Lorry Perkins
Writer, Travel Blogger
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Tour of Italy | Vatican | St. Peters Basilica | Colosseum | Pisa | Florence | Venice and more
A friend of mine recently shared with me her amazing trip to Italy. The tour included accommodations at the Grand Hotel Guinigi in Lucca, Grand Hotel Mediterraneo in Florence, Palazzo Selvadego in Venezia, Giotto in Assisi, and the Crowne Plaza St. Peter’s in Rome. For those of you who dream of a tour of Italy, read more about her experience here. All of the beautiful photos you see in this post are hers unless otherwise noted.
How did you plan your trip to Italy? Did you use a travel agent, or did you organize it yourself?
I used a travel agent. There were many details to work out, and he did a great job. I had been looking at trips to Italy for years, online, prior to this. The travel agent I used was Derek Schemonitz who has since
opened his own agency, Mr. Travel Agent. It probably cost more than I could have done myself, but he had
EVERYTHING set up perfectly, especially our trip to Bari. Train tickets, drivers, hotels.
Tell us about your trip to Italy; where did you visit, how long you were there, and why did you want to go there?
We flew from New York City to Rome. We went on a 10-day long tour with Globus and extended our trip to my parent’s hometown of Bari, Italy, and their small hometown of Sannicandro. I carefully researched the best time to go, which is May. It can get very hot in Italy in the summer. But it just so happened to be one of the worst Mays they have had in Italy in years. Cold, rain, wind. We actually had to buy warmer clothes. Had they had a normal May, it would have been the perfect time to go.
The town of Bari is a beautiful seaside town. I often asked my parents why they would leave such a beautiful place, and the answer was always, “we were starving.” The small village of Sannicandro is where they actually lived during the war. We met up with a cousin, her daughter, and an aunt that did not remember us. We got to see the sight where their home was in Italy, but it was destroyed in the war. We also went to the cemetery and found the graves of my grandparents, whom we never knew. It meant so much to us to see our parents’ hometown.
The trip consisted of myself and my husband, Mark. My sister, Carmella, who passed away a year later from breast cancer, and her daughter, Amanda. Mark’s dad passed away hours before we left. So, it was an emotional time for him.
What sites in Italy did you visit? What was your Italy itinerary?
Day 1 – We arrived in Rome.
Day 2 – Guided sightseeing tour of Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Square, Basilica, and Colosseum, where gladiators once fought.
Day 3 – From Rome to historic Lucca, completely surrounded by medieval walls.
Day 4 – In Lucca, we did an excursion by boat to Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – so very beautiful and one of my favorite places. Also, a stop at Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Day 5 – From Lucca to Siena, San Gimignano loved this island, Verrazzano Castle.
Day 6 – Florence, Italy
Day 7 – Florence, Verona, and Venice Island
Day 8 – Venice Island seeing the Basilica, Doges Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. In Venice, we went on a gondola ride.
Day 9 – From Venice, we went to Ravenna and Assisi.
Day 10 – Assissi to Orvieto, back to Rome, Italy.
Day 11 – Rome and depart by train to my parent’s hometown of Bari, Italy. Once in Bari, we hired a driver to take us to Sannicandro, which is their small hometown.
Italy is known for its food. What are the best foods to eat while traveling through Italy? What were your favorites?
The food was wonderful, especially when we chose on our own. The gelato was different in each town, and my favorite was in the small town of San Gimignano. Always eat pasta and pizza. We also enjoyed some of the small vendors
that made sandwiches. It reminded me of the sandwiches my mom used to make.
Everyone drank Expresso, but you ordered it at the counter and drank it at the counter without sitting down. The next
person was waiting behind you to take your place at the counter and do the same. Also, the roasted chestnuts again reminded me of growing up. We always had roasted chestnuts. Last year we discovered chestnut trees at Christ Church down the road from us. We picked pounds and roasted them. They were great. This year we were away, and the deer
got to them before we could.
Tell us what you most enjoyed about being in Italy. Would you go back if you had the chance? Why?
I enjoyed the beauty of the country and felt a connection there because of my parent’s stories. I would love to go back and tour southern Italy and, at some point, to be able to live there for at least six months.
What recommendations do you have for anyone planning a trip to Italy?
Although very fast-paced, I would recommend using a tour company. We would have never seen what we did on our own. Our tour guide was so great and so knowledgeable. Also, pack light. Plan on wearing the same clothes more the once. Our tour guide wore the same pants and skirts the whole trip. LOL
Any last thoughts about Italy?
I talked about going to Italy for years. After I went through breast cancer and then my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, I promised her we would go. My parents have such an amazing story with their lives in Italy and then coming to the US. I didn’t purchase anything major except an Italian purse. So much of what I saw was like looking at my mother’s things. The most valuable thing we brought home was our pictures.
Thank you for sharing your amazing family trip to Italy with my readers. It is a reminder to stop putting off your travel plans until “someday.”
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Sounds like a great trip. I have done a similar route (Venice-Florence-Pisa-Rome) solo and loved it. I recently went back to Florence and I unfortunately did not love it as much as the first time (it felt dirtier and more crowded than before, but it also doesn’t help that there was a crazy heat wave). I’d visit Florence again, but at a better time of the year.
What a great itinerary for a trip to Italy. Some of the big sights all in one trip! We really need to get to visit Pisa on a return visit. And Florence deserves more than the one day we had. I agree that you can’t visit Italy without some great pizza and gelato. And that the most valuable thing to bring home is the memories.
It looks like you’ve seen pretty much the best places in Italy, that’s really cool! Rome and Florence are very high on my list, but also Lucca since someone recommended it to me once, and you now do, too, so I will definitely put Lucca on my Italy list. 🙂