EPIC Return To Italy! (Part 2)
Two Weeks of Italian Bliss
As we were leaving Milan, it was truly hard to believe that we still had 8 days of our Italian adventure in front of us!
It already felt like we had been treated to the trip of a lifetime.
Little did we know that some of the best moments were still ahead of us!
If you missed Part 1 of our Italy recap, make sure to give it a read before continuing. The button below will lead you right to it.
After a thorough exploration of Northern Italy, it was time to make our way south.
Our immediate destination was the city of Naples, where we would then make our way to the beautiful coastal town of Sorrento.
If you look at a map of Italy, you would notice that a journey from Milan to Naples is no small feat!
It would take over 9 hours in a car even on Italy’s excellent highway system. The distance is comparable to a drive from Chicago to Buffalo.
If this isn’t your first Max and Sid newsletter, you already know where I’m going with this, right?
Thanks to the MIRACLE invention of the high-speed train, we were able to make the trip in 3 hours and 45 minutes!
The Freccia Rossa train, which translates to “Red Arrow”, offers high-speed connections all over the Italian peninsula.
The Milan to Naples route is one of the best train rides available. The 800 kilometer (500 mile) journey cuts through the entirety of Italy’s gorgeous Tuscany region!
Rocketing through stunning landscapes in a spacious seat with easy access to the restrooms and the snack bar was an absolute breeze of a travel day. SO much better than flying!
Later that night, during a beautiful seafood meal in the fishing village of Sorrento, we went around the table making guesses at how fast the train was moving.
No one got within 100 mph of the correct answer!
The Freccia Rossa trains have a peak speed of 375 kph, which is about 235 miles per hour!
It is one of the fastest trains in Europe.
What is even harder to comprehend is that the Freccia Rosa wouldn’t stand a chance in a race against the Shanghai magnetic levitation train in China, which can reach speeds of 340 miles per hour!
America, how are we THIS far behind in the train department? How did we let this happen???
Sidney and I made a video back in March where we took the Amtrak train from New York to Chicago. It took an excruciating 21 HOURS!
The Freccia Rossa could complete that journey in a little over 5 hours.
It will never cease to amaze me. And confuse me.
Alright, enough train talk. This newsletter is not about trains. It is mostly about another vehicle. BOATS!
Our next 6 days passed by in a blissful haze of deep blue water, sunny skies, and delicious pasta and seafood!
The Amalfi Coast is one of the premier destinations in Italy, maybe even the world, and it did not take long to understand why.
The entire region is made up of massive cliffs, hidden rocky coves, postcard-worthy towns, olive and citrus trees, incredible restaurants, and the pristine water of the Mediterranean.
It was impossible to take a bad picture, and nothing topped the vantage points we had during our boat rides!
We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Mediterraneo in Sorrento, which is quite possibly the best hotel Sidney and I have ever stayed in.
The views from the rooms were incredible, the staff was so friendly, and the rooftop breakfast was nothing short of perfection.
Fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, french toast, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a specialty of the region, buffalo milk mozzarella, were just a few of our favorite offerings!
It was absolute paradise, and the best part was that we felt like we had a bit of a buffer zone between us and the tourist crowds.
It was definitely fun to explore the iconic tourist towns of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Capri on foot, but nothing could compare to our leisurely cruises along the majestic coastline.
We had two separate boat excursions. One of them to the island of Capri, and the other along the Amalfi Coast. Both were equally incredible, and there is honestly not much more I can say to describe it.
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then here is 3,000.
The highlights of our aquatic explorations definitely included the rock formations off the coast of Capri, our numerous swimming stops, gliding into the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Cave) in a rowboat, and seeing Positano from the water.
The whole experience reminded us of our time in Croatia last year. The Mediterranean Sea is just plain mesmerizing and I don’t think we will ever get enough of it!
For as much hype as this place gets, I am absolutely shocked that it was able to exceed our expectations.
Sidney and I are hoping to return at some point to see the ruins of Pompeii. We also wouldn’t say no to another boat ride or two!
However, this hypothetical revisit is always going to come with some risk. As did this most recent visit. An ever-present threat haunts the central Campania region of Italy.
It was surreal eating breakfast on the hotel balcony every morning and looking directly at Mount Vesuvius across the Gulf of Naples!
This is the massive volcano that destroyed the Roman village of Pompeii in 79 AD, as well as many other Roman settlements around the region.
The terrifying truth of Mount Vesuvius is that geologists believe it is likely to erupt again, which would completely wipe out the city of Naples and endanger millions of lives.
These types of events are impossible to predict down to the day or even the year. But according to historical patterns, Vesuvius is overdue.
It’s one of those strange aspects of life on this planet that remind us how fleeting our existence really is. The volcano could go off 500 years from now, or it could go off tomorrow.
To the Earth and the Universe at large, there isn’t much difference between the two. But to us, it is the difference of 5 lifetimes!
So strange, how a place so incomprehensibly beautiful can also host such a looming danger. In any case, I am glad we were able to see it with our own eyes. Just in case…
And with that, let’s move on to happier thoughts!
Our final stop on the trip of a lifetime was to the Italian capital city of Rome.
It will likely come as no surprise that Rome has been on my bucket list for a VERY long time!
After exploring so much of the European continent last year, Rome remained my last major missing piece.
It did not disappoint!
Our travels through Europe have completely shifted our perspective of the scale of the Roman Empire’s reach.
Sure, we learn about all of this stuff in school. But honestly, it doesn’t seem to resonate.
It’s almost like they TRY to make it boring! Or perhaps, that is just how it comes off to a naive 15 year old.
The Roman Empire is one of the most fascinating societies in the history of humanity.
In a lot of ways, the citizens at the peak of prosperity in Ancient Rome were living better lives than the majority of people living in Europe from the medieval age all the way up to the First World War!
A functioning currency, ample opportunity for work, running water, education, museums, markets and even entertainment!
It is hard to believe that all of this existed over 2,000 years ago.
Similar to Athens, Rome is essentially a hybrid between modern European capital and open air museum. The city is full of ancient ruins telling the story of an omnipresent ancient society.
The highlight is, of course, the Roman Colosseum. While only 1/3 of the original structure remains, it is very easy to imagine tens of thousands filing in to this place to take in the spectacle of the age.
This has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and I truly can’t believe that I was able to step foot in this wonder of the world only 13 months after seeing the Parthenon in Athens!
Right next door is the remains of the Roman Forum. It is sometimes sarcastically referred to as the “worst preserved historical site in the world”.
Despite rows upon rows of incredible Roman ruins, the truth is that the Forum is a mere echo of what it once was.
This really is the most fascinating thing about Rome. You can walk around the entire city and actually imagine what it must have looked like thousands of years ago.
We sometimes think about history in such a skewed way, with extreme biases towards the present.
But this place, at the height of the empire….there may never be another society like it!
The modern side of Rome is so much fun to explore as well. We enjoyed trendy cocktail bars, fantastic restaurants, and even a rooftop lounge overlooking the Vatican!
Now that I have finally checked Rome off my list, I can say with absolute certainty that it lives up to the hype.
The ancient landmarks, the enriching historical lessons, the top-notch food, and the lively atmosphere make this one of the best destinations in Europe.
It was also really fun to be there during the Ryder Cup! This was actually completely unplanned, but we ended up getting a little taste of the atmosphere.
It gave me a little rush of pride for my home state as well. It was wild to think that the previous Ryder Cup was hosted in Kohler, Wisconsin!
2 years later, here it was in ROME!
While the little town of Kohler may not stack up to mighty Rome in many ways, I certainly didn’t see anything akin to Lake Michigan around!
Okay, to be fair, the Mediterranean coast is only 18 miles away 😂
2 full weeks in the captivating country of Italy went by way too fast, but we are so excited to put these videos together!
Between the landscapes, the food, and the historical landmarks, we have so many exciting visual storytelling components to work with, and it will be a perfect way to remember this trip forever.
Our Italian adventure was everything we dreamed it could be, and we are incredibly grateful to Sidney’s Uncle Frank and Aunt Julie for inviting us along for the ride!
After departing from Rome, we made our way to another one of the world’s most historic cities.
Here is a hint: it is the only city in the entire world to span across 2 continents!
More on that in the next one 😊
