A Digital Scrapbook of My Time in Italy

It's astonishing to think that our incredible adventure through Italy is over! We started in Venice and worked our way south through Orvieto, Fontecchio, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and many places in between. Here, I will share some of my favorite pictures and memories from each location.

Venice

We started out in Venice where we took tours of various sites such as the locations of historical factories and the Venice arsenal. While in Venice we had a free day, and I went to the islands called Murano and Burano. Murano is known for its beautiful glass and also has a really nice glass museum. 

the island of Burano ~ known for its colorful buildings

a canal in Venice


a sunset we saw while on the taxi boat on
the way back from Burano

a cat crossing a bridge in Burano
 

a gondola!

Venice is full of tiny walkways and
beautiful bridges and canals
the group I went with to Burano

Orvieto

After Venice, we continued on to Orvieto. Orvieto is a small town perched high on a hill. This location translates to tons of stairs and beautiful views! Orvieto is home to many little shops and some very interesting cave systems with archaeological sites. We took a tour of a couple of these areas, and it was really cool getting to see all of the old pottery shards that are still being uncovered to this day.

a view of the town


         an excavation site
 

old machinery at the olive farm

the duomo in Orvieto



Tabitha, found in Orvieto's square

a view of Pitigliano, another small hill town 

Fontecchio

I had originally planned to be in Fontecchio for just two nights, but I ended up testing positive for covid there so I was gifted some extra time spent in this lovely little town:) While in Fontecchio, I stayed in a little watch tower that was built in medieval times; it was so cool! This length of the trip gave me exactly what I needed; a chance to slow down and relax for a little while-- in the most beautiful and peaceful setting imaginable. The breakfast here was top-notch and I enjoyed taking little walks throughout the town and along the river:)


a view of the sunrise out my window

an annual bonfire that we attended

there was a double rainbow out of my
window one morning

somehow all of our luggage fit!

The Amalfi Coast

In the end, the Amalfi Coast ended up being my favorite place we stayed in-- partially because of the excursions that we took during our time there. Two of my favorites were our visit to the family-operated lemon grove and our hike up God's path to visit the shepherd's house. These trips led us to breathtaking views and delicious food. At the lemon farm, we got to try their fresh lemonade, lemon slices, and lemon marmalade on crostinis. At the shepherd's house, he gave us delicious bread, wine, fresh and aged cheese from his goats, a tomato salad, pickled pumpkin, and fresh pasta. Such a good meal! There were so many incredible views on the coast. 

The food we had with the shepherd
lemon farms overlooking the sea

at the lemon farm
a view of the coastline from the villa we went to


a mule we met along the
God's path trail
the sun setting on the town of Amalfi

Rome

Rome was the last leg of our trip before heading home, and we got to see so many famous places while there. We went to the Colosseum and did a tour there as well as through many of the archaeological sites in the surrounding areas. I also went to the Galleria Borghese, which was beautiful, and we dedicated a whole day to our visit to Vatican City! Overall, this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I cherished every moment of it! Getting to know everyone on this trip while seeing some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen made for an experience that I will never forget:)


our last dinner as a group 
with the statue of Romulus and Remus in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on Campidoglio

on our flight home


By Kirsten Iverson
at the Trevi Fountain!



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