European Adventure

    Hey Fashionistas, as you know I was just in Europe for my annual Summer vacation . First stop, London...London is my favorite city in the world because I love the metropolitan vibes with an old school Victorian era touch. My family and I always stay at the Four Seasons, Park Lane which is a stunning hotel located right in the heart of Mayfair. The staff are so friendly and the decor is gorgeous. As for what we did in London-the usual shopping on Bond Street, Oxford Street, and even Piccadilly. Also, we went to Selfridges and Harrods and did some serious damage due to the incredible sales. For restaurants we ate at several unique and amazing places. One of my favorite restaurants in the world is called, Frescobaldi which I recently discovered back in March. It is an Italian restaurant located just off Saville Row and past the Burlington Arcade that has touch of modern and unique Italian cuisine, it has a sister restaurant in Sardinia which is located in a resort which is part of the Luxury Collection Hotels. My favorite dish is their "Black Truffle Pasta" which is what I imagine my last supper on Earth being HAHA! We also dined at Hawksmoor which is a trendy steakhouse off Regent Street in an Arcade. Daphne's is another delicious Italian restaurant that has incredible food and lovely decor with an upbeat ambiance. We went to Daphne's for my mom's birthday dinner and we saw Prince Harry LOL!!! For high tea I always love going to The Ritz or Amaranto at the Four Seasons, they are two of the best in the city and always amaze me with their style and creativity. 

      After London we headed to Italy. We landed in Rome and took a scenic drive throughout the Italian countryside to head to Tuscany. On the way we saw the beautiful rolling hills and the huge factories of Gucci and Prada. In Florence, we stayed at the St. Regis which is located right on the River Arno in the center of town. It took about five minutes to walk to any part of the city and it was such a convenient location for catching those obnoxious Big Red Bus Tours...and yes I am one of those tourists who actually catches the tour buses HAHA, what can I say it's the cheapest and easiest way to see the entire city in a couple hours. One day we went to this shopping center called "The Mall" which has every luxury designer store on the planet. It was just fabulous, think of it as the shopping Mecca. The next day we went to Siena which is absolutely charming, it feels like a scene out of Romeo and Juliet. Right in the center of the town there is a breathtaking duomo (cathedral) and fortress where every July 6th they race on horses and carry flags bearing their family crest, Il Palio. It is one of the most famous things about Siena and would have been super cool to witness only if we stayed a few extra days. There were so many lovely shops and delicious gelaterias throughout the cobblestone streets, we even stumbled upon a carnerceria which had the best meats and cheeses from around Italy. It was so cool to see the local butchers how they love their craft and how special it is to them. The butchers want to keep the place a local secret so no pictures were allowed (sorry you can't see it ๐Ÿ˜ญ). Just picture ham and meat hanging from the ceilings and cheeses and wines put on display amongst the dark cherry wood. I know... I know...your probably thinking why do you think hanging meat in lovely but it's the fact that it's so typical of the Italians and it was so quaint. After a relaxing day of exploring Siena we headed to San Gimgnano which is also a medieval town modeled after Siena with a gorgeous duomo (cathedral) and fortress. 

      Next up was Rome, it is such an exciting city, filled with so much history and beauty no wonder why it's called the Eternal City. We stayed at the Hotel Baglioni which is right on the Via Veneto which is one of the most famous streets in the world and is known for the movie "La Dolce Vita". While in Rome, as you can guess I was such a tourist and hopped on one of the Big Bus Tours there...don't judge! We did some shopping on the Via Condotti which is like Heaven on Earth, from Gucci to Prada to Louis Vuitton they really have it all. After we shopped, we went to this very trendy cafรฉ called Ginger which is on a side street off the Via Condotti. It was so refreshing to get a break from all the pasta and caprese salads I was eating to finally see a health food specialty restaurant. They had everything from aรงaรญ smoothies to green juices and the most incredible salads and sandwiches. It was one of my favorite restaurants. We also ate at one of my other favorites, Harry's Bar which is also on the Via Venetto and is known for having celebrities dining there. Picture this... a Bellini in hand (just kidding I'm not 18) and a yummy plate of pasta in front of you how much better can life be, am I right? Harry's Bar makes me feel like I'm living in an Italian movie. 

      After Rome we went back to London to celebrate my sixteenth birthday. On the third of July my family and I went to Wimbledon  and watched Serena Williams dominate on the courts. On the Fourth of July, which is my birthday, we went to morning breakfast at Amaranto which is our hotel (Four Seasons Park Lane's) restaurant. After a lovely breakfast, we went shopping on Bond Street which is my favorite street in the world, it's the classiest. Then, in the afternoon I went to high tea at the Four Seasons. For dinner we dined at Galvin at Windows which is a Michelin Star restaurant located on the top floor of the Hilton Park Lane and had 360 views of London. It was a spectacular evening and could not have been a better birthday! 

      All around this trip was so awesome and I am so grateful that I get to travel and see what the world has to offer and experience different cultures.