It’s pretty chilly outside (-3C/25F) and this cold Milan weather has me reminiscing about one of my previous trips to Australia. In 2012, I spent two months traveling up the West Coast of Australia (mostly visiting friends along the way), starting in Melbourne and working my way through Sydney, Coffs Harbor, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa and up to the Whitsunday Islands which make up part of the Great Barrier Reef.
When I walk past the Duomo and see this view as I enter the galleria in Milano, I can’t help but think it looks *magical*, like something I’d see in a fairytale. Just the sheer vision in the old architecture in Italy is quite amazing if you think about it ❤
Montmartre is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris. I love the quaint little side streets, the cafes and restaurants, and venturing up the hill past the artists’ square and all of the beautiful shops to the to the backside of Sacre Coeur Cathedral … all the while listening to the classic French music playing in the streets … you know, the melodies we’re all so familiar with from the movies.
“Remember it’s always better to look up” 🙂
If you get the chance to go to South Africa, you won’t want to miss visiting the majestic looking Table Mountain, located in Cape Town. Its flat-topped mountain peaks (which resemble a ‘table,’ hence the name) reach over 1,000 meters above sea level. It’s quite an amazing view from the top – and considered one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (in the world). For the adventurous ones, you can actually spend the day hiking up the mountain, but if you’re like me (somewhat adventurous but not interested in spending an entire day hiking up a mountain), there’s a tram 🙂
“Mine was the twilight and the morning. Mine was a world of rooftops and love songs.” – Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy
“Phra Nakhon Khiri” or “Khao Wang” is an old summer palace located in the province of Phetchaburi, Thailand that was built under the reign of King Rama IV (the famous King from the movie The King and I or the modern version Anna and the King). The beautiful structure and decor is a combination of Thai, Chinese and European styles and the final construction was finished in 1858.
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Marcus Aurelius As I was looking through some photos of a visit to Rome this summer I stumbled on this one of the Colosseum, which I love, particularly because as I was taking it a bird hovered just above it and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. It made me think of the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe, one of my all-time favorites. There’s the famous line “What we do in life echoes in eternity” and it’s so powerful. The thing is, it’s never too late to make life count… and there is always the beauty of hope and redemption. 🙂
Simply gorgeous. No matter how many times I walk by the Duomo in Milan, I can’t help but admire the cathedral’s intricate details. It took almost six centuries to complete, is the 5th largest in the world (the largest in Italy), and is considered a work of late Gothic style.
Sacred Heart, located in one of my favorite Parisian districts, Montmartre.
‘TRAVEL is about the GORGEOUS feeling of teetering in the UNKNOWN.’
One of our favorite days trips from Milan is to the quaint little city of Cernobbio, located on Lake Como. It’s probably about a mile long (or less), sits right on the lake, and is beautiful year-round, especially in the summer months when you can walk through the little city, sit outside in a restaurant with a refreshing glass of Prosecco and delicious cheese platter, or sip on a cappuccino in a cute cafe. I took the featured photo after a hike up the mountain that brought us to this gorgeous panoramic view of Lake Como.
I’ve jotted down some thoughts from previous trips of mine as I’ve been there on holiday at different times of the year (and also lived there for a short period of time years ago). I’ve included lots of photos and maps since I’m a really visual person – so hopefully that will help some of you as well 🙂 Feel free to comment and/or ask any questions that come up and I’ll try to give you any insight I have.
One of my favorite things to get when I visit Thailand is a dessert called Khao-Lam. It’s a speciality of the province of Phetchaburi, my dad’s hometown, which is famous for its cuisine and desserts. (Apparently, the cooks in the King’s Palace are always from this region, as they are “the best in Thailand,” which sounds a little biased, but quite honestly, the food there is pretty much amazing!). The dessert is made up of a sweet sticky rice (with coconut milk) and black bean mixture which is then placed into hollowed out bamboo pieces and grilled until the sticky rice becomes soft and warm… it’s seriously delicious. It’s pretty rich, so in the future I have to remember to not make the mistake of telling my relatives I love it or else they will buy endless bags of it, which you just can’t refuse (it’s a little like Italian culture in that respect). It’s like you can’t say no and hurt their feelings, so you are almost obligated to keep eating until you feel like you’re going to …
The old summer palace (aka “Monkey Hill”) in the province of Phetchaburi, Thailand that was built by King Rama IV. The decor is a combination of Thai, Chinese and European styles and the final construction was finished in 1858. There’s a tram that will take you up to the palace as it’s situated on a hill – the only thing I’ll warn you of is that the palace in inhabited by monkeys that freely roam to and from, and enjoy stealing from unsuspecting tourists. Keep your belonging tucked away!
Delightfully Chaotic 