Travel – Page 8 – Holly Whittlef

July 21, 2014 — Comments are off for this post.

ROME | ITALY

When you ask people who have visited Italy what their favorite city is, the answer I most often hear is Florence. While I do love Florence, there is something about Rome that steals my heart. And I say that not because people there repeatedly thought I was Italian. NBD.

I think the best way to explain it is this : Florence is your rich, sophisticated cousin who you see every few years, while Rome is your annoying uncle who attends every single family gathering. Florence is exciting for its elusiveness / exclusivenss, so much so that you've come to forget to appreciate Rome's constant presence and companionship.

Am I making any sense? ...

Yes, Rome is a big, bustling European city—like many others—but there is something grimy yet charming about it. I could get happily lost in the colorful buildings, endless pizza joints, people-watching ( Euro trash fashion is UH-mazing ) and history that is seeped in every cracked sidewalk, open window + gregarious conversation on the street. If you've never been, GO. The city will make you feel small + inconsequential in the most humbling of ways.

You'll notice I didn't list any museums below, but that's because there are SO many wonderful places to see beautiful art + sculpture. If you are looking to narrow it down, I recommend the Capitoline Museum + Borghese Gallery. They were our two faves on the trip.

Also, if you haven't joined the Rick Steves' fan club yet, do it. His books offer city walks, guided tours, excellent recommendations and anything you would ever want for traveling in Europe.

We heart you Rick.

PIZZERIA FLORIDA : Happily situated right outside our door, Pizzeria Florida was excellent for cheap + tasty pizza. Every one we tried was excellent ( especially washed down with a Peroni beer ), but my favorite had to have been the traditional margherita.

GELATERIA VICE : Hands down, the best gelato we had in Rome. I got strawberry + pistachio, because—duh, it's the best—while the manfriend got his chocolate + coffee combo. This place was around the corner from our apartment, which means if I haven't convinced you yet, you should stay in Largo Argentina ( see details below ).

FORNO : Tucked away in the back corner of the popular Campo de Fiori, Forno is a delicious bakery with even more delicious pizza. Their rosemary potato breakfast pizza is my life, and I never want to eat anything else for breakfast ever again.

FRENI E FRIZIONI : Italians know what's up. All around the city, bars host happy hours where all you need to do is purchase one drink ( normally €6 to €10 ) for an all-access pass to a buffet of fresh, delicious food. Freni's was the cheapest, all-vegetarian + located in a cool piazza in the Trastevere neighborhood.

TAVERNA TRILUSSA : Our farewell to Rome meal at Trilussa was nothing short of delicious. We started with mozzarella en carroza ( essentially, a big fried cheese curd ), moved on to bombolotti alla carbonara, ravioli mimosa, tiramisu and limoncello. Oh yah, and lots of house wine.

CROSS POLLINATE : I cannot say enough lovely things about the Largo Argentina Terrace studio apartment we scored in Rome. While the space was small, the multiple private rooftop terraces + cheap price ( €90 ) made it well worth the stay.

VATICAN CITY : No trip to Rome is complete without a day trip to Vatican City. It's worth a full day to visit the Vatican Museum, gawk in wonder at the Sistine Chapel + St. Peter's Basilica and wander around the city streets. Skip the expensive tour, buy Rick Steves' book + he'll ensure you see everything you need to.

COLOSSEUM / ROMAN FORUM : Another full day of your trip should be devoted to the Colosseum + Roman Forum. While both places are super touristy ( people EVERYWHERE ), they're the heart of ancient Rome and absolutely mind-blowing in so many ways.

APPIAN WAY BIKE TOUR : The manfriend and I splurged on a day-long bike trip on the ancient Appian Way. We booked through this company + we're happily greeted by our new friend—chain-smoking + romantic bike enthusiast Manuel. We biked six hours, stopping at the ancient city walls, Catacombs, aqueducts + the cutest pecorino romano cheesemaking farm. One of my favorite days from the trip.

TRASTEVERE / JEWISH GHETTO : Two neighborhoods full of history + worth spending an afternoon in, Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto are located right along the Tiber River. Tasty eats here include La Taverna del Ghetto ( best falafel ).

CAMPO DE FIORI : A daily market, tasty restaurants + cute, colorful buildings are my three favorite reasons to visit Campo de Fiori. It's a great morning stop for breakfast pizza at Forno, an espresso + fresh flowers before moving on with the rest of your day.

Published by Holly Whittlef in Photography, Travel

July 3, 2014 — Comments are off for this post.

ESSENTIALS: TRAVEL PACKING

The me of five years ago would not have been able to write this post. The me of five years ago would have indecisively packed for a two-week trip to Italy by throwing her entire closet into a large backpacking pack because...ya know...you never know when you might need silver sequin pants + a fringe purse while abroad. I am sure Italians throw one hell of a disco party, no?

Now I am older, wiser and no longer the owner of sequined pants or a fringe-laced purse.

I also have a boyfriend who prides himself on his minimalistic approach to packing. Every trip that boy takes, all he brings with him is one duffle bag—no luggage to check, no risk of lost luggage and perhaps most importantly, no pesky extra luggage charges. For a few months leading up to our trip, he kept teasing me there was no way that I could or would be able to do the same. It is as if he knows the best way to get me to do something is by telling me that I cannot do it.

Game on manfriend.

To start, I did what any girl of the 21st century would do: consult Pinterest. I found a few minimal travel packing guides, which were both helpful + inspiring, but in the end, thought it best to just sit down with the ol' pen and paper to sketch things out. I figured if I was gone for 14 days, I would need roughly 10 outfits for the trip ( allowing a few repeats )—mostly casual daywear with one nicer outfit + workout clothes thrown in for the more active days.

I stuck with a neutral color palette—blacks, whites + grays—and brought a few of my favorite brightly-hued lipsticks for a pop of color. While some find neutrals boring, this was the key to my success. My outfits were so easy to mix + match, it made getting dressed uncomplicated and let me use all my brain power to decide which café we were going to drink espresso at each morning.

A tough decision in Italy, let me tell you.

A few others things I learned : One-piece outfits ( i.e. dresses, jumpsuits + rompers ) are a traveler's BFF—easy to pack and even easier to wear. For shoes, one pair of walking shoes, dressy shoes + active shoes each is perfect. Any more than that, and your body will suffer old lady back pains from the extra weight. You always need way LESS than you think. A few key accessories should do the trick—for me a fun necklace + bracelet was enough to spice up my outfits ( along with the lipstick ). And sunglasses! Do not forget a good pair of sunnies.

As you can see, there are only 18 items. I brought two of each of the tank ( 02. ) + tee ( 03. ). Also, my 20 items doesn't count bras or underwear, so rest assured, I brought them.

Clean ones too...mom, aren't you proud?

01. • 02. • 03. • 04. • 05. • 06. • 07. • 08. • 09.
10. • 11. • 12. • 13. • 14. • 15. • 16. • 17. • 18.

[ top photo courtesy Everlane ]

Published by alphablossom in essentials, Travel

June 30, 2014 — Comments are off for this post.

AMALFI COAST | ITALY

As you can see, our trip to Italy did not suck.

The manfriend + I spent five days lounging in Positano, which is nestled along the Amalfi Coast, and a popular holiday destination in southern Italy. We probably could have stayed here our entire two-week trip, as the whole area is nothing if not dreamy. There is something about the colorful houses tucked + stacked so neatly into the sloping hillside that makes you forget about pesky things like work and stress and the news and eating healthy.

Instead, you do things like sleep in, read books ( finished these two on the trip ), enjoy leisurely breakfasts, enjoy leisure lunches, enjoy leisurely dinners, shower ( only if you want ), eat as much as you want and drink wine at an hour that's totally socially inappropriate.

Or, in my case, you skip the wine + down the local Italian cocktail: the aperol spritz instead.

Most of our days were spent just meandering through the winding streets of Positano or another of Amalfi's small towns—the manfriend with map in hand and me annoyingly stopping every two minutes to take a picture of another colorful building or batch of purple flowers that seemed to spring up everywhere, even in the most unlikely of crevices.

The whole place felt like a dream. A delicious, picturesque, I-never-want-it-to-end dream.

LA ZAGARA : Our regular morning breakfast spot, La Zagara is a historic bakery tucked away in the winding streets of Positano. Great coffee, excellent pastries + cheap prices. I highly recommend the bomboloni de Nutella ( Nutella-filled doughnut ).

CAPRICCI : A lovely café near the beach, Capricci was a favorite for cheap and tasty sandwiches, pizza + pastas. We recommend their Caprese ( manfriend ) and Ravello ( me -> prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, grilled eggplant, parmesan + truffle oil ) sandwiches.

DELIKATESSEN : The cutest Italian grocery store you ever did see. Delikatessen is a small grocer with fresh fruits, veggies + snacks as well as a hot / cold bar that's perfect for packing a picnic.

COLLINA : A short walk from our hotel, we grabbed excellent takeaway pizza from Collina along with a bottle of bubbly. Their gelato is also TLF ( to live for )—I suggest strawberry + pistachio.

RISTORANTE BRUNO : Dinner with a view does not get any better than this. Bruno makes for a great, not-too-expensive meal—we ordered caprese salad, mussels, spaghetti carbonara + gnocchi, and were extremely happy, albeit extremely full afterwards.

RISTORANTE DA VINCENZO : When you're ready to treat yoself, make the trek out of central Positano to Da Vincenzo. The most delicious house wine, caprese salad, gnocchi, anchovy fennel pasta+ lemon cake awaits you. Need proof? See here.

LA TAVOLOZZA RESIDENCE : I cannot say enough lovely things about La Tavolozza. The staff is exceedingly sweet + helpful ( hi Francesca + Paola! ), and the rooms are minimal but boast a view that's completely worth the cheap €95 / night price.

POSITANO : Positano is the most posh of the Amalfi Coast towns, and for good reason. It can be seen in a day—be sure that includes a stop at the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta church. There are lots of shops + restaurants and two rock beaches perfect for taking it slow.

POMPEII : The ruins of Pompeii make for a great day trip. You'll take the local Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento, then hop off at Pompeii Scavi to explore the excavated area of the ancient city. Budget 3 to 4 hours to wander around. We highly recommend it.

AMALFI : A 50-minute ride on the Sita bus lands you in the busy port of Amalfi—a grittier, more genial city on the coast. It has an AMAZING paper museum—Museo della Carta—with printing machines dating back to the 13th century as well as a church, Duomo di Amalfi. Both are absolutely worth stopping for.

ATRANI : From Amalfi, Atrani is a short 15-minute walk. It's a small city with a quaint downtown and not much else to see. Pull up a chair at one of the cafés in Piazza Umberto, order the spritz lemon ( the local cocktail ) + just enjoy the view.

RAVELLO : A 30-minute bus ride lands you in Ravello, a small village perched atop the mountains. It's absolutely stunning. If you have a bit of extra cash to spend, I recommend eating dinner at one of the overpriced restaurants for the unbelievable view.

Published by Holly Whittlef in Photography, Travel

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