{weekend in tuscany}

{first stop, pisa!}

{il duomo}

{our lunch on the steps of the duomo}

{piazza vecchio and a view from ponte vecchio}

{mercato centrale}

{river at sunset}

{specialities of tuscany: zuppa di cipolla & homemade pasta}

{view from piazza michelangelo}

well hello there lovelies, and happy halloween! here in torino, it doesn't quite feel like the same holiday, so i am pining for home a bit today. how is your october wrapping up? it's beginning to feel a lot like winter here. the rain has been coming down all day, and the temperature has dropped to the low 40s. a little bit colder than what this so cal girl is accustomed to. 

now, i am back to share with you our recent trip to tuscany. a few weekends ago, elliot & i took a train south to explore pisa, florence, and lucca. 

our first stop landed us in the quaint town of pisa. we made a bee line for the tower, snapped a few pictures, and headed back to the train for florence. while pisa is a cute city, it is very small and has little draw other than the leaning tower.

florence was gorgeous. the architecture and views of the city were breathtaking. however, we were shocked to see how overly touristy the city was. over the course of our three day stay, we barely heard a word of italian. it was almost disappointing, because we were unable to use an ounce of our italian. every restaurant we passed by asked us to see their english menu (which you must be wary of, since they will sometimes raise the prices on the tourist menus).

aside from the initial shock, the rest of our stay was beautiful. on saturday, we climbed up to piazza michelangelo in order to see a birds eye view of florence. 

we explored mercato centrale as well , which is a large food market in the center of the city. after, we wandered outside to florence's infamous leather market. 

on sunday, elliot & i stopped in lucca on our way home. this tuscan hill town is still encircled by its original medieval wall. once inside the wall, we discovered the best antique market. every street was filled with vendors selling items from vintage tablecloths to antique furniture. it was a dream!

the trip was enjoyable, but we were glad to make it back to familiar torino on sunday evening. sometimes it gets a little tiring always being on the go!

this weekend, elliot & i will be making a return trip to.... you guessed it.. london! we will be in our favorite place in the world in less than 48 hours. and, to make it even better, my dear mom & dad will be there as well. can't wait!

keep a look out for a post from last weekend's adventure to barcelona. 

enjoy your week

xox

{oh britannia}

{Parliament}

{Big Ben}

{Westminster Abbey}

{the streets of Notting Hill & the London Eye}

jacket {Kenneth Cole}  top  {nordstroms} jeans {a&f} boots {steve madden} scarf {gifted}

{Parliament at sunset}

{only the greatest store of all time}

{Tower Bridge}

{Borough Market}

{St. James Park}

{celebrating fall}

{Hyde Park}

hello lovelies. time seems to be going by much too quickly these days. it always seems to be a weekend, which means setting off to a new destination. i am so glad i get to share London, which was  the trip that has been the nearest and dearest to me so far. 

i don't know if there is any other place i have visited that quite compares to london. it was an unexpected surprise; i was solely excited to visit a country that spoke the same language {and had starbucks!}.little did i know, the beautiful city would run away with my heart. it felt like the perfect merging of both new york and boston, which were previously my favorite spots. 

however, nothing beats london's history, marvelous architecture, cozy pubs, and pristine parks. 

although the tube system was easy to handle, elliot & i adored the city so much that we usually chose to walk the city blocks. at one point, we found that we had wandered all the way from Notting Hill to the other side of Hyde park. it was only because of our stroll, however, that we came upon Harrod's. this wonderland, my darlings, was not only the grandest department store i have set foot in, but it had an entire level dedicated to "Christmas Land" {it looked like the set of Elf!}.

our leisurely strolls took us down to the Tower Bridge, along the Thames at night, and to the Notting Hill market. though it was incredibly crowded, this market had such an assortment of vintage treasures that made it worth the effort. furs, vintage brooches, clothing, & british antiques lined the streets. it was a sight to be seen. 

Borough Market was another of my favorite finds. this expansive market sold all sorts of english goodies, from fresh produce to meat pies. we grabbed a cup of mulled wine and wandered through the mesmerizing market before heading off to explore the rest of the city.

it is my hope that we make it back to regal London in a few weeks. the city was made for me... they love seasons & holidays, you have the ability to walk everywhere, and the weather is brisk & sweater worthy. i am already missing the mulled wine, cottage pie, and sticky toffee pudding {its back to pizza and pasta here}.

last weekend's trip to the Tuscan region will be posted shortly. i don't want to get too behind, especially since we are off to Barcelona on thursday! 

hope your daily travels are going splendidly. 

xox

{italian riviera}

        

hello lovelies! so sorry it has taken so long, but we have been without internet for the past few weeks... it has not been fun! but i am back, and with plenty of pictures from our italian riviera trip a few weeks ago.

elliot & i traveled a few hours south and spent the weekend in santa margherita ligure. the town was gorgeous. after spending the first day in the quaint town, we left for Cinque Terre. i have never witnessed a more beautiful place. and it wans't even sunny! the saturday we arrived, there was actually a storm in the forecast (not the typical weather you imagine of when thinking of Cinque Terre). however, i could not have imagined a better place to watch an incredible lightening storm than atop a bluff in Vernazza (the third town). it was magical.

since there was rain, all of the walking trails that connect Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza,  and Monterosso were closed. by hopping on the train, we still managed to explore each town and witness their charming uniqueness. 

Portofino was our next adventure on sunday. this luxurious town was filled with gorgeous views and adorable buildings. after a hike to Castello Brown at the top of the town, we finished our visit with a glass of prosecco next to the docks. 

it was definitely one of the most memorable weekends, and i will forever cherish getting to have such an experience. 

last weekend, elliot & i made a last minute trip to the closing weekend of oktoberfest. pictures from that excursion will be coming soon! 

tomorrow, however, we are off to our latest adventure. we are catching a morning flight and will be in london for the weekend! i am secretly excited to visit a culture that speaks english (and that has pumpkin spice lattes......)