Taormina is one of the most beautiful villages on Sicily. No wonder it gained such popularity, it has a picturesque landscape as it's located on a top of a mountain offering a panoramic view on both the coastline and Etnea volcano. As most mediterrenian villages and cities it also offers a maze of narrow and colourful alleys. It is a top destination for any sicilian excursion.
Syracuse was my number one in Sicily, for sure. It was just so pleasent to simply walk around and it was offering interesting sights from different historical periods. It actually has greek herritage, what came as a big surprise for me.
And finally, it was so much neater than Catania and much less touristy than Taormina. Perfect.
Catania is the second largest city of Sicily after Palermo, located on the seaside on the east of the island. It was my first excursion to any district of south Italy, so I was quite excited. Even the airport has its runways right by the coastline so that during landing I had the impression that the plane will land on the water. Most importantly, it lies by the feet of Etnea volcano, it is peaking through the alleys of the city being forever present in Catania's daily life.
Milan! Famous for it's cathedral, expensive shops and skilled pickpocketers. I was submitted to Milan for my Athens Programme - it's like a one week erasmus, where you go to a university in a different country and participate in a short course there. When we were off uni we did some sightseeing on our own or participated in tours organised by ESN (Erasmus Student Network).
Lake Como (in italian Lago di Como or Lario) is the third largest lake in Italy, right after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. With area of over 146 square kilometers and depth of 400 meters it spans in a "Y" shape in the valleys of The Alps. Located just by the Swiss border and 40 km north from Milan it's been a popular retreat destination from Roman times up to this day.
I have seen just a glimpse of it, but it sure was enough to appreciate it's natural beauty.
When flying to Milan with budget airlines you are most likely to land in Bergamo. Instead of rushing straight over to Lombardy's capital, it's good to take some time to appreciate Bergamo itself. It is a true gem that many people overlook in their Milan excursions, and it's so easy to reach!
Ah, Florence! The last stop on our Tuscan tour. We couldn't miss it, as it is an unquestionable must-see for every architecture student out there. Homeship of the renaissance, Bruneleschi, right?
However our stay at Florence was very short, it lasted only approximately 5 hours, as we were on our way back after Volterra workshops had ended and had a bus to Vienna from Florence in the afternoon. I have visited Florence before with my parents when I was 16 years old and had no idea what should I appreciate most. It was good to refresh some old experiences and add some more knowledge to them. Now, let me show you how much of Florence have we seen in less than 5 hours.
During the workshops we got a sunday off, so we decided to go to the seaside. Our tutor who knows Tuscany very well gave us a hint to visit the small town of Populonia. It is located on the western coast of Italy, on a very high hill that gives a breathtaking view on the coastline.
We rented a car and in a group of 5 people drove through charming tuscan landscapes up to Populonia. I was taking pictures from the window of the car, the shots are random but yet satysfying.
After three days of intensive sightseeing we finally departured from Pisa and headed on to Volterra, where we were about to have the most important part of our Italian experience - international design workshops with american architecture students.
The third day of our Italian tour we went to Lucca. It was merely 30 minutes by train, and for architecture student it was a gem. Most importantly - it was heavily fortificated in the middle ages and the fortifications are brilliantly preserved. When you hop off the train at the station you approach the old town in a couple of minutes and you have to climp through it's solid high walls.
The second day in Italy was a day I was really looking forward to - we visited one ofthe most stunning places I have visited so far - Cinque Terre. It is a complex of five small and insanely pretty towns located on high clifs by the sea. We managed to visit only four of them, but it still was a great adventure. Be prepared for a colourful set of photos!
On July 2016 a few of my university friends and I participated in International Volterra Design Workshop. It lasted for nearly two weeks, however If we were about to spend so much time in Italy, if would be a sin not to sightsee some nearby towns, right? Right!
We started our Tuscan journey in Pisa. I booked a hotel room for us there, so that we would sleep in Pisa and travel to other towns during the day. We were lucky enough to find a hotel right next to Pisa Central station so it was just perfect.
24 / architecture student / illustrator and cartoon artist / amateur photographer / piano enthusiast / dog lover / fuelled by coffee / short and blonde / vagabond.
