After a summer trip to Rome this past year, we're still thinking about long lines everywhere and how crowded it was. There are some incredible things to see in Italy, like visiting historic buildings and other spots where history happened... it's wonderful. However, sometimes, when you need a vacation, it's not from the place you live but from too many people and overstimulation.

Why not take your hard-earned leisure time and actually make it leisurely? There is a lovely underrated destination in Italy, in the volcanic Aeolian Islands – Isole Eolie in Italian — (where the Greek god Aeolus is supposed to live). It's just off the northeast coast of Sicily and perfect for what you're looking for.