France and Italy with family

27 Jul 2023 - Austin Shen

A family holiday in France and Italy! Mum, my aunt, and ima (mum’s aunt) all came to visit from Perth and Hong Kong. None of us had been before, so it was very exciting to be able to share this new experience with them all. Especially mum, who probably wouldn’t have done such a big trip to Europe if I wasn’t there!

South of France

Mum decided to come for a month to see me first for a couple of weeks before my aunt and ima came to Europe. Since we wanted to see the big cities together, I planned for mum and I to take a nice road trip through the South of France. Something a little different, and more similar to the kind of travel I’ve enjoyed most this year so far. We started in Milan, rented a car, and drove it North-East to the Alps. We stayed a few nights in Chamonix, enjoyed scenic hikes in the mountains, walked through what remains of the Mer de Glace (not much it’s pretty much gone), and took the Augille de Midi cable car to see the summit of Mont Blanc up close. Such beautiful mountains!

Then we made our way South to some artsy towns/cities bordering the Mediterranian Sea - Montpellier, Aix en Provence and Saint Paul de Vence. A few nights at each to enjoy their local markets, fresh produce, cute knick-knacks, beautiful architecture, scenery, and museums that showcase the work of famous artists from the region. They were all pretty similar in vibe, and we didn’t do too much these towns. Just days of relaxing, eating delicious food, shopping, and wandering around aimlessly. A lot of planning on the fly as well since we hadn’t booked anything for the big cities in Italy lol.

We ended up visiting so many little towns in this time. The route was: Milan -> Turin -> Chamonix -> Annecy -> Montpellier -> Arles -> Aix en Provence -> Nice -> Saint Paul de Vence -> Monaco -> Milan. A few of these were a half day pit stop on travel days, but it was still nice to be able to see so much in the area with mum!

Italy and Paris

We picked up my aunt and ima from the airport and swapped our cute little Fiat Panda, which struggled to make it up hills and was often overtaken by large trucks on the highway, for a nice larger SUV. An automatic one too which made driving so much more comfortable. We planned to see some of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy: Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Then, we’d fly to Paris and spend a few nights there before going our separate ways. So much to see, and so little time. As always!

Milan was a bit of a mixed bag of experiences. A couple of really rough situations with the towing of our car and a sketchy interaction with dodgy people late at night, but also a few highlights with visits to the incredibly beautiful Piazza del Duomo and Lake Como, meeting the most kind and generous strangers, and delicious pizza and tiramisu. I found I couldn’t really relax properly in this city though with warnings about pickpockets and safety around metro stations, all while trying to look out for family. That’s ok though - all in all a worthwhile visit and enjoyable time.

I started to enjoy myself a lot more in Venice. Absolutely packed with tourists, which makes sense since it’s such a beautiful city. I think tourists can also help you feel safe in a foriegn city sometimes. Anyway it was nice to wander the beautiful canals and bustling small streets aimlessly. Great photo opportunities at every turn in day or night. We got free delicious pastries every morning with our accomodation, enjoyed delicious pasta and gelato all the time, mum stopped in every souvenier store for leather bags to give as gifts, we cooked super fresh seafood from the markets, and managed to cover most of the city by foot in our three days.

We had a really packed time in Florence. Our accomodation was a B&B at a small farm just outside of the city walls. I remember the host there was keeping bees and growing saffron. He was particularly warm and friendly, and offered great advice to help us plan out an itinerary for our time there. I say it was a packed time because in the three days we also crammed in a trip to Pisa and Cinque Terre. So worth it - the view of the seas and cliffs in the towns along the coast were unbelievably beautiful. But that left only a day or so to see Florence itself, which is probably not enough. Earth tones and cobblestone paths along the small streets, various marble statues, and incredibly impressive grand buildings by the Medici family scattered throughout the city. We did a walking tour, I ran into a high school friend (it’s a very small world as it turns out), and we ate a bunch of pasta as you do. The museums would have been so interesting, but they’ll have to wait for next time.

I think we all probably enjoyed Rome the most of all of these cities. Everywhere you look there are interesting old statues of things and beautiful buildings from Ancient Roman times, safe vibes, and a well-designed grid layout that made getting around so convenient. We had a beautiful apartment in town which was within walking distance to most attractions. So many things to do in this city. We made sure to see the main ones – the Colosseum (only from the outside), Roman Forum, St Peter’s Basilica, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and various Piazzas around town. And of course we ate good pasta, drank cappuccinos before 11am, lots of pistachio gelato and tiramisu, and paid extra for sparkling water. Mum and ayi both grew up in an era where you would have watched the black-and-white movie Roman Holiday, so it was cute to watch that movie after this holiday and see all of the places that we’d been to!

The last stop of our family holiday was Paris. I didn’t really have high expectations since social media has been a bit harsh on Paris lately, but was completely blown away by the beautiful and modern buildings in the Montemarte area which we stayed. There were lots of lively cafes and restaurants with people sharing meals and drinks outside, small bakeries selling delicious pastries, lots of green spaces and trees, and convenient public transport. We did typical tourist things – the Louvre for a day to take pictures of the Mona Lisa, ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and walking along the River Seine to appreciate the city lights and Eiffel Tower light show. A nice way to wrap up a wonderful holiday with my lovely family.