Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Oct30

Lil Red’s Book Club: One By One By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: One By One By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing a super short and sweet thriller by Freida McFadden called One By One. This book was just under two hundred and sixty pages and I finished it in one day! It was definitely hard to put down as One By One was a full fledged whodoneit and I loves me a twisty murder mystery. Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on One By One for child abuse, suicide, and graphic violence. You ready? Let’s get to it:

Claire and Noah have been married since they graduated college and were once the textbook definition of a happy couple. They each have jobs they love, two beautiful children, and a wonderful home. Then, somewhere along the way, their relationship began to falter and Claire is convinced that both of them hate each other. Between their growing animosity and Noah’s constant hurtful comments, it made it very easy for Claire to begin an affair with Noah’s best friend, Jack. In fact, it was a welcome reprieve and Claire plans to tell Noah all about it… After their friend group vacation, that is.

For one full week, Claire and Noah, Jack and his wife Michelle, and Claire’s best friend Lindsay and her new boyfriend will be enjoying a stay at a cozy inn in the woods. There will be hiking, hunting, fishing, and lots of relaxing in the hot tub and Claire can’t wait. She needs a getaway, wants some steamy alone time with her fling, and is eager to end things with Noah. It’s only a four hour drive to the inn and the group piles into Claire’s mini van to hit the road. After a few stops and a crazy awkward car ride, they are close to their destination when the battery to Claire’s car dies.

According to the map, they are close to the inn and have no signal to call for help with the car. So, the friends decide to ditch the van and hoof it to the inn. Lindsay’s boyfriend handles reading the map, Jack navigates with his compass, and soon they are all happily chatting about hitting the Jacuzzi as soon as they arrive. Although the walk in the woods is strenuous, the group has been at it for hours and know that they should have made it to the inn in a shorter period of time. And it’s also starting to get dark.

Rather than wander around in the pitch black, everyone agrees to set up camp for the night and start fresh in the morning. Sleep doesn’t come easy and Claire cannot shake the feeling of being hunted by something or someone. She can hear wolves or coyotes howling and has seen multiple deep gashes from claws on trees. If they don’t make it to civilization soon, she fears that some of them won’t make it home alive. There is danger close by but who or what is it? And will the vacationers survive to tell the tale? Read One By One to find out!

One By One was a lighting fast read and was quite enjoyable! It wasn’t the best Freida McFadden I have read but I liked the plot well enough and appreciated a few of the twists that I didn’t see coming. This was your classic “lost in the woods” trope and McFadden was able to put her own twist on it to make it feel somewhat fresh but overall very exciting. When the setting is in the woods, there is danger lurking at every turn. It could be from the elements, animals, or the very people you are with and McFadden locked into that paranoia to leave the reader questioning every little thing that went bump in the night.

While some members in our cast of characters left a lot to be desired *Cough* Warner (Lindsay’s boyfriend) sucks *Cough*, I did like Claire as the leading lady. Despite her transgressions, no one can say that she didn’t try to make it work with her husband and even the characters in the book couldn’t fault her for cheating. Her moments of weakness were made up for by terrific feats of strength that she didn’t even know she possessed and it was hard not to root for her. As their days in the woods continued, her primary thoughts were always on her children and I just had to finish it to see if her ending would be a happy one!

Overall, I am going to rate One By One with a six out of ten stars. If you are looking for a pretty good read that you can easily finish in one sitting, then go for it! If you aren’t interested in a stuck in the woods scenario, then don’t go for it lol!

What is your favorite Freida McFadden book? Do you like murder mysteries? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Fabulous Florence

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Fabulous Florence

Hello!! We spent about a day and a half in Florence during our Italy adventure through AAA and Collette and our full day there was a busy but amazing one!! We spent the entire day immersed in activities from a guided walking tour of the city to an after hours stop at a fourteenth century Certosa monastery and an excellent Tuscan feast to wrap up the night. Our meal was complete with opera singing and dancing and cutting a rug on the dance floor with my family was one of my favorite memories of the trip! Let’s discuss:

Our walking tour was a fascinating trip through Florence exploring all of the marvels that the city holds. We enjoyed sights of the Duomo, the Baptistery, the Palazzo Vecchio, and the Piazza della Signoria. The Piazza della Signoria was, easily, the best part of this tour for me and I could have stood there for hours taking the magnificent church in and it still wouldn’t have felt like enough. It was breathtaking! An ultra cool part of the tour was seeing “wine windows” which were used WAY back in the day and were brought back during the Covid pandemic. There was nothing better than getting a cool glass of wine directly through a window and sipping as we stepped through the city!

Once our tour was complete, we spent an hour or so shopping around and then went to the hotel to freshen up before an after hours tour of a monastery. Our guide for the tour was named Andrea and he took us through the monastery with such care and a delightful enthusiasm. We even got to go into one of the apartments that served as a home for the monks who lived there. It was awesome and I was overjoyed with the handful of picturesque shots I got:

Little did we know after our tour, that Andrea would be joining us at a restaurant a short drive away for the Tuscan feast. In fact, he was the star of the show! Throughout our multi course meal, Andrea treated all of us to the most beautiful opera music as he is a celebrated singer. And, in between courses, we got to join him on the dance floor to boogie to old and new favorites. Andrea was a hit with all of the ladies on the tour but especially my mom lol she totally had a crush and it was so funny! Heck, if we’re all being honest, I definitely had a crush too!! I’m not sure what the best part of this night was – the company or the food:

My vegetarian meal began with a spread of mushrooms and olives on Tuscan bread and a Caprese salad. I freaking loved the bread spread and actually had this several times during the trip. The mushroom spread was rich and creamy and the olive spread was bold, flavorful, and salty. So, so good! The next course was a dish of pasta and eggplant which was like heaven with every bite. The sauce was bursting with sweet tomato and the smokey eggplant pairing was sheer perfection. I wasn’t crazy about the following dish was an egg souffle thing but I was all about that dessert which tasted like Neapolitan ice cream in cake form. I think I could have had several more pieces of that!

After our Tuscan feast was complete, we took it to the dance floor for the rest of the evening before it was time to head back. A winery tour and arriving in Venice was next on our agenda and we all needed our beauty sleep!

What is your favorite Italian dish? What is your favorite travel activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

If The Shoe Fits: Miss Left Platforms Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Miss Left Platforms Edition

Hi!! Our Italy content has been postponed today because: HURRAY! The platforms I ordered for my Mrs. Lovett Halloween costume finally arrived! AND they fit! This was the third pair I had to exchange to get the sizing right and I couldn’t have been happier when they fit like a glove. These platforms are absolutely perfect for my costume and honestly every day wear too. You all know I love my huge platforms with spooky vibes! Take a look and then we’ll discuss the sizing fiasco that had me genuinely concerned that I would be going shoeless for Halloween:

Shoes are one of my favorite things to purchase because no matter what, I know my size. I am a true size six and if the shoes I am trying on are too, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t fit. Until these Miss Left platforms. Little did I know when I ordered these shoes that they were actually Chinese sizes. When they were delivered and I eagerly tried them on, I was so disappointed because they were HUGE. They fit more like a size eight than a six and it was a hazard even attempting to walk in them. Based on the measurements listed on the size chart, I exchanged the size six for a size five and couldn’t wait for them to get here because surely they would work, right?

WRONG! The smaller size was still way too big and I was at a loss, so I contacted the company and they were wonderful. They let me keep the too big shoes and requested that I send my foot measurements for a new pair. From my measurements, they informed me that they were sending a size four and all that was left to do was cross my fingers and toes and wait. The original shipping information said that my package would arrive on October 26th. However, they were shipping from China and I was concerned that delays might happen. Blessedly, that was not the case and they were delivered on the 22nd, well ahead of time.

I have to admit that I was nervous about these shoes not fitting because I would have had to throw my hands in the air and pivot. That would have been a huge bummer because I couldn’t imagine my costume without these platforms! I am pleased to report that the size four did the trick and now I know what size I am if I ever order shoes from China again. I am so appreciative to the employees at Miss Left for helping me solve the problem of the not fitting shoes because they were incredibly helpful and kind. And, thanks to them, my costume will be exactly what I pictured. I can’t wait for you all to see it!

Costume? Check. Platforms? Check. Accessories? Double check! I am SO amped for mine and Johnny’s Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett costumes!

What are you being for Halloween? What was your favorite Halloween costume you have used recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct27

Italy Adventure: Cortona & Florence

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Italy Adventure: Cortona & Florence

Hello! After an afternoon in Assisi and an evening in Perugia, it was off to Cortona and Florence on our Italy Adventure. We enjoyed a scenic drive through Tuscany to reach Cortona and after our time there, we had the evening in Florence all to ourselves. It was one of my favorite nights of the entire trip because Johnny took me on a fabulous date night. We may not have been able to find the restaurant we originally had in mind but stumbled into a perfect Plan B and it was just the best. Compared to most of the days on our tour through AAA and Collette, this was one of the most leisurely ones and it was so lovely to amble and explore at a less extreme pace with no set plans but sightseeing. Here are some of the highlights of Cortona:

After our tour bus dropped us off in Cortona we had about two hours to take in the sights, pop into quaint little stores, and have a snack or coffee. We spent some time browsing with the rest of my family and then Johnny and I took it to the streets to take in the rest of the city. This was an especially pleasant jaunt as a musician was playing accordion music on the street and it felt like being in a movie! We went through Cortona with nothing in mind and it was so liberating to simply walk and do our own thing. Not to say that it wasn’t a joy being with our group, but it was nice to separate ourselves for a bit and fly solo. By the time it was time to get back on the bus, Johnny and I were able to see a lot of the city and then it was on to Florence.

Of course, before arriving at our hotel in Florence, we just had to stop and see the replica of David by Michelangelo. We didn’t have the opportunity to see the real thing as a group and that was okay! The replica is glorious too:

Post pit stop for the replica of David, it was off to our hotel and then the evening was all ours! I was beyond excited because Johnny proposed a date night and the rare free evening allowed us to do so. Johnny and I stepped into our night on the town with a restaurant in mind. However, it is really hard to get around a city you don’t know without cellular data! Johnny and I tried to follow a map and we couldn’t find this place to save our own lives. It was honestly really frustrating because I just wanted to eat and not walk for a while lol. Eventually, we realized our Plan A was a lost cause and went into the first restaurant that had plenty of vegetarian options listed on their outdoor menu.

As far as we were concerned, Plan A was for the birds and Plan B at Ristorante Pizzeria Trattoria was where it’s at! Johnny and I both ordered the Cacio e Pepe and we got a bottle of bubbly for the table. Our servers were wonderful, the food arrived quickly, and it was absolutely delicious! I am one of those people that has a hard time pivoting from plans and Johnny is super go with the flow. My original frustration of being lost melted away as we laughed and chatted at our table and it was a firm reminder that sometimes I need to lighten up to keep making the best of inconvenient situations. This was a prime example and I tried to employ Johnny’s laid back attitude for the rest of the trip. Especially when memories like these were made:

This chill time in Cortona and Florence was exactly what we needed before a jam packed day. Our full day in Florence that followed was incredibly busy but one of the best, as all of my family agreed. Stay tuned to read all about it!

Do you like to try a lot of new foods on vacation? What kind of restaurants do you like to visit when you are traveling? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct26

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Coworker By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Coworker By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! We will return to Italy tomorrow. 🙂 In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a pretty good thriller by Freida McFadden called The Coworker. Was this the best McFadden book I read? Not by a long shot. However, The Coworker certainly kept me turning the pages and I finished it in one day! Unputdownable? Yes. Perfectly average? Also yes! Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Coworker for bullying, self harm, and suicide. You ready? Let’s get to it:

Natalie is thirty years old and has everything going for her. She’s young, drop dead gorgeous, and is the top salesperson at her job as a sales rep for a supplement company. She’s the kind of woman that other girls want to be and who guys want to be with. That’s not to say that she doesn’t have her flaws, of course. Behind her sweet smile lurks a mean streak that has been present since she was a child. Now, Natalie just knows how to cover it up better but will always find joy in targeting the weak link.

Dawn is new to the company and works as an accountant in the cubicle beside Natalie. Dawn falls somewhere on the spectrum, is homely in appearance, and finds conversation difficult if the topic isn’t turtles. She’s desperate for friends as she only has one and she lives across the country. Dawn thinks Natalie would be the perfect person to have the occasional lunch or coffee with and does her best to get her glamorous coworker to like her. All of her efforts make her the butt of the joke but Dawn has something that will definitely get Natalie’s attention.

Dawn has a matter that she must discuss with Natalie and their boss urgently but fails to show up to work the following day. Natalie finds this strange as you can tell time based on Dawn’s schedule: She arrives early, uses the bathroom at a certain time, eats lunch at the same time every day, and so on, and so forth. Natalie might not like her coworker but she is worried and decides to stop by Dawn’s home to check in on her. There is no answer at the door so Natalie lets herself in and is greeted by a pool of blood on the carpet.

Natalie’s coworker is nowhere to be found but the blood points to murder or at the very least foul play. And who is at the center of the investigation? Natalie. Her concern over her coworker could be a cover up and the cops aren’t buying her good girl persona. Natalie knows she did nothing to Dawn but all of the evidence points otherwise and jail seems inevitable. Little does Natalie know, there is something tying her and Dawn together but the question is what? And will Natalie figure it out before she lands herself in jail for life? Read The Coworker to find out!

I can’t say too much in my personal thoughts as I don’t want to ruin the grand reveal. What I will say, is that I figured it out quickly and I think you will too if you read it. And, when you do, I’m sure your thoughts will be something along the lines of “good for her” lol. The Coworker was a classic case of a chronic mean girl getting a taste of her own medicine and it was delicious but all very sad. Dawn had her quirks, as we all do, but Natalie and the other coworkers alike made her into a laughing stock and it was hard to read the particularly cruel parts of their torment. This could be very triggering for anyone who has experienced a similar situation so read with caution.

What I did like about this book is that it left you questioning who the real villain was and gave a lot of thought to chew on. Natalie was forthright about being a generally awful person but for other characters, it wasn’t as transparent. This made the reveals still shocking even if they were somewhat predictable. One of Freida McFadden’s gifts as a writer is to lure her readers into a false sense of security by thinking they know it all already. Then, she expertly turns everything you thought you knew on its head. If you don’t enjoy playing amateur detective, I think you will be shook. If you figured out the twist, you will still enjoy the read but find it slightly above average like I did!

Overall, I am going to rate The Coworker with a six out of ten stars. This was a classic McFadden thriller through and through and, although predictable, it was still a fun and fast read!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

Perugia Purchases

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Perugia Purchases

Hi! As exciting as the premise of shopping in Italy was, it was quite difficult to find stores with prices that I was comfortable paying. You all know that I am a TJMaxx girl through and through so paying full price for anything is always a shock to the system! It was definitely fun to see the high end stores but it was even more fun to be in stores where I could afford something, like the ones in Perugia. Although there were stores there that sold clothing for the price of a used car, there were also several places that didn’t make me feel like I wanted to die when I swiped my credit card! Two of which were Studded and TipTap (The cutest name for a shoe store!) where I made my purchases from. Check it out:

Studded was a fabulous find in Perugia with Zara prices and a lot of one size fits all clothing in classic shapes, colors, and patterns. As soon as I looked at one of the price tags, I knew I could hang out there for a while and tried on a handful of different clothes. Some of them were pretty but not my style in the slightest. The only thing that really moved me was the button up that you see above. This one size fits all masterpiece was the first item I grabbed off the racks and was the one that came home with me. I just love that rich green and pale pink and it almost looks like watercolor flowers. The material is so soft but it’s thin and lightweight which will make it an ideal layering item under a cozy cardigan this fall.

After Studded, I found a glorious shoe store called TipTap that was right around the corner and, blessedly, their shoes featured what I would consider to be TJMaxx prices. Both of these boots were only thirty euros apiece! My shoe situation coming into Italy had dwindled because I literally had to throw some out after the wear and tear of all of the walking for the day. Little did I know that tossing those items made room for more shoes lol! My two new pairs of heeled boots were both on the markdown shelf and in my exact size. It was a positive sign to buy them both!

I absolutely love a “cuffed” boot like the first pair and actually saw something similar in a shop window that was WAY more expensive. These boots were the perfect substitute for a style I covet but have never had for myself. And, don’t even get me started on that zip up pair with the metal toes because holy WOW! Those pointed toes are everything and the metal embellishment adds such a unique and edgy pop. I have never seen a pair of boots like those before and would have deeply regretted not buying them. You already know that I am a self proclaimed “shoe whore” and I am beyond thrilled to have two new pairs fresh from Perugia!

I cannot wait to style fall OOTDs with these amazing new finds and also I am never going to be over the store name TipTap!

What do you like to buy for yourself on vacation? Which vacation location had the best shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Passing Time In Perugia

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Passing Time In Perugia

Hi there! After parting from Rome on our Italian vacation through AAA and Collette, the next cities we visited were Assisi and Perugia. It was a jam packed day of sightseeing and after we made our rounds in Assisi, we took a forty or so minute bus ride right to our hotel in Perugia. Our evening was ours to spend however we pleased and I think we were all looking forward to an individual night on the town. We spent our time in Perugia riding escalators in a medieval castle, shopping till we dropped (Peep my purchases tomorrow), and having a terrible meal at our hotel lol. Let’s discuss:

Our hotel was located on the outskirts of Perugia and there is only one way to get to the city center: The escalator castle! When our beloved tour guide, Savio, was describing the medieval castle with three or four escalators inside, it was genuinely hard to imagine. All of that technology in a location that has been around for centuries! In fact, it was still hard to believe even when we were climbing the escalators to be deposited in the city center. I must admit that the process to get to the heart of Perugia was a bit treacherous. The floors sloped at insane angles, the brick and cobblestone was uneven, and it kind of felt like a recipe for disaster. The name of the game was to tread carefully and while I enjoyed the experience, I was ready to get out into the open air!

Despite the semi scary mode of transport to get into the city center, I look back on my evening in Perugia most fondly. Any guesses why? The shopping, of course! As to be expected, high end stores in Italy are a dime a dozen. And, while Perugia did have some fancy stores, there were also plenty of reasonable ones to browse. I found a fabulous store called Studded that had Zara prices as well as a shoe store called TipTap where I walked away with two gorgeous new pairs of heeled boots. I was in heaven and can’t wait to show you my wearable souvenirs tomorrow! 😀

By the time we were through with our shopping, we were famished. We had plans for dinner at a restaurant in mind but couldn’t find it and opted for a meal at our hotel, instead. We returned the way we came, through escalator castle, and got back to the Sangallo Palace Hotel with bags in tow and ready to eat! All I can say is, I really wish we would have found the restaurant we originally planned on lol. This hotel meal was one of the worst I had on vacation. There was hair in the bread, my meal was freezing cold, and the waitstaff were all really rude. I was SO hungry that I finished my cold meal but felt like I needed a cup of coffee after to warm up. The glass of Prosecco only helped slightly smh.

Stop by tomorrow for my Perugia purchases! And just an FYI, I will be doing hotel reviews too so keep your eyes peeled!

Is it hard for you to find your way around in a new city? Have you had a restaurant meal recently that left a lot to be desired? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

Afternoon In Assisi

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Afternoon In Assisi

Ciao everyone and welcome to the next installment of my Italian adventure through AAA and Collette! After two amazing days in Rome, it was off to our next stops which was Assisi by day and Perugia by night. This was a bit of a hectic day to make the most of the two cities with the limited time that we had but it was actually one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. Assisi was absolutely gorgeous and I spent the night shopping till I dropped in Perugia. More on that later! For now, let’s chat about how we spent our Afternoon In Assisi:

As soon as we stepped foot in Assisi we were whisked off with a local tour guide to explore the Basilica of St. Francis. Although I am not religious, I was very excited for this tour as St. Francis is incredibly special to my family – my parents especially. I knew that this was an important stop for them and I was so happy to have been a part of it. The tour of the Basilica was just as beautiful as it was informative and the piece de resistance was visiting the tomb of St. Francis. Religious or no, I think everyone felt something when they entered the tomb. Your resident atheist and agnostic, me and Johnny, most certainly did and it was a remarkable experience. Photos aren’t allowed in many of the churches in Italy so you will just have to travel to Assisi to see the inside of the Basilica for yourself!

After our tour of the Basilica of St. Francis, we were famished for lunch and had a delightful meal at a quaint little restaurant called Wine Assisi. I, of course, had my mid afternoon libation – a glass of Prosecco and enjoyed a delicious “pizza sandwich” made with cheese and black truffles. It was DIVINE and the perfect option for lunch as it made me full without feeling stuffed. The cheese was so soft and melty and was unbelievable paired with the truffles. Take a look:

When our yummy lunch was done, we had an hour and a half or so to explore Assisi before we hopped back on the bus to head to Perugia. Johnny and I had such a lovely time ambling the streets with nowhere to go and popping in and out of shops as we pleased. Assisi was such a scenic little city and it felt like walking through history with each step. Even more so thanks to the knowledge we were armed with compliments of our local tour guide and tour manager. As we walked through Assisi, I also walked away with a few treats for myself. The stunning scarf from yesterday’s post as well as these charming salt and pepper shakers. I saw them in a shop window and they had to come home with me:

After our shopping and lots of walking, Johnny and I rewarded ourselves with a mid afternoon libation before it was time to head to Perugia. I also just had to snap this pic because hot dogs are Johnny’s fave lol – he has one tattooed which tells you all you need to know!

^^^ Lolololol I can’t!

I am so excited to talk about Perugia tomorrow so be sure to tune in. It was a MAJOR highlight of this tour!

What kind of souvenirs do you have from your travels? Will you be going on a vacation in the future? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

Golf Cart Tour Of Rome

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Golf Cart Tour Of Rome

Hi! As you saw in yesterday’s post, our day in Rome continued after the tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica with a golf cart tour of Rome. In our tour’s itinerary, the evening was ours to do whatever our heart’s desired. You could fly solo or go out to dinner with the tour group. As we were prepping for the trip, my dad thought a golf cart tour would be fun and allow us to see all of the different landmarks in person as opposed to on the bus. We are all so glad he came up with this idea because it was SO much fun and the perfect way to see Rome! Check it out:

Our golf cart tour guide, Alessio, picked us up from our hotel promptly at five in the evening for a three hour tour of Rome. Johnny and I opted to sit in the backseat of the golf cart so we could face traffic and wave at everyone! As soon as we were buckled in, we hit the road and it was so crazy! I feel like there are no traffic rules when you drive in Rome and everyone just kind of does what they feel like lol. Our driver took us around with expert care but when we would go fast it was almost like being on a rollarcoaster! All we could do was put our hands up and enjoy the ride and we sure did. It was just really nice to do something on our own away from the group and it was so wonderful to take in the sights firsthand with the wind in our hair.

The first stop on the tour was the Colosseum and that was simply spectacular. We had seen it from the bus already but that is nothing like being outside and seeing it right before your very eyes. We spent some time taking pictures and marveling at such an incredible piece of history and then we stopped in a cute cafe for some gelato before we zipped over to the Trevi Fountain. This was my first taste of Italian gelato and the vanilla did not disappoint. It was so rich and vanilla-y and I couldn’t eat another bite by the time I was halfway done. How fabulous to see the Colosseum and have a little treat afterwards! 😀

The Trevi Fountain was our next stop and my favorite landmark of the night. I was expecting its location to be more pronounced like the Colosseum but the fountain actually emerged in the middle of a block filled with shopping. It was so random to see it in all of its glory in what felt like the middle of nothing! I don’t know if this is bad or not so you tell me but I had no idea what the Trevi Fountain looked like until that moment. I’m glad I didn’t, though, because it was even better than I could have imagined and I just wanted to dive right into the cool blue water!

After the fountain we made a few more stops at scenic areas for photo ops and ended at the Pantheon. By the time we got there, it was getting dark and it was beautiful to see the Pantheon all lit up. It wasn’t all beauty because someone in the square definitely got pick-pocketed – we could hear them yell “STOP! THIEF!” but when in Rome, I guess lol? Once we walked the space and took some pics, it was time to start heading back to the hotel and our tour guide recommended an excellent spot nearby to stop for dinner. We all could have used some real food after the gelato!

Alessio got us reservations at Terme Di Diocleziano and his recommendation was spot on. In fact, we all agreed that this was the best pizza we had in Italy, period. We got a veggie pizza, a spicy salami one for the non vegetarians, and a buffalo mozzarella and tomato which was my favorite. The crust was thin and crisp but the inside was soft, the tomato sauce was sweet, and the buffalo mozzarella was ooey gooey heaven. We barely had room for biscotti for dessert and basically had to roll ourselves back to the hotel. So worth it. 😀

Our whirlwind day in Rome concluded with a quick drink at the rooftop bar of our hotel before heading to Assisi the following morning. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

Tune in tomorrow for the next stops on our tour of Italy: Assisi by day and Perugia by night. See you then!

What is your dream vacation location? Have you been to Italy before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct21

Guided Tour Of The Vatican Museums

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Guided Tour Of The Vatican Museums

Hello! My family enjoyed the trip of a lifetime to Italy compliments of the most excellent tour through AAA and Collette. Each day of the tour was jam packed with sight seeing, amazing food, fabulous company, and so much fun! While it was exhausting to be going nonstop for days on end, it was so worth it because there was so much to do and see. Our first full day in Rome started out with a bang as we went on a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. As you all know, I am not religious in the slightest. However, I am very fond of religious art and this tour was one of my favorite highlights of the whole trip. Part of it was the sheer beauty of everything we saw but the other part was due to our wonderful tour guide, Julietta. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

Going through the Vatican Museums was a whirlwind and, honestly, kind of overwhelming. As to be expected, it was incredibly crowded and we had to maneuver being in a large group, following Julietta, looking at everything as we quickly passed by, and still manage to listen to our guide as she gave us historical knowledge and hilarious stories. The Vatican Museums weren’t so much as a walk but a sprint as we navigated to the most well known artifacts while trying to avoid bottlenecks so we could stay within the time frame of the tour.

Because of how quickly we went through the impossibly huge Vatican Museums, the day was a bit of a blur. Everything from floor to ceiling was covered in art and I think you could spend an entire day there and still not manage to see and appreciate every single thing. Of course, one of the major highlights was seeing the Sistine Chapel and that was absolutely glorious. The Sistine Chapel is one of those landmarks that everyone knows and to be able to step inside it and see it with my own eyes is something I won’t soon forget. I also really loved staring up at all of the ceilings of the Vatican Museums which were completely adorned with paintings. They were all so detailed and elaborate and here I am proud that I can draw a stick figure!

After we visited the Vatican Museums, it was time for a well earned break for lunch and Johnny and I spent it tucked in a cozy little restaurant called Borgo Nuovo. He opted for the prosciutto pizza while I devoured a delicious pesto pasta. There is nothing like eating pasta in Italy and I savored every bite. I’m pleased to report that we were both members of the Clean Plate Club and this was one of my favorite meals because Johnny and I were together and it was like a little date. And, as delicious as the food was, it was just as delicious to sit down before a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica!

After our meal at Borgo Nuovo, it was back to the grind for St. Peter’s Basilica. Fun Fact: Our tour guide, Julietta, actually helped restore some of the marble columns in the Basilica as she is one of the leading experts in painted marble. How cool is that?! Here are some pics from the remainder of our tour:

Like the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica featured a huge crowd but this time it felt way more manageable. Rather than a million rooms at the Vatican Museums to explore, there were only a handful in the Basilica which gave the opportunity to take it all in without feeling rushed. Despite lacking religion, it was very special to be in these famous and beautiful churches. Although it was cool to see the bodies of former popes in the Basilica, my favorite thing was a no brainer… I so loved seeing the Pieta by Michelangelo. My grandparents owned a funeral home and my grandma had the most glorious tabletop replica of the Pieta where calling hours were held. It was one of my favorite items from the funeral home and to see the real life statue was breathtaking. In fact, that was one of the best parts of the entire tour for me! ❤

Our sightseeing adventure didn’t end with our guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. It was just getting started because my family took a golf cart tour of Rome later that evening! Read all about it tomorrow!

What is your favorite work of art? Do you live near any cool museums? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah