Italian Holiday Part 2: Instagramming My Way Through Italy

Delicious lunch at Le Lanterne, Rome

I'm not a breakfast person, but this changed everything.

Fall foliage.

Mailbox at the Vatican City.

Charming Perugia.

Hands down, the best gelato I've had during the entire trip - cherry and peach.

Our nice little lunch corner in Lucca.

When in Florence, you eat Bistecca Fiorentina.

And you buy beautiful shoes.

One of my favourite photos from Venice.

Cool light fixtures at Excelsior, Milan.

Italian Holiday

My holiday in Italy has taught me a number of things. It taught me that there is beauty in simplicity. With regards to style, it taught me what the art of sprezzatura - studied carelessness - is all about. It taught me that human connection, whether through conversations, ordering an espresso at a busy bar or simply hanging out at a piazza with friends, trumps social media anytime. Finally, it taught me that the country's grandeur can only be experienced in person. While the following photographs give you a glimpse of some of the most beautiful sights I saw while I was there, it's obviously still better to see them with your own eyes. So the next time you plan a trip, make Italy number one your must-visit list.

The Vatican City and Rome from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Vertical gardening, Italian style

The Colosseum

Rainy day at the Spanish Steps

Assisi's breathtaking view

Quaint streets in Assisi

Santa Rita di Cascia

Driving through Castelluccio

Tuscany's vibrant landscape

The Piazza del Campo in Siena

Beautiful Florence, my favourite Italian city

Hustle and bustle at Piazza della Repubblica

Still life in Lucca

Duomo di Firenze

Venice's famous gondolas

Lunch with a view at Stresa

View from my hotel room in Lago Maggiore

Cold and foggy at the Duomo di Milano

Odd statue inside the Duomo di Milano. I love how the sunlight is shining on it.

Street scene in Milan

Be Right Back

On holiday. Be back in a few weeks!

Vacation by Alphabeat

Danish pop band Alphabeat is back with their latest single, "Vacation". This fun tune screams, "Summer's here!" and will make you want to pack your bags and get on the next flight out to paradise.

Whirlwind Weekend Trip to Hong Kong

I found myself panicking two weeks ago because one Thursday morning, I received a text message from my mother saying, "Do you want to spend the weekend in Hong Kong? Please let me know and book a ticket soon." How do you say no to that?

After scouring the internet for the best flight deals and schedules, I purchased my ticket that afternoon and started ironing and packing that evening. I took the first flight out of Singapore on Saturday morning (7AM), feeling very groggy since I only got three hours of sleep the night before because I made reservations for Singapore Restaurant Week with friends and ended up drinking past midnight. Talk about stressful.


Everything was a blur the moment I arrived in Hong Kong. Here I am getting ready for dinner with the family.


If you didn't know by know, Hong Kong is very photogenic at night.




Dinner hosted by my mother at Ye Shanghai at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel.


Rushing back to the hotel to get ready for the night's activities.


Met up with my friend Damon at 10pm who was also staying at the same hotel - what a coincidence! We then made our way to Dandy at Lyndhurst Terrace to celebrate JJ of the Wanderlister's birthday, and what a party it was.


The next day was spent going around Hong Kong island. First stop was A.P.C. You know what went down here.


After shopping pretty much the entire day, we parked ourselves at Fuel at the Landmark.








On the third day, it was pretty much just me and my mother since my brother and his fiance already flew out. I took the chance to show her around my favourite part of Hong Kong - Wan Chai. The photos above were taken at St. Francis Yard and Star Street.


A trip to Hong Kong wouldn't be complete without stopping by the Monocle shop.


And that concludes my whirlwind weekend trip to Hong Kong. Will definitely be back soon!