An unexpected trip to Italy

Florence was the number one spot I’ve wanted to go to, so when the opportunity to travel to Italy arose, I jumped right on it! 12 Days spent traveling alongside the coast, from city to city, we couldn’t fathom how humid the weather could get at times. When in Salerno, I opted for a striped white top from H&M and some Zara white pants to blend in with the coastline. However, when the temperatures started to drop, we dropped by a local Starbucks (yes, Starbucks happens to be everywhere you go on the globe) to pick up a cup of coffee.

With the hot drink in hand, we were ready to face the evening chill and move on. The city is small and crowded, traffic jams were a frequent occurrence so we spent most of the day up on our feet, exploring. There was no stopping, photos needed to be taken, the beach needed visiting, I was in a hurry to absorb as much of the experience as possible.

With a friend and colleague by my side, the trip ended up being extremely fun from start to finish, so shoutout to Rivienne for being here with me through it all!

Pizza time in Naples

Next stop was Naples. Since we first arrived in Italy, we hadn’t eaten any pizza so we decided to stop by an authentic Italian restaurant and taste their best pizzas. I chose mushroom and salami pizza. Our language barrier may have prevented us from getting acquainted with the locals; however, it did not stop us from pointing at our menu until the waiter got our order down.

Visiting art galleries and museums was what preoccupied us for the rest of the day and only when our feet were aching did we go back to the hotel. For such a formal day, I sported my Versace boots, a top from H&M and a pair of jeans from Calvin Klein. To complete the look, I took my black velvet Dior handbag. As comfortable as I was when the day started, by the time evening hit, I could barely stand. I still recall the gray pavements that carried me back to the hotel.

More history to discover

We made a few more stops before we arrived in Florence, namely: Rome, San Marino, and San Gimignano. Each one was more amazing than the last. It was at this moment when I fell completely head over heels for Italy. What a beautiful country! Rome was like entering a whole new world, filled to the brim with history. I felt like I was part of it just seeing St. Peter’s Basilica.

In San Marino, we wanted to bask in the beautiful mountainous area but also the historic old buildings. The Castle was a sight to behold, especially at night. And from San Marino, we stopped by San Gimignano. Tuscany is a beautiful area, and it would have been a crime against nature had we decided not to make a stop and enjoy the beauty it has to offer.

Beautiful Florence

The last few days of our trip were spent in Florence. I had been so excited to arrive that I spent the first three days wandering around the city. We visited the Uffizi Art Museum and Gallery, we stopped by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Palazzo Vecchio, Basilica of Santa Croce, and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum.

It may have been a very touristy thing to do- visiting each and every attraction, so we spent the last day getting lost through the small streets of the city. We discovered a small hole-in-the-wall fast food that had very very good hot dogs (yes, I know, who would have thought we’d stumble across something like this?). There is a lot of graffiti behind buildings and each one felt meaningful to me. It was as if each one was designed with a goal in mind and it wasn’t just some random scribbles by local vagrants, it was more than that. That night, when we went back to the hotel, I felt mournful over the loss of time. And in the morning, we were on a plane to go back home.

Endings and Beginnings

With the vacation to an end, I can’t help but think back on all the beautiful memories I’ve obtained through it. Each walk through the city, each gallery visit, I can easily say Italy is brimming with history and life. I would recommend anyone to travel to Italy at least once in their lifetime.