Italy 2024

How does one sum up the most amazing trip in one blog post? Well I am going to try...

Our Italy trip was adventurous, fun, and exciting. Experiencing another culture was so rewarding. We learned a lot of Italian history on this trip, saw the most beautiful sights, and met so many wonderful and kind people from around the world. This is a trip I will NEVER forget. I could talk about it and write about it forever, but I'll try not to make this too long, if I can help it.

Here is a run down of what we did, the foods we ate, and all experiences along the way!

Our flight to Rome arrived pretty late the first day, so we had a hotel booked that was close to Roma Termini, the train station. We were tired from the long day of travel so we went straight to bed that night and woke up early the next day to begin exploring Rome. (This was the only place we stayed that Andrew and I would not recommend. So if you want to know where to avoid while reading this, send me a message, lol).

Day 2: Rome

This day we started bright and early to explore as much as we could. Our Airbnb we booked for the remainder of our time in Rome would not be available to check in until 3pm, so we found a luggage storage facility to hold onto our bags until then. This was super helpful and inexpensive. Rome has a lot of these and there was one very close to our Airbnb.

We had a morning tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. The weather was very nice in mid April. The temperature hovered around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so not too hot or cold. Learning a detailed history of the Colosseum was so much fun and our tour guide George was fantastic. I recommend booking your tour of the Colosseum in advance if you plan to visit. It will save you money and allow you to avoid any long lines for tickets day of. We booked our tour through Viator.

After our Colosseum tour we walked around a bit and took in the scenery, then grabbed a late lunch at Wanted. The first option we went to for lunch was closed. We learned that a lot of restaurants in Italy close after lunch between 3 and 4pm, and open back up around 7pm for dinner. We had to adjust to the eating schedule of the Italians which was different from that of the United States. For our first meal in Italy I opted for the Tortellini while Andrew had an Egg Burger. I teased him for his first Italian meal being a burger, but he said it was very good.

Once we finished lunch we were then able to grab our luggage and check into our Airbnb. We got settled in and met our Airbnb host. Our host was very kind and provided great recommendations of restaurants and things to do around the Airbnb. Our Airbnb was within 5 minutes of the Colosseum, so it was in such a great location of Rome.

Once settled into the Airbnb we went back out to walk around Rome. I wanted to see the Trevi Fountain so we walked there. It was super busy, but that was to be expected on a Friday night and knowing how popular of an attraction it was. We snapped some photos and then went to try gelato for the first time.

Day 3: Rome

On day three of Rome Andrew and I got to experience something very unique and special. Andrew had booked a private photoshoot with a photographer in Rome. He booked in advance and had found them through Airbnb. Our photographer Rufat was amazing! He walked us around Rome and introduced us to so many beautiful locations, while also sharing some history and stories of the different locations we took our photos at. The turn around for receiving our photos was very quick and they came out so so beautiful. I would recommend them to anyone who wants professional pictures taken in Rome. A link to book has been linked within the text above.

After our photo session we went back to our Airbnb and rested a little before walking to Piazza Navona where we had booked a cooking class held at Tucci restaurant. Piazza Navona was a happening place! There were a lot of restaurants in this area as well as shops. During our cooking class Andrew and I learned how to make ravioli and gelato from scratch! Our class would have normally been with other individuals but it ended up being just Andrew and I, and our two teachers. This was one of my favorite activities we did on the entire trip. Once we finished making our dishes we were sat on the outside patio and were given a complimentary glass of wine, then served our ravioli and gelato that we made. Everything was so delicious! We were allowed to add any toppings to our gelato, but it was so good on its own I ate it without anything added. Andrew added Nutella to his. Once we finished our food our waitress brought us out Limoncello shots to try.

Next we went to walk off our food, explore more of the area, and grab a few souvenirs for family and friends. Our cooking class teachers recommended that we go try authentic Italian tiramisu from a place called Two Sizes and gelato from Frigidarium. Because these places were some of the most authentic to Rome when we got to both of them the lines were long! Andrew and I split his gelato and this is where I discovered one of my favorite flavors. They had a panna cotta gelato, which I ended up getting every time we went to a gelato place in Italy after this (with the addition of other flavors).  It was SO good!

Mid afternoon we also walked to Trastavere which neighbored Rome. Here we walked around, snapped photos, and visited their botanical garden: Orto Botanico. On the walk back to Rome/our Airbnb we visited the Basilica Sandrea Della Valle. The ceilings had incredible artwork and the inside in general was simply stunning. This day we walked 10.1 miles, approximately 23,000 steps. My Hokas I bought for this trip saved my feet.

Day 4: Scanno

On this day we woke up early to start the journey to the most peaceful location of our trip in central Italy: Scanno. This was the portion of the trip that was planned in full by Andrew. Because there were no train routes or busses that take you to Scanno (mountain roads were not suitable for this type of transportation), we booked a rental car in advance and went to pick it up that morning near the Rome airport. The drive was around 2 1/2 hours from Rome to Scanno, but the drive provided some gorgeous mountain and lake views. Scanno is a part of Parco Nazionale D'Abruzzo Lazio e Molise and the area is breathtaking. We stayed in an Airbnb while in Scanno that was centrally located in their small village. I felt like I had went back in time when I was there. The people here were incredibly kind as well. While here Andrew got us authentic Italian drinks and arancinni and suppli. We walked around the town then for dinner grabbed drinks and apertivo at L’orso Brillo. This is where we met our feline friend Brilla.

Day 5: Scanno

My favorite day in Scanno. In the morning we got up and hiked Sentiero del Cuore (path of the heart) to see views of Lake Scanno. As you can see in the pictures below the lake is shaped like a heart, hence where the name comes from.

After our hikes we went back to the Airbnb, cleaned ourselves up and prepared for a wine tasting/winery tour at Cantina Margiotta. Here we had a beautiful tour and wine tasting with Francesca who is the fifth generation of her family that owns the winery. She was very kind and shared how their wines are made, walked us around the vineyard and the establishment, let us sample 4 different varieties of wine, and provided us with delicious local cheeses and meats. I fell in love with their homemade jam and brought some home with me, as well as a bottle of their Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosé.

We discussed with Francesca some of our travel plans and she encouraged us to visit Sulmona and try their confetti, which we ended up doing as soon as we left. Confetti is not what you may think. It is candy coated almonds.

For dinner we went back to Scanno and dined at Antica Dimora Fuori le Mura. Here we got to use some of our Italian we had learned and been practicing to order our dinner. For dinner I had a yummy pasta dish: Chitarra Ricotta Guanciale e Pepe, and Andrew had a pasta dish as well: Tagliatelle Al Battuto Di Agnello.

Day 6: Amalfi Coast

An early start was needed on this day to travel to the Amalfi Coast. We checked out early in Scanno, returned our rental car to the location in Rome, and then hopped on a train to Salerno. We booked a fast train and while on the train we were able to see Mount Vesuvius, which was pretty neat. Once our train ride was complete we then hopped on a bus to Amalfi and then another bus to Pogerola. We found a beautiful Airbnb in Pogerola which is right up the road from Amalfi. It was close enough to all the fun, but away from the hustle and bustle of the busier cities. It was also a bit cheaper to stay here. We had beautiful views of the coast from the balcony of our room and we had the sweetest hosts! The mother of our host prepared us homemade meals for dinner this night and provided us with a menu to choose from. I had a basil pasta and Andrew had lemon sea bass. She even gave us an orange pound cake to try for dessert. Then we showered, rested, and prepared for tomorrow's fun.

Day 7: Amalfi/Positano

This day was the most fun! There was a lot packed into it, but I wouldn't change a thing. We took a quick bus to Amalfi and began our exploration of the coast. We had a light breakfast at Gran Caffé, which is pictured below. To be honest I have no idea what I ordered but it was pretty good. I have suspicions that it had a small amount of alcohol in it because it had a strong flavor I could not identify.

We then did some window shopping and explored Amalfi on foot. We visited their famous church. While in the church we were able to view some of the carved artwork/paintings of the walls and ceiling from the original construction of the church. I did not snap many photos here to show my respect and help preserve the delicate art.

Next we took the bus to Positano, and boy do I wish we had more time there because it was BEAUTIFUL and incredible! I would go back in a heart beat. Positano had so many great shops, and ceramics were very popular here. The views in Positano were unlike anything I had ever seen before! The most blue water, stunning mountain views, black sand beaches, and colorful buildings built into the mountain. We walked the beach and soaked in as many shops as we could. We had a dinner reservation this night but wanted to grab something for lunch so without having that part planned we stumbled upon Ristorante La Cambusa and had lunch here. It was located right on the beach and we were sat at a window seat that overlooked the coast. Here I had steak and fries (took a break from pasta this time) while Andrew was adventurous and tried their pasta with clam and mussels. Afterwards we split a gelato from Gelateria Artigianale (buca do bacco). Of course I got a scoop of my favorite: Panna Cotta!

Between lunch and dinner we walked around and explored some more. I grabbed a new purse from a cute boutique called CB Positano. They had so many great handmade, quilted bags and gorgeous dresses.

Our dinner reservation was at Ristorante Bruno, a beautiful restaurant with Instagrammable, Pinterest worthy views and photo opportunities. Right before our dinner reservation however it began to drizzle and dining was moved inside. Therefor I think we must go back to get the full experience, of course! Here I tried my first Aperol Spritz and tried a sip of Andrew's Limoncello Spritz. Afterwards we bussed back to our Airbnb, grabbed a small gelato, and a pastry I ended up falling in love with: Lemon Delight.

Day 8: Amalfi

This was our last day on the coast before prepping to fly home the next day. We checked out of our Airbnb this morning then bussed to Amalfi, found another luggage storage facility for a few hours, then hit the town. We had light breakfast pastries from Savoia. Pictured below is the infamous "Lemon Delight" that I loved so much. Some more exploring by foot took place and we dodged a little rain this day. We decided on lunch at Ristorante Royal and I had the best lasagna I have ever had, while Andrew had pizza that I also tried and it was delicious as well. We grabbed some souvenirs for ourselves, a snow globe for me and mosaic coasters for Andrew. Once the next bus to Salerno was available we hopped on, then took the train back to Rome. Because we had a 6am flight out of Rome the next day, we opted for staying at the airport hotel. It was very cozy and super convenient for an early morning flight.