Day 9: Milan

Omg super tired today!! Woke up at 5.30am because my train from Bologna to Milan was at 7.05am, much regrets for booking morning trains LOL but I think they were the cheapest. The train was so empty haha I guess not many people want to travel early on a Saturday morning. Check-out was pretty smooth, I just had to leave the keys on the door and make sure I had everything with me. The B&B I was staying at is called Stazione Centrale and I'd booked it via booking.com. Thought it would be a hotel at first but turned out to be a private-apartment-turned-B&B with 3 bedrooms and a shared toilet. But the location was prime hahaha it was literally right outside the station like just across the road from the exit! Less than 1 minute to go between the two LOL. Anyway I had a double room all to myself, and breakfast was provided but it was just a tray of snacks haha but suits me anyway LOL. There was also an espresso machine which I didn't use since I don't drink coffee, but there were plenty of other drinks available too even soy milk!! And I had a constant supply of juice hahaha the owner was nice even though he didn't speak much English. Also the toilet was really clean haha just that the shower was a bit weird because the water kept alternating between scalding hot and cold lol. But all in all it was quite a nice stay! If I didn't have so much luggage with me I might've picked a location closer to the city centre though haha.

Anyway, the train ride took about 2 hours and I slept a bit on the train. Arrived in Milan at 9.10am then went to drop my bags at the hotel. I was supposed to meet M at this pasticceria called Ernst Knam for breakfast so I got the bus there. It's supposed to be quite a famous chocolaterie but I guess it might be from Milan? Anyway when we arrived they didn't have tables and seats so we just bought some cakes and chocolates and went to M's place nearby to eat instead. Was a good catch-up session!

Went back to the hotel afterwards to check-in before heading out for my Brandy shopping LOL. I basically spent the whole day shopping hahaha the weather was awful anyway it was a light spray sort of rain and very foggy and visibility was like only 1km?! So there wasn't much point in sightseeing in such bad weather. I did want to visit the castle at first but I still passed by it on the way out from Brandy LOLLOL it's actually in the middle of 2 stores hahaha ... Anyway, I went to the San Giovanni store first because the last time I went on a Sunday it was closed! It's quite small but they had a lot of home stuff and deco. They also had a lot of the summer floral prints somehow and I spotted a whole rack of Eve shorts on the upper floor but alas I already have them all! Also saw a few floral Jadas and other dresses and the Jacky dress which I'd been contemplating! As well as a paisley Kiara tank. Tried on a lot of button-up shirts but they were all really oversized and not very suitable for formal occasions. Didn't buy anything from that store cause I wanted to check out the other stores first.

Went to the Via Statuto store next! They had a lot of items on 30% off in the basement but they were mostly the stuff in the autumn colours like rust orange and mustard yellow and baby blue. All the Alena dresses were 30% so they were only €19!! But I already tried the baby blue and it looks so weird on me and I've gone off Alena dresses for now so didn't get any. In the end I bought a burgundy striped Luana top that was on sale for €10! Also saw a ton of scrunchies there but I have so many already omg.

Finally went to the Duomo store after that. It was super crowded omg. They had a lot of jeans at €15 but the materials were all really thin so I didn't really want to get them. Tried on a couple of other shirts and there was a striped Peyton top at 50% for €16 but it was too cropped for me but the other shirt fitted perfectly! Then I went to the 1st floor (they have a basement, ground loot and 1st floor) and there was a whole rack of skirts at €10!!! But they were mostly the corduroy skirts with the full front zip which I didn't like and some Raquel skirts that looked way too big. Picked out an Armelle skirt in the end and got that even though it was slightly too big but I'd been eyeing it for ages! The material isn't as nice as Topshop's denim skirts though to be honest, and I think the skirt is one of the items manufactured in China. There was also a bunch of accessories on sale so I got 3 quite cute necklaces! Kind of regret not buying more omg ...

Spent ages in the Duomo store so by the time I left it was already past 5pm. Went back to the San Giovanni store as it closes at 7pm and got the Jacky dress and Kiara tank there! The Kiara tank was the last piece in store omg! It wasn't on sale but the Jacky dress had 10% off hehe. Then went to the Via Statuto store again and got the burgundy corduroy skirt with the elastic band (even though I already have the one without but this fits better) and bought the Rosa pants in olive green!! It's super comfy omg. Almost bought the Lima pants, they had the navy and olive green ones at 30% off but didn't really like the material of the pants and would rather spend the same amount on a pair of Rosa's. I really wanted the corduroy skirt in black (been meaning to get that the whole trip omg) but they didn't have it in store and the other stores would've been closed by the time I reached since it was already 7.30pm by then T_T And almost got the other Rosa's in the lightest grey but decided against it at the last minute again hahaha no fate. But my skirt!!! Aish. Also regret not buying more Rosa's when they were €25 in Florence omg. But anyway I didn't buy that much stuff!!! Still a bit of stuff to add into my luggage but hopefully will be okay ...

Anyway so that concludes my day LOL omg I need to finish packing now and super sleepy will continue tomorrow!!

Day 8: Bologna

Last day in Bologna today! I actually really really love this place :) Meant to wake up at 9am so that I could go up to San Michele in Bosco during their opening hours, but ended up oversleeping until 11am hahaha so only left at about 12.20pm LOL. It was an hour's walk to the church but on the way I passed by Piazza 8 Agosto and there was a market there! So I googled and apparently it's a Friday/Saturday thing haha so lucky I caught it! But the weather was good so I wanted to get to the church while it was sunny.

Climbed up the hill to get to the church and arrived at the viewing point at about 1330. The view was so amazing and it was sunny! But really foggy so visibility was low. But it was nice hahaha. I perched myself up on a ledge at the car park and literally just sat there for like, half an hour LOL. 3 bus 30s passed by while I was sitting there hahaha but it felt so nice and peaceful. There were little people if not no one except for people waiting for the bus. So yeah, just sat there and took out my juice to drink LOL while facing the view. Felt so good but so good. Stayed there until about 1415 and unfortunately the fog didn't clear so I left reluctantly. The sun was also gone by then and I got a shock when I saw a building that was bright orange in the sun suddenly became really dark and scary looking LOL.

Took a leisurely stroll downhill and back to city centre and I really wanted to use the toilet so I stopped by this cafe on the way to get a snack as well. It's an espresso bar called BIOS and the owner was so friendly! He recommended me to try the mortadella sandwich, which is actually a local speciality. Mortadella is an Italian sausage originating from Bologna. So of course I had to try it since it's a local thing. I also got a hot chocolate and asked for soy milk to it and very thankful that I knew enough Italian to at least say "non bevo latte" LOL. Apparently it was the first time he made the hot chocolate with soy milk but he said the texture turned out good and sure it did! Also had chatted a bit and learned some Italian words like "mercato" for market and "felice anno nuovo" and how to pronounce words! He introduced himself as Bruno at the end when I was leaving and we shook hands. Love encounters like this when solo-tripping! Felt very very inspired hehe.

Walked towards city centre and went to Brandy to buy the jeans. Spotted this other lattice front dress in burgundy at 50% off and tried it on and it looked so nice!! So I bought that and the jeans. The staff recognised me I think HAHA. After that I went to see the library cause the interior designs are super nice! Then wanted to get a gelato and I actually walked all the way to Grom already before realising that I should actually try the San Crispino one since I don't know if they have it anywhere else besides Rome and Bologna. But totally didn't expect to see it here I thought it was just Rome! So I turned back and went back instead since it's near Brandy. Got the San Crispino flavour which is actually miele al crema (honey in cream) and also had clementine sorbet to go with. Weird combi but really refreshing HAHA I want to become a gelato pairer LOLLOL.

Was quite dark by then so came back to the B&B to put down my stuff then went out again to catch the market before it closed! The stalls were all packing up by then but luckily the bracelet store was still open and I got my rainbow bracelets. Saw them this morning for only €0.60 as compared to €1 everywhere else haha perks of being in a smaller city. Then browsed around a bit for phone cases but didn't see anything that caught my eye. Went back to the Chinese restaurant again to get takeaway for dinner cause I miss Chinese food so much haha it does taste like homecooked food!! Then came back and met the B&B owner again and he gave me 2 more packets of juice and I asked about check-out for tomorrow. Ate dinner and then been basically chilling and finding new music on Spotify and Shazam. Need to pack cause leaving tomorrow but omg I love Bologna sad to leave!!!

Day 7: Bologna

Finally beginning my solo travels proper here in Bologna!! But can't believe my Italy trip is ending haha sigh and I actually wish I had more alone time cause this was after all supposed to be a break for myself but oh well.

Woke up really late this morning like 10am and stayed in bed until 11am LOL but the good thing about solo-tripping is that NO ONE can tell me what to do HAHA absolutely love the freedom of doing things at my own pace. But it was also nice that time in Germany with XC and Nice with Steph haha because we all like to sleep more HAHAHA. But yeah, felt slightly sheepish for waking up so late when I opened my door and met the B&B owner LOL. And omg the Duolingo Italian courses finally came in useful cause he asked me if I would like to drink coffee so I was trying to explain "non bevo caffè" because "non dolce" LOL. Then he asked me what I would like to drink when I suddenly recalled the word for juice so I said "bevo succo" and he understood!! And he was so nice he even went to take 2 more packets of juice to give me HAHA I guess food vocabulary is probably the most useful when travelling ... But I've also picked up some new phrases and new food vocab HEHEHE really like Italian I've always wanted to learn!

Anyway left the B&B at 12 and omg so thankful once again that it's SO CLOSE to the station. I mean I don't mind walking to city centre but I will mind walking a longer distance with all my current luggage. Stepped out of the station and I felt so so rejuvenated all of the sudden and the sun was shiny and it actually felt warm despite the temperature being only 5 degrees. So yes, the freedom and uncertainty of everything was exhilarating :D I didn't have any plan of what to do but I did mark out a few places I wanted to see and also I had to go see the Brandy so I kind of just walked in the general direction of the city centre. Wandered off to Parco Montagnola and saw a beautiful set of stairs lol so obsessed with pretty stairs. And the best part was there was literally NO ONE on the streets at noon and everything was so clean and calm under the glorious sun I fell in love with this city almost instantly. Calm and serene and just as I like it.

Crossed the road to Piazzo dell'8 Agosto afterwards and saw a few people chilling in the plaza but like no tourists at all?!?! Shiokkkkk :D Also finally no umbrella / selfie stick men LOL in fact Bologna actually gives me a sort of vibe like Strasbourg somehow. I still remember how fascinated I was by everything on the first Sunday I arrived and it was 35 deg and so sunny and everything was so beautiful . Walked towards Piazza Maggiore and saw considerably more people there but still not very crowded at all. Saw the Fontana del Nettuno and the cathedral and the towers then decided to go to Brandy since it was nearby. 

When I got to Brandy even the store was kinda empty too so it was amazing :D I think shopping should be a highly personal activity. I always feel so stressed like ugh when I shop with people cause I would feel really bad for making them wait whereas if I'm alone I don't have to care how long I take. The whole store was having like 10-50% sales and I tried on some jeans and the olive green Rosa sweatpants that I thought wouldn't suit me but turned out not too bad after all!!!i so regret not buying them in Florence cause they were €25 there for some reason omg while here it's €27 after 10% off. Poor decisions sigh. Also tried on the Bruce skirt / Sena skirt (the one with the elastic band) and it's a much better fit than the one without but I already have that one which is the one P got for me from Canada gah so Idk if I should just buy it again with the elastic band. GAH. But I will get the black one on the last day of the trip I guess since it's only €23.40 now, I just don't want to have to carry them around now. Also Basel is having like 20% off storewide until end Jan but I'm not even going there this month on their open days OMG mega sianness. Anyway I couldn't decide between the 36 or the 38 it's always annoying to be in between sizes but I was surprised I could fit into the 36!! Italian sizes are +4 from European sizes so the 36 is actually like an EUR32 omg. I could fit into 36 but it's just the legs aren't very stretchy even though the waist fits me perfectly while the 38 fits nicely if not a bit loose on the legs but quite a gap on my waist. Or maybe their sizes just run big LOL no way am I a W24 now ugh. The staff were really nice too haha and it's still quite funny to see guys working in Brandy but so cool haha. was about to get the jeans when I saw this white cotton button up shirt so I thought maybe I could get it for work or formal events. It turned out slightly too casual for formal attire but the material was SO SO COMFORTABLE and also it was 50% off so only €14.50!! So I decided to get that first and come back for the jeans tomorrow. Turned out to be a good choice after all cause later today I saw a post on BM's insta featuring the same shirt with the Sena / Bruce skirt so now I guess I know what to wear with my skirts!! And oh yes the paper bags at this store are also different from the usual Brandy bags because this one had the store address printed on it so cute HAHA. And I love the Italian stores they always have all the scrunchies in the old floral prints and I'm so obsessed with them lol.

Bought my Brandy then came out of the store and was feeling a bit hungry so I walked a bit more then I spotted a gelato shop called Gelateria Gianni. I don't know why Google maps show the location as that because it's actually like right outside the two towers so maybe they moved or something. Anyway I tried strawberry cheesecake and this flavour called il signore degli anelli which has hazelnuts and it was so good!!! They have a lot of other interesting flavours too so might go back to try more. Then while I was eating I spotted il gelato di San Crispino omg didn't know they have it in Bologna also!! I didn't get to try the honey flavour in Rome so might try it here. Then everyone's been saying Grom omg too many gelatos not enough time ...

Are my gelato and continued walking to San Domenico church and it was so near I arrived even before I finished my gelato LOL. Went inside to see, they have a  museum with free entry inside and even though I'm not religious I like the calmness of old churches. Didn't have anymore places to see after that LOL Bologna is really small haha so I went to look at postcards for inspiration LOL TRAVELLING HACK HAHAHA. Was quite hungry by then so walking around to find a restaurant but it was an awkward timing like 4pm so not many restaurants were open. Also saw a Cruciani store they are so pretty and I'm so obsessed lol! Ended up at this restaurant called Mangiassieme in the end cause it was one of the few open and I was planning to go back early cause it was so cold and cloudy (no more sun) and I'm really quite sick (argh fml) so wanted to have an early dinner and rest early.

At Mangiassieme it was quite empty like there were only 2 other people in the restaurant but that suited me fine. I learnt the word yesterday for one person that is "solo" so it came in useful today hahaha. Got a spaghetti bolognese since I am in Bologna after all LOL. But my sense of taste is probably messed up from my cold so I thought it was not too bad but the spaghetti could've been softer. Had a panna cotta to follow hehehe was good but probably not so good for my throat lol. There was no service charge but they have coperto here which was something I've not seen in a while! So that concluded my first solo meal in Italy haha I know eating is an inherently social activity but eating alone actually made me eat much slower and enjoy the food more cause I can take as long as I want!

Was contemplating to visit Brandh again after dinner but too far so came back to the B&B. Finally had cash so could pay my city tax. Then just laid on the bed and fell asleep lol and now I've just showered and gonna go back to sleep again cause I have a headache :( Hopefully I can recover before Milan omg ...

Day 6: Florence - Bologna

In Bologna now!! Everything went pretty smoothly today hehe.

Woke up quite early cause had to check out by 10am, so I was up by 8am but just nua-ed in bed until like 9.30am HAHA. But I didn't have much to pack anyway. Left my bags in the reception downstairs - they were so nice! - then was supposed to meet the guys but I wanted to stop by Brandy near my hotel first. They were also having sales but this store was so much bigger! And I found the sale rack downstairs!! Can't believe I missed it the first day omg. Anyway I got 5 tops and 1 dress at a steal of €69 - all the tops were €10 each and the Laurel dress was only €19! And also my Sena skirt went on sale as with all the stuff that I bought last year SIGH 10% is a lot when you add everything up. But the accessories weren't on sale so okay. I'm still not wanting to buy too much gonna wait for Bologna and Milan. And the Rome store started sales on 5 Jan, one day after I left omg. I saw on their Instagram page and the jeans are going for €15 only?!?! Bad timing as always omg T_T

Anyway, bought the stuff then went to meet the guys at the Mercato Centrale market cause I was supposed to get ties for CW. The ones at the market are €4 each and €10 for 3 but I later passed by a store that was €3 each and €10 for 5 after I'd already did bought T_T But okay they didn't have as many designs as the market and the designs weren't that nice either. After that we crossed the Santa Trinita bridge to get to the other side of the river as the guys had found a nice lunch place near their hostel - Trattoria La Casalinga.

The restaurant was really full when we arrived at 1215 even though they technically only opened at 1200. We were lucky that we arrived early as their tables were full from reservations but we managed to get one table that was reserved for 1330 as Long as we finished before 1320. We got a first course pasta each then Uncle and I shared a fillet steak while Sean went for another steak. They both loved the steaks hahaha I'm not that much a fan of meat plus I'm sick so couldn't really appreciate the food ... I think the texture of the steak was just nice but it left a meaty raw taste in my mouth so I had to get rid of it by eating the lemon slice LOL. The desserts looked really good too but I was really full (lack of appetite from the cold) plus we didn't have time so didn't get to try. But the guys absolutely loved the place HAHA so will highly recommend!!! I'll defo go again when I go back to Florence.

Made our way towards the Piazzale Michelangelo after lunch. Passed by the Pitti Palace and the Bobali Gardens and Forte Belvedere but didn't go in cause we just wanted to see the panoramic view HAHA. The climb was so horrible omg!! Plus I was carrying my Brandy shooing haha was panting while going up the slope omg. Then when we arrived at the piazzale there was still many flights of stairs omg but Uncle was so nice he took my bags for me! But when we finally  reached the top the view was absolutely amazing and worth the climb - finally understood why so many people say Florence is beautiful hahaha. And the skies cleared up just as we were there so got some blue skies yay!

After that we crossed back the river and I went to buy the ties then we went back to the same gelato place (Antica Gelateria) and basically concluding Florence with 5 gelatos from the same place LOL I didn't even try any other gelato?? Was supposed to try the gelato at the Santa Trinita bridge under Andrew's recommendation but the guys said it was ex and we didn't pass by on the way back. But yes highly highly recommend this Gelateria HAHA. After the gelato we parted ways - the guys were heading for Venice while I was heading for Bologna hahaha so much for solo-tripping?!?! But it was nice having good company for the past 6 days and brilliant photographers to help me take photos HAHA though I'm really really excited to finally begin solo tripping in a new city!!

I went to the central station to buy a bus ticket then took the bus back to the hotel to collect my luggage. Had to repackage a bit cause of my Brandy shopping. Anyway hotel review time again! The hotel I was staying at is called Hotel Masaccio and I believe it's a family-run one? It's not really big but they have a restaurant too. I think I only booked it cause it was close to the Brandy store LOL and it was close to bus stops. The first impression wasn't impressive haha but it turned out to be a really lovely stay! It's a 1-star hotel so the city tax was a LOT cheaper than Rome - €1.50 per night so only €3 total and now I wish I stayed longer in Florence HAHA cause I had the impression Florence is more expensive than Bologna but oh well. Anyway the room was pretty nice, I didn't have my own private toilet but the common toilet is shared among 3 rooms on the same floor and there was a sink in my room so it's kind of like student halls. The single bed is more like a queen-size double or at least a super single LOL. And most of all the people were really nice!! Like one of the staff he didn't speak much English but he'd always say hi when he saw me haha. So all in all it was a pretty decent stay! Apart from the location but that was an oversight on my part, I think I will get somewhere closer to the central station if I go again!

Anyway I managed to catch the 1708 bus to the station - was really packed because of peak hour I guess. Arrived an hour early at the station for my train but better to be early than late ... Waited until past 1800 for the platform number to appear which was really long considering the train was supposed to depart at 1815. Boarded the train and the journey was pretty short - only about 30 min so arrived in Bologna quite quickly. I was proud of my choice for Bologna accord cause it's so near the station!! It's a B&B and check-in was pretty smooth and there's so much food!! And my room is huge again hehe I will do a proper review once my stay is over!

Rested a bit while waiting for my phone to charge then went out at 2030 to get dinner. Wanted to try a restaurant that I found at first but it's so cold and I was too lazy to walk over then I saw a Chinese restaurant on the way so I got a takeaway instead LOL came all the way to Italy to eat Chinese food HAHA. I got a 馄饨汤 and a 西红柿炒鸡蛋盖饭 omg been such a long time since I had Chinese food!! And it was really not bad haha tasted like home-cooked stuff!!

Going to shower now and sleep early and hopefully I will recover tomorrow!!

Day 5: Florence

Woke up really really late haha didn't set an alarm cause I was so tired so literally only got out of bed at like 11?!?! But the weather was quite bad it was raining ... Anyway walked to the central station, took me 30 min and my shoes were completely soaked :( Met the guys there but since the weather was so bad we decided to find a gelato place to chill first. 

We passed by the attractions on the way to the city centre but photos turned out quite lousy cause of the rain and poor lighting. And usually the gelato shops are everywhere but they all disappear when you try to find one! In the end we finally found a nice one - Antica Gelateria Fiorentina - and went in and hence begun the crazy gelato spamming at this place. The flavours were all pretty unique and prices start from €1.50 which is the lowest I've seen so far! They had matcha which isn't really common in Italy (or at least not that I've seen any) so I went for that and the pistachio. And it was so good hahaha we all went for seconds - I went for my usual strawberry and this Christmas cake flavour (I think) called datteri e noci?? It was too creamy for my liking but there were nuts and raisins and dried fruits inside!

By then the rain had stopped so we went out again to walk around. Was supposed to get lunch but came across a Chinese restaurant called Xin Wang on the way so ended up eating there LOL. Continued walking after lunch and spotted a watermelon bicycle outside this cafe called Caffè del Borgo and had to take photos with it!! Then we went to Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio and the river but by then it was starting to get dark so we didn't cross to the other side of the river. Decided to go for ANOTHER gelato and we passed by Brandy Melville on the way. The store is much smaller than the other store but sales had begun!! Almost the entire store was 10-20% off haha dammit I regret buying so much back in November ugh cause almost everything I bought went on sale ......... Also passed by Piazza della Repubblica and the lights were so pretty!!! But then it rained again so we wanted to find a gelato shop quick.

Wanted to try Carabè and Triangolo delle Bermuda but both gelaterias were closed so we went back to Antica ......... And got another 2 gelatos each HAHAHA. I had bacio with biscottino first then regretted such creamy choices so got a small cone of strawberry and lemon sorbet to wash down the taste! By then I was super super full but we wanted to try this place called OK Bar for dinner so we went to the market at Mercato Centrale to walk around first. They were closing by then but we still managed to see some stuff - so many leather bags!!! I bought 3 Cruciani-like bracelets in pastel colours to wear as anklets hehe they were only €1 each while the real Cruciani starts from €10 :( And I haven't even taken out the one that I bought at Expo Milano out of its packaging yet HAHA. The quality was okay-ish, obviously not as good as original Cruciani and it was also lacking the C loop (saw some on the roadside store near the central station with the C loop but no nice colours). But I got them in light pink, light blue and light purple HAHA they actually look pretty dull on their own but really cute all together! Wanna get a turquoise one HAHA gonna look out for them but afterwards I found them online going for like $0.20USD each zzz.

Anyway, we got to OK Bar for dinner and I had spaghetti ragu con bolognese but so full couldn't finish so Uncle helped me to finish! I think it was not bad but still preferred L'Archetto in Rome. We were all too tired so went back straightaway after dinner. I was falling sick so was really cold argh such terrible luck to fail sick in the middle of the trip ...

Day 4: Pisa

Oops meant to be posting everyday but was so tired yesterday didn't have time to update! But I'll do separate posts for yesterday and today (technically the day before and yesterday since it's past 12am now on 6 Jan haha) :P

So 4 Jan was Monday omg I've completely lost track of the date here! On Monday morning I woke up really early at 0530 as my train was at 0715 so was aiming to check out latest by 0630. Didn't really get a good night's sleep cause my subconscious was worried about oversleeping and missing the train but surprisingly I wasn't that tired. So I got up, washed up and packed and bade goodbye to my most amazing double room with ensuite toilet AND balcony. Was really lucky to have gotten this hotel after the unexpected Expedia mess-up (mentioned in my 1 Jan post) and it was for 3 nights so it was really nice!! Checked out and paid my city tax of €12 (sobbles €4/night for 3-star hotel) and they really did pack a small breakfast for me to take away! Well it was just a sugar croissant and a bottle of peach juice but better than nothing :) 

Anyway I haven't mentioned this, but the hotel I was staying at is Hotel Bled near Manzoni metro. They serve free buffet breakfast which is really really nice and it's altogether quite posh and quiet and well-furnished. I don't know about the other rooms but I was living on the 4th floor which is the top floor so I had a really nice view from the balcony. Room and toilet were really clean and they provide some toiletries and towels. The room also came with a TV I believe though u never used it as well as a mini-bar. All in all it was a pretty good stay besides the fact that it wasn't super close to all the attractions but it was rather near the metro so it would've been about a 30 min walk from Termini. Would recommend and honestly wouldn't mind going back there again HAHA though I don't think I would've been able to afford it if not for the relocation ...

So back to Monday morning. After checking out I took the metro to Termini and printed my tickets, then waited a bit. Was glad I left so early as I had some buffer time. Boarded the train at 0715, sun wasn't even up during the train journey and the weather didn't look very good. Slept a bit on the train, arrived in Florence at 0846. I'd googled on the bus system in Florence so I knew I'd have to buy a bus ticket and take the bus to my current hotel. The bus tickets in Florence cost €1.20 per way and is valid for 90 min, and you could get them from the Tabacchi stores but there's also an ATAF counter at the central station (Firenze SMN). Bought my ticket but there was a long queue so I missed the 0915 bus and had to get the 0930 one instead, but luckily the buses are rather punctual here. 

Arrived at the hotel pretty quickly, though I have to say I'd overlooked the location part when I booked as it's not as near to city centre as it had appeared on Google maps ... And at first it didn't look that impressive from the building and all, but the people are really nice!! The check-in time is supposed to be 11am but I arrived before 10am and explained that I wanted to catch the 11am train to Pisa, so they actually let me put my luggage in the room first even though the room wasn't properly cleaned and ready yet. But it's supposedly a small family-run  hotel, so they're probably more flexible with things. I also didn't have enough change to pay the city tax so the guy said I could just pay the next day, and he also gave me a map of Florence which I thought was really nice!

Took the bus back to Termini as it was still valid and met the 2 guys. They already had tickets but I didn't so I just bought mine there. There are basically 2 train companies in Italy (Trenitalia and Italo) but Trenitalia is the only one that has a route from Florence to Pisa. The cheapest by 2nd class is €8.40 for a single trip and there isn't a need to buy them in advance I think ... Also it's a relatively short journey of only 49 min!

We arrived in Pisa Centrale slightly before 12 and made our way towards the Tower. I think Pisa seems quite quiet and small in general. Weather wasn't great but at least it didn't rain! Arrived at the plaza and the design is really amazing if not for the fact that the tower is slanted haha. Took lots of silly touristy photos and everyone was basically doing the same but you can't leave Pisa without some tourist shenanigans right?! Hahaha. 

Spent about 2 hours there then walked back to the station but got Amsterdam chips and gelato at this gelateria called Gelateria Cremino. The cones start from €1.80 onwards and it was by far the cheapest compared to what we've been getting in Rome. Chilled a bit while having gelato btw that was my 5th cone HAHA had 4 already in Rome. Then walked towards the station and did some shopping on the way omg jäger was going for only €10.65 a bottle it was unbelievable!! I bought some apples and Actimel and we got some pasta stuff for dinner then took the train back. Walked back to my hotel from the train station and went to one of the Brandy stores on the way! The store was huge but I didn't buy anything (yet) haha then the guys came over to chill and eat dinner and that was all for the day!

Rome: Day 3

Eating my takeaway pasta in the hotel now and I swear it's so good?!?! I bought 2 slices of pizza from the same shop too on my way back and they were good too I think better than yesterday's dinner at the restaurant HAHA. Funny how one of my best meals in Rome was just from a random shop.

Anyway today was a relatively chill day! It's the two guys' last day in Rome so we didn't have much planned. I woke up really late at 10 and missed the hotel breakfast cause I thought it was until 11, but the lady was so nice she still let me in to get food so I just thought I'd bring the food to my room to eat so I won't mess up a table but then she gave me a proper tray to put everything on and also asked if I wanted drinks! So I had a nice quick breakfast in my room. Also asked if it's possible for me to get a takeaway breakfast tomorrow as my train is really early, and they said they'd prepare a box for me so I shall wait and see!

Met the guys at 12 at Termini to take the metro to see Villa Torlonia which was 2 stops away, but it turned out to be slightly disappointing as there wasn't much and the weather in winter isn't that great. Decided to walk over to Villa Borghese which was a lot prettier but sadly we didn't have much time there as the guys had a train to catch. We walked to the Spanish Steps from Villa Borghese and I wanted to go up the steps but the guys didn't have time so we went for the gelato instead. Had another gelato back at Gelateria Valentino and got smoothie flavours this time - strawberry and banana! The shop people were really nice and they recognised us from yesterday!! I kept wondering about the honey flavour gelato that Andrew recommended but then realised it was actually another gelato shop just round the corner - Gelato di San Crispino. The prices are slightly more expensive and I'm not that much of a fan of cream flavours anyway and also didn't want to ruin the lovely fruity aftertaste of the strawberry and banana gelato so didn't try it. Might probably come back the next time!!

The guys had to leave after that so after I said bye to them I went back to the Spanish Steps. Turned out to be the right choice cause the view up there was absolutely amazing! I went up the steps of Fraternita Monastica Delle Sorelle Di Gerusalemme to get a better view of the city and it was so beautiful. When I first went up there was no one there except for a sporty couple doing leg lifts (??? The one where you hold onto something and lift your legs 90 degrees perpendicular) against the scenery and they asked me to take photos of them together. In return I also asked them to take photos of me HAHA and it's true based on experience photos by strangers usually turn out the best ... Stayed a bit more but more people were starting to come so it was harder to get a better photo. Then this other couple was taking photos of each other then they wanted to take one together by selfie-ing so I offered to help them and in return they asked if I wanted a photo too! So of course I said yes (never rejecting photo opportunities) and by then the sky had cleared up already so the photos turned out really nice except for the poor lighting of the iPhone 5 camera but never mind :D Finally experiencing the thrills of solo-tripping!! Haha but it was fun having the company of Uncle H and S around LOL.

Walked back to the metro and took to San Giovanni since it's near the hotel anyway but not much. Saw a glimpse of the sunset it was pink I should've stayed longer at the Spanish Steps haha!! Then walked back and got the pasta and pizza takeaway on the way back. Btw the shop is called Pizza e Kebab on Via Emanuele Filiberto near San Giovanni Metro. The owner was really nice and he asked me where I'm from so I said Singapore, then he asked if he could take a selfie with me cause he wanted a selfie with a Singaporean LOL. But yes the pizza was so good hahaha and just finishing the pasta now!!

Going to sleep soon and need to pack oh man leaving Rome tomorrow! I've only visited 2 out of 5 Brandy stores here and my timing is so bad because the sales in Rome start on 5 Jan Tuesday but I'm leaving tomorrow gah I have no luck with these!!

Rome: Day 2

Brief update on day 2 of 2016 in Rome (trying to post more and also record stuff down in case I forget). Had breakfast in hotel (which was not bad really!!!), then went to meet GQ's friend S who just arrived at Termini. We all went back to their hostel to put down stuff then walked in the general direction of Vatican City. Passed by the Colosseum on the way and took lots of photos in daylight but it kept drizzling!! Also very amused by the street sellers because it rained this morning and suddenly everyone had umbrellas and ponchos to sell instead of the selfie sticks it's as if they have some massive warehouse nearby or something ... Then when the rain stopped they all looked really disappointed or rather almost angry! After the Colosseum we passed by Piazza Venezia again and stopped at a gelato shop. Welcome back to the land of €2 gelatos!! Well that was actually €2.50 but it was good!! I had mixed berries and mango flavours :D 

We crossed the bridge to the other side of the river where Vatican City is and took lots of photos by the river with the Castel Sant'Angelo as the backdrop HAHA. Then finally arrived in Vatican City and it was so crowded omg. The sky started to clear up a bit by then so it was nice! But the queue for the holy door was too long and we arrived pretty late so the museum was closed. Wanted to see the garden but you need to make reservations for those apparently so we just took some photos with the Swiss Army at the entrance. They were really nice actually and one of them always smiled so slightly when people take photos of him!!

After Vatican City I made the 2 guys Coke with me to Brandy HAHAHA we walked along the main shopping street though. Didn't buy anything otherwise I'd have to lug them around the rest of the trip!! Also went to the other Brandy near the Trevi fountain and went to see the fountain again too. Still super lots of people even though it was raining. Had dinner at this rather nice place called Osteria - I liked their pizza more but Peter the spaghetti at L'Archetto! Also had 2 cones of gelato after dinner HAHA crazy but it was SO GOOD, it's called Gelateria Valentino and it's near the Trevi Fountain! I had the Ferraro Rocher (called Love Me) with tiramisu first then a more fruity combination of melon and mango. And the people were so nice!! Defo wanna go back again HAHAHA. Andrew also recommended a gelato place near the fountain with honey flavour but Idk if it was the same one so gonna have to find out .........

Really tired now so gonna sleep!!!

2016 Day 1/366: Rome!

Finally chilling on my double bed in my hotel now :D Was such a hectic and epic day omg! My travel adventures are seriously UNBELIEVABLE. Omg.

Anyway the day started out pretty okay, slept really early (could hear the fireworks but too tired to get up), woke up at 4am and left at 5.20am to catch the National Express coach for Stansted Airport. Arrived slightly before 7am, did everything really quickly like security and all then went to the duty free shops :D Bought some stuff from Accessorize, then walked past Ted Baker and couldn't resist taking a look at the sale stuff ... Was really tempted by the pink Melana bag, they had only one left and I'd been eyeing the Isabow in baby pink since October and this one was really similar if not even nicer than the Isabow cause it doesn't have the bow which is a bit extra. But I didn't want to spend money so early into 2016 LOL. So I went to the Starbucks (last Starbucks since Italy and Strasbourg don't have!!) and got a chai tea latte and sat there while waiting for my boarding gate to show. But I kept thinking of the bag omg. Waited for an hour then realised I had to go to the gate alr so I went back to Ted Baker again to ask for returns policy and all and it was also the last bag in pink ......... And I gave in. OMG. Then I rushed to the gate with all my shopping bags LOL. And my duffel bag was alr freaking heavy ........ Way to start my trip LOLLOL.

Got to the gate and one of the Ryanair staff was selling bus tickets from airport to city centre so I bought one, then the guy behind me bought too but he didn't have small change so I exchanged 2 €10 notes for his €20 note. Then we started talking and he's from SG too LOL small world anyway he's called GQ so we decided to tour around together today cause he was also alone. Boarded the flight afterwards, had an aisle seat at first but the row opposite me was empty so I just asked the flight steward if I could st there instead and he said it was okay so I had a whole row to myself again!! Super shiok hehe :D Flying in daytime has its perks too especially the amazing view of the Alps!!

Landed in Rome, waited quite a long time for the bus so it was already 1430 by the toe we arrived in the city centre. Three was having internet problems and I couldn't get data for the whole afternoon argh. Checked into my hotel, wifi wasn't working either so no internet basically but the room was huge and I also had my own toilet PLUS a huge DOUBLE BALCONY. But I just put down my stuff and went out again cause I was supposed to meet GQ at Barberini at 1600. The metro was pretty easy to navigate but it's €1.50 per ride!!

Met GQ at Berberini Metro, went to see the Fontana di Trevi first but it was so crowded omg. Then we walked to the Altare della Patria and towards the Colosseum. Saw so many ruins on the way it was quite fascinating but now I'm also just looking at Google maps and thinking it'll never be possible to finish seeing all the tourist attractions here by the end of this trip hahaha omg. Anyway by then the sun was setting already so lighting was poor but the Colosseum looked so cool at night!!

Walked a bit more then we were both really hungry so searched a bit and found this place called L'Archetto near us that serves pasta and pizza. I was craving pasta so much haha. It turned out to be a really good decision LOL cause the prices were pretty decent and they had so many different flavours of pasta and pizza!!! We both got a pasta each then shared a pizza and tiramisu for dessert. But the pasta was SO SO GOOD I honestly wouldn't mind going back there again to eat if not for the fact that I wanna try other restaurants in Rome too!!

After dinner we walked towards the river Fiume Tevere then ended up on Ponte Sant'Angelo that leads to Castel Sant'Angelo. A cool thing is that the garden surrounding the castle is shaped like a star just like the Kastellet in Cooenhagen so I would really want to see that!! We didn't go in as it was closed already. Then walked back to the Metro, took a few photos of the Fontana di Tritone at Piazza Barberini then I took the metro to go back to the hotel.

Then this was the epic part. I honestly don't know if I was damn suay or damn lucky but I'm loving my current hotel so I would say the latter LOL. Remember how the wifi in my room wasn't working?? So I entered the hotel, went to the reception area to ask about the wifi and then the lady at the reception (think she's the manager according to a cert on the wall) told me the hotel was going to be closed from tomorrow onwards, when my reservation was for the next 3 days. I was literally like WHAT on the spot cause I'd booked through Expedia and there was absolutely no notification of this AT ALL. And that would explain why the wifi and elevators weren't working. Apparently the hotel had informed Expedia 5 days ago, so we called Expedia and turns out there was broken communication between the Expedia and Expedia UK team. But I was just panicking cause where would I go lol omg?? Of all the stuff that've happened I'd least expected this trip to go wrong cause it was a freaking hotel booking. So they told me I could stay for the night and pay €25 but I'd already paid through Expedia for the whole booking!! Anyway the Expedia UK team went to check and they had someone from the reallocations team to talk to me but the line was so muffled so I was really confused and freaking out. After many rounds of repetition (cause I couldn't hear properly) they finally found me a room at another hotel 5 min away so they would change my whole reservation to that for no additional fees (had to confirm this many times but hoping I won't get some surprise charge on my card uh). So I thought that was the end. By then the lady manager had left and it was only this other guy at the reception so I was gonna ask if I could just get my stuff since I was moving out already. THEN HE TOLD ME I STILL HAD TO PAY THE €25?!?! By then I was literally about to cry cause after so much trouble and distress they can't just demand more money when I'm not even staying there. And ever since the Milan scam incident I've just been really paranoid about Italy in general T_T And I was also really scared that they wouldn't let me leave cause the man seemed really scary and intimidating and he said I had to pay cause they already prepared the room for me and all but I never even touched anything except to put my stuff there. Somehow I told him I'm going to go up and get the stuff and move out NOW then I went up and quickly packed all my stuff, was lucky that I didn't unpack! I was also a bit worried that it could all be a scam so was quite cautious to check my important stuff were all there. Grabbed my bags, went downstairs to hand my key then the man seemed to have a change of attitude suddenly so I cautiously asked again about the €25 one night fee then he said he spoke to the lady or something and that all is sorted. So I could finally leave! He also asked if I got everything and seemed to be much nicer at the end but I was still in a state of shock so I just kept saying thank you then left. What a night!!

Walked to the new hotel which thankfully wasn't too far and actually turned out to be nearer to the metro LOL. Managed to check-in properly (the other hotel didn't even ask for my passport when I checked-in in the afternoon??) but the fax confirmation from Expedia hadn't arrived yet so I was worried I would have to wait even more since it was already close to midnight by then. But luckily it was all okay, still got my double room and this new hotel looks so much more luxurious actually! The double room is amazing, slightly smaller than the other one but really looks great with golden sheets and all LOL. Toilet is also super clean and I have a balcony too!! With a swing but it was too dark so I'll check it out tomorrow. But I guess it all turned out well in the end, even though I'm still in a state of shock over the turn of events I don't believe my luck with travelling seriously I mean what are the odds is such things happening LOL. But yeah, hope all goes well and I'll be monitoring my bank acc to make sure no surprise charges appear or whatsoever. Will update!!

Really need to sleep now hahaha wanna catch sunrise tomorrow and make the most of daylight hours but weather forecast seems like it's gonna rain the whole day noooooo please :( But once again, what a way to begin 2016!!