Pisa

It had to be done! No tour of Tuscany is complete without a visit to Pisa.

"You have to take at least one cheesy picture," the guide said. "Even if you don't like it now, you will like it at some point."

And so we did. We pushed the tower from all sides, leaned against and jumped around it. We also climbed up to the top to take in the beautiful view of the city. The tower had just reopened again in 2011 after an 8 year restauration period, so I felt very privileged that we were actually able to go up.

It will be great fun to go through these holiday snaps when I'm old - or even just in a few years' time - and I'm very grateful for all the beautiful memories.

San Gimignano

This was Tuscany at it's best. It was the clichee Tuscany of postcards and watercolour paintings and it felt strangely surreal to actually be there, in the midst of it all.

We had lunch at a beautiful Chianti vineyard called Poggio Alloro not too far from San Gimignano.

The food was very rustic and home-produced: toasted ciabatta with extra virgin olive oil, pasta, cured meat, peccorino cheese and for desert cantuccini biscotti. The farmer even showed us the cows, which were used for the beef bolognese sauce. Poor little things!

There was ample supply of wine from the surrounding vineyards: a crisp white wine called Vernaccia, a Chianti, a Merlot and a sweet Tuscan desert wine called Vin Santo.

I tried all of them in random order and it got me into a very merry mood for the rest of the afternoon.

After lunch we visited the town of San Gimignano, which is often to as medieval Manhattan due to it's many towers. It took me a while until i could pronounce the name fluently. Instead of visiting the sights, we were more drawn to the ice cream shops around town, especially the one which boasted to be "Gelato World Champion 2006 - 2009". I'm not sure what happened in 2010/11, but the ice cream we tried was certainly worth it's title.

Drinking wine, eating pasta and gelato and relaxing under the Tuscan sun - What could be better?

www.fattoriapoggioalloro.com

Siena

Before this trip I had only a very vague idea of where or what Siena was.

Luckily, we had a very quirky female guide with us, who told us lots about the history of the medieval town, its longstanding rivalry with Florence, and the famous annual horserace.

Apparently, this is also where the first bank was established and it's still in operation today, with lots of branches around the world.

But the true attraction was the "Wedding Cake Church" which looks as if it was covered in pastel icing. A very pretty sight - especially contrasted against the blue sky and the Siena-brown brickworks of the rest of the town.

Florence

Florence was the second stop on our "Italian week" and also our base for exploring the Chianti region.

We took the regional train down from Venice and my boyfriend got a bit impatient because it was so slow, but I actually quite enjoyed the gentle ride through the Tuscan countryside.

Florence was still how I remember it from 10 years ago: a beautiful historic centre, lots of cafes and pizzerias and generally, a very agreeable pace of life.

Even late at night, people were still sitting outside on the piazzas and in street cafes, chatting and listening to the buskers.

I would have liked to spend a few more days in Florence - there's still so much to see and we didn't get the chance to try the famous Fiorentine steak - but we were on a tight schedule to see all the other beautiful destinations in Italy: the Tuscan countryside and most importantly Rome.

http://yellowbar.it/
http://www.trattoriailcontadino.com/
http://www.soggiornomadridfirenze.it/

Murano and Burano

After experiencing the touristy side of Venice the day before, we decided to have a little break from the hustle and bustle of the city and to go island hopping in the laguna.

There were quite a few islands to choose from, and we settled for the two most famous ones: Murano and Burano.

Murano was beautifully quiet and peaceful and it was great fun just to picnic by the river and watch the boats pass by. The island is very famous for its glassworks and one of the local craftsmen showed us how to make a vase and a horse out of melted glass. Very impressive!

The second stop on our tour was Burano, a neighbouring island, which specialises on hand-made lace. We didn't buy any, but we picked up two other great souvenirs: a hand made glass pendant and a typical Venetian carnival mask. So much cheaper than in Venice.

Burano looks as if a pack of crayons had exploded on it. All the houses are painted in bright colours, and there are even rules on which colours are allowed in which spot. There wasn't much to do apart from walking around though, so we sat down by the river with a nice gelato and watched the other tourists take photos of the houses.

We also set foot on a third island, Torcello, but it looked quite plain compared to Murano and Burano, so we decided to take the very next ferry back to Venice.

All in all, it was a lovely trip and definitely worth the ferry ride across the laguna.

Venice

My friends have very widespread opinions about Venice: for some it's the most romantic place in the world, for others it's an overhyped tourist trap.

I think the truth - as usual - lies somewhere in between. Yes, you shouldn't expect to have the city to yourself - like many places that are worthwhile visiting, it's very crowded.

But it's also one of the most unique cities in the world, a glorious masterpiece of engineering.

Imagine, a city entirely built on water! Everything happens on the canal - on vaporetti, taxi boats, cruise ships, gondolas and even ambulance and police boats. There are no cars and even bicycles are regarded with suspicion.

We were lucky to stay right in the heart of Venice, next to Piazza de San Marco. In the evening, once the day trippers have left the island, you get to see Venice in it's rare moments of downtime, when the gondoliers wrap up their boats and the locals come out for a chat and a glass of spritz.

http://www.hotelcittadimilano.com/en/index.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187870-d1444335-Reviews-Ristorante_Osteria_N_1-Venice_Veneto.html

Goodbye beer, it's Spritz time

I came across this drink for the first time last winter in Stuttgart, when my cousin, who is about a decade younger than me, took me out for a night about town.

"Spritz", a fizzy aperitif made with white wine, aperol and sparkling water, is all the rage now in Southern Germany and it seems to be popular with all the crowds: from the poor students in Stuttgart to the societes in Munich, everybody is sipping away at the orange herb drink.

I was really excited to learn that this drink originally comes from Venice and of course I had to have at least one this weekend.

I must say it's an extraordinarily pretty drink. With the evening sunlight angling through the glass, amplifying the orange-red colour of the aperol it's easy to understand how it has become the National drink of Venice.

I will try and make this when I get back home, but my suspicion is that in the bleak climate of London, it might not taste quite the same.

Secret Sample Sale

Technically, I shouldn't buy any clothes anymore until I move for multiple reasons. First of all I've got too much as it is. Secondly, I'm going to stop over in Asia anyway, where everything is much cheaper. And thirdly, I might find that my collection of London clothes is not that suitable for Australian tastes.

But today I couldn't resist stopping by at the "Secret Sample Sale" at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. It's held there every other month or so and you can get designer samples and excess stock at a huge discount. Last time my friend snapped up this fantastic Marc Jacobs sweater for about 20 pounds and I got my favourite red flower dress from there too.

The style ist mostly what you would describe as "Hoxton Chic", i.e. bohemian, laid-back, mismatched, playful. You wouldn't want an entire wardrobe like that, but it's great to mix a few pieces into your regular collection.

I admit, the Secret Sample Sale is not for the impatient, since there are a LOT of clothes to go through and they are arranged in no particular order. But over the years I've optimized my strategy and I now manage to pop in and out within 30mins.

This time, I bought this great electric blue shirt dress with a beautiful bow detail at the back and I am going to wear it to work tomorrow since we're expecting another hot and sunny day in London!

http://www.secretsamplesale.co.uk/INTRO.htm

Digital Postcard

My boyfriend, the lucky guy, is enjoying the sweet life at the Cote d'Azur at the moment and he sent me this message: "I've saved this ice cream for you. You can collect this at Antibes, France."

Sigh, I really wish I could go and collect my ice cream in person... But only two more days and I'll be in beautiful Venice :-)

Star Command Laser Quest

I realised that we simply don't play enough in our lives.

We run around all day working and doing this and that until we're exhausted. And then, because we're so tired, we often choose to fill our free time with activities which are designed to entertain, but don't require any real input - like going to the pub, the theatre or the mall.

But when was the last time that you played? Just for fun, with your friends?

I don't do it very often, so I was very thrilled, when my colleagues and I went for a game of Laser Tag after work today.

Laser Tag is a bit like Paintball, basically a team shooting game - but indoors and with laser guns instead of paint guns. You get divided into two teams and the aim is to score as many points as possible. You are awarded points for "tagging" someone from the opposite team or entering their base, and you get minus points if you get shot or shoot your own team member.

There were about 12 of us and all the running, hiding and shooting was just so much fun. And surprisingly, I did quite well, too. I even came first in my team in round two, yay!

Afterwards, we celebrated our victories with a few beers and Pimms.

Mission accomplished!

http://www.laserarena.co.uk/arena.php?manuid=63&locationid=1071

Summer is finally here

Hurrah, it's finally here: the long awaited, much anticipated first day of summer. The sun was out in force, the temperatures were high and the people were happy.

Like most Londoners, we instinctively flocked to the park at lunch time - for a little alfresco picnic with Mezze and fish finger wraps from Exmouth Market. Afterwards, I treated myself to my first (London) ice cream of the year!

The thing is, in London you're never too sure whether a day of good weather is just a short blip between two periods of rain or whether the sun is there to stay, so everybody is eager to make the best of it while it lasts.

And what's better than to end the day with a cheeky glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a light bite on the terrace..

http://www.medcalfbar.co.uk/

Haut-Medoc

We've probably all had that dream at some point in our lives: to quit our busy jobs, move to the south of France, run a little vineyard, cafe or guesthouse and live happily ever after. A bit like Russell Crowe in "A good Year".

After our trip to Bordeaux, do I still think it's a good idea? Yes and no. The simple life fits some, but it doesn't seem to promise eternal happiness to everybody.

Take M. and Mme Arnaud for example, the owners of the guesthouse "Les Phoenix" in Pauillac, Medoc. I have never seen people that balanced, generous and content. "I want to create a good experience." M Arnaud said when he shared some fresh crevettes and a bottle of home-made wine at dinner time. And indeed, they seem to run the B&B more for pleasure rather than business.

On the other hand, there was Sophie, a vivacious, but slightly neurotic woman we met at a Creperie in Vertheuil.

She had moved from Paris to the countryside a few years ago and reassured us over and over again with a high pitched voice that this was "paradise". She spoke loudly and freely about politics, her job, her marriage and insisted to know whether we supported Sarkozy or Hollande. Her personality dominated the room, but instead of earning respect, the other guests shook their heads and looked away uncomfortably. You could clearly see that Sophie was craving distraction, a change from the daily routine of "paradise".

I guess in the end, you're either made for the countryside or not. And like most small scale communities, Medoc doesn't tolerate deviation from the norm.

www.le-v-en-vertheuil.com/fr/la-creperie/la-creperie/
www.caruso33.net/les-phoenix-pauillac.html
www.marquis-saint-estephe.fr/