Italy - South Side

So following the last blog post, we are now in Florence, arriving 31st July and staying until 2nd August. We booked an Airbnb about 15 minutes walk from the Duomo. Plans had changed quite a bit since Venice, with originally wanting to stop off at Bologna and San Marino, and thoughts of going to Pisa for a day trip. Instead, we stayed in Florence, and moved on directly down to Naples. I would loved to have stopped off in Rome, but we realised it would have been expensive and crowded, and we were after less of a tourist destination. Next time for sure.

Our host, Maria, was super lovely and awesome. We spoke for about an hour as she showed us her home, talking about our passions and travels. Her home was well located, close to everything you'd want to be to in Florence. I had always wanted to travel here since November 17th 2009 (Assassin's Creed 2 release date). We didn't look into the attractions here until the day we arrived, compiling a list of destinations and sights to see each day. Of course The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) was at the top. After setting up at Maria's, we stepped outside and had a bit of a wander to get a feel for the place.

There is something about the streets here in Florence. I can't pinpoint it but something just makes you feel elated when walking down the small streets that wrap around each other. Maybe the structures that surround, or the colours of the stores and cobblestone in the sun setting light.

The next day we had our list together and started our little sightseeing tour. Starting the day off with The Duomo. This piece of architecture was amazing to see up close and in person. You don't realise how big it is until you're right next to it. And the tile artwork on the outside and inside is just amazing. We didn't go inside until the last day. If you plan on going inside, be there early in the morning or be prepared to wait 2 hours in a line for entry. There is also a dress code that we didn't know about. You can't have your shoulders exposed. There are people who sell throw over scarf clothing for those who are wearing a dress of singlet showing the shoulders. But they ask for a bit of money. Caroline was being heckled to buy one but we weren't carrying any cash on us at the time. So when we were about to enter, she was not allowed in because of her shoulders being shown. It was nice inside the Duomo but in my opinion it's not something you need to see to experience Florence. There are heaps and heaps of churches, and historical architecture to check out in Italy and Florence, so no need to stress. Just make sure you see if from the outside at least. It is a very lovely area on its own.

We moved on just down the road to Piazza Della Signoria and took in the sights of the statues and surrounding structures. Took a few pictures of Neptune in the fountain just below. Carrying on down the small streets, we passed through the Uffizi Gallery courtyard and onto the Ponte Vecchio bridge. A very busy area but for good reason. There was lots to see and explore in this small area. We went down so many little streets and saw many other sights but it is hard to remember what.

Once we crossed Ponte Vecchio, we hiked over to San Niccolo and took in the sights across the river. It was now late afternoon and we had ticked off majority of the list. We made our way back to the Airbnb, stopping off at the store to get some dinner. The next day was when we went in the Duomo, but also to Leonardo Da Vinci's museum in Florence. It was such a cool thing to see, all of his inventions and research he did that expanded so many areas. The man was an absolute genius and well before his time. The museum had small scale inventions that he had made and a brief insight to his history and work. If you can name it, Leonardo has done it.

That day we caught a train to Naples and stayed there at an Airbnb for 2 days with the wonderful Francesca. The train trip was around 4 hours long, and then we had to change to a local line once in Naples. We hadn't looked much in Naples, and didn't expect much either. After looking at some pictures on the internet, we decided to come here, it just looked like a cool spot to check out for a couple days. When we arrived at the local station and walked to the Airbnb, that is when we knew this place was going to be different. As soon as we stepped onto the street, we knew this place was not a tourist attraction. It had a ghetto vibe, in a good way. So many motor bikes and scooters going up and down the road. Street markets that flooded on every corner. Families everywhere, and full of locals with no tourist marketing. It was actually kind of a good break. We got some pizza from some shop we stumbled upon and honestly it was the best pizza I've had. It was a good start to this place. We met Francesca half way to her place. Again, lots of stairs and uneven ground. She lived in a large apartment above the markets. Giving us a little tour, we all sat down and chatted for a little. It's always so cool to chat to someone and instantly catch a vibe, and just hit it off. Francesca told us about the area and what's around, and gave us some local tips on where to go.

We arrived late so not much happened that night. The next day we went over to Pompeii to check out the history there. Honestly, it's not as good as what I've heard. If you're there for the history then you'd enjoy it very much, but other than that, there's not much to see. We walked around with an audio guide for an hour or two and it didn't really do it for us. There wasn't many cafes or restaurants in the area either to get lunch at so we were left kind of disappointed and hungry. We made our way back to Naples and ate some food and had a nap. After the power nap we went out for dinner into the streets and just took in the local scene. For all the negative feedback we had from Naples from friends and family travelling here, we actually enjoyed the area. It just goes to show you don't really know if you'd like or not something until you actually do it yourself. We found ourselves at a bit of a bar and restaurant square and ordered some drinks and caught up with each other. When travelling you don't actually get to sit down and talk about other stuff other than the trip that is happening. Like, where should we go, what do you want to see, what do we need to book. It all becomes trip related, so it was good to get off that topic.

After some drinks, it was gelato time. You can always find a good gelato place in Italy. We got a few scoops and ate them on the way back to the Airbnb.

The next day, we said good-bye to Francesca and caught the train to Bari. We had to stop off at some random station in the middle of nowhere to get a connecting train the rest of the way and from memory I think the station was in Ferrandina. Anyway, there was this little kitten I found under a car outside trying to stay cool from the heat outside, and he was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I managed to lure him out and I picked him up. He was a little dirty but in pretty good shape. I took him into the station and he would not leave my side. I'd put him on the ground and he would look up at me and just meow until I was touching him with my hand our leg. He just wanted to chill on my lap the whole time. Our train came and I so, so badly wanted to bring him with me. All the locals in the station were looking at me as this little kitten would wander around on the floor. They'd all pat him and ask if he was mine. I just picked the dude up outside but I really wanted to keep him. The kitten was getting friendly with an old couple and I told them my train was here, can look after him. For the 40 minutes he was mine, I called him Venom. Still think about him daily.

We got to Bari and got another train to Giovinazzo where we had booked an Airbnb for 2 nights, and this was my most favourite part of Italy. This little coastal stone white town called Giovinazzo. We booked a traditional tiny house for ourselves, so no host, and it was such a lovely place. The dude who owned it didn't live in the country but his mum lived a couple doors down from us, so she let us in and gave us a tour. She spoke no English but was a lovely lady. The area we were in was just as nice, with the beach either side of us. The home was located towards the tip, so very central. We went out that night to explore and it felt so awesome. Everything was white stone and very narrow, with cobblestone ground. The beach and port were so close and you could see the sunrise on the right side of the port, and the sunset on the left. It was perfect.

I really wish we were here for longer.

We did no sight seeing, just really took in this place as it had a lot to offer already, no need to go looking for things to do. We finally got the water we wanted since arriving in Italy, being the first place we could enjoy it. We went to the beach everyday and swam, walked around with no shirt and spent majority of our time outside.

The only issue we had while here was that the owner asked for damage money through Airbnb for damage that was not done by us. It wasn't the ideal position to be in while backpacking because our budget was becoming limited towards the end and it takes quite a bit of time to dispute and process. It eventually was settled 20 days later. Other than that, we really enjoyed it here. I highly recommend checking this area out. There was no tourist (other than us), amazing views, great sunsets and sunrises. A lovely area, beautiful water, very welcoming locals and amazing food to choose from.

It was now the 6th August, and we were catching a ferry to Montenegro which is quite the story. Join me next week to read about staying in Montenegro, White Water Rafting for the first time, travelling through Serbia and meeting my mum in Budapest for her Birthday.