The Traveling Teacher: Adventures in Italy with my daughter (and Taylor Swift)
Travel is my passion. Exploring new places and revisiting old brings me joy and a sense of fulfillment. This summer, I got to share that passion with my oldest daughter, Lucia.
How a book sparked Lucia’s desire to travel
I have dreamed of taking each of my daughters on a trip to a place of their choosing. Unlike her younger sister, Lucia had not expressed interest in international travel. As a literacy teacher, you can imagine how delighted I was when a book set in Florence, Italy changed all that! The book, Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch is about a teen named Lina who spends a summer with her estranged father who lives just outside of Florence. Lina copes with the loss of her mother, gets to know her father and finds friendship and of course, love, while exploring the renaissance city. After closing its pages, Lucia announced, “Florence sounds pretty cool. Maybe I want to go there someday.” My partner, Stu, shot me the “be cool, Krista” look to keep me from jumping off the couch, grabbing the computer and launching into trip planning mode. I filed this new information away and then, about a year later, Lucia and I started planning a trip.
View of Florence from the Tower of the Palazzo Vecchio
Forming our itinerary
Florence was a focus of our trip but we began to explore other places in Italy. Lucia decided on Rome and I suggested Lucca, a small Tuscan city near the coast with easy access to the beach. Europe in July often means 90 degree weather so I felt a day at the beach would be a nice respite.
So how does Taylor Swift fit into all this? Well, when Lucia heard that Taylor would be performing in Milan, she started begging me to go. After some investigating, I learned that tickets in Zurich, Switzerland were less expensive, so we started our Italian adventure with two days in Zurich!
Day 1: Arrived in Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is stunning. The Limmat river flows through the city and empties into a beautiful lake. It is easy to navigate the trains, cable cars and buses. Upon arrival, we took a train from the airport to the old city and walked about 10 minutes to our hotel, Hotel Alexander. Lucia was struck by the room’s small size. I explained that is a theme you’ll see throughout Europe: in the US we are used to everything being large and abundant. It is different here. We took naps (less than 2 hours, always) to lessen the jetlag and then set out to explore.
We walked to Lindenhof, a small park up a hill with nice views of the city. We grabbed iced Americano coffees at Vicafe and made our way up the path. There were tourists taking photos of the view but also locals playing chess and visiting on park benches, and children playing on the swingset.
From there we walked to the grocery store, COOP, grabbed some sandwiches, cheese and bread and had a picnic on the bank of the river. Zurich is an expensive city so we followed the advice of a couple on YouTube called The Traveling Swiss and opted for picnics over eating in restaurants.
The highlight of Zuirch was swimming in the Limmat river. We walked about 20 minutes up the river to Flussbad Oberer Letten where people lowered themselves into the river, floated along with the current, and then got out at any point downstream. Seeing that we had my phone and credit card with us, we couldn’t swim together so I went first and Lucia walked along the path next to the river to keep up with me. It was amazing! The water was cold (like ocean water in Maine cold) but so refreshing. Swimming is my “go to” activity to overcome jet lag! After I went, Lucia had a turn and loved it. She still says this was one of her favorite things from the whole trip.
The view from Lindenhof in Zurich
Swimming/ riding the current of the Limmat River
Day 2- Concert day!
We started the day with a visit to the Lindt Chocolate Museum. Our friends had visited last summer and recommended it. It was a bit of a trek to walk to the bus that would take us there but the museum is informative and best of all, it included lots of chocolate tasting!
Taylor Swift!
I am struggling to put into words the feeling of being with Lucia at this concert. While I love Taylor’s music, watching Lucia’s awe and emotion during the concert was amazing. We sang, we danced, she reached for my hand during the songs that were especially meaningful to her- it was magical. Yes the crowds were intense, as was waiting for hours in 87 degree heat in direct sunlight, but once the countdown clock started, it was all worth it.
If you had told me a year ago that I would take my daughter to see Taylor Swift, I would have laughed. Honestly, I did not get the appeal. But alas, just like a book turned Lucia on to international travel, it was Lucia’s introductory essay for her English 9 class that completely changed my thinking about Taylor Swift. Lucia’s honesty and willingness to be vulnerable as she shared the healing power of Taylor’s music shifted the way I thought about the Swiftie craze. As I’ve said many times, “If Taylor Swift is speaking to my daughter then I need to listen.” I am so glad that I did.
Waiting for the concert to begin inside Letzigrund stadium. We dressed for the Folklore Era (Swifties know what that means).
Day 3: Travel day to Florence!
We slept in and enjoyed a big breakfast at the hotel. I felt a little jealous of the other people (mostly Americans) talking about going to the concert that night. I wanted to go again! We left the hotel and headed to the airport in Zurich. Finding the train to the airport was tricky and Lucia had her first experience running to catch a train which I seemed to do often when I traveled here 26 years ago! In fact, Lucia took charge many times finding the airport gate and later our Air B and B in Florence. Our apartment was right near the Piazza del Duomo so it was a short walk to the Mercato Centrale where I picked up paninis for a late lunch. We enjoyed some down time at the apartment and then went out for a late dinner at 9:00 pm (well, late for Americans, typical for Europeans). We ate at La Grotta Guelfa (a place I reserved on The Fork) and I devoured my dish of homemade pasta with truffles. I am gluten sensitive but in Europe, I can eat all the pasta, bread, and flour based desserts I want. Lucia has the spaghetti carbonara and loved it.
Next to the restaurant was an English pub with crowds watching the England vs Spain soccer game. I love the enthusiasm and energy around soccer (or football) in Europe. The wait staff stopped what they were doing to watch the game. It was great for Lucia to see how the patrons at the pub were totally silent until something big happened and then cheers erupted.
After dinner we crossed the Ponte Vecchio and had gelato on the other side of the Arno river. We walked along the river and crossed back over on the Ponte alla Grazie. This offered a great view of the Ponte Vecchio at night. We passed Basilica Santa Croce and Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) on our walk back to our Air B and B. It was magical. I spent Christmas of 1997 with my best friend in Florence. It was wonderful to feel welcomed back to the gorgeous city and experience it during the summer.
Lucia in the Piazza del Duomo
Ponte alla Grazie
Day 4: Florence: Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce, Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti, and Piazza del Michelangelo
The Taylor Swift concert and travel day caused me to silence my 8:00 am alarm and sleep until 10:00! By the time we left our apartment, it was close to 11:30 but there were a few pastries left at the cafe we discovered. I had a glazed croissant, or cornetto in Italian, and Lucia had a chocolate croissant. Finding iced coffee beverages can be tricky in Italy but this place offered an iced latte. The barista made it using a cocktail shaker. It was delicious.
We walked to Piazza della Signoria, saw the replica of Michelangelo’s David and made a plan to climb the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio the next day. We had a 2:00 pm ticket to enter Basilica Santa Croce but we showed up closer to 1:15 and they let us right in. Lucia did not show interest in visiting museums so I decided that we would forgo the Uffizi and Accademia (and avoid the summer crowds) and visit churches instead. Many of Florence’s Churches have paintings by master artists. We saw work by Donatello and Raphael in Santa Croce. Plus unlike in museums, you are seeing paintings in their original setting. Lucia admitted that it was “cool” to see where Galileo was buried though she wouldn’t let me take a picture for her Earth Science teacher. I was excited to see Michaelangelo’s burial place and walk in the beautiful cloisters.
After Santa Croce, we grabbed some pizza for lunch and headed back to the apartment. Lucia had what she called, “Mommy time” which really meant “Lucia talks to her friends at home time” and I headed out to the Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti where Botticelli is buried. I also saw works by Giotto (his crucifix) and by Gilandaro. There were no lines and it was free!
That evening we walked to the Oltrano and followed the crowds heading up to the Piazza Michelangelo to catch the sunset over Florence. We had dinner at Osteria Santo Spirito located in the Piazza Santo Spirito. We had to wait for a table but it was well worth it. Lucia has her favorite meal in Florence here; gnocchi baked with cheese and truffle oil. It was rich and delicious! We did not have room for dessert that night. I really loved the Oltrarno (meaning the other side of the Arno) area of Florence. It is much less touristy and therefore, calm.
Basilica Santa Croce
Day 5: Florence: Climbed the tower of Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella and the Medici chapels
We woke earlier and headed to the Palazzo del Signoria to climb the steps of the tower of the Palazzo Vechcio. When I was here in 1997, my friend and I climbed Giotto’s tower which is part of the Duomo complex. It was great but had limited views of the Duomo. The tower at the Palazzo Vecchio offered sweeping views of the Duomo and other landmarks in Florence plus, it was not crowded.
We splurged on breakfast at Rivoire (according to the Tic Toc post Lucia found is the oldest chocolate shop in Florence) located right in the Piazza della Signoria. It was rich in both cost and pastry! I had a cappuccino and incredibly decadent chocolate pastry and Lucia had a cold chocolate drink which was more like pudding! She balanced it with the American classic: scrambled eggs and bacon.
From there we walked to Santa Maria Novella and then to the Medici Chapels. Full disclosure, watching the Medici series on Netflix inspired this stop! While not all episodes are historically accurate, the show helped me connect with this powerful, and corrupt family, who were generous patrons of the arts and responsible for making Florence what it is today. Michelangelo’s “new chapel” includes the tombs of Lorenzo the Magnificent (who took a young Michelangelo into his home) and his brother Giuliano. The sculptures are impressive as are Michelangelo's sketches on the chapel walls.
We had another great dinner that night at Francesca Vini near Santa Croce. We split tiramisu for dessert and thus began our quest for the best tiramisu in Italy (which we eventually found in Rome).
The tower we climbed!
By the prison where Cosimo de Medici was held!
Day 6: Travel day- Florence to Lucca
We caught a 11:00 am local train to Pisa and then changed trains to Lucca. Time seemed to slow down once we boarded the train to Lucca. Fewer people meant less noise and chaos. The old town of Lucca is surrounded by a Roman Wall (one of the only intact and preserved walls of its kind). Walking from the train station to the Hotel within the walls meant dragging our luggage through dirt paths and carrying suitcases up and over the wall’s steps! This is good motivation for packing light! As a side note, unless I am going to one place for the entire duration of the trip, I pack only carry-on bags and book places where I can do laundry. It is just too hard to manage large suitcases on cobblestone streets and flights of stairs.
Lucca is stunning. Considered a small Florence, it is laid back and filled with charming streets and shops and has fewer tourists. We were probably some of the only Americans in town. We had a wonderful pizza con pepe for lunch at Pizzaria Santa Maria, a recommendation from the blog “Our Italian Journey.” We wandered back to our hotel, stopping for some delicious gelato on the way.
Biking on Lucca’s Wall
A favorite activity in Lucca is to ride bikes on the wall. I spotted a bike rental place (charging 5 euros an hour) right next to Pizzaria Santa Maria and made a mental note to return in a few hours when the sun was less intense. The young man who rented us the bikes asked for my ID and when I told him I had left it at the hotel, he responded, “That’s okay. What is your name?” I replied, “Krista” and we were on our way!
I love bike riding in general but doing it here was a truly joyful and carefree experience! Lucia shared that this was one of her favorite parts of the trip. I agreed
Walking down Lucca’s beautiful streets
The Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro (once the site of a Roman amphitheater)
Biking on Lucca’s Roman Wall
Day 7: Beach Day: Viareggio
When we decided on this trip, I explained to Lucia that Europe in the summer can be unbearably hot and that we would need a day to cool off at the beach. I looked for a beach town accessible by train and close to Lucca. Viareggio is a short 20 minute ride followed by an easy 15 minute walk to the many beach clubs that line the coast. We settled on a beach club close to the train yet far enough to be quiet and calm. I love the beach club concept: you pay to rent lounge chairs, and an umbrella (which are already set up for you). This rental came with a private changing room so I was able to lock our belongings inside and swim with Lucia without worrying about someone stealing my phone. The club has a restaurant so we ordered drinks and paninis for lunch.
The water was clean (no seaweed),warm and shallow with big waves. We had a blast swimming and walking along the beach. The Apuan Alps loom large in the distance. It is stunning.
Back to Lucca
We arrived back at Lucca at around 5:00 and headed to the hotel for some down time. We made a dinner reservation at Gigi's (a true classic family run restaurant.) Before dinner we climbed Guinigi Tower (the tallest structure in Lucca) for some great views of the Apuan Alps and Lucca’s rooftops. We had to climb the 223 steps quickly because they closed at 8:30 pm. Lucia flew up, it took me a bit longer!
The pristine beach of Viareggio complete with Apuan Alps in the background
Guinigi Tower
The view from the top of Guinigi Tower
Day 8: Lucca to Roma!
While it is possible to take a train directly from Lucca to Rome, it is faster and more comfortable to take the regional train to Florence (1.75 hours with a stop in Pisa) and fast train from Florence to Rome (1.5 hours). We arrived in Rome at 3:30 pm.
Rome is undergoing major construction adding a subway line so the train station was hectic. I opted for getting us away from the station and taking the subway to the Colosseum stop. It was pretty amazing to step out of the subway and witness Lucia’s awe having the Colosseum welcome her to Rome! Our Air B and B was in Piazza Navona (a 30 min walk from the Colosseum) so we opted to hail a cab the rest of the way.
In my opinion, the Piazza Navona is the perfect central location in Rome. It is a 20 minute walk to Vatican City, and the Trastevere neighborhood, and about ten-twenty minutes to the Pantheon, Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps. Taxi cabs are always willing to take you there probably because they easily find clients.
We arrived at our Air B and B, showered and rested and then headed for a walk and dinner. I came to Rome in the spring of 1998 and loved the city then. It is even more beautiful than I remember. Every corner we turned led us to another Instagram worthy post. We crossed the Tigre via Ponto Sisto (a pedestrian bridge), admired the view of Saint Peter’s Basilica and headed to the trendy Trastevere neighborhood for dinner.
Lucia’s first view of Rome!
On the Ponto Sisto with Saint Peter’s Basilica behind us
Day 9: Rome: Saint Peter’s Basilica, The Pantheon, The Forum, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps!
**Yes, we did cover all of that in one day! Though we did not go into the Forum and Colosseum, we walked around it. Saint Peter’s Basilica
Elyssa Bernard’s Youtube channel and website, Romewise, was incredibly helpful in planning this trip (she also has Florencewise and Naplewise). She suggested visiting Saint Peter’s Basilica when it opens at 7:00 am. We set our alarms and made it there by 7:15. We waited 30 minutes before entering. The site is free and you have to cover your shoulders to enter. I always bring light scarves when I travel to Europe in summer but some sites, such as Saint Peter’s, offer light covering for those who need it to enter. The church was as stunning and massive as I remembered. Lucia was impressed! We took our time checking out different parts of the church. I was disappointed to see that Michaelangelo’s Pieta was not available for viewing. Other than that, it is a gorgeous church to visit; the light and intricate details are awe inspiring.
From there we followed Eylssa’s suggested walk from Vatican City to the Colosseum. It takes about an hour depending on how much you stop along the way. We found it easy to follow and added a stop for cappuccinos and snacks at Saint Eustace’s Square. Lucia ordered an iced chocolate beverage called “Romeo and Juliet”. Like the “drink” she had in Florence, it was really more of a chocolate pudding. It felt good to sit in the shade. It was only 9:00 am but the heat was on (it reached 95 degrees most days)!
The Pantheon was just around the corner. It costs 5 euros to enter and while you can scan a QR code and pay online, I discovered a line where you could pay with credit card and walk right in. There was a longer line for those playing with cash. I love this building. It is an architectural marvel.
We walked by Largo di Argentina, a historical site and cat sanctuary (though we only saw one cat!) We walked up the steps of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (commonly known as the Wedding Cake) and then around the perimeter of the Roman Forum until we reached the Colosseum. The construction in town made this a little difficult and we relied on Google Maps to figure out the best path to take. Once we reached the Colosseum, we hailed a taxi to go back to our Air B and B, shower and head out for a large lunch.
We opted for a Romewise recommendation for lunch, Trattoria Lilli. It was a 6 minute walk from our apartment and was all Elyssa said it would be; simple and delicious Roman food! I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and Lucia chose the cacio e pepe. We shared a bruschetta and tiramisu for dessert. This was hands down the best tiramisu of the trip! After lunch we stopped for gelato at a place Elyssa recommended, Gelateria del Teatro and headed home for a nap. Tip: ask for whipped cream on your gelato! It makes all the difference especially if you ordered a decadent chocolate flavor!
We headed back out at about 6:00 pm and walked to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. Yes, the Trevi Fountain was crowded but I found that people were really gracious about stepping aside so that you could get close. We followed the tradition of tossing a coin into the fountain (with your right hand over your left shoulder) to ensure that you will return to Rome! From there we walked to the Spanish Steps.
Because we had a large lunch, we planned on a lighter dinner. We had looked at some pizza places online but it seemed like most were closed for dinner. So we wandered back to the hotel and Lucia spotted a small restaurant on a quiet corner. We were the only people there (which made sense since it was 7:00 and most people eat at 9:00) and an elderly man came out who spoke no English. We shared a delicious Caesar salad and pizza margarita. It was perfect.
In front of Saint Peter’s Basilica
The Pantheon
We declare that Trattoria Lilli makes the best tiramisu!
The Trevi Fountain (Lucia’s favorite site in Rome)
Day 10: Rome in the morning and then the long trip home!
I received word that our flight to JFK was delayed so we made plans to have an early lunch and one more gelato from Frigidarium on Via del Governo Vecchio 112 (our host recommended this place and we loved it. In fact, we went twice). For lunch we grabbed slices of pizza from Forno Compo de Fiori (a place I learned about on the podcast, Untold Italy.)
We walked back to the Air B and B, picked up our luggage and hailed a cab to the airport. On the 45 minute ride, we saw ruins and ancient sites along the road to the airport. This is part of what makes Rome so incredible; the history. It lives up to its name: “The Eternal City”. I can’t wait to come back!
Final thoughts
This trip was magical. My daughter and I grew closer and I witnessed her maturing as her view of the world expanded. She went from a kid with little interest in travel to one who expressed interest in studying abroad! Lucia was flexible, confident and thoughtful the entire time. At the end, she asked, “When can we do this again?” While she knows that now it’s her sister’s turn for a trip, I see many mother-daughter adventures in our future.
