All posts tagged: Europe

Venice, Italia

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Venezia, Italia: Sei bellissima! My husband and I just returned from a lovely little getaway to Venice (with our 4 month old, stroller and all!) Despite it being nearly freezing (literally), we had a wonderful visit. I had actually forgotten how beautiful Venice is… my previous visits to the city on water always happened to be in the peak of summer: in scorching hot August, over crowded with tourists, high season and therefore, ridiculously expensive. In contrast, visiting in January meant that there were far less tourists, shorter lines (if your the museum-goer type), more hotel vacancies, better prices in general, and *bonus* no awful canal smells that grow stronger from the intense heat and humidity the summer brings… just be prepared to bundle up! While we nearly froze one of the days, we made sure our little one was completely bundled up in several layers and the great thing was that he’s still at the age where he mostly slept in his warm “cocoon” stroller lining complete with a rain/wind cover for added protection while we walked …

When European Winters Happen to California Girls

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It snowed today for the first time this winter and basically… … This just captures it all. As a California girl (who’s also lived briefly in Thailand and Florida, i.e. tropical places) living in Milan, I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how the women over here manage to look so glamorous in their high heels and cute little stylish jackets – prancing around the cobblestone streets (a feat of its own without snow) – while I’m simply trying to stay warm and comfortable and avoiding, as best possible, to not die of hypothermia or lose my toes to frostbite.

The Street Performer, Paris

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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.

Echoes in Eternity | il Colosseo

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“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. 🙂

L’arte del Gelato | Firenze, Italia

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One of the first things I loved about Italy was their attention to detail – their presentation of food and desserts – which is such an important part of their culture. I remember seeing this gorgeous display of gelato when I was in Florence and almost couldn’t believe it was real… and not only does it look amazing, it’s equally as delicious. My favorite flavors are limone on a scorching hot day when I need something refreshing, or the combination of caffè and mascarpone e noci (mascarpone with walnuts) when I’m in the mood for something a little richer.

Taormina, Sicily: The City on a Hill

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While visiting Sicily last spring we decided to check out the quaint little city of Taormina. The layout is unique as Taormina has a beautiful beach with gorgeous clear water, but the city itself is located on a mountain – so since there’s limited space for car traffic (and parking), there’s a tram available to transport people who have parked at the base of the mountain up to the top. It’s really an incredible place to visit – with lots of food stands on the side of the streets, plenty of cafes and bars, historic buildings and museums. I loved wandering down little alleyways (such as the one pictured) and stumbling on markets and treasures. Taormina is also famous for “aranchini” which is basically a fried rice ball stuffed with a variety of different things: my favorite is the mozzarella and spinach, but some have pomodoro sauce, mushrooms, ricotta, prosciutto and cheese, sausage, ragu… the options are endless!