When I first booked my trip to Italy, I was planning on spending the entire time in Rome. Being my sister was joining, and had already been to Rome, we decided to add the Amalfi Coast, a 50 kilometer stretch of coastline in Southern Italy, to our trip. So we explored Maiori, Minori, Ravello, Atrani, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento. It was, without a doubt, one of my favorite destinations. I couldn’t stop taking pictures and saying “wow!”

We drove from Rome to Naples, where we stopped to eat the world’s best pizza (you guys, amazing!). Naples is where it all began for the pizza world, and although it’s a crazy city with too many cars and impossibly hard to find parking, it was worth going. I’m sure there are lots of good places to try there, but we chose the Pizzeria Sorbillo. Right across the street from the Pizza place there’s a bakery where you can try the famous “Baba,” which is a small desert cake saturated in hard liquor (usually Rum). Like the pizza, you can’t go there and not try the baba.

After all that yummy food we drove on and stopped in Pompeii. I might do a separate post on that later. Then on we went to the Amalfi Coast! We stayed at a very simple hotel in Maiori, called Albergo Pensione Riviera. Great location where you can explore a lot of the coastal towns by foot and also bus. Parking is crazy and impossible so when possible, walk or take the bus. The hotel had a simple, yet delicious breakfast (think fresh croissants, strawberry with nutella, fresh bread and cold cuts, etc), and the view from the terrace made me want to pack my things in Minneapolis and move to Italy.

Italy is very famous for it’s ceramic. Driving through the Amalfi Coast we saw many different ceramic shops.  Most of what you see is made by the people selling it to you, which is pretty great. One in particular had a distinctive style and approach to ceramic, his name is “Fes” De Fusco Marco, and his shop is in Minori, you can’t miss it. I would highly recommend stopping and purchasing something from him. I bought a ceramic plate with a donkey painted on it (see picture below). You can see pictures of donkeys in many places in Italy, as it is a symbol of Italy’s impoverished past, and nowadays also represents “good luck.” We met Fes in person, and she showed us his shop, how he makes his pieces and answered many questions we had.

One of my favorite things on the trip was meeting Don Alfonso and his son Gerardo, who own Sandali Tipici in Maiori. All shoes and sandals are handmade by them. It was my first time having a shoe made for my feet, and what an experience! I promise to post pictures later. All sandals are made with real swarovski elements and everything is beautiful. Don Alfonso and his son care about quality and make shoes and sandals of all sizes!

I hope you find time to go explore the Amalfi Coast, you won’t regret it!