Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice

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Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice

September 12, 2016

Happy Monday! Today we are exploring Venice. Are you ready? I may sound like a broken record but my advice when visiting a new city is to get lost in it and find hidden gems. Even if you haven’t been to Venice I’m sure you are familiar with St. Mark’s square (cover photo), Doge’s Palace (below)...

...or the iconic Danieli hotel.

 And the quintessential Venetian gondolas!

That’s why I want to show you this curious place: 

The self-proclaimed "most beautiful bookstore in the world" is located near St. Mark's square and is probably the most chaotic one I've ever seen. There are books everywhere in no logical order -apparently. There's even a full-size gondola inside which serves as a shelf.

 Some furry friends hang out here as well.

But its top attraction is in the back, a patio with book steps (books are also used as furniture here) that entice you into following them for...

 ...this wonderful view.

It's definitely worth a visit, right? It reminded me of Shakespeare and Co. in Paris which we visited last summer.

Now you see why I make so much emphasis on getting lost in a city, how else would you find picturesque places like this?

Another piece of advice I usually give is to see the city's landmarks twice if possible: during daylight and then at night when the streetlights are on and buildings become alive again.

See you next week,

xo Cristina

P.S. Are you updating your closet? I'm sharing my favorite back to school outfits on my shop page, take a look and let me know which one you like best.

Best Places to Visit in Greece: Santorini

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Best Places to Visit in Greece: Santorini

September 5, 2016

Last month I visited the charming Greek island of Santorini. This place had been on my bucket list for a few years now. I've seen many photos of beautiful sunsets and white buildings with blue domes that made me dream of magical summer nights. The place was just what I imagined, endless white houses on top of this massive cliff  that look like snow from far away and crystal clear water. As I mentioned last week the visit was part of a cruise so we didn't spend as much time on the island as we'd have liked. In fact we weren't able to enjoy the famous sunset views because we had to be back on the ship before 8pm. 

Access to the island is quite complicated unless you arrive by plane (check out the airport's website here). Big ships can't reach the port so we had to get there by boat. The port is at the bottom of this volcanic island so to get to the top you must use a cable car. The other option is to ride a donkey, however, I think that this is animal abuse and should be punished by the law. Do me a favor, if you go to Santorini, DON'T ride the donkeys. The poor animals are forced to carry tourist to the top (there are 600 steps) at high temperatures from morning to sunset. Locals make it look like a tourist attraction as if this was cute and harmless by selling donkey soft toys to kids. I'm surprised there isn't a movement to end this atrocity. I wish more bloggers showed what's going on instead of just taking pictures of donkeys and saying how cute they are and how "perfect" is a vacation in Santorini. I hope I'm not putting you off if you want to visit the island, I just want to show is that all that glitters is not gold. Now that I've got that off my chest let's continue...

There are two main villages to visit: Oia and Thira (also called Fira), both packed with tourists. Oia is a spectacular but tiny place. Most pictures you see of Santorini around the internet are of Oia. There's only one street and it consists of great shops (most of them are not the usual cheap souvenir ones) and a few Greek churches, the other paths lead to private villas with pools and hotels which make up most of Oia's buildings.

Thira is another picturesque village. It is the main town of Santorini island, located on the top of a cliff as well. Its central location makes it a good base to use as there are buses from many other parts of the island. It's a great place to walk around and do some shopping while admiring the colorful houses and spectacular views of the sea.

We had a great time in the island despite the donkey issue. If we were to come back, we'd probably stay at one of Oia's villas, it's a wonderful option if you are looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday by the sea.
Have you ever been to Greece? Would you like to visit Santorini?

xo Cristina