ITALY

We ended up in Italy this year to celebrate the marriage of two dear friends in a small Tuscan town called Anghiari. Even though we had a whirlwind of a June filled with a marathon of back-to-back weddings, we decided to take advantage of this trip and extend it to explore. We started in Tuscany visiting a host of charming ancient towns, and then drove eight hours down the coast to Puglia—the land of masserias and gorgeous beaches. As expected, Italy in June was magical, despite our travel woes. (We are still filing claims for our delayed and lost luggage, and as of last week, the bag still missing is in another part of the world en route to DC (fingers crossed!!))

The weather was quite perfect, the skies were colorful. The season for shooting stars had just begun in Tuscany, and in Puglia the beaches were still on the thinner side of bathers. In Tuscany we spent our mornings sipping coffees made from the Moka maker, and in Puglia we made friends with the café next door and had the joy of feeling a little like locals. We spent the afternoons exploring small towns in the hills and beaches by the coasts. One afternoon, I fell asleep on the beach after a delicious seafood lunch accompanied by a delicious local orange wine, lulled by the sound of waves and happy children.

There are so many things that made me fall in love with Italy (for the third time). Below are some of the highlights:

-Aperol spritz

-DELICIOUS olives

-The freshest mozzarella I have ever tasted

-Really good, really cheap wine

-Stores closing every day for lunch hours (between 1-4p)

-The sacred time between sunset and dinner

-This song and this one too!

-Beautiful, starry skies in Tuscany

-These Nutella biscuits

-Relaxing long after dinner is finished to have good conversation (and a digestif)

-And how generally the Mediterranean region always lures you into doing less

-Nocciola and pistacchio gelato in a cone every chance I could get

-Good espresso (to stay) at every rest stop on the highway

-The poppies(!) and wheat fields

-The ceramics

-Fiocco, the adorable daschshund that lived next door to us in San Lorenzo

-Morellino di Scansano wine, best enjoyed in Tuscany, and the Negroamaro grape in Puglia

-The miles and miles (and miles!) of olive trees in Puglia

-The lace-curtained doors that held wisps of conversations and laughter

-The daybeds and crystal clear oceans of the Ionian and Adriatic beaches

-The general sweetness of the passing days, doing just enough and not too much

-The altars on seemingly every street corner, tucked away like a little magical surprise. They reminded me of fairy houses, and I couldn’t help but photograph many of them.

Monopoli

Orecchiette drying out in the famous pasta alley, Bari

Saints tucked away into every corner

Fruits for sale in Bari

The magic of ceramics in Grottaglie

Ostuni right before golden hour

Olive trees for miles

My favorite type of dinner in Europe is the one I prepare myself. Can’t beat this view either.

Cappuccinos every day all day (even though culturally cappuccinos are definitely a breakfast thing and I was judged haha). Polignano a Mare

Sansepolcro

Citerna

Polignano a Mare

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I have a few really lovely stories to tell you from this trip (and a few cool surprises!), and I am looking forward to sharing. Stay tuned!