An interview with my Italian friend/ baker extraordinaire, Daniela. She has advice for visiting Italy and fills us in of the coffee culture.

Something I observed is the difference in personalities in Rome vs. the South (In the South, they present the culture to you like a gift, whereas in Rome, they wait for you to come to them and then they are enthusiastic about sharing their city with you.)

I stopped at Aurora Pizzeria in Piazza Tasso. The restaurant has been around since 1898 so obviously they know what they are doing. It was busy with tourists and I was game for people watching and ready for my “Eat, Pray, Love” pizza moment.

The views are incredible and there are many vistas where you can pause for a moment and enjoy looking down on the Almafi Coast and Positano.

We are going to start at the train station and I’ll tell you about that wild experience as we head to Sorrento via Naples, where we finally get reprieve from the heat with an ocean breeze, a mediterranean summer storm, and the ridiculous beauty of southern Italy. Moto bella!

A visit to the Vatican Museums will be a highlight of your trip, I promise. Join me as I take you to the Sistene Chapel and the Raphael Rooms.

A dinner at Dino and Tony’s is more of an experience than a meal. Located in the Prati neighborhood in Rome, it is a must visit for the adventurous and racous in spirit.

This sunken effect makes the Pantheon seem like a sentry amid the noise and pace of modern times. It is sturdy in appearance and seems almost stubborn in this setting. It has dug its heels in and has spent hundreds of years refusing to be destroyed like it’s predecessors. It is different than the other ancients in my opinion. Perhaps because it is not cordoned off like the Colosseum and the Forum are. It is just… there, right in the middle of the McDonald’s signs and it is insouciant. If the Pantheon was a movie character, it would be Clint Eastwood in “Gran Torino”… get off my lawn!

This spigot draws in the red-faced, overheated and dehyrdated sojourners and I watch as their facial expressions change dramatically when each one spots the spigot. You can read the sigh of relief on their faces. Water! Gloriously cool water! Unlimited supply! I heard several different languages spoken around this “water cooler’ and while I don’t know exactly what everyone was saying, I’m willing to bet my 401k on the fact that everyone was discussing rehydration.

It is from this spigot that we all find the will to go on (I know I sound dramatic but have you been to Rome in the summer? No? Ok, then.. report back about how finding this particular water fountain made you nearly cry with joy and relief because it will happen).

5 simple ways to save money while in Rome!

As I was enjoying the shade I noticed a beautiful bride and her new husband coming towards the Arch. He was dressed in his military best and all I could think about was how hot that guy must have been as he picked her up and twirled her around while their photographer clicked away. As the photo session wrapped up, about a dozen local female bystanders began singing what must have been a traditional wedding song of blessing. The bride was beaming brighter than the summer sunshine and I could tell this serenade was special. It meant something more than a basic “congratulations’”. Some of the women had tears of joy in their eyes for this bride they did not know and everyone in the crowd had a wistful smile.

I was like the Ted Lasso of travel… nothing was going to get me down and everything, literally everything was awesome! Example #1 of why solo travel rocks: I am not worried about who is hot, tired, pissed because we are lost. I am only worried about my own emotions and timeline. I am in control of whether or not I decide being lost is kinda great!

This is a good place to start….