Armchair travel: Chris Marshall's Italian adventure

Colourfully-painted buildings clinging to rock cliffs overlooking azure waters. Ancient Roman ruins, medieval castles, and enough steps to exhaust a Fitbit.

And wedding bells!

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Those were just a few highlights of a four-week trip to Italy undertaken in July by Chris Marshall of Cornwall, P.E.I., and his wife Kathie.

When the Marshalls' youngest daughter Jennifer announced she was going to marry her sweetheart of six years, Luca Arrigo, they were delighted for the couple and for the travel opportunity to Salerno in southern Italy, the groom's birthplace, for the July 15 nuptials.

"What better excuse to go for a wedding?" said Chris. His wife had previously travelled to Italy but he'd never had the opportunity. The Marshalls' other four children also joined them in Italy, travelling from South Africa, Spain and Ontario.

"This was great for us, as our family just aren't able to all get together and it served other purposes for us. We went to Manchester, England, for six days and enjoyed a family reunion as I lived there till I was 21," Marshall said.

'So unique to us'

Starting in Manchester, the couple went to Pisa for a quick overnight stay, visiting the famous leaning tower, the cathedral and more.

They then headed to Italy's west coast and the Cinque Terre five villages built on rugged cliffs overlooking the Riviera coastline connected by hiking trails, a road and a railway.

"It was so unique to us, houses of many colours intermingled," Marshall said.

Cinque Terre is a popular tourist area and where many Italians spend their vacations, and a popular hiking region.

Fabulous Florence

Two nights in Florence in Italy's Tuscany region followed. Marshall recounts the highlights were the city's cathedral (Duomo) begun in 1296, which he calls a "magnificent structure," and the adjacent Bell Tower built circa 1359.

Together, the two structures had 1,800 narrow steps Marshall navigated in the space of two hours.

"Kathie didn't go up because of steps and height. I did both and went outside at the top and rewarded with magnificent views. This city should be visited!" he enthused.

Wedding bells in Salerno

From Florence, the couple went to historic Salerno for a week, the site of their daughter's wedding. The busy southern Italian city, on the beautiful Amalfi coast, was founded in 197 BC.

"Very nice city and glad we stayed in one place for eight days as it seemed like we were always on the go," Marshall said.

The couple also visited the medieval 6th-century Arechi castle, and the underground crypt of the Cathedral of Salerno, where the apostle Saint Matthew is entombed.

The day was perfect for the wedding, attended by 130 people, he said.

The tragedy of Pompeii

The Marshalls couldn't pass up a visit to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, just 30 kilometres from Salerno, where Mount Vesuvius erupted suddenly in AD 79, killing more than 2,000 people. Two million tourists visit the ruins every year.

By ferry from Salerno, the Marshalls also went to Praiano on the Amalfi coast, where the main road was closed for four days due to fires in the mountains.

"Breathtaking can't believe how much climbing there is in this town but each climb gives you spectacular views," Marshall said.

"This was a very relaxing time and our terrace at our accommodation overlooked the water."

The couple finished their vacation with two days in Rome.

They especially loved the ancient Coliseum and visited many sights in the city, but found it very hot and crowded.

"And a lot more people approaching us for money by selling different stuff or trying to entice us to buy Hop On/Hop Off tickets," he said. "I always found it annoying being asked to buy this and buy that.

"Inside the Vatican courtyard, there were lines that I was told were two hours long to get into the basilica or museum with no shade whatsoever," he said.

'Such a memorable time'

The trip, with airfare, accommodations, train travel, food and "spends," cost about $6,500, he said.

They bunked with family in England, he noted, otherwise "you could add on another $1,000 for hotel/food."

It was well worth it, he said.

"Such a memorable time."

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