Italian Adventure: A Must Do

We took our Italian Adventure back in May. When Roberto and I reflect back on this trip, there are so many wonderful memories that surface {we fell hard in love with this country}. There is one night while in Tuscany that neither of us will ever forget. It was just one of those nights, the kind that sticks with you forever...beautiful weather, amazing wine, perfect food, great company, incredible scenery... 

{the seven towers you see, is the town of San Gimignano. too cool}

We made reservations for a wine tour, tasting and dinner at Fattoria Poggio Alloro. It is an Agriturismo surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan hills, right outside of San Gimignano. We did  not stay here, but they do have rooms available that the guests spoke very highly of. There is also a farm {which provides fresh and delicious meals}, a wine cellar and beautiful scenery everywhere you look. 

I am raving on about this place because I am convinced it is a must for your Italian Adventure!

{the husband looking all handsome and stuff.}

We arrived in the late afternoon and started out with the Wine Cellar tour followed by a tour of the farm. This was too neat in itself and then the evening just continued to get better. We next were seated at a quiet table outside surrounded by rolling hills and then enjoyed our wine tasting. 

 {yall. this was goat cheese...out of this world. }

We had the best time enjoying each others company, savoring every bite and sip and marveling at the beauty around us. 

After our tasting, it was time for dinner with the other guests. The food...oh my word. It is so hard to describe how delicious this food was. We both agreed it was the best meal of our life and that is no exaggeration. We sat for 3 hours as we received course after course and enjoyed lovely conversation with some incredible couples. 

As we finished up dinner and conversations, we headed out to the crisp night air full of gratitude. Grateful for full tummies and full hearts. It was an experience we will treasure forever. 

To check out the rest of our Italy trip, click below. 

Venice, Italy

Florence, Italy

Rome, Italy

Tuscan Countryside

 

Italian Adventure 2014: Tuscany

The last stop of our Italian Adventure was the unbelievably beautiful Tuscany.

We rented a car in Rome, which ended up being a huge ordeal. Long story short, I booked the car way ahead of time and paid for it in full. When you pick up your car they need a card so they can hold a certain amount of money for insurance. This was fine and we expected it. What we did not expect was that they would not take our card because the numbers on it were not raised. It was pretty silly. So after about 3 hours of trying to find wifi, making some phone calls, researching trains and some super frustrating conversations we finally got it worked out. And it was the best feeling in the world! We were so thankful to finally hop in the car and make our way into the Tuscan Countryside.

We headed to San Gimignano where are gorgeous resort was located and enjoyed such a spectacular drive with a view on the way. When we arrived, this area lived up to everything we had heard and so much more.

We were blown away by our resort and I mean blown away. We could not recommend this place enough. Our agenda for this leg of the trip was to relax, explore some little towns and just enjoy the amazing beauty around us. La Collegiata was the perfect place to do so {more info on tips and tricks at the end of the post}. 

 Our rental car...#bigmanlittlecar.

We just adored this place.

We spent our days exploring a few of Tuscany's quaint towns {like San Gimignano and Volterra}, enjoying scenic drives and relaxing by the pool. We would shop, eat, explore and then go relax. We had no agenda and it was perfect.

 I love this man so. He is the cutest!

One night we went to an Agriturismo and I think it was probably our favorite part of the trip. This is a place that is basically a combination of a farm, winery and resort. Pretty much amazing. This night and this amazing place deserves a post of it's own, so stay tuned next week for more details. 

Robert and I had a hard time deciding which Italian stop was our favorite, especially after loving Venice so much. But we both came to the conclusion that the Tuscan Countryside topped the list. The beauty, the green, the hills, the wine, the quaint towns, the adorable shops, the amazing resorts, the relaxed feel...I could go on and on. But it truly is a place unlike any other, a place that you leave feeling in such awe of God's creation. 

Lastly...

Where to Stay:
La Collegiata in San Gimignano. Man, this place was amazing. The greatest breakfast each morning, a gorgeous pool, clean and spacious rooms, all surrounded by beautiful countryside. We highly recommend this place.

Where to Eat: 
Fattoria Poggio Alloro. This is the Agriturismo/Winery we went to and had the best meal of our life here. More details to come in a post next week. But make sure to book a tour, wine tasting and dinner. You will be SO glad you did.

What to Do:
- Relax!
- Drive through the countryside
- Enjoy where you are staying
- Visit and explore some Tuscan towns like San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena, there are many to choose from and I don't think any could disappoint.
- Visit an Agriturismo or/and Winery

Thank you Tuscany for the time of our lives! So thankful we got to visit you. We dream about going back one day.

If you would like to check out the rest of our Italy trip or all of our travel adventures, check out my Travels Page here!

Going on an Italian Adventure? Have any questions? Please feel free to comment or email me!

Linking up with Travel Tuesdays.

Italian Adventure 2014: A Roman Holiday

Venice, Florence, third stop...Rome! 

We arrived in Rome, after an early train ride, to some hot weather. But when you are surrounded by such history you don't seem to notice it as much...kinda. Let's just say it {and my sunburn} was well worth it! The first thing on our agenda was to check in to our hotel...Althea Inn. This little inn was the nicest surprise {more on it and other tips at the end of the post}! After we checked in and grabbed a quick bite we were ready for our Ancient and Old Rome walking tour.

 It was great to get our bearings in this huge city and to see famous and beautiful sites {Coliseum, Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Navona Square}. But as far as our tour, it was not the greatest. We were not able to hear our tour guide very well so we were confused for most of it but at the same time mesmerized at all we were seeing.

 {Coliseum, pretty surreal to see}

 {Roman Forum}

Later that night we ended up listening to Rick Steve's Audio Europe Guides on each site we visited and it was the best. We learned so much about what we saw that day. I would recommend these guides and listen to them before you see beautiful sites, it is so informative. It gives you a better appreciation of where you are and what you are looking at. 

 {Trevi Fountain. Very crowded but oh so amazing}

 one of a million gelatos on our trip. When in Rome...

 Pantheon. Rob's favorite site in Rome. It is pretty incredible!

We ended our tour in Navona Square, a fun and beautiful little area. The rest of our evening was spent exploring and eating at one of our favorite restaurants of the whole trip {and definitely in Rome}...Da Francesco. So, so good. 

After the best breakfast, we spent the next day exploring Rome so much more.

 Room Service on our porch every morning. It was as delicious as it looks. So yummy. 

 Exploring our favorite neighborhood, Trastevere. It is such a fun and hip area of Rome.

 Then we stumbled upon the prettiest garden...in the middle of Rome. Lemon Trees? Yes, please. 

After quite the walk, we finally made it to the Spanish Steps! 

Here especially, there are SO many people trying to sell you things. It is way overwhelming and pretty annoying. Tip: Do not take a rose from a seller, they will tell you it is free but it is so not. They will stalk you until you pay. It is ridiculous.So just a heads up for those planning a trip:)

The rest of the day was spent looking at shops and enjoying an early night in with Pizza and wine on our porch.  We were so exhausted and it was one of our best ideas.

 We were up the next morning bright and early. We hopped on a subway and made our way to the Vatican for our early morning tour. We did the art and faith tour and it ended up being incredible. A sweet and hilarious sister guided us and was so informative. We learned so much and saw the art gallery, Sistine Chapel (ah-mazing, I mean ah=mazing) and St. Peter's Basilica.

 The rest of our {last} day was spent revisiting some sites and enjoying a little more of this beautiful culture.

{Love this cutie of mine}

 We visited the Trevi again that night and tossed our pennies in....Rome we will be returning!

Rome is one incredible city. Definitely the most "touristy" of them all, but no less incredible.

And! Before we go...

Where to Stay: 

Althea Inn. We loved this place. It is not the best location, but all the perks made it so worth it. Great service, breakfast brought to you every morning and super clean and cute. Also a subway station is very close by so if you are not up for walking miles and miles, it is very easy to take the subway! We highly recommend this place. 

Where to Eat: 

- Da Francesco. Our favorite {very close to Navona Sqaure}. Pizza and pasta are both outstanding.

- Compagnia del Pane. A wonderful bakery in the Trastevere area.

- Grazia and Graziellla. Great restaurant in Trastevere, really fun to sit outside at night. 

- Giolitti for gelato. The best in Rome by far! We came here way too  many times. 

What to See: 

- Coliseum You want to book some kind of tour, if not you will wait forever in lines. We would not recommend the tour we did, but have heard this tour is great.
- Roman Forum
- Trevi Fountain. Toss in a coin, it means you will come back to Rome! Try to see it at night as well.
- Pantheon
- Navona Square, a really fun area with lots of entertainment. 
- Spanish Steps
- Vatican. Book a tour ahead of time! We did the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica- Art and Faith tour. Loved it, so informative. If you want to go with a different tour, this is the site we booked through and it has many options. 
- Via Condotti. Pretty street and lots of shopping! {in front of Spanish Steps}.

*Remember Rome is huge. So this is the place to take the subway. Walk as long as you can to see it all, but then when you get too tired, hop on the subway!

*Listen to Rick Steve's Audio Guides for certain Roman sites! Easily downloaded on your phone and it is so informative and interesting!

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Our time in Rome was wonderful {and tiring}! Truly a city full of so much history. After 3 days in Rome we were ready for the last leg of the trip...the Tuscan countryside! Possibly our favorite part of the trip.

Have any questions? Planning a trip to Italy? Feel free to email me!

Linking up with Home of Malones for Thoughts for Thursday and Treasure Trump.

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