Our Italian Honeymoon: A Special Place In My Heart

Those of you that follow me on Instagram will know that Mr Sunshine and I recently returned from the mother of all Italian honeymoons, which took us from the cobbled streets of Rome to the rugged coastline of The Amalfi Coast, and finally north to historic Florence. The trip was everything that I believe a honeymoon should be: filled to the brim with romantic vistas, great food, excellent wine (and even better bellinis), lazy days and new adventures.

Here are some of the highlights from our travels that I will be writing about over the next few weeks, and some of the places that have nestled themselves in my heart forever more.

Rome

I can't think of a better way to have started our trip than with a few days of Rome-ance. Rome has been a wanderlust-inducing city for me ever since I spent some time working for a client there in 2012. I fell in love with the history, the passion and the soul of the city, and I knew that returning with my soulmate would be even more special.

Praiano, The Amalfi Coast

Our first introduction to the Amalfi Coast was a stay in the tiny village of Praiano, perched on the cliffs overlooking its bigger and better-known sister, Positano. From the beautiful Casa Angelina, we wandered the tiny streets, perused the old fashioned village stores and fell in love with the domineering cliffs, sea views and kindness and warmth of the locals who were so proud that Praiano remains an unspoilt haven in the midst of this bustling coastline.

The Island of Capri

We took a boat to Capri for a day of swimming, exploring caves, and finally, clambering up onto the island to take a look around. Capri is an incredibly special spot (so special that tourists head there in their droves) and we talk about that day as one of our favourites of our entire honeymoon.

Conca dei Marini, The Amalfi Coast

Another tiny village, but one which has become famous in recent years, with the opening of Monastero Santa Rosa. A once in a lifetime hotel, which surpasses any that I have stayed in before; we are determined to return one day to celebrate a notable anniversary or to renew our marriage vows.

Ravello, The Amalfi Coast

If I was forced to choose, then Ravello would be my favourite honeymoon destination of them all, and we both wished we could have stayed for longer. Further inland than some of the other settlements along the Amalfi Coast, the town is perched high on a hillside, and offers some of the most awe-inspiring views across the landscape to the sea beyond. I'm excited to tell you all about my favourite place in the world that I discovered here...but you will just have to wait for this one!

Positano, The Amalfi Coast

Our final stop on The Amalfi Coast was the iconic Positano. With it's pretty pastel houses occupying a steep hillside leading sharply down to the sea, every view from every angle is picture-perfect. I took hundreds upon hundreds of photos, and we enjoyed a stay in the incredibly special, world-renowned Le Sirenuse to complete our exploration of the Amalfi Coast. It was a good place for us to choose. Positano was everything that we hoped it would be, and more.

Florence, Tuscany

And finally, we took the train north, back through Rome to Tuscany, and stopped in beautiful Florence. I had visited the city before, but had never stayed there. Luckily, we had Angie on hand to recommend the best hotel to stay in and we can't thank her enough for this! Conde Nast readers voted Il Salviatino the best hotel in Europe in 2014, and from the moment we stepped through the huge front door, I could see why. What a fitting place to end our honeymoon, and our three week long Italian adventure!

I can't wait to share all of the intricate details of this adventure with you over the next few weeks! If there are any elements of these travels that you are particularly interested in then please let me know in the comments, and I will make sure I cover it in my posts.

In the meantime, if you would like to join in this month's travel link-up on places that you can not get out of your head, then you can link up your post to  Emma, Kelly, Rebecca or Liz's blogs before 7th September!