Italia Bellissimo

by Di Rhodes - Luxury Travel Consultant

Join me in my memories over many years of travelling round this stunning country and each time finding something new to explore and learn. This is a country of contrasts, culture and wonderful cuisine. From the mountains to the lakes to the vineyards and the beaches; from ancient monuments, cathedrals, art galleries, and opera houses to the fashion houses of Milan. Pasta, pizza, vino blanco and vino rosso, to cappuccino, to gelato, and formaggio!

Where to Start?

Let’s head east to the infamous Venice. On arrival, book a private water taxi to take you to your hotel – I promise you won’t regret it! You can walk under 10 minutes from leaving the airport terminal to the water taxi station. Start early with the sightseeing around St Mark’s square and then a gondola ride before a wonderful lunch at The Gritti Palace - their beef carpaccio and penne pasta some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Or if you feel like pushing the gondola out, the Cipriani Hotel across the water on its own island overlooking Venice is a once in a lifetime experience.

Next the beautiful city of Florence and the spectacular duomo. A breathtaking view of Florence awaits if you are brave enough to walk up the 350 plus steps, but what a site will behold you. Hopefully if you arrive early enough there will be less of a queue and a top tip…in virtually every City in the world, at peak tourist times, arrive as early as possible in the morning to do the sightseeing then relax for a long, slow, boozy lunch and watch the world go by! I recommend the fabulous Rocco Forte Hotel Savoy , on one of the entrance squares into Florence, Piazza della Repubblica , for a superb lunch and to enjoy the fabulous Emilio Pucci décor.

Ahh Roma – quite possibly my favourite city in the world! Make sure you have pre-booked your tour to the world’s smallest country, The Vatican (up to 20,000 visitors enter The Cistern chapel A DAY)...if possible book a private tour! Be sure to save time to prioritise the Spanish step and the Colosseum. I am visiting the beautiful Splendido Hotel in November for a special birthday and will be doing some reviews on my social media if you would like to follow these.

In any city, I always recommend the hop on hop off buses as a fabulous introductory overview of all the main sites to visit particularly in big cities, and they are such a fun way to start any trip particularly if the weather is hot and you can enjoy a little bit of a breeze on the top deck!

We continue south to Naples. This is of course not only the birthplace of Pizza but also the fabulous Elena Ferrante who tells her story of life in the 50s behind main streets of the city of Naples in such fabulous detail. From Naples, you can visit the fabulous remains of Pompeii but in my opinion an even more enchanting visit to Heraklion is the better option.

Travel the narrow winding cliff top roads across to Sorrento, Positano ending in the beautiful Amalfi where I recommend lunch at the fabulous cliff top Santa Catarina Hotel. From Sorrento a boat trip over to Capri and the home of Gracie Fields is a must if time permits.

One of my favourite ways to see as much of Italy as possible is to luxury cruise, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent allow you to explore Italy in the comfort of an all-inclusive style small ship. Imagine after visiting Florence and Pisa, cocktails watching the sunset over the Mediterranean, 3-course luxury dinner and then waking up in Portofino to do it all again. Walk up to one of the most gorgeous hotels in the world, to admire the incredible view across the tiny town surrounded by designer boutiques, bars, restaurants and magnificent yachts.

Across the seas to the beautiful island of Sicily and the hilltop town of Taormina with breathtaking views of Mount Etna over the bay. Meander through the cobbled streets and medieval buildings to the magnificent Four Seasons hotel where the series White Lotus was based. Taormina still has an open-air Greco-Roman amphitheatre which hosts concerts and plays in summer.

Italy has so much more to offer. The ski resorts in the Dolomites, it’s beautiful lakes and mountains to explore, dreamy Tuscany, Sardinia or a wine tour through the famous vineyards of Piedmont!! I will save for another day if invited back here to talk more about travelling the world. For now if it is before 11am and you feel like you are in “Italy” it’s de rigeur to enjoy a cappuccino.

After 11am anything goes … I love putting together bespoke holidays together for all ranges of budgets and tastes, and am proud to be an independent travel consultant.

“We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us”