[2014 Italy] ORD->FLR

My flight was on a Monday evening, so I went straight to the airport after work. (with my seemingly already heavy luggage...whatever happened to traveling light?) The flight was schedule to make an hour long stop in Rome before arriving in Florence right before 4pm on Tuesday. I was worried the whole flight: what if I can't make the transfer in 1 hour? But then the optimist in me said: if the airline sells that flight arrangement, they will get you on that flight! Ok. I'll take that.

Rome airport was a surprise. Since it's such a popular travel destination, I've always thought Rome is a big metropolitan city. But the airport was tiny and old, and we had to take a bus from the plane to the gate (the only place in the US I remember with this arrangement was Alaska's airport). I was worried the whole time that I won't make the transfer, but I certainly did not expect I'd be stuck in Rome for extra time. After boarding the outbound flight, and even waiting on the tarmac for a good amount of time, the captain announced there was a technical problem and we needed to go back to the gate. And so I spent an extra 2 hours in Rome...

I arrived in Florence close to 6pm. Even though the bus stop for the bus into the city center is right by the airport exit, my legs had a mind of their own and carried me to the taxi stand. I anxiously confirmed the price with the cab driver, as the guidebook warned about dishonest drivers and skyhigh prices. He looked at me matter-of-factly and said: 25 euros.

[2014 Italy] Pre-trip preparations

The annual international conference is here again, and this time, it's in Milan. I have to admit: I wasn't very excited in the beginning. Yes yes, Milan is the fashion capital of the world. But for someone who's not really in pulse with fashion and don't care much for designer brands, it's not too exciting. Even if it's Italy. But then I thought: well it has been a while since I visited Europe, so why not get a vacation out of it? Boss said yes, so two weeks it is. Rick Steves' guidebook in hand, it took me a while to decide where to go. I was torn between a driving trip in Tuscany vs. major cities. Eventually, my fear for driving in a city where I don't speak the language triumphed, and I decided on Florence and Rome. I almost wanted to squeeze in Venice, just so that I can see it in better light and wipe away the cold and gloomy Venice I visited 10 years ago (has it really been that long already?!), but scratched it because I didn't want to spend valuable time traveling between cities. After long hours of cross-referencing tripadvisor and chowhound for dining options, the final itinerary is as follows: