So, where have I been? Why the quiet spell? Good question. There are two main reasons that I can give. Firstly, to my own grief, my loyal camera decided to break and I have been left to resort to iphone photography. Quite tragic indeed. You may spy the difference in quality in some of the photos, but for my benefit, please ignore that. Secondly, I think that in my eagerness to discover Italy and experience all of it, I have not found the patience to sit down and reflect on all my trips.
More Florence
Dungaree dress - H&M
White high neck tee - Brandy Melville
Sweater with zippers at elbows - Zara
Mom jeans with holes on the side - Pull & Bear
The navy bag with a white pom pom - Zara
Black cap - River Island
Orange top - Forever 21
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| La Ménagère |
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| La Terraza |
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| La Terraza |
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| La Ménagère |
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| La Ménagère |
Am I still in love with Florence? Hell yeah. Florence is a dream for any lover of aesthetics. You never get bored of the sunsets or the insanely cute and retro cafés with artworks painted on the walls. I will share with you some of my ultimate favorite spots in Florence. First tip: Make sure to bribe your companions in advance to take cute candid photos of you for the social media. Selfie sticks are for amateurs.
Firstly, there's La Ménagère, a café/restaurant that practically screams the word aesthetic. It is nice for brunch, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, you name it. During the day you can sit outside in the cute colorful chairs, or next to the beautiful flowers. At night the basement turns into a soulful place for drinks, and often offers live music. Tip 1: Get. The. Avocado. Toast. Tip 2: The Breakfast (read: pancakes) ends at 11. How do I know? I have run for it like my life depended on it.
My second favorite spot is Amblé. The place is adorable with retro chairs and tables sprinkled into a tiny courtyard. Amblé prides itself in fresh food, and you can build your own panini from scratch with gluten free and vegan options. Tip: Try the roasted potatoes with mayo!
Next, if you are craving fancy drinks, the rooftop bar La Terraza on the 6th floor of Hotel Continentale is my top choice. The higher prices are paid off by the high quality alcohol, the location (next to Ponte Vecchio), the fantastic view, and the plush white decor. The setting is so pretty that once I saw a wealthy couple come in just for the picture. They left their untouched expensive champagne behind (and me slowly intching my way towards the table thinking of socially acceptable ways to snatch it to our table. Needless to say that paying for a champagne just for the picture is the type of rich that I attain for.) Tip: In the name of solidarity for the fellow readers on a student budget, I feel obliged to point out that at least they are quite generous with free snacks, and on a good day you might even get pecorino. Mmmmm...
If you wish to eat Gelato (or share a bottle of wine) by the river, there is a dam, which allows you to sit right in the middle of the river and is a popular hangout spot. You find it after the third bridge from Ponte Vecchio, if walking Lungarno Guicciardini towards the direction of Cascine park. Grab some gelato from La Carraia at Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r and walk over.
Finally, one of my favorite spots still includes Bobboli gardens. Now that it is summer time, the rose garden at the top of the climb is more beautiful than ever, not to mention the heavenly smell coming of all the flowers. Tip: See the first tip.
Fiesole
Blouse - Mango
Flared pants - Zara
Hair scrunchie - Subdued
Fiesole is a town on one of the big hills surrounding Florence. The sunset from one of the town's lookout spots is breathtaking and you can see the city of Florence bask in the golden rays. It is very nice to have a picnic there. In order to get there, you need to buy a bus ticket from a tabacceria for 1.20 e. Bus 7 leaves from Piazza Della Libertà and takes you straight to Fiesole. You need to get off at the last stop. When you get off from the bus stop, you will most likely spot quite easily a stone paved road leading upwards opposite from the roundabout. Just walk up this road (via S. Francesco) and you will find a lookout spot (Panorama dalla Strada per S. Francesco). On the way, there is also a nice restaurant with a beautiful view (Ristorante La Reggia Degli Etruschi). Don't forget to visit the beautiful Convento di San Francesco located right next to the look out at the top of the stone steps.
Pisa
Dress - Zara
Denim jacket - Pull & Bear
Shoes - Adidas Superstar
Pisa is one of the cities along with Florence that was built on the Arno river. It is easy to access by the train from Florence. Various people have told me that there is nothing to see in Pisa, besides the tower. However, I found the city beautiful and quaint. I enjoyed just strolling around and eating gelato by the river. To our excitement there was a crafts fair during our stay and I got a nice ring as a souvenir. Tip: Be sure to plan your tower pose in advance, so that you don't look like a basic tourist. For instance, here you can see my pose, which some may say is me trying (and failing) to pull off the basic leaning on the tower pose. However, any true admirer of art would immediately see that my pose was a satirical piece meant to represent unachieved dreams... *coughs into hand*
Mount Morello
For this one you may need a car. In Mount Morello there are various hiking trails. The trails depend on how high you want to climb. We chose to climb to the first point (primo punta), which is characterised by a huge iron cross. The second point is characterised by a wooden cross instead. The view from the end point is beautiful and looks out to forest and fields. You can also see Florence glimmering in the distance. The trail is for the big part in the woods, so there is shade and the sun does not burn into you while climbing.
Next in my Italian adventure series is the south of Italy, so watch out! I hope that some of these tips prove useful to any fellow travellers in Italy.
XO,
J
