‘As I set foot onto the cast iron terrace, the limestone buildings cover with beautiful shaped windows that connect with each other through the maze-like wiring. A few vespas glide through the narrow streets echoing from the walls and the mesmerizing buildings remind me of why I hold Italy so dear to my heart…’

Even though we have travelled countless times to Italy, we have never set foot in the Calabria region that exists far South, just above Sicily in the front of the heel. Primarily, we’ve heard its more rural than other places but also because the hotel selection is not as great, in comparison to Apulia for example. This time we were determined to give the region a chance for a few days after a random recommendation we received, so it felt like fate. After much scrolling through pinterest, we came to the conclusion to stay in Tropea and used that as a ground point for visiting other places. We reached Tropea after a 7 hour drive from Rome, countless espresso pit stops, sing-offs and arrived when it was pitch dark with little expectations of the place.

Our hotel was right in the center of the old town and our room was large in size with its own cute little balcony. The first night we strolled a little around the town, went for dinner and had an early night as we were tired from the traveling. From the first visit we already got a great impression as the place was filled with tiny restaurants and piazzas with cafes/bars.

After a well rested night, morning awakens us with the typical church bells, I make a cup of tea and step onto our balcony to smell that morning air! The first thing I saw was an old white fiat 500 parked in the small courtyard that our balcony overlooked and watched the pigeons snuggle up against the window sills warming up in the sun. My first impressions were that the old town looks beautiful and untainted with buildings aligned tightly together. The architecture is whimsical and romantic with soft colours as far as the eye can explore.

We headed for breakfast that was hidden on a terrace with the old town as a gorgeous backdrop. Dressed in white lace, a ruffle skirt and my gucci loafers that matched the terracotta-coloured tiling, that first cappuccino of the morning tasted like no other. The sound of the coffee machine in the background, the italian language, my hubby across from me and Tropea at our feet that was about to get explored brought on that excitement! The sun peaked from the corner of the building as we enjoyed our breakfast on our first day of holiday!