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Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

By: Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor
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About this listen

 New episodes every Wednesday and Friday! Your guide to Italy travel! Hosts Darcy and Nathaniel—two tourists-turned-locals—offer advice like how to get off the beaten path (like going south), how order coffee like a local (at the bar), and most importantly, where to find authentic Italian food and gelato. Visit Italy with us every week from home or in the car. Whether you’re planning an Italy vacation or looking to move here, Darcy and Nathaniel guide you along the way. Follow us wherever you listen to podcasts and check out our website onlyabag.com for articles! Thanks for listening!Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Off the Beaten Path: Capua's Ancient Amphitheater

    Off the Beaten Path: Capua's Ancient Amphitheater
    Apr 10 2026

    We're off the beaten path again in this episode and we're talking about the Amphitheatre of Capua. This amphitheater dates back to the first century BCE and was the site of the first gladiator school. We'll tell you about everything from the massive size a classic shape of the amphitheater that was the model for the Coliseum to the civil war that ultimately destroyed a significant part of it.

    A lot of the Amphitheatre of Capua still stands and you can visit it today! Check out the Ministry of Culture website, cultura.gov.it, for tickets to the Amphitheater, the Gladiator Museum, Mithraeum, and National Archaeological Museum of Ancient Capua. As of April 2026, when this episode publishes, the Archaeological Museum is temporarily closed for renovations.


    Capua and the city of city of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, where the amphitheater and other sites are located, is an easy day-trip from Naples. If you're looking for hotels in Naples, here are our recommendations. These are affiliated links, we are not employed by these businesses, if you use our affiliate links, we will receive a small commission.

    Starhotels Terminus: near the station Expedia | Booking

    Palazzo Caracciolo Naples: historic center Expedia | Booking

    Art Resort Galleria Umberto: Spanish Quarter Expedia | Booking

    Pinto Storey Hotel: in Chiaia ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠


    As mentioned in this episode, we'll be changing our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast" as well as our podcast cover art in about 2 weeks. Plus we started a Patreon! To learn more about these changes you can listen to our "⁠⁠⁠Fireside Chat episode⁠⁠⁠" and you can check out our Patreon here, ⁠⁠patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast⁠⁠⁠!


    If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).

    If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

    If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Thanks for listening!

    xDarcy and Nathaniel
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    53 mins
  • Off the Beaten Path: Rome's Monte Testaccio

    Off the Beaten Path: Rome's Monte Testaccio
    Apr 8 2026

    We're back and we're off the beaten path again! Today we're talking about the ancient landfill-turned-mountain of Monte Testaccio in Rome's Testaccio neighborhood. What awaits you at the top are beautiful views of Rome, the sense of accomplishment that you've scaled a pile of trash, and underfoot—all along the way—you'll see carefully broken pottery, neatly stacked and placed to create paths, walls, and the entirety of the mountain you're standing on.


    To book and for more information, you can visit: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/monte-dei-cocci

    If you're looking to book a hotel in Rome, we recommend the three below for their location and safety. These are affiliate links, and while we don't represent any of the companies listed, we do recieve a small commission which goes towards supporting Only A Bag. We appreciate your support!

    Palazzo Cardinal Cesi: Expedia | Booking

    Trastevere Roma | UNA Esperienze: Expedia | Booking

    Palazzo Montemartini Rome: Expedia | Booking


    As mentioned in this episode, we'll be changing our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast" as well as our podcast cover art in about 2 weeks. Plus we started a Patreon! To learn more about these changes you can listen to our "⁠⁠⁠Fireside Chat episode⁠⁠⁠" and you can check out our Patreon here, ⁠⁠patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast⁠⁠⁠!


    If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).

    If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

    If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Thanks for listening!

    xDarcy and Nathaniel
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • Siena Revisited: What to Eat and What to See

    Siena Revisited: What to Eat and What to See
    Apr 3 2026
    In this episode we're continuing our revisit of Siena. We run a little long on talking about what to eat, but if you've listened to this podcast before, then you know that's nothing new! If you're new here, "welcome!" we love food and talk about it a lot. We also talk about some of the major sites to see in Siena and few off the beaten path ones as well. If you're looking for more info about the sites we mention in this episode, you can check out their official links here:Duomo di Siena (the Cathedral of Siena) operaduomo.siena.itPalazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia Website: museocivico.comune.siena.itTickets: operalaboratori.vivaticket.itSanta Maria della Scala Museum santamariadellascala.comBottini di Siena siena.b-ticket.com -This is a link to the ticket office of the commune di Siena, where you can purchase tickets to the Bottini di Siena as well as the Santa Maria della Scala Museum and civic museums as well as a condo ticket. Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Academy of Music) chigiana.org If you're looking for hotels in Siena, you can check out our hotel recommendations below. These are affiliate links and if you book through them we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Villa Elda Boutique Hotel - San Prospero Neighborhood ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠ Palazzo Ravizza - Castelvecchio Neighborhood ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠B&B Il Corso - Centro/Historic Center ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠Residenza d'epoca San Martino 29 - Leocorno Neighborhood ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠Hotel Italia - Porta Camollia ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠Borgo Grondaie - near the train station (convenient if you have a car) ⁠Expedia ⁠| ⁠Booking⁠As mentioned in this episode, we'll be changing our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast" as well as our podcast cover art in about 3 weeks. Plus we started a Patreon! To learn more about these changes you can listen to our "⁠⁠Fireside Chat episode⁠⁠" and you can check out our Patreon here, ⁠patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast⁠⁠!If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate). If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks for listening! xDarcy and Nathaniel
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    44 mins
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