Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula photo by Pabo76

Flight Centre Guest Blogger Kim Oughtred joins us today to blog about her travels to Italy and the incredible vacation and holiday experiences she had.

I recently returned from my first (and definitely not last) trip to Italy, and I loved every minute of it. We flew into Rome and then took a one hour bus transfer to the Roman Coast and a town called Anzio. This is a beautiful area, especially for the summer, where you can stay in lovely hotels right by the beach. Apparently the town is packed on weekends from June to September with people from all over the Rome area looking to get out of town, so I would recommend going during the week if you can! Anzio and the neighbouring town of Nettuno are easily accessible by train from Termini Station, it takes just under an hour and I believe the cost is under $5 EUR for the return trip. If you are interested in WWII history this is a great place to visit, as there are numerous museums and a massive cemetery for American soldiers who lost their lives in the south of Italy during the war (I believe there were around 8000 Soldiers buried in Nettuno.) It was amazing to learn about the significance of this area during the war.

After two days along the coast we traveled back into Rome, and experienced our first drive in Roman traffic- eek!! If you are hesitant to drive in other countries please do not drive in Rome. It was pretty insane to see people weaving in and out of traffic… I am glad I wasn’t driving! The train/subway system is very easy to use in Rome (a bit dirty but nothing too bad) and is an easier way to get around. We walked all around the town and saw all the major highlights; The Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican City, and I think my favourite was probably St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Everything was so beautiful and I took about 250 pictures in one day! The thing I love most about Rome is walking around the endless cobblestone side-streets and stopping every so often to enjoy an espresso at the little Cafes. I can’t wait to go back to Rome for a bit longer as a day and a half wasn’t enough time to see everything.

Next stop was about an hour away from Rome into the mountains, to a breathtaking town called Fiuggi. This town is tucked away in the hills and is known for the healing properties of its water, apparently it can help cure you if you are sick! The town has numerous spas where you can enjoy a relaxing massage or sit in the steam room, I had an hour relaxation massage and it was amazing! You can also enjoy a round of golf at a nearby course, or take a trip up to a Medieval Castle that sits on top of a hill in front of the mountains (the views from here are breathtaking!) Our three days in Fiuggi were very relaxing and provided us with a perfect ending to a very exciting trip.

I will remember so much from my trip to Italy, but most of all I will remember the kind hospitality of the Italian people we came across during our travels. I have never had so much pasta in my life nor have I ever had so many 5 course meals! I can’t wait to return so that I can visit Venice, Florence, Milan, and Tuscany. What an amazing country!

Fiuggi Italy is highlighted on the Flight Centre travel map.

Kim Oughtred is an International Travel Consultant based at the Oakville Place, Oakville, Ontario and can be reached at 1 866 704 5366.

Categories: Destinations

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 1:09 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.