This outfit combines two things I love - mixing prints and mini skirts with knee socks! The temperatures in Florence have been perfect for dressing, chilly enough to play around with layers but not cold enough that function has to trump fashion.
I purchased this simple black coat last winter when I arrived in Florence. It has been the best purchase I’ve made here (and my 50/50 boots). I typically go for a statement coat, something in a bold color or pattern. But this coat makes a statement with its simple and clean lines and perfect fit. Of course, if I am going to wear, a simple coat I have to mix it up a bit with some monochromatic pattern play. I just can’t help myself!
After a long day of sightseeing in the historic center of London Saturday, Mike and I opted for a more relaxed stroll through one of London’s most beautiful neighborhoods, Notting Hill, on Sunday. With so many amazing things to do in London, I had never made it out to this part of town, but it has always been on my must-see list. It was so nice to finally have the time to explore this colorful neighborhood.
You can easily spend an entire day strolling through Notting Hill's peaceful residential streets, sipping cappuccinos in cute cafes, reading in one of the many gardens, antiquing on Portobello road, and indulging in some fine dining.
I am sure you have seen lots of pictures of the adorable and colorful houses of Notting Hill online. And it truly does not disappoint in person. Since the neighborhood is quite large, I tried to do some research online before I left. I was frustrated, however, to find lots of pictures of the pink, blue, and candy-colored houses I was hoping to see, but no one revealed where to actually find these colorful gems. I tried to do some Google street-view detective work, and I did end up locating some of the houses I had seen online, but I felt like I couldn't find a good guide or walking tour... So I made one!
Thanks to my new obsession with creating custom Google maps, I mapped out a delightful walking tour of Notting Hill that highlights, what are in my opinion, the cutest and most colorful streets (that I could find), in addition to my favorite (or highly recommended) cafes, restaurants, and gardens. You can view and download the map here. And don’t worry, I made sure that the location of every colorful photo pictured in this post was marked on the map. Enjoy!
This past weekend I made a quick, impromptu trip to London. I love London, so any excuse to go, or a cheap flight, and I am there. Since I’ve been to London numerous times and seen almost all of the major sites, I decided that I would fill my Saturday with some of my favorite things in the city. It ended up being the perfect day in London! Well, except for the weather, which was actually perfectly-awful London weather.
I stayed with my friend Mike who joined me for my “perfect day in London” and who was willing to help me take lots of photos. We started our day on the Westminster Bridge, which makes a wonderful photo overlooking Big Ben and Parliament. Unfortunately, the second we made our way on to the bridge it started raining. We found ourselves battling not only the rain but also strong gusts of wind. Determined to get at least one good shot, we fought the wind and rain, destroying my umbrella in the process. I ended up with two decent photos and about 100 hilarious outtakes, which I promise to share at some point.
After succumbing to London weather (my poor hair), we made our way Regent Street so I could get my J.Crew fix, not before making a quick stop at Fortnum and Maison to stock up on my favorite Earl Grey tea. Have I mentioned Mike is the nicest most patient friend lol? After trying on everything in J.Crew, we headed to the colorful Neil’s Yard and to explore Covent Garden. We stopped at Laduree in the Covent Garden Market to refuel before carrying on to London’s Financial District.
The Financial District is one of my favorite parts of the city. It is full of very old, and very London-looking buildings. Think Harry Potter. In fact, parts of Diagon Alley were filmed in this area. This particular section of London is one of the oldest in the city. I love the way historic buildings sit in between and around modern skyscrapers. The star of the show is definitely the Leadenhall Market. It is a gorgeous Victorian-style covered market that sells fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers (on week days) as well as housing high-end commercial stores. While the current building was built in the 19th century, the market dates back to medieval times.
After strolling the market and the adorable surrounding streets, we made our way back to St. Paul’s Cathedral for my absolute favorite tea and scones in the city. In my opinion, the cafe in the crypt (yes, crypt) of St. Paul’s has the best scones and clotted cream in town (served fresh everyday at 3 pm, and you’ll want to get there as close to 3 as possible, they do run out). Even Mike, who is a local, agreed it was an excellent scone and authentic Cornish clotted cream.
Despite the fact that I have been the British Museum a dozen times, I can’t stop myself from going. It is free of charge (they ask for donations) and there is no line to enter. So after our delicious scones, Mike and I headed to the museum. I insisted on going, especially when I discovered Mike HAD NEVER BEEN! Naturally he loved it and promised he would return to visit the museum properly when he had more time. One can never have enough tea in London, so when the museum closed, we met up with my friend Angela at the cutest pink and blue French bakery, Maison Bertaux.
By this point our phones were telling us that we had walked more than 13 miles! I had no idea we had walked so far because, unlike Mike’s, my feet weren’t hurting at all thanks to my comfy Hunter Tour Boots (they never let me down and they are so easy to pack). We decided to call it a day and head back to Mike’s part of town (he lives just outside the city) for a yummy pie at his favorite pub.
Sometimes you just have to embrace your girly side and your long-lost childhood dream of being a prima ballerina. I immediately fell head over heels (or should I say toe box?) when I saw these light pink, pointe-inspired ballet flats (complete with bow) by Melissa Shoes. As you might remember, Melissa Shoes are my absolute favorite for traveling and exploring European cities. They are the only stylish shoes I can spend the day in walking miles or standing in a museum without my feet hurting.
Like all Melissa Shoes, these are PVC. Yes, plastic! So the added bonus to them be soft and squishy is that are basically indestructible and waterproof, which is essential on European cobblestone. I have never ruined or worn out as many shoes as I have in Italy. I have worn my Melissa Doris flats (currently on sale!) all over Italy/Europe so I was hoping these would be just as comfortable and cute. And they did not disappoint! These have even more cushioning and I think the design is just the right about of whimsy, while still being a versatile shoe. I cannot wait to wear them in Paris. My only caution with Melissa Shoes is that you need to wear them with tights or ballet socks. Remember they are plastic, so not the best shoe for heat and humidity lol.
I paired my amazing new flats with my favorite lace tights to highlight the little black bow. And since I love to experiment with mixing prints and patterns, I decided to go for a little lace-on-lace action. To break up the amount of black, I added my favorite light pink mini bag and a pink ribbon in my hair... because you know, childhood dreams.
If I had to pick my favorite museum in Florence, it would be the Palazzo Pitti. Not only is it a grand Renaissance palace, it is often overlooked by tourist, which means it doesn’t have long lines and is rarely crowded. The Palazzo Pitti is almost always overshadowed by its more famous counterparts - the Uffizi, Accademia (where the David is located), and the Palazzo Vecchio. But this isn’t because it’s less significant!
I am not really sure why it doesn’t receive the same recognition, since the museum boasts works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Raphael (some of my all-time favorite Raphael portraits), and Titian. On top of its impressive collection of art, the building was the royal residence of the Medici Grand Dukes, their successors the Lorrianes, and even Napoleon stayed there for a bit. Fun historical tidbit, the size and grandeur of the Palazzo Pitti and its formal gardens were one of the inspirations for Versailles.
Today the Palazzo Pitti is actually 6 museums plus the gorgeous (and massive) Boboli Gardens -- a modern art museum, a silver museum (and other precious objects), a porcelain museum, a historical costume museum, and a carriage museum. But the main collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, as well as the royal apartments, are in the Palatine Gallery (the largest of the Pitti’s museums).
Clearly, I enjoy this museum. So when my friend Anna mentioned that she had never been, I jumped at the chance to spend the day showing her around (it’s important to know that she’s lived in Florence for fourteen years!). We started our day with cappuccini and fresh orange juice in the square in front of the palazzo. Fueled up and ready to go we conquered each of the museums, one by one. Even if you aren’t interested in silver or carriages, it’s fun to visit all of them and see the entirety of the building. I love walking through the very rooms that the princess I study once lived in.
After a marathon of art and architecture, we headed out into the gardens to enjoy what was a perfect fall day. But no day across the river in Florence (in the area called the Oltrano) is complete without dinner (and a bottle of red wine) at one of the delicious restaurants in Piazza Santo Spirito. It is hard to find a bad meal in this square, but we really like Trattoria Borgo Antico and Osteria Santo Spirito.
1) Relax in a Turkish Bath I don’t think I need to explain this one. Turkish baths are famous for a reason, just do it!
2) Explore Ihlara Valley Not only is the valley gorgeous, but it is filled with interesting cut rock cave-dwellings and old Byzantine churches.
3) See the Fairy Chimneys Truly marvels of nature, these little geological wonders shouldn’t be missed!
4) Ride in a Hot Air Balloon at Sunrise This is totally worth the early morning and steep price tag. Sailing high above Cappadocia’s out-of-this-world landscape is an incredible experience.
5) Scale the Uchisar Castle Not only is the castle historically interesting, but its position on a hill overlooking the valley below offers great panoramic views (especially at sunset).
6) Explore an Underground City I recommend Kaymakli, it has four levels that you can explore. Just be warned many of the passageways are very small and narrow.
7) See the Byzantine Churches of the Goreme Open Air Museum This open air museum has lots to explore, but the rock-cut Byzantine churches are a must-see.
8) Watch 100 Hot Air Balloons Rise at Sunrise from Uchisar In addition to riding in one, you should also see this amazing sight from below. I found the best vantage point was from the Uschisar hill (next to the Castle).
9) Walk the Silk Road and See a Caravanserai Walk in the footsteps of thousands of years of history. The ancient routes that connected Europe to Asia still exist in many places, as do the caravanserai (where trades would stop to rest, refuse, and trade).
10) Stay in a Cave Hotel Staying in a traditional cave hotel is a must and I highly recommend Kale Konack.
11) Eat a Pottery Kebab and Drink Apple Tea Pottery Kebabs are a local Cappadocian speciality (and the term kebab is used for all meat dishes). They slow-cook veggies and/or lamb in traditional clay pots. After simmering all day, the dish is sealed with bread dough and fired at a higher heat. To eat, they break open the clay pot and pour the deliciousness on to your fresh plate of rice. It’s amazing! And don’t forget to drink lots of apple tea.
For all of the confidence you gain living abroad, nothing will humble you more quickly and make you feel completely out of your element than getting sick in a foreign country. For the past two weeks I have been battling some sort of cold/flu virus. To add insult to injury, I woke up Saturday morning with an incredibly swollen and painful left eye (it was a bad eye infection)!
Not only was I worried about my eye (and in lots of pain), I had no idea where to go or what to do about it! I started googling eye doctors in Florence, but it was a Saturday morning and not only was no one open, but I couldn’t find any nearby. Desperate, I left my apartment and wandered to the center of town hoping I could find a sunglasses or eye glasses store that might be able to help. I finally found one but, of course, there was no doctor on a Saturday. Fortunately, the kind sales lady recommended that I walk down the street to the Misericordia. I only had a vague idea of what the Misericordia was. I knew it had something to do with health and emergency services, but other than that, I was at a loss. But I was desperate, so I walked in.
In stressful situations I tend to lean on speaking in English more than I should. All I wanted to do was walk up and ask for help and advice in my native tongue, but nobody at the Misericodia spoke English. I managed to convey what was wrong and that I was looking for an eye doctor. The lady at the desk was so sweet and reassuring. She explained that there wasn’t one in town, but she could give me directions on how to reach the Misericordia just outside of town, and that she could make an appointment for me. A bus and a tram ride later I arrived and was treated by a wonderful eye doctor (all for the low price of 48 euros).
While everything worked out, that day got me thinking about what it feels like to be a foreigner. The stress and pain of being ill shook my confidence. Although I ended up being capable of navigating the Italian healthcare system in Italian, the process was certainly intimidating as a foreigner. I remember growing up in Florida and listening to people complain about foreigners who didn’t or couldn’t speak English. Lines like, “if you come to our country, you need to speak our language.” As a sheltered and privileged youth, this made sense to me. But as someone who has lived in a foreign country and had to learn a foreign language, I am completely appalled at what I used to agree with.
Living in a foreign culture with a foreign language is hard! Plain and simple. And language fluency isn't as simple as we think. Fluency isn’t black or white. It is a process that has its ups and downs and is often affected by situations and stress. Furthermore, it takes years living in a foreign language to truly gain fluency. I will never again judge those in the U.S. who struggle to speak English or who sometimes revert to their native tongue in stressful situations.
