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How to Spend A Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

August 27, 2024December 10, 2024Perfect Day Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 10th, 2024 at 12:39 am

A Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris must include three essentials: museums, parks, and great food.

Here’s my take on how to spend A Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris. See what you think, and if it gives you ideas for planning your perfect Artsy Traveler day.

Preparation

A few days or even weeks before embarking upon my Perfect Paris Day, I go online to secure tickets to my chosen art museum(s). I’ve decided to include a visit to the Musée d’Orsay on my perfect day, and so I buy tickets for the earliest time slot I can get, preferably at opening time. I’ve also chosen to visit the Musée de Cluny on my perfect day. While the Musée de Cluny is not usually as crowded as the Musée d’Orsay, I hedge my bets by also snagging tickets for an afternoon visit.

Thus equipped, I’m ready to go.

Early Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

When I travel, I love to get up early and spend an hour or two wandering around my neighborhood before stopping in a café for a light breakfast. In Paris, I generally stay somewhere close to the Seine on the Left Bank and so that’s where I’ll start.

Early Morning Walk along the Seine

In the early morning, Paris is quiet. A few locals walk briskly to jobs, a street cleaner trundles past, the book stalls overlooking the Seine are shuttered, the cafes are just opening, and the heavenly scent of coffee and fresh croissants competes with the evocative smells of the river and old stone.

I like to walk east toward the Île de la Cité to see the morning sun shining on the façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Later in the day, the area in front of the cathedral will be mobbed with tourists, but for an hour or so I have the view to myself.

View of the River Seine and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris — Walkway along the Seine heading towards Notre Dame Cathedral

I cross back over to the Left Bank and find a café where I order my favorite French breakfast—a café au lait with a length of baguette accompanied by pots of French butter and jam. At home, I never eat jam, but in France? Mais oui.

While enjoying my breakfast, I divide my time between people-watching and writing. In the early morning, few tourists are about so most of the people nearby are locals scrolling on their phones. The atmosphere is peaceful and unhurried—a marked contrast from the busy-ness to come.

Bus to the Musée d’Orsay

Refreshed and ready for some serious artsy sightseeing, I hop on a bus that takes me along the Quai Anatole France to the Musée d’Orsay. In recent years, I’ve taken to riding the bus far more often than the metro.

While the metro is great for getting from A to B quickly, the bus is a more leisurely and visitor-friendly option. Instead of taking an expensive Hop On, Hop Off Bus tour, I take local busses and see the same monuments of Paris for a fraction of the price and get in some seriously interesting people-watching.

Mid-Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Visit to the Musée d’Orsay

Few artsy traveler experiences are more rewarding than walking into the Musée d’Orsay ahead of the crowds. Of all the grand museums in Paris, the Musée d’Orsay is my favorite, and I drop in every time I visit. In addition to its stunning permanent collection, the Musée d’Orsay hosts excellent special exhibitions.

TIP: Before traveling to Paris, check what’s on and be sure to get your tickets well ahead of your visit.

Go to the Top Floor

I start my visit by taking the escalators straight up to the fifth floor so I can tour them while they are still relatively empty. Later in the day, I’ll be hard-pressed to see any of my favorites through the crowds.

A Break in the Museum Café

After touring the top floor, I take a break and enjoy a coffee and pastry in the elegant café behind the giant clock. Usually, it’s not too crowded in the morning before the lunchtime rush. I sip my coffee, contemplate the glorious art I’ve seen, and plan which galleries I’ll visit next.

View of the Café at the Musee d’Orsay — The elegant café on the fifth floor of the Musée d’Orsay

The Lower Floors

Once refreshed, I begin my descent through the next few floors, taking time to check out the art nouveau exhibits on the second floor. This floor is almost always deserted, and yet the art is stunning.

Display of art nouveau furniture at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris — Display of art nouveau furniture at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris

On the main floor, I make sure to see Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe and Courbet’s evocative L’Origine du Monde.

The Gift Shop

I always leave some time to browse the gift shop at the Musée d’Orsay where there are shelves full of beautiful art books along with plenty of art-encrusted swag. An umbrella emblazoned with van Gogh’s Sunflowers? A Manet fridge magnet? A Gauguin mug? They’re all here, and a great deal more.

For a more detailed overview on how to spend an excellent few hours in the Musée d’Orsay, check out my post: Musée d’Orsay in Paris: An Inspiring Must-See for the Artsy Traveler

Late Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

After a few hours enjoying the delights of the Musée d’Orsay, I re-emerge into the light and head east again. I could take a bus back to the Saint-Michel area, but I decide to walk.

Browsing Left Bank Shops

The walk is fairly long, but I love it because it takes me past so many interesting shops. The area of the Left Bank between the Musée d’Orsay and the Boulevard Saint-Michel teems with boutiques offering antiques, objets d’art, and paintings. The variety of artsy stuff on display is truly astonishing. I really could spend an entire day peering into the shop windows.

Shop window showing elegant vases on the Left Bank in Paris — Elegant shop window on the Left Bank

I’m not sure who buys a life-size antique sculpture of a Roman gladiator or an ornate armoire that probably graced a room in Louis XIV’s Versailles, but obviously someone does. Many of these shops have probably been in business for centuries.

Lunch on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

As I stroll, I notice the crowds swelling. By the time I get to the area around the Boulevard Saint-Michel, the solitary hours of my early morning feel like a dream.

Finding a good place to have lunch can be a challenge in this busy area. There are plenty of choices, but not all are great. I use my smartphone to help me find an eatery that has at least a 4.5-star rating. I veer off the main thoroughfares and search along small side streets.

After settling on a café for lunch, I order one of the grande salades. These never disappoint. My favorite is the Salade Norge. Usually, it consists of a massive helping of smoked salmon and shrimps with salad greens, hard-boiled eggs, capers, olives, and plenty of lemon slices. If I’m in the mood, I may even order a glass of white wine to accompany my salad.

Seafood salad in Paris — Generous helpings of seafood in a Grande Salade in Paris

Afternoon on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

After lunch, I wander up the Boulevard Saint-Michel to the Musée national du Moyen Âge, also known as the Musée de Cluny.

Visit the Musée de Cluny

If I had to choose my favorite small museum in Paris, the Musée de Cluny would win hands down. I love it because two of my novels—The Towers of Tuscany (Lake Union Publishing 2014) and The Merchant of Siena (coming in 2025) are set in the fourteenth century.

The Musée de Cluny is the 14^th and 15^th centuries on steroids.

The exhibits feature exquisite items in a wonderful variety of mediums—from woodworking to enameling to metalworking to sculpture to miniatures to, well, you name a medium and you’ll find a medieval example of it at the Musée de Cluny.

Medieval wood sculpture at the Cluny Museum in Paris — Exquisite wood sculpture at the Musée national du Moyen Âge

A highlight of my visit is the room containing the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. These stunning tapestries warrant a good chunk of my touring time. I take a seat in the middle of the room and enjoy the details in each of the six tapestries.

For more about the Musée de Cluny, check out my post Paris for Art Lovers: Nine of the Best Small Museums in Paris

Relax in the Luxembourg Gardens

Still full of energy after my Cluny visit, I stroll up Boulevard Saint-Michel to the Luxembourg Gardens.

The Luxembourg Gardens is the quintessential Parisian garden—full of gorgeous flower beds, cool activities and Parisians at play. I Iinger by the round pool in the middle and watch children sail remote control boats, wander the beautiful pathways and enjoy the wealth of sculptures, stop for a coffee or a drink at one of the small cafes, and just chill out. I snag a chair near the pool and bask in the sunshine.

Large pool with remote controlled sailboat in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris — Large pool at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris

TIP: If you’re traveling with children, don’t miss the Luxembourg Gardens playground. Even after thirty years, our daughter still speaks fondly of playing on the varied apparatus at the Luxembourg Gardens when she was eight. During that trip back in 1995, we spent a LOT of time at that playground!

Evening

I’m ready for a rest! I head back to my hotel room and enjoy some quiet time and to make dinner reservations.

Early Concert

My perfect day in Paris definitely includes taking in a classical music concert. And I have plenty to choose from. A reliable option is to get tickets for a concert at the stunning Philharmonie de Paris in the Cité de la musique located in the Parc de la Villette in northeast Paris. I’ve gone a few times, and each time I’ve been blown away both by the venue and the performance.

Interior of the Philharmonie de Paris concert hall — Interior of the stunning Philharmonie de Paris concert hall

Or perhaps I’ll go to a concert at Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité or at Saint-Julien-le- Pauvre on the Left Bank. I highly recommend both options.

I choose one of the earlier times, so I can go to the concert first and have dinner after.

Late Dinner

And finally, the pièce de résistance of my Perfect Artsy Traveler Paris Day—dinner! After all, one of the many reasons to visit Paris is to sample great food. With so many options, I always make sure to check reviews.

I’ve had some of the best meals of my life in Paris—as well as some of the worst. Bad food in Paris can be really, really bad. I avoid the super-touristy joints on the Champs- Élysées and search for places tucked away on side streets, favoring places with menus printed only in French. Chances are very good that my server will speak English and cheerfully translate.

The myth of the snooty French server is, at least in my experience, a myth. Almost without exception, every French server I’ve encountered in the forty-odd years in which I’ve been traveling to Paris has been helpful, friendly, and fun, often cracking jokes and anxious to ensure I enjoy my meal. I find that the key to getting good service in Paris is to start off in French, even if it’s only Bonjour or Bonsoir. Showing my willingness to at least try speaking French means I’m almost always rewarded with excellent service.

You will pay more for an excellent meal in Paris than you will in other parts of the country, but you don’t need to spend a fortune. You can spend a fortune if you want to, but in my experience, you can get a top-rate meal for two that includes three courses and wine for about a hundred euros. So no, not cheap, but excellent value.

Stroll Home

I end my Perfect Artsy Traveler day in Paris with a stroll past its many floodlit monuments. Paris is called the City of Light for good reason. I linger in the middle of a bridge spanning the Seine and admire the Eiffel Tower in one direction and Notre-Dame Cathedral in the other. It feels wonderful to slow down and relax.

Medieval building floodlit in Paris — Floodlit buildings make Paris magical at night.

Tours of Paris

If you enjoy taking tours while traveling (and I recommend them as a great way to see more in less time), then check out tours from Get Your Guide and the free walking tours offered through Guru Walks.

Conclusion

What are your recommendations for a Perfect Artsy Traveler Paris Day? Share your experiences and tips in the comment box below.

Top Ten Ways to Joyously Experience Traveling in Europe

August 21, 2024October 11, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Europe, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 12:49 am

In the aftermath of the pandemic, everyone and their cousin who wants to travel and can travel is heading for Europe. Recently, Italy was named the number one tourist destination in the world, with France close behind. Many destinations are full to bursting with visitors, which means sold-out accommodations, packed beaches, and museums filled to the rafters.

Some communities, such as Barcelona and Malaga in Spain, and Santorini in Greece, have even launched campaigns to limit the number of tourists permitted to invade their hometowns at any one time.

Introduction

I’ve experienced my share of crowds all flocking to experience the same iconic sites—the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Uffizi in Florence, the Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Thousands surge into spaces meant for hundreds, each holding aloft a smartphone to capture the moment.

The joys of travel—discovering new places, meeting new people, learning new things, enjoying great art—quickly dwindle in the face of relentless crowds, inflated prices, and grumpy locals.

Interacting with Locals

When you travel to a new place, consider looking for opportunities to interact with locals instead of lining up for the big-ticket sites. Sample local food, check out off-the-beaten path museums and galleries, meet local artists and artisans, go to local concerts, ride public transit, and wander around back streets where local people live.

You can do all these things in even the most heavily-touristed destinations if you’re willing to zig away from the crowds rather than zag towards them. Doing so may require you to skip the most famous—and crowded—sites. But the rewards more than make up for any lingering feelings of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Here are my top ten ways to joyously enjoy your European travels.

1. Check Restaurant Reviews

Chances are you’re traveling with a smartphone. Use it to find restaurants that fellow travelers and especially locals have rated highly. Ever since I started checking reviews and purposely choosing restaurants instead of wandering the streets in hopes of finding a place, I’ve enjoyed numerous awesome dining experiences.

In fact, I can safely say that almost every highly rated restaurant I’ve eaten at in Europe in the last few years was a winner.

A Parisian café is a great place to people watch while enjoying a trip to Europe

Search Criteria

I search for restaurants that have at least a 4.5-star average review and then read what people say about the quality of the food and the service. If most of the best reviews are in the local language, that’s a plus because it means the restaurant is well frequented by locals.

Make Reservations

Once I’ve made my choice, I visit the restaurant’s website and call to reserve a table or use the online booking system if it’s available. I’ve found in recent years that reservations are essential in many popular places. Without one, you may well be wandering for quite some time before finding a well-reviewed restaurant with available tables.

Note that during busy periods, you may have better luck choosing a reservation time when the restaurant opens (usually 7 or 8 pm, depending on the location). Europeans tend to eat dinner later than North Americans. If you make a reservation for 7 pm, you may well have the restaurant to yourself.

A good rule of thumb in any big European city is to steer clear of restaurants that are full of tour groups reading multi-lingual plasticated menus in high-rent locations such as the Piazza Navona in Rome.

Walk a few blocks away from the busy areas to quiet side streets and you’ll find favorite local restaurants with superb food.

Ask a Local for Recommendations

Another good strategy is to ask your hotel to recommend a local restaurant and then make a reservation for you. Every time we’ve gone to a restaurant recommended by our hotel, we’ve had a great meal.

For a giggle, check out what happened to me when I did not follow my own advice in Bella Roma Rip-off, one of the pieces in Pastel & Pen: Two Ways of Seeing, a collaboration of my writing with Gregg Simpson’s artwork. Gregg is an artist and my husband and usual travel companion.

2. Seek Out Lesser-Known Museums

Your sightseeing time is precious. Instead of spending it waiting in long lines, seek out museums and other sites that may be less well known but are just as interesting (sometimes more so) and considerably less crowded. These days, you’ll stand in line to tour the big sites even if you book ahead. On a recent trip to Pompeii, I lined up for forty minutes to get my skip-the-line ticket that I’d purchased online days earlier, and then lined up for another twenty minutes in the skip-the-line line to get into Pompeii.

Instead of sweating in the queue outside the Louvre in Paris, visit the lovely Rodin Museum.

In Amsterdam, skip the Van Gogh Museum (or go very early in the day) and visit the charming and informative Rembrandt Huis.

In Rome, forget the Vatican Museum and head instead to the marvelous Etruscan Museum that houses an incredible collection of treasures. Both times I’ve visited, the museum was virtually empty, which is in no way a reflection on the quality of the displays. The museum just happens to be so far off the beaten track of Rome’s iconic sites that few tourists find it.

The Etruscan Museum in Rome is almost never crowded, a great bet for travelers looking to avoid crowds — The Etruscan Museum is one of Rome’s most interesting museums

Lesser-Known Museums to Visit

Here are posts about some of my favorite lesser-known and fabulous museums:

3. Go to Art Openings

If you’ve checked out other posts on Artsy Traveler, you’ll know that a lot of my European travel centers around my husband’s art exhibitions. Most exhibitions include an opening (a vernissage in France; an inaugurazione in Italy). These events often include food and wine, and a short talk by the artist and the curator. They are also free to anyone who wants to drop in.

We’ve frequently met fellow travelers at Gregg’s openings, in addition to local art lovers, and have attended the openings of exhibitions by other artists—some we knew, some we didn’t. We always have a memorable time!

Art openings in Europe are usually free and open to everyone — Art openings at private galleries in Europe are usually free and open to everyone

Finding Art Openings

To find art openings, check online listings. Also, stroll areas that have a lot of art galleries, such as the Left Bank and Marais districts in Paris. You’ll have the most luck finding an opening in the early evening on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

If you pass an art gallery hosting an opening, don’t be shy! Walk in and say hello, check out some artwork, and maybe even have a glass of wine and an appetizer. You’re bound to meet a few locals who speak English, or you can practice your language skills.

4. Attend Local Concerts and Events

One of my favorite things to do when traveling in Europe is going to classical music concerts. Sometimes, I book tickets ahead of time to see a particular concert, but at other times, I look for posters and flyers.

On a recent trip to Siena, I picked up a flyer in our hotel advertising an intimate concert with a singer and pianist held in a local church. It was magical!

While in Rome, we saw a poster advertising concerts at the stylish Auditorium Parco della Musica well off the tourist beat north of the city. We bought tickets, and enjoyed two fantastic concerts with other music lovers, the vast majority of whom were locals.

Classical music concert venue in Europe — Classical music concerts are top quality and reasonably priced

Tourist Concerts

I find that attending concerts in Europe really enhances my appreciation of the local culture. Even if the concert is advertised for tourists—such as a flamenco performance in Seville—it’s going to be good.

Trust me on this. We’ve enjoyed fado in Lisbon, flamenco in Spain, medieval music in southern France, opera in Paris, folk music in Bacharach on the Rhine, Vivaldi in Venice, Stravinsky in Berlin, Chopin in Leipzig, Shostakovich in Hamburg…I could go on and on.

And best of all, prices for classical music concerts in some of the world’s best concert venues are shockingly reasonable compared to what we pay to attend a concert in Canada.

Fado performers in Porto, Portugal — Local performances are generally authentic and well worth the price

5. Ride Public Transit

Few travel experiences bring you closer to locals than riding busses, trains, and metros. These days, you can pay for most transit options with a tap of your credit card. I love hopping on a bus and following my progress on Google Maps, so I know exactly where to get off.

I also enjoy people-watching on public transit. On very crowded busses and metros, just be sure to keep a good grip on your valuables. While violent crime in Europe is rare, pickpockets do flourish in crowded cities.

A bus in Europe, a great way to travel local — Take a city bus in Europe and enjoy great people watching

A Cautionary Tale

A word of caution about bus travel. If you happen to have a paper ticket, ALWAYS remember to validate it when you get on the bus. I learned this lesson the hard way. On a recent stay in Turin, I got on the bus, paper ticket in hand, and noticed that no one else was validating their tickets at the machine. I wrongly presumed that validation wasn’t required. Maybe it was a special holiday?

Ten minutes later, an inspector got on the bus and started checking tickets. Everyone on the bus held up their smartphones. As tourists, we had only the paper tickets we’d purchased from the local tobacconist. When the inspector came to Gregg and me and tried to scan our tickets—nada. My protestations of being a dumb tourist fell on deaf ears. That mistake cost us 40 euros—each.

So, just because no one else is validating their ticket doesn’t mean you shouldn’t validate your ticket!

6. Shop for Food in Local Markets

Shopping for snacks, lunches and the occasional dinner in your hotel room or apartment not only lets you experience life as a temporary local, but it also saves you money. In general, food prices are lower in Europe (although starting to rise). The quality of the fresh produce is also far superior to what is found in the average North American grocery store.

I love prowling the aisles of a European supermarket and ordering pre-made food at the in-store delis. I’ve typically found the staff to be friendly and tolerant of my attempts to at least say hello, good-bye and thank you in their language.

Outdoor Markets

Be on the lookout for open-air markets where you’ll find a dizzying array of foods along with clothing and knick-knacks. Some cities also have large indoor markets, such as the Mercado de Triana in Seville.

An outdoor market in Europe is a great place to find good, fresh food while avoiding tourist crowds — Interact with locals while browsing outdoor markets in Europe

7. Take a Cooking Class

When you take a cooking class in Europe, you’ll meet travelers from around the world and learn from a local chef. I’m a firm fan of cooking classes and take one every chance I get.

On a recent trip to Rome, I learned how to make gelato and pizza with lovely Marco: Pizza, Gelato, Suppli–Oh My! A Fantastic Cooking Class in Rome

A cooking class in Europe is a great way to learn new skills and avoid crowds — Take a cooking class and learn new skills

In a tapas class I took in Madrid, I met fellow travelers from Australia, Holland, the UK, France, and Korea.

8. Go on a Walking Tour

I’ve also become a big fan of walking tours, particularly specialty tours that cater to a specific interest. In Rome, I went on a walking tour of the old Jewish ghetto. In London, I explored the back alleys and colorful history of the Covent Garden theater district. In Stratford-upon-Avon, I joined three other people for a small walking tour with a guide pretending to be William Shakespeare.

Walking tours usually take you behind the scenes and to places where regular bus tours can’t go. The guides are often locals who are very enthusiastic about their subject and love showing off hidden gems.

A great source for walking tours is GuruWalk. All the tours listed are pay-what-you-can and run by locals. Here are some of the free walks available from GuruWalk in Paris.

9. Skip the Iconic Sites

Yes, this recommendation is blasphemy but heeding it could make the difference between reveling in a relaxing and memorable European vacation and enduring one that leaves you hot, bothered, and blistered. When you’re planning what you want to see, consider not visiting super popular sites such as the Colosseum in Rome, the ruins in Pompeii, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Instead, choose smaller, lesser-known museums and sites, and leave more time for wandering.

By all means, stroll past the Colosseum and view the Eiffel Tower from one of the bridges. Snap some photos and drink in the view. Then, veer off into a shady side street and enjoy an hour or tour wandering around a quiet neighborhood, sitting in a park, and enjoying a drink at an outdoor café surrounded by locals.

Carol Cram in front of the Colosseum in Rome — See the Colosseum from the outside only

Travel isn’t all about ticking off the big sites. Instead, think of travel as your opportunity to surround yourself with a kaleidoscope of interesting sights, sounds, and smells.

Slow down and savor the displays in a small museum, make time for a concert or an art opening, be on the lookout for a local festival, and just be.

10. Walk Away from the Crowds

Even in Venice, one of Europe’s busiest tourist cities, you can find solitude. Leave the busy piazzas and thoroughfares and within seconds, you’ll be wandering down narrow alleyways and crossing tiny bridges spanning sleepy canals that look like they haven’t been disturbed for centuries.

Even in crowded Venice, you can easily find quiet corners

I skirt the main tourist drags in busy towns by going left or right down the first narrow street I see. I may get a bit lost, but I’ll also find glorious solitude and the chance to commune with the past.

Siena’s Campo bustles with tourists but walk a few meters down a side street and you’re alone and surrounded by buildings that haven’t changed much in 700 years. And at night, you’ll even have the Campo all to yourself.

Carol Cram in the Campo in Siena at night — Have the Campo in Siena to yourself at night

Such opportunities for quiet encounters with history make European travel endlessly appealing.

Some of My Favorite Uncrowded European Sites

Conclusion

What are your tips for avoiding crowds in Europe? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Attend a Residential Writers’ Retreat and Set Fire to Your Creativity

May 28, 2024December 19, 2024Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, England Artsy Traveler 2 Comments

Last updated on December 19th, 2024 at 09:29 pm

Have you ever considered going on a writers’ retreat? If you’re a writer—or want to be a writer—the top need on your writer’s wish list is very likely time. Without time, you can’t write. Without time, you can’t improve. When you give yourself the gift of time to think and create, you give yourself the gift of productivity.

In May 2024, I gave myself the gift of time by attending a week-long writers’ retreat in North Yorkshire. Called, fittingly, The Writers’ Retreat, the venue and program is the passion project of writer Jan Birley. Participants gather in a renovated 200-year-old pub in the tiny, picture-perfect Yorkshire village of Beal to write their hearts out in a peaceful and supportive environment.

A building labeled “The Retreat” with a white facade and dark roof tiles, advertised as a “Residential Writers’ Retreat in Yorkshire” by ArtsyTraveler.com.

About The Writers’ Retreat

The Writers’ Retreat runs retreats from one day to six days in duration, along with special events throughout the year. Check out their website.

At The Writers’ Retreat, you are provided with all your meals (even wine with dinner!) and can participate in a series of optional writing workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions with a writing professional. Jan or her husband Tony even collects you from the local train station and takes you back again at the end of the retreat.

When you’re not eating, sleeping, or being mentored, you are free to write in any number of comfortable locations throughout the building—from the stylishly decorated bedrooms all equipped with writing desks, to tables and squishy sofas scattered throughout several lounges, to an outdoor terrace for days when the sun shines.

A lounge area with a wicker chair, a velvet sofa, a wooden coffee table, and white curtains, decorated in a rustic style with exposed brick and stone walls.

I chose the six-day retreat because I knew from experience that five full days of dedicated writing time was optimum for me to make significant progress on my WIP (Work In Progress).

Spoiler Alert: It worked and it was fabulous!

Here’s my account of the six days.

Day 1: Monday Arrival

The start date of my retreat in May 2024 corresponded with the last day of a five-week trip around Europe with my husband, artist Gregg Simpson. The purpose of our trip was to attend several exhibitions of his paintings in Italy and for me to research locations and get inspiration for new novels.

I discovered The Writers’ Retreat after I’d booked my European trip. Surely it was a sign from the universe that I had to attend when I found out that the dates aligned with the conclusion of my trip–and that there was just one spot left. I immediately rejigged my travel arrangements. My husband flew home from Paris while I flew to Manchester, took a train to Selby in North Yorkshire, and was picked up and brought to the retreat in the sweet little village of Beal.

Here’s my bedroom and the view from my writing table that would inspire for me six days.

A cozy bedroom with a large bed covered in a quilted gray blanket, decorative pillows, a small side table, and two windows showing rooftops outside.

A view from a bedroom window showing a row of houses with tiled roofs, green trees, and a residential street under a cloudy sky.

Meeting My Fellow Writers

After getting settled in my room overlooking a pair of quaint houses with green and pleasant parkland beyond, I meet Jan and the five other writers with whom I’ll be sharing my week. Jan introduces herself and talks about what to expect for the week, and then we all share why we’ve chosen the retreat.

We are an eclectic lot consisting of academics, non-fiction writers, experienced novelists, and short-story writers. Here are brief bios supplied by some of the participants.

Sue

Sue is a Professor from the University of Edinburgh, specialising in developmental psychology. During the retreat, she worked on wrapping up a series of writing projects including a grant proposal, a couple of journal articles, an editorial and the introduction to a book about neurodiversity for teachers. Neurodiversity is gaining ground as a way to understand important aspects of how pupils learn and generally experience school. But lots of teachers aren’t clear what this model means for them and why it is supposed to be helpful to pupils. The book will have chapters written by a neurodiverse group of academics and educators with the aim of helping teachers embed this new theory into their classroom practice.

JoJo Stone

JoJo is a passionate new writer based in the picturesque landscapes of the U.K. From a young age, JoJo discovered a deep connection with the writing world and began crafting poetry that resonates with emotions. JoJo has published three novels and at the retreat worked on her fourth novel and some short stories. Check out her great website.

Ann

When Ann retired, she dipped her toe into various writing groups and also attended a short evening course in Creative Writing at her local university, all of which encouraged her to ‘get writing.’ She’s completed a number of short stories, some of which she intends to publish online. At The Writers’ Retreat in Yorkshire, she revved up her writing engines and hopes to publish her first novel in 2025.

Two writers from the United States also joined us to contribute their enthusiasm and good vibes.

First Evening

After introductions (and a nice glass of wine), we enjoy our first dinner together in the large dining room. Over the course of the week, the dining room becomes the hub for conversation, lots of laughter, food, workshop sessions, and a constant supply of coffee, tea, and cold drinks to sustain us when we aren’t being fed.

My Project for the Week

I retire to my room and get busy working on my project for the week—finishing my sixth novel. Called The Merchant of Siena, the novel follows headstrong Bianca as she learns how to survive and thrive in late 14th century Siena–a time fraught with plagues, famines, and vicious attacks by bands of roving mercenaries. Bianca’s journey from idealistic youth to one of the city’s richest merchants is a rags-to- riches story with a twist.

The first three chapters of The Merchant of Siena were recently shortlisted in the Ancient to 16^th Century category for the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters competition. This positive feedback has motivated me to finally finish the novel.

A certificate from the Historical Novel Society congratulating "The Merchant of Siena" by Carol M. Cram for making the 2024 First Chapters Competition shortlist in the Ancient to 16th Century category.

Day 2: Tuesday

Our first full day of writing stretches before me with delicious emptiness full of possibilities. Like everyone, I’m up early and down to the dining room at 8 am for a full English breakfast. I can’t manage the full meal deal and opt for two poached eggs and bacon—my go-to for the rest of the week. Cereals, yogurt, fruit, and juices are also available. But in case you’re interested, here’s a photo of another participant’s full English breakfast! That’s a hearty breakfast for sure!

A full English breakfast on a white plate, including fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms.

After a productive morning, we all gather for lunch and are introduced to Clare Bamber, our mentor/workshop leader for the week. Thanks to Clare, my experience at The Writers’ Retreat is about to go second level. My mentorship sessions with her along with the fun writing workshops she facilitates make my week very special and fulfilling.

Meet Clare Bamber – Mentor Extraordinaire

Clare Bamber is truly a delight. She’s been a tutor and mentor in Creative Writing since 2020 and is passionate about encouraging writers of all levels to explore the craft in a supported, nonjudgmental environment. She states: “Supporting writers at The Writers’ Retreat UK this week has been so much fun. There has been so much diversity in the subject matter, but it’s great to see everyone being supportive of each other in their projects. What a wonderful bunch of people to have spent time with! I crossed the finish line of drafting my own novel whilst on a retreat here, so I understand the value of giving ourselves the space to write.”

A woman smiling and walking along a grassy path near a riverbank, wearing red pants, a zebra-patterned shirt, and a red cardigan, with cloudy skies in the background.

Where to Find Clare Bamber

You can visit Clare’s website to check out her services for writers or visit her on Facebook.

Workshop: Character Creation

Clare’s first writing workshop is on character creation. The four of us most interested in writing fiction meet with Clare to learn valuable techniques for creating memorable characters. I very much enjoy the exercise that she leads us through. A highlight is listening to what everyone else writes. The level of creativity is astonishing!

Country Walks

After the workshop and on most days during the week, I slip out for a country walk. The village of Beal is situated in the middle of farmland with access to a public footpath bordering the River Aire. I have a grand old time snapping photos of the Constable-like skies, the sheep with their gamboling lambs, and a contingent of curious cows.

A grassy riverbank with multiple sheep and lambs grazing in front of houses with tiled roofs and a sign reading “The Retreat.” — Lambs in front of The Retreat

A tranquil river with reflections of the cloudy sky, surrounded by green fields and trees under a soft overcast sky. — Lambs in front of The Retreat

Day 3: Wednesday

My writing is starting to click into high gear. I spend my mentorship session with Clare hashing out a plot problem. Together, we come up with some excellent strategies. I’m feeling energized and exhilarated. Writing retreats rock!

I skip the workshop (it was on point of view and I’m sure was wonderful!) only because I’m on a roll and want to get a few more chapters under my belt before dinner.

A woman with short gray hair in a purple cardigan, smiling while sitting on a couch and typing on a laptop. The setting is a cozy room with a coffee table and a phone nearby.

At 5, I take off for the only local pub in the village to sip some wine and continue writing before being joined at 6:30 by the rest of the group for a pub dinner. We continue getting to know each other amid much laughter as well as interact with the friendly pub staff.

Some of the Participants Hard at Work

So many work spaces are provided for participants at The Writers’ Retreat. I chose mostly to work in my room because I liked the view. Most of the others spread out among the many areas on the main floor of the converted pub.

A person with long white hair wearing glasses and a patterned sweater, reading a book at a desk filled with papers, a laptop, a mug, and office supplies.

A person with curly red hair and glasses lounging on a velvet couch, typing on a laptop. A decorative pillow supports the laptop, and a vase of flowers and a window with drapes are in the background.

Day 4: Thursday

Another mentorship meeting with Clare builds on my progress. She provides excellent and useful feedback about The Merchant of Siena. I’m finally starting to feel like this novel—which I’ve been writing on and off for about five years—is on its way to being completed.

Workshop: Writing Descriptions

In the afternoon, Clare facilitates a workshop on writing good descriptions. Thanks to her advice and prompts, each of us produces and reads two compelling pieces.

Day 5: Friday

Today, I share with Clare the first three chapters of Mill Song, my recently completed fifth novel. As I’ve come to expect from Clare, she provides me with thoughtful and useful feedback. I’m feeling more excited now about getting Mill Song out to the world.

Workshop: Writing Emotion

Our afternoon workshop is on how to effectively write emotion (no easy task). To my delight, I follow Clare’s prompts and end up writing a piece that I’ll be including in The Merchant of Siena. Talk about a win-win!

Day 6: Saturday

After a series of cloudy, wet days, the sun finally emerges on our last full day at The Writers’ Retreat. After five full days of solid writing, I start the final day feeling relaxed and much more confident in my ability to complete and be proud of The Merchant of Siena. I still have a few months worth of work to do before it’s ready to send to an editor, but that’s okay. I’m feeling motivated and confident—and that’s worth a lot!

After lunch, a few of us read a piece of our writing aloud to the group. I share a passage from The Merchant of Siena and am gratified by the positive response. One of our group is leaving, so after the readings, we troop out to the parking lot for a group photo.

A group of eight people smiling for a photo outside a building with a wooden picnic table in front. They are standing or sitting in front of a white building with curtains in the windows, dressed in casual clothing, with a mix of ages and genders. — The writers at The Writers’ Retreat with wonderful staff member Shane

Workshop: Writing Dialogue

Our final workshop with Clare is on how to write good dialogue (another challenging and useful topic). She has a knack for giving us just the right prompts to stimulate the creative juices. I’m amazed at the work each of us produces in a very short time. The creative process really is miraculous.

At the end of the day, we all retire to the pub for a farewell drink and dinner. I go to bed feeling tired but very satisfied with my progress over the week.

Should You Go On A Writers’ Retreat?

In a word, yes. No matter where you are on your writing journey, a writing retreat will help you. Having the time and mental space to do nothing but write and be creative is tremendously therapeutic. No cooking, no cleaning, no kids, no spouses, no day job—just you and your pen or laptop and the infinite possibilities roaming around your head waiting to be led to the light of day.

What could be better than that?

Conclusion

In March 2024, I went on another, very different, writers’ retreat with three other historical novelists. This one was based in sunny and warm Florida and was just as wonderful. Fellow historical novelist and retreatee Mary Tod wrote an interesting blog post about our experience in Florida.

Writers Retreat: Fun, Productive, Informative

Have you ever been on a writers’ retreat? Share your experience in the comments below.

Here are some literary-themed posts on Artsy Traveler:

Visit Rome’s Best Kept Literary Oasis: The Keats-Shelley House

May 6, 2024December 15, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy, Museums Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 15th, 2024 at 01:55 am

The Keats-Shelley House is nestled right next to the world famous Spanish Steps in Rome. Thousands of visitors mill around the piazza in front of the steps, climb the steps, and take pictures of the steps.

Yes, the steps really are very attractive–lots of flowers and a striking two-tower church at the top.

But in the end, the steps are, well, steps. If you go to the Spanish Steps, take a quick pic and then veer right to visit the lovely little Keats-Shelley House. You’re in for a first-rate Artsy Traveler experience.

Literary Leanings

If you’ve been reading the Artsy Traveler blog for awhile, you probably know that I write mostly arts-inspired historical novels. My first three novels feature a painter (The Towers of Tuscany), a composer (A Woman of Note), and an actress (The Muse of Fire). So, as a novelist, I’m a lover of literature, and what could be more literary than two of the greatest Romantic poets?

Also, back in the day when I went to university in England, I took my degree in English Literature. As a result, I studied a lot of poetry, particularly by Shelley. So to enter rooms where Keats and Shelley hung out, really is a pilgrimage.

Touring the Keats-Shelley House

The Keats-Shelley House is extremely easy to find thanks to its location next to the Spanish Steps. You’ll also see the banner hanging outside. The Keats-Shelley House is open from 10 to 1 and 2 to 6, and includes a special rate for seniors.

The ticket person got on my good side by telling us we didn’t qualify for the senior’s rate because it’s only for people over 65. Awww. That was kind of her. But needless to say, I corrected her and got the reduced rate.

You enter the museum and climb to the first floor where you’ll find the tiny gift shop (more on that later) and the ticket taker. After paying the entrance fee, turn right to tour a series of beautiful rooms containing a great many treasures and curiosities associated with the lives and works of several of the Romantic poets and their associates.

You’ll see letters written by Keats, Shelley, Bryon, Mary Shelley, Wordsworth, and other luminaries from the time. The evenness of their penmanship puts most modern folks to shame! Also on display are drawings, snippets of poetry, paintings, and other memorabilia. The explanations are clear and informative.

Why The Poets Loved Italy

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a decade or two off during the beginning of the 19th century for the Napoleonic Wars, Italy was a mecca for poets and writers from northern climes, including the Romantic poets from England, and Goethe from Germany. These writers loved Italy’s warm weather, easy-going life, and the inspiration to be found in so many centuries of history. What attracted them to Italy back then isn’t so very different from what attracts me to Italy today.

It’s a very special country with so much to offer. No wonder I keep coming back year after year!

Rooms in the Keats-Shelley House

The rooms in the Keats-Shelley House include a library of more than 8,000 volumes. It’s considered one of the finest libraries of Romantic literature in the world. Thoughtfully presented displays provide you with a lot to read as you prowl around the rooms. You could spend a great deal of time here!

The tour through the rooms ends at the tiny bedroom where John Keats died on February 23, 1821 at the age of just 25. It’s astonishing how he was able to compose so much sublime poetry in so few years. The museum includes plenty of information in English and Italian about Keats, his life, his tragic death, and of course his poetry.

Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?

From Ode to a Nightingale

Here is the bed on which Keats died.

Room in the Keats-Shelley House in Rome where Keats died

Byron’s Bicentenary

At first, I was mystified by the several banners related to Byron on display in the main library. After all, it’s the Keats-Shelley House. The very friendly and knowledgeable attendant told us that the House is celebrating the Bicentenary of Byron’s death in 1824.

His poetry is figured prominently on red banners. I haven’t read Byron for many years, so it was a real treat to reacquaint myself with some of his poetry.

banner containing poetry by Byron at the Keats-Shelley House in Rome

We had a great chat with the attendant about the poets, Mary Shelley and her mum Mary Wollstonecraft, and the arts in general. I mentioned that I’d interviewed Samantha Silva, author of Love and Fury about Mary Wollstonecraft on The Art In Fiction Podcast. Since the attendant was obviously interested in the era, I figured she may want to read the novel (highly recommended, by the way). She was delighted to learn about it and promised to look up the podcast.

I also told her about my novels and gave her one of my bookmarks because, well, marketing.

The Terrace

A highlight of a visit to the Keats-Shelley House is walking out on to the sweet little terrace overlooking the Spanish Steps. Imagine Keats and the gang sitting out there on a warm May afternoon sipping tea and talking poetry! It’s pretty cool to think that the view Keats saw wasn’t all that dissimilar to the view we see today.

The house included drawings of the Piazza Spagna and the steps in the early 19th century, and indeed, not much has changed if you look above the ground floor shops.

The Gift Shop

After thoroughly enjoying touring the rooms, we exited via the gift shop. I couldn’t resist buying myself a cloth bag with a Grecian Urn on it, homage to Keats’s Ode to a Grecian Urn. I also studied the collection of fridge magnets. We’ve taken to buying them most places we visit. Back home, our fridge door is getting pretty full up, but there’s always room for one more, or in this case, three.

I couldn’t decide which magnet to buy–Keats, Shelley, or Bryon–and so I bought all three. Here they are–Keats on the left, Shelley in the middle, and Byron on the right. These guys were all in the twenties and early thirties when they were hanging out together, and all three died young. They’re a bit like the rock stars of their time–living with unbridled passion and energy that burned out quickly, but wow, what a legacy they each left in their wake!

Conclusion

Have you visited the Keats-Shelley House in Rome? What did you think Share your impressions in the comments below for other Artsy Travelers.

Artsy Tours in Rome

I couldn’t find any literary-themed tours in Rome on Get Your Guide, so here’s a selection of tours related to music and also a tour of locations mentioned in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code series. Note that I include tours listed on the Get Your Guide website because I’ve taken and enjoyed many of their tours. Also, full disclosure, if you click on any tour below to go to the Get Your Guide website and purchase a tour (any tour), I get a small commission. Thank you!

How Not to Tour the Colosseum in Rome

May 5, 2024December 17, 2024Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 12:40 am

You’ve arrived in Rome! Maybe, you’ve been lucky enough to have your taxi whisk you past the Colosseum on your way to your accommodations.

There it is! It’s huge! OMG!

We’re in the Eternal City!

This is SO cool!

The upper facade of the Colosseum with arches and weathered stone against a bright blue sky. Overlaid text reads, “How Not to Tour the Colosseum in Rome,” with the website "artsytraveler.com" at the bottom.

Yes, the Colosseum in Rome is impressive and iconic. It’s the symbol of Rome and one of the seven wonders of the world. Millions of visitors come from all over the globe to see it. They snap selfies in front of it, gaze out over its ruined amphitheater, and stand in line-ups for hours.

My question is–should you bother? My answer? It depends!

My Rome Colosseum History

Since my first visit to Rome in 1974, I’ve popped into the Colosseum four times. Three of those visits were great.

The most recent one was a nightmare.

The Colosseum itself hasn’t changed much apart from some restoration work over the decades. It’s still a massive ruin that, while impressive, bears little similarity to the magnificent original built over two thousand years ago.

Earthquakes, looting, and the general wear and tear of two millennia, not to mention the shuffling feet of millions and millions of visitors have taken their toll.

What has changed for visitors in recent years is just how incredibly crowded the Colosseum has become. The Colosseum ranks as the number one tourist attraction in Rome. Even St. Peter’s and the Vatican aren’t that crowded (although they are pretty much overrun).

Although I have no way of knowing for sure, I get the feeling during my most recent visit to the Colosseum that many people are ticking it off their must-see list, whether they are enjoying it or not. What a shame! Rome is so much more fabulous than the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is amazing, for sure. But is it worth your time to go inside when you can snap a photo like the one below with zero effort?

Exterior of the Colosseum in Rome showing columns and blue sky.

Should You Visit Rome and Not Go to the Colosseum?

Gasp! Should you do it? If you want to enjoy this marvelous city and you’re visiting between April to October, then I say yes, give the Colosseum a miss. Also forget the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. You might consider visiting St. Peter’s since in my experience, the line moves fairly briskly and at least you’re outdoors for most of the wait.

But back to the Colosseum. In this post, I’ll describe my latest visit. You can then decide for yourself if it’s worth several hours of your precious sightseeing time. Or, would you be better off skipping the crowds and heading for some of the city’s quieter and infinitely more lovely sights such as the cosy Keats-Shelley House near the Spanish Steps?

Signing Up for a Colosseum Tour: Smart Idea or ?

As a savvy traveler (or at least so I like to think!), I know that the early visitor beats the crowds. The two-hour guided tour of the Colosseum I sign up for starts at 8 am and guarantees first entry into the site.

I imagine wandering through deserted passageways, the morning sun slanting pleasingly across the ancient ruins. The only sounds are the murmurs of the guide, a few tweeting birds, and perhaps the whispers of long-gone gladiators wafting up from the cells beneath the arena.

I mean, who starts sightseeing so early in the morning? For sure, I’ll have the place to myself along with a handful of other intrepid travelers willing to sign up for an early morning tour.

Finding the Tour

Promptly at 7:50 am, I arrive at the meeting point across the street from one of the entrances to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. A small crowd of at least fifty people all proffering cell phones is my clue that I’m in the right place. I wait patiently for the beleaguered guide to check my phone, declare me valid, and press a small white sticker onto my chest. It’s now about 8:10 am, so obviously the tour doesn’t actually start at 8 am.

While waiting, I snap a photo of the Roman Forum across the street. It looks splendid in the early morning sun of one of the first really warm days I’ve experienced in Rome on my current trip in early May.

A daytime view of the Roman Forum, showing historic stone buildings, a bell tower, and a dome against a blue sky. Greenery and trees surround the ancient structures, with traffic lights in the foreground.

Waiting to Enter the Colosseum

Several minutes later, we are ushered across the road to the entrance gate and told that the ticket takers open at 8:30 and that we will be first! (said with enthusiasm, like it is a rare treat and not what we’ve signed up for).

Ticket takers? I’d neglected to read the fine print of the tour. The cost does not include the cost of entry into the archaeological site which includes the Forum and Palatine Hill in addition to the Colosseum.

A word of warning: Check what’s included in your tour and opt for a tour that includes the entry cost so the guide already has your tickets.

Lesson learned, I prepare to wait in line (at least I am close to the front) until the ticket booths open at 8:30–another fifteen minutes. After all, the guide has assured us that we’ll be first into the Colosseum. Isn’t that worth waiting a few extra minutes for?

Remember the tweeting birds, the silence of the ancient stones, the gladiator ghosts reminiscing about gladiator fights, the glorious isolation!

Buying a Ticket to the Colosseum

At precisely 8:40 am, the ticket takers open the two wickets and the first people in line eagerly step forward to buy their tickets. Yahoo! The line will surely go quickly and I’ll be inside the Colosseum communing with history and getting tons of inspiration for my next novel in no time flat.

8:50 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth.

9:00 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth. Oh wait! One of the groups has left and another couple has stepped forward. But at the other booth, the same four people are still talking with the attendant. What can they be talking about? What’s the holdup? Are they sharing recipes? Have they found a long-lost cousin? What gives?

The guide comes by and tells us to have our passports out and ready to show the ticket takers. What? I don’t have my passport with me although fortunately I do have my driver’s license. I ask the guide if that will do. Yes. Phew.

Another five minutes goes by and the first group of four finally leaves the booth. They are looking weary but relieved. I’d love to ask them what went down, but of course I don’t dare risk losing my place in line.

The next group steps forward. I take to counting to gauge how long they stay at the booth. Sixty seconds, another sixty, another sixty…five minutes and they’re done. Another ten minutes goes by during which time a few more groups get to the booth and then several minutes later step away, tickets in hand. Their per wait time is marginally decreasing.

Progress is being made.

My Turn Getting Tickets for the Colosseum

Finally, it’s my turn. I’m about to find out why it takes almost five minutes to process each person in a line that is now stretching back to the road and a considerable way along it. Did all these people book a group tour that required them to buy tickets?

I find out later that yes, they are all group tour people. The “regular” people who just want a ticket to the Colosseum without a tour buy their tickets at another booth. I’ll soon discover that many, many hundreds of them get inside the Colosseum long before we arrive.

So much for us being first!

Anyway, I’m at the booth.

“One for the Colosseum, per favore.”

“One?”

“Si.”

The attendant shakes her head as if to say what kind of a loser visits the Colosseum all by themselves first thing in the morning? I don’t share that my husband has elected to do the smart thing and spend a leisurely morning enjoying cappuccino and a walk about the chic ‘hood we’re staying in up near the Piazza del Popolo.

Instead, I push my driver’s license under the glass barrier and she places it in front of her keyboard. Then, with two stiff fingers, she laboriously starts to type. No wonder this whole process is taking forever! She has to physically enter the ID for every single person in line and she can’t touch type.

Oh dear.

After about two minutes (possibly a record), she hands me back my driver’s license, I pay with my credit card, and then I go stand with my fellow line waiters for the tour to begin.

It’s now 9:30 am.

Starting the Tour of the Colosseum–Almost

Promptly at 9:45 am, only 1 hour and 45 minutes past the tour start time, our guide leads those of us who have Colosseum tickets marked 9:15 am to another loooooong line. This is the line for all the Skip-the-Line group tours. As I said, it’s long.

Security Line at the Colosseum

We wait for another twenty minutes while the guide finally explains why progress that morning has been unusually slow. I’m at least heartened to find out that the current process is not normal. Apparently, there was a security incident (bomb scare?) a few days earlier, and since May 1 (it’s May 3^rd), new procedures using a new security firm are being instituted.

Unfortunately, thorough testing is lacking so chaos reigns as the Colosseum ticket takers are obliged to enter everyone’s ID information into the computer and new security personnel are stationed at the entrances to the actual Colosseum to again check IDs and tickets.

Entering the Colosseum

We finally reach the front of the Skip-the-Line group tour line and enter the outer perimeter of the Colosseum.

It’s big. Really big—much bigger than it looks from the road with massive columns that soar way up into the blue Roman sky. Inside, the arches are truly impressive. Roman engineering is a marvel.

A long, dimly lit hallway inside the Colosseum, featuring massive stone columns and arches. Tourists walk through the corridor, which captures the grandeur and history of the ancient structure.

The guide starts her spiel while leading us to yet another line. She tells us that construction of the Colosseum began between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Before then, the area had been a lake on the grounds of Nero’s Domus Aurea (golden house).

Nero was not popular, to say the least, and so the decision to replace his private lake with a public amphitheater hosting thousands of locals was a great way to erase him from recent history.

The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with Euros so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.

Not Everyone Loves Rome

The guide takes a break from her history lesson and cheerfully asks two people in the group where they are from. They reply that they are from Austria and that never again will they come to Rome because it is horrible and dirty. I am offended on behalf of both myself and the guide who smiles gamely but I can see is a trifle nonplussed. I mean, rude much? Apparently, the Austrians booked into a hotel that is less than stellar and that has colored their whole opinion of one of my favorite cities in the world.

I want to tell them that the place we’re staying in is absolutely wonderful—clean, spacious and in an excellent location. Here’s the link to our serviced apartment called Viam 6B. It truly is one of the best places we’ve stayed in Rome, ever.

Perhaps the Austrians decided to cheap out. Rome is a fabulous place to visit, but accommodations are not budget friendly. But then you can say that about just about every destination in Europe in recent years. The days of Europe on $5 a day (or even $100 or $200 a day) belong to the middle of the last century.

The guide decides not to ask the rest of the group about their experience. The mood is already a bit iffy considering we’ve all stood in lines for more than two hours for our first-into-the-Colosseum tour and haven’t actually started touring the Colosseum. We are in it, but only just.

The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with coins so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.

Climbing to the Top of the Colosseum

And then, finally, we’re in and the tour officially begins. The guide talks to us for quite a while about the history of the Colosseum and then invites us to trudge up three flights of very steep steps to look out over the arena.

We emerge into a surging Sargasso Sea of visitors all packed cheek by jowl along the railing much like the spectators must have done during the Colosseum’s heyday. Everyone’s snapping selfies (something that wasn’t done during the days of the Roman empire) and I suppose communing with their inner gladiator.

We walk and walk and walk some more around the perimeter to a slightly less crowded stretch of railing, and get our one minute of time to snap pics of the ancient amphitheater.

A panoramic view of the Colosseum’s interior, showcasing tiered seating, arches, and the underground chambers. Crowds of tourists walk along designated paths inside the historic amphitheater.

Yes, it’s an impressive place for sure. In its day, up to 70,000 screaming Romans watched gladiatorial combat, executions, triumphal celebrations, and other spectacles. Today, approximately 16,000 people visit the Colosseum every single day. So although the place feels very crowded to me, it is positively empty compared to what it would have been back when the arena floor was covered in sand to better absorb the blood.

The guide talks about how wild beasts were starved for days before being let loose to gnaw on convicts, Christian martyrs, and anyone else the Emperor didn’t like. It’s the odd interesting fact such as this that you get from a guided tour.

Is A Guided Tour of the Rome Colosseum Worth the Wait?

So, should you opt for a guided tour of Rome’s most famous monument, check it out on your own, or forget about it and do something that doesn’t involve rubbing shoulders (literally) with thousands of strangers?

You may have guessed my opinion, which is Door #3. The entire tour/ordeal lasted about three hours, with the smallest number of minutes devoted to the tour and the largest to waiting for the tour.

Now, to be fair, the extra security measures ate up a goodly chunk of that three hours. I don’t know if these measures will become the norm going forward, in which case be prepared for waits, or if it’s temporary. You’ll have to check that out before you book.

I don’t blame the tour guide for all the waiting. She was doing her best in difficult circumstances and to her credit remained cheerful and upbeat throughout. I gave her a 5 Euro tip which appeared to surprise her, but hey, I figure she’d earned it.

Most people either didn’t tip or gave her 5 euros for their entire party which I thought was a bit cheap of them. Tips are not required, but I think it’s a good idea to give the guide a little extra considering they probably don’t get paid all that much, and it’s a challenging job at the best of times.

Touring the Colosseum On Your Own

What about the second option—see the Colosseum on your own? I think it may be marginally the better option because you don’t need to arrive at a location two hours ahead of when you get in. Instead, you can go straight to the ticket line and take your chances. The wait could be 10 minutes or two hours.

You could also buy your ticket online. You’ll still need to stand in line-ups, but not for quite so long. It’s difficult to say. We bought our “skip-the-line” tickets to Pompeii online and still had to wait in line about 20 minutes to exchange the online tickets for real tickets.

When To Visit the Colosseum

I think the moral of the story is that whatever way you slice it, sites like the Colosseum are really, really popular. You can try to beat the crowds, but I don’t think in any universe you’ll get around waiting in long lines.

My advice? Either visit the Colosseum during the off-season (November to March) when crowds are thinner, or forget about it and go see some of the city’s other awesome sites.

Tours of the Colosseum

If you do opt for a tour (and I’m just saying, buyer beware), then GetYourGuide has plenty of tours to choose from. I suggest choosing a tour that includes a ticket to the Colosseum and the Forum so you won’t need to line up to buy your ticket separately.

Also, you may be better off booking a tour in the late afternoon or opt for one of the evening tours instead of the morning. I felt like everyone fueled up on their hotel breakfast as early as possible and made a beeline for the Colosseum as their first stop of the day. Possibly later in the day may be less frantic.

Other Sites in Rome

Rome is chock-a-block full of amazing things to see and do. Here are some of my favorite sites in Rome. You’ll note that I don’t include big ticket items like the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain, all of which are over-run with visitors.

Walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto
Capitoline Museum
Etruscan Museum
Keats/Shelley House at the Spanish Steps
Modern Art Museum
Borghese Gardens
Baths of Caracella

These are just a sampling. There are also a ton of fabulous churches, some with Roman foundations.

My Favorite Activity in Rome

For me, my favorite Rome activity is walking around the various neighborhoods and avoiding the bottleneck areas around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Square, and especially the Trevi Fountain. If you want to experience any of those places crowd-free, either swing by late at night or go for a very early morning stroll.

Here’s a shot taken on our way home after a scrumptious dinner in a restaurant on an atmospheric side street just steps from where we stayed at Viam 6B, which was not far from the Spanish Steps.

A narrow cobblestone street in Rome at night, lined with potted plants and historic buildings with shutters. A woman in a floral dress stands under streetlights, adding to the serene, atmospheric scene.

Accommodation Options in Rome

In 2024, we stayed in two places in Rome because we broke up our 2-week stay with a 5-day trip south to Naples and Paestum (read about my visit to the incomparable Naples Archaeological Museum).

When we first arrived, we stayed at Sant’Angelo Apartments in the Jewish Ghetto area of Rome, very close to a lot of Roman ruins in addition to the Capitoline Museum and the Piazza Venezia, site of the Victor Emmanuel monument. The apartment was very atmospheric and in an excellent location for exploring ancient Rome.

When we returned to Rome, we stayed at Viam 6B located between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Popolo–a very upscale and chi-chi part of Rome with lots of designer stores. I preferred the location of our first place because the area was much less touristy and very medieval-feeling. However, the accommodations at Viam 6B were very modern and comfortable and included a beautiful outdoor terrace. It was also staffed which is nice for getting directions and ordering taxis.

But both places were great and I’d cheerfully stay in either on our next trip to Rome.

More Tour Options for the Colosseum

Here are some tour options to consider sold through Tiqets.com:

Walking Tours of Rome

If you enjoy walking tours, I can recommend the tours offered by GuruWalks. Here are a few of the tours available in Rome.

Conclusion

Have you visited the Colosseum in Rome recently and not found it crowded? Do you have any tips for how to have an enjoyable visit? Please share in the comments below.

Posts About Rome

Here are some more posts about Rome, one of my very favorite cities in the world. I’ve visited eight times, and I’m not done yet!

How to See the Art of Pompeii at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples

May 4, 2024December 17, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Europe, Italy, Museums Artsy Traveler 2 Comments

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 01:12 am

Naples in southern Italy has long been on my list of places to visit, mostly because I wanted to tour the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli aka the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, and then visit Pompeii.

Both Gregg and I had visited Pompeii twice each–Gregg in 1958 when he was eleven, me in 1974 when I was 18 and then together with our daughter in 1994. In all those trips, we’d never managed to visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum. We came close in 1994 when we took a taxi from our hotel to the museum on our way to Pompeii only to find it closed. In those pre-Google days, I’d neglected to read the guide book.

A detailed mosaic depicting various birds, plants, and animals, overlaid with the text, “Art of Pompeii at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.” The bottom section features the website "artsytraveler.com."

So we were determined to finally see the museum because it houses the vast majority of the art excavated from ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum and is considered one of the best archeological museums in the world.

The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, with excavations starting at far back as the 16th century.

See the National Archaeological Museum of Naples First!

Now that I’ve toured the National Archaeological Museum, I can without hesitation recommend that you go there first and then tour the ruins of Pompeii. As you’ll discover, Pompeii is pretty much all ruins (quel surprise!) with the vast majority of the frescoes, mosaics, and statues long ago removed to the National Archaeological Museum.

Also, to be honest, wandering around Pompeii in the heat (we visited in late April and it was 30 degrees) with thousands of other visitors is not as comfortable an experience as strolling through room after room in the thoughtfully air conditioned museum.

Overview of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples

In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite parts of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (MANN) with the proviso that the museum is chock-a-block with amazing objects from antiquity. I’ve rarely seen such a beautifully appointed museum where just about every item in it is worth a stop and a good long look.

You can easily visit the National Archaeological Museum in about two to three hours, depending on your energy level. You’ll also find a good cafe so you can take a break for refueling after touring a floor or two. We did, and it made all the difference to our enjoyment of the museum.

The exterior of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, a grand pink building with arched windows, statues, and palm trees lining the street under a clear blue sky. — Exterior of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples

When we toured MANN in late April, the crowds were light (unlike the next day in Pompeii!) and we waited only a few minutes at the entrance to buy tickets. In busier times of the year, you may want to skip the ticket line by buying your tickets online from the museum’s website or through resellers such as Get Your Guide.

Plan of Attack

The museum is organized according to type of art, so you’ll find rooms full of artifacts from Pompeii, including sculptures, mosaics, everyday objects, frescoes, and coins. We saw most of what was on display in the sculpture, mosaic, everyday objects, and fresco areas. The quality of the work is awe-inspiring.

I suggest starting with the sculptures on the ground floor and then going to the top floor and working your way down. Doing so minimizes stair climbs (there’s an elevator to whisk you to the second floor) and conserves energy.

Sculptures

Start with sculptures because they are the first things you see when you enter the museum. Wowza! They are stunning. I didn’t expect to see so many really large sculptures that looked like they were chiseled yesterday when in fact they were almost 2000 years old.

Here’s a selection of my favorites.

Hercules at Rest

Even big guys like Hercules can use some time off now and again. This massive sculpture of old Herc shows him leaning on his club. The sculpture is a Roman copy from the end of the 2nd/beginning of the 3rd Century CE of a Greek statue from the second half of the 4th century BCE. The subject of Hercules at rest is a very popular one. It shows him exhausted and pensive after having undertaken yet another labor for his cousin Eurytheus.

While the top half of Hercules sags with fatigue, his legs and feet still look dynamic, as if he was ready to spring into action (yet again) at any moment. The sheer size of the statue took my breath away–and it’s just one of many dozens of sculptures in MANN.

A massive marble statue of Hercules standing, leaning on his club draped with a lion’s skin. The muscular figure is displayed in a grand hall with museum visitors in the background.

Hercules is part of the Farnese Collection, which was one of the first collections of artistic items from Greco-Roman antiquity. It was started by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (he later became Pope Paul III) back in the 16th century when collecting antiquities started being all the rage. Many of the works in MANN are from his collection.

Dog Sculptures

Large sculptures dominate the rooms, but they are by no means the only sculptures worth admiring at MANN. Here are three incredibly charming sculptures of Roman pooches. They look like they could come to life at any minute and run toward you, tails wagging.

A marble sculpture of a dog sitting and scratching itself with its hind leg, carved with detailed musculature and a lifelike posture.

Two marble statues of dogs seated on stone bases, both with their heads tilted upwards, possibly barking or howling. The detailed carvings highlight the dogs’ muscular forms and expressive faces.

A marble statue of a dog lying down on a stone base, its body relaxed and head slightly raised. The sculpture captures the animal’s muscular build and detailed features.

Athena

Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, along with warfare and handicrafts. The next time you pick up a knitting project, call on Athena for some extra guidance! This sculpture (bigger than can possibly be portrayed in a photo) really shows off Athena’s robes in all their pleated glory.

Bust of a Woman

I don’t know who this is but I love her hair! At least I think the bust is of a woman’s head. She looks a bit careworn, perhaps from having to cope with all those corkscrew locks every day. I also loved the black stone used–an interesting break from the predominantly cream-colored marble used to create most of the other sculptures in MANN.

It’s hard to believe this sculpture dates back two millennia. Like most of the sculptures in MANN, the bust is in near perfect shape.

A bronze bust of a woman’s head with intricate spiral-patterned hair. The sculpture rests on a pedestal, showing lifelike facial features and detailed craftsmanship.

Petite Figure

This small statuette of a child is one of several equally adorable pieces. You can understand how the artists descended from the ones who sculpted these pieces came up with cupids! The pieces look incredibly lifelike.

A marble sculpture of a young boy seated, holding a cornucopia filled with fruits. The sculpture captures intricate details of the boy’s curly hair and gentle expression.

Everyday Objects

For me, a highlight of the MANN collection is the vast array of household and everyday objects that were salvaged from Pompeii during excavations that began in the late 18th century. Many of the objects were remarkably preserved–pots, glassware, small statues of household gods, combs, jewelry, cooking utensils–you name it.

The ancient Roman versions of pretty much everything humans need to cook, clean, and live in houses is on display. It turns out that Romans aren’t all that different from us when it comes to the stuff they had in their houses. Take away our electronics and indoor plumbing, and we’re left with similar objects to those used by the average Pompeii resident: wine bottles, cooking pots, jewelry, cups, combs, chairs, and the like.

Here are some particularly fine examples of the household objects salvaged from the ruins of both Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Glass Cup

Can you believe this cup is 2000 years old? I was astonished to see it in the display, but yup, according to the description. the object is a “so-called millefiori ribbon small cup” from Pompeii in the 1st century CE. It looks like something I could buy today in Venice.

Terracotta Frog

Is this little guy not the sweetest thing? It’s a statuette of a frog made from lead-glazed terracotta. I’m not sure what he was used for, but he sure caught my eye. And he was just one of many, many such objects artfully displayed in room after well-lit room at MANN.

A terracotta sculpture of a frog with a wide mouth, seated on a base. The texture and details of the frog’s body are finely crafted.

Deep Wine Cup

Look at the handiwork on this lead-glazed terracotta wine cup! It’s decorated with vegetable motifs and doves. Imagine drinking your wine out of that!

A brown ceramic wine cup with two handles shaped like animal heads. The surface is decorated with floral patterns and intricate detailing.

Cosmetic Jar

Ladies in Pompeii wore cosmetics just like women do today. But with plastic rather lacking, they stored their cosmetics in glass containers such as the one shown below. Again, it looks brand new! The jar is described as free-blown glass from the 1st century CE.

A cylindrical blue glass container with a fitted lid, labeled with the number "3." The container’s surface has minor scratches and signs of age.

Blue Glass Pitcher

And last but not least, I have to include this perfect example of a free-blown glass pitcher. Look at the color! There were also many, many more examples of pitchers blown in darker tones as well as clear glass. I still can’t get over how they survived the blast, but I guess the ash buried things so thoroughly that they were preserved during the 1800 odd years they lay undisturbed. Remarkable!

A deep blue ancient glass vase with a curved handle and narrow spout, displayed against a white background. The surface shows subtle signs of wear.

Mosaics

The people of Pompeii and Herculaneum sure liked their mosaics. The floors of many houses, particularly those belonging to rich people (of which there were quite a few in Pompeii), were decorated with mosaics. The mosaics in MANN give just a taste of just how opulent the homes must have been. The intricacy of the mosaics really is breathtaking.

Zootopia Mosaic

Here is a series of three mosaics, displayed in horizontal format, but shown here in three parts to better check out the imagery. Each of these mosaics includes a bevy of wild animals–from hippos to snakes to ducks to crocodiles. What a tour de force!

An elaborate mosaic showing a hippopotamus with an open mouth, ducks, and a crocodile in a marsh setting. The scene is filled with reeds and blooming flowers.

A detailed mosaic featuring ducks, snakes, and a boar set among water plants and flowers. The snakes are shown coiling and slithering in the water.

A vibrant mosaic depicting ducks swimming in water, surrounded by lotus flowers and plants. The ducks are shown in various poses with intricate feather details.

Dog Mosaic

The Romans definitely liked dogs! Here’s another depiction of a dog–this time in mosaic form. This image is very popular; it’s on various products sold in the gift shop, including bags, fridge magnets, and mouse pads. We did buy a fridge magnet at the MANN gift shop, but of Sappho (see below) not the dog!

A Roman mosaic featuring a black dog on a leash, shown mid-stride with its mouth open, against a background of small white tiles. The leash is highlighted in red.

Sea Creatures

Can you imagine the imagination that concocted this delectable cornucopia of sea creatures? Wow! I particularly like the giant octopus in the middle. The mosaic also reminds me of the kinds of displays you’d see in 19th century natural history museums.

Frescoes

Paintings galore! You won’t believe how many paintings and frescoes you’ll find at MANN. This is because the Romans lavishly painted the inside walls of their villas and added painted embellishments just about anywhere there was a blank wall.

That so many of these paintings survived the eruption of Vesuvius is truly remarkable.

The Romans were unbelievably good painters. They’d mastered perspective and realism 1500 years before the Renaissance. So many of the paintings in MANN look like they could have been painted in the past few hundred years, particularly the gorgeous still lifes.

Here’s my best picks at MANN.

Isis & Snakes

Snakes are quite a recurring theme in the paintings in MANN. I’m not sure why that is; perhaps sea serpents were bigger and more threatening back in the day. For whatever reason, you’ll see snakes depicted in mosaics and frescoes, and included as details on pots, urns, and other objects.

This fresco, which had once graced the wall of a villa in Pompeii, shows Isis hauling the boat with the body of Osiris along the Nile accompanied by snakes lurking below the surface. Cheerful.

An ancient fresco showing two busts of figures flanking a scene of a boat on water with a shrine and a bird. Beneath them are two large, coiled snakes and a small temple-like structure.

Still Lifes

I couldn’t believe the quality and quantity of still life paintings at MANN. The realism truly is incredible. I have a soft spot for still lifes (see my post about the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam where some of my fave still lifes are exhibited). I never knew that the ancient Romans were so adept at creating them.

Here are two still lifes–one of dead birds and mushrooms, and the other of a bunny with onions.

A fresco depicting dead birds hanging on a wooden rod above a collection of mushrooms. The muted colors and detailed rendering capture a sense of realism.

A fresco still life depicting a dead rabbit lying on a wooden surface alongside figs and pomegranates. The painting shows detailed textures of the fur and fruits.

Erotica

Don’t miss the Secret Room if you’re inclined to view the museum’s extensive collection of erotic and sexually-themed objects and paintings salvaged from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The room was finally re-opened in 2000 with a display that organizes objects according to their function and material.

It’s a bit of an eye-opener, but definitely interesting and proving there is nothing new under the sun!

Portraits

MANN includes several portraits of Romans in its collection. One of the most famous is the portrait of the baker Therentius Neo and his wife. Don’t they look contemporary? Walking along the streets of Naples after visiting MANN brought us face to face with several of their descendants!

A Roman fresco showing a man and a woman, both holding writing instruments and scrolls. The woman wears a red garment and the man a white tunic, symbolizing literacy and social standing.

Here is another very famous portrait, this one of the poet Sappho, or at least that’s how it’s billed. The truth is that we don’t know if the portrait is actually of Sappho. It’s rather a “typological” representation of a young woman holding a stylus and a wax tablet–two things the real poet Sappho would likely have.

Anyway, it’s nice to think the portrait really is of Sappho which is probably why the image is everywhere in the gift shop, including on the fridge magnet I bought.

A fresco depicting a woman, believed to be the poet Sappho, holding a stylus to her lips and a wax tablet in her other hand. She has curly hair and wears gold earrings, set against a cracked circular frame.

Could This be My Next Character?

And finally, I came across this lovely mosaic portrait of a young woman. According to the description, the mosaic dates to the Julian-Claudian era (27 BCE to 68 CE) in Pompeii. She’s likely pretty high born (check out the necklace). I love how she looks directly out at the viewer. If I do decide to write a novel set in ancient Rome (and I am toying with some ideas), then this mosaic could be the image of my main character!

An ancient mosaic portrait of a young woman with dark hair tied back, wearing pearl earrings and a necklace. Her gaze is serious, and the background is composed of brown mosaic tiles

Tour Options in the Naples Area

Here are some Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com tickets and tours you may wish to consider while in the Naples area. I frequently purchase tours and tickets from Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com and have yet to be disappointed. The tours they include on their website are, in my experience, reasonably priced and interesting.

Walking Tours of Naples

If you enjoy walking tours, then you can’t go wrong with GuruWalks. Check out their tours in Naples.

Conclusion

In this post, I’ve just scratched the surface of the collection at the National Archaeological Museum. I recommend you make time in your itinerary to visit, preferably as I said earlier, before you visit Pompeii. In fact, if I had to choose between visiting Pompeii and visiting the museum, I’d choose the museum. Yes, I know that the ruins are way more famous–and they are pretty impressive. However, they truly are mobbed with visitors.

And they are BIG! If you can, visit very early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the heat. Alternatively, visit at a time of year when temperatures are less ferocious. There is virtually no shade anywhere.

Have you visited the National Archaeological Museum in Naples? What were some of your favorites? Share in the comments below.

Here are some most posts about travels in Italy:

Pizza, Gelato, Suppli–Oh My! A Fantastic Cooking Class in Rome

April 29, 2024December 4, 2024Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, Europe, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 4th, 2024 at 12:13 am

I’m a huge fan of taking cooking classes when I travel around interesting locales that have unique cuisines. So far, I’ve taken a market class and a French sauces class (sweet and savory) in Paris, a tapas class in Madrid, and a pasta & tiramasu class in Rome (see my post about that awesome class here).

Choosing a Class in Rome

With two weeks to spend in Rome in 2024 (with a few days off to visit Naples and Paestum), I decided to take yet another cooking class. Most of classes available were variations on the pasta/tiramasu class I’d already taken, but after a bit of searching on Get Your Guide, I discovered a pizza and gelato-making class.

Perfect! I signed up on Tuesday for the class on Friday.

EnjoyCooking.com with Crown Tours

In 2022, I’d taken the pasta/tiramisu class with InRome Cooking, which I highly recommend. But this time, I decided to go with EnjoyCooking.com for the sake of variety and having a new company to write about on Artsy Traveler. EnjoyCooking.com partners with Crown Tours to offer cooking classes in a lovely, brick-arched space next door to their tour office and across the street from the Colosseum.

The day before the class, I got a WhatsApp call from the company. The family that had signed up to take the class at the same time as me had canceled, leaving me on my own. Did I want to postpone the class to the evening slot? I could not because in the evening, we had the opening of Gregg’s art exhibition at Il Leone Galleria in Rome. I was assured that they were happy to still offer the class at the 10 am time slot even if I was on my own. Lucky me!

Arrival at EnjoyCooking.com

I arrived on Friday morning and was ushered into the cooking space. There was room for eight people in a class so it was much more intimate than the class I took at InRome Cooking in 2022 which hosted I think twelve people. To my delight, there was one other woman in the class. Over the course of the next three hours, we bonded and had an awesome time.

Chef Marco!

But the biggest surprise was meeting the chef. In walked Marco–the same chef who had taught the pasta/tiramisu class at InRome Cooking. I couldn’t believe it! I told him I’d taken his class and showed him the blog post. He was so excited!

So that was a great way to kick off the morning. Over the next three hours, Chef Marco led my new friend and me in a lively, hands on and informative class. I’m always amazed at how much I learn about cooking technique in these classes.

Gelato Making

We started with gelato. I discovered to my relief that the ice cream maker I’d purchased several years earlier could be dragged out, dusted off, and used to make gelato. Who knew?

We heated several pints of fresh milk in a pot over an electric hot plate. Marco informed us that the milk should be as fresh as possible–so fresh that it would spoil after three days. Of course, getting milk that fresh is pretty much impossible in North America unless you live on a farm, which I don’t. But the next best thing is high quality organic milk.

We heated the milk and whisked in sugar followed by ten egg yolks and grated lemon zest to make limone gelato. The lemons had come from the Amalfi coast and smelled divine.

After mixing the gelato, we poured it into the commercial gelato maker that would produce perfect gelato within thirty minutes. What an impressive looking machine!

Carol Cram pouring gelato into gelato maker

Marco informed us that we would also make raspberry sorbetto to go along with the limone gelato. Sorbetto is even faster and easier to make than gelato. We mixed water with raspberries and once the gelato was made, we poured it into the gelato-maker (after the limone gelato was done, of course).

Here’s a video of the raspberry gelato being extruded from the gelato maker–an exceedingly beautiful and satisfying sight.

Suppli Making

I had never heard of suppli–a Roman street food that is widely available all over the city. Marco showed us how to take rice cooked in tomatoes and form it around fresh cubes of mozzarella cheese, then bread and deep fry it. The result was a log-shaped rectangle that when still hot and pulled apart stretched the warm mozzarella cheese. It was yummy but a bit rich for me at only 11 am!

But when in Rome!

Pizza Making

The main event of the cooking class was making pizza the proper way–aka like they make piazza in Napoli where Marco was from.

I learned that the pizza dough should be rested for two hours after mixing and then rested in the refrigerator for up to three days. That was something new to me. I’d always let my piazza dough rise for about an hour, if that, and then cooked it. Apparently, doing so results in dough that is still fermenting when it enters your tummy. Not good!

Mixing the Pizza Dough

We mixed the dough and kneaded it for about six minutes–a very satisfying process. The dough was light and very elastic. It was then put away to rest and presumably used for a class the next day. Marco then produced dough that had already been rested and risen for a day, and we proceeded to learn how to shape the dough into a pizza. Handling the soft, pliant dough was such a pleasure. We didn’t learn how to throw it in the air, but we did learn a few tricks I can apply back home.

Baking the Pizza

Another tip I learned was to slather on the tomato sauce first, bake the pizza for about six minutes in a home oven (much less in a high temperature commercial oven) and then add the toppings and cook for another three to four minutes. Who knew? I also learned that certain toppings such as prosciutto should not be cooked, but added after the pizza came out of the oven.

For best results, I was told that I should get myself a pizza stone so that’s going on my Christmas list for next year!

Topping the Pizza

After baking the pizza with the sauce, we were offered a wide array of toppings to dress our pizza. My companion chose mozzarella cheese and fresh sausage. I chose anchovies, mushrooms, olives, and of course mozzarella cheese. Here we are making our pizzas in front of the scrumptious assortment of toppings.

Finishing the Pizzas

The pizzas went back in the oven and voila! Within minutes they were being served to us. The first bites were wonderful–the crust slightly charred and very puffed up (the sign of a good pizza) and the toppings fresh. I managed to get through three pieces before having to give up. Marco thoughtfully put the remainder in a pizza box for me to carry home to Gregg.

Finished pizza with anchovies and olives at cooking class in rome

After pizza, we were served the gelato we’d made earlier. OMG! The limone gelato, in particular, was truly to die for. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a fresher and more delightful-tasking gelato. It puts the run-of-the-mill gelatos found in gelato stores to shame. As Marco said, it’s all about using the freshest ingredients.

The class ended with me receiving my certificate and posing for a picture with Marco. I was thoroughly satisfied with my second Rome cooking experience in EnjoyCooking.com and Crown Tours.

A smile was on my face as I threaded my way through the crowds of tourists streaming past the Colosseum and Forum on my way back to our comfy little apartment in the Jewish Ghetto.

Thank you, EnjoyCooking.com and Marco for an excellent experience.

EnjoyCooking.com Class

Here’s a link to the cooking class I took through Crown Tours. As I’ve mentioned often on Artsy Traveler, I’m a very big fan of Get Your Guide. I booked my class with Crown Tours through Get Your Guide. If you click on the link below (or the links in the next section) and take any tour (not just the ones listed), I get a small commission. Thank you.

Cooking Classes in Rome with Get Your Guide

Here is a selection of additional cooking classes in Rome run by both Crown Tours and other companies.

Conclusion

Have you taken a cooking class while traveling? Share your experience in the comments below!

Why Sensational Siena Belongs on Your List of Top Medieval Cities

April 26, 2024November 18, 2024Destinations, Europe, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on November 18th, 2024 at 05:11 am

What is it about Siena that makes an artsy traveler swoon? Mention Siena to anyone who has traveled there and immediately they’ll clasp their hands to their hearts and look heavenward while intoning their undying love for this gem of a medieval city.

Every time I visit Siena (and I’ve been five times), I am inundated with a profound sense of living history. Of course, I could say that about many other places in Europe, but there’s something about Siena that makes it extra special.

Why is Siena so Special?

One reason why Siena is so special is that the modern world intrudes so discreetly that it’s easy to believe, especially at night, that you’ve been transported seven hundred years into the past. The stone and brick walls of ancient buildings soar into the deep blue sky either side of stone-paved streets. Everywhere you look are bricked archways, scarred and ancient wooden doors, iron rings for tethering horses, and shadowed alleyways. Everywhere the ancient past lives and breathes.

Walking Into the Campo

When I walk into the Campo—surely, the most beautiful public space in the world—I feel my throat constrict with emotion. I am in Siena! I am walking where my Sofia (from The Towers of Tuscany) walked, where my Lena grew rich and regretful (The Merchant of Siena – to be published) and where hundreds of years of Sienese people have lived and died, fought, prayed, loved, and hated.

On these bricks in the Campo, laid down even before the Black Death, people in heavy gowns walked and talked. They argued and haggled in business, they gazed at each other with love, they snubbed an enemy and clasped hands with a friend. This space—this Campo—has teemed with life for centuries, its shape and beauty unchanged through wars and famines and plagues and the chain stores of the 21^st century.

Views Over the Campo

The view across the Campo to the Torre Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico from the cafés lining the high side of the Campo has not changed appreciably since the buildings were new.

Palazzos and cafes lining the upper end of the campo in Siena

Lorenzetti strode across these bricks on his way to paint the Allegory of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo Pubblico. From one of the windows in a palazzo above where I sit sipping my Aperol Spritz, my Lena watched her lover Paolo enter the Campo with an army of mercenaries. My Sofia first entered the Campo with Francesco from the street to the left of the Torre Mangia and was instantly captivated.

Siena & Visitors

Siena is still a pulsing living city with more locals than tourists, although there are certainly plenty of tourists. But the crowds are manageable and easy to sidestep. One minute, I’m on a street streaming with people, occasionally standing aside to let a car go past. The next minute, I turn into a small side street and am alone with the ghosts and my imagination.

At night, Siena belongs to the locals, particularly young people. The Campo is filled with groups of teens–boys in one tight knot, girls in another. In the side streets, students spill out from the bars, glasses of wine in hand and voices at full volume. In the wee hours, a cadre of loud young men pass under our window, singing with drunken abandon. It’s more endearing than annoying.

Reliving my Novels in Siena

Everywhere I walk in Siena, I think about scenes in the two novels I’ve set there. Is this the street Lena ran down before being captured by mercenaries in The Merchant of Siena? In this piazza, did Sofia in The Towers of Tuscany watch a girl be whipped for dressing like a boy? I’ve spent so many months, years even, seeing these streets in my mind as I write that to walk in them now feels like I’m coming home.

Arriving in Siena

I booked a room at the I Merli di Ada which is inside the walls of Siena. Usually, we avoid places inside medieval towns because we know from experience that driving through narrow medieval streets mobbed with people is a recipe for disaster. But we wanted to be close to the action in Siena and so decided to take the risk.

The hotel sent instructions about parking. We were to enter Siena from the Porta Romana, drive to a little piazza near the hotel, drop off our luggage, then hand our keys to a valet parking attendant. The cost of valet parking is an exorbitant 30 euros per day, but I don’t care. The benefits of staying within Siena’s walls and having someone else park the car far outweigh the cost.

Driving Into Siena

With trepidation, we follow the GPS directions to drive through the Porta Romana past a phalanx of official-looking people in uniform who don’t stop us. I know we’re being electronically monitored. If we stay too long in Siena, we’ll be subject to a hefty fine. Tourists are allowed a small amount of time to drive to their accommodation and drop off their bags. They then must skedaddle, fast (or in our case, give the keys to a valet who does the skedaddling for us).

The GPS directs us along a street with pedestrians who stand aside to let us pass. Gregg drives very, very slowly. We turn left as directed up a side street and then sharp left again. The hotel’s directions tell us there will be a little piazza to our right where we can stop to unload our luggage. Lo and behold, there it is! We pull in and breathe a sigh of relief. I hop out and walk a few paces down the street to find our hotel.

Entrance to I Merli de Ada Hotel in Siena — Entrance to I Merli de Ada on a side street in Siena

Phew! That was one of the easier entries into a medieval town we’ve experienced. With great gratitude, Gregg hands the keys to the valet who appears moments later to smilingly move our car to God knows where and I don’t care! We’re informed that we’ll see the car again on Sunday. Spoiler alert – we do.

I Merli di Ada

The I Merli di Ada hotel is lovely. The entrance way is brick-arched and reeking with history. The tiny elevator that climbs very slowly from the lobby to the third floor is the only modern intrusion. We put our luggage into the elevator and climb the winding marble staircase. How many feet have climbed here? I don’t know how old the current building is, but I can say with certainty that its foundations are probably medieval, if not older.

Our room on the third floor is high-ceilinged, the white-painted beams reminding us of former times. I can’t help wondering how many people have lived and breathed in this space over the centuries. The window looks out over the street and the building opposite—the same red brick as our building with arched windows, most shuttered.

First Walks into Siena

We walk out into Siena with an agenda—find a laundromat, eat a late lunch, buy Gregg some art materials, and, most importantly, drink in our first encounter in six years with my favorite city in Europe.

Thanks to Google, I find a laundromat just down the street, so we head there first. The directions are thoughtfully posted in both Italian and English. Within minutes, we’ve loaded our laundry into one of the machines, inserted eight euros, and pressed the start button. We leave to find lunch.

Lunch in the Campo

Minutes later, we are entering the Campo and my knees go weak. I want to run right out into the middle and twirl. I resist (although later I do a spot of twirling under the cover of darkness–see later in this post). We choose one of the ubertouristy cafés on the edge of the Campo and settle in.

Even Rick Steves, who usually eschews places in ‘high rent’ areas like the Campo, has written in his Siena guidebook that camping at one of the cafés on the Campo is a must-do. Hang the cost.

As it is, the cost is perfectly reasonable, the service efficient and good-humored, and the food really delicious. We split an order of bruschetta along with a large salad replete with anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, very fresh greens, and tomatoes.

Lunch of green salad with achnovies and bruschetta in Siena

The sun beats down pleasantly warm as we gaze out at the Palazzo Pubblico and the Campo. I am truly in heaven.

Errands in Siena

After our late lunch, we hightail it back to the laundromat, put the clothes in the dryer (another five euros), then go in search of art materials. We find them at a little shop on the other side of the Campo. Gregg buys a pad of paper and some paints and looks forward to many happy hours of art creating to come.

We pick up a few groceries so we don’t have to buy the hotel breakfast in the morning, then huff up the three flights of stairs to our room for a bit of quiet time before dinner.

Dinner in Siena

In the evening, we venture out to enjoy an excellent dinner at a well-reviewed osteria not far from the hotel. The service is excellent and the ambiance cozy and warm in a brick-vaulted room that’s probably been in use for centuries.

So far as I can hear, we’re the only English speakers. Most of the other diners are Europeans. We start with fried cheese accompanied by fresh pear sauce recommended by the server and then Gregg has a tasty pasta with bacon and I have thinly sliced Florentine steak. We share a green salad. The food is fresh, simply prepared, and absolutely delicious. With wine, the bill is about 60 euros—perhaps not a bargain, but certainly not over-priced considering the quality of the food, the service, and the ambiance.

Evening Stroll in Siena

After dinner, we stroll to the Campo where I do indeed twirl across the 14^th-century pavement and snap endless shots of the floodlit Palazzo Pubblico in front of a deep azure sky. We end the evening with a walk along narrow medieval streets and a final stop at a gelateria for a small cup with two flavors—very dark chocolate with amaretto for me; stracciatella and fragola (strawberry) for Gregg.

A Perfect Full Day in Siena

The next day, I’m up early, excited to begin my only full day in Siena. I start with a caffè Americano at a lovely little café just down the street from our hotel. The place is deserted and I spend a productive hour working on The Merchant of Siena. Set in the second half of the 14^th century—a time of great strife and hardship for Siena—the novel tells the story of a woman who is determined to control her own destiny in a world where all the odds are stacked against her.

April Weather

The weather has turned cloudy and chilly. By the time I emerge from the café, the rain has started in earnest, and I wish I’d brought some warmer clothes. I mistakenly thought that Italy in April would be warm. It can be, for sure, but it also can be chilly and wet. There’s a reason why the Tuscan countryside is so green.

I return to the hotel and together, Gregg and I set out to tour the Palazzo Pubblico. I’m anxious to see an exhibition of costumes from the Palio, and of course to revisit my favorite Lorenzetti frescoes.

Palazzo Pubblico

The Palazzo Pubblico is most certainly the most photographed building in all of Siena. I’ve taken dozens of photos myself in as many lights as possible—from brilliant sunshine to moonlit evening. The Palazzo Pubblico with its accompanying tower (the Torre Mangia) was built between 1297 and 1310 and is considered the world’s most perfect example of civic Gothic architecture. The Signoria and the Podestà resided in the Palazzo Publicco and still today, the building is a symbol of political power.

Alas, I discover while buying our tickets that the Lorenzetti frescoes are being renovated. Oh well. I’ve seen them a few times already, and there is still plenty to see between the public rooms and the current exhibition of Palio costumes.

Exhibition of Palio Costumes

We first head downstairs for the costume exhibition that features examples of the medieval-inspired costumes worn by participants in the Palio. I’m a sucker for a good costume exhibit and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. The only thing lacking are women’s costumes since the focus is on how the riders in the Palio dressed and all of them are for men (or at least I presume so).

Siena palio custome in the palazzo pubblico in siena

Public Rooms in the Palazzo Pubblico

Upstairs in the main part of the Palazzo Pubblico are the stunning reception rooms. With the room containing the Lorenzetti frescoes of Good and Bad Government off limits, the main highlight is the Sala del Mappamondo (the World Map Room), which was once the headquarters of the Council of the Republic.

Martini Fresco

I stand in the middle of the large room and stare at the Maesta by Simone Martini. In The Towers of Tuscany, Sofia stands exactly where I stand to look at the Maesta. Although obviously restored, the 2024 version probably doesn’t hold a candle to the brilliantly colored original that Sofia would have seen.

Fresco of the Maesta by Simone Martini in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena

I spin around to see Martini’s other famous masterwork–the fresco of Guidoriccio da Fogliano. Mounted on his charger, the captain of the Sienese army rides across the territory he has just conquered (Montemassi, in 1328). Recently, art historians have disputed the attribution of this work to Martini, claiming that it was either a slightly later work or even a 16th-century fake. Part of what sparked the debate was the 1980 discovery of a slightly older scarred fresco lower on the wall. This earlier painting depicts two figures standing in front of a wooden-fenced castle. Some claim this is the fresco Martini painted, while those who support the authenticity of the Guidoriccio attribute this older fresco to Duccio, Pietro Lorenzetti, or Memmo di Filippuccio.

Fresco in palazzo pubblico — Fresco attributed to Lorenzetti in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico

Who knows! It’s awesome whoever painted it.

Siena Cathedral

The sun bursts forth after our visit to the Palazzo Pubblico. Gregg heads back to the hotel and I set off to tour Siena Cathedral and the adjoining museums. Here’s where you’ll find the crowds in Siena! The cathedral is mobbed with tour groups, but it’s definitely worth a look-see.

Don’t miss the very cool 15th century paintings in the Piccolomini library. You have to line up to get in, but entrance is included in your ticket to the cathedral.

Piccolomini library in Siena cathedral - paintings — Interior of the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral

If you visit Siena Cathedral, buy a ticket that includes all of the various components, even if you don’t visit them all. I made the mistake of only buying a ticket for Siena Cathedral and then discovering later that I couldn’t access the Museo Opera where the fabulous Maesta by Duccio is housed (it has a cameo appearance in The Towers of Tuscany). By the time I figured out that I didn’t have the right ticket, I couldn’t summon the energy to trudge all the way back to the side of the cathedral to line up to buy the correct ticket. Fortunately, I’ve seen the Duccio twice before!

I return “home” for an hour’s rest before setting off for the other side of Siena where we find a great place for dinner prior to attending a concert.

Italian Opera in Siena

When we’d arrived at I Merli di Ada, I’d picked up a brochure about opera concerts held three times a week in Siena. The price is reasonable and tickets are available. We decide to check it out. The Italian Opera in Siena concert turns out to be very entertaining. A soprano accompanied by a pianist sings many opera favorites by Puccini, Verdi, and Bizet.

Afterwards, we float out on an operatic high and stroll the thirty minutes back to our hotel through the moonlit streets. Siena at night goes beyond magical to mesmerizing. Most of the time, we are alone, the only sounds our footsteps on the cobblestones and the muted clanking of iron rings in the wind.

Out in the Campo for the last time, I shoot a 360-degree video of one of my favorite places in the world!

Siena will forever hold a special place in my artsy traveler heart!

Where to Stay in Siena

Here are more options in addition to the highly recommended I Merli di Ada:

Tour Options In and Around Siena

On one trip to Siena several years ago, I joined a small group tour of wineries in Montalcino and Montepulciano that also included an amazing lunch. If you’re in Siena for a few days and want to spend one of them touring the wine regions, then check out some of the many tours available. You could also choose a cooking class (I always enjoy a good cooking class!), or guided tours of some of Siena’s sites. As I’ve mentioned many times on Artsy Traveler, I’m a huge fan of Get Your Guide tours. Without exception, every tour I’ve taken has been excellent value. Full disclosure – if you click on any of the tours below and purchase a tour (any tour) from Get Your Guide, I receive a small commission. Thank you.

Conclusion

Have you visited Siena? Share your tips for an awesome experience with other artsy travelers in the comments below. And here are more posts about Italy:

Two Terrific Small Museums In Amsterdam You Should Visit

April 24, 2024December 15, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Europe, Museums, Netherlands Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 15th, 2024 at 01:57 am

I love Amsterdam, which is why on almost every trip to Europe I make it my first stop. Since 1970 on my epic first trip to Europe with my mom, I’ve visited Amsterdam fifteen times. You’d think I’d have run out of places to see by now, but I haven’t. On my most recent visit to AmsterdamX, I discovered two new-to-me museums that I highly recommend.

First is the National Maritime Museum (#1 on the map below) and second is the Rembrandt House Museum (Rembrandt Huis – #2). Both deliver an excellent bang for your euro. The map below also shows the location of my recommended hotel (#3) and for context, Amsterdam’s two heavyweight museums: the Rijksmuseum (#4) and the Van Gogh Museum (#5).

This map was created with Wanderlog, the best trip planner app on iOS and Android

National Maritime Museum

Despite all my visits to the city, I’d never heard about Amsterdam’s excellent Maritime Museum. On my latest trip, the taxi drove us right past the massive replica of an 18^th century Dutch three-master sailing ship (the Amsterdam) moored in the harbor. I asked him what it was and he told us it was part of the National Maritime Museum. Intrigued, I looked it up when we got to the hotel, which turned out to be only a six-minute walk away.

Arriving at the National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum is housed in a stately three-storey building on the edge of Amsterdam’s massive harbor and adjacent to the Amsterdam ship moored in the harbor. After entering at the south side of the building, we walked into a spacious covered atrium with entrances leading to the north, west and east.

Outside the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

Touring The Amsterdam

We headed first for the north door that led straight out to a wharf and the docked replica of the Amsterdam. What a sight! The huge hull rose several storeys above our heads, above which soared three masts.

Old style three masted ship moored at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam — A replica of the East Indiaman *Amsterdam* at the National Maritime Museum

We boarded the ship and were immediately engulfed by a posse of schoolchildren all wearing yellow safety vests and swarming through the sailors’ quarters. Apart from the kids, the quarters looked spacious until I realized the space would house a crew of 191 sweaty sailors. The smells and swells on a rough day at sea would not have been pretty.

Interior of Amsterdam tall ship at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam — Sailors quarters in the *Amsterdam* tall ship at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

Information about the Amsterdam

Throughout the ship, descriptions in both English and Dutch provided fascinating glimpses into the history of the original Amsterdam and Dutch trade back in the 17th and 18th centuries. I learned that on one voyage, the Amsterdam carried one captain, 191 sailors, 128 marines, 11 artisans, and 3 women passengers for a total of 334 people. That’s a lot of bodies to squeeze onto a ship that, while large, wasn’t that large. I found it a bit crowded with a school group of maybe 30 kids!

Eating on the Amsterdam

In the galley at the front of the ship, the cook would prepare meals for everyone on board, who would then take turns eating in groups of seven. The captain and passengers got the best and freshest food, leaving the crew to half starve and fall prey to diseases such as typhus, dysentery, and scurvy. It must have been pretty grim, particularly since long voyages to destinations in the East Indies took many, many months.

Women Dressed as Men

I was particularly taken by a description of women dressed as men who sailed on the Dutch ships. Some were forced by circumstances to earn money; some were likely trying to escape an unhappy marriage; some maybe just wanted adventure. Unfortunately, any woman who was trying to pass herself off as a man on a ship was severely punished.

In 1770, a woman called Margereta Reymers dressed as a man and joined the crew of the East Indiaman Schoonzicht under the name Hans Hendrik Reymers on a ship sailing to Asia. Margereta was discovered two months into the voyage and put ashore at Cape Town where a man who had promised to marry her left her pregnant.

Eventually, Margereta managed to find a place on a ship returning to the Netherlands. Her daughter was born at sea. No one knows what happened to Margereta and her daughter afterwards. Hmmm – therein lies an interesting idea for a novel!

The Maritime Museum Exhibits

The museum itself is quite vast and beautifully curated. If you are into ships, navigation, and sailing, you could spend many happy hours there. I particularly enjoyed the displays of figureheads and model ships.

Exhibit at the Maritime Museum of Amsterdam of figureheads from old ships

Exhibit at the maritime Museum in Amsterdam of model ships

For more information about the National Maritime Museum, check out their informative website: https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/

After touring the National Maritime Museum, we enjoyed lunch in a typical Dutch pub, then headed to the Rembrandt House Museum, which was about a ten minute walk from our hotel.

The Rembrandt House Museum

Unlike the National Maritime Museum, I had heard about the Rembrandt House Museum, but had never managed to visit it. I thought it would be a rather dusty old place with little to recommend it beyond the fact that Rembrandt once lived there.

I discovered that I was wrong and that the Rembrandt House Museum is well worth an hour of any artsy traveler’s time.

Renovated Museum

The museum has been recently renovated to include an adjacent building containing the entrance area, a gift shop (of course), and two floors of exhibition space.

We entered the airy modern foyer, purchased our tickets and picked up our audio guides. We don’t usually go for audio guides, but the man at the desk told us they were essential to our enjoyment of the museum and so we dutifully donned the earphones and headed for door leading into the house that Rembrandt called home for 19 years.

Touring Rembrandt House

For the next hour or so, we drifted from room to room and up several sets of winding staircases to explore the nooks and crannies of what was—and still is—a large and comfortable home. Rembrandt was flying high when he and his wife purchased the house. He was receiving many commissions in addition to earning a sizable chunk of his income from teaching wannabe Rembrandts.

But regrettably, Rembrandt was not the best of businessmen. After nineteen years of enjoying the good life, Rembrandt’s many creditors forced him to sell just about everything not nailed down and move across town.

Rembrandt’s Misfortunes are History’s Gains

I learned that it was thanks to Rembrandt’s financial misfortunes that his house has been so immaculately recreated. When Rembrandt was forced to liquidate all his assets, he left behind an extremely detailed inventory of the house contents. Historians were able to use this inventory to faithfully recreate the rooms in his house so that today we can wander through them secure in the knowledge that they looked more or less the same as they did in Rembrandt’s day—except with electric light and tourists listening to audio guides.

The comprehensive audio guide provided us with a wealth of information about each of the rooms we entered—from grand salon to the room of curiosities to Rembrandt’s gorgeously bright and airy painting studio. In each room, audio commentary described the room and its uses, and provided information about Rembrandt’s life and work.

Rembrandt House Highlights

Box Beds

One of several box beds in the house was situated in the main salon, and like every box bed in the house (there were several) was much shorter than would seem reasonable to accommodate an average-sized human. I learned that back in Rembrandt’s time, people slept sitting up and so had no need of a bed that extended their full height. Apparently, the prevailing medical wisdom of the day dictated that sleeping completely prone was very bad for the health. Peering into the box beds, I shuddered at the thought of actually sleeping in one. If you are at all prone to claustrophobia, you wouldn’t last ten minutes.

The box bed shown below was in the main salon and would be for visitors.

Box bed in Rembrandt Hour in Amsterdam — Box bed for visitors

Etching Studio

Rembrandt was known for his etchings, many of which he made in the etching studio. Nowadays, a rubber-gloved attendant demonstrates the art of etching. Unfortunately, we missed her demonstration but it was likely very similar to the one we saw at the house of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg. In fact, the setup of the Rembrandt House Museum reminded me of the Dürer museum. You can read about our visit there in my page about Artsy Sightseeing in Germany.

Printing press in Rembrandt House museum etching room

Painting Studio

Stepping into Rembrandt’s large painting studio feels quite magical. Although now filled with visitors all listening intently to their audio guides, it’s salutary to remember that you are actually treading the same floor boards and looking out the same windows as Rembrandt did four hundred years previously.

The room faces north, an aspect favored by painters because the light varies the least throughout the day. The studio is at the top of the house and so would have been as bright and airy as any room in a 17th- century house could be.

Easel where Rembrandt worked at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam

Large painting studio where Rembrandt painted aat the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam

The studio includes a large video screen that shows a demonstration of how Rembrandt and his assistants made pigments. I’m familiar with the process of grinding and mixing the pigments from my research for The Towers of Tuscany. But whereas my characters in 14th-century Italy mixed their pigments with egg yolks, Rembrandt and his contemporaries mixed pigments with linseed oil.

Colors used to make paint at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam

Small Painting Studio

I was quite taken with the second painting studio which was partitioned into four sections to accommodate four students.The whole setup looked so modern. Apparently, Rembrandt made 30% of his annual income from students, but even that income wasn’t enough to keep him afloat. I wonder what became of the students after Rembrandt had to liquidate!

But check out these studios. Many artists would feel quite at home in one today!

Student cubicles at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam

The Room of Curiosities

Like many people of his time, particularly artists, Rembrandt was an avid collector. His many collections fill the room of curiosities–from parrot feathers and stuffed caimans and armadillos, to tortoise shells, butterflies, rocks, and a hundred other exotic bits and pieces he accumulated over the years. Amsterdam, of course, was a port, and so Rembrandt was able to acquire objects from around the globe that had been brought to Amsterdam by the sailors.

Room of Curiosities at the Rembrandt House museum in Amsterdam

Exhibition Center

After touring Rembrandt’s house, we funneled back into the exhibition center. There wasn’t much on when we were there, but I did appreciate the projection of a montage of Rembrandt’s greatest hits.

Montage of Rembrandt's works at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam

Visiting Rembrandt’s House

For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Rembrandt House website: https://www.rembrandthuis.nl/en/

You can also purchase your tickets in advance from Get Your Guide. As I’ve mentioned many times on Artsy Traveler, I’m a big fan of Get Your Guide. Click the image below to go to their website.

Wandering Around Amsterdam

On my stopover in Amsterdam in 2024, I stayed only two nights, but still managed to log several kilometers of wandering. Amsterdam is a fantastic city for walking, so long as you keep a very sharp eye out for cyclists. They go very, very fast! I wonder how many tourists who stepped off a curb without looking ended up in Emergency.

In the evening of our only full day in Amsterdam, we met Gregg’s artist friend Rik Lina in his home and went out for a wonderful Caribbean dinner. Here Rik is with Gregg in front of one of his paintings. He and Gregg have been collaborating for years. Notice the collection of masks. Like Rembrandt, Rik is an avid collector.

Dutch artist Rik Lina in front of one of his paintings with Canadian artist Gregg Simpson

Amsterdam at Night

After dinner, we strolled through Amsterdam in the moonlight, crossing many canals and passing an endless number of intriguing storefronts. Amsterdam has an admirably eclectic variety of stores carrying everything from Old Master knock-offs to rubber duckies to high fashion to painted cows. I adore window shopping in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam at night truly is magical! The side streets are quiet, the canals serene in the moonlight, the bike traffic considerably calmed. You can wander for hours, imagining yourself into a cityscape that hasn’t changed appreciably for four hundred odd years.

View of Amsterdam's iconic houses at night

Other Tours in Amsterdam

There’s so much to see in Amsterdam for the artsy traveler! I highly recommend booking one of the Get Your Guide tours, if only to skip the line at the most popular museums. I’ve consistently found Get Your Guide tours to be good value, and have taken them in Rome, Venice, Paris, Madrid, and Sirmione. Here are links to Get Your Guide tours in Amsterdam.

I also often purchase tickets and tours through Tiqets.com. Here are some options for Amsterdam.

And finally, check out a walking tour with GuruWalks. They offer these tours in Amsterdam:

Staying in Amsterdam

Over the years, I’ve stayed in many different places in Amsterdam–from Airbnbs to hotels on the outskirts. Our stay in 2024 was one of the best–and also the most reasonably priced considering the location and amenities.

I’m not usually a big fan of chain hotels, but to my surprise the Holiday Inn Express – City Hall in Amsterdam, steps from the harbor and within walking distance of old Amsterdam, was a perfect choice. The view of the canal from our window was endlessly fascinating depending on the time of day and the shifting April weather, the room was comfortable, and the staff friendly and helpful.

View of canals from the window of a room at the Holiday Inn Express - city Hall in Amsterdam — View of canals from the window of a room at the Holiday Inn Express – City Hall in Amsterdam

I also appreciated the large urn full of citrus fruits and water in the lobby. Every time I came into the hotel, I helped myself to a refreshing glass of citrus water.

Here are other options for staying in Amsterdam. I recommend you resist the temptation to opt for the cheaper places outside the city center. Amsterdam is worth the splurge. Book a place as close to the ring of canals as you can and enjoy many happy hours of wandering–particularly after dark.

Conclusion

Have you visited Amsterdam? What are some of your best picks? Share your experiences in the comments below.

For more about Amsterdam, check out these posts:

Sirmione on Lake Garda: Experience the Magic of Staying Overnight

April 20, 2024December 17, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 01:59 am

The tiny resort town of Sirmione on Lake Garda in northern Italy is truly magical. Stay overnight and you’ll have the picturesque, stone-arched streets and cypress-dotted parks to yourself.

I spent 21 hours there and loved every minute of it.

In this post, I share what I did during those 21 hours, including taking a boat trip, visiting a interesting Roman archeological site, and taking peaceful walks around a peninsula that is mobbed during the day but extremely quiet and calm in the evenings and early mornngs.

A blog cover image featuring a sunset over Lake Garda and the Sirmione castle, with the word “Sirmione” in bold text and the website "ARTSYTRAVELER.COM" at the bottom.

Where is Sirmione?

Located at the south end of Lake Garda, cute-as-a-button Sirmione occupies the very tippy tip of a long peninsula jutting into the lake. Lake Garda is new to me, and it certainly lives up to its reputation as one of Italy’s premier lakes. It is also the biggest lake in a country that has a lot of lakes.

Consider a trip to Sirmione if you’re en route to Venice, Verona, Milan, and other towns in northern Italy.

Arriving in Sirmione

Gregg and I drive up the peninsula to reach Sirmione (#1) at the southern end of Lake Garda. We sensibly snag a parking place outside the old town and alongside the lake, which at three o’clock in the afternoon is an unearthly shade of turquoise blue. Even in the tropics, I’ve never seen a color like it. A strong wind is sweeping the lake into a riot of whitecaps that splash sparkling billows of water against the shore.

We walk to the harbor and cross the bridge under the shadow of Scaligero Castle, which is Sirmione’s iconic medieval castle (#2) that guards the entrance to the old town. With its square towers with crenelated tops, the castle resembles exactly the kind of castle a child would draw.

An ancient stone castle in Sirmione, Italy, featuring crenelated towers, arched gates, and a moat with turquoise water, under a partly cloudy sky. — Sirmione Castle guards the entrance to the historic town of Sirmione

Visitors pack the streets. If it’s this crowded in April, I’d hate to see what it looks like in the summer. I have read that summer crowds can make Sirmione almost impossible to visit. Fortunately, while large, the crowds are not ridiculous. We easily navigate our way past souvenir shops and gelato places (note to self – return after dinner) to find the Villa Flaminia.

Orientation to Sirmione

The map below shows the places mentioned in this post. Click a number for more information.

Map from Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

Villa Flaminia

The three-storey Villa Flaminia has old-world elegance and, although gorgeously situated lakeside, is not unreasonably priced at around 200 euros for the night. A highlight is the terrace that juts into the lake. In summer, you could jump right in for a swim. Although the sun is warm in April, no one is swimming so I presume the water is not yet toasty enough.

A woman with sunglasses and a floral dress sitting on a deck chair under a large umbrella, smiling with Lake Garda and lush greenery in the background. — Relaxing with a drink on the terrace at the Villa Flaminia on the shores of Lake Garda

After checking into the Villa Flaminia, we returned to our car and moved it to a gated parking lot. From there, we and our luggage rode a golf cart back into the town. Very efficient!

A serene view of Lake Garda with clear turquoise water, reeds in the foreground, and mountains beneath a bright blue sky with scattered — View of Lake Garda from our parking place

Here’s a view of the Villa Flaminia from Lake Garda that I took the next day while on our Lake Garda boat tour.

A white villa with balconies and terraces, viewed from the water, surrounded by other buildings and outdoor seating with umbrellas. — Villa Flaminia seen from the boat tour on Lake Garda

Wandering Around Sirmione

After getting settled in our lovely, high-ceilinged room, we eat a sandwich at a cafe with very friendly staff to stave off hunger (having not had much lunch). Gregg then returns to the room to recover from the six-hour drive from the French Alps and I do my favorite thing when first arriving in a new place—wandering. I set off through the maze of narrow streets to see what is at the end of the peninsula.

My walk takes me past a number of interesting shops. The usual tourist dreck packs a few of them, but several sell really nice-looking items. I stop to covet a lemon-patterned salad bowl with matching salad tongs. If they can ship it to Canada, I just might buy it. Unfortunately, they inform me sadly that they don’t offer shipping to Canada, so I make do buying a ceramic lemon to put on my desk to remind me of Sirmione.

Maria Callas

The shops soon give way to ever larger villas, including the Termi di Catulla a complext of thermal baths, where I find a plaque honoring Maria Callas, the great opera singer. I’d recently finished reading Diva by British author Daisy Goodwin about Callas’s life and had interviewed Daisy for The Art In Fiction Podcast a few weeks later, so I knew that Callas had once lived in Sirmione. Inside the hotel is a small display of some of her costumes and jewelry.

After admiring the Callas display, I carry on past Maria Callas Park to walk to the Grotto Cattalus. Along the way, I enjoy stunning views of stately cypresses, snow-dusted mountains, and wind-whipped waves. I am smitten.

Dinner in Sirmione

Dinner that evening is a charming and tasty affair. The wind is sending cutlery and napkins on the outdoor tables flying, so we opt to sit inside. Also, the evening air in April is not warm even though daytime temperatures are comfortable.

I order a shrimp tagliatelle that comes with a sauce I’d be happy to marry. Service is efficient and unsmiling. I get the impression that the staff are weary after a long day of serving tourists. Can’t say I blamed them!

I snap this photo of the setting sun as seen from the piazza just outside the restaurant.

A picturesque sunset over Lake Garda, with a sky filled with golden and orange clouds, calm waters reflecting the colors, and silhouetted mountains in the background. — Sunset Over Lake Garda

Evening Walk in Sirmione

After dinner, we scurry back to our hotel to replace my optimistic capris and sandals with long pants, socks, shoes, and a jacket, then venture out for an evening amble and to enjoy the glorious sunset over Lake Garda. Most of the tourists have disappeared, and we have the streets to ourselves. We walk as far as the Termi di Catullo to admire the Maria Callas plaque, then return to our warm hotel room for the night.

A poster with the text “CALLAS SEMPRE CALLAS” and an image of Maria Callas's face, promoting an exhibition of her costumes and jewelry at Aquaria Hall in Sirmione, Italy. — Maria Callas is one of Sirmione’s most famous former residents

Maria Callas is not the only famous person to maintain a villa in Sirmione. Former residents include writers Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, Tennyson and Goethe. Churchill also hung out for a while in Sirmione.

A Morning in Sirmione

The next morning, we decide to enjoy Sirmione right until the noon checkout when the golf cart is scheduled to arrive at the hotel to take us back to our parking place. The day dawns clear and warm—the complete opposite to the cloudy and chilly weather predicted on my phone.

After breakfast, we saunter out into the still empty streets and stroll all the way up the peninsula en route to visit the Grottoes of Catullus.

Villa of Maria Callus

On our way, we pass the beautiful yellow villa (#3) that Maria Callas lived in with her husband. What a place! Imagine being her neighbor back in the day and hearing her voice soaring out over the pines as she practiced her arias for a performance at La Scala in Milan, a few hours away. Talk about magical!

A yellow multi-story villa with arched windows and a prominent tower, surrounded by greenery and a gated entrance, under a clear blue sky. — Villa in which Maria Callas lived

Grottoes of Catallus

The grottoes turn out to be the remains of Roman villa built between the end of the 1^st century BCE and the beginning of the 1^st century CE. Called grotte di catullo in Italian, the ruins were rediscovered in the 15^th century and at first resembled caves, hence the name “grottoes.” Over the centuries, archaeologists slowly unearthed a remarkable complex that must have been a Roman billionaire’s dream palace.

The grottoes were named after the poet Catullus because his poems had just been rediscovered around the time the grottoes/villa was found. In his 31st poem, Catullusdescribed love of his beloved house in Sirmione.

He wrote: Sirmio, jewel of islands, jewel of peninsulas, with what joy, what pleasure I gaze at you“.

Despite his raving about the place, there is no evidence linking Catallus to this particular villa, mostly because he died before it was built.

A bronze bust of the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus atop a stone pedestal engraved with his name and dates (87 BC – 54 BC), set against a dramatic sunset by Lake Garda with a tree silhouette and benches in the background. — Statue of the Roman poet Catullus

Anyway, the name stuck, and wow—the site is definitely worth a visit. The villa is situated on a promontory at the very top of the peninsula with stunning views of the lake and mountains On a warm and breezy April day with few other tourists around, enjoying the lake views during a leisurely ramble among olive groves atop the ruins are an artsy traveler’s dream come true.

A woman with sunglasses and a gray jacket stands smiling at a viewpoint, leaning on a metal railing. Behind her, Lake Garda stretches out under a clear sky, with Roman ruins visible nearby. — Overlooking the Roman ruins and the view across Lake Garda

Video of the Panorama

Here’s a video that captures the sublime view above the Roman ruins.

We happily snap many photos, then descend to the museum. Unfortunately, several school groups have just arrived, and despite the many attempts of shushing by the teachers, fill the small space with their chatter. How wonderful it must be to grow up in a country where school outings take you to a Roman villa! One little girl looks up at us as we pass and cheerfully wishes us buon giorno.

We do a quick walk through the museum. It is small but filled with some good-looking frescoes and various finds from the archaeological dig.

Don’t Miss the Shuttle!

After our visit, we catch the little shuttle that ferries visitors from the site back to the Termi di Catullo for a mere €1.20 each.

A small red and white-striped tourist train with open carriages sits on a road surrounded by olive trees. The driver is visible at the front, and a few people walk nearby under a bright blue sky. — Shuttle gave weary legs a break in Sirmione

Our next stop—a lake cruise!

Cruise on Lake Garda

I’m a big fan of the GetYourGuide website that in my experience always delivers excellent tours. I’ve booked through them several times and have yet to be disappointed. Our 25-minute boat tour around Sirmione is no exception.

We walk out to the tiny harbor at the foot of the castle and easily find the blue umbrella at the Lake Garda Tours kiosk. At the time of our visit, two tours are available—at 11 am and 5 pm. I booked the earlier tour the night before. We quickly check in and promptly at 11 am, about 15 of us are taken to a spacious open boat with comfortable seating that ensures spectacular views of the lake and Sirmione.

Enjoying the Cruise

The tour around the peninsula really is delightful. We motor up the west side of the peninsula past the Villa Flaminia and many other gorgeous villas. The guide points out Maria Callas’s distinctive yellow villa that we saw earlier that morning.

Here’s a video taken from the boat.

We round the top of the peninsula and enjoy the view of the impressive ruins at the Grottoes of Catallus (#4) that we just toured.

Ruins of an ancient Roman villa, surrounded by lush greenery, rise above Lake Garda. The crumbling stone walls stand tall under a bright blue sky, with clear water in the foreground. — Grottoes of Catallus seen from the Lake Garda boat cruise

On our way down the east side of the peninsula, the skipper stops the boat and points out the bubbles in the water. Apparently, they are the result of hot springs far below, gurgling away at 70 degrees centigrade which is pretty darned hot. One of the reasons that Sirmione has been so popular over the millennia is the thermal hot springs. Imagine all those retired Roman generals coming here for spa days to soothe their battle-wearied bones.

At the end of the tour, we all bend very low to cruise beneath a small bridge connecting the old town and castle area to the rest of the peninsula. The whole experience is thoroughly enjoyable on a breezy and bright April day. I highly recommend a boat trip as one of the top things to do in Sirmione!

A medieval castle with stone walls and tall towers sits on the edge of Lake Garda in Sirmione, Italy. The calm blue water reflects the castle, while colorful buildings line the background under a clear sky. — Approaching the castle and the end of the lake cruise

Farewell to Sirmione

After the cruise, we duck around the crowds to return to the Villa Flaminia where, precisely at noon as booked, the golf cart rounds the corner into the Piazza Flaminia. Moments later, we and our luggage are loaded aboard and off we go to where we parked the car.

Our visit to Sirmione has been short but definitely worthwhile. I’d like to return in the summer to explore Lake Garda and also to swim in the lake, which is allegedly fantastic, although the crowds are even denser.

However, even in summer, if you stay overnight you’ll likely have the streets to yourself in the evening and early morning, which more than makes up for having to dodge fellow tourists during the busy midday hours.

Choosing a Place to Stay in Sirmione

Sirmione has plenty of hotels to choose from. You can sleep in the old town like we did (recommended), choose a place along the lake shore that stretches either side of the peninsula, or select one of the many hotels located on the long road that bisects the peninsula to end at the bridge leading to the town.

Most of hotels in the old town are pretty pricey, with rates at some of the five-star villas stratospheric. Here are some options:

Parking Considerations

If you choose a hotel outside the town walls, you’ll either need to walk a long way or drive to the parking lots on the peninsula that I should imagine in summer fill up very fast. Even in April, we had to park quite a long way from the entrance to the town.

I’m so glad we chose a place in the old town. The Villa Flaminia offered parking for an extra 16 euros in a lot outside the walls and as mentioned, threw in transport via golf cart from the car park to the hotel. Before you book, check the parking situation. You definitely don’t want to book a hotel that requires you to drive into the old town. I felt sorry for the people inching their cars through the extremely narrow streets en route to their hotels.

Other Tours Around Sirmione

As mentioned, I’m a big fan of GetYourGuide tours. I’ve consistently found them to be good value for money, and have taken them in Rome, Venice, Paris, Madrid, and now Sirmione. Here are links to more Get Your Guide tours from Sirmione. Full disclosure: If you click on a GetYourGuide link and purchase a tour (any tour), I receive a small commission. Thank you.

You can also purchase tickets and tours through Tiqets.com, another company I use frequently.

Conclusion

Have you visited Sirmione? Where did you stay? What did you do? Share any information that may interest other artsy travelers in the comments below.

Here are some more posts about travels in Italy:

Preparation

Early Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Early Morning Walk along the Seine

Bus to the Musée d’Orsay

Mid-Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Visit to the Musée d’Orsay

Go to the Top Floor

A Break in the Museum Café

The Lower Floors

The Gift Shop

Late Morning on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Browsing Left Bank Shops

Lunch on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Afternoon on My Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Paris

Visit the Musée de Cluny

Relax in the Luxembourg Gardens

Evening

Early Concert

Late Dinner

Stroll Home

Read More About Paris

Tours of Paris

Conclusion

Introduction

Interacting with Locals

1. Check Restaurant Reviews

Search Criteria

Make Reservations

Ask a Local for Recommendations

2. Seek Out Lesser-Known Museums

Lesser-Known Museums to Visit

3. Go to Art Openings

Finding Art Openings

4. Attend Local Concerts and Events

Tourist Concerts

5. Ride Public Transit

A Cautionary Tale

6. Shop for Food in Local Markets

Outdoor Markets

7. Take a Cooking Class

8. Go on a Walking Tour

9. Skip the Iconic Sites

10. Walk Away from the Crowds

Some of My Favorite Uncrowded European Sites

Conclusion

About The Writers’ Retreat

Day 1: Monday Arrival

Meeting My Fellow Writers

Sue

JoJo Stone

Ann

First Evening

My Project for the Week

Day 2: Tuesday

Meet Clare Bamber – Mentor Extraordinaire

Where to Find Clare Bamber

Workshop: Character Creation

Country Walks

Day 3: Wednesday

Some of the Participants Hard at Work

Day 4: Thursday

Workshop: Writing Descriptions

Day 5: Friday

Workshop: Writing Emotion

Day 6: Saturday

Workshop: Writing Dialogue

Should You Go On A Writers’ Retreat?

Conclusion

Related Posts

Literary Leanings

Touring the Keats-Shelley House

Why The Poets Loved Italy

Rooms in the Keats-Shelley House

Byron’s Bicentenary

The Terrace

The Gift Shop

Conclusion

Artsy Tours in Rome

Other Literary Leaning Posts on Artsy Traveler

My Rome Colosseum History