Gallimaufry#66

 Day 4 — Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre, which means Five Lands, comprises the five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso located in the Italian region of Liguria. They are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 View from Manarola

Delightful little hamlets perch on hills and inlets cascading down to the sea.

Layers of riotously pastel-colored houses cling to Cinque Terre's dramatic cliffs. It’s almost like a rainbow exploded and rained down on this part of Italy!

A nativity scene on top of a hill, steep, narrow stairways that lead to curious doors, bizarre sculptures, charming eateries, zig-zagging alleys, etc —  so many hidden gems to discover!

Meandering through the maze of crooked, cobbled alleys lined with colorful houses and quaint hole-in-the-wall shops was fun!

We had lunch in this niche called "Lunch Box" in Vernazza.

It may not look fancy, but the food, especially the creamy Pesto Gnocchi was super delizioso!

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

Italy, the land of breads

One can never have too many gelati!

Gallimaufry#65

 Day 3 — Florence

View of Florence from Piazza Michelangelo

Ponte Vecchio

Sculpture of David 

Piazza della Signoria

Neptune

Hercules and Cacus

David

Piazza del Duomo Firenze

Our group photo — all 37 of us from Malaysia!

Baptistry of San Giovanni

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

The intricacy of the stonework and mosaics of the buildings is astounding!

Giotto's Bell Tower

Dome fresco of the Florence Cathedral

Tomb of Antipope John XXIII in the Florence Baptistry

Piazza della Repubblica

The Christmas lights in Florence are bellissimo!

Palazzo Vecchio

II Porcellino

Legend has it that good fortune follows those who rub the boar’s snout. Some tourists have even gone so far as to place a coin in its jaws, in hopes that the water would wash the coin from the boar’s mouth into the grate below. Doing so would mean that all your wishes would come true and you would get to visit Florence again.

 

When in Florence, eat a Florentine Steak!

Last glimpse of Florence from our bus

Gallimaufry#64

 Day 2 — Rome

 Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

Roman Forum

Statue of Julius Caesar

Victor Emmanuel II Monument

Equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II

Trevi Fountain

Fontana della Barcaccia

People actually drink the water from the fountain!

Spanish Steps

Despite a fine of €250, people were still sitting on the steps!

As of 2019, a ban has been introduced to prevent tourists from sitting on the 135 steps, spanning from the Trinita de' Monti to the Piazza di Spagna. A hefty fine of €250 awaits anyone spotted using the steps as a resting place, enforced by whistle-wielding, high-vis-wearing officials patrolling the area by day.

Me and our Italian guide Donatella

According to our guide, there are more than 2000 piazzas in Rome itself! Italian piazzas, or squares, are the heart and soul of every Italian town and city. Big or small, humble or opulent, there is always something to admire — a fountain, a statue, an obelisk, a monument, a Christmas tree, etc.

Piazza del Popolo

Flaminio Obelisk

The Twin Churches

In Piazza del Popolo, two identical churches stand beside each other. The Santa Maria dei Mircoli and the Santa Maria in Montesanto are known as The Twin Churches because of their identical exterior structures.

Fontana del Nettuno

Trevi District

Via del Babuino

The street was named after Babuino, the statue of Silenus, who was half man, half goat in Greek mythology. The statue was thought to be very ugly and compared to a baboon. It was thus nicknamed Babuino (Romanesco for "baboon"). It joins Rome’s other talking statues, where people leave pasquinades (nasty notes) directed at public figures. This is a tradition that has continued even today.

Fendi Baguette Bag Christmas Tree Installation

Eating gelato is one of the many joys of traveling in Italy!