La Bella Italia

I have an obsession with all things Italian. The beauty in this country is indescribable, from the landscapes to the architecture, the food to the fashion. I have family there and have been fortunate enough to visit many times to many different places. Here are some of my favorite Italian things:

1. Fashion

This was taken in  Milan. Italians have a thing with bright trousers and they pull it off! Their fashion ranges from stuff like this to classic simplicity, no matter what they are wearing it's effortless.

2. Coffee

Their coffees are creamy cups of perfection. They serve them at the perfect temperature, in perfectly cute little coffee bars, and are just, well, perfect.


3. Baristas

I love this Baristas uniform and how chic their coffee bars are.

4. Architecture

 Milan, Duomo

 Rome, Piazza di Spagna

5. The South

Capri

The Southern coast of Italy is hands down one of my favorite place on earth. Picturesque towns built into the mountains overlooking the sparkling water, bright flowers everywhere, cobbled streets, fresh food in quaint little restaurants - its heaven. The picture is of Capri, a stunning island off the coast of Naples.

6. The food

 Alice is Bacon

Mamma mia the food! Food in Italy is unparalleled and only people who have never been dispute this. The pasta, the pizza, the salads, they melt in the mouth, literally. Outside of Italy, I have never found Italian food that compares. 


Italy is just wonderful in every sense! Have you ever been there?

Mountain Life

Over the Christmas holidays I went on a ski trip to Austria! It was fantastic and I wanted to share some snippets of it with all of you. From the minute I stepped off the plane I was just enraptured with the beauty of the mountains around us. This is the view of the town as we landed...

We stayed in a gorgeous lodge where hot chocolate and indulgent cakes were aplenty! Since I was burning so much energy skiing all day, (at least that's what I liked to tell myself), I allowed myself to have as much of these as I liked..and after a day battling the slopes it was just what I needed.

The first days were hard I'm not gonna lie. I think learning to ski is the hardest part. You constantly have to climb up a little part of the mountain and ski a little way down displaying the latest skill your instructor had shown you. My first teacher was called Hans and had a tendency to say "ya" constantly. So much so, I caught onto it too and by the end of the first day my "yes" was doomed to remain "ya" until my return home.

By the end of the first 3 days I'd successfully navigated my first blue run (albeit for part of it I was holding on to my instructor's poles). I was very proud of myself. My body on the other hand was not so thrilled. I felt as if someone had taken a ski pole and battered my legs with it until they were completely bruised. I was waddling around like penguin as my legs had lost the ability to bend. So much so in fact someone in my hotel stopped me to ask why I was walking like that? And ski boots, pah, well whose genius idea were they? They are possibly the MOST uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn (imagine having two 5 kilo weights on each foot whilst trying to carry your skis up a mountain).

Anyway, day 4 was the exciting part. Day 4 is where it all just clicked! The first few days I think I'd held back. Probably just from the nerves associated with doing something new, and you know the possibility of crashing full speed into a tree. But on day 4 something changed and all my fear and somehow my pain disappeared and wow what a feeling it was. There is no greater feeling than whizzing down a glistening mountain, in gorgeous sunshine, with the wind rushing past you and no other sound except other skiers passing you by.

The next few days were phenomenal and I even progressed to the red slopes. The last day was the pinnacle - we stopped for lunch on an outside deck overlooking the Alps. The sky was a burning blue, and I sat on my rocking chair with a thick blanket over me just appreciating the beauty in front of my eyes. I found myself thinking how peaceful it was in the mountains...no cars, horns, no nothing. Just silence and spectacular beauty...and everything just felt so clean, the air, the mountains, all of it so pure.

Talking to some of the ski instructors I found myself a little envious of the happy simplicity of their lives. Most were born and bred on the mountain, never visited a big city, brought up in a tiny village, and they seemed extremely content. I found myself wondering if I could be happy living somewhere like this?

My experience on the mountain was so memorable and after experiencing the rush of skiing I am itching to go back. I'd love to hear about your mountain experiences?

Photos Copyrighted 2011

A home away from home....Israel

Israel is a place very close to my heart. I first visited when i was 6 weeks old and have made countless visits with family, friends, school, and tour groups since then. It is a complex country to say the least - with a complicated history, a difficult political situation, and a melting pot of people from different religions and backgrounds. Now, i am not here to get into a political discussion or even state my viewpoint on Israel. The point of my post is simply to show a side to Israel many of you may not have seen before...For most people who haven't ever been there i assume their image of Israel is largely based on news reports etc. It's easy from this perspective to view Israel as a volatile battlefield of some sorts where there is always some kind of unrest. But there is so much beauty in this country and this is what i want to share with you all now...

The Israel i have experienced and know is a beautiful and diverse place. The north - the Golan and Galilee are lush and green. I have completed several beautiful hikes through the rolling hills and waterfalls, climbed mountains to watch the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee, picked fruit, camped in forests (where i slept next to a cow), among so many other wonderful experiences.



Then there is the ever changing metropolis of Tel Aviv - i cannot describe how vibrant this city is - at every street corner you find more gorgeous bars, restaurants, clubs, an amazing seaside - you can never be bored - and every place you find is quirky and original in its own way. The weather is generally warm and the streets are filled day and night with people sitting outside sipping, eating, laughing. The extent of gastronomic delights in this city are endless - probably some of the best sushi, meat, and humous ive ever had (see the third picture below for the best humous in Jaffa - a great place called Abu Hassan!). To sum up this city is thriving and i challenge you not to have a good time there!




Jerusalem - the capital city; I personally find Jerusalem enchanting - firstly much of the city is built with white Jerusalem stone making it so unique looking. As well as increasingly beautiful places to go out my favorite place is the old city - religious sites, cobbled streets, old buildings, breathtaking artwork, amazingggg markets where you can haggle anything down i just love all of it! Some of the most beautiful religious experiences i've had have been in this city and there will always be a place in my heart for Jerusalem!





Further South there are places like the dead sea - the lowest point on earth - you can float around (the sea is so salty you always stay afloat) and beautify yourself with mud which you literally just take off the ground around the sea.


Even further South - the Negev is mostly desert and is blessedly peaceful and beautiful - i have never seen so many stars in the night sky it looked like a Disney movie.

So this is just a little snippet of my Israel - there is so much more to discover! I just want people to remember Israel is also a regular country with regular people going on with there regular lives - and i hate to see all the beautiful things Israel has to offer submerged in their political situation.
Photos are Copyrighted 2010

European Travels

Here are some photos from some of my travels this summer:

Cotswolds







I spent two days at a friend's cottage in the countryside. It was beautiful, peaceful and a great escape from the noise of London.


Lyon



I love this picture because the ground was wet and slippery with rain and this little kid started sprinting up amid all the colourful buildings.

Rome



This is the Spanish Steps in Rome, forever full of people. I have a love for all things Italian; the food is indescribable, the people warm, the cities and towns just gorgeous! La bella Italia <3