Sunrise in Florence, Italy

The Arno River, Florence

Digital cameras keep getting better, but there's something I find romantic about film. This fuzzy shot was from a disposable camera I toted through Italy and multiple Italian rainstorms (yet lasted!).

P.S. For the full effect, try this Puccini aria (used in A Room with a View), about throwing oneself into Florence's Arno River over tormented love. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's voice makes me weepy.

A Midnight Turkey {+quiz}

I once co-hosted a Friendsgiving, to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, with my urban NYC tribe.

To paraphrase a friend, we drew on one another's cooking skills to round out (and heck, overstuff) the meal. The turkey was served at midnight, but it didn't matter - the city never sleeps!

To see our Midnight Turkey recipe, just head on over here. :)

Meantime, I've been tagged by Ginta at Hunting and Gathering and Hitomi Neko to answer the I Love Your Blog quiz! Thank you! Ginta has a lovely way of mixing terrific 2nd-hand finds with current pieces to create something utterly new. Hitomi says she's a blogging newbie, but I've already enjoyed her film reviews. :) Here goes...

1. Why did you create the blog? I may have mentioned this before, but because of my nomadic life, it was a way to feel more connected to faraway family & friends.

2. What kind of blogs do you follow? I love blogs by people who have a passion or just good fun writing about their joys!

3. Favorite makeup brand? I'm not terribly loyal, I'll try anything that sounds promising. :)

Jason Wu's Spring 2011 collection

4. Favorite clothing brand? My latest kick is Jason Wu. So classic and feminine.

5. Your indispensable makeup product? Burt's Bees lip balm.

6. Your favorite color? For clothes, lilacs, dusky roses and rich browns. For interiors, bright colours (one of my last apartments was completely in primary colours!) or soothing neutrals.

7. Your perfume? These days, very occasionally, Kiehl's musk. Before that, girly Flor (and I'm not that girly, even!).

8. Your favorite film? Most recently, the French film Lady Chatterley - not at all rubbishy, more like a sensitive love story with the exquisite Marina Hands as leading lady.

Verona, Italia

9. What country would you like to visit and why? I'm dying to return to Italy, and always wanted to visit an old friend in Norway (I owe her several trips!)

10. Make the last question and answer to yourself: What invention would help your life? Something that instantly transports me to any part of the world! And anything that makes me look like I get 8 hours of sleep & workout 2 hours everyday!;) XO

(Images via Channel4, newbatteri, Travel Holiday, Fragrantica, and Destination360.)

When in Rome

Do as the Romans do!...Relish the eternal sites...

Colosseum

Forum
{Where Marc Antony cried: Friends, Romans...lend me your ears}

Savor modern wonders...

Vatican City

Spanish Steps

Remember Audrey Hepburn on the Spanish Steps in Roman Holiday?

Enjoy Rome's many fountains...

Trevi Fountain

 Charming Turtle Fountain (a fave :))

Soak in the peace of the Aventine Hill...

St. Peter's through the Knights of Malta keyhole, Aventine Hill



And if Romantic poets are your thing...

Cemetery where Keats and Shelley are buried

Keats gravestone

Last but not least...

Do marvel at the ancient Roman table - could you also eat mice (a delicacy) or a prized seasoning called garum? Recipe for garum:

"Place in a vessel all the insides of fish, both large fish and small. Salt them well. Expose them to the air until they are completely putrid. In a short time a liquid is produced. Drain this off."

"This" is precious garum! Haha, do not try this at home!

P.S. A friend (who studies the ancient world) was not even fazed by garum, saying "it sounds like anchovy paste, actually."

(Recipe for garum is from MFK Fisher's Serve it Forth. Images via Wired Destinations, Europe Travel, VonEurope, Travel in Rome Italy, Finding My People, Top Things Europe, Vraatja at Waymarking, ElectricBaby81 at TripAdvisor, Feel Home in Rome, eternallycool, Tom Clark and Rodriguez PBWorks.)

Magical Venice

So many reasons to love Venice...

This is definitely one of them...a magical confection of hazelnut and chocolate gelato, topped with a giant slab of thick whipped cream. Just ask for the gianduiotto at Gelateria Nico.:)

(Images via UWO, Destination360, Frizztext and Foodista en ville.)

Found my thrill on Strawberry Hill

While I got lost in pictures, my friend Shelly had a recent weekend of her own at gorgeous Strawberry Hill in Kingston, Jamaica - I'll just let her lovely descriptions do the talking today :)...

Also, sending a big thank you to wonderful Stacey at Design Addict Mom for passing on a blog award! (So happy I could do so with this post:) More soon!...

Located on top of the Blue Mountains, you have a view of all of Kingston and the harbour. The place used to be the house of the former producer for Bob Marley, and is now a hotel with a renowned restaurant and Aveda spa.

It's decorated with lots of cute details...

At the bottom of the hill, you can tour the former studio with all of the gold records the producer Chris Blackwell has put out (besides Marley, he also produced U2, PM Dawn, Dru Hill, etc).

It is awesome with great grounds, food and atmosphere. A real oasis in Kingston.

(Thanks Shelly! Miss ya & can't wait for the next reunion! Images via NY Times, Jamaica Writings, West Indies Online, Expedia, Vacation Idea, Things You Should Do, Jaunt, Strawberry Hill, MSNBC and On a Mission in Jamaica.)

Mom's camera in Beijing

{Forbidden City, Beijing, China}

{Rescued baby pandas, Beijing Zoo}

Did I ever mention we procrastinate a lot in my family? (Well, mainly me.) We finally organized photos from my mom's Beijing trip 2 summers ago! I remember being stuck in London, envious.

Although I think my mom had more fun meeting people than seeing sites: Like this Swedish couple who were celebrating the Olympics & home team love. Go sports fan style! :)

~ Have a fun and lovely weekend! ~

(Thanks Mom!)

Tagged! 10 things I love

I've been tagged by You can call me Meghan to reveal 10 things I love. Thanks, Meghan! My family and friends are a given, so in no particular order...

{The Maldives}
#1. Traveling - I'm always moving to new places so it kind of goes together :)

#2. Paddling down a lazy river (I love water)

#3. Eating, of course! Today, I'm succumbing to these chocolates

#4. Secret grottos and waterfalls

#5. Music has always been important. I love many genres.

#6. Late afternoon light

#7. Seeing butterflies

{I love this dancing image from a Netherlands dance festival}

#8. Dancing! (I'm awful at it! But love how it makes me feel.)

#9. Man's (and woman's! :)) best friend

{English sunrise, Scholes}
#10. Sunrises and sunsets - like daily doses of magic

I'm excited to hear what you love too! :)

(Images top to bottom via FreeWine, Druid Labs, Ozgur Mulazimoglu, morberg, blmurch, Creativity+, Haags Uitburo, nattu, Laughing Squid and tricky.)

Photos du jour: Sintra through toy lens

{Palácio da Pena, Sintra, Portugal, UNESCO World Heritage site}

Hope your weekend was lovely! I got inspired by August Break folks to post more playful photo sources (iPhones, screenshots), so here's my twist...photos from a junk-y, toy-like disposable camera (forgive me!)....

{Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Portugal}

Glimpse of Moorish castle ruins (~9c, rebuilt 19c), dragontooth walls creeping round the mountain and turret in the distance.

Partway up the Castle's mountain, I turned and snapped my friend (we kept laughing, which made it hard to climb up!)

At least we had a proper camera during this memorable moment: My 2 friends & I (the Portu-Gals, groan) landed in the back of a Portuguese police car; we were disappointed there was no grate. :)

{Back of Portuguese police car, with a real camera}

~ Wishing you a memorable week! ~

P.S. When we arrived at the police station, all the cops were huddled in a corner....watching a cop show ("Law and Order," dubbed in Portuguese). Wish I had that photo!

{An August Break post: All photos taken in Sintra, Portugal, except Lisbon police. My disposable camera photos made Sintra look worse (and more weirdly purple) than it is - it's gorgeous.}