Italy!
When I was a little girl my god mother would tell me stories of her travels to London, Paris, Italy, Thailand and so many more countries. Back in April out of the blue she sent me a text, it said, Alana travel while you're young! I had been invited to Drew Scott's destination wedding about a month earlier and decided, I am going to Italy!
Travel time from Nashville to Rome was about 13 hours. I was exhausted when I finally arrived but it was 10am in Italy and I was looking forward to exploring and taking in all the history! I checked into Hotel Romanico Palace, it was priced well and was nice enough since I was only staying one day. If I had stayed for longer I would have loved to stay somewhere near the Trevi District, which is more centralized and home to the gorgeous Trevi Fountain. I was amazed by all the history I saw walking through the streets of Rome. Ancient ruins and rich Italian culture is everywhere. There was an intricate fountain or statue around every corner. Rome is a very busy city with thousands of little cars, scooters and motorcycles zipping through the streets.
Rome wasn't built in a day but I tried to see as much as I could in one day! I was heading south to Puglia the next morning so I took full advantage of my time. I didn't get to go inside the Vatican because it was too late by the time I arrived. But the exterior was a sight all on it's own. I will have to see the inside next time.
While strolling through the city, I came across a whimsical roof top garden named Villa Aldobrandini. It was so charming with amazing views of the city.
The food in Italy is amazing. I had cappuccino and croissants for breakfast everyday. Some of the croissants were stuffed with jam or nutella. For lunch and dinner it was pasta, pizza, and burrata. When in Rome, you must try cacio e pepe, which means cheese and pepper. It is a traditional roman pasta dish. One of my favorite meals was orchiette and tomato sauce. The olives and the red wines in Puglia are just amazing! Let's not forget the gelato and Limoncello.
The next morning I hopped on a 4 hour train ride south across the most gorgeous countryside, headed to Puglia! Puglia is the modern name for Apulia it is the southern region forming the heel of Italy's boot shape! The capital is Bari. Lecce is a town known as "Florence of the South". I was headed to Savelletri which is between the two. There are many towns and villages making up this area. With centuries-old farmland and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline, Puglia a must see!
When I arrived in Fasano it was a quick 10 minute taxi to the beautiful sea side village of Savelletri. This little town was perfection! I rented a bike and set out to explore up the coast. Passing ancient ruins, Scavi di Egnazia, and then Calette di Torre Cintola, a beach within the ruins of what looks like an ancient fortress. Nestled in the high limestone rock, these artificially created sandy ravines are captivating! This was hands down the most amazing beach I have ever seen! I had lunch in Monopoli another seaside town.
The welcome dinner and wedding were held at Borgo Egnazia, an elegant and stunning resort.
After the wedding, I headed back to Rome for one last night. Italy was magical!
Where is the most amazing place you have visited? Or if you could choose any place to adventure to, where would it be? Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you!
Until next time, Ciao!
