Italy isn't just Rome! Go northeast...

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

What do you think of when someone says "Italian vacation"? Tuscany? Rome? Cinque Terra? Florence? Me too.

But thanks to a happenstance home exchange in October, we stayed in the northeast of Italy, smack between the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. True, Venice was only an hour and a few odd minutes away (and I wrote about it here), but we were stationed in Pordenone, which was sparsely touristed - and within short drives of the sea, the Dolomites and lovely little towns.


Caorle was a seaside gem and a good place to visit even if it's too cold to be beachy. We saw the wind-swept Church of the Blessed Angel and some fascinating rock carvings along the shore, as well as the candy-colored buildings and Cathedral of St. Stephen in the interior. The family we exchanged with were around (they exchange their parents' old home) and gave us a tour of the whole place, with their perfectly coiffed Italian hair and impeccably pressed Italian clothing. It was impossible not to feel frumpy next to them!







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Much to our rumbling stomachs' delight, when we arrived in the fishing settlement of Portogruaro, a Fall festival was happening. Nope, we couldn't understand a thing, but we knew what looked good and indulged in big plates of cheese and sausages, then walked them off whilst our exchange family's son got into a stare-down with a goose. Oh! And we saw a whimsical bicycle covered in tin figurines :)








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Our home base, Pordenone, was an ideal place to camp out at for a week. We visited one particular chocolate shop (aherm) three times while we were there and strolled along the Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II just about every day. The old center is magical with all its medieval palazzos and bistro cafes and weekly junk markets. Another hit was the Enoteca in the belltower; we ate ourselves into a cured meats coma.








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In exploring the base of the Dolomites, we happened upon Caneva, a tiny hamlet with a beautiful church that I can't seem to find the name of. Just above the village were the ruins of the Castello di Caneva, which had a still-functioning cemetery. It was pretty quiet, save for the occasional mountain biker who made his way up the very steep hill. 







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I lumped these two Dolomite goodies together because we went in non-skiing seasons and they were, for lack of a better word, dead. Still stunning, though. Cortina d'Ampezzo was the home of the 1956 Olympics - you can still see the ski jump from the highway. We saw superb mountain views and a pretty cemetery (what is it with us?), and then continued northward to Lago de Misurina, the lake where Olympic speed skating was held for the last time on natural ice. We grabbed a sidewalk table at a restaurant and soaked up the scenery. 










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Would I say to skip Tuscany? Absolutely not. But these were all charming spots within a couple of hours' drive from one another, and we were able to be a bit more "Italian" than "tourist" on our trip. Ciao!

Linking up with Bonnie Rose, Cynthia, Courtney and Yalanda for #Travel Tuesday.

16 comments

  1. Really interesting- I see you saw a lot more than Venice then! Did you guys rent a car from Prague? If I didn't know better I would've said those photos of the Dolomites were Austria. I had no idea how stunningly beautiful the scenery was there! (well, really in all your photos). I've been hearing a load about the Dolomites though recently as a lot of Czechs around here prefer to go there for skiing. Those mountains... dang!

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  2. Italy is the TOP of my travel bucket list! x

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  3. Looks beautiful!!! I love stays like this that give you a taste of true Italian life!!

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  4. Your pictures are really nice. The places look absolutely gorgeous. It's nice to be able to experience a less touristy destination. The stare down with the goose us so cute..

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  5. Cheers! It was a young guy in his twenties doing it - maybe the new hipster thing? ;)

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  6. We flew into Milan (cheap flights) and then rented a car and drove to Pordenone. We didn't stop on the way there because it was dark, but on the way home we saw Verona, which was very, very cool. You really do need a car to get around the area we were in, but I thought the rental was pretty reasonable. Yes, the Dolomites are popular here - and for good reason! I'd love to go back. Do you ski?

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  7. Yeah, I'd only been to Rome and Venice before, which were amazing but also packed and overwhelming. This is more my speed :)

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  8. Many thanks, Kemkem. I just take loads of photos and there's bound to be some good ones :) That goose sort of freaked me out!

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  9. Not so much a snow sport gal as I enjoy a sled ride and a hot cocoa :) (But if the time felt right I just may be inclined to ski) But I would be perfectly happy with visiting during the time of year that you did! Renting a car really just provides so many more options. Sometimes it gets so tiring to ONLY rely on public transport.

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  10. Gorgeous!! You could easily convince me to visit any of these places :) Cortina and Misurina look especially dreamy with the water and mountains!

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  11. Hi Em - great post & magnificent photos. We explored this corner of Italy a little in October 2007, travelling in a hired motor caravan/ motor home that we rented in Belgium when we still lived in the UK. As you write - far less touristy and much more 'genuine Italian' than Rome or Venice.

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  12. Hi Ricky! We very much enjoyed it but, as you mentioned, couldn't have done it properly without hiring a vehicle. Your usage of a caravan is inspiring; I've never thought to do that! Have you used caravans often? Happy New Year :)

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  13. Thanks, Courtney! Cortina and Misurina were truly very lovely, but quiet; we heard things really open up for skiing season. It would be fun to go back in the winter. Happy New Year!

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  14. It's been a good 7 years since I've been to Italy, but I remember loving Northern Italy. It seemed much more slow-paced (in a good way) and family and community centered. Rome and the other touristy cities seem so rushed and busy and crowded. You got some great pictures! I can't wait to go back with my husband some day!

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  15. To answer your question, Em - No, we haven't. I did make tentative enquiries back in 2009 during our first year in Prague, but didn't find a suitable hire company, particularly one that spoke English or German, though I'm sure there must be one here. Happy New Year to you & BW.

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