Oh to be a fashion blogger encouraged to travel to Italy for a month with your hotter than God boyfriend that you managed to fake date yourself into a relationship with. 

Our heroine of this story might just be the sweetest and most determined of our Twisted Girls to forge her own path. With years of hard work she has created an online community and fashion blog that has caught the attention of some major brands. Yet it’s our main man Christian Harper that really makes her see her own strength, I mean read this: “If you saw yourself the way other people see you, you’d never doubt again.” OH MY LIFE. 

Fake dating a billionaire (who has been fascinated with you for years) seems to fall into her lap after no longer being able to afford the rent in her building. But after a stalker re-enters her life violating the space she calls home, she is moved into our MMC’s penthouse apartment (he is CEO of his own security company after all). 

Even if a Hawaiian work trip with your very personal security guard isn’t enough, perhaps a month-long vacation to Italy might be. 

For our leading man Christian Harper, what better than to whisk your Butterfly away when more threatening letters come through. It might just be the trip to thaw out that frozen heart that doesn’t believe in love. Because when it comes to Stella, even love is possible right?

Protection might be a convenient excuse to entice your beloved to Italy for a month-long vacay, but would any of us really need much persuading? So let’s do it. One month in Italy travel itinerary. (For those not able to take a month to explore, I’m also going to create a 2 week itinerary as well).

And if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about… you should definitely be introduced to the Twisted Series by Ana Huang – one of the best romance authors I’ve read. Twisted Lies was my favourite one by far!

Day One: Travel to Italy – duh

Fly into Milan, the fashion capital of Italy and the obvious first destination of choice for our fashion blogger. 

Day Two, Three and Four: The Art Museums

You cannot avoid the art museums in Italy, even if you are a billionaire with a troubled past that loathes art and love. Besides, the museums may not want the son of the infamous The Ghost in their museums either. But you can’t go to Italy and not see the works of Da Vinci, Rafael, or Caravaggio; and in Milan you can see all three. 

Head to Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Bask in the aura of one of the most famous paintings in the world. 

After the Last Supper, head to Pinacoteca di Brera and see The Kiss by Francesco Hayez as well as other notable works of art.

For our brand building blogger, Stella would want to get those insta worthy snaps along the way, so don’t miss out on the following:

Bosco Verticale – a skyrise linked with nature, it is covered in plants!

Duomo – the main square and where you will find the oldest church in the Italian republic. Construction started in 1386 and took six centuries to complete. 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – the oldest active shopping center in Italy that has four floors. The iron and glass roof makes this a total insta worthy location.

As well as the sights, be sure to take your Butterfly for a night at the Opera before heading to Venice. 

Day Five and Six – Venice

Venice is like a dream, a floating city with a lot of places only accessible by boat. The location of so many movies, it’s no wonder it’s such a romantic setting. 

For our favourite Twisted couple, meandering along the cobbled streets seeking out small pleasures seems the best way to spend a few days in Venice. I couldn’t leave this off their itinerary. You cannot travel to Italy without visiting here.

It wouldn’t be Christian Harper if they didn’t do the obligatory gondola ride through the canals before admiring the sunset from the Rialto Bridge. Take on the steps at the Campanile which will no doubt leave you breathless. Now you have a great excuse to cling to each other as you look out over the city. 

Of course you can’t come to Venice without seeing St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace as well as St Mark’s Clocktower and the Bridge of Sighs but there are a few hidden gems in Venice as well. 

Take a peek at San Zaccaria’s church where if you go below to the crypt, the floor is submerged (as many buildings in Venice are). The water enhances the atmosphere of the site rather than ruining it, leaving visitors feeling as if it were submerged on purpose.

After taking in the crypt, head to Acqua Alta Bookstore. It’s a small store but there are thousands of books, so many it seems like the walls are made of them. Out the back, there is a book staircase that gives you a view of the canals.

Day Seven – Ravenna

On the way to Florence, travel via Ravenna and visit the Basilica of San Vitale. Seemingly quiet plain and unassuming on the outside, the inside is a mosaic work of art. Depictions of angels and saints are spread across the walls and arches. It is a true work of art that shouldn’t be missed. 

Day Eight and Nine – Florence

Some more internal grumbling for Christian Harper who no doubt (due to his family history) is utterly sick of art museums by this point. However, anything for Stella who no doubt wouldn’t be able to resist seeing Michaelangelo’s Statue of David at the Accademia Gallery. 

As he says in the books, you can’t go to Italy and not see the art so might as well head to the Uffizi Art Museum as well. Here you will see notable works of art including my favorites: Medusa by Cavaggio and The Birth of Venus by Botilcello.

Maybe time for another instagram poll on who looks better? Mr Christian Harper or the Statue of David? Maybe not. I’m not sure Mr Harper’s ego could take another beating after losing to Mr Unicorn the first time around.

In addition, you have the San Lorenzo Market, The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral), and if you want some breathtaking views, head to Piazzale Michaelangelo.

Day Ten – Portofino

Before moving onto another city, take a day to enjoy the small coastal town of Portofino. With its insta-worthy scenery, Stella would be in her element here. The houses built into the cliff side are stunning and if I didn’t know better, I would think it fits more in with the Amalfi Coast than so far north. 

Don’t skip Paraggi Beach for a quick dip or the Church of Divo Martino.

Day Eleven – Pisa and Volterra

Pisa is an obvious one, especially as you’re driving past it anyway. While the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the main attraction, don’t skip the Cathedral of Pisa. The interiors are breathtaking. 

HOWEVER I am going to go on a limb here and say that Stella would want to visit Volterra. She may need to hide the reason from Christian as I don’t think he would approve. Let me explain. 

I reckon that the Twisted girls all grew up reading the Twilight novels and then the movies. This is speculation of course but they’re characters in a book so I can speculate all I like. Therefore I believe Stella would want to visit Volterra where the second movie with the Volturi was filmed. Do you reckon she could convince Christian to reenact the reunion scene with her? I’m not convinced, but either way, it’s worth a stop off on the way to Rome. 

Day Twelve – Saturnia and Rome

OK, final stop before heading to Rome in the afternoon. Saturnia hot springs. These are STUNNING and free – so unfortunately our multi-millionaire can’t rent out the whole place. However, if you turn up early enough, it should be quiet and you can enjoy the pools in peace. Relatively unknown, this is a must for anyone looking to travel to Italy.

From here, drive on to the capital city of Rome. 

Day Thirteen, Fourteen & Fifteen – Rome

There is a lot to fit in in Rome, we’re not going to do a deep dive of all of the sites as this post is long enough. However, our girl is gonna wanna get her insta shots so let’s at least get a list together of all the important sites which you’ll need too when you travel to Italy.

The Colosseum – duh.

The Trevi Fountain – a must see in the day and at night when it’s all lit up.

The Vatican & Sistine Chapel – if you don’t have a multi-millionaire boyfriend, it would be worth booking your tour in advance to avoid the exceptionally long line. You can also do a night tour of the Vatican – Creepy!

The Pantheon – over 2000 years old 

Pyramid of Cestius – an amazing example of the influence of Ancient Egypt on the Roman Empire.

OK so we’ve hit all the major sites – feel free to add more to your itinerary. 

But you can’t come to Rome without doing a food tour. Examples of foods from all over the country can be found in the capital. So a food tour is one of the best ways to try lots of things.

After your belly is full, head to one of the many rooftop bars available. Hell, maybe your CEO boyfriend might do a private night just for the two of you. Spot a Home has a great article on Rooftop Bars in Rome so check it out. 

Day Sixteen & Seventeen – Naples and Pompeii

Our girl Stella is worldly and inquisitive therefore it makes sense that visiting Pompeii would be on the list. Naples is known for its pizza and who can resist that? 

Spend at least one day in Naples trying as much food as possible and be sure to include the following throughout the day:

Napoli Sotterraneo – Underground Tour

Gesú Nuovo Church

Art in the Metro Stations – Toledo in particular

I know, I know, our main man Mr Harper is not into art. However – I may have found one that might bring him around. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale has a secret room that houses a lot of sex themed artwork. I’m pretty sure Stella could get him on board with this particular art museum. 

Day Eighteen to Twenty Seven – The Amalfi Coast

OK so the previous nearly three weeks have been BUSY. Therefore the next ten days are going to be aimless wandering, day trips to different towns and basically super chill. We’re heading to THE AMALFI COAST babies! Essential location if you travel to Italy.

So, the book doesn’t specify too much where our fave couple goes. We know at the end they are in Capri – so we’ll finish our itinerary there. 

In the meantime, the following towns are STUNNING and would be well worth a visit:

Salerno – Churches, swimming, walking, eating, I MEAN LOOK AT THIS CHURCH:

Positano – Boat Trip, beaches, walk around the coastline, nightlife – dancing

Sorrento – Shopping and eating in Piazza Torquato Tasso, I Giardini di Cataldo (Lemon Grove)

Capri – OK. Whilst writing the rest of this post, Capri has been in the back of my mind. The boat scene… the rope… the blindfold… Yikes. It is almost too much and also not enough? Does that make sense? The trust built between Christian and Stella and of course this is where she first [SPOILER ALERT] drops the L word. 

As with our main couple, you’ve got to do a boat tour – highly recommend taking one out yourself if you’re qualified to do so – then you can reenact THE SCENE. DREAMS CAN COME TRUE PEOPLE.

See the Faraglioni Rocks and take a tour of the bluest water ever in the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto). 

The beach at Marina Piccola is insta worthy and if you haven’t bought enough (can your CEO boyfriend ever spend enough on his butterfly?) there is some designer shopping at Via Camerelle.

Day Twenty Eight

Fly Home

Wow, OK this one took a while. The research was intense and I tried to line it up with the book and characters where possible. I’ve enjoyed writing this so much and I hope you all enjoy it too. 

Let me know what you think! Would you travel to Italy? Stupid question. Where will you go when you travel to Italy?

The link to the spreadsheet is here: Twisted Lies – Italy 1 month. 

Enjoy Ana Huang’s books? Check out the Twisted Hate Inspired New Zealand Itinerary and King of Wrath Inspired Paris Itinerary.