Our Italy Top 10

Right now we’re en route to Switzerland from Venice and my sister and I are looking for ways to entertain ourselves so we figured we’d share the top 10 things we loved about Italy with you guys!

Heeeere we go!

1. Gelato, gelato, gelato. Specifically mousse-style gelato. This stuff tastes like heaven with a little bit of rainbows and joy sprinkled in. Amazing!

2. Flowers in windows. My sister and I adored the bright and beautiful plants and flowers that seemed to overflow from nearly every windowsill and balcony.

3. Portion size. My family and I were really surprised about the portion sizes in Italy. We expected gigantic portions of pizza and pasta when, in reality, the portion size of the entrees and meals seemed like the portion size we should be eating. In America we’re easily given two to four times the amount of food and I often leave meals at restaurants feeling stuffed to the brim and almost uncomfortable. It’s refreshing to be able to eat everything on my plate and feel satisfied and not like a two-ton whale.

4. The cars. There appear to be no rules when it comes to driving and parking in Italy (specifically Rome). I’m sure this wouldn’t make our top ten list had we rented a car and had to drive ourselves because we likely would’ve peed our pants as cars and Vespas whizzed by with no regard to street lines or traffic signals.

5. Romance is everywhere. I’m not sure if I noticed this even more because I was in Italy without Ryan, but it seemed like there were couples everywhere. It became somewhat of a game between me and my sister to see how many couples we could find making out all over the place. I’m not just talking about a little hand holding and some quick kisses here and there. People were full-on lip-locked for minutes in the middle of sidewalks and parks and in front of monuments. (Sorry, no pictures of people kissing. I didn’t want to be a total creeper.) It made me want to visit Italy with Ryan and experience the romantic side of the country.

6. Attention to detail. The extreme detail in the architecture around every corner was so neat to see. It was intricate, elegant and became so prevalent that we almost expected it after a while and we had to make sure to step back and appreciate what we were looking at more than a few times. The natural talent and skill level of the artists and architects was so impressive.

7. Mannerisms. We loved listening to our tour guides and other Italians talk because their hands are used almost as an extension of their words. They all appeared so animated and passionate because their hands and facial expressions were so expressive. 

8. Sidewalk cafes. Adorable little restaurants and cafes line the streets of Rome, Florence and Venice. These restaurants were found along back alleys and hidden streets and popped up everywhere! I loved seeing people lingering over their food as they sipped wine and cups of coffee and simply enjoyed the company of those around them.

9. Walkability. When people say you walk everywhere in Italy, they mean it! The ability to walk from one major attraction (such as the Pantheon) to another (like the Trevi Fountain) made Rome a wonderful place to visit since we didn’t have to worry about taking a taxi. Walking from place to place is honestly the best way to see and absorb everything. It allowed us to discover some hole-in-the-wall restaurants and hidden gelaterias while experiencing some of the slightly less-touristy parts of the three large cities we visited.

10. The food and drinks. Of course.

Question of the Day

What was something unexpected that stuck out to you about the last place you traveled to visit?