Italy is one of those countries you can visit as many times and still be enthralled.
This trip began with a strategically-curated, express tour of Rome. My wife had never explored Rome, and since the majority of our visit was to be spent in the south, we had a strict 36-hour window.
We had an overnight flight from Chicago to Rome, and got as much intermittent sleep we could in our basic-economy seats. Translation; we didn't sleep much. But as we got out of Fiumicino airport, our adrenalin took over. We took the train to downtown Rome, dropped of our luggage, and found a local cafe (they're everywhere) to get a shot of espresso. Like a B12 shot to the jugular, we were laser-focused on the task at hand.
We kept everything within a reasonable vicinity day one. We started at the Trevi Fountain & Pantheon, and worked our way over towards Altare della Patria (Vittoriano), The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano, and the Colosseum. It's hard to go wrong visiting any historic site in Rome, but rest assured I would put ALL of these on your to-do list. You can do interior tours of each of the above landmarks at a cost ($); otherwise each are free to view in all of the splendor from the exterior.
Day 2 in Rome brought us to the Vatican. If you're staying in central Rome, you can walk to Vatican City in about 45 minutes (justifies all of the carbs you'll be eating). I was especially excited to see the Vatican & St. Peter's Basilica, as it was something I didn't get around to my first time to Rome. It's quite a spectacle on both the inside and out. Being in the presence of historical, religious artifacts that are still very much in use/existence today gave the sense you were walking back through time. Each direction you turn within the Vatican provides ancient insight into Christianity and those who were directly involved, some 2,000 years ago.
Everything within your visit is worth seeing, but if I had to narrow down a few choice favorites, I would say The Pietà (Michelangelo's sculpture of Mary holding Jesus after Crucifixion), and the Sistine Chapel are both CAN'T MISS. *One note about the Sistine Chapel; they do not allow pictures inside, but if your stealth capabilities are better than mine, you might be able to sneak a few. (I tried and got reprimanded, but was not forced to delete the images)
They offer tours (in multiple languages) to get better insight into all of the history behind the Vatican, but we opted to just do a general admission tour, so we could go at our own pace. Either way, I would STRONGLY advise to book this tour in advance, as you can only go in at certain times throughout the day, the queue for those without tickets was very long.
By the time we got out of Vatican City and headed back to Rome, I was in a daze, but we didn't have time to slow down, as we had to hop a train south for Naples. Naples was a layover point to connect via boat to the Amalfi coast, but there was no way I was going to Naples without stopping for pizza. The motherland of modern-day pizza, this region is known for their world-famous San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano's are plum tomatoes, which are longer and thinner than a typical plum tomato and are famed for their balanced flavor of sweetness, and intensity. You can get a pizza just about anywhere in the area and won't be disappointed. The sauce bursts with a flavor that doesn't overwhelm the mozzarella and dough and is light enough to eat and not feel like you'll be in a coma afterwards. best pizza on earth...PERIOD.
Our journey continued on as we hopped a boat for Sorrento and Positano, villages embedded in the hills of the Amalfi coast. Both were stunning, and many of you would probably recognize Positano in film/media, as it's known for it's romantic backdrop. The homes & buildings popped with varying, bold colors to dazzle during the day, and were gorgeously illuminated at night. At one point I sent a picture to my family and my brother replied, asking if we were, "on the set of a Wes Anderson movie."
As beautiful as both were, I think I enjoyed Sorrento a little more. Positano was 10/10 in regards to sheer beauty, but it felt overcrowded (lots of honeymooners) and the uphill walking could be treacherous at times. Sorrento was more laid back and seemed to have a more local-vibe where you could spend time conversing with individuals, rather than feeling like you're at a theme park. Sorrento also had great local vendors and a town square-like area, where each night visitors could meet up and enjoy live entertainment libations.
One of the days we took a boat tour to the Island of Capri. The favorite island retreat of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius (who you'll hear some twisted stories about) Capri is loaded with historical beauty and offers plenty of things to see, Villa San Michele, Grotta Azzurra (the Blue Grotto), Via Krupp, Villa Jovis, but I think my favorite spot on the island was the Gardens of Augustus. This is the botanical gardens located on the island that offers incredibly vibrant flowers such as geraniums, dahlias and brooms. If it's hot while you're there, make sure you also try some of their fresh limoncello! The liqueur is "Only Lemons I.G.P." certified, meaning the lemons are only sourced from Capri Island and Sorrento Peninsula in Italy, due to the supreme quality and flavor of lemons from those areas.
Like I said, Italy is never disappointing, and now that we've covered the south, I am hopeful to one day traverse the northern part of the country...but until then, I'm comin' home, baby!
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Never leave home without the proper music to accompany. -like pairing wine w/ dinner- The playlist below was built specifically for this itinerary.
Let's Go - The Feelies
Twisterella - Ride
Collage - James Gang
Scenes...Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
Moment In The Sun - Clem Snide
Chance - Steve Gunn
Good Souls - Starsailor
The Bends - Radiohead
Neat Little Rows - Elbow
Texture - Catherine Wheel
Reasons For Waiting - Jethro Tull
VTR - The Twilight Sad
A Mistake - Fiona Apple
Digging In The Dirt - Peter Gabriel
English Summer - Other Lives
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