Monte Carlo is such a fun place to people and car watch – especially when hanging out in front of the beautiful casino! It is definitely a must-see!
Author: Attraversiamo
Details of… Lisbon
When you visit new places and cities, it is sometimes such an overload that we forget to slow down and look at the beautiful details that make each place so special.
Here are some details of Lisbon…
Eating in Amsterdam
Before we left for Amsterdam I had heard some not so great things about the food. Being foodies, we thought we’d be resigned to eating frites with mayo the whole time but boy were we wrong!
Here are our favourite Amsterdam restaurants…
Haringhandel Jonk
Haringhandel Jonk is a street vendor selling incredible sandwiches and fish dishes (for next to nothing). Everything is fresh and so tasty! We stumbled upon it one day while walking and grabbed a sandwich. We sat down on a bench nearby and had to go back for seconds (and again, the next day).
Cafe de Klos
Alex, our Dam Boat Guys tour guide, recommended Cafe de Klos and we went that very same night. Here’s a warning – it’s a small restaurant but they have a pub across the street to wait in. Delicious beer while waiting for incredible Amsterdam-style barbecue. I dream about the slow roasted lamb shoulder still!
Cafe Winkel
When we arrived in Amsterdam at 6am local time, exhausted because we didn’t sleep on the flight, our hotel recommended we walk over to Cafe Winkle for the best traditional Dutch apple pie. So we did, and we were not disappointed. The apple pie was perfect. Crust was phenomenal. Filling not too sweet. Whipped cream on the side was the perfect addition.
Moeders
We love trying traditional & local food and were recommended Moeders by a local on Twitter. It took a few days to get a reservation but we were not disappointed! Everything we ate was so good! I had the asparagus soup to start, which was a special for the day. For dinner we had the Dutch Ricedish, which is a combination of all the Dutch specialties they serve, and every morsel was incredible.
Intense Wanderlust for Roma
I feel a relatively strong feeling of wanderlust on the regular but it’s been a few months since a big trip (with not a whole lot planned for the near future) and I’m getting the itch again.
Add a dash of Rome craving from the book Roman Crazy (recommended to me by my friend Teresa) and that our trip to Italy next year might be delayed and I’ve got it bad. I’ve got the wanderlustin’ for Roma blues!
So that I don’t go completely mad (and to feel like I’m doing some planning for something), I’ve started a list. Well, two.
The first, places & things I haven’t seen (yet) in Rome. Included so far is: the Pyramid of Cestius, the catacombs, the Baths of Diocletian, Ostia Antica and the neighbourhood of Testaccio.
Secondly (and equally important) is restaurants and things to eat. We have our favourite restaurants but I would love to have carbonara at Trattoria da Danilo, anything at Eataly Rome, bucanti all’amatriciana and all the artichokes! Plus, I must be reunited with the beautiful Roman style pizza.
What would you add to the list? Do you have a love on for a city the way I have for Rome?
#TBT Florence
If you ever visit Florence, do yourself a favour and visit the Ponte Santa Trinita or Ponte alla Carraia during sunset.
I promise you won’t regret it.
Quick Take: Matera
We visited Matera on our road trip through south Italy in 2014. Here is the quick take!
Visited: May, 2014
Days in Matera: 3
Travelled to Matera by: Car from Lecce
Stayed at: Hotel San Giorgio Matera Albergo Diffuso nei Sassi
Favourite site: Sassi (the caves)
Favourite restaurant: Ristorante Baccanti
Favourite Squares: Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Tours: None. We spent the time were were here just walking around.
Magical Doors: Montreal
There is something…magical…about doors in different cities. Each time I go to a new place, I notice that they each have unique doors and I fall in love.
I assumed wrongly when I thought all of North America had boring doors. Not in Montreal! There are ton of beautiful and unique doors to be found if you slow down and take a look.
Here are some that caught my eye:
#TBT Gallipoli
We spent the morning walking around the fishing town of Gallipoli during our South Italy Road Trip in 2014. Such a charming and beautiful place. I wish we had more time there.
Magical Sintra
Sintra is a beautiful town a quick train ride away from Lisbon. The town of Sintra is known for it’s royal retreats, estates and castles (hence, magical!). During our day trip to Sintra, we visited two castles – the Castle of the Moors and Pena National Palace.
Castle of the Moors
The Castle of the Moors was built in the 8th and 9th centuries (by the Moors). To get to the castle is a beautiful pathway from the road. Once in, you can see that the large majority of the castle is built from stone. There are a ton of stairs but the views are stunning.
Pena National Palace
The Pena National Palace began it’s history in the Middle Ages as a chapel but the castle grew into what it is now between 1842–1854 under King Ferdinand.
This palace is incredible and looks like it is straight out of a Disney movie. So colourful and whimsical. The castle is surrounded by a park that you walk through (and up) to get to the palace, itself.
Both castles were absolutely beautiful but Sintra has way more to offer. Do a little research and be sure to check out the estates and castles in this incredible town.
Quick Take: Lecce
We visited Lecce on our South Italy Road Trip in 2014. Here is the quick take!
Visited: May, 2014
Days in Lecce: 3
Travelled to Lecce by: Car from Bari
Stayed at: Palazzo Rollo
Favourite site: Roman Ampitheatre.
Favourite restaurants: Trattoria Nonna Tetti where we first had fave e cicoria
Favourite Squares: Piazza del Duomo.
Must See: Roman Ampitheatre, Triumphal Arch, Lecce Cathedral, the obelisk, Church of Santa Croce.
Day trips: Otranto, Santa Maria di Leuca, Gallipoli, Porto Cesareo.