Part II:
Destination "Nuptials and Honeymoon in Italy with Kelly and Jared"
Whittier Street
Destination "Nuptials and Honeymoon in Italy with Kelly and Jared"
Whittier Street
A continuation of the romantic journey of Kelly and Jared in 2022 following his proposal and her acceptance under the "Midnight Sun" in Barrow, Alaska.
Jared & Kelly, September 10, 2022, Hoover Reservoir, photo by Rebecca Ashley Photography

pon return from our "Engagement under the Midnight Sun" in Barrow, Alaska, in July, we set in motion the nuptials plan.
Surprise wedding cake from Jared to Kelly, creation by Short North Piece of Cake
Our betrothal was held on September 10, 2022 at Kelly’s parents’ lovely home on the Hoover Reservoir. An intimate occasion, shared with immediate family. Kelly wore a strapless tea length gown with a sweetheart neckline, and classic lace overlay. Vows were exchanged at sunset.
Jared surprised Kelly with a goofy custom cake that replicated their engagement scene under the Whale Bone Arch in Alaska, with a Harry Potter twist (Kelly is a HP nut!).
Mid-September, we flew to Milan to spend two weeks exploring the northern part of Italy, visiting Lake Como, Tuscany and Rome, plus quick stops in Lugano (Switzerland), Cinque Terre and Pisa. We rented a small car to cruise around to our destinations before returning the car in Rome.
Kelly’s heritage is Italian, and we both love the wine, cuisine, architecture, cities, history, lakes, mountains, hills and sea views.
Kelly’s heritage is Italian, and we both love the wine, cuisine, architecture, cities, history, lakes, mountains, hills and sea views.
Lake Como
View of Lake Como from our AirBnB
In the Lake Como area we enjoyed a variety of fun excursions. The highlight was a full day boat cruise on the lake, where we explored the whole waterway, stopping in several of the small villages (Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna, etc.) for lunch and provisions (ie Aperol Spritz).
Lake Como is spectacularly beautiful, especially so from the water.
Lake Como is spectacularly beautiful, especially so from the water.
Post boat day on Lake Como
https://lovecomo.com/lakelife/divino-13/
Divino Tredici (13) in Menaggio (Lake Como) was our favorite restaurant. Standout item, the beef carpaccio!
Lugano
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/lake-lugano/
We whizzed up to Switzerland and took a ferry tour of Lake Lugano; beautiful too, but our hearts belong to Lake Como.
Cinque Terre
Vernazza, Cinque Terre
The five villages of Cinque Terre each offer their own unique look and feel. There is a trail that goes from one town to the next (parts of it are hilly and other parts flat). Originally, there were no inland roads and the only way to reach the locations was by sea.
We dined at the Ristorante Porto Roca in Monterosso al Mare (Cinque Terre), nestled in the hills overlooking the sparkling Ligurian Sea.
We dined at the Ristorante Porto Roca in Monterosso al Mare (Cinque Terre), nestled in the hills overlooking the sparkling Ligurian Sea.
https://www.portoroca.it/
Pisa
Leaning Tower of Pisa nonsense
We stopped by the Leaning Tower of Pisa for the obligatory photos.
Chianti
Cooking class in Greve, Chianti
A cooking class held in an old Tuscan farmhouse on the family’s vineyard was a delicious treat! We made bruschetta, beef stew, egg noodles and sauce, and finished with tiramisu - all from scratch.
Vineyard and olive tree groves at the cooking class in Greve, Chianti
https://www.pizzerialacantina.it/en/
Pizzeria La Cantina in Greve has the most charismatic chef/owner in the region.
Another highlight was our Airbnb in Greve in the Chianti area. We stayed on a small family-run, working vineyard, and just happened to be there while the family was doing their harvest! While in Greve we visited several vineyards for tasting experiences, including Castello di Verrazzano, Montefioralle Winery and, Montecalvi Winery.
Montefioralle, Greve in Chianiti
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Verrazzano cork displaying the “Gallo Nero” seal
Greve is part of the Italian wine making region best known for producing Chianti Classico, which bears the symbol of the “Gallo Nero” or Black Rooster on the bottles. They are classified DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) which is the highest level of recognition for quality Italian wines.
Our return to Rome would not be complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain
In Rome, we did all the touristy stuff – Coliseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon.
Another great time was visiting Kelly’s old stomping grounds in Piazza Navona, which she frequented when she studied abroad in Rome while in college. We even ran into the local neighborhood bartender who was still slinging drinks. Laughter was abundant as we reminisced with him!
Last night, dining at the Pantheon
The view of the Pantheon, only 100 feet away, while dining at Hostaria Pantheon in Rome was not to be missed. Gazing at the 1,900+ year old building, imbibing on classic Italian cuisine and vino, left us entranced as we thought about the ancient thru present history the building has witnessed over the centuries…
https://www.hostariapantheon.it/
And they lived happily ever after........... Ciao!
Nuptials & Honeymoon in Italy - Kelly & Jared Issue XXIV
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