"Eat, Shop, F*ck" - My Trip to Italy - Part 2
Not suitable for my parents
Ok, let’s just get right back into it and pick up where I left off yesterday. Here is Part 2 of me pretending to be a travel blogger, and hoping someone will pay me the big bucks to do it as an actual career. If you missed yesterday’s Part 1 post, then read that first!
May 30 -
Day 5- Florence
Still absolutely in love with Florence. It’s magical.
This morning I found out that the place I saw yesterday with the beautiful flower arch is actually a really cool perfume place! I thought it was a hotel. But it’s actually the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica which is a 16th century pharmacy founded by Dominican friars. Florence was known for herbalists and this was for that. Now it sells perfumes, liqueurs, and other good smelling products. I’m a sucker for perfume and the products here were very good quality and quite beautiful. I was very impressed. I was so glad I stopped here. It was pretty and smelled good! Win win!
Then I had a pastry. Then I headed across the river for lunch at Trattoria 4 Leoni. The Tooch went there on his show, so I did too. It’s very busy there now that it’s been on his show. I couldn’t get a dinner reservation, so I just showed up right when they opened for lunch and I lucked out and got one of the very few unreserved tables. I had a delicious steak (nothing like free range, grass fed, European cows. The dairy and beef is always a million times better overseas). I also had a nice Chianti with it. I mean, I think it’s a crime to not drink wine in Tuscany.
After that, I made a VERY long journey to Piazzale Michelangelo. I walked. And I walked. And I walked. And I walked. Between my fatigue and shortness of breath, this one did me in. Especially under a hot sun. I got a bit sunburned. But, I loved being there! It was beautiful. There was a lovely bar right near the top where I took a much needed break and sat and rested and recouped with an aperol spritz while taking in the beautiful views and a nice breeze up there whilst sitting under an umbrella of course. I had a lovely talk with the couple sitting next to me. Their names were Ruth and Liz and they were from Manchester England. We talked for about an hour and it was lovely. I absolutely love meeting new ppl from around the world. And when I solo travel it feels so easy to do so. Cause I have no one else to talk to. Lol. They ended up buying my drink and were so sweet.
Then I headed up to very top level of the journey and took in the absolutely gorgeous views of all of Florence and the surrounding hills. The pics don’t do it justice. I also got to see a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David up there, and unlike all the Roman male statues, this penis was not covered with grape leaves. But, my favorite part was the high altitude panoramic view of the whole city. It reminded me of being up on the lookout at Sacrè-Coeur in Paris. Even though the walk over there and up there wore me out, I do really enjoy getting these kind of views on vacation. So it was worth it.
Then, I found a cab up there and took that home cause I was exhausted. I came home and fell asleep at like 5pm cause I was so wiped. I woke up at 9pm, but I’m hoping to get back to sleep soon.
As far as a date tonight with Franco, sorry to disappoint everyone, but we couldn’t make our schedules work for today and I leave tomorrow, and he actually ended up seeming like kind of a jerk, so I wasn’t too upset about it. Plus, I’m EXHAUSTED!!! Lol. I should have known I would jinx it if I posted about it beforehand. But don’t worry. I’ve had 3 dates in 4 days and still have 1.5 weeks to go! 95% of the guys here are hot, and my Bumble has been FULL of suitors. It’ll be fine! Let me tell ya, if you’re a chubby albino, you are these guy’s TYPE. American men do not appreciate a plus sized, pale, blonde the way these men do.
Off to Bologna tomorrow! I’ve got some Bologna guys on Bumble waiting in the wings, so stay tuned.
If you read this far, what do you think of the last picture? It has zero to do with this trip. But I thought it was funny and accurate.
Ciao
May 31 -
Day 6- Florence to Bologna
Oh hi guys. Me again.
I checked out of my Florence AirBnB today. Before I left town, I stopped at the Osteria La Scala restaurant and had white wine and burratta tortellini in truffle sauce with shaved truffles. It smelled like a used condom, but it tasted decent.
Then I got on the train and headed to Bologna. It was the shortest train ride I’ll do, clocking in at about 35 mins. I checked into my Airbnb, which is right by the town square (Piazza Maggiore). The host is a sweetheart, and this place is really nice. It’s on a very quiet street, but still a short walk from fun places. My Florence BnB was LOUD. So this will be nice and quiet. It’s also a really really nice modern house with better amenities than my other places. My room has an amazing AC, which isn’t a given in Europe. (My Rome place had one too. But my Florence one didn’t.). This AC is a nice, new, powerful one. So I’m freezing myself out and hoping I can store it in my body for the hot days out and about. This place also has a washing machine (which is also not a given) so I’m currently washing a bunch of underwear, and not a moment too soon. Thank God.
Then I went out for lunch and had some red wine and spaghetti bolognese, cause The Tooch told me that was a specialty in Bologna. It was alright. Again, I’m not a pasta person. So it’s a big deal that I’m trying all these pasta dishes. And if they aren’t blowing me away in Italy, then I can truly say I’m not a pasta person. So far, all the pasta I’ve tried has been fine, but none of it gets me salivating like some good sushi or fried chicken. Nonetheless, I’m proud of myself for trying them all. Also, todays lunch made me very gassy, for what it’s worth.
Then gelato. Then walking around exploring the streets, buildings, statues, and ppl watching. Did you know Bologna also has its own leaning tower? It’s not just Pisa that has one. There’s one here too. I got a picture of it. I also got a pic of a statues butt. I’m committed to bringing more butts to your timeline. I also came upon a group of people that I took a video of cause they seemed like locals and not tourists, but like they all had a purpose for gathering there, they were all speaking Italian, and they were all just so happy to see each other and talk to each other and it was a really nice vibe.
Speaking of vibes, I’m not sure what my thoughts are on Bologna yet. I have a couple of first impressions, but it’s too soon to tell. So after exploring tomorrow, I’ll get back to you.
Lastly, I ate a big plate of meat for dinner. I came to this city to eat meat, and by God that’s what I’m going to do. It was delicious.
If you read this far, tell me what your all-time favorite brand and flavor of chips is. The reason I ask is cause they have different flavors of Pringle’s here than they do in the US. They have one called “ketchup”. Which seems weird to me.
Ciao!
June 1 -
Bologna- Day ??? I don’t remember. Am I on 7? 8? Not sure. Too lazy to look.
I’m definitely feeling the exhaustion. So I’m trying to really pace myself and not overdo it. The heat/humidity isn’t helping. As such, today I decided not to wear make up. That saved me some time and felt better in the heat. Win win.
Then I saw the first graffiti I’ve seen in English. “Fuck”. I dig it. Then saw a second one in English. “Lady Gaga was here” with an x through it. Well, was she or wasn’t she??! I’ll never know.
I walked through Centro Storrico and looked at some shops. Didn’t see anything I was too blown away by shopping-wise there, but it was lively.
Then headed to one of The Tooch’s recommendations, Salumeria Simoni. This deli did not disappoint! First off, it brought me to this GORGEOUS street I took a video of. Flower shops, fruit stands, delis, bakeries, restaurants, and loads of other things. It was just such a cute pleasant street with a nice relaxed but fun vibe. The rest of the city did not have the vibe this street did. It was my favorite place here. I grabbed prosciutto, olives, and burrata cheese at the deli. Then I took it to a bar and ordered a wine and an aperol spritz and ate all that for breakfast! Good lord the prosciutto and burrata were GOOD!! An accordion player walked by while I was eating it. Am I in a movie? Are you guys Truman Showing me?
Then I went to the bakery and got a Bologna rice cake, which they said was a specialty. It was yum!
Then I went to a produce stand and got some strawberries and tomatoes and ate some while I walked. I basically just walked and snacked all morning.
At this point, had walked A LOT, so I stopped at another bar, had another aperol spritz, and ate some of my fruit while I rested.
Then I explored Ghetto Ebraico a bit. It had a cool hipster vibe. There were some fun vintage stores. Just looked. Nothing struck my fancy for purchase. But I did come across this Chicago Bulls hat. Guess Chicago follows me wherever I go!
At this point I was EXHAUSTED and HOT! So I went home for a mid day break and relaxed for a few hours.
Then I put on a pretty Gucci-inspired dress and did my make up and went to my 7:30 dinner reservation at Trattoria Anna Maria. A Timeout article told me about this one. It said it has some of the best tagliatelle al ragu (spaghetti bolognese) in the city, it’s been around over 30 years, and loads of famous Italians have eaten there. So I checked it out and it did not disappoint. The tagliatelle ragu was the best I’ve ever had, and it was the first pasta dish I’ve had here that I really loved. I liked the others ok, but I loved this. For dessert I had the panna cotta and holy moly it was incredible! I’m obsessed with flan and crème brûlée and this was just the Italian version of that.
Then I made the super long walk home.
As for the vibe here. I like it but I don’t love it. I came here specifically for the meat though, and that was great! lol. As for the city itself, it was cute, but doesn’t hold a candle to Florence. It’s a university town, so it’s mostly pretty young. The vibe was chill, but also a party too. Cause- college kids. Felt a little immature. I was also kind of getting a stuck-up vibe in general. Especially with the men I connected with on Bumble. Of course it’s hard to say after only 1.5 days, but that’s just the vibe I got. I will say all of the service industry ppl I came in contact with were very nice. It was Bumble guys, patrons, and ppl on the street that gave me the immature and stuck up vibe.
There was, however, one guy I talked to who was MEGA sweet and wanted to go out on a date tonight. Sadly, though, I ended up not being able to go out with him cause I’m just really getting fatigued and exhausted and have another week and 3 more cities to go. So I just have to prioritize my self-care. I was really sad I couldn’t meet up with him cause he was so cute and sweet and very kind about me not feeling well. He even offered to take me to breakfast tomorrow before I leave. But, sadly, I’m just not going to have time. While I’m truly sad I can’t meet up with him, it has been nice to have a handful of handsome Italian men after me! They appreciate me way more than stupid American boys.
Off to Venice tomorrow. If you read this far, tell me your favorite pasta dish.
Ciao!
June 2 -
Day 8 (I think) Bologna to Venice
This place is magical, and I probably cried 17x today out of happiness and just heavy emotion. It’s just so beautiful here. I can’t fully express it. But I’ll try.
The air smells of spring flowers, the breeze is nonstop and refreshing, the birds are chirping, people are very pleasant and relaxed and chill and friendly, the waves are lapping and flapping against the concrete, and it just feels good. Major positive vibes.
I took the train. Upon arriving at the train station the porters were trying to get tourists to book them to transport our luggage. At first I ignored them cause I’m used to ppl trying to scam tourists. It was only an 8 min walk. I could do it. WRONG!!! Lol. I got to the first staircase bridge and my luggage has gotten HEAVY as time has gone on. (Buying gifts for some of you dummies). And I got up a few steps and it was just NOT happening. My fatigue and heavy breathing is awful today. You can tell because my face is more swollen than other days (it balloons up when my symptoms are acting up), and you can hear my out of breathness in the videos where I talk. Even laying in bed now I’m breathing heavy.
So anyways, I wasn’t gonna make it up these steps. Let alone the rest of the way. Just at that moment, a porter came along and I booked their service after all. They carted all my luggage to my Airbnb, as you see in the video. Worth every penny. Highly recommend.
Got to my Airbnb. I’m staying at an actual BnB that serves breakfast in the morning and has several rental units here. I’m in an adorable loft room. Watch the video for my commentary about this room and my height, the steps, etc. I don’t want to type it all out. It’s in the video. Lol. The bathroom is TINY, but super modern. My legs touch the wall when I sit on the toilet. There is a cute skylight in my room, and an awesome AC!! When I got here I just blasted the AC and stripped down and just vegged out for like 3 hours.
I also cried. I cried because it’s really beautiful here, I’m so grateful to finally be on this trip I’ve tried to go on for 21 years, and because I’m so proud of myself for doing all this on my own. Today would have been my 15th wedding anniversary. One of the many empty promises was a trip to Venice that never happened. It’s fitting I arrived here on the anniversary. I also booked this trip one year ago today. It’s a complicated day for me emotionally. I can’t say that being here alone today is easy, that is complicated too. But, I’m doing it, and I’ve overcome so much, and I’m just proud of myself.
After resting, I made my way out to dinner. UMMMMM HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Ok, this is my type of food. You can have the pasta. I’ll have the risotto and seafood all day err day. The Tooch told me Venice is known for cuttlefish, so I got cuttlefish risotto. It’s black cause of the ink from the cuttlefish. So damn good. I’m so happy to be in a place with different seafood. That’s the kind of food I like to eat. I finished it up with a tiramisu that was so good that you probably heard me mmmmmmmmm all the way back home. I also coughed eating it, and that made me think of Michael Scott eating tiramisu. IYKYK
While out to dinner, I looked up and almost shit my pants. I saw a short, chic, bald guy with round black glasses that looked and dressed just like The Tooch!!!!! Upon second glance, it was not him.
Then, I walked around. Getting lost in these curvy streets is magical. You turn a corner, and it’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. You turn the next corner and it’s a PARTY!!
Then, I took a gondola ride. I’m not gonna lie, I felt so weird doing this by myself at first. I’m typically ok doing things by myself, but something romantic like this on my wedding anniversary. That was a bit tough. But I did it, and I absolutely loved it. I’m so glad I did it. He said I caught it at the perfect time cause it was not at all crowded and it was quiet. That’s because it’s a holiday today, and so it was busy this afternoon, but not in the evening. I took several videos. Including one with a guy feeding birds out his window. I FEEL LIKE IM IN A MOVIE HERE!
Knock on wood, don’t jinx it, I have a date lined up for tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
If you read this far, ask me a question about the trip so far. Anything you want!
Ciao!
Part 3 tomorrow!