Roma, Amalfi, and beyond

Besides raining 6 out of 7 days in Rome, the city was spectacular. I was quite indifferent to the idea of viewing ancient ruins and sites until I actually saw them. Rome has plenty of historical sites, architecture, and ruins to the point where my brain was unable to process anymore ancient fountains and pillars. Being surrounded by countless priceless rocks, I couldn't help but imagine how the Romans lived. Once the strongest empire in civilization, we could still see remnants of the grandiosity and opulence of the city. Being in sites such as the Colosseum and Nero's house, we also couldn't ignore the element of human suffering and degradation of morality during this empire's rule. I never thought I could be fascinated and disturbed all at the same time until these moments.

Without knowing what to expect going into Rome, we were quite pleased with our experience. Even though the city had its share of litter and sketchy streets, it sure made up for it with friendly locals, grand piazzas, fountains, churches, and of course... ancient ruins. Oh, and if you're into art, I suggest you take a day to visit the Vatican as well. The Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica are sites to behold!

After several days of rain, we were excited to chase the sunshine once again and escape to the Amalfi Coast. We took the train from Rome to Naples, then rented a car to drive to our next destination. The mountainous journey towards the coast with our little Yaris was amazing. As the road brought us closer to Amalfi, houses began to emerge built below, above, and on the side of cliffs. The cities are completely vertical with no flat land… even vineyards and orchards were built on cliffs. On a side note, the roads on the Amalfi Coast are very narrow and sketchy, filled with twists, turns, and crazy drivers. It was amazing that our rental car survived without any scratches, thanks to my husband's driving skills. I would recommend NOT driving in the Amalfi Coast and sticking to public transportation to get around.

When we finally arrived in Amalfi, the town along with the coast definitely lives up to its picturesque reputation. After several weeks of sharing spaces with strangers in Airbnbs, we looked forward to having an apartment all to ourselves for a week. We had to climb an endless number of steps to get to it as it was built on the side of a cliff. However when we finally arrived, the view of the ocean accompanied by hundreds of lemon trees made the climb all the more worth it. We were in a cliffy lemon grove paradise.

Finishing up our journey in Italy through the Amalfi Coast was a perfect ending to a country filled with beautiful sites and countless pizzerias. Romance is in the air when one is strolling the pebbly beaches and breathing in the Mediterranean air. A part of me did not want to leave, yet we were ready to leave the high costs and prices that accompanied Italy.

We look forward to a complete cultural shift. To visit a country where Europe and Asia collide into one diverse metropolis... Istanbul. Turkey has been a country that I've been wanting to visit for years, mainly to experience the unique culture. As usual, we don't have a clue of what to expect. In slowly making our way towards Asia, we hope that our experiences will be as good (if not better) as the ones we had in Europe. We’re excited to have some Turkish coffee and kebabs!