MAGICAL IN EVERY WAY

Dear Diary
  A lot has happened in the last few months! First things, first, I moved from Toronto to the UK in September. It's truly been a life-changing experience and cultural shock, but I was ready for a new chapter in my life.  I will be posting a life in the UK post soon, I really wanted to get a proper feel for living here first. But onto more exciting news...
  As you now know, I LOVE to travel for my birthday. This year, my sister and I travelled to Italy. Let me say this...it was EVERYTHING I dreamed of plus more.  From the stunning architecture and natural beauty to the shopping and food (of course), it was pure bliss. 
  We started our journey in beautiful Venice. From it's beautiful buildings to the invigorating aroma of baked goods and restaurants along the canal, it was such an experience. I've always seen gondola's in romantic movies, so you could imagine my amazement seeing them in real life. Something so simple put such big smiles on peoples face.
  The main thing I loved about Venice, aside from the nice people was just how open it was and travelling to different parts of the city via mini fery. Everyone was so relaxed and cheerful, we could not have asked for a better welcome to such a beautiful country. If you ever have the pleasure of travelling to Venice, you will most likely get to enjoy street festivals or historical parades, followed by music and free food. It was such a wonderful experience to learn of their history and communicate with some people who did not even speak English, yet we still understood what one another is saying - LOVED IT!

MY TOP 5 THINGS TO TRY/DO IN VENICE

  1. Go for a Gondola ride along the canal
  2. Basilica Di San Marco
  3. Santa Maria Della Salute
  4. San Marco (High-end luxury shops)
  5. Nevodi Venezia Restaurant

  It sounds cliche, but I feel Milan is one of those cities that should be on everyone's bucket list. As an avid fashion and architectural lover, movies and pictures truly do not do Milan justice. We took the subway to Duomo, which is where the landmark Duomo Cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II were located. The Duomo was the most stunning building I had ever seen. Every detail was so intricate and made me even more grateful and blessed to be able to travel throughout such a magical country. What I loved the most about the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele was its 19th-century style filled with luxury shopping boutiques (Built 1877). At every turn, you could not help but take loads of pictures to capture every angle of beauty.
  Now... I am a HUGE pasta lover. In all honesty, that was all I wanted to eat in Italy, with the occasional pizza slice and gelato for dessert. But who knew we would randomly come across of the best Chinese food restaurants I'd ever had in ITALY. The restaurant was located near our hotel, which was very convenient. A tip I will leave you with is sometimes you will come across the most wonderful food places when you take casual strolls in new cities. I find that when I am not in a rush and learning a new place, it allows me to really take in my surroundings.
  Lastly, shopping! It should come as no surprise that Milan is a one-stop-shop for all sorts of shopping - from high-end luxury to designer outlets. We spent 2 days in Milan, but realistically you would need a good 5-7 days to get the full experience. There are SO many shopping outlets, particularly outside the city core. If you have a car, it will obviously be easier to get around, but if you are taking public transit, it's a bit much to try and do in a short period of time. We ended up making our way to an outlet called Scalo Milano Outlet. I personally thought that being in Italy, they would have better shops and pricing, but I did end up purchasing a Karla Langerfeld windbreaker. I opened my mind up to not being in Toronto and gave European shops a chance, which made the experience a lot better.

MY TOP 5 THINGS TO TRY/DO IN MILAN

  1. Duomo Cathedral
  2. Chinese Township Milano
  3. DMAG Outlet
  4. Piazza del Duomo
  5. Spontini Pizza
  Last but not least, our Italian adventures ended in beautiful Lake Garda. Let me just say this, I know there is a lot of places I need to visit in Italy such as the Amalfi Coast, but Lake Garda was absolutely breathtaking. After all that sightseeing and travelling, we did throughout Venice and Milan, we did not know how much tranquillity we needed until we got it. Our hotel was located right along the large lake alongside the mountains. I get emotional as I write this, but it was so surreal to be in such a peaceful place. What shocked us when we arrived is that the entire area is visited predominantly middle-aged and elderly people. It made so much sense seeing as how the area, in general, is not in a big city and you can travel by boat to the various parts of the lake. 
  Nightly walks were great. We stumbled across a family-owned pizzeria that had the BEST handmade pizza I had ever tasted in my life. The owner was so nice. She even invited us to her house for a swimming date. It was a family experience in every way possible. We ended up eating there twice just to make sure we got a chance to visit her and her staff, especially our favourite waiter Mario. Overall, we met some wonderful people and I truly could not have asked for a better way to end my first Italian vacation.

MY TOP 5 THINGS TO TRY/DO IN LAKE GARDA

  1. Ristaurante Pizzeria Olivo
  2. Limone (for shopping and food)
  3. Lavanda de Lago
  4. Actually take a moment to stop, grab some gelato, sit on a bench and be at peace
  5. REST!
  Overall, Italy was a magical experience. The people, food, history and architecture were amazing. I really cannot put it all in words, but it was truly an experience I will hold close to my heart. Now that I've explored northern Italy, I definitely plan on travelling the south.
Until next time lovely,