Best of Italy
We arrived to Italy in an overnight ferry coming from Greece on July 2, 2014 and traveled around the country for 14 days making stops in Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice. We completed a total of 30.5 hours of traveling time including the ferry, a bus, and all trains from city to city.
Italy is a tradition of delicious food and history. During our days in the country we ate gelato every day, sometimes even twice, trying as many flavors as available without any sense of guilt or regret; the extra weight is our sweet Italian souvenir! In all the cities we visited, we found something special to keep in our minds forever. We loved Naples’ friendly, spirited people and their delicious pizza, marinara or margarita, you can never go wrong with them. Rome as historic evidence of the Roman Empire kept our mouths open as we walked the open air museums. The Vatican with its exquisite art and famous painting, ‘The Creation of Adam,’ by Michelangelo was also a special place to visit. Florence, a fantastic city bordered by a river full of magical corners to be discovered. We enjoyed the peaceful and fresh vibe of Florence with their delicious wines, leaving was certainly a sacrifice. We were happy getting lost in the non-touristy alleys of Venice. This group of 118 islands connected by arch bridges or gondola rides contain colorful and old architecture that made us dream of being residents there…
Below are other great things we enjoyed about Italy:
Food and Drinks
Peroni Beer
Margarita Pizza: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and basil
Neapolitan Coffee: espresso-like coffee
Gnocchi Pasta
Gelato
Chianti Classico Wine
Lasagna
Favorite Sights and Activities
Roaming Through the Colorful Canals of Venice
Having a Minimum of One Gelato a Day Throughout the Country
Admiring Ancient Roman Structures and Ruins in Many Cities
Awing at Magnificent Work of Art in Many Museums
Appreciating Naples Food and Friendly-Spirited Community
People
Delio: from Italy, met at a snack bar in Naples and then he invited us for coffee.
Briana: Gisela’s cousin who traveled with us for 22 days!
Efrain and Sheryll: from the USA, friends from Los Angeles that we were able to meet up with in Rome.
Leonel, Analu, Celia, and Clara: from Peru, our CouchSurfing hosts in Rome.
Dan: from China, lives in Austria, met in Rome while making the line for the Vatican Museums.
Native Words
Grazie = Thank you
Ciao = Hello/Goodbye
Preggo = Welcome
Buongiorno = Good Day
Arrivederci = Goodbye
Bambino = Baby