Have I not yet mentioned that people love honeymooning in Italy?   Allie and Jeff also chose Italy for their honeymoon because of it’s rich culture and incredible food.  Read all about their wonderful Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We traveled to Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Cinque Terre, and Milan) in May, 2012.

How long was your trip?

May 6 – May 22, 2012

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

My (now) husband and I love food and really enjoy different food experiences. To me Italy was the place to go to see not only 3000 year old ruins on every corner, but to explore a delicious food culture.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Going to this amazing small, family run winery. We were in Lucca and asked our concierge to recommend a winery we could go to for the day. She told us about a big winery that was very commercial and another small one that didn’t take visitors very often. When she called and told the gentlemen that we were on our honeymoon and wanted to come, he told her that we should be there at noon.

We drove through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen and got to experience the Montichiari Winery. This man was the 3rd generation in his family to own and operate the winery. He and his wife were the most warm, inviting, friendly people I have ever met. He spoke English, Italian, and French, his wife spoke only French and Italian with a little English mixed in. I barely speak French and my husband understands a little Italian…but we made it work. We were taken around the vineyards and olive trees, shown all the best views of the property, and then sat down for one of the top meals I have ever eaten. He and his wife not only opened and shared with us 4 bottles of wine, but also opened a few bottles from their private cellar because they were just so happy to have us there.

And the food…oh man, the food she cooked was out of this world. All food was from their land or things traded with their neighbors. In total we spent 5 hours there touring the property, enjoying the beautiful view, and the hospitality of these lovely people.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

Falling asleep a few hours after we got to Rome on the first day of the trip. It threw me for a loop and I didn’t feel right the first 2 days in Rome, so it felt like a waste.

How much planning did you do in advance?

Luckily Jeff is a planner and experienced traveler, so we did 95% of the planning in advance.

What was your biggest honeymoon splurge?

We had a few: In Rome we ate at Il Pagliaciio, our hotel in Florence was attached to the oldest working tower where we got to go enjoy wine and watch the sunset every night (worth every penny), and all the wine we bought from Montichiari.

Where do you want to go on your next big trip?

We are in the early stages of planning a trip to London, the South of France, Budapest, and then ending up in Germany for 5-6 days.