A Journey through the United Arab Emirates

When I arrived at Dubai International Airport, I was struck by how cosmopolitan and busy it was, despite the very early morning hour.  The women in the airport were covered from head to toe in flowing black robes, and I could see the dark eyes of only a few.  Among some of the younger women I encountered, however, I noticed hints of “Western wear” under their traditional dress, including jeans and designer handbags. 

Once I left the airport, I was struck by the humidity and proliferation of expensive cars outside – Mercedes, BMWs, and SUVs with tinted windows.  Many of the drivers were talking on cellular phones, anxiously honking at other drivers, and attempting to pick up newly arriving passengers.

At that moment, it finally became real to me that I was thousands of miles away from the small Georgia town where I grew up in the United States; a town where everyone knows everyone and where, at first glance, you might not believe there is much to do.  How was it possible that I, a wheelchair user and Black woman, was able to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone, with all of the obstacles that seemingly confronted me?

"Regardless of the level of accessibility abroad, we learn something about ourselves and others. Furthermore, others may learn from us.  In fact, the more people with disabilities travel, the better accessibility will become."

In addition to growing up in a small community, I have a disability (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis), so I never imagined that I would be able to travel to another state, not to mention another country.  Furthermore, until I met Dan Hopkins, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Technical Assistance and Consulting Center, I had never met a person with a disability who had traveled internationally.  Mr. Hopkins has a visual impairment, and it was he who “planted the seed” in me to travel abroad.  With his encouragement when I was an Assistant Professor at Langston University, I applied for a fellowship from the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) to spend one month assessing the attitudes of people with disabilities in the UAE.

In addition to preparing for my first international travel experience, I had to prepare to travel to a country where attitudes regarding my disability, ethnicity, and nationality were a concern for me. I also knew that the infrastructure would not be as accessible as it is in the United States. Still, I knew that I could adapt.  I played out every scenario in my head before I left.  What if I can’t get off the plane?  How will I get around?  How will I be perceived?  Will I be able to use the restroom?  What impact will I have, if any, on the people of the UAE?

In the end, my many concerns proved unwarranted.  Everyone was receptive and warm towards me. I did not experience any negativity from the people assisting me off of the plane, nor at any other time during my month-long stay in the UAE. I never experienced any fear, as strangers treated me like family from the moment we met.  I reciprocated this respect, often in small ways.  For example, I am not fond of tea or coffee, but drank it graciously each time it was offered to me. I quickly learned the need for an open and flexible mindset when traveling, especially internationally.

Each morning, before the busy day we had planned, I woke up to the beautiful sound of the call to morning prayer. I stayed in Al-Ain, a city in one of the seven emirates of the UAE.  During my stay, however, my host, Dr. Nasser Al-Ameri, took me to other emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as to a number of rehabilitation centers.  We also visited sand dunes in the desert and the highest peak of Jabel Hafeet Mountain.  I never thought that I would be atop a mountain, but there I was.  Travel makes many experiences possible! 

Access and People with Disabilities in the UAE

Despite the beautiful sites and a warm reception from local people, I did face architectural barriers in the UAE. In truth, I would have been unable to navigate on my own, a fact that was not lost on my host, Dr. Al-Ameri.  In order to adapt, I relied on my host, and others, for assistance entering inaccessible buildings, including restaurants, and getting in and out of vehicles.   

The barriers that I experienced in the UAE were architectural, all of which could be fixed given the tools and knowledge to do so.  For example, some of the public restrooms I encountered in the UAE were big and modern, purposely designed for mothers who need changing space for their infants. Given similar forethought to people with disabilities, accessibility could have easily been added to the design as well.  Since this wasn’t the case and there were no handrails in sight, I stood using the sink, or anything else that was available, for leverage.  I also had use of a bathroom in my host’s home that was accessible, although not by design.

Prior to my arrival, my host constructed a ramp to his villa and offered to rent a car for the duration of my stay, knowing that it would be difficult for me to climb into his SUV.  I declined, however, certain that we would find a way for me to use his vehicle, and we did.  I am unable to bend my legs or walk up steps, so we placed bricks on the ground in front of my wheelchair as leverage.  As I pulled up from my chair, I stood on the bricks themselves, instead of the ground, and thus was high enough to maneuver into the vehicle.  It was a perfect example of a reasonable, practical and inexpensive accommodation! People with disabilities who travel to the Middle East, or any other region, should ensure that they have an excellent point of contact in the host country, in addition to creative ways to handle challenging situations.

During my stay, I also got to observe how people with disabilities from the UAE manage.  At a governmental rehabilitation and employment center for people with disabilities, I learned a great deal about the services that are provided to young adults with disabilities in the UAE. The goal of the center is to increase opportunities for people with a variety of physical disabilities by providing not only employment training, but rehabilitation training, counseling and guidance, and recreational and cultural activities, as well. Some of the students were receiving employment training in graphic design, computer maintenance, and receptionist training, to name but a few occupations. One student boasted to me that she had recently received her driver's license!

Fortunately, I had an opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony of some of the students, which left a lasting impression on me.  I was surrounded by graduates in traditional dress, and I blended in with them, as I, too, was dressed traditionally.  The audience listened attentively as the President of the UAE, Shiekh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, addressed the students directly via video.  The graduation ceremony was indeed more “royal” than any I have ever attended. Moreover, the expressions on the faces of the graduates left me speechless. They were proud, as they should have been. Although I was only there for a few hours, I felt a certain kinship with those students, knowing that their accomplishments had not come easily.

The Lessons

Although the initial purpose of my trip was to assess the attitudes of people with disabilities in the UAE, I discovered that my visit had brought a new sense of awareness to my host, Dr. Al-Ameri, of architectural barriers to people with disabilities. He had observed my independence during a trip to the United States and realized how inaccessible the environment was when traveling with me in the UAE.  As a result of my visit, he too learned something about access and the need to foster change. For local people to internalize that attitude is very powerful.

During my short tenure in the UAE, I learned more than I ever could from a textbook.  I learned that this world truly is smaller than we think. It is easy to say that, but unbelievable to actually experience it.

Dr. Shonda McLaughlin has since moved on to become an experienced full-time counselor with the Washington, D.C., Regional Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Second, regardless of geography and disability, people with disabilities really can “go anywhere.”  Yes, there may be some barriers, but that really is the fun part!  Regardless of the level of accessibility abroad, we learn something about ourselves and others. Furthermore, others may learn from us.  In fact, the more people with disabilities travel, the better accessibility will become.

My experiences in the UAE have impacted me professionally as well.  In the classroom, I am now able to share my experiences with students and to encourage them to travel internationally.  Furthermore, I have discovered that my positive experiences in the UAE have helped to dispel preconceived notions of the Middle East.

Most importantly, I learned that stepping outside of my comfort zone is very rewarding, even if I am from a small town in Georgia. Exposure is a great teacher.

As Salaam Alaikum.

For more information:

The Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) conducts four types of international exchange programs involving researchers and technical assistance experts.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) has an online database of international exchange programs for students and professionals, including programs located throughout the Muslim World and the United States. 

A World Awaits You: Muslim World Issue features an extensive list of local, regional and international disability organizations, by country, and includes links to scholarship and financial aid resources for Americans and citizens of predominantly Muslim countries.

The Independent Living Institute offers to people with disabilities and their organizations online services and information, training materials, consultancy and technical assistance.  The Study and Work Abroad for All project builds a database with information about international study and traineeship opportunities for young people with disabilities.

The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH) is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the needs of all travelers with disabilities, remove physical and attitudinal barriers to free access and expand travel opportunities in the United States and abroad.

About the United Arab Emirates

With a history of over 5,000 years as an important post on ancient trade routes and thriving ultra-modern cities, infrastructure, shopping and entertainment, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has an astonishing mix of past and present.  This combination of the traditional and modern makes the United Arab Emirates a rich and fascinating travel destination in the Middle East.

Located within the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates borders Saudi Arabia, Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Straights of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

Comprised of seven separate, but united Emirates or kingdoms (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajamn, Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quiwain and Al-Fujairah), the UAE gained its independence from British colonial authorities in 1971 and has since built itself into a modern success-story.

Like many countries in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is relatively accessible for people with disabilities – especially in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  Early in 2004, a draft law was submitted to grant and protect the rights of people with disabilities in the areas of employment, healthcare, education and access to facilities and services.  Equal rights without discrimination is the underlying goal.

By Shonda McLaughlin

Source : here

EVS experience in Romania

When I first arrived in Romania, I didn’t know what to expect.  I was quite stressed about what was going to happen. Soon I found out that there was no reason to be worried at all!

I work as a care volunteer in two houses for 4 - 14 year old children. Basically, I play and spend time with them.  I try to teach them some English words and in return, they would try to teach me some Romanian words. For example: şurubelniţă (screw driver), dumneavoastră (you formal), domnişoară (Miss), cal (horse) and cinci (five).They find my pronunciation quite funny, so they like it…

Then there was the piano. I got the idea to do a small music project with the children in order to teach them some songs and let them explore what it is like to make music by yourself. Although most of the kids didn’t have the patience to learn a whole song, a few managed to play Jingle Bells and Old McDonald. Whenever I hear them playing it, I’m filled with joy.

Twice a week I go to Sacele, another village nearby Brasov, to assist in creative workshops with children. Although I don’t know the kids very well, I noticed that there are a lot of similarities with the children from the houses. The work in the houses in Tarlungeni and in Sacele is very rewarding for me.

Apart from the work, there’s the new culture and the fact that you meet people from all over the world. You learn a lot of new things, especially because most of the volunteers who come to Romania share the interest of cultural differences.

I’m staying 6 more weeks and I hope the future will be as good as the past! 

by Marjolein Schutz  

It is all about Spain

Hola, Bonjour, & Bonjourno!  My husband and I are back from an adventurous vacation along the Mediterranean Sea.  I wanted to share my experience with you on 1 of 3 countries visited and I hope you will take away some useful information before your next European vacation.




SPAIN 
Madrid | Seville | Barcelona
 


Spain is beautiful and culturally very rich.  The Spanish people are extremely warm and very welcoming towards tourists.  Although I suggest you should know a few basic words in Spanish so you can communicate with the locals, the Spaniards are more than willing to speak in English.  When traveling by train/bus, messages are translated from Spanish to English which was a great help to us. 

In terms of food, I can't say I was super impressed by Spain.  There is a lot of red meat consumption (ham) which makes it difficult for people, such as myself, who eat chicken and very little seafood.  In addition, it is difficult finding vegetarian options, however we managed.

In Spain, tapas or small plates are very common.  You will tend to see people sharing tapas sitting outside a restaurant and people watching.  Each tapa can be shared between 2 to 3 people which is a great way to experience new dishes.  The cost of a tapa in most places is about 3 to 5 euros each. 
 
On the other hand, the desserts, the coffee, and breakfast in Spain was awesome and more than compensated for the lack of vegetarian options.  We started each morning with a hot cup of Cafe con Leche (coffee with milk) and some kind of baked good, usually an ensaimada which is a baked bread topped off with powdered sugar.  I also enjoyed a Spanish cake called a magdalena which is very similar to a Lemon Muffin.

When it comes to wine I am a sort of a novice and if you are anything like me, I suggest going for a house wine, or copa (in Spanish).  Copa is so good and it comes at an affordable 1 to 2 Euro(s) a glass.  You can even order the entire bottle for less than 10 Euros which will get you about 5 glasses of wine.  However, if you really want a true taste of Spain, go for the Sangria which a blend of red wine and chopped fresh fruits, usually apples and oranges.  


Out of all the cities visited, I have to say Barcelona was easily my favorite due to its amazing architecture, widespread streets, and gorgeous weather.  If you do plan to visit Spain, here is a recommended itinerary: 
Madrid - 2 nights or more 
Seville - 1 to 2 nights, more for daytrips
Barcelona - at least 3 nights

Other Places to consider: 
Cordoba | Granada | Toledo | Costa del Sol | Ibiza

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Travel Tips for Europe: 

- When traveling to Europe, opt for the house red wine which is dirt cheap. Cocktails (hard liquor) aren't as easily available so go for red wine which is also good for you. 

- Know the local cuisine before you go.  For example, pesto is the dish to order when staying on the Italian Riviera. 

- Dining out 3 times a day can quickly get expensive, to be frugal and romantic at the same time, grab a pizza pie and a bottle of wine and head to the beach.  You will find many locals/tourists doing this on the French Riviera, in particular.  

- Most European locals eat dinner later than Americans.  The best time for dinner is usually after 8 pm.  Typically around 5 pm I would grab a coffee and a dessert to curb my appetite for a few more hours. 

- Tipping in Europe isn’t expected as it is here in the United States, however it is appreciated to leave something.  Anything from 1 Euro to 4 Euros would be appreciated.  Also keep in mind a few places do amount for a cover charge, typically 2 Euros per person.  Again, it all depends on you and the service you receive.  

- Make sure you take an electric converter, there are universal ones available which you can use in almost every country. 

- Travel light!!!  I can’t stress this enough, travel light!  There are areas in Cinque Terre where cars are not allowed, so you literally need to drag your luggage to your hotel/B&B.  Also, if you have multiple destinations involved, it helps when your luggage is light.  

- Train delays are very common in Europe, particularly in Italy, plan alternative routes just in case. 

- Typically public facilities aren't the best in Europe so always use your hotel restroom prior to leaving.    

- Pick a city as a primary base and visit neighboring towns rather than checking in and out of multiple places. 

- Withdraw money from a well known bank's ATM to receive the best exchange rate.  Use cash as much as possible to avoid unnecessary foreign transaction fees. 

- Europeans drink their coffee different than most Americans do, and so if you want American Black Coffee, you need tospecify American Coffee (Caffe Americano).  The most popular types of coffee in these regions are as follows: 

Spain - Cafe con Leche (coffee with milk) 

France - Cafe au Lait (coffee with milk) 

Italy – Caffe Latte (coffee with milk) 

- Learn a few words before visiting a country, such as, Hello, Bye, Thank You, Please, Excuse Me, Where is, How much, I would like.  Know how to say the numbers from 1 to 5 at the very least.  Although most Europeans do speak English, as a visitor in their country, it is respectful to learn a few words in the local language to ensure basic communication.  

Now you can LIVE to EAT or EAT to LIVE?!?!?!?  I think I'm the former!  :-) 

source :here

Life in Morocco: An American Experience

Fez, October 3, 2011

Before I came to Morocco several months ago, I had many conceptions and misconceptions about living in a North African, Islamic country. What must I do when I hear the call to prayer? Will I be tolerated as a Christian? Will I be allowed to associate with women? These were all questions that came to my mind when I thought of coming to Morocco. The Morocco of my mind was the Morocco of Hollywood films and when I thought of Morocco, I thought of camels, tents, the French Foreign Legion and the One Thousand and One Nights.

Since I have come to Morocco, my friends and family in America have asked me many questions. “Do they have highways in Morocco?” “Do they have mobile telephones?” “Do they have washing machines?” I’ve also heard more than enough questions about camels and about the desert.

Now I am here. I have lived and worked in Fez for several months and I scarcely see anyone who is not Moroccan. I am entirely immersed in the culture. I eat Moroccan food, my friends are Moroccan, my clothes are Moroccan, and I have done a fair amount of traveling.

Since I arrived, I have seen my fair share of televisions, mobile telephones, highways and European luxury cars. I am however, still waiting to see the desert and those camels that everyone keeps talking about.

Many westerners have misconceptions about Morocco. I myself did not understand things well until I arrived. Muslim women are not shut up in some distant wing of their house where they are forbidden to have interaction with men. The women in Morocco work together with men in just about every job. I should also mention that not all women in Morocco are veiled. Morocco, like every other country has a diversity of people and of culture.

Some women are veiled and wear gloves so that the only part of them that is seen is their eyes as they look over their veils. Other women wear a scarf to cover their hair and they consider that to be sufficient. Then there are other women who do not cover their heads nor their faces and no one seems to be bothered about it.

It is common here in Morocco to see a veiled lady walking with a lady who only wears a scarf or perhaps with a lady who does not cover her head at all. These women who have different religious convictions all get along with one another and are friends.

These women have rights also. Some people make the mistake of thinking that because some Muslim women do not live free lives, then all Muslim women are oppressed. I think that the women of Morocco are among the most free of all of the women in the Islamic world. They come and go as they please. They drive cars. They do business or whatever else is necessary.

One should note that unlike the women of the west, Muslim women have always had the right to hold and inherit property. There have been many very powerful and influential women in Islamic civilization.

For example. in Fez one will find both a synagogue and a Mosque-university which were founded by women. The University is Al-Karouine which was founded by Fatima al-Fihri and it is reputed to be the oldest continuously operating university in the world and the synagogue is Em-Habbanim Obviously these women were not shut away in the harem fanning themselves all the day long. They were an important and influential part of their society.

Another issue should be mentioned, that is that Morocco is a very modern and progressive country. The streets are paved and wide. In Fez, there are fountains at every turn.

There has been much publicity this year about the King’s project of building the tramway in Rabat which apparently has been successful. Contrary to what some people might think, we have electricity, running water, and everything else that one requires for a comfortable life in this modern age. I have not done without anything to which I was accustomed in America save my favorite blend of pipe tobacco.

In Morocco there is a great deal of tolerance as well. Before I traveled to Morocco, I was warned by many friends that it could be dangerous for a Christian to travel to a Muslim land. After all, Muslims hate Christians, they say. Well, perhaps that is true in some places. I don’t know. I am in Morocco. Since I have come to Morocco, I have dined with Muslims. I have slept in their houses, I have been nursed by them when I was sick and they have never insulted me or discriminated against me for not being a Muslim. My friends know that I did not fast for Ramadan and they are not bothered.

In fact, when I visited some Muslim friends during Ramadan, they insisted on preparing food for me so that I could eat throughout the day as I am accustomed to do. They never ate until dusk, but they never asked me to fast with them. Never once has any of my Muslim friends tried to convert me to Islam since I came to Morocco. My religion is simply not anything that they are worried about.

I live in Morocco now. My conceptions now have a foundation and my misconceptions have been corrected and adjusted to correspond to the truth. Now I know that when I hear the call to prayer, I can ignore it. It does not stop all life and movement when it is sounded. Now I know that most people don’t care what my religion is. I don’t have to worry about being discriminated against. Many Muslims call me brother and friend and I know that they are sincere. I can associate with women. I can walk with them in the street and talk with them in their homes and there is no problem. It is easy to live among Muslims and I am quite comfortable here. I think that I shall stay for quite some time.

By Jess L. Norton is Morocco World News’ correspondent in Fez, Morocco.

Source: here

Trip to Estonia and Latvia

I really enjoyed reading Elizabeth Snouffer’s article “Eating Abroad with Diabetes–Hong Kong,” Catherine Price’s interview with world traveller Bridget McNulty, and Catherine’s posts  describing her own trips to Tokyo and Hawaii. So I thought I would follow the trend and write about my own first experience traveling with diabetes.

This summer, I went on a two-week trip to Estonia and Latvia to do research about my grandfather’s family. I had originally been given a grant to do this last summer, right after I had graduated from college, but then I was diagnosed with diabetes in early July. At that point, I couldn’t imagine traveling to a foreign country–I panicked even when trying to estimate the amount of carbohydrates in a Cosi sandwich. Luckily, the people at Penn who had provided the grant were understanding, and allowed me to wait a year before taking the trip.

I’m convinced that a major reason why Estonia and Latvia aren’t bigger tourist destinations is because they were behind the Iron Curtain, and so remain unknown to many Americans. They are both beautiful countries. I spent the first week of my trip in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Riga’s medieval old city is surrounded by rings of parks, constructed after the city’s medieval fortifications were razed in the late 19th century. Beyond these parks is Riga’s truly unique feature–a sprawling art nouveau district that UNESCO has declared a world heritage site. You can walk for blocks and blocks and only see incredibly rendered art nouveau facades.

         One of Riga's many parks

      Art nouveau architecture

Before World War II, Riga was home to a large Jewish population that included my great-grandparents and their children. By coincidence, I found out that the hotel where I was staying was in the same neighborhood as the apartment buildings in which my great aunts and uncles lived. I walked to each one and took photos–the building in which my great-uncle Isak lived is now a Ramada Inn!

I also got to see some of Latvia’s countryside. For two days I went to Sloka, a town about an hour away from Riga by train. Here, my great-grandfather’s family once owned a farm and raised horses. Architecturally, Sloka is now an incongruous mix of small wooden houses and looming Soviet-era structures. Although quite a few of the Soviet-era buildings are crumbling and dilapidated, many of the town’s inhabitants have no other option but to continue living in them. As I took the train back into the city, I looked out the window at the fields passing by and caught glimpses of people picking flowers to make into wreathes to wear on St. John’s Eve the next day.

        the Ramada Inn

Sloka

After all my worrying, my diabetes-related challenges in Riga were few. Since I was only going to be traveling for two weeks, I brought all my supplies with me, in addition to prescriptions from my doctor in case I misplaced the supplies I had and needed to buy more. (I’m happy to report I never did.) My parents, who were curious to see the places their ancestors had lived, came with me for the first week of my trip. It was reassuring to know that, in case of an emergency, I would have two people with me who knew what to do. In addition, many people in both Latvia and Estonia are at least reasonably fluent in English.

Unlike some of the other ASweetLife travelers, I didn’t do anything especially physically strenuous. But I was walking all the time. Our hotel was half an hour away from the Riga’s center, we’d inevitably make the trip back and forth more than once a day–retrieving maps, going out to dinner, etc. And once we reached the city center, we would have to walk somewhere else. It felt great to get so much exercise without even trying, but then my blood sugar started to go low more and more frequently. Finally, I decreased my dose of Lantus, and the problem was solved.

Source : here

My Trip to Italy

I just returned from Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice over the course of two weeks. I went with my immediate family, along with my Aunt. Originally, the trip was meant as a sort of "reward" for my mom when she started to get a bad diagnosis about her cancer last year. When she was told a year-long course of chemo was ahead for her, I promised to take her and her sister (my aunt) to Italy to celebrate when she was done with chemo. Unfortunately, that never happened and she died soon after, but at a family gathering around Christmas last year I told my Aunt about the trip and asked if we could maybe go anyway the following summer, as a sort of tribute to my mom. She enthusiastically said yes.

It was my wife and daughter's first trip to Europe, and my first pure vacation trip there (I'd only been twice previous, for mostly work-related reasons). My Aunt lived in Germany in the early 1970s (my uncle was stationed there in the military at the time) and they had the chance to take short vacations through Italy so she could often compare today to 40 years ago.

Overall, the trip was an absolute blast. I was worried about culture shock of a new language, new locations, and new food, especially with my young daughter tagging along. Oddly, my two years of high school of Spanish (and occasional use since) made the Italian language feel about 75% readable and it was easy to pick up short phrases (that were mostly tweaked spanish phrases I already knew). The food overall was very good and close to what a lot of high end Italian places serve in the states, and since it was a vacation it was pretty easy to slip into the relaxed Italian lifestyle. I can't imagine an easier non-English speaking country to visit.

Rome

We flew into and out of Rome and knew spending some time there was pretty much mandatory on your first trip to the country. They have a great deal of relics from the original Roman Empire and many other sights and famous buildings in a pretty small section of the city center. Unfortunately for us, while Rome's late Spring had been pretty mild, the day before we arrived a heat wave blew in from the Sahara and temps hovered around 90-95F the entire time we were there. It was brutally hot and tough to spend more than a couple hours out in the sun doing things before a rest in some air conditioned place was necessary (and two showers a day became the norm).

Our first night was spent in a nice hotel near the Colosseum and we spent the remainder of our time in a nice little apartment a block away. As always, having an apartment was great because we could eat whatever we wanted for breakfast and come and go as we pleased (also helped to have laundry in our unit). I have to mention while we had a small CarreFour grocery store nearby, the best fruit and eggs I've ever purchased came from a random convenience store near our apartment. The eggs we got (at the equivalent of your average 7-11 in the States) were as yellow and great tasting as my friend's organic fed chickens. The quality of basic food at small shops and stores was really something else, feeling farm fresh.

We ended up eating in a lot of nearby restaurants, and being close to the Colosseum meant a lot of bad touristy places that cater to English speakers. Friends on twitter steered me towards the iPhone app "Rome for Foodies" which is a quirky but reliably awesome hand written guide to the best food near you from an American ex-pat living in Rome as a food writer and sommelier. Our best meals were had thanks to that app and we also found some great little bakeries listed in it too. We also had the best tasting lunch of our trip by just walking into a restaurant where the waiter picked antipasto for us for lunch, no menus, which sounded like a tourist scam to drive up the bill but everything that came out was amazing.

On the advice of a friend, we hired a tour guide (from this outfit) to take us through the ancient sites (it helped that our guide was an anthropologist) and the Vatican, both to understand everything we were seeing as well as skipping long tourist lines. The ancient sites are really pretty spectacular and it was hard to even grasp the time period in regards to our own lifespans. I found it hard to make sense of looking at a building completed 1900 years ago and thinking how it survived through such massive political, social, cultural, and even atmospheric changes. And even for an atheist like me, the Vatican was pretty incredible. The art was amazing and the massive cathedral was impressive.

Overall, we had a pretty good time in Rome seeing the sites. If it was a bit cooler out, we could have seen more and walked more places and spent more time outdoors at ancient sites, but I would definitely recommend first time visitors to Italy to not miss Rome.

Florence

Florence was even better than Rome. We spent five days and four nights in Florence and the next time I travel this way I will make it at least a week. Food was almost always incredible, using Yelp reviews was key to finding the best options and it helped that finding great gelato was easy. We also took a side trip to the Tuscan towns Chianti and San Gimignano and both served as a wonderful relief from the heat and the crowds of Florence.

Florence was like a puzzle composed of thousands of pieces, so many streets, alleys, nooks and crannies to explore. Over the course of our time there we visited half a dozen museums and churches and there was still another dozen I wanted to see that we never got a chance to see. Every day we'd travel different paths though the city center and every day we were rewarded with new shops, chapels, and bridges to see. We spent several days exploring and had a full day guided tour on the penultimate day of our stay. We thought we'd seen most of the city center but our guide spent the day showing us streets, attractions, and places we hadn't even known existed. The food was pretty amazing no matter where we ate, reminding me of my Italian grandmother's cooking.

We stayed smack dab in the center of town, overlooking the main cathedral and the largest, most crowded city square. It was fun to be in the thick of it and close to everything, but it came at the price of nearly 24hrs of crowd noise outside our windows (ear plugs helped). We didn't plan on it, but our stay coincided with Florence's big John the Baptist celebration day which included a big procession and the opening of some doors in the church that only open once a year. That same night, we got to see the most incredible fireworks I've ever seen (it helps that the big fireworks companies are often Italian family-owned) over the Arno river. The Euro 2012 soccer series was also going on and we got to enjoy watching Italy win some key matches amid the cheering locals crowded around TVs at bars.

Our brief day trip to Tuscany made it clear why people make such a big deal about the region surrounding Florence. The landscape is amazing with views from every hilltop and the weather was really mild. San Gimignano was known as "medieval Manhattan" and even though it was kind of a cheesy tourist castle-as-city, the best chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten was there and it was a nice place to catch an afternoon Sunday concert from local players in their city square. Florence was a real gem and I would love to visit it again someday and explore the region more.

Venice

Almost every American I talked to before the trip said we should see Venice but warned us that it would disappoint. Too crowded, too dirty, and too touristy most said. I have to admit the first couple hours in the city weren't that great. It was very hot, we paid too much for a water taxi, and we ended up lost for 40 minutes trying to find our hotel amid the alleyways. When we finally found it and dropped our bags, our first experience at St. Marks square was being around 10,000 cruise line attendes clamoring for souvenirs.

But every moment after those first couple hours was pure bliss. It was our first relief from the heat wave we'd endured in Rome and Florence. After Florence I had gotten used to the serendipity of wandering back alley paths and Venice was a city that definitely rewarded those that went with it. I found stores, restaurants, and coffee shops I never could find again. When we had to cut across the island to save time we'd see a new museum or specialty shop we loved. The water "bus" system was easy, economical, and fun to use, letting us get from anywhere to almost anywhere else in Venice. We avoided the crowded St. Marks Square for the most part and enjoyed quiet art museums and galleries as well as gardens.

Visiting the San Giorgio tower and getting to see the city from up high was one of the best experiences. It let you see just how fragile the whole city was, this collection of tiny islands with thousands of people in buildings that were nearly a thousand years old, the whole place felt more special and precarious. I have no idea how electricity and fresh water get to the islands, and we frequently saw supplies still delivered by hand cart and construction done via boat.

Our hotel was nice, food was pretty good (Yelp use here is minimal, so I instead switched to the more popular Trip Advisor), but by the end of our time in Venice I think I loved it most of all the places we visited in Italy because it was so relaxing, laid back, and the weather was so mild being on the water. I would highly recommend not only visiting if you get the chance, but spending more than the standard overnight trip (we spent four days/three nights and I could have stayed more).

Some general travel tips

Rome: buying an unlimited Metro pass for the number of days of your stay is a good deal. We found we could get from our apartment to almost anywhere we needed to be in the city using the network of buses and trains. Keep in mind the core area of most attractions in downtown Rome is only a couple miles from end to end so if the weather isn't too bad and you're reasonably fit you could walk almost everywhere. The main international airport (FCO) is fairly far out of town and is about 50 euro to taxi into the center of Rome. Yelp was useful and reliable for reviews of restaurants. During siesta time (about 1-4pm) most businesses closed up shop and didn't post hours. In the heat, we just got used to either resting during this time or visiting a museum.

Florence: there is a plethora of museums and I would highly recommend picking just a handful out and making reservations well in advance if you want to see the original David statue at the Academy Gallery). A tour guide came in handy here to see lots of small things we hadn't spotted before. Everything we did was walking distance except for our trip to Tuscany, and our tour guide/driver came in handy because I didn't want to drive in Italy.

Venice: The water bus system was great and time-based unlimited passes were worth the price. During our four day stay, a 72hr unlimited ticket covered all our needs and let us explore the entire length of the grand canal as well as some of the smaller islands. Water Taxis will take you directly where you need to go but will cost a lot (60 euro from the train terminal to St. Marks). The gondola rides are even more expensive (100 euro for 30-40min) but as a tourist you kind of have to do it once for the full experience. The art/museum pass was also a good deal and let us skip lines at the most popular spots.

Nerdery: I had good results from using a Wind.it microSIM on my iPhone (that was only 20 euro and came with 10Gb of bandwidth), but there was about a 12hr delay until it started working. I couldn't get their data-only SIM to work in my iPad and instead got one from TIM (which worked instantly, also without a PIN on the SIM), another telephone company in Italy. There were no phone kiosks in the Rome airport, but it was pretty easy to find dedicated phone stores in Rome from Wind, TIM, and Vodafone. WiFi was generally available everywhere for either a fee or you had to ask for the password (free open WiFi was prohibited for the last decade due to anti-terror rules). My iPhone's battery ran down faster than I remember, probably because I was using Foursquare so much. I eventually dropped my connection down to Edge-only to get a full day out of my phone.

Food: The best meal in Rome was had at Da Danilo. My favorite meal in Florence was at Za Za (which is touristy and crowded but still worth it). The best meal we had in Venice was at La Zucca. Overall, food was generally great everywhere, I had some of the best risotto of the trip at the cafeteria in the Rome train station. In general, I used Yelp to find highly reviewed places near me. At first I realized it was difficult to evaluate restaurants with only Italian reviews I couldn't read until I realized they were generally better since native Italians were eating there. I used Trip Advisor only when I needed to because their reviews are generally rubbish and untrustworthy (the highest rated place in Florence on TA was almost exactly the same as the food you would honestly get at an Olive Garden in the US. Forgettable crap).

Traveling around: Rome buses were great, especially the tiny electric ones because they went down very small streets and alleys. Rome's subway was reliable and quick. The national high speed trains were great for going from one town to the next faster than a plane and very cheap considering. The best trip we had was a nonstop from Rome to Florence in a brand new train with lots of room and it was incredibly comfortable. Those trains also offer WiFi if you have a TIM sim card in your phone.

Two things I didn't get about Italy:

1. Casual tolerance for tagging-style graffiti. I'm a fan of graffiti art but I find tagging your name on stuff annoying and ugly. We saw some supposedly 14th century graffiti in Florence so maybe people are fine with it for possibly historical reasons, but I found it annoying to see many historical sites with some guy's name spray painted on it. The subway trains in Rome looked almost like 1980s NYC trains they were covered in so much graffiti.
2. Most every museum, almost all churches, and even some stores had "NO PHOTOS" signs posted. I understand not wanting camera flashes to annoy patrons in a museum and no one likes a guy with a tripod blocking up a crowded place, but no cameras at all seemed really weird to me. I ended up taking photos of things using my phone, usually acting like I was using my phone and not taking a photo.

Source : here