Years in the past, I made a decision to go to Rome in the course of the Christmas holidays. I had been to town a number of occasions throughout super-heated summer season days when each museum cease felt like a go to to a steam room.
In December, issues couldn’t have been extra totally different. Skies had been overcast and grey, and the air was chilly. I needed to layer a sweater beneath the skinny jacket I had delivered to get me by the week. Empty streets left me feeling somewhat misplaced in a metropolis I assumed I knew.
On my first day of touring, I walked to the Pantheon, pulling on gloves to keep off the chilly as quickly as I stepped inside the two,000-year-old stone constructing. I had visited in summer season, however I had by no means seen the contours of the constructing from wall to wall and the small print within the large dome. There have been at all times too many individuals.
I regarded on the shaft of sunshine streaming by the oculus and lingered inside, amazed at my luck of getting the place nearly to myself.
By the third day, I had warmed to the chilly. A go to to the at all times busy Colosseum was quiet and sluggish paced. Folks-watching from the highest of the Spanish Steps revealed locals, who appear all however invisible throughout excessive season.
After I was able to rejoin the world, I went to St. Peter’s Sq. on Christmas Eve. I needed to see what it felt prefer to be on the Vatican on the most important Christian vacation of the yr — and so did 1000’s of others. It was a ravishing and memorable spectacle. I felt grateful for having are available winter, realizing a quieter and extra reflective Rome was ready for me on the opposite facet of the river.
What about you? Are you recreation for experiencing a number of the Mediterranean’s hottest cities within the off-season? Right here’s the excellent news: Winter within the Mediterranean will be milder than different locations,. Certain, climate will be chilly however it’s additionally changeable climate, so don’t let that cease you. It’s additionally a good time of yr to indulge your self in artwork and tradition (to not point out fantastic cafes, wineries, boutiques — January is a giant sale time in Europe — and different easy pleasures).
Since that first winter go to to Rome, I’ve gone again a number of occasions and need to share some locations the place you possibly can particularly savor artwork and uncover cultural gems. (Don’t neglect to ebook museum and gallery tickets on-line earlier than your journey.)
Florence
The factor to do in Florence is immerse your self in every thing, whether or not it’s artwork and structure (the capital of Tuscany reportedly incorporates extra artwork per sq. mile than anyplace else on the earth), wine tastings, advantageous eating or purchasing for excessive style and leather-based items. The small, walkable and picturesque metropolis — whose historical past takes you from Roman occasions to the Renaissance and past — by no means disappoints.
The classics
Begin your tour of Florence within the Accademia Gallery as a result of it homes one in all Michelangelo’s most well-known works. Irrespective of what number of occasions I’ve seen the sculpture of David in pictures, nothing ready me for the size and great thing about seeing it in particular person. And don’t skip out on the remainder of the museum. Its Museum of Musical Devices contains some uncommon items that belonged to the highly effective Medici household. You’ll be able to hear what the devices sound like after they’re performed, because of multimedia shows. Probably the most helpful objects: a tenor viola made by Stradivari within the late Seventeenth century.
While you’re prepared, transfer on to the Uffizi, which will be overwhelming for the quantity of artworks inside. I encourage you to craft your technique earlier than you get there! “The Beginning of Venus” is at all times on the highest of my checklist (in winter months there could also be a break from the crowds). Botticelli doubtless by no means dreamed folks within the twenty first century would nonetheless be in search of out his shy goddess of affection rising from a clam shell. Tempo your self within the galleries crammed with famed Renaissance artists. Don’t miss “Primavera,” additionally by Botticelli, or Caravaggio’s disturbing depiction of Medusa, and in addition wander into random galleries and spend time discovering lesser-known gems.
Different key websites
You can not go to Florence with out visiting the 600-year-old Duomo, the huge, ornate church formally often known as Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral within the metropolis middle. I like to recommend taking the just about 500 stairs to the highest of the wonderful dome by Brunelleschi, a feat of structure that gives views of town. While you’re prepared for some retail remedy, head to the Florence Leather-based Faculty, the place college students apprentice in all features of leatherworks. The present store options handmade items that vary from luggage, together with messenger luggage, to gloves and jackets.
Favourite discoveries
I like “home museums” as a result of they usually depict how a household lives, from the rich to the on a regular basis particular person. Casa Martelli supplies a glimpse of aristocratic life in Seventeenth-century Florence. The design of the home is as attention-grabbing because the artwork inside: murals that flip rooms into countryside retreats and lavish halls adorned in vivid colours.
With regards to locations of worship, there’s no lack of them in Florence. The Orsanmichele hardly ever makes most vacationers’ lists and it ought to. It’s housed in a 14th-century market the place rich retailers of the day competed to make this the best church round. The end result: beautiful sculptures of saints outdoors the constructing and an ornate, over-the-top tabernacle inside. While you’re able to emerge from the previous, Home of Gucci will snap you again into the twenty first century’s artwork of style. The museum options basic Gucci clothes and accessories with a present store promoting one-of-a-kind objects and a restaurant by Michelin chef Massimo Bottura.
Must know
Anticipate daytime excessive temperatures within the 50s F and lows within the 30s and 40s F in January by March. Cruise ships dock on the port of Livorno, about 75 miles away; you might need to ebook transportation to and from the ship by the cruise line. Different locations to go to within the area embody the medieval walled metropolis of Lucca and the ever-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Barcelona
On my first go to to Barcelona, I assumed I’d spend most of my time hanging out on the seaside in Barceloneta, strolling alongside the famed Las Ramblas boulevard, consuming limitless plates of tapas, and biking round metropolis streets. They had been tons of enjoyable — and but what struck me was how immersed I turned nearly by chance, within the metropolis’s Roman and Gothic histories, and its structure, from historical to up to date. I hope you, too, will come to know the wonder and fiercely unbiased character of this metropolis.
The classics
The primary one is straightforward: architect Antonio Gaudi! It’s simple to fall in love with together with his work, no guidebook required. I stepped contained in the architect’s La Sagrada Famiglia cathedral and surrendered to his very private tribute to the glory of God. Symbols of nature abound. Impossibly tall tree-like columns line the nave. Rays of daylight pour in by stained-glass home windows that act like a shade wheel, setting every thing aglow. No Roman Catholic Church can put together you for such a singular, creative triumph of religion and faith. It stays a piece in progress (Gaudi died earlier than he may end the cathedral); town is anticipated to finish it in 2026.
A half hour’s stroll as much as Carmel Hill led to Park Guell, one other Gaudi creation. Sit peacefully on the serpentine bench inlaid with tile mosaics that snakes round the primary sq. and people-watch. From right here, you possibly can look down on what was alleged to be a neighborhood of posh homes set into a big park. Only some of the homes ever bought constructed (Gaudi lived in one in all them, and it’s now a namesake museum), however the gateway, winding footpaths, plaza and different remnants of the deliberate neighborhood stay. The massive mosaic lizard is a must-see. I fell for the large, concrete hen nests resting atop columns that lined a footpath.
Subsequent Gaudi cease: La Pedrera, initially often known as Casa Mila, which was commissioned to accommodate a household house and flats. The nine-story stone constructing seems to defy gravity with a floating, undulating facade. To stroll inside is to witness Gaudi’s genius at work. I couldn’t discover a straight line in sight. It was controversial for its design when it was constructed on the flip of the twentieth century, ultimately fell into disrepair and was restored within the Nineteen Eighties.
Different key websites
On a strolling tour of the Gothic Quarter, you’ll discover remnants of historical Roman partitions and a cathedral that serves as a counterpoint to Gaudi’s modernist creations. Formally often known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalie, the church displays layers of time intervals. It was began within the 1200s however the large gothic facade was constructed 500 years later. Essentially the most stunning website: 13 dwell geese that wander within the cathedral’s backyard and cloisters. The variety of geese is a dwelling tribute to St. Eulalia, additionally one of many metropolis’s patron saints, who stored geese and at age 13 was martyred and crucified. She’s buried inside within the crypt.
Simply behind the cathedral is the Museum Frederic Mares. It holds a little bit of every thing, which is a part of its allure. The namesake Mares, a sculptor, collected issues he preferred, which included every thing from thirteenth and 14th century Spanish sculptures to trendy mundane objects equivalent to eyeglasses, canes, pipes, umbrellas and different objects that gave him pleasure.
Favourite discoveries
Housing one other fashion of artistry is La Boqueria, Barcelona’s fabulous, sprawling market. Pull up a stool and pattern Catalan delicacies.
Towards town’s park-like Vallvidrera neighborhood is CosmoCaixa, a science museum complicated. “Flooded Forest,” which re-creates a small patch of the Amazon rainforest, is an exhibit inside a glass-walled exhibit. Right here you might encounter an occasional rain bathe amid indigenous crops and creatures that embody piranha and caimans. While you’re prepared for a nosh, head to Caelum (Latin for “heaven”), a bakery with quite a lot of buzz. It makes a speciality of drinks and desserts made by monks and nuns from round Spain. The cafe opened a few decade in the past within the Gothic quarter and serves every thing from tea biscuits and cider desserts to beers made by Trappist monks.
Must know
Anticipate common every day temperatures within the mid- to higher 50s F, January by March. Cruise ships dock simply outdoors of town middle and also you’ll must taxi into the center of Barcelona. Warning: Pickpockets are rampant in Barcelona, significantly on Las Ramblas. Go away advantageous jewellery, fancy cameras and most of money in your cruise suite or lodge room secure.
Good
Do you know that a couple of years in the past, UNESCO designated Good because the “winter resort city of the Riviera?” A part of this pays a nod to its geography, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the mighty Alps. It’s additionally as a result of town is crammed with cultural and historic museums and monuments and its local weather is snug. Actually, Good-in-winter hasn’t been a secret since at the least the 1860s, when snowbirds, having found town was fairly good in cooler months, created the La Promenade des Anglais (the English Promenade).
Classics
The Musee d’Artwork Moderne et d’Artwork Contemporain, Good’s up to date artwork museum, showcases a group that spans from the Nineteen Fifties to as we speak, together with pop artwork, realism and extra. Don’t neglect to take a look at the rooftop exhibition area which has implausible views of town. Painter Henri Matisse was one in all Good’s legendary residents. Musee Matisse homes one of many largest assortment of his works (Musee Matisse is quickly closed from mid-February – late Might in 2024).
Marc Chagall was one other of the numerous artists who known as Good house, and Musee Nacional Marc Chagall honors his dreamy, surreal works. Don’t miss the on-site bookshop, which along with carrying Chagall’s work in varied kinds (from books to prints to notebooks) additionally showcases jewellery and cultural artifacts.
Often known as Citadel Hill, the Parc de la Colline du Château has fabulous views of the ocean and metropolis from its perch about 300 ft above the Mediterranean. You’ll be able to hike as much as the park on the high — or take an elevator.
Different websites
Vieux Good, town’s outdated city, is a fabulous warren of historical streets and homes, with galleries, boutiques and cafes. The Charles Nègre Images Museum affords momentary monographic exhibitions and thematic exhibitions that vary from outdated pictures to digital pictures.
Favourite discoveries
Winter in Good, which has culinary influences from Italy in addition to France, is a good season to tuck into consolation meals, like daube niçoise (beef stew) and pistou soup (garlic, basil, olive oil however no pine nuts as with conventional Italian pesto). Drink hearty crimson wine from the area.
On the boutique perfumer Molinard, in outdated Good, you possibly can take a category on mixing your personal signature scent.
Must know
Temperatures in Good from December to March common within the mid-50s F. Star Legend docks within the charming village of Villefranche; you possibly can take a take a ten minute prepare to Good’s Good-Ville cease, join a Windstar shore tour or ebook a taxi.
Rome
Throughout historical occasions, the capital of Italy was the primary metropolis on the earth to notch a inhabitants of 1 million residents. These days the variety of folks within the metro space has quadrupled, but town stays near its historical self. Cafe-lined piazzas, Renaissance fountains, stylish style boutiques, landmark artworks and impressed eating places underscore the hyperlink between previous and current.
The classics
The Colosseum is the biggest historical amphitheater on the earth, holding greater than 50,000 folks at a time. It was accomplished in 80 AD. I attempt to think about the rows and rows of seats crammed, and followers cheering on — the lions or the gladiators? Greater than a decade in the past, scientists found traces of crimson, inexperienced and black paint on the Colosseum’s partitions, suggesting the constructing had extra vibrant colours of their day.
Town has about 200-plus fountains, with the Trevi Fountain being some of the well-liked with guests. It’s an 18th century Baroque rendering of Oceanus within the middle, standing amid tritons and a chariot pulled by seahorses. Put your again to the fountain, toss a coin in and make a want (such is the custom). To see extra of the world’s treasures, cross the river into Vatican Metropolis. St. Peter’s Cathedral, middle of the Catholic world, and the Sistine Chapel within the pope’s quarters subsequent door are must-sees.
Or take pleasure in a straightforward stroll amongst Piazza Navona, Piazza Farnese and Campo de’ Fiori and the Spanish Steps and simply soak within the environment.
Different key websites
For an entire departure from Rome’s historical and Renaissance previous, go to the museum house of artist Giacomo Balla, often known as Casa Balla. Up to date items of furnishings and art work are on show all through. Balla will not be a family title however this oh-so modernist dwelling affords a little-known cease for design lovers. I endlessly suggest the Galleria Doria Pamphilj to pals visiting Rome. It’s a household house crammed with frescoes and statues that stand guard over closely mosaic flooring. As a result of so few folks know in regards to the museum, I really feel like a private visitor, stalking the halls of the grand constructing that’s been house to the Doria Pamphilj household because the sixteenth century.
Favourite discoveries
The Capuchin Crypt, affectionately often known as the Bone Church, lives as much as its creepy moniker. Nobody fairly is aware of why the brothers of the Capuchin non secular order stored the bones of 1000’s of members that had been buried between 1500 and 1870 — and adorned 5 chapels with creative shows of their skulls and scapula. The rooms are named for elements of the physique (Crypt of Skulls, Crypt of Pelvises, and so forth.). The Capuchins, by the way in which, really feel it’s not an oddity however fairly a approach for folks to mirror on their very own mortality.
Must know
Daytime temperatures in January by March are in excessive 50s to low 60s F that will drop into the excessive 30s to the low 40s F at evening. Cruise ships dock in Civitavecchia, lower than 50 miles away. (Specific prepare service to Rome takes about 40 minutes and Windstar affords a “Rome by yourself” motorcoach switch from ship to metropolis and again. )
Athens
Few cities have given as a lot to the world as Athens. Town’s tenets of philosophy, literature, artwork and structure unfold all through the West throughout classical occasions. The traditional world continues to tell the current, a vibe you possibly can really feel even on an informal stroll across the metropolis.
Classics
The Acropolis is town’s hottest vacationer attraction and one in all its oldest. I’ve walked the grounds of the long-lasting fortress on a hilltop and thought in regards to the crumbling buildings wrecked by conflict, rocked by earthquakes and reimagined by rulers who tore down outdated shrines. I’ve additionally seen trendy renderings exhibiting what the spectacular assortment of buildings would have regarded like in its day.
Visiting the Acropolis helps me higher admire the Parthenon and Temple of Athena Polias, whose pillars are constructed of feminine statues, often known as caryatids. The close by Acropolis Museum, which opened 15 years in the past, affords context to the greater than 4,000 artifacts discovered on the website. It’s an excellent place to study in regards to the Acropolis and adjustments over the accompanying historic eras, from the Greek Bronze Age to the Roman and Byzantine eras.
If you need a extra colourful understanding of the sweeping position that artwork and antiquities has performed in historical Grecian historical past and past, you would spend the complete day at The Nationwide Archeological Museum. Its items span the intervals of geometric, archaic, classical and Hellenic intervals, and what resonates for me is the way in which these items inform tales about life in these specific eras. Ensure that to cease by the museum’s cafe, which options reveals of extra up to date creative expression.
Different key websites
On a transparent day (in winter or in any other case) Lycabettus Hill, which, rising some 1,000 ft, is the very best level in Athens. It affords breathtaking views from metropolis to sea and you may climb up, take the tram, or rent a taxi. And Syntagma Sq., the central sq. of town, has a stunning location. It’s bordered on one facet by the Greek Parliament and on one other by the start of town’s key buying district. Close by is the Benaki Museum of Greek Tradition, which showcases artwork from historical to trendy occasions.
Favourite discoveries
Quite a lot of eating places in Athens provide views of the Acropolis however one in all my regulars there, due to its very good views, day and evening, and out of doors seating, is the GB Roof Backyard Restaurant, atop the historic (and fairly stunning) Grande Bretagne. You’ll be able to have a meal or stomach as much as the bar (or higher but, snag a bar desk on the balcony), sip rose, snack on connoisseur Greek tapas, and simply breathe. Athens’ Central Market is one other excellent spot to sip or snack, in a extra boisterous environment.
Ilias Lalaounis was a jeweler who created elaborate and beautiful gold jewellery with themes impressed by historical Greece. It’s price taking a bling break to swing by his workshop, which has been changed into a jewellery museum. Inside are shows of his yellow gold creations in addition to some Olympic torches he designed. While you’re able to fast-forward in time, head to the museum run by the Basil and Elise Goulandris Basis. The couple collected 180 works of latest and trendy artwork that features impressionists Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh in addition to up to date artists Francis Bacon and Roy Lichtenstein.
Must know
In January by March, count on daytime temperatures within the excessive 50s F and lows within the mid 40s. Cruise ships dock on the Port of Piraeus, about seven miles outdoors town. In the event you’re feeling adventurous, take the Pireaus metro to Syntagma Sq. (in any other case, a taxi is your higher wager).
Editor’s Notice: Windstar’s Star Legend is providing winter Mediterranean cruises in 2024 and thru the season in 2025. The first itinerary sails between Rome’s Civitavecchia and Barcelona, with calls at Marseilles, Livorno (for Florence) and Good. A handful of sailings deal with Spanish ports, departing from Barcelona and heading to Valencia, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Cartagena (together with Gibraltar).
