hungryone2

Heathrow has been an unqualified mess this summer....so maybe plan for arrival in Buda in the wee hours. Find out if your hotel has a 24 hr front desk, make sure they know you might be in extremely late...figure out a solid transport option for that time of night.

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What kind of near frick ups have you done?

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Not monetary, but many years ago, traveling with a too-heavy suitcase....almost misssed train to the airport in Rome bc i was rush hour & the train was mobbed. There was virtually no room, I'm trying to wrestle my case onto the the train and it is caught in the gap. Lucky for me, a big rugby tourney was in town, and several very large rugby fans/obv amateur players standing at the door noticed my problem. As the doors are closing on me, they stepped forward and bodily lifted me & suitcase onto the train, while pushing back the crowd. I was startled, they thought it was hilarious, and we all made it to the airport on time.

Cured me of ever hauling a big case again.

If no lightning, go for a beach walk in the rain. Can be quite fun to play in the rain.

Yes--adore Sicily in all of its complications. Having a car is a must--it is not well-served by public transit, and without a car, you won't get into the deep interior or nooks & crannies.

Are you flying into Palermo or Catania? Planning a driving route depends on whether you've got to start/end in the same place or not.

Agree that Taormina is a gorgeous spot, and Etna is worth seeing up close and from afar. If you're staying in Taormina, try to find a place with a view. If you're economizing, you can stay down in Giardini Naxos for a LOT less and drive up to Taormina for the day/evening. Big public parking garage on the edge of Taormina makes it easy.

A surprise spot we ended up enjoying tremendously was the pilgrimage site of Tindari. It's on a promontory overlooking a beach/lagoon, the site of an ancient Greek town (with excavated ruins) that is also a historic Catholic pilgrimage site with a Black Madonna figure. Can be clogged with tourists in peak season, but it's a pretty spot in the off seasons.

Also consider going to one of the Aeolian islands, if you travel along the northern coast. Vulcano, Panarea, etc or even Stromboli if you're super into volcanoes.

Palermo is fried-street-food heaven. Damn, if I only had some arancini right now. If you're into food markets, the Ballaro market is still full of actual shoppers, not just tourists.

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She’s my travel buddy and she does well, but dad will be at home so I need to have her prepped as much as possible. We had the beach discussion and I showed her typical crowded Italian resorts so she’d understand

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Kudos to you for taking her on an adventure with just the two of you. I encounter so many women who are mortally afraid of traveling without a spouse/SO. Show her how to be smart & safe and you will have given her a gift of independence and freedom.

Since you've already got the Vietri sul Mare section booked, I'll suggest a few Amalfi Coast things to do/see:
--Cetara; it is famous for making a traditional (ancient) Roman style fish sauce, called Colatura di alici. You can read about it here:

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LINK

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. There is a small museum in town that covers the making of the fish sauce, in the Torre Vicereale.
--Vietri is the hotbed of handpainted ceramics along the Amalfi coast. Lots of places to buy souvenirs & most places will ship so you don't have to schlep fragile stuff back with you.
--Minori: small town of mostly locals and not as many tourists; worth a stop simply to eat pastries at Sal di Riso's cafe. Amazing selection of sweets for a relatively small place: LINK
--Amalfi: the papermaking museum: LINK
--Ravello: the Villa Cimbrone gardens: LINK

Frequent repeat visitor to Italy, from Trento in the north all the way to Palermo in Sicily. A few thoughts based on your proposed itinerary of Naples/Sorrento to Rome to Florence:
1)previous poster is correct--July will be hot & fairly crowded. So just bear that in mind when planning stops at mass tourist sites (pretty much all the big sites in Rome & Florence).

2)Naples gets a bad rap, but it is a fascinating city & the old pre-Roman center (Decumani) is easily walkable. It is worth a day trip to Naples to see the national archaeology museum, where the best artifacts from Pompeii & Herculaneum are housed. Plus, pizza...you can buy a pizza folded like a napkin and eat it on the street if you're pressed for time.

3)Herculaneum or Pompeii should be on your itinerary. From Vietri, its about a 30 minute drive. You can hire a driver, or, if you & daughter are intrepid, take the bus. (I'd take the bus, simply bc I like people watching and local color.) The Metropolitano 21316 bus only makes 5-6 stops between Vietri and Pompeii. Check out the Trenitalia website for schedules, bus stop info, ticket info, etc, in English: Trenitalia schedule info

3.) The ATAC buses go up and down the Amalfi Coast, so you can see Positano, Amalfi, and the lovely scenery....but be warned: that road is the curviest, twistiest thing ever, and it feels like it is barely wide enough for a car and a half, much less two full size buses. I got carsick, and I never get carsick. The ferry service is a better option. See the schedule here: Amalfi Coast ferry schedule

4)Amalfi area is lovely, but there are not "beaches" per se. Little pockets of rock and sand, accessed by a long climb, in many cases, down rocky stairs. So prep your teen by looking at pics so she's not thinking of a wide swathe of golden sand.

5. Train from Naples to Rome is fast, not expensive. You can eat/drink on the train, so pack a lunch (or breakfast) and enjoy the trip. Termini station in Rome is a big chaotic place--not sure if your lodgings are nearby, but the bus queues can be a push-fest, and a taxi might be a better (but more expensive) option.

6. Hopefully your apartment in Vietri has a washer/dryer so you can pack lightly and do laundry before you head north. If you can manage a pair of backpacks and a single roller between the two of you, it would be a much better idea than trying to schlep multiple large pieces of luggage. Teach baby girl about a capsule wardrobe, layering, and the freedom of not having 1,000 pounds of crap to drag around.

I have lots of thoughts on Rome, but maybe if you post where you're staying, etc I can offer some more relevant tips.

I like shallow, square or rectangular containers as well. Makes it easier to defrost than a cylinder quart container.

If they're peeled, I'll put them in small quantities in the little zip bags. Enough for 1-2 servings--I don't always need several pounds at a time.

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350!! No really 6 months

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Goodness....I hope you aren't remotely prone to motion sickness, or it will feel like an eternity.

If you want to jump into the deep end of fermentation, you need to check out Sandor Katz's excellent books. His The Art of Fermentation is a mini encyclopedia of fermented stuff from around the world, with clear instructions. LInk to his website: LINK

I've done some naturally fermented sodas (ginger bug) and pickling....but it's not a regular part of my kitchen schtick. Unless you count sourdough bread...

Take up a portable hobby, like watercolor painting, sketching, knitting, etc. From what I've seen of those itineraries, a significant time is spent at sea. You'd better like reading and have some structured ways to spend that time, or you run the risk of being mightily bored during some stretches.

Would she enjoy afternoon tea instead of dinner? It's "fancy", with lots of decoratively presented small items, usually nothing too weird for a 9 y o palate, and tea is a kid friendly beverage.

Here's a list of afternoon tea spots in Dallas: LINK