My Italy Vacations
By Alexia (Anyplace Travel Agent)

I have been very fortunate in my life thus far when it come to travel, and have been able to experience many country's, foreign lands and destinations. Working at Anyplace Travel a family owned and operated business has had it's travel perks for sure. Plus it's a great tool for my clients to give them my expertise and tell them about my ventures.

Some of my fondest vacation memories have been while traveling abroad to Italy. I had always dreamed as a child to travel to the place of birth of my ancestor's and being 100 percent Italian decent I had an inner passion for all that Italy had to offer.

I have been to Rome, Sorrento, Capri, Tuscany, Sicily, Naples, Florence and Pisa, Venice, and throughout the Almalfi Coast.

My first experience was in 1996 when I traveled with my Mom, and two friends to Sicily and Rome . It was a dream come true.. Since then I have revisited my favorite spots in Italy and have also experienced new lands.

When we arrived in Sicily the smell of the air and the amazing. The views I saw are still clear in my mind. Beautiful beaches and seashores, rustic homes with flowers, grape vines, and lemon trees in which surround the properties.

The food was outstanding. Pasta to die for, Eggplant caponata - a stew of tomatoes, eggplant, capers and olives, Rice balls, or arancini di riso, are also very common and can be found in many restaurants and at sidewalk stands. Sicilian cassata cake, a square sponge cake covered with ricotta cheese frosting, maraschino liqueur, candied fruit and nuts. Which was great because my Grandmother used to make this desert at Easter time..

While there we visited the Museo Regionale, the Duomo, the town's main cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo. Mt. Etna, the fabulous beaches and so many other hidden treasures..

Then we were off to Rome, where we met several of our family members that we had never met.. They did not speak any English, and we did not speak any Italian but the beauty of it all was that we understood one another, and felt as if we had been together our entire lives.

In Rome we stayed on the Via Veneto, minutes from the Villa Borghese at the famous Excelsior hotel. I can remember looking up at the ceiling & thinking wow, the architecture was fascinating. While in Rome we hit all the spots that are must sees from the Spanish steps, to the Trevi Fountain myth has it that if you toss a coin in the famous Trevi Fountain - a way to ensure that you'll always return to Rome. We went the Colosseum and took pictures with the gladiators, traveling back in time. We went to St. Peter's Basilica the largest church in the world. It took my breath away it was so beautiful. Saw the Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece of Renaissance art, the ceiling painted by Michelangelo. Visited the Vatican, a city within itself. I have been to Rome three times, and two times I experienced a rarity in which the Pope came into the square and performed a Mass.

Another favorite place of mine where I have been a repeat guest is Naples. The pizza is divine! Well, this past trip I went Pompeii a ancient city destroyed by MT. Vesuvius in 79 AD, it was covered in over 30 ft of Ash. It has been under excavation for sometime to uncover this ancient city which thrived over 1900 years ago. Also, we went to the top of MT. Vesuvius. Breathtaking views.

But my favorite thing to do when visiting Naples is taking a scenic and amazing ride through the Almafi Coast, then hoping on a hydrofoil to the famous Island of Capri. I can just picture it now sitting on top of the mountains sipping limoncello and eating salami and mozzarella sandwiches on crusty Italian bread! Mangia!

I could go on and on about Italy one of my favorite places in the world. So rich in history and culture. Everyone should experience Italy!

So remember you can see the world with Anyplace Travel. Our agents can make your vacation dreams become a reality!

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