Post-Birthday and Italian Travels

I'm two decades old... And halfway to 40. But I do feel a certain sense of maturity since turning 20, absent in turning 18 and 19, and something I'm sure will solidify itself in turning 21... Next year (!). 

Having a canter along one of our bridleways

I had a wonderful birthday. We had a lovely birthday ride in the morning in the sun across the countryside, and Toffee was, uncharacteristically, an angel! After opening some lovely presents, I was then whisked off to my favourite little nearby pub for some lunch, finishing off with my new addiction- their malteaser cheesecake. Yum. A really lovely day.

But the excitement didn't stop there. Five days later, I jetted off to Italy with my two lovely girls, and did a crazy-fast tour of Rome before heading into the beautiful Italian countryside to stay at my friend's relatives'. It was genuinely one of my best holidays yet, second only to one with my family (because I feel guilty saying that all family holidays were topped by this one crazy trip). In fact, I remember saying to my friends while we were out there, looking over at the incredible view, that it was exactly what I wanted, and that was the sort of life I wanted to work towards. In the middle of the countryside, in a beautiful country, with gorgeous weather and scenery. That's my destination. Now I just need to fill in the journey...

So we started out in Rome, visiting all the major tourist sites, naturally. But we ended up getting lost due to a slightly unreliable map of the city, and for lunch found this cute little café on a side street we happened to wander down. It was the best way to experience a big city, just to stroll down tiny streets, away from the hoards of tourists and find the little gelato shops too, where I tucked into mango and chocolate flavours... YUM.

Proper Italian pasta and pesto

Clearly enjoying gelato

The Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Vatican, you name it, we went there. All in a day (thanks to the impeccable organisation of my friends!). And then it absolutely poured down on us and we got drenched... Probably after getting too cocky about being English and therefore being able to handle a bit of rain- we were soon proved wrong by the storm which went over Rome! Otherwise though, the weather was gorgeous and we had clear blue skies the rest of the trip!

Coming through a park to the Colosseum

Our accommodation for our two nights in Rome was a lovely little hostel in the centre, literally two minutes from the train station. If you're considering going to Rome, I would absolutely recommend you stay here: Rome Accommodation B&B. It was nothing like we expected from a hostel! Seriously reasonable pricing, a lovely, clean room (with ensuite), small and friendly, and a gorgeous little breakfast delivered to your room in the morning made staying in the centre of Rome an absolute delight. 

We soon moved on, however, and arrived in a tiny little village in the middle of the Italian countryside with this view from our bedroom window... Bliss.

We took a trip to the nearest town and it was a though we had literally stepped onto a film set, I've never seen anything so genuinely beautiful as the tiny little side streets of this Italian town. We sat and ate lunch at one of its petite cafés, drinking Prosecco and wine. 

One of the things I miss the most is the food: everything was so fresh! From the perfectly red, sweet tomatoes on the bruschetta, to the herbs the café owner picked from the windowsill behind us with which he would cook our meal, it all tasted so good! It makes you realise how much packaged food we eat in the UK, which is such a shame. 

One of the little streets in nearby town, Panicale

Watching the sunset from a beautiful little restaurant, nestled in the backstreets of Chuisi

We then travelled for a day to Florence, a beautiful city I really didn't know much about. The girls and I couldn't put our finger on it, but we all agreed it was very different to Rome. There was a different vibe, still very touristy, in fact possible more touristy because there were very little chances to escape down quieter side streets. Nevertheless, it was still home to beautiful sights, most notably the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. 

Basilica di Santa Maria de Fiore in the centre of Florence

 We did manage to find a little ristorante off the Piazza della Signoria where I had the nicest salami pizza, and we could escape the tourists and sun for a while. Florence was just different. I still can't put my finger on it but I think it's because it's more manicured that Rome, which has that rugged historical element, whereas Florence is very structured and linear. I could still appreciated it but I think I did prefer Rome by a small margin.

Ponte Vecchio in Florence

I went to Italy because it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit, and when the opportunity arose to complete one of the ten things on my bucket list, I jumped at it. I'm so glad I did. It's currently knocked France from my most favourite countries, and I have to say, I can't see it budging any time soon. There's something seriously enchanting about Italy, particularly about its untouched, idyllic countryside, and I feel like it's a place I could never tire of. I would return there in a second given the chance. Ciao xoxo