Buongiorno. Or should I say buonasera? Whatever time it is when you’re reading this, hi. It’s me. I’m the problem, it’s me.

Well, guys. Our wedding and honeymoon era has come to a close, and I’m not a strong enough person to put on a fake smile and say it’s fine. It’s not fine. I am struggling. Blame it on my Enneagram 7 tendencies of always needing something to look forward to, my Aries tendencies of wanting life and adventure 24/7, or my Emma tendencies to want all the joy and attention all the time. Whatever you blame it on, I am guilty. For as stressed out as I was during the wedding planning process and how much went wrong on our actual wedding day (WE WILL GET TO THAT A LATER TIME), I am pretty devastated it’s all over now. Post-wedding blues are a very real thing. The come down is rough. One day, you have every single person you love in the same town and place celebrating you and your SO. The literal next day, everyone is back home and life resumes as usual. Frankly, it’s nauseating.

Three days after our wedding, though, Zac and I boarded a 9.5 hour flight to Italy and didn’t look back. We spent two weeks exploring the sprawling and revitalizing culture of a country we now call our happy place. We hiked, dined, drank, drove, and walked our way through some of the most magical scenes I’ve ever had the honor of witnessing, and I felt it was my due diligence to share some our honeymoon highlights with you guys. Along with this blog post, I released a new podcast episode breaking our honeymoon down in more candid detail, so definitely don’t miss that! This post will keep things pretty high-level because who doesn’t love links to refer back to?!

Honeymoon disclaimer: We went big for this trip. We worked with a travel agency that Zac’s sister’s family uses often, and it’s a luxury-level agency. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about our honeymoon budget/how we could afford it, which isn’t what I would call Kosher to ask someone. The answer, though, is we went for it with this trip. We are “older,” I had never been to Italy, and we are going to start a family sooner than later, so we viewed this as an opportunity to do a really amazing trip that we can siphon off for years to come. If you want to look into it, the agency is Resort to Laura Madrid. Typically, you need to sign up as a member and pay an annual fee to use her services, but because we were a referral and do not typically travel in this way, she agreed to create our itinerary for a one-time fee. It was 200% worth it, but let’s just say, the Millers are on a very low spending action plan from now until ?????

Alora (an Italian filler word that essentially translates to “Ok,” Ok so…,” or “Ok then”). Andiamo (“let’s go”) (is this annoying? I hope so)!

leg 1: sicily

Sicily is the largest island in Mediterranean Sea, is right off the toe of the Italian boot we’ve all come to know so well, and is an absolutely magical place that offers a very different culture and way of life than the mainland. We really had no idea what to expect in Sicily, and I think it was better that way.

Stop #1: Taormina

Okay, so hard flex: Taormina is where the new season of The White Lotus was filmed. Not just that, but it was filmed at the Four Seasons in Taormina, which is where we spent the first three days of our honeymoon. It’s officially called San Domenico Palace, but is a Four Seasons hotel. The hotel is literally perched on a hillside that overlooks the Ionian Sea and offers endless, breathtaking panoramic views. Truly, any which way you turned your head was a view of Taormina that made you say “oh my god?” At least that’s what it made me do, anyway. The hotel was beyond gorgeous with an onsite spa, gym, absolutely stunning pool, two restaurants, and extremely updated technology within the rooms that offered touchscreen lighting, curtain control, and more. We were upgraded to a suite because of our honeymoon status, which came with a private plunge pool. HONEST MOMENT: It was great in theory, but no pool in Italy is heated so when temperatures dropped at night, the plunge pool wasn’t exactly calling our names. If it had been a legitimate hot tub, we would’ve lived in it every night. Other than that, it was the nicest place we stayed throughout our Italian journey—luxury defined, truly.

The city of Taormina itself is one of the most magical and stunning places I’ve ever been. The streets were like something out of a movie set—bustling with locals and visitors, gelaterias, stores with handmade goods, and boutiques all within a few steps of each other. I’ll never forget that first moment when my feet met the pavement and I was hit in the face with the sights, sounds, and smells of Taormina. I was overwhelmed to say the least. While it’s a small town, its charm saturates every surface, and it’s surprisingly easy to keep taking small turns down different streets and get lost in the wonder of it all.

Because we were the most jet lagged in Taormina and also staying at such an incredible hotel, we did the least amount of being out and about there. We spent the first day trying not to fall asleep and fight off jet lag, which didn’t really work as the picture below will show you (it’s me passed out cold by the pool at around 3pm the day we arrived. Zac covered me with towels to prevent sunburn and was chugging Espresso Martinis to try and stay awake).

After a good night’s rest, we woke up the next morning and spent the day exploring the town and visiting the ruins of Teatro Antico di Taormina, the Greek Theatre of Taormina. Built in the 3rd century B.C., this theatre was intended for performances, both acting and musical and was “updated” during the Roman Empire to host games and gladiator battles. It is still used today for concerts; in fact, Olivia Muenter saw Paolo Nutini there this summer. We were praying there would be a live show when we were in town, but sadly there wasn’t. Knowing that this ancient structure used to seat up to 10,000 spectators was mind-boggling to me. In fact, most everything we saw in Italy made my brain soupy and scrambled. I kept saying “I don’t understand” about most every site we saw. It’s hard to comprehend that you’re looking at ORIGINAL ruins and structures from THOUSANDS of years ago. Yes, many parts of these sites have been rebuilt in an effort to replicate the original, but so many are the OG and that seemed to be too much for my brain to compute.

Our second day in Taormina, we were set up with an incredible tour guide named Giacomo to be taken up Mount Etna by jeep. Etna is one of Europe’s highest and most active volcanos, and learning about just how incredible volcanic rock, ash, and dust are was amazing. Any and all things near or on a volcano are packed with magic. The soil itself is so fertile, which is why agriculture near a volcano is usually thriving, especially Mount Etna. Our tour guide was wonderful, too—so full of life and seemed to really enjoy Zac and I as his tourists for the day. Once we got up high enough on the volcano, we got out of the car and made a short hike to see some of its largest craters, then headed all the way back down and into town to visit a local vineyard for lunch and wine tasting. It was a hall of fame day, to say the least.

STOP #2: AGRIGENTO

From Taormina, we were picked up by a private driver (Antonio) to make our way to the next Sicilian city in our itinerary, Agrigento. Along the way, though, we made a quick pit stop in the middle of nowhere to view the 3,500 square meters of original mosaic tiling in the Villa Del Casale, which was breathtaking. Afterward, we dined at a local restaurant called La Ruota. Our driver told us that down-home or diner-esque eateries in Italy are referred to as trattorias, and to always be on the lookout for them. After eating lunch at La Ruota and experiencing our first trattoria, it’s all we wanted the rest of the trip. It was the most incredibly fresh, al fresco meal. Fresh pesto pasta, perfectly grilled lamb chops with a squeeze of fresh lime, cold white wine—UGH. TAKE ME BACK!

Finally, we arrived in Agrigento at Hotel Villa Athena. Our stay in Agrigento was very short; we were only there for one night and really just to see the Valley of the Temples, so we made the most of it. Once we arrived, we spent some time on our private terrace reading our books, then made our way to the hotel restaurant for dinner with an amazing view of the temples. The dinner itself was so-so, but the experience was amazing. They even brought us a cake with “Auguri!” written on the top (congratulations/best wishes in Italian) for our honeymoon—it was very cute.

The next day, we spent the morning with a tour guide (Lorenzo) who walked us through the Valley of the Temples. The sheer magnitude of these temples was a site to behold. The Greeks were all about boasting their strength and power through structures, so the bigger and more magnificent, the better. Seeing these structures up close was truly once in a lifetime and hearing from Lorenzo about the history of each temple was especially amazing. All of these temples were built around the 5th century BC and to see how MUCH of them are still in peak condition was a true testament to the the highly intellectual and innovative nature of the Greeks and the Romans. Did you know that the “cement” they used back then is STILL a secret? While we know it was a mixture of many things (including egg whites!!!), the idiots in the middle ages “lost” the recipe for it and it remains inimitable to this day. The coolest thing we saw in the valley, though, were two original marble statues. Both were headless, and we learned that is because the senators changed so often, they decided it would be more efficient to keep the same bodies for each and only create new heads; sort of like legos. I found that fascinating!

After our tour came one of the top moments of our honeymoon—a private lunch in the Kolymbetra Garden. I made an entire post about this on my Instagram feed, and it was absolutely as dreamy as it comes across, if not dreamier. Sitting under that tree at that table in such a stunning setting with my newly appointed husband was beyond words. The natural smells and sounds surrounding us were so peaceful, the quiet was so calming, and the entire setup was just heaven. We were served super cold white Sicilian wine as well as local fare, and it was the most romantic dream.

STOP #3: PALERMO

After that unforgettable lunch, we climbed back into the car with our new driver (Gabriele), and set off for our last stop in Sicily: Palermo. There, we stayed at Hotel Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte hotel. I didn’t know this until I googled it this very second, but Rocco Forte hotels is a British hotel group and only found in European countries. The hotel was absolutely beautiful, so well decorated, and extremely vibey. We had no tours or plans in Palermo, so we treated the two days we were there as true vacation days with some shopping, lots of eating, and even a spa day. To get the details about our spa day and my not-so-stellar body ritual treatment, listen to the podcast!

In Palermo, I got three things. First, I got my Gucci sunglasses that transformed me into Italian Emma. When I have them on, I feel like someone else in the best way. I will keep them forever and hand them down to my kids and grandkids. Also, please note: everything designer is hundreds or thousands of dollars cheaper in Europe. I got these sunglasses for $480 but they are $640 statewide. Ludicrous, but… worth it? I also got a black leather belt because every belt I own is a hand-me-down from my mom’s 1980s wardrobe, and I decided it was high time I get a timeless belt (plus, it was $100 less in Italy). I was and am extremely happy with both purchases.

The last thing I purchased was from the spa at the hotel. It was an Irene Forte spa, and Irene Forte is a “natural science” skincare formulated in Sicily. The rose face oil my specialist used during my facial was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever smelled, and I had to have it. It’s a blend of nutrient-rich oils like avocado, sweet almond, sunflower, olive and jojoba, and the antioxidant-rich Wild Rose. I’ve been using a half pump to 1 pump nightly since we returned, and it transports me back to Sicily instantly.

Our last night in Palermo, we heeded our driver’s advice from the day before and went to Villa Costanza for pizza up in the hills of the city. It was, in a word, fantastico. It was PACKED with chic locals in big parties, so we knew we made the right choice as soon as we walked in. The food was beyond, especially the pizza and olive oil tasting. It was the perfect last night in Sicily!

leg 2: the mainland

Stop #4: ROME

Once our stay in Palermo was over, we were halfway through our honeymoon and our way to the mainland to visit Rome and Florence. This isn’t important, but the flight from Palermo to Rome was a scene. America sucks in endless ways, but you can’t say it’s not efficient in most things, especially boarding flights. We had to stand in the boarding line for 45 minutes right next to a window where the sun was blaring in, and wait as passenger after passenger tried to board and was told they would have to check their carry-on luggage. Luckily, we had decided to just go ahead and check all three of our rolling bags, but not everyone had the same idea. We witnessed a man in line lose it and scream at another passenger who was holding up the line in Italian. It was amazing. Anyway, we eventually got onto our flight (covered in sweat) and made the super quick trip (an hour and 20 minutes) to Rome.

Once we got there, we immediately checked in our hotel, Hotel de Ricci. It’s a boutique hotel with only 8 suites, and it’s also one of the very few wine-centric hotels in the world. They have a cellar with over 1,500 bottles of wine and a cigar room onsite. Very cool, but we didn’t partake in any of that; we were too busy roaming around Rome. Our suite was amazing, though, as was the location of the hotel.

Our first night in Rome, we walked to Piazza Navona, which is Zac’s favorite so being there with him was magical. We listened to the hotel manager’s recommendation for amazing pizza and went to Da Francesca. The pizza was, in fact, amazing and I wish I could have it every time I wanted pizza. We ended the night with our first true serving of gelato in Italy, which did not disappoint. It was the perfect first night, and I fell in love with the city immediately. Rome is a magical place, and I hope everyone gets to visit it some day.

The next day was filled with exploring the city, including seeing the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Along the way, we visited the Saint Laurent store where I treated myself to my first ever black leather designer handbag and third designer handbag overall. It was a big present to give myself, but I had stated pre-trip that I was going to get a luxury handbag overseas while we were there. Also, it was $1,000 LESS IN ITALY. Like WTF. I would have never bought this stateside, so I’m glad I jumped on the opportunity when I could! I’m in love with it.

At 3 o’clock that day, we were picked up at the hotel by two men (Valero and Massimo) on Vespas to go on our Vespa tour of Rome. It’s the GD wild west out there because we signed no waivers, nothing—they simply showed up, handed us helmets, and told us to hop on. This was my second top moment of our honeymoon. Experiencing Rome on a Vespa was an indescribable moment of time, and I can’t recommend it enough. Having that POV of the city was amazing, and we were able to move faster and make tons of stops along the way for pictures and history lessons. It was beyond cool.

That night, we ventured to a few different bars and eateries for drinks and dinner and ended up on the Piazza Trilussa, dancing and singing with total strangers as a local musician played universally-known songs on his guitar. It was magical, and you can watch some of that footage on this Instagram reel I posted!

For our last day and night in Rome, we woke up early to tour the Vatican. Again, the magnificence is too hard to capture in words. Seeing the Sistine Chapel was incredible and having a private tour guide who explained all the backstory was invaluable. To hear the little nuggets she told us, tune into my honeymoon recap podcast episode! After the Vatican tour, we set back out into the city and did some shopping, ate an incredible lunch at a local trattoria, and eventually made our way back to the hotel to get ready for our last night dinner at the Michelin star restaurant above the Spanish Steps, Imàgo. The dinner consisted of many, many courses and a lot of gastronomy, i.e. small bites that don’t look like what they taste like and essentially evaporate in your mouth. It was a wild experience–I stopped taking pictures at some point because the lighting was horrible and there was just too much to cover. But all told, it was unlike any meal I’ve ever had.

Stop #5: Florence

The last two days of our honeymoon were spent in Florence/Firenze. We boarded a train (side note: I love high-speed trains and would take them everywhere if I could) from Rome to Florence (an hour and a half) and arrived mid-afternoon. The Air BnB I booked us was easy to find and in a great location, so that was a relief. However, in our almost two weeks of staying in hotels, we forgot about stairs in general so getting up to our 4th floor apartment in Florence was a scene. Four flights of stairs plus a bonus round when you actually got into the apartment itself + 3 rolling bags = two very sweaty, very heavy-breathing Americans barely making it up. It was a friggin’ workout—my heart rate jumped to 146, I remember that number vividly.

Anyhow, we finally got upstairs, dropped all of our stuff, and immediately went out into the world. These last two days were not planned by Laura Madrid—it was the Millers all on their own. We headed straight for The David but when we arrived, realized it was an hour and a half wait. We decided to “get up early the next day” and come back (spoiler: we didn’t get up early) and spent the rest of the day walking throughout Florence. We stumbled upon a leather shop and ended up meeting the coolest Australian shop owner who sold us matching suede jackets for half the cost, got gelato, and bought tickets to the M.C. Escher exhibit that just so happened to be in town. Escher is one of Zac’s favorites, so it was a really special moment. The exhibit was amazing and time well-spent.

We spent the evening at a very cool cocktail bar that Our Time Of The Month recommended to me, Manifattura. The bar only uses Italian spirits to make drinks, so it was a super fun experience. We then went directly next store for dinner where we had steak Florentine (I mean, how could we not?). It was insanely massive and we ate every. last. bite. Proud of us for that one.

Our last day in Florence, we got in line right away to see The David (which we waited in for TWO HOURS), visited The Duomo, ate the most incredible panini I’ll ever have in my lifetime at Panini Toscani, walked all over the city and the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and even stopped into the world’s oldest parfumerie, Santa Maria Novella (est. in 1221), where I got a small bottle of Rosa Novella.

Then, we boarded another train to head back to Rome so we could fly out the next morning. The hotel in Rome we booked for our last night was the weirdest place literally ever, and I 0/10 recommend ever staying there. It’s called A. Roma Lifestyle hotel, and you can hear the details on the podcast. We refused to actually spend our last night in Italy at the hotel, so we took a taxi back into the city and ended the most epic honeymoon ever with a second visit to Da Francesca for one last pizza, Frigidarium for the BEST GELATO WE HAD IN ITALY (get their house flavor. It’s a blend of caramel, choco-hazelnut, and chocolate cookies. And get it dipped in chocolate. OMG I AM DROOLING), and general feelings of sadness and gratitude. I am beyond happy that we ended our honeymoon with that last night in Rome—it was by far my favorite city we visited over the course of our adventure (next to Taormina) and the only way I wanted to go out.

Between the podcast and this blog post, I have spent a good 5 hours of my life reliving our honeymoon and relaying it to you guys. I hope any of it brings you an ounce of joy and perhaps is now on your list of travel goals because Italy is the most magical place with some of the best people we’ve ever met and a passion for life that is unmatched.

Now, I’m gonna go squirrel away my pennies and drink dumb smoothies and eat stupid American food for the rest of my days.

xox,

Emma Golden Miller ❤️