My paternal great grandparents were originally from Teora, a small town in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of southern Italy.   My great-grandpa, Anselmo Martino owned a  lovely property with a small vineyard on it.  He employed many people from the town,  they harvested the grapes in a festival atmosphere, singing and  dancing.  He was also a shoemaker.  It’s no wonder, I have such passion for shoes and wine.  The property has been sold since then to the Caprio family.  My dad had always wanted to visit Italy and begged me on several occasions to go along with him, but I wasn’t ready to take this long transatlantic flight from Miami. Then, In 2007, I realized my parents were getting older and it was time to take this adventurous trip to Bella Italia. I knew, once I committed to going, there was no turning back. I mentioned to them about planning a family trip to Italy, and they were ecstatic about it. We were 7 of us, hubby and me, our boys, 16 and 19 then,  my brother, my mom and dad. We were all ready to embark on this amazing travel adventure. Since it was our very first time visiting, I thought it would be a great idea to take a tour and have them plan everything. We enlisted in Perillo Tours, and were very pleased with the entire experience.  In February, we booked a multi-city Italian trip for an escapade of a lifetime  in June 2007. The anticipation was building during that time span and, we used every moment to plan for a perfect family vacation. As time got closer, we made sure all the travel arrangements were in place, did our last-minute shopping, made sure we packed walking shoes for the cobblestone streets,  summer clothes, outfits for the evenings and lots of toiletries.  I will never forget that day, on June 3rd, 2007, my parents and my brother met us at the house and we took a limo to the airport. We were chanting on the way and extremely excited about what was about to come. We landed in Rome early morning, got picked up at the airport, then dropped off to our hotel. The Grand Hotel Beverly Hills is  located right outside of the city center near the famous Villa Borghese and the elegant area of Via Veneto.

Photo courtesy, Grand Hotel Beverly Hills

One of my favorite cities in the world is Rome because of my fascination with its ancient architectures, magnificent artwork  and rich history. I also love it for its breathtaking sightseeing,  scrumptious cuisine and delicious wines. The next day, we visited the Vatican and were amazed by its opulence and lavish gold accented decor. Afterwards, we took a tour of St. Peter’s Cathedral, and were astonished by its grandeur and splendid beauty. We bought some souvenirs and grabbed some lunch at Piazza Navona.

It is not a trip to Italy unless you visit  the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)  “A traditional legend holds if  visitors toss a coin into the fountain,  they are ensured a return to Rome. ”  We tossed some coins into one of the most beautiful Italian masterpiece fountain in the world in the hopes to return someday.  Hubby and I have been back twice since then, and my parents and the family once more. Magically, it works!

Trevi Fountain

Mom & Dad at the Trevi Fountain

Peter-John at the Trevi Fountain

The highlight of the trip was definitely the tour of the breathtaking Colosseum. It was a surreal experience that gave me the chills, and felt like I was living a part of history. It was a magical moment that I will cherish forever. We then took pictures with the gladiators and bought souvenirs to keep these memories alive. It was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner.

Mom and Dad with the gladiators

Family Photo at The Colosseum

We ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant called Al Grappolo.   It was a fun evening with an abundance of delicious food, elegant wine and some good laughs. It is fair to say, I was the loudest and very giggly because I walked into the lady’s room and there was a man in there.  I was already feeling tipsy, I went back to the table and had everyone in the restaurant in stitches. The next day, we visited the Spanish Steps, (Piazza di Spagna)  a major landmark that attracts millions of people each year.  It is located near the old city centre and  consist of 138 steps. At the base of the Spanish Steps, there is a beautiful fountain and some quaint shops.

The Spanish Steps with Mom & Dad

At the Spanish Steps with hubby, Peter

Facing the Steps is Via Dei Condotti, a very glitzy street filled with luxurious brand named stores such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and so much more. Dad offered me a Gucci bag as a special gift for accompanying him on the trip,  it was very hard to resist. First, we stopped at a coffee shop, named Caffe Greco, beautifully decorated  but on the pricey side.  A cannoli set us back 8 euros but it was worth the splurge. We were rushing as mom and I could not wait to get to the Gucci store.

Shopping at Gucci

Of course, no afternoon would be completed without  a refreshing gelato or granita, shaved ice with flavored syrup, topped with whipped cream.

Gelato and Granita Time

One  night, we went to a Gala Party at the extravagant Palazzo Brancaccio,  had an amazing dinner and drank delicious wines to our heart’s content.  We were serenaded by an amazing orchestra and danced the night away.  It was a magical evening of fun celebrations with the family and new-found  friends we met on the tour.

Palazzo Brancaccio

Arriving  at the bay of Naples was another special moment that I will always cherish. The bus made a stop so we could shoot some family pictures overlooking  the magnificent view. We were having the time of our lives.

On that trip, we also visited Pompeii, Sorrento, (ate dinner at the beautiful  restaurant La Tonnarella,) Capri,  Florence, Venice and Milan. That will be another blog all together. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity  to take this once in a lifetime vacation with my amazing family. Please note, back then, I was not big on taking food pictures and the camera was barely adequate to take decent photos. The pictures featured here are from 2 separate trips. Thank you all for coming along with me on this amazing  travel adventure. There are a lot more details to this trip but it would take me too long to describe.

Update: Since this family trip, My husband and I visited Rome on other occasions, and most recently, in the summer of 2017. We explored Trastevere, a quaint neighborhood of Rome with multi-colored buildings and cobblestone streets. Many locals hang out in this charming area which is a walking distance from the City Centre. The restaurants are reasonable and they serve delicious and authentic food.

Gina Martino Zarcadoolas aka Foodiewinelover
My Food, Wine & Travel Lifestyles
Culinary Aficionado, WSET-Level 2 Wine Connoisseur
World Traveler – Lover of  Global Food Cultures & Traditions