High Rolling it in Capri

We took a boat to Capri Island (only like a 30 minute trip from Positano) and from Capri’s Marina Grande Port, you can either take a funicular (tram) or a bus up to the main town. We took the bus and then walked a short way down to our Bed and Breakfast, Casa Augusto. We had a really cute room overlooking a big garden. The owners are really lovely people and even brought us some homemade fried Zucchini flowers (An Italian specialty). We were about a 10-minute walk to Capri town's main Piazzetta and then a 15/20-minute walk to Marina Piccola beach.

They say that Capri is full of jet-setters and lots of money. I can see that as there are tons of high-end shops but it was a little quiet while we were there so I really don’t know if I felt a jet-setter, pretty people aura in the air….but maybe that’s just me. Although I will say we saw plenty of ridiculous “P Diddy” type yachts. And yes we were both waiting for an invite. I think next time we'll pretend we're Bollywood royalty! :)

I think a lot of people come to Capri and don’t end up leaving the main town. In my opinion, you really should venture out to other parts of the island if you have the time. Capri town does have great shopping, really nice hotels, and amazing sunset views but there are other great parts of the island. We took a boat tour which was a nice way of seeing the entire island…this way you can walk to your favorite parts later. The Grotta Azzurra was pretty neat – it is this huge cave in the sea where the water is electric blue. It’s quite an experience getting into the cave on a small rowboat through a tiny hole. The cave is almost pitch dark except for the water, which glows from the sun’s reflection outside of the cave. We also went to Anacapri where we were hoping to hike to the top of Monte Salaro, which is the highest point of the island. Unfortunately we started the hike and it seemed impossible with little signage so we turned around and took the chair lift (single person, old school ski-lift style). Working out just isn’t happening these days! :)

Our last night in Capri we spent watching the World Cup Semifinals match and appropriately eating pizza at a fun place on the cliff, Capri’s Ristorante….followed by Gelato! We were both really excited that Spain won….can’t wait to be in Barcelona when they play in the finals!!

Ciao Italia! Until next time!

Bussing it to Positano

They say the best way to see Positano is by boat. We did it by bus….but we saw it by boat later. I would do both. We took the bus there. It was complete insanity. I seriously thought that was the end of me. It was only a 40 minute ride but it seemed to take forever. I counted the minutes and prayed (and I’m not even religious) the whole way there. The bus drivers drive really really fast on tiny roads that look wide enough for only 1 car (but somehow fit two going in both directions) on mountains overlooking cliffs and the sea….and it feels like you are literally just inches from the cliff. It didn’t help that I had discovered Limoncello the night before either…. If you get carsick easy you’re screwed.

Luckily we made it ok, although we missed our bus stop – which turned out fine since we met a really friendly shop owner (Positano Profumi) who waved down the local Positano bus for us and told the driver where to drop us off. Thankfully we made it to our hotel with no issues and we were pleasantly surprised with the view of the sea from our terrace. Casa Maresca is run by Paul and Lucia who were super friendly and gave us lots of information on what to do, see, eat, etc. She even did a load of our laundry, which was totally necessary at this point. :) Our room was simple but spotless and the huge bonus was the terrace and seaview….which we used every day. We were on the Fornillo side of Positano, which is about a 15 min walk to the main town and main beach Spiaggia Grande. We didn’t mind the walk since it was our only form of exercise these days…. I was hoping to do this crazy hike called the Path of the Gods but we were told that there aren’t many signs and it seemed like too much of a pain to get there....and most importantly there could be snakes so we skipped it….oh well!

Positano is a lovely, quaint, little town. And it really has a small town feel. Every Positano native we met was extremely friendly and warm. We spent a lot of time chilling on our terrace, hanging by the beach, and just walking through the main town’s winding roads window shopping.

One day, we took the boat to Amalfi and discovered why Positano is best seen by boat. As you pull away from Positano (or as you pull in) you really see the beauty of the whole coast….with the colorful houses stacked up against each other on large cliffs overlooking the striking blue of the sea . It is stunning!

We didn’t stay in Amalfi long as we caught the bus up the hill to Ravello. We were with our neighbors Chris and Laura (from Melbourne, Australia and also traveling for 4 months) and it was fun to hang with new peeps for the day. Ravello is another cute town on the Amalfi Coast with 2 huge Villas (Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufulo). We only made it to Villa Cimbrone which was beautifully landscaped and had great views of the sea and towns below. Ravello is also known for outdoor concerts during it’s annual summer festival. Unfortunately it didn’t work out logistically for us but it would have been really cool to see.

Our favorite meal was at La Tagliata, which was just above the hill near Nocelle with incredible views overlooking all of Positano. They even pick you up and drop you off for free. It is a cute, family fun restaurant. There is no menu – they just bring out 4 courses of daily specials….Antipasti, Pasta, Meat, and Dessert. Oh and wine is included. There was a TON of food. I skipped breakfast the next day because I was so full! Our last day, we stopped at La Sirenuse hotel and had coffee. This hotel is in a beautiful setting. If you can afford it – stay there. If not, at least go check it out – totally worth it….unbelievable views and great ambiance! I wish we could have spent more time there....next time!!

Sorrento - Our Gateway to the Amalfi Coast

Our journey to Sorrento consisted of a 2-hour car drive to Florence, 4-hour train ride to Naples, and then finally a 1-hour Circumvesuviana train ride to Sorrento. By the time we got there, we were exhausted. So we were pretty happy when we somehow got an apartment (instead of a regular room) at the Hotel Del Corso. It wasn’t fancy but it was bigger than expected with a couch! We both were really excited about having a couch….and the room overlooked one of the main roads of Sorrento.

Since our time was short in Sorrento we literally “forced” ourselves to go see Pompeii. We almost skipped it because we really just wanted to do nothing but it felt wrong to come all this way and not see it. So we went and it was actually pretty cool. We were only there for a couple hours because it started raining and we felt like we saw the main stuff but you really could spend a day there. It’s pretty cool to walk around an actual city that was built over 2000 years ago. The auditorium was our favorite part. I think they have concerts here occasionally….now that is a cool venue!

Sorrento is a great little town set against the Bay of Naples on a cliff. It is full of tiny, cobblestone streets with shops, restaurants, and cafes. We spent one night walking through the streets down to the pier. We stopped at a few restaurants and bars along the way for pizza (sometimes that is the only option!) and Limoncello and watched the World Cup matches. It would have been even more fun if Italy was still playing….but at least we still have Spain! :)

The Rolling Hills of Tuscany

Honestly I didn't really know what to expect of Tuscany. It was the one part of the trip that I really had done zero research. Since we were with Darsh's sis and family they did most of the planning....thanks guys!

We drove from Rome to the Chianti region of Tuscany....thanks Todd! It was a pretty windy, long ride (especially with 3 kids)....thankfully nobody got carsick! But the ride was beautiful. Rolling hills, vineyards, and castles everywhere. It was what you would expect Tuscany to be (even if you were me and didn't know what to expect).

We first stayed in Gaiole (in the Chianti region) at Castello di Spaltenna. Driving up to the hotel we learned that there was a wedding there that night. Within seconds I realized why....it was a castle....and it was stunning with the most breathtaking views....seriously what a lucky girl to be getting married there!! I was pretty psyched to be staying at a castle. We checked in, unpacked, and within minutes were drinking some fabulous red wine that Martin and Mark (friends of Darsh's sis/brother-in-law) picked out. Martin and Mark have 2 kids that play well with our nieces/nephews which worked out perfectly for us as we all had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant, Il Pievano....which was a beautiful courtyard setting but overpriced, just "ok" food.

Tuscany is a great place to relax, eat, drink wine, visit neighboring towns, read a book, run (although I think I'm the only person in Tuscany that ran) and do nothing. We went to a medieval fair at Castello de Meleto, visited the Prada outlet (unfortunately neither one of us got anything although our nieces got pretty lucky!), ate a yummy meal at La Bottega, and visited Siena which was our favorite town in Tuscany. It's a really beautiful medieval city that is completely walled in. You actually need to park outside of a gate (Porta Romana) and then walk in. We just missed its annual horse race (Il Palio) by a couple days. It would have been great to see....but we just couldn't make it happen....next time! Siena's Duomo is one of the coolest we've seen....it's really unique with alternating black/white inlaid marble. You could spend hours in the windy cobblestone streets and alleys of Siena. Unfortunately for us we got there during siesta so things weren't as lively as I'm sure they are at night but it was still a really cute town.

The last couple nights in Tuscany we stayed at La Fontenelle which we randomly found one day in search of a restaurant. The hotel was on top of a mountain and had even more amazing views so we decided to switch to get a change of scenery. It was completely peaceful and Darsh/I took advantage of being stuck on the mountain (there wasn't a ton to do around there) and finally got some rest time!

Getting Blessed Benedict Style!

We were lucky enough that the Pope was in town during our visit so we could be a part of the Papal Audience. It was a really early day as we were picked up from the hotel at 7am then transported to St. Peter’s Square. Once there we learned that the Pope would speak to us indoors in one of the Vatican auditoriums instead of the Square (personally I think it would have been cooler outdoors but who am I to complain). From about 9 to 11am we pretty much waited for the Pope as people from all over the world took their seats. It was kind of like a concert or sporting event. People had country flags, hats, etc. and would occasionally break out into songs or cheers. One of the funnest groups were from Africa who actually got onto stage and performed – with drums, singing, and dancing! When the Pope came onto stage there was so much energy in the auditorium....like he was a Rock Star. He spoke for about an hour. Most of it we couldn’t understand but some of it was interpreted in different languages (English was one of them) by different Cardinals of the church acting as translators. Each Cardinal (translator) would start by welcoming groups from their respective countries. Most of the groups were affiliated with a Church or a school and they would all stand and cheer or sing while the Pope waved his blessings to them. We didn’t get a personal shout out….although we like to think we were part of the “Pilgrims from America” group! :) Seeing the Pope and receiving his blessings was quite an experience I must say and one that we didn’t really think we would have the opportunity to see. It was even cooler that Darshan’s dad was with us as he has been a Professor of Religion and Philosophy for over 40 years. Actually he understood a lot more of the speech than any of the rest of us did for sure. I’ll have to make sure to ask him what we missed. :)

Since not all of us went to see the Pope we waited until the next day to actually see the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. It was the second time seeing all this for both Darsh and I but we were still pretty excited. We hired a tour guide for the day, Daniella, who was amazingly knowledgeable and was even able to answer Darshan’s dad’s questions. It is unreal how many extremely talented artists (Michelangelo, Bernini, Botticelli, Raphael to name a few) worked on different pieces of the Vatican. It is even more amazing that Michelangelo hadn’t even finished a painting (he only sculpted) prior to his work at the Sistine Chapel. Daniella told us that the Pope at that time learned Michelangelo was working on a painting in Florence so hired him for the Sistine Chapel….he learned how to paint from his fellow workers! Apparently his paintings were pretty revolutionary at that time in that they incorporated a 3D type of effect….similar to that of sculptures. (At least this is what we were told....I don't even pretend to know much about art so I could be wrong....)

We walked through the Vatican Museum for hours. I really don’t remember it being so big and the Sistine Chapel was exactly how I remember it….Simply amazing! We then walked into St. Peter’s Basilica which is probably my favorite church. It is huge and grand with extremely ornate, intricate detail. Even though we've seen it before, this time it was even more stunning. We also walked to the top of the Basilica (the Cupola) which in my opinion is a must do. It is a long walk up a very narrow staircase ( I think it was 572 steps but there is an elevator half way if you need) but soooo worth it. It is the highest point in Rome and has ridiculous views of all of Rome. We were lucky that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when we got up there….so pretty! And from up so high you could see all the amazing ruins, churches, architecture, piazzas in this great city. It was such a great way to end the day.

From Roma With Love!

I’m not even sure where to begin. We were in Rome for 6 days but it still felt too short….and it was our 2^nd time there! There are churches, monuments, fountains, cafes, pizzerias, gelaterias, and shops at every turn. And the architecture is stunning. And the people – even more wonderful and full of passion and energy! I think it's one of my favorite cities to just walk around in.

We spent our time in Rome with Darsh’s dad, sister/brother-in-law and their 3 kids. The first couple of days we were moving slow since we had a larger group and Darsh was sick. :( Bummer that we made it through Asia without getting sick and his first 2 days in Rome were spent in the hotel. Lucky for us we had a nice room at the Intercontinental De La Ville (Thanks Kairavi and Todd!! :) so it was comfortable resting the day away. The hotel was in a fab location right above the Spanish Steps and had a phenomenal breakfast….it was a really pleasant way to start each day.

Although there is so much to see and do in Rome….and it can be a bit overwhelming at first for those who like to cross things off their list (yes I am guilty of this), the sights are contained in one area of the city and pretty walkable (as long as you’re good with a map!) and the subway system is easy as well. Our favs by far were the Colosseum and the Vatican (St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel which deserves its own post-next!).

We aren’t really tour people but we decided to join a walking tour at the Colosseum because it allowed us to skip the line. I’ll be honest, I ended up zoning out the tour guide because I like to soak things in on my own. That said, he was pretty good and did a good job describing the life of a gladiator. It is totally surreal to be standing in the Colosseum – you could almost picture Russell Crowe fighting in the arena below. :) No seriously it is an incredible feeling to be standing in an arena with so much history. After the Colosseum we walked through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which once was the core of the Roman world and still has many ruins.

We also saw the Pantheon, which was once a temple (now Rome’s best preserved church), Trevi Fountain (so we could throw a coin over our shoulder ensuring our return to Rome, the Catacombs (kinda creepy), and Villa Borghese where we rented a 4-person bike and cruised through the park. The kids also loved the little Merry –Go-Round in the park. :)

Rome has a ton of Piazzas (squares) full of artists, vendors, tourists, and locals just hanging out. We spent some time in a few of them – Piazza Navona (my favorite), Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and Piazza del Poppolo. The Piazzas are crowded with shops, cafes, and trattorias and are fun to just walk around. We loved the Trastevere neighborhood which had a funky, bohemian vibe and seemed to have more locals. Another cute neighborhood was the Jewish Ghetto. This is where the Jews were forced to live years ago. We went to the Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico) which has a beautifully preserved synagogue.

Now to the food….which was excellent….and I was happy to see that there are some healthy options! Some of our favorite restaurants were Gusto (nice fun crowd and good pizza), Il Chianti (great salad and amazing thin crust pizza), Villa Tor Carbone (by the catacombs, family style Italian food), Vin Allegro (great Happy Hour in Trastevere), and Nonna Betta (amazing falafel in the Jewish Ghetto). Oh and thank god the hotel had a gym so we could work off all the yummy food! :)

I really was sad to leave. Thankfully we actually threw 3 coins into the Trevi Fountain (instead of the customary 1)….so hopefully that will really ensure our return back!!

A Rainy Day in Venice

We were in Venice a total of 36 hours, which is crazy considering it took us 32 hours to get there. And of those 36 hours in Venice it rained for 20 hours. Bummer! Actually it wasn’t so bad because the rain allowed us to sleep without feeling guilty that we weren’t doing stuff.

We almost skipped Venice but even though it was a short trip I’m glad we didn’t. It really is exactly how I imagined it. I think Vegas does a good job of preparing you for what Venice looks like…..is it bad that I couldn’t stop thinking about the Venetian? Seriously though Venice is so cute and filled with tons of narrow canals and charming, old word buildings…it really was so picturesque.

We stayed right by Piazza San Marco, which was perfect because even though we didn’t do much we were able to see the main square and church (Basilica di San Marco). But most importantly we were right by the Grand Canal, which is just beautiful and is full of shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants.

Our first and pretty much only meal in Venice appropriately consisted of Pizza Margherita, which was fabulous – it pretty much melted in your mouth. I also ordered grilled veggies which was just ok but really the only vegetable option on the menu….and yes we did also get gelato (cookies and cream for me, mint-chocolate chip for Darsh)! I’m quickly learning that it is almost impossible to eat healthy here – seriously everything is carb central….and loaded with cheese….I’m beyond screwed…but I can always work it off when I get home! :)

Next stop is Rome where we meet Darsh’s dad, sister and family. We’re both really excited to spend some time with them!

Ciao!