My experience touring Italy over the summer of 2021 was especially majestic because of Covid, the disease that was rapidly spreading and causing much distress throughout the world.
Travel restrictions were in place, and tourists from many countries were banned from entering Italy, including travelers coming from the Unites States.
I had spent two weeks in Greece prior to entering Italy, making me eligible to enter from a neighboring European country, bypassing the restriction on Americans.
So how did this make my trip majestic? The density of tourists was low, very low.
Furthermore, the mainstream local Covid restrictions, such as the proof of vaccination and endless registrations and passes, hadn’t been implemented yet.
I got to enjoy Italy among a very small number of tourists, with the added requirement of wearing a mask!
Naples
My flight from Athens, Greece landed in Naples late in the evening, and I proceeded to the rental terminal to grab a car for the next couple of weeks.
Off to my AirBnB, I was eager to get some rest before a day tour at Pompeii starting first thing in the morning!
Pompeii
Pompeii, the city preserved by volcanic ash from the Mount Vesuvius eruption, truly offers an opportunity to step back in time.
I hired a personal tour and walked down the city roads, meandering through the homes and courts that used to be typical in the Roman’s everyday lives.
The experience was surreal, especially when seeing the paint on the walls original to the Romans who lives in the homes, something unheard of in any of my other travels.
Amalfi coast
After Pompeii, I decided to take a detour from my original plans to explore the Almafi Coast for a few days.
To those who have been to the Amalfi Coast and are wondering why I chose to rent a car and drive myself: I didn’t know the roads were this narrow; I didn’t know the buses would nearly run me off the cliffs.
Do I regret it? Hard no. 10/10, I’d do it again!
Sorrento
On my second night, Italy won the World Cup, and I was staying in Sorrento. Can you imagine the hype?
My room overlooked the main street entering Sorrento, and a line of cars and mopeds, bumper to bumper, laid on their horns as they slowly drove by, singing and celebrating Italy’s win till the early hours of the morning.
The intense energy was remarkable, and certainly helped to charge my social battery.
I spent the day wandering around the city and exploring the markets that filled the alleyways before continuing on to the next city.
Ravello
Waking up in Ravello was breathtaking at the most quaint bed and breakfast.
A delicious and hearty breakfast overlooking the city and the coast was blissful, setting up the day perfectly for a fairly long road-trip north to Rome.
Civita di Bagnoregio - The Dying City
On the way to Rome, I stopped to explore Civita di Bagnoregio - The Dying City.
The city is only accessible by foot, where you walk up a long bridge to get to the city built on top of a rock formation.
I ate at a cute little restaurant then walked around the tiny little city as the sun went down and the day came to a natural close.
Rome
Rome was spectacular. Everything I had hoped for and more!
There are endless things to see and do in Rome, though I stuck with the typical touristy stuff, the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Basillica.
Colosseum
The Colosseum was the highlight of my time in Rome. I had imagined visiting here ever since I learned of it’s existence.
Arriving in Rome fairly late, I rented a scooter and zipped around the city to see the nightlife and find a delicious bowl of Carbonara.
When passing by the Colosseum, I was taken away by its size and beauty while lit up at night after the sun went down. Needless to say, I took full advantage of the photo op!
My Colosseum tour was booked and I had trouble sleeping being so full of excitement.
The underground portion of the Colosseum was opened for the first time to tourists in July 2021.
When did I arrive in Rome? That’s right, July 2021.
I was incredibly lucky to tour the underground of the Colosseum, both because it had just opened and because there were very few tourists due to the Covid travel restrictions.
Some say the underground portion isn’t as representative of the ancient Roman Colosseum experience as the upper stadium, though I think every fact of the Colosseum was integral to the experience for the gladiators, and I am truly blessed to have had the experience I did!
Forum
Pantheon
The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings, mostly because it has been in continuous since being built around 126 AD.
Isn’t that wild? Continuous use since 126 AD.
Once again, the travel restrictions came in clutch. In these photos, you can see my the small number of people inside and the relatively short line to enter.
Trevi Fountain
I threw a coin. I got the picture. I ate some Gelato.
What more can I say about Trevi Fountain?
Vatican City
Sistine Chapel
The walk through the Sistine Chapel comes toward the very end of the Vatican City guided tour. Containing the excitement throughout the beginning of the tour was a challenging, and I succumbed to the pressure by taking hundreds of photos of every little thing. It was just too good not to!
St. Peter’s Basilica
Florence
David
Duomo
Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy
The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, is the oldest operating pharmacy in the world, in operation since 1221.
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence that was spared during the destructive World War II.
A few street performers played beautiful music as I sat and listened, nibbling on some Gelato.
Pisa
Pisa was a quick stop along my route from Florence to Milan. I planned the day to arrive just as the things opened, and I was sure to have the first time slot booked for climbing the tower.
Duomo and Leaning Tower
All the tower climbers wore a pendant on a necklace that would buzz if you got to close to the next person. It was their way of enforcing social distancing.
As you go about the spiral staircase up the tower, you can see the grooves in the steps transition from the left to the right.
As you lean from one side to the other from the lean of the tower, your body naturally transitions back and forth which causes the steps to wear unevenly. Its quite cool to see, but a bit disorienting!
Milan
Venice
Dolomites
Tre-Cime
