The Sarcastic Blonde

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International, Italy, Lifestyle, Travel

:: Italy Travel Guide : A Day in Milan ::

I’m back today with another travel recap for you from our trip in July:
A guide to 24 hours in Milan!

After 4 days and nights in Amsterdam, we flew to Milan, where we spent a full day before heading to Como for the wedding weekend of Kip’s family friend to begin.

We flew on the beautiful upscale airline EasyJet, which was as bottom of the barrel as I have ever experienced.  We had gotten up at about 4:30 AM for our flight, so I was exhausted and started to fall asleep on the plane.  When my head hit the back of the seat Kip kept saying “Don’t do that!!! You’ll get lice!!!” He is a germ freak…. but these seats were um, very alarming.
Just wanted to paint a full picture for ya.  Cheap flights at their finest. But it was hundreds less than the Delta flight! 

Going from the quaint, quiet days in Amsterdam to a bustling city was definitely a jarring change! But Milan was beautiful.  I will say, it’s nothing you need to see on an Italian Adventure in our opinion.  (Venice, Rome, Florence, etc are all much more worthy of your time!) But it’s the main airport to fly into for much of Northern Italy, and it’s a perfect way to spend a day in Italy after a long flight and get your bearings, or at the end of a trip before flying back home.

 

:: Where We Stayed ::

We stayed at the Hotel Milano Scala.  We really liked the location in City Center; it was far enough away from the very busy areas, but a very quick walk to the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. We were able to take a train from the airport and walk 10 minutes to the hotel.  It’s a cute boutique hotel and we were also sold when we saw that they had a rooftop bar and a beautiful courtyard. The rooms had a gigantic shower and tub which was amazing since we knew the rest of the trip in AirBnB’s and the Bed and Breakfast that was unlikely.  A big shower (with big towels- score!) are something of a rarity.
The size of the towels kills me – it’s like a face towel for your body.

Before we went to dinner that night, we went up to the rooftop bar for Apertivo.  It was beautiful!

// RED LACE DRESS //

and the Apertivo samplings were very generous!

Other Hotel : Many people recommended the Park Hyatt in Milan. We used Kip’s hotels.com points from work travel to book Hotel Milano Scala!

:: What We Did ::
Again…. this is very different than our last trip to Italy where it was go-go-go.  We wanted to just wander and relax before the wedding + family trip began, so that’s exactly what we did.  Plus it was hot-hot-hawwwwt in July.  I’m sweating just thinking about it.
Oh….. this was also the ONLY night’s sleep during two weeks that we had AIR CONDITIONING….in mid-July….. so just let that simmer around in your mind for a bit…. 

I just wanted to see the pretty shopping areas 🙂 If I’m going to walk and wander in a beautiful place, doing some incredible window shopping is very much preferred.

Via Montenapoleone and Via Della Spiga
These are the streets that you can walk around and window shop.  There were absolutely gorgeous shops – anything and everything from Patek Philipe to Chanel to Van Cleef & Arpels and everything in between.  I can’t think of a single luxury store not there!!

// FLORAL ROMPER // 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
This is the oldest “shopping mall” in the world and it’s just gorgeous.  Definitely not what I would consider a mall per-say, but just walking through here is incredible.  It’s right by the Duomo and everything as well.

The Duomo

Canal District
This was a bit of a walk for us, but the groom that lives in Como (whose wedding we flew to Italy for) had recommended this.  It was a cute area with little shops and restaurants and very quaint away from the mayhem of cars and hustle and bustle of the city (there are two canals on the map when you look, one is NOT it, take my word for it :D) .

also recommended by others :
Shop at 10 Corso Como, see The Last Supper, Gothic Cathedral, Sightsee around the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele,  Ambrosian Library, the Medieval Piazza dei Mercanti, and Castello (castle).

To Eat: 

Hostaria Borromei
We went here for dinner the night we were in Milan.  This was a recommendation from a reader who called it her “best meal of the trip” and we definitely loved it.  Request to sit outside on the patio – it’s beautifully covered in a huge lush ceiling of greenery.

The art on the walk home from dinner back towards our hotel was simply remarkable.

Luini 
We went here for lunch pitstop.  This is a quick, cheap place where you order at the counter place right next to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (the gorgeous “mall”).  They serve panzerotti, or basically deep fried dough filled with whatever you like.  It’s like crack – I’m still thinking about it.  You walk out of the mall and past a McDonald’s (seriously there is a McD’s right next to like Prada it’s great) and then run right into Luini.  The concierge at our hotel told us about it when we dropped our bags and changed and wanted a quick bite.   It was truly incredible.  It’s unlike anything deep fried you can imagine, and you can get sweet one’s or savory one’s.  We got a few deep fried savory sandwiches and it was one of the best things I ate the whole trip (and the cheapest!) Luini is the perfect first pit stop to fuel up for a day of sightseeing.

 Drinks on Corso Como
An area with some nightlife and bars and restaurants

Outfits from Milan :
I have worn both of these pieces a dozen times and love them so much.
The red lace I have worn from everything from a wedding to date night to a party.  You can easily dress it up and down.  And the romper is so silky and lightweight that it was perfect for the extreme heat and long days outside! 

// RED LACE DRESS //      and          // FLORAL ROMPER // 

We had a great time in Milan – but we were ready to head out of the city life to get to Como and Wedding Weekend! I’ll share more pictures from our trip next week with the wedding, and then our stay in Tremezzo on Lake Como!

by  
International, Travel

:: Amsterdam Travel Guide ::


Whew.  Making this post almost made me cry because I loved this part of our trip so, so much.  We made such incredible memories and it made me miss Amsterdam so much already!

We landed in Amsterdam on a Saturday morning after an overnight direct flight from Atlanta, and we stayed through Wednesday morning (when we flew to Milan to meet up with Kip’s family for the Italian Wedding and Family Vacation).  You definitely do not need 4 days to see Amsterdam – we just didn’t want to do anything but relax and enjoy ourselves before 11 days with family, so we didn’t want to train anywhere or anything like that.

Since we were staying for a few days, we knew we wanted to do an Airbnb so that we would have more space and a spot to eat breakfast, etc.  I’m a big fan of Airbnb’s because when you are home between a full day of being out and about, and before heading back out for the night, you can have a fridge filled with Pinot Grigio and can grab something simple from the grocery store to eat at home for Cocktail Hour while you shower and get ready.  Or to just have a living room sofa to sit in and veg after a long day out.  Being stuck in only your hotel room makes that down-time part of the vacation feel like you could be right down the street from your house, but in the apartment you still fully feel on vacation mode.  I know it isn’t for everyone – but we love it.  I also love being able to make my own breakfast if I want, or for Kip to make his Coffee while he showers and gets ready, and to have space to spread all my crap out and get ready instead of being crammed into one tiny hotel room (especially in Europe where the hotel rooms can be teensy tiny).

When we did Venice-Siena-Florence-Rome-Amalfi Coast, we stayed in all hotels except for Rome and I think we made a good call with that.  We were going place to place to place for the first part of the trip, there are stunning hotels everywhere, etc.  So it definitely depends where you are going and how long you are staying there.  

:: Where We Stayed :: 
We stayed in the Jordaan neighborhood / Canal District which had come highly recommended by friends and readers.  This it the exact Airbnb we stayed in and we were super happy with the location and the space.

We booked our Amsterdam trip very late as a solo-addition to the family Italy trip, so a lot of the places we found were already booked.  So we lucked out getting this one because our options were dwindling by the hour when we were trying to find something.

But overall, Jordaan and the Canal District is where I would recommend staying and what was the overwhelming recommendation from others. We just loved the neighborhood.

:: Travel Tip :: 
It’s not necessary to pay for daily wifi when abroad, and we didn’t when we did Italy two years ago, but we did pay for it this time and it was a huge help.  I have a killer sense of direction, but your first day somewhere it is all so confusing and there are so many teeny tiny little streets everywhere!

I just saved restaurants/places/etc under Favorites on my iPhone Map (just heart the location) and then it keeps all of them stored for you.  Having this map with everything stored in it was a HUGE help.

:: What We Did :: 

Anne Frank Museum – an absolute must.  They sell tickets online for designated times two months in advance.  Do this! We booked about 5 weeks before leaving, so needless to say everything was all sold out. You will wait in long lines, but it’s a must and obviously an experience unlike anything else.

A Boat Tour on the Canals – I think this was our favorite thing that we did the whole trip. There are tons of different boats that you can hop on for an hour tour along all of the canals.  One boat (others boats will look like it, but they aren’t!) is 15 Euro for endless drinks during the one hour tour of the canals.  It was the most affordable, and beautiful, thing we did all week! You get an entirely different view and new way to experience the city when it is from the canals.  We actually ended up going TWICE during our four days there.  Don’t judge – it was great and cheap!  We loved our first one during the day, so we went back for happy hour before dinner another night and they actually went down different canals for part of it so it was a whole new experience with sunset and happy hour.  You can hop on Boat Amsterdam right in the Red Light District area.

Flower Market – The huge tulip fields that you see when picturing Amsterdam were not in bloom when we were there in July, but they have a flower market set up that you can walk through along the canal.  This is also a great place to stock up on any knick-knack’s and souvenirs, and of course to buy any flowers if you want to take buds home with you.  I got a vase and little ornament for our Christmas tree here, and a lot of the shops are all the same, but at the front and back there were some beautiful shops with gorgeous flowers.

Red Light District – Of course we spent a night in the Red Light District!  I was excited to see what all of it entailed because it’s just so crazy to wrap your head around!  We got a little boozed up (on our second boat tour for happy hour :D) and walked the streets.  It’s crazy.  Kip and I laughed our tushes off that night.  I don’t really know what else to say about it!  The highlight of my red light district experience was seeing an older gentleman (about 75) in a full suit come out of one door saying ‘Thank you, thank you so much, thank you” to the girl and then turn and take 5 steps directly to the other side of the street without even looking up and go straight to another door and open it to another gal.  And the other highlight was going to a bar after walking the streets and being there for TWO HOURS drinking before realizing we were in a gay bar.  (See….. those 15 Euro boat trips really give you your moneys worth).  It was one of the most fun nights of the entire two week trip, Italy included.

Coffee Shops – They are everywhere and they are an Amsterdam experience!

Vondelpark – We grabbed some croissants and drinks and walked through here while venturing to a different part of the city, De Pijp

We did a whole lot of nothing for four days and it was absolutely glorious.  Well, we did things…. but it was a lot of just walking (some days more than 20,000 steps!) and playing it by ear, which is the opposite of our action packed trip to Italy two years ago – so it felt that much better.  Amsterdam was so gorgeous when we were there, we really lucked out with the weather, and so other than seeing the Anne Frank Museum we just wanted to be outside.

Other recommendations from friends, and people who actually do things and don’t want to be lazily wandering  :
Van Gogh Museum 
Rent Bikes – I was too terrified.  I almost got killed by the bikers when I was on two feet, so I decided biking would not be my best move.  I would definitely do it to bike out to the windmills or tulip fields or something, but not on the streets in town where we were!
Head out to the Windmills
Go to the Tulip Fields if you are there when they are in bloom.

:: Where We Ate ::

We had a bunch of great lunches and snacks just wandering the streets with whatever looked good to us, but here are a few specific places.  The food overall was great so you will have no problem finding options!

Kantjil de Tigre – I loved this meal so much.  It is an Indonesian restaurant and you basically get tons of different things on your place to sample.  It was spicy – I am a spice baby – but it was insanely delicious and fun change from anything I have ever had for dinner.  Completely understand why it was on so many lists!

The Pancake Bakery – We went here for late breakfast/lunch/brunch and absolutely loved it and we were lucky to snag outdoor table right on the canal. It seems touristy by the name, but it comes recommended by everyone and all the travel guides I read and it was a great easy and delicious meal! Kip got a savory pancake (cheese and something else) which savory seems different for pancakes but the waiter said the savory kind are what they are known for and his was AH-mazing.  I got a more traditional and loved it as well, but the savory was hands down the best!  Plus their coffee and espresso comes with a stroupwaffel so that was an added perk.

 Cafe de Jaren – We saw this corner when we were on the boat cruise and it had beautiful little restaurants with outdoor space right on the water.  Bord’Eau is a fancier place on the corner, but right next door is a beautiful outdoor garden and the perfect place for drinks (or food, we just didn’t eat!) and to watch the boats go by.  It’s right on the other side of this restaurant below.

Cafe Fontyn – this is a little bar right off the red light district in a cute little square.  We came here for cocktails before going out in the Red Light District for the night.

Stroupwaffel + French Fries – two things they are known for that are insanely delicious!

The Pulitzer – this came recommended from someone and it is a beautiful hotel that we snagged cocktails at one night

Kaaskamer – You’ll see cheese shops all over the place – they are adorable.  Worth a peek inside and to pick up some cheese to bring back to your place for when you’re getting ready for the night.

Cannible Royale – tried to make it to this one one night, but we were having a great time sitting outside a bar so just stayed and ate closer to our Airbnb, but this is recommended by lots and looks delicious and fun.

Balthazaar’s Keuken – This came recommended by readers, and was actually right next to our Airbnb.  I’m sure it is absolutely wonderful, but it wasn’t for us.  Other than sushi I am not a fish eater and pretty much everything in the set menu had seafood in it.  BUT I know others rave about it, so don’t take my word for it!

De Kas – this requires a taxi, and Kip didn’t want to venture far, so we opted out but this place looks amazing.

:: OUTFITS :: 

Day 1 :

//STRETCH DENIM JEANS // ZARA TOP //  GOLD SANDALS // 

Night 1 :

//BLUE MAXI //CLUTCH WITH DETACHABLE CHAIN  //  GOLD SANDALS // 

DAY 2 :
The morning that I fried myself with my travel curler/straightener combo and had to use the wine in the fridge to try to help cool the burn.  


// OLD, OLD NAVY TOP //  WHITE DENIM JEANS //

Night 2:

// ZARA ROMPER // GOLD SANDALS // 

Day 3 :
No photo (?) Can’t remember!

Night 3:

//BLACK HIGH LOW MAXI  //   GOLD SANDALS    // BAUBLE BAR TASSEL EARRINGS //  

Day 4 :

//STRIPED DRESS  // NECKLACE // TORY BURCH STUDS // 


lunch next to Teri Hatcher….. the only person in all of Amsterdam to know and/or recognize her….. 

We loved our time in Amsterdam so, so much.  It was freezing and raining when we left Wednesday morning for our flight to Milan – which kind of made it a lot easier to leave and made us that much more grateful for how beautiful it was when we were there!

I always do these posts and think of a million other things that I had wanted to share! So I’ll continue to update it as I think of more!  I hope this helps for those of you reaching out with questions!!

To see more of my travel posts, click here, or check out the specific guides below.

Packing for 2 Weeks in a Carry On (Amsterdam and Lake Como)

Packing for 2 weeks in a Carry on (Venice, Siena, Florence, Rome, Positano, Amalfi Coast)

Venice Recap // Siena Recap // Florence Recap // Positano Recap I // Positano Recap II 

Next up : Lake Como posts!

 

by  
Fitness, health, Travel

:: Italy Travel Update + Toned Up Tuesday ::

As you may know, Kip and I are heading to Lake Como next month with his family for a wedding!

We will have about 3 days of wedding festivities and we don’t really know anything about where we will be or what we will be doing yet, but that has made it kind of exciting.  The groom was their foreign exchange student and he is so sweetly arranging everything for us for the time during the wedding.  I can’t wait to experience an authentic Italian wedding (and I made sure there is no button, clasp, elastic or anything around my midsection on my dress because I am assuming there will be LOTS of delicious food!)  After the wedding, we are staying for about 5 days in a house in Tremezzo on Lake Como, and then 2 days in Milan before flying back home.  I’m so excited and know it will be an amazing trip.

We have had the Italy plans set for months, and Kip and I had hoped to be able to tack on a few days before or after doing something solo to take advantage of our time abroad.  Just this past week, everything fell into place and we were able to get 5 days before the trip to go to a different city!

The two destinations that we had talked about were Amsterdam or Barcelona.  They are both places Kip has always wanted to go and always talked about, and I wanted to make sure he had the deciding vote.  When we went to Italy 2 years ago, I took on the role of planning everything, and I am such a creature of habit that I would be like “let’s go back to Venice and Positano and stay in the same hotel and do the exact same things ALL OVER AGAIN!”  Kidding.  Kind of.  Not really.
see posts about our time in Italy here

But we wanted to do something totally different and I wanted it to be something that would be totally his choosing.  He is not a planner so I feel like he never would make a decision if it wasn’t down to the wire – and with 3 weeks to go, it was down to the wire!

We knew we could leave Friday July 7th and so we spent a day or two researching.  He saw that the Running Of The Bulls was happening in Spain when we would be there and seriously that was what made him want to go to Barcelona.  We are just SO similar.  I naturally responded with “Okay, I will be at a Bar/Restaurant/Anywhere far away from that sending you my prayers but sure, I know that you are a lunatic and of course that would be a great trip for you!”  I really thought he was going to pick Barcelona based on that alone! Surprisingly, he chose Amsterdam.  I am very relieved because I know for a fact if we were in Spain his ass would be running from those bulls and I would be having a conniption fit somewhere while I chugged some Sangria to calm the nerves 🙂

images from History in High Heels

SO! Amsterdam it is!  And up until two nights ago I pretty much knew nothing about Amsterdam except that it is gorgeous and what Ms. Yolanda Foster and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills taught me on their trip!
Yolanda can sell me on anything,  especially flowers, cheese, biking, canals, etc.

So I am hoping to have as wonderful of a time as they did,
without the wine in the face and shattered glass of course.  But the rest of it, I’ll take! 

All of you were SO helpful when I was planning our trip to Italy,
so I am hoping you can be helpful with this as well!
I am a major planner – and loved planning Italy – but for this we have 3 weeks and really just want to relax, so I am trying to be very laid back about it.

If any of you have been, please let me know where you stayed/what neighborhood you stayed in, your favorite activities, where you ate/shopped/drank/sat around and people watched! Anything!  We found an adorable AirB&B to book but I was hoping to get more feedback about neighborhoods before we booked (the one we found and loved is in the Nine Canals/Grachtengordel I’m pretty sure? ) 

A lot of our time in Lake Como and Milan is out of my hands – but I know that nothing is really planned at all at the moment and that his parents are asking us to do some of the planning.  If any of you have recommendations for Lake Como (our house is in Tremezzo)  or Milan please email or comment I would love any helpful tips!

Now, for some health and fitness
related things to share! 

:: RECIPE OF THE WEEK :: 

I made a new recipe on Sunday night that makes a great meal prep/work lunch recipe.
Skinnytaste’s Skillet Cheesy Chicken and Veggie “Rice” 

It was a very fast recipe to make because I buy the pre-riced Trader Joe’s Riced Broccoli.
I am a much bigger fan of riced cauliflower, so next time I’ll be making it with that instead, but I did like it as a healthy lunch to take with me to work.   I added extra garlic and onion to up the flavor, and topped with some Siracha to give it a little kick. (I feel like healthy chicken and veggie recipes can always benefit from a little Siracha!)

:: FITNESS FASHION FINDS :: 

I profess my love for Old Navy regularly on here, and their Old Navy Active  gear is no exception.  While I definitely believe in getting some Lulu basics because they last forever and ever, Old Navy has never let me down and I constantly get their pieces for 30-50% off and love them.  I ordered a few things when they had a sale recently and wanted to share my favorites.

As a general rule of thumb with Old Navy Active, most things run large.  Tops especially.  Leggings can run more True To Size, but most of the time I size down to an XS in the tops and do a S or XS in the leggings.

I love the split back of this ($10 dollar!) workout tank and the mesh panel for breathability.  I ended up getting two in different colors.
These leggings are comfy and a great way for me to break out of my basic black
(although they have black and a few other colors!)

SPLIT BACK TANK // MESH INSERT LEGGINGS
 the leggings come in 4 colors! 

I love graphic tanks for working out, and Old Navy always has tons.   This tank has a great criss-cross back and is a little bit longer so it gives good coverage on the tush.  Although running late is definitely not my thing…. I hate hate hate running late and am that person that is annoyingly on time or early.
The leggings are such a steal and are high waisted which I love to really keep everything tight and snug during workouts.  I love the color-blocked styles and these are so much cheaper

RUNNING LATE IS MY CARDIO TANK // HIGH RISE COLOR BLOCKED LEGGINGS 
tank runs large, size down.  leggings run true to size. 

Another favorite top of theirs that I keep stocking up on is their high neck swing tank.
It is super thin and breathable, and you can’t beat the $10 price tag.
It comes in 6 different colors and I love them all.

// HIGH NECK SWING TANK // 

Most importantly…….. can you believe all of this Bachelor In Paradise stuff!!??
warning: very inappropriate things discussed in article! 
I was in so many text chains today and I just can’t believe it – and I seriously can’t believe they would do these things (even for BIP, this is a whole new level!)   We have so much to discuss during Coffee Talk on Thursday! 

Please send me any and all tips,
big or small or anything,
to taylor.oshay@gmail.com about Amsterdam, Lake Como, and Milan!

 

images from History in High Heels

Thank you so much! 

 

 

by  
fashion, Travel

:: Traveling in Style ::

Happy Monday!

My friends are still in town through today, so today I wanted to share some of my recent travel finds that I am lusting after.
I am in the market for a new suitcase, because unfortunately 3 years later mines already completely ripped to shreds.  We got this carry on off our wedding registry which I see so many flight attendants using and my brother in law that travels every week uses and loves, but ours at only 2 years in were completely destroyed.  I hear that the hard case suitcases are the way to go; do any of you have recommendations for a carry one size suitcase?

I have always loved the suitcases with the leather details, and of course anything I can monogram I love even more.

LEATHER DETAIL CARRY ON   // CARRY ON SPINNER    //  LEATHER DETAIL CARRY ON

Of course my hunt for the perfect *monogrammed* suitcase led me down a path of a million other things I just have to have.
A few other travel items to love:

 I learned on our trip to Italy that packing your carry on with lots of different pouches is key to staying organized and finding everything easily.  These are perfect for holding all of your tech accessories and more.


// COMMUTE CLUTCH  //


Packing cubes were also a huge, huge lifesaver for fitting 2 weeks of clothing into a carry on.  We still use these for every trip we take.  Ours were simple, but this monogrammed set is too cute! 

// NYLON PACKING CUBES //

Perfect way to store all of your jewelry and accessories.

// DUAL LEATHER TRAVEL ORGANIZER  //

A good crossbody purse is always a must, and for our Italy trip was essential.
This one is the perfect size, and the perfect price at just under $100.
The navy is my favorite. 

// DAILY MINI CROSS BODY //

These little beach bags are just adorable.
The straw purse with poms, also monogrammed (!), is under $50!


// RIO TOTE   //  AMALFI CLUTCH // 

   

I always get lots of e-mails asking about Packing for Italy or trips abroad;  see my post here.
I also always, always, always recommend using this bag in addition to a great carry on suitcase.

Also, I’m very sad that we have to wait one more year for this meme again.

But happy first day of May.

by  
christmas, fashion, favorite things, Lifestyle

:: gift guide : for the traveler ::

Today I am sharing another gift guide for the holidays, 
this time focusing on gifts for the traveler! 

In the past couple years, I feel like I have traveled a crazy amount.  For someone who doesn’t travel for work, I am always at the airport + on an airplace.  First it was weddings and bachelor/bachelorette parties, and then I was flying back and forth from Chicago to Atlanta to see family, and now friends are scattered across the country from me and I’m lucky enough to use any excuse to hop on a plane.
Having a Companion Pass and traveling for free with my husband has also added to the increase in traveling.  
Thank you Southwest 🙂 I heart you. 
I’m on airplanes far too often and I did extensive planning for our long flight for Italy, so take a look at some great gifts below for the frequent flier or for anyone who just wants to pack a little smarter for a vacation!
 a lot of these are the perfect stocking stuffer size and price! 

:: GIFT GUIDE FOR THE TRAVELER ::

MASON TRAVEL BAG : you know I am obsessed with this thing.  and I will never stop recommending it. ANDDD I was just watching The Big Bang Theory and it is Bernadette’s Hospital Bag! She has the burgandy/ox-blood color 🙂  It seriously would be a perfect hospital bag….. the characters and the writer’s of that show are obviously geniuses, so if you don’t believe me, believe them.


MINI STRAIGHTENER : trust me when I say that having small hair products is a life saver.  this travel straightener is only $30 which makes it a complete steal, and it’s so much less space in your travel bag.  hotels always have hair dryers that you can use, but they are usually straight out of 1980.  this lightweight and COLLAPSIBLE HAIRDRYER would be a great thing to have too.


PORTABLE PHONE BATTERY : because let’s face it,  they come in so many cute prints, but this FLORAL CHARGER and PINEAPPLE CHARGER are my favorites.


PINCH PROVISIONS AIRPLANE KIT : trust me.  you’ll need something, if not tons of things, from this when you are on a flight.  plus it takes up zero space! this makes such a great inexpensive gift for anyone and everyone – and is the perfect stocking stuffer size.


CASHMERE SCARF : it starts out hot, then gets freezing, then hot again.  Pick a nice scarf that will last you, in a lightweight but warm material, and ideally in a neutral that will match as much of your clothing for the trip as possible.


SPANX LEGGINGS : I prefer to wear maxi dresses in the warm months, but basically anything but shorts (ew…. bare thighs and skin touching the airport seats and airplane seats…. nay nay fluffy) but if I can’t get away with a dress I wear leggings.  and if you’re like me it’s something you would be packing to wear at some point on your trip anyway.


FOLDABLE TRAVEL FLATS : pick a pair of flats you’ll wear on your trip, or stow these foldable beauties in your carry on to change in to when needed.  I love these TORTOISE SHELL FLATS but a great SOLID FOLDABLE FLAT in cream, black, or navy would be perfect too.


LUGGAGE SCALE : just do it.  don’t act like you haven’t needed one in the past.


TAKE CHARGE CHARGING ORGANIZER : keep all of your necessities for your phone/computer/ear-buds all in one easy to access, super-cute spot.  another perfect stocking stuffer!! 

COMPRESSION PACKING CUBES : some people may only use these for bigger trips, but Kip and I use them for every trip, even a short weekend.  It is a great way to fit as much as you can into your suitcase but also to pack in an organized manner.


a few more specific items, especially perfect for longer flights :
MOTION SICKNESS WRISTBAND : if you are one of those people that could even possibly get neaseous, have some on hand.  people swear by them.  I’m getting some for my sister for our flight to the Caymans for Christmas because she had a rough time this past weekend on our flight to Boston.


COLLAPSIBLE WATER BOTTLE : I’m insane and drink more water than anyone I know.  Especially for long flights or for big trips, this is a necessity.  It was a lifesaver for our Italy trip.


MOLDED EYE MASK : a necessity for long flights.  this one will keep from messing up any eye make-up (or from smooshing your eyelashes for you lucky ladies I envy with super long lashes)


UNIVERSAL MINI ADAPTER : again, if going abroad, gotta have it and this one will work for any trip to any other countries you take in the future.  plus, it’s mini and has cute colors! 

I’ve been e-mailing with a few readers about our Italy trip a year or so ago answering some questions.




I realized I never did a Rome recap …. oops…. so unlike me right? 🙂



I’m adding that to my list! 



We are possibly going back to Italy for a wedding in July….. not completely finalized yet if we can make it, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we make it to Lake Como! 






In the meantime while I get my act together and finish the final recaps,



 check out my travel necessities for long international trips with this


PACKING FOR 2 WEEKS IN ITALY POST



and also my recap of the following cities


VENICE RECAP


SIENA RECAP


FLORENCE RECAP 


POSITANO RECAP PART I 


POSITANO RECAP PART II 






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Italy, Lifestyle

:: Italy Travel Diaries : Positano Part II ::

I’m back with The Italy Travel Diaries,
today with Part II from our time in Positano! 
  
to read more about our arrival to Positano, where we stayed, and our first two days, see Positano Part I 

Day 3:
Our hotel arranged a full boat day around the islands to Capri and back.
It was probably 6 hours in total and something I knew we wanted to do.
The boat was beautiful, and we lucked out with only 4 other people on the boat.
No one within even 20 years of age of us, but that was kind of nice because they all sat in the back and we were able to have the whole front of the boat to ourselves – it felt like a private boat day without the full price of it!
Also, I can’t remember the exact cost of this but it was something very reasonable for what we got – full day on a beautiful boat, drinks, snacks, scenery – and I think it was all for around $60-$80 per person.


On Capri, we rented a scooter to go all the way to top to the little chair lifts.
This was a fun activity and Kip of course loved it.
And we only got screamed at by a cop in Italian once – which for Kip – is a HUGE success.
I had no idea the chairlifts were INDIVIDUAL and it kind of scared the crap out of me.
They also have practically nothing holding you in the chair.
Lovely.

 my hair just looked amazing all day. 

There isn’t much to do at the top but take in the views – but they were beautiful!


Then we went down to find lunch and walk around before heading back to the boat for the trip back.
Capri overall didn’t amaze us – it was crowded.  The dock there is much larger than in Positano or Amalfi or Ravello or Praiano, so HUGE boats just unload people.
We really loved the day on the boat, but Capri was just so so.  If we ever get to return – we would do a boat day again, but to one of the other smaller islands.

On the way back, the boat takes you to the grotto’s – we went around the blue grotto but didn’t go in – there is aline and the boat has to drop you off and get you on the other side.
Instead we went to the green grotto, and then went to other little caves to swim around.
The caves were gorgeous.  And just the scenery all day in general of course.

it was such a perfect afternoon in the water and in the caves
(and I learned that Kip has a fear of caves….. he refused to swim in because the water could rise and kill us ….. how ’bout that? so I swam all the way in and it was amazing) 

That night we changed, went to back to Brezza for cocktails, and then walked over to where Chez Black and Tres Sorrel and decided to eat at Tres Sorrel/Three Sisters because I had heard good things.
We loved our meal! And as always, right on the water and in the perfect spot for people watching.

The soccer games were all on, and of course everyone there was all about it, so we wandered to another little outdoor bar spot to watch the games with everyone before ending the night back on our balcony.


The last day was spent back on the beach.
This time we had lunch at the little restaurant right on the beach which was so cheap and we literally had a HUGE pitcher of wine for $5.  We couldn’t even finish it before we went back to our spots at our chairs, which is really saying something.
One thing we didn’t do that I really wish we had was take the little boat with the red fish over to Da Adolfo.  We were lazy and stayed where we were…. I couldn’t convince Kipper to move beach locales again 🙂  But everyone highly recommends that and then eating lunch over there.

The final night we ate at Buca di Bacco and it was so, so yummy.
They also have a more casual restaurant downstairs with a bar – good for apertivo.
There were so many restaurants I wanted to try and just not enough time.

:: leaving positano ::
on our final morning, we woke up and had plenty of time to enjoy breakfast and sit on our patio and do shopping before our ferry took us over to Sorrento at 12.
OR SO WE THOUGHT.
I hadn’t bought any Italian leather sandals yet because we were saving this for today….. and this guy that did hand paintings down by the docks – today was the day to buy it on our way out and stick it in our suitcases.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
so we go down after breakfast to get our ferry ticket and “no ferry today”.
it was slightly cloudy and that is all.
sooooo the one travel logistic that didn’t work out began.
he sent us all the way up to the gas stations to get a bus ticket.
we hike all the way up there – I am pouring sweating – and there is no area here at all to get a bus ticket.
someone there sends us to a little travel agency…… they send us somewhere else….. and then somewhere else….. and during all of this they share that no cars or anything else are available because everyone has snagged them since the ferry isn’t running.
SO we finally get our bus tickets and prepare to book it back to our hotel to grab our things and then book it all the way back to where we originally were.
I. Am. Pouring. Sweat.
Like….. drenched.  I do not glow, my scalp sweats so much you think I’ve showered.
SO we get back into the hotel lobby to get our key and there is a couple that is discovering what we just had.
The woman looks at me and hands me two kleenex on the stop and says “I think you need these….”
Embarrassed? Yes. Appreciative? YES.
So, we can’t just grab our bags and go – we both have to somehow try to shower really really quick and then go up 9,000 steps with our luggage to the main road to catch the local bus that will take us to the main road for the big bus.
By the time I get to the small road for the local bus, I once again look as though I’ve been swimming.
The local bus never arrives on time, because there is so much traffic on the little local road, and in order for us to have any chance of making the big bus, we need to walk (CLIMB. UPHILL.) up the street all the way to the top.
On the way there are other people clearly doing the same thing…. all of us scrambling.
We make it just a few minutes before the bus arrives and when we roll over to the side of the road to wait, our friends from the lobby are there.
She literally hands me her whole thing of kleenex and tells me to keep it.  There aren’t even close to enough Kleenex in there to help my current situation, but again, much appreciated.
So the bus arrives and it becomes like a madhouse to get on.  There was no way for a line to form so people are just on the side of the road and then start scrambling.
The bus guy doesn’t open the luggage doors below – he says “no time” – so everyone with their huge suitcase is trying to get on and sit on top of their luggage in the seats.  We made it on, so we didn’t care, but I sat with my legs on top of my luggage then crammed against the window and was on the verge of puking all the way there.  I don’t get car sick – but yikes.
And we were crammed next to the nicest people who we talked to the whole time over which was a nice distraction from the insane nausea.

ANYWAYS – lesson learned : the ferries REALLY don’t run randomly, and get your shoes and your art and all your little things BEFORE the morning you are leaving.
BUT, also a lesson that things will work out – you just will likely be sweating like a whore in church when they do.

AREN’T YOU SO GLAD YOU READ ALL OF THAT? 
that’s what I thought……. 

We took the bus to Sorrento, where we stayed for one night, before going on to Rome for our last 3 nights.
Sorrento and Rome recaps coming up next!
Spoiler Alert : Sorrento was nothing special, we just used it as an easy travel spot to get to Rome, but we were OBSESSED with our 5 Star hotel that we got for an insanely cheap rate on trip advisor and LOVED everything about it.
Grand Hotel La Favorita.

below, I’ve copy and pasted everything that I compiled from friends and the internet for tips and things to do, etc :

:: POSITANO / SORRENTO ::
Sights +
Activities
* Walk the town!
* Hire
a semi-private boat to take us on a day trip to Capri
*If you
can, go to One Fire Beach one day! They also arrange pick ups in Positano by
boat, but they have a gorgeous beach swim spot, full bar/restaurant service,
play fun music, and offer lounge chairs, towels, etc. I’m sure you could cab to
the top and walk down the ~200 steps too

* “Path of the Gods” hike –
incredible views! We took the bus to one of the highest points in Positano and
the two hour hike ends up in the neighboring town – Priano – we took the bus
back to Positano

Food
*La Sirenuse. 
Nicest hotel in town; go to their restaurant/bar for a cocktail and the
amazing view over the water.

*La
Strada in Priano was amazing. They had a lemon pasta that I was OBSESSED with.
I still salivate when I think of it. If you want to get out of Positano one
night, I’d suggest the patio here. Also, offers a great view of the sunset.


*Le Tre
Sorelle or “The Three Sisters”, relatives still run it and although
it’s on the main beach strip, the food was AMAZING. We also got really wasted
on house wine – it was just SO delicious. My husband ordered the red snapper
with cherry tomatoes and potatoes and loved it. 


*Chez
Black, a bunch of hype and always packed. Maybe for a drink and some people
watching.


*Buca
di Bacco – get some pizza in their cafe downstairs. It’s really delicious!
Their gelato was also some of my favorite! 


*La
Zagara is an outdoor garden like restaurant/bar and some nights they have live
music! Try some of their desserts- specifically their canolis or anything lemon
because attached to La Zagara is a limoncello store/”factory” owned
by La Zagara’s owners wife; everything in there is either made/grown by them or
an artisan in town. We skipped this, but you can also go on the little tour of
what they call a “factory” (aka a small kitchen space in the
basement) where they make their limoncello.

*We
went to Le Sirene, a restaurant that picks you up by boat, which is SO fun. I
would skip Le Sirene and go to Alfonsos (Da Adolfo) for lunch (it’s right next
door)! They pick you up by boat in Positano and take you to their cove. 


*Casa e
Bottega – the cutest little breakfast/lunch spot that had smoothies, freshly
baked pastries, and wonderful woman to speak to. We sat at the counter and had
breakfast. It was less expensive than other options and really enjoyable!
*Da
Adolfo – We loved this! private beach/restaurant. They have their own boat that
picks you up on the dock and takes you to the other side of the island.  Red Fish Boat, takes about 5 minutes. The
seafood was amazing. 

*La
Tagliata – Restaurant sends a private bus where you go to the highest point on
the mountain. No menu – they serve you what is fresh and what they make and put
a bottle of wine on the table (or 2 or 3 ) depending on your
preference.  Cheapest meal we had the whole time we were in Italy.
Tips
Note that the
beaches are rock but you can rent a lawn chair for like 12 euro for the day but
be sure to get there really early. You can also rent a boat or kayak and go out
in the water on your own. 
Logistics
Consider the City Sightseeing Sorrento Bus to get from
Sorrento to Positano with a more enjoyable ride (10 Euro )
Capri Boat Trip for the Day
Take the Funiculare to
the top, eat at Aurora for lunch at the top




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