Five suitcases, three kids, one BMW (eventually), and a stretch of Italian road carved through August heat. This was the heart of an eight-week family escape across Italy — a chapter that unfolded from Rome’s ancient stone to the sulphur-scented steam of Terme di Saturnia, paused under linen umbrellas at Il Pellicano, and drifted into the slow, cinematic rhythm of Isola d’Elba.

Elba was the real surprise — wild, authentic, and wonderfully under-covered. We split our time between the casual charm of Marina di Campo and a hidden villa near Madonna della Grazie, with its own private sea access and afternoons that turned into golden evenings. There was pistachio pesto and snorkelling off the rocks, warm thermal pools, ferry crossings, and the kind of easy summer beauty that’s impossible to plan — only found.