POST ON YOUR DREAMBOARD
Renting a vespa, and cruising! Look, please don’t go to Rome and rent a scooter. I love you too much for that recommendation. But, please go rent a scooter or Vespa in a quieter place. Like an Italian island — THAT is perfect. Or a Tuscan village and the countryside. ALSO perfect. You can just rent one for a day or two. It’s ridiculously fun and you feel younger instantly. Don’t forget, you can also find some other wheels in Italy that, well, have more wheels (but are still “let your hair down and laugh” kind of fun). In Matera look for the Ape Calessino tours (they’re something like an Italian tuk-tuk). In Capri they have convertible taxis with striped umbrella style canvas roofs. Another reason why I call Italy “cheap therapy”.
SLEEP HERE
Taormina, Sicily. Sleep anywhere. Even in your chair, after a big lunch. Taormina is STUNNING. It’s built along a hillside, overlooking the bay. It’s the last stop on our Sicily tour, and we day trip around the area (we also visit where some of The Godfather was filmed). Taormina is classic. It’s pottery. It’s colorful. It’s terraces. It’s gardens. It’s Old World aristocracy meets folk traditions.
MANGIAMO
Some of the best memories I have of Florence are with my daughter. One year we were there in a heat wave (2019. Brutal). There was a tiny Italian-sized aircon and this puppy could not keep up. It was like a brick pizza oven in our Santo Spirito apartment. We would escape in the cool evenings to “not die of heatstroke” as my daughter would say. We needed something sweet and cold. Sbrino was our go to gelato spot. My fave flavor that summer was plum. Flora’s was everything. There was always a lineup at 11pm. They also make granita, and fluffy homemade brioche buns filled with the same yummy gelato you can get by the scoop. Sbrino uses local farm milk. Oh, and make sure to ask for panna (whipped cream) on top to be even more ridiculous. Vai!
Photo Credit: Sbrino
WHAT WE’RE LOVING RIGHT NOW
?2022 dates — they’re coming! Get ready to hear a special announcement. These trips are hot off the press — no, not the panini press — the “best trip ever” press. Look, nothing in life can be taken for granted. We’re all lucky to be on the “right side of the grass” each day. If you’re feeling like life is short — you’re right — so don’t put off plans. Not to be morbid, but we all know people who have never made it to their “one day I will” plans. Every adventure starts with a “yes” first and the rest comes after. When I’m scared to do something, I think: “Am I planning in hope, or am I planning in fear?” If it’s fear, I try to have the mantra, “everything is going to work out for me” even if it feels like a leap. And here’s a secret… it always feels like a bit of a leap. Taking time off to go to Italy IS a big deal. But, plan in hope — and see what plans you can cook up with this new frame of mind. ?
WISH WE WERE HERE
Celebrating with all of Italy, cause Italy’s on a winning streak. First they won Eurovision, and now they’ve won the Euro Cup. It’s the second time they’ve won the title — and the first time since 1968. Forza Italia!
Photo Credit: Medialys Images/Shutterstock, used under license.
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With love + pistachio gelato
Bianca
PS I did share a big personal announcement last week. Click here to see the latest.
PPS If I gave you 10 days to travel anywhere in Italy — where would it be? Hit reply and let us know.
