Rome and Sorrento Honeymoon trip report!
Oct 26th, 2013, 08:21 AM
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Rome and Sorrento Honeymoon trip report!
This is a VERY delayed trip review of our 12 day honeymoon in Italy. We had the most amazing time, and now six months later, I still find myself craving to be back there sipping wine, eating amazing food and taking in views I’ll never forgot. We started our honeymoon in the beautiful city of Rome where we stayed for 5 days. We left Sunday, April 21 the day after our wedding, in the evening from NYC and arrived in Rome around 8am. We flew AliItalia (which I was a little nervous about based on some other readings) but it was probably the smoothest flight I have been on – and an updated plane! We were met by our driver at Fiuminco airport and he proceeded to take us to our hotel, August Lucilla Palace, which was located just 2 blocks from the train station. I cannot explain how wonderful our stay was there. The hotel staff went above and beyond to accommodate us and to help us each day when we had questions. Because we were arriving so early, we didn’t expect our room to be ready. However, within 20 minutes of being in the hotel lobby and trying to get organized, the hotel managed to get us in a room! The rooms were spacious, clean, and the bed was comfortable. We did have some laughs though trying to figure out how to turn the lights on in the room! We never thought we would have to use our key!
We did not have any formal plans the first day that we were there but knew that we wanted to walk by the Colosseum, and see the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. We took our map that the hotel provided us and began what was a very long day! I’ll admit the fact that the map became our lifeline over the next 5 days. It may have taken us a while to figure out to read it (and figure out where the names of the roads were --- never would have thought to look on the buildings!) but we managed to make it down to the Colosseum, after about 40 minutes (even though we found out it was only a 15 minute walk. That first map experience was rough!). We were in awe the minute we turned the corner and saw this amazing structure standing before us. To be able to see this in person is truly an unforgettable moment. We were so overwhelmed with seeing it we really did not know what to do but stand there and stare. When we started our journey it was nice and sunny but slowly clouds started to creep in and a light drizzle started to fall. We started to make our way around the Colessum from all angles, and as we did that, the rain started to come down heavier. It wasn’t until we were wandering through the forum that we eventually decided that we had to cave and buy and umbrella from the street vendors (which are rather annoying).
At this point, we decided to journey up past the forum and make our way towards the rest of the city. We did get distracted by the Victor Emmanuel Memorial Monument on our way. This structure is massive! We kept joking that it was haunting us because we could literally see it from the most random spots in the city! It was still raining at this point so we decided to climb the steps and take a breather inside there. The views from just the first level were incredible! We didn’t opt to go all the way to the top, but I imagine that they are just as breathtaking! After our pit stop there we walked ourselves over to Santa Maria d’Aracoeli. We hiked ourselves up to the top and just as we did, the sun started to reappear, opening up to another incredible view. The climb is well worth the effort for the views, but once inside, the beauty of this magnificent church is breathtaking from the numerous side chapels to the alter. This was our first church experience in Italy and we were amazed how each one after that continued to be just as beautiful… or better!
After we made our back down, we continued to get lost around the area. We entered little churches along the way and just enjoyed some people watching. At this point, jet lag was starting to kick in a little bit, we were wet from the rain and starving. We knew we had to find something. Some wandering around led us to Vinando, located in Piazza Margana. We found this place by complete accident but are so glad we did! Although it was a bit more expensive then some of the other places we got lunch at later in the trip, it was well worth it. It was a perfect way to kick off our food experience in Rome. We both ordered pizzas – proscuito for him, margherita for me.! Little did we know that for lunch we could have just split one pizza since they were so big! We enjoyed a nice glass of wine and some cappuccino and then began our walk to the next stop.
We went to the Pantheon next, which is nothing short of amazing. This place is massive and so incredible to see. It had started raining once we got there, so the inside of the Pantheon was completely packed. I only wish we went back at another point during the daytime to see the inside again because I don’t believe we truly experienced it. Next we moved on to the Trevi Fountain, which is so beautiful, but this place was jam packed constantly! We fought our way down to the bottom where we threw our coins in and wished to come back to Rome. From there we walked to the Spanish Steps and walked our way up them. Again, there was another beautiful view waiting for us at the top. It’s amazing how each view gets better and better!
We managed to walk the way back to the hotel after that (stopping for another cappuccino and gelato along the way). After being up now for more then 24 hours, it was no wonder we ended up crashing once we sat down on the bed. We woke up in the early evening and needed to eat, but were still exhausted, so we just walked down to a little restaurant at the corner of our hotel’s road, Il Tavolinetto. We enjoyed a delicious appetizer, insalate caprese, and for dinner I had wonderful spinach ravioli’s and my husband had a delicious veal dish. The food was amazing but the service was great also. The guy was very patient as we attempted to order our whole meal in Italian, and even helped correct us when we needed it! We definitely would have gone back here again for another meal during our stay, but we were just so tempted by every other place!!
Our second day in Rome, we had set up our Vatican City tour. Our travel agent handled the details of this, so sadly I do not know the name of the tour company we went with. We arrived outside of the Vatican walls around 8:30am and started working our way in. Once we entered Vatican City, we were instantly blown away by its beauty. Everything was just gorgeous (and it helped that we had a gorgeous day!). Touring the Vatican Museum is incredibly interesting. There is so much history, art, sculptures, and so much more to see that it is almost overwhelming. We made our way into the very crowded Sistine Chapel. It is amazingly beautiful, but I feel like a bit of it is taken away because they just let tons of people in there. We were standing there shoulder to shoulder with people, trying to take it all in, and it’s a bit hard. Either way, it’s a site you can’t miss. We made our way over to St. Peter’s after, and I’m not sure there is a word to describe it when you first see it. We enjoyed walking around and seeing Michelangelo’s Pieta, and seeing the various tombs of former popes. Each one is better than the other.
After we left the Basilica, our tour ended and we had some free time. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a restaurant right outside the square (we split a pizza this time!) and decided our next plan of action. We had to stay by the Vatican till at least 3pm that day to get tickets for the Papal Audience the next day. We were torn whether we wanted to climb to the top of the Basilica or if we wanted to venture over to Castel Sant’Angelo. We decided on the latter and we are so glad we did. This place is huuuggge! We managed to get lost in there for a few hours and we saw so much. It was not crowded at all, so we were able to move pretty freely throughout. Some many exhibits, rooms, paintings, weapons are packed into this place. And the history there is amazing! I feel like this site is overlooked by many people while in Rome, and feel like many people miss out. On the second level, there is a tiny restaurant that offers amazing views of St. Peter’s. We managed to snag a table right next to the wall, and sat and drank wine and relaxed a bit. After we were rested, we continued to the top to find an impressive view of Vatican City and Rome. I can’t imagine that the view from St. Peter’s was any different, but we got more out of this.
After we were done there we strolled around a bit before we had to make it over to the Swiss Guards to pick up our tickets for the Papal Audience. They only let one of us wait online, so I went in while my husband waited outside for me. It took about a half hour for me to work my way up to the front, where they let us in about 5 at a time. While waiting, I was able to watch a changing of the guards, which I was glad I was able to witness. After I finally got the tickets, my husband and I decided to go back into the Basilica one more time and we are so glad we did. It was after 5pm, and the place was almost empty. We were able to take in so much more than we were before. After, we decided we wanted to try out the subway back towards our hotel since we knew we would want to take it in the morning to get back to Vatican City. We were impressed with how easy it was! With only having 2 lines, it’s virtually impossible to get lost on it. It was a great resource to have for the rest of our stay, although we opted to walk most of the time. We stopped to eat at L’Angolo di Napoli because it was on the way home and had some nice outdoor dining. The food here was pretty good. The bruschetta we had could have been better, but for dinner I had gnocchi alla Sorrentina and it was outstanding. My husband stuck with another veal dish that was also very delicious.
Day 3 started off with us waking up early to head over to the Vatican to watch the Pope’s Papal Audience. While I am so glad that we experienced this, it definitely is a one time thing for us. It was exhausting to stand out in the sun, with 80,000 plus people, waiting to listen to the Pope talk in Italian (which we don’t understand). It’s one of those experiences we will never forget and we are so glad we did it. The Pope drives around for about a half hour before starting the audience, and to be that close to him was amazing. We had tickets to get in (which you need to get through the Vatican. I faxed them over a letter prior to our trip) however, no one even collected them! I almost feel like we wasted a bit of our evening the night before waiting to pick up these tickets. Afterwards, we took the subway over to Villa Borghese gardens as we had tickets to tour the gallery at 3pm. We had a lot of time in between but the gardens are so spectacular and the day was so nice, it was nice to just sit around and relax. We got sandwiches from a vendor and some gelato and had a nice little lunch prior to our tour. We booked the Borghese Gallery tour through Walks of Italy (walksofitaly.com) and I can’t say enough about the guide. She was so informative, and helped keep our interest throughout the two hour tour. We are not huge art lovers, but we can appreciate it when we see it. Our guide knew so much about each piece and kept us engaged and interested. From there we decided to just walk around the area and find a place to eat dinner along the way. We found Gran Caffe Roma (located via Vittorio Veneto) and had one of our favorite meals so far. We ordered some Italian beer and I ordered spaghetti carboranara, which was the best I have ever had. My husband had a delicious seafood and spaghetti dinner that was out of this world. The restaurant is on a nice little section of the street and you are able to sit outside, which we prefer. Since we had an early dinner, we managed to walk our way back towards the Colosseum, as a family friend made us promise to sit outside the Colosseum at night and drink wine. So we kept our promise! We sat outside with our glass, dreaming of what it would be like tomorrow when we finally got to be inside.
Day 4 was set aside for the Colosseum and Roman Forum tour. We scheduled this tour with Walks of Italy again. Every tour guide that we had up to this point was very good, but our guide Max, was absolutely spectacular. He was beyond knowledgeable about everything that had to do with the Forum and Colosseum and when he spoke, he made you feel as if everything else around you was gone and you were actually standing back in time picturing what he was saying. This tour was the highlight of our trip and we waited all week for it and it was worth the wait. With Walks of Italy, they give access to the lower and upper level of the Colossuem and to see it from those views was INCREDIBLE. Many people do not have access up there, so it was not crowded at all on those levels. When we first walked into the Colosseum, I actually had a moment where I was speechless and I became a bit emotional that I was there. Even though we had been in Rome for three full days prior, it all of a sudden hit me that I was finally here, seeing something that I only dreamed of seeing. To this day, thinking of that moment can still get me a bit choked up.
After our tour completed, we needed to eat, so we walked down the street and found a nice little outdoor restaurant and again split a pizza and had some wine (I neglected to write this restaurants name down – sorry!). Afterwards, we wanted to make it over to San Pietro in Vincoli, which was very important for us to see. We got there while the church was closed for lunch. Once the doors opened up everyone filed in very quickly, but made their way over to look at Michelangelos statue of Mose’s, We were able to make our way down to look at St. Peter’s chains, and light a candle before the crowded worked their way over there. It was great to be able to have a semi private experience down there and take it all in before it got too crowded. The statue of Moses is amazing, but everyone is packed over there looking at it. It’s very difficult to see and take in. However, I think if we weren’t there right as they opened back up, we would have had a different experience. After our time was up there, we walked our way back to our hotel. We were exhausted and wanted to change before dinner.
Day 5 was our last full day in Rome and we had no plans! We wanted to be able to walk around and take in some stuff that we learned throughout the week and revisit some of our favorite spots. It was another rainy day in Rome (our first and last days were filled with rain, but the other days were beautiful!), so we grabbed our umbrellas and headed out! We wanted to work our way over to Piazza Navona, which we regret not seeing earlier in the week. We absolutely loved this area! There were so many people watching opportunities, some great little shops and great restaurants. Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is spectacular to see, and unfortunately any pictures we took of it did not do it justice (in the middle of the fountain is an obelisk. We had fun throughout the week seeing how many of them are throughout the city. There is a mix of Egyptian ones and Ancient Roman ones). We had a quick lunch in Piazza Navona before we decided to keep walking. We ended up making our way over to Campo de’ Fiori, where we had such a great time in the daily market. We picked up some bottles of wine and olive oil to bring back home. A lot of the vendors sell small enough bottles that will fit in carry-ons, so we tried to stack up on those. After that, we walked our way back over to our hotel (which is across the city now). We knew we wanted to eat in Piazza Navona that night, but wanted to change and drop off some stuff we bought along the way. Once we did that, we worked our way back to Piazza Navona. We wanted to make sure to walk by the Coloseeum one last time before we left, so we made our way down there to say goodbye and take in its beauty. We walked our way back to Piazza Navona where we ate dinner at Tucci, which is right in the square. We had a wonderful waiter that really helped our experience. We also sat down next to fellow American’s from Seattle and had a very nice conversation comparing trips. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the company was even better! After, we hopped around the square and had dessert at a different restaurant, just so we could take it from all angles. After that, we wanted to go back to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. If you never saw these places at night, next time you are in Rome, please make sure you do. I found the Pantheon to be more amazing at night than I did during the day. It was amazing to see this massive place all lit up, just in the middle of a Piazza. It was such a simple thing we did, but one of my favorite memories. The Trevi Fountain is beautiful also, but again, it so packed it’s impossible to take in the full beauty.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch our train to Naples. Our hotel was 2 blocks from the train station, so we walked over a bit earlier then needed, but we weren’t sure how easy we were going to be able to find our train. We were amazed about how smooth and easy this process was. The train was about an hour down to Naples, and it was the best experience I have had on a train. Once we got to Naples, a driver picked us up and we made our way to Sorrento. I give all these drivers credit for taking on these roads. Not only are they crowded but having to deal with sharp curves and pedestrians is quite the battle! About 45 minutes later we arrived at our hotel in Sorrento, Grand Royal Hotel. It was absolutely beautiful. It was right on the water with magnificent views of the Bay of Naples. Although you could tell the hotel had some old features (like the rather large KEY they gave us, which weighed a ton!) but it had a resort-like feel to it. We were excited to spend the next week here. We quickly got settled into our room and wanted to make our way down to the main part of Sorrento, which was about a block away. I fell in love with this area quite quickly! It wasn’t too touristy at the time, and had spectacular views and restaurants. We made our way down to Piazza Tasso, which is really the center of the town. We were starving at this point, and it was a bit rainy, so we decided to stop at a place right in the square for lunch at Pizzeria Aurora. The pizza was very good but I did find it a bit annoying that they don’t let you buy one pizza and split. You must buy two. Needless to say since we had a late lunch, we didn’t have dinner that night. After we ate we walked around a bit to take in the town. We explored our way around and managed to find a gelato place that we had read about many times prior, Davide Gelato. This place had sooooooo many options for gelato it was insane. We grabbed some to go and just spent the night taking in our new place.
The next day we didn’t have any formal plans, so we were excited to not have to set an alarm and be able to just relax. We ate breakfast in our hotel. They had an amazing spread of food and it was enough to get us started on the day. Since the day before was a bit rainy, it was exciting to see the sun out at full force. We were truly able to take in the views. We spent this day like a bunch of wanderers. We checked out local shops, drank some limoncello and got lunch at one of our favorite places, Ristorante Sorrento. The seating area for here is just on the side of the side walk, and they have a good portion of out door seating (indoor is an option also). We ended up coming back here probably 4 different times for a meal while in Sorrento. We had some of the best pizza, and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming each time. After we had some lunch, we went down by the water. We opted to take some of the long walks down the side of the cliffs (there is an elevator option also). The most disappointing thing about Sorrento is the lack of beach space. In the marina, there is a very tiny beach that would have never been worth it. Obviously we knew this going into the trip and that wasn’t our main concern, it just would be nice overall. After we checked out the marina area, we decided that we were going to do the Hop On/Hop Off bus ride around. We were tired and hot (they said the weather that week was unseasonably warm for that time of the year. Some days it was in the 90’s!) and we figured that this would be a great way to see the rest of the area without doing too much. We actually regret not doing the hop on bus while in Rome. Although that first day was great getting lost in an unfamiliar city, we totally could see the benefit of being jet lagged and having someone drive us around and explaining stuff to us. I think the next time we travel to a city like Rome, we may opt to do that our first day. We had a lovely time on the bus, and we were able to capture some great views. Once we were back in Sorrento we went to dinner at Sedil Dominova, where I had the best ravioli’s I have ever had. They were to die for. I don’t even remember what my husband ate that night because I am still talking about the ravioli’s! We had a lovely experience here, sitting outside, people watching and drinking wine. We actually met one of the owner’s earlier in the day, without knowing he owned the restaurant, at a limoncello shop his wife runs. He was excited to see us and even sent over some appetizers for us!
The next day was a scheduled tour of Pompeii. I was beyond excited to see this, because just like the Colosseum, it is something that you have always dreamed of seeing. Luckily the bus station was right near our hotel, so we were out there around 7:30am. Our bus was on time and took us straight to Pompeii, which was at least a 45 minute drive. One thing that is amazing about Pompeii is how it really is just thrown in the middle of no where. No elaborate build up to the front gates or anything. The day was in the 90’s and not a cloud in the sky. When we started our tour, and quickly saw how crowded our day was going to be here. I can’t imagine what it is like to be there in the middle of the summer, in the heat and those crowds. Everything about Pompeii is amazing to see. Not only is it fascinating to see how people lived, but also that they have been able to keep so much of the structure in place. Every little detail in the spas, villas, the fireplaces, and even the grooves that are still in the stone from the wagons are simply amazing. There is so much to take in and see here, and the only negative about is the crowd. I found it very difficult to concentrate and focus on my tour guide, when I was constantly being pushed around by other groups, or having children running all over the place. A bit of the magic of Pompeii is lost because of this. But overall, we had a wonderful time there. Once we were back in Sorrento, we went to dinner at Le Grazie. We had another fabulous meal outside, recapping our day. We met a couple that lived not too far from us back home, and spent hours talking and drinking wine with them. It was a lovely end to a great day.
Our third day in Sorrento, we had set up a day trip to Capri. This again was set up by our travel agent so I am not too sure the name of the company. While we had a good time on Capri, I think we would have enjoyed it a bit more with a different company or just touring on our own. We took the ferry over to Capri and then we were immediately shuttled up to the top of Anacapri. Our guide did a brief overview of the area and then said that we had an hour of free time. That is nice and all, but what can really be done in an hour, in a place that you didn’t really do that great job of explaining? We decide to take the chairlift up to the top of Mt. Salaro and take in the views there. My god, there should be a warning on this chairlift! I am not afraid of heights and have been on plenty of chairlifts in my day, but this had to be the scariest one I have ever been on. The lift does not appear to be that bad in the beginning, as your only about 10 feet off the ground, but then you reach a point in the ride where the chair goes straight up at what appears to be a 90 degree angle. I may have had a mini panic attack. It was cold, slightly rainy, and just as we boarded, the wind picked up. The 10 minutes up I spent thinking about the best way to fall when the chair collapses and break the least amount of bones. Regardless of my flash of death on the wooden lift, I would do it all again to be able to see the views of the entire island once you are on top. The wind was so strong up there (in pictures my hair is standing straight up! Hilarious), and it was freezing, but that did not take away the beauty, even on the cloudy morning. We spent as long as we could up there, however I am not too sure if it was because we were in awe or we were just stalling going back down on that lift. Needless to say, we survived, met up with our group, had a quick bite to eat that the tour set up and then headed our way down to Capri town. Once there, our guide quickly walked us through the main roads to get to a gorgeous overlook of the Faraglioni. Again, we were given about an hour to tour the area and then we had the choice of doing the Blue Grotto tour ($30 pp + 15 to get into the grotto) or take an hour long boat ride around the entire island ($15pp). Our cheap side came out and we decided that we wanted to do the boat ride around the island to get more for our money. We are so happy with our decision. We took a boat out of Marina Grande, and the guide was so informative and funny. By this time the day had cleared up and it was beautiful to be out on the water taking in the crystal blue colors. The guide was able to take us up to the white and green grotto, which was awesome. He drove us through the Faraglioni, had us stop for pictures and showed us where the blue grotto was. Although I’m sure the blue grotto is amazing, we will save that for trip number 2 one day. By this time our day in Capri was finishing and we had to catch the ferry back to Sorrento. Once we were back there we decided to grab dinner at Inn Buffalito, which had amazingly delicious food. We had planned to make another stop back there before we left, but we never got the chance. Grabbed some more gelato, and then headed off to bed.
This was our second to last day in Sorrento and before the trip ended and I was dying to see Positano and the Amalfi coast. We talked to the front desk workers about the public bus and it seemed fairly harmless. We headed out at about 9am for the bus and were lucky enough to not have to wait and we were able to get a seat on the bus. We started our journey over to Positano and with every twist and turn I got even more excited. Once we were on that side of the island and started the Amalfi drive, I became very thankful that we decided to not try and do the drive on our own. I trust my hubby driving, but I don’t know how I could have handled those turns in a small car! Like I said, major respect goes out to those drivers! We arrived in Positano and we were dropped off at a place that offered an amazing view of the town. We snapped pictures and eagerly worked our way towards the beach. We only wish we wore our bathing suits, because it turned out to be another 90 degree day (although the water was freezing). On the way down we stopped at little shops along the way, a lovely church, and stopped for sun tan lotion for myself. Nothing against Sorrento, because I fell in love with Sorrento while there, a part of me wishes we stayed in Positano. It just had a very romantic feel to it, and it was the one place I truly dreamed about. I am thankful we were able to be there for a few hours though. Once we put our feet in the water, we decided to get a small lunch at one of the restaurants on the water (another one I neglected to write down). Once we were done there, we decided to explore and ended up getting lost and the only way out was about a thousand stairs to take up to the road. I was exhausted by the end of this!! We found our way to a pottery place and ended up spending a pretty penny there on gifts for us and our family back home. We had the items shipped back to the states, and although it wasn’t cheap, it was definitely worth it. I was a bit nervous doing this but everything arrived within a week after it was sent and nothing was broken! After we did that we hopped back on the bus and headed towards Amalfi. I can’t believe that the turns and twists of the drive could actually get worse, but between Positano and Amalfi, they were insane! And that trip we had to stand the whole time! You have to put major leg action in to keep yourself balanced and not falling into others. I feel like we didn’t put as much effort into Amalfi as we had with Positano. We were exhausted by the time we reached there and weren’t in the mood for too much walking. We took in some sites, took a bunch of pictures, and then ended up in a very popular square, drinking Peroni’s outside a beautiful church and people watching. We knew we wanted to get back to Sorrento for dinner and the last bus was leaving shortly before the bus scheduled changed. We hopped on and made our trip back (I do wish we ate dinner in Positano and saw it all lit up… next time!). Once back in Sorrento, we changed and went to dinner at a place called Bluwater. We had a nice meal, and drank some wine. While there we were seated next to another American couple that we became friendly with. Turns out they lived close to us here in New Jersey! We spent about 2 hours chatting with them (and funny story… once they were back in the states at work, they told some coworkers of a nice couple they met in Sorrento from NJ.. turns out they were telling one of my closest family friends! Small world). Anywho, after our meal we grabbed another gelato at Davide and headed back to the hotel. Only one more day left!
Our last day was left open for us. We wanted to sleep, eat, drink and shop. We had scoped out things we wanted to pick up all week, and left it for the last day to pick it all up. We did have to get another suite case for the way home since we knew our weight limit was going to be too much! We grabbed one last lunch at Ristorante Sorrento and some more gelato before doing one last dinner at Sedil Dominova, because I was still talking about my ravioli’s. This may be my favorite memory of it all. As we toasted to a wonderful honeymoon, and tears filled my eyes with happy memories and not wanting to leave, an Italian man set up to sit outside and sing while we ate dinner. It was such an authentic experience and his voice was amazing. By the end of the night, we were drinking limoncello and clapping along with everyone!
Our flight home was peaceful and we landed back in New York on May 3. Some of olive oil’s were confiscated by security in Naples (dopey husband didn’t put the travel size ones in the carry on… but a full one!), but all in all that was our only hiccup of the trip.
A part of my heart was left in Italy. It was a dream of mine to get there and experience it’s beauty, and I was lucky enough to be able to do with my brand new wonderful husband as we started our new journey in life. It was the best way for us to kick off a lifetime together and we have such amazing memories and beautiful pictures. Almost daily, I ask him when we can go back! People ask what my favorite part of the trip was and I honestly have a hard time answering. How do I compare Rome to Sorrento? How do I compare Vatican City to an experience at Pompeii? Each area is magical and special and shouldn’t be missed. I don’t have a favorite part. The entire trip was my favorite part. Some day we will get back there, maybe for an anniversary or maybe we will take our future children back one day and show them this amazing, amazing place. Or perhaps we will find a new country to explore and fall in love with. Until then, Ciao!
We did not have any formal plans the first day that we were there but knew that we wanted to walk by the Colosseum, and see the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. We took our map that the hotel provided us and began what was a very long day! I’ll admit the fact that the map became our lifeline over the next 5 days. It may have taken us a while to figure out to read it (and figure out where the names of the roads were --- never would have thought to look on the buildings!) but we managed to make it down to the Colosseum, after about 40 minutes (even though we found out it was only a 15 minute walk. That first map experience was rough!). We were in awe the minute we turned the corner and saw this amazing structure standing before us. To be able to see this in person is truly an unforgettable moment. We were so overwhelmed with seeing it we really did not know what to do but stand there and stare. When we started our journey it was nice and sunny but slowly clouds started to creep in and a light drizzle started to fall. We started to make our way around the Colessum from all angles, and as we did that, the rain started to come down heavier. It wasn’t until we were wandering through the forum that we eventually decided that we had to cave and buy and umbrella from the street vendors (which are rather annoying).
At this point, we decided to journey up past the forum and make our way towards the rest of the city. We did get distracted by the Victor Emmanuel Memorial Monument on our way. This structure is massive! We kept joking that it was haunting us because we could literally see it from the most random spots in the city! It was still raining at this point so we decided to climb the steps and take a breather inside there. The views from just the first level were incredible! We didn’t opt to go all the way to the top, but I imagine that they are just as breathtaking! After our pit stop there we walked ourselves over to Santa Maria d’Aracoeli. We hiked ourselves up to the top and just as we did, the sun started to reappear, opening up to another incredible view. The climb is well worth the effort for the views, but once inside, the beauty of this magnificent church is breathtaking from the numerous side chapels to the alter. This was our first church experience in Italy and we were amazed how each one after that continued to be just as beautiful… or better!
After we made our back down, we continued to get lost around the area. We entered little churches along the way and just enjoyed some people watching. At this point, jet lag was starting to kick in a little bit, we were wet from the rain and starving. We knew we had to find something. Some wandering around led us to Vinando, located in Piazza Margana. We found this place by complete accident but are so glad we did! Although it was a bit more expensive then some of the other places we got lunch at later in the trip, it was well worth it. It was a perfect way to kick off our food experience in Rome. We both ordered pizzas – proscuito for him, margherita for me.! Little did we know that for lunch we could have just split one pizza since they were so big! We enjoyed a nice glass of wine and some cappuccino and then began our walk to the next stop.
We went to the Pantheon next, which is nothing short of amazing. This place is massive and so incredible to see. It had started raining once we got there, so the inside of the Pantheon was completely packed. I only wish we went back at another point during the daytime to see the inside again because I don’t believe we truly experienced it. Next we moved on to the Trevi Fountain, which is so beautiful, but this place was jam packed constantly! We fought our way down to the bottom where we threw our coins in and wished to come back to Rome. From there we walked to the Spanish Steps and walked our way up them. Again, there was another beautiful view waiting for us at the top. It’s amazing how each view gets better and better!
We managed to walk the way back to the hotel after that (stopping for another cappuccino and gelato along the way). After being up now for more then 24 hours, it was no wonder we ended up crashing once we sat down on the bed. We woke up in the early evening and needed to eat, but were still exhausted, so we just walked down to a little restaurant at the corner of our hotel’s road, Il Tavolinetto. We enjoyed a delicious appetizer, insalate caprese, and for dinner I had wonderful spinach ravioli’s and my husband had a delicious veal dish. The food was amazing but the service was great also. The guy was very patient as we attempted to order our whole meal in Italian, and even helped correct us when we needed it! We definitely would have gone back here again for another meal during our stay, but we were just so tempted by every other place!!
Our second day in Rome, we had set up our Vatican City tour. Our travel agent handled the details of this, so sadly I do not know the name of the tour company we went with. We arrived outside of the Vatican walls around 8:30am and started working our way in. Once we entered Vatican City, we were instantly blown away by its beauty. Everything was just gorgeous (and it helped that we had a gorgeous day!). Touring the Vatican Museum is incredibly interesting. There is so much history, art, sculptures, and so much more to see that it is almost overwhelming. We made our way into the very crowded Sistine Chapel. It is amazingly beautiful, but I feel like a bit of it is taken away because they just let tons of people in there. We were standing there shoulder to shoulder with people, trying to take it all in, and it’s a bit hard. Either way, it’s a site you can’t miss. We made our way over to St. Peter’s after, and I’m not sure there is a word to describe it when you first see it. We enjoyed walking around and seeing Michelangelo’s Pieta, and seeing the various tombs of former popes. Each one is better than the other.
After we left the Basilica, our tour ended and we had some free time. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a restaurant right outside the square (we split a pizza this time!) and decided our next plan of action. We had to stay by the Vatican till at least 3pm that day to get tickets for the Papal Audience the next day. We were torn whether we wanted to climb to the top of the Basilica or if we wanted to venture over to Castel Sant’Angelo. We decided on the latter and we are so glad we did. This place is huuuggge! We managed to get lost in there for a few hours and we saw so much. It was not crowded at all, so we were able to move pretty freely throughout. Some many exhibits, rooms, paintings, weapons are packed into this place. And the history there is amazing! I feel like this site is overlooked by many people while in Rome, and feel like many people miss out. On the second level, there is a tiny restaurant that offers amazing views of St. Peter’s. We managed to snag a table right next to the wall, and sat and drank wine and relaxed a bit. After we were rested, we continued to the top to find an impressive view of Vatican City and Rome. I can’t imagine that the view from St. Peter’s was any different, but we got more out of this.
After we were done there we strolled around a bit before we had to make it over to the Swiss Guards to pick up our tickets for the Papal Audience. They only let one of us wait online, so I went in while my husband waited outside for me. It took about a half hour for me to work my way up to the front, where they let us in about 5 at a time. While waiting, I was able to watch a changing of the guards, which I was glad I was able to witness. After I finally got the tickets, my husband and I decided to go back into the Basilica one more time and we are so glad we did. It was after 5pm, and the place was almost empty. We were able to take in so much more than we were before. After, we decided we wanted to try out the subway back towards our hotel since we knew we would want to take it in the morning to get back to Vatican City. We were impressed with how easy it was! With only having 2 lines, it’s virtually impossible to get lost on it. It was a great resource to have for the rest of our stay, although we opted to walk most of the time. We stopped to eat at L’Angolo di Napoli because it was on the way home and had some nice outdoor dining. The food here was pretty good. The bruschetta we had could have been better, but for dinner I had gnocchi alla Sorrentina and it was outstanding. My husband stuck with another veal dish that was also very delicious.
Day 3 started off with us waking up early to head over to the Vatican to watch the Pope’s Papal Audience. While I am so glad that we experienced this, it definitely is a one time thing for us. It was exhausting to stand out in the sun, with 80,000 plus people, waiting to listen to the Pope talk in Italian (which we don’t understand). It’s one of those experiences we will never forget and we are so glad we did it. The Pope drives around for about a half hour before starting the audience, and to be that close to him was amazing. We had tickets to get in (which you need to get through the Vatican. I faxed them over a letter prior to our trip) however, no one even collected them! I almost feel like we wasted a bit of our evening the night before waiting to pick up these tickets. Afterwards, we took the subway over to Villa Borghese gardens as we had tickets to tour the gallery at 3pm. We had a lot of time in between but the gardens are so spectacular and the day was so nice, it was nice to just sit around and relax. We got sandwiches from a vendor and some gelato and had a nice little lunch prior to our tour. We booked the Borghese Gallery tour through Walks of Italy (walksofitaly.com) and I can’t say enough about the guide. She was so informative, and helped keep our interest throughout the two hour tour. We are not huge art lovers, but we can appreciate it when we see it. Our guide knew so much about each piece and kept us engaged and interested. From there we decided to just walk around the area and find a place to eat dinner along the way. We found Gran Caffe Roma (located via Vittorio Veneto) and had one of our favorite meals so far. We ordered some Italian beer and I ordered spaghetti carboranara, which was the best I have ever had. My husband had a delicious seafood and spaghetti dinner that was out of this world. The restaurant is on a nice little section of the street and you are able to sit outside, which we prefer. Since we had an early dinner, we managed to walk our way back towards the Colosseum, as a family friend made us promise to sit outside the Colosseum at night and drink wine. So we kept our promise! We sat outside with our glass, dreaming of what it would be like tomorrow when we finally got to be inside.
Day 4 was set aside for the Colosseum and Roman Forum tour. We scheduled this tour with Walks of Italy again. Every tour guide that we had up to this point was very good, but our guide Max, was absolutely spectacular. He was beyond knowledgeable about everything that had to do with the Forum and Colosseum and when he spoke, he made you feel as if everything else around you was gone and you were actually standing back in time picturing what he was saying. This tour was the highlight of our trip and we waited all week for it and it was worth the wait. With Walks of Italy, they give access to the lower and upper level of the Colossuem and to see it from those views was INCREDIBLE. Many people do not have access up there, so it was not crowded at all on those levels. When we first walked into the Colosseum, I actually had a moment where I was speechless and I became a bit emotional that I was there. Even though we had been in Rome for three full days prior, it all of a sudden hit me that I was finally here, seeing something that I only dreamed of seeing. To this day, thinking of that moment can still get me a bit choked up.
After our tour completed, we needed to eat, so we walked down the street and found a nice little outdoor restaurant and again split a pizza and had some wine (I neglected to write this restaurants name down – sorry!). Afterwards, we wanted to make it over to San Pietro in Vincoli, which was very important for us to see. We got there while the church was closed for lunch. Once the doors opened up everyone filed in very quickly, but made their way over to look at Michelangelos statue of Mose’s, We were able to make our way down to look at St. Peter’s chains, and light a candle before the crowded worked their way over there. It was great to be able to have a semi private experience down there and take it all in before it got too crowded. The statue of Moses is amazing, but everyone is packed over there looking at it. It’s very difficult to see and take in. However, I think if we weren’t there right as they opened back up, we would have had a different experience. After our time was up there, we walked our way back to our hotel. We were exhausted and wanted to change before dinner.
Day 5 was our last full day in Rome and we had no plans! We wanted to be able to walk around and take in some stuff that we learned throughout the week and revisit some of our favorite spots. It was another rainy day in Rome (our first and last days were filled with rain, but the other days were beautiful!), so we grabbed our umbrellas and headed out! We wanted to work our way over to Piazza Navona, which we regret not seeing earlier in the week. We absolutely loved this area! There were so many people watching opportunities, some great little shops and great restaurants. Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is spectacular to see, and unfortunately any pictures we took of it did not do it justice (in the middle of the fountain is an obelisk. We had fun throughout the week seeing how many of them are throughout the city. There is a mix of Egyptian ones and Ancient Roman ones). We had a quick lunch in Piazza Navona before we decided to keep walking. We ended up making our way over to Campo de’ Fiori, where we had such a great time in the daily market. We picked up some bottles of wine and olive oil to bring back home. A lot of the vendors sell small enough bottles that will fit in carry-ons, so we tried to stack up on those. After that, we walked our way back over to our hotel (which is across the city now). We knew we wanted to eat in Piazza Navona that night, but wanted to change and drop off some stuff we bought along the way. Once we did that, we worked our way back to Piazza Navona. We wanted to make sure to walk by the Coloseeum one last time before we left, so we made our way down there to say goodbye and take in its beauty. We walked our way back to Piazza Navona where we ate dinner at Tucci, which is right in the square. We had a wonderful waiter that really helped our experience. We also sat down next to fellow American’s from Seattle and had a very nice conversation comparing trips. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the company was even better! After, we hopped around the square and had dessert at a different restaurant, just so we could take it from all angles. After that, we wanted to go back to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. If you never saw these places at night, next time you are in Rome, please make sure you do. I found the Pantheon to be more amazing at night than I did during the day. It was amazing to see this massive place all lit up, just in the middle of a Piazza. It was such a simple thing we did, but one of my favorite memories. The Trevi Fountain is beautiful also, but again, it so packed it’s impossible to take in the full beauty.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch our train to Naples. Our hotel was 2 blocks from the train station, so we walked over a bit earlier then needed, but we weren’t sure how easy we were going to be able to find our train. We were amazed about how smooth and easy this process was. The train was about an hour down to Naples, and it was the best experience I have had on a train. Once we got to Naples, a driver picked us up and we made our way to Sorrento. I give all these drivers credit for taking on these roads. Not only are they crowded but having to deal with sharp curves and pedestrians is quite the battle! About 45 minutes later we arrived at our hotel in Sorrento, Grand Royal Hotel. It was absolutely beautiful. It was right on the water with magnificent views of the Bay of Naples. Although you could tell the hotel had some old features (like the rather large KEY they gave us, which weighed a ton!) but it had a resort-like feel to it. We were excited to spend the next week here. We quickly got settled into our room and wanted to make our way down to the main part of Sorrento, which was about a block away. I fell in love with this area quite quickly! It wasn’t too touristy at the time, and had spectacular views and restaurants. We made our way down to Piazza Tasso, which is really the center of the town. We were starving at this point, and it was a bit rainy, so we decided to stop at a place right in the square for lunch at Pizzeria Aurora. The pizza was very good but I did find it a bit annoying that they don’t let you buy one pizza and split. You must buy two. Needless to say since we had a late lunch, we didn’t have dinner that night. After we ate we walked around a bit to take in the town. We explored our way around and managed to find a gelato place that we had read about many times prior, Davide Gelato. This place had sooooooo many options for gelato it was insane. We grabbed some to go and just spent the night taking in our new place.
The next day we didn’t have any formal plans, so we were excited to not have to set an alarm and be able to just relax. We ate breakfast in our hotel. They had an amazing spread of food and it was enough to get us started on the day. Since the day before was a bit rainy, it was exciting to see the sun out at full force. We were truly able to take in the views. We spent this day like a bunch of wanderers. We checked out local shops, drank some limoncello and got lunch at one of our favorite places, Ristorante Sorrento. The seating area for here is just on the side of the side walk, and they have a good portion of out door seating (indoor is an option also). We ended up coming back here probably 4 different times for a meal while in Sorrento. We had some of the best pizza, and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming each time. After we had some lunch, we went down by the water. We opted to take some of the long walks down the side of the cliffs (there is an elevator option also). The most disappointing thing about Sorrento is the lack of beach space. In the marina, there is a very tiny beach that would have never been worth it. Obviously we knew this going into the trip and that wasn’t our main concern, it just would be nice overall. After we checked out the marina area, we decided that we were going to do the Hop On/Hop Off bus ride around. We were tired and hot (they said the weather that week was unseasonably warm for that time of the year. Some days it was in the 90’s!) and we figured that this would be a great way to see the rest of the area without doing too much. We actually regret not doing the hop on bus while in Rome. Although that first day was great getting lost in an unfamiliar city, we totally could see the benefit of being jet lagged and having someone drive us around and explaining stuff to us. I think the next time we travel to a city like Rome, we may opt to do that our first day. We had a lovely time on the bus, and we were able to capture some great views. Once we were back in Sorrento we went to dinner at Sedil Dominova, where I had the best ravioli’s I have ever had. They were to die for. I don’t even remember what my husband ate that night because I am still talking about the ravioli’s! We had a lovely experience here, sitting outside, people watching and drinking wine. We actually met one of the owner’s earlier in the day, without knowing he owned the restaurant, at a limoncello shop his wife runs. He was excited to see us and even sent over some appetizers for us!
The next day was a scheduled tour of Pompeii. I was beyond excited to see this, because just like the Colosseum, it is something that you have always dreamed of seeing. Luckily the bus station was right near our hotel, so we were out there around 7:30am. Our bus was on time and took us straight to Pompeii, which was at least a 45 minute drive. One thing that is amazing about Pompeii is how it really is just thrown in the middle of no where. No elaborate build up to the front gates or anything. The day was in the 90’s and not a cloud in the sky. When we started our tour, and quickly saw how crowded our day was going to be here. I can’t imagine what it is like to be there in the middle of the summer, in the heat and those crowds. Everything about Pompeii is amazing to see. Not only is it fascinating to see how people lived, but also that they have been able to keep so much of the structure in place. Every little detail in the spas, villas, the fireplaces, and even the grooves that are still in the stone from the wagons are simply amazing. There is so much to take in and see here, and the only negative about is the crowd. I found it very difficult to concentrate and focus on my tour guide, when I was constantly being pushed around by other groups, or having children running all over the place. A bit of the magic of Pompeii is lost because of this. But overall, we had a wonderful time there. Once we were back in Sorrento, we went to dinner at Le Grazie. We had another fabulous meal outside, recapping our day. We met a couple that lived not too far from us back home, and spent hours talking and drinking wine with them. It was a lovely end to a great day.
Our third day in Sorrento, we had set up a day trip to Capri. This again was set up by our travel agent so I am not too sure the name of the company. While we had a good time on Capri, I think we would have enjoyed it a bit more with a different company or just touring on our own. We took the ferry over to Capri and then we were immediately shuttled up to the top of Anacapri. Our guide did a brief overview of the area and then said that we had an hour of free time. That is nice and all, but what can really be done in an hour, in a place that you didn’t really do that great job of explaining? We decide to take the chairlift up to the top of Mt. Salaro and take in the views there. My god, there should be a warning on this chairlift! I am not afraid of heights and have been on plenty of chairlifts in my day, but this had to be the scariest one I have ever been on. The lift does not appear to be that bad in the beginning, as your only about 10 feet off the ground, but then you reach a point in the ride where the chair goes straight up at what appears to be a 90 degree angle. I may have had a mini panic attack. It was cold, slightly rainy, and just as we boarded, the wind picked up. The 10 minutes up I spent thinking about the best way to fall when the chair collapses and break the least amount of bones. Regardless of my flash of death on the wooden lift, I would do it all again to be able to see the views of the entire island once you are on top. The wind was so strong up there (in pictures my hair is standing straight up! Hilarious), and it was freezing, but that did not take away the beauty, even on the cloudy morning. We spent as long as we could up there, however I am not too sure if it was because we were in awe or we were just stalling going back down on that lift. Needless to say, we survived, met up with our group, had a quick bite to eat that the tour set up and then headed our way down to Capri town. Once there, our guide quickly walked us through the main roads to get to a gorgeous overlook of the Faraglioni. Again, we were given about an hour to tour the area and then we had the choice of doing the Blue Grotto tour ($30 pp + 15 to get into the grotto) or take an hour long boat ride around the entire island ($15pp). Our cheap side came out and we decided that we wanted to do the boat ride around the island to get more for our money. We are so happy with our decision. We took a boat out of Marina Grande, and the guide was so informative and funny. By this time the day had cleared up and it was beautiful to be out on the water taking in the crystal blue colors. The guide was able to take us up to the white and green grotto, which was awesome. He drove us through the Faraglioni, had us stop for pictures and showed us where the blue grotto was. Although I’m sure the blue grotto is amazing, we will save that for trip number 2 one day. By this time our day in Capri was finishing and we had to catch the ferry back to Sorrento. Once we were back there we decided to grab dinner at Inn Buffalito, which had amazingly delicious food. We had planned to make another stop back there before we left, but we never got the chance. Grabbed some more gelato, and then headed off to bed.
This was our second to last day in Sorrento and before the trip ended and I was dying to see Positano and the Amalfi coast. We talked to the front desk workers about the public bus and it seemed fairly harmless. We headed out at about 9am for the bus and were lucky enough to not have to wait and we were able to get a seat on the bus. We started our journey over to Positano and with every twist and turn I got even more excited. Once we were on that side of the island and started the Amalfi drive, I became very thankful that we decided to not try and do the drive on our own. I trust my hubby driving, but I don’t know how I could have handled those turns in a small car! Like I said, major respect goes out to those drivers! We arrived in Positano and we were dropped off at a place that offered an amazing view of the town. We snapped pictures and eagerly worked our way towards the beach. We only wish we wore our bathing suits, because it turned out to be another 90 degree day (although the water was freezing). On the way down we stopped at little shops along the way, a lovely church, and stopped for sun tan lotion for myself. Nothing against Sorrento, because I fell in love with Sorrento while there, a part of me wishes we stayed in Positano. It just had a very romantic feel to it, and it was the one place I truly dreamed about. I am thankful we were able to be there for a few hours though. Once we put our feet in the water, we decided to get a small lunch at one of the restaurants on the water (another one I neglected to write down). Once we were done there, we decided to explore and ended up getting lost and the only way out was about a thousand stairs to take up to the road. I was exhausted by the end of this!! We found our way to a pottery place and ended up spending a pretty penny there on gifts for us and our family back home. We had the items shipped back to the states, and although it wasn’t cheap, it was definitely worth it. I was a bit nervous doing this but everything arrived within a week after it was sent and nothing was broken! After we did that we hopped back on the bus and headed towards Amalfi. I can’t believe that the turns and twists of the drive could actually get worse, but between Positano and Amalfi, they were insane! And that trip we had to stand the whole time! You have to put major leg action in to keep yourself balanced and not falling into others. I feel like we didn’t put as much effort into Amalfi as we had with Positano. We were exhausted by the time we reached there and weren’t in the mood for too much walking. We took in some sites, took a bunch of pictures, and then ended up in a very popular square, drinking Peroni’s outside a beautiful church and people watching. We knew we wanted to get back to Sorrento for dinner and the last bus was leaving shortly before the bus scheduled changed. We hopped on and made our trip back (I do wish we ate dinner in Positano and saw it all lit up… next time!). Once back in Sorrento, we changed and went to dinner at a place called Bluwater. We had a nice meal, and drank some wine. While there we were seated next to another American couple that we became friendly with. Turns out they lived close to us here in New Jersey! We spent about 2 hours chatting with them (and funny story… once they were back in the states at work, they told some coworkers of a nice couple they met in Sorrento from NJ.. turns out they were telling one of my closest family friends! Small world). Anywho, after our meal we grabbed another gelato at Davide and headed back to the hotel. Only one more day left!
Our last day was left open for us. We wanted to sleep, eat, drink and shop. We had scoped out things we wanted to pick up all week, and left it for the last day to pick it all up. We did have to get another suite case for the way home since we knew our weight limit was going to be too much! We grabbed one last lunch at Ristorante Sorrento and some more gelato before doing one last dinner at Sedil Dominova, because I was still talking about my ravioli’s. This may be my favorite memory of it all. As we toasted to a wonderful honeymoon, and tears filled my eyes with happy memories and not wanting to leave, an Italian man set up to sit outside and sing while we ate dinner. It was such an authentic experience and his voice was amazing. By the end of the night, we were drinking limoncello and clapping along with everyone!
Our flight home was peaceful and we landed back in New York on May 3. Some of olive oil’s were confiscated by security in Naples (dopey husband didn’t put the travel size ones in the carry on… but a full one!), but all in all that was our only hiccup of the trip.
A part of my heart was left in Italy. It was a dream of mine to get there and experience it’s beauty, and I was lucky enough to be able to do with my brand new wonderful husband as we started our new journey in life. It was the best way for us to kick off a lifetime together and we have such amazing memories and beautiful pictures. Almost daily, I ask him when we can go back! People ask what my favorite part of the trip was and I honestly have a hard time answering. How do I compare Rome to Sorrento? How do I compare Vatican City to an experience at Pompeii? Each area is magical and special and shouldn’t be missed. I don’t have a favorite part. The entire trip was my favorite part. Some day we will get back there, maybe for an anniversary or maybe we will take our future children back one day and show them this amazing, amazing place. Or perhaps we will find a new country to explore and fall in love with. Until then, Ciao!
Oct 26th, 2013, 08:35 AM
#2
Great report and congratulations. If you ever get to Tunisia go see El Jem http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/38/gallery/ the ampitheatre towers above the town and is even more impressive than Rome's one.
Oct 26th, 2013, 10:49 AM
#7
>>>Luckily the bus station was right near our hotel, so we were out there around 7:30am. Our bus was on time and took us straight to Pompeii, which was at least a 45 minute drive.<<<
I've never heard of anyone taking the bus from Sorrento to Pompeii. Most people take the train. Was this a local Sita bus or something that was part of a tour you booked?
I've never heard of anyone taking the bus from Sorrento to Pompeii. Most people take the train. Was this a local Sita bus or something that was part of a tour you booked?
Oct 26th, 2013, 12:19 PM
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Oh!! - such a lovely trip report. Thank you. So pleased that you stumbled upon Vinando. We did too on our last visit and have vowed to go back next time. Throwing coins into the Trevi fountain does work - we have been back seven times!
We have also stayed in Positano which was absolutely lovely. Start planning now!
We have also stayed in Positano which was absolutely lovely. Start planning now!
Oct 27th, 2013, 08:24 AM
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Coco thank you for your great report. We actually did virtually the identical trip starting May 4th so we were a couple of weeks after you. You basically described our experience perfectly so thank you for rekindling the memories.
I see you made reference to taking pictures but did not include any with your report.
If you don't mind I would like to post our images I think they will nicely compliment your report.
Rome http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634677664021/
Sorrento http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634654031558/
I see you made reference to taking pictures but did not include any with your report.
If you don't mind I would like to post our images I think they will nicely compliment your report.
Rome http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634677664021/
Sorrento http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634654031558/
Oct 27th, 2013, 01:18 PM
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Thank you. I had hoped the photos would please you as much as your report pleased us.
Indeed we did stay in Monti about a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum and I suspect no more than 10 minutes from your hotel.
Indeed we did stay in Monti about a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum and I suspect no more than 10 minutes from your hotel.
Nov 1st, 2013, 11:02 AM
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Love the trip report.....we are doing almost the same trip, but staying is Positano first and ending up in Rome, at the same time (April,May) next year. Will make a list of those restaurants in Rome......and I especially like the idea of seeing the sights at night all lit up.
Looking back....would you do anything different in Rome?
Looking back....would you do anything different in Rome?
Dec 21st, 2013, 08:36 AM
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@adelheid, as much as we enjoyed Villa Borghese, I wouldn't make it a top priority to get there unless you are an art lover. I would have also liked to do one of the Catacombs tours. Definitely look into Walks of Italy if you still need to set up tours!
