Steps. Up and down canals, up and down ancient hiking trails, up and down vertical towns … steps. Thousands, maybe a million steps, were not what envisioned when I mapped out a cross-country trip to the picturesque coasts of Italy this summer.

I flew into Rome and spent a few days exploring the capital, the Renaissance city of Florence and even took funny pictures by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, all with ease. I expected an even more chill time at the three coastal regions I would visit — Venice, the Italian Riviera and the Amalfi Coast — but as my train crossed the Venetian lagoon, I was in for a surprise.