I EAT: Pizzeria Di Matteo (Finally, Pizza in Naples!)

If you've checked out my Tumblr bucket list (the one linked in the top bar), you already know that one of the many things I've always wanted to do is eat my weight in pizza in Napoli, its birthplace. So you better bet that while I was there, I did just that. First pizza post is now here! Nothing fancy- just a Margherita al Prosciutto; with ingredients that fresh all you really need is a hearty sprinkling of ham and mozzarella cheese. Even as I'm writing up this post in my Paris hotel room, I'm drooling and wishing Di Matteo delivered internationally. Modern technology, get on that.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: In Napoli

Tomorrow I leave Italy for France, beginning the second leg of this Easter break trip. Which means if I'm going to do this live blogging thing at all, I've got to get on it now. So here I am posting to you about the second stop on my journey through Italy: Naples! Given the city's reputation, I know you're all itching for the food shots, but first, a fresh-off-the-train (and thus slightly yuckmeister) outfit post!

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Venezia Photoreel (Ciao From Italy!)

My goodness, I suck at this live blogging thing. At the moment I'm in Florence, but here for you now, is the first post from my ongoing Italian trip- one dedicated to my time in Venice. I feel like dear ol' Venezia often gets a bad review from guidebooks claiming it's too gimmicky and tourist-infested to be enjoyable; while on a summer day that might be true, on a March night after the daytripping crowds have cleared out, I definitely beg to differ. 

There's something enchanting about Venice's winding narrow streets and wide shimmery canals. A lingering aura of mystery that sweeps you down cobbled alleyways and straight back to the opulence of 17th century Venezia. But I suppose you've got to want the poetry. Otherwise, it's all just poor signage and paving. Enjoy the pictures after the jump!  

I GO: Budapest in Video (The Team Behind Estherina's World)

No, they aren't my official team. They're just the best friends a girl could ask for. As with room/flat/housemates, the travel buddy selection process can be quite tricky. Friends don't necessarily travel well together, and let's be real, it can be much worse when traveling with a blogger friend. Lots of "Take a picture of me here!"s and "Don't eat yet. I need to get a good shot!"s. 

So this video is partly a vlog sum-up of my time in Budapest, but perhaps even more importantly, it's a celebration of the tried and true friendships one rarely encounters in life and should always cherish.

I WEAR: Jiggity Jag

Another Budapest post! You've seen these houndstooth pants on the blog before, but this time I decided to pair them with white flats for a more casual outfit. Fitting because we spent the day strolling through caves and peddling a Bringo cart on Margaret Island. There will probably be a vlog in the near future on the latter activity.

Until then, enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Gellert Baths

One of the reasons I was so excited to visit Budapest was the public bathhouses. The weather here's been comparatively warm, but that aside, it was still strange busting out the bikini for the first time in what feels like forever. Definitely time to start getting back into shape. 

In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from the Gellert Baths!

I GO: Budapest Photoreel

As promised, here's the first photoreel from Budapest. Budapest is a beautiful city- markedly different in ambiance when compared to the other cities you've seen me visit on this blog. Which is probably why I've had so much fun exploring it. We began the day at St. Stephen's Basilica, lunched at the famous Gerbeaud House, headed over to the Gellert Baths, and ended the day wandering Castle Hill. 

Pictures of the baths in the next post, but in the meantime, enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: In the Light

I know I promised you all Budapest pictures in this post, but before I start those posts, I'd like to share some of the pictures I took of my latest favorite top. It's from Sugarlips Apparel and soft as can be. Plus, the knot takes it from conventional button-up straight into my realm of style. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump! Budapest photoreel in the next post, I promise!

I GO: Strolling Through Camden Town

In a quest to scout out some infamous Banksy pieces, I ventured into Camden Town. After spending so much time in the "marble white" districts of central London, Camden Town feels like an alternate universe. Stores are arranged higgledy-piggledy along meandering cobblestone roads and sell a plethora of goods- everything from vintage trinkets to souvenirs to alternate apparel. If you go, make sure to start your day off at the food stalls by the canal. Not only is there a wide assortment of cuisines to select from, but the canalfront is scenic and peaceful. Minus the seagulls, of course.

On a side note, I'm heading off today for a trip through Budapest, Italy, and France. I'm bringing along my laptop so I can study for exams while I'm abroad and also..... to attempt to blog as I go! That way, you all can keep up with my adventures as I experience them. :) Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Countryside Cavorting (Hadrian's Wall Path in Pictures)

As promised, this post is dedicated to sharing some of my favorite pictures from my weekend hiking along Hadrian's Wall Path in Bardon Mill. You know it was a good blogger weekend when you're having problems deciding which pictures not to include.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Walking Hadrian's Wall

Last weekend, I ventured out of London to the English countryside for a couple of days. To be more specific, I paid Bardon Mill a visit. Bardon Mill is a quaint town on the Newcastle-Carlisle Hadrian's Wall route and contains some of the prettiest parts of Hadrian's Wall (like Sycamore Gap where the "Robin Hood tree" is). In case you've never heard Hadrian's Wall, it was built by the Romans as a fortification and visible marker of the Empire's bounds. If you've ever watched "King Arthur" with Keira Knightley, it's where the final epic battle against the Saxons takes place.

It's strange because I've never been the type to opt for a country getaway, but since I've come to the UK, the idea of escaping to crisp air, quiet calm, and gut-wrenchingly beautiful views has become much more irresistible. For example, remember when I decided to hike the Cairngorm Mountains in the Scottish Highlands? Click here for the video post and here for the pictures.

In the meantime, here's a short vlog I prepared about my experience walking around, up to, and along Hadrian's Wall. Enjoy!

I EAT: Sex, Drugs, and The Icecreamists

If you've been reading my blog, you should know by now that I have an insane sweet tooth. Among my many dessert addictions? Ice cream. I was first introduced to The Icecreamists by my Londoner friend B after a failed Covent Garden pub crawl. Open late and centrally located, it was the perfect alternative. Now don't get me wrong. I love Ben & Jerry's as much as the next girl, but when it comes to gourmet ice cream, I'm like a moth to the flame of innovative flavors. 

Enter The Icecreamists. With names like "Priscilla Queen of Desserts" (white chocolate, Horlicks, and Baileys), A Chocwork Orange (dark chocolate and orange), Any Port in A Storm (mulled wine and port sorbetto), and Smack, Crack, & Pop (popcorn-flavored ice cream topped with popcorn bites), it's obvious this place is all about amazing taste and wit. If you're wondering what my personal favorite is though, the simplicity might surprise you: Choc & Awe, made of 70% Ecuadorian dark chocolate. Yum.

I GO: Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's Unfinished Crown Jewel)

Have you had enough Gaudi yet? Well if so, worry not, this is the last post dedicated to a Gaudi monument. The Sagrada Familia is one of Barcelona's most celebrated landmarks, plastered across tour books and postcards alike. And rightfully so. At the time of Gaudi's death, the cathedral was only a quarter completed; even now, it remains a work in progress. This is telltale of the amount of craftsmanship the cathedral's plan entails. The finished facade (the opposite of the main entrance) is reminiscent of melting wax; if wax melts in intricate curvilinear patterns and detailed tableaus that is. But it's the interior of the cathedral that is truly breathtaking. 

Have you ever been wholly arrested by a transcendent moment? That would be the best way to describe my experience strolling within the Sagrada Familia's walls. It reminds me of a forest, full of pillar-trees reaching towards the heavens, forming a colorful canopy, through which gentle light softly diffuses. The Lothlorien of today's Middle Earth, if you'll forgive the "Lord of the Rings" parallel. 

Anyways, I'll stop waxing poetic. Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: Among the Mosaic Tiles

I'm starting to realize that I need to stop wearing my Cambridge Satchel for fear of my other bags dying of neglect. It's just hard to select any other option when this dark blue baby is just so perfect for traveling- easy to carry (especially since I always jam my bags full of unnecessary items when traveling), easy to match with, and since I'm rather lazy to unpack between weekend getaways, already packed and ready to go. 

Anyways, all of these pictures were shot on the way to or in Park Guell. Which was somehow the perfect backdrop in terms of color and textures in that it had me feeling like my outfit was just one large mosaic tile against the park's many. Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Casa Battlo (Visiting Gaudi)

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Barcelona was because of Gaudi. After encountering his works in an architecture history class, I became intrigued by the unparalleled creativity of his designs, artificial yet inspiredly natural. So while in town, I jumped on the opportunity to tour the famed Casa Battlo. I'll save my commentary and leave you with these pictures; after all, Gaudi's best experienced through self-interpretation.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump! 

I GO: First Barcelona Photoreel

Finally finished going through all the Barcelona pictures! Though it was still chilly, the slightly warmer temperatures and presence of sunlight were welcome changes from London's current weather. Fair warning in advance: it's Gaudi overkill, because I somehow seem to have forgotten to take pictures at other locales.  That aside, for the first photoreel I thought I'd share some random shots from my weekend and save the Gaudi-specific pictures for later posts. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

Sangria!

I WEAR: Pajama Party

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past couple of days. As stated in my last post, I spent the weekend in Barcelona. I'm currently sifting through the hundreds of pictures taken while in Spain, so in the meantime, here's an outfit post I shot quite a while ago but never uploaded. I'm a huge fan of the "pajamas outdoors" fad that seems to be just about everywhere, but as it is, I haven't found the right pajama set to jump into it all the way. So for now, slouchy shirts and printed pants will have to suffice. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump.

I WEAR: Bundled Up in Black and Blue

Winter's not a pretty time for me. If faced with cold temperatures, I almost always emerge looking like an inflated version of myself. My outfit in this post is perhaps the closest I've come to pulling off layers in quite some time. But I suppose that's not saying much since one of my three layers includes a  sleeveless rabbit fur vest.

I tried to publish all the Vienna posts rapidly enough, because tomorrow I'm going to Barcelona. And I'm sure when I get back I'll have a ton of shots to share. Until then, have a good weekend and enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Cafe Demel (Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes)

It would be conservative of me to say that I spent at least 30% of my time in Vienna pigging out in a coffee shop. But since cafe culture in Wien is so pervasive, I would say it's time well-spent. In addition to the Cafe Sacher, which you might have read about in this earlier post, one of my favorite cake-chowing sessions took place at the famed Cafe Demel. The location is superb; it's on the street leading from the Michaelerplatz entrance to the Hofburg compound to one of the city's main pedestrian veins, the Graben. 

Not sure how much additional explanation is required. Captions included. Enjoy the pictures after the jump! I certainly enjoyed eating the images' subjects.

esterhazy torte. buttercream and almond meringue layers.