I T A L Y //

Italy. This is a tale of two trips. The first was a wine-filled weekend in the rural countryside in Orvieto just 90 minutes north of Rome. The latter was a day in Rome and the Vatican wandering ancient streets and gazing at the Sistine Chapel.

Let's start with Orvieto. Insider tip: if you plan to see the Italian countryside, consider renting a car and staying in a bed & breakfast in the area. We stayed at a wonderful little B&B called Podre di Vitiano, which was like a castle/house off the beaten path with a pool and an absolutely incredible view. We were treated very well by the owner, who met us each morning with espresso, fresh bread, and cake from the local baker. During our stay in Orvieto, we wandered through the streets of the small town and took in the sites. As an American walking through the streets of any European city, it's striking to realize how old everything is. You can't help but imagine what happened a few hundred years ago on the steps of that 14th-century cathedral or in that cobblestoned public square. It's really incredible. 

One of the highlights of our stay in rural Italy was a quick jaunt from Orvieto over to Civita, a magnificently picturesque village founded 2,500 years ago(!!), which hovers atop a steep hill surrounded by plunging valleys! It's a bit of a hike along the narrow pedestrian bridge and then up a steep path to the town (there aren’t any roads for cars across the valleys to this island hill village), and we were pretty toasted by the summer heat by the time we got to the top. (It was a bout 98 degrees Fahrenheit that day. Yikes!) But we re-charged by grabbing some ice-cold Peronis and fresh bruschetta, and it was definitely worth it. You'll see the views in the pictures below. It was awe-inspiring! Sadly, most of Civita’s permanent residents have moved away in recent years after the town was rocked by several earthquakes. In fact, the boyhood home in Civita of medieval Franciscan theologian Saint Bonaventure has since fallen off the edge of a cliff after an earthquake. 

After that adventure, we made reservations for a tour of Palazone, a winery near Orvieto. We had a wonderful tour guide who kept the tour part short so we could get to the good stuff… The tasting! :) (And the incredible views. Views for days!) The rest of our time in Orvieto was spent strolling narrows streets and eating gelato on the steps of the magnificent Orvieto Cathedral, watching passersby. 

Next, it was onward to Rome, just an hour-and-a-half drive away. We popped over to our AirBnB real quick (just €94. Four people. One night. Game changer!), and then we took a tram over to the Colosseum (it was huge!) and other classic must-see sites. I have to say, the highlights for me were the Sistine Chapel and Rome’s night life. 

First, the Sistine Chapel. Just… wow. There's nothing like it. I was truly amazed by the many story panels and intricate symbolism. You will get a kink in your neck from looking up at the ceiling for 45 minutes straight, but it's worth it! Unfortunately, they strictly enforce their no-photographs policy, so you won’t see it posted here, but that's okay, because it did give me the opportunity to take it all in and appreciate it. To finish out our Vatican excursion, we checked out St. Peter's Square and admired the Basilica, while (not surprisingly) enjoying more gelato. Our cool treat was definitely necessary for surviving that heat! 

As I mentioned earlier, Rome after dark is really something. Checking out the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain at night was pretty cool. The people-watching was on point, and I also appreciated that the darkness seemed to make some of the tourists fade away! (Although, be careful to avoid the buzz-kill whistle guys taking way too seriously their volunteer jobs of enforcing unposted rules about where you can and cannot sit at Trevi Fountain. LOL.) Anyway, after a lot of sweating and a TON of walking (seriously, like 20,000 steps), we trekked back to our AirBnB with a view and slept. Hard.

Italy is a beautiful and romantic country. The wine flows like water, the art and history abound, and there's never a shortage of gelato, fresh pasta, or basil. It's really something. I hope to go back to see what it's like in the fall or winter months. 

Until then, ciao! 

NWx

L O N D O N //

London. You have always been one of my favorite cities in the world. I haven't traveled that much yet in my short life, but I've always been drawn to Great Britain. I don't know how many people know this, but ever since my first visit to London and Edinburgh, Scotland in 2014, I can't get enough British in my life. I started watching British television, I began following more British chefs, and observing British lifestyle, whether that be on YouTube or Instagram. It's even gotten to the point where my family members gift me Heinz canned beans so I can make a full English breakfast at home. Yep. You read that correctly. Beans for Christmas. So, needless to say, when we planned our trip to London with a good friend, I was stoked. 

We arrived on a Friday and stayed until Sunday. It's really hard to do everything I wanted in such a short amount of time, but we made it work. :) First, we hit up Borough Market. This was a must on my list, because I didn't make it there on my last trip. If you know me, you know I love to cook, and this place is a culinary dream. I had a delicious Steak & Ale pie (and I may have also dug into a Scotch Egg), as well as a proper pint. My wife did the same, because she knows what's up, and my friend, who had never been to England before, had fish & chips. Well done. :) Next, we wandered over to Shakespeare's Globe theater, strolled down the River Thames, and crossed over to see the magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral. We finished the evening at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen, where I had one of the best ribeye steaks of my life. 

The next day we packed in a lot. We did a tour of Parliament, which you should definitely do if you ever get the chance. It was one of the best parts of the trip. It was so fun and interesting. Our tour guide was a lovely, quintessential British lady. I may have learned more about British history and system of government in two hours than I ever did of my own! After that wonderful tour, we went super-British and had high tea at Brigit's Bakery where we sipped Earl Grey and ate the tiniest, most delicious little sandwiches and desserts ever. The rest of the day was spent wandering around Trafalgar Square watching protesters and tourists and locals intertwine. We grabbed a quick pint (again) and then checked out where the British Calvary hangs its bridles. Next, we walked past 10 Downing Street, saw a Joey hat (bonus points to those who can find the Friends reference in the pics below), took pictures of double decker buses and red telephone booths, and rode the tube. We oozed tourist. It was great. :) We finished the day watching the sunset by the Thames and eating amazing Indian food at Dishoom. Holy. Moly. Man, this place was good. Do yourself a favor and go. You should plan on standing in line for a while, but it's well worth it.

Sunday was a little more laid back, since it was our last day and we had to leave for the airport by 3pm. We watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, meandered through Hyde Park, and grabbed one last English breakfast at my favorite little hole-in-the-wall joint in Bayswater that I won't tell you about because it's my secret. Lastly, we had drinks with friends at our swanky hotel, The Hari, before we packed up and made our way back to the airport, wrapping up an amazing trip. 

London, you will see me again. Until then, cheers!

NW x

A M S T E R D A M //

WOW. What a weekend. :) I still can't entirely believe that I'm here, but alas! Here I am! This past weekend, we went to Amsterdam. It also happened to be PRIDE week! It was absolutely wild. The best way I could describe the atmosphere was akin to a college game day: music pumping and people dancing, chatting, drinking, and enjoying themselves. At any rate, we enjoyed a wander around and found several wonderful little spots. In Amsterdam, you always seem to walk past a canal. Duck into a back alley, exit said alley, and you're on to another canal. It's incredible. 

Shortly after our arrival, we followed the crowds to Prinsengracht (Prince Canal) to catch a glimpse of the colorful, lively Pride Canal Parade. Next, we stopped into a pub for some quintessential Dutch bitterballen and a beer. After that, we really just... wandered. No hurry, only a loose idea of a destination, and an attitude of curiosity. I truly think that's the best way to explore a city. You really get a feel for the pulse of a place if you're willing to put away your map, walk around, and get a little lost. :) 

For dinner, we stopped at L'Invite, a little gourmet French bistro by a canal (of course it was by a canal). After that, we wandered across a few more canals, observed the remaining remnants of the Pride parties, and walked over to the Rijksmuseum. We didn't go inside this time, but I plan to in the not-so-distant future! :) We got rained on a bit (welcome to Holland) and ducked into to an awesome little whisky bar called Whiskey Cafe L&B, which I would highly recommend! As we meandered back toward the the central train station, a window packed with waffles smothered in chocolate hazelnut, kit kats, and oreos caught our eyes, and we couldn't resist! OH.MY.GOSH. So good! It was the perfect way to wrap up a fun day in Amsterdam. I definitely plan to go back very soon, so stay tuned for more adventures to come!

Doei! (Bye)

NW x