Custom Italian Travel Planning for Unforgettable Moments

Ciao!

 

I'm currently in the midst of last-minute packing and preparation for a FAM trip.  I leave TONIGHT, and my suitcase status is currently: still empty with piles all around it.

 

I'm off to Sardinia, a region that is completely new to me and has been on my list to visit for YEARS. I'm skipping the Costa Smeralda luxury resort scene and heading mostly south in search of more authentic experiences on the island. 

 

For the second part of my trip, my husband is meeting me for a few days in the region of Piemonte.  This was the very first region I highlighted in a newsletter back in January of 2025.

 

So until I have all the content to share on Sardinia, this month's newsletter is highlighting Campania, one of my favorite regions!

 

The summer I was 16, I lived with a host family for a few weeks in Cava dei Tirreni, a town in the hills above Salerno.  They also had a house in Amalfi, so we went there on the weekends. (I know. I know.)

 

I took sanctioned Italian lessons in the mornings and lived like a local Italian teen with my host sister and her friends in the afternoons.  She called me her “sorrellina Ashelina” even though I was technically older and taught me a host of absolutely vile Neapolitan slang.  We had a blast that summer and still keep in touch.  So since my Italian family is “campani”, I consider myself a little bit “campana” too!

 

Bonus pics of Maria Pia and I (in the middle along with her friends Gaetano on the L and Stefi on the R) in 1996 and last May in Rome. 

A beachfront hotel in the same town as some of the best-preserved Greek temples outside of Greece.  That's a combination you don't see every day. 

 

The property is family-run, low-key, and sits on a long stretch of sandy beach that's blissfully uncrowded compared to the Amalfi Coast circus. The rooms are comfortable, the restaurant serves local Cilento cuisine, and you can walk to the Paestum archaeological site in about five minutes. 

 

Split your time here between ancient ruins, beach lounging, and eating buffalo mozzarella that was made down the road. No scene, no pretense, just a really good location and solid Italian hospitality.

Everyone goes to Versailles, but Caserta is basically the Italian Versailles that's bigger and has better weather. 

 

This 18th-century royal palace has 1,200 rooms, is absurdly grand, surprisingly uncrowded, and a UNESCO World Heritage site that deserves way more attention than it gets. 

 

The town itself is nothing special, but the palace is worth the trip from Naples. Go in the morning, wear walking shoes, and prepare to be impressed.

Skip the insane crowds on the island and see Capri from the water instead. 

 

Spend the day cruising around the island's dramatic coastline. You'll see the Faraglioni rock formations up close, and the boat captain will know the best swimming spots. Pack snacks, bring wine, wear sunscreen, and let someone else navigate while you float in the Mediterranean. 

 

It's Capri without the chaos, and honestly, the better way to experience it.

 

Not to mention:  “Boat days are the best days!”

Campania's white figs (fichi bianchi del Cilento) are a different species entirely from what you're used to. 

 

They're pale green on the outside, honey-sweet on the inside, and have a delicate flavor that's almost floral. They're in season from late July through September, and you'll find them at markets, served with prosciutto at restaurants, or dried and sold as a local specialty. 

 

Grab a few from a market, eat them in the sun, and prepare to be obsessed.

When I lived with Maria Pia that summer, I wasn't a big breakfast eater, and my host mother Angela was VERY concerned that I wasn't eating enough.  Once she discovered that I liked Cantaloupe, she would serve me an entire half every. single. morning.  I got really sick of cantaloupe.

 

My parents called the day my AP exam grades came in that summer to tell me my scores.  To celebrate, Angela pulled a bottle of homemade Meloncello out of the freezer to toast my results.  MORE CANTALOUPE 🤣  One sip though, and I stopped complaining.  

 

Like limoncello, but even better!