There I stood, a child of just 13, gazing up at Michelangelo’s majestic David, still not believing I was actually in Italy. As I glanced around the room, I couldn’t recognize any other works of art, but had a sinking feeling that I was surrounded by countless masterpieces. But how did I end up in Italy, you may be wondering? Well, through our local travel agency my family and I booked Brendan’s Worldwide Vacations’ Real Italy tour, guided by Trafalgar Tours, for Christmas 2007. Our tour guide, the sweet and charismatic Antonella Perfetto, made all the arrangements regarding hotels, attractions, transportation, and even attained special access to certain sites. This made for an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone.
Quarter Finalist 2011 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship
Our vacation began in Rome, where we stayed at the Sheraton Roma Hotel, and I purchased my first souvenir — a miniature, mint green Smart car. The next day was Religious Rome, which included tours of the larger-than-life Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the optional excursion into the mysterious Catacombs. It was an enlightening tour and displayed all of the Vatican’s religious splendor, while also flaunting the richly painted, sculpted, and carved art works of Michelangelo and his contemporaries. We even saw the Colosseum! The following day, we traveled to Assisi, where inside the crowded Basilica, we witnessed the famed Giotto frescoes of the life of St. Francis, while taking in the picturesque view from atop Mount Subasio.
We next traveled to Venice by way of water taxi, sailing on the same waters that have been traversed for thousands of years. Upon arrival, we stayed at the Boscolo Hotel Bellini, which was in slight disrepair. However, everywhere I looked, beautiful, hand-blown, Murano glass chandeliers provided the light. In the city of Venice, we were treated to a tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and a glass-blowing demonstration at a Murano glass factory. Following the tours, my parents explored the canals on a gondola, while my sister and I ate gelato for the first time and visited all the tiny shops selling glass-blown jewelry. Rather than waiting for the rest of the tour group, my family and I decided to walk back to the hotel…which was not such a great idea. We got lost, several times. However, we did make it back to the hotel (after several hours) by way of small, rural neighborhoods that were dripping with history.
Our next stop was Florence, where we made camp at the Palazzo Ricasoli, a hotel with rooms as bare as monk cloisters. This was the fateful day I met Michelangelo’s David in the Gallery of the Accademia, a small, off-the-beaten-path museum, which houses some of the world’s greatest treasures. My family pounced on the opportunity to take an excursion to Pisa, the leaning town. We had a lot of free time in Florence and roamed around the city for several hours, taking in the Santa Croce Basilica, the Florence Cathedral and Baptistery, and even bought genuine Italian leather jackets — quite an exciting stop.
After Florence, we journeyed to the Amalfi Coast, by way of extremely winding roads in a large bus. This was what caused me to throw up once we arrived in Sorrento. In Amalfi, we resided in the San Francesco hotel, an exquisite, sophisticated abode, built on the side of a cliff, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Following Amalfi, we returned to Rome for the final night of sightseeing, and flew home the next day. This was one trip that will never leave my memory and keeps me longing to return.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
1 Reply to “Christmas in Italy—10 Days of History, Art, & Culture”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Thanks for sharing experience..
Nice Blog. Thanks for sharing a family resort.
Thanks for any other great post. Where else may anyone get that type of information in such an ideal means of writing?
I have a presentation next week, and I am at the search for
such info.
Very good article.
Very good post thanks for sharing with us
Thanks for this interesting post! keep up the great work! well done!
Grt place to visit.. This place is located after entering the Ranthambore National Park.. However, to visit this place u can evn get your own vehicle…
John, glad you liked the story. This park is in Ohio where the weather can be unpredictable! It’s warmest between late April and November, but even April has the risk of some snow. If you’re camping with kids, the safest bet is June to August, because it’s warmer and there’s little rain. Enjoy your trip.
Hey Maggie, I really appreciate your innovative traveling ideas. You have covered so many adventurous places. Waiting for some new destinations. Please keep posting.
This post are very useful one. It is great to see this blog. Thank you for sharing this.
Game Lover
It’s truly magical being there. I love the art this country offers. Their wall arts and crafts are just lovely.
Hi Maggie,
You always share to the world with something new and different destinations. Thank you so much for sharing.
The history of Cuhahoga valley national park seems interesting and must be a new experience when we observe scenes of National park from their scenic campgrounds.
which season do you think is the best time to visit this national park?
Very Interesting And Useful Post Thanks For Sharing With Us….
This Information Are Very Informative.
Wow, what a nice article. Makes you feel like you should pack up and go immediately. It seems Linblad runs a good operation and trips are kid friendly. Is there a list of particular dates that are family friendly or are there kid activities year round on board the boats. Any other advice on travling with kids to Ecuador and Galapagos would be really welcome.
Nice Blog, thank you so much for sharing this amazing blog.
Hello Michael, glad to hear your family is interested in a dude ranch holiday.
Since your kids are older and, hopefully, everyone in the family rides, you have lots of options. The Dude Ranchers Association is a really helpful resource in sorting through the many types of ranch vacations. For example, you can go here: https://duderanch.org/by-activity-amenity and search for ‘Advanced Rides’ and “Cattle Drives’ and that would get you some real working ranches that would have more of the lifestyle you seem to be looking for. One of our authors recommends the Hideout in Shell, Wyoming for this type of trip.
Looking for a real ranch experience with horseback riding (lots of it) and time in the open air with my son (15) and daughter (12) and my wife (49). I am 62. We live in NJ, my children have been sheltered but I grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I want my children to see another side of life.
very informative post i just checked your blog its very interesting and full of information we are tour operators in Indian Kashmir we provide Kashmir Holiday packages where you can live with local Muslim communities see their lifestyle and get a chance to taste authentic Kashmiri Halal food our Kashmir Tour Packages are customized and very cheap at pocket.
Very Useful especially who travel with there kids
I like it.
This post is very useful and informative..Thanks for posting..
This post is very useful and informative
thank you
Good information thanks for posting
Great destinations for First Night and New Year’s Eve! Check out our favourite ones in Europe: https://tapsy.blog/?s=new+year%27s+eve
Your Post Is Informative. Thanks For Sharing With Us.
Great to see! Thanks for sharing.
I was examining some of your content on this website and
I think this web site is really informative!
Continue putting up.
The dark tourism and light India is a nice article to read. Thank you for sharing it.
Of course, you can do travel freely and easily through these two countries yourself, but I enjoyed having the trip curated for me, including well-chosen local guides, comfortable transportation on call and some superb private tours, such as a Khmer cooking class or historic walking tour of Saigon, with flexibility in the itinerary for our group of five to follow their own paths, such as making an emotional detour to the moving Genocide Museum housed in the old S-21 jail in Phnom Penh.
I agree, the helpful information
Very Nice and Informative Blog About Heritage Rajasthan tour. Thanks For Sharing This Blog…..
I enjoyed reading your Italian family vacation story, and thank you so much for these tips. This surely gonna help us achieve a stress-free vacation in Italy. Great blog!
Nice Article..
Thanks for sharing this information with us.
For Richard re: dual citizenship US-Nicaragua… can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Hi Richard, In our travel experience, this type of document should work well for your travels, but if your wife is available, it can’t hurt to download the sample forms we have online and also have her fill out and notarize one for your trip with your child. The agency responsible in your case will be the carrier — we assume an airline — and if they can make a note in your travel record that they have approved the Nicaraguan documents you should be fine on both departing and entering.
Safe Travels!
Wow, great!!! it could be a great fun out there.
very informative article Travel forums provide first hand experience and advice to travelers and are a great source of information and travel tips.
As a signal parent, your life, world, actions are based on your childs well fair. Not your happiness or anything that has to do with you.
It should list where they are going, the dates that they are allowed to go and grant your permission for that trip. You want to include your address and phone number and probably the contact info for the adult traveling as well.
The grand archways and the paintings of Lord Krishna and his cows are a visual treat. Wander through areas opened for tourists and you shall witness the impressive aura and architecture of the Royal state of Rajasthan.
Thanks for Sharing
Hello guys my wife and I have dual citizenship US-Nicaragua, I’m planning to travel to the US with our son also dual citizenship for 3 weeks, with a Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) from Nicaragua, can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Congratulations to the winners! A question to all the professional travelers here, how are you planning the route ant the places to see while visiting a new country? As for me I just google the most touristic and popular places. It works mostly, but there were a few times when I realized that I have seen only some the places this country or city is famous for, and that’s sad. On my last trip to Armenia, I decided to take a tour and it was quite productive. It’s much more informative when somebody is telling you history and some interesting facts. If someone wants to save their time – make sure to ask them to help if you’ll ever be there.
Curitiba é uma lugar lindo, além de ser considerada uma das melhores cidades para se morar em Brasil.
Realmente a muito o que conhecer por lá, como também diversas outras belezas do nosso brasil.
Principalmente as praias do Brasil que são muito procurada por inúmeros turistas internacionais e nacionais.
As Praias do Litoral Paulista, divididos entre Praias do Litoral Norte e Litoral Sul.
As mais conhecidas são as Praias de Ubatuba com mais de 100 belas praias no litoral norte paulista.
Já no litoral sul, a região mais procurada são as Praias de Guarujá, a região conta com 23 praias de pura beleza e preservação ambiental.
nice article, i also read about Celebrate Christmas Eve 2018
Aloha!
I would like to add my baby equipment company, Nana’s Baby Equipment. I serve the entire island of Kauai with aloha!
Mahalo,
Sharon Hackleman
Your article is very useful for me. I like the content you make. Thank you for sharing your holiday experience. seedresort.com
Perfect
Was an honour and pleasure to host you both in the Maori Whakata/Welcome to Wanaka. Welcome back anytime to this wonderful part of the world.
Kia Kaha/Stay strong
[http://www.wanahaka.co.nz]