Obsessed with tiles. Portugal.
Photo credit: boogardtextiles
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Scoot Around ! (Greece Part 4)
The best way to explore Santorini and Mykonos would be to scoot around on a motorbike or an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). Rental rates cost less than 30 Euros for 24 hours.
It is relatively safe to drive on the roads since most motorists drive pretty slowly on the island. It was not our first time on an ATV, but it was our first time on an ATV riding on a road with traffic. After this experience, i can truly understand why many would want to be on motorbikes despite the dangers. The wind in your hair and the direct connection of being in the outdoors offers one a taste of freedom. The feeling on a bike/ATV is completely different from exploring the island through a window in a car seat.
Chasing the sunset on our ATV in Santorini….
It is relatively safe to drive on the roads since most motorists drive pretty slowly on the island. It was not our first time on an ATV, but it was our first time on an ATV riding on a road with traffic. After this experience, i can truly understand why many would want to be on motorbikes despite the dangers. The wind in your hair and the direct connection of being in the outdoors offers one a taste of freedom. The feeling on a bike/ATV is completely different from exploring the island through a window in a car seat.
Chasing the sunset on our ATV in Santorini….
Love all the bends!!!
Got up at 5a.m. to catch the sunrise....
Catching the sunrise on our ATV….
One of the most beautiful sunrises I've seen! Took my breath away! This is in Santorini and it was my birthday. <3
The other parts of Santorini we explored on our ATV…
Like a dream…
Downslope off the roads to some unknown tracks..... weeeee.....
the fun part is not knowing where you will end up at....
Ended up here....
and here...
and sometimes going the "wrong" way leads you to unexpectedly beautiful views...
Green and blue hues are perfect together...
The breathtaking coast...
and the freedom of stopping over for lunch and a little sight-seeing at Pyrgos....
I liked Pyrgos as it was less touristy and had no crowds like Fira or Oia and it was serene just exploring the little streets that led up to the cathedral.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Beyond the grime and graffiti (Naples Part 2)
Naples is Italy's third largest city and sad to say the most forgotten & possibly neglected.
The streets were rather filthy and unsafe, and the state of the city is sadly quite a shame.
Nevertheless, the "safest" area to explore would be the historic centre- a UNESCO site, which has many police officers patrolling.
Beauty pervades the old city if we can only look past the derangement..
Castel dell'Ovo...
Probably the safest place in Naples... where I found comfort and refuge in..
The only tiramisu & espresso I had on this trip.. sadly..
Typical building in Naples..
I wish Naples would clean up its act one day and perhaps, it will be worthwhile again to visit for the pizzas!
Read about Pizza Hunting in Napoli (Part 1) here
The streets were rather filthy and unsafe, and the state of the city is sadly quite a shame.
Nevertheless, the "safest" area to explore would be the historic centre- a UNESCO site, which has many police officers patrolling.
Beauty pervades the old city if we can only look past the derangement..
Castel dell'Ovo...
Probably the safest place in Naples... where I found comfort and refuge in..
The only tiramisu & espresso I had on this trip.. sadly..
Typical building in Naples..
I wish Naples would clean up its act one day and perhaps, it will be worthwhile again to visit for the pizzas!
Read about Pizza Hunting in Napoli (Part 1) here
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Pizza Hunting in Napoli (Naples Part 1)
The best part of Naples for me is indisputably its pizza.
1. Brandi Pizzeria
Famous for being the birthplace of the Margherita pizza, Brandi is definitely worth visiting as it offers an almost different ambience from the other pizzerias we have visited.
The setting was more formal and had that old rustic feel.
The pizzas here are a little pricer at 8.50 euros for the Margherita pizza (the pizza on the left), which is the signature pizza here that you absolutely have to try!
Ready to dig in!
Where the magic happens...
I enjoyed dining at Brandi's and went back happy that night, despite the horrible first day I had in Naples.
Do call to make a reservation as the seating area is limited.
http://www.brandipizzeria.com/prenotazioni-online
2. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele
This is where the movie "Eat Pray Love" was filmed, so you will definitely be seeing pictures of Julia Roberts enjoying her pizza in every other corner of the pizzeria.
The pizzeria is always bustling with people since the average waiting time is an hour with a service wait of twenty minutes. (They do not take bookings, BUT it is WORTH the wait!) You can always pick up a queue number and explore around the neighbourhood, but do look out for pillions on scooters as you are walking along the streets.
Of all the pizzerias, I will have to say that Michele is my favourite. I like the fact that the pizzas were unpretentious and the whole ambience was really down-to-earth.
Plus all the staff are positive, energetic and beaming with pride as well.
View from where I was seated... which is typical of a street in Naples.
The thing i liked about Trianon was the variety of pizzas they had.
The most impressive for me was the "Pizza 7 Formaggi" (7 cheese pizza), I had only tried Quattro Formaggi pizzas (4 cheese pizza) before, and being a cheese lover I am, I had to order it.
There you go! I couldn't wait to dig in!
With my 7 cheese pizza! HAPPY!
The only complain i have about pizzas at Trianon is the fact that there was just way too much olive oil on them, and their crust is way heavier than the others I have tried.
The decor did however make up a little for the oily pizza.
And I love this oven! It has to be the prettiest one I've seen by far.
Founders...
Find out more about Trianon: http://www.pizzeriatrianon.it/
I like how the pizzerias in Naples have been passed down through the generations. It is interesting to know the history of these eateries and how they were founded.
I really felt nostalgic eating at all the old pizzerias- the ambience, the flavour of the food, the culture of the staff etc., was really an unforgettable experience. And the sad part is, after eating the best pizza (possibly in the world), eating pizza anywhere else will never be the same again.
1. Brandi Pizzeria
Famous for being the birthplace of the Margherita pizza, Brandi is definitely worth visiting as it offers an almost different ambience from the other pizzerias we have visited.
The setting was more formal and had that old rustic feel.
The pizzas here are a little pricer at 8.50 euros for the Margherita pizza (the pizza on the left), which is the signature pizza here that you absolutely have to try!
Ready to dig in!
Where the magic happens...
I enjoyed dining at Brandi's and went back happy that night, despite the horrible first day I had in Naples.
Do call to make a reservation as the seating area is limited.
http://www.brandipizzeria.com/prenotazioni-online
2. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele
This is where the movie "Eat Pray Love" was filmed, so you will definitely be seeing pictures of Julia Roberts enjoying her pizza in every other corner of the pizzeria.
The pizzeria is always bustling with people since the average waiting time is an hour with a service wait of twenty minutes. (They do not take bookings, BUT it is WORTH the wait!) You can always pick up a queue number and explore around the neighbourhood, but do look out for pillions on scooters as you are walking along the streets.
Of all the pizzerias, I will have to say that Michele is my favourite. I like the fact that the pizzas were unpretentious and the whole ambience was really down-to-earth.
Plus all the staff are positive, energetic and beaming with pride as well.
The guy at the oven even took a minute off to snap a picture, how enthusiastic are they! which probably translated to all that goodness in the pizza.
Even though they only serve 2 types of pizza, it was either the Marinara or the Margherita, both were worth having. The pizzas are also reasonably priced at 4 euros each!
The servings are huge but they are not so heavy if you just leave out the crust! So be prepared to eat!
The Margarita pizza....
The Marinara which I totally fell in love with... I fell more and more in love with every bite...
The drink menu is also limited to beer, mineral water and coke.
Pizza with coke is always a treat! And drinking out of these coke bottles was pure nostalgia for me.
The pizza is definitely worth the wait.
Find out more at their website: http://www.damichele.net/index.php?lang=uk
3. Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro
Trianon was the last pizzeria I tried in Naples and sadly the bottom of my list.
I loved the art nouveau concept of the pizzeria though.
View from where I was seated... which is typical of a street in Naples.
The thing i liked about Trianon was the variety of pizzas they had.
The most impressive for me was the "Pizza 7 Formaggi" (7 cheese pizza), I had only tried Quattro Formaggi pizzas (4 cheese pizza) before, and being a cheese lover I am, I had to order it.
There you go! I couldn't wait to dig in!
With my 7 cheese pizza! HAPPY!
The only complain i have about pizzas at Trianon is the fact that there was just way too much olive oil on them, and their crust is way heavier than the others I have tried.
The decor did however make up a little for the oily pizza.
And I love this oven! It has to be the prettiest one I've seen by far.
Founders...
Find out more about Trianon: http://www.pizzeriatrianon.it/
I like how the pizzerias in Naples have been passed down through the generations. It is interesting to know the history of these eateries and how they were founded.
I really felt nostalgic eating at all the old pizzerias- the ambience, the flavour of the food, the culture of the staff etc., was really an unforgettable experience. And the sad part is, after eating the best pizza (possibly in the world), eating pizza anywhere else will never be the same again.
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