Travel :: Packing for Europe

We're already halfway to the weekend y'all! Don't you love short weeks?! Since we're packing up for a little road trip to the Sunshine State this weekend, I've been frantically trying to cross some things off my trusty to-do list.

One thing I've been working on is a photo album of our Europe trip, which is taking me longer than I expected because A) I'm a perfectionist and B) I keep finding myself scrolling through pictures, drooling over the food we ate and wishing I had two weeks off of work again.

I remembered how hard it was for me to pack for unpredictable Spring weather, without completely over-packing and lugging massive suitcases around Italy. I usually lean more toward comfort for trips like this, I certainly wasn't the most fashionable in Paris, but I don't think I looked like a tourist which was a good thing.

Spring Essentials for Europe

Jackets/Blazers: I packed my favorite trench coat and although it was a little thin for the colder days we had in Paris, it was perfect for the majority of the trip! We were so lucky to only have 2 days with a little rain but it came in handy at night when it was a little cooler, even in Italy. If I wasn't wearing my trench, I had a navy blue 3/4 sleeve blazer that was easy to throw on if I was chilly.

Dresses: I love wearing dresses in general so I brought one along for the warmer days. Make sure it covers your shoulders, or bring a scarf to cover them, when you're heading to tour churches.

Pants: I packed two pairs of jeans and two pairs of leggings and it worked great with the Spring weather. I never had to wash my jeans and my leggings were easy to wash and hang to dry.

Tops: I brought two short-sleeve tees, two thin button downs, and two or three shirts with 3/4 sleeves. The longer sleeve shirts were my go-to on most days while we were in Italy so I didn't have to bring a jacket. I also wore a thin sweater around Siena and it was perfect in the morning.

Crossbody Bag: This was the number one thing all of my blog friends recommended and they were so right! I brought one big enough for my DSLR and another smaller one for the evenings when I didn't feel like bringing my camera.

Shoes: I debated taking my boots but was glad that I did because I needed them in Venice and Paris. I saved space in my luggage by wearing them on travel days. Pack a comfy pair of flats and some boat shoes or something similar for a more casual tourist day.

Jewelry: I didn't go too crazy on the jewelry while we were in Europe. I don't like bulky statement necklaces while I'm walking around all day but if you're into that, pack one that matches most of your outfits.

Scarves: These were probably the best accessory I packed! I had 3 scarves that I could mix and match with all of my outfits and with the cooler breeze in the Spring, I found myself wearing one almost every day.

We really got lucky with our weather and didn't need any warm clothes in Florence. Even Rome and Siena were in the low-70s and sunny on some days, so I found myself removing my scarf or blazer after a couple hours.

Camera Equipment: For my DSLR, I just packed my stock lens and the charger. It worked great for me since I'm a beginner and I feel like I captured a lot of great photos with it! I brought three memory cards and switched them out every couple of days. We used our phone cameras for any pictures we asked someone to take for us and my hubby got some amazing panoramic shots with his iPhone!

Don't forget an adapter! We brought two (found here and here) and they worked great in both Italy and Paris. You can use the two-prong adapters even if the wall socket fits a three-prong. Just don't force it and pull something straight out of Just Married.

If you're looking for help on packing your carry-on, make sure to check out my guest post over at Newlyweds:North!

Anyone have anything else to add?! I know some of you are planning trips to Europe this summer, so hopefully this will help a little even though you'll be dealing with much warmer weather than we did!

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Travel :: Venice

It's so hard to believe that a month has passed since our trip! It seems like yesterday we were riding around on a gondola and stuffing our faces with pasta. Venice was our second to last stop before venturing off to Paris for our actual one year anniversary.

Venice is one of those places that isn't quite as lively as Rome or Florence, but it's unlike any other city and you don't want to miss it. You can easily cover all of the sights in 1 day but we were glad to have a second day to relax and take our time exploring!

Panoramic view from the Rialto Bridge

When we arrived at the train station in Venice we purchased a 24-hour vaporetto pass and hopped on the slow line for a 20 minute ride down the Grand Canal. We joked that Venice is to Italy what Sarasota is to Florida. Mostly an older crowd going about their business and trying to avoid the tourists who are packing into the vaporetto (water bus).

We stayed at Hotel Bel Sito, which is perfectly situated in walking distance to everything but also has a convenient vaporetto stop about 100 feet away. It was the perfect location and had tons of Venetian charm!

We upgraded for a 'superior' room with a view of the side canal. It was really large with a nice bathroom and was very... green. Even the walls even had green fabric on them but we loved how charming it was in the room. We got to hear the gondoliers singing as they came down the canal, it didn't even seem real!  

Canal Entrance to our hotel and our room windows above {left}, A favorite restaurant on the same canal as our hotel {right}

The first day we headed to St. Mark's Square to see Doge's Palace, the Campanile, St. Mark's Basilica, and the Bridge of Sighs. I think at this point we were a little tired of touring things, so we didn't actually go inside any of the main sights. We ate lunch, took photos, and explored the area.

It was starting to get foggy at this point but this is one of my favorite photos!

Oh yeah... this was about the time I got pooped on by a damn pigeon (for the first time). Luckily it was only on my purse so it wasn't hard to clean. Steve was laughing like a hyena but I was just pissed at the birds and wanted to get away from all the idiots feeding them.

Instead of climbing the Campanile, we thought it would be more fun to ride the water bus to the San Giorgio Maggiore Church and see Venice from the bell tower across the canal. Unfortunately the fog rolled in so quickly that by the time we rode the water bus (roughly 5 minutes away) and made it to the top of the tower via an $8 elevator ride, we shouldn't see anything. ha! Figures!

Rain was in the forecast for the next day so we headed up the Canal to the Rialto Bridge, ate lunch, and did the obligatory gondola ride.

For lunch we ate at Trattoria alla Madonna where I had the best spaghetti bolognese ever!
 

I was hesitant about the gondola ride because it was about $95 but it was totally worth it, we would have regretted not doing it. Our gondolier told us some history and answered some of our questions while taking us up the Grand Canal and along some side canals.

We cracked up for most of the gondola ride because the gondola was leaning to the right (Steve's side) the entire time.

Dinner the first night was at Ristorante da Raffaele, which was pricey but romantic and was right next to our hotel. I ordered the gorgonzola gnocchi, which was the best gnocchi from the whole trip. And as you have seen, I had a lot of gnocchi!

My hot date.

The second day we explored the Rialto market area, picked up some souvenirs, and headed to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum to see some of my favorite Jackson Pollack paintings.
 

Accademia Bridge

We walked around the Accademia Bridge the second night before heading to dinner and packing up for the last leg of our trip.

Our hotel had a water entrance on a side canal, which ended up being a huge advantage since we had to leave at 4 in the morning to get to the airport for our flight to Paris. The hotel arranged a private water taxi for us since the water buses weren't operating that early, and it made it much easier on us to get to the airport. The downside is it was about $120, so keep that in mind when you're booking 7 a.m. flights out of the Marco Polo airport!

The Marco Polo airport is small but Air France had the dumbest check-in machines that people couldn't operate so we were glad we got there early. Once we got on the plane I went over some of the French I learned in college and got my taste buds prepared for macarons, brie, and anything other than Italian food!

Has anyone else been to Venice? What did you think?!

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Travel :: Florence

Happy Hump day! Today we get to pick Ruby up from the vet after her surgery! I'm both excited to have her back home with us but nervous about this whole recovery process. Eek!

Okay enough of my dog mom problems, today I'm sharing my favorite photos from our 2 days in beautiful Florence! I didn't expect to love Florence as much as I did, its so charming and everything is very walkable.

Our first stops after dropping off our bags was the Duomo, Baptistry (which was covered in scaffolding so I didn't bother taking a photo of the outside), and Giotto's Campanile (bell tower).  In true Steve fashion, we had to climb the bell tower. I got to the first level, which was pretty high, before I had enough and Steve ventured to the top without me. 

Front of the Cathedral {left}, Inside the Baptistery {Right}

View from the Campanile

We also saw the David statue at the Accademia the first day. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed but it was huge! The level of detail is amazing, you can see the veins in his hands! I recommend purchasing your tickets online (here) for both the Accademia and Uffizi Gallery. The line at the Uffizi was huge, even in the off-season, so you'll thank me later.

We walked over to the San Lorenzo market and perused the stands, where leather shop owners kept trying to sell Steve jackets that were "perfect for his broad shoulders." ha! We didn't buy anything but I enjoyed walking through there. We ate lunch nearby at Ristorante Osteria Pepo, it was quick and delicious.
 
After lunch we headed to Ponte Vecchio. Its basically all jewelry shops there now, but you have to walk through because its so charming!

We stopped at Gilli near the Piazza della Repubblica on our way back to the hotel for sweets. It was pricey but everything was so delicious! We got the "Cat Eye" cookies, at least that's what Steve thought was the translation, which you can see in the top left of the photo below. We also picked up a cannolli and some macarons. I would love to have all of those right about now!

We stayed at Hotel il Guelfo Bianco, which was just a couple blocks from the Cathedral. We had a huge room with a view of the Duomo and an extremely comfortable bed. The breakfast was okay, but I did love the fancy cappuccinos!

Our second day in Florence involved a ton of walking, but it was really fun exploring. Our first stop was the Uffizi Gallery, which had an amazing collection including some famous Botticelli, Titian, and Rembrandt pieces. We took a few photos at the Palazzo Vecchio afterwards and then headed to Piazzale Michelangelo.

 

It was a long trek but it was worth it for the views! On our way back down we stopped at Gusta Pizza, which is a must for the most delicious wood-fired pizza! It was easily the best pizza we had and we wished we had each gotten our own rather than sharing... yes, I'm aware that we are pigs.

To top it off we got some gelato from Grom, which is right next to the Cathedral.

Pretty street lined with lots of eye candy in the form of Celine, Burberry, Hermes, etc.

For dinner our last night we headed back to the market area to eat at Trattoria Za Za. We sat inside because the outside tables were packed. The service was slow (I think that's a European thing) but the food was delicious and totally worth it. I'll give you one guess as to what I ordered...

Overall, Florence was a hit! We loved seeing the Cathedral and Duomo lit up at night on our walks back to the hotel. The next morning we headed back to the train station to catch our fast train to Venice! We used the new-ish Italo train company for this leg of the trip, and the "Prima" seats were really comfortable and worth the extra couple euros.

If you missed them, you can see more pretty pictures from Rome (part one and part two) and Siena! 

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Travel :: Siena.

I hope you all had a great weekend! A headache knocked me out for most of Sunday so we thoroughly enjoyed a day of complete laziness. Love those kinds of Sundays.

Today I've got another travel post to help beat the Monday blues. FYI- This is picture heavy! Siena was one of the highlights of our trip! If you're trying to decide where to stop on an Italian getaway, please put Siena (and the Tuscany region) on your list. Siena and its tiny nearby towns have this charming medieval feel that you just don't get in the other big Italian cities.

In my last Rome post, I mentioned that we took the train instead of the bus to Siena. The train station is kind of far from the old part of Siena, so we opted to cab it to our hotel, Palazzo Ravizza.

Our hotel was beautiful. Palazzo Ravizza's best feature was the patio. It was just along the walls of Siena, so it was still a quick walk into Piazza del Campo but has the most beautiful Tuscan hillside views. We bought a liter of their house wine for about $5 and sat on their patio watching the sunset our first night. Talk about perfection!

The hotel still has so much of its old charm, including double doors to the hotel rooms, beautiful high ceilings, and black and white tile in the lobby. The breakfast was delicious and everyone who worked there were so sweet. The one negative for us was that the walls were thin, but I wouldn't let it deter you from staying there. We were so happy we did.

The view from our hotel room. You can see the city walls and the patio below.

Oh also, the hairdryers at our hotels looked like mini vacuums on the wall so if my hair is a hot mess in these photos, you know why. 

The first day in Siena we visited all of the main sites. You can easily do the Duomo, Baptistery, Crypt, and Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana (great views from here) in just a couple hours. We got the combo ticket for 12 euros per person, and though we didn't spend much time in the crypt and baptistery, it was worth stopping in just because.

 

We also climbed the Torre del Mangia (City Tower), mostly because it was Steve's mission to climb every tower possible during our trip. So many steps but the views were always worth it.

See that archway? Steve walked up there, the guardrail goes only as high as your knees. I couldn't even walk out onto that level, it was terrifying!

We celebrated St. Patty's Day with some Italian beer at Ristorante Alla Speranza right on Il Campo. I mentioned this pizza here, it was one of my favorites from Italy. A lot of places charge a couple extra euros per person if you sit in the outdoor area, so between that and Steve's massive beer, this was a pricey lunch.

I obviously couldn't miss out on gelato, so we split a cone and sat in the square like the locals. For dinner that night we found another restaurant on Piazza del Campo.

Our second day in Siena was our winery tour with Franco Fadda. We were fortunate to be the only tour group he had that day, so we basically had a private tour of Tuscany and its wineries with Franco. At 125 euro a person, it was an absolute steal. Franco was a fabulous tour guide, you can really tell he loves what he does.

Our first stop was at a small, family run winery in the Chianti region called Villa Pomona. We spoke to the winemaker/owner and she gave us a tour of the grounds. I couldn't believe how much effort is put into making the wine, and it was obvious that she really loves it. Our tasting there consisted of the Chianti Classico and Reserve wines, as well as some delicious Olive Oil.

Our second winery stop was a much larger winery, Castello D'Albola. We toured the facilities here too which was so interesting to contrast with the smaller winery. Franco had us tasting tons of delicious wine there and we were able to compare the same wines from different years to see how aging changes the taste.

We had lunch at the most charming family-run restaurant, Bar-Ucci, in Volpaia, a little town of just 40 people. Everything was absolutely delicious, between the caprese salad, lasagna, and tiramisu. We just kept telling the owners everything was delizioso!

 

We stopped at a couple more charming little Tuscan towns, including one that only had 15 permanent residents, before Franco brought us back to the hotel. It was an amazing tour, if you're heading to Siena please contact him!

Unlike Rome, Siena closed down pretty early, at least on the weeknights we were there. We were so tired so we didn't even have a full dinner the second night. We did sneak in a trip to Nannini for Siena's famous ricciarelli cookies. Oh my goodness, I miss those almond cookies. I immediately wished I had bought like 20 more.

The next day we headed back to the train station en route to Florence!

Has anyone been to Siena? Feel free to email me if you are heading there and have questions!

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