honeymooning in Italy

Today is honeymoon sharing day! Bob and I decided to go to Southern Italy for our honeymoon. The way this came about was due to our quest for someplace warm and beachy but not resorty. We still wanted culture. A friend of mine pointed me to the Amalfi coast. Through some additional research and advice from an aunt and uncle who had just visited, we focused in on Positano, one of the small villages on the Amalfi coast. It's not as touristy as Amalfi itself and has a stunning beach. I have to say, Positano was dreamy. 

 

From Positano, we did a day trip up the Amalfi coast and found Ravello, the city of music. We plan to return someday and stay at the stunning Vila Cimbrone.

 

 

From Positano, we went to Sorrento, the largest city on the Amalfi coast, right in the bay of Naples. It was much more urban and touristy- not our favorite, but much more centralized for some great day trips. We visited the island of Capri and the historic cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  

 

^^Herculaneum fresca's.^^ Please read up on Herculaneum here. 

It is the city opposite Pompeii that was destroyed in the legendary eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. While Pompeii was covered in ash and rock, Herculaneum was covered in lava and molten mud, which allowed the city to be much better preserved than its Pompeii sister city. If you ever visit this region, it is worth your time to visit both sites. They are both so interesting and impressive in very different ways.

 

 

Cappuccino on Capri, aka, Beverly Hills on an island.

 

The Amalfi coast is known for their exceptionally large lemons.

Limoncello is abundant as are lemon candies, slushies and gelato. 

Good thing lemons are one of my favorite things ever!

                       

Next on our itinerary was the ancient city of Rome. So, we left the beaches for the big city. Rome is old-world charming, yet energizing, and everywhere you turn, there is something historical to see. We made the typical rounds to the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum (the ruins). In between, we ate fantastic meals, ate more gelato than we care to admit and ventured around an adorable little area called Monti, that I read about on an expats blog. (the shopping there is fab, little boutiques, no chains, I highly recommend)

Bob was SO excited to visit the Colosseum. We arranged to join a private tour group and learned so many interesting facts about the history of the games and the gladiators. This is truly a sight to see and you should not go to Rome without a visit.

  Street musicians were abundant, and we soaked up every one of them. This group in particular was really impressive. They played a sort of gypsy jazz and were so so talented.   

 

Finally, an evening in Piazza Novella. It happened to be right near my favorite boutique I was directed to (thanks to my Aunt Cassie's suggestion) called Prive, which is on 192 Via Dei Coronari. I spent most of my trip money here and don't regret one Euro! On our way home, we settled in at a little cafe in another piazza, listened to street music and drank a couple bottles of Peroni. It was one of those sweet sweet moments that I will always remember and reflect on as utter bliss with my new husband on our Italian adventure.

iz