Drink Me

haha okay so this is my first post on the food in castellanza :p this is really a small town so nothing much to do here, but there are quite a number of food places worth visiting if you stay in this town! this post is probably more for exchange students coming to study here, because i don’t think any other people would EVER come here as tourists.

it’s quite funny that the first place i’m writing about is this place, because it’s probably one of the LEAST italian places here. it’s kind of an american-style bar actually. there are quite a number of bars here, which makes it good for apperitivo! (: they only do apperitivo here on Sundays though! maybe i’ll do an update on this post when i’ve tried their apperitivo.

food ain’t too bad though, if you want to get some “properly unhealthy” western food :p okay it’s not really unhealthy la. just more americanized, which we’ve really kinda missed here (surprisingly). i mean, seeing RIBS on the menu just made me drool. i’ve almost totally forgotten such things existed haha. i didn’t order it though.

sam got this HUMONGOUS bacon cheeseburger for just €8!! i think it was pretty worth it! quite yummy too.

i liked my chili burrito (€6.50) except for the fact that it was so small!! >:( feel kinda cheated -.- in the picture there were two burritos picture, but the waiter told me that in actual fact there was just one. and that one turned out to be so small -.- i mean, c’mon if you’re only gonna give one, at least make it BIGGER right??? it looked so pathetic taking up just a mere 1/5th of the plate. but the huge pile of potato wedges (yummiest i’ve ever eaten!) kinda made up for it. and loved the fact that there was barbecue sauce and guacamole on the side as dips (: i’m super thirsty now though!!!! probably thanks to all the fries haha.

their drinks here look really interesting!!! i’ll probably be back for apperitivo and i’ll do an update then ;)

/edit

i said i’ll do an update after my apperitivo so here i am again! ^^ the drinks at this place are AWESOME. although the buffet food was so-so only, but totally worth it!! (:

one of their specialties are their ice-cream cocktails (€6.50). we tried the black irish, which has baileys, kahlua, vodka and vanilla gelato!! soooooo good – luscious, luxurious, creamy and so so delectable! (:

i loved their cocktails as well. the last time we tried the porn star martini, which had passion fruit and came with a side glass of prosecco. very interesting presentation! (: this time i ordered the Hurricane (€5), which had passion fruit syrup, rum, orange, pineapple and rum ^^ super tasty!!

and here’s a picture of some of the food! ^^ not tooooo shabby, but could have been better haha. the good thing is that it’s SUPER AFFORDABLE! ^^ likey! (:

Drink Me

Corso G. Matteotti 2

21053, Castellanza (VA)

Tel.: +39 0331 1748201

Sun, Tue, Wed & Thurs: 6pm-2am
Friday & Saturday : 6pm-3am

XOXO

Kelly

Florence – Steak & Shopping! :D (Part II)

we ate beef EVERY SINGLE DAY while in Florence haha. when you’re in florence, the florentine steak is a must!!!! that’s their specialty ^^ and it’s huge, and damn awesome :D two people can share that 1kg of goodness. it was actually smaller than i expected though, i guess cos most of it was a huge bone haha so it wasn’t thaaaat much meat.

the place to get your florentine steak fix (actually there are MANY places) would be 4leoni (: look at this HUGE slab of meat :O super juicy, aromatic and tender! florence does their steaks very close to rare (they don’t ask you whether you want it rare/medium/well-done), looks really red, but it doesn’t taste raw at all, which was amazing! gotta be prepared to spend on this steak though. the size is always standard, so you’ll be paying for a 1kg steak, which doesnt come cheap. at this restaurant, the bistecca alla Florentina al kg costs €41!! quite expensive actually, compared to other places where you can get your steak fix as well (see below). but this definitely comes highly recommended anyway! (:

we also ordered a small salad – rucola e pomodorini (€6) to balance out all the meat. very nice and refreshing! (:

this restaurant is super popular, so you have to make reservations online here, under ‘prenotazioni’.

Trattoria 4 leoni 

Via de’ Vellutini, 1r
(Piazza della Passera)
50125 Firenze
Tel.: +39 055218562

many restaurants have become increasingly commercialized as the number of tourists in a city increases. however, Mario, is one such restaurant which has kept true to its roots, with its methods of cooking, the whole atmosphere of dining and everything! (: expect no menu, sit on stools at tables crowded with people, and no reservations are taken, so be prepared to queue (especially if you reach there after 1pm)! the food makes it well worth the wait though ^^ you’ll see newspaper cuttings at the entrance recommending you all the possible dishes you can try, and you will be literally spoilt for choice!

 

besides the Florentine steak, another specialty that you must try in Florence is their Ribolita (€4.50), which is a very thick creamy vegetable soup with beans, carrots and various ingredients in it. it’s pretty heavy in my opinion, so it’s good for sharing! (otherwise you don’t need to eat your main course already haha). but i loved it!!!! try it ^^

it was my first time trying rabbit! :O oh yeah one thing i forgot to mention is that the food here is super affordable :))) my roast rabbit cost €8, and we ordered a 500ml bottle of wine for a mere €3.50 if i remember correctly!! the taste of the rabbit was simple, but flavourful, albeit a little tough.

their boneless beef steak (€12) comes highly recommended as well! (: very tender and juicy as you can see from the picture!!!! their florentine steak was also a very popular dish at this restaurant – we could see everyone ordering it :O it’s slightly cheaper than 4leoni at €35, looks slightly bloodier, but no less awesome ^^

Trattoria Mario

Via Rosina, 2, 50123 Florence, Italy

Tel.: +39 055 218550

we had our first meal in florence at Ristorante Accademia and i was so impressed by their food and service!! (: okay, maybe the food was because i was really hungry, but it was definitely GOOD. and of course, good service always augments a dining experience (: sam’s Chianina beef stew with potato puree (€16) was totally drool-worth with its melt-in-your-mouth texture and a flavour that enveloped our taste buds and spread through our mouths so smoothly ^^

 

i loved my choice of paccheri pasta with Chianina beef meat sauce (€13) as well! though nothing really outstanding about the range of pastas to choose from (italy’s italian food is really quite boring zzz not much variety), the execution of this dish was amazing (: super tasty!!!!!

Ristorante Accademia

Piazza San Marco, 7, 50121 Florence, Italy

Tel.: +39 055 217343

 

one thing i really like about italian pastas is how they do their spaghetti carbonara (€7). i don’t really like carbonara, because i always feel super jer lat after eating it. and although i haven’t actually tried eating a whole plate of it on my own here, i’ve decided to make this a MUST-TRY before i leave italy. and i will tell you how it goes after that heh! (: the best thing about their carbonara here is that it’s only made with eggs and NO CREAM! which makes it wayyyy lighter, and i really like it! i might really be able to finish a whole plate of it on my own after all!!

 

anyway, i totally forgot to mention. this restaurant is Ristorante il Pennello. i had the tortelloni with tomato and cream, and i have to say that i really like this sauce!! ^^ although it’s creamy, but the tomato sauce somehow makes it kinda lighter. and the tortelloni is delicious with its filling within (:

 

sam also ordered the Peposo (€14) which is beef cooked for three hours in red wine, pepper and garlic. oh boy, he was so happy with this dish!! haha. you could totally tell from the softness of the meat that it had really been tenderly boiled for hours, and the sauce it was cooked in was so robust and tasty!

Ristorante il Pennello

Via Dante Alighieri, 4r, 50122 Florence, Italy

Tel.: +39 055 294848

 

finally, our last stop for food was at Trattoria Sergio Gozzi. we read lots of reviews of it online and tagliata di manzo (€12.50). we heard that after eating this steak, you wouldn’t want to get a steak anywhere else! :P and IT WAS REALLY AWESOME. super duper juicy, flavoured with salt and spices – just squeeze some lemon on top and voila! you’ve got an amazing steak :D

 

i opted for the braciole rifatte in salsa (€10.50) which is a pork chop i think. and the salsa was lovely!! (: i really liked how it had such a mesh of flvaours within it.

gosh the food in florence is sooooo good :D this place can get really crowded, especially on weekends, so do make a reservation beforehand if you can! (: apparently their Florentine steak here is really famous too!

Trattoria Sergio Gozzi

Piazza San Lorenzo, 8r, Florence, Italy

Tel.: +39 055 281 941

 

and of course, not forgetting the gelato!!! ^^ hehe. HELLO SAM. so unglam cos he couldn’t wait for me to take a picture before diggin’ in  :p hehe. this place has the best chocolate gelato!!!! (: haha. his friend recommended it, and we didn’t reallyyyy believe it until we tried the chocolate gelato, and it was soooo creamy (just look at it!!) which was so yumms! and guess what!! they had peanut butter flavoured gelato OMGGGGG *drools* mega plus points for that! (: grab this on your way up to michelango hill! ;)

Cantina del Gelato

Via de Bardi, 31, Florence, Italy

 

this gelato shop is really near to Ristorante il Pennello, so you can check it out for a post-dinner sweet snack! ^^ loved it for the unique flavours it had. can’t really remember what we ordered, but they had GREEN TEA! omg shiokkkk. so happy that i had unique flavours of gelato in florence! (: LOVED IT. tasted pretty authentic i must say! 

Perche no

Via dei Tavolini, 19-red, 50122 Florence, Italy

 

aaaaaand finally! when you’re in italy, you HAVE to try Grom gelato! it’s EVERYWHERE in italy, just go to the website to find your nearest location. there is only one outlet in florence though (but tonnes in milan & rome), and the queues were crazy long when we were there! i actually preferred the one i had in milan though! (bigger portions). but taste-wise, it’s one of the yummiest, despite being a chain (:

Grom 

Via del Campanile, 2, 50122 Florence, Italy

Website: http://www.grom.it/

okie dokes! that’s all for my gastronomic adventures in florence! ^^ really long post i know. haha such a glutton :p

XOXO

Kelly

Florence – Steak & Shopping! :D (Part I)

florence is amazingly beautiful!! (: even though it was raining cats and dogs when i was there (such a pity!) but it’s beauty totally shined through anyway. and i would love to go back and spend more time there! it was kinda rushed in terms of seeing the ‘attractions’, not that there were many if you aren’t into all the museums and art galleries etc, but it’s just a really nice place to walk around and chill in (: i spent the most part of 3 out of 4 days in florence shopping though :p so we didn’t really have the chance to chill much. haha :p but OMG i am so satisfied with my buys!!!!! ^^ hehe. after 4 months of holding back, i finally went on a mad shopping spree :D *woots!*

okay, enough introduction, let me get on with my post! (:

What to do in Florence

the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the most famous Duomo in Florence, and it’s gorgeous! ^^ we first saw it on our first night there and were wowed by it. (haha by this time, we’d seen enough of the Duomo in Milan to be fascinated by that one :p). it was totally lit up at night! and in the daytime, in the sunlight, it’s equally beautiful (:

you can climb up to the top of the Duomo to get gorgeous views of florence, but we chose not to and instead went to…

 

the top of Michelangelo Hill!!! this is a MUST MUST MUST VISIT when you’re in florence. it’s a little distance from the city centre, but it’s really not that far. everywhere in florence is quite walkable (: and omg the view is AMAZING. it is not to be missed!!! this is like just one of the possibly 30 photos i took of this place. i totally just went 360 degrees around this place and kept snapping photos because the view was sooooo pretty! i had such a hard time choosing which photo to post here. it’s so pretty :’) and i would think that the climbing wasn’t too bad this time! believe me, i’ve had TONNES of climbing experiences in europe haha. everywhere seems to be uphill here. but this was totally worth it :D

 

there was this statue of David at the top of the hill as well! there is a place where you can go to see the original David, but really, there are statues of this EVERYWHERE in florence. i didn’t think it’s worth paying to see this.

all the attractions in this post are free btw!! (: save money haha (and spend it in rome :p)

 

Ponte Vecchio means ‘old bridge’ in italian and it’s the main bridge in Florence! (: it’s super crowded with roadside stalls and lots of tourists, but it’s really scenic and so it’s nice to spend some time there!

 

if you’re interest in art galleries/museums, you can go to Pitti Palace (pictured) and Uffizi Gallery. i didn’t go to either, because of the lack of time. but it would be quite nice to pick one of those to visit! (: and the exterior of Pitti Palace is perfect for chilling as you can see from the hoards of people there ^^

 

now for SHOPPING!!!!! :D :D :D :D haha my entire aim of being in florence hehe ^^ okay, this place isn’t really for ‘shopping’. but it’s the San Lorenzo Central Market, and you know i love markets ^^ i don’t know why either haha. i absolutely loathe wet markets in singapore, but the food markets/weekend open markets here and all just make me super happy!! (: maybe it’s because of the kind of food they sell here – totally makes me salivate :p

 

welcome to the San Lorenzo Leather Market!!! when you come to florence, you’ve got to shop here!! there is a really wide range of leather goods here, from keychains, to wallets, bags, belts, gloves…etc. lots and lots of stalls, so do take your time to browse through and shop (: there are some stalls that seems more legitimate than others, but the leather goods are all pretty affordable and worth the money.

 

EVEN MORE WORTH IT though, was THE MALL. omg *swooooooooooooooooons*. don’t judge okay :p i don’t usually buy branded stuff (it’s my first time), but i really went quite crazy here haha. disclaimer: i said that San Lorenzo was good for leather goods, but the quality you get at The Mall is really really definitely better. and considering that the goods are branded, they are SUPER reasonably priced here!

how to get to The Mall: i had the most epic experience trying to find my way here, catching the bus right LITERALLY at the last minute before it drove off, so i’m gonna tell you how exactly to get there so you don’t have to go through the same crazy experience as me. it’s not in Florence itself, but rather in some outskirts in Tuscany! :O so by public transport, you take a bus there. the address of the place to take the bus is Via Santa Caterina da Siena 17, Florence, but i don’t know why by GPS, it didn’t lead me to the exact location. what’s most important is to look out for a BUS DEPOT, which is near to the Florence SMN train station. it is a SITA bus with the words ‘The Mall’ written on it, impossible to miss. check here for the bus schedule. one-way costs €5 (expensive!!!!) and you can get tickets on the bus. the ride is about 50min.

i would say that you should allocate AT LEAST 3-4hours at The Mall? if you want to shop leisurely (: the queues at Prada are really slow, i think i queued for more than half an hour even though the queue didn’t look that long, but so make sure you have enough time!! and you can even process your tax refunds on the spot at The Mall (if you’re leaving the EU within 21 days), which is really convenient! (:

okay, HAVE FUN SHOPPING!!!! :D and i gotta go back to mugging x.x

XOXO

Kelly

Rome, I will be back :’) – Part III

here’s my third installment of my Rome trip! actually it’s not really about Rome haha, but i took a day tour out to Tuscany with Dark Rome tours, and i had a really great experience! so i wanna share it with all of you (: TUSCANY IS SO BEAUTIFUL. i feel so thankful that spring is here (FINALLY) because it makes everything look so much more picturesque ^^

look look look at this!!!! i’m quite annoyed that this blogskin doesn’t allow me to make my pictures bigger, cos it’s really hard to appreciate them when they’re this size -.- okay digressing again.

 

well i’m really glad that i went on this tour, because i’d initially wanted to take a day trip from Florence instead of Rome, which would have brought me to the Chianti region of Tuscany. no less beautiful, definitely, but Chianti is a wine that i’m already familiar with, whereas this tour from Rome brought me to the regions of Montepulciano and Montalcino, which i’d never heard of before, and apparently they produce the best wine in the italy!! no kidding! at least that is what they claimed. haha.

we had some time to spend touring Montepulciano, where we had a tour of the Duomo, their little streets, and even a wine cellar! that was pretty cool. we saw ginormous barrels of wine, and even had a mini wine tasting at the end (:

the best part of our tour was definitely our lunch+wine tasting in a traditional tuscan restaurant in a midst of a vineyard in Montalcino! pretty cool huh? ;) we had the opportunity to try the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino, which is deemed the BEST wine in italy (and the world? since italy produces the best wine in the world haha). also the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, another very famous wine in Italy. all the wines we tried (there were two others) were of DOCG certification, which is the highest certification you can get for wine and means that the grapes were harvested from a particular region, in controlled quantities to ensure their quality. COOOOOOL. we tried 4 kinds of wines in total. and while initially we only had a tasting amount poured for us, we could subsequently take extra servings if we wanted to. totally had our fill of wine sloshing inside us x.x haha

and here are pics of our 3 course lunch! (: started with a lovely platter of hams, bread and cheese. i’ve always wanted to try doing a platter like this **party inspiration!! :D

this was followed by a pasta – very simple, typical italian where you have pasta with just the sauce and nothing else. haha this totally reminded me of lao shu fen.

and dessert! (: haha i couldn’t resist ^^ especially with all the alcohol, it probably opened my appetite or something. i probably had 4-5 pieces of this yummy chocolate tart :D greedy pig haha.

 

finished off with this biscuit thing with almonds in it, which is a specialty in the tuscany/florence region i think! you’re supposed to dip it in this REALLY alcoholic wine, which comes in a shot glass. ooh la la. the alcohol really shoots up your head haha.

this entire trip took a whole day, with half of the time spent in the bus, which you can’t really avoid because tuscany is really far away. and pretty inaccessible by other modes of transport judging by the areas we saw on the way there. so this was definitely a very convenient and comfortable way to go there (: the bus was really comfy! and the good thing is that these tours are conducted in small groups, which gives you a lot of interaction with your guide. definitely a tour i would recommend! (:

Rome, I will be back :’) – Part II

when in Rome, EAT GELATO!!!!! LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF IT. haha. this is where gelato originated from, and there are so many nice gelato places here you’ve got to check out! ^^ as well as food heh. super grateful for all the recommendations i had this time from friends and blogs etc, such that every meal was an awesome one (:

first up, this is my ranking of gelato in Rome hehe:

#1 : Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40)

this is one of the most famous places for gelato in Rome, and after you’ve tried it, you will know why ^^ IT’S DAMN AWESOME!!!! i am totally convinced that it’s the best gelato you can find in Rome hehe :D i don’t know how to explain it either. i’ve actually had so much awesome gelato, it’s really difficult to distinguish them much. but this had just a really outstanding touch, which i can’t pinpoint exactly, but it was just amazing :’) and they have lots of flavours for you to choose from!! always a plus point ;)

#2 : Old Bridge Gelato (Viale Bastioni di Michelangelo, 5)

if you like pistachio gelato, YOU HAVE TO TRY OLD BRIDGE. it has the most richly flavoured pistachio gelato ever! it is so awesomeee. not kidding, the taste just enveloped my taste buds and spread through my mouth so beautifully. soooo delicious (: and their servings are huge, which is another plus point for me! ;)

#3 : Gelateria Valentino (Via Del Lavatore, 96)

this is probably what you’ll call decent gelato (: it wasn’t WOW or anything, but it was pretty yummy! and i liked the flavours we had here – cookies and this extra dark chocolate that was almost black in colour!! haha it was damn awesome. super rich :D

#4 : Gelataria I Caruso (Via Collina, 13)

1 Caruso is famous for their pistachio (yes if you’ve noticed, i had pistachio gelato at 3/4 gelato shops i went to haha. big fan here :D) and nocciola (hazelnut) flavours! they were good, but i felt that they were sorely lacking in flavour compared to my top two choices. it just seemed kinda muted. i actually prefered the gianduja (hazelnut chocolate) flavour more, because it had a fuller-bodied taste. then again, it is decent, as most gelatos in italy are! (:

*i’ve only tried ONE gelato that i felt was bad (at cinque terre), in my entire stay in italy (where i’ve definitely eaten more than 10 gelatos haha) so it’s probably quite difficult to get a bad one ;) when in doubt, check tripadvisor! if it’s listed, it’s probably decent at the very least ;)

Where to eat in Rome

so of course you don’t just want to eat gelato when you’re in Rome – there are plenty of other things to choose from. and Rome does its al dente pastas PERFECTLY. this was the first (and only) place i’ve tried real al dente pasta, and i’m surprised to say that i love it!! (: haha. i’ve been hearing a lot of people say that it’s really hard, but i actually quite like the kind of bite which this seemingly-undercooked style of pasta has! (:

if you like seafood, Rome is a good place to get your fix in italy. due to the presence of two ports in the Lazio area, Rome is blessed with ample quantities of shellfish and fish ^^ and i’ve got the PERFECT place to recommend to you for this :D

i first read about Il Bar Sotto Il Mare on Bing’s blog, and when she said that they nearly fell off their chairs because of how good it was, i was thinking, “i’ve got to try this!!” and OMG i wholeheartedly truly agree with this haha :D it was SO SO SO yummy! and i would say that prices were really reasonable, with all pastas costing just €13! for seafood, i think this is a really good deal ;)

the saute di cozze e vongole (€12) is mussels and clams cooked in a white wine sauce, and i daresay this is the best sauteed mussels dish i’ve tried in my whole life so far. the sauce was so densely flavoured that every mouthful was a delight and we were just trying to use all sorts of ways and means to slurp up all this goodness ^^ sounds super unglam (oops) haha but we just couldn’t waste any bit of it!!

this was my first taste of al dente pasta ;) LOVE IT. the vermicelli alla pescatora (€13) is one of the dishes that came highly recommended by the staff, and we can see why. if you love seafood, this dish has everything that you could possibly look for – clams, mussels, prawns, squid (i can’t remember what else, but it was a lot of seafood!). best of all worlds ^^

and we loved their food so much that we ordered another pasta – vermicelli con vongole (€13) which was really yummy too! (: but my advice is – stick with the vermicelli alla pescatora and try something different! (: i actually wanted to try the nero di seppia (squid ink) pasta but they ran out :( try it and tell me how it is!!

the best part about this restaurant, which complemented the delicious food, was the impeccable service. the staff here were really friendly and nice to us! (: we have had experiences in italy where the staff are so horribly stuck up, and always give us a black face when we attempt to share food. here, because we’d initially just ordered an antipasti and a pasta, they immediately gave us extra plates so that we could share our food. and one of the staff who could speak english practically helped us translate the ENTIRE menu, because it was all in italian. so sweet of them! (: as i said, good service always goes a long way.

Il Bar il Sotto Mare

Via Tunisi, 27, 00192 Roma

Tel.: +39 06 39728413

 

 

for some meat while you’re in Rome, check out I Butteri, which has this delicious balsamic steak (tagliata di manzo all’aceto balsamico, €19). the flavour of the balsamic vinegar isn’t very strong, but there is a hint of its aroma as you devour the steak, which is super juicy!! (: and it comes with a yummy side dish of potatoes!

 

we also tried another rather interesting dish, which was a wild boar (cinghiale alla buttera, €18), which was ironically more sour than our balsamic vinegar steak haha. i think it was due to the olives in it. this was an alright dish – not super outstanding or anything, but yummy enough (:

I Butteri

Piazza Regina Margherita 28, Rome, Italy

Tel.: +39 06 4425 0904

this last restaurant isn’t really a recommendation per se. it’s more like a place we chanced upon and they had really reasonable lunch sets which we decided to go for! :)) €15 for a two course meal (you can choose from appetizers, first and second course) and it includes bread as well. the quality of the food wasn’t outstanding – we felt that it could have been much tastier! don’t have to go specially looking for this place, but if you chance upon it, no harm trying (: or try something else next to it haha there are TONNES of restaurants in that area (:

Clemente Alla Maddelena Ristorante

Piazza della Maddelena, 4 Roma

Tel.: +39 06 6833633

XOXO

Kelly

Rome, I will be back :’) – Part I

i really really LOVED Rome :))))) such a beautiful city with so much to offer. there is just so much to see, and i was just totally awed by the Colosseum on my first day when i saw it. and around every corner, along every street, this city just unfolded in front of my eyes, welcoming us. i hardly know where to start because i’m so excited to tell you about my favourite italian city! ^^ hehe. *\o/* before coming here, we were really wondering what was so nice about italy because having lived here, it’s really an understatement to see exactly how messed up this place is -.- *feel like singing the song ‘Home’ now, Singapore is still best!! haha* but now having come to Rome & Florence, my opinion of Italy has improved, somewhat (: at least for these two, officially my favourite cities in Europe (so far) <3

i’m really proud of my itinerary for this whole italy trip btw ^^ hehe. well-organized in terms of attractions, places to eat (including gelato breaks haha), with time for chillin’ as well ;) anyway…

Must-Sees in Rome

first stop: the awe-inspiring colosseum :’)))))

it was a jaw-dropping moment to be standing in front of the Colosseum the moment i stepped out of the Colosseo metro station. there are some must-go places when you’re in Rome and the Colosseum is definitely one of them! (: tickets to the Colosseum cost €12 which includes entry to the Roman Forum and Palentine Hill which are just right next to it. queues for the Colosseum can be really long, so a suggestion would be to get your tickets at the Roman Forum instead. the ticket allows entry for 24hrs, so if you don’t have enough time in a day, you can always come back! you can pay an extra €5 for a guided tour, which i opted for, and i encourage it! it was pretty interesting to hear the history about the significance of the Colosseum and understand its structure better, which (i heard from my friend) you wouldn’t get with an audioguide.

the Roman Forum (nearest metro: Colosseo) was another interesting stop for us! ^^ it was really fascinating to see the ruins of an entire Roman city! did you know that the ground level in the past was lower than what it is now? and they just kept building layers and layers of ground over each other over the years, that it’s described as “lagsane” haha.

the Spanish Steps (nearest metro: Spagna) was one of my absolute FAVOURITE places in Rome :)))) it’s crazily touristy and hence, freaking crowded, but it’s soooo pretty! :) the perfect weather that day and the fact that it was spring and all the flowers were blooming definitely helped ^^ but it just totally gave me the feeling that i was in Rome! :) it’s the place where all movies set in Rome are filmed, and it was so so so gorgeous :) plus the fact that i saw a bride there taking wedding photos *squeals!!* haha :D

the Fountain of Trevi (nearest metro: Spagna/Barberini) is what makes you coming back to Rome time and again ;) there is a saying that if you throw one coin in, you’ll return to Rome; two, you’ll fall in love with a Roman; and three, you’ll marry a Roman. obviously it’s not real haha but i threw one anyway ^^ so i’ll definitely be back!!!! <3

the Pantheon (right smack in the centre with no metro nearby. walk! :p) was another impressive Roman structure. didn’t know it was meant to be a church! quite interesting architecture (: i didn’t pay for any tour for this though. it had free entry, so just walk in and take a look around!

of course, when you’re in Rome, you can’t miss the Vatican City (nearest metro: Ottaviano). the smallest country in the world, simply enclosed by a wall in the city of Rome. it was a rather complicated event visiting this place! firstly, tickets. the Vatican is probably one of the few attractions in Rome that offer student price tickets for non-EU citizens (the rest didnt boooooo). for students, the reduced price is €8, and full price is €16. the queues to the Vatican can be really really long though, depending on your luck. some days, they say the queue is long but move relatively fast. on the day i went, apparently the queues were 3hrs long, so it was lucky that i’d pre-bought my tickets! it costs an additional €4. you can pre-buy the tickets for the Vatican museums & Sistine Chapel here.

i have to say i was kinda disappointed with the Vatican though? i didn’t manage to see much of the ‘city’ in general. it was just museums and art galleries, which had no significance to the Pope/religiousness of the place?? i guess we’d gone there expecting something different and so were disappointed. the audioguide (€7) didn’t seem to be very helpful either, as it merely explained where the paintings etc had been excavated from/who were the artists, but didn’t explain them! btw, a tip about audioguides, you can usually bring your own earphones and therefore you can just get one audioguide for two people to share (:

Tip: if you’re interested in the museums, you could probably spend more than 3 hours there, so be sure to grab a bite before you go in because i don’t think there is re-entry. DO NOT buy from those push-cart kind of stuff though. i bought a hotdog bun there and it was the most inedible thing i’ve ever tasted (tasted like pesticide and i threw it away after 2 mouthfuls :/). there is also a cafe/pizzeria inside the Vatican if you need.

the entry to the Vatican museums & St Peter’s Basilica is really confusing. there are two snaking queues towards both entrances, but it takes awhile to figure out where the entrances are. there are plenty of people who would try to sell you tickets to both places, especially if the queues are really long. i wouldn’t really advise you to go for those though? i think they’re really expensive. but they’ll help point you in the right direction, so just stick around for that, and don’t get cheated! (i’m not trying to sound pessimistic here, but italy is really full of such people!)

i preferred St Peter’s Basilica wayyyy more! (: imo, you don’t really have to pay to go in, especially if the queue is really long, just skip it and walk around outside. it’s beautiful enough :’) it was raining unfortunately, on the day i was there. but it was still so awesome anyway!! (:

Piazzas in Rome

 

oh my, this post about Rome is really long eh? :p anyway, another thing i love about Rome is its numerous piazzas! (: there are so many of these squares around which you can just walk into and sit at the steps and relax etc. Piazza del Polpolo (nearest metro: Flaminio) is one of the biggest squares in Rome.

and my favourite piazza in Rome was Piazza Navora! :))) really near to the Pantheon, it’s this huge piazza with a beautiful fountain, cathedral, many cafes with alfresco dining looking out into the piazza (i would LOVE a cafe experience like that ^^) and lots of stalls selling gorgeous paintings in the middle of the square :)

Just a few other things

 

walk further down from Piazza Navora and you’ll come to River Tiberina, which is just a really long river flowing along the city centre of Rome! (: it’s really pretty, especially in spring when the weather and trees are so nice ^^ but there are lots of stuff flying in the air into your eyes, which makes it quite irritating to walk along the river if you don’t wear sunglasses haha. the Trastevere area is located along this river, and is famous for numerous cafes and restaurants there! although i didn’t get a chance to go there (one of the places i missed out >.<), i heard that it’s pretty good!

 

along the river, you find Castel Sant’ Angelo, and standing there, you can see St Peter’s Basilica in the distance! :D heehee. i just stood along the river and snapped pics with the castle haha.

 

one of my absolute favourite places, and best experience i had in Rome was spending a lazy sunday afternoon at Villa Borghese (nearest metro: Flaminio), or rather the park surrounding it. it was such a wonderful time spent just strolling there, amidst all the Italians who were out in full force on a Sunday in spring, all picnic-ing on the grass, frolicking in the fountains, eating gelato, cycling/rollerblading, with street musicians playing jazzy music which totally added to the atmosphere there! it was AMAZING :”) i could have spent my whole sunday there if not for the fact that we had other places to go. omggggg :) this is how sundays should be spent!!!!!

 

walking from the park to Spagna metro station, you will pass this area where you have a picturesque view of Rome. gorgeoussssss (: spent some time there just admiring the view :)

How to get around Rome

The transport system here is pretty convenient, with just two major metro lines bringing you to all the important attractions (: i have indicated the nearest stations in italics above, so just mark them on the map! most places in the city are within walking distance of each other, and i highly recommend walking because that’s how you stumble upon random gems all over the place! (: rome is FULL of them – please give yourself enough time to explore the place :)) to get to areas outside the city centre, buses are a pretty good way to get around too!

How long should you spend in Rome??

Forever.

haha kidding. i wouldn’t :p never gonna live in italy for good haha. i don’t mean it in a bad way…i would love to come back for a holiday but to stay here is just too difficult, unless they get rid of their la dolce vita attitude and work a little harder, but that would completely destroy the attitude of italy wouldn’t it?

but look at how much there is to see in Rome!!!!!! i haven’t even covered everything. give AT LEAST (and that is realllllllly rushing everything) three days. i promise you can spend one week in rome and you might not even see everything if you really want to fully soak in the atmosphere here. it is simply wonderful, it just takes your breath away! :’) i spent around 4 days here? which gave me some time to see most of the attractions, as well as relax, but not quite enough. which gives me the perfect chance to return :)

have fun!! and feel free to drop me a comment or something if you wanna know anything more and i’ll try to help! and tell me about your experiences in Rome if you go there ^^

XOXO

Kelly

Begin Again

Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn’t like it when I wore high heels
But I do
Turn the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn’t get this song
But I do, I do

Walked in expecting you’d be late
But you got here early and you stand and wave
I walk to you
You pull my chair out and help me in
And you don’t know how nice that is
But I do

And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny cause
He never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

You said you never met one girl who
Had as many James Taylor records as you
But I do
We tell stories and you don’t know why
I’m coming off a little shy
But I do

And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny cause
He never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

And we walked down the block, to my car
And I almost brought him up
But you start to talk about the movies
That your family watches every single Christmas
And I want to talk about that
And for the first time
What’s past is past

And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny cause
He never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

i was supposed to have this video in my other post on alex goot but idk why the link made it another video instead. anyway, i love this cover he did with Megan Nicole – both their voices are amazing!!! (: sound even better than the real version imo, because of the harmonization.

and like i’ve mentioned before, i love how songs are so appropriate for moods. this song wasn’t entirelyyyy right, but i love the significance of the lines:

But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

lots of things have been such a mess, but it’s okay now, and we learn from it and always hope that things get better (:

and i LOVE Audrey Hepburn’s quotes!! she’s such an amazing woman. i actually got a 2014 calendar of her, and i can’t wait to use it in my new room! ^^ love this quote from her, which was a pretty timely reminder:

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

XOXO

Kelly

Naples (Part II)

haha my travelling posts are just way too long so i’m splitting them up for easier reading. so when you’re in Naples, what should you eat? PIZZA, OF COURSE!!!! haha. this is the birthplace of pizza, and so if you want the most authentic pizza in the world, this is where you should try it (: in italy you can find pizza everywhere now, but the type of pizza you find in each place is very different. not to mention Pizza Hut – you won’t ever eat it again after having pizza in italy. it’s probably most similar to the pizza we found in Cinque Terre, the Liguria region (omg i haven’t done my post on that yet, oops!) where the pizza is made with foccaccia, a kind of thick bread (: the pizza you find in the northern regions of italy, such as in places like milan and verona, on the other hand, are much thinner and crisper, and very light! (: i actually love this kind of pizza best – it is so good to eat especially when they serve it fresh out of the oven (they make it on the spot when you order!) that you can literally finish one whole pizza yourself. believe me. it’s possible. and it’s an experience you wouldn’t want to miss in italy hehe. although i rarely find any nice pasta places when i’m in milan, i always love the pizza i can get here (:

and gosh, see how long i’ve rattled on! haha. naples pizza is something else altogether! somewhat thick, like the kind you find in Liguria, but a totally different texture – fluffy! it totally reminded me of roti prata heh ^^

 

haha okay enough rambling, here are some pictures!! (: sorry for the lousy photo quality, the lighting in the restaurant was so dark!

 

this was the first place we went to for pizza in Naples recommended to us by the hostel!

 

i’m including a picture of the restaurant because it’s really hole-in-the-wall and you will miss it if you don’t look out for it! Gino Sorbillo is one of the many brothers in the Gino/Sorbillo family (haha i can’t rmb which :p) and there are many restaurants by the different brothers, with one wayyy more conspicuous just 10 steps away from this one but completely empty in contrast. this brother apparently was the best at making his pizzas, so you know who to go to ;) i have to say…pizza in italy is boring. in terms of the flavours available i mean. there really isn’t much variety at all and you’ll always just see margherita, marinara, prosciutto in every single pizzeria you go to. but that’s italian food for you. and when in naples, from all the advice i’ve heard – go for the most traditional pizzas. they are the BEST. and so we did (: pizza in italy is just crazy cheap! S$20 for a pizza at Spizza??!! yeah it’s good and i love the flavours, but it’s seriously expensive compared to €3.30 for our margherita pizza here!! and it’s huge! the other pizza we ordered was Capricciosa (€6.30) which had tomatoes, mozzarella, ham, wild mushrooms and artichokes. it was pretty yummy ^^ but wished it was less burnt though!

Gino Sorbillo

Via dei Tribunali, 32  80138 Naples, Italy

Tel.: +39 081 446643

 

this second place i’m recommending, you definitely must go!! Brandi had the most awesome Marinara pizza (€6) ever, and i polished it off easily even after eating a bunch of pastries right before that! marinara is one of the simplest pizzas, but they did it so amazingly well! just oil, oregano, tomato and garlic. it’s a bit expensive here, but it was so so good (: apparently a lot of important people dine at this restaurant often too, so it’s definitely got a brand name going here ;)

 

we decided to be adventurous with our next pizza and so we chose one from the specialty pizza menu – the Don Peppino (€11). and wellllll, learn from me and stick to the traditionals haha. or choose something that sounds less weird >.< this had neapolitan sausages, broccoli leaves and provola. no idea what broccoli leaves are, but they just taste damn strange!

Pizzeria Brandi

Salita Sant’Anna di Palazzo, 2, 80132 Naples, Italy

Tel.: +39 081 416928

 

 

there are also a number of Neapolitan snacks/pastries that you have to try when you’re here! (: the photo on top is a fried snack, arancini, which are rice balls with meat sauce (: i looooved it! super savoury and delish ^^ the desserts were sfogliatelle (which means ‘many layers’ in italian – loved the filo pastry!) and babbà, which is a yeast cake soaked in rum. ooooh la la. haha. very interesting! try them at Luise, which is a very nice chill pasticceria/bar.

Luise

Via Partenope 7, 80121 Napoli

Tel.: +39 081 76425 63

XOXO

Kelly

Naples – Pompeii & Capri (Part I)

gosh, gotta start somewhere with this backlog of posts! haha. all the way from easter i haven’t blogged here at all :p i’ve got south of france, vienna, switzerland and italy! shall work backwards and do italy first while it’s fresh in my mind (: will try not to procrastinate!

our first stop in italy was Naples, where we took an overnight train there. *warning: not a good idea to do this if you’re in italy cos the trains suck. unless you can get the couchette seats (which are MAYBE better, but don’t take my word for it because i didn’t try them), but you need a group of exactly 4 people to book it. reached in the morning and went off to Pompeii immediately after checking into our hostel! didn’t really have much time to explore Naples itself actually, but i’ve got some shots here to share with you (: anyways, be really careful in Naples! we just had the feeling like we were going to be robbed anytime >.< although we didnt, but ALWAYS be careful.

What to see in Naples

Centro Storico is probably one of the prettiest squares you can find in Naples. apparently Naples is more of a roman city than Rome (i have no idea why), but that’s why it had two structures like these which is a cross between st peter’s basilica & the pantheon (pics of the real thing will be coming up real soon in my Rome post! ^^)

Castel Nuovo is a huge castle just along the coast where you board the ferry to Capri (: we walked past it and couldn’t resist a picture! you can go in too, but seems like reviews on tripadvisor weren’t great, so it’s up to you! anyway, i really didn’t spend that much time in Naples itself because i was so busy travelling out, but i do think that places like Capri and Amalfi Coast were wayyyyy nicer :D

of course, Pompeii is a must visit when you go to Naples. at least go there for a look because of its significance!

My advice: get a walking tour or at least an audioguide for Pompeii! i didn’t really enjoy my trip there much because we didn’t get either and it was a real pity because i think there is a lot of history behind these ruins, which would be much better explained through a guide. we ended up trying to guess what the ruins were about, just to amuse ourselves. but after awhile, it’s just ruins, ruins and more ruins. if you’re really interested in these kind of things though, and you have some sort of a guide with you, it is possible to spend the entire day there because the place is HUGE! for a whole day trip, you can also check out Mount Vesuvius, which is the volcano that erupted and destroyed Pompeii, along with Ercolano, which is a Roman city that is even more well-preserved than Pompeii (: remember to bring lots of water and sunblock!! not kidding, it’s super hot there!

Getting to Pompeii: take the train, Stazione Circumvesuviana, at Napoli Centrale station. the journey costs €2.80 and takes approximately 35min.

Capri

and now…for my favourite part of this leg of the trip ^^ CAPRI :)))))) the moment i stepped off the ferry into this sparkling blue paradise, i was just squealing in delight and instagramming like crazy! hahaha. the amazing weather just totally accentuated the beauty of this place, and i’m so thankful for the sun for the most part of my trip :’) (the weather forecast was terrible, but thank goodness the skies held up pretty well!)

Capri is pretty small, with quite a bit of climbing involved, so wear good walking shoes! there are furniculars which bring you up from the Marina Grande port to the central area of Capri (€1.80) so that it’s easier to get around. trust me, there is more climbing from there, so it is a pretty good idea to take the furnicular up. i didn’t want to initially, but after that i decided it was the right decision haha.

we had lunch at Port Marina Grande, at a random restaurant called Ristorante Da Peppino (: not too shabby! although the portions were a little small, but i guess for Capri, it was quite reasonably priced. Piazza Umberto, the central area of Capri, is known to be expensive! anyway, when you’re in Capri, you’ve got to try their specialty insalata Caprese ^^ mine at this restaurant was €9 and sam’s seafood pasta cost just €10! (that was their main selling point – the €10 seafood pasta haha everyone was ordering it). caprese cheese is a mix between ricotta and mozzarella cheese ^^ love it!

Capri is expensive to get to (more about that later), and all the attractions have a small fee. but it’s pretty affordable for the attractions, so don’t worry about it (: plenty of free panoramic areas for you to visit too! our first stop was Giadini di Augusto, a pretty garden (€1) with a breath-taking view of Isole Faraglioni :’)))) this is the MOST BEAUTIFUL place in Capri and you have to go there!!!! one of the most easily accessible places and the entry fee is peanuts, so please visit it! (: you might think it’s just three limestone pinnacles sticking out of the water but i guarantee you the photos will be totally worth it hehe ^^

see!!!!! ♥.♥ i love this place hehe

you can walk down this winding path from the gardens for a nice view of the coast again (: but we didn’t walk there haha.

we trekked all the way up to the north-eastern point of Capri for Villa Jovis (the walk is crazyyyyy long. and there is no other way to get up there. seriously testing your patience & perseverance -.-) but were kinda disappointed upon finding that it was ruins. at least i was. haha i really thought i’ll find a pretty villa!!!! -.- it’s supposed to be the largest and most magnificent one. oh well. haha. i would say, save the €2 and all the walking and visit other places. there are plenty of places to go by walking and do try to get to Capri early so that you can visit as many places as you can! (: each place takes 30-45min to get to so yeahhh, it takes awhile.

we intended to visit Grotto Azzura which is supposed to be the biggest sea cave in Capri! (: it sounds like a beautiful place :) but expensive to go to! :/ especially considering how much you already have to pay to get to Capri. but i guess since you’re there already, might as well go right? haha. i didn’t, but i think it’s definitely a nice place to go! the easiest way to visit is to take one of the tours from Port Marina Grande (where you alight from the ferry from Naples).

How to get to Capri 

Check out this website for the ferry schedule: http://www.capri.com/en/ferry-schedule. the prices vary quite a bit from hour to hour (depending on the type of ferry/hydrofoil and its speed).

will continue about food in the next post! (:

XOXO

Kelly

Some pictures from the last month! (:

helloooooo! sorry i’ve been so MIA >.< so busy travelling i’ve hadn’t had the time to update this space nor write in my diary at all. gosh. i’ve barely been in milan for more than a week i think :O

anyway, just gonna do a short one here! (lazy haha). last day of my holiday in italy boohoo :’( then it’s back to castellanza for some exams mugging haha. some photos aren’t on fb yet! so enjoy :D

rainy rainy in cinque terre! but had an awesome load of fun with the girls ^^ haha nice to have some new company after sam & i have been staring at each other for the past 2 months :p

best travel buddies <3<3 SK if you see this, we’re missing you!!

sunny monaco!!! :D haha self shot cos i was bored. look at the pretty casino behind! (: everything just looks better when the sun is out ^^

met up with the sissy for our easter break in france! (: miss youuuuu!

after france was vienna!!! :D LOVE LOVE LOVE this city. incredibly beautiful city :’) totally didn’t expect to enjoy myself so much, but it was really awesome (: this is the top city on my list of favourites in europe, outside of italy. in fact, it was the top on my list right before this trip to rome/florence. amazing cities :)))) super happy & i can’t wait to blog about them! ^^ and thanks jiayee for being such an amazing host! <333

next was bern, switzerland. probably the most impromptu trip we ever had. big shoutout to Lilian & Kriff who allowed us to crash their place at the very last minute, who cooked awesome meals for us and basically just welcomed us with open arms! :’) uber touched :)) had a crazy problem with our train tickets but it was still an amazing trip anyway :D

 

and our whirlwind trip to italy was completely insaneeee too! haha. after coming back from switzerland on monday morning, went for class and we were off again that very night on some overnight train (which was a horrific experience btw)! but two weeks have just flown past like that :( and i’m going back to school….zzz.

will blog about everything in detail soon!!!! (:

XOXO

Kelly