Filipino – Anne Goes to Places

Kyushu, Day 1: Nanzoin Temple

Our first stop in our first day was to visit Nanzoin Temple. We took a train from Hakata Station going to Kidonanzoin-mae. Then from there, it was just a short walk to the base of the stairs going to our destination.

MARCH 4, 2020

We arrived in Fukuoka Airport the previous night so there was no time to explore anymore… Saw trusty Yoshinoya near the exit of the airport so we decided to eat dinner there first.

Our first stop in our first day was to visit NANZOIN TEMPLE. We took a train from Hakata Station going to Kidonanzoin-mae.

From Kidonanzoin-mae, it was just a short walk to the base of the stairs going to our destination. It was nice because in the middle of our climb, there was a ramp instead of stairs so the climb was manageable.

Passed by different statues during the climb…

…and finally reached the top – THE RECLINING BUDDHA.

The Reclining Buddha is regarded as the world’s longest bronze statue of Buddha (41m). The multi-colored cords tied to the hand is believed to connect worshippers to Buddha – offer prayer and be able to “shake hands”.

At the rightmost side, there was an area where you can see the feet up close.

The design on the sole is said to be The Bussoku, which carries the teachings and merciful heart of Buddha.

After going around, we walked back towards the train station to return to Hakata.

Best onigiri flavor

We had lunch in SHIN SHIN located in Hakata station – ordered their bestselling Hakata ramen and gyoza. Shin Shin’s ramen tasted different from Ichiran but it was really delicious!

Italy, Day 10: Venice

Our last stop in Italy! We stayed in an Airbnb near the central station of Venice as the price was much cheaper. From the Airbnb, we hopped on a bus going straight to the popular area but we woke up early to beat the crowd.

APRIL 21, 2019

Our first order of business was supposed to be a gelateria but it was closed. So, we went to the bakery beside it – MAJER. We ordered a pizza slice and tried the arancini with prosciutto and mozzarella.

That arancina was super good that we had to order a take-out for our dinner onboard the overnight ÖBB train to Munich. 🤣 When we were done, we were surprised to see that GELATO DI NATURA was not closed for the Easter Sunday. They just opened later than usual. I ordered panna cotta and dark chocolate flavors, and both were really good.

Overall, Venice was nice but quite difficult for me to enjoy because of the insane amount of tourists during our time of visit.

We passed by RIALTO BRIDGE but we were not able to get good shots because of the crowd.

After a lot of walking, we finally saw ST. MARK’S CLOCKTOWER, which was a sign that the basilica was nearby.

We bought Skip-the-line tickets online for entry to ST. MARK’S BASILICA. At first, I was nervous if we bought legitimate tickets because we could not see any sign of the seller. We thought that maybe we were just hours early for the ticket. We decided to just explore the area first.

When it was 30 minutes before our entry time, we checked out the front of the basilica and was glad to find that the booth had been set up for those who had online pass/voucher (click here). I have no picture to place here because photography was not allowed inside the basilica. A few tourists violated this rule though.

Since the gondola price was too expensive to share between just me and my sister, we decided to ride the vaporetto (water bus) as a cheaper option to pass through the Grand Canal.

It was still quite early so before we left the area, I told my sister that I wanted to visit CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA DI NAZARETH, which was just near the central station. I was glad to find some peace and quiet in here because there were only a few people around.

If you’re in Venice, this should be a must-visit because the interior is really beautiful. It’s a small church so it will not take up too much of your time.

At past 21:00, we finally left the central station to head to Munich. Our ETA was around 06:00 the next day so we had time to catch some snooze.

Italy, Day 8: Palazzo Vecchio

Initially, we wanted to go to Uffizi but the line was already very long even before its opening hour. We decided to check Palazzo Vecchio and to our delight, there was no line at all. Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence and considered to be the city’s main symbol of civil power.

APRIL 19, 2019

Initially, we wanted to go to Uffizi but the line was already very long even before its opening hour. We decided to check PALAZZO VECCHIO and to our delight, there was no line at all.

Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence and considered to be the city’s main symbol of civil power.

There were a lot of Renaissance chambers, paintings, and sculptures to see even with just the first area in Palazzo Vecchio.

In a small corner of the room was Studiolo di Francesco I. There was a sign beside the entrance that access would be momentarily suspended during the Secret Passages tour, and that just made us regret it all the more that we did not know about the tour before going here.

We were able to spot the secret passage entrance that was cleverly hidden with a painting and the key camouflaging the color of the painting’s frame and wall.

The next part of our visit was seeing tons of rooms that were absolutely beautiful and magnificently decorated. We read that some of the rooms were even done by Michelangelo and Donatello.

It took us more than 2 hours to finish going around and in the last part of our visit, we found out that they had an exhibit set up to showcase some of Leonardo da Vinci’s works, letters, and sketches.

The last area we visited was the Hall of Maps, which showcased maps and Mappa Mundi, a 6-foot tall globe from centuries ago.

Italy, Day 7: Winery Experience in Chianti

I had a coupon with Airbnb experience and because we had a half-day PM free time, I checked the previous day if we can go to a winery near Florence. Good thing we were able to find Mirko’s “Chianti In A Glass” experience (see more details here).

APRIL 18, 2019

We took a train going to Montevarchi Terranuova and from there, Mirko picked us up along with the other guests. Mirko shared that aside from Airbnb experience, he also opened an option for overnight stays in case tourists want to spend more time in his winery.

He started touring us in different parts of his land, and told stories on the history of wine along the way. He also shared the general process on how they grow the fruits needed for creating their wine.

After about an hour of touring us around, it was time for some wine tasting! He served us 4 types of red wine, which varied in the year each was produced. The older red wines tasted stronger but at the end of the tasting, I could safely conclude that I really do not like red wine. Not a fan of alcohol so only white wine and rosé (which was not included) are the only types of wine I like.

Each of us was also given a plate of cold cuts and cheese to pair with each serving of wine we needed to taste. My sister really enjoyed the dessert part.

Before we left, we bought a big bottle of EVOO to take home with us. Mirko’s company produces this aside from bottles of different varieties of wine. There is also an option to order by case/box and he can ship this out to your home country. The Austrian couple with us actually did this for their order of wine bottles.

Highly recommend this Airbnb experience as every cent was worth it.

Italy, Day 6: Back in Florence

Since we were back early in Florence, we visited Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, which was just across the central station. I read articles saying that this is not a top destination in Florence and that saddened me because this church was absolutely beautiful.

APRIL 17, 2019

Since we were back early in Florence, we visited BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, which was just across the central station. I read articles saying that this is not a top destination in Florence and that saddened me because this church was absolutely beautiful. I’d say the best time to visit would be late afternoon because the sun rays that hit some of the stained glass windows reflected colors on the church’s floor.

There were more artworks and relics in the museum-like rooms outside the church.

Our last stop for the day was PONTE VECCHIO. The golden rays of the sunset gave beautiful, warm colors to the structures around.

We were too lazy to go out for dinner so we just grabbed a sandwich in the café beside our Airbnb building. We also bought homemade gelato from NON SOLO GELATO. What was interesting here was that most of their flavors change everyday so we did not eat the same flavors of gelato each day.

Italy, Day 6: San Gimignano

When we arrived at Poggibonsi station, the bus going to San Gimignano just left a few minutes before and the next one will be after an hour. We were not in the mood to go around so we just sat in one of the areas in the park. Good thing it was sunny so the cold did not bother us.

APRIL 17, 2019

From Poggibonsi, the travel to San Gimignano took less than 30 minutes. Even outside the main gate, we could already see the medieval architecture of the walled town.

We went first to DUOMO DI SAN GIMIGNANO, which housed a lot of religious murals and paintings. There was also the Chapel of Santa Fina and Chapel of the Conception inside.

For lunch, we went outside the main gate to reach TRATTORIA RIGOLETTO. We ordered aglio olio, spaghetti al ragu, and a meat main dish.

And, because we heard about the famous GELATERIA DONDOLI, what else to do but order gelato for dessert! I got the cioccolato and their popular Crema di Santa Fina (orange cream-flavored with bourbon vanilla pods, San Gimignano saffron pistils, and Pisa pine nuts)… It sounded weird and actually tasted weird (but tolerable) hahahaha! Buti na lang I had the cioccolato to mix it with.

In an attempt to burn the calories we ate, we planned to climb the TORRE DEI CUGNANESI. We climbed a lot of steps before reaching the final round of steps for the tower… and we chickened out when we saw it. It was so high and in between each step, there was no cover so you can see all the way to the bottom. We took a commemorative photo instead then just checked out the artwork sections.

We explored the rest of the town and inner streets before heading back to Florence in the mid-afternoon.

Italy, Day 5: Basilica di Santa Croce

From Naples, we took a 3-hour Trenitalia trip to reach Florence. Since we had time to kill before our Airbnb check-in, we left our luggage in the storage near the central station then headed for Basilica di Santa Croce (€8). The architecture of this church is a fine demonstration of Italian Gothic architecture.

APRIL 16, 2019

From Naples, we took a 3-hour Trenitalia trip to reach Florence. Since we had time to kill before our Airbnb check-in, we left our luggage in the storage near the central station then headed for BASILICA DI SANTA CROCE (€8). The architecture of this church is a fine demonstration of Italian Gothic architecture.

Many famous Italians are buried here such as Galileo Galilei, Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

Niccolò Machiavelli’s monument being restored

After seeing the memorials of these icons, we went to other parts of the church and found more artworks.

We were not sure where to eat lunch afterwards so my sister checked out Google Maps and found this place called SOUL KITCHEN. She ordered carbonara while I got the fried chicken fillet. We set our expectations low because the place was famous as a bar so we were not sure how the food would fare… Man, we were totally blown away by their carbonara! Soul Kitchen had one of the best carbonara ever.

We checked in at our Airbnb and took a bit of a rest then my sister asked me to accompany her to buy a leather belt. She did a thorough research on where to buy authentic Florentine leather belt and she decided to go to Michelangelo’s store.

Initially, we thought his shop was closed that day but apparently the door was just locked. Michelangelo was really nice and talkative while we were there. He even offered that we could hang out the next time we’re back in Florence. My sister is very happy with her purchase plus she got a discount. We also got our tatay a leather wallet. Click here for his official website.

For dinner, we ate at PIZZERIA FIRENZE NOVA, which was just near our Airbnb. I ordered lobster pasta while my sister was spaghetti al ragu. It was okay but our experience was ruined by a rude staff. We were not finished with the parmesan cheese when he removed it from our table while eating. Initially, we thought another table needed it but we saw him place it inside a cabinet. He also kept on looking at our table. Maybe because we did not have any reservation and he wanted to kick us out ASAP?

Italy, Day 3: More Rome-ing Around

Before lunch, we visited San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains). It is named as such as the church is dedicated to the imprisonment and liberation of St. Peter.

APRIL 14, 2019

Before lunch, we visited SAN PIETRO IN VINCOLI (St. Peter in Chains). It is named as such as the church is dedicated to the imprisonment and liberation of St. Peter.

Grabbed a quick lunch at McDonald’s before heading to our last stop in Rome.

We were supposed to go to Palatine Hill but rain was pouring heavily so we just decided to check out CIRCUS MAXIMUS as it was very near the train station. It was previously a chariot-racing stadium but there was nothing much to see. It was something that we thought we could have just skipped.

And that marks our last stop in Rome before hopping into the Trenitalia train that would take us to Naples. We had an EU pass, which was super sulit because we visited different cities and countries during our EU trip.

Italy, Day 3: Roman Ruins

This was one of the days I was really looking forward to because I would see the Colosseum with my own eyes! But first, we visited the Arch of Constantine as we were waiting for the time slot of our Skip-the-line tickets.

APRIL 14, 2019

This was one of the days I was really looking forward to because I would see the Colosseum with my own eyes!

But first, we visited the ARCH OF CONSTANTINE as we were waiting for the time slot of our Skip-the-line tickets.

The staff was nice enough to let us go inside the COLOSSEUM 15 minutes before our scheduled time. We first picked up the free audio guide before climbing to the topmost level. There were a lot of uneven steps and some were even steep so be careful if you have bad knees.

After more than an hour of exploring the Colosseum, we went to ROMAN FORUM, a plaza with several ancient government buildings. Our STL tickets included free pass here so it was not a hassle to go inside. The place is ridiculously huge that we were not able to visit everything, especially the buildings that required a lot of climbing.

Spring was also already present because there were blooming flowers around us.

Italy, Day 2: Rome-ing Around

We woke up very early to see Trevi Fountain without the big crowd yet… and it paid off! Couldn’t help but be in awe of this Baroque fountain – imagine how the detailed structures were done.

APRIL 13, 2019

We woke up very early to see TREVI FOUNTAIN without the big crowd yet… and it paid off! Couldn’t help but be in awe of this Baroque fountain – imagine how the detailed structures were done.

The other tourists around were nice enough to give us some space so that we can capture nice photos. My sister also told me to throw 3 coins over my shoulder – first coin means you will return to Rome, the second to achieve love, and the third for marriage.

From the fountain, we walked going to SPANISH STEPS, which connects lower Piazza di Spagna with the upper piazza Trinita dei Monti. There is also a beautiful church at the upper piazza but it was closed during the time we visited.

Next stop in our itinerary was PIAZZA VENEZIA, where the first thing we saw was Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II.

A short distance from Piazza Venezia was FORI IMPERIALI. Building the series of fori (public squares) were started by Julius Caesar and some of the places we visited were Forum of Caesar, Forum of Augustus, and Forum of Nerva.

We went to SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO (€2) afterwards and this was one of my favorite churches that we visited during the whole trip.

Our last stop before lunch was SANTA CROCE IN GERUSALEMME. It is considered as one of the seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.

For lunch, we went to BOCCONCINO and ordered the following: spaghetti del cavaliere alla carbonara, ravioli dell’osteria (ravioli filled with soft ricotta cheese and meat, sautéed with pistachios and dried tomato sauce), and filetto di maiale avvolto in guanciale e cotto al forno (pork fillet rolled with ham – baked and grilled). My sister also got a tiramisu for her dessert.

Our last stop for the day was SCALA SANCTA, wherein the stairs were claimed to be the very steps that Jesus Christ climbed when he appeared before Pontius Pilate. We were very lucky that the stairs were uncovered during our visit! I read that it was uncovered for the first time after 300 years and that by July 1, 2019, all steps were covered with wood again. Pilgrims actually ascend the steps on their knees.

We went home early because I was not feeling well, and we were lucky that there was an Alice restaurant across our Airbnb. Alice specializes in pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice).