HAAAAI LURKER #1! Nice to meet you :) I’m afraid this is going to be a big-ass post, but you’re staying four months, so you’re going to need a lot of places to visit u_u (study? what is that?)

I’m going to put all of it under a cut, but please don’t have a stroke once you see how much I’ve written. Sorry! (the cut doesn’t work, more sorry)

So of course, the first city to visit is probably Rome, nothing new about that. I think you’re going to need 5 to 7 days if you really want to visit it all, and while you’re there don’t forget to eat tiramisu (I sound like a broken record because I say this to ANYONE who’s going to Rome, but you need to go to this place called Pompi because they seriously just make the best tiramisu I’ve ever had). I don’t think I have to tell you to visit the Colosseum, Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps and all that, they’re all really close to each other and also close to Piazza del Popolo, where you need to go to then get to the Pincian Hill, which is quite great because you have a beautiful view of Rome from up there. Right there there’s also Via del Corso and via Cola di Rienzo that are great for shopping. Then of course Vatican City, and also Trastevere. Also, around Christmas, Piazza Navona is full of stands and candies, it’s really nice. And to end with other food, Rome is famous for its bucatini amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara, but don’t eat them in those tourist-packed restaurants near like, Fontana di Trevi, because they’re all tourist traps and too expensive, and though I’ve never been in one of those, I’m guessing the food isn’t even all that good. Oh and the Rome underground closes early (9PM) till April 2012, except for Saturdays, but there’s a lot of buses you can take as an alternative.

I promise the other things I’m going to mention won’t be so detailed LOL

Tuscany is amazing, I’ve been in Florence and Pisa, but you kind of need to drive through the countryside I guess, to really see Tuscany. Anyway, both Florence and Pisa (and Siena, too) are worth visiting. You can visit Pisa in a day, whereas for Florence you will need more. I love, love Florence actually, and except all the museums and stuff (go to the Accademia Gallery to see David, I swear you will stare at his ass for an indefinite amount of time (and no, I’m not talking about a stripper)), the place I liked the most in Florence was Piazzale Michelangelo, at night it’s full of young people and the view is simply stunning. Also, there’s often a nice smell of waffle in the streets, lol.

If you’re in Italy in October, you may want to go to Perugia because there’s this thing called Eurochocolate, and you don’t want to miss that. Perugia is really famous for its chocolate (wherever you are in Italy, buy some baci perugina, every store has them).

In the north there’s Milan of course, though I know practically nothing about it except how to get to Zachary’s hotel. Well, I understand if you want to go on pilgrimage there, of course.

Venice, also to be seen in 1 or 2 days (maybe I should’ve waited for Bea to write this part, but whatever), just don’t get lost in it. And don’t take your shoes off in Piazza San Marco. Just don’t. Even if it looks like clean water, it’s not. It’s gross. And also the pigeons. Gross as well. Of course if you’re there around February, go then, because it’s Carnival time, which Venice is famous for. Near Venice you can go visit Bea in Vicenza (though she probably will be in Spain XD) and then go to Verona, which is probably my favourite city in the area.

So now you’re quite close to the Alps, and I’m no expert but I went to Trentino and the mountains really were breathtaking, all the little towns near like, Bolzano, are pretty and typical, and you can go hiking in the Alps and you’ll get to several mountain huts where you can literally have THE BEST FOOD OF YOUR LIFE. No kidding. I guess Cortina d’Ampezzo is one famous town to go, though I’m not sure if there are better ones, lol. Anyway, you can go skiing there.

AAAAAAND all the way back to the south of Italy, you can go to the Naples area. The best part about Naples is the walk along the coast, and of course the food. I don’t care what people may say, pizza in Naples is the best in the world. Pizzeria da Michele has great pizza, though you may have to wait a bit to get a table because it’s always crowded. But it’s worth it, and you can have a giant pizza at like 5 euros. The restaurant itself is rather basic, but it all adds to the atmosphere. Other things to try in Naples are sfogliatella and rum baba and pastiera, all pastries!

So you are in Naples, and what you really have to do is to take a boat to the islands of Capri (try torta caprese here! it’s a chocolate and almond cake) and Ischia. There are also boats to visit all the Amalfi Coast, with its little villages such as Positano, Sorrento and Amalfi itself. The sea here is wonderful. And if you happen to like it, you can always continue to the Cilentan Coast, just as beautiful. Then you can come visit me in Caserta, where there’s really not much to see except the Royal Palace, lol. Though I’ll probably be in France XD

Oh, and in the Naples area there is also Pompeii, which is famous for its Roman ruins and because it was buried under the lava of Mount Vesuvius.

Last but not least, Sicily and Sardinia, though I’m just going to say that the sea in Sardinia is spectacular and then jump straight to Sicily because I know more about it since I’ve been there. Of course sea in Sicily is amazing as well, the Riserva dello Zingaro in the Trapani area is one of the best places I’ve ever been. There are little tiny towns like Erice that are absolutely worth visiting, in Erice for example you get to this place where you’re actually over the clouds. In Agrigento you can visit some Greek ruins, and in Catania you can go on a tour on Mount Etna, and then if you want some fun a friend of mine tells me there’s this great water theme park called Etnaland. Also, IMO Sicily is the best region in terms of food, so you have to try granita (it’s a slush, and they eat it together with a brioche), and cannoli and cassata and also arancini, and then everything the make with pistachios (Bronte pistachio is the most famous one), and pasta alla Norma and OH MY GOOD AM I HUNGRY TODAY.

I’m going to stop now (you probably are wishing you had just googled it instead of asking) but just another thing, if you feel like going to an amusement park, Mirabilandia in Ravenna is the right way to go, or Gardaland on Lake Garda (which you may also want to visit now that I think about it).

(honorable food mention because I just thought about it: mortadella and also tortellini in Bologna)

So, hypothetically, if you were to come, I hope this post will be useful and that you’ll enjoy yourself! :)

Let us know if you actually come!

(via yogaseal)