Italy Trip Review (December 2–13) 🇮🇹 🎄

“A 12-Day Odyssey of Airports, Art, Skeletons, Pasta, and Walking Until God Himself Said ‘Enough.’”

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(Imagine this as a montage: a car driving through the night, airport terminals stretching into infinity, train windows slicing through mountains, gothic spires stabbing the sky, skeletons decorating walls like wallpaper, espresso cups vibrating with caffeine, gelato melting faster than human comprehension, and legs slowly realizing they were never consulted about this trip. No dialogue. Just vibes, jet lag, and history.)

This was such a privilege to get to go to Italy, its been on my bucket list for a while, so im happy I got to go to the place I wanted to go.

Also here’s my album of every images I took.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FDM2CvLp18mchaJu9
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NON-SPOILER OVERVIEW

This was not a relaxing vacation.
This was a cinematic endurance test disguised as culture. But in its own way it was relaxing, because got to enjoy gorgeous sites and eat amazing food.

The trip moved like this:
America → Germany → Milan → Rome → Pompeii → Back from the dead.

Germany felt like a warm-up level. Cozy. Orderly. Christmas-coded.
Italy immediately said: “You will walk. You will wait. You will eat slowly. You will feel history in your bones.”

Every day had its own personality:

Germany was calm and festive

Milan was gothic, artistic, and heavy with history

Rome was chaotic, ancient, sacred, and ridiculous all at once

Pompeii reminded us nature does not care about vibes


By the end, my legs were destroyed, my sleep schedule no longer existed, and yet somehow… it was worth it.

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DAY 1 — December 2

The Travel Boss Fight

This day was pure survival.

We drove five hours to Philly, then boarded a seven-hour flight to London at 7pm. After landing at Heathrow, we had to walk several miles just to reach the next gate — because Heathrow is less an airport and more a punishment dungeon.

Then came several more hours of waiting before a short flight to Germany.

By the end of this day, time stopped being real. My body was present, but spiritually I was still somewhere near security.

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DAY 2 — December 3

Heathrow → Frankfurt

We landed in London, waited around Heathrow for a few hours, then flew to Frankfurt.

This day existed solely to move us from Point A to Point B and gently warn us that exhaustion was coming whether we liked it or not.

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DAY 3 — December 4

Frankfurt, Germany

We stayed at the Steigenberger Hotel, which was very nice and perfectly located.

Frankfurt surprised me. The city felt calm and lived-in. Lots of:

Bread shops (Germany takes bread seriously)

Barbershops

Clothing stores

Cafés

Christmas village markets everywhere


Germany in December feels like it’s permanently set to “cozy mode.” Lights everywhere, warm drinks, people casually enjoying themselves without rushing.

One the things I loved most about Italy wss the gorgeous architecture, each building told a story.

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DAY 4 — December 5

Germany → Italy (8-Hour Train Ride)

The eight-hour train ride into Italy was honestly one of the best parts of the trip.

The scenery was gorgeous — mountains, countryside, towns sliding past like postcards. The food on the train was good, the ride was smooth, and for once, travel felt cinematic instead of punishing.

We arrived in Italy and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel, which was absolutely stunning.

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DAY 5 — December 6

Milan, the Duomo, and Art That Shouldn’t Exist

This was one of the most impactful days.

We toured the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, and here’s a crucial fun fact people miss:

The Duomo doesn’t look “Italian” because it isn’t traditionally Italian. It was designed by northern European (mainly French) architects, which is why it’s fully Gothic, not Romanesque. According to our guide, it’s also the largest Gothic church in the world and took nearly 600 years to complete.

Inside, we encountered one of the most disturbing and fascinating sculptures I’ve ever seen:

💀 Saint Bartholomew Flayed (1562)

Sculpted by Marco d’Agrate, this statue depicts Saint Bartholomew after being skinned alive. He stands calmly, wearing his own flayed skin draped over his shoulders like a robe. Instead of idealized anatomy, the sculptor carved realistic muscle fibers, veins, and tendons, making it one of the earliest examples of true anatomical realism in Western sculpture.

Why this matters:

It shocked people even in the 1500s

It blends horror with sanctity — suffering without screaming

Guillermo del Toro has cited it as inspiration for Frankenstein and creature designs


It’s grotesque, tragic, sacred, and human all at once.

Three hours into the tour, we reached the highlight:
The original Last Supper painting.

Not a replica.
Not a print.
The real thing.

Standing there felt unreal — like being trusted with something fragile and irreplaceable.

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DAY 6 — December 7

Shopping, Da Vinci, and Italian Patience

This day was lighter: shopping, eating, and visiting the Leonardo da Vinci Museum.

A note about Italy:
Food takes time. They expect you to sit, relax, and exist. This is nice in theory. Harder when you’re hungry.

The Four Seasons was gorgeous. No buffet, but excellent breakfast — eventually.

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DAY 7 — December 8

Milan → Rome

Early morning again. Breakfast early. Train at 11:20. Station was a 20-minute drive.

We stayed at the St. Regis Rome, which I cannot recommend enough:

Gorgeous interior

Buffet breakfast from 7am–11am

Free wine bar every night at 7pm


Rome immediately felt louder, denser, and more chaotic — but alive.

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DAY 8 — December 9

The Vatican

Up at 6am. Out by 8ish.

Entering the Vatican is like entering another country — because it is. Passport checks, security, long lines.

Inside are over 20,000 art pieces. Our guide Lucia said it would take a month to see everything properly.

We had two-ish hours.

Highlights:

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling

A tapestry room where Jesus’ eyes appear to follow you no matter where you move

A hallway of painted maps from when a Pope tried to conquer all of Italy (why? don’t ask me)


No photos allowed in the chapel. Tragic.

Dinner later took two hours because the waiter moved at glacial speed. Gelato afterward helped.

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DAY 9 — December 10

Pompeii & Herculaneum

A long, heavy day.

Pompeii was beautiful and tragic — frozen in time.

Herculaneum hit harder.

Fun/horrifying facts:

Discovered in 1730

Around 400 skeletons found in river tunnels in 1980

Mostly women and children

Men were found in boats


Yeah. Draw your own conclusions.

One skeleton was found headless in a jar, with its skull in another jar. Someone was clearly messed up.

Mount Vesuvius is still active, but the town now has an evacuation plan. Comforting… kind of.

This day was exhausting.

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DAY 10 — December 11

The Colosseum (Migraine Edition)

There was supposed to be a three-hour Colosseum tour.

Instead, migraine said no.

Family went. Took great pictures. I rested.

Lunch later made up for it — cheese-stuffed pasta, two plates because Italian portions are tiny and I refuse to apologize.

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DAY 11 — December 12

Crypts, Catacombs, and Coffee Crimes

One of my favorite days.

We explored the Capuchin Crypt — walls decorated entirely with human bones. Macabre, yes. Fascinating, also yes.

Then we wandered, explored Christmas villages, bought souvenirs, and ate Margherita pizza.

Coffee moment: Italian coffee is STRONG.
I used seven sugar packets. Seven. Still barely palatable.

Gelato followed. The woman behind the counter tried to convince me not to get chocolate. I ignored her. I’m stubborn. Zero regrets.

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DAY 12 — December 13

The Long Way Home

Flight at 11am Italy time. Nine hours in the air. Six-hour time difference. Land at 3pm Pittsburgh time. Then a drive home from Philly.

Total travel time: 14 hours.

Brutal — but at least it was one plane.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Italy doesn’t cater to you.
It doesn’t rush.
It doesn’t soften itself.

Y’all will just have to adjust with Italy.

You walk. You wait. You eat. You absorb history whether you want to or not. You leave exhausted, full, and wishing you could stay longer.

It’s overwhelming in the best way. On one hand glad thr trip is done but on the other I’ll miss Italy.

On a side note Italy has some gorgeous Christmas decorations during the holidays, its such a site to behold, also may I recommend Italy’a pizza and pasta? Some the best meal y’all will ever have.

Would I recommend this place? Well depends on id y’all like walking a lot or not, if you dont then well no, but if you are a walker then yes. It is however a wonderful piece of site to go visit, I highly recommend it.
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Final Rating: 9/10
Incredible, exhausting, unforgettable — my legs will never forgive me.

Hope y’all enjoy todays reveiw.