La Dolce Vita

Some trips are simply vacations. Others become stories you tell for a lifetime. Our family journey through Italy was unmistakably the latter — a sweeping adventure from the volcanic shores of Naples all the way to the shimmering canals of Venice, with a deeply personal detour into our family's roots along the way.

🍕 Naples: Where Every Great Italian Story Begins

We had not even made it to our hotel before Italy made its first unforgettable impression. Touching down in Naples, we barely had our bags loaded before we asked our driver to make a stop, and really, how could we not? Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and we were not about to let that moment pass. That first slice, in the city where it all began, set the tone for everything that followed.

That first pizza in Naples. The birthplace of pizza does not disappoint.

🍋 Sorrento: Our Home Base on the Cliffs

Sorrento quickly became the undisputed favorite chapter of our trip. Perched dramatically above the Bay of Naples, the town offers views that genuinely make you stop mid-sentence and simply stare. We based ourselves here for our time along the coast, and it proved to be the perfect decision — a beautiful and relaxed home base from which we could explore everything the region had to offer.

One of the true highlights of our Sorrento days was a visit to a working lemon farm. The lemons of this region are legendary — enormous, fragrant, and unlike anything you will find back home — and we got to learn all about the growing and harvesting process firsthand. The afternoon ended with a long, leisurely lunch featuring lemon linguine (a dish we are absolutely recreating at home) and a limoncello tasting that felt like a celebration of the land itself.

The famous Sorrento lemon. These are as big as they look, and the flavor is extraordinary.

We also took a cooking class in Sorrento, and if there is one thing I would insist every Italy traveler do, it is this. We learned to make fresh pasta, a classic Italian sauce, and tiramisu from scratch. When the cooking was done, we sat down to eat everything we had prepared in a beautiful outdoor garden. The food tasted even better knowing we had made it ourselves. Best of all, we each went home with our own apron and the recipes tucked inside, so a little piece of that Sorrento kitchen travels with us always.

⛳ Capri & the Amalfi Coast: Glamour and Drama

From Sorrento, we hopped the ferry over to Capri — convenient, easy, and a little thrilling as the island came into view. Capri is everything you have heard: glamorous, buzzing with energy, and packed with visitors from every corner of the world. It has a certain electricity to it that is hard to describe. The hustle and bustle is very much part of the experience.

The view from Ravello looking down the Amalfi Coast. Words honestly fall short here.

The drive along the Amalfi Coast is a jaw-dropping feat of both engineering and beauty. Clinging to sheer cliffs above an impossibly blue sea, the coastal road winds through village after village, each one more picturesque than the last. We made our way through Positano and up to Ravello, soaking in views that felt almost unreal. Positano deserves a special mention — not only for its famous hillside beauty and striking black sand beaches, but because we stumbled upon a piece of Hollywood history in the making. The film crew for Matthew McConaughey’s upcoming Netflix movie was set up in town during our visit. We did not spot Matthew himself (though we certainly tried), but there was an undeniable buzz of excitement in the air knowing something special was being filmed right where we were standing.

❤️ Puglia: A Journey Into Our Roots

From the glamour of the Amalfi Coast, we shifted gears entirely — taking a train into Bari, renting a car, and driving south. We made our home base in the charming coastal town of Monopoli in the Puglia region, and from there set out on what became the most emotionally meaningful leg of our entire journey. About an hour from Monopoli lies the small town where my grandfather grew up. He spent his childhood playing along the shores of the Mediterranean, enjoying family days at the beach in a place that shaped who he was and, in many ways, who we are.

The seafood of Puglia is extraordinary. Fresh from the Adriatic, simply prepared, and utterly delicious.

🍷 Florence & Tuscany: Food, Wine, and Celebration

A train journey brought us north to Florence, where we stayed just outside the city center in a beautiful old-world villa that gave us the full Tuscan feel — rolling countryside, stone walls, and the sense that history was present in every room. Getting into the city itself was effortless, which made it the best of both worlds.

We ventured out into the Chianti wine region and visited two wineries in the Tuscan countryside. Seeing those rolling vineyards and tasting the wine right where it is made was a beautiful contrast to the energy of the city. Florence is so much more than its famous skyline, and the countryside reminded us of that at every turn.

The Florence Duomo. Brunelleschi’s dome is even more breathtaking in person than in every photograph you have ever seen.

Florence also delivered on the food front. We joined a food tour that took us through some of the city’s best local flavors and strolled through the markets in search of the perfect leather goods and souvenirs to bring back for family and friends. But the crown jewel of our Florence evening was dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in the city, where we ordered the famous Florentine Bistecca — a four-finger thick, perfectly seasoned T-bone steak that Florence is rightfully celebrated for. That night, we had even more reason to celebrate. We were toasting an anniversary and two birthdays, the kind of confluence of milestones that makes a dinner feel like a real occasion. With great wine, great food, and great company in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is safe to say the evening delivered.

🌎 Venice: Getting Beautifully Lost

Our final stop was Venice, and what a note to end on. There is truly no city on earth quite like it. Venice has a way of making you feel simultaneously disoriented and completely at peace. We wandered its narrow calli, crossed bridge after bridge, and let ourselves get pleasantly lost at every turn.

St. Mark’s Square was a brief but memorable stop — iconic and impressive, but honestly, we preferred the quieter magic of the smaller streets and canals away from the crowds. The shopping in Venice was wonderful, with a final round of souvenirs and gifts tucked into our bags. But the moment we will carry longest is the gondola ride. Gliding silently through the great and small canals of Venice, past ancient facades and under low stone bridges, was peaceful in a way that felt almost meditative. The city that had been busy and beautiful all around us suddenly felt intimate and still.

Venice at sunset. The perfect ending to an extraordinary journey.

Until Next Time, Italia 🇮🇹

From that first slice of Neapolitan pizza to the last gentle push of a gondolier’s oar, Italy exceeded every expectation. We ate extraordinary food, stood in awe of extraordinary beauty, reconnected with extraordinary family history, and made memories together that will last a lifetime. Italy, we will be back.