Milan

Our final stop was Milan and while a great place to end the trip, I would not necessarily add it to my must-hit list for Italy.  That being said, the Duomo at sunrise, the saffron risotto, the pizza at Piz (not photographed) and the Last Supper still stand out in my mind as I look back on this epic trip.

And with that, I am left to plan my next adventure.  Ciao and Grazie Italy.  Trip of a lifetime. 

Firenze

Oh, Florence. Firenze. It is so many things for so many people.  

For me, it was the place for sandwiches. Let me explain. I do not like sandwiches. Yes, I know. I'm a terrible person. We can't be friends. BUT, I liked sandwiches in Florence. So, for me, Florence will be the place I discovered a love for sandwiches (see SanwiChic and All' Antico Vinaio).  

Of course, my favorites - the sandwiches and Michelangelo's David - are the only things I did not capture with my camera (the latter due to David's magnificent size).  

Foods I did capture:

Wood fire pizzas from Gusta Pizza.

Italian tripe.

Buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto.

Florentine steak. 

In addition to eating our way through the city, the sights were of course a great backdrop.  Some highlights:

Our walk to town.

Boboli Gardens.

Ponte Vecchio.

Our hotel rooftop view.

Biking through Tuscany wine country.

The Florence Cathedral.

La Menagere, a beautiful restaurant/store/flower shop, which provided the perfect long escape from the rain.

Cinque Terre

What better way to start a new year than to finish what you started last year...ha.  So my Italy diary continues.

One of the best things about social media is discovering new places I want to visit.  Cinque Terre quickly went to the top of my list after gorgeous, colorful photos infiltrated Instagram, and the reality did not disappoint.

After several days in Correggio and the most amazing wedding I have ever attended, we headed for Cinque Terre, opting for relaxation over scaling mountains for the rest of our trip.

What I didn't know about Cinque Terre: there are 5 villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) and you can hike through all of them.  The hiking difficulty varies but it's totally worth it.  The two villages with the most going on (everything closes pretty early) are Monterrosso and Vernazza.  We stayed in Vernazza and loved it.  Monterrosso is on the far end and is where the beach is.  Also, must-try foods: pesto, focaccia, calamari, and seafood generally.