Jenny and Tyler’s Mediterranean honeymoon was so great that I didn’t want to confine their stories and photos to one blog post.  Read the first part about their honeymoon in Italy and Greece today, and then make sure to check back to the blog tomorrow to read Part 2!  Oh, and prepare to drool over their Italian cooking class photos ; )

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to Positano and Rome in Italy, and then Santorini (Oia and Kamari Beach) and Athens in Greece.

How long was your trip?

We opted for an extended honeymoon of 2.5 weeks, which was the perfect amount as we were able to truly unplug, relax, and not feel like we needed to rush around.

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

We didn’t go on our honeymoon until our one year anniversary as my husband started business school at Columbia the week after we got married. We moved to NYC three days after we got married, which was quite the whirlwind. We were initially going to take our honeymoon to Thailand in January during his Christmas break; however, he found out that first year students complete their recruiting during the break :( So, we were back to the drawing board and decided to take two weeks in August just before school started up. We both had wanted to go to Italy and Greece and thought it would be perfect timing, which it was!

The best part about our honeymoon was…

#1 Mamma Agata Cooking School

There was so much anticipation with this day as we had booked this activity in January! We got the recommendation to try this cooking school from my good friend’s older sister who had attended a cooking class with her husband. The reviews on Trip Advisor were nothing short of amazing and we were really excited to go.

Upon arriving, her daughter Chiara greeted us with a huge hug and welcomed us into her family’s home. We took 10 steps down to the terrace and were overwhelmed by the most beautiful views of the Amalfi Coast. We were introduced to the other guests participating in the cooking class and enjoyed a cup of coffee and Mamma Agata’s famous lemon cake. It was the perfect way to kick off a cooking class….by eating!

Promptly at 11am, we were guided into the kitchen by Chiara where we met Mamma Agata and began the cooking class. We learned so many tips and tricks and got to sample everything! It isn’t your typical hands-on class, but rather is all about understanding the techniques and art of selecting the right food and preparing it perfectly. We cooked until about 1:30pm (and took several wine and food breaks in between) before taking a longer break to explore the family’s garden. The coolest part of the cooking school is that Mamma Agata and her family grow all their own vegetables and raise their own animals on the hillside. The garden was so impressive and really made us want to garden one day! After our break, Chiara, her husband Gennaro, and their son Mario (11 years old and precious), served us the lunch we had cooked: the most amazing Eggplant Parmigiana, Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta, Farmer’s Spaghetti, Lemon Chicken, and Coccolis (fritters). It was seriously the best Italian meal we have ever had!!!!

After a long meal, we ended the day with one last slice of lemon cake, said our goodbyes, and walked down the 1,000 feet (stairs) to Amalfi. We walked around Amalfi for about one hour before taking the ferry (8 Euro per person each way) back to Positano. It was the perfect way to end the most AMAZING day.

#2 Day Trip to Capri

One of the main activities we wanted to do while in Positano was visit the island of Capri. After researching our options, we decided to book a semi-private boat tour with Blue Star (no more than 12 people) and time on the island instead of visiting the island by ferry. While it’s slightly more (maybe 15 Euro per person more for a total of 50 Euro per person), it was soooooo worth it!

You depart from the main pier in Positano and head out along the coast to Capri. The best part of the private tour is you get to travel into caves, take several dips in the ocean, and get to tour around the whole island of Capri before getting dropped off in the main port.

You get 4 hours to tour the island and then the boat picks you back up in the port before continuing the rest of the tour. We decided to take the tram up the mountain and walked along the main square before stopping for lunch. Capri is very fancy and quite “the scene.” The little alleyways are lined with designer stores and small boutiques. After walking around for awhile, we stopped for lunch at a little café.

From lunch, we headed to Via Kruppa to look at the botanical gardens and views of the cliffs and ocean; it was quite impressive.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the port and we made a quick pit stop for a cup of gelato before getting on the tram back down the mountain. Our captain picked us up and we headed back towards Positano. Our last stop on the tour was the marine preserve where we took our last swim and snorkeled…we even got to see some cool fish! Before we knew it, our day trip was over and we docked at the main pier.

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Come back to the blog tomorrow read more about Jenny and Tyler’s honeymoon in Italy and Greece!