Sitting around the table one night, after a few bottles of Chianti with some old friends, most of whom had spent time as European tour guides and backpackers, I asked them to name the best things to see or do during their stay in Italy. There was a lot of loud discussion as some tried to praise the less obvious things over the more conventional ones, but there was also unanimous agreement for others.
In no particular order, I can present to you the top 20 things to do in Italy as decided by my peers.
1. Observation of nuns in Piazza San Pietro
There is something serene about seeing a line of nuns on tour, especially on specific saints’ days, taking photos of the façade of St. Peter’s or walking behind one another inside the massive basilica. They are outnumbered only by pigeons, which parents, hating their children, encourage to sit on the heads of their young in the hope that they will pick them up and fly away, perhaps dropping them somewhere on the ground. Forum.
2. Eat Gelati 3 times a day
This is mandatory for anyone traveling during the months of June, July and August. I don’t understand how the Italians make it so creamy and savory and runny but you never feel full. It’s the best thing after a long hot day queuing for hours to see all that magnificent art. It’s made with all-natural ingredients and everyone claims to have the best ice cream parlor in Italy, which is believable, but some even go further, experimenting with weird flavors like tomato and believe it or not, basil.
3. Holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa
You have all seen it. The must-see photo of someone and their teammates holding the leaning tower, either with one finger or with both hands. Probably the best thing after climbing it, which is all anyone is going to do to Pisa. And holding it is the cheapest thing there is.
4. Dodge cars in Rome
After skydiving in Switzerland and a taxi ride in the Czech Republic, this is probably the most adrenaline-pumping activity you can do in Europe. To cross the street you must keep walking, make sure to keep eye contact with any approaching driver like a bullfighter and keep moving. Cars and bikes will get very close, never touching you, as long as you keep going.
5. Parking on the sidewalk
All the others do.
6. Sing a duet with a gondolier
He may not be the next Pavarotti, but your gondolier should have a pretty good voice. They know all the old favorites and it makes the experience even more authentic. They usually ask for a little more for the service on top of the rental fee. The most favored time is around dusk when the lights come on and the reflections on the water add to the atmosphere.
7. Hanging out with the Pope on Wednesday
Tourists, nuns, priests, locals and pigeons flock to Piazza San Pietro for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly address around 10am. Then you can see the interior of the Basilica and the crypt where the remains of Saint Peter are kept.
8. Revisiting David’s A–e
You could queue up and pay to see the original inside the Accademia, where it was moved in the late 1800s to protect it from vandals and the elements. Or you could examine its copy up close in Piazza Signoria for free, or you could climb the hill above Ponte Vecchio to see the bronze version found in Piazza Michelangelo. Or you could look at all 3 and make a comparison.
9. Drink wine and watch the sunset in Cinque Terre
There is something quite unique about sitting on the rocks next to where the fishing boats pull up, lanterns swaying along the wires around the cove in the sea breeze, listening to a boy practicing his baritone opera through from an open window, watching the sun set over the horizon sipping a local red wine after eating homemade pasta and pesto sauce. Perfect.
10. Eat pizza in Naples
Home of Margherita pizza. A famous local pizza chef, Rafaelle Espositi, heard that the Queen of Naples was interested in trying a pizza, so she made a patriotic one using basil, tomato and mozzarella for the colors of the Italian flag. He liked it so much that he named it after him. To enjoy while watching the kamikaze scooters and the cars that go crazy through the narrow streets.
11. Cliff diving in Sorrento
Not for the faint of heart. Locals, usually children, clamber up the sheer cliffs to jump from dozens of meters into the big blue below. If that’s too much of a stretch, you can always grab a mask and snorkel and wait underneath.
12. Call your mother from the top of the Campanile in Venice
Believe it or not, there’s a pay phone at the top of the bell tower so you can make that important call to your mom, or maybe order a pizza for dinner.
13. Wine tasting in Chianti
There is a theory that the word Chianti comes from the ancient Etruscan word for water ‘Clante’, which is an obvious connection if you drink a lot of Chianti. The strict production standards set by the Consortium mean that the quality of all types of wine is consistent and it’s hard to find a bad one.
14. Throw a corner at the Trevi Fountain
But don’t go swimming unless you want to pay a huge fine. One coin means you go back to Rome, two coins means you go back and get kissed and three coins means you go back and get married. All money is regularly swept up and donated to charity. The authorities are also not kind to anyone who steals from the source. Put the coin(s) in your right hand and throw it over your left shoulder. It’s a fun thing to do in exchange for your third sundae.
15. Visit the Sistine Chapel
If you survive the 3 km walk through the opulent Papal Rooms of the Vatican Museum, you will be rewarded with the sensational view of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Created on-site by Michelangelo, he often painted freehand directly onto wet plaster, through belligerent papal outbursts, financial difficulties, personnel problems, slippery foundations, wars, and was finally completed after 4 years in 1512. Take mini field glasses and some kind of key for each fresco. The noise of everyone whispering is only drowned out by the guard shouting ‘hush’ from time to time.
And don’t sit on the steps.
16. Walking the boards in a flooded Venice
One of the most original experiences when visiting this aquatic city. Winter rains flood the lagoon and when the tide is at level it can be knee deep. Handy locals have found the solution in the form of raised platforms so you can walk the boards around Piazza San Marco without getting your toes wet. Or you could invest in some stylish rubber ankle boots.
17. Get Grappa-ed (drink too much Grappa)
Every country has its water of fire. In Russia and Poland it is vodka, in Mexico it is Tequila, in Czech it is Absinthe and in Italy it is Grappa. Distilled from the remains of the pressing of wine grapes, all the seeds, skins and stems, it is usually drunk at the end of a meal after espresso. The first drink takes care of any sensation in the throat and the second and third take care of the rest of the nervous system.
18. Buy a Ferrari cap
After football, the Pope and his own mother, comes the almost religious following of the nation to that little red car from Maranello. Most Italian drivers seem to envision themselves as the next Schumacher on the motorway, truckers included, but you have to admit the car is cool.
19. Scooter riding in Tuscany
Winding country lanes between rolling green hills, rows of vines neatly cutting the slopes, wild flowers in the fields, and those tall cypress trees lining the driveway to a medieval village. All that fresh air and the opportunity to live life at the local pace while unpacking a tasty picnic in a farmer’s field.
20. Finish off a Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Tbone Steak)
The resurrection of Florentines’ favorite steak made national news. Famous local Panzano butcher Dario Cecchini had held a public funeral and memorial service when the EU banned the sale of bone-in meat products after the mad cow scare a few years ago. Now he’s back and everyone is celebrating. Just make sure you’re really looking forward to this one, as it’s huge.
The general consensus was that these were all things to do during a trip to Italy, along with all the usual art and history stuff, of course, to get the most out of the trip.