My big bucket list item before leaving Europe was to see the country of Italy. Even though Dan and I had stayed in the Italian Dolomites in our first year of living in the Czech Republic, I was longing to see the famous streets of Rome, the iconic Southern Coast, and the secret passageways of Venice. My parents, knowing of my dream (and dreaming of Italy themselves), made our magical and unbelievable two week stay in beautiful Italy happen. Our itinerary consisted of the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Rome, Orvieto, Florence, & Venice. I will forever be thankful for my parent’s generosity and zeal in making this once-in-a-lifetime trip a reality. As a result, we have so many memories together that will last throughout each of our lifetimes.
A few observations + tips to note:
Pack a very basic capsule wardrobe for a two-week stay in Italy. I was lucky enough to have learned this in my previous travels throughout Europe and was so happy to have practical travel pieces that I could layer throughout the day and wear again throughout the weeks. Keep makeup and jewelry to a minimum (especially in the late summer months), opt for a fun sun hat, and make sure to pack a pair of sturdy walking shoes & sandals. I would also keep a small hairbrush, travel deodorant, water bottle, chapstick, & sunblock on me in a backpack during the day.
Where you eat in Italy is absolutely everything. While you can definitely stumble upon authentic treasures as you explore the streets, it pays to have recommendations from friends or locals. Some of the very best places we ate at were either recommendations from Dan’s last trip to Italy, a local guide, or friends of ours who had traveled to Italy in the past.
Don’t overdo it when scheduling your days. I understand wanting to see all the sights in a city or place (our three day stay in Rome was definitely packed with sightseeing), but it will be well worth skipping a few activities to soak up your experience in this new world.
Naples: Our First Stop
Maybe it’s because I had dreamed of this for so long, but there was a different smell in the air when we landed in Naples. The city was hot and crowded with people that were packed on the streets. There were loud and ever-present sounds of vespas and taxis and Italian voices shouting wherever we went throughout the country.
The first thing that Dan and I did after we arrived in Naples was to buy straw sun hats from an outdoor street vendor, solidifying our very touristy look. While we waited for my parents to arrive from the states, we wandered the hazy stone streets and found the famous Spaccanapoli Street: a historic center and ancient passageway crammed with little pastry shops, piazzas (small open squares in each neighborhood), pizzerias, gelato stands, church cathedrals, and much more. I kept tugging on Dan’s hand and running ahead, taking in the smells, the shouts of Italian, and the worn-down rustic beauty all around me.
After a conversation with one of the locals, Dan and I sat down at a restaurant in a small piazza near the entrance of the street and ordered two pasta dishes. We laughed with our waiter, who helped us pick out our meals, as he proudly presented our steaming plates with, “Welcome to Italy! This is Naples, real Napoli!” It was perfect.
The Amalfi Coast: Four Days In Paradise
After my parents arrived in Naples, the four of us took a two hour train ride to the resort town of Sorrento: the gate of the Amalfi Coast & our anchor during our time in Southern Italy. We spent the most consecutive time on the coast during our trip to Italy. I could go on and on about the sheer majesty of the coastal cliffs, the tiny rugged houses that hugged the mountainous shorelines, and the thick greenery of olive groves that blanketed the rocky bluffs. We drank daily glasses of tart limoncello (a special lemon liquor), ate scoops upon scoops of gelato, and rode the buses up and down the coast every day.
The Amalfi Walk. I highly recommend doing the Amalfi Walk (more like a hike) from the mountaintop village of Ravello, through the maze of streets in Atrani, to the charming town of Amalfi. Ravello had sweeping views of the ocean and pretty gardens that were a marvel to wander through. From there, the hike down to Atrani was one of my most favorite memories during my time living in Europe. Atrani had endless little passages and streets that we got lost in as we navigated our way through the whitewashed town. We ended up getting lost several times as we walked through peaceful piazzas, staircases, and narrow alleyways. Each dead end opened up to a jaw-dropping view of the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea.
Sorrento Boat Excursion. During one of our days, my parents made the trek to the island of Capri while Dan and I decided on a boat tour of Sorrento’s coast. Because we were traveling on the off-season, only one other couple joined us on our boat excursion: a cute older couple from Australia who we became fast friends with. It was a relaxing experience that felt super luxurious, as there were only four of us on the boat along with a private guide of the coast. After touring the different swimming pockets and rocky bluffs, we jumped into the icy blue waters, swam with heavenly views of Capri in the backdrop, and drank (more) lemon-y limoncello from the boat deck. A true dream day.
Day in Positano. If you have only one destination to visit on the Amalfi Coast, make it Positano. This was my all-time bucket list destination to cross off and it was everything and more than what I expected. While my parents braved the striking Walk of the God’s hike, Dan and I took the bus from Sorrento to spend a whole day exploring and swimming in Positano. The city was bursting with pastel colors, fragrant garden terraces, and dreamy views of the famous cliffside houses that were crammed on the mountain's shoreline. It was, perhaps, the most surreal day that I had on the coast: buying a precious piece of pottery, floating in the ocean staring up at the impressive cliffs, toasting little limoncello bottles on the beach, and eating a candlelit dinner of lasagna from above the mountain. It is a film strip that keeps replaying constantly in my mind.
Pompeii: An Archeological Wonder
Our last day on Italy’s coast included a whole afternoon dedicated to seeing the archeological wonder of Pompeii. This was a major dream come true for my dad, who had seen Pompeii in movies growing up, & was excited to finally see the city in person. Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and was hidden for years before it was found again in the 1700’s. Armed with Rick Steves audio guides, all four of us walked through the ruins that contained preserved quarters, bathhouses, theaters, and old world food stalls. We wandered street after street, with Mount Vesuvius towering above us from afar.