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Writer's pictureSonia

Italy, a magical place




With close to 270,000 words in the Oxford dictionary, it’s astounding that I can’t think of one word that describes this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Actually, I have thought of a word and it’s simple… life changing. Wait, that’s two words. The point is, Italy is not a place you can describe with words, you truly need to be there to touch the sand, swim in the ocean, smell the lemons and taste the fresh mouthwatering flavours. So I’m going to keep this very straightforward. 

I first started planning for this trip by booking the flights 6 months before our actual travel dates. I knew we were starting in Sicily and would be flying back from Rome most flights to Toronto leave from Rome. When booking your flights, use a reputable company like Expedia or book directly with an airline. I made the huge mistake of using Flight Channel because when it came to changing a few details, they were a nightmare. You think you’re saving a few dollars but in the end you’re really not. Once our flights were booked, the real fun began! Where were we going to stay?! After lots of research and talking to people, I knew I wanted an authentic experience and in order to do that, you have to stay with the locals. 



SICILY


In Sicily, I picked to stay in Bhageria. It’s a half-hour drive from Palermo, which is the larger city in the area. The town had everything we needed and barely anyone spoke English. Something about this was so refreshing until we were grocery shopping and I couldn’t understand any of the labels (I had to google translate each item!). This took almost 2 hours in total but it made for a fun adventure.

We instantly feel in love with our Air BnB, the view was everything. (1st photo above) 



Although we felt pretty safe and the little town was cute, next time I would stay in Cefalu. You know those postcard pics you see at the airport? Or when you open Instagram or TikTok and you see turquoise beaches and you think to yourself… “this can’t be real, this looks enhanced!” Well… Cefalu is like walking into a postcard with water so clear, you can actually see the little fish swimming around and you don’t even need your snorkels. It’s a much smaller town but there’s no shortage of delicious cafes and restaurants and the beach makes up for anything the town is lacking. Just one street up from the beach you can purchase a cute umbrella and a beach blanket for 15 Euros. We ended up using these two items so many times and then gave it away to another family before we left Sicily… so worth it. The only negative observation is that it can get really busy so you need to keep an eye on your stuff. Regardless of the crowded beach, we went to Cefalu twice.

Cefalu Beach

Tip: You have to have a car in Sicily otherwise it’s a little tough to get around and you need your international license to be able to rent a car. Just go to CAA a week before your trip and the entire process takes around 30 mins and only costs $35.

 


Before I got to Sicily, I kept hearing about Isola di Favignana island and how it’s a must-see, so I decided this is where we were going to explore, swim and snorkel. We drove for 2 hours early morning to get to Trapani for a 9am boat departure. The day started very cloudy and as we got on the boat, mother nature decided to rain on us before we could even jump in the water. Just as we pulled up to Isola di Favignana Island, the clouds magically parted and there it was, the crystal clear water that everyone talked about in all the articles I read. The town itself is so quant with so much history and simplicity. This day was a deep Sicilian experience. The only thing that could’ve gone wrong but didn’t was if one of us got stung by jellyfish. One of the bays we stopped at called the Lovers Cave (I’m calling it Jellyfish Cave), was home to a lot of beautiful fish and lots of jellyfish. When we were snorkeling we spotted a dozen of them and that was the end of our swim. Someone on another boat actually got stung. I offered to urinate on her leg… kidding! That’s not a thing. The woman was fine but it was still a bit scary, and now we can say we swam with jellyfish! Where’s my badge of honour?! Anyways, this is obviously normal because our tour guide was so chill about everything. 

 

Next up, a cooking class!


What’s the point of going to Italy and not learning how to make authentic pizza and pasta? Just don’t bother going if you’re not going to do this.
Sicilian food is different from the rest of Italy. It has a touch of Spanish, Greek, French and Arab influences so when I booked our pizza making class, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It turned out to be the best pizza I have ever eaten… maybe I’m being bias because I made it. The freshness certainly added to the flavours but I never thought of putting anchovies on my pizza before! From now on I will. The class we booked was in Palermo so this was a great opportunity to explore the city for the day and head to our cooking class in the late afternoon.



Because Palermo is the capital of Sicily, the city is bustling with history, art, music and food markets like you’ve never seen. I wanted to eat everything!! I highly recommend sneaking in a city tour as well, during this tour you end up learning so much about the history of Sicily’s Mafia. It’s now a very safe and peaceful place so not to worry there. All the tours and cooking classes I booked were through GetYourGuide.com. The website is filled with great reviews and lots of suggestions for different activities.
 

Now as you know I work in the entertainment world and there was no way I was not driving to Taormina where “The White Lotus” Season 2 was filmed. Four Seasons was a bit out of my price range but we stayed in a spectacular B&B just 10 minutes outside of Taormina, and it was by far my favourite place in all of Italy. It’s quietly nestled in a lemon orchard with a perfect view of Mount Etna and the hosts feel like family instantly (second slide). I’m not being bias because her name is also Sonia. https://shorturl.at/2SSaG

Taormina is a very busy and bougie town but does offer some great restaurants and connects you to Isola Bella which is a stunning cove you can swim in. How often are you also so close to the world’s second most active volcano?! You MUST do the drive up Mount Etna or take a bus tour if you don’t want to drive. We not only drove up, but also did a hike up to the craters and this was a sight to take in. If you want to spend some extra money and get close to the actual Volcano, take a cable car up. We decided not to do this because I have a slight fear (meaning I’m terrified) of heights and the last thing I needed was a panic attack in a small cable car while we approached spewing lava. No thanks!

THE AMALFI COAST

I sill can't believe I took this photo of Amalfi town
Next stop was the Amalfi Coast, yes… THE AMALFI COAST!!! For this I just booked us flights from Palermo to Naples. Super cheap flights so skip the train because it’s an 8-hour train ride and you’ll lose an entire day. When you arrive in Naples, there are several transportation options available but ask the information kiosk what the best option is for wherever it is you’re off too. The folks here are not going to scam you. In our case we needed to take the ferry to get to a quaint little town called Atrani, this was going to be our home for 6 days. The ferry stopped at Capri and Positano so it took a total of 2 hours to get to our town. 

We traveled with just two Victorinox carry-ons and two backpacks
I chose Atrani because again, it’s a small local town and only a 10 min walk to Amalfi town where you catch the ferries to get to Positano, Capri, etc. Our Air-BnB was superb. Chris, the host, whom I never met (and he could totally be fake), was almost always available to answer all my questions. To be honest, the pictures don’t do the actual spot justice, it was really nice and clean. The Amalfi Coast also has a great bus system (Sita bus) and you can get tickets for the buses at any little convenience shop. This is a cheaper way to get around vs the ferries; however, if you don’t like heights and big crowds, stick to the ferries. We took the bus up to Ravello and I saw my life flash before my eyes because the roads are so tight and to the other side is nothing but a huge cliff. The Ravello Gardens are a must-see and you have to take a bus or a private car… might be worth braving the bus. If you’re a baller, you can take a private car.

Crammed on a Sita bus
View from Villa Cimbrone, Ravello
 
The beautiful bougainvillea is endemic to the Amalfi Coast

Capri was my absolute favourite, wish we stayed here (next time!). The island is quite large and has some unique hikes including the Gardens of Augustus. Just find a Bougainville tree and take a nap under it. Right next to the gardens is a beautiful hidden gem of a restaurant, II Geranio. When I say I had the best risotto I’ve ever had in my entire life, I mean THE MOST DELICIOUS! The restaurant also offers a spectacular view. We did not end up doing the tour to Blue Grotto, which apparently is a must see, because the tide was very high and it was too dangerous. Definitely look into this before you head to Capri.
Capri, view from Gardens of Augustus
 

Oh Positano, how it took my breath away.

Took this while I was walking up to La Sponda
Yes, it is a major tourist trap but why wouldn’t it be when it’s known as the jewel of the Amalfi Coast. This little vertical town is an experience. Because it is very crowded, the tip we got was to just climb the stairs and get away from the tourist traps and that is what we did. The best view of Positano (in my opinion) is at two locations, Da Gabrisa & La Sponda. You need reservations at these restaurants so book in advance! They’re expensive but so worth it.




Nothing beats sailing in a traditional Amalfi Coast “Gozzo”, a spacious traditional boat along the coast and learning about the history and taking dips along the way. I used GetYourGuide to book this tour. 

You still with me or is your ear also now in Positano? Let’s get to Rome because when in Rome… I have no idea where I was going with that.






ROME

Best way to get to Rome from the Amalfi Coast is a train (ItaliaRail) from Salerno, it’s only 2 hours and you’re in Rome!

Tip: Always keep a photocopy of your passport on you because authorities can stop you and ask for your ID whenever they want. This didn’t happen to us but we did witness it happening to a lot of people. 





Rome was all about tours, so lots of walking and exploring and I’m thankful I packed comfortable shoes! The Vatican City (the smallest country in the world) will fill your appetite for history and architecture. We did a full tour of the St Peter’s Basilica with a walk around the Dome which required a lot of stairs but the view from the top was magical. If you practice Christianity, this is your Mecca. If you don’t, just the history and architecture is enough to take in, and it’s where the Pope lives! I mean, pretty cool.







What’s the point of going to Rome and not imagining Russell Crowe all sweaty and dirty battling in the Colosseum? The movie was not actually filmed there; in fact, it wasn’t even filmed in Rome. Ha! My friends, this is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and despite its age, is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world. Construction on this place started in 69 A.D. What does that even mean? It means it’s an old freakin’ building that has been around for thousands of years. Let me know if your brain processed that, because mine is still processing it. Go watch Gladiator before you go here. I made my daughter watch it and she appreciated it way more in person. Our tour guide walked us through the exact gate the gladiators used to enter the arena from. At one point I even closed my eyes and imagined the crowd cheering my name and then I was engulfed by a tiger. That’s how long I would last in those times. 

Our tour also included the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum and honestly, it was so hot by this point so I remember very little. I just remember our tour guide saying, you are walking on a street from the Roman Empire times and I looked down and thought to myself that so much life has happened before us and so much will happen after us. It’s remarkable and slightly overwhelming. I recommend doing this in the morning and drink lots of water!!

Tip: Bring an empty bottle and you can keep filling it up at the fountains. The city has done a wonderful job of putting up fountains everywhere and the water is the cleanest water I’ve ever had. Yes, even cleaner than Vancouver.


Please don't ask me how we made this, I forget.
We also did a fun pasta making class in the Trastevere neighbourhood and I absolutely loved this area. We went back to this neighbourhood for Greek food. Yes, Greek, because we got tired of eating pasta and pizza. In fact, we also went for sushi one night and dare I say this was the best sushi I’ve ever had. The restaurant is called Zuma. I so recommend this place, but bring all your credit cards because this place is expensive. https://zumarestaurant.com/locations/rome/

Tip: When choosing restaurants in Rome, stay away from places that have pictures displayed outside and some guy luring you in. I fell for this trick and the food was terrible… but the guy was cute.

Arrivederci Rome! Off we continue north to Firenze (Florence). At this point I was actually starting to believe I was Italian.



FLORENCE

View of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore from Piazzale Michelangelo

I instantly fell in love with Florence and its whimsical tone. The streets were the smallest I’ve seen, the cobble stones work created an intricate landscape across the city and although it was crowded, something about it felt so peaceful. I had booked several tours on GetYourGuide in Florence too.


Starting with the Duomo, Cathedral of Florence. Wow, what a giant piece of art. We’re talking about Michelangelo, Donatello, and Giotto, masters of art. 








Pitti Palace was a unique tour because not only do you get to discover how the Medici family lived and how ridiculously rich they were but there’s a beautiful Museum of Costume and Fashion within the palace that features garments dating all the way back to 1780. 








There was only one way to sign off on this trip, a trip to the Tuscany region for a little wine tasting. This was booked through CiaFlorence. The tour included a stop in Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni & Chianti Wine Region With Wine Tasting and lunch and ended at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s a 10-hour commitment but every hour is so special. 




IN CONCLUSION

Our experience in Italy was even more beautiful than what I had imagined and I think that is in part to me being flexible with our plans. Half of our trip was planned and the other half I left it open and went with the flow. I can’t wait to go back and discover new places and share them with you. Until then, Ciao Bella!

Extra Tips:
  • For packing, we took two carry-ons and two backpacks. I did the rolling system and was able to pack so much. 1 pair of runners, one nice shoes for dinner and another cute pair of white sneakers because white goes with everything.
  • I also did laundry end of each week before going to the next location.
  • As for toiletry, I brought the necessities (my must have serum and moisturizer) and bought stuff the second we got to Italy because I knew I would run out of it all by the end of our trip. For example, buy a big bottle of sunscreen when you get there, same as body lotion, tooth-paste, etc.
  • I used Airbnb and Bookings.com for all our stays. Make sure you read the reviews, ask the owners questions and check all the details.
  • Lastly, bring a small camera and put your phone away! Just get a e-sim on your phone so you can use Whatsapp to stay in touch with family and the tour guides and so you can use GPS.Take all your photos on the camera! :)
  • Last tip, don’t eat at restaurants around the tourist traps, food is never that great and prices are crazy. Even if you can go a street or two away, you’ll find a much better option. 
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This made me feel like I was right there with you in Italy sipping on rosé🤩🤍 here’s to more amazing memories!

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