• Europe,  Italy

    Uncovering Ancient Secrets: An Italian Walking Tour & Visiting Pompeii

    An affluent city with interesting smells, erotic art, gossipy bath houses and a fight so raucous the gladiator games were banned for a decade.  Where is this scandalous city?  It was covered in ash for thousands of years and excavated in the late 1700’s for its secrets to be revealed. Pompeii may be the world’s most preserved ancient city but I’d argue it to be the most interesting.  Get all of the dirt we uncovered on our Walks of Italy tour in this Pompeii Exposé. Visiting Pompeii Still quietly watching and waiting in the background of the ancient ruins of Pompeii is Mt. Vesuvius, the only active volcano in mainland…

  • Europe,  Italy,  Snapshot Sunday

    Snapshot Sunday: Italian Love Affair

    Italy has done it again.  I’ve been here several times throughout the past few years and each time I return I fall harder than the last.  Charismatic locals, stunning architecture and out of this world cuisine, not to mention the country just oozes romance.  It’s that killer combination making it tougher to walk away with every visit.    

  • Europe,  Italy

    Easter in Italy: Spending Holy Week at the Vatican

    Holy Week in Italy Easter had me reminiscing about one of my most memorable religious experiences, Palm Sunday at the Vatican.  In 2011 three childhood friends and I set off to Italy and our vacation happened to fall around holy week, Settimana Santa.  Our two-week trip started in Rome then went on to Cinque Terre, Florence and ended in Venice. In Rome we stayed in a small apartment (lovingly nicknamed The Rabbit Hole) in the Piazza della Rotonda, right next to the Pantheon.  We had plans to go to the Vatican twice, once to take a tour of the city and then a second time just to attend Palm Sunday…