Day trip to Capri, Italy - September 2011

Day Trip to Capri

This is my second time to Capri this time is with the girls Whoop Whoop! And we didn’t do much touring of the island but we saw all of the island at once.  Rented a boat it was great!

A group of friends and I cruised around the island all day.  It was great.  So one of my friends was like an expert in trips to Capri so she knew exactly where she wanted to get the boat from and the things she wanted to do before we went cruising around.  We packed a bag of sandwiches, wine, beer, and cheeses or the essentials.  We first made a stop up to the top of the island where she believed was the best gelato.  I would have to concur it was pretty dam good.  I got some crazy mix flavor of strawberry and something else don’t remember but it was good.  That was all the time we spent on land the rest was all in the Sea.  The waves were a little rocky but the further we went out the better it was.  The sea was so clear we finally docked and everyone but me jumped straight into the sea.  Guess I didn’t get the memo that there is no beach here (or traditional beach with sand), there is a rock beach with beautiful, crystal clear water.  We parked amongst the yachts (as I dream one day that will be me and next time swimming too lol).  It was all about R&R in the sun and with the girls that day, which made it a great trip.  Capri is a very expensive island tailoring its stores and things to do for more affluent tourist.  The retail stores are all high end boutiques and I even found some very exclusive Jimmy Choo’s there, don’t worry I didn’t buy anything but was very tempted to max my card out.  Then I realize that I rather fly to another country on vacation (priorities). 

See pics below:

This is how the day ended lol ...

 Arriving on the island of Capri

 Popping Bottles on our boat!

Almost forgot about NAPOLI!!

So in order to get to Capri you got to catch the ferry from Naples.  Really quickly I will tell you why you don’t need to spend much time there.  Or at least these pics will show you:

 Yes this is true what you see THE STREETS OF NAPLES ARE A LANDFILL!!!!!! Please call the EPA NOW!

 Had to get out!!

However, as in Eat, Pray, Love Not before you have the PIZZA!!! Yes Naples is the home of the ROUND pizza as we know today.  There is 2 different types of pizza in Italy and Rome is the home of the best SQUARE pizza.  So yes this pizza made the stop worth it. Then get to the train as soon as you can.

Here goes the PIZZA

Ciao Bellas!!

Day trip to Florence, Italy - Fall 2011

Day Trips in Italy are great, should do more in the US.

O how I love Florence so much!  The best friend and I ran to Florence really quick.  Since I was their mainly for work on a photo shoot back in March, I did not mind coming back to be a tourist.  Even though we were only there for a day it was worth it.  I feel very connected to this city and on this day it was connecting too much with me.  It felt all of about 95 F degrees there and I had on pants.  Lol 

Fully equipped with my Rick Steve’s book (love his guide books) we took on Florence in a day or at least as much we can since that is quite impossible with all the entry lines.  You must plan in advance your priority list for these kind of trips. 

We took the earliest train out of Rome to Florence and ran straight to:

Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) – It is a neo - gothic style church built in 1870s noticeable everywhere because of its pink, green, and white Tuscan marble.  We listened to our tour book and went straight to the Duomo museum (which is not in the church its behind it) and bought tickets for the tour, which included access straight to the top of the dome without waiting on the crazy line outside.  My friend and I was in for a workout it was approximately equivalent to 463 plunges on a stairmaster. (#killme didn’t read this far in the book at the time.)  The inside of the church was nice and the ceiling of the dome was breath taking but the view from the TOP of the DOME was pure perfection.  See pics below.

Next we went to the Leather Market!! (my favorite spot)  The same people I got a nice leather jacket from and beautiful engraved journals from were all still there and they remembered me. Lol I let my friend go crazy buying everything from cashmere/silk scarves to leather wallets. 

Uffizi Gallery – holds the greatest collection of Italian artwork from Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Rubens, Michelangelo, and Botticellis.

Last but not lease, Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) – This is bridge is a famous as it was important to Florence.  It’s lined with gold and silver shops from beginning to end. In the center of the bridge is Benvenuto Cellini a master goldsmith from the Renaissance.  The jewelry was amazing and very expensive.  The bridge stores have house type structure at the top, which was a hide out for the royal Medici family to sneak across the river.  This is known as the Vasari Corridor connecting Palazzo Vecchio to the Uffizi.

Pics below:

 Ponte Vecchio

1st trip to Africa - Rocking in Morocco! Girls trip to a cultural paradise

Ciao Amici, or Bonjour!

In the Fall when I returned to Italy with one of my best friends and 2 cousins we decided and planned long and hard that while they were in Italy we would go away for the weekend.  We scored great tickets to another continent AFRICA!  We were so pumped.  Even though it was Morocco and not deep in Ghana or Zimbabwe we still felt very fortunate to make it there.  Marrakech, Morocco during the first week in September felt like AFRICA (for real)!  It was all you expect from Morocco with a little more. I was happy to be sharing this experience with my girls.

We did all our planning before hand, which was smart. 1. Unlike other big tourist locations here it was as if you could not tell who the tourists were there but we all blended in or you stood out.  Even though it was not as strict as other locations in Morocco we still wanted to make sure we wore proper attire and did not disrespect their culture.  2. We were there for a short visit and Marrakech has so much to offer plan your time wisely if this is the case and you are unfamiliar about the highlights of the locations you are going to see.

So let me set the stage for you: Marrakech is inland city of Morocco the most Northwest country of Africa.  Bordering countries are Algeria and Mauritania.  About 99% of Moroccans are Muslims.  Main languages are Arabic, Berber, and French though every one we came across spoke perfect English as well as many other languages (very impressive). The original inhabitants are the Berbers and Arabs invaded at the end of the 17^th century.  Marrakech use to be the center of many goods during the trading days i.e. slaves, gold, ivory, and even Moroccan leather this is still evident today in todays SOUKS and the Moroccan way of life.

Highlights of the trip:

1.  Conversion rate of the Dollar $ to the Moroccan Durham was great.  It was easier to convert Euros since it was 1 euro : 10 durham.  This means we were able to get a lot more take-aways from this trip and shop in the souks.

2. Housing – Rihad Jomana Maison - we stayed in a Rihad instead of the hotels which our located in New Medina town the original Marrakech walls.  A rihad is a house built around a patio garden the French its referred to as a guesthouse.  Ours was very accommodating and the service was very reliable.   Marco from France who ran ours was very helpful, it was set up like a B&B so there was traditional breakfast with the famous Morrocan MINT TEA every morning and he made sure that a taxi was called for us before he left for the next day if we needed to go out side of the local area.

3. Hammams – Hammamzani -  aka Spa (or something like it) Since the conversion is cheap we ended up spending about $40 on a 2 hr and 30 minute spa.  Yes kinda ahmazing when you think about the price.  So what is a Hammam: A Turkish style steam bath, with a succession of rooms from cool to hot, and endless supplies of hot and cold water.

4. All Day Tour – We did an all bus tour that was a great cultural experience.  Even though most places I guess a tour guide would be helpful but I was say in Morocco where everything from what direction the buildings face, the clothing both men and women wear, to the loud siren that went off for times a day through out the city to remind everyone for their “call to prayer” is best explained by a local guide.  There is a lot to say about a country that is able to keep its tradition in tact.  I respect how everyone now is not obligated but still oblige by the rules. 

            - Souks is the town market place you can by clothes, carpets, ironwork, jewelry, ceramics, leather handbags, scarves.  BE AWARE: they do not give you the real price they expect you to haggle with them down to a reasonable price.  If you are not a great negotiator tell your friend to purchase things for you because you cannot say yes until you reach your ultimate limit or if they agree to a cheaper price.

Yes I can go on an on about Morocco just know it was a great trip and the food was great as well.  I am pretty sure that I will make it back there.  I was great to see a surviving traditional city work in 2011.  My photography was inspired by the architecture, the people, and the colors that trace back to cultural vibe through out Marrakech.  Hope you enjoy the photos check out my flickr account for more.  Overall great trip!

Ciao Ciao
 Enjoy some of my photos

Our room at the Rihad! 

Random store during our tour of the city.  Love the colors and the design.

 The official Souks - Shopping time

 My cousin