Buongiorno!
This is your captain speaking, welcome to our first stop...Italy! It's going to be a beautiful week here. Since there's so many things to see in Italy, we will be stopping at multiple ports. Starting the week off is Florence, with temperatures in the high 80's; we will spend 2 days here. Then, on Wednesday, we will head up to Rome with sunny skies and warm temperatures in the mid 80's. Finally, on Friday, to finish up the rest of the week we will be in Capri, my personal favorite. The 80 degree weather here won't disappoint! I hope your stomach is empty and your camera is ready for this busy week because Italy has a lot in store.
Florence
Welcome to the first stop in Italy...Firenze! Here in Florence we are going to explore the delicious food and visit historical sites. And of course while doing all of this, take some cool pictures!
Food
Many people believe that Italian food is the same in every city, however that’s not the case. Florence has many dishes that are unique to them. The foods made depend on the ingredients that are imported into Florence. The major ingredients are: tomatoes, rosemary, porcini mushrooms, truffle mushrooms, olives, aubergines, oregano, basil, and various meats, cheeses, and bread. Some of the traditional dishes found in Florence are: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Lampredotto, Papardelle al Cinghiale, and of course GELATO!! While I was here, I tried lots of pasta and gelato. My favorite was a Nutella gelato I had from a little cafe.
Sights
Here are some of the spots I saw while in Florence:
The Duomo, Florence’s Cathedral
Neptune Fountain
Ponte Vecchio
Piazza della Signoria
Santa Croce
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Rome
Welcome to the second stop here in Italy! For the next two days we will spend time in Rome. There are many cool things Rome has to offer, so lets get started!
Food
Traditional food in Rome consisted of different types of pasta. One of those being Rigatoni Carbonara which is made out of raw eggs, Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and Guanciale (Italian cured pork). Another local dish is Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, pasta dish that only uses local Cacio cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from the countryside of Rome), pasta water, and black pepper. While walking around there tons of cafes around serving gelato and coffee, I of course HAD to get some coffee.
Sights
While sightseeing, there was SO much history I learned. All the stops I visited had such unique designs and patterns, so naturally I took tons of pictures.
Trevi Fountain
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Sistine Chapel
Palace of Justice
Capitoline Hill
Capri
Food
The unique thing about the food here in Capri is the way they get their ingredients. Capri is considered to have 2 part to their city, the upper and lower level- Anacapri and Capri. The ingredients therefore get separated between each level. Since Capri is located near the ocean, the seafood is extremely fresh. After all the other places, Capri definitely had the best food. Their brick-oven pizza was to die for and their pasta was so fresh. I went to a family owned restaurant in Anacapri, where all the pasta was made fresh daily. Everything was delicious here, pizza and pasta back home couldn't compare to this!
Sights
As mentioned before, there are two parts to this beautiful city- Capri and Anacapri. Although there were no historical sights, the places we visited were breathtaking. I was lucky enough with the weather to experience Blue Grotto, a sea cave that creates a blue reflection. The views from the top of Anacapri and Capri were amazing as well.
Back to the ship!
I hope you've enjoyed this week in Italy and I can't wait for the next adventure that awaits us!