July-August 2018 – 7 weeks with the family
Sicily – Puglia – Campania (Amalfi Coast, Naples, Pompeii, Ischia) – Rome – Florence – Tuscany
We spent the first week after arriving in Turin from Chicago taking care of a “bit” of paperwork (see Expat Logistics). Since our household goods were making the slow journey across the ocean and the dogs were back in Chicago, we decided to set off on a 7-week road trip to get to know our new country and its people and culture better.
Italy is the best and worst country for a road trip. The best because there is so much to see and nothing is very too far apart. But it is the worst place because it’s so hard to decide where to stop when everyone has so many recommendations for THE place that you must visit. Okay, maybe that’s not really a bad thing. But we seriously did “struggle” to see or visit every place on our list of places thing we wanted to visit in ‘just’ 7 weeks. In the end, we actually made the decision and decided not to go further north than Florence. We determined that we could visit the places closer to Turin on future trips.
To begin with, it’s important to say that we were completely blown away by the diversity of Italy. Not only were there so many incredible experiences, but there was such a variety of those experiences. From the people and the country’s rich history to the gastronomy, to the arts to the natural beauty – each region of Italy has its own unique story and feel.
We went to so many places and we enjoyed them all. The highlights were: eating granita in the old town of Siracusa (Sicily), eating grilled foods in the whitewashed towns of Puglia, hiking to a lemon farm in Amalfi, enjoying the natural thermal pools on the island of Ischia, eating pizza in Naples, learning to make fresh pasta at a winery, seeing masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel and Michaelangelo’s David, and riding horses through among the cypress- covered Tuscan hills.
In the end, the best part was for us to enjoy so much time together as a family. OK – That sounded a bit like a crazy parent. Anyway, I was just kidding! Actually, though, pizza in Naples was at the top of the list.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We have purposely avoided making a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-Do’ experiences since we know that each person’s level of enthusiasm depends on their personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites – and they are divided into two groups: “Avventura Favves” and “Other Things We Liked.”
Although we would return later, for this trip, we bypassed much, including the delicious food and fast cars near Bologna, George Clooney’s villa on Lake Como, the tropical beaches of Sardinia and Elba, the canals of Venice, the rugged Dolomite mountains, classy Portofino, and the incredible hikes between the fishing villages of the Cinque Terre. We hurried along to pick up our dogs who were arriving from the US and to finally turn our attention to getting to know our new city of Turin after learning so much about the rest of Italy.
Have any questions or suggestions for us? Post them in the comments below or contact us at LewinAvventura@gmail.com.
The Avventura 