Sometime during the cold, drab days of January, my mother suggested we travel overseas together for our birthdays. I had never been overseas before. I’m the age where one seems to feel wanderlust — my mid-20s — and I’ve grown accustomed to hearing friends’ tales of backpacking across Europe or tromping through Thailand. I was ready to travel, too. I wanted to see what I had only read about, experience a culture unlike my own.
Mostly, I wanted to escape.
Until Mom mentioned the trip, I had been spending those winter days attempting to pick up the pieces of my life after a family tragedy. Absolutely nothing could fix what happened, but what I didn’t realize in January is that there are places tucked away in the corners of the world that are so cathartic they have the ability to help one heal.
Mom picked Italy. She had traveled there before and fell in love with its beauty and culture. She thought it would be a great first-time overseas destination because the locals are friendly and, for the most part, speak at least some English.
Italy is part of our heritage, as well, and it was important to my mother to show me our roots. Also, Mom was eager to see things she had missed the first time around. And so, on March 16, we left chilly Denver behind and set out for the country that values il dolce far niente — “the sweetness of doing nothing” — nothing but enjoying life’s greatest pleasures, which was exactly what I needed.
At one point, toward the end of what turned out to be a nine-day trip that took us from Rome to Florence, Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast, I found myself in Positano, along the coast.
A cool breeze swept across my face; I took a deep breath and looked out at the turquoise sea and white stone beach. The smell of seafood risotto tickled my nose. Mesmerized by the beads of condensation slowly rolling off my glass of cold champagne, I snapped out of this trance when I heard the sounds of children giggling and playing in the sand nearby.
I realized at that moment what it meant to live in the present. I looked over at my mother and knew she was thinking the same. It was the first I had felt truly calm in a long time.
I will forever be amazed at what Italy did for my soul.
Rome
Our excursion began in the country’s capital, arriving at Leonardo da Vinci Airport on a sunny, mild morning. Exhausted from jet lag but not willing to waste a minute, we dropped our luggage off and set out on foot to discover the Eternal City.
I was immediately utterly taken with the opulence and beauty that is Rome. Around every corner are jewel-adorned cathedrals, elaborate fountains, or well-preserved ruins and statues, some standing since 29 B.C.
But it’s that seamless juxtaposition of old and new that has to be seen to be believed: Among streets filled with chic Italian women and classy- suited Italian businessmen, and storefront windows of Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, is the art and architecture that helped shape the Western world.
When I mentioned this to my mother, she asked how I was able to overlook some of the filthier parts of the city: the graffiti, litter and smog that plague most urban areas. Funny, I hadn’t even noticed.
Before the trip, my mother had us scheduled down to the hour. In her experiences of European travel, it’s better to go with a well-coordinated itinerary that can be tweaked accordingly. This meant we had many organized tours sprinkled throughout.
Initially I was wary of the tours — I always thought spontaneous exploring was how to truly travel, but I kept that thought to myself. In the end, though, I’m glad we opted for them; they were small and intimate enough to avoid feeling lost in a mob of tourists, and I doubt I would have walked away with the appreciation and knowledge that I did without them. My recommendation, however, is to avoid larger tour groups; a 10-person limit allows for more face time with the expert.
Our first day consisted of an ancient-Rome walking tour. We took in the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Capitaline Hill, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, with which I fell in love (more on that later).
Although my mother had been here before, she still maintains that nothing quite compares to turning a corner in the middle of Rome and suddenly, towering before you, is the splendor and magnificence of the Colosseum. I closed my eyes and couldn’t believe I was standing right where gladiators had fought more than 2,000 years ago.
Our walk through historic Rome was concluded by our first of many, many cups of Italian gelato. There is nothing quite like gelato in Italy; it is creamy, rich and melts in your mouth. I would fly back to Italy for the gelato alone. Perhaps, if the wish I made that day in the Trevi Fountain comes true, I will be back soon enough.
At the end of that first day, my body was tired but my mind was going a mile a minute. That’s when we found ourselves in a place I’ll never forget: Piazza Navona.
This particular piazza (city square) is alive with everything Roman: art, music, laughter, food, wine and people-watching. I couldn’t help but notice that everyone seemed to be happy.
There was the little boy who started an impromptu game of peekaboo with me, hiding behind the safety of his father’s back while playing with a toy gun that shot perfectly round, iridescent bubbles into the azure sky. There was the street musician sitting on a cardboard box, slowly and sleepily strumming his guitar. There also were the groups of European teenagers on holiday, running and laughing in the streets.
We sat down to dinner outside in the square that evening, armed with smoked salmon, bruschetta and cold glasses of Prosecco, and watched the people passing by as the sun set.
As we headed back to our hotel, the sun had gone down and Rome had become a different place. Lampposts flickered a dull, warm light, fountains were now illuminated, and groups of friends sat at small tables outside holding big glasses of red wine. Nighttime Rome is even more amazing than daytime Rome.
We ducked into a pastry shop so I could buy Mom a birthday treat. Behind the glass case were delectable pastries as far as the eye could see: macaroons, biscotti, fruit and chocolate torts, traditional Roman cakes such as mostaccioli and ricotta-filled cannoli. Remembering her Italian father, my mother requested a cannoli, my late grandfather’s favorite treat. It was a sweet ending to a perfect Roman night.
We spent the next day touring Vatican City, including the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. In retrospect, touring the Sistine Chapel was like touring Italy — its beauty was legendary, but once I was there, I couldn’t believe what I was actually seeing.
Amalfi Coast
Our trip was nearing its bittersweet end. We hopped on the train from Florence to Rome and a final day trip down the Amalfi Coast, hitting Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano and the town of Amalfi. We did this in one day, and it was the most exhausting of our trip. Again, this is another part of Italy that you will want to spread out over two days at least — this kind of beauty should not be rushed.
Pompeii is the site of the AD 79 Mount Vesuvius eruption that froze the town in its place. A mix of volcanic ash and pumice stone covered the area and its inhabitants on that fateful day; it was uncovered by chance in the 16th century and is now Italy’s most famous archeological site.
Walking around what has been restored of the city center, amphitheater, houses and brothels, it isn’t hard to picture what this ancient town looked like. Not for the faint of heart are the remains of several bodies overwhelmed by the eruption and left in situ. This remarkably preserved ancient town was Mom’s favorite part of the trip. Our guide grew up in Pompeii, and his stories and passion for history gave us one of the best tours of our trip.
Back in the tour van, we whipped along narrow, winding roads as we made our way down the Amalfi Coast. The Mediterranean Sea sparkled from the bright sun overhead, and I could smell sea salt in the air. Huge verandas stacked on the hills towered before us. An old man sold lemons bigger than my head out of his truck on the side of the road. We wound around the cliffs until we reached Ristorante La Pergola, a lovely restaurant in Positano, as close to the Mediterranean as the sand itself.
It was here that I found myself looking over that turquoise sea, eating my seafood risotto, drinking my birthday glass of champagne and listening to the laughter of children in the distance.
Mom and I would say goodbye to Italy the next day, and I was having a hard time accepting it. Although I didn’t want to go back to reality, I did feel better equipped after having spent nine days in the peace and perfection of Italy, which had turned out to be the right place at the right time.
Florence
When we arrived in Florence, we attempted to find the site of our first tour, the Uffizi Gallery (Boticelli’s famous Venus lives there) and Accademia Gallery (home to Michaelangelo’s “David,” which my mom had missed on her first trip because it was being renovated).
Lost and exhausted from wandering aimlessly, we stopped to ask some locals for directions. I was suprised that although they didn’t speak a lick of English, our new Italian friends wanted nothing more than to help us find our way. Through a series of mangled hand gestures and bad translations on both sides, we found our way.
Florence reminded me of Rome. Streets are lined with street artists, cafes, vendors, museums and cathedrals. I was especially content when we found ourselves rubbing elbows with the locals at a cafe, sipping robust espresso and enjoying tomato, basil and mozzarella baguettes.
Mom and I did as the Italians do and made a point to carve time out of every day to take a load off, sip piping-hot caffeinated beverages and relish fine food.
After our first day in Florence, I had what many travelers refer to as an art hangover. There is just too much art to see in Florence. If you plan to visit and want to take in all of the art that Florence boasts, plan to slow down. Then take a cue from my Mom and return one day, if you can, to cover what you might have missed.
Cinque Terre
Oh, Cinque Terre, how I love you. No visit to Italy would be complete without a trip to what I now consider one of my favorite places in the world: the string of five charming fishing villages situated along the Liguarian coast. Never have I visited a place with more allure and postcard-perfect beauty as Cinque Terre. Hiking from Riomaggiore, the easternmost village to Monterosso al Mare, the westernmost village, takes about five hours and covers about 8 miles.
As part of a tour group that met in Florence, we hiked from Riomaggiore to Corniglia and then took a train that runs between the villages to see the rest. Mom and I agreed that if we’re lucky enough to find ourselves back in Cinque Terre together someday, we’ll do the entire hike. We also visited Cinque Terre as a day trip, and because of its charm and peacefulness, I would have loved a couple of nights there. I recommend as much time as you can spend in this little slice of heaven.
Each village is punctuated with vibrantly colored houses with dark, forest-green shutters and fishing boats lining the narrow streets, yet each sports unique cafes, shops and views. Vineyards are scattered on terraces chipped out of the hillsides. The trails are so steep that grape pickers use little tractors on monorails to carry the grapes down the hill.
Mom and I spent the afternoon buying handcrafted sage and lavender soaps, drinking Peroni, eating pieces of foccacia with thick slices of mozzarella and filling up our cameras’ memory cards. Cinque Terre made me feel alive. It’s the type of place you go to sit, think and bask in the world’s radiance.
I must have been wearing these thoughts on my face, because it was in Cinque Terre that my Mom told me that through my wide- eyed excitement, she was discovering Italy for the first time … again.
Italy Insider’s Guide
GET THERE
Airfare from Denver to Rome, with a layover in D.C., ran $860 round-trip in March; round-trip tickets start at $1,250 now with one stop (most major airlines make the trip). We enjoyed the cool, mild weather of Italy in March, as well as the decrease in tourists and airfare.
GET AROUND
The major cities in Italy are fairly easy to navigate. We made the mistake in Florence of having a map that lacked major detail (hence we got lost), so take detailed, reliable maps.
In Rome we walked most everywhere (be aware that cars and mopeds show little mercy for pedestrians). We did take taxis in Rome and Florence, which was as easy as hailing a cab in any major city. But be sure you’re getting into an “official taxi” (yellow in Rome and white most other places) — my mother got into a pirate cab on her last trip and was ripped off.
We never took the bus or metro system around Rome or Florence (we simply preferred walking because, for the most part, we were never on a tight schedule), but with a map and travel guide, public transportation is easy enough to figure out.
We did, however, take the Eurostar high-speed train between Rome and Florence. Fare is charged according to distance traveled, as well as what class you decide to sit in. We opted for first class; a one-way ticket cost about 160 euro each (second class or the regional train are less expensive). Visit ferroviedellostato .it. Also, is a great site for more info.
STAY
Hotels in Italy are classified according to stars; one star gets you an extremely basic, perhaps shared, facility and five stars is the cream of the crop. Rooms in Italy run much smaller than here, but really you shouldn’t be spending much time in your room anyway.
Rome
Hotel Opera Roma (Via Firenze, 11, 06 487 1787, ). Located in front of the Opera Theatre of Rome and in the historic center of the city, this is a modest hotel with a friendly, English-speaking staff, and an impressive breakfast included in the price of the stay. A no-frills hotel with the hard pillows seemingly typical of European hotels; otherwise we very much recommend this one. Rates: about 120 euro.
Florence
Hotel Annabella (Via Fiume, 5, 055 281 877, hotelannabella.it). Unfortunately, I can’t say that our hotel experience in Florence was as nice as it was in Rome. I would not recommend this one — with an extremely rude and unhelpful staff, filthy mattresses and blankets, and paper-thin walls, the only thing it had going for it was its location: downtown Florence, about two minutes’ walking distance from the Florence train station. Rates: 90 euro a night.
DINE
Rome
La Taverna dei Monti (41, Via del Boschetto). Hidden in an alleyway off via Nazionale (the main strip in historic Rome) is this gem; seafood is the specialty, with fresh fish, mussels, clams and lobster. Waiters in Italy are especially talented at up-selling, so ask for a price when you order that next bottle of wine. We got carried away when ordering dessert and more drinks and were shocked when our bill came (many menus do not list prices, but don’t be afraid to ask.)
4 Fiumi (Piazza Navona, 37-38). Located in beautiful Palazza Navona, 4 Fiumi is an ideal outdoor dining experience. Take a load off, order some wine and pasta, and watch people pass by at this modestly priced restaurant. Oh, and order the smoked salmon; you can thank me later.
Bella Napoli (Via del Traforo). On our way to visit the Spanish Steps we stopped at this casual pizzeria and sandwich shop for delicious prosciutto panini and Caprese salad.
Florence
Donnini (Piazza Repubblica): Mom and I dined outside at this laid-back restaurant while listening to a street performer sing opera at the top of her lungs. My first taste of spaghetti carbonara was here, and I was utterly blown away. Although I was having enough calories for a whole day during one meal, it was quite possibly my favorite meal during our trip, and that’s saying a lot.
Cinque Terre
Da Ercole (Via Visconti, Vernazza). We were too concerned with shopping and sightseeing while in Cinque Terre to make time for a formal sit-down lunch; instead we popped into this hole-in-the- wall pizzeria for cold beer and pizza. This is a great spot for a casual Cinque Terre lunch.
Positano
Ristorante La Pergola (Via del Brigantino): By far the loveliest restaurant we dined at, Ristorante La Pergola is a must. The cherry on top was the wait staff bringing me a traditional Italian lemon cake with a birthday candle on it for my special day.
TOURS
Rome Ancient & Old Rome Walking Tour (ticket clic.it). This three-hour walking tour will take you through the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The tour runs 27 euro per person, not including the 15-euro fee for Colosseum and Roman Forum admittance. Included in this price is the ability to skip the painfully long lines at the Colosseum and the Forum (in fact, with the majority of tours, you skip all lines; tour groups are simply waved in).
Eden Walks Vatican Tour: This is another three-hour tour of Vatican City and includes the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. The 45 euro fee includes admittance and, in our case, an extremely knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. The Vatican Museum is generally open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. If you choose to visit on your own you can book tickets ahead of time and avoid lines. More information can be found at vatican.va. Information about St. Peter’s Basilica can be found at .
Art Viva Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery & The Original David Museum Tour (). The Masterpieces tour, at 39 euro and two hours, is an awe-inspiring art lesson through the work of Botticelli, Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. The Original David Tour, at 35 euro and one hour, gives an informative peek into the life of Michaelangelo and one of his greatest creations, the “David” statue. For those doing it on their own, the Uffizi Gallery () and Accademia (where “David” is kept) are open Tuesday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Avventure Bellissime Small Group Day Tour of Cinque Terre (). This tour group, which started in Florence, is limited to eight people and begins with a hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola. In Manarola we took the train to Vernazza (in the summer months the tour arrives by boat in Vernazza). Before heading back to Florence we drove up to Corniglia, the only town not located directly on the water. Cost, including the Cinque Terre Card, is 150 euro per person. The Cinque Terre card provides unlimited travel on the second-class trains and access to all services of Cinque Terre. More info on Cinque Terre: .
Avventure Bellissime Pompeii/Amalfi Small Group Day Tour (). Although with this tour we saw more amazing sights in one day than most people do in a year, this was the most exhausting tour of our trip, a 14-hour day from Rome to Pompeii, then down the Amalfi coast to Positano. Along the way we stopped in Sorrento for a breathtaking photo op and some fresh Mediterranean air. Cost: 185 euro.
Casey Lansinger
