10 Days in Italy: A Culinary Journey Along the Coast

There are a million and one ways to see Italy. For these 10 days, I suggest arriving in Rome with a pre-booked car waiting to pick you up. It's likely been a long day of travel. You're jet-lagged and the last thing you need is to attempt to hail a taxi. On day 1 in Italy, you'll be tempted to do everything, but I challenge you instead, to do nearly nothing. Check in to your hotel in Rome, which I suggest booking near the Pantheon as a central location to the attractions. Pantheon Caesar Relais is a great home base. Then, find a spritz and a bowl of pasta at a restaurant on the smallest, least populated street you can find. Ripa 12 in the Trastevere neighborhood is always a good choice.

What is a trip to Rome without learning to make the four Roman pastas?! I highly recommend booking with a chef from Le Cesarine. They invite you into their home and you cook in the kitchen of a real Roman chef! Don't plan on doing much for a couple of hours after because your food coma will set in just as you sit down for dessert. The sites in Rome are worth seeing, but just seeing them may not be enough. A guided golf cart tour is about the quickest way to hit the highlights like the Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and so on. It's a great way to learn from a guide about historic monuments that, unless you're a history buff, you might not know much about. Always book your tours well in advance, from a reputable site. If you're more of the self-sufficient type, rent the vespa and andiamo! Don't forget to indulge in some pizza. For dinner, head to Antico Forno Roscioli. It isn't always, but in this case, the line is worth it. Top it off with a nightcap of gelato from Fatamorgana.

For your final day in Rome, explore more of the city. Take a tour of either the Colosseum or the Vatican. We unfortunately can't do it all in just three days. An early-morning breakfast Vatican tour is a great way to beat the crowds. Walk through Piazza Navona, enjoy the open-air market on the weekends and finally indulge in some fine dining. (The 3rd day of my trip was when I got engaged, and to celebrate we went to Pierluigi, which I cannot recommend enough).

Time to hit the road and head to the Amalfi coast! It's true what they say, pack light and prepare for at least one thing to go wrong on a trip. In our case, it was a taxi strike the day we had to get to the train station. Which brings me to my next point, wear good walking (in my case, running) shoes. Take the train from Rome to Naples, and again have a pre-booked driver take you to your next destination. One that is near and dear to my heart, Ravello. For a more luxurious stay, Villa Cimbrone, for budget Al Borgo Torello. Explore the hand-painted ceramics shops and soak in the views from the mountaintop overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Positano may be the most photographed town on the coast, but it's also the busiest and most expensive. However, off to the side of the town, only accessible by the beach club ferry, is Arienzo Beach Club. To get there, hike down from Ravello to Amalfi (about an hour), take the ferry to Positano and head to Arienzo. Sure there are easier ways to get there, but this way, you'll work for all of the delicious food and copious Aperol spritz you're about to drink! Jump from the seaside cliffs into the salty water and soak up the day.

The sea is best seen by boat. Whether it's a private or group boat trip, I will always recommend you get out on the water. Swimming in this sea is like floating in a salt-water tank, with the darkest blue water you can imagine. Take a boat trip to Capri, with lunch at Francuccio, stopping along the way to see the grottos and Faraglioni rock.

On the road again. Catch a ride back to Naples to take the train to Florence. Driving in Tuscany isn't nearly the heart-racing experience it is on the winding streets of the Amalfi Coast. Renting a car to get to your stay outside the city is a great option. I love the experience of staying at an "Agriturismo", a bed and breakfast on a farm. It's often much more luxe than it sounds. Get away from the crowds and find yourself nestled in an olive grove. They serve cheese from their goats and olive oil that comes from the trees on the lawn, home-grown tomatoes topped with basil straight from the garden. A small town I came to love is called Castelfranco Piandisco, where they have hands down the best pasta I've tasted in my life at a restaurant called Enoteca La Torre.

Tuscany is a wine country. And an hour outside of Castelfranco, is Marchesi Antinori Winery. Not a century-old castle turned winery, but instead, architecture that looks as though it was built for a James Bond movie. Trust me, you've never seen anything like it.

You've traveled a lot at this point and been on the go. Hopefully you booked a hotel that has a spa or at least a pool. Take your last day to listen to some locals' chatter while you enjoy one last gelato on a side street. Have a meal at the bed-and-breakfast and relax, just like the Italians would want you to do.

Drive back to Florence and catch your long flight home while reminiscing on the delicious pasta you'll be dreaming about until the next time you return.