Micro-Mini Guides: Italy

ITALY:

To Do:
1. Visit Capri; it is insanely and unnecessarily expensive, as Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, and Fendi stores line the streets. However, Capri has a very specific charm to it. With enough searching, one can locate a delicious five-dollar salami and cheese sandwich (albeit to accompany their ten dollar-beer), or a twenty-five dollar private boat ride around the island. The grottos off of Capri are incredible, see number 2.
2. Swim in the grottos of off Capri; if you are not prone to seasickness, a boat tour is a fantastic way to do this. Two hours was a little too much for me, but shorter ones are available. Swim in the green grotto and the blue grotto after 5 PM (to avoid paying), and get the most spectacular views of the island from all sides.
3. Hike Mt. Vesuvius; anyone can do it for a price! I believe it cost me $70 for a private guided tour, including an air-conditioned bus ride from our ship up 3000 meters of the volcano. IT IS WORTH IT. The views, even when it is foggy and you cannot see past your nose, are amazing. Whether one is an experienced hiker or not (I am absolutely not), the “difficult” trail is the one to take. While it is, of course, difficult at times, it is an unparalleled experience.
4. See the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel; the Trevi fountain is also nice, but not worth the crowds unless you truly are dying to see it. I recommend going on a rainy day, because the lines evaporate and St. Peter’s Basilica is a surprisingly worthwhile sight. I did not make it into the Sistine Chapel, but I imagine it’s quite gorgeous.
5. Relax on the Spanish Steps; it is quite entertaining to people watch and wonder what all the rich people who are shopping at Yves Saint Laurent do for a living. This is also a good way to meet people.
6. Go to Brandi’s; the place that invented pizza. As it is located in Naples and I spent my time in Capri, I did not get to go; Jill and Steph, however, raved about it and I cannot imagine that the place that invented pizza would have bad pizza.
7. Enjoy a cantaloupe or watermelon from a fruit stand; I didn’t see these in Naples, Capri, or Rome, but if you come across one, sit down and enjoy! The fruit is delicious and sweet; I am not at all a fan of melon but the cantaloupe I had was fresh and satisfying.
8. Visit Piazza Navona; I didn’t spend much time here, but Jill is a fan (read: it is her favorite place in all of Italy). Located in Rome, it has several restaurants and there is good boutique shopping nearby (antiques, murano glass, clothing).

To Eat:
There is certainly no shortage of incredible food in Italy, and rest assured that almost anything (if it is Italian) you order will be delicious, though it will also probably be expensive. Try not to be hungry between about 2 PM and 6 PM, because very few restaurants are open at this time, and the ones that are will be even more budget-breaking than usual. Notable eats include:
1. Pizza!; Italian pizza is incredible, and you won’t feel like a heifer after eating one.
2. Gelato; almost as good as Spain’s. In particular, Della Palma, in Rome, has more than 50 flavors to satisfy any ice-cream connoisseur.
3. Cheese; specifically, giant blocks of parmesan or balls of mozzarella. Order either as an appetizer and eat it with the crackers they serve you or by itself. On one night, I ate a block of parmesan with pear for dinner; it was an incredible combination! Even better, true Italian parmesan cheese contains an insane amount of protein and tastes very, very good.
4. Pork; salami, prosciutto, ham, it is all the best in Italy. Order it in pasta, on bruschetta, in a sandwich, or by itself and enjoy!
5. Limoncello; I saw entire stores dedicated to Italy’s signature hard liquor. It is bottled beautifully, bright yellow, and is deceivingly tasty-looking. I did not try it but is apparently quite potent. Drink carefully!
6. Olives; as many as you can.

To Buy:
1. Limoncello; if anything, it will look nice in your kitchen. We weren’t allowed to bring alcohol on the ship, but this would have been the bottle I brought on.
2. Murano glass; an Italian specialty, all sorts of things are made from it. The jewelry did not particularly tug my boat, but I did pick up a wine stopper made from the glass as well as some VERY expensive beads.
3. Mt. Vesuvius lava figurines; if you hike the volcano, you’ll find two small gift shops with figures made of the lava. They make very unique souvenirs and also serve as happy reminders of your volcano conquering.
4. Olive Oil; I will recommend buying this in other countries as well, but Italian olive oil is, of course, the ultimate.