During my two week Northern Italy adventure, I spent several nights in Lake Como. This was easily one of my favorite places. I had the gist of Como... but wasn't aware I would fall in love with it so much!  Lake Como is known for classy, tasteful, European opulence, and majestic mountains along the Swiss Alps that plunge straight into the water. I was hoping I might spot some James Bond set locations, and if I was extra lucky, thought I might see the handsome, George Clooney gallivanting around. Well... my husband and I DID spot a villa from Casino Royale... and we did eat dinner at a couple restaurants George and Amal Clooney are known to hang out... but unfortunately no Ocean's Eleven sighting! If you're interested in the ins and outs from an American travel writer's perspective, click on this link.

After wandering around Como for a day or two... shopping, eating pasta and gelato, and seeing the sites like the Gothic Como Cathedral, my husband and I took a ferry to Bellagio, which is sometimes called Europe's prettiest town. We had lunch at an elegant outdoor eatery, Bilacus Ristorante, and explored the famous gardens of the Villa Melzi. Bellagio was incredible- but I must say the ferry ride out there was equally as tantalizing! We opted to take the slow ferry out, and the fast ferry back. This was a great way to see all the sites... including Casino Royale's, Villa del Balbianello! 

I would postitively recommend eating dinner, or at least having a cocktail, coffee, or tea at Villa d'Este. Sitting there having my tea (it would have been a dirty martini if I wasn't pregnant) I felt like a princess, merely by being there! Click on this link to see what I mean... and I need not say more! You also ought to consider dining at Il Gato Nero. This is another spot the Clooney's are known to frequent. I had the most delicious onion soup to start, followed by scallops with pine nut cream. The server brings your own personal bread basket with about a half dozen choices (fresh baked bread is my weakness... more than chocolate cake for sure!). Both culinary destinations are in Cernobbio. 

During our recent trip to Northern Italy, my husband and I spent a weekend in the Piedmont region for a lovely wedding at Villa la Madonna. We stayed a few minutes drive away in a quaint little town called Bistagno and explored a couple little surrounding towns. My favorite place to explore was Alba. It is known for truffles, hazelnuts, wine, and dark chocolate. I would 100% recommend venturing away from the big cities when booking European holiday itineraries. There is such a warm and different feeling you get when the pace is slower and you get more of a chance to interact with locals. I hope you enjoy the pictures and video blogs.

Exploring the Great Barrier Reef has been near the top of my Bucket List for a long time. It is one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World. According to GreatBarrierReef.org it is comprised of over 900 islands, spanning 133,000 square miles... making it larger than the Great Wall of China... or about half the size of Texas. The Great Barrier Reef is so big it can even be viewed from outer space! The Great Barrier Reef is ancient... perhaps 20 million years old. Today, a whole host of modern medicines are being developed from its plants and animals - Medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimers, etc. Countless communities depend upon the Great Barrier Reef for economic reasons. Tourism to the reef generates billions of dollars a year. Of course the actual fish provide food and livelihoods for residents as well. More than 1,500 fish species call the Great Barrier Reef home. About 10% of the globe's total fish species can be found within its boundaries.

It is easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is considered a Natural Wonder!  I can't believe I just crossed it off my Bucket List.... Tick!!  I hope you enjoy my pictures, videos, and thoughts from this awesome adventure. 

Since moving to Australia, I've been trying to see and do as much as I can. While in the USA I love spending time in Washington, DC so of course Canberra was on my list here. My husband and I visited the Australian Capital Territory last weekend and had such a great experience. We took a fun 4 hour road trip from Sydney on Saturday morning and arrived to our hotel around lunchtime. We had delicious grilled chicken sandwiches (chicken burgers as they say in Oz) in the casual lobby restaurant at the the Crowne Plaza Canberra. We then headed to our first stop, the Australian War Memorial.

There is so  much buzz in Oz right now around Vivid Sydney. I had to check it out and share how cool it is! And just so you can begin to understand the enormity of this event... I'll let you in on a secret! Vivid Sydney is now in the Guinness World Records as the globe's largest festival of light, music, and ideas! They actually broke their own record! How many lights did it take... to take the cake as largest interactive lighting display?!? 124,128! The events run from 26 May to 17 June, 2017.

Make sure you take a look at the YouTube video I put together from my experiences at Vivid Sydney. I took the ferry from Rose Bay to Circular Quay... met my husband for a yummy Thai dinner... and then strolled around the light show eating gelato. It was such a fun night. In the video I've posted above... you'll see projections of space, sea creatures, animals, and trippy psychedelic images illuminating iconic landmarks throughout Sydney including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Taronga Zoo, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. At the end of the video you'll see Darling Harbour’s Magicians of the Mist. It's a 50 meter high water fountain that features 40 meter high projections, lasers, fireworks, and flames. As with many of the displays, a dramatic soundtrack tells the light story in perfect sync. I have to say this is one of the best events I've been to since moving to Australia! I enjoyed it more than the fireworks on New Year's Eve! Although that display is even more iconic... the crowds are more manageable at Vivid Sydney.

Australia! Puerto Rico! Dominican Republic! Jamaica! Hawaii!

Sintra (not to be confused with Sinatra ;-)) is a fantastical small town not too far from the bustling city of Lisbon, Portugal. Easy trip. So hop on a train for less than 20 miles... and soon you will feel like a fairy tale princess! Seriously... I felt like I was in a Disney movie... just call me Jasmine. ;-) I would recommend blocking out about half a day for this trip. I imagine you will want to see the National Palace, Moorish Castle, and Pena Palace. 

Spend just a few moments in Tuscany.. particularly at sunrise or sunset... and it's easy to see why these smooth Italians have been inspiring, artists, photographers, poets, and lovers for ages. The tall, slender, green cypress trees and shrubs lining the road's and property pathways are synonymous with the region. And the sun's rays bouncing off grape vines and olive trees all in perfect symmetry is breathtaking. Oh... and the wine ain't bad to sip on either! ;-)  

My first trip to Tuscany is one I'll never forget. It got me hooked on Chianti Classico wine. The Chianti region is in the center of Tuscany... which is also in the center of Italy. I spent a few days in a villa enjoying the greens, oranges, and yellows of the landscape... and of course the tasty wine the area produces. Chianti wines were originally known for their traditional squatty bottles encased with straw... today they display a special seal of approval. Wines that exhibit the famous black rooster symbol are also certified as 'Chianti Classico' because they contain 80% Sangiovese grapes (the common red grape of the area) and 20% of other grapes native to the region or international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Legs for days! These Radio City Rockettes are world renown for their annual Christmas Spectacular! People travel from all over the globe to New York City to see them. The ladies tell me the tradition has been around since 1933. For many of these dancin’ machines… it’s been a dream to be part of the team since they were little girls.