France/Italy - Our Collective "Best Of" Lists

Our trip to France and Italy in September, 2022 was a special one! Every night at dinner, we'd inevitably have the "OK, now what has been your favorite thing about this trip" conversation. It soon became apparent that, like Lori, we were starting to go with "our last kiss was the best kiss"! Then we decided it was impossible to have just one best thing about this trip! So we decided to break it into categories and compare responses at the end.

After visiting two countries (France and Italy), and staying in seven cities (Paris, Negreville, Florence, Siena, Rome, Sorrento and Venice) over 22 days, here are our results for our "Favorite/Most Memorable" answers:

Lodging Accommodations - Chateau du Pont-Rilly - We had a few unanimous answers, and this is the first! All four of us loved our time in our Normandy Castle in Negreville, France! To understand why, read our two blog posts on the Chateau: "Sleeping in a Castle" and "A Morning Exploring the Chateau du Pont-Rilly".

City -Italy stole our hearts, and all of our favorite cities originated there!

Florence (Gayle); Sorrento (Scott); Siena (Lori, Dan)

Guide - Simone at the Colosseum and Roman Forum (Scott); Matt in Normandy (Lori, Dan); Emma in Sienna (Gayle)

From Gayle: "Our guide, Emma was a native from Sienna. As someone born and raised there, she was able to give us a very personal perspective and education about the culture and historyof the Contradas (neighborhoods) in Siena. It was an absolute game-changer for our experience there. I know of other people who've visited Siena, but had no idea of the significance of the culture of the neighborhoods, the traditions of which dates back to the Middle Ages. As a result of the education Emma provided us, Siena will be etched in our memories forever!"

Church/Chapel - St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Italy (Scott, Lori); Abbye du Mont Saint-Michel, France (Gayle); Florence Duomo (Dan)

Historic Site - Colosseum and Roman Forum (Lori, Gayle, Scott, Dan). Our second unanimous answer!

Half-Day Tour - Colosseum & Roman Forum (Gayle, Lori); Florence Foodie Tour (Scott); Versailles Palace (Dan)

Full Day Tour - Normandy WWII Sites (Scott, Lori Gayle, Dan)

From Lori: "I've read historical fiction novels and watched movies depicting WWII throughout my life, and to be able to actually be there and stand on ground where somuch sacrifice was made, really be up close in the war zone, was so poignant and sobering. Definitely something every American should have an opportunity to do. To have seen Dan fulfill this top bucket list item was an added bonus!"

Entree/Food - Rigatoni Carbonara in Rome (Gayle); My first pasta in Florence (Scott); Chicken with Apple Cider Sauce in Normandy, France (Lori); Spinach Ravioli (Dan)

Scenery - Capri and the Amalfi Coast (Gayle, Scott, Lori and Dan) - Another unanimous vote! The scenery on the Amalfi Coast is just incredible and our day on the boat was a memory that will last a lifetime!

From Scott: "Always one to be drawn to water, I found the Amalfi Coast to be one of the most spectacular places I have ever seen. Being able to scuba dive in water that was so clear and blue was unbelievable. Experiencing the lifestyle of those that live on that coast was unforgettable. Though every place we visited had it's own unique draw, I found the coast to be a dream place to retire, if my lottery winnings were large enough!"

Awestruck Moment - Rounding the corner and seeing the Florence Duomo for the first time. (Gayle, Lori); The Roman Forum (Scott)

Architecture or Architectural Feature - The Pantheon (Gayle); The Colosseum (Scott); The Pantheon Columns (Lori); Florence Duomo (Dan)

Individual Piece of Art Work - The Pieta, by Michelangelo, in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome (Gayle, Scott); David, by Michelangelo, in The Accademia Gallery, Florence (Lori); Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (Dan)

Is it really a surprise that we each picked a masterpiece done by Michelangelo?! We saw incredible works of art from so many gifted artists, but this man had a God given ability to make you truly feel his art to the depths of your soul.

Art Collection - Vatican Museums (Gayle, Lori, Dan); The Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence (Scott)

Thing You Learned - The history and culture of the Contradas in Siena (Gayle); The Palio (horse race) and Contradas in Siena (Lori); The crazy traffic (Dan); The history of the French Revolution (Scott)

Unexpected Surprise - The vastness of the Roman Forum (Gayle); The overall amount of ancient ruins in Rome (Scott); Getting to see David in Florence when we thought we wouldn't (Lori); The Chateau du Pont-Rilly (Dan)

Local Customs - The social and cultural importance of the Aperitivo before those late dinners in Italy (Gayle); Crazy driving customs in Italy (Scott); Late dinners (Lori); Riding scooters, etc. in traffic (Dan)

Transportation Experience - Van Tour of the Amalfi Coast (Gayle); Train travels (Scott); The hair-raising van ride from Sorrento to the Naples Train Station (Lori, Dan)

Medical Facility - None, thankfully (Gayle, Scott); First Aid in Venice (Lori, Dan)

Gelato Flavor - Pistachio (Gayle); Mint Chip (Scott); Orange/Dark Chocolate (Lori); Vanilla (Dan)

From Dan: "Going over the list was tougher than I thought. There were SO many moments of wonder generally based on the skills and innovation of the ancients. Too many to list!"

And, finally, we are all also unanimous in our appreciation to Susan Boehnstedt at Critics Choice Vacations for working with us to develop an amazing itinerary and experience. Susan's attention to detail, experience and vast network allowed her to put together a package for us that we'll never forget! Thank you Susan!