Someone recently asked me for my recommendations for their first trip to Italy and just as I was about to send them a link to my blogpost, I realized I never finished this post from last year. So here is this long overdue post about our last summer vacation- enjoy!
I heard someone once say that “Tourism is education”, which could not be more true of a place like Italy- from being the center of the most practiced religion in the world to being home to one of the most popular food (pizza, of course) in the world and everything in between- there is so much Italy has to offer.
This was our second time in Italy but first for our son, so we tried to cover arguably the most iconic Italian places- Rome, Naples, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi) and Venice.
Let’s start with the “Eternal City” itself because as the saying goes, ‘all roads lead to Rome’. Our first guided tour in Rome had to be of one of the wealthiest museums in the world- the Vatican Museums. Having visited the museum without a guide on our last trip, I knew it was too big and intimidating to visit on our own- so, for our son’s benefit and really for all of ours, we got a guide (through The Roman Guy) this time and were glad that we did because it truly enhanced our experience (for example: did you know that Michelangelo was originally a sculptor/architect before he was commissioned to paint the Sistine chapel as a punishment by the Pope in the hope that he would fail?). There are many gorgeous rooms in the Vatican that are home to some of the most revered art in the world- from Raphael to Leonardo da Vinci to Picasso- there is no shortage of art history here. However, there is something so sacred about the Sistine Chapel (maybe it’s the fact that the election of the Pope is held in this room and it is so respected that they ask you to not have your phones out or talk at all in this room while visiting) that it is the biggest attraction of this museum.
After visiting the Vatican Museum, we went around to St. Peter’s Basilica where we were lucky to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis. It was once in a lifetime experience to watch so many worshipers waiting for Pope’s blessing.
We spent two days in Rome and here are some of the places we visited while walking down history: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (beautiful at night), Pantheon. Every single attraction was just as awe inspiring as the next.
Let’s talk about the food in Rome! As Stanley Tucci would tell you- food in every part of Italy is different and unique in its own way; to me the food in Rome did not disappoint. From Anthony Bourdin’s favorite restaurant in Italy to the restaurant with Nonnas (grandmas in Italian) sitting in the front window making pasta- every single place offered amazing culinary experience. I had researched a few places and made reservations ahead of time and every single one of them lived up to or surpassed my expectation. Even as a vegetarian, I had options and every single dish I got was delish. My favorite was probably the cacio e pepe pasta at Roma Spartia (one of Anothony Bourdin’s favorite restaurants in Rome) and mozarella/tomato dip at this very inconspicuous family owned restaurant called Ristorante Spirito DiVino (this place was recommended by a friend- thanks Meleah :)). Another good one was Osteria Da Fortunata, which is a chain restaurant but still tastes authentic.
From Rome we took a train to Naples, the birthplace of modern pizza, where naturally we grabbed a pizza and took another train to Sorrento. Pizza was beautiful inside and out as it came wrapped literally in wrapping paper and yes, it was probably the best pizza I ever had. We didn’t spend much time in Naples as we had heard mixed reviews about ‘ending up in the wrong neighborhood’ (of which there were many apparently). So, without wasting much time, we hopped on a train ride to Sorrento. Once we arrived, we took a cab to our hotel- a Marriott property that was surprisingly palatial and was surrounded by Olive and lemon groves with beautiful views all around. The hotel used the olive oil procured from its own property and I remember it tasting very fresh (fresh olive oil is supposed to taste like fresh cut grass, I learned that in an olive oil tasting class) unlike the Trader Joe’s olive oil that I use on the regular.
My friend Carmina had suggested to use Sorrento as the central point to visit the Amalfi Coast and that’s exactly what we did. We explored Sorrento one day and took a culinary class up on the mountains as well. The next day we took a boat to Positano and then Amalfi- both are just as picturesque and full of iconic views- as depicted in travel magazines and movies. That’s probably the reason why it’s one of UNESCO’s Heritage Site. Surrounded with everything lemon, it’s so unique in every way. One of the best dining experiences we had was in Sorrento was at a restaurant called L’Antica Crattoria established in 1930. I vividly remember this restaurant being so aesthetically beautiful and we had the best truffle risotto here.
From Amalfi Coast we made our way back to Naples via Pompeii. Of course, we had to stop by this historical marvel of a place that was excavated after being buried under ash and debris because of the volcano that destroyed everything in its path. The amazing thing is that Pompeii still sits next to the same active volcano- Mount Vesuvius- today. The ruins of Pompeii are really something to experience, you get a glimpse of not only the life lived but also destroyed too early and abruptly, centuries ago. Some of the tools and processes they used back in 80-90BC that you see in the ruins are mind blowing.
Our last stop in Italy was Venice- one of my favorite places in the world! The floating city sits on wooden stakes that are driven into the lagoon of the Adriatic sea. The many canals, bridges, gondolas, water taxis and water buses all add to the beauty and uniqueness of this city. Summer time is crowded in Venice since it’s not too large of a city but even with crowds, walking around through the many alleys and discovering little stores/restaurants/wine bars around every corner is such a fun experience. And this time around we discovered our new favorite snack, something called cicchetti, which is unique to Venice. They were a chef’s kiss to our Venice experience!
I can’t end this blogpost without mentioning how many limoncellos, aperol spritz, Bellinis and desserts of all kinds including multiple gelatos a day I had. We truly experienced the sweet life of Italy and can’t wait to go back again someday.
Ciao!
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