Categories
Travel

Italy Part Two

Welcome back and Happy Wednesday!

I can’t believe August has come to an end. School is back in session and fall will be here before we know it. I typically save the last Wednesday of the month for my Currently post, but that will be pushed back a week, so I can shared part two of my trip to Italy.

At the beginning of the month, my family and I embarked on our first big international trip and went to Italy. I shared part one last week and you can read about it here.

Today is all about part two. We left off with our day trip to Venice.

Day Six was a calmer day after a day of travel. My brother and I started the day with a run which was such a good way to start the day.

We then got breakfast at the hotel and packed up our things for the next hotel. After breakfast we did some more sightseeing.

I’ll be missing these Italian breakfasts

We started the day at St. Mary Major, one of my favorite churches from the last time I visited.

I loved the architecture and the fact we could walk there.

The gorgeous church

After look at the church, we took an Uber to the Keyhole where you can get a unique perspective of the city.

A unique view of Rome

It was also near where I stayed when I came in college. We got to see some of the churches near Saint Anselmo and saw some incredible views of the city too.

After spending some time in a quieter part of Rome, we made our way back to the city to see the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.

We then walked flights of stairs and took an elevator to see some incredible views of the city. 

An overview of the city
More views
And even more views

After, snapping some photos, we made our way to the Pantheon.

Then made our way to the Piazza Novena for lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant where I got a delicious chicken and hummus wrap.

At this point, we switched hotels for our trip, we stayed in Rome but moved to a quieter part of town.

Our new neighborhood

The hotel was gorgeous and the best part was the pool which was much needed after several days in scorching temperatures!

We relaxed and cooled off by the pool and then got cleaned up for dinner.

We walked to a steakhouse nearby. We split some appetizers and I enjoyed their fresh salad and meatballs and tiramisu for dessert. It was so nice to walk back after dinner.

We then called it a night since we had a big day planned. 
Day Seven started early as we had to catch a 6:00 train to Naples.

Early morning views
With breakfast
Arriving in Naples

Once we arrived, we took a 7:30 ferry to Capri for the day!

Our ferry

We arrived at 9:30 just in time for our 10:00 boat tour of the island.

First sights of Capri.

A lot of early morning travel but it was so worth it.

This was one of my favorite days of the trip! Capri was packed with lots of tourists.

Our boat driver told us over 20,000 people visit every day! The island is very small but there’s so much to see. We spent four hours on the boat and got to see the whole island. We got to go swimming twice, once near some cliffs and then in some caverns. It was such a cool experience. It was so hot out that the water felt so refreshing and it was so clear too. This was an experience I’ll never forget.

After our boat ride, we did some shopping and eating.

We got their traditional lemon sorbet, which was lemon sorbet in a lemon, it was so refreshing in the heat.

After some more window shopping, we made our way back for a 4:30 ferry back to Naples.

Gorgeous views

We had to catch a 6:30 train to Rome. We enjoyed some snacks on the train and before we knew it, we were back in Rome.

It was a long day full of travel, but so worth it! It was one of my favorite days of the trip.

Pictures don’t do it justice
Simply stunning

Day Eight had a slower start due to how busy the previous day was. I started the day with a walk and then we went to church at an American church near the Vatican.

After mass, we went to to do some shopping and went to get our items blessed and listen to the Pope give his weekly address.

Seeing the Pope again

It was so cool to see Pope Francis twice in one week alongside thousands of other people.

After spending time at the Vatican, we went to the Jewish Ghetto for lunch and to see the spot was Julius Cesar was killed.

We split lots of snacks for lunch and I got a Chicken Caesar salad too.

Lunch
And lots of snacks!

I also indulged in a pistachio cannoli for a treat! It hit the spot.


After looking at some of the ruins, we made our way to the Olympic stadium which was so cool to see in person even if it had been decades since they were last played there.

My mom and I did some window shopping at a few high end stores and got one last gelato to cool off.

I went for snickers in a cone, the perfect afternoon treat.

We went back to the hotel and cooled off in the pool and then got ready for one last Italian dinner.

We walked to a spot nearby where I order bucatini and tiramisu for dessert, they did not disappoint! We walked back to our hotel and enjoyed the beauty that Rome had to offer at night.


Our final day started with a a walk in a nearby park followed by breakfast and getting to the airport to head back home.

One last walk in Rome
One last breakfast

The ride home was long but books and movies kept me entertained and then we were back home and back to reality. 

Back to the states

I had such an incredible trip to Italy with my family. As we endured 100 degree days and consumed lots of water, and walked dozens of miles, we enjoyed delicious food, rich history and made an abundance of memories.

It’s truly time I would not trade for anything. We are all getting older and continue to go in different directions, which made this trip extra special. 

Ciao Roma, I’ll be back. 

Categories
Fabulous living

Summer 2022 Recap

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I can’t believe we are at the end of August. The older I get the more I feel time moving faster and faster. Although, I no longer go to school and can still enjoy outdoor fun well into September and even October, the summer season feels like it’s winding down with kids heading back into the classroom. 

I had a packed full summer filled with lots of walks, reading by the pool, seeing friends and family and grilling. As I do every summer, I’m sharing my summer bucket list with a look at everything I accomplished.

Heritage Festivals/ Fairs- I got the chance to go to fairs for work for different stories but also managed to head to some with my family. We went to a community festival one day after work and enjoyed some classic fair food! Yum!

A local Cherry Festival
A local community fair

Day trips- day trips became a favorite for me this summer! From Pittsburgh to Columbus, shopping trips and visiting family! I made the most of weekends by enjoying day trips!

Mantees at the Columbus
Pittsburgh day trip

Zoos-speaking of zoos, I love animals and heading to zoos. I got to go to some of my favorites plus try some new ones! Here’s a collection of my favorite zoo memories this summer!

The aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo

Beach Day- I’m so lucky to have a beach so close to us. I made my way to the beach for walks, picnics, and ice cream runs this summer. I also got to head to some new beaches too when I had a day trip to Columbus! The lake and beach was so pretty and calm. 

A beach in Columbus
Beach days at home

Pool Day- I enjoyed lots of days off or evening by the pool, whether it was swimming, snacking or reading. Days by the pool were a favorite this summer by far!

Fresh drinks by the pool

Celebrate Fourth of July-The Fourth of July is always a fun way to celebrate the family and our nation. It’s one of my favorite days of the summer. From the food, to fireworks and family, it doesn’t get any better!

Fireworks on the Fourth!

Time with family- I got in so much fun family time this summer from just eating dinner, doing day trips or our mini vacation. As we all get older, it shows how important family truly is!

Summer bonfires

White Turkey-this is a summer tradition to enjoy a trip at a favorite restaurant of ours. I made the trip twice this summer and enjoyed the food both times!

Sara’s- another summer tradition to enjoy a favorite restaurant at home, from burgers to ice cream, it’s so good to savor those traditions!

See college friends- From a college friend’s wedding to FaceTime calls and a girls weekend, I got to see so many college friends. The only downside was that I didn’t take any pictures! But it was so nice just to be in the moment. 

Go Someplace New- I went to Columbus for the first time which was so fun! 

Zoo Fun!

Meal by the Water- I enjoyed my birthday dinner on the water and I had family visiting and we brought them to eat by the water! So pretty!

Sweet summertime!

Food tour- Although, I didn’t get to enjoy a food crawl/ tour, I still indulged a lot!

Fish Tacos-another summer favorite!
More summer snacks!

Picnicing- Picnicing was a summer staple for me this summer! From grilling to sandwiches and even snacks. Here’s a look at some picnic ideas!

Grilling after walks
Picnicing at State Parks
Snack picnics

Winery/Wine Tasting-While I didn’t go wine tasting, it’s a perfect fall activity that I’m looking forward to! 

Happy Hour/ Ice Cream Hour- I did happy hour with some friends on a weekend which was fun! I also enjoyed so much ice cream this summer from favorite shops to at home! It’s one of the sweetest parts of summer!

Food truck treats!

State/National Parks- I explored so many new and old parks this summer. I loved getting out and enjoying nature, taking it all in and disconnecting for a bit! Much needed

Walks after work
Sweet summertime in New York.

John Russell Brewing- While I didn’t get to this restaurant in the summer, I plan to go once it’s colder out and there’s not as much to do outdoors. 

Mini Golf- One of the first things I did this summer! A great way to kick off June!

Mini golf days

Kayaking- Although I didn’t get to it this summer, I still made sure I got outdoors as much as I could. 

Amusement Park- I spent an afternoon at an amusement park and water park and I felt like a child once again from the slides to the rides! So fun!

Outdoor Concert- I enjoyed heading to some live shows this summer. It was great to be by the water and enjoy live music during the week!

Concerts by the water

A few other things I got to enjoy this summer that wasn’t on my summer bucket list include a baseball game, strawberry picking and lots of baking 

Nights at the ball park
Strawberry picking
Baking banana bread!
Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites # 1

Hi guys! Happy Friday or for some..Fri-YAY! After following several blogs for years, one of my favorite things about reading them is learning about some of their favorite products and things they are loving and where they get them thanks to their Friday favorites posts.

I decided to hop on the bandwagon and share some of my favorite things from the week. I’m not sure if this will become a weekly post for me or just an occasional post, but be sure to check in every Friday to find out. Don’t worry, I’ll still have my typical post for you every Wednesday. Without further ado, here’s my first edition of Friday Favorites as I link up with Erika and Andrea!

  1. Covergirl Green Primer

I always wear green primer for work. It’s one of the first things I put on after my skin care routine. I’ve been trying some other green primer brands and recently purchased this one from Cover Girl. I love the consistency of it, how easy it goes on and blends, plus it smells really good too. Definitely a favorite beauty trend!

  1. Makeup Applicators

When I put on my green primer and my eye primer, I have been using these makeup applicators. I got mine from Target but you can find them at most grocery or beauty stores, even Amazon. I love how they make it so much easier to apply makeup and you aren’t worrying about if the products get on your hands. I use the primer and these sponges daily!

  1. Daisy Jones and the Six

I know I am way behind but I just read Daisy Jones and the Six this week and wow-what a great book. I’ve heard about it for years but never got around to reading it. I loved the plot line, fell in love with the characters, but my favorite way was how it was laid out, so creative! I can’t wait until the series comes out on Amazon Prime!

  1. Purple Hearts 

Speaking of streaming services, over the weekend, I watched Purple Hearts on Netflix and was so surprised with how much I enjoyed it! Sometimes, movies on streaming services can be hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed watching this drama about two people who decide to get married for the benefits of marrying into the military. I really loved the character development and seeing these two characters go from strangers to falling in love. It got 5 Stars from me!

  1. Soaking Up Summer

A final summer favorite has been soaking up the summer days of working outside. On weekends or afternoons, I do my best to get outside to read or work or just relax. I know I will be inside soon enough when snow comes, so i’m doing what i can to soak up the sunshine. This is also your motivation to spend some time outdoors today.

There you have it, my first Friday Favorites is in the books. Let me know below what’s included in your weekend plans?! Have a great weekend!