It felt like I was immersed in a captivating blend of history, architecture, and culinary delights. We had the opportunity to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, which is my fave! Our overall experience in Italy was amazing! Each city had something unique to offer. No two cities were the same, at least not the ones we visited. Below I included more detailed information, as well as our itinerary.
What did we eat:
I’m not gonna lie; I ate about 6 pizzas on our 13-day trip, lol. And all the other days, I ate lasagna and pasta. I asked my manss how much cheese he thinks I ate on the trip, and he claims I ate 20 lbs. (That’s counting all the cheese in the meals). If I had eaten all that cheese in America, I would have died, lol. American food is NOOOO BUENO! I also drank a lot of Aperol Spritz and Belinis.
Below I included our two favorite food spots. I consider myself to be a very picky eater. I like what I like, but I like it how I want it, lol. Im always looking for very specific flavors. I love Italian food, so I was looking forward to eating all the pizza, pasta, and lasagne I could!! And I did!
That’s Amore Restaurant
This corner restaurant in Rome was so tasty. It was never empty. We had the opportunity to eat here twice during our stay in Rome. I want to go back right now for more pizza.
What we Ordered:
Aperol Spritz
Mozzarella di Bufala alla Caprese ( Caprese Salad)
Fettuccine all’ Alfredo (we both had this)
Margherita Pizza (I requested extra cheese)
Divola Pizza (Includes spicy salami)
Olio Su Pane
This place has outdoor and indoor seating. It was on one of the main walkways in Polignano a Mare. The family that owned it was extremely welcoming; they remembered us our second time around, lol.
What we Ordered:
Aperol Spritz(Delish)x2
Polpette della nonna al sugo (Grandmas meatballs with sauce)x2
Lasagne alla bolognese (Lanagna bolognes)x1
Where did we stay:
I’ll be honest; I’m very skeptical about staying in Airbnb in countries Im not familiar with. I like having easy access to a reliable source in case we have questions. Next time around, ill most likely do only Airbnbs.
Florence: The Hotel of “They gonna catch these hands.” Might tell the story later. lol
Veince: Venice Hotel Papadopoli Venezia MGallery by Sofitel
Milan: Hotel Dei Cavalieri Milano Duomo
Polignano a Mare: Hotel Grotta Palazzese
Rome: Airbnb local to attractions.
I had a good experience in each of the places mentioned. I am not a fan of repeating the places we stay at. Although I would stay in Hotel Grotta Palazzese again. Their service was amazing. We weren’t even allowed to iron our own clothes, lol. The room was operated by a tablet, and every evening we came back to the room to yummy desserts. The mini bar was included and restocked every day. Also, the tables looking out to the water in the cave restaurant was for guest only. The place is an experience. You need to go see it for yourself!
Transportation:
Rent A Car: The only reason we rented a car was because a transfer from Airport to Hotel in Florence would have been 650£, or we could rent a car for 2 days for 600£. Babes is always up to driving, so we went with the obvious option. If your gonna drive, be ready to move lol. They are allowed to drive fast AF on their highways. They will flicker their light for you to move, or you can flicker yours so they will move. That was an experience, lol.
Uber: Only avabes in Milan and Rome. We never used it.
Train: I didn’t think I was gonna love the train rides, but I did! It was so much fun. They provided snacky snacks on all our train trips. Next trip, we are only sticking with train rides!
Flight: We took one flight from MXP(Milan) to BARI, and I did not like that. It was a smaller plane, and we had to walk up the stairs to get on the plane. I wasn’t feeling it, lol. So unless I have to, I don’t want to.
Must See:
Tower Of Pisa:
Guys, I was really disappointed when we got here, and I didn’t see that lean they were talking about, lol. After I stood at a different angle, I saw it. Theres about 3/4 attractions you can purchase tickets for that are all within walking distance. This place was very unique.
Tickets to Book:
Trevi Fountain
The Fountain usually stays crowded, especially during the day. We visited the Fountain around 12 midnight. It was still slightly crowded, but not enough so that I couldn’t throw my one coin and get a picture. For those of you that don’t know how it works, If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome. (which is why I only threw one, lol) If you throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian. If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you meet.
Vatican City
So I’m not gonna lie. We intentionally watched Vatican Girl on Netflix before going. Such an interesting story with so many conspiracy theories, and man, do I love conspiracy theories, lol! It’s crazy to think of all the things that happened within the Vatican. That’s a topic for another day. We walked here on our first night in Rome. We had so much fun walking there. We were able to get a close view of the Vatican with little to no people around. This church is impressionably huge. The architecture is beautiful.
Below I included links where you can buy tours to the Vatican. They have a lot of group tours of +30 people…I’m not into those kinds of tours. I personally would not willingly join a large mass of strangers that will be heralded around like cattle for a few hours without the freedom to do as pleased. You can still buy regular solo tickets; just make sure you do it at least 2 weeks prior to your trip, if not more. Single Entry tickets sell fast!
Tickets to Book:
Colosseum
I was lucky to find last-minute single-entry tickets to the Colosseum. I refused to go with a group of 30+ people. It’s already crowded enough inside. Yes, I feel passionate about that. It was so cool to walk within the walls of a place with so much history. Definitely a must-see! Below I included the link for the tours.
Tickets to Book:
Hotel Grotta Palazzese
There are views that you will only be able to see if you stay in this hotel. I wanted to mention the hotel because of its restaurant. It’s inside a cave! If that’s not something worth seeing, idk what is. We had my 30th birthday dinner here. The restaurant is fancy and would be considered fine dining. The cost of our meals was 197€ each, that was not including beverages.
SU Tips:
- People in other countries think Americans have a lot of money. I felt like everyone wanted to overcharge us every time we took a taxi, so be ready for that. The door says one thing, but he gonna say another…-_-
- Small spaces were definitely a thing. Although the buildings look huge, the spaces are small. The bathrooms, the rooms, etc.
- For my introverts, be ready to sit right next to someone when you are out eating. Italians do not waste space or a chance to make money.
- People will try to sell you things, do not take what they are trying to hand you. If you are not interested in buying anything, say “thank you,” and a quick-paced walk away usually gets rid of them. Prior to our trip, I read some stories about how they scam you, so let’s avoid trouble in foreign countries. Lol.
- I have T-mobile, so I added an international plan for $55 (lasts 30 days). I would then hotspot to Babes phone or my laptop. We used it for data and as our GPS so we wouldn’t get lost. I think it’s worth it, and It came in handy. I highly recommend it!
- I didn’t enjoy moving around so much. I feel that relocating 3 times will probably be my new limit, lol.
