I had the time of my life in Italy! Between the exquisite Italian food and wine, the breath-taking scenery, the elaborate architecture, and the rich Italian culture, I honestly don’t know where to start!

So lets start in Rome where I landed! Upon arrival I met up with my friend from college who I haven’t seen in 5 years- how’s that for a reunion? We then were greeted by my tour company, Globus Tours. If you ever want to do an international tour with a 5 star experience,  Globus is definitely your “go-to” tour company. We boarded our Mercedes Coach Bus and proceeded to our hotel where we would be staying for 2 nights. After check-in we got dressed and headed to the tour icebreaker dinner at a little family owned Italian restaurant across town. This would be my first of many 5 course Italian dinners during my tour, not to mention my first of about one hundred glasses of the best wine ever! Live music, wine, and great conversation with my new fellow tour goers definitely equated to an amazing night. The next day we went on a mind blowing tour of Rome including the Roman Coliseum, and The Vatican, and yes the Pope was there. We ended the day eating the most authentic Italian Pizza ever at a little Roman Pizzeria near our hotel.

The next day were took off for Tuscany! Yes Tuscany as in Italian Wine Country! We stopped at a little Italian town called Orvieto for a day of touring  before heading to dinner in the little town of Spello- the best wine you will ever taste in life!

Next we were off to the grand city of Florence! First stop was straight to the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo- and yes this was the original sculpture hand crafted by Michelangelo himself! Next we were off to see the world renowned Basilica of Saint Mary and the Duomo, and have lunch at the Piazza Della Signoria.

Our next stop we could only get to by boat. That’s right, I’m talking about the beautiful water city of Venice! This was probably the highlight of my tour of Italy because of how breath-taking the entire Venetian Lagoon was. We stopped in Venice (home of the famous Gondola boat rides), where our tour guide met us and gave us an in depth tour of the Basilica Di San Marco. We then boarded yet another boat for a cruise through the Venetian Lagoon before arriving at the little town of Burano for a seafood lunch and wine of course!

Next we did a quick stop in the town of Verona, most known for the location of the tragic love story Romeo and Juliet. Then it was on to the big bustling fashion capital of the world, MILAN!

We arrived in Milan and headed straight for the fashion district-Quadrilatero d’Oro! Were talking showrooms of Cavalli, Armani, Fendi, Versace, Giuseppe Zanotti, and more! After a day of shopping we headed to our 5 star hotel-Hotel NH Milano, just in time for happy hour!

For the grand finale we boarded the bus and headed right outside the city of Milan  to the lake. Lake Como that is! Before you ask, yes I did see George Clooney’s lake house. We hopped on a boat and cruised down the lake taking in all the beauty. I must say, Lake Como really lived up to its reputation as the most beautiful lake in the world, especially the stunning lake houses that border the shore. We stopped at the gorgeous little town of Bellagio off of the lake for lunch and shopping before finishing our evening cruising the lake. What a perfect way to end my time in Italy!

Up next, a 14 hour flight back to LA!