We travelled to Italy in April, 2002, and brought our niece from Alaska. This was her early graduation present. We stayed at the Carpediem Assisi Living Club in the beautiful town of Assisi, and did one day trips to Florence, Pisa, Venice, Rome, and other medieval towns in the scenic hill region of Umbria. The views are utterly breathtaking in springtime!
We survived driving the Italian Autostrada in our economy rental car, clocking speeds of 140 km/hr, which is nothing compared to how Italians drive! We learned riding the city buses and trains in Rome, and water buses around Venice. My dream come true was seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the awesome Roman Colosseum, and Michelangelo's marvelous paintings in the Sistine Chapel. An added bonus was an appearance by the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica!
We paid homage to St. Francis's tomb in Assisi, meandered through the narrow cobbled streets of Corciano and Gubbio. My husband even managed to squeeze in a round of golf at the Perugia Golf Club.
While Florence gave us a glimpse of the Renaissance, Venice was steeped in the magic of the Middle Ages - the Piazza di San Marco, the infamous Pallazo Ducale, and its gondolas and canals.
But, all roads lead to Rome, and we literally marched through its glorious past - the Roman Forum, Colosseum, Palatini, and favorite tourist sites like the Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps.
It was a hectic but wonderful and very educational trip. A good map, travel book, and a language guide proved very useful indeed.