While our parents planned our wedding, we were focused on planning our honeymoon. Sam had never been to Europe, so we knew we would definitely head to the continent. We wanted a mix of relaxation and touring, so we started googling. We found a kosher program in a hotel called Metropol in Arosa Switzerland. While the hotel looked shady, we liked the idea of a kosher hotel and the mountains of Switzerland sounded like the perfect place to start our honeymoon. We planned on travelling from there to Italy to see the sites with stops in Rome, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, and a day trip to Florence. We were excited for the trip, and a bit nervous about the hotel in Arosa. We crossed our fingers that it actually existed, and boarded the plane for Switzerland!
The Swiss Alps
Day 1 – Arosa
Getting to Arosa was quite the journey, as we had to take three separate trains to get there from the airport. The trains through the mountains were quite nice, but we were exhausted from travelling and couldn’t wait to get to the hotel. We were relieved to see the hotel existed, and although we got the nicest room in the place, it was more of a seminar room than a luxury hotel. The food in the hotel was amazing, and we looked forward to seeing that night’s dinner menu posted in the elevator each day. The hotel was filled with religious people from Israel and Europe, and Rita got a few comments about her clothing, but we were thrilled that we stayed there.
After showering, we went out for our first hike, taking the gondola up to the peak of the Weisshorn, and hiked to Mittelstation and down the squirrel trail to town. Rita then put on her skirt, and we enjoyed a steak dinner in the hotel.
Day 2 – Bad Ragaz
On Tuesday, we took the train to a town called Bad Ragaz. We went to see the Tamina Gorge, which was a thermal hot spring in a narrow gorge cut into the mountains. Afterwards, we walked around the town of Chur. After dinner, we enjoyed the waterworks light and music show on the Obersee.
Day 3-6 – Arosa
We spent the rest of the week enjoying Arosa. On Wednesday, we rented ebikes and tried to do some mountain biking. Rita had trouble getting on, but after a while got the hang of it. We lasted about an hour. In the afternoon, we went to the rope park which was a fun time climbing in the trees, and ziplining. Then we rented a rowboat on the Obersee.
On Thursday, we took the lift up to Hornli, and hiked down from there, seeing some cows along the way. We then attempted the 10-lake hike in Arosa, getting to 4 all together. We did swim in the Untersee, which was a chance to jump off a really high platform into the freezing water below. That night, we went to the Kulm hotel for some 9 pin bowling, which naturally became competitive (Sam won). After that we listened to some Jazz in the hotel and headed home.
Friday was our spa day. We walked up the hill to the six star Tschuggen Grand Hotel, where we enjoyed a couples massage, wet and dry saunas, and relaxed by the pools.
Shabbat was our last day in Arosa. Sam got hagbah in shul in the morning, we enjoyed our meals, and walked around town.
Day 7 – Zurich
Sunday morning, we took the train back to Zurich where we spent the day, and one night before our early morning flight to Naples/Capri. Zurich was a pretty city, but pretty cosmopolitan. We walked around the old city of Zurich, and along the waterfront. We also went to the Kunsthaus, Zurich’s modern art museum which had some cool pieces including Chagall. We also went to the Zurich Zoo (Zooh!) and had dinner at the Olive Garden kosher restaurant which had crazy security to get in.
Amalfi Coast
Day 8-9 – Capri
After waking up at 3:55, we arrived at the airport at 5, before security even opened. We didn’t realize that since we were staying in the Schengen area, this was more like a domestic flight back home. After the flight, a cab ride, a ferry, and a ride up the funicular, we finally arrived at the hotel. The Capri Tiberio Palace was spectacular, and with our upgraded room to sea view, we spent the day at the hotel pool. Rita got a spa pedicure and we enjoyed dinner at the hotel’s kosher restaurant.
On Tuesday, we got breakfast ordered to our hotel room, and although it was a bit overcast, we went to La Canzone del Mare beach club. The trip down the winding cliffs was scary, as the taxi navigated the blind curves. We sat on the pool deck, went down to the rock beach. We spent some time shopping in the afternoon and headed back to the hotel.
Day 10 – Pompeii
After leaving the hotel at 8:30, we travelled to Pompeii where we met our tour guide Lena. We explored the ruins, seeing the enormous marble villas, theatres, huge main street, including crossroads and chariot marks in the stones. We also saw fast food stalls with terra cotta pots used to keep food warm, public bathhouses, and the brothel. Temples with altars to the Roman gods, and public waterfountains.
After exploring Pompeii, we took a tour up to Mt Vesuvius which erupted on August 29, 79 AD destroying the city of Pompeii below. Afterwards, we did some shopping in Sorrento (bought leather shoes for Sam and a wallet for Rita) on the way back to our hotel in Capri.
Day 11 – Capri
Thursday, we spent the morning by the hotel, and booked a boat ride around the island in the afternoon. We went to the Green Grotto, where we swam off the side of the boat, and couldn’t get into the blue grotto due to the water conditions. Afterwards, we walked around Anacapri.
Central Italy
Day 12-13 – Rome
Friday morning, we travelled to Rome by train and after checking into the hotel, we toured the sites. We went to the Trevi fountains, Spanish steps and Jewish Ghetto. We had gelato, did some shopping and went back to the hotel for Shabbat.
On Saturday, we walked to the Great Synagogue for Shacharit. Shul was really interesting where we enjoyed the Roman style, which was more reminiscent to Catholic Mass than Ashkenazi or Sephardic prayers. Peticha featured a choir singing from behind the hechal, and the reading of the torah was very theatrical. We stopped by the Pantheon on the way back to the hotel. We had dinner that night in Ba’Ghetto Milky where we saw Albert & Sophia. We walked by a market fair along the Tevere River.
Day 14 – Florence
Sunday we did a day trip to Florence (Museums closed in Florence on Mondays, and the Vatican was closed on Sunday). Our first stop was the Uffizi Gallery, which had a lot of Renaissance art and statues lining long hallways. The gallery was filled with art collected by the Medici family. After lunch at Ruth’s, we toured the Jewish museum and synagogue from the 1800’s (Jews were emancipated in the 1850’s). We then went to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. He was sculpted before defeating Goliath, and no sword to show how he was clever, not just strong. We then walked across Ponte Vecchio, which survived the Nazi bombing of Florence, and walked through the Boboli Gardens with its beautiful statues and fountains. Dinner was at La Taverna in Rome.
Day 15 – Rome & The Vatican
For our last day of the trip, we had two tours scheduled. First stop was the Coliseum, which was a huge social scene. Events included gladiator fights, elaborate hunting contents, and even naval battles. We also saw the Roman Forum, temples, and the Arch of Titus before heading to the Flavian era King’s House and gardens, and the Circus Maximus.
In the afternoon, we did a Jewish tour of the Vatican. Sam got frustrated with the guide because he spent so much time in the Popemobile exhibit, but we saw a bunch of the art in the Vatican collection, Michelangelo’s famous fresco ceiling, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We were surprised to see so many Jewish references and Hebrew writing evidencing the Jewish influence. That night we walked around Piazza Navona, before packing for our flight the next day.
