Category: Italy
A Rome-ing Eye: My Photo Diary from the Eternal City, Rome
30 May - 4 June 2019
There are some places that I would revisit time and again. One such destination is the appropriately-nicknamed ‘Eternal City’ - Rome. You’d only have to ask, and for this recent trip Luxy asked me to buddy up with her. Curiously enough, the last time we were both in Rome was 5 years ago at around the same time. Having already been there, seen it, and ran the appropriately well-informed commentary; we were unburdened by the savant’s guilt of having to experience all the city’s cultural and historical offerings. The nature of this trip would be less intellectual and more indulgent - purely devoted to enjoying the Eternal City at its best, soaked in sunshine and sorbet. Well, when in Rome...
Photos of me taken by LUXLIFEBLOG, naturally.
July 12, 2019
A city a day keeps the wanderlust at bay...
20 DAYS. 20 CITIES. 6 COUNTRIES.
AUSTRIA • SLOVENIA • BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA • CROATIA • MONTENEGRO • ITALY
THE FINALE, DAY 20: RIVIERA REALNESS IN PORTOFINO, ITALY. Reminiscing the end of a mini era with a post about the Italian Riviera
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I pen this post, the final entry of my travel diary series 20 Days in 20 Cities and 6 Countries. Not just because writing these chapters has been the most fun I've had with Posh, Broke, & Bored this year; but also because this post marks the end of a era - travel-wise and also on a more personal level. At the ripe age of 31 I can hardly describe myself as being marked by "the loss of innocence" but even so, at every and any stage of life certain events bring with them upheavals of hitherto heaviness. Without going in to too much detail, you may have read between the lines from my presence on social media that I'm currently fighting some battles, hence the recent short blip from my blog. And I would've taken a longer break from writing, if not for my #TRAVELLINKUP sisters and brothers' posts about journeys reminding me that all is transient and that the only way is forward. So thank you for inspiring me to write this final chapter, to move forward, and to take one last look at my epic summer road trip across Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy.
November 07, 2017
A city a day keeps the wanderlust at bay...
20 DAYS. 20 CITIES. 6 COUNTRIES.
AUSTRIA • SLOVENIA • BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA • CROATIA • MONTENEGRO • ITALY
PART 12, DAY 19: CACTUS CATASTROPHE IN CINQUE TERRE, ITALY
🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵
There is quite literally a danger in paradise. If I thought that nearly drowning in Plitvice Lakes National Park, having a dress zipper split in Split (of course), and breaking my suitcase as well as losing my favourite hat in Dubrovnik were the end of my mishaps on this trip I had another thing coming. 😫 It was the penultimate day of my 20 Days in 20 Cities and 6 Countries road trip, and naturally the Gods of Misfortune had saved the best for (almost) last. But before I delve into what was the most epic accident of my Summer holidays, allow me to first lull you into the same sense of serenity and wonder that Cinque Terre did with her breathtaking beauty before springing a spiky trap...
October 27, 2017
A city a day keeps the wanderlust at bay...
20 DAYS. 20 CITIES. 6 COUNTRIES.
AUSTRIA • SLOVENIA • BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA • CROATIA • MONTENEGRO • ITALY
PART 11, DAYS 17, 18, & 20: TUSCAN TALES IN FLORENCE AND PISA, ITALY
By the 16th day of my 20 Days in 20 Cities and 6 Countries road trip I had already lapped up the imperial splendour of Vienna, been pleasantly surprised by the laid-back charm of Slovenia (Ljubljana, Maribor, and Bled), was profoundly moved by the tragic history of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Mostar and Sarajevo), had sampled some of Croatia's most compelling towns and cities (Zagreb, Plitvice, Trogir, Split, and Dubrovnik), revisited Kotor, Montenegro, as well as had a nosy in a few other small towns along the way. Needless to say I was knackered from having to pack up almost every morning, drive to a new city and and cross country borders almost every day, then hurriedly unpack in a hotel I knew I wasn't going to see much off because I wanted to squeeze in as much sightseeing as I could before leaving the following day (or the day after, it was lucky); rinse, repeat. 😵 After my 2+ weeks binge of all things cultural and historical my little mind was beginning to short-circuit, so I promised myself to take it easy on the Italian leg of my journey. 😚
To keep things tidy, I thought I'd group Florence (Days 17 & 18) and my short jaunt in Pisa (Day 20) into one post. These are my Tuscan Tales...
October 23, 2017
20 days of summer. 6 European countries. 15 cities and towns (19 if I visit all 5 towns in Cinque Terre). Inspired by this month's travel linkup - in which we writing wanderlusters discuss destinations as a starter (short haul), mains (a looong trip) and pudding (a destination that leaves a lasting impression) - today I share the itinerary for my upcoming trip: My 15-Course Travel ‘Tasting Menu’ across Austria, the Balkans, and Italy.
Ya'll should know by now that I am super extra. Like, "consolidate my 'save for later' online shopping purchases into a master Excel spreadsheet and picture collage" extra. Extra, extra! Read all about it! So when I picked up the updated edition of Tim Marshall's Prisoners of Geography I naturally devoured the book in 4 days. Then I re-read the Joe Sacco graphic novel The Fixer: A Story From Sarajevo. Curious to fill in the hole that is my lack of understanding on world history (thanks a lot, Malaysian Sejarah syllabus. What were we taught about WWII? Literally only: the Japanese f*cked up our sh*t and then the Americans f*cked up their sh*t. The end. Whut) I did what any lazy person would - learn about it on YouTube. So after watching Feature History - Fall of Yugoslavia, I wound the clock back a World War and discovered that Franz Ferdinand is more than just an excellent rock band from Glasgow.
Thanks to this information black hole I've now got the Balkans on my mind. How does one go forward? The only way is Essex Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Oh, and throw in a bit of Austria and Italy too for good measure, why not? This summer I'm spending just under 3 weeks touring *deep breath* Vienna, Maribor, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Plitvice, Trogir, Split, Sarajevo, Mostar, Kotor, Budva, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Pisa. Here is the Itinerary for My Balkans 'Tasting Menu' ft. Austria and Italy.
August 01, 2017
Hashtag like it's 1993: The Wanderlust is Strong in this Little One
One of the places I've been retreating to is memories of my childhood: a simpler time, carefree and untainted by troubled thoughts, when my greatest fear was not being able to take my favourite stuffed toys - I had 2 plush turtles: a small one with a yellow, red, and blue shell; and a oversized pastel pink one - with me to dinner. In the spirit of #THROWBACKTUESDAY (is that still a thing? I wouldn't know, I've been AWOL from the internet for, like, forever) here are some photos from my earliest travels which might be the catalyst for my serial wanderlust, and also proof that I've been throwing shapes since before social media was a thing. Are travel bloggers born or made? Take a look at 7 year old me, then decide.
June 06, 2017
Ciao, darling! Have you got a minute, or rather 1400 minutes to spare in Milan? Si? Molto bene! With the summer sun shining upon us, 'tis the season for European city breaks: be it a Baltic tour of Riga-Helsinki-Tallinn or London-Paris-Rome or Amsterdam-Berlin-Lisbon; pick n' mix, make it your own. Take advantage of the continent's proximity (and homogenous currency) yet incredibly diverse culture by embarking on what I call the 'Euro Express' - the perfect 'short but sweet' holidays for the eager beaver on a time-budget. I've written Brussels Express and Edinburgh Express city guides, and now it's time for How To Do Milan in 24 Hours. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines...
PHOTOS OF ME BY CATHERINE LUX. ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS: 2 & 3, 4, 29 & 30, 35 & 36
June 22, 2016
THE (ART) HOUSE THAT MIU MIU BUILT: THE NEW MILAN VENUE OF FONDAZIONE PRADA
I've never seen anything (or referencing any) of Miuccia Prada's work I didn't like; be it the infamous roman-à-clef that gave us this gem, that Kreayshawn diss, the Miu Miu baroque heels 'that got away' (which I still beat myself up over), and of course the ever reinvented handbag classic - the Saffiano. The saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" so when I was in Milan last weekend, I had to pay my respects at the new permanent venue of the contemporary art and culture institution co-chaired by Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli - FONDAZIONE PRADA, or as I like to call it 'the culture factory' and 'the art house that Miu Miu (Signora's nickname) built'.
The year-old arts centre - the venue was unveiled in May 2015 - is a ten-building landmark rising from the stark landscape of an industrial zone south of the city centre, transformed from a century-old distillery for Fondazione Prada. The crown jewel of the Milan venue is the 'HAUNTED HOUSE' gilded in 24-carat gold leaf dedicated to a permanent exhibition by Robert Gober and Louise Borgeois. Elsewhere in the vast 205,000 square ft compound is a cinema camouflaged by mirrors and of course the cafe designed by Wes Anderson, BAR LUCE.
June 15, 2016
I smugly waved my ticket for the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. As I flapped them about they gave off a faint heat, they were still warm from being freshly printed. You know how they say 'A Roman queue wasn't finished in a day'? You'll see it for yourself when you get to the Colosseum and see the queues to buy tickets. You'd think they'd figure out that you can buy them online."* How ever so lovely! I have not been here since I was a child. I do hope the Colosseum has not been cancelled, I am so looking forward to watching thieves being eaten by lions. T'would be more fun than the World Cup.
*What my smug self was not prepared for was the torrential thunderstorm that rained all over my historical parade.
July 09, 2014
Wednesday, 25th June 2014.
On the morning of my second day in Rome I woke up early to the sounds of the hustle and bustle of Rome drifting from Via Cavour up and trickling through the old-fashioned windows of my studio apartment. T'was most convenient as I am the sort of tourist* who endeavours to wake up early, see and do as many things as possible (God forbid if one item on the itinerary goes unchecked), and be in bed by the very respectable hour of midnight.
*A happy side effect of travelling is that it enforces a rigidity so often lacking in the schedule of a freelancer, even now, two weeks later I bolt out of bed at eight and review the day's tasks. This is hardly groundbreaking nor innovative for those who commute to 9 to 5 jobs working for other people. But I work for myself and this is revolutionary, dammit! I'm even contemplating buying a Nespresso machine for mornings!
July 07, 2014
Rome wasn't visited in one day. I valiantly attempted four.
Tuesday, 24th June 2014
True to form I planned this short trip down to every last detail, itinerary and all - such a control freak I am. However...the first thing that was beyond my control was the air strike, apparently a thing in Europe. That and the seats on Ryanair do not recline. Nobody is more surprised than I am that I flew Ryanair but I thought I'd try to save some money and 'It's just a two hour flight, how bad can it be?' The answer is 'Maybe I should start flying with Virgin instead of hoping for (and being disappointed) Malaysia Airlines to fly everywhere in the world from London'.
July 02, 2014
Last week, I Pope-d over (har) to Italy and Rome-d around (har har) the Eternal City and Vatican City. Now, I'm not especially religious. I'm not an atheist either. I'd say I'm agnostic. I am spiritual, very superstitious, I believe in the supernatural, the world of spirits etc. and I do believe in a higher power. I don't believe that this higher power necessarily takes on the form of an anthropomorphic, fatherly figure nor that this higher power must be called by a name and have a face. The way I see it is that the crux of all religions are the same: be a good person, help those in need, chew with your mouth closed. Whether you pray to Jehovah, a nameless faceless presence, or nobody at all, the enduring message that religion wants you to keep close to your chest is to have faith, love, help, and protect your fellow (wo)man.
The thing is, for a few years I had a great disdain for religion, more specifically the religious (This was during the inevitable socialist-communist-atheist phase I went through during university. I also wore Doc Martens and shaved a side of my hair just because). I thought of the devout as sheep. I thought of religion as the cause of most of the bloodshed recorded throughout the annals of history to present day. I sneered as religion as a tool of oppression. An atheist (and in hindsight a savant snob) I was dating at the time said, with curled upper lip, that 'Religion has one purpose and that is to keep the wretched in check. Without the promise of being rewarded with a better life after death in exchange for good behaviour they would have nothing to lose and therefore threaten polite society. Only the desperate and the stupid would believe such dogma.' My personal view on the religious while not that extreme was incredulous. How could anyone unquestionably agree with everything they were told was gospel truth? How could anyone dismiss evolution and say that science should not be taught at school? How could anyone in their right mind agree with a twisted preacher who insists that his interpretation of the Holy Book dictates that we should hide and oppress women? Add to that the corruption in the Catholic church, people telling me that I'm going to hell for not picking a side (or rather their side), and people trying to convert me against my will. Is there any doubt why my view on religion is so tainted?
So for a long time I couldn't see the forest for the trees. I chose to focus on the details I disliked about religion, specifically the Catholic church. That it was outdated with its dismissal of contraception and the persecution of those they deem 'heretics', the hypocrisy of denouncing gays when there existed a subculture of male priests sexually abusing male adolescents...need I go on? In short my view of Catholicism was a bunch of out-of-touch old dudes telling everyone they were going to go to hell which was ironic given that they were covering up atrocities within their walls.
Then along came Pope Francis. Need I say more?
I wanted to see for myself the Pope who embodies what I believe a religious leader should be: a humble man who serves the people, eschews grandeur and opulence (he said no to official papal apartments, opting to live in a more modest 'Vatican hotel' and wants to take the bus to work), has the common touch and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, gets with the times. And who can forget:
July 01, 2014
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