Pisa, Italy

Sophie and I's second stop on our Italian adventure was Pisa! Like I mentioned in my previous post, we took the train from Florence to Pisa and then checked in at our hotel (Helvetia Pisa Tower). We set down our bags and immediately started wandering around. We walked all around the town, even across the river, and even found the Keith Haring mural I was dying to see! After our long walk we relaxed in our room before an amazing dinner at Paninoteca il Canguro Spaghetteria. (Our pappardelle pasta was so good we even go a second order!) For dessert we got gelato at a nearby shop and watched some jugglers and walked around the Leaning Tower and church. The next morning we took a day trip to Lucca (blog post coming soon), but the day after we had one last morning to climb the tower! 

I highly recommend buying tickets to climb the tower online before your trip (especially if you choose to go in July like we did). There were tons of tourists flooding in and I don't know that we would have made it to the top if we didn't have tickets already! You could really feel the tower lean as you walked up the stairs, and the view from the top is beautiful. We had a wonderful time in Pisa, but you could also easily take a day trip there from Florence so you wouldn't have to change hotels an extra time. Up next, a Lucca recap! 

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Florence, Italy

Hello, friends! Last month I spent two glorious weeks exploring Italy with my sister, and I'm very excited to share each place we visited. Our trip began in Florence, but Sophie had already been in Italy for a five week study abroad program before I arrived so I had a built in tour guide! Our first stop was lunch at Gusta Pizza and a long walk around the city. We hiked up to Piazza Michelangelo which was by far the highlight of the first day (and well worth the long jet-lagged trek). I was also able to see the building she had been staying in and have gelato from one of her favorite paces, Gelateria de Neri. I loved visiting the leather market again and discovering the Central Market. I can't believe I missed this when I studied abroad in college! I highly recommend getting at least one meal there if you are in Florence. Our evening ended with dinner right outside the Duomo and stumbling across the Museo Nationale del Bargello which ended up being fantastic. After some tiramisu at Cafe Finisterrae I was beyond ready for a good nights sleep. 

Day two began with an early trip to the Galleria Academia to see the David statue. Afterward we ate breakfast and then headed off to shop! I found a few cute things at Zara and visited Patriza Pepe for the first time. For lunch we headed to the Central Market and I had some of the best pesto pasta of my life. In the afternoon we wandered in Laduree and made a quick stop in the Gucci store. We also visited the Gucci Museum which was one of my favorite parts of the day! By this point we were ready for another round of gelato and I would definitely recommend Amorino. (They serve your gelato in the shape of a rose!) Next we visited the Santa Croce church where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried and then finished our day with a boat ride down the Arno river. 

We were able to spend one more morning in Florence on day three, and we had a few errands to run before heading to our next location. After breakfast we packed our luggage and found a store that would ship home some of Sophie's souvenirs and paintings she created during her study abroad class. Next we stopped in a few stores and picked out a few gifts for family members before checking out of our hotel. After one last lunch in Florence we were off on the train to Pisa which I will recap in my next post! I'm so grateful I was able to experience Florence with Sophie's perspective after having been there for so long. Ciao for now! 

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Anniversary Trip To Nashville

Dale and I spent Memorial Day weekend road tripping to Nashville! It was our first time in the city as adults, and I would have to say it exceeded our expectations. We stayed in a lovely East Nashville Airbnb with hosts who were more than willing to share their favorite spots. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

We arrived late Friday night and got up early Saturday morning in order to get in a full day of exploring! Our first stop was Biscuit Love for breakfast, and I have to say the Bonuts were as good as I imagined. (I suggest going early because there was already a line forming at 8 AM.) The waiter recommended 12 South as an area we wouldn't want to miss, so we drove through on our way to Pinewood Social for some morning bowling. The restaurant at Pinewood Social looked great but we were so full from breakfast that we headed back to 12 South right after in order to do some shopping. Our next stop was the Nashville Farmer's Market. After that we explored Hillsboro Village and then made the trek out to Hewitt Garden and Design Center. If you are on the hunt for a cactus (like I was) this is the place. I could have been happy snapping photos of all the different plants for hours. 

By this point we were exhausted and headed back to our Airbnb to relax before dinner. We choose to eat at The Pharmacy, and boy was it worth the wait. The beer garden atmosphere was just what we were looking for after a full day. (I recommend grabbing a drink at the Holland House Bar and Refuge next door if you have a long wait.) We finished off the evening with a drink at No. 308 and headed back home for the night. One of my favorite parts of the trip was chatting with our Airbnb hosts that evening! 

Sunday we slept in and then headed to Barista Parlor for coffee and breakfast. This is perhaps one of the most well thought out restaurant spaces I have ever been too, and I really appreciated their attention to detail. Amelia's Flower Truck was parked right outside which was an added bonus. After eating and relaxing for a bit we wandered down to several shops close by including Wilder. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around to a few other shops we didn't want to miss (White's Mercantile & Old Made Good) before a late lunch at Desano Pizza Bakery. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary! If you are headed to Nashville, take a peek at A Beautiful Mess' posts, too, because they were super helpful in planning our trip.

Until next time, Nashville!

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Portland, Oregon

Hello from Portland! I spur of the moment bought a plane ticket to join my family on their Spring Break trip. My first trip to the city has been wonderful, here is a recap from some of my favorite places we visited over a long weekend:

• CARIOCA BOWLS — I've been wanting to try one of these bowls forever, and it definitely lived up to the hype. So delicious! I would love to make one at home.

• Drive to MOUNT HOOD — Beautiful views & lots of snow!)

• Dinner at HUBERS CAFE with family friends

• VooDoo DOUGHNUTS — Also worth visiting, quirky and delicious.

• The PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN — Stunning! We got very lucky with our weather, and I can imagine it would be even more spectacular when everything is in full bloom.

• The PITTOCK MANSION — Great view of the city.

• DIVISION ST. FOOD TRUCKS // MENAGERIE SHOP — There are so many different food truck locations in the city it was hard to decide where to sop, but the ones at Division St. were wonderful. I tried Smakken Waffles. Lots of options, and a very cute seating area in the middle. Also visit Menagerie, it's a lovely little shop.

• Drivee to CANNON BEACH — One of my favorite parts of the trip. You could easily spend more time in the park around the beach.

Portland 2016 from Alexandra Smith on Vimeo.

• MULTNOMAH FALLS — Breathtaking waterfall, only about 30 minutes from the city.

• PAADEE — Lunch stop for some Thai Food

• ARTEMISIA COLLAGE WITH NATURE — Lovely store filled with plants and terrariums.

• INK & PEAT — Home and lifestyle shop we stopped by.

• WITCHES CASTLE — Forest Park is beautiful for hiking.

• For our last meal we enjoyed French food at PETITE PROVENCE and we couldn't help but brave the one for SALT & STRAW for dessert. Worth it! (I tried the Salted Caramel Cupcake, Honey Lavender, Lemon Amaretto Sour Sherbet & Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper. I choose the last two in a waffle cone!)

Until next time, Portland! 

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Snapshots

Happy Friday! I love photography, but have found I rarely spend the time taking pictures unless it is a special occasion like a trip. I hope that I can continue to share some snapshots from the more mundane details of my life because I find they are an interesting reflection of the present moment. Valentine's Day is on Sunday so I arrived home on Wednesday night to beautiful flowers, and I am loving my new "OK" vase from Oh Joy's Target collection. Other details include Otto (plus his constant ability to interrupt any activity), The Five-Minute Journal, and an adorable llama I bought at Renegade Chicago. Enjoy!

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. —Mark Twain

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Christmas Eve Photo Booth 2015

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Here are a few snapshots from our annual Christmas Eve photo booth. This is the fourth year we have done this, here are some photos from last year and the year before. Taking these photos has become one of my favorite traditions!

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