Italy Travel Log

Buon Giorno.

I've often seen the Vatican on television, but actually setting foot there was a truly unforgettable experience.

Today we got the chance to tour the Vatican which is considered to be its own country. It sits on 190 acres of land, and the religious and artistic treasures to be found at the Vactican are breath taking.

We were first provided a local guide who walked us through some of the rooms in the Vatican museum. Then, after some explanation, we were taken into the Sistine Chapel to see the amazing paintings completed on the walls and ceiling of the building. It's fascinating to think of Michelangelo working on these paintings hundreds of years ago.

After the Sistine Chapel, we were escorted into St. Peter's Basilica, which is considered to be the the largest church in the world. Just to give you an example, it is 413 feet from the floor to the top of the main dome. After seeing the inside of the church, we then walked out into St. Peter's Square to see the front of the church and where the Papal apartment is located. There really was so much to see that it's hard to put it into words.

Travel to Italy for 'a Rome-antic break'

Britons looking to pop the question some time in the future can guarantee a positive response by proposing in Rome, it has been suggested.

According to the Flight Centre, Rome is one of the world's most romantic cities and is a top destination for those eager to get down on bended knee and propose.

"Whilst there are scores of beautiful city squares and fountains, the famous Trevi Fountain tops the list of places to propose. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain your dreams will come true and you are sure to return to Rome," Flight Centre said.

Other romantic places to propose include Morocco, where the question can be popped against the stunning backdrop of the Sahara Desert.

Those looking to push the boat out could consider a trip to New Zealand, where Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula will take her breath away and surely provoke a good response.

Other romantic hotspots include Cape Town's Table Mountain and the Whitsundays in Australia.

First-Time Travelers to Italy Get the Royal Treatment and the Grand Tour

Homebase Abroad, a firm that has specialized for more than fifteen years in travel to Italy and villa vacation planning, has created fall seasonal packages specifically designed for the first-time visitor. These new packages combine pristine villas in the most desired countryside locations with top-notch hotels near the must-see historic attractions Italy is known for, giving guests private, guided access to the luxury Italian lifestyle without the hassle of planning the itinerary.

"Villa vacations are ideally suited to those who have an active appetite for appreciating other cultures and are looking to truly 'live as the locals live'," says Mara Solomon, a founder and co-director of Homebase Abroad. "This package is designed to appeal to those who have not yet been to Italy and are interested in the relaxing villa lifestyle yet still want to experience the historical sites of Italy's most famous cities."

Ms. Solomon's company creates unique luxury Italian villa vacations for discriminating guests. The professional staff at Homebase Abroad is known for their meticulous attention to detail, crafting very special experiences for guests. The staff is known for going the extra mile to find specific vintage cars for a mountain road trip, creating a fireworks display for a family reunion at a luxury villa in Tuscany and many other captivating and memorable experiences for guests.

A guide to dining in Italy

Italian pizza isn’t the same as we enjoy here. Pizza is considered a first course in Italy. It is almost always a 10-inch, thin crust pizza. The 10-inch pizza is meant to be a personal size pizza, but we often shared one.

Our meal in Positano was our first experience with being charged for sitting at a table, the cuperto or cover charge. In Italy, there are different charges for your meal based on if you carry it out, eat it at a counter or sit at a table. The location of the table can increase the charge also as we found out later in Florence where a table overlooking the Arno River cost us four euros each, the most expensive table charge of the trip.