This year marked my 40th rotation around the sun and since I couldn’t take my bucket list trip to Antarctica until the winter, I had to find an interim location to celebrate. The Amalfi Coast had always been high on my list: luxury at every turn, picturesque views, and freshly made Italian food? Italy checked all of the boxes! And, with the euro nearly on par with the US dollar, we lucked out on this being the perfect time to go.
On the other hand, pent-up demand from Covid restrictions had “revenge travel” in full swing, and between airline staffing shortages and the Ukraine war causing gas prices to skyrocket, the non-stop flight to Rome was in high demand and selling at a premium of close to $1,300!
Fast forward to the day of departure: With airlines losing luggage left and right, I made sure to put AirTags (i.e., a tracking device) in my checked bag so I could locate it if it was lost. Also, I made sure to arrive at the airport three hours before the flight was scheduled to depart, giving myself plenty of time to check-in and head over to the Centurion Lounge (having a platinum Amex card sure comes in handy!). I met up with my friends, Natalie and Monique, at the lounge and we indulged in some pre-flight drinks (that Johnnie Walker and ginger ale sure hit the spot!) and food (including rice, chicken, fruit, and salad) before boarding.
The flight was about 7 hours and went by quickly but we made sure to sleep on the flight so we could hit the ground running when we landed. Although I slept for most of the ride, I made sure to wake up for the cheese ravioli that they served for dinner that was surprisingly really good. Breakfast also was offered shortly before arrival, but I was still fast asleep when it was served.
We landed a little before 8am and went through immigration and customs pretty quickly. Since we didn’t want to lug our bags on the train, we found the taxi stand (which turned out to just be a random guy standing in an unmarked shirt). The van took the three of us (as well as another random passenger) to Rome city center which was about a 30-minute drive from the airport. The standard taxi fares are printed on the side and say 50 euros to Rome. However, it doesn’t say how many passengers that covers. Of course, the taxi driver charged us 80 euros since it was 3 of us but afterwards, I read that the 50 euros price is supposed to cover up to 3 people. Oh well, lesson learned.
Since we were really early arriving at The One Boutique Hotel and Spa and the room wouldn’t be ready until 1pm, we put down our bags, changed clothes, freshened up a bit, and hit the streets. Located in Campo Marzio (a short walk from our hotel), we passed the famous Spanish Steps (called Piazza di Spagna) which consists of twelve flights that descend to the Franciscan Church of Trinita dei Monti. Typically, people are sitting all over the stairs just hanging out but it was a million degrees outside already, so we had the stairs pretty much to ourselves.
We were starving so we grabbed a bite to eat at nearby Ciampini restaurant where we ate a buffalo mozzarella, sausage, and mushroom pizza and tried a stuffed pizza with ham and cheese (picture a pizza sandwich). Natalie ordered a “milkshake” that ended up resembling (and tasting like) chocolate milk. Note to self: don’t ever order a milkshake in Italy!
We then headed to via Condotti where all of the luxury shops are located. Pro tip: make appointments ahead of time at the popular stores like Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton because the queue can get quite long and waiting outside in the hot sun is no fun.
FYI, twice a year (in January and July), stores offer a ton of items on sale. Luckily, we were there in July and were able to get quite a few items from places like Zara, H&M, and Mango for around 5 euros. We spent hours bouncing around all of the stores and shopping until we (almost) dropped.
Important note: One of the perks of shopping in Europe is that you can get a VAT refund (i.e., reimbursement for the taxes you paid on the items you bought). Bring your passport along on your shopping trip, and get the necessary paperwork from the cashier after you’ve made your purchase. There are three main VAT redemption places so depending on which one the retailer uses, that is the one you’ll need to go to. For our Louis Vuitton purchases, we went to the Global Blue office which was close to the Spanish Steps. You can either get your refund in cash or returned to your credit card. Importantly, you still have to get your receipts validated at the airport otherwise they will charge your credit card.
We definitely worked up an appetite by this point and dinner wasn’t until 8:30, so we stopped at a McDonalds near the hotel. It actually looked like a fancy restaurant and the food was surprisingly delicious…much better than the standard Mickey D’s fare we were used to in the US. We had chicken wings, cheesecake, fries topped with cheese and ham, and a custard croissant. It almost made me not want to go out for dinner!
We had reservations at Almatò restaurant which wasn’t within walking distance from the hotel. Using the Free Now app which is only available in certain cities in Italy (and is similar to Uber but Uber was actually more expensive), we booked a taxi to the restaurant. We had pre-booked the 7-course tasting menu for 100 euros and I was excited to see what they would bring out. The first course was an assortment of bite-sized items, including something that tasted like a tomato. Next was a kombucha shot; then something that was a play on bruschetta; followed by a gazpacho with watermelon and shrimp (which was soooo good); then a carrot salad thingy; a spaghetti with razor clams and yuzu; a risotto with dried beef; zucchini chips with a sausage wrapped in squid; pork with pineapple; mango mousse ice cream with a biscuit and some kind of fruit at the bottom; feta in some sort of marmalade (my least favorite); and lastly, a trio of little bites of banana cheese, an apricot gummy thing, and a nutty crisp thingy. I definitely lost count and would guess it was more than seven courses, but it was an unforgettable, amazing experience and I would highly recommend it! In true European fashion, we actually ended up closing down the restaurant after spending 3 1/2 hours enjoying our dinner.
Between the jet lag and late dinner, we didn’t wake up until 10am the next day (which is extremely late by my standards). And, by the time we got out of bed, got ourselves together, and grabbed a bite to eat, it was after noon (hence, why I like to get an early start, especially on vacay!). The girls wanted to do some more shopping, so we ended up hitting up Gucci, Louis Vuitton (yes, again!), Zara, Aldo, and Mango. While I’m not big on shopping, I could’ve stayed at the Gucci store all day long enjoying the free champagne!
After dropping off all of our bags, we took a taxi to the meeting point for our street food tour that I booked through TripAdvisor. Even though we were a few minutes late, we immediately indulged in the salami and red wine that was offered. The tour did a great job allowing us to sample traditional street food while learning about the history of the Jewish ghetto. We were able to try suppli (a breaded, deep-fried rice ball filled with mozzarella cheese) which was sooo good; two types of pizza (with and without cheese); fried artichokes; and, mango and watermelon gelato. All of that for less than $50 per person!
On our walk home, we passed the Trevi Fountain, the largest and most famous fountain in Rome. Since it was the middle of the evening, it was PACKED. The best time to go would be 6am (at the latest), or you can just try to find an open pocket to take a photo so it looks like there is no one else there.
We also passed lots of wine shops on our walk back to the hotel…which all had free tastings! We definitely tried a few interesting flavors including a melon wine and a chocolate-y based one.
We actually had a reservation at Jerry Thomas speakeasy (a not so secret bar) but we were all too tired to venture out again, especially since we had another packed day tomorrow.
We were booked for an early morning tour to the Vatican which meant we had to meet the group by 7am. Thank goodness we opted for an early morning tour because by 8am, the line started wrapping around itself.
I let the tour guide know that I was really interested in seeing the double helix staircase, so he made sure to quickly squeeze in a peek. This picture doesn’t do it justice but thrilled I was able to see its beauty in person.
We also passed through the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Geographical Maps that had beautiful ceilings, and the Raphael Rooms (four rooms that were painted by Raphael and his pupils). Fun fact: Raphael and Michelangelo were arch enemies. Michelangelo lost several commissions to Rafael so his resentment of Raphael kept growing. Funny enough, Raphael was interested in Michelangelo’s work and even arranged a secret meeting to admire it, and was heavily influenced by it.
We also entered the Sistine Chapel and was able to admire all of the frescoes that completely cover the walls and the ceiling. Unfortunately, you aren’t allowed to take any photos and videos, and you have to be completely quiet while inside.
Luckily (sometimes it isn’t open), we were then able to take a shortcut to get to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. It was equally breathtaking. Visitors can climb to the top of the dome (and I read the views were incredible!) but our guide told us that it is hot and claustrophobic and given the 96-degree weather outside, he would recommend against it during this time of year.
We also had an opportunity to go down to the grotto and get a glimpse of where the popes are buried.
The entire tour was about 3 1/2 hours long and $85 but well worth the higher price tag to get an early start and beat the long lines that quickly began to form.
We went back to the hotel for breakfast, a short nap, and to cool down a bit (the heat was no joke!). It was perfect timing because the rest of the birthday crew (my sister Shevonne and bestie Lesley) arrived a couple hours later. I went with them to get something to eat and we found a cute little restaurant in one of the back alleys. Our lunch was sooooo good. We had a limoncello spritz, foie gras, quintet of bruschetta with different toppings, and burrata, followed by risotto, paccheri, and tagliolini with truffles. Everything was truly amazing.
Since I had to get to the VAT place before it closed at 7pm, I left them to enjoy the rest of their meal. They actually ended up at a place where they were able to taste different truffles (I was definitely jealous!).
Next up was our tipsy walking tour that started at 8pm. The meeting place was at the Colosseum which was perfect since it was on my list to visit while we were in Rome. Our guide was waiting with bottles of red and white wine, and kicked off the tour with a couple of icebreakers as well as stories about the twisted history of some of the Roman emperors.
The next stop was a place that served coffee with a baileys shot and actually wasn’t half bad.
Next, we went to another place for an aperol spritz (that tasted disgusting and had an aftertaste). I also got a shot of something they lit on fire in celebration of my birthday (though according to our guide, Italians don’t believe in celebrating before it is your actual birthday).
On our way to the next stop, we passed Largo di Torre Argentina, the place where Julius Caesar was stabbed 22 times by his assassins.
Finally, we had limoncello shots and went to a karaoke bar. They signed me up to do a karaoke song but at that point, it was after midnight and we had to be up by 4am for the train in the morning so we called it a night. I definitely would recommend the tour though…we met a lot of great people, the guide was a ton of fun, and they will certainly get you tipsy so it lives up to its name!
On our walk back to the hotel, we passed the Trevi Fountain and decided to stop and take pics since it was relatively less busy compared to when we first saw it in the middle of the day.
After the shortest sleep ever, we were on the move again. The Roma Termini train station was a 5-minute drive from the hotel. Our train was at 5:35am and with very little sleep the night before, we were zombies when we boarded. Thank goodness I had prebooked our train tickets online ahead of time.
To get to Pisa, we first took a train to Florence then changed trains and caught one to Pisa arriving around 8:30am. The trains were pretty comfortable and they even served snacks, though we were all knocked out for most of the ride.
It was a leisurely 20-minute walk from the train station (Pisa Centrale) to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We were hungry so grabbed arancini (similar to suppli) on the way.
When we finally arrived at the Leaning Tower, it was really crowded and honestly, I was a tad bit disappointed that there wasn’t more to it. Anyhow, we took the obligatory pics from different angles for a couple of hours (and even saw some Cirque du Soleil tourists doing some very impressive but crazy poses).
We walked a bit looking for a restaurant to grab lunch but honestly, everything in the area looked super touristy and unauthentic but since we were in a hurry, we just grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of the places nearby.
We walked back to train station and bought our tickets back to Florence where our next adventure lied.
The five of us then squeezed into a taxi to reach the meeting point for (drumroll please!) our Vespa tour. After signing our life away, we boarded a van and drove 20 minutes to Chianti (a region known for its wine). First, we did a few practice runs on the vespas to make sure we could ride them…I clearly failed. So much so, that I had difficulty even getting the kickstand up! It definitely reminded me of that one time I tried to ride one 20 years ago in Miami and it didn’t go well (clearly time hasn’t helped my Vespa driving skills!). Anyway, those of us who failed the practice run (which was 4 out of the 5 of us), ended up riding in the tuk tuk for most of the way and/or on the back of one of the guide’s vespas.
There were a couple of picturesque stops along the countryside and then we visited two wineries: the first with more international wines and the second with more traditional wine.
We also had a light dinner at the second winery that consisted of salami, cheese, olive oil with bread, bruschetta, olive tapenade on bread, and something that looked like soggy bread that we couldn’t figure out what it was. Everything looked way more appetizing than it actually was.
The activity ended around 9pm, leaving us plenty of time to walk to the train station to catch our 9:48pm train. We were back in Rome by 11:15pm and caught a taxi back to hotel.
So long Rome, hello Amalfi Coast! After a quick breakfast of poached eggs, bacon, and toast at the hotel (which was really good), we met our driver who arrived promptly at 9am. The thought of having to lug our bags on multiple trains to get to Positano made me cringe so I was happy I booked with Rosato Private Tours who provided a private, clean, spacious Mercedes minivan for 550 euros. Of course, I underestimated how much luggage everyone would bring for the trip and we barely squeezed it all in the 8-passenger van! By some miracle, we were able to make it all fit and were all fast asleep within minutes into the 3 1/2 hour drive to Positano.
When researching the Amalfi Coast, I was pretty torn about where we should base ourselves and narrowed it down to Sorrento, Amalfi, and Positano. Sorrento was a bigger city and had lower priced accommodations, but lacked beaches and the coastline wasn’t as impressive as some other towns. On the other hand, Amalfi was much smaller and slower paced, but it was located much further in than I wanted given we would be on the move quite a bit. Although a bit more expensive, Positano had the breathtaking views the Amalfi Coast is known for, is the first town coming from Naples on the Amalfi Coast so we wouldn’t need to spend tons of money on taxis, and had beaches and restaurants nearby. The biggest downside was the hundreds of steps you had to climb to get to and from the beach and restaurants.
I was thrilled with my decision to stay in Positano at Villa Fiorentino! Despite all of the stairs we had to climb to get to the villa, it was the perfect size for our group and the perfect blend of a boutique hotel and villa. It had a front desk and included breakfast, two different patio areas, as well as 3 separate bathrooms and bedrooms. And, the cherry on top was the view from the patio. Simply breathtaking! They also earned some brownie points with the welcome bottle of Prosecco which we immediately indulged in.
Not wanting to waste a moment, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed in the direction of the beach. This was our first real experience with “the stairs” in Positano. There were SO many steps to get down 😦 and we would have to tackle them later to get back up to our villa!
At this point, between the long car ride and stairs, we were famished and in search of a restaurant for a late lunch. Note that most places close for lunch around 3 and it was already quarter to 4 by the time we were looking for lunch options. Thankfully, La Pergola was still open. We ordered almost everything on the menu, including anchovies, octopus, mussels, oysters, lobster spaghetti, risotto, and sea bass (accompanied by a limoncello shot courtesy of the restaurant).
Afterwards, we went to Spiaggia Beach, located a few steps away from the restaurant. Since it was late in the afternoon already, we didn’t bother to rent beach chairs and just laid out in the public area. In typical European fashion, the beach was full of pebbles. I did briefly go in the water though, which was surprisingly freezing cold (probably because it was late in the day).
We walked back up all of the stairs to change for dinner and those stairs were no joke going up. By the time we reached the top, we were hot, sweaty, and ready to pass out.
Alas, we had dinner reservations at Le Tre Sorelle (right near the beach where we ate) so we had to head back down all of the stairs…le sigh. Tip: make sure you make reservations, especially in the summer because everywhere is extremely crowded. Thank goodness we had reservations because it was definitely packed when we arrived (albeit 30 minutes late but thankfully they held our table). We randomly met a solo black female traveler (who had been talking to Lesley while she was waiting for the table) and we decided to invite her to join us for dinner since she was by herself and would’ve had to wait awhile. The vibes at the restaurant were amazing and the owner even came over to chat with us. The food and cocktails were on point, and we were stuffed from the anchovies, melon with prosciutto, oysters, fresh mozzarella, octopus, veal, and sea urchin pasta. They even brought out a birthday sparkler for me!
When the owner came over, he gave us a card to go to the (only) club in Positano, located nearby. Since we didn’t have anything else to do that night, we went. We were able to skip the line (which was extremely long!) but still had to buy a bottle to get a table. They were playing hip hop when we first arrived but the music quickly turned to something unrecognizable. We had a fun time but left after an hour (it was already a long day) and still had to walk back up all the stairs back to the villa.
The next day, we had another early start for our Amalfi coast tour. Before the tour began, the villa laid out an incredible breakfast with all of the accoutrements (pancakes, eggs, bacon, tea, orange juice, croissants, etc.).
Our private tour guide arrived promptly at 8:30am and we began the tour along the coast. On the way to Amalfi, we stopped at a beautiful viewpoint.
Along the way, we saw a luxurious 5-star hotel built in the side of the coast and our driver said it cost a minimum of 12000 euros/night (yes, you read that right!). We also passed the Emerald Grotto but it didn’t open until 10am so we came back later in the afternoon. We passed another town named Atrani which is so small that the church and town hall are in the same building. When we finally reached Amalfi, we explored the town, did some shopping, and had some sandals made. We also stopped at a delicious lemon sorbet vendor.
Next, we drove to Ravello which is a smaller town but just as beautiful.
We also saw this little boy tending to his family’s donkeys. Donkeys are used throughout the Amalfi Coast to transport a number of items (even Amazon uses them!) because of the narrow, steep paths that cars can’t go up.
We went to a nearby mom-and-pop type restaurant for lunch and the food was so good and so cheap. We had our standard array of seafood, including mussels and calamari, as well as gnocchi, seafood pasta, and fresh mozzarella. The bill was less than $200 for all 5 of us so if you are looking for less costly meals, the key is to stay in the smaller towns off the beaten path.
Afterwards, we finally made it to the Emerald Grotto in Conca dei Marini. We paid 7 euros to enter, then took an elevator down to the grotto. Thankfully, the line wasn’t too long to wait for a boat to enter the grotto. The cave wasn’t that big and the boats were small so the entire experience took about 10-15 minutes. Our boat “captain” was hilarious and did tricks with the water to make it “sparkle”.
Our last stop was at Salvatore Milano’s fruit stand. This guy was even funnier than the boat captain at the grotto! He was completely enamored by my sister, Shevonne, and helped her pose with his fruits and even gave her a free fruit juice. He even yelled at some other tourists because they were messing up our photos. Chivalry isn’t lost after all!
After a packed day, we arrived back home around 5:30pm. The 8-hour private tour was 430 euros for the full day and well worth it so we could go at our own pace. After a much-needed dip in the pool (it was blazing hot and we were drenched in sweat), we were ready for dinner. We had dinner reservations at Il Ritrovo and thankfully, they have a free shuttle service that does pick-ups and drop offs (key word there is “FREE”). We were seated immediately when we arrived and attempted to order half the menu because we were so hungry! The waiter was actually a little aggressive in response to this and asked why we were ordering 6 entrees when there were only 5 of us. Despite his shock and surprise, we were “allowed” to get everything we ordered and in no time was feasting on a tomahawk steak, truffle ravioli, zucchini blossoms, bruschetta, octopus, fresh fish, and more. Everything was delicious!
The next morning was our hike along the Path of the Gods (or II Sentiero Degli Dei in Italian) trail. I found it on Airbnb experiences and it cost ~$60 per person (including transportation to and from the starting point). I read the views were incredible along the trail so I was eager to add it to the itinerary for the trip. Italy gets really hot in the summer so the key is starting the hike early before the sun was at full blast. Of course, that didn’t happen. We were supposed to get picked up at 8am but the tour operator had the wrong address so it started an hour later than scheduled. Luckily, the sky was overcast, covered by clouds so it wasn’t blazing. We began our hike from the highest part of the path in Nocelle/Bomerano and we were supposed to end in Positano but after the first half, we decided to turn back. We had a choice to do the entire loop or the shortened version. I think you know which one we chose! Tip: make sure to bring lots of water because there are steps and the hike is NOT for the faint of heart.
The views were every bit as spectacular as described…but boy were we SWEATING.
Giovanni, our guide, pointed out different things along the way and told us funny things like his uncle speaking “macaroni English” and stories about other tourists like the Germans who were so drunk, they used the “bathroom” in the garden of an upscale hotel! I don’t think any of us were paying attention fully though because we just wanted to get to the shepherd’s house (which took nearly two hours!). When we got there, we had fresh grilled bread with olive oil, tomatoes and basil, pickled zucchini, aged goat cheese with honey and ham, and fried zucchini with wine and lemon water. OMG, it was so good and just what we needed after the long hike.
Then, we quickly realized we had to make the journey back…le sigh. And to top it off, on the way back, the sun came out in full force. It took about 90 min to hike back (we were moving a bit faster in an attempt to get out of the sun!) and we were soaked in sweat by the time we finally arrived back at the starting point.
At the end, there was a little drinks truck, so we rewarded ourselves with a Prosecco with lemon slushy that was the perfect way to cool down.
We were absolutely exhausted when we returned to the villa so relaxed a bit at the pool and enjoyed the magnificent view.
The down time was short-lived though because we had a pasta making class in Vico Equense and we were being picked up at 5pm.
It was led by a very charismatic ginger by the name of Cristiano who lived in the house with three generations. His family villa was huge and made the perfect location for the class. After getting our chef’s hat and apron, we made gnocchi, eggplant parmesan, and tiramisu. He gave us Italian names (mine was “birthday girl”), sprayed whipped cream in our mouths, and had us laughing so hard by the end of it. They grow all products used during the experience, and we were able to taste homemade olive oil, wine, and limoncello. The limoncello was really smooth and the best I had the entire trip. After preparing the meal, we went inside to a beautiful table where we had our wine and dinner. Cristiano was funny and lively and such a great host. Of course, afterwards they were trying to sell us everything under the sun but aside from that, it was a great experience!
My birthday is finally here!! Of course, I was saving the best for last so for our last full day, we had a private yacht day and private chef at the villa scheduled. Unfortunately, the day before, our private chef texted me saying that he tested positive for Covid and couldn’t find a replacement so my private dinner was cancelled 😦 Even though I was pretty bummed because I was looking forward to it, stuff happens and you have to go with the flow. Instead, I made reservations at La Taverna del Leone.
We had booked a 50-foot private boat to Capri from 9am-5pm for 1700 + gas and gratuity (steep but it is the Amalfi Coast!). We met them down at Positano port and was immediately on our way.
We spent the time drinking, dancing, sunning, and swimming on our way to Capri. The water temperature was perfect and the waves were calm.
We stopped at different grottos (the green grotto, red grotto, white grotto, heart grotto, and blue grotto). The only one we didn’t actually enter was the blue grotto because there was a long line of boats waiting to enter and we would’ve had to pay an extra fee.
We also passed the Faraglioni Rocks. Legend says that if a couple passes under the arch of the middle rock, they will have 30 years of happiness!
When we finally arrived in Capri, it was around 1pm and we were starving so we stopped at Lo Smeraldo restaurant. We took a little boat from the yacht. As soon as we sat, the waiter came over rattling off the specials and everything looked so fresh that we didn’t even bother to ask for a menu.
We later regretted the “no menu” decision slightly when we saw the bill (a whopping $792!) but well worth it for the experience. Between the delicious lobster pasta and red snapper and huge starters of fresh mozzarella paired with the birthday song, it was a great time!
We walked around Capri for a little but didn’t make it to where they had all of the luxury stores (probably a good thing considering how crazy we went in Rome!).
After such a long day (how did 8 hours go by so quickly?!), I really wanted to just spend the evening at the villa instead of going out to a restaurant (hence, why I originally booked the private dinner). Thankfully, our villa was able to arrange dinner through a local restaurant. We were able to get dinner delivered, grabbed a few bottles of wine from the supermarket, and had brought our own table decor (all thanks to my wonderful sister!) so still was able to make it look like the unforgettable tablescape that I envisioned.
The next day, our private car transfer arrived bright and early at 5am. Although it only took 3 hours to get to the airport in Rome, we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for our noon flight. Not to mention, we had to locate the VAT refund places. Thankfully, it was pretty easy to find (there were signs everywhere) and the lines weren’t too bad. I thought we would’ve had to mail it there (similar to my experience in Paris) but we actually didn’t. They just stamped the receipt and kept it. Clearly that worked because I received the credit to my card a few weeks later.
Take note: even if you don’t have a chance to shop, there are luxury stores in the airport and we noticed it was significantly cheaper than the other stores we frequented in the heart of Rome.
Pro tip: even though you may have to show the luxury items you purchased at the VAT agency, have a separate, non-descript bag you can put them in after. If customs in the US see you with luxury bags, you will get stopped. Both Monique and Natalie didn’t do this and were immediately stopped at customs when we touched US soil. For those curious as to what happened, the customs officers asked how much they spent and because they said it was less than a certain amount (I think they said $3,000), they didn’t have to pay duty.
All in all, it was a fantastic 40th birthday!
Toya's Travels 