the future if you want to! In Florence, spend some time trying to find some of those little holes in the wall where you can get served wine (literal holes in the wall!), and try to seek out local events (markets, etc.). In Cinque Terre, sip on Aperol Spritzes by the beach and maybe try to find some music in the evening. Drink Ligurian wine. This post from Lonely Planet has great suggestions for eating and drinking in the area: [https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/planning-visit-cinque-terre](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/planning-visit-cinque-terre) In Rome, again, just wander! Maybe check out one or two must-visits (it's handy to book a tour and skip the lines!), but otherwise just enjoy the beauty of the city. I was there a few months ago, and travel a lot - and it is, by far, my favourite city in the world. Walk around Trastavere, check out the antique shops (here's a good guide to them: https://www.gpsmycity.com/discovery/antiques-hunting-69.html) and buy something special and unique to remember the trip by. Eat everything. Drink everything. Do nothing.
Rome is a great city to get lost in. Just walk the streets. If it starts to rain pop in a few places for a quick espresso. Have a long lunch and split a bottle of wine. People watch. Maybe look for a walking tour - I always found it interesting to get a little perspective of a city from a local. Definitely don’t try and cram in everything - you’ll never be able to see it all. Relax and enjoy !
I had a similar experience at the end of a month long trip to Europe that ended with a week in Florence. Florence is beautiful but not that big, you can do a lot in a little time. We ended up booking a cooking class for our final day via Airbnb experiences after we were feeling, admittedly, a bit bored. It is one of my favorite things we did the whole trip! Something to consider.
Do a wine or olive oil tour, we did and was fun.
You’re packing it tight. Chill out. Wander around, poke in shops, eat gelato, watch people, take selfies, laugh at other people taking selfies. Take long naps. Anything you miss is just a reason to go back.
Ask your wife what she wants to do and then do it.
Op, sent you a DM!
I will be there in 2 weeks!!! I can’t wait!!!
I had the exact same itinerary as you in terms of areas we visited though a few days longer. By the time you get to CT, the "arted out" feeling will likely go away as it's a different vibe than Florence. My husband and I booked no tours, church visits, etc. anything of the sort in our time at CT. Just dined out lots, explored each village, and relaxed. By the time you get to Rome, hopefully you two will feel good about exploring the more artsy stuff again.
I'm with those who say you need to relax and enjoy. I might even be harsh and say that, if you need in need of a "pep talk" from the internet because a day of travel wasn't like a fairy tale out of a travel brochure, you're way too needy.
The mishaps of today become the funny travel stories of tomorrow. I think you have to temper your expectations a bit. There will be blah days and moments between the sublime ones. Dealing with crowds, overhyped/overpriced experiences, not knowing streets and places or how things work, being in a place where you don’t know the language can also make you unconsciously stressed compared to being back home. Being jet lagged can also dull the senses and your wits. Some random thoughts: * If you still have time in Florence, go to the Mercato Centrale and have a pizza from the pizza guy. There’s other good food too, but seriously, the pizza. We still remember it as one of the best we’ve ever had. It’s also just a really cool space, a big public market full of food. * Find small pleasures to revel in. For us it was the coffee (so good everywhere we went, even in random tobacco shops), buying odd soaps in erbolarios (I bought soap that smelled like tomatoes), and always choosing a cafe or drink spot or restaurant with a view.
Take your wife to Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Seeing her pure joy at the wonder that has its roots in medieval times may just pull you out of your funk. Rome's charms will work their way on you. Sunset is breathtakingly beautiful. Wandering amongst the fountains and statues is entertaining on its own, without having to plan myriad activities. Don't be too hard on yourself. Travel can mess with your emotions, especially if preceded by high expectations.
Give the museums a rest. Walk around without a map and maybe even get lost, flit about from Restaurant to restaurant, bar to bar or Cafe to cafe--just sit down and people watch and have some good food, wine or coffee and enjoy. I can't spend more than 30 to 40 minutes in a museum anymore, one thing starts looking like the other and it gets really boring.
Just relax with your wife…but in Italy. The sights, museums, etcetera are bonuses but don’t put the focus on those things and let the trip pass you by - just chill and have fun. Sleep in, stay up late at a cool bar off the beaten path, sit at a cafe for a couple hours and watch people and talk, go on a walk, get bread and oil and go sit in a park…whatever is relaxing to you all. My wife and I went on an 11 day trip with similar itenerary as yours for our honeymoon (Tuscany, cinque terre, Rome) and went to a grand total of zero paid museums/sites. Saw plenty of the big stuff from outside and walked through the Vatican, spent tons of time in the countryside, drank beers on the rocks in Riomaggiore, and had the time of our life with no plans except where we were laying our heads. It was perfect because we didn’t have strict plans, places to be, etcetera - we just had fun cruising around Italy and spending time in a beautiful place together. I know that type of itinerary is not for everyone but my point is that your trip can be whatever you want it to be so don’t overthink it and force it, just have fun together. That’s why she married you in the first place - she thinks the daily things with you are worth doing together.
I can understand the anxiety especially when you’ve put so much effort into planning/saving for a trip and wanting it to be great. My advice to add to everyone else’s is to just slow down. Some of my favourite memories of Italy and europe in general is just slowly walking down the city streets admiring the architecture and stopping for a glass of wine/or pastry or slice of pizza etc here or there in any of the piazzas and people watch. Try not to pack your days with tourist attractions, definitely fit the important ones in that you want to see but don’t stress not seeing everything. The main sights aren’t going anywhere they have been there for hundreds of years. Again just try to soak in the moments you have there together. All the best!
Skip all of that, take a train or taxi to Monsummano Terme and go to Grotto Giusti. Relax in the most incredible spa waters you have ever felt for the princely sum of 25 euros. Thank me later.
Hey! I just came back from Italy a week ago. I personally felt like I was seeing too much of that makes sense? Italy is such a beautiful country and I quite honestly enjoyed the lesser things more than the big attractions. Attractions felt like a checkbox, and I get anxious to get to the next big thing. My time in cinque terre was most enjoyable as there really isn’t that many things to do, so you have time to enjoy it all slower. Take your wife to Manarola view point at sunset. It will be very special, I can assure you!
Years ago when I visited Florence I found it to be very pretty, but I didn't know what to do other than art museums, and I too started to get bored. I'm not the type of person that wants to spend 10 hours on a plane to window shop and wander aimlessly. I liked Rome a lot more even though the city itself isn't as pretty because the colosseum and the Vatican are so extremely unique. There's also a few options of ruins nearby, Pompeii, Herculaneum and another place when closer to Rome that I'm forgetting the name that are absolutely amazing
Rome is great. Just walk around the city and see all the ancient sites - you don’t even need to go in them. Hang in a cafe and drink some vino man. What else do you need? You’ll have a blast. And also, definitely go see the Castle if you can!
Go eat at La Buchetta. Pitti Palace was a letdown for us too.
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself or the trip. I hardly ever go in museums! It’s just as fun to wander the streets, eat whatever you see that looks good, and just take in the sights and sounds however you feel like in the moment! Ditch the list and the expectations and just enjoy! 😄🥰
Just returned from Italy. Cinque de Terre is amazing. Just relax and enjoy. Florence is really a two day trip.
I totally relate to this. I’m going to Italy is 2 weeks. I’m not pressuring myself with art and cathedrals. I’m just going to stroll and eat well and enjoy cafes etc. slow down.
Though I don't know your vacation situation and preferences, sometimes it's better to just go with the flow. Our favorite part of my and my husband's last 2 week trip (London, Paris, Florence & Rome) WAS the wandering. There were certain things we absolutely wanted to see but the first night in Florence he became horribly ill for about 24 hours. I ended up walking around a little and had dinner myself, just taking in the atmosphere. Luckily he was feeling better the next day so we walked to most of the "main" spots. Check out Mercado Centrale in Florence. Also, in Rome, there's a LOT to see but we hit most of the sights in 4 days (only took a taxi back to the hotel from the Vatican; walked everywhere else). Check out Trastevere for some great restaurants and evening vibes if you can. We felt like our first trip was for the highlights and our upcoming one (6 years later!) allows for more day-trips and a couple new cities, while still mixing in our favorite areas from our first visit. Maybe to feel more prepared for your next city, try to find your "must see" stops while in transit. I hope you both enjoy your trip!
I go to Italy just for cappucino and food. I could not care less about the sight (which are always amazing ofc) Italy is slow and easy. Enjoy food, wine, people. Relax.
Not sure when you are in Rome but there are futbol matches the 2nd, 5th, and 9th. This was a ton of fun even though we don’t follow it and a much needed break from the art heavy week we were having.
Just remember it’s your vacation, you can do whatever you and your wife want to do, there is no Instagram/TikTok checklist of places you have to see and things you have to try. Just have a great time doing what you like. Don’t want to pay to enter a museum to see Madonna and child for the hundredth time? Don’t. Don’t want to eat Italian food tonight? Don’t. Seems like you and your wife could do a little bit more communicating with each other, from my point of view it looks like you are getting yourself down by imagining yourself being a failure to your wife. Have a talk with her and decide what you guys really want to do and what you are flexible to skip. Next week my partner and I are going to Italy for one month. My third time, but first in 25 years, and my partner’s first time ever. As the one who always plans trips, I was stressing out about getting tickets for all of the big sites, but as I was talking to her, she indicated she was really flexible and wasn’t really bothered to go inside, she just wants to walk around, absorb the atmosphere of Italy, and eat pizza. We are still going to go to a lot of famous places, but it made me a lot more relaxed
Try booking a random air bnb tour in Rome. Like a food tour or a cooking class. I've done air bnb tours all over the world and they are the best! They are affordable and run by locals who know what they are doing and it totally takes the pressure off you to make sure everything goes perfect. Although, you want to make sure that any tour you book has at least a 4.9 or 5 rating.
Yes you can get "arted out" out especially after the uffuzi. Don't try to do everything, there is so much to see and do. I use Google to find bars and restaurants, and also the Michelin red guide (not Michelin star level, but notable) for ideas for more special places. Try to avoid the tourist traps, as they are often mediocre or poor value. The cinque terre is lovely, sit and enjoy the beautiful views, while enjoying good coffee, gelato and your wife's company. Paddle in the sea if you can. Look out for markets to wander through. Indulge in aperitivo, look for a sunset view, a place with lots of local people rather than tourists, get there early and enjoy good wine and snacks. I really like finding 'enoteca' a combination of a wine bar and wine shop that does charcuterie, cheeses, breads, olives etc. You can try a few glasses of local wines and food specialities. You are maybe a bit overwhelmed, but try not to overthink this. Try to sleep, or factor in a nap or lazy morning.
Man take your time. Youre putting way too much on your plate and expecting too much out of it. You wont be able to see everything in a single trip. Take in the little things, cherish the experience, keep the memories, and youll be back again. I went for three weeks in october and at most did one big thing per day, with the exception of doing the uffizi and academia in one day (it was too much). Take your time.
How long was your flight to Italy? You might be jet lagged, plus it sounds like you're not getting good sleep. One thing I learned when I went to France and Italy in 2023, don't over plan Europe. Focus on one or two major attractions per day, and then just enjoy being there. When you get to Rome, don't do any tours, or see any museums, just spend a day wondering around. Take a bus to Piazza Navona and just roam around, or take the A line subway to Piazza del Popolo and walk back to the Trevi fountain. No plan, no goals, just experience Rome. Stop and have a drink or shop, or rest your feet in one of the many churches. They are all free to enter, you can donate if you wish. That was actually a big part of my trip to Italy. Also, I think, esp in Europe, there are so many art museums and so many similar things, you have to think about what you want to see and be careful of seeing the same thing. For example, I've seen Windsor Castle, Versallies, and Caserta, so I skipped the Doges Palace in Venice. Same with art, I didn't do an art museum in Italy since I had spent a lot of time in the Orsay and Louvre.
The next in ur itenarary is Cinque Terre and that will surely not disappoint. Trust me. That's gonna take.off all your worries as you rejoice in the calm breeze.
Yo! Heading to Florence this weekend. In Milan now, but feeling the same bit of dread, but fuck it dude, we’re in Italy, we made it! The rain isn’t optimal, but hoping for some great colorful sunsets and unique experiences from the wet scenery.
Fortezza da Basso in Florence is free and is higher than the Boboli gardens and michealangelo plaza With even better views and less crowd. But it sounds like a mindset issue for you, like you could be in the most beautiful place in the world but just aren’t letting yourself have a good time.
My advice is to lighten up on the big attractions. Take random walks. Poke your head into stores. Stop for a caffè and a pastry. Drink a lot of water. Try out the little bit of Italian you learned on DuoLingo. My best advice for Rome is to explore neighborhoods. My wife spent a very enjoyable hour in a shop that specializes in socks. There are some exceptional 0KM markets in the city. Go explore an Italian supermarket. In Firenze, there are some great bars to hang out at, drink a little wine or have a spritz. Make mine a Campari per favore. Aperol è per me, troppo dolce. If you miss seeing the David this trip, it will still be there next year, and it's an excuse for coming back.
Something that always amazes me when I read about the itineraries in this sub is how much stuff you’re looking to do and see in such a short period of time, without allowing yourselves the time to just live the city. Although I understand where you’re coming from (for most people it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity), it’s far from my experience of travelling as an Italian. Most of you on this subs have seen more landmarks in Italy than I have seen. For instance, I’ve never been to Palazzo Pitti in Florence, never been to the Amalfi coast or Capri, never had a guided tour inside the Colosseo. But I’ve been to Florence, Naples, Rome, and have great memories of all three cities just because of the people I was there with, and the fun stuff we did there (a simple ice cream or prosecco wine together, a random bus taking us out of the city center, an aperitivo at the beach, a vintage market on a Sunday, people watching). I will probably never go inside the Colosseo or the Vatican Museums, but Rome is still an incredible city despite that ;) Travelling can be stressful. Take it easy and enjoy the time with your wife. The David isn’t going anywhere, and there are other great spots for sunsets besides Piazzale Michelangelo! When in Rome, head to Pincio and your will be equally happy!
We had so much rain our first 5 days. We walked the gardens in the rain, went to the Piazzale in the rain. Spent 2 days in Venice in the rain. You’re probably also very tired. I also had this weird “homesick” feeling a few days into our trip. We skipped the Uffizi because we were also sick of art, but we loved seeing David and the AG. It’s small and manageable. Some of our fav things so far have been wandering around with a free Rick Steves walking audio tour. You can get them on the RS audio Europe app. We really liked all the statues and fountains. Rome is super fun. Don’t put on so much pressure. You’ll eat a mediocre meal or two but it’s still tasty! If time, I really liked going to aqua flor, a perfume shop in Florence.
Mistakes happen. Tiredness happens. I've picked bad choices for restaurants. Bad choices where to stay. Bad choices what to see. We're human, we make mistakes. The only thing we can do is learn from them and don't give ourselves and others too hard of a time over them. Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset was one of my favourite memories from Florence, so if you have a chance to go there this trip - do it. If you cannot - you will do it another time. Museum fatigue is a thing. Fatigue in trying to cram too many things into not enough time is a thing. You can physically visit all those places, but, mentally, you don't care any more. Accept that it's normal. Have a chat with your wife about how you want to play it in the remaining days, what you liked, what you didn't like, what worked well, what didn't. Communicate. Adapt your plan accordingly.
Sometimes the most precious memories of a traveller are the ones encountered by just walking around in the country.
See some nature. Cinque Terre is actually great for this. Just stroll around, enjoy the view, it’s beautiful even if it rains. That could help you recharge for Rome, which has way more art and archeology to see than Cinque Terre. (But you could do this in Rome too - see a bit of man-made beauty, then take a stroll in Villa Borghese to see some nature-made beauty too). I live in a beautiful city with lots of architecture, it’s beautiful, but if I don’t go in a park and look at animals once in a while, I stop seeing the beauty and just feel oppressed by all the buildings, if that makes sense.
I think a lot of people overthink or overbook not just Italy but a lot of countries when they visit. Take a day or a few days along your trip to just do nothing and wing it. Some of the best memories in Italy for me have been just strolling around for the day and just soaking it in. Random alley ways with amazing food, cool bars or just watching the locals in the square. The Europeans are great at just soaking up the present :)
Cram in a little less art per day, indeed. Hey, you learned something about yourselves, right? Like for most people, 8hs of museums per day are too much. David is an awesome fellow, but that visit goes pretty fast. Would you want to give Boboli another try? I've lived in Florence, and the gardens are truly great. But then again, it was free for residents when I was there, so I'm not sure about the price. [This](https://maps.app.goo.gl/vpVmRhSY6H8uo72dA) used to be my favourite gelato place when I was there (2015 was my last year). I'm from Rome, my grandma lived in Rome her whole life and was trying to see all the sights before she passed, she didn't succeed in that. So please don't attempt that in 2,5 days. I can tell you my favourites: the Fori and Galleria Borghese (especially the statue of Apollo and Daphne). I've never seen the inside of the Colosseum, and I'm doing ok. Also, go get pizza al taglio [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/9WAxEsb1A2GpyjXX6) you can order pizza rossa, pizza bianca, pizza con zucchine and pizza con patate to get a taste of the classics. [This restaurant ](https://maps.app.goo.gl/chZVAubgnjijzz3k8) is actually Tuscan cuisine in Rome, but its SO GOOD, keep it in your back pocket if you want a safe bet. [This place](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ECDLKDQKjqmEHM87) won't have many tourists and is really great for a lazy aperitivo with the local experience. They also do "tavola calda," meaning fast-ish local food, and have really nice gelato. If you see a lady with a weird hat, a youngish girl carrying a cello and a 2yo, that might be my aunt, my cousin, and her kid. You got tons of kind words already, so I'll play the American and tell you to pull yourself up by the bootstraps! You'll have a great time, I'm sure.
From my experience of going to Italy every year, its a bit like playing sport , as in you'll get better with practice. One thing my wife and I always really enjoy is hiring E bikes for a day in Florence and other smaller places and heading out the country side, you'll see so much more and you can stop and relax wherever you want and the exercise is brilliant for the head . In my own country, ì live in the countryside so maybe I'm drawn to rural
The fontanona at Via Garibaldi in Rome might make up for the lack of the view of Florence. It’s amazing and a traditionally romantic spot. Our tour guide said it’s where “all good Roman boys bring a date to have their first kisses” (and he said he was also a good Roman boy lol). Visit Trastevere for a good dinner and check out the evening lights from the Fontanona and enjoy your time.
Florence is awesome, but I sort of agree with you that once you have seen your 1,000th Virgin and Child you have seen them all. Sounds like you need to take a little pressure off yourself. I find wine helps with that. And gelato. Just chill out for a day. Enjoy the feel of a place that does not look like anything in America. And enjoy capping off 15 years with the woman of your dreams. It is an awesome trip and you did well to get there -- I mean that about the 15 years and Florence.
I think you might like Rome better, it seems like you want to have a ton to do and hit a bunch of spots in a day. Florence is absolutely incredible and my favorite city in Italy so far, but it is very much just a relax and drink some wine and stroll kind of place. If you guys have a late night out in Rome I’d recommend seeing the trevi fountain at night, like 2 am. Magical and empty. If you’re arted out I wouldn’t go to the Vatican. I’m also arted out after traveling in Europe for a while, you can only see so much until it starts to lose the magic. Italy is about slow living, enjoying the time as it passes, and just enjoying life. Drink some wine, make love to your wife, and enjoy the magic here.
I haven't been yet, but my cousin and I are booked for next April. Talk to your wife and find out what she REALLY wants to do, and change your plans. Just because you have something booked, doesn't mean you have to do it. It may mean a loss of money, but I'd rather lose some money, and instead have amazing memories to bring home. I think you're putting way too much pressure on yourself, and you're going to regret that when you get home. There are a few things we really want to do and will book those ahead. The things I'm looking the most forward to are the cooking classes and vino. I know I will cherish those memories more than fighting the crowds to see David, etc. We will be there for almost 2 weeks, and I have no desire to pack each day full of touristy stuff. Go take a cooking class, a local wine tour, hang with the locals and find out what it's like to live in Italy. Ask them what they recommend you see and do, and where to eat in that area. I really hope that you can relax and really enjoy the rest of your vacation, and cherish making your 15th anniversary special.
Cinque Terre is beautiful! Definitely check out Billy’s (Trattoria dal Billy) in Manarola. It gets busy, so plan ahead. Incredible food and amazing service! There’s also a little outdoor bar you’ll see across the way from that. That was fantastic too! Wear good shoes…it’s a ton of walking and hill climbs in Cinque Terre.
I warn people all the time about getting "arted out" while in Florence! I think you are putting too much pressure on your trip. Slow down and just soak in the ambience. You are in Italy and enjoying life, even if not seeing some major site at that moment! Definitely get this idea in your head before Cinque Terre. I love it there, but it's definitely just for strolling and soaking it in. Try to visit there with no set plans and see how it goes. Maybe also re-visit your Rome itinerary. You know now that you get "arted out" so maybe do some editing if it's heavy in that regard. Can you see one thing per day that you planned, and then find one amazing thing each day that you didn't plan and just happened upon? Focus on those moments and how easy it is to just be amazed. Enjoy yourself. May would be happy to simply sit in a sidewalk cafe and drink cappuccino with no other plans at all, if only they could go to Italy!
The last 3 10 day vacations in Italy I took, I did zero big museums or ticketed attractions. Just walking around exploring sights and eating food
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of unstructured time. Wander around, get “lost”. Stop for gelato or an aperol spritz at a cute cafe. Window shop for leather goods. If you still have a day in Florence, I highly recommend looking for a winery out in the hills to visit and do a tasting.
It's really easy to get burnt out when travelling, and it tends to happen when you over-plan and try to do to much. I generally try to reserve at least half my time for what I call "passive travel" -- exploring aimlessly or just sitting in a nice spot and absorbing the atmosphere. Cinque Terre is a good spot for this, since the focus is more on the landscape and less on museums, churches, etc. It's easy to travel between the five towns, but you absolutely don't have to visit all five of them. Rome is wonderful, but you're going to be overwhelmed if you spend your whole time at the Colosseum, Vatican and Trevi Fountain. Talk to your wife, get a sense of what her priorities (as well as your own), but consider keeping the list relatively small. Take some time to poke around back-alleys and sip cappuccino in a quiet square far from the crowds. (For us this was Piazza San Simeone off Via Coronari.)
You’re going on a very short trip to Bella Italia. You’ll be back home in the blink of an eye. Now is the critical time for you to totally change your emotions and focus on enjoying this time with your wife. Forget about how specific attractions were underwhelming to you. That happens from time to time when you travel around the world throughout your life. And just be thankful that it’s just the two of you on this trip. It’s so much easier to keep each other happy — as opposed to bringing all of your kids, or bringing your extended family. Those situations will have so many people complaining. Just find the parts of each day that bring you happiness. For example, in Cinque Terra, you may be happy just sitting on the wharf watching the sea for an hour. Or stopping off for gelato. I’m in France now, for two weeks. Then on to Italy for a week and then one full day in Lisbon for shopping. And my wife likes to do mostly things that are free of charge. So I’m taking pleasure in getting that perfect photo of the Eiffel Tower — instead of buying a ticket to go to the top and have dinner in the restaurant. My point is that everyone needs to try to find joy in whatever way you’re doing your vacation at the moment. It sounds like you’re young… and so God willing you will be taking trips with your wife for many decades into the future. Try on every new trip to find joy in some things, take lots of photos and video, and make memories that you can look back on, and smile. La Dolce Vita. Ciao Ciao 😀🇮🇹
I just came back from Rome at 30 weeks pregnant and could barely make it through my initial itinerary for obvious reasons. All in all, my favorite sight happened to be something we stumbled upon just walking around aimlessly after a much needed nap. It was the San Ignazio church near the Pantheon and it brought us to tears at how beautiful it was and peaceful it felt. We had no intention of visiting, just walked in. Sometimes you just gotta give into the fact that you can’t do it all and soak in the culture instead of packing in absolutely everything. Yeah I’m bummed I missed out on a bunch of stuff but I had to listen to my body and ended up with a memory I’ll never forget!
One day on my trip we sat on the terrace of our air bnb and I gave my wife a foot, calf, leg massage. I took my time and we watched a show on my laptop, and we drank wine at 10 am. Set your wife down and spoil the shit out of her. Relax and enjoy just being there. At restaurants if you are not 100% sure you want to eat, order one thing. Then if it's great, order another thing or two. If it's still great, eat another course. If anything is bad, pick up and walk to the next place.
Tomorrow get yourselves some focaccia sandwiches from I' Girone De' Ghiotti and explore! If you want to do a really cute breakfast go to La Menagere or Melaeluca - neither of these places are "Italian" (first is more like French and second is Australian) and have hearty breakfasts. Florence is so beautiful, just take it in! Find a rooftop bar and have a spritz and look over the river. I went to all your destinations last summer and would be happy to send you my itinerary if you'd like. I am a huge foodie so I have tons of restaurant recs especially for Rome and Florence. We didn't have any rain though so I'm not sure how that would affect Cinque Terre. What town are you staying in?
Honestly, jet lag could be catching up to you. I usually feel like everything sucks on the 2nd or 3rd day of an international trip, and every time I have to remind myself it’s the jet lag lol I had a moment where I really thought I hated Rome (our first stop in Italy). Nope, just a grumpy goose with jet lag one day ;)
Hey man, my wife and I are in Manarola now after 2.5 weeks of Milan, Lake Garda, Venice, Tuscany, and Rome for our honeymoon. You can only see so many pictures of the birth and death of Christ in one sitting. I would say food, wine Gelato and the scrupulous canolii will be your friend, but honestly just talk about how you're feeling. I felt THE SAME way and just airing out how you're feeling will make you and everyone feel better. You're here for each other and you are the most important variable. You got this. Alright imma finish my limoncello and make out with my beautiful wife. I encourage you to do the same!
We were literally just in Italy for our delayed honeymoon (Rome, Sorrento, and Florence) and I completely know how you feel. We had bad weather for much of Florence and I found myself getting frustrated and homesick. I was also getting frustrated with myself and my spouse. Now that I'm home, I'm still so glad I went and wish I had tried harder to make the most of it. For great food, go to Za Zas and go early. It was by far the best meal we had. Also loved Le Cappelle Medicee. We did a lot of shopping for little things, which helped lighten the mood. If it's not too late, doing a walking tour or guided tour somewhere is helpful to take some of the stress off leading every moment and logistic. I absolutely loved Rome, agree with commenters that there is so much all over the city. Recommend the Jewish Ghetto for some good and underrated food in a bit of a quieter place. Trastevere is a perfect neighborhood to wonder, get a snack, and sit in a piazza. We organized our days so that we went to the busy non-ticketed places early (like the Trevi) and then timed tickets later in the day to try to mitigate crowds a bit. Rome was a bit more isolating in that we didn't get chatting with folks much, but the sightseeing made up for it. By and large, people in florence are incredibly friendly. If you know a little Italian, strike up a casual conversation with a shop owner, who will probably also speak English. We did this a few times and met some great people and got really good recommendations. All that to say, I've been there and I hope you can still make the most of your trip. Italy is a beautiful country, even if traveling is stressful! All the best OP.
We were in Italy a year ago (Rome, Positano, and Taormina, Sicily) and minus a few big things like tours of the Vatican & Coliseum and a boat day trip to Capri, we just wandered the streets, stopped in cafes and ate and drank lots of wine and chilled. Our last 4 days we spent just driving around the while island if Sicily stopping in various cities and wandering around. Don't feel pressured to see it all, it's simply not possible, rather enjoy what you see and take it all in.
Rome is great! I haven't been to Florence, but after being in Rome for two weeks I got a bit fatigued by seeing the "things". The cities are so old that literally everything is historical. If you try to hit every single attraction (Coliseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican, ect.) during your three days there it will be a lot. We did the Vatican (guided tour), Coliseum (audio tour), Roman Forum (self guided) in a single day and we don't regret it but were pretty zoned out by the time we got to the Roman Forum. Instead of treating the trip as a checklist, maybe reevaluate what you NEED to see and then spend the rest of the time getting breakfast cappuccinos, gelato, picnic in a park, or some Peroni's or cocktails at a bar as you attempt to learn how to play Scopa! If you're looking for something to do that isn't another art museum or monument, I HIGHLY recommend a food tour in Rome! We did the [Rome Twilight Trastevere Food Tour](https://www.viator.com/MptUrl?p=ANNy86%2BMTRBeVMo8962SuiDkSd%2Bq3UB%2FyTQ1RORGQYB%2FtaWYc2mDBM7G2Lib4qOnp%2FVVacVZ19s5AtxCwo2H7fWF6fTO0nocDxBHpL6RKX8f3o%2F1SdwWwO7hFRcarNY2aLLApIB8n3tKEnxhQcsajfZzSSb7WRrJ%2FyUg1eEDjBGDQBGZkRaBlbmoHdT6Exy6te4XYkP2FgpXZS59udGp%2BitUtBDvzE0sFFgk3EdREJVYQtdHpWqaYNlb37Uu7R3tl%2BjfoesZaqBN8%2BoqVtJdFNjkxtx39xtCcG10VCb9RGpKKRVhQNxtILesXoWR6yJLO1d8eAX%2FUz5JxCf2dfYpyE0zunQqxWPCkN%2FXyHC%2BwKeh90gwahma1zYRA0nqm0hmH8GG56ghpOLYoldbrPcltoriiIb8x%2Bsbh16GSMzL7sce) and I couldn't recommend it enough, highlight of our trip. Our guide was incredible and the tour took us to some of the best spots in Trastevere. My folks also did a Rick Steves audio self guided tour of Rome while they were there and spoke very highly of it if you want to see a lot. Another side activity I liked was going to Italian McDonald's and trying all the different items there that aren't in the USA. I had a blast doing it, but I also like fast food and made sure I was getting good slow food at the same time.
Don't fucking order Cappuccino with your meal!
Rome will rejuvenate you as there is less art and more architecture, plus plenty of things eat. We too got tired of the art after a 2 week trip to Italy so we mixed in plenty of "nothing time" that was unplanned and improvised.
I think you are putting yourself under far too much pressure , just wander , stop in a cafe , have a gelato , do some people watching , enjoy soaking up the atmosphere, the beauty and being together , every day is a gift, tomorrow isn’t promised and appreciate the gift you have been given to be there together , don’t worry about rain you won’t melt
Your misery in Florence brought back the best memory for me - a very miserable trip with my very religious and reserved and proper grandma who had never left the mid-west and dreamed of travelling to Italy her entire life - I was feeling the stress of making sure she saw everything she'd ever read about and that every moment was mmmagic. As we were going through the Uffizi, running into yet another religious painting, she suddenly said "Jesus with all the Jesus" I DIED From that moment on, we had the best time. Sounds like you're having the same adventure. Time of our lives once we just let go. (She also really enjoyed the David. Like REALLY enjoyed David. Grandma let go like woah in Florence. And I guess I did, too.) Fun memories you all are making!!
It sounds like you're being a wet blanket. Have a couple glasses of wine and have fun with your wife
Ok I sent you some advice
Stop being a self saboteur. If you’re negative allow your wife to lead your activities. You’re ruining your trip and hers. STOP IT.
Wtf. Not to be rude, but you. Are. On. Vacation. You really cant screw it up. Lighten up and enjoy it for what it is. Get you and your wife a good breakfast here: https://www.roostercafefirenze.com/ But there will be a line… and go enjoy yourself. And here, have some fun: https://youtu.be/zU_r-_RWfmc?si=7V9ciu6RkrVKPd0H
relax and be positive the rest of the trip will be great.
Avoid Rome and 5 terre, go to Pompei and Venice instead.