Santiago, Chile

I'm so excited to share the first of a few posts from my family's recent trip to Chile! My dad lived in Chile for a year when he was in high school as an AFS student and our whole family was finally able to make the trip to meet his host family and see the country.  First up was Santiago: we stayed there for one night before flying to Patagonia. We also stayed for another day after the flight back, so these pictures were taken over the those two days. Because of the New Year holiday I think we experienced a much quieter city than normal! 

Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile

Both of the hotels we stayed at were in the Las Condes neighborhood of Santiago, which I definitely recommend! From there we ventured Cerro San Cristobal where there is a gondola to take you up the hill, and also a large swimming pool and zoo. We mainly enjoyed the views from the gondola and from the gardens at the top, but the pool looked very inviting! Afterward we went over to the Cerro Santa Lucia which features the Terrazzo Neptuno. Another favorite of ours was the panoramic view of the city from the Costanera Center! You could see everything, and were lucky to not have an extremely smoggy day. We loved the warm weather in Santiago, especially since it was snowing back home. Next up, Patagonia!

Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
Letters Are Lovely | Santiago, Chile
IMG_7739.jpg

Southern Weddings Magazine V9!

Today's the day! I'm so thrilled to share spreads from the Chapel Charm feature in Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9 that I contributed to! I created the paper goods and banner design for this story. Even more details are coming soon, but for now pick up a copy of the magazine for yourself! There are so many beautiful details you will want to see in person, as well as many other lovely stories. Enjoy!

Letters Are Lovely | Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9!
Letters Are Lovely | Paper Goods & Banner Design for Southern Weddings Magazine V9
Letters Are Lovely | Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9!
Letters Are Lovely | Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9!
Letters Are Lovely | Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9!
Letters Are Lovely | Southern Weddings Magazine Volume 9!

Rome, Italy

Happy Monday! Sophie and I spent our last day in Italy exploring Rome before our flight back to the USA. We woke up early in order to take the train from Sorrento to Rome. It was a rainy travel day, but by the time we arrived the sun was shining. After checking into our hotel and changing clothes we were off exploring! 

Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy

Our first stop was a walk past the Trevi Fountain before stopping for a late lunch. There were SO many tourists I don't know that I would recommend visiting Rome in mid-July, but we still had a wonderful day. After lunch we walked on to the Pantheon! After taking a few pictures we walked on towards the Colosseum. We relaxed there for awhile enjoying the view, and it was on to the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome for dinner. This was my favorite area in Rome, it was so peaceful compared to some of the more tourist stops and full of charming buildings around every turn. Our dinner was also amazing, if only I could remember the name of the restaurant! 

Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Rome, Italy

Thanks so much for reading along about our Italian adventure! I have loved sharing each place we visited, hopefully you gained some travel inspiration. For even more photos take a peek at #sophandallietakeitalia over on Instagram. Ciao! 


Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy

Happy Friday! I can't believe I am already sharing our final photos from the Amalfi coast. After a quick breakfast at our hotel we were picked up for our bus tour. We were lucky to get seats facing the coast and white it was a bit of a scary ride the views were amazing. (I especially loved seeing all the lemon groves at the beginning of our drive.) Our first stop was Positano! Because Sophie and I had spent a few hours here the day before our main plan was to get a better picture of the beautiful church at the center of town. While it required stepping into a hotel lobby to get the photo, I think we succeeded! After a lemon slush and some shopping we were back on the bus headed for Amalfi. 

Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy

Sophie and I were really excited to spend some time in Amalfi since we only were able to see it from the water the day before. Our first stop there was in a beautiful paper shop (Amalfi is known for their paper), and I couldn't help but purchase a few things. After that we took some pictures on the church steps in very windy conditions. We loved walking around and peeking into some shops before heading to the beach. Sophie and I were very sad to get back on the bus after just over an hour exploring beautiful Amalfi. But it was on to our final destination of the day, Ravello. 

Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy

Ravello is a small town up in the mountains from Amalfi. It has been popular with musicians for many years, and hosts a special music festival. We choose to spend our time in the famous villa where this festival takes place. The views and gardens were spectacular! Our drive back to Sorrento was filled with classical Italian music and a view of Sorrento, Mount Vesuvius and Naples. Since this was our last night in Sophie and I choose to go out to a nice dinner and indulge in gelato from Puro one last time. After packing we went straight to bed to rest up for our travel day to Rome! Next week I will share how we spent our last day in Italy and a few final thoughts on our entire adventure. Have a wonderful weekend!

Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, Italy

Amalfi Coast Boat Trip

Today I'm sharing Sophie and I's photos from our boat trip down the Amalfi coast! After a little confusion about our pick up location, we found our driver and headed down to the Marina. We boarded our tour boat and headed towards Positano. Once we arrived we had a few hours to get some lunch and wander through the town. Positano is a pretty charming place, and somewhere I can picture spending  a few days relaxing. We spent our limited time shopping and taking pictures by the beach! 

Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip

After our time in Positano we got back on the boat and headed to Amalfi. We were able to view the town from the boat and then we stopped for a swim. It was extremely hot so jumping in the water was a welcome break from the heat! Afterward our boat headed back to Sorrento at a very leisurely pace. We stopped a few other times to swim and enjoy the sun.  Our views from the boat were pretty unforgettable. Luckily Sophie and I had one more day to explore the Amalfi coast, so tomorrow I will recap our bus tour to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello! Ciao until tomorrow!

Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip
Letters Are Lovely | Amalfi Coast Boat Trip

Pompeii

Day 12 of Sophie and I's Italian adventure led us to Pompeii! I was lucky to visit Pompeii when I studied abroad in college, but it was just as impressive a second time. We woke up early and ate breakfast at our hotel before being picked up by our bus driver. We choose to book a day trip through Viator which included transportation and a guided tour of the site. While walking through the city we saw stores with takeaway areas for food, homes, a public bathhouse and the town center. My favorite part of the tour was the inside of the bathhouse where the colorful ceiling remains and really gives a glimpse into how impressive life in Pompeii was. We also would have loved to tour Herculaneum (a separate site near Pompeii), but will have to wait until next time!

Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii

During our visit there was a traveling exhibit by Igor Mitoraj placed throughout the site. While the artwork wasn't originally created for Pompeii, I really enjoyed seeing the pieces as we walked along our tour. I would highly recommend visiting Pompeii if you find yourself near Mount Vesuvius! It was extremely hot during our visit, but we enjoyed a lemon slush at the end of our tour to cool off. After our tour we were exhausted from the heat and constant traveling and choose to relax at our hotel for a few hours before dinner. Next up, Amalfi and Positano! 

Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii
Letters Are Lovely | Pompeii