The Dizzy Heights of Florence

August 26, 2016August 30, 2016 JessicaAnn23 Comments

My tour of Italy continues onto Florence. After catching the train from Pisa to Florence we made our way from the station to our super cute boutique hotel ‘Borghese Art Palace Hotel‘. The hotel was 4 star and I absolutely loved it, the standard of service was excellent from the buffet breakfast to the receptionists and concierge who were all so friendly and welcoming. Our room was lovely and I felt so comfortable there, it also had an amazing mirror for selfies…what more can an aspiring blogger ask for! Let’s not forget its great location which was 5 minutes walk from the main attraction ‘Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore’ (Florence Duomo to you and I) and the adjoining Giotto’s bell tower.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Borghese Art Palace Hotel.

Although we only had a 2 night stay in Florence we actually only had 1 full day to go sightseeing. Our main goal for this day was to climb to the top of the 3 main attractions: the Duomo cupola (463 steps), Giotto’s bell tower (414 steps) and Arnolfo’s tower at Palazzo Vecchio (416 steps). With all these steps you can see why I called this post ‘The Dizzy Heights of Florence’. Climbing to the top of these attractions is a great way to see the beautiful views Florence has to offer, Giotto’s bell tower was a particular favourite for me as it offered such great views of the Duomo. You can buy a combined ticket for all 5 monuments in the Piazza Duomo for €15 – this includes the cupola, bell tower, baptistery, crypt below the cathedral and Opera del Duomo Museum. This ticket can be bought from the main ticket office in the duomo or you can buy online here. If you buy your tickets from the ticket office PLEASE make sure you go to one of the electronic machines afterwards. These machines allow you to then book a time to enter the attractions, without a time you have to queue for hours. Booking a time at the machine allows you to skip the line at your scheduled time and costs NO extra. Unfortunately it seems a lot of people are unaware and spend hours waiting in line. Now cue the tourist photo’s…

Palazzo Vecchio and the surrounding square, Piazza della Signoria, was also beautiful and the Jan Fabre art exhibit of a man riding a giant golden turtle was something I particularly loved. Palazzo Vecchio was a medieval fortress that has been restored and allows visitors to climb Arnolfo’s tower and also see its museum. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the museum (and we probably wouldn’t have given it the attention it deserved) so just opted to climb the 416 steps of the tower (Tower only = €10/€8 students. Museum & Tower = €14 / €12 students). I really enjoyed this climb as it wasn’t quite as busy as the duomo and bell tower which made exploring the different levels more fun, I felt less pressured to return down to make room for more people.

One evening we decided to walk over to the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge, unfortunately all the shops on the bridge were closed, I think this may have been because we visited in August which is when a lot of Italians holiday for Ferragosto. At first we were a little disappointed (at this point it was still light), but once the darkness drew in the bridge really showcased its charm and beauty. The main picture below was taken from a little restaurant/cafe just over the bridge and on your first right turn – unfortunately I forgot the name! It had a small cosy terrace overlooking the bridge as offered stunning views…and obviously some delicious wine!

Palazzo Vecchio Cafe

Palazzo Vecchio before dark

Last but not least (as food and wine are involved) I thought I’d mention a couple of bars and restaurants we went to. The first night we got a bit peckish so went for a midnight feast at a Mexican called Tijuana on the same street as our hotel. Mexican in Italy – I know what you’re thinking! WHY? Well sometimes in Italy, you can get a bit pasta and pizza’d out (this coming from me who can never get enough pizza). We got the chicken fondue and it was AMAZING! We also had a margarita each and they were HUGE, any they definitely packed a punch.

Lastly, was this cute little bar we found whilst wandering home from Palazzo Vecchio, the decoration inside was so edgy – I just loved it and couldn’t resist giving it a mention.

Il Vinile – Cafe Art Bar

When in Rome…erm I mean Florence

I hope you enjoyed my whirlwind tour of Florence, if you have any questions about Florence or are thinking of heading there get in touch. Love…Jessica Ann xxx

Pit Stop in Pisa

August 19, 2016August 20, 2016 JessicaAnn16 Comments

This is my first travel post following my recent tour around Italy. My short tour of Italy began with what I can only describe as a pit stop in Pisa, mainly due to the fact I was unfortunately only there for around 16 hours before catching a train to Florence. The stay was short but sweet and I really enjoyed my quick tour of Pisa and of course its main attraction – The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

My flight landed pretty late at night and I caught a taxi from outside the airport to my hotel in the centre of Pisa, the taxi ride only took around ten minutes which was great but it did cost around €15. If it was daytime I may have jumped on a bus to save a few pennies.

The hotel I stayed was rated 3 star and named The Royal Victoria Hotel. I paid approximately £50 for 1 room and 2 guests. A buffet breakfast, wi-fi and and air-conditioning were all included in this price. The hotel was quaint with old fashioned architecture and marble floors which I loved, it had a very Italian feel. The room was quite basic and small, however we didn’t mind this as we were only there for one night. Despite being basic the room was quite charming, again with some old fashioned features as you can see in some pictures below (sorry they are a bit dark as I took them in the evening when we arrived). The hotel had a great location overlooking the river, one particular reason I chose this hotel was it close proximity to the leaning tower and also the train station for my train to Florence. It was central to both locations being a 10-15 minute walk to each.

Royal Victoria Hotel View and Room Features

Hotel View Morning

Royal Victoria Hotel Bedroom, Pisa

Hotel View Evening

Royal Victoria Hotel Bedroom, Pisa

The next morning we helped ourselves to the breakfast buffet which was pleasant and consisted of cereals, toast, ham, cheese, yoghurt and a selection of fruit. We then headed to the ‘square of miracles’, where the tower and other attractions are located.

The tower really is incredible to look at, how it is still standing I will never know! Not only can you just look at the tower, and get your ‘pushing the tower over’ photo, but you can also climb it. We booked online in advance which you can do up to 20 days in advance here. I recommend doing this as places are limited book and ticket queues on the day can be VERY long. Before queuing up outside the tower at your designated time, make sure to place your bags in the cloak room near the ticket office as no bags are allowed to be taken inside.

The views from the top of the tower were lovely, showcasing the Cathedral and the square. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of the view as I had left my camera bag in the cloak room. It was great fun climbing the tower as the stairs really sloped so it was an interesting experience. Although tickets are pretty ‘steep’ at €18 per person it’s still something that I’d thoroughly recommend.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Duomo

Tower and Duomo

The tower is not the only attraction to see in the square, there are 5 others! These include:

The Cathedral (duomo) – free entry.
The Baptistry (the small circular building)
The Camposanto (cemetery)
Museo dele Sinope
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

These sights can be visited on a combined ticket which can be purchased from the same website as for the tower tickets. You can also find further information on each of the attractions in the ‘square of miracles’ on this website. For €5, €7 or €8 per person you can visit 1, 2 or 3 of the attractions. Both museums were closed at the time of our visit, therefore, we opted for the €7 ticket and went inside the cathedral (free), Baptistry and Camposanto.

Baptistery and Camposanto Gardens

Baptistry

Camposanto Gardens

Camposanto Floor Tile

Once you’ve finished sight seeing, the lush grassy areas outside the attractions are perfect for a gelato and a spot of sunbathing. If you have any questions regarding Pisa please comment :)! Next stop Florence…

Tantastic…

August 17, 2016August 30, 2016 JessicaAnn16 Comments

I’m finally back from my Italy travels, unfortunately :(. But on a plus note I have so many blog posts planned that will keep me busy while I’m off for the summer. I thought I’d start with a quick one to showcase a super cute tan bikini from Serein Studios that I ordered online just before I went away. I’m pretty nervous for this post as you don’t often see pictures of me in a bikini but this bikini is too good not to share.

I hadn’t heard of the brand before until a friend posted a picture of this tan bikini on Instagram and I just had to have one too! All bikinis are made to order so take around 7-10 days to arrive. Mine came in 7 days and arrived in a cute plastic packaging, I was so pleased with it – the material is super soft and comfy. I’ll link the website below so you guys can check them out as there are 5 different colours available and also different styles of tops and briefs. Happy holiday shopping!