i heart budapest

WOW! Budapest is totally not like how I imaged! For some reason, I thought that Budapest was going to be a very poor and deprived city, but it's much the opposite. On Saturday afternoon, the main streets were buzzing with market stores, street performances and tons of art!!


Along a small street just by our hostel, Raday Utca, we found a pop up gallery, exhibiting illustrations. It happened to finish the day before, but when we asked about it in the book shop next door, a very kind Hungarian man opened it up especially for our viewing pleasure. These are some links to some of favourite artists from the show... Elizabeth Kauffman http://www.everydaydressing.com/ Wesley Berg http://wesleyberg.com/ Natalia Blanco http://www.icollective-berlin.com/artists-folder/natalia-blanco/ A random lama hanging out in the main street. Lots of children stroking it....plus me.


Budapest also had tons of antique shops filled with lots and lots of trinkets that are a joy on the eye!



...and loads of Russian dolls?


...plus hundreds of carpet bags.



...as well as some epic architecture.
ahhhhh i love budapest!

Italian Icecream

...you just can't beat it!

Venezia

My first sight of Venice is as the sun rises over it. A view from my hostel campsite.






Ahh Venice. What an incredible place. It really is like walking into a wonderland. No cars or roads, just pure rivers and gondalas. It's truely incredible. The town itself is like a labyrinth. So many little interesting shops and snack bars. It's so easy to get lost, but with amazing sites everywhere you look, it's a joy to get lost in.





The buzzers look like faces...




A very odd shop with "I sometimes open" on it's door...

Florence

Our place in Florence was right in the heart of the centre - just a stones throw from the Statue of David. We even got a balcony. Pure luxury! This meant we could hit the city by night, something we couldn't do in Rome. and how stunning does the epic architecture of Florence look at night....


Florence boasts of tons of top end stores and lavish jewellery quarters, especially along the Ponche Vecchio.



So many vintage bikes.

I've been absolutely attacked by mozzies. They love me. I hate them. Look how swallen my right ankle is!


Beautiful view of Florence...


Left my mark in this fountain...


Possibly the BEST pain au chocolat that has ever crossed my lips!


and most definitely the BEST icecream that I've ever tasted. Pisaccio, nutella and coffee. MMM!


Look at these yummies.

Holler from Roma

Bonjourno from Italy! ...Rome to be precise.

What a trek it was to arrive yesterday! But after 12 hours of straight travelling, hopping from train to train, train to aeroplane, areoplane to train, train to metro, metro to bus, we finally reached our first destination and place to call home for three nights...Plus Camping Fabulous, Roma.

Our little pad is pretty cute. The complex is like an Italian version of Butlins, and fits the bill.

Colosseum

Today we hit up the Colosseum, Arco di Constantino and Palatino. To you and I, that's a bunch of Roman ruins and a rather lovely looking arch.
The Colosseum was epic inside. It was sooo huge and completely different to how I imagined it to be. For a start, there were no visable seats anymore! (Well except a couple which were sealed off). I just wished that entering the building would have also taken me back in time so I could have fully experienced what the place must have been like...saying that, the Romans were pretty brutal, not sure if I would have wanted to witness murders for fun.
bearded house
Here's a beardy house.
Arch
Then we went over to Palatino, where we heard some fastinating tales about what went down there 2000 years ago, or so. I won't try to retell them, as I will just make it sound pants. But here is the Emperor's Arena, because he was too posh to go to the common arena next door (Colosseum), and some other epic sites to be seen in the Palatino...


roman ruins

The breeze makes my collotes look like parachute Aladdin pants.


I also saw this, but I have no idea what it's about, but it's called Ninfeo Della Pioggia.


...but it takes a nice picture.

The most fascinating I found out today, is that there is so much more of Ancient Rome that we, well ANYONE hasn't seen. 60% in fact, as it's all underground, and has been built on top of over the years. This is also why there are only two metro lines running through Rome, as every time they have tried to dig underground to build a new route, they bump into a Roman Bath, or part of a Stadium.

Rome is epic.

Bird Mobile for Baby Amber

Three weeks ago today, I finally got myself a baby niece!! I was soooo excited when I found out, as I already have a nephew, and now I have one of each! But the best part is, I can make cutesy twee things for a baby girl, so I began with her birth gift...a bird mobile.

My first complete birdy.

I got the pattern from my Cath Kidston Sew book.