Croatian Vacation

Just recently, Kaili and I decided we needed to throw in a more exotic destination into our list of places we have visited...and after tossing a few ideas around, we figured Croatia was perfect for us. Not only is it a beautiful up-and-coming beach destination, it is also very close to Italy, just one convenient overnight ferry away. So we decided to just go ahead and take a second spring break and go during the week, since our weekends were packed with other trips that were already planned. (I know what you're thinking, what about classes?? Well it just so happened we had enough absences left to cover our whole stay...talk about a reward for never skipping class) We really enjoyed Croatia, so obviously it was well worth it in the end!

We stayed in Split, Croatia, but on our first day we decided to venture a few towns over to see one of the most beautiful places Croatia had to offer. A couple of bus rides later we arrived at the Krka National Park...one of Croatia's main sites to see and home of some breathtaking waterfalls!

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of this park's UNbelievable natural beauty!

The main waterfalls...they are insane!!!

This wooden pathway went through the entire park...it was the most incredible scenery walking through all of the trees with all of the water rushing around us!

A view of the bridge from the top

We obviously had to put our feet in! It was very chilly but refreshing for sure.

The next day, Kaili and I stayed in Split. First, we ventured into town and saw a beautiful old castle, and then climbed the Bell tower to get some great panoramic views of the city. 

The view of the water from the top

And the city from the top

Kaili and I after the climb

And then of course, in true Kaili and Becca fashion, we laid on the beach and got some sun. It was a great way to top of our quick little adventure. The water was absolutely beautiful and you just really can't beat mountains and ocean all in the same view!

Although the trip was a quick one, and rather last minute, it was still a great time. For the short time we were there, we saw some amazing things--the waterfalls definitely were my favorite. I am so happy that we went--you just have to take advantage of your surroundings while you're here! As always, thanks for reading, it means so much!

Ciao, 

Becca

A Trip to Amalfi

A couple weekends ago, Kaili and I ventured to the Amalfi Coast.

Out of all the trips I had planned for this semester, Amalfi was definitely one of the ones I was the most excited about. I had always heard how beautiful and spectacular all the views are, and I could not have agreed more. Everywhere you looked there was sparkling blue water and adorable little beachy homes nestled along the cliffs.

On our first day in Amalfi, we took a ferry and visited Capri. We were so fortunate that the Blue Grotto was open that day so we got to go inside!! It was SO cool!

It was tough to get a good picture inside, so this is the best I could come up with (it unfortunately doesn't really do it much justice, the color of the water from the light reflecting in was amazing)

To enter into the Blue Grotto was insane..we were jammed into this tiny little boat which then had to slip through a tiny entrance...you had to completely lay down in the boat or your head would crash directly into the cave! Scary stuff. 

Can you see the tiny little hole in the cave?? That's what you had to duck through! 

Once we saw the Blue Grotto, we headed up to the town of Capri. This was one of the beautiful views from the top. 

Also while in Capri, we got granitas. They are DELICIOUS! They are basically a fresh-squeezed lemon slushie with fresh-sqeezed blood orange juice on top. SO GOOD!

Once spending a little time in Capri, we headed up even higher on the mountain to Anacapri. There we found even more spectacular views, some restaurants, and of course the famous Capri sandal makers. It was really cool seeing them actually build the shoes!

On our next day in the Amalfi Coast, we visited Positano. Since Positano is famous for its black sand beaches, you can guess where we spent the majority of our day. We relaxed on the beach, took a boat ride to see all of the amazing cliffs, and of course did a little cliff jumping! 

The view from my spot on the beach!

Cliff jumping! The water was FREEZING but it was still well worth it and a lot of fun!

GIANT panini from Vini & Panini...they were delish!

Another beautiful view in Positano!

The biggest lemons I have EVER seen!!

On our last day, and on the way back to Florence, we stopped in Pompeii for a few hours. Pompeii was a city that was completely buried by ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. It wasn't until the 1700s that the full city was uncovered! It was amazing walking through what was left of this town...even though the destruction was horrible, most of the city was still standing even today. 

One of the main roads in the city

A long alleyway

Kaili and I

That's Mt. Vesuvius in the background!

Overall, the Amalfi Coast was amazing!!! I love being by the beach (who doesn't??) and we had pretty great weather all weekend. This was probably my #1 place that I wanted to visit, so I am so happy and grateful that I got to do so. It was really an amazing weekend. As always, thanks for reading!!

Ciao, 

Becca

SPRING BREAK!

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last post, the wifi in our apartment was broken for the last couple weeks...figures. But now it's finally back up and running, and I am so excited to share all of my endeavors with you!

Last week, it was finally time for a little time off...for spring break!! Kaili and I definitely had our heart set on warmer, beach locations; we were getting very tired of all the rain and the stubborn cold in Florence. And thankfully, we got VERY lucky with weather, it was sunny and bright almost every single day, which was a very welcome change from the climate we were accustomed to. During this one-week period, we traveled to both Nice, which is in the French Riviera (on the coast of France) and also Lagos, Portugal which is on the southern tip of Portugal.

So, first things first...Nice!

After a full day of traveling by train, we finally arrived in the little city of Nice. We stayed in a very small hostel located in an apartment building, but we liked it because it was very different from all other hostels we've stayed in--since it was so small, it was like it's own little family. We all had dinner together on the first night (it was only 2 euro...I mean ya can't turn that down) cooked by two of the guests who just so happened to be trained chefs looking for work in Nice. Win-win! We then went out that night to a famous bar called Wayne's, where there is a live band every night playing everyone's favorite throwback songs, and where dancing on tables is highly encouraged. It was probably the most entertaining bar I've been to in Europe, so if you are ever in Nice, make sure you stop by Wayne's!!!

The next day it was unfortunately raining (the only day thought, thank god!!) so we decided to hop on the bus and go to Monte Carlo for the day!

Kai and I with a Ferrari...Monte Carlo is known for having amazing cars!

The casino from afar

A closeup!

Kaili and I did gamble (pretty cool our first every gambling experience was in Monte Carlo!!) but don't get too excited....we lost all the money we put down haha oh well....

The next day, it was BEAUTIFUL out so we decided to wander around Nice a bit and then head to the beach! First, we stopped at the Flower Market. Everyone told us that we had to make sure we stopped by because it was so pretty. And indeed it was! 

All of the flowers for so colorful and gorgeous, it was so fun to walk through!

On top of being a flower market, it was also a food market as well. It had everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to freshly baked breads, to hand-carved meats. Don't those strawberries just look amazing??

After strolling through the market, we decided to climb up to this ancient tower overlooking Nice because we heard it had spectacular views. And again, we were not disappointed!

Sooo pretty!! I really loved it up there!

Kaili and I as we walked along the beach-side Promenade 

Then we finally made it to the beach!! We had to go to the next town over, called Villefranche, because it had the only "sand" beaches nearby. It was actually warm enough to lay out which was awesome, and the views were breathtaking!

The view from our sheet...yes, we laid on a sheet from our hostel because we didn't have beach towels, oh well!

Pretty sailboats

Nice was absolutely amazing! It was kind of a random trip we decided to go on, and I am SO glad we did. It was such a scenic little city, and you just cant beat being right on the water!

Then we headed on down to Lagos!! I LOVED Lagos! It was a teeny tiny little town, everyone was so friendly, and the beaches were great!! This was my favorite place so far, and I would absolutely love to make it back there someday. We stayed at one of CNN's top rated party hostel, the Rising Cock. This had been recommended to us as a really fun place to stay..and we were steered correctly yet again! It was run by a family who were super welcoming, it was right in the center of town (so very close to all the bars!!), and "Mama" made us all you can eat crepes every morning! It was SO much fun and a really awesome place to stay. 

While we were there, we pretty much just laid on the beach everyday...we had to soak it up while we had the chance! 

View from the top of one of the beaches..the water was soo blue and pretty!

One of the days we finally got off the beach and went for a boat ride touring all of the caves, it was really cool. 

Some views from the boat tour!

Unfortunately I don't have that many pictures from Lagos, but like I said we really spent most of the time laying on the beach. I absolutely loved Lagos, and would highly suggest it as a place to be on anyone's bucket list!

Today, I am off to the Amalfi Coast! It is the #1 place I wanted to visit while abroad, so I am SO excited to go!! Also, right when we get back, we'll be re-packing our bags and heading off to Croatia for the week! (Just a second spring break we decided to take...who needs class anyway..?) And then when I finally return, my family will be here!! Lots of great things coming up in the next week, so I will surely have lots of great things to blog about! As always, thanks for reading, it means a lot!

Ciao,

Amalfi-Coast-bound Becca 

Greg Takes Italy!

Last week, my boyfriend Greg came to visit me!!! I was so happy and so lucky to be able to see him for a whole week! It has been tough being away for him this long, but it made it all the more special that we were able to spend that time together.

We had SO much fun while he was here. I showed him all around Florence and we even ventured to Rome for a little! We had a really amazing week together, I wish so much he could be here this whole time with me. If you are reading this Greg, I already miss you so much and can't wait to see you in a month and a half!!

Here are some pics to show you a little more about how we spent our week together:

Fresh off the plane and time for some All'antico Vinaio aka the BEST paninos in Firenze.

I went with one stuffed with veggies, mozzarella, and a gorgonzola cheese spread YUM and Greg went with a tomato, mozz, prosciutto, and an artichoke spread. They crank out fresh focaccia loaves like no ones business so each panino is on warm fresh bread! They are literally to die for. 

Beautiful Sunset view from the Ponte Vecchio..this was Greg's first night here, we were taking a nice scenic stroll to dinner! 

Posin' on the bridge...the sunset was amazing that night, the perfect end to an absolutely gorgeous day!

Nomming on a waffle and gelato sandwhich...yes those exist. Creamy gelato sandwiched between to hot waffles with nutella! It was obviously a must stop on the food tour. They are delish!

A three and a half hour train ride later......

We arrived in Roma!

In front of the Trevi Fountain, post coin toss. It was so beautiful at night. 

In front of St. Peter's Basilica

At the Colosseum!

And once we were back in Florence.....

We made a love lock and put it on the Ponte Vecchio...this is a tradition in Florence. After you sign the lock and put it on the bridge, you throw the keys in the Arno River!

We found this drawn on the street while we walked around on his last day (I was really surprised it was in English)..but I though it was really cute (even though he told me I was corny) and we got a picture with it. 

And last but certainly not least....

GUSTA PIZZA!

This pizza is by FAR the best I have ever had in my life. Kaili and I go all the time...it literally tastes so amazing. So naturally, I had to take Greg there. (We actually went twice while he was here..he liked it so much he wanted to go back a second time!) 

I got the Gusta Pizza, which is basically a Margherita but topped with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and chunks of parmesan cheese. Greg went with the classic Margherita. So so so good. 

There are some highlights of Greg's visit! I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed having him here! As always, thanks for reading about my travels!

Ciao,

Becca

P.S. The countdown has officially begun...today marks exactly one month until my family visits! See you soon guys, I can't wait!!!

A Weekend in Venice

This weekend, I stayed in the absolutely beautiful, quaint city of Venice!

Long story short, I am in love with Venice. If you didn't already know, Venice is a small city built entirely on water; that means no roads, no cars...just boats. Therefore, as you walk through the city, you are met with tiny little bridges at every turn, full of views of the colorful homes atop glistening little canals. 

Another reason why I love Venice: it is really small, and you can walk everywhere! This is probably the #1 reason I am in love with Florence, my home city, because I am not a fan of public transportation. It always adds extra stress and fatigue (not to mention time!) trying to get the hang of a city's transportation system, so it was soooo nice not having to deal with any of that on our travels this weekend. Also, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get lost, which was absolutely perfect for Kaili and I. Venice is small, and also has very excellent signage on the streets, so we didn't have to spend any time with our nose stuck in a map...we could just stroll around and take in all the views knowing we would eventually find our way     (we can literally never pull that off). 

Some gondolas with the beautiful and famous Rialto Bridge in the background 

Kai and I (not really) ready for our closeup on the Rialto Bridge 

View from the other side of the bridge!

Gondola ride!!!

View from St. Mark's Basilica

A cute little bridge...notice the little Italian flag in the background!

As you can see I was pretty camera-happy, Venice was just so awesome! I am so happy that I was able to visit, it is really a very cool city. The food was pretty classic italian, although they did have a ton of fresh seafood, which we don't have as much in Florence. It was a really awesome way to spend this past weekend. As always, thanks to everyone for reading about my travels!

And since I loved the quaint scenery of Venice SO much, heres one more cute little gondola:

P.S. HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! This is one of my favorite holidays, since I come from a very irish background. I will be dying for some homemade irish soda bread ALL day! 

Here's a great throwback pic from when I was in Ireland back in freshman year of high school....rough. Enjoy!

My sister, myself, and my cousin Kari

Sláinte!