Europe Instagrammed

We are back! Two continents, five countries, five languages, eight seas, one ocean, 17 days, and a bajillion espressos all made up our trip of a lifetime.

Too many memories equals too many pictures equals instagram collages. Click on the photos to zoom.

(from left to right)

so excited to leave!/ the start of our 72 hour airport and airplane time/ the gorgeous view of the Swiss Alps from the plane/ Illy espresso on our Paris layover/ the view from our apartment in Venice/ the authentic apartment/ little Venetian bridges around every corner/ stylish Italian man- the street fashion in Venice was fantastic/ taking pictures at San Marco Square/ the quintessential pigeons/ bundled up/ canals and their picturesque boats/ our midnight walk to the Rialto bridge with gelato/ beautiful marble floors everywhere/ more canals- I wanted to take a picture of every. single. one./ who says American portions are super-sized? check out that calzone!/ more canals/ people were everywhere during the day/ getting ready to board the cruise/ the belltower in San Marco Square/ the posing husband/ St. Mark's basilica/ we found the best gelato in Venice according to Rick Steves/ a Venetian street- they are all so narrow!/ it's not every night you have a date in Venice with that hottie



Acropolis/ it's not every year your Christmas card picture is in front of the Parthenon/ the breath-taking view from the Acropolis/ the posing husband again/ Ephesus in ruins/ the gorgeous Ila Sofia in Istanbul- look at that sky!/ zebra-chev (i.e. zebra & chevron) in the Ila Sofia- this takes classic to a whole new level/ a Turkish rug weaving demonstration/ traditional Turkish coffee- an acquired taste to put it mildly/ the Turkish rugs I fell in love with until I realized they were 30k- "oh, we have to go now..."/ the stunning Amalfi Coast/ limoncello shots to combat motion sickness driving along that jagged coast line/ the weather was beautiful on the coast/ fresh picked lemons/ towns were stacked up the mountains on the coast/ cannolis- my midday snack/ Pompeii at sunset- I couldn't get over all the history/ peppers- the Italian viagra and they are proud of it/ Myconian sea/ Greek lamb mmm/ hand- pressed espresso/ Myconian coast/ Mykonos streets/ posing in front of the windmills- the trademark of Mykonos/ the Greek pour is to the brim (this was at the end of the meal)



Taking pictures on one of the many beaches in Mykonos & loving the warm weather/ check out those Ray-bans/ the sunset in Mykonos/ we rented a "quad" and drove around the island all day and finished by watching the sunset (top that date!)/ still in love/ a real pita/ the Colosseum- it didn't seem real/ stripes/ pistachio + caffe gelato= best combo/ wishing to come back to Rome at the Trevi fountain (the crowds were unreal)/ David in all his glory/ more espresso/ Ponte Vecchio over the brown, brown Amo River/ I was in gold platter heaven/ enjoying our daily wine and pizza/ Mr. Film/ the Pantheon/ more wine and pizza/ and another espresso (there's no caffeine limits when you're traveling)/ walking in the rain in Pisa/ he had to/ the Tower/ I had to/ Park Guell in Barcleona- beautiful/ check out the husband's improv airport bed making- he has skillz people



Florence in all her beauty/ the real deal Caprese salad/ olive tress in front of the Duomo/ Toulon, France/ still having fun/ chandelier in St. Mary's church in Toulon/ Tuscany is famous for their Chianti and I now know why/ Sagarada Familia- Gaudi is a mastermind (a church in a forest? brillant.)/ Hansel and Gretel inspired Gaudi to build this home in the Park Guell (making dreams come true)

There's our trip according to Instagram! I'll post a few more later, but for now that's all she wrote. Thanks again to the many guest bloggers who filled in for me while we were gone!! You are much appreciated.

If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to ask them in the comments below. I'm an open book!

xoxo Kelsey

Europe Instagrammed

We are back! Two continents, five countries, five languages, eight seas, one ocean, 17 days, and a bajillion espressos all made up our trip of a lifetime.

Too many memories equals too many pictures equals instagram collages. Click on the photos to zoom.

(from left to right)

so excited to leave!/ the start of our 72 hour airport and airplane time/ the gorgeous view of the Swiss Alps from the plane/ Illy espresso on our Paris layover/ the view from our apartment in Venice/ the authentic apartment/ little Venetian bridges around every corner/ stylish Italian man- the street fashion in Venice was fantastic/ taking pictures at San Marco Square/ the quintessential pigeons/ bundled up/ canals and their picturesque boats/ our midnight walk to the Rialto bridge with gelato/ beautiful marble floors everywhere/ more canals- I wanted to take a picture of every. single. one./ who says American portions are super-sized? check out that calzone!/ more canals/ people were everywhere during the day/ getting ready to board the cruise/ the belltower in San Marco Square/ the posing husband/ St. Mark's basilica/ we found the best gelato in Venice according to Rick Steves/ a Venetian street- they are all so narrow!/ it's not every night you have a date in Venice with that hottie



Acropolis/ it's not every year your Christmas card picture is in front of the Parthenon/ the breath-taking view from the Acropolis/ the posing husband again/ Ephesus in ruins/ the gorgeous Ila Sofia in Istanbul- look at that sky!/ zebra-chev (i.e. zebra & chevron) in the Ila Sofia- this takes classic to a whole new level/ a Turkish rug weaving demonstration/ traditional Turkish coffee- an acquired taste to put it mildly/ the Turkish rugs I fell in love with until I realized they were 30k- "oh, we have to go now..."/ the stunning Amalfi Coast/ limoncello shots to combat motion sickness driving along that jagged coast line/ the weather was beautiful on the coast/ fresh picked lemons/ towns were stacked up the mountains on the coast/ cannolis- my midday snack/ Pompeii at sunset- I couldn't get over all the history/ peppers- the Italian viagra and they are proud of it/ Myconian sea/ Greek lamb mmm/ hand- pressed espresso/ Myconian coast/ Mykonos streets/ posing in front of the windmills- the trademark of Mykonos/ the Greek pour is to the brim (this was at the end of the meal)



Taking pictures on one of the many beaches in Mykonos & loving the warm weather/ check out those Ray-bans/ the sunset in Mykonos/ we rented a "quad" and drove around the island all day and finished by watching the sunset (top that date!)/ still in love/ a real pita/ the Colosseum- it didn't seem real/ stripes/ pistachio + caffe gelato= best combo/ wishing to come back to Rome at the Trevi fountain (the crowds were unreal)/ David in all his glory/ more espresso/ Ponte Vecchio over the brown, brown Amo River/ I was in gold platter heaven/ enjoying our daily wine and pizza/ Mr. Film/ the Pantheon/ more wine and pizza/ and another espresso (there's no caffeine limits when you're traveling)/ walking in the rain in Pisa/ he had to/ the Tower/ I had to/ Park Guell in Barcleona- beautiful/ check out the husband's improv airport bed making- he has skillz people



Florence in all her beauty/ the real deal Caprese salad/ olive tress in front of the Duomo/ Toulon, France/ still having fun/ chandelier in St. Mary's church in Toulon/ Tuscany is famous for their Chianti and I now know why/ Sagarada Familia- Gaudi is a mastermind (a church in a forest? brillant.)/ Hansel and Gretel inspired Gaudi to build this home in the Park Guell (making dreams come true)

There's our trip according to Instagram! I'll post a few more later, but for now that's all she wrote. Thanks again to the many guest bloggers who filled in for me while we were gone!! You are much appreciated.

If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to ask them in the comments below. I'm an open book!

xoxo Kelsey

What to do in Venice

We had some friends over last night who are certified Italy experts. They gave us the low-down on the Venetian culture, what to expect and what to do. We will be spending two days in Venice on our own and then two more on the cruise. Only 16 more days to go!

Here are some of their "practical" tips:

1. Never pay more than 2 euros for gelato. It will be one of our food groups and there's no need to pay too much.

2. Bancomat = ATM. Just withdraw money from an ATM (the fee is usually around 2% depending on your bank). It is best to pay in cash for everything. They will laugh at you if you try to pay for your gelato or espresso with a credit card.

3. Don't tip unless you're feeling really, really, really nice. Your tip is included in the "service charge" or "pane e coperto."

4. Eat as much pizza as you can although it will probably be better in Rome.

5. Everyone goes to Venice (I thought we were more original than that...) and so the prices are higher. Just because a restaurant is more expensive, it doesn't mean it is nicer or has better food. It just means all the tourists goes there.

6. Take lots of pictures. They are guaranteed to be phenomenal because everything in Venice is stunning. (Maybe I can be a photographer...?)

7. Their number one piece of advice was to just get lost. Follow the winding streets and just see where you end up. That is exactly what I imagined doing. (I am too much of a romantic.)

[caption id="attachment_368" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Venetian side street[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_369" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Venetian side street[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_370" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Venetian residential canal[/caption]

In the entire city, there are only three signs. One to the train station, one to St.Mark's basilica, and one to the Grand Canal. That's it. This explains the "getting lost" mentality because it will happen whether you plan on it or not.

[caption id="attachment_372" align="aligncenter" width="554"] confusing Venetian signs[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="554"] St. Mark's Basilica[/caption]

It is called St. Mark's because the first temporary basilica was built with relics of St. Mark that were supposedly stolen from Alexandria. Then, when it was time for a more permanent structure, this basilica was built. It is known as the "church of gold" because of the gilded Byzantine mosaics.

The area around St. Mark's is called the "Piazza San Marco." It is filled with all sorts of up-scale shops.

The Grand Canal is one of the main waterways in Venice. You can travel by water bus (seen above), a private water taxi, or a gondola (what I am hoping to do!).

[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Grand Canal[/caption]

How romantic would this be? Maybe with some gelato?

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="553"] gondola in the Grand Canal[/caption]

The souvenior of choice from Venice is glass or a mask. You can take a ferry to Murano, the "glass island."

[caption id="attachment_376" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Murano[/caption]

Maybe we will pick up one of these? A focal point for our living room??

[caption id="attachment_377" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Murano glass[/caption]

And who knows, maybe it'll snow. I think all my Christmas dreams would be complete.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Venice snow[/caption]

xoxo Kelsey

 

What to do in Venice

We had some friends over last night who are certified Italy experts. They gave us the low-down on the Venetian culture, what to expect and what to do. We will be spending two days in Venice on our own and then two more on the cruise. Only 16 more days to go!

Here are some of their "practical" tips:

1. Never pay more than 2 euros for gelato. It will be one of our food groups and there's no need to pay too much.

2. Bancomat = ATM. Just withdraw money from an ATM (the fee is usually around 2% depending on your bank). It is best to pay in cash for everything. They will laugh at you if you try to pay for your gelato or espresso with a credit card.

3. Don't tip unless you're feeling really, really, really nice. Your tip is included in the "service charge" or "pane e coperto."

4. Eat as much pizza as you can although it will probably be better in Rome.

5. Everyone goes to Venice (I thought we were more original than that...) and so the prices are higher. Just because a restaurant is more expensive, it doesn't mean it is nicer or has better food. It just means all the tourists goes there.

6. Take lots of pictures. They are guaranteed to be phenomenal because everything in Venice is stunning. (Maybe I can be a photographer...?)

7. Their number one piece of advice was to just get lost. Follow the winding streets and just see where you end up. That is exactly what I imagined doing. (I am too much of a romantic.)

[caption id="attachment_368" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Venetian side street[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_369" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Venetian side street[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_370" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Venetian residential canal[/caption]

In the entire city, there are only three signs. One to the train station, one to St.Mark's basilica, and one to the Grand Canal. That's it. This explains the "getting lost" mentality because it will happen whether you plan on it or not.

[caption id="attachment_372" align="aligncenter" width="554"] confusing Venetian signs[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="554"] St. Mark's Basilica[/caption]

It is called St. Mark's because the first temporary basilica was built with relics of St. Mark that were supposedly stolen from Alexandria. Then, when it was time for a more permanent structure, this basilica was built. It is known as the "church of gold" because of the gilded Byzantine mosaics.

The area around St. Mark's is called the "Piazza San Marco." It is filled with all sorts of up-scale shops.

The Grand Canal is one of the main waterways in Venice. You can travel by water bus (seen above), a private water taxi, or a gondola (what I am hoping to do!).

[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Grand Canal[/caption]

How romantic would this be? Maybe with some gelato?

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="553"] gondola in the Grand Canal[/caption]

The souvenior of choice from Venice is glass or a mask. You can take a ferry to Murano, the "glass island."

[caption id="attachment_376" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Murano[/caption]

Maybe we will pick up one of these? A focal point for our living room??

[caption id="attachment_377" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Murano glass[/caption]

And who knows, maybe it'll snow. I think all my Christmas dreams would be complete.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Venice snow[/caption]

xoxo Kelsey

 

What we did in Portland

Schoolhoue Electric was off the beaten trail in this huge industrial building. This panorama shot (Jt's also loving the new iphone updates!) shows off how big it was. It even had a little cafe with seating and a floral shop inside. Exposed wood, brick, and light=perfection. They have remade depression era glass molds to create their unique collection of lighting and have now branched into home decor. The best way I can describe it is "color" married "simple" and had a Schoolhouse Electric baby. Does that make sense?



I am thinking kids' room here...



Not only was their lighting beautiful, but the light in the building was so pretty coming through the windows. This is an unedited shot.



I was attracted to the fuchsia wool-slipcover chair. See? Simple and color. They had these HUGE leather poufs. I had never seen them that big.





The darling floral shop. Plus, the lady working there looked like a Jcrew model.



We finally got to visit Salt & Straw, an ice cream shop known for their "unique" flavors. Bone marrow, brown butter popcorn with pink peppercorns, pear with blue cheese, amber malted plums... just to give you an idea. I went with honey lavandar and coffee bourbon. As you can see, this is a hoppin' place and the moment I finished my ice cream I wanted to go back. It was that good.



My cousin, Heather, and I posing for Jt.



Their menu display was a roll of brown paper that they wrote on. Genius.



I finally went to a Jonathan Adler store. I had to see the pieces on my wish list. They were just as beautiful in person and I left with twice as many pieces on my wish list. I did change my sofa of choice from the Templeton to the Topanga, but still in blue velvet.



Put a bird on it.



Me trying to fit in.



We got a chocolate coconut donut and an old-fashioned donut and they were delicious. We weren't quite brave enough to get Captain Crunch or Mango Tango. The best part was dunking it in Stumptown Coffee. I could get used to that every weekend.





We ordered Americanos. I was skeptical if Stumptown was as good as everyone says it is, and it really was. Soo smooth.



The art was just as good as the coffee. So big, colorful, and my favorite style of modern art. I think we are going to tackle one for our apartment.





 

xoxo Kelsey

What we did in Portland

Schoolhoue Electric was off the beaten trail in this huge industrial building. This panorama shot (Jt's also loving the new iphone updates!) shows off how big it was. It even had a little cafe with seating and a floral shop inside. Exposed wood, brick, and light=perfection. They have remade depression era glass molds to create their unique collection of lighting and have now branched into home decor. The best way I can describe it is "color" married "simple" and had a Schoolhouse Electric baby. Does that make sense?



I am thinking kids' room here...



Not only was their lighting beautiful, but the light in the building was so pretty coming through the windows. This is an unedited shot.



I was attracted to the fuchsia wool-slipcover chair. See? Simple and color. They had these HUGE leather poufs. I had never seen them that big.





The darling floral shop. Plus, the lady working there looked like a Jcrew model.



We finally got to visit Salt & Straw, an ice cream shop known for their "unique" flavors. Bone marrow, brown butter popcorn with pink peppercorns, pear with blue cheese, amber malted plums... just to give you an idea. I went with honey lavandar and coffee bourbon. As you can see, this is a hoppin' place and the moment I finished my ice cream I wanted to go back. It was that good.



My cousin, Heather, and I posing for Jt.



Their menu display was a roll of brown paper that they wrote on. Genius.



I finally went to a Jonathan Adler store. I had to see the pieces on my wish list. They were just as beautiful in person and I left with twice as many pieces on my wish list. I did change my sofa of choice from the Templeton to the Topanga, but still in blue velvet.



Put a bird on it.



Me trying to fit in.



We got a chocolate coconut donut and an old-fashioned donut and they were delicious. We weren't quite brave enough to get Captain Crunch or Mango Tango. The best part was dunking it in Stumptown Coffee. I could get used to that every weekend.





We ordered Americanos. I was skeptical if Stumptown was as good as everyone says it is, and it really was. Soo smooth.



The art was just as good as the coffee. So big, colorful, and my favorite style of modern art. I think we are going to tackle one for our apartment.





 

xoxo Kelsey