Italy Trip with Family

the main difference with travelling with parents/relatives is that we don't need to think about what to do, where to go. our only role is to follow and do whatever we are told. which has its pros and cons.

the downside to that is that with the lack of research, i often don't remember where we've been to.

like this photo i don't know the name of the place, but it has to be 1 of the nicest cathedrals i've visited.

all i can remember is the guide saying that this place is very old.

she was supposed to act like she's gonna eat up the model, but she looks like she's trying to suck it into her mouth

which made her hungry

another difference is that we don't have to constantly watch how much we are spending, or skim by trying to find the most value for money (read: cheap) hotels =X

and the view right outside our room

with our queen of selfie

next day, we took a train up somewhere

and reached some place near the Dolomite, which is a famous italian mountain range.
i've always found it weird to call something/someone famous. cos if it's so famous, how come i havent heard of it.

anyway, it was really not that spectacular and we made our way to Milan!

visited la Scala, the esplanade equivalent in Milan. except significantly older, and grander.

Teatro alla Scala

we weren't supposed to take photos inside, so if any internet police is reading, the photo above is what i drew from memory

in milan, our hotel was right beside the Duomo, on the 2nd storey of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, so it won't make sense not to wake up early and take photos before the crowds get in.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

the oldest shopping centre in the world, home of the first Prada outlet!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

shops are on the ground floor, and we are staying right above them!

there is a large circular glass dome at the top. since there was no one else, i lay on the floor and took this..

glass dome on top of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

and she got to pose in front of the shops

courtesy of waking up at 6am, we also got the Duomo (almost) all to ourselves!

Duomo, Milan

and la Scala from the outside

la Scala

and da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

photo taking is really much more fun without having to wait for people to get out of the shot

next, a guide took us to an old town

i really ought to remember names. we bought a magnet there though. so i have it somewhere.

and also up a mountain

my hipster father with his backward cap. =)

on the way back to Milan, stopped at the canal region to take more photos, this stop only happened cos Hoho told us that S.H.E was there, and we didn't get to see it the previous time we were in Milan. so thanks Hoho

Canal district in Milan

on the morning we were to check out, decided to do some model-ly shots. and well, the photos looked much better in small sizes (i.e. instagram)

SG next top model

final leg of the italy trip is to Portofino, a coastal place overlooking the Mediterranean. and just check out the view from the balcony of our room. yes, we have a freaking balcony!

Hotel Splendido

with rooms like these, we didn't feel like leaving it, not even for a second.

and to not shoot like crazy is just a waste of the money

day time

Portofino

night time. i just sat on the balcony for hours watching the moon rise. sound so arty. i also made a drawing of this view, but someone has already bought it. so that's that.

set alarm clock for 5am to catch the sun rise. but realised we were facing south. so no sun rise.

we had to go for a tour of this 5 villages known as Cinque Terre. i remember cos it sounds funny. pronounced chinka terra (i think)

some of the towns were very pretty

Manarola

and some just reminded us of Phuket

Riomaggiore

so we were still very eager to return to the hotel

hipster dad makes another appearance

last stop was to visit Pisa, at my mother's request.

and while waiting for them to use the toilet after we arrived in Pisa, i saw this, and we took this.

and of cos, in Pisa, she had to do the classic Pisa pose

leaning tower of Pisa

didnt know anything abt Pisa other than the tower. but there was this pretty church

Galileo's home town was in Pisa. didn't know that. 
and this was the church he worshiped at before his own pastors/priests/leaders eventually jailed him for life cos he said earth is round.

we climbed the tower next

climbing the leaning tower

not an easy climb, and quite disorienting, cos well, the tower is leaning.. -.-"

the view from the top made it worthwhile

at the top of tower of Pisa

and finally my last photo taking in Italy, showing the 1 thing that unites all women.

  

i have a lot more photos, so for the full set, click here!!

please tell me how gorgeous the photos are!!!