ITALY: THE NORTH- PART 2

Italiaaaa mangiare, mangiare! Today, I will tell you about some other lovely northern cities: Pisa, Florence, San Marino and Siena. The parents of one of my best guy friends from high-school is actually currently in Pisa! 

So, in Pisa, you should probably see the Leaning Tower of Pisa...just a suggestion though...

1. Lean with the leaning tower of Pisa.

2. Visit Piazza dei Miracoli and the Baptistry. 

3. Walk around Knight's Square for a few minutes while taking cliche tourist pictures. 

4. Get holy Italian style at: Santa Maria della Spina; Santa Cornoa Vicenza; San Nicola; San Pietro di Grado; San Frediano Pisa; San Paolo Ripa d'Arno; San Francesco; Santo Stefano dei Cavaliero; San Michele in Borgo; San Pietro (Vinculis); Santa Caterina; San Sisto; Santa Chiara; San Zeno; San Silvestro; Church of St. Rocco; San Martino...if your sins are not forgiven at any one of these churches in Pisa...you are screwed.

5. Go look at the Pisa Griffin...why? Because it's cool and has been in Pisa since the Middle Ages.

6. Wander over to the Camposanto Monumentale.

7. Wake up and smell the flowers at Orto botanico di Pisa. 

8. Get spooky and visit the Cementary.

9. Party with the Italians at Leningrad Cafe, Temple Bar or Caffetteria Betsabea.

10. Grab some authentic Tuscan cuisine at Antica Trattoria il Campano, La Clessida, Osteria dei Cavalieri, La Grotta or Trattoria La Buca.

11. Not feeling Tuscan? Try either Babette Food and Art Cafe, Ristoro al Vecchio Teatro, Il Montino, Trattoria della Faggiola.

12. Get cultured at Palazzo dell'Orologio.

Floraaa, Florence!

1. Drink some organic wine at Vivanda.

2. Visit St. Mark's English

3. Be artsy fartsy at the Uffizi Gallery.

4. Head over to the Florence Cathedral to see some beautiful architecture.

5. Visit one of Italy's most famous bridges, the Ponte Vecchio. 

6. Just stop and stare at the beautiful Basilica of Santa Croce or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore.

7. Snack on some Florentine steak at one of Florence's many restaurants.

8. Enjoy a cone of gelato in Piazza dell Signoria.

9. Grab a snack and pick-me-up coffee at La Terrazza...oh, and enjoy the view!

10. Frolick in the flowers at the beautiful Boboli Gardens.

11. Celebrate happy hour at Colle Bereto or La Dolce Vita.

12. Party the night away at Central Park, Oibo, Naima, Joshua Tree, Cabiria, YAB Club or Twice.

13. Grab a lovely Italian dinner at Il Latini, Trattoria I Fratellini, Il Chicco di Caffe or switch it up with some Middle-Eastern cuisine at Amon.

14. Bored of being outside? Head over to Galleria dell'Accademia, Museo del Bargello or Giardino di Boboli.

15. Surround yourself with local Italians and nature at Parco delle Cascine.
...there's so many other things to do in Florence but this just sums it up for all you Florence-bound wanderlusters!

 I definitely think once I visit Florence, it will be one of my new favorite cities in the world. I should try to make a trip out there sometime this year...

San Marino...I have always wanted to go there as well and just lay on the beach forgetting reality: 

1. BEAAACH. Lay there all day, get sunburnt, frolick in the sea; do what you please.

2. Mountains! Mount Titano, it's not hard to miss.

3. Climb to the castle, Guaita. 

4. Visit the skinny yet pretty building of town hall, Palazzo Pubblico.

5. Attend an Italian football match (soccer for you Americans).

 Siena...hey, one of the Double 007 movies was filmed there!

1. Make sure to check out the famous horse races twice a year, the Palio di Siena.
2. Breathe in the Italian culture while walking around Piazza del Campo with a gelato from Kopa Kabana in hand.
3. Visit the beautiful and historic Duomo Nuovo and Basilica of San Domenico.
4. Take a walk over to Palazzo Pubblico, Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Salimbeni and Torre del Mangia.
5. Spend a rainy day in the national museum, Pinacoteca Siena Nazionale or at Museo Civico.
6.Now, this place is a stereotypical Tuscany scene: Villa Cetinale.
7. Visit one of Siena's many churches: San Martino, San Giuseppe, Santa Maria dei Servi, Santo Spirito, Basilica dell'Osservanza, San Giorgio, Basilica di San Francesco.
8. Smell the flowers at the University of Siena's botanical garden, Orto Botanico dell'Universtia di Siena.
9. Go underground to Siena's Crypt.
10. Be artsy fartsy at the Palazzo delle Papesse or at Pinacoteca Nazionale.
11. Grab a bite to eat at: Al Marsili, Osteria Le Logge, Enzo, Il Carroccio, Osteria Castelvecchio, Morbidi or La Pizzeria di Nonno Mede.
12. Ever play one of those video games with fortresses? Visit a real fortress, the Fortezza Medicea.
13. Be happy at the happy fountain, Fonte Gaia!
14. Make sure to stay until Wednesday so you can visit the Wednesday Market.
15.  Get your drink on at Caffe Ortensia, Enoteca Italiana, Caffe el Corso or Al Cambio.

The next post will be on the southern half of Italy. I will share some good places to go and eat with you in: Rome, Sardinia, Naples, Capri, Campobasso, Bari, Cantanzaro then Sicily. 

Travel on wanderlusters and have a lovely Sunday!