I love old movies, especially with Audrey Hepburn.  Breakfast at Tiffanys, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday. I digress.

I am overdue in writing this post.  The school year just wrapped up, and I’ve been busier than usual.  But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel…SUMMER is officially here!  In case you didn’t already know, educators look forward to summer break as much as the kids! Those ABC countdowns are just as much for us!

Because I work in schools, much of our travels are restricted to school breaks.  Our most recent trip was to Italy during spring break. I was excited but also super nervous since this would be the baby’s first flight, and not exactly a short one. 😬 Luckily, we brought an extra set of hands…thanks, Rachael!

If you ask my husband and me how the flight was, we have differing opinions.  Overall, I didn’t think it was that bad. There were a few blowouts, including one on my husband, and there was a lot to take in so getting the baby to sleep wasn’t as easy.  I’ll do a future post on what I packed for the flight, but definitely bring an extra set of clothes or two for you and the baby!

First stop…Rome.  We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went for a walk around town, stopping off for a bite to eat.  The hubs and I have a really hard time traveling to Europe and not indulging in the delicious meats and cheeses (we’re a sucker for a good charcuterie board)!  Ask him about the time he tried to bring jamón ibérico back from Spain…forgetting that you can’t bring meats back through customs! 😂

We started and ended our trip in Rome.  While there, we were able to see some of the famous sites like the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and the Vatican.  The pope was giving mass in St. Peter’s Square while we were there!  

From Rome, we took a train to Cinque Terre.  Cinque Terre was so picturesque, and it was by far my favorite stop on this trip.  Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” and includes the villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.  The coastal view from every village was amazing! We stayed in Monterosso al Mare as I had heard it was the most family-friendly. There were children playing everywhere and a playground down the street from our hotel.  Visiting the other villages was just a quick train trip away! The only one we didn’t walk around was Corniglia…there were way too many stairs to navigate with the baby and the stroller.

Our last stop before returning to Rome for the end of our trip was Florence.  As an adult, I’ve developed an appreciation for history and the arts, so Florence was a must-see.  We visited the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery. Accademia is where you see Michaelangelo’s David.  We bought tickets for both museums ahead of time, which is a really smart move if you’re visiting Italy with kids since it cuts down on the time you wait in line!  We did the same for the Duomo (some people were in line for up to 2 hours…we were in line maybe 10 minutes). Since my friend had already been to Florence and the Duomo, she stayed with the baby while my husband and I climbed the Duomo.  The views from the top were breathtaking, but beware of the climb…lots of steps and narrow hallways.

Now, I can cross Italy off my travel wishlist, and the baby gained the first stamp in his passport!  What’s on your travel wishlist?

Next up for us…Hawaii!  Time to pack!