By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
I regretted wearing a jumper when we finally landed, deboarded our British Airways A319 and left Rome Fiumicino airport. It was appropriate for October in Britain, but I definitely felt overdressed in the mid 20s heat in the heart of Rome. It was beautifully warm and glorious; a kind of heat I had never experienced. And before I knew it, I was hooked. Day one had us exploring the Colosseum and all of its history that spans centuries. An oval amphitheater that dates back to 72 AD. Our guided tour opened our eyes to the magnificent beauty and grandeur of this ancient building. We then made our way through Ancient Rome, drinking all the archaic splendor in. The further we walked, the more amazed we were at how these ruins had stood the testof time. The next day; day two in this lively and vibrant city, we walked across town to the Pantheon in the Piazza della Rotonda. This magnificent architectural beauty that stands proudly was once a Roman Temple, and you can see why. We then strolled to another architectural beauty; the Fontana di Trevi. We threw some coins in for good luck, and made our way to the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, Spanish Steps. Connecting the Piazza di Spagna and the Piazza Trinità dei Monti, and dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top, towering above the steps below. When we woke on day three, the bustle from the streets below rumbled on. We had almost gotten used to the car horns beeping, angry Italians shouting, and tiny mopeds whizzing past. We left Hotel Casali and travelled down Italy’s boot towards Naples. Before we reached our next hotel in Sorrento, we explored the ancient city of Pompeii; once devastated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. We freely roamed the streets and buildings, with some perfectly preserving life at the time of the eruption. As we ventured deeper and deeper into the ruins, the feeling of eeriness grew stronger; as though this town had been frozen in time, to wake at any moment and return to the thriving town it once was, before devastation hit. The coach slowed to a halt just outside a pizzeria called All’ Angolo in Sorrento, with Hotel Albatross sitting just down the road and across from it. The view from our room was spectacular; a glorious view of the Gulf of Naples. As the sun was slowly starting to set, immersing itself in the gulf below, the sky turned a bright orange; so bright that it took our breath away. It was almost as if someone had flicked a switch; one minute the sky was blue, the next it was a bright orange. Day four; our last full day in this Italian paradise. The water of the Gulf of Naples glistened in the glorious morning sunlight. We travelled to the beautiful coastal town of Amalfi; perfectly positioned on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The sea was a stunning shade of blue, and the buildings all around in different colours. We curiously explored the shops and restaurants before coming across Amalfi’s Cathedral; a medieval Roman Catholic Cathedral in the heart of the Piazza del Duomo. We embarked upon the hike up the sixty-two steps to the top to see this magnificent building up close. We made it back down to the seafront and sat intriguingly for what awaited us next. The coach trip up into the hills and mountains surrounding Amalfi and the coastline seemed to take forever. With each twist and turn, ascending higher and higher into the skies above. We wondered if we would ever reach Ravello. Almost 2000 feet into the hills and mountains above Amalfi, sits Ravello; perched almost precariously above the dazzling blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea on Italy’s exquisite Amalfi Coast. Ravello has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and features 13th Century and Medieval style villas, with terraced gardens and spectacular panoramic views of the ocean below. Day five saw us leaving this Italian paradise for England. We departed on our British Airways A320 and headed for Gatwick, still starry eyed and in love with Italia.