Breakfast at Tiffany's

There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless. - Simone Beauvoir

I am absolutely NOT a city girl.* Ok, I lived in a teeny city for almost 8 years. But I hardly count that, it was necessity. I know a tiny bit about Philly, because what DelCo girl doesn't, but it's not a place I want to frequent. The first time I stepped out of Grand Central Station - I thought I might faint! It was my 21st birthday and to say the city overwhelmed me is putting it mildly.

Regardless, there's a certain something about the Big Apple. And at Christmastime! (Ok, I've ONLY been there at Christmastime. Lol.) So when the opportunity for a day trip in December came up, hubby & I jumped on it.
We hit Eataly, easily my favorite place in the city (take me back!) and wandered the streets hand in hand.

We hit the big spots - we kissed under the tree at Rockefeller Center, we shopped at the NHL store (ugh, bring that to Chester County!), and snacked at Hard Rock Cafe. 

Making memories with my husband is my favorite. And I came away with the PERFECT souvenir! 

He does, too. He wants me, he chose me, and he has me. Forever. 

*Foreign cities are a different story. Take me back to Venice, Madrid, Florence, Barcelona, and beyond!

Ciao, bella! (Part 5)

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.

- Benjamin Disraeli 

(Told you I'd slack at this! But I'm almost through so…)

I left off in Garda. The next day, we hopped the bus to head to Florence. As much as I expected to fall head over heels in love with Venice, I was a bit surprised by how infatuated I was with Florence! It's this charming city full of art hidden on winding streets connecting open piazzas loaded with cafes…and then there's the shopping. I was in HEAVEN. Ladies, if you're a shopaholic, Firenze is your Mecca! And their specialty…leather goods. Hard to imagine buying a leather coat when it's 90* out! But I digress. One of our first stops after wandering the streets a bit was lunch. By far, the best meal I had in Italy! A teeny hole in the wall off a side street called Francesco Vini. We both had the most decadent, amazing food and, yes, wine! 

After lunch & a bit of exploring, we headed…There. What do you HAVE to see in Florence? Michaelangelo's David. 

Holy hell. Do you have any idea how HUGE that statue is? It's massive. The giant replica standing in the original location, the Palazzo della Signoria, doesn't even prepare you for the sight of the original. It's sitting on a up on a pedestal and stands, total, 17 feet tall! 

Not much else in the Galleria dell'Accademi interested us, so we hit some shops before heading back to the hotel. We were in for a huge treat that night! We checked in to the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo Florence and…

Villa Il Leccio Strada

We had dinner at a family home in the heart of Tuscany. Villa Il Leccio Strada in Chianti was absolutely breathtaking. We sipped prosecco overlooking the vineyards and toured the original facilities before settling in for an outstanding meal. Everything about that night was so absolutely perfect - except the impending end to our tour of Italy, that is!

After dinner, we stopped by the replica David once again before way too many glasses (bottles) of wine in the hotel lobby with our new friends. I could get used to this lifestyle…

La bella vita, no matter what time zone :)

Remember When

One of the ways we keep the "honeymoon period" alive is...keep the honeymoon alive! That goes beyond date nights and making out in corners and lunchbox love notes. It means constant recognition of the fact that this is a once in a lifetime love. 

I found this idea on Pinterest, I think.. After the new year in 2014, Adam and I started a ritual. On Tuesdays, we did our "Tuesday thing." We'd write down favorite memory, special moment, anything important to us (individually) from the last week. And we put them in a box. 

It was an ugly box. A shoebox. I taped it shut, because I wanted to peek SO badly. Our kitties stomped all over our poor box and made it even uglier.

 

Someone used it as a launching pad &… Oh well. It's what's inside that counts! Tomorrow we'll open the box and remember 2014, one moment at a time.

We decided that for next year, we'd make a keepsake box with a bit more longevity. Off to my favorite place, the craft store! Adam painted the plain wooden box, and I got stencils & paint markers to personalize it. It's a little rough, but it's ours. Next year, on New Year's Day, we'll open this box & read the notes together again. What a beautiful way to start the year :) 

Happy New Year! SO much to look forward to in 2015! 

EDIT: We actually opened the box after midnight on NYE. It was amazing! We laughed and cried and relived so much of the last year. Marrieds, do this! You won't regret it. 

Ciao, bella! (Part 4)

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Where did I leave off…ah, right where I left my heart - Venezia! Tuesday morning, we woke up bright & early again. Another gorgeous water taxi ride into town and, at my request, our director took us past the Bridge of Sighs.

Turns out the romantic lore about lovers kissing beneath the bridge at sunset is garbage made up by Americans, lol. Bummer! In reality the bridge transported prisoners to their death and, as a condemned man looked out over beautiful Venezia he would inevitably sigh his final goodbye. Trafalgar set up a tour & demonstration at THE Murano glass factory. It was incredible! In just a few minutes, a master glassblower turned a piping hot blob of glass into a beautiful pitcher. The leftover piece became a small cat figurine in less than 90 seconds!

We perused the shop, passing on the €500 punch bowl sets (thankfully we'll inherit one someday; my grandmother traveled to Venice in the 70s solely to purchase a red Murano glass punch set with gold accents - red glass & 14k gold paint being the most expensive choice of course). We picked up some little gifts like a frog for my MIL & some original Pandora beads for me :) 
After Murano, we had a few hours free time. We strolled around Piazza San Marco before settling in at one of the outside cafes for some afternoon cocktails. Perfection. 

Obviously being on vacation is relaxing, but AHH…there's something else to it. A calmer, more peaceful way about everything. The time we wasted doing nothing, people watching, laughing, stealing kisses - those are the memories I cherish. 
Alas, time to move again! We were on our way to Lake Garda, a resort town typically frequented by Italians themselves more so than foreigners. The liquid lunch put us right to sleep and when we woke up in at our villa in Garda…holy cow. It was BEAUTIFUL. The villas were built into the hillside overlooking the lake. Our room was the biggest we had anywhere in Italy, complete with a private patio above the rolling hills and water. The extravagance & beauty, and privacy, did not go to waste I assure you! ;)

A resort shuttle took us into town - freaking adorable. A stroll by the lake led us to a tiny restaurant with outdoor seating. This dining experience was one of the best of the trip! Our waiter asked us steak or fish. Steak, so he led us to a glass case where we picked out the cut of meat we wanted. It was cut & prepared in the outdoor grill while we watched sipping complimentary wine. Salad & veggies were served family-style and while we passed on dessert, complimentary digestifs were impossible to refuse. (Note: grappa is completely disgusting. Undrinkable.)

After exploring the town trying to walk off that dinner, we hit the hotel bar (of course) and retired to our private patio with a fresh bottle of prosecco. It was definitely the most relaxing night of the trip!