Custom Italian Travel Planning for Unforgettable Moments

Ciao,

 

Reporting live from Lavalette, NJ where Hurricane Erin is completely destroying my beach week with friends.  

 

I keep finding myself making that classic Italian hand gesture where you bunch your fingers together and shake your hand.  You know, the universal "Che cosa?" or "What is going on?!" 

 

Italians have perfected the art of saying everything with their hands, turning conversations into theatrical performances that are honestly more entertaining than most Broadway shows. There's the finger-to-cheek twist that means "delicious," the hand-under-chin flick that's basically the polite way to tell someone to buzz off, and my personal favorite, the prayer hands shake that means "please" but with the desperate energy of someone who really, really needs that favor.  

 

Like me. Today. Begging Erin to slingshot herself further out to sea so that maybe the sun will come out.

 

The best part? These gestures are so expressive that you can have entire conversations without speaking a word of Italian, and they come in handy when life (and the weather) gets ridiculous.

 

So while I'm stuck inside watching the rain instead of lounging on a beach, at least I'm getting plenty of practice using a few of them.  And finishing that 1,000 piece puzzle too.

Want to start planning YOUR next Italian vacation?

 

🔥Things can get frustrating at airports sometime, but turning your frustration into a criminal charge will only make it worse.

 

🐒Speaking of criminals, better have some mangos on hand for these thieves

 

💺If it weren't so necessary, this would be absolutely ridiculous

 

🔪I'm not proud of it, but I've added this to my watchlist. Will you be watching too?

 

My friends gifted me this book for my birthday this year, and I wish I had it with me at the beach right now to remind me what sunny beach days look like.

 

It's fun to look at all the time though - Italian eye candy courtesy of Gray Malin.

I may not have the ENTIRE trip planned yet*, but I have at least booked my family's Spring Break accommodations for this year. 

 

We are doing a combination city break / ski trip this year whilst simultaneously humoring my husband's strange infatuation with small countries.  Barcelona was one of the very first trips Jason and I took outside of London when we were expats many years ago, and we're excited to return.  Plus, the Sagrada Familia is expected to be completed in 2026, so what better time?

 

And while he is very, VERY excited about Andorra, the rest of us are too.  It will be a new country for everyone.  

 

For the Andorra portion of the trip, we'll be staying at Sport Hotel Hermitage and Spa located in the ski resort of Grandvalira.  The best thing about this hotel - if it's too cold for me to go skiing, I will just spa. it. up. all day :)  Win win.