Edward Vanstone's Two-Month Italian Immersion
When my son was born and my wife was still on maternity leave, I took a sabbatical from work. We made a decision that would forever change how I understand travel: we rented a villa, picked up a car, and spent almost two months exploring Italy. Not rushing through. Not checking boxes. Living it.
As a travel advisor, I needed to experience this destination the way my clients dream of it. Not the highlight reel version, but the real thing. The winding roads, the small villages, the afternoons that stretch into evenings over a bottle of local wine. I wanted to know what it truly feels like to get a little bit local in Tuscany.
The Passion in Every Plate
I'm a foodie at heart, and Italy delivered in ways I couldn't have anticipated. Each small village we explored had its own specialties, its own magic. The cheese, the wine, the pasta, the olives, the tomatoes. Every region guards its traditions fiercely. For Italians, food isn't just sustenance. It's passion. And when you're sitting at a wooden table in a centuries-old building, tasting ingredients grown just kilometers away, that passion becomes undeniable. You don't just eat in Italy. You participate in something deeply meaningful.
I learned to drive standard on those Italian roads, which I would absolutely not recommend to anyone as a learning method. The topography is relentless, with elevation changes, twists, and turns that keep you completely alert. The Italians love to drive, and you learn quickly that you need to love it too if you want to navigate the roadways. Add in occasional washouts and road closures, and patience becomes essential. But those drives were also part of the excitement. Every road adventure became a story.
History Around Every Corner
What truly overwhelmed me was the history. Italy is famous for Florence and Rome, but the amount of remarkable architecture and storytelling that exists in the small towns throughout Tuscany and beyond genuinely surprised me. It's everywhere. All around you. The architecture, the people, the food, the stories woven into every cobblestone street. Even with two months, we only saw the top half of the country, and that felt appropriate. Italy is not one trip. It's probably five or six, where you take one specific area and see it well.
One experience perfectly captured the magic of letting go of the plan. We visited a walled city called Lucca before heading to another destination. We hadn't really planned to stop there. When we arrived, a comic convention was happening. Thousands of people dressed as superheroes and characters wandered among Roman architecture. The surreal collision of ancient and modern became one of the most unique and fun days I've ever had traveling. Had we not simply said "let's see what we find," we would have missed it entirely.
Who This Destination Is For
Anyone who loves food, wine, and history needs Italy at or near the top of their list. I genuinely struggle to think of someone I wouldn't recommend Italy to. You could have a whirlwind adventure visiting many places, or you could immerse yourself in a single seaside town or countryside villa and simply disconnect. The only thing Italy perhaps doesn't offer is a true wildlife experience, since you're never more than five to ten minutes from another charming town. For that, other destinations serve better. But for nearly everything else, Italy delivers.
The biggest lesson I took home is one I now share with every client: less is more. Like their approach to food, with simple, quality ingredients allowed to shine, travel in Italy works best when you don't try to bite off too much. Focus on one region. Let it unfold naturally. Be open to the unknown, and Italy will reward you with moments you could never have planned. I can't wait to send my clients to experience exactly that.