Tag: italy

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue: The Vid
europe · travel · video

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue: The Vid

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Mountains and beaches, forest trails and seaside drives, luminescent grottos… I don’t think I’ll ever run out of reasons to fall head over heels for Amalfi. This has been my second visit to Italy, and I still think that the Land of La Dolce Vita might be my happy place. 🙂

Sharing the clips I’ve compiled while meandering along the glorious coastal towns. If you want to read the stories behind the videos, just saunter over to the links below. Ciao and enjoy!

– At Amalfi Town: Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue
– At Capri: Capri for One

Capri for One
europe · travel

Capri for One

ishg5 Comments

High Spirits in Capri

As we lay down together, legs intertwined, I can’t stop chuckling as I think to myself, “Ish, what crazy thing have you got yourself into now?!”

It may be easy to think that Capri is solely about the ultimate seduction, a haven for indulgence, opulence, and above all, romance. However, being my stubborn self, I sought to find out if it could also have a space for cheapskate solo backpackers like moi. After leaving my beloved Atrani, I hopped on the earliest ferry to Capri.

During the boat ride, I looked at the seats in front of me. Couple. Beside me? Couple. Behind me? Yup, couples on a double date. When we docked, couples shuffled out one after the other. Maybe this was going to be more challenging than I thought. Continue reading “Capri for One” →

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue
europe · travel

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue

ishg1 Comment

Glorious Amalfi at Dusk


There it is!… Is it real?
Of course!
Nah, it can’t be… are you sure?
Yes, silly, you bought the ticket yourself!
I know that, but… wow, is this really happening?

This was the weird conversation going on inside my head as the bus was making its way to Amalfi Town. A few more seconds, and everything sunk in. This is it. This is the realization of a life-long whimsy. I am being whisked away on a drive along the Amalfi Coast. You know when people say they had to pinch themselves? Yes, I had to do that too.

The sharp cliff drops along the narrow highway are actually more bewitching than terrifying. (Then again, that might just be because of the years of training I’ve had with the suicidal bus drivers from my home country.) As our bus zigzagged through every corner, a new scenery unfolded. Hillside houses and hanging gardens revealed themselves, and the long glistening coast seemed to never end. It was hard not to gawk. Continue reading “Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue” →

Finding the Sun in Florence
europe · travel

Finding the Sun in Florence

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IMG_0956

I pray that you never will have to, but there might be times in your journey that you would have to set out in the lowest of spirits. As for me, I wandered into Florence with nothing less but a shattered heart. Plans fell through, promises were abandoned, and what I thought would be the most memorable part of my trip found me in my most bitter state. The little dark cloud that was hovering over me seemed to inspire the rain clouds forming high above, dousing Florence in a gloomy drizzle.
Continue reading “Finding the Sun in Florence” →

Venice and the Art of Getting Lost
europe · travel

Venice and the Art of Getting Lost

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Things to do when in Venice:
Eat a lot of gelato.
Get a map and plot out all sights you want to see in this labyrinth.
Bring the map and get lost anyway.
Eat more gelato and everything will be okay.

As I got off the platform in Venezia Santa Lucia, I had to struggle to keep from jumping up and down as I got an eyeful of Venice. Busy waterway streets, gondoliers bedecked in stripes and straw hats — it was unreal, a whimsical pace of life defying the logical world as I knew it. It was perfect. Continue reading “Venice and the Art of Getting Lost” →