Wine

Off-the-Beaten-Path Italy: Matera’s Ancient Streets and Delicious Eats

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Matera, Basilicata, Italy.

Matera was the second stop on our 2025 Italian family trip, and one I’d planned with intention. Tucked into the southern region of Basilicata, this wasn’t my first visit. Dan and I had traveled to Matera back in 2021, and I knew it was somewhere worth returning to, especially if you want an Italy experience that feels completely different from the usual Rome–Florence–Venice (or Amalfi) circuit.

Matera, Italia.

Welcome Matera, Italia. It doesn’t look anything like the Italian hotspots.

We based ourselves in Matera for a special, and specific, reason: it’s the closest city to our friend’s ancestral hometown of Irsina. That made Matera the perfect home base for a day trip to Irsina, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip. While Irsina was the reason for our visit, we spent a decent amount of time in Matera itself.

Matera's Sassi.

Matera’s Sassi.

If you haven’t been, Matera doesn’t feel like anywhere else in Italy. The cave dwellings, the winding stone alleys, the layered views over the Sassi; it almost feels cinematic (and for good reason). This post walks you through exactly how we spent our time in Matera—what we prioritized, where we ate and drank, and how I’d recommend doing the same if you’re following a similar itinerary.

MATERA, ITALY: A [VERY] BRIEF BACKGROUND

Matera is the second-largest city in Basilicata and easily the region’s most visited, but it feels absolutely nothing like the rest of Italy. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with roots dating back to the 8th millennium BC. Adding to its ancientness, Matera is carved directly into limestone rock and split between two historic cliffside districts known as the Sassi, plus a modern town above.

Matera against a bright blue background.

Matera against a bright blue background. We had great weather when we arrived…

We stayed in the Sassi, and I’d recommend doing the same, unless you have mobility issues, as the Sassi is where you really experience what makes Matera special. Indeed, walking through the Sassi feels like stepping into another time entirely. It feels older and quieter that Italy’s more popular destiations, and a little surreal. The closest comparisons I can make are Petra in Jordan, Cappadocia in Türkiye, or Mdina in Malta, with its layered stone buildings and dramatic views carved into the landscape.

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The Naxos Apothecary: A Portara View Restaurant in Chora, Naxos

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Dinner served at The Naxos Apothecary in Chora, Naxos

For those familiar with the Greek beauty and skin care brand Korres, you may have heard of its owners’ upscale beauty and skin care brand, The Naxos Apothecary. Inspired by Greece’s oldest homeopathic pharmacy, The Naxos Apothecary brand makes lovely beauty products, skin care, and scents. The brand is somewhat difficult to find outside of Greece, so I definitely recommend picking some up while you are there. In any case, The Naxos Apothecary also has a restaurant and store combination located right in Chora, Naxos. This post reviews my lovely dinner at The Naxos Apothecary in July 2025. It was one of seven places we ate in Chora, all of which are in our guide to the best restaurants in Naxos Town.

The Naxos Apothecary restaurant and shop in Chora, Naxos, Greece

The Naxos Apothecary Restaurant.

First off, The Naxos Apothecary is located at the far end of Chora port’s restaurant row, very close to the entryway to the Portara. It can be a bit difficult to find unless you are walking to the Portara. The establishment itself is both a restaurant/wine bar/tea cafe and a shop selling some of the brand’s most famous products (although the selection was not that great in my opinion). We did not make a reservation and were able to snag an outdoor table just after sunset on a Friday evening, which was pretty lucky. I suggest making a reservation. The restaurant is small and also offers, at least from the outside tables, a slight glimpse of the Portara and an excellent sunset view.

View of the Portara and the sea from an outdoor table at The Naxos Apothecary

View from our table.

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Restaurant Review: Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio

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Pasta alla Gricia at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in Rome

We are big Rome restaurant fans, have a pretty good roster of Rome restaurants, and were very excited to share some of these spots with our friends on our October trip to Rome. We originally planned to take our friends to another Testaccio favorite but we had to pivot at the last minute and luckily scored a reservation at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio! This was our second visit to Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio, and it was just as great as the first (if not better). Highly recommend Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio for a solid Roman meal in Rome. This post details our dinner at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in October 2025.

The exterior of Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in Rome

Angelina a Testaccio – lunch, dinner and cocktails!

ANGELINA A TESTACCIO

Angelina a Testaccio is a Roman restaurant serving traditional Roman fare, including local wine, delicious appetizers specific to Lazio, and, of course, Rome’s 4 famous pastas! Angelina is one of 3 “Angelina” locations in Rome, and this one is located in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood. For those unfamiliar, Testaccio is home to Rome’s only pyramid and also used to be the site of Rome’s slaughterhouses, leading to some excellent restaurants (kind of odd, I know). Angelina a Testaccio keeps some of the original slaughterhouse vibe (for lack of a better word, LOL) alive through its architecture, including some original furnishings, its sloping floor, the rods on the ceiling where the skins were attached, the signs indicating the breeds of meat, large fireplaces and in the center, a table recovered from an ancient convent.

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Naxos Itinerary: A Relaxed Greek Island Escape

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Chora and Portara. Naxos, Greece.

As you may know, last summer’s July 4 vacation took us back to Greece, this time to Crete and Naxos. I shared a lot about our time in Crete and how you can recreate our trip for yourself, but I haven’t shared much about Naxos. And quite frankly, that is because I absolutely LOVED Naxos and simply cannot put into a blog post how much. We also didn’t do anything too touristy or fancy; we just relaxed and enjoyed the island. In this post, I will share what we did with our time in Naxos, including what we loved, what was meh (very little), and what I will do again. If you are considering Naxos as a vacation destination, I highly recommend it!

In this Naxos itinerary

Whitewashed buildings in Chora, Naxos, Greece

Chora, Naxos, Greece.

NAXOS ISLAND – LOCATION & GENERAL INFORMATION

The Cyclades are a group of famous Greek islands that are well known for being the “blue and white islands” made famous by the likes of Mamma Mia! and the legends of Santorini. The Cyclades are also home to the party-centric Mykonos and the recently popular Milos. Naxos is the largest of all the islands in the Cyclades. We have been to five of the Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Milos, Paros, and Naxos), and we love this island group.

A map showing the location of Naxos in the Greek islands

Naxos, Greece on a map.

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Hotel Review: Domes Zeen Chania, Crete.

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Domes Zeen Chania, Crete, Greece.

Dan and I spent a lovely and relaxing week just outside of Chania, Crete last July (2025). We stayed at Domes Zeen Chania, a Marriott Bonvoy property (making it ideal for those looking for point redemptions). While it is not in Chania proper, we had a wonderful stay at Domes Zeen Chania would easily return. This post details our stay at Domes Zeen Chania in July 2025.

The private terrace at Domes Zeen Chania in Crete, Greece

Our private terrace at Domes Zeen Chania.

Pros of Domes Zeen Chania: Beautiful property, spacious rooms with excellent air conditioning, natural beauty, especially at sunset, possible to use Marriott Bonvoy points, American style mattresses (IYKYK).

Cons of Domes Zeen Chania: Lots of families with children, pricey compared to other hotels in the area, more Western International than Greek, located far from Chania town.

Sunset from the main pool at Domes Zeen Chania, Crete

Sunset from the main pool at Domes Zeen Chania. The sunsets were consistently outstanding. 

THE DOMES ZEEN CHANIA PROPERTY

Domes Zeen Chania is located in greater Chania town – a 15 minute drive, or a 45 minute walk, from Chania’s famous Old Venetian Port. As it is outside of Chania, the hotel is somewhat secluded, abutting the sea on one side and being pretty closed off from the public otherwise. There are a few businesses – beach clubs and restaurants – within a short walk, but you will likely spend most of your time at the hotel unless you venture into Chania proper. In other words, this is a good spot for those just wanting to enjoy a relaxing vacation without too much sightseeing.

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