EUROPEAN SUMMER

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I have known for about a year now that I would be heading to Europe to assist a wedding with my friend and client, Alex. I met Alex through my childhood bestie, Tori. They went to college together and that led us to becoming friends and me eventually working for Alex. My role has been all over the place doing different tasks and support for her.

For this trip I am heading to Lucca, Italy for a stunning wedding at Villa Grabau. We decided to make a whole girls trip out of it and see a bit more of Italy while we're there. From start to finish, we see Florence, Lucca, Rome, and some different cities on the Amalfi Coast.

I hold a lot of sentimental value in this trip. When I was just ten years old my parents put their savings into a family trip to Italy with my two siblings who are older than me. They saw it as we were all at a perfect age and maybe the last opportunity for a family vacation like this. I don't take for granted all my parents sacrificed to take us on that trip. Those memories are some of my fondest as a family.

How lucky am I to go back to Italy and experience it for myself as an adult.

FLORENCE

Our first stop was flying into Florence. We got there around 7:30 pm and went straight to checking into our hotel. We stayed at Room Mate Isabella, a very cute and centrally located boutique hotel. We were welcomed with champagne and got settled into our rooms for some relaxing and unwinding after a long travel day.

The next morning we woke up and had some espresso and breakfast at the hotel. Our first peak at the Italian coffee. Also paid like $15 for this breakfast...had I know it wasn't included with our room I would have eaten more LOL.

We took some cutie pics in our room from the balconies. The architecture honestly just speaks for itself. We were literally above the Gucci store and in such a nice location for walking around to the different tourist spots.

After a quick breakfast, we did a little roaming around the city. We were about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo which was incredible. We also saw the little square called Piazza della Repubblica, which included a merry go round and lots of restaurants and souvenir shops.

Our data was in the progress stages at this point so every time we had a historical question we would save it on our phones in the notes app and ask the internet when we got back to our hotels.

Also, if you're ever interested in my outfits within this post, I have everything linked on my LTK here!

After a bit of exploring we came back to the hotel to work on some to-do's pre wedding. Then we had a few more hours to explore the city before heading out to Lucca.

We ate at 100 Poveri, which was good but not too spectacular in my opinion. Once we got all fueled up it was time to head to all the fun sightseeing.

First stop was Babae for their wine window. The line wasn't too long and there was a couple spots to sit around and enjoy the wine. It is definitely humid and hot in September, so a cold glass of wine was perfect.

Next stop was of course, Fotoautomatica. We knew we wanted to do this and Florence has quite a few of them. Three people in the booth at once was a little rough.

I also wish we had done more but once a few people get in line behind you its hard to be like yea we're gonna do 6 photo strips between the 3 of us haha. Oh also it is only euros, so you need to grab some euros before heading here. I absolutely love souvenirs and this one is such a perfect way to remember the trip in a special way. These photo booths are authentic high quaility resin prints.

Our last two stops before hopping into a rental car was an affogato and more wine. We stumbled across Cortese to use their bathroom but then also decided an affogato would be refreshing.

Then we went back to the Piazza della Repubblica and got a bottle of white wine at Caffe Paszkoski.

LUCCA

I was actually quite obsessed with our Airbnb and the owner! We parked outside the city walls, due to ZTL zone within the city. He picked up our luggage and drove it in for us, since we got in later in the evening.

Once we walked a few minutes into the walled city from our parked car, he walked us through the Airbnb and told us all the info we might need, as well as restaurant recommendations. My favorite part was the homemade fig jam that he gifted us and was so excited about. We didn't end up cracking it open until we made it to Amalfi but oh my gosh, it was so good!

This town was truly such a gem and incredibly beautiful. I loved that it had a small town feel, slow pace, and yet full of rich history.

We wandered around aimlessly, not having picked a tour of the city or anything but just aiming to explore for the day. Like I said, our list of questions really came in handy when we ever came across anything interesting.

For lunch we came to the Piazza dell' Anfiteatro, where similarly to the Colosseum, they hosted gladiator shows and games here.

Now they have built buildings all around it with restaurants making a full circle around them.

We made a full circle checking out all the restaurants and landed on Locanda del Linchetto. I tried my first Aperol Spritz and honestly not my favorite lol. A Hugo Spritz is definitely more my speed. I did like the food here. I had the traditional Lucca dish, Tordelli, reccomended by our Airbnb host and I was happy with my choice!

After sending off some post cards we got some gelato and headed back home to get some work done. I got tiramisu gelato and it was pretty good!

Also peep my brand new camera, the Sony ZV E10. I got it to be a more active vlogger and also just get some better photos on the go! I have it linked on my Amazon Storefront if you're looking for it.

For dinner, we ate at Osteria San Giorgio. I ordered gnocchi and it was reallllly good. We ended the night with a glass of wine and Lizzie McGuire, of course.

Weddddding day!!! We got to the venue, Villa Grabau, around 10 a.m. and left just after midnight. It was definitely a long, hot, and sweaty day. Vendor meal was the same as the wedding guests and it was like 3 or 4 courses of really yummy food. We got to sit and enjoy some wine at the end of the night since we were officially off the clock.

The next morning, we head out to Rome. On our way we made a stop at this little pitstop center that even had showers! We just got McDonalds and some teas to hold us over for the rest of the drive. My feelings still stand, McDonalds is just better in Europe.

ROME

We made it to Rome fairly early in the evening so we had some time to decompress, settle into our Airbnb, and then grab some dinner.

Our place was in a decent location, about a 15 minute walk to Trevi Fountain.

We had a glass of wine and then aimlessly wandered Rome to find a place to eat dinner. We knew we wanted to the Trevi Fountain, so we wandered in that direction.

We landed at Clavdia Ristorante Pizzeria and I ordered the ravioli. We strolled right in and I had myself a little Hugo Spritz and we all shared some fries. Also peeped this super adorable apartment while walking the streets and I was obsessed.

We saw the Trevi Fountain and my jaw literally dropped. I could not believe we were seeing it in real life. I feel like sometimes historical landmarks feel a little underwhelming when you see them in real life but this was not one of them.

I also got a little gelato sweet treat at Venchi. It was really good and the lil star on top was a nice touch.

After that we strolled upon a couple bars and decided to grab a drink at Salotto 42. It was a very nice and vibey bar, it sort of felt like being back at home in here.

The next day we had a walking tour on the agenda. We quickly grabbed some bites from Mammarella to eat in the taxi on the way to the meet up spot. Mammarella was literally right across the street from our Airbnb so it was perfect. We also learned taxi pick ups were in a designated lot, so convenient and safe.

The walking tour was incredible! Our guide was named Thijs and he showed us lots of different fascinating landmarks that gave us some insight on the history of Rome. We saw the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, and more!

He also told us a little hack for a nice photo of the Trevi Fountain that avoids the crowds of people below. You go in the store just behind and go to the second floor. Also on the day we went they were cleaning the fountain so they barricaded the fountain itself, which I was so glad we went at night.

That little pink jacket reminds me of the jacket I wore when I was little and came to Italy with my family.

Our tour ended at the Colosseum and so we purchased tickets to go inside with some buffer time for lunch first.

We ate lunch at Iari The Vino really quickly and then head over to the Colosseum. It was so incredibly hot but so worth it. We really kind of wished we had more of a guided tour on this one but the covered areas had lots of information.

After this we grabbed a drink at an outdoor bar just behind the Colosseum. We stumbled upon it just looking for a restroom but decided to cool off with a drink while we were at it!

Then we took taxis home and showered before napping and getting ready for a night out.

We grabbed dinner at Piccolo Arancio. We almost ate at a really popular spot down the street but there was a long line so we landed here instead. Don't kill me if I say the lasagna lowkey needed some salt... It was good but something about Italy, they do not use salt like we do in America lol.

After dinner we wanted to go OUT and we really were not finding much. So we found a bar on Google Maps, walked to it, and the place was like non-existent and closed. We heard music though, so we followed that to a rooftop bar across the street. We had one drink there and chat with with some french men and then called it a night.

Well one more last stop at the Trevi Fountain. I feel like some people say its not less busy at night but both nights we went to the Trevi Fountain it was much emptier than the day time. We also witness two men fall in the fountain and that was rough. Our guide had told us the police are QUICK to grab you and fine you on the spot. They literally make you pay before letting you go.

Had my little Lizzie McGuire wish and our guide told us the right way to do it. You throw with your right hand over your left shoulder so that it crosses your heart. One coin is a wish to come back to Rome. Two coins is a wish for love. Three coins is a wish for marriage. BUT three coins when you're married is a wish for divorce...eek!

I played it safe and wished for love.

Oh and we also saw a McDonald's on the way and I was so impressed they had a whole food display with donuts!!

PRAIANO

The next morning was a long day of getting to the Amalfi Coast. Our Airbnb was truly the best. Located in an amazing area, beautiful backyard, and minimal stairs. When it comes to Amalfi Coast, you need to have minimal stairs cause you will be doing a lot of walking as it is.

We had dinner at Che Bonta, the restaurant literally across the street from our stay. Another reason, we really loved our place. It was also really close to a grocery store and souvenir shops.

In the morning we had some breakfast and coffee out on the patio. We had a plan to hit the beach club and relax, just what we needed. On the way we ran into a sign I have had saved on my Pinterest for YEARS. It felt like a nice reminder that I was exactly where I wished I would be. Manifesting is real, manifesting works!

One Fire Beach Club was reallllly fun. I know some people say its wild and too much or too expensive. I personally felt like it was worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We could lay out, order food and drinks, or bring your own food in as well. One of the best parts was jumping into the water, they provided floaties and a spot to hang your phone for videos!

We also enjoyed the social aspect of chatting with people and making new friends.

For the watermelon cutting time, I opted to stay floating in the water on the float and throughly enjoyed that choice. Victoria saved me a piece of watermelon and I watched the videos of how insane it was.

Next up was walking home with this gorgeous sunset view. We saw a little stray kitty and was only the second cat I saw the whole entire trip!

For dinner we ate at La Strada. It was really good and just a short walk from our Airbnb. I got the Diavola Pizza and Arancini.

The next day we were meant to go on a boat ride in Capri but we missed that tour because it was going to take us like 2 hours to get down to the meet up point in Capri, based on timing of buses etc.

We had a slow morning which included a full breakfast we made ourselves.

With our boat plans gone, we decided to enjoy the backyard and lounge on chairs and sip on some prosecco.

After a couple hours of that we rinsed off (and of course got pics of that) and then decided to explore a little hidden beach we could literally see from our backyard.

This was such a perfect little beach to relax and cool off. I wish we had brought drinks and floaties but otherwise it was perfect. It was the beach next to Torre Grado Vettica Di Praiano.

This dinner might have been my favorite from the trip. We ate at La Cucina del Tramonto d'Oro. The food was incredible, the views were beautiful, and the staff was incredibly friendly. We had wine, calamari, and the two steak dishes. There was also complimentary appetizers and bread! There was even a free shuttle throughout Praiano for dinner guests.

POSITANO

After dinner we had to RUN to hop on the last bus into Positano. We wanted to go to Music on the Rocks, which was 30 euros to get in BUT it included a drink... I was not loving that but whatever, when in Italy right? It was definitely a fun experience but its not like a world renowned club in terms of drinks or music. Nonetheless, fun, cool atmosphere, and we had a good time.

We had to pay a ridiculous amount for a taxi home but the price you pay for convenience I guess.

CAPRI

Our last days focus was getting down to Capri. So first we had to make it down to Positano to catch the ferry to Capri. While we got that situated and were waiting for our ferries, we got some refreshments. We ordered a margarita and the Sorbetto al Limone. Let me tell you, that Sorbetto al Limone was the best thing I had. It is what Disney wishes the Dole Whip was.

Once we made it over to Capri we had a couple hours to shop and eat. The first store we hit was the bells store. We got a little bit of the history about the bells and why they were good luck. They were sooo cute we had get a couple.

We had lunch at a random little spot along the docks called Caffè Augusto. From there we NEARLY missed our ferry. Long story short, the ferry was still there even though were like 15 minutes late.. Don't know how but I think those lucky bells were working already because that was the last ferry out of Capri.

We got back to our Airbnb, packed up and got to sleep so we could take on another long travel day ahead.

HOME

This trip felt like a good balance of slow days as well as sightseeing busy ones. I feel so blessed to have gone back to Italy and experienced so much. Getting home my parents welcomed me back with flowers and a nice welcome home sign.

As much as I loved being in Italy, getting back to my routine at home has been so nice. So excited to see what the next European trip I take looks like but for now I will enjoy all my little trinkets and souvenirs to remember the trip by. 'Til next time!!