~ Look 1: First Night Out to Dinner Look ~ Pants by Club Monaco (similar here) ~ Top from Nordstrom (sold out but I also love these blush off the shoulder tops here, here, & here) ~ Tote by Kate Spade (old but LOVE this similar tote) ~ Wedges by Kate Spade (similar here with even BIGGER bow this season!) ~ Earrings by Andrea Del Bello Jewelry ~
~ Look 2: Exploring Milan in White and Neon ~ Skirt by J.Crew (on sale!) ~ Top by Topshop ~ Neon Tassel Sandals by J.Crew (on sale!) ~ Necklace and Earrings by Andrea Del Bello Jewelry ~ Sunglasses by ASOS (old but LOVE this similar pair) ~
~ Look 3: Covering Up at the Duomo ~ Shorts (yes, they are shorts and they’re amazing!) by Club Monaco (old but also love these) ~ Tank by Vineyard Vines (similar here) ~ Scarf (worn as shawl) by J.Crew ~ Sandals by J.Crew (old but loving these wear-with-everything sandals by them) ~ Necklace and Earrings by Andrea Del Bello Jewelry ~
~ Look 4: Lake Como White Dress ~ Dress by Chicwish (also love these white off the shoulder numbers here and here) ~ Hat by Gap ~ Sandals by Jack Rogers ~ Sunglasses by ASOS ~
~ ITALIA ~
Hi loves! I’m back from Italy. It was such a great trip with my Mom, even if it was quick and impromptu (we left on a Red Eye on Wednesday and flew back Monday)! Italy is ENCHANTING. There are no two ways about it. My graduation present when I graduated college in 2011 was a trip to Italy…which I took with one of my close friends (well, she’s really more like a cousin), Christine. We “backpacked” (well, technically we over-packed and had huge suitcases) around the country and visited friends in Florence and Perugia. We planned the whole trip on Christine’s bedroom floor the day before while our dad’s begged us to change our minds. We honestly had the best time! Besides Florence and Perugia, we also visited Venice and hopped our way around the Amalfi Coast and went to Capri. But, we never made it to the bigger cities of Rome and Milan.
First of all, let me start by saying that I am NOT a city girl by any means. My mom and I spent the majority of our time in Milan, and at first, I was worried it might not be as beautiful as the smaller cities I had visited 5 years ago. But…I was SO WRONG. I was sitting next to a girl on the plane on the way over who was about my age and from Milan. She had just visited NYC for the first time. Of course, I wanted to know how the two cities matched up! She said, “New York is so noisy! Milan, yes, is a city, but it is quiet. It’s not as busy and fast in Milan. The people are friendlier in Milan.” My response to her? “You’re saying all the right things!” Is it strange to feel at-home in a city you’ve never been to? That’s how I felt about beautiful Milano!
~ MILANO
We stayed about a block from Milano Centrale, Milan’s version of Grand Central, which was a great place to be because it was easy to get the TrenItalia trains for our day trip and it was also very close to a Metro stop. NYC friends…get this: there are only 4 subway lines! They are color coded and it’s SO EASY to use! I was shocked. As for the food…being Celiac, I was a little worried about not being able to eat anything fun the whole trip, but to my surprise almost every restaurant we ate at had GF pasta! It was completely a gluten-free friendly city and EVERYTHING was so amazing.
There were so many parts of the city that I loved! Seeing the Duomo and going up to the rooftop was so magical! I could look at the architecture and the ornate sculptures ALL day. Actually, I probably could spend a few more days at the Duomo and probably will someday 🙂 We were there during the World Championship week for soccer (their football), and they had DJ’s and tents set up in the square in front of the Duomo. It certainly brought more of a crowd, but I didn’t mind – it was kind of fun to experience the excitement! I also loved the Old Town section with all of it’s beautiful buildings, little alley ways, amazing designer shops, and hedges trimmed to perfection. It was something out of a movie set! My absolute favorite spot was the Navigli section of Milan, which is right between two canals that have a Venice vibe. My mom and I had lunch one day on one of the canals and it was wonderful! The salads there are so fresh and it seemed that this area was exceptionally affordable. If you go to Milan, visit the Navigli!
~ VARENNA
We took a train to the small town of Varenna on Lake Como and spent half the day there. It was only a 50 minute train and it was only about 5 euros to get there! Luck would have it that my childhood best friend and her husband were also visiting Varenna, so we went early to have breakfast with them on the water on their last day. I CANNOT stress enough how magical this place is! Truly, everything made me feel like I was inside a painting. After breakfast, we visited the stunning Villa Monastero. The actual house was of course beautiful, but what really stole my heart were the gardens! It smelled AMAZING. The flowers and the royal palms mixed with the architecture truly gave it a surreal feel. There were even fruit trees in season, which you can see from one of my pictures above! We took a little boat ride over to Bellagio and then ferried back for a late (and amazing) dinner after watching the sunset over the lake.
~ BELLAGIO
We spent the majority of our afternoon in Bellagio, which was so amazing to see with all of it’s colorful buildings and shops! I could have shopped SO much more than I did, but I just wanted to take everything in. Shopping in Bellagio involves a bit of climbing, so be prepared! We had an amazing lunch on the water and I had the best sorbetto at this little popsicle shop (anyone who knows me well knows my obsession with popsicles)! We then walked over to Villa Melzi, which was so stunning to see as the sun was beginning to go down. I’m so nosy…which paid off at this Villa! We wandered into what looked like an ancient garage but was actually more of a cave inside with this crazy fountain! I let my mom rest and I climbed to the tippy top (if we’re being half honest, I also needed to work off that GF pasta!). The photos of the blue accented castle-looking house are from the top of the gardens of Villa Melzi. I stumbled upon that wall of flowers (see above) which was tucked away behind a smaller building. The whole thing was so enchanting. I remember saying to my mom that Villa Melzi reminded me a little bit of where the Von Trapp family lived in The Sound of Music. She agreed. It was truly magical in every way! On the way back, I stopped to put my sore and swollen feet in the lake (the wine? the climbing? the heat? IDK). The picture that my mom took above was right before I was pretty much taken out by a ferry wave. No…seriously!
Have any of you taken any fun trips lately? Comment and tell me below! You know about my wanderlust problem…I need to travel!
Gratefully with love,
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Rhiana
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