San Gimigiano

In winter-time a tourist in Italy is almost a rare sight! Yes it is quite cold, but one can have Palladio’s masterpieces, the canals of Venice, and the Uffizi without the massive crowds. Tourists who have traveled in spring and summer and even in fall, know how rare this is. In fall the Italians travel and things can be quite busy. Jim and I split up for a time in the Uffizi one winter day, and each of us marveled at walking through room after room of masterpieces with not a person in sight. I was greeted like a c-list celebrity by American college students in the Duomo who were studying abroad and were thrilled because, “Oh my God! It’s an American mom!”

I guess they were feeling a little homesick in late January and mom was looking better than when they left! 🙂

I love Italy in the winter. It is my favorite time. The people are warm, the food hot and delicious, and less tourists and queues, have made me a convert. It is like being in Italy, not being in Italy with 200,000 other tourists crammed into four blocks! I also prefer the cold to the heat of the summer. All of the buildings are covered with cloaks of frost. If all of this isn’t enough to convince you, everything is less expensive in Italia in the winter time. Accommodations, even in pricey Venice, are much less expensive.

We will be back in Italy in the spring and I am bracing for the crowds.

Take a peek at beautiful Italia in the winter-time:

The genius of Palladio. One can book inside tours of Palladio’s masterpieces in the winter-time more easily. Getting inside is a major treat. There were Pallazos for sale along the Brenta that you can see if your thinking of a move! 🙂 I sure was, but it’s quite a major undertaking and expense to take on a palazzo. I am content to visit.

The Duomo Florence