A husband graduating from medical school and a sister-in-law graduating from nursing school in the same week calls for a celebration (and a much needed vacation!). What better way to celebrate than with a trip-of-a-lifetime to Italy? This past month we traveled the country for 2 weeks with Chip’s family and visited the most beautiful places I could imagine.

I’m so excited to share some of the photos from our trip. I had a seriously tough time narrowing them down, as it was a photographer’s paradise, so they will come in a “trilogy” of sorts! Our trip began in Rome, continued to the Amalfi Coast and ended in Tuscany, so I figured what better way to relive the adventure and share with you than in that order! You don’t want to miss the beauty that is Amalfi & Tuscany. Plus, I highly recommend taking a trip like this, so hopefully these photos will convince you that it is definitely necessary!

Today’s will be a brief snapshot of Rome & Pompeii! The city of Rome was amazing and full of history unlike any other. Everywhere you turn, there is another amazing church that would be the claim to fame of any city in the US. And then there is the Vatican, the Sistene Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica – wow! Finally, we finished up the first portion of the trip with a morning of exploration through Pompeii. I’m excited to share a bit of our adventures with you here! Feel free to hover over the photos to see a bit more detailed about some of the shots.

I’ve never seen anything like the crowds of people in Vatican City, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pope – and the passion the people shared.

A family photo in front of St. Peter’s The way the light shines into St. Peter’s is unbelievable.

One pizzeria (of many) we visited used hazelnut shells to fuel their “wood” burning oven. It produced some pretty delicious pizza.

We loved these pine trees and the way the Romans enjoyed lazy afternoons (with their dogs!) in the Borghese Gardens. They reminded me of Truffula Trees from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax!

Couples attach a lock to the ironwork on the bridges and toss the key into the river to symbolize “unbreakable love.”

Mopeds, mopeds everywhere! Visiting what we deemed the ancient version of The Hunger Games – the Colosseum. Our hotel had the most amazing and lush little patio right outside of our hotel room.

The ruins of Pompeii amazed us – that they could survive and be recognizable as buildings and detailed structures after being covered in molten lava and ash in 79 AD.

We loved the red poppies that you would find in the most surprising spots throughout Italy. Pompeii has a functioning vineyard today in the same location where the ancient vineyard grew, with Mt. Vesuvius towering in the background.

Overall, the first part of the trip did not disappoint in the least. Next, we traveled down to the Amalfi Coast for views unlike any other! Can’t wait to share more photos! In the mean time, you can find a sneak peek on my Instagram. Ciao!