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26 ITALY WITH A TOUCH
OF CROATIA

A journey through the heart of the Mediterranean offers an abundance
of history, scenery, fine food and wine and many special moments for
Marija Kapiteli, Director of Croatia Times Travel and Croatia Airlines NZ GSA.

Let me share with you some of the experiences from travelling to the top of Capri! I was literally shaking in my
my latest trip to Italy and Croatia, bringing alive some chair while managing to peek at the spectacular views.
of the special moments uncovered along the way. My For the next part of our itinerary from Rome we took
travel companion for a good part of the journey was an extended wine tour through Tuscany, visiting local
Joanna Meinhold, a Senior Consultant from our team. wineries. Getting to sample the Chianti Classico and
The good thing about travelling together is that we are eating freshly picked Sangiovese grapes was superb. Our
both zealous explorers with noses that may not look visit to Cinque Terre was not long enough; the vertical
like a beagle’s but still work a treat in uncovering some villages are amazing and my favourite moment was in
amazing jewels along the way. Monterosso al Mare where I dipped my toes into the
We started the Italian part of our itinerary in Naples, Mediterranean.
travelling south to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast where Our Italy leg ended in Venice where the highlights
we planned to walk the roads where Romans and other included a gondola ride along the Grand Canal, walking
great civilisations had walked before. While in the through impressive Piazza San Marco and crossing the
Naples region we dined on pizza, claimed to be the best Rialto Bridge to a pleasant little wine bar with a view
in Italy, and sampled the limoncello that is offered as an of the canal. It was the perfect place to enjoy a Spritz
aperitif wherever you go. Veneziano, a wine-based local aperitivo (cocktail).
The tour escorts and local guides were worth their We also found time to stop and admire shops selling
weight in gold: arranging pickups, walks and sharing Venetian masks and Murano glass. I would also like
experiences while getting us from A to B. A day trip to to point out to those of you who have heard that Italy
Vesuvius and Pompeii was amazing: the area is well has great leather goods, that it is true. There is an
preserved, giving you a real feeling for what life must abundance of leather handbag shops, particularly in
have been like during Roman times. We also spent Florence and Venice. My advice here is that if you want to
several days in Sorrento where our adventures included buy genuine Italian-crafted articles you should look for
travelling along the “Mamma Mia” highway on the Amalfi old-established businesses and reap the rewards.
Coast, and accidentally ending up on a gondola seat

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