Liguria, Piedmont, and Valle D'Aosta During Ferragosto!

     Ferragosto, google "Italy during Ferragosto, some Google sources will tell you not to go, some of my American friends that love Italy told me not to go, even some Italian friends told me, don't go to Italy during Ferragosto! So needless, to say, I had to go to Italy during Ferragosto. 

                               

    Ferragosto is the national holiday period in Italy where a large number of the country has vacation to travel to parts of Italy or wherever in the world, people advised me not to go because "Everything would be closed" or the "beaches will be insanely crowded." While there was a little bit of truth to this, I found Ferragosto to be not only delightful, but a really great time to visit! Now I'm considering living in Italy eventually, so besides the whole rebel in me to travel when I'm not supposed to, I also thought it was important to visit in August, because maybe one day I'd be living there and would be forced into Ferragosto anyway. 

 

     I'm trying to visit all regions of Italy, at the time of writing only Calabria remains, and I hope to hit that this summer. This trip I wanted to see Liguria, Piedmont, and Valle D'Aosta. It was a great combination of beaches, mountains, and the city. Some places it was very obviously Ferragosto, some places were like any other trip I've done in Italy. So I'll break down region by region highlight of my trip, and Ferragosto tips if applicable.

Liguria Genoa, and Cinque Terre

                                                   

•  The Ferragosto holiday began in Genoa first tip came as soon as I arrived, apparently Genoa is a city in Italy that is not public transport friendly to and from the airport. I decided to try anyway, it was a pretty long walk to the train station, made extra long due to construction, and it was pretty hot that day, as I was sweating I thought, it's all good I will be able to cool down once I get to my Airbnb.... But no....
  
  
• Air Conditioning is not very common in Genoa, I've heard this about many Italian cities, but in the 19 regions I've been to out of 20, I've never seen it more common than Genoa. It was rare to see a building with Air Conditioning, the Museum of Natural History even warns visitors it doesn't have AC. I found that odd, doesn't the artifacts need a certain temperature to stay preserved? Oh well... Other than the first day, I was fine, a nice fan at night was more than enough. The stuffy apartment made me make sure I enjoyed Genoa more.
  
                                                    
  
  
• Visit Christopher Columbus's childhood home!
  
                           
  
• Porto Antico Of Genoa is definitely your day time tourism hub, the Aquarium, the Biosphere, the Neptune Pirates Film Ship, were a few great stops to make. 
  
  
  
• Don't have time to get to Cinque Terre? Boccadasse beach was a great place to spend a couple of hours, and it looks a lot like the Cinque Terre beaches, I won't tell anyone...
  
  
  
• Then it was off to The Cinque Terre...
  
  
  
• I decided to stay in Rio Maggiore, mainly because it was the best Airbnb I could find with an excellent view.

• The highlight of my two nights here was definitely just the little town of Rio Maggiore, a lot of time on the beach, and pier front, I really only walked into town for dinner, and odds and ends. Most of my time was spent swimming, enjoying the vibe, and a little hiking around the area.
  
  
  
  
• I did also do a boat tour of all 5 towns, and this was a great way to see a glimpse of the other towns and enjoy a nice boat day with some drinks and snacks included.
  
  
• August was perfect for the beaches, it was a bit crowded but by no means over crowded and EVERYTHING was open.
  
  

• Next was a brief stop in Torino, I wanted to go to Valley D'Aosta but logistics was going to make it a really long drive, and Valley D'Aosta is one of the few parts of Italy that is very difficult to manage without a car. I came back to Torino for the finale, so we will save Piedmont for last. Let's drive to Valle D'Aosta!
  
  

Valle D'Aosta

Castle Savoy

       I made the best travel mistake I ever made in Valle D'Aosta, for some unknown reason, my GPS was set to avoid toll roads, this makes no sense as where I live there are no toll roads. It sent me on an adventurous 5 hour drive (2 hours when I came back and realized the error), through countless little towns, mountains, streams etc. I only went north for a night, but here's my appetizer preview of what I loved about Valle D'Aosta!

Mountain Food

• Drive... Definitely the best way to see it, and although I do not like driving through old cities, the ones in Aosta Valley were fairly manageable, just remember a one way street may be two ways, parking can be difficult, but so many little spots made the drive incredible. 
  
  
  
  
• While Genoa was sweltering hot Aosta had me wearing a sweater, and when some light rain came it was quite chilly, so make sure to pack double climate gear if you are doing more than this region.
  
  
  
  
• Fortress of the Bard was an epic castle turned into a museum, Savoy castle is straight out of a Disney movie, but be advised reservations are needed to enter. Fenis was a great spot as well on the castle tour.
  
  
                           
                                                
  
  
• Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, this was where Ferragosto was obvious. Parking was extremely difficult in areas by the trails. I was able to park, but then the trails were busy, especially the easier ones. However that being said, the park is well taken care of, and people respect it. A few "Bon jours" as there were apparently many French neighbors there, and a some friendly waves, but in no means was it a reason not to enjoy it in August.
  
  
  
  
• I had this very epic late lunch on the drive back down to Torino, but like many things in travel, it was random, I had no idea where I was going, and I have no idea where it is today. The joys of not doing everything by Google.
  
  

Piedmont, Turin

                             

   The last leg of my Ferragosto adventure, before Rome, Roma La Citta Eterna, was the capital, there was Turin.

                                          

• The bad news here was Ferragosto was very obvious, a lot of retail stores closed, a handful of restaurants closed, the good news, it had zero effect on tourism, all museums were open, plenty of night life and dining options, and added bonus, zero crowds, even at the most famous places in Turin.
  
        
  
  
• This was a heavy museum part of the trip, the Mole, the cinema museum, the Egyptian Museum, the Royal Palace, I definitely found myself in awe wondering from one museum to the next.
  
  
  
  
• The Po River was a great way to spend days and late afternoons, it's lined with little bars and restaurants to enjoy a drink or a nice snack, also some beautiful parks to stroll through.
  
  
  
  
• The last thing I will touch on, was oddly one of my favorite parts of the trip, the streets had very little traffic and a lot of dedicated bike lanes, Lime Bike has a contract there, I found myself in lieu of taxis for longer routes, walking to a nearby Lime and cruising, then I enjoyed it so much I did it lazily for short rides, and finally I would just rent one and go nowhere in particular, something was extra special and fun to just cruise the old cobble stone streets in an electric scooter, was never in the plans, but made for a really fun element of the trip!
  
  
  
  
  

     So if you made it to the end of the article, Italy during Ferragosto was a resounding yes! The way I said it best talking to friends, if you are going to remodel a bathroom, start a business, start university or something like that, don't go. But if you are going to enjoy Italy, it's a great time to go! I've now been to almost every region as mentioned. I'm excited to say that the plans are in motion this year to finish Italy with a July summer trip to Calabria. Every trip has been epic, with it's own little flavor, and enjoyment. This country has it's own section because I've done many trips here, and as a dual citizen of Italy (another article long in the works), this beautiful country will always be a part of my life.

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Highlights List Of My Travels

I have currently and this is not always up to date been to 71 countries in this world, here's just a glimpse of some of the highlights of seeing 7 of the 7 continents, this list is more for me personally, but I hope you enjoy it!

1. Albania-touring the underground war bunkers
2. Antarctica-New Years on my 7th continent
3. Argentina-Malbec in the vineyards of Malbec
   
4. Australia-New Year's In Sydney
   
5. Austria-Riding a bike from Northern Italy into Leintz
   
6. Azerbaijan-Seeing the flame towers and meeting the amazing people of this country
   
7. Bahamas-Passing out on my balcony from rum when I was young and stupid on spring break
   
8. Bolivia-Overcoming altitude sickness for an epic road trip 
   
9. Brazil-Seeing the World Cup in person after being a fan all of my life
   
10. Canada-Getting my ear pierced which took 8 hours in Halifx 
    
11. Cambodia-Meeting local villagers, our lake tour turned into a lake party
12. Chile-Hanging out in Santiago during a blackout with awesome people
13. China-Hiking down a frozen waterfall
14. Colombia-my introduction to South America
    
15. Congo-Meeting the gorilla's in person
16. Costa Rica-Scuba diving Playa Flamingo
    
17. Cuba-New Year's party in Old Havana Square
18. Denmark-Training at Vesterbronx Gym
    
19. Ecuador-Lo que pasa en montañita se queda en montañia
    
20. Egypt-Overlooking the great pyramids with fireworks for New Years
    
21. El Salvador-watching the sunset in Playa Tunco and realizing everything was going to be ok
22. England-Sitting down in a train station floor drunk eating McDonalds
23. Fiji-Relaxing!
24. France-Staying in Paris during the taxi strike watching the drivers shut down the city
25. French Guiana-visiting the space station
26. Germany-Visiting the WWII and Holocaust sights
27. Guatemala-two day volcano hike
28. Guyana-feeding the manatees
29. Greece-Having coffee every morning staring at the Acropolis
30. Holland-Touring Amsterdam being back in the first world after 3 weeks on Safari
31. Iceland-The Ice Caves of Jokalruson
    
32. Israel-Seeing the birth place of Jesus Christ
    
33. Iran-seeing how we have so much in common
    
34. Italy-Being the only living member of my family to visit the towns my ancestors came from
    
35. Jamaica-New Year's beach party
    
36. Japan-Walking 18 hours a day to treasure every minute of the trip
    
37. Kazakhstan-the nomadic games
38. Lebanon-paragliding from the top of Beirut suburbs to the beach
39. Martinique-exploring the beautiful beaches
    
40. Mexico-Permanently scarring myself on a drunk night in Cancun
41. Mongolia-waking up to snow in the yurt camps with yaks and horses around us
42. Morocco-Partying in Marrakech
    
43. Mozambique-Swimming with a whale shark
44. New Zealand-Bungee jumping the Auckland Bridge
45. Nicaragua-The first country I got kicked out of
46. Panama-Walking the skyline pier
47. Paraguay-partying in the downtown party district
    
48. Peru-Machu Picchu
49. Poland-snow mobile in the forests during winter
50. Russia-Celebrating new years in Red Square
51. Rwanda-being welcomed by the beautiful people there
52. San Marino-Exploring the Castles
    
53. Slovenia-touring the old city
54. Serbia-Golubac Fortress
    
55. South Africa-Camping in the jungle and waking up to the sound of Lions on my first safari
56. South Korea-enjoying Korean BBQ on an epic 24 hour layover
    
57. Spain-Exploring the Gothic Quarter
58. Suriname-
59. Swaziland-Seeing the wild life on Safari
60. Sweden-Exploring the old city on layover
61. Switzerland-Attempting to ski the alps
    
62. Thailand-"Bangkok has him"
63. Tunisia-The beautiful use of blue in Tunis
64. Turkey-Rumeli Fortress
    
65. Uganda-Queen Elizabeth National Park
66. Uruguay-street art
67. Ukraine-Witness and exploring first hand the damage of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
68. United Arab Emirates-Hanging the human flag at the base of the Burj Khalifa
69. United States-Live here now, too much to name
70. Vatican City-The Sistine Chapel
71. Vietnam-Hiking into the Hang En Cave

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Flying Gold Status United Airlines 1 Year Review

Star Alliance Lounge LAX My Favorite Lounge in the USA

     2021 and 2022 I ended up traveling a lot more than anticipated. At the end of 2021 I missed Gold Status by a small margin, 2022, I was very set on getting that status. I already had Silver Status and the Silver experience in 2022. I wanted to make sure I flew United Airlines enough in 2022 to get my status in 2023. In the end for my last flight of the year to Argentina I flew to Buenos Aires in a 3 leg flight, significantly longer than if I had flown American Airlines, and a bit more expensive.... But I knew that it would put me right at the PQP, which was $7000 at the time I believe, and PQF, which was 24 flights with United. While I discussed in this blog and on YouTube how I don't believe it is worth it to chase status as many of the benefits are cheaper to itemize, this was not such a big deal to change one flight, so I went for it, and flew a lot of 2023 with Gold Status.

Here's my quick take and my experiences with flying Gold Status:

           

• First benefits is free checked bags, I only travel with a carry on, so no goal there.
  
  

  

  Adjusting the seat to bed in business class
  
  

• Free access to economy plus at booking for me and one person, this was a BIG DEAL. Especially since it includes the exit row for long haul flights, it saved me around $700 and I enjoyed the extra leg room for a few flights to Europe.
  
  

  

  Much better menu in business!

  
  
• Group 1 Boarding: This was another big convenience because after 2022, Group 2 was getting bigger and bigger. Since I do travel with only the carry on it was nice to know there was no way we would run out of overhead space before I boarded. 
  
  
• 8x miles earned on every purchased flight was another great benefit as the following year I used those miles for a $10,000 upgrade to business class from Seoul to San Francisco with only 20,000 miles or so.
  
  
• Business Class Lounge for international flights was very nice, the lounge at my home base airport isn't the best, but the Star Alliance Lounge in LAX is my favorite lounge in the United States at the time of writing this.
  
  

  

  My home airport United Lounge PHX, not my favorite, but good place to start the day regardless.
  
  

  
  
• Business Class Upgrades, ok this is probably the big one, I was upgraded several times, I'm a year late writing this article so unfortunately I don't remember, lets say 5 out of 25 flights. But again, this is not a reason to chase status, I was upgraded on the unpopular routes, Houston to El Salvador both ways comes to mind. You are very unlikely to get upgraded on a major route like LAX to JFK, and really heart breaking they don't upgrade all international flights, only a few, if its a wide body aircraft with the full flat beds, they probably don't upgrade. A heart breaking moment I remember going to Germany where nearly all of business class was empty and I read the fine print.
  
  
  
  But that being said the upgrades I had were definitely nice.

     So here's my final take, like silver status, don't chase it, it's great to have but every benefit of status can be purchased with individual tickets. This year (2025), Silver status is going to be 6,000 PQP and Gold will be 12,000 PQP! I may hit silver but I definitely won't be spending enough to hit Gold. I'm toying with the idea of Africa or Asia for New Years. Those would be well worth a look at business class flights, I can't get the upgrade even with Gold but I can get it with points, so I will lean more towards that. If its one more flight or a few hundred bucks at the end of the year, maybe book a last minute flight, but other than that, in my opinion it's not gonna be worth it this year.

BONUS TIP: The benefits the year I had it didn't expire until Jan 31. So especially the premium economy was worth a last minute booking.

Bed time for South Korea to San Francisco

    Like many things in life, I'm happy I got to enjoy Gold Status for a year. But I accept letting it go. I will definitely continue to hang in the lounges or fly business through other ways. But as with all things with travel, even though it didn't last forever, I'm grateful for the experience it gave me.

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Seoul, South Korea Layover

      It was late September of 2024 I was going to be returning from an epic trip in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The route to Kazakhstan was the most brutal flight path I had ever done, taking 30 hours over a 3 day span with crossing the international date line. I knew I didn't want to do that twice in one trip, so while booking my return flight I saw a layover in Seoul was going to be inevitable.

                               

    I had never been to South Korea before so with some shuffling of flights I saw that I could make the layover a full 24 hours, landing Sunday at 5pm and taking off Monday at 5pm. A new city, a new country, a great layover, and thank God breaking up an incredibly long trek back from Mongolia. I didn't need any more convincing. It was time to do a layover trip in Seoul! 

Arriving late to my Airbnb

     As I always have said, trips never go as planned, so as a budget traveler we must plan on things not going to plan. I was supposed to arrive in Seoul around 5pm for a full 24 hours, after extensive delays I think I landed around 8pm and wasn't at my Airbnb until 9pm or so. But I had done my homework on what would be open and knew I could make it to the Seoul Tower that wouldn't close until 11pm, it was only a mile or so from my apartment, so I would walk there quickly... Or would I? It turns out my research on my layover could have been a little bit more in depth, I still made it, but much later than expected as Google maps doesn't quite work there! That aside, let me break down my tips for your layover in Seoul!

• I stayed near the Seoul Station, which definitely was a great point to see the city from, and seemed city center or damn near close enough.
  
                      
  
  
• On my Airbnb owners advice I took the bus to the apartment, going home I took the train. Both were fairly easy. 
• As advised, GOOGLE MAPS DOES NOT WORK! The map itself will open, but directions will not. I am old school, so I went back to Old School to just read the map and direct myself, but the streets on the map didn't account for giant walls, private property, or impassable areas.. So my mile walk was very scenic to say the least, and took me almost two hours. Luckily I made it in time to enjoy a quick tour of Seoul Tower.
  
                         
  
  
• Next issue was to get some cash for the 24 hours, and this was the next hard lesson, I had 3 ATM/Credit cards and none would work at the majority of ATMs. Luckily I found one in the train station that got me home. But be aware, local ATMs may not accept your cards. This is widely discussed in forums and definitely had me worried, but in the end I got cash for my train ticket and the country is very very credit card friendly.
  
  
  
  
• After Seoul Tower I was itching for some unique Korean Barbeque, as recommended by all friends that had been, and my Korean extended family members. I grew up in NYC, the city that never sleeps, which isn't true there, and it wasn't going to be true in Seoul either... By 11:30pm I was super hungry, I found some friend chicken place with good WIFI. The chicken was ok, the WIFI was better because it helped me formulate a few options for real Korean Barbeque the next day. 
• At this point the 21 year old in me wanted to see if I could find some nightlife, the 43 year old in me wanted to sleep. Honestly the streets overall were very very dead, it was also a weekday, the 43 year old won, and I hit the pillows. 
  
                                         
  
  
• I would have loved to do a DMZ Tour, but this is truly a full day tour, so on layover it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to do, maybe next time!
• On a layover trip the ideal plan is to wake up at the crack of dawn and do everything I can to jam as much of the culture in as possible, but my homework reported there would be no need as all the sights on my list were not going to be open until 9am or so. I still got up around 7am, which was great to just take in the vibes from my apartment.
  
             
  
  
• The Korean War Museum was closed which was bad, but it made it easier because I would only go North to explore the city, everything seemed reasonable to walk within a few hours. I wanted to be at the airport by 3pm or so, so I left my apartment at 8am and would be back on the train to Seoul Airport by 1:30pm or so.
  
  

  

  Good morning Seoul!
  
  

• Of course stop for local coffee on the walk. 
  
                    
  
• Since the museum was closed, this left the Palaces to be enjoyed. I can't recall the names of all of them but I passed by 1 or 2 and visited 2.
  
  
  
• The fun of travel is always the unplanned sights, and South Korea did not disappoint!
  
  
  
• I only traveled by foot, my phone was working great with Airalo and I considered Uber which I believe was working, but the distances were short and I just loved the sight seeing and little pieces of cultural immersion I was able to get.
  
                   
• I arrived back at my apartment around 11:30 or noonish, there was still one more mission, Korean Barbeque! Or maybe 2... I don't normally have a mustache... Not my thing.
  
  

     The meal went down perfectly, it well made up for the late night fried chicken the night before, which really wasn't that bad either. My tummy was full for a long flight back, and more importantly I had gotten a taste of Seoul. This was an important layover as my brother's wife is Korean, and my nephew and niece are of course half. I once made a speech in Korean, but that's for another time, or maybe even another blog.

     Seoul wasn't what I expected, I was imagining it to be like many other big Asian Cities I've been to with millions of people, lights everywhere, crazy parties at night, and system/stimulation overload. But walking the streets at night and all morning, I found it more tranquil. Certainly not a suburb, but more like a small city. Just more calm, and more peaceful. I could have opted for the 4 hour layover and hung out in a lounge or at the airport bar, but as with all layover trips I was so much happier to set foot in this country, even if only for 24 hours.

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