Allen Bartimioli

Our second trip to Italy was very different than our first. The first time we went, we assumed that it would be our once-in-a-lifetime trip to the country of my family. I am a second generation, full-blooded Italian from the US. On that first trip, we planned to see all of the iconic cities from Rome north. We had itineraries and tickets to many famous sites in Venice, Rome, Florence and the Cinque Terre. We saw those and were, of course, blown away. But it was during a little side trip between Rome and Florence that something happened. We stopped at the small, walled, medieval town of Orvieto. We slow walked the cobblestone streets, visited the local artisan shops, tasted wines, ate a simple lunch and, obviously, had some gelato. That night we went to a very small village called Montefioralle. This fairytale village sits on a hilltop surrounded by olive orchards and vineyards. We had dinner at a restaurant and had our first bistecca Fiorentina and a lot of other food, much of which we did not order, they just wanted us to try things. It was then that my wife said, “I could have done this day the entire time.” While I am glad I saw the Collesseum, the Doges Palace, the Roman Forum and the Uffizi Museum, her sentiment resonated with me. So we returned.

My wife and I recently embarked on our first Norwegian cruise. We had previously taken many cruises on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. In my new role as a travel advisor, I thought it would be a good idea to give a new cruise line a try.

You will begin in England, the center of world power and influence from the sixteenth century lasting until the twentieth century. The capital and center of power throughout those centuries was London. Stand below Big Ben, tour Westminster Abby, watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, visit the British Museum and walk through Piccadilly Circus and Hyde Park.

Next, you will visit Italy in the city that was the seat of world power and influence from before Christ through 476 A.D., Rome. Be amazed during the Underground guided Tour of the Colosseum, walk the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. You will have skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

Finally, you will visit Greece, where western civilization began. You will tour her greatest city, Athens. While there, you will take a guided tour of the Acropolis and

Parthenon and enjoy a day on the Mediterranean coastline.

Coming from northern California, when I first moved to Phoenix in 1981, yes I’m that old, I found it very difficult to see the beauty in the dessert landscape, I mean I grew up visiting San Francisco and camping in Yosemite, visiting my brother in South Shore Lake Tahoe and camping in the Sierras. So, when someone mentioned hiking Camelback Mountain, I was like…where? “You mean that pile of dirt? Now, many years later I have found the beauty of this arid land and would love to share ways you too can enjoy it.

Being full-blooded Italian raised in the US, it was a lifelong dream of mine to visit Italy. It took me about a half-century, but after many years of putting it off, my wife and I decided we would take the plunge. Since there were decades of dreaming prior to going, the first fact that was hard to believe was that I was actually there.

On our second trip to Italy, Ellen and I began to search for places that were not so much about recognized tourist destinations, but more about cultural immersion, authentic encounters and slow engagement. After all, the “dolce vita” Italy is famous for isn’t about huge crowds, long lines and fast meals. This series is about a different way to travel in Italy, the road less traveled.

Aosta is the smallest region of Italy tucked away in the furthest northwest part of the country. Here, Italy France and Switzerland meet near the highest mountain in the Alps, Monte Bianco. We flew into Milan, grabbed our car rental, and drove north for about 2 hours to our temporary flat in the town of Aosta. One of the benefits of visiting places that are not high-volume tourist spots is the price of housing. It is still easy to find a nice boutique hotel or apartment for about $100 a night for two people. However, if four or five-star hotels are more your style, there are plenty of those scattered throughout the valley as well. They range from about $150 to $700 a night, depending on the time of year. Our apartment had a wonderful balcony with a clear view of the mountains.

I have been to Istanbul many times, however, I have always been in Turkey as part of my job and haven't had more than a day or two on each trip to enjoy the things there are to see in this astonishing world city. Some of my friends asked me about the city because they are going there on a cruise or have an overnight layover. Here are my thoughts for a short trip to Istanbul.