Venice "The Floating City"

It's true, the whole city floats on the water. A gorgeous escape into a life out of a dream– I've NEVER seen anything like this place, and got lucky to spend a day in Venice for my birthday present with mom and little sis. We arrived to the airport and as soon as we got out, welcome to a city where you pull your suitcases onto the water (literally). We bought our tickets on the dock and waited 10 minutes for the next shuttle to the area of where our hotel was. Kinda got nervous my suitcases would somehow fall into the water, but we made it in time to get lost looking for our hotel through the small little streets that look like corridors of buildings on either side along the water. Since we came for a short time, the best way to spend it was having no plans and no expectations– so we got lost and wandered around Venice, stumbling upon the best shopping areas, walking down the port, visiting a small church, crossing over the small bridges into different parts of the town, checking out the Opera, taking a gondola ride, and finding a gem that made our trip complete– Acgua Panna (hands down the best meal of my life and mom the chef agreed and gave the owner a hug to thank him before we left).

Allora! My first Gondola ride...

The Town Center

Masquerading around Venice

Green scones I got a kick out of!

The small bridges in Venice

A glimpse into the meal of all meals. After devouring the most incredible seafood appetizer (and I'm not the biggest fan of risky seafood) and enjoying some wine with tomato and eggplant bruschetta on the house, we moved onto some entrees– here's the ricotta stuffed pasta shells.

And dessert– fresh fruit and nut sorbet, stuffed in the actual fruits and nuts

And Venice comes to an end with 4 different shots of house made dessert liquor.

Ciao Bella! Florence, Italy (aka Shopping Capital of the World)

Aside from the ridiculously addicting shopping– the leather market, the flea market of cashmere scarves and leather gloves, and the endless amounts of boutiques– the food and wine in Florence is obviously out of this world. Some of the restaurants I still dream about... La Giostra for its Balsamic steak and scalloped potatoes, the "on-the-house" plate of antipasti, and the bolognese ricotta stuffed ravioli; Acqua al Dui because they have a taste testing menu of 5 different Tuscan pastas and salad dishes and their famous Blueberry steak; Tre Panches (literally means 3 benches as the entire restaurant consists of 3 tables) for its fried chicken and zucchini, fresh shaved truffle ravioli, and house cheesecake; and of course– the gelato anywhere and everywhere.

Lounging before walking into Palazzio Pitti, the Renaissance Palace

Just a touch of Florence's friendly vibes

Inside the Ufizi

The Duomo, where we climbed up 497 steps to reach the top and walk up to the rooftop balcony to oversee all of Florence and Tuscany

The dome, taken from the balcony on the way to the rooftop

And finally, the view of Florence and the Bell Tower from the top

The most epic of all– FESTIVAL GELATO.. only any flavor you could every imagine to exist.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic

Music, Light Shows, and Therapy

(not gonna lie, I stayed to watch the show that goes on every half an hour twice)

MX museo de la xocolata (Chocolate Museum)

Yes, it was all made out of chocolate.

Remember Parc Guelle?

Oh and not to mention, our entrance tickets were two chocolate bars- sweet deal.

Gaudi's Parc Guelle

Ok fine, this was obviously my fourth time going already and I have yet to post the top "must see" attraction in Barcelona. As you will see, Gaudí incorporated many motifs of Catalan nationalism and elements from religious mysticism and ancient poetry into the Park. While you get a vibe of peace and calmness touring the park, Gaudi's flamboyant colors and patterns, fantastical shaped roofs, detailed tilework, and unusual pinnacles make this garden a pleasure as well as a masterpiece. 

Here are some of my favorite photos between all my visits:

Welcomed by 'The Serpent'

Tricks by the Bubble Lady in the open terrace

The detailed tilework, each piece hand placed by Gaudi

Walking through the gardens

The rooftops I think look like vanilla ice cream cones

The colonnaded footpath

FC Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal Match

UEFA Champions League, Camp Nou

Tuesday, April 06, 2010, 19:45

(jealous?)

Getting geared up to go

"BARCA, BARCA, BAAAAAAAAAAARCA!" 

- the stadium's favorite theme chant

125 euro and not even in the lowest level? 

No worries, there's no such thing as a bad seat in this stadium

The typical swarm of fans leaving the game, victorious, still chanting.

Take a look INSIDE!

So I made my way back of course to the Cathedral as promised, and thought I should share a sneak peak...

walking down the hallway of the Gothic style cathedral

View of the apse and ambulatory

The outdoor terrace

One of the adoration rooms