Paradise Found in Punta Cana

This past week Eric and I have took a vacation together in the Dominican Republic to extend our summer as much as possible. We could not have asked for better weather or a nicer resort. The beach had the most perfect shade of turquoise blue water and tall curved palm trees that looked out over the ocean.



Each morning I began my day of utter relaxation with my daily elixir of hot water and essential lemon oil while sitting out on our balcony over-looking the palm trees.











After having my daily early morning zen moment I swam laps. I find lap swimming to best form of calming my mind. It's just you and your thoughts and the repetitive strokes easily lull me into a tranquil state. Also swimming is one of the best total body workouts you can get-definitely plus when you are in a bikini all day! And it definitely made me feel better about indulging in the swim up bar ;)

One of my favorite parts about going away is weirdly enough-the breakfast buffet. It just feels like the ultimate treat compared to my daily routine of granola bars or yogurt. Also one of the perks of going to the beach is all the fresh seafood! All the food was delicious and each night we tried a new restaurant.

They had a whole array of homemade donuts so we indulged as a last day treat!

Tuna Steak with crispy onions with pea sauce

Hazelnut ice cream with whipped cream

Tempura banana and ice cream 

The sweetest baked Alaska cake

Bubble baths, massages, and just sitting on the beach made this trip the ultimate relaxing vacation. It was a sad wake up call back to my basic shower here in NYC. 

Nothing like a relaxing bubble bath (the champagne and roses don't hurt either!)

Good book + wine = heaven 

Our Butler outdid himself!

The beach is my happy place. The second I got off the plane and saw palm trees I was instantly elated. The grounds of the hotel were gorgeous, and we made friends with some of the wildlife!

Becoming one with the Palm

Monkeying Around

The sky right before a quick tropical thunderstorm 

Ahoy!

Ann Arbor Brunch Adventures

With Graduation fast approaching, my friends and I have been making an effort to get to all those last restaurants, events, and bars that we have yet to make it to in our four years here. Ann Arbor is an amazing city, full of artists, foodies, liberals, and people hard enough to survive these winters year after year. It's easy to fall into the campus bubble here at college, and graduation is the harsh wakeup call, collapsing the bubble and pushing us to explore our backyard. 

Ann Arbor is known for their many popular brunch spots. As a freshman I already had developed a deep love for Angelo's and Afternoon Delight and made it my mission to try the rest of Ann Arbor's bunch locations. Sadly I was a lot further away from my goal until this weekend. This weekend I was able to check off two more restaurant establishments: Cafe Zola and Sava's Sunday Brunch.

Sava's Sunday Brunch is a special event for one reason: their brunch buffet. The buffet changes weekly so every week new delicacies are offered. This week had the traditional breakfast offerings along with homemade churros and pop tarts, corn beef hash, ribs, egg bakes, and so much more. For a dollar more, I highly recommend their fresh squeezed mimosa, because mimosa's make your morning all the more better.

Some of the breakfast offerings

Homemade churros and poptarts

Cafe Zola while a bit more out of the way than Sava's is definitely worth the trip. The menu is extensive with european touches that brought me back to my travels abroad. I recommend the goat cheese and asparagus omelette, and their in house bread and herb butter is fresh and delicious. Their new location in Ann Arbor Hills is a trendy spot that is bright and bustling, the perfect brunch spot. 

To top off all the foodie adventures of this weekend, I tried Glassbox Coffee and Juice for the first time. While I wasn't overly impressed with my iced coffee, I hear Glassbox truly shines for their fresh made juices. 

These spots are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to restaurants in Ann Arbor, but I highly recommend them if you're looking to perk up your weekend!

My Holiday NYC To Do List

During the holiday time there's nowhere more magical than NYC. I love all the twinkling lights and the festive atmosphere. Just walking around the city makes you feel like a kid during the holidays again. Here's my Top 5 NYC holiday activities:

1. Check out the elaborate holiday window displays at Saks 5th Avenue, Barney's, Bergdorf's, and Bloomingdales while doing your holiday shopping

2. Go ice skating and check out the tree in Rockefeller Center

3. Go see The Nutcracker Ballet at Lincoln Center. I don't care how old you are, this show is timeless.

4.  Take in some of the city's finest hot chocolate! Some good spots include: Max Brenner's, Dylan's Candy Bar, Jacques Torres Chocolate, and for something a bit more frosty: Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate 

5. Check out the plethora of holiday markets that pop up in NYC at this time of year. They are always filled with artisanal crafts and goods that make unique gifts for anyone on your holiday list! 

The Smorgasburg

 

Recently I've been on the prowl for new and exciting things to do around New York City. Summer in the city is an exciting time with tons of free concerts, art exhibits, and street fairs. So  this weekend my boyfriend and I decided to check out The Smorgasburg.

The Smorgasburg is a weekly food market held in Brooklyn every Saturday and Sunday in the summer.An easy subway ride down took us straight to Dumbo, right on the water. The food market is right by a beautiful park with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and the Hudson River. It's a beautiful place to grab a bite and walk/bike around enjoying the views.

The market offers a large variety of food ranging from homemade sodas to lobster rolls to gourmet grilled cheeses. (I personally recommend the three cheese grilled cheese with apple chutney and the truffle popcorn!)

For any food lovers or anyone just looking for something different and fun to do in New York, check out the Smorgasburg!

Split, Croatia

Croatia until recently remained a mystery to me. I had no idea what to expect from the now popular tourist destination. Croatia seemed to be an exotic concept, and I had little background knowledge. This past week has been an excellent education on the country of Croatia and a very relaxing break from all the stress of finals and packing up my apartment in Rome. 

Aly and I decided to brave Croatia on our own. We began our journey with a train to Ancona (a city on the other side of Italy) to an overnight ferry which took us directly to Split. The journey was a lot easier than we were anticipating and the night on the boat was made even more enjoyable from our champagne, chocolate, and Batman Begins film (we try to travel in style). 

Once we arrived in Split we headed straight for the beach. Split's beach was a surprise for us. The water is extremely shallow and only reaches your calf for the first hundred feet before gradually getting deeper. It was a crowded and lively beach filled with locals enjoying the day with their families. After our beach day we met up with friends for our first Croatian meal of fresh seafood along the harbor. (I may have developed a slight addiction to Croatian seabass). 

Croatia is lively at night with performances and street vendors making the evening festivities an entertaining affair.

The next day was even nicer weather and we celebrated by stopping by the local daily market for goods for a beach picnic. The farmers market is an excellent place for buying fresh bread, produce, cheeses, and all sorts of artisanal food products. We stocked up on some homemade bread, fresh strawberries, pears, and cheese. 

The third day was by far my favorite. We decided to do a boat tour of the islands of Croatia. We cruised for an hour before getting to the first island. The pebble beach wasn't the most comfortable for lying out but the views were stunning!

After a few hours of sunbathing we headed back on the boat for some lunch and our next stop. Our next island was a very different experience because we needed to dock the boat and swim there. Most of us jumped off the boat into the sea and swam. It was a crazy and unforgettable experience and one I probably won't repeat anytime soon, but I am glad I did it!

After a few more hours in the sun we headed back to Split for dinner and a night out. 

Over the next few days Aly and I explored the city of Split from the ruins to the harbor. Split is a small town but beautiful and worth seeing. 

Amalfi Coast: Capri, Positano, Sorrento, Pompeii

The Amalfi Coast has always been one of my dream travel destinations. It has been raved about from avid travelers as being one of the perfect getaway spots. The south of Italy is beautiful and composed of various islands all offering unique attractions. My friends and I planned this trip from day one and it was to be our last trip in Europe as the four of us. Therefore this experience was bittersweet, but one of the most memorable trips I will have.

We started out on the beautiful island of Capri. On our first day we headed to the port and boarded a private boat and set sail for the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is one of Capri's biggest tourist attractions and luckily the tide was low enough for us to enter on rowboats. I have never seen water so blue and pure before. The water glowed an iridescent blue from the light of the sun at the entrance of the Grotto. 

After a boat tour seeing the sights around the coast of Capri, we docked and hiked up the island. We spent the rest of the day walking around town. After our (all uphill) hike, we stopped for lemon granitas, a slushy drink common in Capri. It was delicious and extremely refreshing! Capri is known for their lemons. They even grow super lemons about the size of a kickball, so when in Capri, try the granita's, limoncellos, and lemon flavored candies that the south of Italy is known for. 

The giant lemons

Another item that Capri is known for: SHOES. All throughout Amalfi, you'll find small sandle shops with handmade leather shoes. The nice difference between sandal shops here in Italy and back home is that they fit the sandals directly to you're feet and allow you to customize your sandal however you'd like. Our tour guide took us to a famous sandal shop in Capri where Jackie O used to get her sandals made. The selection was enormous and many of us left with a new pair of sandals in tow.

The shoemaker

My new snakeskin leather loafers

After some lunch and shopping we decided to check out the scenery in the best way possible: via chairlift to Mt. Solaro. The ride was so peaceful and was a gorgeous way to see the mountain and views. We ended the day with dinner in town and the night out at the beer garden.

The next day we went to Sorrento to the beautiful pebble beach. It was sunny and hot, a perfect day for the beach. We spent the day sun bathing, walking around town, and those of us who were brave enough went cliff jumping. The water was the clearest I have ever seen. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to! 

Our final day we journeyed to Pompeii to see the ruins from Mount Vesuvius. I was amazed by how much of the city was still intact. We took a guided tour which I highly recommend. And of course we had to try the Naples-style pizza!!