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Not satisfied with having spent a year travelling the globe, my hunger to see and experience more has remained with me throughout my five months back home in the UK. And so just recently, I decided to throw caution to the wind (and my bank balance) and embark on another trip, albeit a lot shorter and a little closer to home. Fortunately, thanks to my future brother-in-law and an invitation to his wedding in Rome, I had my starting point – and not a bad one at that!

The delights of Rome were a joy to behold, as so vividly brought to light in Myra Keane‘s article ‘Roman Holiday’, whose explorations I too have happily experienced. My own appendage would be that of blindly stumbling across a hushed crowd of thousands of people, sardined into St Peter’s Square, where my incomprehension as to why this mass had gathered was soon answered by the apparition of a small figure draped all in white. The Pope no less! Seeing ‘Il Papa’ on my final day in Rome was a truly magical experience and I knew that the remainder of my Italian jaunt would have a lot to live up to!

Next stop after Rome was the beautiful hilltop fort of Siena which was a welcome contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Italian capital. Having arrived by bus, my four companions and I wandered in through the city’s gates, at which exact moment, the heavens opened, the temperature dropped by (what felt like) ten degrees and the suitcase I had so carefully selected for the trip, took an instant dislike to the cobbled walkways. Welcome to Siena!

Nevertheless, after a little investigation, accommodation was found, baggage was offloaded and it was time to explore. Siena’s maze of pedestrian and moped-only streets were, quite simply, ‘cute’, whilst it’s impressive main square ‘Il Campo’ (used twice-yearly as the circuit for a horse race extravaganza) was reminiscent of a film set - Robin Hood style!

The city itself is small and there was not a huge amount to see, however it was the perfect place to relax and really take in the Italian culture. Thus, after the obligatory bottle (or two) of Chianti (well – we were right in the centre of the so-called ‘Chianti-shire’), a feast of freshly cooked pizzas and a good night’s sleep, we were ready to wave ‘Arrivederci’ and head onwards (and upwards) to Florence.

Unfortunately, owing to our extended stay in Rome, we were limited to just two nights in Florence. Yet we still managed to fit in a lot, including the awe-inspiring sculpture of David by Michelangelo, the Ponte Vecchio bridge and the magnificent Duomo cathedral – and a good bit of shopping to boot! However, one of ‘Firenze’s’ highlights for me was being serenaded whilst dining out one evening! Not only did my ‘Romeo’ have the most amazing voice – Pavarotti move over – but his comic actions and leopard print attire provided an evening of pure entertainment – magnifico!

Alas, time was soon up again and before we knew it, we were train-bound once more. Destination: Venice. This was to be our final port of call and proved to be a brilliant finale to our whistle-stop tour of Italy.

Now Venice is purported to be the city of romance, but whether or not you’re with that special person, there is a good chance that you’ll fall in love with the city itself! Comparable with Siena, Venice is a veritable maze of canals and walkways and I will confess to getting completely lost on more than one occasion! The simple solution, however, is to stick with the throngs of people if going about on foot. The other alternative of course, is to travel by water and the majority of visitors make use of the very efficient (if a little slow) vaporetti or passenger ferries. Otherwise, whip out the credit card and find yourself one of the Ferraris of the waterways – the gondola. Yes, at £70 a go, even a certain Ms Winslet on a recent visit, didn’t succumb to these overpriced oarsmen.

Still, Venice has loads to offer. The Piazza San Marco provided our focal point, a beautiful square, adorned by St Mark’s Basilica, the architecture of which is rather impressive – and the inside’s not bad either! Fighting our way through the hordes of pigeons, we also ascended the Campanile for a 360 degree view of this Venetian gem.

As with many other Italian cities, there were churches and museums aplenty, along with numerous bars, cafes and restaurants offering sumptuous fare and good Italian hospitality. Together with a string of designer boutiques, theatres and even a cinema, there seemed to be something for everyone.

Regrettably, the time to leave came round far too quickly, but though the passport has now been tucked away out of sight, it has certainly not been forgotten!