Pompeii

Greetings from Naples!!

I’ve been really busy the past few weeks and I meant to finish up my post on Cinque Terre but literally have had no time at all + the draft is on my laptop ... but will write about my Naples trip on the go here so as to reduce my backlog. Seriously wish I’d blogged about all my trips in the past bc they are nice to look back on and also so many recommendations on places and all. But anyway I will eventually get to them - I think.

So, I am in Naples right now. YM and I landed this morning at 10am here, but we’d been out of the house since 3am. Regarding pre-trip preparations - YM did all the planning for the itinerary (lol serious not even kidding) - she booked the flights and the accoms, as well as the actual itinerary. What I did was to apply for days off on those days, hehe. We managed to get flights at a pretty good price (~£50 return), and Airbnb for £88 for 3 night’s (for the both of us). Our Airbnb is quite nice but simple - it’s in a central location and our host is really friendly and gave us great recommendations so far. I’ll rave about that later at the end of the trip as we’re still staying here now.

The journey to Naples was quite a close shave as we’d almost missed our flight. We saw the wrong gate number so went to the wrong section of the gates, then once we got off the terminal train there was no way of going back. We had to call for the help via the airport phones and the transport staff came to bring us to the correct gates ... pretty sure we were the last ones to get on but at least we barely made it!!! In all honesty nowadays with the amount of surprises I have had during my travels I wasn’t even panicking anymore LOL was just quite chill and was sure that we would be fine ... I mean the worst case scenario get the next flight to Naples (been there done that on the missing flight part sadly) but anyway we did make it in the end. Then both of us promptly knocked out and slept for the whole flight.

Getting to the Airbnb from the airport took quite a while - we had to get the Alibus which is an airport shuttle running between the airport, stazione centrale and port. It costs €5 and is valid for 90 minutes after the first validation. We got off at the central station Garibauldi, then YM wanted to stop by this famous bakery called Sforgliatelle Attanasio. So a Sforgliatella (still having issues pronouncing the “sf” consonants) is this croissant-shape-like pastry that has multiple layers and is apparently usually filled with ricotta cheese. The bakery is so popular it was super crowded and they have a specific queueing system in place where you have to go to the counter first to order, pay then get a ticket number, then they will call your number and prepare your order for you. I guess as they were mostly locals they are presumably familiar with the menu. However we were pretty clueless and ended up getting the ticket number first then ordering and paying but they saw we were evidently not locals and were fine with that. YM got both variations of the Sforgliatella - crispy and original, while I got a chocolate filled one as I don’t take cheese. She strongly recommends the crispy Sforgliatella, by the way. The chocolate one was pretty good too, the sauce had a thick and silky texture - I would like to compare it to Nutella except that they're not that similar in taste but anyway just amazing texture and had lots of filling AND the best part was it wasn’t liquid enough to drip which was amazing and defo made it less messy to eat. The pastry texture is exactly the same as the Sforgliatella with multiple layers so I guess it was just a different flavour. And they were only like €1.50 or €1.20 can’t remember. Side note the train station area is apparently quite dodgy, and we were warned to be wary of pick pockets.

Got the pastries, then took the metro to the stop near our Airbnb using the same Alibus pass as it was still within the first validation time. Checked into our Airbnb, got changed as it was really hot, and then we set off for Pompeii! To get to Pompeii from Naples we had to take this train called the Circumvesuviana, which literally translates to around the Mt Vesuvius. The ticket is €3.50 and you have to buy it from the ticketing offices so we just went to Toledo which is our closest metro and found one of those ticketing stands just right outside the office and bought 2 tickets from there. Had to catch the Circumvesuviana from Garibauldi, YM got a quick lunch as I had a wrap from Stansted, then boarded the train. Journey took around 40 min, I think the view must’ve been amazing but we were both super tired and slept again for the whole ride.

Arrived at Pompeii. Tickets are €15 each and you can join a tour guided group for ~€12 per person, but neither of us wanted to follow a group so we just got the normal tickets. Apparently people can spend up to 3 days there but of course that is probably if you are super into archaeology or ancient history.

We spent the afternoon walking around and spent almost about 5-6 hours in Pompeii. Weather was super hot (guess we got lucky) and really sunny so was great for photos. Unfortunately I have little knowledge of archaeology / history so found it hard to really understand in general and after a while all of the ruins started to look the same to me ... but we managed to cover more or less the entire city. Some of the main prominent attractions are: the Forum, the Temple of Apollo, the Basilica, a few of the rich houses that were well preserved, Villa of Mysteries, and of course the Amphitheatre which was unfortunately closed. Water fountains are everywhere in Pompeii, so no need to worry about running out of water and they also have quite a few toilets. We also saw some exhibitions of artefacts as we were exiting the site, so was a very productive afternoon.

We fell asleep on the train back to Naples again, but arrived in Garibauldi and went for dinner. As it was Sunday most of the restaurants that YM had bookmarked were closed, but we managed to find a Pizzeria Trianon which was very near the famous Pizzeria da Michele. Took us about 20 min to walk from Garibauldi to there, where we were actually the very first customers. YM ordered a Margherita and I got a Marinara con Prosciutto. The pizzas were huge but they were only about €4 each, not including the 15% service fee that is the standard for eating in. I don’t consider myself a food critic or connoisseur but YM said the pizza was too oily as the oil was literally dripping from the pizza. I thought the pizza was rather good for the price HAHA so was very satisfied.

Managed to finish 1 whole pizza each and we were absolutely stuffed. Came out and saw a gelato shop. I hadn’t had a drink with my pizza as the drink prices were quite expensive so ofc was craving a gelato I mean we are in Italy! Land of gelato! The gelateria is called Gelateria Al Polo
Nord, just opposite Pizzeria Trianon. Prices start from €2 but they had so many good flavours. We tried the mela annurca (Apple breed(?) local to Southern Italy) and melon and both were so good and blended in so well. Have photos but a bit difficult to post on mobile site so might add them later but 100% recommend!!! The gelato lasted us half of our 30 min walk back home which made the walk back less tiring of course.

That’s about all for day 1 I’m super late didn’t actually finish this post last night but setting the publish time to yesterday lol. Still trying my best tho will write about day 2 in Naples tomorrow!

Arrival in Pisa

Got busy since my last post and forgot to post again but making it a point to blog about my current trip in Italy (as well as upcoming trips!!!). Been super busy with work the past few weeks but glad to have a break this weekend.

Took the evening flight from Stansted yesterday - went straight from work to the airport. Slept pretty late the night before as I had to pack and back up my photos from my phone to laptop which took ages and still didn’t even finish. Met YM at the airport and check-in and everything was pretty smooth and we each bought a meal deal for dinner. Slept almost the entire flight because I was so tired and only woke up when the plane landed.

We arrived in Pisa close to midnight and took the Pisa Mover, which is this train shuttle service between Pisa airport and Pisa Centrale train station. It was really nice and quick and was only €2.70 per person. I think we arrived at the train station in less than 5 minutes, but the area around the station was unsurprisingly super deserted at that hour. Our Airbnb was closer to the leaning Tower, so walked via the Main Street but took a while before we finally found our Airbnb. The host was really sweet to us and offered lots of tips and advice and the room was pretty nice but we were only staying for one night sadly!

Got up at 7 this morning to wash up + pack. Currently on the train to La Spezia, weather is meant to be really hot today and very looking forward!

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.

February Italy Trip: Rome Day 2

15 February Monday:

YL had pre-booked tickets online for the Colosseum for 15 Feb so we had an early 8am start :D By the way will totally recommended booking the tickets online in advance because the queue is absolutely crazy!!! We arrived slightly past 9am so went to collect tickets for the 0930 time slot. Was really glad that we went early because the crowds started coming in around 10am but by then we were more or less done. The tours are quite expensive especially if you want to see the arena so we didn't go and just walked around by ourselves. There were lots of exhibits but being not really history people we only briefly read the descriptions ... But anyway the Colosseum is HUGE and we were lucky to have sunny blue sky weather that morning!!!

Walked around the long road with all the ruins after that and then decided to go to the Roman Forum as our tickets included entry for that and the Palatino too - so actually it's cheaper to book online because we paid €16 in all for the Colosseum and Roman Forum/Palatino (which we later discovered had the same entrance) and normally the Roman Forum alone would've costed €12. Walked around a bit in the Roman Forum and went to climb up the hill for the panoramic view :) After that we went for lunch at this restaurant that I found on Google Maps called La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali. It had good reviews so we decided to give it a try and was not disappointed! I had chicken in truffle sauce which was really good and also a change from the usual pasta and pizza, while YL ordered a pasta and a seafood platter which consisted of prawns and calamari. Apparently the seafood isn't in season now so they used the frozen ones (it's stated on the menu). I also ordered dessert - white chocolate soufflé which was the most amazing thing I've ever tasted!!! Am honestly willing to go back just for the dessert again omg!!

Walked around more after that and saw the Altare della Patria but by then it was starting to get a bit cloudy and drizzled a bit. Also went to the Pantheon (we confused that with the Palatino) then Ponte Sant Anges and Vatican City! The queue for Vatican City was crazy so we decided to visit the Castel Sant'Angelo instead. Unfortunately the reduced price only applies for EU citizens and they only do student fares for selected degrees so we paid the full adult fare. Was quite nice exploring the castle and we concluded the tour with an amazing panoramic view of Rome at sunset with the silhouette of the Vatican Basilica!

Decided that we had done enough cultural activities for the day so we went to shop at the Brandy on Via Cola di Rienzo instead LOL. I didn't buy anything for once while YL was the one who bought stuff haha. We had made a dinner reservation at this restaurant called Le Cave near Piazza di Sant'Ignazio because we'd passed by during the walking tour the day before and happened to see some English football players (?? VIP for all I know) going for dinner there with a lot of security so we reckoned it should be good. We both got pasta - I ordered carbonara while YL got a tomato-based one. I found the carbonara to be quite salty and regretted not getting a tomato-based one too. They also had this strange blown-up cracker (biscuit/pastry/crust???) appetiser which was quite cool hahaha. No more gelato was too full after dinner so we just went back straight to the hotel and that was all for day 2 in Rome!

February Italy Trip: Rome Day 1

Blogging on the bus from Rome to Florence now! Been so busy for the past 3 days in Rome so haven't had the time to update, and I realise I only ever blog when I'm travelling lol. But anyway this is the €1 bus ride from Rome to Florence thanks to Flixbus' promotion hehehe super worth deal cause usually it's €9 by bus or by train but only if you book super in advance!!

14 Feb Sunday:

Met Yilin at the hotel, checked in, showered (couldn't shower at the hostel the night before cause no hot water and flooded), then we went out. The location of our hotel was great cause it was really near Cavour metro, so it only took us about 20 min to walk to the Colosseum area. First stop as always was the Trevi Fountain! Surprisingly there was lesser people than the last time when I went in January. Then we went for lunch at L'Archetto again, which has the BEST PASTA IN ROME ever. I've been craving it since the last time! Ordered the Pasticciati again, but service wasn't as great as last time probably because it was during peak lunch timing. 

After lunch we went to get gelato from the same store - Gelateria Valentino - again and I was wondering if the store owner recognised me LOL but he smiled at us!! And gave me a slightly bigger scoop hehehe. Walked around the shopping street then went to climb the Spanish Steps! Then we went to Brandy Melville at Via del Corso LOL. Spent a while in there and I bought a black velvet dress which was on sale for €10 while YL got a top and a burgundy jumper. We also went to a few more stores like Subdued and Double Agent which all seem to have the same style as Brandy but not as nice material. Then we came across this super nice store called Sophie Charlotte which is also kind of similar to Brandy style but they had cute stuff!! YL bought a dress and I got a pencil case with cactus print on it. They had the cutest pencil cases that says "Sophie" or "Charlotte" which imo makes great gifts HAHA I wish they had it in my name too.

YL had booked a free walking tour at about 1730h so we walked towards the Spanish Steps where the meeting point was. Was a bit late cause we had to go to the toilet and the tour guide seemed a bit annoyed when we arrived slightly before 1730 but the meeting time was supposed to be 1720 for registration. But the guy was really good!!! It's called "New Rome Free Tour" and the tour lasts 2 hours. Our guide was called Stefano and he spoke really good English and had an absolutely great sense of humour HAHA and now we know how to be proper Romans LOL. Anyway will highly recommend but I think this needs pre-booking online!! 

We ended the tour at 1930 at the Trevi Fountain and after that we went to a place called Pizza Ciro for dinner which was a restaurant that we passed by during the tour. Stefano had recommended it to us so we decided to give it a try and have some pizza after having pasta for lunch. It was not bad but the serving portions were huge!!! I don't really know how to compare pizza but I think I prefer the softer ones ...

Got another gelato after dinner - went for lemon sorbet and mixed berries this time. The owners were so amused to see us go back!! I told the guy I went like so many times in January but he didn't seem to remember. Nonetheless he saw us taking photos so offered to take one for us then this random stranger man entered the gelateria and offered to take a photo of all of us but we ended up with a mass selfie instead HAHA. Walked back to the hotel after that and that concludes day 1!!

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Oops only actually just posted this on the bus back to Milan LOL but gonna type my other posts now too!!

Italy Round 2: the 19-hour journey from Strasbourg to Rome

Spent the whole of yesterday on the bus! Well almost. But now I'm sitting in a random room in the hotel that we booked waiting for YL to arrive so doing a quick post while waiting!

My bus in Strasbourg departed at 5.15AM on Saturday. Was glad that Lizzie was heading to Rome too so we were bus partners!! We took Flixbus and it was really crowded so we had to find separate seats until like Freiburg or something then many people got off including the lady who was sitting next to me, so I asked Lizzie to come over to the front. It's so weird that it's actually a Germany - Switzerland line but they stop in Strasbourg which is like the only France stop?? But anyway yeah, slept on the bus but kept waking up when it stopped at Basel and Zurich. And I finally found the toilet on the bus omg!!! It was clean but the smell was awful so didn't really want to use it much but at least now I know where it is LOL it's actually like right by the rear exit of the bus but you have to turn the knob and I waited for ages thinking someone was inside when it was empty. But at least there's one, was so awful the last time when I had to hold for hours ......... So we sat in the bus for like maybe 7 hours?? There was no stops between Zurich and Milan but the view in Switzerland was absolutely amazing!!! So much snow woop woop! And we arrived in Milan much earlier like about 12nn instead of 12.45pm so that was great.

Lizzie and I got off the bus and we rushed to find a proper toilet LOL but alas we had to pay 50c for it at the station. Bought metro tickets and got off at the Duomo and weather was great! Super sunny and blue skies and there was some major celebrations going on because there were lots of kids in fancy dress costumes throwing confetti around but I had no idea what it was for. Also got reminded of Big Bang Theory when Sheldon says the singular form of confetti is confetto to which Amy replies why would you ever use the singular form LOL okay random but I found it funny haha. Anyway Lizzie and I went for lunch at this place called Pizza Pane e Companatico near the Duomo. The pasta was cheap and I had an Americano while Lizzie had a juice so was not a bad lunch. Lizzie had a train to catch at 3pm so by the time we finished it was about 2pm so she made her way to Centrale while I went to Brandy. 

The sales have unfortunately more or less ended :( Also found this amazingly HUGE Zara and Mango hahaha I need office clothes ... Like just on Friday I bought this really nice navy blazer from Mango at Rivetoile gah I don't know why I didn't go see the sales earlier!! Brandy wasn't having much sales and I regret not buying the Klum skirt when it was 10% off but hopefully can find it in Rome or Florence!! Didn't buy anything at the Duomo Brandy but went to the one at Via Statuto and bought a long sleeve top in burgundy (it looks like the Breanne top but I don't think it is) and a necklace! Meant to go to the other store at San Giovanni too but it was already 4pm by then and didn't want to risk missing my bus so decided to forgo it and made my way to Lampugnano instead.

Caught the bus in good time and (thankfully) found the toilet for the single decker buses too LOL. We had to stop halfway somewhere near Bologna and was so confusing cause the driver only spoke Italian and the people around me only spoke German omg I missed French-speaking places and generally the feeling of knowing the language of the place. But the driver was really nice and he used Google voice translate to translate for us (I didn't know there was such a function!!!) so basically we had to stop the bus and it will leave again at 2020h. Went to the convenience store and bought some Loackers to eat HAHA. The rest of the journey was pretty smooth after that and I had data so at least had some form of entertainment but holy moly I'd spent 14 hours on buses yesterday and including my 5-hour transit that would add up to a 19-hour journey which is even longer than going back to SG LOL?!? But tbh it was so cheap (think €11) and there probably wouldn't be any other alternatives even close to that price so yeah ...

Arrived in Rome at 12 midnight, also earlier than our scheduled time of 1225h so was great. Was glad that I've already been to Rome so knew how the metro works and all so managed to make my way from Tiburtina bus stop to Termini quite easily. I'd made a reservation for a hostel and also made another stupid mistake of not checking reviews until after I'd booked ... Was actually reading reviews on the bus lol and hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as it had sounded.

The hostel that I booked was called Two Ducks Hostel. Something that I also realised about Italy is that hostels / hotels almost never have buildings of their own LOL. It wasn't hard to find but was difficult trying to figure out which apartment the hostel was in. So I went up to the 5th floor where the reception was then there was a guy there who checked in for me and then led me to another building. I'd reserved a bed in a "6-bed female dorm" and he said that all the female rooms were in the other building so okay. It was about 5 min from the main building but we went up and he showed me my room which turned out to be a 4-bed room with only 2 other girls there who were already asleep which is actually better LOL. But it was a really basic room and was only €8 + €3.50 city tax per night (a bit expensive for that standard really) so €11.50 and couldn't really expect much. I was so budget!!! But the toilet wasn't great, was really flooded and wet and smelled and no hot water :( Bed was okay, I took the lower bunk of a double decker bed but saw reviews about bed bugs so didn't change into my sleeping clothes just in case ...

Woke up at 8am when one of the girls got up but stayed in bed until 10am HAHA was so tired out from the bus journey! One girl had already left but there was another girl so we talked a bit. She's from Poland and studying here and I told her it was my first time in a hostel so she looked really surprised then told me I look really young like 17 years old LOL. Then I packed my stuff and walked to the other hotel that YL booked and waiting for her here now as I type! 

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Okay she's just arrived so we're leaving now!

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!