While writing about my third trip to Italy, I realized I never covered my first one. That trip was back in 2019, and the plan was the classic Italy route: Rome, Venice, and Florence. On my second trip, with the kids, we followed the same itinerary but only scratched the surface. This time around I spent 16 days there, versus just 5 or 6 during the 2024 trip. I got to do a lot more museums, including the Vatican, which for two teenagers would’ve gotten old pretty fast.
During that trip I also visited Pompeii and Naples, but unfortunately I caught something and was sick for a few days. So I never got to have pizza in Naples — I basically survived on fruit for days, since everything else made me nauseous.
Rome
Rome is famous for its pizza al taglio. What is it, exactly? These are large rectangular pizzas — some several feet long — baked in trays, then cut into pieces and sold by weight. They’re typically sold to go and eaten standing up, making them perfect for a quick lunch or snack. Flavors range from pizza bianca to tomato, margherita, potato, and more. One place I really liked was Antico Forno Roscioli — service is quick, and you can tell it’s a spot where plenty of locals go.
Another dish you’ll find all over Italy is branzino, a sea bass grilled with olive oil, parsley, white wine, and lemon. It’s fresh and doesn’t taste too fishy, but you do have to watch out for bones since it’s served as a whole fish, not filleted. This remains one of my favorite fish dishes, and I still cook it at home.
Venice
When I arrived in Venice, I could barely eat anything. Needless to say, if there’s a place on earth where you want to indulge yourself, it’s Italy — and yet I couldn’t, not until my very last day. I remember walking past a pastry shop and only wanting to throw up. A truly terrible feeling.
Venice remains one of my favorite cities; there’s something about all its canals that just does it for me. It’s simply relaxing.
On my last day, I was finally able to eat somewhat normally, and I was starving! One restaurant I’d pinned down to visit was Trattoria Bar Pontini, a tiny spot in Cannaregio with only a handful of tables inside and out. Every single thing I tried on the menu was excellent. I had the shrimp appetizer and the spaghetti allo scoglio, which was out of this world — so good that when I came back in 2024, I ordered it again.
Florence
Florence is another beautiful city, and if you get the chance to go, I can’t recommend climbing the Florence Duomo highly enough. It’s just over 450 steps to the top, but the breathtaking view of the city makes every one of them worth it.
Almost fully recovered, it was great to finally have a growing appetite again, and there’s nothing quite like visiting a farmer’s market to celebrate that. The smell of fresh produce is hard to beat! San Lorenzo Market is probably the most important one in the city. That said, it’s flanked by “leather” shops selling some questionable products, so I’d recommend doing your homework before making any leather purchases there.
It was also wonderful to walk past pastry shops again and actually want to taste the cookies, candies, and everything in between. As you wander the streets, you’ll pass several shops proudly displaying their products, and yes, they all look absolutely incredible. Plenty of meringue, which isn’t really my thing, but hey — to each their own!