italy
A Journey into Italy
Italy leaves us enchanted. Every time. Perhaps it’s the magic of sipping on a limoncello spritz in a cliffside lemon grove in Sorrento, mere steps from bustling marquetry bottegas (traditional workshops). Or putting your foot on the pedal of an Alfa Romeo to reach your picnic spot on the shores of Lake Como. Or even rowing beside turtles and temples on Rome’s Villa Borghese Lake.
There’s a lot of life – and magic – to be found in Italy. On this mesmerising journey, weaving your way south from Lake Como to the Amalfi Coast, through Tuscany and Rome, we’ll show you. One passo at a time.
Andiamo.
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Lake Como
Sitting at the base of the Alps, Lake Como’s deep blue water and stunning vistas have drawn people to the northern region of Lombardy for centuries. With Como’s reputation as the “Silk City”, you’ll find negozi (Italian shops) selling luxury silk accessories tucked between Romanesque churches and tavola caldas (eateries serving up hot, fresh bites on the go). Then there’s the lake itself, bordered by cobblestone promenades, public gardens, gelaterias, and elegant 16th-century villas.
Tuscany
Sweeping, idyllic, and green, Tuscany is best known for its gently rolling hills and Renaissance treasures, such as Florence’s Uffizi gallery and its gravity-defying Duomo. The movie, Gladiator, framed the Tuscan countryside well: a rural paradise, to which people are desperate to return. Cypress trees, wheat fields, and Renaissance settlements. Let’s explore.
Rome
Rome – the “Eternal City” – rises in defiant splendour along the banks of the mighty Tiber River. The former capital of the Roman Empire and Republic, and the spiritual and physical seat of the Catholic Church. Between the Vatican, the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps, there’s eateries serving up “cucina povera” (rustic cooking), rowboat renting on Villa Borghese Lake beside turtles, and the Temple of Asclepius, and enoteche (rustic wine bars frequented by locals).
The Amalfi Coast
Declared by UNESCO as an area of great physical beauty, the Costiera Amalfitana (the “Amalfi Coast”) is a glorious 50-kilometer stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula. With prosperous lemon groves (much of which goes into the production of limoncello), rugged cliffs jutting down into glittering waters, volcanic black sand beaches studded with orange and white striped parasols, and pastel-painted fishing villages, it’s the perfect place to unwind – and to breathe in the fresh sea air.