Nine Italian Cities = 1 Month of Madness

No one in their right mind would try and cover all of Italy in just one month. So now that we’ve established that I’m crazy, let’s take a look at my schizophrenic travel schedule:

Rome

I’m happy to report that I shared my Rome experience with one million fellow frothing tourists. Seriously, the crowds at the Colosseum were not to be believed. But you’re in Rome and therefore you must go.

One must also see the famous Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Foundation and the Spanish Steps. The bottom line: they are all spectacular and worth the blisters and sunstroke. My one piece of advice: Go in May, before the kids are out of school.

The Vatican

The Vatican is revered and rightly so. The Vatican museums, St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica – all deserve the attention they get, both from the Catholic Church and from us mere mortals. Sometimes you can hear angels singing in the square. Sometimes you just hear car horns honking. Depends on the strength of your faith.

Naples

Naples kind of gets a bad rap, as in: “Naples is not so very glamorous by Italian standards.” But I liked Naples well enough. I also liked that I could easily get out of Naples to Sorrento and Pompeii. The one thing about Pompeii –there are only 2 dead people, so adjust fallen-ash expectations.

Amalfi

Sweet Amalfi! This seaside darling is one of my favorites along this venerated coast. And with Positano and Ravello as part of the Amalfi package, how can you go wrong? Go and sip some Prosecco while watching the blue Mediterranean waters. Then hop to Capri to rub shoulders with movie stars. Delightful!

Sicily

This is the real Italy! Laundry hanging between buildings, flower pots perched on the window sills, and colorful fishing boats bobbing in the small town island harbors. As the birthplace of pizza and cannoli, Sicily is all good in my book! (Ok, I might have made that part about the pizza up. THAT’S how much I like Sicily!)

Verona

I didn’t want to go to Verona, but I’m sure glad I did. It’s one of my Italian favorites, maybe because it seemed so manageable. Or maybe it’s because I got to touch Juliet’s bronze breast (along with 20 million other people—all of us trying to avoid her ill-fated approach to romance). Verona is certainly worth the 36 hours we spent visiting and may even be worth a full two days!

Siena

Even if you miss the Palio di Siena horse races held twice a summer, Siena is a quintessential Gothic town. Or is a Renaissance town? Never mind, it’s a town with character! I especially love that the city’s mascot is a snarling dog. Gives the place some bite!

Chianti

The heart of Tuscany may be Florence, but the surrounding Chianti countryside is just as beautiful as Florence’s famed red-tiled roofs. It’s the perfect place to go wine tasting, attend an authentic Italian cooking school and stay in a medieval castle. That’s what I did – and ended up living a fairytale for 3 full days!

Venice

80,000 people live in Venice, which is a lot for a city with no real streets. But you’ll find the canals charming as you get endlessly lost among the narrow alleys and bridges. Besides, you’ve got to love a place like St. Marks that is the roost for both the house of Chanel and pooping pigeons.

There you have it! Nine cities in one month. Now I know why Italians are always screaming. Screaming mad, that is! And also using lots of Italian curse words.