Stunning Sea Views on the Via dell’Amore in Cinque Terre, Italy

I always get nostalgic this time of year because my TimeHop is filled with reminders of the time Christopher and I lived in Europe (we left the United States in late January). One of my favorite memories from our adventure was the two weeks we spent exploring Italy, visiting Milan, Lake Como, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Capri, Cinque Terre, and Stresa. This morning, as I gazed out the window at a cold and snowy Chicago, I started reminiscing about our beautiful warm and sunny day walking along the Via dell’Amore.

The Via dell’ Amore, or “The Pathway of Love” is a path that links the first two towns in Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore and Manarola. It is said to have gotten its name because it’s an easy path for lovers who live in the two cities to take to meet each other. The trail is a little over a kilometer and is about a 20-minute walk, depending on crowds.

The Via dell’Amore is the kind of place that shows up in my dreams. I love being by water, so there was nothing better than walking by the gorgeous sea with absolutely stunning cliff views. I could have stayed there all day.

One of my favorite parts of the path was a place where we could climb on the rocks to get an amazing view of the landscape and be as close as possible to the sea.

Sadly, a little while after our Via dell’Amore adventure, there was a huge rockslide, and Via dell’Amore was closed. At this time, only 200 meters of the path is open. We had such a wonderful time that I would love to go back once it opens again.

Friday Favorites: Skinnies, Nails, and Recipes

Happy Friday, friends! I’m excited today because Christopher is finally done with ICU month, and his next rotation has long hours, but only two nights. Plus, the sun finally came out, which makes this Texpat super happy.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them, I get a teeny tiny commission. 

Book and a Cuppa Swap
I loved participating in CGSwaps Book and a Cuppa swap this month! I was paired up with Heather at The Nerdy Fox, and she sent some great goodies. I love my giant mint mug (in one of my favorite colors!), and I can’t wait to read The Heir. I think I’m going to wait to read it until The Crown comes out, so I can read both at once, but if you haven’t read The Selection series, you should give it a try!

Favorite skinnies
I have mentioned my new love for colored pants in the past, so of course, I had to buy some colors for winter. I purchased these American Living Skinny Pants from Macy’s in red and grape, and I have been wearing them as much as possible. They are super comfortable and fit me really well (which is always a struggle for me). I wish they still had my size in olive because I would be all over that! I wanted to share them today because they are currently on sale!

Favorite nail polish
I am loving neutrals this time of year, and Julep Lillian has been my favorite color lately. It’s a pale pink that looks almost white.

Favorite books
I’ve been on a roll with reading lately. With the crazy schedule Chris has had in January, I ended up reading 16 books. It also didn’t hurt I had a bunch of NetGalley books due that I wanted to finish. I will be sharing a list of the best books I read this winter at the end of the month, which might be longer than usual because I have read some great books so far this year.

Favorite recipe
I have been on a chicken kick lately, so I wanted to share one of the best recipes we have made recently. This potato cheese crusted chicken is delicious and so easy to make.

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!

Life Update: Eight Months in Chicago

If you had told me this time last year that Chris and I would be celebrating the New Year Russian style in Milwaukee with my family, I wouldn’t have believed you. Even though our move to Chicago was surprising, these last eight months have been better than I imagined. The worst part has been being so far from family and friends, so when we had the opportunity to spend a few days together, I was so excited.

Chris was on a clinic month in December, so he had a half day off on December 31 and a full day on January 1, so he stayed in Milwaukee until the evening of January 1 hanging out with my family and some new friends. I decided last minute to stay an extra day, so I could spend more time with my family.

My parents borrowed a friend’s car the next day, and we drove back to Chicago, so we could spend time in the city together. We had a great time walking around Millennium Park, watching people ice skate, and seeing the decorated windows at Macy’s on State Street. We capped off a fun afternoon with an early dinner at Lou Malnati’s (my favorite deep dish pizza place that also has some of the best tiramisu I’ve ever had). I loved showing my parents our neighborhood and what my life is like in the city.

One of my Christmas presents from Chris this year were tickets to the Potted Potter, so we made a date out of it with dinner and a show. There is nothing better than a night together filled with laughter and good food. We usually try to go to a new restaurant on our dates since Chicago has so many amazing food choices, but we had received several gift cards to The Cheesecake Factory, and it was super close to the Broadway Playhouse. Even though The Cheesecake Factory has a huge menu, I always order the same thing: crispy crab bites, pasta carbonara with chicken, and red velvet cheesecake.

The rest of January was not quite as eventful as the beginning of the month. Chris started four weeks of ICU on January 6, so his schedule was long and unpredictable. He had to work 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. quite a few times, which really threw us off for the rest of the day. Then, he would work 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. the following day, so it was hard not be exhausted. Still, we tried to make the most of our time together, so we went on a few dates to the places we love near us. One date I will never forget is walking to a close by restaurant with snow lightly falling around us. It’s not something we get to enjoy in Texas, so it made it really special.

California Road Trip: Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour

Visiting Hearst Castle was a dream come true for me. Not only do I love historic houses and stunning views, but I have been interested in William Randolph Hearst since high school after watching Citizen Kane and learning about him in my journalism classes.

In order to take the bus up to Hearst Castle from the Visitor Center, you must purchase one of the four tours offered. Tickets can be purchased up to 56 days in advance, and reservations are recommended. We opted to take two tours of Hearst Castle: The Grand Rooms Tour and the Upstairs Suites Tour.

The Grand Rooms Tour is a one-hour tour of four social rooms in the Casa Grande, Hearst’s formal name for the main house. The tour guide told us about some of the famous guests who frequented Hearst Castle, and how Hearst entertained them, focusing on the Assembly Room, Refectory, Billiard Room, and Theater. Hearst Castle doesn't allow flash photography and had terrible lighting, so I tried my best to show y'all the beautiful rooms.

The inside of Hearst Castle was as extravagant as I expected, and I loved learning about where Hearst obtained some of the pieces from his rare collection. One of the facts that really fascinated me was that some of the ceilings were from centuries-old monasteries, which were cut up to fit the size of the room. The intricate wooden carvings were stunning to see.

One of my favorite rooms was the refectory (the dining room), which had the feeling of something out of the Middle Ages. I loved how the room itself looked formal, but the table setting included ketchup and mustard bottles because Hearst preferred to dine informally.

Something that surprised me was that the rooms did not have an overall theme. It felt like Hearst would buy whatever he liked and throw it together without worrying about what the room looked like. He definitely wasn’t a minimalist with rooms overflowing with tapestries and fascinating artifacts.

Our last stop of the tour was the theater, where Hearst and his girlfriend (and Hollywood star) Marion Davies would watch a full-length movie and newsreel with their guests every night. We ended the tour by watching a short film with footage of some of the guest that visited Hearst Castle, including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and Clark Gable. Our guide told us that even though Hearst had many guests at Hearst Castle, he rarely spent much time with them, and they were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

Although I really enjoyed learning what it was like to be a guest at Hearst Castle, I was a little disappointed the Grand Rooms Tour only showed us four rooms. Casa Grande has a total of 115 rooms, so it felt like we barely scratched the surface of life at Hearst Castle. Thankfully, we had also purchased the Upstairs Suites Tour (which I will feature in a future post) for a peek of where the guests slept at Hearst Castle.

All photos in this post were taken by Olya at The Siberian American and posted with permission from Hearst Castle.  

Catch up on our California Road Trip: 

Quick Thoughts

Seven-Day Itinerary From San Diego to San Francisco

Exploring Old Town San Diego 

San Diego Old Town Trolley Tour 

La Jolla Cove 

San Diego Zoo Tips

San Diego Zoo Private Tour

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Views from Hearst Castle

 

Last Day to Sign Up for the Galentine's Blogger Exchange

Happy Friday, friends! It's been a long week of Christopher on nights, and I haven't been feeling well, so I decided to take today off from doing a Friday Favorites post. I did want to post a reminder that today is the last day to sign up for the Galentine's Blogger Exchange hosted by me and Mattie at Northwest Native. We are going to have a great time, and I hope you join us!

The Details: 

Our Galentine’s Blogger Exchange is a fun opportunity to get to know another blogger! We will also be having a linkup, so everyone can see the great gifts you picked out. 

When: 
1/30: Signups close
2/1: We will e-mail you your person by this date
2/12: Deadline to ship your package
2/26: Show off your gift by linking up with us! 

How much will it cost me? 
We have set a minimum of $20. If you would like to spend more, you are more than welcome to do that, but please don’t expect anyone to spend more than $20. 

Am I sending to/receiving from the same person?  
No, this is a Secret Santa exchange. This way, you get to know two people! 

Should I contact the blogger that I am her partner?  
If you need to contact your blogger, please do it through the Elfster site. We want your identity to be a surprise!

How do I tell my partner what I'd like?
Elfster has a great wish list tool where you can add items to your wish list! You can also send a message to your partner through Elfster without knowing who she is.


Click here to sign up for the exchange