There are so many beautiful places in the world that I really try to not pick favourites. However, Italy has a very special place in my heart. The culture is something in its own, with a rich history of art and music that’s awe-inspiring and the food is just on another planet.

There are many aspects of our Italian adventures that I have despised. The busy crowds in Venice, the dress code anxiety when going into the Pantheon, worrying about being ripped off by street thugs and a few more. However, Italy has changed me with its ways.

Italy wont ruin your life, it will open your mind to the way life should be.

Wine
Before our trip to Lake Garda in the summer, I wasn’t a huge wine drinker. I thought it was over priced and wasn’t very tasty. Italy has made me want to drink wine everyday. A huge aspect of our dining in Garda was based around the wine we could drink as different restaurants had better or worse selections. And I mean, the measurements it was served in were 1. Glass, 2. Jug, 3. a Bigger jug. Anywhere that has wine measurements as ‘Jug’ is a place i’m happy to visit. And the wine was so delicious because it had only been made in the next town. This made it so cheap which was just an added bonus. Now though, Asdas 3 bottles for £10 wine isn’t anywhere near as nice or satisfying as the wine I could get out there.

Italian Food
Or as they call it in Italy, food. I’ve never tasted something as simple as pizza or pasta that tasted so delicious in my life. If I had to pick a favourite, Italian cuisine could be my favourite, and it’s only had its position solidified by the authentic food I’ve tried out there. My top three meals are the fresh mozzarella ravioli I had in Rome, the classic spaghetti bolognese in Venice and of course (my number 1 favourite) the spinach and ricotta cannelloni from our favourite restaurant in Garda. Yet dining in Italian restaurants in the UK doesn’t have the same effect on me as you can taste the difference in quality.

Coffee
I have already mentioned Italian coffee in another post, so I’m sorry for repeating it. But Italy literally created the techniques for modern coffee. So you can imagine how incredible it is there. In the UK I generally need sugar in my Lattes (unless its pumpkin spice season), in Italy, the taste is already sweet enough. The coffee from chains in the UK cant compete with the sweet Italian taste, and that’s another thing Italy has ruined for me.

Birra Moretti
The Italian larger (although associated with Heineken) is one of my favourites. Its tangy yet sweet to taste. When we visited Rome, it was legal to drink on the streets before 10 pm. In the summer when we were visiting, the city was very busy and we were struggling to get a seat in a bar to have a few drinks as the sun went down. So we did it the British way, and grabbed some bottles of Moretti from a corner shop and sat on a curb drinking beer. There were street performers playing music and tourists walking past us with such envy. Being sat with a view of the Roman Forum, a sun set, music gently filling my ears and my best friend with me, no beer will ever taste that good again.

Italian Architecture
Italy is renowned for amazing historic buildings of significant beauty. You don’t need me to tell you that. And these places are like none other you have ever seen. From the Colosseum where construction started in 70 CE, to the Sistine Chapel (which is technically in Vatican City) with its famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo. No where in the world can compare to the sheer beauty and uniqueness of Italian architecture.

Landscape
Of course, any post about Italy wouldn’t be complete without mention of the landscape Italy has been blessed with. This country has mountainous terrain, complete with volcanoes, beautiful lakes with rolling hills, Venice in all its beauty and miles and miles of astonishing coastlines. My personal favourite has to be the lakes region, especially Lake Garda which has ruined the Lake District (UK’s equivalent) for me. Here are some pictures to prove my point.

And those 6 reasons are why Italy has ruined my life. Italy is an exceptional destination and I cannot recommend enough that you add it to your list of places to visit. I’d love to hear about your Italian adventures in the comments below!