Nothing prepares you for the beauty of a country, or the feeling of youth you feel, when compared to the history of its art, sculptures, or structures. Italy is a great place to feel, young, very hot (weather wise!), and in the best of places, enjoying the summer.
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We spent a few weeks this summer touring Italy. What started out as a focus on two or three places, became a love for a land so beautiful and drenched in history, art, and culture, that we wandered about listlessly, place to place, with a bottle of cold water in hand, and a periodic splash of it on our faces.
This was our second visit to the country famous for its pasta and pizza, two foods that touch only the tip of its culinary iceberg. There is a lot to write about on Italy…too much to cover in one post. So, I’ll leave that for another lazy afternoon.
For now, I’m sharing 10 thoughts from our trip, and some pictures, that speak more than my words can ever describe.
Places we visited: Pisa, Florence, Siena, Sorrento, Pompeii, Positano, Revello, Amalfi.
Number 10: Each place you visit deserves a hug, some tender words, and lots of …time.
Travel to Italy can easily be an exercise in checking things off your bucket list. BUT, we found it to be a place to marvel, through wandering the streets, through sitting and enjoying an espresso, and through praising the skills of people of the past.
So, I say, pick a few places, or even just one! Try not to get travel-greedy. For the first time, there is always a thirst to see more, and you will see a lot. And with that, you can then choose to come back to spend a longer time with the one which captured your heart.
Number 9: An apartment or a suite style accommodation is perfect with kids.
We mostly stayed in one or the other, always with access to a kitchen, fridge, and basic amenities. We as a family love to travel, and believe that travel is one of the best learning experiences for children, but it also means that routines go for a toss.
Little M was 18 months when we did this trip, and she’s quite an easy traveler, having traveled thousands of miles already across continents. Still, I like to have some sense of normalcy for her, which means, if I could make her breakfast, and not have to hope that room service got it right, or fry her an egg, or dish up an easy meal, it made me feel a bit more in control, and kept her happy.
Some sources are Airbnb and a lovely site called kidandcoe which has beautiful child-friendly homes. You must be careful, do your research, and only then select the best for you and your family’s safety.
Number 8: The Coast is breathtaking.
Yes, the Amalfi coast is beautiful…there are very few words that can do it justice. Nature at one of its absolute bests. It is magnificent. I’ll leave it at that.
You can enjoy being chauffeured around while you take in the views, which is much more comfortable with children. Iron Man Travel were recommended to us by close friends, and we recommend them too – they were great, reasonable for private touring along the coast, and were prompt and polite and professional in service. We even used them for our airport drops, so convenient and worry free!
Number 7: When the food is served. Eat it heartily.
Beyond the pasta, pizza and bruschetta, there’s a lot to explore. I especially loved the Fish Soup we had in Pisa, the pickled salmon and sardines in Sorrento, the beef burger at Mercato Centrale, and the meat meat meat fest at Trattoria da Mario in Florence. Pannacotta, tiramisu’s and other desserts abound, but a special mention for the Café Shakerato, recommended by a friend who spent a year studying in Florence. You must have it on a hot summer day. Ooooo…it’s divine.
Just fyi – towards the end of the trip, on our second last day, I felt like a Chinese take out in Sorrento, but we found none. I mean none. How can that be? There’s one everywhere, no? Apparently, not in Sorrento.
Number 6: Carry familiar foods/toys that your child likes. And the coffee that you do.
I always carry Little M’s comfort foods – few things that she’s used to back home, and that I know I may not find as easily in a foreign land – her porridge, a little packet of turmeric, and a little packet of lentils because I’ve found that with these basic things from home, I can just add other ingredients – veggies, rice, chicken, cheese etc. that I can pick up on the go, and voila – she feels just like she’s home! We also carried Little M’s little ‘Ducky’ stuffed toy, and a few of her favorite books. She did come back with a larger family – a Penguin, a Monkey and more.
In Florence, we ran out of her porridge, and surprisingly it was a challenge to find it. We found one packet with the huge pieces, that took over a half hour to soften (not kidding!) and Little M didn’t like it. Finally, in the South of Italy, a lovely lady led us to a powdered form, which worked a bit better. There’s always plenty of on-the-go healthy food available, the fresh mozzarella went down a treat with Little M. She used to gobble it up!
Oh, and yes, I love my own freshly brewed coffee to wake up to, so I do carry it along with me. ☺
Number 5: Italian men are suave, natural and charming.
Italian men have an open and confident suaveness about themselves which preludes their spoken word. It’s a spiffiness that is hard to miss, no? It’s the tone and accent that I find especially endearing though. The lull of the words and accent, Pri-aaaar-no, or Posi-taaaaa-no, combined with their flash shorts, well-cut shirts and super trendy shoes. They’re well put together!
Number 4: Pompeii is spectacular, a must do, but not necessarily with a baby/toddler.
We learned about Pompeii growing up. It is my husband’s and my kind of place. So, we had to visit. We did have Little M with us, but it didn’t stop us. I’m not saying it’s not doable, it is, but it is challenging with a baby/toddler. So, consider that you will have to carry your baby/toddler for most of the wandering, as a buggy doesn’t work on the large cobbled stones. We still spent over 5 hours at the site, and Little M loved it too. She got to run around a lot in the open flat areas, and given the heat, she had water splashed on her every so often. She loved it.
My advice: If your child needs the buggy, then save Pompeii for when they don’t.
Number 3: Skip a few places, so you always something to return to on your next trip.
A day is finite, and so is our physical and emotional ability to appreciate. I really wanted to do the Isle of Capri. Apart from the fact that is a beautiful place and recommended by many friends, my silly reason is because I grew up singing the song ‘Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her….beneath the shade of an old walnut tree.” A silly reason, but a dear reason. Realistically, we couldn’t fit it in, and so I made peace with it. Still, as fate would have it, on our drive along the Amalfi Coast, we spotted it from afar, which was perfect.
Number 2: Sculptures. Art. Sculptures. Art. History. Sculptures.
There’s a lot to see and a lot to appreciate. I much prefer to read about the place before I visit, so that I can pick what I am most attracted to. I don’t need to see it all. And with children, it’s harder and unfair to drag them to museum after museum for our pleasure. We tried as much as possible to alternate between open space outings, and museum visits/adult activities so that Little M didn’t get bored, and we were all happy.
For adults, The Uffizi gallery is not to be missed. One of my favorites of the visit there was ‘The Primavera’, by Sandro Botticelli. ‘The Birth of Venus’ is lovely too, and holds a special meaning, as I really like the book with the same name.
Of course, do not leave Florence without a visit to Michelangelo’s ‘David’ – Perfection.
Number 1: Italy is to be experienced. So, just go with the flow.
Almost anything goes in Italy. What I mean by this is – the people are laid back, the surroundings are gorgeous. There are rules, but it is a happy, non-rigid way of life.
Italy is a welcoming land with so much to offer, and not much to restrict you enjoying it your way. You can fit in just as well as anyone else. Every church, square, ponte,….is rich in its story of origin, as well as the contemporary people around it.
It is best to do it all slowly. And with children in tow, it allows us to rest our feet, sip a glass of wine, or espresso, and watch….just watch as our little ones explore the new land, do new things, and create their own new memories. That’s one of the wonderful things about travel, no?
Today I’m humming: ‘Angelina’ by Louis Prima
Thank you Saroj – we all want to go to Italy now!
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