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LA DOLCE VITA

Savouring life on a road trip across Italy

By Where We Wander

I have yet to meet anyone who went to Italy and left without wanting more. Some were inspired by the grand cathedrals and world-famous art galleries, others were head-over-heels for high fashion and stylish shopping, and of course, no one could deny the appeal of delectable Italian pastries and award-winning wines.

While there's definitely no shortage in any of that, the true meaning of la dolce vita comes from the impressive ability of Italian people to live in the moment and enjoy every day to the fullest. There's even a name for it: dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing. Indeed, life in Italy moves at a much slower pace as most schedules are thrown to the wind and siestas induced by massive intake of carbohydrates and sugar rule the day.

22 days, 7 provinces, 3 tonnes of pasta and countless aperitivi later, it was absolutely impossible not to admire this beautiful country for showing the world how to slow down and appreciate the sweeter things in life.

MILAN

Italy's second biggest city welcomed us with gregarious street life, seduced with delicious food aromas and romanced with perfectly imperfect old buildings lining the canals in Navigli District.

We followed an unusually talented bachelor party of four men busking in the streets, and stopped for drinks in the spots they chose to play their next set. Although we had just arrived in the country a couple of hours earlier, the sweet simplicity of la dolce vita was all around us: music and laughter, kids playing in the streets, couples embracing, and wine being enjoyed by young and old all along the navigli — old water canals running through the centre of the city. Milan is by far not my favourite city in Italy, but it was a perfect start to the trip. We woke up the next morning well rested to a beautiful view of Basilica di San Lorenzo from My Bed, ready to begin a 1,700 km road trip to see, experience and taste all things Italian.

VERONA

The bright hometown of Shakespeare's most famous couple, Romeo and Juliet, was the perfect place for us to settle into the deliciously slow pace of Italian life.

Narrow cobblestone streets give way to tree-lined avenues that frame the Adige River, and there is no better way to take in these beautiful views than from Castel San Pietro, the very place where Verona was founded in 1st century BC. Piazzas and cafes abound, every alley breathes history and if that wasn't enough, every year in July and August the impressive Roman amphitheater in the heart of the city becomes centre stage for grand opera performances celebrating this very Italian form of art. We caught the very end of the opera festival season with a 5-hour performance of Romeo and Juliet, which may have been much too long to sit through had it not been for the romantic setting of the arena and free-flowing prosecco served by candlelight.

MARANELLO

En route to the coast we stopped in an inconspicuous town but for one thing: it is the home of Ferrari — both the luxury cars and the headlining Formula One team.

The vision and legacy of a one-time race car driver and lifelong racing enthusiast Enzo Ferrari still lives on in one of the world's strongest brands. The exclusive factory in Maranello produces less than 9,000 cars per year, but these days anyone can live out their racing fantasies on the official Scuderia Ferrari race track at a steep price of about EUR800 for 30 minutes of fast and furious fun. That seemed a little too rich, so we spent the day visiting the Ferrari Museum and then loitering in the parking lot while we waited for our turn to test drive the beast of Italian engineering. 15 minutes behind the wheel cost us just over EUR100 and was barely enough time to go on a local country road, but certainly gave a taste of just how uncomfortable of a ride a Ferrari actually is! Meant for the race track, the ride is bumpy as hell on regular roads with just one saving grace: you instantly feel cool even just sitting inside it.

CINQUE TERRE

Back in our much less glamorous Ford Focus, we drove towards the coastline famous for its anchovies and pretty villages clinging to hillsides above the Ligurian Sea.

The five villages were lost to the world and much of Italy until late 19th century when a train line was finally built to connect these tiny fishing communes to the rest of the country. Though similar, each one has something unique to offer: Monterosso is the only town with a proper beach, Vernazza is a showstopper at sunset thanks to its precarious rocky outcrop location, Corniglia is surrounded by the steepest and therefore the most rewarding hiking paths, Manarola is the most laid back and best for watching locals go about their day, and Riomaggiore is perhaps the most picturesque. With our car safely sandwiched in an impossible bumper-to-bumper parking arrangement, we made good use of the Cinque Terre Card to explore this spectacular part of Italian Riviera.

VAL d'ORCIA & MAREMMA

A short distance from the coast, winding roads led us into the heart of Italy through golden fields, vineyards and quaint towns, each turn revealing a new breathtaking view.

Each day in Tuscany is a lesson in dolce far niente. Solitary footsteps of early morning risers echo past tiny shops selling 100 kinds of cheese that stinks to high heaven, and just as many cats prowl the alleys for smelly scraps. Sunny afternoons bring the smell of freshly baked pizza while grandmothers gossip on porches and children chase a football in the streets. Evenings are reserved for gathering in town squares or at one of the many farms dotting the landscape, to savour the gifts of this amazing land that produces everything from olive oil to truffles to wine. We stayed at one of the charming agriturismo farms in the quieter Maremma area, exploring small towns and impressive landscapes by day and over-indulging in delicious Italian flavours by night.

AMALFI COAST

Back on the highway we quickly zipped right past Rome and Naples, but traffic slowed to a crawl as we made our way along the most famous roadway in the country.

Million-dollar views and occasional hair-raising curves are the staples of any spectacular road trip and Strada Statale Amalfitana carved into the seaside cliffs has both in glorious excess. Also in excess are tourists and hotel prices — we spent over an hour looking for parking in famous Positano and finally bed down for the night in an overpriced and uncomfortable hotel, a living proof that spectacular views from the room are not everything. We only stayed one night while passing through, so the true charm of Amalfi Coast has definitely eluded us. We had the worst dinner of the trip here, traffic jams were everywhere, and it was obvious that planning an affordable and authentic trip to this part of Italy would require time and effort. And yet, the incredible panoramas we saw along the 50km drive were almost enough to forgive all the negatives.

MARATEA

Just a couple of hours further along the coast, we discovered a much less hectic part of southern Italy in the seldom visited by foreigners province of Basilicata.

Tucked away and off the beaten path, the coastal town of Maratea was probably my favourite spot on this trip. Its very own version of Christ the Redeemer looks over the idyllic Tyrrhenian coast of hidden coves and pebble beaches, while the breeze carries the scent of rosemary and pines from the wooded hillsides down to the sea. Basilicata felt like a different world after driving through Amalfi. Gone were the crowds, posh hotels and traffic jams, replaced by quiet locande and sparsely populated hills of authentic, rural Italy. We spent a few nights at La Locanda delle Donne Monache, an 18-century convent turned into a charming hotel, enjoying the quiet town and pristine coastline where at the time we seemed to be the only foreigners.

MATERA

Our final stop was deeper inland, where the oldest town in Italy is still being slowly resurrected and unearthed from the small canyon carved out by the Gravina River.

The center of the town conceals a jewel unlike anything else in Europe: a network of subterranean dwellings dating back 9,000 years as the first inhabited area in what is now Italy. For years this was a place of poverty and squalor, its stone walls slowly cracking and collapsing in ruin. The town got its second life in the 1990s and was meticulously restored to its former glory, with residents returning to its very heart and new businesses opening their doors. Known today as Sassi di Matera, the ancient town is the only place in the world where people have continuously lived and still can continue to live in the same "house" as their ancestors from thousands of years ago, albeit with a few more creature comforts. One of these apartments, essentially a candle-lit cave complete with sleek modern amenities, was our Italian home for the last three days in the country.