Pisa

Oh, Enchanting Pisa! 

The people, the aroma and just simply, the essence of it! It may be shorter then you think in person, but the views of that piazza was amazing! Such beautiful, ancient, white marble that make up not only the tower but the cathedral as well. We only spent two nights in this city, at an amazing hostel, clearly family owned named A Casa Doina Tower, only a five minute walk from the piazza! And, get this… from the common balcony you had a clear top half view of the tower! There it was in all its glory! It's bright white marble only magnified by the clear blue skies that day. So grateful I got to see it in my life time! 

The Piazza del Duomo is amazing! Once Ben & I were done marvelling at the tower from the ground we ventured forth to see the Cathedral, Baptistry and Campo Santo - a grave site if you will. So much history that enriches Pisa. It was really cool to learn about the Campo Santo, truly one of the most beautiful grave sites I've ever seen. 

My goodness, the food was amazing. We had this delicious sharing plate of cold cuts for lunch on our last afternoon there. It was amazing. Two types of salami, two types of proscuitto, cheese, capicola, fresh baked bread, and a fresh fruit bowl to share. I'm salivating just thinking of it… 

Firenze

Florence, Italy

The Piazza del Duomo, is as sweet as it sounds. In the heart of Florence, Tuscany, this piazza is one of the most visited places in Europe! From marvellous gothic cathedrals, to golden gated baptiserys, along with a Da Vinci exhibit! David would be proud! ;P

We may not have stayed in the most …romantic of places-old nunnery- but we tried to make the most of it! In the span of five days we learned so much about our selves, the art of machines, and developed a love for wine! 

The Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen! I felt like I was looking at a painting of a church. So beautifully crafted with detail, you could stand outside it for hours just tantalized from every angle. 

To be honest, Ben & I are not the artsy types. By this point we've seen enough cathedrals and exhibits that we were only willing to pay for entry if it was something either one of us was really interested in. So we walked Florence twice over in the five days we were there, simply admiring everything from the outside. The Baptistery.. conveniently located just across from the Duomo! 

We stumbled across the famous bridge Ponte Vecchio, "Old Bridge". A bridge the is across the Arno River, it has three arches and has the tall apartment styled buildings on it. We walked across it on that hot sunny afternoon, and were in awe at all the jewellers that lined the street! 

The wine! The wine from this region was amazing! The red's and the whites! We loved everything we tried, and learned to pair what type of wine with which dish! (Such a fun date night idea in the future!) 

Side note - When in Florence for breakfast, lunch or dinner go to Club House!! The BEST gluten free pizza I ever had the pleasure of tasting on our entire trip! Ahh, I miss it already… 

Rome, Italy

What a magnificent city! The cobblestone streets lined with gelateria's, pizzaria's, souvenir shops and leather clothing stores! There is so much to see and do in this city, so when you visit prepare yourself for a lot of walking, and a lot of photographs! Ben and I had so much fun! We truly felt like historians; learning so much from the architecture to the vast, glorious history that haunts Rome to this day.

I took one step into the Colosseo and thought to myself, "Wow! …Gladiator didn't do this any justice!" SO BIG! The Trevi Fountain was astonishing! Truly amazing piece of work. We loved it so much, that  we saw it on more then one occaision. Sitting back admiring the view in daylight and moonlight! We watched various families and couples struggling to take a picture of themselves, when it hit me! I gladly volunteer'd to help! Here is where I ignited my passion for photography. =) We walked so much that we learned quickly, if you want gelato walk as far away as possible from any historical, touristy site and save yourself some money! Not only that, but the quality of gelato is way higher! 

Growing up italian and being able to come to this city, really was amazing for me! So rich in culture, history and scenic views! We toured the Vatican, climbed the Spanish Steps, saw the Pantheon and so much more! The gelato was unlike anything I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I would simply say, if you visit Italy, Rome should be on your itinerary! 

Wanderer - Summertime Sadness

I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world. 

- Mary Radmacher

To grow up is indeed a blessing. To journey through life with gratitude, a wandering soul, and an appetite for adventure has been truly eye opening. When you see so much of the world in a short amount of time, and you learn to live as a minimalist along the way, you learn to really seize each and every day. When you meet new and old family who take you under their wing, and spoil you with memories, and home cooked meals, you learn to appreciate the true essence of giving back. It has all been such a whirl wind; Honeymooning for four months with the love of my life!!! Learning that we really are each others best travel companions. Knowing that if either of us is grouchy it's all because we are hangry. (Hungry + Angry) We've listened to countless songs, written many pages in our travel journals, thousands of pictures and videos, confided in each other till the early morning, went baby crazy.. Then not so baby crazy, brainstormed ideas for the next ultimate trip of a lifetime, found a new love for wines, and food! I have lived a lifetime in these last four months. And we still have two weeks left until we are at the home base. So crazy! Too much time can be wasted obsessing over the past, what people think, the future. And I ask myself why?? If I die tomorrow, I am so content with my life and how I have lived it. I have grown up emensely on this journey! I know it is just the beginning of many wonderful years to come from this wandering heart! I yearn for the next world wonder my eyes will lay upon, the next beach to lay on, the next dish my lips will taste. 

I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world! 

The love of my life on our special day !

Wedding Video Teaser

Naples, Italy

We arrived in Naples August 3 to the open arms of my amazing aunt piña and her son Davide!! I was ecstatic to see them, and the rest of my family! With the anticipation of landing in Italy, I was filled with pure joy. It has been fifteen years since I was here in Naples , which is my dads home city. 

The weather and the beaches is what Ben and I were most excited for, and we were not disappointed !! The weather was nothing short of 35 degrees, 52degrees with humidity on the hottest day we were there. 

We tried every cappuccino we could get our hands on, and devoured a copious amount if gelato! Naples is a city that is full of people, and a slim amount of tourists except at the ports. Not a lot of people speak English, only my aunt. This however tested me in many ways. I studied Italian for many years, but never spoke it fluently. The challenge was tough at first, but I learned quite quickly. Love the language, it is absolutely beautiful. 

The first beach we went to is called Formia. Just thirty minutes from the town Terracina - which is my moms home town. The sand was scalding hot from the sun, the water a darker green than blue, and soooo salty! Needless to say we finally got our tan on we're extremely excited to fulfil our passion of being "beach bums". You can say we are conoseurs of sorts. 

We also got the opportunity to drive along the Amalfi coast, hit a rocky beach with beautiful blue water and many waves! I fell INLOVE with this coast. In the same day, we hit a beach in Positano which Is a smaller town on the Amalfi coast. This too was beautiful, a bit lighter sand color than in Formia and still blue water. A port filled with boats, and more tourists, but so worth the drive/ bus ride. You must try limoncello here! An italian lemon liquor. Amalfi is famous for its limoncello. 

We also visited the island of Ischia. Bigger in size than Capri, more European tourists on this island, this is probably because Capri is more known to non European travellers, therefore more of a touristy attraction. In Ischia we didn't tour the island, instead we headed straight for the beach! A bit rockier than the last couple of places we hit, but probably the most beautiful coast line we got to see this far!! We found a beach titled, "inglese", not sure why Haha, but it was amazing! Small! No more than 75 people where we were. We purchased some beach chairs and umbrellas on the private beach side with my relatives, and enjoyed a full day in the sun! :) Ben and I rented a paddle boat so we could go out as far as was allowed to take in the hillside. No words can put in to description how serene it was. 

Pompeii is a must see!! 

Paris

Paris

The city of love. It is a city rich in history, culture, fashion and monumental highlights. One needs a good amount of time and a very large budget to take in all that Paris has to offer. But even a brief visit to this breathtakingly beautiful city leaves you planning your next trip to France's capital!

We arrived in Paris by train around noon on July 29th. We made our way to our beautiful hotel, Le Meridien, which is a short distance from the arc de triomphe. After checking in we decided to venture forth on a long journey by foot to take it all in and see the Eiffel Tower.

Nothing can prepare you for what you are about to see! You've seen it movies, in pictures and paintings, or you have heard of it by word of mouth. This humongous, iconic monument took me by surprise. Being a typical girl, I have pictures of the Eiffel Tower at home. Those back and whites alone made me want to venture to Paris just to see it! If this city is on your bucketlist, the Eiffel Tower is worth the trip alone. We sat on a bench just to the northwest side of the tower, chatted and casually ate our amazing soft serve ice cream. In that moment, I felt like there was no one else there, just Ben, the tower and me. 

It is truly beautiful. Grab some wine, plastic cups, macaroons and have yourself a picnic right on the grounds. That is one memory at will for sure last a lifetime.

Among the other amazing sights were the arc de triomphe, the lovers bridge, the louvre, the Bastille monument, Notre dame and of course, DISNEYLAND!

The arc de triomphe is quite a sight. It is a large arche at the I tersection of L'etoile, and commemorates Napoleons victories. You can climb it for a fee or admire the carving and sculptures from the ground. The louvre is the famous French museum that houses da vinci's Mona Lisa. Take warning that it is completely closed on Tuesdays, as this was the day we had planned to visit it, we settled for admiring the beautiful square, building and glass pyramid that can be seen outside the museum. We continued our long walk and made a stop at lovers bridge, the famous bridge where lovers place a lock to symbolize there love. You the. Throw your key into the river and make a wish, it was very romantic and we witnessed a very romantic proposal right there on the bridge. Helpful hint, if you don't have your own lock and are looking to purchase one, go beyond the bridge as prices are cut in half from those of stores and stands directly adjacent to the bridge.  We then went to climb yet another amazing bundling at Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral itself is beautiful and has some amazing stain glass  work. After enjoying the beauty of the cathedral you can make like a hunchback and climb the narrow spiral staircase of the north tower. This provides a closer look at the many amazing gargoyles, the gothic architecture and a panoramic view of Paris that is breathtaking. We continued the very long trail all the way to the giant monument that commemorates France's civil war and rebellion, where the Bastille used to be. 

Paris Disney!! So much fun! If you've travelled to California's Disneyland or Florida's Disneyworld then you must go to Disney in a foreign country! It is an experience all on its own. The underground metro in Paris is easy to navigate through and if you get confused, there is always someone willing to help! We took the underground metro and changed trains to Disney Paris, a commute that took roughly an hour and a half. We were the second train of people to arrive that early morning, and every step we took, our inner 8 year olds started to unfold! Taking pictures all along the way to the entrance we were extremely giddy! We made our way through the gates and the first thing you see is the amazing pink and blue castle! Gigantic! We roamed the Main Street, looking at all the stores - where I purchased my first pair of mini mouse ears- and themed restaurants and made our way to our first coaster, Space mountain.  This got our hearts racing and our lungs ready for the many coasters to come. A major difference you find is that everything is in French, this is particularly funny in the line up to the Star Wars space adventures ride, where all of the robots including C3PO are speaking French to you. Who thought C3PO could be any more annoying?!

The highlights were the Hotel Tower of Terror, the Aerosmith ride (Ben screamed like a girl), Indiana Jones coaster and Crush's Coaster. This is all finished with an amazing show using fireworks, fountains, projectors and graphics all shot on the amazing Disney castle. All in all it truly was a magical day!

All in all, this was an absolute wonderful taste of Paris. It is a beautiful city, as romantic as all of the stereotypes suggest. The people are nice, the food is amazing, the wine is wonderful, and the sights are breathtaking. 

We are already dreaming of the next trip we can make to the city of love! :)