Ready for more experiences in Italy?
From my last post about the north, you can probably discern that I very much enjoyed my time in that area. And now, I'll take you down to the central area with Rome and the Vatican, then further south to the coastal cities.
Andiamo!
Vatican City
Duration of stay: 4 hours
This was my second time visiting this tiny country, and I was able explore more of the museums this time. When I had preciously come through here, we went through the main part of the city, the Sistine Chapel, and came out the other side of St. Peter's Basilica. This time, my group was escorted through the museums by a very informative guide before we moved on to the Basilica. There were also far less crowds this time.
One of the interesting aspects of Vatican City is that it is a Catholic province but there is artwork, mostly in sculptures and mosaics, of Greek and Roman mythological figures. It's extremely common to find symbols of Romulus and Remus with the She-Wolf who raised them, but finding statues of Jupiter and Diana in a place dedicated to the Catholic faith has always made me scratch my head.
Regardless, the art here, whether based in mythology or the Bible, is unlike anything you will ever see in your life. You will see the infamous Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo, which you are forbidden to take pictures of, incredible tapestries, and intricate maps that were painted back in the Renaissance era. It's all quite breathtaking!
Now St. Peter's Basilica is technically outside of the Vatican, but is still just as incredible to visit. You can also pay to go to the top of the dome, which is cheaper to go up the 300 steps, or you can pay extra to take the lift for the first part, then go up the next 200 steps to the very top where you can view all of Rome! My travel buddy and I opted for the lift but were still completely wiped after going up those extra stairs to the top. By the time we had reached St. Peter's Square, we were done for the day and just went back to our hotel for the rest of the afternoon. Those stairs are the real deal!
Whether you are Catholic or not, going through the Vatican is worth it for the Sistine Chapel alone. And if you're going to try to reach the top of the Basilica, do it at the end of the day so that you can take the rest of the evening off. Even if you're at peak physical shape, that ascent is no joke.
Pompeii
Duration of stay: 2.5 hours
You may have heard of this city before, as it's one of the most famous cities ever buried by a volcano, but its notoriety comes from the fact that under the volcanic ash that buried this area, the city itself was almost perfectly preserved. Many of these ruins have been lost to time, but walls, pillars, roads, mosaics, and a few structures are still intact.
To see how much of this ancient city has been uncovered and opened a rare door into history is incredible. But then you come across the plaster casts of people in their final moments, the devastation of these citizens' final moments becomes very real and extremely eerie. I chose not to snap any pictures of these casts because I personally felt like it would be disrespectful. I don't hold it against anyone who did take any pictures, as it is still a rare experience to come by wherever you go, but I for one didn't feel okay doing that.
Watch out for the streets, for they weren't meant for walking, they were meant for sewage runoff back in the day (GROSS!). You can also find phalluses all over the place, which were intended to direct the people to the closest brothels. Crazily enough, some of the artwork inside these brothels displayed the, ahem, "services" that these prostitutes could offer, and anyone who wanted to engage them simply needed to point at the picture of what they wanted to pay for. Paintings were used because not everyone spoke the local languages and pointing to the pictures made communication clear!
Outside of the city, there's a market that sells souvenirs, many of which celebrate ancient Pompeii's focus on prostitution (if you catch my drift). There are also some jewelers here who make pieces from the lava rocks dug up in the area, making for cool pieces to wear!
If you're a fan of archaeology or history, this is definitely the place for you to visit. If you have a slightly immature sense of humor and just want to find the hidden men's parts all over the place, this may also be the place for you.
Naples
Duration of stay: overnight
If you're looking for an affordable city to visit in Italy, Naples, or Napoli, will be one of the first cities recommended to you. Many of the cities we had visited up to this point had appeared on the more affluent side, but Naples is not. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted mostly for its focus on the arts and architecture.
Naples is also the birthplace of pizza, so you will find pizza places everywhere around here. There are also dozens of theaters and uniquely designed duomos. One thing that stood out to me personally was that the people here truly love their city, but pedestrians do not have the right of way when crossing the street.
Our group rushed through here, so we didn't have much of a chance to experience the city. Once our tour ended, nearly everyone wanted to return to the hotel. Several areas we passed through felt a bit ghetto, and there were piles of trash everywhere. The pizza was immaculate, and the restaurant that provided dessert for us had some of the nicest servers we encountered, but overall, the city was just okay. More time there, particularly in the daytime, would likely have improved my opinion.
Still, there are many travelers who highly recommend this city and make the effort to stay there when going through Italy. If it's this endorsed, then there must be some magic here that I wasn't able to experience in my brief stay. Once again, it's one I'll have to pass through again.
Capri
Duration of stay: 6 hours
WOW.
Just...wow! Our first taste of this isle was in a cruise going around this island, and it was incredible! Not only is there incredible scenery all along the coast, but you can also enjoy a visit to the Blue Grotto, a cave with natural luminescence when the sun shines through (amazing acoustics too!). Best €14 I spent on the whole trip! We also stopped twice for swimming in the Mediterranean, which is something I would recommend over the beaches since those are usually overcrowded.
Back on the shore, the city is tiered on the hills, but there aren't any stairs between the tiers (GASP!), but they have a tram that will take passengers up the city center level for a small fee. The views from the city center are exquisite, but with the lowest level of the city made mostly for ferries and boat taxis, the majority of the tourists were in the center, making pedestrian traffic a bit congested.
There are extremely fancy restaurants and shops here, so the prices here are a bit higher. However, the food quality, regardless of if it's a sandwich shop or sit-down ristorante, is extremely flavorful and delicious. In fact, one of the best gelato shops I went to was here in Capri!
Even with the cruise, I felt that 6 hours is probably a good amount of time to spend here. The island is small and well worth the day trip, but unless you are going to spend time hiking here, the tourist areas can be explored within a few hours. I definitely want to hike those hills someday!
Positano
Duration of stay: 2.5 hours
One of the many gorgeous cities on the Amalfi Coast, Positano is an extremely picturesque city that you will frequently see on travel sites and Instagram. Like most of the cities on this coast, Positano is built into the side of the coastal mountain range, and therefore has many stairs. Its main draw for tourists is its immaculate beaches.
I split off from my group in this city because the lovely people I was with opted to do more swimming, but I was already dry and wanted to explore. I wound up going upwards into the higher tiers of the city where there were fewer crowds and incredible views. Unfortunately, the higher you go, the fewer sidewalks there are, and the streets up there are narrow.
Regardless, like the other beach cities we'd been through, there were only readily accessible shops and nice restaurants. The beach is the main draw, and while it provides an amazing view, there isn't much to do here. There are some hikes nearby, particularly the Path of the Gods, but if you're here for swimming and shopping, then this is the place for you. I enjoyed this city, and it's worth spending a few hours in.
Vietri Sul Mar
Duration of stay: 2 days
Further south along the Amalfi Coast, our group basically stayed here for the hotel. We stayed at a lovely lodging that was directly on the cliff, providing amazing views of the sea and parts of Salerno to the south. Overall, we didn't spend much time here.
We had dinner at one of the local restaurants the first night, which offered lovely food, then went on to Amalfi, and eventually to a winery and villa near Salerno for some fine dining the second night. The roads here are even more winding than in Portovenere, so much so that we were all encouraged to wear our seatbelts! And even to reach our bus, which was too large to make it down to the hotel, we had to ascend several streets, with at least one or two sets of steep stairs to climb too. It made for a good workout, especially after eating so well!
It wasn't until we were leaving that we were led through the main part of the city on one of the higher tiers, and it had a lot of character to it! There were mosaics depicting daily life all over the place, and some of animals, particularly chickens and roosters. This added a unique aspect to this coastal city, but sadly we could only pass through. It definitely seemed worth coming back to for further exploration!
Amalfi
Duration of stay: 6 hours
Oh yes, you've seen pictures of Amalfi.
It is amazingly beautiful here. It is similar to Positano in that its main focus is on swimming. The beaches here are immaculate, but like all the beaches along the Amalfi coast, there's a beach where you can swim for free, or you can reserve a space for yourself or a group, though you will be charged €25 per person, no matter if your group is staying in one section.
What makes Amalfi different though is the architecture. Positano's look has the classic Italian design, whereas Amalfi has a distinct influence from Northern Africa, giving it a more unique look. The local duomo was different from others I'd seen in the north because they weren't made from marble, but it had beautiful incredible artwork painted on the outside. The first sight was breathtaking!
Amalfi also features lemon farms, and our group was led on a tour of one such farm. The aroma of lemons was refreshing, and not in that American cleanser way. And the lemonade, limoncello, and lemon cakes they served were all sumptuous. Lemons are one of Italy's top exports, but here in Amalfi, they taste the best. Don't visit this city without trying at least one lemon-based dish or drink!
Now for the unexpected adventure: another hike. I had planned on joining some of the girls in my group for shopping, but then another guy in my group found a hiking trail to explore, so I joined him instead. We traversed the Via Paradisio trail and were able to view gorgeous waterfalls, and pass by the ruins of old water processing buildings. That was definitely a unique experience, and well worth checking out!
I enjoyed Amalfi, more for the hike than anything else, but after rejoining my friends in my group they expressed that most of their time was spent in the shops, which wasn't much to go on. After having spent time through Cinque Terra and Positano, another beach city starts to look like any other one. It's still worth visiting for a few hours. Now if you are here for the hiking, there are several other trails around that highly rated, and I would say check out at least one of them!
Also, the Amalfi coast does have several other cities worth visiting, though we weren't able to stop at any of them. But, if you can, try to catch a ferry or local cruise that goes up and down the coast at nighttime with a bottle of wine or prosecco. Seeing these cities alight and reflecting off the Mediterranean is a lovely experience, and a little romantic, depending on your company!
Roma
Duration of stay: 5 non-sequential days
Everything began and ended here.
I chose to save the Eternal City for the end since we came here three separate times: to kick off the tour, coming in halfway through to sadly lose some of our trip family, while gaining new family, and then ending before a good number of our group moved on to Sicily. I have been to Rome before and was heavily jetlagged then to the point that I wasn't cognizant enough to fully enjoy the experience. It was refreshing to be here in a fully awake state!
So, what's there to be said about this city that all roads lead to?
To start, it's the height of ancient civilization, and perfectly blended with modern industrialism. And there's graffiti everywhere.
If you're a history buff, you'll probably be right in your element here. The main city is filled with structures and sculptures dating back thousands of years, and some of the more modern buildings have ruins that have been excavated below their foundations and allow for tours. Some don't even require tours, like the ruins below the Termini.
There are smaller museums open for exploration, and large churches everywhere that are free for pilgrimage or just for admiration. There's free water from fountains scattered throughout the old and modern parts of the city, and there's elegantly sculpted decorative fountains that don't have drinkable water, but still add culture wherever you encounter them. And there is amazing food on every corner! The further you are from the city center, the better the food is in both quality and cost.
Now being one of the most popular and historically significant cities on the planet, you will absolutely encounter traffic everywhere. There are crowds and long lines, but the bustle is also part of the charm. With so many people across the globe in this one major city as you, you find that there are so many different ways to encounter Rome. You and someone from another country could be looking at the Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps and have completely different experiences. Someone could look at the streets and be overcome by the architecture, while another would be excited by the shops, and yet another could be trying to imagine the various events that happened in the very same place.
Rome is also considered one of the most romantic cities in the world, and, well, I can't really see it with my own eyes as to why, though my experiences would say otherwise. In my post about my best travel stories, I mentioned a young man I kissed in Paris, and he and had I met in Rome. This time, I wasn't even IN the city for 2 hours when I was approached by another young man who had never been to Rome before and stuck with me for a few hours as we explored! He and I did try to meet up again, but we weren't able to, which was fine by me. So, I don't know if it truly is this city or what, but while I haven't felt the romantic part of Rome, it's certainly demonstrated that just about anything can happen in that department!
Overall, this is definitely a city that is worth visiting at least once in your life. The history, the food, and landscape, it's all incredibly unique. There are fewer places in the world with so much culture and history and being able to delve into it all is a one-of-a-kind type of travel. Put it on your to-do list!
And these were the cities!
So, what about the rest of the country? What are some foods to try, and are there other drinks than wine out there? How can I avoid possible trouble? Is Uber available?
Well, I'll go over some details about Italy that would be best to know if you're planning to go, especially if you'll be going solo. Keep an eye out, because good things are coming, and there may be a delay in posting this upcoming blog. But it's coming!
Ciao
All images were taken by me or by using my device and not to be used without permission. Gifs courtesy of Giphy.
