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Where did you go in Italy? You only went for 6 days so you may not be able to visit the spectacular sites in Italy that Spain can never have.
Florence, Cinque Terre, and Milan.
I'm convinced that Italy has more exotic sites than Spain, but I just don't like Italy as a place to stay, to eat, to walk, to feel. Even though Florence has a higher concentration of arts than probably anywhere in the world, once the museum fatigue kicks in, I don't feel excited anymore. By the way, it seems that Italy isn't properly air-conditioned. Some high profile galleries/museums don't have effective A/C system! Many, if not the majority of local restaurants don't have A/C at all.
Cinque Terre is good, but I can probably find decent beaches without going to Italy. I'm not sure if Cinque Terre is worth the efforts and cost.
If you eat in tourist restaurants, you get a tourist restaurant experience anywhere in the world. With a bit of research, you can eat at restaurants where locals eat and avoid the tourist places. Italy is the worst for that. You have to get out of the tourist areas to find good restaurants. I usually eat rijstafel when I’m in Amsterdam. Dutch East Indies food. It’s really good.
With my limited 500 word Spanish vocabulary, I’ve never had a problem in Galecia. I was last in Sanxenxo about 20 months ago. Often, Portuguese works better there since the local dialect is closer to Portuguese than Spanish. I have my 500 word survival Portuguese vocabulary, too. Don’t people spend a few days learning the key vocabulary words before going to a country?
Actually, I spent two months learning basic Spanish. I didn't make much progress, but it still helped a lot because many people don't speak English at all. Simple words like agua, naranja, una, dos, mas were helpful when I ordered food.
Galicia isn't touristy except for Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. It doesn't require extra efforts to avoid touristy places, most shops/restaurants/markets in Galicia cater to locals. Surprisingly, my time in Galicia was the best part of the trip! Next time I'll explore Basque Country and Pyrenees mountains.
Florence is more like Disneyland for adults. It seems that the only industry in Florence is tourism. Avoiding touristy places isn't possible.
Did you get to Madrid? Am asking because of your comment about the lack of museums in Spain. The city has a ton of them: The Prado, the Thyssen Bournemisza Museum, the Reina Sofia, the Museo Sorollo, Goya’s tomb, the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, the National Archaeological Museum (just counting those I’ve been to) and the Museo Romantico, Museo Lazaro Galdiano, and the Decorative Arts Museum (which I haven’t). And that doesn’t count those in nearby towns like El Escorial and Toledo.
I'm not saying there's a dearth of museums in Madrid, but Florence just has more. Madrid has more than enough museums for me. I visited The Prado and the Palace. One thing I learned from this trip is that I'm not really a museum person.
I spent 2 days in Madrid, 1 day in Segovia and 1 day in Toledo. I really think I should spend more time in that region.
My favorite city on the planet is now Barcelona. It's the ideal place to live! However, it doesn't offer that much to tourists. After 3 days in Barcelona, I couldn't think of many things to do.
If you eat in tourist restaurants, you get a tourist restaurant experience anywhere in the world. With a bit of research, you can eat at restaurants where locals eat and avoid the tourist places. Italy is the worst for that. You have to get out of the tourist areas to find good restaurants. I usually eat rijstafel when I’m in Amsterdam. Dutch East Indies food. It’s really good.
With my limited 500 word Spanish vocabulary, I’ve never had a problem in Galecia. I was last in Sanxenxo about 20 months ago. Often, Portuguese works better there since the local dialect is closer to Portuguese than Spanish. I have my 500 word survival Portuguese vocabulary, too. Don’t people spend a few days learning the key vocabulary words before going to a country?
If I could learn 500 words in a few days then I wouldn't have gotten a D in college German!
Not everyone is good at languages, regardless of the effort.
OP - thanks for the interesting travelogue - I'd love to try Spain and maybe Portugal some time.
I want to visit Italy later this year if I can save enough money.
A co-worker went there a few months ago and he absolutely loved it, said it was one of the best places he's ever been to especially Florence and all its museums. Regardless of negative reviews, Italy is simply one of those must see places due to the history and art of the country.
I'm convinced that Italy has more exotic sites than Spain, but I just don't like Italy as a place to stay, to eat, to walk, to feel. Even though Florence has a higher concentration of arts than probably anywhere in the world, once the museum fatigue kicks in, I don't feel excited anymore. By the way, it seems that Italy isn't properly air-conditioned. Some high profile galleries/museums don't have effective A/C system! Many, if not the majority of local restaurants don't have A/C at all.
Cinque Terre is good, but I can probably find decent beaches without going to Italy. I'm not sure if Cinque Terre is worth the efforts and cost.
Italy has its edges, but it's not for everyone.
Did you get to lake Como from Milan?
There are Venice, Rome and the Amalfi coast that you haven't experienced.
I'm convinced that Italy has more exotic sites than Spain, but I just don't like Italy as a place to stay, to eat, to walk, to feel. Even though Florence has a higher concentration of arts than probably anywhere in the world, once the museum fatigue kicks in, I don't feel excited anymore. By the way, it seems that Italy isn't properly air-conditioned. Some high profile galleries/museums don't have effective A/C system! Many, if not the majority of local restaurants don't have A/C at all.
Cinque Terre is good, but I can probably find decent beaches without going to Italy. I'm not sure if Cinque Terre is worth the efforts and cost.
Italy has its edges, but it's not for everyone.
I haven’t been to Cinque Terre, but it’s not as I understand it a beach destination, more a hiking and series-of-charming-small-towns type of attraction. It apparently has become overrun with tourists the last several years, though is reportedly an enjoyable enough place to visit.
Milan has its pleasures, but it’s not one of Italy’s more charming cities, either. A couple days is plenty here, though it has its share of must-see museums and churches as well as Da Vinci’s wonderful “Last Supper.” It’s also a major shopping destination for fashion and similar stuff if you’re into that kind of thing. Worth a visit, am thinking.
I loved Florence the time I went, and spent a week there. Loads of great museums and churches, plus it’s a great place to shop for things like leather goods. No way I regret going there.
I want to visit Italy later this year if I can save enough money.
A co-worker went there a few months ago and he absolutely loved it, said it was one of the best places he's ever been to especially Florence and all its museums. Regardless of negative reviews, Italy is simply one of those must see places due to the history and art of the country.
Italy is sort of expensive, I don't know why. Beware of pickpocketing and scams! When nontourist strangers approach you for no apparent reason, you need to be alert. A couple of Gypsies approached us to shake hands, the restaurant owner told us that they were after our wallets. There are plenty of stories online, just be prepared and you'll probably be fine.
The museums/galleries/arts in Florence are undoubtedly awesome. I am just too susceptible to museum fatigue. If you are really interested in that sort of thing(history, architecture, renaissance, paintings), Florence is probably going to worth it. Have you visited major museums in the United States? NYC has some of the best museums in the world. If you are not sure if you like museums that much, you may try a few at home.
I haven’t been to Cinque Terre, but it’s not as I understand it a beach destination, more a hiking and series-of-charming-small-towns type of attraction. It apparently has become overrun with tourists the last several years, though is reportedly an enjoyable enough place to visit.
Milan has its pleasures, but it’s not one of Italy’s more charming cities, either. A couple days is plenty here, though it has its share of must-see museums and churches as well as Da Vinci’s wonderful “Last Supper.” It’s also a major shopping destination for fashion and similar stuff if you’re into that kind of thing. Worth a visit, am thinking.
I loved Florence the time I went, and spent a week there. Loads of great museums and churches, plus it’s a great place to shop for things like leather goods. No way I regret going there.
YMMV.
The small towns are not bad, a lot of restaurants/shops/activities on the expensive side, but you can probably find equally charming small towns elsewhere in Europe.
Hiking in Cinque Terre is more about stair climbing than anything else. It's not really the kind of hiking I would expect in a typical national park.
It's not a typical beach destination but there are plenty of beaches. The temperature is great for water sports right now.
It's a two-hour train ride from Florence to Cinque Terre.
Again, it's not bad at all, the question is whether it's worthwhile.
Florence has some of the best museums and churches. But I've seen enough museums and churches in Europe, I think I won't go out of my way to see any church/religious site for the rest of my life, lol.
It's all about personal taste. I love the homemade fresh pasta in Florence, but I found Florentine steak just okay.
I was in one of the Dutch possessions Saint Martin. I found the Dutch side too Americanized. There was no border between the Dutch and French sides except on the map. If I go there again, I will stay on the French side. The French side is less congested and has more of a French feel.
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