We decided on our family trip to Italy more than a year, and have been actively planning it for 6 months, so it was kinda surprising just how surprising the trip was. We weren’t prepared for just how much we’d find in Rome, the Cinque Terra, Venice, Tuscany and Florence. Here’s what we saw, with tons of photos.

Rome

We landed in Rome on Friday morning and took a bus into Termini station, and eventually found our way to the AirBnB apartment, on the west side of town, at Valle Aurelia, near the Vatican—but first, the bus just happened past the Roman Coliseum (above).

After that, we napped—then we started to work through Rome: Forum, Vatican, Palatine Hill, Capitoline Hill, the biggest, baddest equestrian statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius that made me want to watch Gladiator in the Capitoline museum, the Diocletian baths, the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon.

Coliseum

Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue at Capitoline Museum. People in photo for scale.

If it’s Rome, this is a She-Wolf.

Roman ruins near victor Emmanuel monument and Trajan’s Column.

St. Peter’s, after we visited the Vatican.

The hallway to the Sistine Chapel.

The altar in St. Peter’s.

The Roman Forum.

The Pantheon.

Fountain in the square near the Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

Kelly being goofy at the Pantheon.

Virginia in Roman baths

Sculpture in museum garden

Quatro Formaggio pizza (blu cheese was the kicker)

Pasta!

Pete joined us on Day 4

The Fallen Gaul in Capitoline Museum.

I think this cherub strangling a duck was at the Vatican.

On terrace overlooking Rome at Capitoline Museum.

Forum

Glory that was Rome

Pompeii

I knew Pompeii’s story but the thing I had to see to understand is just how much of Mount Vesuvius is missing—how much higher it must have been until it blew its top in 79 AD and dropped 10 meters of ash across the countryside, burying this city for a millennium and moving the Bay of Naples back half a mile. Virginia really enjoyed our tour, and wished she had a lot more time there.

Vesuvius

Not original sculpture.

Huge lemons and our tour guide Sarah.

Positano

This “vertical city” literally falls down the mountain to the Mediterranean Sea. It was gorgeous and one of Virginia’s few regrets on the trip was not buying any clothing there.

Positano

Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast

This path donw to the sea at Positano was amazing

Positano, from the waterfront

This bride was owning the walk to the church.

This might be my favorite photo of Virginia from the trip.

The artist an his work, with Virginia and Kelly

Cinque Terra

These “five towns” are a couple hours north of Rome, past Pisa, and totally picturesque. We stayed in Vernazza, which is a one-street town that sorta pours down a mountain to the sea, with an adorable, tiny harbor. Our AirBnB was on the second floor and our bedroom was extremely pink (you’ll know it immediately below). We ate by the harbor on the first night and in a restaurant perched 100 feet up on the second. We also hiked from Vernazza to Monterossa, which is one of the most glorious, beautiful walks you could ever take in your life.

Vernazza harbor

Day 1 hike to Carniglia

Vernazza snakes its way to the water along a stony backbone

our very pink main room in Vernazza.

harborfront, Vernazza

Vernazza from above (day)

The hike to Monterossa, beautiful.

Headed down to Monterossa

Monterossa was more of a standard beach town. Oh, and gorgeous.

Above Monterossa

Monterossa

Vernazza by night, from above.

in the morning.

Venice

One of those places where East and West meet. St. Mark’s Basilica was strange and beautiful. I loved how different it was than St. Peter’s in Rome. No gondola ride for us.

St. Mark’s

The Doge’s palace

The boys headed to the casino this night, but it was closed by a strike. Pete can’t write the trip off as a business-related expense.

St. mark’s on the inside, with lots of influence from Constantinople.

From Rialto Bridge.

In Salutan cathedral, this altar tells the story of Venetians imploring baby Jesus and the Spirit of Venice (not Mary) to lift the plague, and a cherub then chasing away Old Lady Plague. Agist Beauty.

Gondola drivers need a break too.

Venetian bookmobile.

Tuscany (Artimino)

This was our “time off,” aided by our friend Kris, who directed us here. We relaxed by the pool, hiked around the town of Artimino, checked out the Medici family hunting lodge, ate like kings (and queen), and were treated to a great wine tasting by Cristina.

View from the Artimino resort.

only rain we saw in 2 weeks. Never reached us.

We did a wine tasting with Cristina Bandini Fonte, who was so very kind and generous to us. Kely and Pete learned a lot.

Booty.

Pete and I ran into this big dog and about 6 aggressive friends on a hiking path near Artimino. Thank god for the fence.

The Medici family hunting lodge

The resort’s pool.

Cristia took care of us at dinner, too.

View from our place.

Florence

Florence was our final stop and, in some ways, I wish it had been our first. It had so much to offer, but we were starting to get fatigued. One of my favorite times in our trip was a late afternoon stop at the Piazelle Michaelangelo (it’s his hometown), enjoying a refreshment and looking over the city.

Jesus visits Limbo

Outside the Duomo

Along the River Arno

Medici Chapel, Michaelangelo sculptures

Medici Chapel

Boticelli

Overlooking Florence

Pete overcomes his fear of the boar

David

From Florence, we caught the train to Rome and the airport and headed home—well, Pete, Virginia and I did. Kelly booked a flight to Paris and went there on the way to Amsterdam. He comes home Wednesday.

It was great to visit Italy. Even better was the chance to spend uninterrupted time with the boys, which is difficult now that Pete works and Kelly has school and his job as a counselor at summer camp in upstate New York.

Some thoughts

• We did AirBnB everywhere but Artimino and it was for the most very good. Locations were good, and most of the master bedroom beds were good. The boys’ beds, not so much, though they were good sports. The best place we had was in Rome, with a great terrace. The worst was Florence—centrally located, but right on a small, but busy, road and apparently sitting directly in front of a sewage tank that needs to be pumped out on Wednesday mornings. Yuck! We’d do it again.
• Speaking of “gig economy” companies, we used Uber, once, in Rome, to get back home from a dinner in Trastaverte. Guy pulled up in a very sweet Mercedes sedan. Uber wasn’t available outside Rome.
• One bit of curiosity fallout: I am completely intrigued by Michaelangelo. He is simply a transcendent genius. Listening to The Agony and the Ecstasy but I’m thinking there’s a better book to read. What is it, people?
• Time with the boys was great—and when Kelly left us at 3:30 am on the last day, to catch a flight to Paris, I felt both sad he was leaving and buoyant that he was brave enough to strike out on his own. That he texted us later in the day that he’d befriended his hostel roommate (a 20-something copper miner from the Yukon Territory—you can’t make this stuff up) and was rapturous about the city was icing on the cake. Virginia and I have always wanted to hold our sons close and launch them as adults. This trip felt like confirmation that we could do both. And that was a great feeling for the trip home.