My Italian summer 2022

Oooh I love that this is my second Italian summer in a row and I hope I keep writing this blog post for the rest of my life (in other words, enjoying the Italian summer for the rest of my life).

After running around a LOT last summer, I decided to do fewer trips this year and instead stay a little longer in each place. I also just have a hard time leaving Rome, though by mid-July I was ready to GTFO because it was so hot in the city. Almost unbearable, if I’m being honest. There’s a reason Romans leave the city in the summer, and this year I really understood why myself and tried to follow suit.

It didn’t help that we kept hearing it would be the coolest summer for the rest of our lives…speaking of, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? I think I will be gifting myself some trees this year to offset the flights I’ve taken (whenever there’s an option for a carbon offset at checkout when buying a flight, I do it).

I still don’t think I have the words to describe how beautiful and transformative this summer was. I thought maybe I would try in this post, but I think I need to write more of a life update post so I can share it all, big picture. I know it’s already November, but I’m not lying when I say I’m still processing what this summer was and how much those precious two months in Italy meant to me. I just finished journaling from my last few days there…

So, instead of a full novel or copying my whole diary and pasting it here, I wrote a short breakdown post of where I went during this beautiful summer and the highlights from each spot. Honestly, once I started writing this I couldn’t help but share more details from each of these amazing places—many of which have a very special place in my heart. Enjoy!

estate Italiana 2022

Roma

I know I don’t really even need to say this anymore, but I was based in Rome. My friend Anthony and I rented an apartment from a couple of students and it was literally perfect—our own casa in Rome where we could have friends over and cook and live our best lives.

I loved the location, we were in the San Pietro neighborhood (I still don’t know the name of this zone, it’s not quite Aurelia, and not Prati since it’s on the other side of the Vatican…chi sa??). Transportation was easy, we were close to pharmacies and the supermarket, and I could walk to the center if I wanted AND to my favorite park to go running. Literal perfection! And there was parking. This place was special.

Rhodes and Symi, Greece

Obviously, technically, Greece is not in Italy lol. But my first trip of the summer was seven days in Rhodes with my friends Anthony and Giorgia. It was beautiful and amazing and we saw a new beach every day and thoroughly enjoyed the Greek food. We stayed at a quaint little hotel with a proprietor who was a short (and mean) Greek lady named Mary Cristina. One night, we came home and found the cutest orange cat in our hotel room who I immediately named Luigi and we gave him endless love the rest of the trip, before handing over the cat kibble to our new friends, a sweet and friendly Neapolitan couple a few doors down.

Rhodes was insanely beautiful, and I was so happy my first time in Greece was with my good friends, feeling so relaxed and so free. I’d definitely go back to this island—and have to give a huge shoutout to Jori of Caput Mundi Co because she gave us so many amazing recs, as she returns to this island every summer. We had so much fun. And we managed to go to Symi for a day, but our phones were convinced we were in Turkey. I love a ferry ride to an island!

Santa Severa

During the summer in Italy, Fridays off work mean day trips to the sea. I took the train to Santa Severa (my first time!) with a few friends and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach, which is just a 15-minute (insanely beautiful, umbrella pine-lined) walk from the train station and boasts a castle on the shore. We swam and lounged on our beach beds and when the time came—as it always does when the sun lowers slightly in the sky after lunch—grabbed a crema di caffè from the lido.

Tropea, Aeolian Islands, and Scilla

My literal FAVORITE. By this point everyone who knows me knows that Tropea is my favorite place on earth. This summer I went for two straight weeks and it was a literal dream. I took some time off work, but even on the days I was working I found time to go to the sea.

A few weeks in Calabria = my dream for every summer for the rest of my life.

And like last summer, we took a day trip to the Aeolian Islands in Sicily (another very special place to me) and a short day trip to Scilla, which is further down the coast in Calabria. Ugh I love it there so much! I went with three friends initially, including my best friend Isa who worked in Tropea last summer. Then after ten days another friend joined and two departed. We all had an amazing time enjoying the beauty of this place and each other’s company, especially over aperitivo on our balcony, as the sun dipped behind Stromboli. Knowing so many people who live and work in Tropea makes it even better to go back to, and everyone is sooo friendly and warm.

Plus, this summer we discovered there’s a discoteca just a 30-minute walk away, and every Friday they do Italian nights where they only play Italian music. It was literally my dream (I know I already said that, lol but it’s true). Now after that discovery, Tropea is truly the perfect place for me to summer. (And yes, I somehow ended up at the discoteca four times in just two weeks.)

Fregene

Another beautiful spot on the sea close to Rome. My friends and I celebrated Ferragosto there with a sunset aperitivo at Singita (a steadfast favorite) then an all-white party at a nearby beach club. I came back from Calabria a day early so we could all celebrate together at the sea. Ferragosto is the beginning of the end of summer, and to be honest it’s always a bittersweet holiday for me because it means my flight back to the US is approaching. I’m hoping one day that won’t be the case! Maybe next summer?

Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, and Bari

The annual trip to Puglia that marks the end of the summer. I went with my best friend Giorgia who always graciously hosts us, and this year we rented a Vespa, which was a fun (yet sometimes uncomfortable) way to adventure around Puglia. We spent a lovely Sunday in Bari with another one of my best friends, Jenn, who recently moved to the very southern part of Puglia. It warmed my heart to have a Sunday like this—taking a train to another city, spending time with friends over a long lunch, catching up on life finally, then taking a stroll and stopping for coffee.

The rest of our trip, we bopped around to the beaches in Polignano and Monopoli. It was crowded, so late in August! And we were both a bit sick, but we still managed to enjoy the rest of our time in Puglia before returning to Rome for my final week there of the summer. We rode first class on the train too, which was really nice and a very productive place for me. I love a train trip.

When I wrote my ‘where I traveled in 2021’ and chose the places I’d like to go in 2022, I don’t think I could have ever imagined all of the travel I’ve been able to do, especially this summer. Writing my ‘where I traveled in 2022’ soon…but first, a few more trips to close out the year.

che bella quest’estate