THE REAL STYLE OF ITALY

IF YOU FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM PAGE FLORA MARIA STYLE YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THE OVERFLOW OF ITALIAN LOVE SPRAWLED ACROSS MY FEED OF LATE. WITH PHRASES LIKE THE 'DELIGHTFUL ITALY', OR 'THE DECORATIVE DETAILED ITALY', OR 'THE BLISSFUL SIGHTS OF ITALY' OR SIMPLY 'I LOVE BLOOODY ITALY' COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH (MEANING ITALY IS ALL I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT). I THOUGHT I'D SHARE MY RECENT ADVENTURE WITH YOU.

NOW YOU MUST EXCUSE THE MUSHINESS (PRE-WARNING TONS OF MUSH AND GUSHING BELOW) BUT THIS HISTORIC PLACE REALLY DID CAPTIVATE ME ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL (OKAY I NEED TO CALM DOWN!). I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S DOWN TO THE ENTIRE TRIP BEING A COMPLETE FLIPPING SURPRISE (LITERALLY TOLD THE MORNING OF!! ARRRGGGGH), THAT MADE ME FEEL EVER SO SWEPT AWAY OR JUST THE ANCIENT MAGIC OF ROME AND THE AMALFI COAST. THAT MADE ME SPEND THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME FEELING DAZED AND LIVING IN A 'PINCH ME NOW' BUBBLE. I KNOW ALL THIS MAY SOUND A LITTLE DRAMATIC (BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT IT KINDA IS) BUT NO ONE HAS EVER SURPRISED ME LIKE THAT.............EVERRRRRRRRRRR! THANK YOU MY GOOD GOOD MAN!

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TO STAY: WE STAYED IN ROME HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS WONDER OF A PALACE HOTEL IS CLASSED AS 4* AS I WOULD HAPPILY GIVE OUR TIME HERE A FULL 5*, AND THEN SOME. SUPER FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATING STAFF, PRIME WALK EVERYWHERE CENTRAL LOCATION, STUNNING BRIGHT FUNKY INTERIOR, ROOFTOP BAR, LUXURY SPA AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FOOOOOOOOOD!!!

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TO EAT: PLACES FOR THE FRESH AUTHENTIC TASTEFUL ITALIAN DELIGHTS FOR ME HAS TO BE ALDREDO. WITH DINING ROOMS WITH TITLE'S SUCH AS 'THE ACTORS DINING ROOM', 'THE ROYAL DINING ROOM' AND 'THE HOLLYWOOD DINING ROOM' (UNBEKNOWN TO US BEFOREHAND) YOU KIND OF KNOW YOUR GOING TO BE IN FOR A REAL GLITZY TREAT.  WE FOUND OURSELVES TUCKED UP IN ALFREDO FOR A LOVELY LONG EVENING OF SWEET ITALIAN MAGIC. THEY MAKE THE PASTA FRESH RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!!

ANOTHER DINING GEM IS DANEL TAVERNAE, MONTE DELLA FARINA STREET.  THE OWNER STEFAN IS SO SWEET AND FRIENDLY THAT HE HAD ME IN TEARS OF JOY BY THE END OF THE NIGHT (WINE, WINE, WINE). DO YOU HAVE MOMENTS IN LIFE THAT MAKE YOU FEEL SO OVERWHELMED WITH JOY THAT YOU CRY? (I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE MUSH). ANOTHER RECOMMENDED SPOT WAS A TINY CHARACTERFUL TEA SHOP CALLED BABINGTONS, DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE SPANISH STEPS.

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TO DRINK: MY TOP EXPRESSO COFFEE HOUSE FOR YOU IS SANT EUSTACHIO LL CAFFE,  ESTABLISHED SINCE 1938. NOW I ACTUALLY CLEANED OUR HOTEL ROOM THREE TIMES (AND I'M THE MESSY ONE) AFTER TWO CAPPUCCINOS, AND IF I'M COMPLETELY HONEST WENT A BIT BONKERS ON THE CAFFEINATED  STUFF (WHICH IS SO DEVINE BTW). SO IF YOU'RE LIKE ME AND NOT USED TO HEAPS OF COFFEE BEAN CONSUMPTIOUS AT AN EXCEEDILY HIGH QUALITY, JUST BRACE AND PACE YOURSELF. (DON'T BE A PATHETIC COFFEE DRINKER LIKE MOI!)

TO SEE: PLACES YOU MUST VISIT ARE THE AMALFI COAST, POSITANO ON A DAY EXCURSION VIA VIATOR. DRIVING ALONG THE CINEMATIC 'CAN'T BELIEVE MY FRIGGIN EYES' ALMAFI COAST IS ANOTHER MEMORY I'M STICKING IN THE MEMORY 'O M G'  BANK. WE ATE LUNCH WHILE WATCHING THE TIDE AT A LUSH COASTAL RESTAURANT CALLED CHEZ BLACK (QUITE A FEW RESTAURANTS TO CHOOSE FROM). SO MANY LITTLE BEAUTIFUL SHOPS WITHIN THE AMALFI, WHICH YOU CAN DISCOVER ALONG THE LANES. STUNNING ARCHITECTURE OF BEAUTIFUL POP COLOUR BUILDINGS ARE EVERYWHERE, SO IT IS BASICALLY A BLOGGERS BACK DROP HAVEN. ARRRRRRGGGGGH!! TAKE ME BACK!!

CAN YOU SPOT THE ACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE BACKGROUND?

CHEZ BLACK GRUB. SUPERB. 

 VATICAN CITY: SURROUNDED BY STEEP BRICKED WALLS AND TOP HIGH SECURITY, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT OF THIS RENOWNED STATE, WITHIN THE CITY OF ROME OWNED AND OBTAINED BY THE POPE (....ERM...EPIC).  SISTINE CHAPEL AND THE STUNNING WORK OF MICHEL ANGELO AND RAPHAEL WITHIN THE MUSEUMS WAS KIND OF VISUALLY CRAZY..THE CHAPELS...JUST WOW! NO PICTURE WILL BE ABLE TO EMULATE THE FEELING OF HOW IMMENSE AND AT TIMES INTENSE THE CHAPELS ACTUALLY WERE. IT DID TAKE ME A WHILE TO REGISTER WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY SEEING. 

POMPEII: I ONLY TOOK A FEW PICTURES HERE WHILST WE VISITED THE ANCIENT RUINS. THIS PARTICULAR OUTDOOR GARDEN PAINTING MAINLY STOOD OUT TO ME (NO IDEA WHY). OOOOH ALSO SEEING A LIVE ACTIVE VOLCANO AND BIG PENIS'S ENCLAVED INTO THE WALLS WHICH WAS ONCE THE LOCAL BROTHEL WAS INTERESTING TO SEE. (GOOGLE THIS FOR FULL UNDERSTANDING) THEY ARE STILL DISCOVERING AND RESEARCHING THE DEPT OF THE RUINS WHICH I STILL FIND INCREDIBLE.

FOUNTAINS: YOU'LL BE SURROUNDED BY TONS OF BEAUTIFUL FOUNTAINS IN ROME.

TREVI FOUNTAIN

SPANISH STEPS

COLOSSEUM

TO SHOP: ALL SHOPS ARE MAINLY LOCATED ALONG VIA DEL CONDOTTI STREET AND THE STRIP......

HIGHLIGHTS: MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE AMALFI COAST. AND JUST SIMPLY WALKING ALONG THE COBBLED DARK ITALIAN LANES AND GETTING LOST WITH ME LIL BAE. GELATO! OOOOOH YOU REALLY MUST TRY THE BEST GELATO ICE-CREAM THAT I'VE EVER TASTED IN MY LIFE AT VENCH.

SO ROME YOU COMPLETE BEAUTY SMOTHERED IN ANCIENT ART - FASHION - FOOD -  STYLE - HISTORY AND SO MUCH MORE. I HAD ALWAYS HEARD THAT YOU WERE THE VINTAGE ROMANTIC ANCIENT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE THAT DAMN GOOOOD........

I HOPE YOU TRULY ENJOYED THE GLIMMER AND SLICE OF ITALY AND IF IT'S ON YOUR TO-DO TRAVEL LIST...GO!! GO!! GO!!! JUST GO!!

OOOH AND DO POP OVER TO MY INSTAGRAM (ABOVE) TO SAY HELLO.

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