Brandy Melville: 2016 February Italy Trip Shopping!

Spent the afternoon contemplating whether I should go for the Brandy garage sale in Milan next week LOL. It sounds really tempting but transport is going to cost €60 return and accoms I could get it for about €20 so that would be €80 ... Sounds reasonable but considering the purpose to be just shopping, not really. I've already been to Milan like, 6 times so there's really nothing more I absolutely need to see plus weather isn't superb ... I just don't want to have to pay €80 to attend a sale with no expectations of what there's going to be!!

But anyway, in order to convince myself that it's not a worthwhile trip and that I already own way too much Brandy I decided to compile my buys from February's Italy trip! I've not blogged about Venice yet either - should get to it soon before I forget. This time round my trip was from Strasbourg - Milan - Rome - Florence - Venice - Milan - Strasbourg, so I went to the stores in Rome, Florence and Milan again. The same stores that I've already been, so everything was pretty much the same ... except the stuff on the racks of course. Especially the last chance rack omg. And also for Rome and Florence YL was with me so we were Brandy shopping buddies! Woop woop :)

Milano

I only had 5 hours for my transit so after having lunch with Lizzie there wasn't much time. We were at the Duomo so went to the Duomo store first but nothing much there, so I decided to make my way to the Via Statuto store since it was geographically closer to the Lampugnano bus stop (kind of). Didn't find much there either but I got a Reyna top in burgundy and a gold necklace!

Brandy Melville Reyna Top in Burgundy

Roma

In Rome YL and I went to the same 2 stores that I went the last time. The one on Via Del Corso is the biggest store in Rome and it was there that one of the girls told us that Brandy actually originated in Rome!! And there was also at least 2 stores in every zone (I'm supposing the municipals) but the rest were too far ... I only bought a black highneck velvet dress in Rome and a silver crystal stone necklace. The dress is one of the Italy exclusive items so they don't have it online and I don't have a photo of it, but it's quite a nice LBD though I think I already have enough LBDs ...

Firenze

Bought a lot of stuff in Florence. 9 items for €109! They had a sale rack omg the sale rack is absolutely amazing. I bought 2 striped Tori tops (one plain and one with the alien patch), 2 Mason Tops (one striped and one orange with the alien patch), a striped Kaitlyn top, an olive green Nathalie tank, a navy Abi knit sweater, a pale blue Betty sweater and a denim pouch with the alien patch. Super happy with the buys woop woop! Okay pictures are nice so:

Brandy Melville Tori Top in Stripes

Brandy Melville Mason Top in Stripes

Brandy Melville Kaitlyn Top

Brandy Melville Nathalie Knit Tank in Olive Green

Brandy Melville Abi Knit Sweater in Navy

Brandy Melville Betty Sweater in Pale Blue

Venezia

There was no Brandy store in Venice unfortunately :( A bit of a funny story here I actually managed to google an address - I think it must've been a very old address or something - in Mestre, went there, and it turned out to be ......... a hair salon. LOL. But weather in Venice was very nice and I bought some Murano glass pendants :D I think the nearest store to Venice is in Padova but was a bit out of the way to go.

Milano (again)

Milan round 2 was much better. LOL. I was initially supposed to stay 2 days in Milan and take a day trip to Genova on Saturday but decided to come back earlier one day so I cancelled the Genova trip. My bus was then at 4.45pm on Saturday instead of Sunday, so I had Saturday to shop. I had the 24h Urban Transport day pass this time, so taking the metro around was a lot quicker. Went to the store at San Giovanni first since I didn't manage to go the last time, but there wasn't anything new and no more sales so didn't get anything. Then went to the Duomo store, but they closed off the whole basement floor that day cause they were shifting around stuff I think so didn't feel like shopping around much there. But the Via Statuto store was great!! They had a whole bunch of stuff on last chance so I tried on a lot of stuff and bought most of them. Really wanted a nutmeg sweater but it was the last one and there was a massive hole at the front so didn't get it. Also regret passing on the Bite Me Cherry black sweater ah it was so cute but didn't think I would wear it very often. I bought 8 pieces of clothing there and 2 necklaces for €134 total, which was not bad considering I got 2 sweaters. Also I found the button-up corduroy skirts for only €15!!! I was meaning to get those the last time but they didn't have black in the store, and now there's a new navy colour too but both colours were on sale! And they were the last pieces ahaha I think there was another one in black but size M. It fitted more comfortably but was really baggy so I still went for the S. Anyway here are some of the stuff I bought!

Brandy Melville Joanne Tank in Olive Green

Brandy Melville Harriet Turtleneck Top in Black

(This is one of my favourite tops - wore it to the concert last night!)

Brandy Melville Gracie Knit Sweater in Light Blue

Brandy Melville Gracie Knit Sweater in Olive Green

Brandy Melville Klum Corduroy Skirt in Black

Brandy Melville Klum Corduroy Skirt in Navy

Brandy Melville Gwen Sweater in Blush Pink

Brandy Melville Leia Sweater in Burgundy

I had a hard time differentiating if the sweaters that I own are the Leia sweaters or the Ollie sweaters because they look so similar in the pictures, but decided that they were probably Leia's because the Ollie's tend to be of a thinner material. They also tend to snag easier because of the material. I was really tempted by the Ollie sweaters (and still am) especially the blue and pink ones but decided that I probably won't wear them as often for fear of snagging them. But I might still get them if I ever find them at a good price!

So that concludes my shopping for February - wish there would be one for March too LOL but am now thinking it's highly unlikely that I'm going to go cause it's just not worth it spending €80 just to go to the sale when I could probably get like a bunch of stuff with that amount on the usual sale racks. I've also been to Milan so many times, so I can't really use the excuse of "travelling and exploring" since it's unlikely that I'm gonna have time to see anywhere else LOL. And the sale stuff are probably gonna be from the winter collection but I prefer the summer collection so much more! And also it's going to be in the Via Statuto store and I think I've already bought enough stuff there and didn't see anything else that I really really want at the moment ......... Omg just trying to convince myself not to go LOL okay but I will go if by some miracle or other I can find cheaper transport there for like €10 like the last time or something LOL.

In other news I also got featured on Instagram by Brandy Melville Italy yesterday!!! Super happy and honoured, it came as a surprise really cause I got the notification that their account liked my photo and the next thing I knew ......... They tagged me in a photo. OMG. I feel like it was a major #achievementunlocked moment LOL. But still yes I'm super happy woop woop!
The post can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCktCGVyyNa/

Brandy Melville: 2016 January Italy Trip Shopping!

A GUIDE TO SHOPPING BRANDY MELVILLE IN ITALY

Got back to Strasbourg last Sunday and have been super busy this whole week! Had 16 hours of classes from Monday - Wednesday and was really tired but I wanted to blog about my shopping hauls before I forget LOL.

So as I've been blogging throughout the trip, I went to Italy from 1-10 January. It was the perfect way to start off the new year hahaha and I've basically been to all the main Brandy stores in Rome, Florence, Bologna and Milan, which is not a bad accomplishment really. January is also the beginning of sales in Italy!! So it was perfect timing really, minus the bad weather ...

[Omg I started the post on 14 Jan actually but only continuing now which is like 24 Feb LOLLOL been soooooo busy!!!]

So anyway, I wanted to post my shopping hauls from Italy!!

Roma

I arrived in Rome on 1 January, and went to the one at Via del Corso in the evening but it was too late and the store had already closed. Went to the store on Via Cola di Rienzo the next day with the 2 guys who had to sit on the steps and wait for me while I tried on clothes LOL. Also went back to the Via del Corso store that day to check out the store hehe. Didn't buy anything in Rome because it was just the beginning of my trip and I didn't want to have to carry the clothes to the rest of the cities that I was visiting. Actually meant to visit a 3rd store that's near the Villa Borghese on 3 Jan but unfortunately it doesn't open on Sundays, and the rest of the stores in Rome were too far out from city centre so I only went to a total of 2 in Rome ...

Store at Via del Corso

#Brandyselfie at the Via Cola di Rienzo store

Firenze

Left Rome for Florence on the morning of 4 Jan. My hotel in Florence was actually pretty near one of the Brandy stores (reasons why I booked that hotel lol) but we took a day trip to Pisa so only got back to Florence in the evening. But I still managed to visit the store near my hotel on the way back that day! It's pretty big and has a ground floor and a basement. Didn't buy anything cause the guys were with me so didn't want to keep them waiting, but I went back the next morning and spent like 2 hours there LOL. I bought a total of 6 items, which includes 5 tops and 1 dress!!

I bought a May Top in stripes, a white Mason Top, a grey speckled Genevie Top, an orange Nadine Top, the Margie Make My Day Top and a burgundy Laurel Dress. These were all on sale so total damage for 6 items = €69 HEHEHEHE.

The stuff were so heavy and I had to carry them up while climbing to Piazza Michelangelo ... NO REGRETS THOUGH HAHAHA. Also went to visit the other store near the city centre later that day, but didn't buy anything cause the store is quite small, like literally maybe just 2 rooms?

Bologna

Left Florence for Bologna on 6th Jan evening and arrived about 7pm so didn't go out in the evening. Went to the only Brandy store the next day. Bologna was part of my solo travels so I had the liberty to stay as long as I liked in the store. And the staff were so friendly!! They spoke english too. I was asking one of the guys if they would have sales in Milan as well (it was during sale period or saldi in Italy that time) and they seemed really amused.

Bologna store during sales

#Brandyselfie at the Bologna store

This is the exclusive Brandy Bologna paper bag.

I have to say, the sales were actually pretty decent. I bought a total of 3 items from the Bologna store, but they're all the exclusive Italian items so no stock images and don't think they can be found on the USA site. I bought a white button down shirt and a pair of jeans on the first day, then went back again on the second day and bought a lattice front dress in red. And they were all half price!!! So the jeans were really worth it cause it was only €29 when normally it would cost like at least €50 ... And the Bologna store has their own paper bags!! With the address printed on it hehehe and also the store interior was really really nice like they had these lacy ombre decos and stuff ... I would say it's one of my favourite stores! Total spent in Bologna = €58.50

Milano

Left Bologna for Milan on 9th morning. Checked into the hotel, went to meet M for breakfast and then basically spent the rest of the day shopping LOL. There are 3 stores in Milan and I've been to 2 but there was one at Via San Giovanni sul Muro that I didn't go the previous time when I went for Expo because it's closed on Sundays! I actually don't remember the order that I went in, but I definitely went to the one at Via Statuto and Via S. Giovanni twice LOL. So I think I went to the one at San Giovanni first since I didn't go the previous time. This store actually sells like home deco and stuff which are super cute! And I found the Kiara tank in paisley print there from summer!!! And the black floral Jacky dress too. But since it was the first store I didn't buy anything cause I didn't know what else I was gonna find in the other stores. Went to the Statuto store next because the two are really near each other, like they're literally on opposite sides of Castello Sforzesco hahaha. I bought a red striped Luana there because it was on sale for only €10. Then went to the store near the Duomo. The sales were quite crazy there lol they had many jeans for €15, but the quality wasn't really good like the material was super thin so they probably really just produced it for sale at €15 I guess? But I bought a formal shirt there for half price as well as the Armelle skirt for only €10?! They had a lot of other skirts and stuff on sale too but most were damaged :( Also bought 3 necklaces!!! Some accessories were on sale so necklaces were going for €3, bracelets for €2 and rings and earrings for €1.

After having seen all 3 stores I went back to San Giovanni store and couldn't resist buying the Kiara tank and Jacky dress even though they weren't on sale but the prints were from summer and I've been searching for the paisley print for ages! Then went back to the Statuto store and got the Klum Corduroy Skirt in burgundy and the Rosa Sweatpants in olive green. The Klum skirt is actually the same as the Bruce / Sena Skirt just that it has an inner elastic band at the waist which actually makes it more comfortable lol. Wanted to get it in black too but the store didn't have it and by the time I went back to the Duomo store it was already closed ... Total spent in Milan = €140.60

Stuff I bought in Milan, necklaces not shown

So that concluded my January Italy Brandy shopping trip!! Total damage = €267.60 for 19 items which I honestly think is not bad lol considering that it includes a pair of jeans too. Very very pleased with my buys!!

Left Milan at 7am the next day (10th Jan) to take the train to Basel then Strasbourg so no shopping then obviously. But it was a Sunday anyway so nvm!!

Store Addresses:

Rome: (There's supposed to be 6 on Google Maps but I only went to 2 ...)

- Via del Corso, 435, 00187 Roma, Italie - Open 1100-2000 everyday. This is apparently the biggest store in Rome! It's along the shopping street near the Spanish Steps.

- Via Cola di Rienzo, 136, 00197, Roma, Italie - Open 1030-2000 from Monday to Saturday, 1100-2000 on Sunday. This store is near the Vatican City.

Florence: (2 stores)

- Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 172, 50129 Firenze, Italie - Open 1000-1930 from Monday to Saturday, 1530-1930 on Sunday, but they close for siesta on weekdays from 1400-1530. This is the bigger store in Florence.

- Via Porta Rossa, 48r, Firenze, Italie - Open 1000-1930 from Monday to Saturday, 1530-1930 on Sunday, but they close for siesta on weekdays from 1400-1530. This is the store at the city centre.

Bologna: (1 store)

- Via Guglielmo Oberdan, 6/b, Bologna, Italie - I forgot to check the opening hours but think it's open until 2000 everyday and they probably open from 1000 or 1030. I THINK.

Milan: (3 stores)

- Via S. Giovanni sul Muro, 18, 20121 Milano, Italie - Open 1500-1900 on Monday, 1030-1900 from Tuesday to Saturday, closed on Sunday. This is the store with the homeware.

- Via Statuto, 16, 20121 Milano, Italie - Open 1030-1930 from Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday.

- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 5, 20122 Milano, Italie - Open 1030-1930 from Monday to Saturday, 1130-1900 on Sunday. This is the store near the Duomo, also the biggest store in Milan - it has 3 floors!

Decided to rename my post "A guide to shopping Brandy Melville in Italy" LOL. Gonna be updating on my February Italy (and Brandy) trip soon when I have time!!

February Italy Trip: Florence

Blogging on the bus again LOL I never have time to blog anywhere else!! Currently on the bus back to Strasbourg from Milan was so rushed today but I'll blog about it on a separate post hehe.

17 February Wednesday:

Had a lot to cover for Florence so YL and I started out really early with the climb up to Piazza Michelangelo. We asked for the B&B breakfast at 8 which consisted of chocolate croissants, biscottino, fruit juice and cappuccino (very Italian!). Then we walked to the Piazza which took us about 40 min maybe?? The climb was much shorter than the last time somehow I think we took a longer route that time zzz but phew! Good morning exercise haha. View wasn't as great as it was quite cloudy and started drizzling a bit when we left. 

We started walking down about 10am (thank goodness for the early start!) and the restaurant that we wanted to go to only opens at 12 so we went to the Piazza della Repubblica area to see. Went to a few other stores too. Ended up at la Rinascente because we wanted to use the toilet LOL then ended up shopping there hahaha. Went for lunch at Trattoria Casalinga again at 12 and the food was not bad but service was really slow ... The tiramisu was really good so I had 1.5 servings HAHA YL and I shared one first then I really wanted another one. We also ordered a steak but it wasn't really cooked very well like the cooking was quite uneven ... Needed the dessert to wash down the meaty taste LOL I guess I'm not a fan of steak!!

After lunch we went to see the Basilica while waiting for Brandy to open at 3.30 hahaha. It was drizzling by then so quite annoying sigh I have never seen Florence without rain even Rome didn't disappoint. Went to Brandy after that where we spent a really long time LOL I got so much stuff cause of the sale rack!!! Then came out just as the sun was setting and caught an amazing sunset hehehe.

We went back to the B&B to drop off our shopping then went out for dinner at ZàZà where we'd made a reservation the day before. Omg they had the BEST BREAD EVER it tasted like fried bread but was so soft I freaking love it!! Ordered chicken with rosemary potatoes cause I was getting a bit tired of pasta and pizza and it was really good too. Also had more tiramisu for dessert while YL got a cheesecake. All in all I can understand the rage haha it was really quite good would go back again!

Went back to the B&B after that to rest since I had a bus at 5am to catch the net morning but thankfully the B&B was really near the bus stop. The B&B that was stayed at is called Bed & Bed Peterson and it was really nice! There's only about 3 rooms but each room had like a different theme and ours was the fish room so all the deco were fish-related HAHA. The room next to ours was a love theme so they had a heart-shaped signboard hahaha. There was also cake and coffee in the lobby area hehehe and the lady was so nice! I was also able to take food with me cause of the 5am bus heh would totes go back again!!

February Italy Trip: Rome - Florence

16 February Tuesday:

Booked tickets for Vatican Museums the night before for the 11am slot so we could afford to set off slightly later than the day before. Meant to see the Palatino but we were confused and didn't realise that the Palatino and the Roman Forum used the same entrance so of course having already entered the Roman Forum our tickets weren't valid for a second entry. But it turned out to be a good thing as it took us one hour to walk to Vatican!! So had we stayed we would've been late for the 11am slot. 

The queue for the Vatican Museums were really crazy omg it was never-ending. We had to pay €4 extra for the online booking but given our lack of time it turned out to be the right thing to do. The museum was really huge and there was a recommended route (and also a shorter route) so we took the longer route. Lots of statues and ancient Egyptian stuff which was quite cool and I also really loved the architecture of the museum! We didn't have time to see everything in detail - it's so huge I don't think I would be able to finish seeing everything even if I had a week, but was pretty cool though I don't think I would go back again anytime soon as the tickets are not cheap and it's permanently super crowded.

We spent about 2.5 hours in the museum then went for lunch at this restaurant called Bella Napoli near Vatican found from Google maps again. Finally got a tomato-based pasta again but it was the thicker noodles (shucks I forgot the name) and also got desert - zuppa inglese which is basically a sponge cake with custard and liqueur (I tasted rum). It was really good and I would've liked to have another but was a bit full and we had a bus to catch. Took the metro back to the hotel to pick up our luggages before heading to the Tiburtina bus stop to take our €1 bus to Florence!

Anyway the hotel we were staying at is called Casa Cleo and it was really nice! Well not as fancy as Hotel Bled from the last time but honestly would never have been able to afford Hotel Bled if not for the Expedia mess-up lol. But this hotel was really nice too, YL booked it and it's more of a home-run hotel in an apartment building. Realised that Italy has a lot of these apartment-turned-hotel kind of things haha. We had a double room with a private external bathroom (meaning the toilet was down the corridor but it was just for us) and the people were really nice! Room was very clean and we were actually able to check-on early and they also helped us to print out Vatican tickets haha oh and one thing is most of the tickets in Italy require you to bring a hard copy. But anyway the location was good too except for the flights of stairs we had to climb to get to the 3rd floor (didn't know how to use the lift) and I wouldn't mind staying again!

The bus took about 3 hours and we arrived in Florence slightly before 8pm. Everything was closed by then and we were quite tired so decided to just go for dinner and then go back to rest. Took us a while to find our B&B because Google maps showed the location to be on the other side of the street but this elderly couple saw us and were really nice to ask what number we were looking for. The lady asked "Qual'è numero" and thank goodness for basic Italian knowledge I was able to understand and reply "venti-cinque" so she led us to the correct door!

Dropped out stuff down then walked towards to the city centre for dinner. YL's Friend had recommended a place called Trattoria ZàZà but it was really full and had a long queue by the time we arrived so we just searched for other restaurants near it and ended up going to another one called Osteria Pepo which was just a few units away. We both got a soup each and shared a steak which was quite good but nothing much special I think ... The soup was really thick more like a stew and not sure if it's just a different style but oh well!! Went back to the B&B after that.

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 ...