I EAT: Chowing Down in Roma (More Pasta & Gelato)

I wouldn't be doing my trip to Italy justice if I didn't post "I EAT" posts on every single city, so without further ado, another nom nom post is here! Restaurant first, gelateria later.

A friend recommended L'Archetto for its quaint ambiance, relative affordability, and pasta dishes. When the menu arrived, I was a little taken aback. There were easily 15 pages of pasta options. Granted many dishes differed by only a single ingredient, that's still a heck of a lot of variety. Luckily for you indecisive eaters, they have a "tasting plate" option available; three people chose three different dishes and each get a plate loaded with a portion of all three pastas. Plus, how cute is the whole 'dark shutters, overgrown vines, and tables outside in a small cobbled alley' decoration scheme? 

Enjoy the pictures (and my thoughts on the gelateria) after the jump! 

I GO: On an Evening in Roma

So the title's cheating a little bit, because I technically spent longer than an evening in Rome. But just like I couldn't resist making the landing picture the obligatory Colosseum snapshot, I couldn't resist naming the post after the infamous Dean Thomas track. Even if you're not a Classical history buff, it's hard not to be stunned by the way modern Rome has formed up, around, and between the vestiges of its past.   Studded across the map, these landmarks are inextricable members of the landscape, gracefully fusing the city's current inhabitants with those of golden ages past. A living memorial to the ancient Romans' construction capabilities and a setting for the collision of history already written and in the making. An eternal city. Yea, couldn't resist throwing that one in there too.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: The Vatican City (Around the Holy See)

After nearly a full month of consecutive traveling, it's good to be back in London with no plans to leave again for at least a couple of weeks. Which means that since I'll no longer have traveling as a procrastination technique, I'll have to return to blogging more regularly to keep from actually studying for exams. 

So for now... back to my Italy trip. You've already read about my time in Venice, Naples, Capri, and Pompeii. Next stop: the Vatican! Let me tell you, this was a hard post to prepare. There were way too many pictures of gorgeous works to chose from. These were the few that made the cut. Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Sfogliatelle in Napoli

Currently curled up with a cup of hot chocolate in a warm bed in Interlaken after having spent the past few days in Stockholm. After a full day of walking, picture-taking, chocolate-eating, and paragliding, I'm ready to call it a night despite the fact it's barely 11 PM. But before that, a food porn post from my time in Naples!

Just by the central train station is the Attanasio bakery, a somewhat hole-in-the-wall joint that serves up a mean sfogliatelle. Sfogliatelle are basically shell-shaped pastries traditionally filled with ricotta. If you somehow find yourself at Attanasio, don't be phased by the shoving crowds. Just head to the cashier to place your order, pay, and get your number before picking up your order at the pastry counter. Seems self-explanatory, I know, but you'd be surprised how confusing it can be standing among the throng without a clue as to how to secure one's pastries. Good night from Switzerland and enjoy the pictures after the jump! 

I GO: Pompeii (The Frozen City)

Hello from London! I've been back in town for a couple days now, but tomorrow, I'm headed off to Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark. And I've still got a gajillion pictures and stories to share with you all from my trip through Italy and France. Sooo, expect a flurry of travel posts! But now... Pompeii! If you're not familiar with the story behind this former Roman city, read on. If not, skip right on ahead to the part with all the pretty pictures.

In 79 AD, the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius left Pompeii buried under a hefty layer of ash and whatever else spews out of volcanoes. The ash and pumice coating left the city and its inhabitants perfectly preserved until their rediscovery in 1749. Which makes Pompeii and its Pompeiians similar to Walt Disney's alleged cryogenically frozen corpse in that it and they remained frozen, the details of Roman daily life ca. 1st century AD protected against time, change, and the need for Botox. And they lay frigidly ever after. Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Pizzeria Da Michele (The One From "Eat, Pray, Love")

Another Napoli pizza post! This time on my meal at the Pizzeria da Michele, perhaps better known to some of you as the pizzeria from "Eay, Pray, Love". I ordered the double mozzarella pizza and have come to the conclusion that it was, and forever will be, the best pizza I will ever chow down. Sad but undisputedly true.  

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Caprese Food (Seafood, Lemons, and Cheese)

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a food expert (let alone a connoisseur of Italian cuisine) but if I had to describe food in Capri, I'd sum it up with the following: seafood, lemons, and mozzarella cheese. A fittingly refreshing taste palette for a bright, sunny beach town, no? In any case, local cuisine or not, the Italians just don't seem to ever to strike out when it comes to preparing a delicious meal. Just reference my newly-tight waistbands for proof. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: Tweed and the Sea

As promised, here are the better outfit shots from my time in Capri. Before we go any further, I have to apologize in advance for the lower caliber of the outfit posts taken whilst traveling. Dressing out of a suitcase is not one of my strong suits. That said, I'm kind of in love with this new dress of mine. Tweed with neon piping, perfect for spring! 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump.

I GO: Capri (The Brightest Blue)

With Naples as the perfectly-located launching pad, I ended up doing a daytrip to Capri. I had been once before, but it's sad how fragile a 12-year-old's memories can be. And let's be real, the beauty of southern Italy's sun-soaked streets and gossamer waters more than deserves a refresher. I'll include better shots of my outfit in the next post, but first, some of my favorite shots from Capri. If you're wondering, the cave with the eerily iridescent blue water is the famous Blue Grotto; in the olden days, Emperor Tiberius used it as his private swimming pool. Nowadays, it's a well-deserved tourist trap- complete with singing boat paddlers and a little dose of danger from having to flatten your body against the boat's base as the handlers maneuver their way through the cave's low entranceway.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!