I jolted awake. The train had
stopped and it was dark outside. The Swiss Alps loomed around like the build up
to a movie suspense scene. With my passport in the hands of a conductor
somewhere (hopefully!) on the train, I tossed nervously in my bunk as we waited
to chug into Italy.
The next few days opened my eyes
to a peculiar similarity between Italy and India. Not everything went like
clock-work, people were a bit loud and strangely familiar, and things weren’t
really meant for dummies like in many popular European tourist-oriented places.
The destination was Pisa, but the
train delay in Milan meant hopping onto a double-change route and an
unfortunately invalid ticket that incurred a fine. I wasn’t off to a very good
start here, and one generally hopes any vacation ends in a reverberating
climax. But who knew the events to come?
Leaning Towers & Walking Bridges
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| Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa |
With my schedule thrown off by
train delays, I had half a day to explore Pisa. Taking it easy, I walked across
to a nearby café for a shot of espresso and a snack. It isn’t my cup of tea,
this Italian espresso. Warm, swirling dark liquid in a cup the size of a play
set, it came across as more of a shocking eye-opener than a beverage to be
savoured.
The place was filled with the
chatter of locals, and my rudimentary sign language was getting better by the
minute. A small tuck later, I headed off to the Piazza del Duomo nearby. Also
called the Piazza dei Miracoli, or Miracle Square, the cathedral, baptistry and
tower that take centre stage here shine brilliantly in the sun.
The cathedral itself appeared
more majestic than its renowned counterpart, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Again, the
square felt like India – the mill of tourists around an ancient structure, the
threat of pickpockets, hawkers selling everything from postcards to selfie
sticks.
Built over a span of 200 years
starting in the 12th century, the monument was constructed as a
free-standing bell tower for the adjacent Pisa Cathedral. It is the most famous
site in the city, nearly four metres off centre at the summit, with around 300
uneven steps to the top. Visitors line up for hours to climb to the balcony for
a view of the square.
The cathedral is imposing, as is
the round baptistery nearby, with beautiful frescoes, sculptures and carved
bronze doors. Beyond the ancient walls of the square lies a daily market that
is both vibrant and chaotic, filled with vendors from around the world selling
cheap remakes and souvenirs. It is evident that a large number of Indian
tourists pass through, as you will find one shopkeeper or other intermittently
shouting ‘namaste’.
Cafés and restaurants nearby sell
the ubiquitous pizza and doner
kebabs, a Turkish sandwich filled with meat and pickles reminiscent of shawarma. The city - which has many
universities and therefore by default dozens of pubs - is also famous for its very
crunchy biscuits called biscotti.
The following day, I took the
train to Florence an hour and a half away. It was cold and rainy, and the trip
unplanned. After wasting money on a Hop On Hop Off bus ticket, I ended up
walking around the city, discovering medieval architecture, contemporary
fashion and delicious treats.
Exiting the station, I found
myself looking upon the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella of the 13th
century, filled with Gothic and Renaissance frescoes. As I traipsed aimlessly
around the city’s cobbled streets, I passed dozens of tempting gelato stores.
With less fat than regular ice cream, and a mind-boggling array of flavours, a
double dollop of bacio – chocolate
hazelnut –was definitely the new travel companion.
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| Ponte Vecchio, Florence |
Even though nearby Milan is highly
rated as a fashion capital, Florentines are not far behind in street fashion.
The city presents tourists with a great blend of architecture and retail
therapy. Luxury goods – bags, gloves, shoes, clothes, accessories – line shop
shelves of renowned brands around the Ponte Vecchio, an arched stone bridge
over the River Arno.
Since its construction in
Medieval times, the bridge has always been a bustling passageway of shops,
initially a stinking mélange of butchers, fishmongers and tanners to the fancy
displays of goldsmiths and jewellers in the late 1500s who continue to dominate
the trade today.
After a spot of window shopping,
I went by Giotto’s Bell Tower in the Piazza del Duomo on my way back. The
free-standing tower is another elegant example of Gothic architecture,
featuring hexagonal panels tracing the history of mankind beginning with the
Bible’s Creation and on to various industries.
A short walk later, out of a
cluster of buildings, rose a colourful monument at odds with its surroundings.
The Russian Orthodox Church with its green onion-shaped domes provides a rock
solid legacy left behind by Eastern influence. Florence has played host to a
great many Russians, including author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, composer Peter
Tchaikovsky, and film director Andrei Tarkovsky.
Pizza & The Pope
Too soon, I was on a train to
Rome, fined once more by the same conductor over not having validated the
ticket before getting onto the train. My inattentiveness was starting to cost
me.
I was staying on Via Cavour in
the heart of the city, offering opportunity to put Rome’s fame as a ‘Walking
City’ into practice. In the country’s capital, the full scale of Italy’s
resemblance with India emerged – persistent hawking, hard bargaining and
unsettling passes by men of certain cultural origin.
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| Eating arancino in Trastevere, Rome |
Checking in with New Rome Free
Tours, our sizeable group was offered wonderful insights into ancient Rome as
Max peeled away the layers of the city, exposing everything from its ancient
communal toilets and propensity to throw garbage into the streets, to the fight
for power between two of its architects Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco
Borromini.
Starting from the Spanish Steps,
we braved sporadic rain and shine to hear a Roman’s story about his city as he
led us to not-so-famous buildings such as the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola
with its trompe l’oeil ‘dome’ and the Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte
housing Bernini’s Angels sculptures, as well as world renowned landmarks like
the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
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| The Coliseum, Rome |
In the night, lighting effects
bring a new dimension to the ancient structures. There’s a hue of secrecy as
you imagine the political shenanigans cooked up in the Forum, a touch of danger
as the Coliseum rears up before you, a sense of awe as the National Monument to
Vittorio Emanuele II throws perspective askew.
There are things to ponder as you
enjoy a family’s delicious recipe of spinach-filled cannelloni and lasagne,
alongside a glass of white wine. In the fun-filled, young district of Trastevere,
pubs and cafés play music and offer happy hours, less-persuasive vendors sell
boho items in a street market display, and the atmosphere is festive and
bright. I picked a local store filled with navy men for my Roman pizza
experience, enjoying the first but absolutely horrified by the saltiness of the
anchovies in the second. To wash it down, I bought a ricotta cheese and
chocolate chip slice, and a slab of homemade Parmesan to carry back with me.
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| Pope Francis I enters the Basilica of St Peter, Rome |
Early on Sunday morning, pass in
hand, I ran five kilometres to catch my place in an already snaking queue to
enter the Basilica of St Peter for mass with Pope Francis. Inside, the basilica
is awe-striking, rising high into an eternity painted prominently on its arched
ceiling. Right on time, the head of the Catholic Church strode in, as sprightly
as a rabbit, leading the thousands in the congregation into service.
The experience was singular, and
even though I couldn’t understand a word he said – the sermon was in Italian –
it left me feeling blessed in a way. Blessed particularly with the good fortune
of being able to travel.
