Travels: Italy in a week

March 17, 2018

Travels: Italy in a week

This past summer I got the pleasure of enjoying Italy for the first time with my family! We flew from London to Rome early in the morning to get the most of just under a week exploring Rome, Sienna, Florence, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. It was the beginning of August and it was boiling hot the whole time we were there! We had a busy schedule to see the most we could of Italy in a short amount of time but it was worth it.

We started the adventure in Rome where we landed early in the morning from London and picked up the rental car. The first day was crazy hot and crazy busy. At almost over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) we were dripping sweat as we went from Piazza Navona, to the Colosseum, past the Roman Forum, by the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. Eating gelato on the Spanish Steps was definitely a highlight of the day as it was the most relaxing and beautiful place to sit down and take in the atmosphere. The Trevi Fountain was just as magical as everyone tells you, an absolute must-do, and even more picturesque at dusk.

The second day in Italy was composed entirely of exploring Vatican City. I was wearing a Polo Ralph Lauren classic polo dress, so not the most breathable material--worst decision ever. There is no air conditioning in the Vatican if you're wondering and it was pretty unbearable in the height of the heat of summer. No wonder all the Italians leave in August. Regardless it was a really culturally enriching experience, the tour was well worth it to understand what we were seeing throughout the Vatican Museum. We also got a chance to go into the Sistine Chapel which was an incredible experience, however there are pretty strict rules about what to wear in the chapel, not to take pictures, and not to talk, and it really brought down the experience when people ignored the rules. If you're not very religious it is still an enriching experience, and you can say you've technically checked another country off your list.

After two exhausting days seeing all we could in Rome it was off to Tuscany to see Sienna and Florence. This was by far my favorite part of Italy. I love getting out of big cities and exploring smaller towns and the country side and that is exactly what we were able to do on the way up through Tuscany. When we got to Sienna we went on a guided bike tour of the city and the countryside. After a challenging 20km we ended at a winery and were able to sit back and relax while trying new wines. It felt oh so very Italian and was a perfect summer day. After a day enjoying Sienna, we were off to Florence. Florence was a charming city where we were able to see The David, the Ponte Vecchio, Florence Cathedral, and wandered the streets looking for quaint Italian restaurants to eat at.

After another wonderful day under the Tuscan sun we were off to Pisa, and then to spend a night in Genoa with an unexpected stop on the way. Pisa is known for it's famed leaning tower, but there is nothing else to do there. Don't plan longer than a short stop over to this city because after you get you picture holding up the tower you'll want to get out. Upon taking out obligatory pictures, we were off to drive up to Genoa where we were staying for the night on the Northern Coast.

I had heard a lot about Cinque Terre and seen gorgeous pictures but I knew it wasn't on our itinerary and I hadn't bothered asking because I assumed we'd need more time to see it. However, when I was looking at Google Maps to see where we were on the journey I noticed we were actually only about an hour away from one of the famous and picturesque Cinque Terre villages. I googled the directions and went on a whim and asked my parents if we could go a bit out of the way for dinner. After showing them pictures, we were on our way to Manarola, Cinque Terre.

My mom will be mad at me for telling you where we went because once we got there and saw what a gem of a town it was she decided that that's where I should honeymoon and that I shouldn't let the secret out of where it is. I only chose the town of Manarola because we were closest to it but it was one of the most beautiful places I have EVER been. I am absolutely in love with that little fishing village known for their pesto and gorgeous sunset views. We got there at the perfect time to see the sunset after a scary drive up narrow mountain roads. We were only there for about an hour but I would love to go back some day. You can do hikes along the mountains on the coast to get from village to village and I would love to go back and do something like that. If you are ever near the northern coast of Italy it is worth going out of your way for, you will not be disappointed. It ended up being one of our favorite stops and we weren't even there long! It was certainly the perfect way to end our road trip of Italy! Hopefully you can get a sense of the beauty and get inspired to plan your trip through my pictures below!