NYC is Back Baby!

*The Mandarin Oriental New York

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It has been two years since I have been back to my hometown of New York City. We decided our first big trip since the pandemic would be to go back to New York. I missed both my city and my family so much. I was curious just how much New York changed or didn’t change. I went in with no expectations and I was blown away on our trip with how amazing it was to be back in the city. People said NYC is over but it is SO not over! It was probably our best trip to New York ever. We were even blessed with perfect spring weather too!

*Marea Restaurant

*Central Park

*The Ludlow

A Day in Coronado: After the 2nd vaccine dose.

My husband and I finally ventured out again after getting both of our 2nd dose vaccinations. We decided to celebrate by going to Coronado island finally. We have been in San Diego almost a year and had not yet checked it out. We were so excited to experience life again and it felt incredible. We stopped at the Hotel del Coronado and walked along the boardwalk for a bit then ate dinner at the restaurant Little Frenchie. We had a bit too much to drink and ended up taking our shoes off and frolicking on the beach. What an exhilarating feeling it was to feel normal again! It is a feeling I really cannot put into words. The little things were making me the most happy like seeing a cute dog on the boardwalk, or feeling the sand between my toes. After the beach we sat outside at a bar at the hotel and I was seated right next to a stranger at the bar and was not worried. It is still going to take some getting used to doing things the way we used to do them. Soon we will both eat inside of a restaurant finally and see our friends and family. We are so grateful to have been vaccinated and cannot wait for what the future holds.

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is an enormous park right in the center of San Diego. Fun fact- it is actually larger than Central Park in NYC! It is probably one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen. There is just so much to see and do here and there is so much you might miss, make sure you have a full day to take it all in. I recommend taking a car to the main parking entrance to get started.

Places to check out:

The Spreckels Organ Pavillion

The Botanic Garden and Lily Pond ( the indoors is closed right now)

Japanese Garden

The Sculpture Garden

Spanish Village Arts Center

Palm Canyon

California Tower

Trees for Health Medicinal Plant Garden

The Cactus Garden

The Museums ( they are mostly closed right now but will open soon)

San Diego Zoo ( although I recommend making this a separate day trip since it is massive and will take up the entire day)

After you are done I recommend walking down the Cabrillo bridge where you can see views of San Diego. Then have lunch at one of the yummy restaurants in Bankers Hill.

Rancho Valencia

Hello readers! It has been quite a while since I posted on my blog. This year has obviously been crazy and I did take a long break from my photography and social media to focus on other things I felt were very important. There are so many changes that have happened this year. The best one is that we now have a home in San Diego!

For my birthday this year I did not want to get on a plane again so we decided to explore Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa, only a 30 min drive outside of downtown San Diego. This resort was perfect for a private, and romantic getaway. I honestly felt like I was on the Bachelor but the only contestant!

This year has been crazy but it made me really realize what is most important in life. In the future even if things return back to normal, this has changed us all and I am definitely changed maybe for the better.

La Jolla San Diego

Every year we plan on spending the summer elsewhere besides Texas. Dallas is brutally hot in the summer where there is zero relief from the heat. My husband has summers off as well so we always look for a cooler climate to spend this time.

This year things are obviously so much different. We had always planned to spend a Summer in San Diego where the weather is perfect all year round and we were lucky enough to find a sublet in beautiful Bankers Hill during the pandemic.

One of my favorite spots in San Diego is La Jolla. It is probably one of the most beautiful places in the United States with the bluest water. La Jolla cove is a great place to snorkel, swim, kayak, sight see, and of course watch the sea lions bathing in the sun. Last time we were here the sea lions were sleeping, but this time they were all out and about we got to be so close to them!

Around the beach there is a town with great shopping and restaurants. La Valencia is a must see, a gorgeous pink hotel with beautiful views and pool. On our recent trip here we tried George’s at The Cove for a late lunch, a San Diego staple restaurant. We had beautiful views of the ocean on their rooftop. They are also known to have the best fish tacos in San Diego. They were very good but honestly not my favorite, I am very picky. My favorite fish tacos in San Diego are actually in the Gaslamp at Serrano’s.

After eating at George’s we took a walk along the coastline. This coastal walk reminds me of Australia’s Bondi to Bronte walk. As we waited for sunset we grabbed a glass of wine and some food at We Olive, a cute wine bar overlooking the ocean. Afterward we walked all around until the sun set. La Jolla, we will be back again soon!

Maison de la Luz

New Orleans is definitely having a moment right now. Basically every single travel magazine is talking about this city. On the cover of this month’s Conde Nast Traveler is Maison de Luz, a guest house adjacent to the Ace Hotel. My husband and I decided to stay here actually before that cover was released and when I saw it I was even more excited to stay here. It is definitely the hot new hotel in New Orleans. Many celebrities stay here too because it is very private (I saw Kevin Jonas in the lobby) I would say the feel of the hotel actually reminds me in a good way of both American Horror Story Hotel and Coven.

The rooms are gorgeous and every last detail is impeccable. I personally love the snake shower handle and the bathroom tiles. They give you a tassel with a key fob attached to it instead of a plastic room key. The bed is incredibly comfortable, and the room service was great. I didn’t get a chance to eat in the restaurant but did go to Bar Marilou for a drink. This is probably one of the most beautiful and well decorated bars I have seen. It is located behind a bookcase and reminds me of a 1800’s courtisan’s apartment.

I cannot wait for our next trip to New Orleans because I want to definitely stay here again!

Vintage Vegas

Downtown Vegas is one of the most unique and “must see” spots in Vegas. If you are in Vegas I highly recommend leaving the strip and taking the short trip to downtown. There is so much to see here and will take you back in time to how Vegas used to be. Not many people know but Downtown Vegas was the real Vegas before the strip was created. The most popular spot is The Freemont Street Experience. If you have just a short time in Vegas I recommend taking a walk through this wild strip. Pass by the classic casinos like The Golden Nugget and Four Queens. The odds are also better in these casinos and everything is cheaper.

Besides Freemont, if you have more time in Vegas there are other parts to explore. As you exit Freemont street toward S Las Vegas Blvd you will hit the heart of Downtown Vegas with a ton of hipster bars and restaurants. Keep going and pass the El Cortez, with a few more vintage neon signs. Walk one more block and you will hit Container Park. a small area of shops and cafes that are housed in old shipping containers. After checking it out, keep walking and explore a more un touched area of downtown but worth a walk to. There are older motels and neon signs, but it does get a bit sketchy so I don’t recommend walking alone at night. If you are into taking pictures this is a place that not many tourists will go to, so it is a bit of a hidden gem!

Sadelle's at The Bellagio

On a recent trip to Vegas we decided to try out the new restaurant inside the Bellagio, Sadelle’s. I honestly had no idea I was walking into a pink and blue pastel filled paradise when we decided to eat here! The new restaurant is right behind the Bellagio Conservatory. It is fitting that the theme of the Conservatory right now is Japanese Cherry Blossoms. We sat down on the chic blue chairs and ordered a couple of cocktails. The food is pretty basic but exactly what you need to cure a hangover!

Waldorf Astoria Boca Raton

After Miami, we took an Uber to Boca Raton to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Boca Beach Club. This hotel is split up into two properties which you can get to via a shuttle or water taxi. My husband had a conference here, and what a beautiful place to be for work! We stayed at the beach club side which is more modern and is directly on the beach. The other part of the hotel where the conference was is an old pink Venetian style building. The best part was the enormous spa which is both indoor and outdoor (pictured below) .

The Confidante Miami Beach

On our recent trip to Miami, we stayed for the first time at The Confidante Hotel which may be one of my favorite hotels ever. The Confidante is located a little further up from Ocean Drive in a much quieter area but still around some of the best hotels in the city. It is the most picture perfect Miami hotel and takes you back to the era of art deco. Every little detail here has a vintage and candy colored vibe. It is low season here, so we got a great deal on the room which was on the top floor with a wrap around balcony. Months after staying here I randomly watched Dua Lipa’s music video “New Rules” and realized that it was filmed here!

Here are a few places we went in Miami:

The Broken Shaker- A beautiful mostly outdoor bar and restaurant. We ate at their restaurant late night for dinner. I like the Mediterranean spin they put on their dishes. I am obsessed with their crispy chickpeas.

MiniBar- A tiny adorable bar that is known for giving you the small minibar bottles inside of your drink.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres- We have always wanted to try Bazaar in Vegas but never got around to going all the way to SLS. The Bazaar was delicious and exceeded our expectations. One of my favorite drinks of all time is their salt air margarita. It tastes like the ocean.

Lagniappe- A cozy wine bar with live music and you can hand pick your meats and cheese.

The Fountainebleu- Scarpetta- We have been to the one in Vegas, but we tried the one here just for a pasta appetizer and it did not disappoint! The pasta is some of the best I have ever had here.

Casa Faena Cafe- We stumbled upon this cute boutique hotel looking for a place around us for lunch. I think it is just a smaller version of the huge Faena resort but I like this better. The cafe was beautiful and felt like you were transported to Havana.

Cecconi’s- A beautiful outdoor restaurant inside the Soho House. I had possibly the best eggplant parmesan ever here!

PS- My husband was such a good sport to take photos of me- I just had to ask him and he willingly (sort of) accepted.

Le Dokhan Paris

Le Dokhan is a beautiful boutique hotel in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, and one of the most unique hotels in the city. This was the second time we stayed here but the first time staying in their Eiffel Suite. On entering the suite you are greeted with a small staircase that leads your upstairs to the room. In the room there is a quaint living room, 2 bathrooms, two bedrooms, full walk in closet, and two balconies with sweeping views. The best view is of course of the Eiffel Tower. Another favorite detail in the room is the skylight in the bathroom. I felt like I had my own little attic apartment in La Belle Epoque.

During our stay we spent a lot of time in the hotel and the surrounding area. The area is actually not touristy at all despite being very close to the Eiffel Tower. The lobby is very relaxing with a cozy fireplace and work by Picasso. The elevator is an actual vintage Louis Vuitton Trunk. Even though it says max 4 people, I would say just stick with two, it is tiny! The champagne bar is the oldest in Paris, and we ate there for breakfast every morning and sat for champagne and gougeres every evening. The gougeres (cheese puffs) are addicting!

Spring at The Eiffel Tower

One of the top items on my travel to do list is to photograph Paris in the Spring, notably the blossoms. Every time the seasons are changing it is always a mad dash to get the perfect photo of the season in bloom. Blossoms do not last long at all, maybe a week or two. I am so happy I got to check this box off my list by getting lucky and having some blossoms pop up in Paris on a cloudless day. It was a little early for them being that it was end of March, but there was so much rain in Paris the past few months. These beauties are all over the Champs de Mars. I saw a beautiful Magnolia tree about to blossoms, unfortunately it was a little too early. I still was able to get some amazing photos of these so I am very grateful!

My Top 10 Travel Destinations

Since I was in my early twenties I caught the travel bug and this bug has never left. I really started heavily traveling the past 7 years with my husband and every year we try and up the ante. Here is a list of my top ten favorite travel destinations so far, not in any particular order.

Greece- I know that Greece is still fresh on my mind because we got back 2 weeks ago, but it now has a very special place in my heart. The day after we got back from Santorini, I thought “ so when are we going back?” Greece is a place that definitely lives up to the hype. There are many other islands I want to check out here, and we were supposed to go to Athens but had to come back early so still a lot more to see! Everything about Greece I loved. From the food and wine, to the culture, to the beautiful views. It was hard to find something I didn’t fall in love with.

Australia- My husband and I took our first trip to Australia last December. We really had no expectations about going and it was on my list although not very high on it just because it was so far away, He ended up having a conference here so we got to stay for free and his flight was paid for which was amazing. I was super nervous about the 17 hour flight because I have a fear of flying, but it really was not bad at all and actually went by fast, I would definitely do it again. After visiting Bondi we honestly thought about actually moving here, we loved it that much! Bondi is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to, people don’t even walk around with shoes on! I realized that as I get older i love just chill places with delicious fresh food! Our dream is to one day leave the United States and escape to Australia.

Las Vegas- It is hard to imagine life without Las Vegas in it. In fact, I should probably do a special Las Vegas travel guide because I have been about 50 times in 10 years ( really I lost count). Milan and I met in Vegas in 2014 and got engaged and married here. No matter what, Vegas will always be our home away from home. As we have gotten older we appreciate the finer Vegas experiences, such as dining, shopping and going to the spa. We will still throw in a club or show once in a while. What we love about Vegas is that it is always changing and there is something for everybody. Every time we go, we get to check out something brand new and exciting or go back to the places we love.

Belgrade- Belgrade is the capital city of Serbia and a place I can honestly say I would have never seen myself visiting if not for my husband. He was born in Belgrade and moved to Canada when he was little but still has family there. Since we have been together, I have been four different times. Sure, it is not the most beautiful or charming city, in fact many people would consider it ugly or dreary especially with such Communist era architecture. I just love it there, and it is probably one of the only cities in Europe that has no been taken over my Instagram Tourists. People still smoke everywhere, including in restaurants and hotels, and I mean A LOT. Even though I do not like cigarette smoke, for some reason I enjoy this. This city has it’s own unique feel that is just so special I cannot describe it in words.

The French Riviera- Although we only went here once a while ago, some of the best memories I have are from here. It was our first Euro Trip together, where we did London, Paris, Nice, and Monaco. When we got off the train from Nice, we walked to our hotel, and just in time for the Bastille Day Fireworks. We actually had no idea there was a famous fireworks show on Bastille Day. When we arrived to our hotel we were told we had a balcony and view of the fireworks show to our surprise. Just in time for the show we went upstairs and got to see the show high above the crowd. After a day in Nice, we went to Monaco. We stayed at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. It was really fun to go to such a small country/ principality. The casino was definitely a huge highlight, it felt straight out of a James Bond Movie.

Mayakoba- Mayakoba is an area in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We went there for the first time two years ago, and cannot wait to go back. Imagine a Venice in Mexico, with beautiful canals and boats. It is a very relaxing and unique place. Mayakoba encapsulates 4 different hotels and you take a cute little boat in between the hotels (or you can hop on a gold cart but the boat is way more fun). Our favorite hotel was the Banyan Tree. Another sort of James Bond esq experience was rolling up to the Banyan tree hotel in a boat.

Venice- Speaking of Venice…When we went to Venice, I really thought it would end up being in a sort of Italian Disney World- being heavily warned about all the tourists. I was completely wrong and absolutely loved it. We also went in low season which was perfect. We had St. Marks Square basically all to ourselves. It is such a fun city to wander and eat Cicchetti ( Apertivo in Venice). We drank a ton of wine and stumbled around enjoying the sites and sounds of Venice. We did do a Gondola ride to check that off the list, and honestly it was the only real let down of Venice. It was 30 minutes but felt like 5 minutes and we paid like 90 Euros- we got super ripped off. Next time I would love to rent a boat. We took a boat to the airport at 5am and it was one of the most fun experiences ever- the boat literally docked at the airport entrance!

Paris- Paris is one of those places we always find ourselves going back to, even though sometimes it isn’t all that perfect but maybe that is what we enjoy about it. Paris in my opinion is not like in the movies or how you see it on Instagram with heavy filters. It can be dirty, people can be rude, cabbies can be assholes. It reminds me of a french version of New York City. Yet, there is nowhere else in the world like Paris, it just has that Je ne sais Quoi! I have so far been to Paris 5 different times- going on 6 this year. After only about 2 months of us dating, Milan flew to Paris from Dallas to visit me for 4 days while I was alone in an AirBnB shooting fashion week in Paris. It was the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me.

New Orleans- Nola is unlike any other place in the US, or really the world. Even though we love it here, we have not been in a while and are definitely due for a trip back since it is only an hour flight from us. The only problem with Nola is that it is too much fun, too much eating and drinking. It is such a charming city, and the best parts are away from Bourbon Street including Frenchman Street, The Warehouse District, and The Garden District. Our favorite thing to do in Nola is to have brunch at Commander’s Palace and drink their 25 cent martinis. Yes you heard me right, 25 cent martinis. They are incredible and you can only have I think 3 but 3 is more than enough.

Sonoma Valley- Sonoma is the less touristy and more rustic neighbor of Napa Valley. We always joke that we are one day going to buy a little house, retire here, and grow a garden. Sonoma is probably the most relaxing place on this list, and I don’t even know why ( maybe all the wine?!). We always stay at the Fairmont which has the best spa and one of our favorite restaurants in the world, Sante. Each trip we visit probably about 2-3 wineries, and a few tasting rooms downtown.

Places still on my list to get to maybe in the next couple years!

Tokyo- Scheduled to go in October!!!!

Italian Coast- Positano, Capri, Ischia, Cinque Terre, Procida, all of the above if possible!

Banff- A beautiful place in Canada with Moraine Lake and Lake Louise .

Barcelona/Madrid- I have never been to Spain yet, so a definite must someday!

And Many More!

Oia

After Fira we spent 2 amazing days in Oia. I am so happy that we got to stay in both Fira and Oia as they are two very different towns. Fira was definitely bigger and had more of a lively atmosphere. Oia was smaller, quiet, relaxing, and of course has the famous sunset.

The first day we walked into town to check out the streets and famous sunset. Yes it was crowded, (and I don’t even want to know what the crowds are like in the Summer) but we made a fantastic decision to not go right as the sun goes down, but afterwards. We didn’t know but literally right after the sun sets, everyone leaves the castle spot. There were hundreds of people leaving the castle and we were basically the only ones heading towards the castle. When we ended up there, it was almost empty and we were able to snag some beautiful photos. (which I think was perfect lighting and even better than the sun setting!) After the sunset, the hoards of tourists were cleared out and we were able to stroll around the streets at night. We grabbed a drink at a chic bar called Maryan’s and then some delicious food at Naoss Restaurant which was more high end- Greek dining. We walked back to our hotel and on the way we saw the famous Easter Good Friday celebration which consisted of the parade of the Epitaph and burning of the canisters.

The next day we went into town a bit earlier because we saw the sunset already and wanted to avoid the crowds. I still went back to the castle to snag a few more shots because it is just that beautiful I had to see the view again. Afterwards we stumbled on the back streets on Oia ( which is great to know if you are walking to the sunset, take the back way just one street over and you avoid the crowds!) We found a cute little wine bar called Wine Vineyart which had some of the best traditional Greek food I have ever had, including the best cheese I have ever eaten in my life!

Mystique Hotel

The next stop on our Greece trip was to Oia staying at the Mystique Hotel. Oia is about a 20- 30 minutes drive from Fira along a few winding roads but it is very scenic. I cannot recommend The Mystique enough, it was the most beautiful and luxurious hotel I have ever stayed in. The views of the infinity pool with the sea in the background was just breathtaking. Service was impeccable, down to the smallest details. They are always giving you treats, every day they would leave a basket of cookies and goodies in our room, and a plate of fresh fruit. We had a beautiful room inside of a cave with private terrace and jacuzzi tub.

Our favorite thing to do was to sit and relax at the pool of course. The water still freezing but felt great when the sun got really hot. Every morning we sat down to a delicious all inclusive breakfast where you can order anything off the menu. At night we enjoyed a fantastic wine tasting in their wine cave featuring 7 Greek wines with a cheese plate. Our wine director was delightful. She gave us VERY heavy wine pours and said, “Here in Greece we don’t spit so drink up!”. It was so much, we couldn’t finish it all!. After that we stumbled over to the town of Oia for the famous sunset.

Fira, Santorini

After 3 flights and about 24 hours of traveling, we made it to Santorini! Words really cannot describe what being here in person is actually like, after seeing so many photos and wanting to go for so long (but I will try). We stayed in the lovely Anteliz Suites. The private hotel villas are situated at the very top of Fira Town with a beautiful view of the volcano. We had such a comfortable room, we were actually able to sleep and fight off the jetlag well. We had a small pool on the terrace but unfortunately it was too cold to swim! It’s okay though because I would much rather be in Santorini during shoulder season. It is cool enough to walk around and there are less tourists. Even when the sun was out it was super hot even in 60 degree weather. We had a few cloudy days to be able to walk far, or we would walk in the evening.

Fira is beautiful and a great place to go out, but I have to say that I truly loved the neighboring towns of FiroStefani and Imerovigli. They are the highest peak and just a short walk from Fira. I loved the look and feel of the white washed buildings overlooking the cliffs. These towns are also a lot quieter with fewer tourists, and actually feel more luxurious. (most of the tourists are from the cruise ships that dock in Fira Town) The best restaurant of the trip we ate at was La Maison in Imerovigli. I would seriously come back to Santorini just to eat here again, it was that good! We also were lucky enough to see Santorini in a very green and blooming state because of so much rain, which is actually very rare for the island.

List of Restaurants and Bars We Went to:

Parea Restaurant- Our first restaurant we ate at after feeling jetlagged and off our flights! Great solid Greek food, we were also starving and eager to try our first bites of Greek Food!

Ampelos Restaurant and Wine Bar- One of the best meals of the trip! A highlight was the baked feta with honey and balsamic. There was also a small food tour group right next to us lead by a big Greek guy, so we knew we were in a good place!

Ouzeri- The best traditional Greek food we ate in Fira! Everything was just the best version of classic Greek cooking.

Naoussa- Another traditional Greek place, not our favorite but the Octopus was very good!

Cesare- We were in the mood to switch it up and do some Greek/Italian. Delicious pizza here!

PK Cocktail Bar- A beautiful bar overlooking the Caldera, the cocktails were delicious, I recommend the special Spritz.

Tropical Bar- A small cute but touristy bar with sweet drinks.

Casablanca Soul- A pretty open air bar/club with white linen decor.

Highlander- When you want a tourist trap/ Irish Bar with blasting old school songs. ( really actually enjoyed it here)

Assytirco- A cute little open air wine bar and cafe. We loved the wine flights and huge piece of Baklava. More Points for giving us free cheese with every glass of wine!

Mylos- A high end Greek Gastronomy restaurant in FiroStefani. Probably my second or third favorite of the trip. It was more experimental but equally delicious!

La Maison- Last but certainly not least! The best restaurant of our trip! This high end Greek restaurant is located in Imerovigli with seating looking out to the ocean. The service was incredible, they cater to you in every way. The food was high end but also approchable cusine.

? Bar/Restaurant in an Alley- We found this beautiful bar and restaurant where we had great drinks and the owner came up and spoke to us and offered us free drinks! We cannot remember the name but it was in an alleyway on Danezi M Street.

Dreamy Venezia

Here we are at the end of our trip in last but certainty not least, Venice. This place is truly a dream, it feels like it just isn't a real place. Venice can get a bad wrap for being too touristy but again, not in November. I am still dreaming about being here and lusting over these photos. To begin our trip we took the Trenitalia from Milan to Venice in the business class. The train was empty and relaxing. As we got in we got to see the city on the water from the train windows. We left the train station and were immediately wowed! The hotel website said to take a boat from the train station but we decided to just walk as it was only 20 minutes and the most beautiful day. We got to see the real Venice, where people actually live and work on the way to our hotel across the Rialto Bridge. 

We got to the Hotel Ai Reali and quickly freshened up before getting some lunch. We stopped at Cantina Do Mori, Venice's oldest bar founded in 1462. Similar to Rome where they have Apertivo, Venice has Cicchetti which is tapas and they serve it all day. Most bars you find will have tons of fresh delicious food to choose from including meats, cheeses, arancini, crostini, fish, etc. Our absolute favorite part of Venice besides seeing the sites, was enjoying wine and cicchetti. After that we went to  a wine bar and did a tasting with a yummy pizza. A little tipsy, we stumbled upon the Peggy Guggenheim Collection which was such a treat! We finished the day at the beautiful restaurant Bistrot de Venise which has a Michelin star and 60 wines by the glass.

The next day as usual I woke up at 7am for sunrise and walked around St. Mark's square. I highly recommend doing this, you get to see the sunrise on the water over the gondolas. After we ate some complimentary hotel breakfast buffet and continued our day. We walked back to St. Mark's and kept going until we got lost in a few beautiful local neighborhoods. The best part of Venice is getting lost! Don't spend your whole trip figuring out where to go on your phone. We were pretty beat from the walk so I quickly went to our hotel spa which was very much needed! We continued to walk around for the rest of the day and enjoyed some mulled wine off the street vendors. After we got a gondola right from our hotel which was nice but underwhelming and so expensive! I am glad we did it though just once. Our last night we enjoyed more ciccheti and ate dinner at Cantina Do Spade where I had the most amazing ravioli and meatballs.

The next day we had to say goodbye to Venice, and did so in style with a private water taxi to the airport. Normally we would not have gotten a private taxi because it was very expensive but we had to leave at 5am. This was so much fun though having it all to ourselves and docking right at the airport! Till next time Venice... we will surely be back.

P.S. Thank you so much to my amazing husband for putting up with my photography OCD and taking pictures of me even though he hates it!

Roman Holiday

The first part of our amazing 8 day romp through Italy was in Rome. You hear so much about this city but can never truly know until you have been. I can say it is definitely one of my favorite cities now. It really is the Paris of Italy in my opinion. Even though I am a Francophile, maybe I even liked it a little better than Paris?! Here is a synopsis of our time there. I don't write guides because I am not expert but I can say that it is possible to do Rome in just two and a half days! 

The first day we got in around 2pm after an 8 hour flight and a 2 hour connection from London. We took a cab to our hotel with the nicest driver who's family was five generation Roman. On our way to our hotel we got to see many sites which was a great introduction. After we checked in we walked around to the Piazza Spagna and the Trevi Fountain which was close to our hotel.  We definitely worked up an appetite so we went to dinner and I got my first bite of Italian Carbonara at a local restaurant. Later we drank delicious Sagrantino wine and then stumbled over to Harry's Bar for a nightcap. The funny thing about Rome is they never stop feeding you! Even though we were full after dinner we continued to devour the free snacks at Harry's and they even gave us free cookies.

The next day I woke up at sunrise as I do every trip for the beautiful light and empty city. After a beautiful walk we ate at the breakfast buffet at our hotel and saw Comedian Jim Gaffigan eating with his family! This was a huge day filled with stopping at all the tourist attractions including a tour of the lesser known Palazzo Doria Pamphilj which is still inhabited by the original family. After that I had to get some Gelato which became my lunch with a macaron on top (the Francophile in me of course). Then we cabbed to the Colosseum at sunset. To end the day we walked over to the Monti neighborhood and ate at Ai Tre Scalini. I had the most delicious pumpkin lasagna. It was still early, so a few hours later we sat outside at Taverna Dei Monti and got a pizza pie and more wine.

Our last day there we had to see the Vatican of course. Lines are the worst so we got tickets in advance and got right in. The Sistine Chapel was awe inspiring and the one place you cannot take photos, which I actually appreciated. It was nice to see everyone enjoying the moment. After that we walked to St. Peters but unfortunately there was the biggest line I had ever seen to get in. We decided to move on and not waste the day in line. Guess we will have to be back! We UBER'd over to the quaint Trastevere neighborhood and found a great spot for lunch. Percorsi Wine Bar was said to have the best burger in Rome and after two days of straight Italian I was ready for something different. It was honestly top 3 best burgers I ever had! After we were done with lunch I stopped to admire the huge chandelier in the restaurant and the waiter lowered the chandelier and told me to get in! I was raised to the ceiling on the chandelier like in a movie, it was so much fun! For dinner we ate a more high end Italian meal at Brunello which was fantasic!

This is probably the most I ever wrote in one blog post, but Rome was worth writing down each moment.

The Westin Excelsior- Rome

This November I turned 30 and wanted nothing more than to finally go to Italy! My husband took me on the most amazing 8 day trip through Rome, Milan, and Venice. Late fall is the perfect time to go to Italy or anywhere really. The weather is cooler, less tourists, and the trees are beautiful. Our first stop was in Rome staying at the Westin Excelsior. The hotel was in a great location right near the Piazza Spagna. I was able to wake up very early to go take photos at sunrise. Our room was gorgeous with a fantastic view. The breakfas buffet was fantastic and we also saw Comedian Jim Gaffigan eating there with his wife and kids! The best part of this hotel is that when I got home a few months later I was going through some old photos and memorabilia from my grandmother and found a postcard from her stay here years ago!

Casa Luis Barragán

Casa Luis Barragán is another must see while in Mexico City. Book your tickets in advance to make sure you will get in here. The house itself is hard to find. I took an Uber from my hotel, and even the driver didn't know where it was. There is a small sign in the window of number 12, a grey building and you have to ring the doorbell to get in. The door is heavily guarded and locked. I was early and waited a few minutes and talked to another American who was studying abroad there. It turns out she was my English tour guide for the house. The tour was wonderful and very private, only myself and two other people.

Our guide let us inside the house through a small door that reminded me of the one in Willy Wonka. We entered through the door to the pink and white foyer. Then up the stairs we went to the living room and library. When you look outside the windows it looks like a jungle, and that was done on purpose. Then you get to see the dining room, studio, and both the guest bedroom and his own bedroom. Apparently Luis gave a small room to his maid who still lives there but hardly anyone sees her! Next was the rooftop led through a small yellow door. The roof is iconic with classic Luis Barragán colors and clean lines. I asked why all the pink, orange and yellow? Well if you look around town all the employees are wearing vests with those colors, they are the colors of Mexico City. The green tree you see hanging over goes from all way in the garden over the top of the roof. Luis Barragan designed this house with very specific things in mind. The way the light reflected certain surfaces and created shadows was very important. Symmetry and design compliments were also seen throughout the house. If you are an architect fan, a design fan, or neither, this house is a must see!