Friends, hello — happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you well. I’m dropping by for the briefest of moments to share a very short-yet-sweet travel offering with you: A Morning in Antibes, France. As you might remember, Husband, Bean, and I spent 1-week frolicking around Nice back at the beginning of May, and, luckily, we managed to squeeze this little outing to Antibes into our itinerary! We spent a very relaxing 2-ish hours wandering around the town with absolutely no plans and no to-hit list — it was perfect! Antibes is absolutely gorgeous: there are many beautifully winding streets, the waterfront is stunning, the café scene is hopping, and, honestly, every single corner is a postcard just waiting to happen. I was blown away by the place!

This is less of a guide and more of a photo journal — a few snaps of pretty places and little descriptions of what we were doing or where we were wandering when we came across them. It’s basically a diary entry, but we just had such a beautiful morning that I didn’t want to forget a thing.

Enjoy!

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a morning in antibes

We ultimately decided we’d go to Antibes for the morning about 1.5-hours before we boarded the train to take us there. Here’s how we made the journey from Nice:

• I used the SNCF Connect app to buy our train tickets before we even walked through the doors at Nice-Ville train station. We knew from past experience that the train station is always hectic, and I’d used the SNCF app a handful of times before — for Saint-Émilion / Bordeaux / Villefranche-sur-Mer — so I knew it would save us a headache.

• a one-way ticket cost us €6.70 each — under 4s go free, so there was no charge for Bean — and they appeared on my app in the form of a QR code. There was no discount for buying a return ticket, so we decided to just play it by ear and see when we felt like returning.

• there’s only six stops between Nice and Antibes, so the journey was a handy 27-minutes. There are trains that can get you there in 21-minutes, but they were all booked out — and, really, what difference does 6-minutes make?

• our train was super busy when we got on, but we managed to nab a spot for us + the buggy in a bicycle seating area. From what we overheard, most of the other passengers were heading onwards to Cannes, so we were happy to leave the bulk of other tourists behind us.

… And then we were in Antibes!

Upon leaving Antibes train station, we decided to forego any map checking and instead make our way into town by instinctual feel alone. Our first discovery of the day was the beautiful Port Vauban, the largest yachting marina in all of Europe!

The water was positively glimmering in the sunshine, and we really enjoyed strolling along the waterfront looking at all the fancy boats and the tiny little fishies swimming along beside the boardwalk.

We followed the natural curve of the promenade around and came across the Porte Marine gateway into the Old Town. According to the internet, the gate dates back to the 16th century and was once the only way to get down to the port from the walled-in town!

The gate led us out onto Boulevard d'Aguillon, which was a bustling little hotspot; it seemed like there was a buzzy restaurant, cool art store, or exceptionally chic café everywhere we turned.

Seeking a slightly less busy area, we headed straight up Rue Thuret and deeper into the centre of the Old Town.

We wandered past some truly gorgeous restaurants and shops on our way — I mean, how beautiful is the above restaurant? It almost looks like a filmset! I love the way the tables are decorated with big vases of produce: peppers, celery, carrots, garlic, etc. I am also obsessed with the decorative squash tiling just over the entryway; so cute!

From there, I lost track of the street names and just enjoyed the wandering. We didn’t have any plans or places we wanted to see, so we let fate take us where it wanted and went with the flow.

Whenever we reached the end of one cute alleyway, we wandered onto the next, and so on and so forth — it was beautiful!

There was a cute little market set up on the town square, almost every street was adorned with bunting or cute hanging lanterns, and the Marché Provençal, which we ducked our heads into for just a second, was a haven of fresh produce.

Eventually fate led us to the most wonderful find: Petit Monsieur. A fortuitously free table appeared just as we happened to walk by, and it was located just out of the way enough that we could fit Bean’s buggy right up alongside us.

Husband went in to order the coffees — un cappuccino pour moi et un café allongé pour lui — and came back outside a few minutes later with, what turned out to be, the best cookie we’ve ever tasted.

Bigger than the size of my coffee cup, we guesstimated that this one cookie was probably the equivalent of four regular cookies — and thank goodness, because it was so ridiculously delicious that we gobbled it up in no time! Along with being pleasingly portioned, it was also delightfully THICK, warm, gooey, absolutely laden with mini chocolate chips, and practically oozing butter. We died and went to cookie heaven.

We lingered over our coffees for a while longer, feeding Bean, people watching, and generally soaking up the French-ness of the place.

Starting to get hungry thinking about the lunch Husband was going to whip us up back in Nice, we decided to check the train times and booked onto one leaving Antibes in 25-minutes.

Approximately 15-minutes later we were back at Port Vauban having one final look at the fancy yachts, and another handful of minutes after that we were back at the station waiting for our train.

The perfect little trip!

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

And there we have it: A Morning in Antibes, France. A short-yet-sweet account of everything we got up to on our beautiful morning in town!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

*Date of trip: 2nd May, 2026.

related posts

A Complete Guide to Nice, France
A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
6 Things to See in Monaco

Hello friends, happy Sunday! How are you keeping? I hope this post finds you enjoying the beautiful sunny morning, coffee in hand, comfy socks on, and in the mood for a light spot of armchair travelling. I’m dropping into your inbox to share my latest travel offering with you: A Complete Guide to Nice, France. Husband and I have visited the wonderful city on the Côte d’Azur a handful of times— most recently, back in April/May with Bean! — and always love every second of our time there. Over the years, we’ve accumulated quite a list of our favourite places to explore, stop for coffee, eat or drink, or just linger around… Can I tell you about it?

As usual, there are tons of recommendations below, divided into the following categories for ease: getting there / where we stayed / where we got pastries / where we ate / where we drank / where we tourist-ed / where we shopped / and map our trip. Of course, the where we ate category is further broken down into dined in / took out / and gelato. It’s loaded to the hilt with everywhere we’ve visited and loved over the years, and I really hope it helps you plan your trip.

Shall we?

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getting there

Nice airport is extremely well connected — with over 12-million passengers every year, it’s the 3rd busiest in the country! — and getting from there to the city couldn’t be easier. Here’s how we made the journey:

• we flew direct from Dublin to Nice with Ryanair, with the flight lasting approximately 2-hours. We have also previously flown Aer Lingus on the same route.

• from Nice airport, we walked to the tram stop and bought two tickets to take us into the city centre. The tram stop is located directly outside the exit at Terminal 1, and the L2 tram towards Port Lympia departs every 7-minutes. We bought two return tickets — the only ticket option available! — from the machine on the platform, and they cost €10 each.

• you used to be able to buy single tickets from the machine for €1.70, but this option has since been removed from the airport machines. According to the internet, you COULD chance riding the tram (!)ticket-less(!) to the first stop, Grand Arénas, and get out there to buy a ticket for €1.70 instead of paying the full-whack at the airport. This sounded like too much hassle and a risk we weren’t willing to take with Bean in tow — but you do you.

• from the airport, we rode the tram all the way to the Jean Médecin stop, which took a delightfully short 20-minutes. We didn’t see any ticket checkers on our trip, but be sure to validate your ticket upon boarding the tram regardless.

• from the Jean Médecin stop, we walked a very convenient 2-minutes to our accommodation, below.

Maybe one of the easiest airport to city centre transfers ever?

where we stayed

Le Carré d’Or // the wonderful neighbourhood we stay in every time we visit. Located a delightful 10-minute stroll to the waterfront, we have come to love the area; there are plenty of restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, and it is within walking distance to both the Old Town and the train station. The owner of the exact apartment we stayed at has asked me not to share the details with you, but I would definitely recommend the area.

where we got pastries

DØM // the most lovely locals-only boulangerie! Literally 1-minute away from the front door of our apartment, we stopped here every morning for pastries and most afternoons for a fresh baguette. Over the course of our visits we sampled: many a croissant and pain au chocolat, an almond croissant, a pain-au-chocolat-almond-croissant fusion, a chocolate éclair, and both a chocolate and a pistachio babka bun. Everything is always delicious. Would recommend. Address: 24 Rue Alphonse Karr, 06000 Nice

Philippe Tayac Pâtisserie // a very swanky pâtisserie that actually lives up to the hype! We both went for their delightful pain au chocolat and it was so good: buttery + flaky, airy yet chewy, with really good quality chocolate batons — the fact that they were absolutely massive was just a plus! We also stopped by one afternoon for a pecan cookie and it was so fancy; thickkk and buttery, topped with a gooey nut butter and some candied pecans — yum! Would recommend. Address: 15 Rue du Maréchal Joffre, 06000 Nice

where we ate

dined in

Bistrot d’Antoine // a fantastic restaurant in Nice’s old town! We ate here on our last trip and l-o-v-e-d it! We shared foie gras terrine to start: delicious by itself, but served with some lovely Chez Maître Pierre toast that pushed it over the edge. For mains, I devoured braised pork cheek casserole with creamy polenta, while Husband similarly devoured a pork fillet with mash & veg; both were fantastic. To finish, we shared a delicious plate of tomme de brebis sheep’s cheese — new-to-us, but a fast favourite! All of the above was accompanied by a nice bottle of red, and gosh it was perfect! Nice staff, great food, cute décor, and a very reasonable bill. Would recommend. Address: 27 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice

Le Vingt4 // a lovely spot located a short 2-minute walk from where we were staying. Again, we visited on our last trip, but I remember really enjoying the food! I ordered the slow cooked lamb shoulder served with hummus & roast carrots, while Husband went for the pork chop served with potato dauphinoise and veg hash. Everything was so delightfully melt-in-the-mouth that not a single morsel of food was left behind! We also enjoyed a glass of wine each, côtes du rhône for him & vermentino for me, and both were delightful. Would recommend. Address: 24 Rue Alphonse Karr, 06000 Nice

La Rossettisserie // full disclosure: it has been nearly 10-years since we’ve eaten here, but we have very fond memories of a fantastic meal here on our first trip to Nice together. Although I can’t be entirely sure of what we ate all those years ago — although, I feel pretty certain it was the half chicken! —, we absolutely loved the meal, and the ambiance. We will be back! Would recommend. Address: 8 Rue Mascoinat, 06300 Nice

took out

BEURRÉ Sandwicherie // on our most recent 7-day trip to Nice, we stopped by here for sandwiches 4-days — if that isn’t a strong recommendation, I don’t know what is! Between us, we tried: the classic jambon beurre (ham, butter, cornichons, rocket), baguette brie (ham, butter, brie, tomato, cornichons, rocket), l’italien (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pesto, rocket, tomato), baguette Emmental (ham, butter, Emmental, cornichons, tomato, rocket), and their citronnade maison. Everything was wonderful: the baguettes were crusty and fresh, the butter was luscious, the cornichons were zingy, and the meats + cheeses were perfect. Would recommend. Address: 4 Rue de Russie, 06000 Nice

BART Focacceria // another wonderful sandwich spot! Located in the heart of the old town, this is apparently one trendy little spot — we stopped by around opening time thinking we’d be the only ones there, only to be greeted with a small queue of people ahead of us! We went for one classica (jambon, pesto, stracciatella, rocket) and one porchetta (porchetta, fig confit, ricotta, rocket) to share; both were amazing. The bread was soft and pillowy, the fillings were flavourful, and they were authentic-tasting enough to temporarily transport us to Italy! Would recommend. Address: 31 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice

La Tomate // a tiny takeaway hole-in-the-wall pizza place that literally bowls us over every time! Over the years, we’ve sampled their margherita, diavola, and chorizo pizzas, and they have always been absolutely fantastic! The bases are delightfully thin and crispy with a wonderful char taste — which is surprising because they aren’t wood-fired?! — , the toppings generous, and the tomato sauce is just wonderful. A must-visit. Address: 4 Rue de Russie, 06000 Nice

Restaurant Don Carlo // another very reliable pizza place! We somehow always end up getting takeout here on our first day in the city — starving and fresh off the plane, a wood-fired margherita downright laden with mozzarella is exactly what we need to reset the scales. Although not as light and airy as the above, this is a really good alternative, and the staff are always very friendly. Would recommend. Address: 7 Rue Paul Déroulède, 06000 Nice

gelato

Oui, Jelato // easily the best ice cream we’ve ever had in France. I went for a cone of pistachio, Husband went for a cone of milk chocolate, and both were absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, studded with roasted nuts, perfectly creamy, generously scooped, and topped with an extra spoonful of gelato and crispy wafer hat. We sadly only discovered this place on our last day, but will absolutely be back! A must-visit. Address: 5 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice

Fenocchio // somewhere we stumbled across on one of our wanders through the old town, I am torn about recommending this place. Although we stopped by a few times during our most recent visit to the city, the ice cream we had there was nothing special. After trying the pistachio and being disappointed by the sweetness/artificial flavour, we stuck to hazelnut thereafter and found it to be much better. Address: 6 Rue de la Poissonnerie, 06300 Nice

where we drank

N Les Bars - Le Negresco // the most beautiful bar! Located inside the lavish Hotel Negresco, stopping in here for a drink is such a treat; the bar is stunning with dark wood, large artworks, tapestries etc., the staff are attentive, and our drinks were perfect. I went for a whiskey sour and Husband went for an old fashioned; both were amazing, but the old fashioned had the edge ever-so-slightly because both the ice and orange peel(!) were brandished with the hotel’s logo. Although a little on the expensive side — €25 per cocktail when we visited in ‘23 —, we both agreed it was nice as a once off treat. Would recommend. Address: 37 Prom. des Anglais, 06000 Nice

Brasserie Le Magenta // somewhere we walked past every single day with Bean and then just decided to stop by for a happy hour spritz one afternoon — and it worked out so well we did it again the next day! The three of us sat out at a table near the front of the street, enjoying the atmosphere, people watching to our heart’s content, and sampling the free olives that came with our Aperol spritz goblets. Would recommend. Address: 1 Pl. Magenta, 06000 Nice

Topaze Bar // an accidental find from our last trip pre-baby. Located along the edge of the Promenade des Anglais, this was such a prime people-watching/sunset viewing point. We stopped in for a spritz at exactly the right time, and somehow managed to nab one of the large tables right at the entrance with a comfy couch and swing chair — it was delightful! We did walk by with Bean recently in the hopes of returning, but it didn’t really seem baby-friendly. Would recommend. Address: 47 Quai des États-Unis, 06300 Nice

where we tourist-ed

Promenade des Anglais // the most beautiful seaside walk! Essentially straddling the entire length of Nice’s coastline, the promenade is 7km long and strolling along it never gets old. We literally stop by every single day that we’re in the city, and it is always just so lovely! An especially romantic spot around sunset, but equally just as beautiful in gusty winds or drizzly rainfall. A must-visit. Address: Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice

Colline du Château // sitting at the tippy top of Castle Hill, this is the ultimate spot for amazing 360° views over the entire city! Located at one end of Promenade des Anglais, we’ve made the sweaty trek up here every single time* we’ve visited the city and it has always been absolutely worth the effort. Fun fact: every day at noon, a large boom rings out over the city from Castle Hill. Previously the boom came from a cannonball — nowadays, it’s a firework — but this has been a daily occurrence in Nice since the late 19th century; fun! A must-visit. Address: Castle Hill, 06300 Nice
*okay TECHNICALLY we didn’t make the sweaty trek on our last visit because we had Bean in the buggy — but thankfully there is an elevator for anyone who needs it.

Cascade du Château // a dreamy waterfall located at the top of Castle Hill! Artificially built at the end of the 19th century, not only is this a fun spot to cool down at on a blazing hot day, but it also makes for a magical backdrop for the stunning view over the city. A must-visit. Address: All. Professeur Benoît, 06300 Nice

Old Town Nice // getting lost in the winding streets of Vieux Nice is a quintessential tourist attraction in the city. The buildings are all painted the most gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, or pink, and it’s just so lovely to wander around a bit, explore without a map, and see where the wind takes you. Our usual route through the maze saw us ducking in at Place Masséna, wandering through the many little arteries leading towards the sea, and re-emerging somewhere close to the base of Castle Hill, usually having picked up a gelato en route. A must-visit. Address: Vieille Ville, 06000 Nice

Cathédrale Sainte-Reparate // aka, Nice Cathedral. In my absolute honest opinion, we were totally underwhelmed by this church, especially in comparison to Italian churches. We also found an annoying lack of information available inside — nothing about the patron saint, and nothing about the art held within? Confusing. In case you’re interested: the patron saint is Reparate, a 15-year old Palestinian girl who was decapitated for her faith in the 3rd century AD. It is said that after her death, her body was ‘blown by the breath of angels’ to Nice, where they remain today, in this church. Address: 3 Pl. Rossetti, 06300 Nice

Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice // another church, but this one we found far more interesting! A traditionally decorated Russian Orthodox Church — think: colourful onion domes and decorative spires —, this is the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral outside of Russia. Aside from the obvious beauty of the exterior, the inside was just as eye-catching: very ornately decorated, and unlike any church I’ve ever visited before. Would recommend. Address: Av. Nicolas II, 06000 Nice

Port Lympia // the old port of Nice, filled to the brim with many a big fancy super-yacht! We only made it to the port for the first time on our last visit, but I really enjoyed strolling around the area; there were loads of families out and about, loads of joggers, plenty of cafes etc. Would recommend. Address: Nice Harbour, 06300 Nice

Musée National Marc Chagall // a great museum all about Chagall! It’s rather on the smaller side, with the focus largely on his religious works, but we both enjoyed exploring the pieces and wandering around the garden. Pro tip: admission to the gallery is free on the first Sunday of every month! Otherwise, tickets will set you back €8-12. Would recommend. Address: Av. Dr Ménard, 06000 Nice

#ilovenice sign // a fun little photo op, located at the base of Castle Hill. Similar to the ‘iamsterdam’ sign in Amsterdam, this is something to climb on and pose in front of, with the Nice coastline in the background. Address: 9 Quai Rauba Capeu, 06300 Nice

Daytrip to nearby towns // Nice is ideally located for many a fun outing along the coast! Over the course of our visits to the city, we’ve done daytrips to Juan-les-Pins, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, and Antibes — all of which are within a 30-minute scenic train ride! Read more: A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France / 6 Things to See in Monaco / A Morning in Antibes, France (coming soon!). A must-do.

where we shopped

Nicolas Nice // a lovely little wine shop! Although we largely bought our wine from the Monoprix below, we have splurged on a nice bottle from here once or twice. If you can’t treat yourself on holiday, then when can you? Address: 23 Av. Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice

Monoprix Nice Victoire // the most convenient supermarket for us — but known to be one of the more bougie and expensive options. We stopped in daily for every little thing from fancy cheeses, aged jamon and pérrugines au pavore, EVOO, cerise noire chutney, and some gourmet crackers, to crisps, Pocky, pasta, water, wine, beer, and shower gel. The store also has a great salad bar selection, with coleslaws and pasta salads etc., and a wonderful hot food counter filled with a rotating menu of hot treats! We sampled their bœuf bourguignon, poulet basquaise, and rotisserie chicken during our stay, and everything was delicious. Address: 30 Rue Biscarra, 06000 Nice

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

There we have it, friends: A Complete Guide to Nice, France. The length of it got away from me slightly, but I couldn’t bear to leave anything out! Have you visited the jewel of the Côte d’Azur before? If you think I’ve left out any major recommendations then please hit me up using the comment box below — I’d love to hear from you!

Discuter bientôt,

Vicki xo

*Date of trips: 28th April - 5th May, 2026 / 16th - 20th January, 2023 / and 25th - 28th April, 2018

related posts

A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
6 Things to See in Monaco
A Morning in Antibes, France

Hi friends, happy Sunday! Welcome to our Monthly Musings: July 2026 post — I hope it finds you well! What’ve you been up to lately? Have you been getting out to enjoy the sunshine and earn a new summer freckle or two? The heat has been a little hard to manage with Bean, so we’ve only really been venturing out in the early morning or when it borderline looks like it’s going to rain, but it’s still been so nice! Other than that, Husband, Bean, and I are just home from dog-sitting for my parents while they were away at a wedding last night, and, even though we were literally a 5-minute drive away from our house, it feels like we went on a little overnight vacation.

Our musings for the month ahead are below, filled with all the usual ramblings. A little baby update, some travel talk, a recap on what I’ve been reading and watching, and a few additional titbits for good measure. It’s a little lighter than usual, but that feels exactly right for the summer month that’s in it. Enjoy, friend!

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monthly musings:

On the baby bulletin: Bean officially has her two front bottom teeth and they are so cutie-pie! The little bites she has started giving me when we are feeding is less cutie-pie — which brings me onto my next update: we’ve started the process of weaning Bean onto formula! It’s going…okay. She won’t reliably drink the formula, so I’ve had to get creative and sneak it into everything she eats to make sure she’s consuming enough. It’s a journey, but we are getting there! In more fun news: she loves to clap handies, and just recently learned to wave — both of which are the most adorable things ever! Her little chubby paws make the best clapping noise and she is always so pleased with herself when she does it!

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In travel news: we booked our last hoo-rah before my maternity leave ends! In a rather unexpected turn of events, we booked a trip to Nantes, France! We were this close to booking Tallinn — but the flights and accommodation stars aligned to make Nantes the perfect trip for us right now! We’ve never been to the Loire region before, and the city looks so cool! Have you ever been? Please send on any recommendations!

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Related: I have finally finished my Nice travel guide! It’ll be hitting the blog this day next week, and it is absolutely filled to the brim with everything we know and love about the city. If you’re looking for any travel guides in the meantime, you can always browse the travel index here — be it for a Euro summer trip, an Asian adventure, or maybe even a trip to Canada!

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In case you missed it: my 2026 Summer Bucket List hit the blog last month! It’s filled with light and breezy fun items I hope to accomplish over the next two months with Bean and Husband, and I’m feeling good about it! What’s on your summer bucket list this year? I enjoyed reading Julianna’s Summer Bingo Card and might be adding some of her suggestions to my own list! Such a fun summer tradition I hope to keep up over the years to come with Bean ❤️

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How is your summer reading going? Since I finished Billy Summers last month — which, btdubz, I loved! about a paid assassin with a conscience, kind of — I leapfrogged back onto the Jodi Picoult train and read By Any Other Name. I didn’t love the overall book, but I did enjoy reading the Emilia Bassano chapters — although fictionalised for the novel, they tell the tale of how Bassano could have been the real writer of many of Shakespeare’s plays, which I thought was fascinating! To follow along with my reading in real-time on StoryGraph, click here.

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We’ve been trying to watch movies actually set in the summer and I’m proud of our viewing so far! Admittedly, it’s mostly been old rewatches — Adventureland, The Last Song, Say Anything… —, but we also hit Do The Right Thing and Y Tu Mamá También, the latter of which I thought was so great! Any quintessential summer goodies you think we need to add to our list? To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here. TV-wise, there has been a lot of binge-able brain rot on our screens recently. We recently devoured Every Year After, nothing special but pleasingly easy to watch, and I Will Find You, the plot of which was so ridiculous yet un-turn-off-able. Currently, we’re tuning in for the weekly episodes of Cape Fear, which tbh is also rather ridiculous, and also Elle, which is fun for the nostalgic ‘90s feel. What’re you watching?

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At the risk of sounding like I’m obsessed with a) lemon cakes and b) any recipe Nicola Lamb shares — oh WAIT both of those things are in fact true —the only new recipe I made last month was Nicola’s Lemon Drizzle Cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday bash. It was zingy in all the right places and paired perfectly with a dollop of whipped cream and juicy summer strawberries. I’ve also been eyeing up this Strawberry Brita Cake and this Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake, both of which look like stellar ways to embrace our favourite seasonal treat.

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: July 2026 post! I hope you found something to take away with you, and I really hope that something is a hankering to make a little list of summer things to accomplish.

My love to you,

Vicki xo

PS: my camera roll is still 99% Bean at the mo’, so please enjoy the above photo of an ice-cream that hit the spot in Nice recently.

related posts

2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021
2020 // 2019

Hello friends, happy Wednesday! I hope this post finds you well. I’m here today for just the briefest of time to share a quick post with you: my Summer Bucket List, 2026! If you’ve been visiting this corner of the internet for a while, you might’ve come across one of my seasonal bucket lists before. Essentially, they’re my intentions for the next few months, and sharing them here is my way of making sure they get done! This is Bean’s first ever summer earthside, and, although she’ll be too young to remember any of this, I want to get out there and make fun family memories that Husband and I will cherish into our old age. Our first summer as a little trio ❤️

Shall we dive in?

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summer bucket list, 2026

plan Bean’s first birthday

Only 105 days to go! I’ve seen a million little videos of crafty things people do for their baby’s first birthday and there are so many I want to make. A baby face garland. A month-by-month photo display. A happy birthday backdrop. Paper chains aplenty. DIY party hats for her favourite teddies. A special birthday plate? A special first birthday crown. So much to do!

beach day

Husband and I visited Brittas Bay one day a few summers ago and had the most wonderful time — I want to try and do this again with Bean! Dip our little toesies in the water, play in the sand, eat a packed lunch, and generally just have a fun classic summer day out.

have a picnic

My parents used to pack up the car and drag us out for a picnic + walk in Glendalough come rain or shine during my childhood weekends, and, although I complained 85% of the time, I now think back very fondly on these outings and want to start the traditions with Bean. Pack a little homemade lunch, find a picnic bench to enjoy it at, and go for a little stroll around one of the lakes.

go on a road trip

Ideally: up north, to Ballycastle, with my little fambam, my parents, and my sister. I’m just going to keep repeating this until I somehow manifest it into being.

more photos of loved ones

… and not just Bean. I have a gazillion photos of Bean from basically every day of her life thus far, but not enough of us, our family, or our friends. This needs to change.
Also, a sub-list item: start prepping a folder of photos to add to a photobook at the end of the year. Now that we have a little bambina, I want to start creating yearly photo albums, and a photobook seems like the easiest and most hassle-free way.

last maternity leave hoo-rah

We’re looking to book one more little trip abroad before I go back to work in November and we’ve narrowed it down to two places: Tallinn or Helsinki. I’m flip-flopping between the two wildly because they both seem like places we’d love, but we just need to decide and get it booked in.

celebrate our anniversary

Husband and I will have been together for 11-years at the end of July, and I want to plan something special for just the two of us. We didn’t get to do anything special for the 10-year milestone last summer — what with me getting out of hospital after a 15-day stint just the day before, 30-weeks pregnant, newly anaemic, and emotionally + physically EXHAUSTED —, so I’m hopeful for better luck this year.

enjoy sangria in the sunshine

I actually got to do this with my sister at the weekend and it was so lovely! We sat out in the garden on a picnic blanket and enjoyed a few hours in the sunshine with Bean. It was perfect!

eat more ice-cream

A general life rule I try to carry with me always — but especially important in summer. I’m also thinking I might freeze some yogurt in little ice-pop moulds for Bean to chomp away on!

And there we have it, my Summer Bucket List, 2026! What’s on your summer bucket list? Hit me up with any great ideas using the comment box below!

With love and sun-kissed freckles,

Vicki xo

related posts

Spring Bucket List 2021
Summer Bucket List 2025 // 2024 // 2023 // 2021 // 2020
Autumn Bucket List 2022
Winter Bucket List 2020 // 2021

Hello, friends — happy weekend! I hope this post finds you well. I am here today to share an absolute behemoth of a travel guide with you: A Complete Guide to Florence, Italy. See, as you may or may not know, Florence is one of my very favourite cities, period. I’ve loved it since I first laid eyes on it back in the summer of 2013. I was just 19-years old then, and Florence encapsulated everything I love about a great city: extremely walkable, beauty around every corner, amazing food, and an abundance of fantastic art. Truly, it was love at first sight. As such, I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve shared more than a couple of posts about it over the years.

Looking through the archives, it would seem that I’ve shared four different guides to the city in the 10-years we’ve been travelling there! Yes, they all weave around a few central spots we adore and can’t help but revisit, but they also all have some new-to-us gems I just couldn’t bear to keep quiet about. There has been: Italian Adventures Part I: Florence / An Ode to Florence, Italy / Three Days in Florence, Italy / and Festive Florence in December.

You might now be thinking — wait, is this another new guide?! Alas, no. See, it recently occurred to me that a new reader looking for information on Florence might not want to read through four different guides looking for recommendations. Which brings us here, to this post: a compilation of all four guides in one place. Handy, no?

As you might expect, this is a whopper of a guide. For ease, I’ve divided everything into the following categories: getting there / where we’ve stayed / where we’ve had coffee & pastries / where we’ve eaten / where we’ve imbibed / where we’ve tourist-ed / map our trip. Naturally, the where we’ve eaten category is sub-divided down even further into panini / dined in / and gelato. My love for sub-categories knows no bounds!

Okay — let’s dive in!

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getting there

The annoying thing about Florence is that it is located in between the main airport cities. While the city does have it’s own little airport, Amerigo Vespucci, I have no idea what airlines fly there and don’t know anyone that has ever flown into or out of there. Here’s how we’ve made the journey over the years:

• fly into Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi airport, make your way to Bologna Centrale via taxi or the Marconi Express monorail, and take a high-speed Frecciarossa train into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella from there. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in around 1-hour. This is our favourite option because we love all things Bologna, but it isn’t always feasible with flight times.

• fly into Pisa airport, walk or take the PISAMOVER shuttle to Pisa Centrale, and take a high-speed Frecciarossa train into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella from there. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in about 1.5-hours.

  • alternatively, there is a company called Sky Bus Lines Caronna that go directly from Pisa airport into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella! They don’t seem to show up on Google Maps, but they saved our butt one wintery night when we arrived into the city at 1am after a 5-hour flight delay; I think they wait for the last flight of the night to arrive, thankfully! The journey time is approx. 1-hour.

• fly into Milan Bergamo airport, take a Terravision bus into Milano Centrale, and then a high-speed Frecciarossa from there to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in around 3-hours. We tend to avoid this option due to the sheer unpleasantness at Milano Centrale — pickpockets and general troublemakers — but sometimes needs must.

where we’ve stayed

Leonardo Tourist House // we’ve stayed here every trip bar one over the last 10-years, and hope to stay here again in the future! It has an amazing location — just a 3-minute walk to the Duomo! —, is extremely budget friendly, and the manager is so beyond lovely. More hostel-than-hotel, the rooms are basic and absolutely no frills, but they’re clean and the building is quiet — what more could you ask for? Would recommend. Address: Via del Trebbio, 4, 50123 Firenze FI

Pitti il soggiorno // fantastic location and lovely owner/staff! Literally facing the Pitti Palace, we spent two nights here back in 2022. It was extremely good value for money, and our bedroom had a little balcony we could sit out on in the evenings! Would recommend. Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 8, 50125 Firenze FI
*2026 UPDATE: this hotel is listed temporarily closed online. I would also like to advise that recent reviews suggest this property has gone severely downhill since we visited? Be sure to investigate it properly for yourself if you’re thinking of booking!

where we’ve had coffee & pastries

Caffé Gilli // where we start every single morning in the city. The coffee is great, the pastries are amazing, and the atmosphere is truly like something out of a movie. My absolute favourite pastry is their sfoglia con crema, but everything we’ve tried has been amazing: many filled crema/pistacchio/cioccolato/marmellata croissants, pain au chocolats, bomboloni, kouign-amann, etc. A must-visit. Address: Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Firenze FI

Caffè Paszkowski // a good alternative to Gilli, and also conveniently located right next door. The offering here is basically the exact same, except the staff are a little friendlier, the prices are slightly lower, and you’re less likely to see as many tourists. Would recommend. Address: Piazza della Repubblica, 6, 50123 Firenze FI

SimBIOsi Organic Café // such a great little find! We were actually attempting to go for coffee elsewhere nearby, but a heavy downpour led us in here to seek shelter — it was such a serendipitous find! The interiors were lovely, the coffees were strong, and it had a definite locals only vibe about it. Would recommend. Address: Via de’ Ginori, 56r, 50123 Firenze FI

S Forno Panifico // owned by the Il Santo Bevetore crowd, this is a wonderful place for coffee and pastries. They only offer filter coffee, with free refills(!), but the pastries are delightfully buttery and moreish! Address: Via Santa Monaca, 3r, 50124 Firenze FI

La Rinascente // in truth, I can’t actually remember what the coffee is like here — but that isn’t what matters. What does matter is that the rooftop terrace, La Terrazza, has one of the best views over the nearby Duomo complex! You can thank me later! Address: Piazza della Repubblica, 4, 50123 Firenze FI

where we’ve eaten

panini

Ino // our favourite spot for a panino in Florence! We’ve only ever tried two sandwiches over the course of our visits, and they’re both stellar. Husband’s fave is the Ale, which comes with finocchiona, sliced pecorino, and a house-made rosso salsa toscana, and my recent fave is the Super Italiano, which is loaded with mortadella, pesto, and stracchino cheese. Both are fantastic; the focaccia gets lightly toasted and is ridiculously pillowy, the finocchiona is more meaty and paste-y than your average salami, and the sauces are amazing. Truly, a must-visit. Address: Via dei Georgofili, 3r/7r, 50122 Firenze FI

Panini Toscani // I have to admit, I was skeptical to try this place — the proximity to the Duomo made me doubt the reviews — but it was so! good! It’s super small, cheap, and very familial. We stopped in for a quick panino to share: fennel salami, medium aged pecorino, sun-dried tomatoes + peppers; it was sublime! A must-visit. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 34/R, 50122 Firenze FI

All’Antico Vinaio // the most famous sandwich shop in Florence. However, with that title comes a looong queue, a military style ordering system, and security guys to keep the queue in order. I went for the La Summer (mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and prosciutto), Husband went for the Firenze (pecorino cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and salami), and his was better. The sandwiches were comically large, and, while they were genuinely very good, I’m not sure they were worth the 25-minute wait in the 37°C heat. Address: Via Ricasoli, 121r, 50122 Firenze FI

dined in

Trattoria 4 Leoni // one of our very favourite restaurants in the city, we have eaten here an embarrassing amount of times. There are so many wonderful dishes — pear taleggio asparagus pasta! bistecca fiorentina! patate al forno! cheese plates! meatballs! — that you’d be hard pressed to go wrong. Their cheesecake, which I once would’ve told you was the best in all the world, dropped in my estimation ever-so-slightly after a soggy base on our last visit, but the filling is still melt-in-your-mouth perfection. A must-visit. Address: Via dei Vellutini, 1r, 50125 Firenze FI

5ecinque // another favourite spot, this is a fantastic vegetarian restaurant. Everything we’ve ever eaten here has been wonderful, but the absolute show stopper every time is their house made focaccia di recco — which is nothing like a traditional focaccia, and instead more of a thin crispy pastry stuffed with melted stracchino cheese that becomes the most salty, cheesy and mouth-wateringly delicious dish ever. Other highlights over the years include: risotto with saffron & parmesan, linguine with pesto from Pra’, and spicy spaghetti with olives, grated ricotta, & chicory. A must-visit. Address: Piazza della Passera, 1, 50125 Firenze FI

Trattoria Sostanza // two words: butter chicken. Chicken breasts, skin on, fried in butter until browned and crispy all over, served straight from the pan with a generous squeeze of lemon. Insanely good, and especially delightful served with sides of fresh beans in EVOO and chicory salad. Pro tip: apparently the bistecca fiorentina is also amazing here, but the lure of the chicken has been too strong for us to ignore thus far. A must-visit. Address: Via del Porcellana, 25/R, 50123 Firenze FI

Il Santo Bevitore // another really fantastic spot. The food is exceptional every single time, the staff are so lovely and helpful, and the menu is always a little inventive and unusual — on our last visit there was a strong Japanese influence to the dishes on offer. A must-visit. Address: Via Santo Spirito, 64r, 50125 Firenze FI

Trattoria La Casalinga // a lovely traditional trattoria! We ate here one night with Husband’s family and enjoyed some classic Florentine dishes: bruschetta, fagioli crostini, bistecca fiorentina, and patate al forno. The bistecca was charred and salty on the outside, pink and perfectly tender on the inside. The roasties were equally delicious — I actually stole a couple off Husband’s plate when he wasn’t looking. Would recommend. Address: Via dei Michelozzi, 9/R, 50125 Firenze FI

Osteria dell’Enoteca // a really very good restaurant with a large wine selection. We’d read excellent things online about their house bistecca, so we ordered one to share, as well as sides of fagioli and patate al forno; everything was delicious. The steak was fantastic — charred, crispy and salty on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth rare on the inside — and the sides were both great. Aside from the food, the space was beautiful, and the staff were friendly! Would recommend. Address: Via Romana, 70/r, 50125 Firenze FI

Trattoria Giovanni // I can’t remember exactly what led us to this restaurant, but we had an unexpectedly great meal. The atmosphere wasn’t as comfortable as the spots above — but the food outweighed that. We shared a delicious cheese board to start, and had two perfect pasta dishes for mains: braised beef cheek for him, and wild boar for me. Overall, a surprisingly good find! Address: Via Sant’Agostino, 38 Rosso, 50124 Firenze FI

Osteria Belle Donne // we were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was here. We shared a myriad of dishes — bruschetta, pappa al pomodoro soup, cacio e pepe, and cinghiale pappardelle — and everything was superb. We also shared a cheesecake with mixed berries for dessert; it was so light and airy that we forgave it for being set instead of baked. I would note: the restaurant was almost entirely populated with Americans — so not exactly the place to eat if you’re looking to be one with the locals. Address: Via delle Belle Donne, 16R, 50123 Firenze FI

gelato

Sbrino // home to the best pistacchio gelato I’ve ever had — and I’ve eaten a LOT of pistachio gelato in my time! Perfectly salty, nutty, and addictively moreish. I’d also like to shout-out to the nocciola and chocolate + peanut gelatos, both of which were also delightful, but the pistachio really stole the show. A must-visit. Address: Via dei Serragli, 32r, 50124 Firenze FI

Gelateria dei Neri // a really very good second place to Sbrino! Unsurprisingly, creature of habit that I am, I went for a small cup with nocciola e pistacchio, and they were both excellent! Not as salty as the above, but still very creamy and delicious. Would recommend. Address: Via dei Neri, 9/11R, 50122 Firenze FI

where we’ve imbibed

Il Santino // the wine bar of my dreams! Run by the Il Santo Bevitore team, this is an amazingly tiny space filled with a small handful of tables all clustered together. We’ve enjoyed many glasses vino here over the years, as well as some delicious charcuterie and cheese boards, and every single time we leave wowed by the high standards of the place. A must-visit. Address: Via Santo Spirito, 60/R, 50125 Firenze FI

Bulli & Balene // the perfect spot for an Aperol spritz! We’ve stopped in here an embarrassing amount of times over the years, and have never once had a bad experience. The vibe is wonderful, the service is great, and the prices of the drinks have barely changed in all the years we’ve been visiting! Would recommend. Address: Via dello Sprone, 14/R, 50125 Firenze FI

Enoteca 4 Leoni // a lovely little wine bar/aperitvo spot! We went in for an Aperol spritz one afternoon to avoid the sun and snagged the table just inside the door – it was the perfect people watching spot! The spritzes came in large fancy goblets with side-snacks of crisps + peanuts. I can think of worse ways to stay out of the sun! Would recommend. Address: Via dello Sprone, 15/r, 50125 Firenze FI

Archea Brewery // an old favourite beer haunt — think: dark cavernous room with a cosy atmosphere and a relaxed vibe. We basically visit every time we’re in Florence, and it’s always reliably good. We usually go for pints of their house lager or pilsner, and we’ve yet to be disappointed! Address: Via dei Serragli, 44R, 50124 Firenze FI

Antica Sosta degle Aldobrandini // a perfect people-watching spot. Small bar, cheap food, located across the road from the Medici Chapel, with cold beers in the fridge. We’ll take two, thanks. Address: 6r Angolo, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, Via Faenza, 5, 50123 Firenze FI

Manifattura // a cool cocktail place, whipping up drinks with Italian liquor only. We struggled a little with the menu, but eventually settled on a brandy old fashioned for me, and a brandy sazerac for Husband. Neither of us are natural brandy drinkers, but the flavours were good and the service was great! Added bonus: our drinks came with a little tray of food! Olives, little olive biscuit bites, and some baked chickpea thing. Address: Piazza di S. Pancrazio, 1, 50123 Firenze FI

La Ménagere // an Instagram find that actually lived up to the hype. I had an ice cold margarita in a fancy pants silver chalice(!), and Husband had a chocolate garnished old fashioned cocktail; both of which were wonderful. Address: Via de’ Ginori, 8/R, 50123 Firenze FI

Volume // a buzzy place to stop for a cocktail in the evening. I went for a pilgrims, which was a tad too bitter for me, but Husband went for an old fashioned, which was a much better choice. I wouldn’t necessarily rush back, but you can hardly go wrong when it’s only €17 for two cocktails. Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 3, 50125 Firenze FI

Dublin Pub // yes, we went to an Irish pub in Florence. It was Husband’s idea, so you can send any questions his way, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. The interior was nice, and our pints of Italia lager hit the spot. Address: Via Faenza, 15, 50123 Firenze FI

where we’ve tourist-ed

Santa Maria del Fiore Complex // everyone visits the complex for one reason: the Duomo. Yes, it’s breathtakingly beautiful and definitely worth a wander — but the best thing you can do here is climb all the way to the top; the views over the city are breath taking! If you’re an art history nerd like me, be sure to check out the museum at the back of the complex — amongst other things, they have Michelangelo’s Florentine Pieta(!), and an exact replica of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Pro tip: buy your ticket for the complex the day before you plan to climb the Duomo; that way you can beat the majority of the queues by getting there before the ticket office opens for the day. A must-visit. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI

Accademia // home to Michelangelo’s greatest masterpiece: David. Perhaps one of the most beautiful sculptures we’ve ever seen in real life, we took several trips around the pedestal before we were satisfied — and even then I feel like I could’ve gawped at it for hours longer. A must-visit. Address: Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50129 Firenze FI

Uffizi // like the Louvre in Paris, this is one of those museums that you just can’t miss. Home to some of the most famous artworks in the world — Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera topping that list —, a visit to the Uffizi is more than a little over-whelming. My biggest pieces of advice would be to have a hitlist of what artworks you want to see, and try not to get too stressed by the amount of other tourists there. A must-visit. Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI

Loggia dei Lanzi // a large, free(!), open-air sculpture gallery filled with unmissable pieces of art, including my favourite sculpture in the entire world: Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women. I have spent literal hours marvelling at the masterpiece — but also enjoy gawping at Cellini’s selfie in the back of Perseus’s helmet when I can draw my eyes away. A must-visit. Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50121 Firenze FI

Basilica of Santa Croce // perhaps the most underrated basilica in the city? We spent about 1.5-hours exploring the complex, and were so impressed by what we found there: several adjoining chapels, two semi-attached cloisters and gardens, amazing artworks, and many famous tombs — including Galileo Galilei and Michelangelo Buonarroti! Very cool! A must-visit. Address: Piazza di Santa Croce, 16, 50122 Firenze FI

Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognassanti // we visited this church for two reasons only: Botticelli’s tomb and fresco. The tomb is marked by a non-descript circular emblem on the floor, at the foot of another grave: Simonetta Vespucci. Who, you might be thinking? WELL. Vespucci, a young married noblewoman from Genoa, is widely considered to be the beauty that inspired Venus and Primavera! Apparently, Botticelli fell in love with Simonetta, and, even after she died, continued to paint her face from memory, her beauty so ingrained in his mind’s eye. His longing for the muse was so strong that, on his deathbed, he sought permission to be buried at her feet for eternity. How! Romantic! A must-visit. Address: Borgo Ognissanti, 42, 50123 Firenze FI

Piazzale Michelangelo // home to the best view over the entire city! The bridges spanning over the Arno, the red rooftops capping the city, the Duomo, the Tuscan mountains in the background. It’ll be busy and the walk up to the platform is always longer than I remember — but a visit here is so worth it! A must-visit. Address: Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI

Palazzo Vecchio Museum // an unexpectedly great museum! We visited very early one morning before the crowds and really enjoyed it; the Salone dei Cinquecento was worth the ticket price alone, but we also loved exploring the Medici apartments and taking in the views over the city. Would recommend. Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI

Santa Felicita Church // the second oldest church in the city! Obsessed with all things Vasari Corridor, I simply had to visit this church to see the where the it passes right through the back behind a thick defensive railing. Apparently the Medici’s would attend masses here without ever being seen by the plebs below. How fun?! Would recommend. Address: Piazza Santa Felicita, 3, 50125 Firenze FI

Retro Photo-Booths // such a fun little souvenir! There are several of these refurbished retro booths located around the city, and at only €2 for a strip of 4 cute photos, they make the sweetest little souvenirs. Would recommend. Address: Via Santa Monaca 1r / Via del Proconsolo 19r / Via dell’Agnolo 117 / Largo Fratelli Alinari 30 / The Student Hotel

Boboli Gardens // although undeniably beautiful in their own right, we only visited the Gardens for one reason: the Buontalenti Grotto. The grotto — which is actually where the Vasari Corridor lets out! — is like something straight out of a dream, with figurines coming out of the walls like stalactites. Fun! Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI

Palazzo Strozzi // a breathtakingly beautiful palazzo in the heart of the city. Used largely as an exhibition space — a Marina Abramović exhibition was taking place when we visited in 2018! —, entrance to the courtyard is free and open to the general public. Address: Piazza degli Strozzi, 50123 Firenze FI

Basilica di Santo Spirito // technically I wasn’t actually allowed to enter this church — my promiscuous knees were on show — but Husband was and he informed me that it was nothing spectacular. It does house a crucifix that is supposedly attributed to a young Michelangelo, but they charge a fee to see it and they aren’t even 100% certain he did it…. so. Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 30, 50125 Firenze FI

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

And there we have it: A Complete Guide to Florence, Italy! I told you it was a biggie.

Happy travels!

Ciao,

Vicki xo

related tuscany posts

24 Hours in San Gimignano
A Week in San Donato in Poggio, Tuscany
Two Unexpected Yet Wonderful Days in Pisa, Italy

Hello friends, happy Wednesday! I hope this post finds you enjoying a moment of calmness, between meetings, or on a coffee break. I’m dropping into your inboxes this hump day morning for just a minute to share my Monthly Musings: June 2026 post with you! I, of course, had plans to share it with you last weekend instead of today — but we somehow ended up having the busiest two days ever and I just didn’t get the chance!? We had Bean’s baptism all day on Saturday, and then a huge wedding-style gathering with Husband’s extended fambam all day on Sunday, so our weekend was absolutely chock-full! The three of us were dead on our feet come Sunday evening, but thankfully everything went off without a hitch and Bean was a perfect angel on both days.

Our musings for the month ahead are listed below, filled with all the usual ramblings. A little baby update, some travel talk, a recap on what I’ve been reading and watching, and a few additional titbits for good measure.

Enjoy!

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monthly musings:

In the baby world: so much happened in the last month! As of like two-weeks ago, we have officially stopped the dream feed and now Bean sleeps in her own bedroom all night! We put her up to bed at 8pm, and she sleeps the whole way through to morning! We, of course, are getting less sleep now because we’re checking the baby monitor 500-times a night — but this is huge! Also, we have our very first tooth stump! It’s her lower left front tooth and, as per instructions from our resident dentist friend, we’ve been brushing it twice daily, which is just adorable! We’ve also made great progress on the eating front, introduced Bean to her first ever baby friend, and still regularly get told she’s the smiliest baby people have ever met. She’s growing up so fast😭

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RE the aforementioned baptism: it was so lovely! We booked it into my childhood church — St Peter’s Church, Bray, the very one I was baptised in! —, Bean wore the exact same gown my sister and I wore, and we kept it really small by having only our immediate family and closest friends. There were just two other babies being baptised at the same time, and the whole thing felt so intimate and special. Bean was amazing during the ceremony; sitting quietly on my lap, listening to everything the priest said, holding her baptism candle, etc. — everyone was so impressed with her! For a little celebratory shindig afterwards, we had a special meal at the golf club with everyone and it was wonderful! Such a wholesome family day out filled with so much love for little Bean ❤️

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RE the aforementioned wedding-style family gathering: it, too, was so lovely! Husband’s uncle/godfather and his wife, who live half the year in Ireland and half the year in the US, organized a fun summer party for everyone! They hosted it at Cliff at Lyons and it was just so lovely! The setting was gorgeous, and the lunch — which was in The Orangery Restaurant — was easily some of the best we’ve ever had at a hotel? Would recommend!

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In case you missed it, two new travel guides hit the blog last month: One Day in San Marino, and A Complete Guide to Bologna, Italy. The former covers everything we got up to on our daytrip to the 5th smallest country in the world, and the latter is a massive bumper pack of a guide covering every single thing we know and love about Bologna — which, to be honest, is A LOT. I hope you read them, love them, and find them useful! Updated Nice guide and a little Antibes post coming soon, promise!

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Related: I’ve started dreaming up our next travels! Right around this time last year, pre-Bean and pre-emergency-appendectomy-at-29-weeks-pregnant, I was in the midst of planning a trip up north for a little exploration along the Causeway Coast. Obviously, everything fell through — but I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make it work out this year with Bean in tow! Husband has never been to the Giant’s Causeway, and I think it’d be so fun to take the ferry over to Rathlin Island for a few hours, so we shall see! Cross your fingers and your toes for us 🤞

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It just dawned on me this morning — this is Bean’s first ever summer! Which means it’s high time we get started on our summer bucket list!! I am well aware that she literally just turned 8-months old, but we absolutely won’t let that stop us from having the best summer ever! I’m thinking a day out at the beach and a picnic on the grass for sure, but what else should I add to the list? Let me know any thoughts and ideas you might have, please! In the meantime, you can read last year’s summer bucket list here.

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According to my StoryGraph, I only read one book last month: Jodi Picoult’s Handle With Care. Temporarily bookless for a moment, I just grabbed it off the shelf in the library, and I got a weird déjà vu feeling about halfway through that I might’ve actually read it before? It could just be that I’ve read a lot of JP books and her writing style is very familiar to me — but, either way, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend! I’m currently back on the Stephen King train with a standalone novel, Billy Summers, and am predictably hooked. What’re you reading?

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Did you watch anything good last month? We finally got to watch some of the Oscar big-hitters — Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Sinners — and, while we really enjoyed the first two, we were both so underwhelmed and confused by everyone’s love for the latter?! Wild. Other new-to-us highlights were: Project Hail Mary, which I loved, and Send Help, which I enjoyed for the sheer wackiness factor. To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here. TV-wise, I somehow convinced Husband to watch Off Campus with me and I loved the sheer cringey-ness of it! I thought the last two episodes sucked, but I will 100% be watching S2 when it comes out, and I’ve obvz requested the books from the library. Awkward teen romance shows are apparently my ideal way of unwinding — who knew!

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The only recipe I zeroed in on from around the web this past month was this Fancy Lemon Drizzle Cake on Kitchen Projects. I’ve been eyeing the recipe up since Nicola shared it in June last year, and Bean’s baptism was the perfect excuse to finally bake it! Three layers of light and airy lemon chiffon cake, sandwiched together with layers of (homemade) lemon curd mascarpone whipped cream and (store-bought) raspberry jam, all wrapped in a soft swoopy coating of vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream. It was delicious! Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for an occasion cake!

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: June 2026 post! I hope you found something to take away with you, be it a cheese-tastic teen romance or a fancy occasion cake! Let’s catch up again next month, yeah?

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021
2020 // 2019

Hello, friends — happy weekend! I hope this post finds you well. I am here today to share an absolute behemoth of a travel guide with you: A Complete Guide to Bologna, Italy. See, as you may or may not know, Bologna is one of my very favourite places, period. It’s the first place that Husband and I explored in Italy together way back when, and I love that, despite being the culinary capital of the country(!), it never feels overwhelmingly tourist-y. Since our first visit, we have returned to the city countless times over the years, and it truly holds such a special place in my heart. As such, I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve shared more than a couple of posts about our return visits.

Looking through the archives, it would seem that I’ve shared six different guides to the city in the 10-years we’ve been travelling there! Yes, they all weave around a few central spots we adore and can’t help but revisit, but they also all have some new-to-us gems I just couldn’t bear to keep quiet about. There has been: Italian Adventures Part II: Bologna / Bologna, A Love Letter / Our Engagement in Bologna, Italy — which, admittedly, is less of a guide and more of a memory capsule — / 72 Hours in Bologna, The Emilia-Romagna Capital / Three Days in Bologna | Our Mini-Moon in Italy / and most recently, The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05.

You might now be thinking — wait, is this another new guide?! Alas, no. See, it recently occurred to me that a new reader looking for information on Bologna might not want to read through six different guides looking for recommendations. Which brings us here, to this post: a compilation of all six guides in one place. Handy, no?

As you might expect, this is a whopper of a guide. For ease, I’ve divided everything into the following categories: getting there / where we’ve stayed / where we’ve had coffee & pastries / where we’ve eaten / where we’ve imbibed / where we’ve tourist-ed / where we’ve shopped / map our trip. Some of the groups are broken down further into sub-categories: where we’ve stayed is divided into hotels / B&Bs / and apartments, and where we’ve eaten is divided into dined in / took out / and gelato. My love for sub-categories knows no bounds!

Okay — let’s dive in!

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getting there

Bologna is so blissfully easy to get to. Here’s how we usually do it:

• by air

  • we fly direct from Dublin to Bologna with Ryanair. The flight duration is around 2- to 2.5-hours.

  • from Bologna airport — which is only 6km from the city centre! — we usually just take a taxi. The taxi rank is outside the main doors of the airport on the right hand side and is well sign-posted. The journey normally only takes around 15/20-minutes, but we have been stuck in the car for 35-minutes or so at rush-hour.

  • taxi fares are capped for rides between the airport and city centre, so even if you do get caught up in rush-hour traffic, the price isn’t too bad. I think the average fare works out at €20-ish, and the most we’ve ever paid was €33-ish.

  • if you’d rather get public transport into the city, there’s a monorail that gets into Bologna Centrale in just 7-minutes. For more information about the monorail, click here.

• by train

  • Bologna is very well connected by the Italian rail system, Trenitalia. We have taken many many trains into/out of Bologna Centrale, and it is usually very straight forward.

  • for journeys to bigger nearby cities, like Florence, we always opt for the high speed Frecciarossa trains. The journey usually takes about 35-minutes, and is very comfortable.

  • for journeys to smaller nearby cities, like Ravenna / Modena / Rimini, we normally opt for the standard regional trains. The travel time is slower, but the tickets are cheaper and the trains are still rather comfortable.

  • before embarking on a train journey, we always buy our tickets online in advance. Not only does it save time at the train station, but it’s much easier to do on your phone/laptop than in a hectic setting with loads of people hovering around you. For more information about Trenitalia routes, tickets, and timetables, click here.

where we’ve stayed

hotels

Albergo delle Drapperie // smack bam in the centre of the quadrilatero district, you won’t find a location closer to the heart and soul of Bologna. We’ve stayed at this hotel a handful of times over the years — most notably in July 2022, when we got engaged in Room 302! — and have never once been disappointed. The location is wonderful, the staff are friendly, and the rooms are all beautifully furnished with dark wooden beams, gorgeous fabrics, and a dose of Italian whimsy. Would recommend. Address: Via Drapperie, 5, 40124 Bologna BO

Hotel Cavour // a surprisingly decent hotel, right in the centre of the city off Via Indipendenza. We spent one night here for ease at the end of a long trip, and our ‘deluxe double room’ was perfect: very spacious, huge bed, table & chairs area, en suite, etc. The hotel also had an elevator, 24-hour reception, and included breakfast — which was very handy before heading to the airport! Would recommend. Address: Via Goito, 4, 40126 Bologna BO

B&Bs

Casa Isolani // a great B&B option! Literally a 1-minute walk from Piazza Maggiore, we found our room to be clean, spacious, and perfect for our needs. The only atypical aspect from a B&B point of view is that you don’t actually have breakfast there, but rather at a café around the corner for which they give you breakfast vouchers. Would recommend. Address: Via d’Azeglio, 1, 40125 Bologna BO

Casa Salbego B&B // a lovely little B&B, in a central location off Via Indipendenza. Similar to the above, this is also slightly atypical in that there’s only one bedroom in the place — which, honestly, suited us better because it meant no awkward breakfast table small-talk! Said room was spacious, clean, cosy, with a nice en suite and powerful shower. The breakfast wasn’t anything to write home about — and the owner lady insisted on serving it at like 7am — but it was nothing a pastry out couldn’t fix. Would recommend. Address: via Augusto Righi n° 32 scala A piano 1°, 40126 Bologna BO

Cristina Rossi Bed & Breakfast // the first ever place we stayed at together in Bologna, this B&B is well located just a little off Via Indipendenza. We spent a few nights here in a ‘double standard room’ and found it to be fine. A little bare bones and in need of a facelift, perhaps, but budget friendly and located on a quiet side-street. Address: Via di Porta di Castello, 6, 40121 Bologna BO

apartments

Cuore di Bologna Suites // our new favourite accommodation in Bologna! Located a stone’s throw from the heart of the quadrilatero district, our spacious ‘superior studio’ had everything we needed: a little kitchenette, a dining table + chairs, large luxurious bed, and a fully equipped en suite. The building also had a friendly doorman, an elevator, and a helpful manager named Paolo. We will be back! Would recommend. Address: Via degli Artieri, 2, 40125 Bologna BO

Silent Bright Apartment // a wonderful Airbnb find! Spacious and clean, with a balcony overlooking the blazing rooftops of the city. The kitchen was extremely well-equipped, the bed was amazing, and there was a bath in the bedroom! Located along the ancient Strada Maggiore, the apartment is about an 8-minute walk to the main square, which is super handy. There’s also an elevator, a friendly daytime doorman, and a totally adorable turtle roaming free in the gorgeous courtyard of the building! We named him Sporo and had a really hard time leaving him behind. Would recommend. Address: Strada Maggiore, 46 int 27, 40125 Bologna BO
*2026 UPDATE: the prices for this apartment have absolutely skyrocketed since we stayed here! We spent 4 nights here in 2018 for a reasonable €390; the same stay today is averaging around €830! I mean, it’s a nice place — but maybe not that nice.

2Torri Studio // another very well located Airbnb find! Literally less than a 1-minute walk to the Two Towers, the location is the main thing this spot has going for it; we found it to be a bit cramped, but it was well equipped with a comfy bed, bathroom with shower, and a little kitchenette and dining table. Address: Via dell'Inferno, 10 3, 40126 Bologna BO
*2026 UPDATE: we stayed here for 2-nights back in 2019, but it seems that the apartment is only available for stays of a 31-night minimum now.

where we’ve had coffee & pastries

Caffè Zanarini // hands down: our favourite coffee & pastry spot in the city. It is amazing every single time, and I love how reliable that fact is. We always have our coffee + pastries at the bar, al banco, and any trip to Bologna would be incomplete without us stopping here. I’m a sucker for their crema croissant, pain au chocolat, and pistacchio croissant — but, honestly, you’d be hard pressed to find something you didn’t like. A must-visit. Address: Piazza Galvani, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Coffee Patiserie Gamberini // a Bologna institution of sorts, we were the only non-locals here! I went for a pistachio croissant + cappuccino, Husband went for a frutti di bosco croissant + americano, and we devoured everything al banco. The perfect Bologna breakfast. Would recommend. Address: Via Ugo Bassi, 12, 40123 Bologna BO

Allegra // a spot I read about on Instagram, we stopped by here with the intention of getting a couple pastries and maybe sitting in. When we saw the prices, we settled on one pain suisse to share and promptly hit the road; the too-loud music and overtly trendy vibe didn’t really mesh with our vibe. That said, the pain suisse was delicious: flaky, buttery, and heavily laden with custard + chocolate chips. Address: Via Galliera, 11c, 40121 Bologna BO

Eataly // great pastries! Located centrally in the quadrilatero district, we’ve found ourselves stopping in here from time to time for a breakfast treat. Our favourites are their crema croissant and crema bombolini, but everything looks good! Address: Via degli Orefici, 19, 40126 Bologna BO

Il Duca D’Amalfi // in all honesty, we probably never would’ve stopped here if it wasn’t the café that Casa Isolani give breakfast vouchers for — but it’s a pretty solid spot! I enjoyed blood orange juice and a crema croissant with my coffee, while Husband enjoyed blueberry juice and a plain croissant with his. The pastries aren’t up to the same standards as any of the above, but they weren’t bad either! Address: Piazza de’ Celestini, 3a, 40123 Bologna BO

where we’ve eaten

dined in

Osteria del Sole // warning: they do not serve food here. However, if you’re in Bologna for any period of time, having a picnic lunch here is a must! You bring your own food, buy a drink at the bar, and sit at one of the long communal tables with all the locals; there’s nothing better! A must-visit. Address: Vicolo Ranocchi, 1/d, 40124 Bologna BO

Trattoria Serghei // a small, traditionally run family joint that we find ourselves returning to time and time again. We normally go for starters of ragù, tortellini en brodo, or gramigna alla salsiccia, and then share pork shank with a side of greens as a main. The food is always exceptional — with the gramigna being especially delightful! — and we love the old-school vibes to the place. Would recommend. Address: Via Piella, 12, 40126 Bologna BO

Trattoria Giampi e Ceccio // an old favourite. The wine list is simple: one red and one white, locally sourced, with their own charming label on the front. The menu is similarly simple, filled with a handful of Bolognese greats. Over the course of our visits, we’ve sampled: their antipasto platter, homemade onion focaccia, tortellini en brodo, ragù, gramigna alla salsiccia, and tagliata steak with a side of patate al forno. Everything is amazing. Would recommend. Address: Via Farini, 31, 40124 Bologna BO

Trattoria Valerio // the sweetest little spot! We stopped by for lunch one afternoon and were blown away by the quality of the food and the romantic ambience of the space. I went for their lasagne al forno, Husband went for their gramigna alla salsiccia, and we shared a 1/2 litre of house red; everything was delicious. Would recommend. Address: Via Avesella, 10, 40121 Bologna BO

Trattoria dal Biassanot // a classic and traditional Bolognese restaurant. We’ve dined here a handful of times over the years, and it’s always fantastic. Most recently: we each had a bowl of tagliatelle al ragù to start, gluttonously doused in parmigiano reggiano, and for mains we shared a pork shank with patate al forno & a side of spiced chicory; everything was absolutely delicious. The restaurant itself is charmingly Italian, with white tablecloths and checkered red + white napkins, and the service is, although perhaps a little cold, prompt. Would recommend. Address: Via Piella, 16, 40126 Bologna BO

Trattoria Anna Maria // a wonderful spot! We stopped in on a Sunday and loved the chaotic atmosphere: loud tables filled with multi-generational locals, vintage signed photographs lining every wall, people chatting across tables, waiters weaving between it all, and the smell of ragù in the air. Between us, we devoured a local meats antipasto, mains of ragù and lasagna, and a 1/2 litre of house red; everything was great. Is it the best food we’ve ever had in Bologna? No, but the ambiance and traditional feel of the place outweighed that. Would recommend. Address: Via delle Belle Arti, 17/a, 40126 Bologna BO

La Capriata // seated in the most beautiful sun-drenched courtyard and surrounded by lemon trees, we had the most perfect long lunch here one day. We shared a caprese salad to start, and then I had one of the best mains to have ever existed: ragù, served in a bowl of crispy parmesan!! I still dream about it today. Would recommend. Address: Strada Maggiore 19, Corte Isolani, 1/e, 40125 Bologna BO

Ruggine // we’ve had three experiences here: our first two were great, and one a couple years later was terrible. In the beginning, we loved it — we had delicious ragù, a pulled pork burger, and wonderful cocktails — but on our last visit, we experienced a comedy of errors one after the other: lackluster service, wrongly taken-down orders, food coming out at different times, missing parts of our order etc. We unfortunately won’t be returning, but you might have a better experience? Address: Vicolo Alemagna, 2/C, 40125 Bologna BO

Il Passatello di Bologna // a traditional Bolognese restaurant. I enjoyed a delicious starter of tortellini with butter & sage, while Husband devoured a superbly tall & many-layered lasagna. For mains, we shared a ‘tagliata steak with large salt’ and a side of patate al forno; we were not disappointed! Address: Via Agamennone Zappoli, 5b, 40126 Bologna BO

La Taverna di Roberto // a surprisingly great Google Maps find! I had gramigna alla salsiccia to start, Husband had ragù, and we shared a steak with a side of patate al forno for mains; everything was wonderful! The only downside to our experience was extremely slow service — getting the attention of the waiters was difficult, and they seemed totally overwhelmed. That said, it could’ve been a freak busy night due to a bad thunder storm, so I’d give them another chance. Address: Via S. Vitale, 9, 40125 Bologna BO

took out

Regina Sofia Ristorante Pizzeria Napoletana & Locanda // a very reliable pizza place in the heart of the quadrilatero district. We’ve gotten take-out from here a handful of times and it is always delicious: great crust, delightfully saucy, and fresh + spicy toppings. Would recommend. Address: Via Clavature, 1/C, Via de’ Musei, 9, 40124 Bologna BO

MÒ! MORTADELLA LAB // Bologna’s very own viral sandwich shop! We’ve tried three different bestsellers: no.3 (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil), no.18 (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pistachio pesto), and no.20 (Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella). Each was as delicious as the next. Would recommend. Address: Via Volturno, 40121 Bologna BO

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele // I was skeptical about trying this branch of the Naples institution, but we were very pleasantly surprised! We devoured a margherita each, and they were wonderful: the base was just as crepe-thin as the original, the crust was delightfully charred, and the sauce was fantastic. Would recommend. Address: Piazza S. Martino, 3b, 40126 Bologna BO

gelato

Cremeria Cavour // our favourite gelateria in the city! I’m a pistachio and hazelnut diehard so I didn’t bother trying anything else, but Husband also tried their coffee flavour; everything was delicious! A must-visit. Address: P.za Cavour, 1d, 40124 Bologna BO

Cremeria Santo Stefano // considered by many to be one of the best gelaterias in the whole country, the gelato here is truly wonderful. I went for my usual nocciola e pistacchio, Husband went for custard cream(?), and both were delicious! A must visit. Address: Via Santo Stefano, 70c, 40125 Bologna BO

Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla // a really very good gelateria! I went for a cup of pistachio and stracciatella — the pistachio was better — and Husband went rogue and ordered crema alla vecchia, which was surprisingly delicious! Would recommend. Address: Via Santo Stefano, 14a, 40125 Bologna BO

Gelateria Galliera 49 // another great gelateria! We both went for our tried and true favourites, pistachio & hazelnut — they were amazing! Salty, creamy, smooth, and perfectly nutty. Would recommend. Address: Via Galliera, 49b, 40121 Bologna BO

La Sorbetteria Castiglione // a little bit out of the way, but a truly great spot. The first gelateria that Husband brought me to in the city, this spot holds such a special place in my heart. Would recommend. Address: Via Castiglione, 44d, 40125 Bologna BO

where we’ve imbibed

Osteria del Sole // definitely one of our favourite places in all of Bologna. According to my notes, it’s the oldest osteria in the region — dating back to 1465! — and it is so bloody brilliant. Whether you bring a picnic lunch with you or not, you simply cannot visit Bologna without coming here. An absolute must-visit. Address: Vicolo Ranocchi, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Bar Senza Nome // our absolute favourite place for a spritz in the city! Run completely by hearing impaired staff, they read your lips for your order — due Aperol Spritz, per favore — and it is never not amazing. We’ve been coming here since our first trip to Bologna together and LOVE it. Great value, relaxed atmosphere, and a wonderful spot for a date. Another must-visit. Address: Via Belvedere, 11/B, 40121 Bologna BO

Camera A Sud // the cutest little bar! We popped in here for some after-dinner spritzes one night and it was so romantic! Outdoor tables with cutesy little lamps, fairy lights strung overhead, and just a generally chilled out atmosphere. Would warmly recommend. Address: Via Valdonica, 5, 40126 Bologna BO

Fabrik” // a buzzy little spot almost next door to Casa Salbego B&B, above. We stopped in for two Aperol spritzes one evening and arrived at just the right time for a little aperitivo board of olives and crisps; it was delightful! Would recommend. Address: Via Augusto Righi, 32e, 40126 Bologna BO

Pastis // a buzzy little spot. We’ve imbibed here twice over the years, once for cocktails and once for a spritz/beer, and both times the drinks were great! I do prefer the overall vibe of Bar Senze Nome, which is just a few doors down — but if you’re into a more hipster vibe, this is the place for you. Would recommend. Address: Via Belvedere, 7c, 40121 Bologna BO

RosaRose // located on Via Clavature, this is a fantastic spot for people watching. We sat out here for hours one evening, listening to a nearby musician, soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the (free!) platter of food that came with our spritzes, watching the sky change from blue to pink to dusk. Perfection. Would recommend. Address: Via Clavature, 18/B, 40124 Bologna BO

Osteria I’Infedele // similar in style to Osteria del Sole, but with a more youthful vibe and a wider drinks selection. Small, cheap, relaxed. Address: Via Gerusalemme, 5, 40125 Bologna BO

Le Stanze // I like the thought of this bar more than I actually enjoyed our experience there. Located inside an old chapel from the 16th century, there are original frescoes adorning the walls & the ceilings — which, yes, is pretty cool. However! Once you get down to it, that’s basically all there is to the place. The cocktails are too sugary, they’re overpriced, and the whole thing is just too touristy for us. Address: Via del Borgo di S. Pietro, 1, 40126 Bologna BO

Enoteca Italiana // a beautiful wine shop that has a small amount of barrels & stools for dining on. We stop by almost every time we’re in the city, and it’s always wonderful. The wines by the glass are gorgeous, always local, and very reasonably priced. We’ve also enjoyed some delicious meats & cheeses, and just generally enjoy the ambience of the place. Would very warmly recommend. Address: Via Marsala, 2, 40126 Bologna BO

Birreria Popolare // a fantastic beer spot! We’ve visited a handful of times over the years, initially drawn in by the beer emoji sign out front, and we’ve always really enjoyed ourselves here. It’s usually jam-packed with locals, so just grab a seat wherever you can and settle in for a fun evening! Would recommend. Address: Via dal Luzzo, 4a, 40125 Bologna BO

where we’ve tourist-ed

Le Due Torri // aka: The Two Towers, the undisputed landmark of Bologna! Dating back to the 12th century, these towers — the Garisenda & Asinelli Towers — are two of the last remaining ones in the city, which apparently used to boast around 100! We made the climb up the exceptionally steep and claustrophobic Asinelli Tower on our first visit to the city together and were rewarded with the most breath-taking views of the city. Absolutely worth the terror! A must-visit. Address: Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, 40126 Bologna BO
*2026 UPDATE: the Two Towers are temporarily closed for maintenance.

Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca // a beautiful basilica overlooking Bologna! We chose to take the San Luca Express up from Piazza Maggiore, and honestly, that was half the fun! It was so touristy and embarrassing and just so! cute! However, if you’re up for a walk, the longest covered walkway in the world(!) connects the city to the basilica! It’s a lengthy 3.8km, with some steep inclines and a lot of steps, but apparently well worth it. The basilica itself is also very impressive – it’s huge! Would recommend. Address: Via di San Luca, 36, 40135 Bologna BO

Santa Maria della Vita // the lure of this church, although very beautiful in its own right, is actually a fantastic group of wooden sculptures hidden in the back. The artwork — Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Niccolò dell'Arca — showcases some of the most expressive faces we’ve ever seen. Would recommend. Address: Via Clavature, 8/10, 40124 Bologna BO

Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio // once the main building of the University of Bologna, this is one of the most magical and dreamlike buildings I’ve ever visited. Reminiscent of Hogwarts, the Palazzo walls and ceilings are covered entirely with thousands of different coats of arms and intricate frescoes, it’s so beautiful! The interior of the Palazzo houses the Archiginnasio Library — the largest library in Emilia-Romagna! — and the Teatro Anatomico, a 17th-century wooden lecture hall that used to host anatomy classes. Fun! Would recommend. Address: Piazza Galvani, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Piazza Maggiore // the central square in the city. Home to the Basilica di San Petronio and Neptune’s Fountain, this central hub dates back to the year 1200! We always end up traipsing through the square a gazillion or so times during our visits, and it’s just so beautiful! A lovely centre point, and an excellent people watching spot. Would recommend. Address: Piazza Maggiore, 40124 Bologna BO

Basilica Santuario Santo Stefano // an interesting complex of interconnected churches, courtyards, and crypts. Nicknamed the “Seven Churches” — even though there are only four churches standing today —, we visited the complex on our first visit to the city together and really enjoyed it! Would recommend. Address: Via Santo Stefano, 24, 40125 Bologna BO

Museo Civico Archeologico // wonderful archaeology museum! Particular highlights for us were the beautiful building itself, and the Egyptian exhibition. Address: Via dell’Archiginnasio, 2, 40124 Bologna BO

Palazzo Fava // a renaissance palace turned art gallery space — casual, you know. The first time we went to Bologna together, we caught an amazing Edward Hopper exhibition here, so I’d definitely look into the upcoming shows if you’re planning a trip for the near future. Address: Via Manzoni, 2, 40121 Bologna BO

Bologna’s Porticoes // the porticoes of Bologna cover a stretch of 62km in total! They’re beautiful to wander under and they’re so emblematic of the Emilia-Romagna capital. Would recommend.
*2021 UPDATE: the Porticoes of Bologna have officially been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Il Cinema Ritrovato // aka: Bologna’s summer film festival! Set up in Piazza Maggiore, anyone can take a seat or stand to watch whatever movie they’re showing — completely free of charge! We saw a couple of films during our visit a few years back: The Vampire of Dusseldorf, Nosferatu (1922), and The Blues Brothers. They often have some very interesting speakers introducing the films; we watched John Landis talk about the making of The Blues Brothers, and one of my former colleagues saw Martin Scorsese intro a film here a few years back! Would recommend.

where we’ve shopped

Tamburini // for fresh sliced charcuterie and fancy Italian cheese. We stop here every single visit for some goodies — usually exotic cheeses we can’t get at home, fancy salamis, big slices of local mortadella, etc. — and the quality is always top notch. The only downside to the place is a complicated ordering/paying/collection system that has you queueing up three different times(?). Regardless, would recommend. Address: Via Caprarie, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Paolo Atti & Figli Panificio // right next door to the above, this is a local institution for great bread. Address: Via Drapperie, 6a, 40124 Bologna BO

Salumeria Simoni // an alternative to Tamburini, selling very similar fare. Although we usually shop in Tamburini because it has a slightly bigger selection, Simoni has more of a local feel to the place. Would recommend. Address: Via Drapperie, 5/2a, 40100 Bologna BO

Roccati Cioccolato // a gorgeous artisan chocolate shop. Husband brought me here on our first visit to the city together and we’ve stopped by — even just for a perusal! — on every visit since. The shop itself is beautiful, but the chocolate is even better. Would recommend. Address: Via Clavature, 17a, 40124 Bologna BO

Signorvino // a fancy wine shop. Great selection of wines, with a clearly marked selection of local grapes, and some reasonably priced bottles. Address: Piazza Maggiore, 1/C, 40124 Bologna BO

Librerie Zanichelli // a lovely Bookstore on Piazza Galvani. We always stop in here for a browse on our trips. Sure, we don’t really speak Italian — but their arts section houses many a beautiful coffee table book! Would recommend. Address: Piazza Galvani, 1/h, 40124 Bologna BO

Pam Local // the most handy convenience stores dotted around the city. We stop in for all sorts of basics: pasta, cheese, olive oil, bags of crisps, beer, wine, chocolate, etc. Address: Via Clavature, 17B, 40124 Bologna BO and Via IV Novembre, 16, 40123 Bologna BO

TUDAY CONAD // another convenience store, also good for basics. Address: Via dell’Indipendenza, 11, 40126 Bologna BO

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

And there we have it: A Complete Guide to Bologna, Italy! I told you it was a biggie.

Happy travels!

Ciao,

Vicki xo

more emilia-romagna travels

Two Days in Ravenna, Italy
Two Days in Modena, Italy
A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy

Hello friends, happy weekend! I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and well rested. I’m here this morning to share my latest travel offering with you: One Day in San Marino. In case you missed it, Husband, Bean, and I went on our first ever family trip a few months back, and, as well as galivanting around Italy for a bit, we made it to San Marino. This country, a tiny microstate sitting very picturesquely at the tippy top of the rugged Mount Titano, had been on my hitlist for years — it was so exciting to finally get there! We spent the guts of an afternoon exploring the very best things to do in the city, and I’m excited to share it all here with you now! Shall we?

Everything we know and love about San Marino is listed below. For ease, I’ve divided everything into the following categories: fun facts / getting there / where we ate lunch & gelato / where we tourist-ed / and map our trip. I hope you find it helpful, friends.

PS: in case you missed it, this is my fourth and final post about this trip! You can read the three previous posts here: One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip, The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05, and A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy.

Enjoy!

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fun facts

I know you love a fun fact just as much as I do! Here are 6 quick ones to keep up your sleeve for your next pub quiz:

• San Marino is the 5th smallest country in the world, and the 3rd smallest in Europe! The only two smaller in Europe are Vatican City and Monaco — fun!

• even though it’s entirely surrounded by Italy on all sides, San Marino is not in the EU. However, seeing as they also use the euro and there’re no hard border controls, it makes little difference to tourists.

• despite the fact that Italy is one of the most visited countries in Europe every year, San Marino is the third least visited country in Europe, after Moldova and Lichtenstein. That’s insane!

• founded in 301, San Marino is considered to be the world’s oldest republic still in existence! It has maintained its independence for over 17-centuries.

• San Marino Historic Centre & Mount Titano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! They gained their inscription because they are “an exceptional testament to the establishment of a representative democracy based on civic autonomy and self-governance”. 💪

• at any given time, San Marino always has two ‘Captains Regent’. They are the highest elected officials — sort of like presidents — and they only hold office for 6months! Wild.

getting there

Here’s how we made the journey to San Marino:

• we took a Bonelli Bus from the Arco d’augusto stop in Rimini to the last stop in San Marino city, Piazzale della Stazione, which took about 1-hour. The shuttle goes between the two cities once every 1.5-hours or so, and apparently they run every single day of the year!

• while you can buy your tickets directly onboard from the driver, we bought our tickets online in advance — and I’d highly recommend you do the same. Having a pre-booked ticket ensures you’ll be able to board the bus, even if it’s really full. At the time of our visit, a single journey cost €7.

• a note on the bus: although having a ticket guarantees transportation, it does not guarantee a seat! We got on at the second stop and nabbed two of the last three seats on the whole bus(!), and while they do allow standing passengers, it wouldn’t be ideal on the bumpy and winding roads. Would definitely recommend getting on at the first stop if possible.

• for the return journey later that same day, we made sure to queue up early to get seats together. The bus pulled up about 15-minutes before the departure time, and, as some of the first people on board, we were able to avail of the two spacious seats up front.

• for more info about timetables and fares, visit the Bonelli Bus website here.

where we ate

lunch

Euphoria // a lovely little spot! We wandered past a whole heap of places that felt overtly like they were just catering to tourists, and this was the first place we both thought looked actually nice. We went for a large bottle of aqua frizzante and two piadina to share: one with salami, tomato, + scamorza, and the other with prosciutto crudo and fontina; both were delicious. The staff were lovely, we appeared to be the only non-locals in the place, and Bean made friends with a lady at the table next to us who was blowing her kisses and calling her Bellissima. Would recommend. Address: Contrada Santa Croce, 21, 47890 Città di San Marino

gelato

La Cremeria del Titano // a wonderful gelateria! It was so bitterly cold and windy on our day in San Marino — but we simply couldn’t leave without having some gelato and this place came very highly recommended. We both went for cups of nocciola e pistacchio and they! were! so! good! Husband went so far as to title it our best gelato experience of the trip! A must-visit. Address: Piazzetta del Titano, 4, 47890 Città di San Marino

where we tourist-ed

Porta San Francesco // the entrance gate into the city! Built in 1361, the medieval gate is still very much in use today, with most visitors using it as their main entry/exit point of the city. Would recommend. Address: Piazzale Lo Stradone, 45, 47890 Città di San Marino

Piazza della Libertà and Palazzo Pubblico // the central square of the city’s old town, and the building that houses the government of San Marino. Again, we didn’t try to visit the Palazzo with Bean, but we admired the building from the outside and enjoyed wandering the square — which, btdubz, has an amazing viewing platform! Would recommend. Address: Piazza della Libertà, 1, 47890 Città di San Marino

The Witches’ Path // such a cool walkway! Located atop Mount Titano, this stone path, also known as Passo delle Streghe, connects the iconic Three Towers of San Marino: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale. We didn’t even bother trying to visit the castles with Bean in tow, and instead bypassed them in favour of this exceptionally scenic walkway. We only went as far as the section linking the first two Towers, but that was enough; we could see out in every direction for miles! The views were jaw-droppingly beautiful, and it felt almost magical to see the second tower perched on such an impossibly high ridge. A must-visit. Address: Passo delle Streghe, 8, 47890 Città di San Marino

Basilica di San Marino // the main church in the city. Dedicated to Saint Marinus, the founder and patron saint of the country, this neo-classical beauty was built in the 19th-century over the remains of a pre-existing 4th-century church. To be honest, we found the exterior of the basilica a lot more visually impressive than the interior, but I’ve read a lot of other guides that state otherwise. Either way, would recommend. Address: Piazzale Domus Plebis, 47890 Città di San Marino

Soak up the views // honestly, this was the main thing we did in San Marino. Everywhere you turn there’s a new breath-taking view of the surrounding landscape — apparently, on a really clear day, you can see all the way to the Adriatic Sea! — and it was never not amazing. We were literally looking down on the clouds at some points of our visit! I feel so lucky we got to experience such a place, especially with little Bean in tow ❤️

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

And there we have it: One Day in San Marino. What did you think? I’m so glad we finally got to visit the tiny mountainous country — it completely lived up to the high expectations I had set for it! Have you visited the microstate before? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the place!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related posts

The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05
A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy
One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip

Bonjour, friends — happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you chilled out and appropriately caffeinated. I’m dropping into your inbox on this beautiful sunny morning to share our Monthly Musings: May 2026 post with you! I had hopes and dreams of sharing it last weekend as normal, but I was on holiday in Nice with my little fam-bam and having too much fun ✨doing nothing✨ to sit down and write this post. Every morning started with buttery fresh pastries from the boulangerie on the corner, every afternoon saw us strolling the Promenade des Anglais, and every evening ended in us eating gooey French cheeses & drinking fancy French wines. It was delightful!

We spent a large part of our days lounging around the apartment with Bean, doing nothing but drinking coffee, working on crosswords, and soaking up the sun from our little balcony. It was exactly the opposite of our Italian trip, wherein we were largely go go go, and it was so nice! We’ll definitely be striding to have more of a chillaxing mindset for any of our future travels — it felt good for the soul.

Our musings for the month ahead are listed below, filled with all the usual ramblings. A little baby update, some travel talk, a recap on what I’ve been reading and watching, and a few additional titbits for good measure.

Enjoy!

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monthly musings: may 2026

Baby update: we’ve officially hit the 7-month mark(!) and she is turning into the sweetest little girl right before our eyes! She gets more vocal with every passing day — including singing along to Roy Orbison’s She’s a Mystery to Me with me! —, loves dancing, is the smiliest baby I’ve ever seen, and thankfully still sleeps the whole night through. Our journey into the world of food is going okayyyy; she’s not big on purees, so we’ve started to lean into baby-led weaning a little and that’s going much better! Seeing her hold and gnaw away on large cuts of food — we’ve had the most success with kiwi, avocado, & steak! — is the cutest thing ever, so long may it continue. I’ve been using the Solid Starts First Foods Database for advice on how to prep food for babies, and it’s been so helpful — would definitely recommend if you’re in the same boat!

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Travel-wise, Bean was just as good this time as she was on her first trip! The flights to and fro went swimmingly — she basically fed/slept/played the whole way, except for when the Ryanair staff made obnoxiously loud and stupid announcements over the PA system😠— and, even though she basically stopped day-napping while we were gone, she was generally in great form! We definitely noticed a difference between this trip and the last; even though it was just 2-ish months ago, Bean is waaaay more interested in reaching for everything and is far more mobile, so we had to keep our eyes peeled. Very glad we ripped off the travel-with-baby bandaid early on — I’m sure it’s only going to get more involved as she ages!

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Related: France was Bean’s third new country! I’m pretty sure I didn’t hit three new countries until I was like 9- or 10-years old, so I’m very proud of us for getting her started early! Obviously every year won’t be like this, but I’m glad we’ve been able to put my maternity time off to good use. Ideally, I’d love to get out of the country one last time before I go back to work in November, but it’s been a good run regardless! To keep track of all the trips we take with baby, I’ve actually created a ‘travel with Bean’ tag to keep everything in one handy dandy place. I hope to populate the tag with many more guides in the future😊

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Friends! Passionate Baker Travels turned 14 at the end of last month!! It was the day before our flight to France and I was so ill-prepared that I didn’t get to share my usual birthday blog post here with you! I’m hoping to remedy this situation soon-ish with a triple chocolate muffin recipe I’ve been tinkering with on and off for literal years, but until then: omg the blog is 14 years old!! I’m so ridiculously grateful for this little nook on the internet and all you lovely people that show up to read and support it — thank you for being here❤️

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In case you missed it, two new travel guides hit the blog last month: The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05 and A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy! I have one more guide to share from that trip — covering all things San Marino(!) — and then I’ll be moving on to some French guides. I actually already have a Nice city guide up, read it here, but I’m thinking I’ll gut and update it with some fun new recommendations. We also did a quick daytrip to Antibes while we were away, so you can expect a sweet little post about that in the not-so-distant future, too!

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Okay, what are we reading? I spent the last month captivated by the magical world Alice Hoffman created in Magic Lessons, The Rules of Magic, and The Book of Magic. I read them completely out of order — note to self for future rereads: Magic Lessons → The Rules of Magic → Practical Magic → The Book of Magic — but the books stand alone enough that that didn’t really matter; I loved each and every one! Now that I’ve finished the series, I’m officially at a book reading loose end. What should I reach for next? To follow along with my reading in real-time on StoryGraph, click here.

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Have you watched anything great recently? Our movie viewing seemed to take a hit last month, but new-to-us highlights include: Rental Family, largely because it was filmed in Japan, The Naked Gun, which was just silly good fun, and Roofman, which we both thought was actually very good! To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here. TV-wise, we finished Love Story, which I know everyone was obsessing over, but we thought it was kind of meh boring? Currently, we’re working our way through Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole and Margot’s Got Money Troubles, both of which are based on books I’ve read and I’m really enjoying!

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Recipes I’ve spied from around the web: the thought of this Cereal Milk Cookie Butter French Toast has straight up blown my mind! That’s just too much goodness in one title to even begin dissecting it, but my gut reaction is YUM. I’m also very intrigued by this Molehill Cake over on Kitchen Projects! I’m always harping on about how I’d love to bake/cook more traditional things, and this certainly appeals to the part of my heritage that is 1/8 Polish!

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: May 2026 post! I hope you enjoyed reading, and let me know any thoughts or what have you using the comment box below — I love hearing from you! Chat again next month,

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related may posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021 // 2020
2019

Friends, hello! Happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you enjoying the loveliest of mornings, coffee in hand, comfy socks on, and perhaps in the mood for a light spot of armchair travelling. I’m here to, hopefully, add to the aforementioned loveliness by sharing my latest travel offering: A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy. Believe it or not, some iteration of this post has actually been sitting half formed in my drafts since 2022, which is when we’d first hoped to visit the city! WELL, it might’ve taken us four years longer than initially planned, but we finally made it to Rimini back at the end of February!

If you haven’t heard of it before, allow me: Rimini is a small city dotted along the Adriatic Coast in our favourite Italian region, Emilia-Romagna. Mostly known for a thriving nightlife scene and ample beachside attractions — neither of which Husband or I would be very interested in —, I wasn’t exactly sure Rimini would be the place for us. Truthfully, our visit to Rimini only transpired because it’s the easiest city to get to San Marino from, but we ended up being very surprised by what the city had to offer; we really enjoyed our time there!

Everything we know and love about Rimini is listed below, divided into the following categories: getting there, where we stayed, where we had coffee & pastries, where we ate, where we drank, where we tourist-ed, and where we shopped. It ended up being a tad longer than expected, but I just couldn’t bear to leave anything out.

PS: in case you missed it, this is my third post about this trip! You can read the two previous posts here: One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip and The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05.

Enjoy!

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getting there

Getting from Bologna to Rimini was surprisingly straightforward. Here’s how we made the journey:

• we took a direct ‘Intercity’ train from Bologna Centrale to Rimini Centrale, with a journey time of around 1-hour and 15-minutes. Because the two cities are so close, there are a bunch of different train options to chose from; the ‘Intercity’ one we opted for was neither the fastest nor the slowest, but we felt it was a good medium length without costing too much.

• we purchased our tickets online in advance of our journey, and because we booked a certain amount of time out, we were able to avail of TrenItalia’s ‘Me&You’ offer: a discounted fare of up to 50% off for couples travelling together. More money for pastries 😉

• our tickets included assigned seating, which meant we didn’t have to worry about finding seats together, and because they were booked for a certain day and time, we also didn’t have to worry about validating our ticket. The less things I have to worry about as a new parent travelling for the first time, the better! For more info about train fares and routes, visit the TrenItalia website here.

• from Rimini Centrale, we strolled a very flat and straightforward 11-minutes to our apartment, below.

where we stayed

Corso51 Suite Apartments // a wonderfully located apartment in the centre of the old town, this was easy walking distance to everywhere we wanted to visit. We booked into the ‘Augusto - junior suite’ apartment and it was perfect: spacious, with a well-stocked kitchenette area, dining table and chairs, extra roomy couch + bed, very well equipped en suite with rainfall shower, and a washer/dryer. Natalia, the lovely manager, also supplied us with a travel cot for Bean, and left out a few baby-friendly toys, towels, bathing products etc., which was such a thoughtful surprise. Would warmly recommend. Address: Corso d'Augusto, 51, 47921 Rimini RN

where we had coffee & pastries

Bar Pasticceria Vecchi // the pasticceria we stopped at every single morning! Okay, technically we only stopped here on our first morning — but we became so obsessed with the pastries we devoured that Husband went back every morning for takeout while I fed Bean. They were called castagnole al pezzo, and they were a sheer delight: bite-sized, deep-fried, light-as-air, doughnut-adjacent balls filled with crema or cioccolato, rolled in a crunchy sweet cinnamon sugar mixture. Ungh, is anyone else drooling reading that? So addictively good. A must-visit. Address: Viale Tiberio, 7, 47922 Rimini RN

Cesari Pasticceria // a little outside town, but another solid pastry spot. They had a huge array of delicious looking pastries on display, but I went for their pistacchio croissant because I’m a basic b, and Husband went for their sfoglia frutta di bosco. My pastry was probably one of the best I had on the whole trip — the pistachio filling was especially delicious, and layers were perfection —, but Husband thinks he may have ordered wrong. Still: would recommend. Address: Viale XXIII Settembre 1845, 34, 47921 Rimini RN

where we ate

dined in

Osteria io e Simone // such a lovely little restaurant! We stopped by for an early lunch one afternoon and loved everything about this place: the vibe, the mismatching furniture, our lovely waitress — not to mention the food! We devoured a basket of fresh bread with olive oil before ordering, along with a glass of wine each: Sangiovese for Husband, Vernaccia for me. From the menu, I ordered their cappelletti pasta with capon and beef broth, Husband went for their meatballs in tomato sauce, and we shared a side of patate al forno; everything was fantastic. If we’d had another night in town, we 100% would’ve eaten here again! A must-visit. Address: Piazzetta Teatini, 3, 47921 Rimini RN

took out

Berberè Pizzeria // a solid sourdough pizza spot. Husband ventured out here to collect dinner one evening while I was feeding Bean and secured one classic margherita pizza + one fennel sausage with parmesan white pizza. We enjoyed them with a glass or two of vino rosso that Husband also secured, and I rather enjoyed them! The bases had that great signature sourdough chew, and I always love getting a non-traditional white pizza. Would recommend. Address: Via Tempio Malatestiano, 30, 47921 Rimini RN

gelato

Gelateria La Romana dal 1947 // a truly fantastic gelateria! We only stopped in here once because it was cold when we visited, but it was some the the very best gelato we had on our trip! I went for my usual, nocciola e pistacchio, and Husband went for solo nocciola topped with a dollop of whipped cream — both were excellent. Both flavours had flecks of roasted nuts speckled throughout and were gloriously creamy, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! A must-visit. Address: Piazza Luigi Ferrari, 5, 47921 Rimini RN

where we drank

Caffè Cavour // a lovely spot for an aperitivo! We stopped in for a spritz after a particularly long day of tourist-ing and it was just what the doctor ordered: a cosy seat outside under a heated lamp, a giant oversized goblet amount of spritz, and a salty packet of crisps on the side! Bean stayed wrapped up in her buggy the whole time beside us, people watching to her heart’s content. Address: Piazza Cavour, 12, 47921 Rimini RN

where we tourist-ed

Arco di Augusto // the oldest surviving Roman arch in the whole world! Dating back to 27 BC — a very casual 2,052 years ago!! — this gorgeous arch was created by order of the Roman Senate to welcome those who made the long journey from Rome to Rimini along the Via Flaminia. We could actually see the arch from the front door of our apartment, and it was never not mind-blowing. A must-visit. Address: Corso d'Augusto, 47923 Rimini RN

Ponte di Tiberio e di Augusto // a beautiful Roman-built bridge that’s more than 2,000(!) years old. Construction on the bridge apparently began in 14 AD, during Augustus’s rule, and finished seven years later in 21 AD, during Tiberius’s rule; hence the two names the bridge carries. Isn’t it amazing that something built so long ago can still be standing strong and completely operational?! A must-visit. Address: Ponte di Tiberio, 47921 Rimini RN.

Borgo San Giuliano // previously the old fisherman’s quarters, this is the cutest little neighbourhood! Comprised of many a narrow cobblestoned street, the area is filled with colourfully painted houses, most of which are adorned with murals showcasing the story of the city and its people. Apparently loads of the houses have been converted into bars / restaurants / galleries and the like, but nothing was open when we visited early one morning. Still, a pretty cute area for a stroll! Would recommend. Address: Via Marecchia, 45, 47921 Rimini RN

Federico Fellini’s Birthplace // widely recognised as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, we obvz had to come here. Fellini lived at 10 Dardanelli until he was 3-years old — although, technically, the building there today isn’t the one he was born in as that was destroyed during WWII, but still! According to local legend, on the very night Fellini was born, a thunderstorm hit the city and a bolt of lightning stuck his house; fun! For film nerds, would recommend. Address: Viale Dardanelli 10, 47921 Rimini

Grand Hotel Rimini // after visiting Fellini’s birthplace, we decided to complete the tour of his Rimini life by visiting the Grand Hotel, where he worked as a caricaturist during his teenage years. Now, I haven’t actually seen any Fellini films, but Husband tells me they have a sort of dreamlike quality to them — which couldn’t be more fitting with the crazy fog that descended as we approached the hotel! It was the weirdest thing, but it really added to the magical-ness of the place. Address: Parco Federico Fellini, 1, 47921 Rimini RN

Rimini Beach // the Grand Hotel is just across the road from the beach, so naturally we had planned to take a waterside stroll while we were there… only to instead be greeted with the aforementioned fog. I ventured part of the way down a boardwalk toward the water, but the fog was so dense that I gave myself the heebie-jeebies and turned back before reaching the water. It was surreal being able to hear people nearby but literally not being able to see further than an arm’s length away. We’re not really big beach people anyways, so we almost liked it better this way? Would recommend. Address: Lungomare Augusto Murri, 47921 Rimini RN

Piazza Tre Martiri // said to be the very square that Julius Caesar stopped in after crossing the Rubicon(!), this spot is basically the centre of the old town. We walked through the square every day on our various journeys around town, and enjoyed the piazza’s highlights: the gorgeous clock tower looming over the square, ancient roman pavement, and the commemorative Julius Caesar statue. Address: Piazza Tre Martiri, 43, 47921 Rimini RN

Daytrip to San Marino // as the closest Italian city to the micro-state of San Marino, this is a very popular thing to do while in Rimini! I have a whole separate post about San Marino coming atcha next month, but it is such an easy and fun way to spend a day — would definitely recommend.

where we shopped

CONAD CITY // literally a 1-minute stroll around the corner from our apartment, we stopped in here often. Surprisingly large and well-stocked, our dining-in game really excelled here: delicious focaccias, great meat selection — fennel salami, prosciutto, salsiccia from the butcher —, fresh parmesan, burrata + stracciatella cheeses, gramigna pasta etc., and a good wine & beer selection. Truly very handy! Address: Via Alessandro Serpieri, 12, 47921 Rimini RN

map our trip

To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.

And there we have it, friends: A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy! What did you think? Have you visited this little coastal city? We honestly had no idea what to expect, but both found it to be rather charming! Hit me up with any thoughts, comments, or questions using the comment box below.

Ciao,

Vicki xo

related posts

The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05
One Day in San Marino
One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip

Hello, lovely people — happy Monday! I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and kicking butt after a restful and enjoyable weekend. I am dropping into your inboxes on this beautiful sunny day to share my latest travel offering with you: The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05. In case you missed it, Husband, Bean, and I went on our inaugural family trip back at the end of February and it went so well! We spent one week gallivanting around the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and had the very best time. Our trip started in Bologna, the capital of the region, and from there we moved onwards to Rimini and also to San Marino.

Before we dive in, just a quick PSA: my first piece from this trip — One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip — hit the blog last month! A recap of our trip, examined entirely through the lens of a new parent: how we travelled around without a car, the baby friendliness of our accommodations, a note of eating out, etc. I know I wrote it, but I think it’s pretty darn helpful!

Now — our Bologna guide is listed below, jammed to the absolute brim. For ease, I’ve divided everything into the following categories: getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate / where we had spritzes / where we shopped. Naturally, the where we ate section is further divided into dined in / took out / gelato. I just love a good sub-category!

Happy reading!

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getting there

Thankfully, the journey from Dublin to Bologna isn’t too taxing. Here’s how we approached it:

• we flew direct from Dublin to Bologna with Ryanair. The flight took a delightfully speedy 2-hours, during which time Bean sat buckled onto my lap, chilling out.

• from Bologna airport, we opted to take a taxi into the city centre. The taxi rank is outside the main doors of the airport on the right hand side and is well sign-posted. Seeing as it was rush hour, the journey — normally only 15/20-minutes long — took 35-minutes, which was unfortunate. I kept Bean on my lap for the duration of the ride.

• taxi fares are capped for rides between the airport and city centre, so even though it felt like it took us an age to finally get there, it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

• if you’d rather get public transport into the city, there’s a monorail that gets into Bologna Centrale in just 7-minutes. For more information about the monorail, click here.

where we stayed

The way the logistics of our trip worked out, we ended up with 3-nights in the city at the start of the trip, and 1-night at the end. As a result, I have two different spots to share with you, one apartment and one hotel:

Cuore di Bologna Suites // home for our first 3-nights in Bologna, we were very pleased with this apartment! Located a stone’s throw from the heart of the quadrilatero district, our spacious ‘superior studio’ had everything we needed: a little kitchenette, a dining table + chairs, large luxurious bed, travel cot for Bean, and a fully equipped en suite. The building also had a friendly doorman, an elevator, and a helpful manager named Paolo. We will be back! Would recommend. Address: Via degli Artieri, 2, 40125 Bologna BO

Hotel Cavour // again, we were pleasantly surprised by this accommodation! We spent our last night in the city here for ease, and our ‘deluxe double room’ was perfect: very spacious, huge bed, table & chairs area, en suite, travel cot, etc. The hotel also had an elevator, 24-hour reception, and free breakfast — which was very handy before heading to the airport! Would recommend. Address: Via Goito, 4, 40126 Bologna BO

where we had coffee & pastries

Caffè Zanarini // without fail, one of our first ports of call in the city! It is amazing every single time, and I love how reliable that fact is. We always have our coffee + pastries at the bar, al banco, and honestly, I feel a trip to Bologna would be incomplete without us stopping here. My favourite pastry is their crema croissant, followed by their pain au chocolat — but I feel you’d be hard pressed to find something you didn’t like. A must-visit. Address: P.zza Galvani, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Coffee Patiserie Gamberini // a Bologna institution of sorts, we were the only non-locals here! I went for a pistachio croissant + cappuccino, Husband went for a frutti di bosco croissant + americano, and we devoured everything al banco while Bean made friends with two Italian gentlemen. Would recommend. Address: Via Ugo Bassi, 12, 40123 Bologna BO

Allegra // a spot I read about on Instagram, we stopped by here with the intention of getting a couple pastries and maybe sitting in. When we saw the prices, we settled on one pain suisse to share and promptly hit the road; the too-loud music and overtly trendy vibe didn’t really mesh with us/our peacefully dozing baby. That said, the pain suisse was delicious: flaky, buttery, and heavily laden with custard + chocolate chips. Address: Via Galliera, 11c, 40121 Bologna BO

where we ate

dined in

Trattoria Anna Maria // a wonderful new-to-us spot! We stopped in on a Sunday and loved the chaotic atmosphere: loud tables filled with multi-generational locals, vintage signed photographs lining every wall, people chatting across tables, waiters weaving between it all, and the smell of ragù in the air. Between us, we devoured a local meats antipasto, mains of ragù and lasagna, and a 1/2 litre of house red; everything was great. The portions were huge, the homemade pasta was superb, and everything tasted authentically nonna-made. Is it the best food we’ve ever had in Bologna? No, but the ambiance and traditional feel of the place outweighed that. The staff were also lovely — our waiter, who quacked at Bean every time he came over and she LOVED it, gifted us slices of crostata di marmellata for dessert — and even though we had to queue for about 20-mins to get a table, we both felt it was worth it. Would recommend. Address: Via delle Belle Arti, 17/a, 40126 Bologna BO

Trattoria Serghei // one of our old favourite restaurants, we simply had to visit this time time round with Bean. We ordered three pasta dishes to share — gramigna alla salsiccia, ragù, tortellini en brodo — and had a glass of Sangiovese each; everything was as reliably delicious as ever. I’m a sucker for their gramigna, but I feel the tortellini was a very close second? The broth was so flavoursome! Would recommend. Address: Via Piella, 12, 40126 Bologna BO

Trattoria Valerio // the sweetest little new-to-us find! We stopped by for lunch one afternoon and were blown away by the quality of the food and the romantic ambience of the space. I went for their lasagne al forno, Husband went for their gramigna alla salsiccia, and we shared a 1/2 litre of house red; everything was delicious. My lasagna was of the local verde variety — spinach infused green pasta, multi-layered to the max, crispy in all the right places —, and Husband’s gramigna was a thing of beauty: creamy, saucy, sausage-y perfection. It was fantastic! And the fact that Bean slept beside us in her buggy for the whole meal was just an added bonus😉A must-visit. Address: Via Avesella, 10, 40121 Bologna BO

Tamburini // our first time ever sitting-in to eat here, even though we buy from the deli every time we’re in town! We needed somewhere to eat an early lunch before taking the train to Rimini, and this was one of the only places we could find that started lunch at 11:30am. Along with a glass of Sangiovese each, we ordered ragù, gramigna alla salsiccia, patate al forno, and a plate of mixed veg to share; all of which was nice, but none of which was anything special. It was exactly what we needed — something hot, quick, and cheap — but I don’t foresee us eating here again. Buying luxury deli items to-go: yes, eating in: no. Address: Via Caprarie, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

took out

Regina Sofia Ristorante Pizzeria Napoletana & Locanda // a very reliable pizza place in the heart of the quadrilatero district. Husband picked up one margarita and one 'nduja pizza on our first night in town as Bean & I settled into our apartment, and it was the perfect ‘welcome back’ meal. We enjoyed it with a nice bottle of wine Husband also secured, and it hit every note: great crust, delightfully saucy, and fresh + spicy ‘nduja. Would recommend. Address: Via Clavature, 1/C, Via de' Musei, 9, 40124 Bologna BO

MÒ! MORTADELLA LAB // Bologna’s very own viral sandwich shop! We stopped by one evening and ordered three sandwiches to take home for dinner — no.3 (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil), no.18 (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pistachio pesto), and no.20 (Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella) —; each was as delicious as the next. The sandwiches were prepared before our eyes, laden with hugely generous portions of everything, the end products were absolutely giant! My favourite was no.18, but I also rather enjoyed the simplicity of no.20. Would recommend. Address: Via Volturno, 40121 Bologna BO

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele // I was skeptical about trying this branch of the Naples institution, but we were very pleasantly surprised! Husband picked up two margherita pizzas to go, which we then devoured in our hotel room with a couple glasses of wine — it was wonderful! The base was just as crepe-thin as the original, the crust was delightfully charred, and the sauce was fantastic. Would recommend. Address: Piazza S. Martino, 3b, 40126 Bologna BO

gelato

Cremeria Cavour // a fantastic gelateria! This place had been on our hitlist for years — and I’m so glad we finally made it because, wowza, their gelato is drool-worthy levels of deliciousness! I’m a pistachio and hazelnut diehard so I didn’t bother trying anything else, but Husband also tried their coffee flavour; they were all delicious! We enjoyed everything so much that we actually stopped in every single day of our trip, and it’s hands-down our new favourite gelato spot in the city. A must-visit. Address: P.za Cavour, 1d, 40124 Bologna BO

where we had a spritz

Bar Senza Nome // our absolute favourite place for a spritz in the city! Run completely by hearing impaired staff, they read your lips for your order — due Aperol Spritz, per favore — and it is never not amazing. Great value, relaxed atmosphere, and a wonderful spot for a date — regardless of whether you have a baby tucked into the corner beside you or not. A must-visit. Address: Via Belvedere, 11 B, 40121 Bologna BO

Camera A Sud // a close second favourite after the above! We sat at a table outside — for an easy escape with Bean if we had to! — under heated lamps, with romantic fairy lights strung across the alley above us, but the inside of this bar is equally as lovely and quirky. Another good value spot, with a casual and laidback student atmosphere. Would recommend. Address: Via Valdonica, 5, 40126 Bologna BO

where we shopped

Tamburini // for fresh sliced charcuterie and fancy Italian cheese. We stop here every single visit for some goodies, but this particular time we bought soft creamy pecorino, fennel salami, and big slices of local mortadella. Address: Via Caprarie, 1, 40124 Bologna BO

Paolo Atti & Figli Panificio // right next door to the above, this is where we bought the bread to have with our meats + cheeses. Address: Via Drapperie, 6a, 40124 Bologna BO

Signorvino // a fancy wine shop; we stopped in for a nice bottle of Sangiovese one evening. Address: Piazza Maggiore, 1/C, 40124 Bologna BO

Pam Local // handy convenience stores dotted around the city. We stopped into two locations during our visit for some basics: olive oil, bags of crisps, beer, wine, and chocolate. Address: Via Clavature, 17B, 40124 Bologna BO and Via IV Novembre, 16, 40123 Bologna BO

TUDAY CONAD // another convenience store, also good for basics. Address: Via dell'Indipendenza, 11, 40126 Bologna BO

And there we have it, friends: The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05 — I hope you enjoyed it! I’ll be back soon with my Rimini round-up, promise!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related posts

One Day in San Marino
A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy
One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip

Hello, friends! Happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you well rested, appropriately caffeinated, and with some nice plans for the day ahead: a cosy day on the couch watching films, going for a walk with the fam-bam, or perhaps meeting a friend for coffee; I myself have plans for the latter and am very excited about it. First though, I thought I’d drop briefly into your inboxes to share our Monthly Musings: April 2026 post. I did have hopes and dreams of sending this post out last weekend, as per our usual scheduling, but I fell down a crafting rabbit hole and was too busy making felt birthday crowns to get my life together — but more on that below. So, shall we?

Our musings for the beautiful month ahead are listed below. All the usual suspects are there — travel, recipes, movies, books —, but because I can’t leave well enough alone, there’s a couple of additional tidbits thrown in for good measure 😉

Enjoy, friends!

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monthly musings april 2026

Baby news: Bean is officially six months old! How so much time has passed I have no idea, but I’m so grateful everything is still going well! We tried solids for the first time ever this past week — pureed carrots, the jury is still out — and are now babbling away non-stop! There hasn’t actually been a distinctive ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ yet, but(!) there has been a lot of ‘dadadadada’, ‘rararara’, and ‘hoopf’ sounds, which is really rather adorable. We’re also at the stage where Bean delights when she sees us, gives little quick squeeze-like hugs, and lovingly paws at our faces with her chubby hands, so it’s all very sweet at the moment. Soaking it up ❤️

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I celebrated my first Mother’s Day last month! I was absolutely spoiled rotten by Bean + Husband, my thoughtful parents, and my favourite sister. There were homemade cards, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, beautiful bouquets of flowers, gramigna alla salsiccia for dinner, some lovely wine and cheeses, a slightly deflated but extremely well-meaning balloon, and of course, plenty of baby cuddles. Feeling very lucky!

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Did you have a nice Easter last weekend? Ours ended up being super busy because there was just so much happening; Bean’s 6-month birthday coincidentally fell on Easter Sunday, and my dad’s 60th birthday fell on Easter Monday! My dad’s main birthday celebration was on the Saturday — a huge western themed murder mystery party! I was a popular saloon girl with a name too offensive to share here —, we spent Easter itself visiting my grandmother and celebrating Bean + Dad with my family, and then on the Monday we met Husband’s fam-bam for a walk. It was so busy and lovely!

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RE the aforementioned homemade birthday crowns: I am obsessed! Bean loves kissing her Big Bird + Squirt teddies goodnight right before bed, and then promptly falls asleep staring up at the stars from this light Santa brought her, so obvz I had to try capture that moment in crown form to remember forever. I’m so pleased with how it turned out! My dad’s crown had a more adult theme — Aperol spritz, olives, peanuts, orange slices, and a rogue carton of milk — but it was also just as adorable! I bought this Birthday Crown Kit online and it was so helpful because it included all sorts of stitching tutorials, shaping templates, and even different motifs if you weren’t up for creating your own — would absolutely recommend! I bought it when Jen was doing a huge sale, which I think she does quite often, so keep an eye out if you’re interested!

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Did you watch the Oscars last month? We are the only people I know that stay up into the early hours of the morning to watch it live, and I love that we kept this tradition up even though we have a little baba! In truth, I still haven’t seen a lot of the movies that took home the biggest awards, but I love watching the spectacle of the whole event regardless. We have seen a couple of the films that were nominated for Best International Feature, and I just don’t get the love for Sentimental Value? I definitely think it should’ve gone to It Was Just An Accident, which I thought was way more beautiful and deserving, but we’re also looking forward to seeing The Secret Agent!

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In case you missed it, a new post hit the blog last month: One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip! I am working on individual city guides from our trip — Bologna / Rimini / San Marino, all coming soon! —, but I wanted to do a big itinerary post that focused in on the baby friendliness of our trip. You know, how we travelled around with baby, the family-friendly apartments we stayed at, how stroller-friendly the cities were, etc. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’m so pleased with how it came out! I tried to jam every nugget of travelling-with-a-baby info I could think of in there, so I really hope you find it helpful!

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Related: we’re going away again! After the success of our Italy trip, we’ve decided to set off again before Bean becomes fully mobile — and we’re going at the end of this month! We’re heading off to the beautiful French Riviera for 7-full days, where I plan to lounge around eating croissants all day every day. We’ll be based in Nice — which we love, catch my city guide here —, but we also plan to do a couple day trips to nearby towns. Any recommendations? I’m thinking Cannes + Antibes one day, and maybe Menton another? We’ve already hit Villefranche-sur-Mer and Juan-les-Pins, so ideally somewhere new!

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Have you watched anything life-changingly good lately? Movie-wise, our new watches have included Train Dreams, The Vanishing (1988), Final Destination Bloodlines, and The Strangers Chapter 2; the first two we immensely enjoyed, and the latter two were so ridiculously terrible they barely held our attention. Fun rewatches include the first four Indiana Jones movies, High Fidelity, and, randomly, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Does anyone else ever get the hankering to rewatch old films from your childhood? To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here.

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Apparently, I speed-read my way through three books last month! I started with Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, followed that up with Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, and rounded out the month with Michael Connelly’s latest, The Proving Ground; three completely different styles of book, and yet each was as enjoyable as the next! I’m officially taking a Stephen King break now that I’ve read all the books featuring my fave character, Holly Gibney, and am currently reading another Hoffman novel. They wouldn’t normally be my style of book, but I’m rather enjoying getting lost in her cosy witchy world! What’re you reading? To follow along with my reading in real-time on StoryGraph, click here.

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Recipes from around the web: we recently found ourselves with a surplus of eggs, so naturally I had to whip up brownies! I turned to Cloudy Kitchen’s Forever Brownie recipe and was very happy with the results; fudgy and chewy in all the right places! I also whipped up another batch of the Ugly Scones from 64 Wine, and oof, they are ridiculously delightful. Nothing better than a warm and fluffy freshly baked scone!

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: April 2026 post! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you found something to take away with you — be it a hankering to make a homemade birthday crown, an urge to book a trip, or a new recipe.

Catch you next month,

Vicki xo

related posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021
2020 // 2019

Friends, hello! Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and, with some exciting plans for the weekend ahead! I’m dropping into your inbox to share my latest travel piece with you: One Week in Italy & San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip! At the end of last month, Husband, Bean, and I set off on our inaugural adventure as a family of three and it! went! so! well! All in, the trip was a blissful 7-days absolutely chock-full of sunshine, pasta, and more gelato than I care to admit — it was perfect! Can I tell you about it?

Initially, when we were in the route planning stage of the trip, we toyed with going somewhere completely new-to-us; we hadn’t been abroad in close to a year, and the excitement of the unknown was ridiculously tempting. Eventually, we reined ourselves in and remembered that the biggest unknown for our first family trip would be seeing how Bean handles everything, and trying to figure out Greek signposts simultaneously would probably be too stressful. The itinerary we settled on (Bologna and Rimini, with a daytrip to San Marino) felt like a nice happy medium. Bologna is an old fave of ours — this was actually our seventh time visiting together! —, so it made sense for us to get our travelling-with-baby sea legs here. Rimini + San Marino, while still being two new-to-us places, are both located within the same region as Bologna, so they wouldn’t be that different, you know? The perfect mix of comfort and adventure!

Seeing as this was our first trip with our little bambina, I thought it might be fun to share a complete baby breakdown of our itinerary. I will, of course, be sharing individual city guides in the near future, which won’t have a highlight on baby, fear not, but this piece focuses solely on the baby-friendliness of our trip. How we got there, where we stayed, how we got around, and a note on eating out — all with a little 4-month old in tow. I tried to include all the relevant baby info I could think of, but hit me up if you have any questions!

Enjoy, friends 😊

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our itinerary at a glace

• day 1-3: Bologna

  • fly Dublin to Bologna

  • reacquaint ourselves with the city

  • base ourselves in an apartment in the quadrilatero district

  • take the train from Bologna to Rimini

• day 3-6: Rimini

  • base ourselves in an apartment in the old town

  • explore Rimini

  • take the train from Rimini to Bologna

• day 5: San Marino

  • take the bus to/from Rimini for a daytrip

• day 6-7: Bologna

  • base ourselves in a hotel in the city centre

  • soak up our last full day

  • fly from Bologna to Dublin

our itinerary in detail

day 1-3: bologna

GETTING THERE:

• we flew direct from Dublin to Bologna with Ryanair. Unfortunately, Ryanair doesn’t allow any extra baggage for lap infants — but does allow two free checked items and a 5kg baby bag. Our final luggage haul ended up being: x1 wheely overhead locker bag, x1 small personal bag, x1 baby bag, and x1 fully collapsible buggy. This was technically less bags then we were allotted — x1 more small personal bag would’ve still been allowed — but we didn’t want to be lugging around too much. More info on the Ryanair website, here.

• before going through security at Dublin airport, we went to the Ryanair check-in area to get our baby bag and buggy tagged, as per the lap infant rules. This allowed us to keep Bean in her buggy right up until we boarded the plane, which was so nice considering she was on my lap for the rest of the day! You can also get these items tagged at the gate when you’re boarding, but the anxious over-thinker in me couldn’t handle not knowing if they’d be persnickety about the size of our baby bag. Spoiler alert: they weren’t.

• the flight took a surprisingly speedy 2-hours. Mercifully, we had no issues with Bean on the flight — she stayed seat-belted onto my lap for the entire journey, awake, but generally chilled out. To help with pressure in her ears, we fed on take-off and landing; she didn’t seem to notice anything. The return journey was much the same, except she was so uninterested this time that she slept for the entire flight — woo!

• from Bologna airport, we opted to take a taxi into the city centre for ease. It was rush hour when we landed, so the journey took around 35-minutes. Taxis in Italy are exempt from car seat laws, so I was able to hold Bean on my lap for the duration of the journey. Obviously not ideal, but seeing as it was such a short distance — 6km —, I didn’t think it was worth it to bring a car seat.

WHERE WE STAYED:

• a literal 1-minute walk into the heart of the quadrilatero district, we got really lucky with the apartment we found online: Cuore di Bologna Suites. It was easy walking distance to everywhere we planned to hit up, the building felt safe — complete with a friendly doorman until the evenings —, the manager was very agreeable, and our room was perfect.

• room-wise, we booked the ‘Superior Studio’: a spacious room with a large double bed, a single bed, a kitchenette, a dining table, and a private bathroom. The property also organized a travel cot for Bean, FOC, and there was a little basket of treats and coffee etc. It was perfect for our needs, and great being able to spread out all our stuff, especially with Bean.

• this location was also buggy-friendly! The building has a (claustrophobic, slightly scary, and totally old-fashioned) fully functioning elevator that was justttt big enough to fit one buggy, two adults + all our luggage. There are, of course, stairs — but seeing as the apartment is located on the third floor, it wouldn’t have been doable for us without the elevator.

GETTING AROUND:

• the city is delightfully easy to get around, so we walked everywhere! Most of the streets are flat and smooth, so it was relatively easy to navigate with a buggy.

• of course, there are a lot of cobblestones in Italy, and in our super compact travel-friendly buggy, Bean absolutely felt every single one of them. Thankfully, bumpy journeys have never bothered her — but it is something to keep in mind if your baby is fussier.

day 3-6: rimini

GETTING THERE:

• we took a direct ‘Intercity’ train from Bologna Centrale to Rimini Centrale. The walk to Bologna Centrale is very straightforward, and navigating our way through the station to the platform with the buggy was fine because there are elevators. The journey was around 1-hour and 15-minutes.

• to make our lives easier, we kept Bean in the buggy on the platform until the last minute — which, thank god we did, because the train was 20-minutes delayed —, at which point I held her in my arms and we folded the buggy up completely. Bean was happy as a clam on the platform, smiling at enamored Italians blowing her kisses.

• we’ve never had an issue finding space for our bags on Italian trains, and this was no different; even though the train was jammed, there was plenty of room for Husband to stow everything in the overhead space.

• our tickets for this journey — which we booked in advance, online — had assigned seating, which was nice, because we didn’t have to worry about being separated. Our seats were across from each other with a table between us, so we were able to pass Bean back & forth. For more info about trains and routes, visit the TrenItalia website here.

• FYI: the ‘Intercity’ trains do not have any baby-changing facilities on board! This wasn’t a huge concern for us because our journey was relatively short, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if going further afield!

WHERE WE STAYED:

• ideally located in the historic centre of Rimini, we were very happy with our accommodation: Corso51 Suite Apartments. It was easy walking distance to everywhere we planned to tourist — as well as both the train station and the San Marino bus stop —, the manager was very helpful whenever we needed her, and it was handily located around the corner from a CONAD CITY supermarket!

• room-wise, we booked the ‘Augusto - Junior Suite’: a spacious room with a large double bed, an extra roomy fold-out couch, a kitchenette, a little dining table, and a private bathroom. The property also organized a travel cot for Bean, as well as a high chair, baby toiletries + towels, and a handful of baby-friendly toys, all FOC! We already thought the room was pretty perfect, but these sweet little touches were just so lovely.

• the room also came equipped with a washer/dryer, which was so handy! Seeing as our stay here was smack bang in the middle of our trip, it was very helpful being able to do a wash and get everything dried before moving on.

• this location is also (mostly) buggy-friendly! There is a small elevator that we, the buggy + our luggage were all able to squeeze into, however(!), there are two steps down into it that wouldn’t really be doable if you were on your own. The apartment is located on the first floor, so it wouldn’t have been the end of the world to carry the buggy up — but not ideal for any solo-parent travellers out there.

GETTING AROUND:

• Rimini city is pretty compact, so we were able to walk everywhere! The city as a whole is relatively flat, so navigating with the buggy was a breeze.

• the cobblestone situation here is definitely more aggressive than that in Bologna, which Bean didn’t love, but if we took it slow it wasn’t really an issue.

day 5: san marino

GETTING THERE:

• for our daytrip to San Marino, we took a Bonelli Bus shuttle from the Arch of Augustus in Rimini, with a journey time of about 1-hour. The shuttle goes between the two cities once every 1.5-hours or so, and apparently they run every single day! For more info, visit the Bonelli Bus website here.

• while you can buy your tickets directly onboard from the driver, we bought our tickets online in advance — and I’d highly recommend you do the same! Having a pre-booked ticket ensures you’ll be able to board the bus, even if it’s really full.

• on that note: although having a ticket guarantees your transportation, it does not guarantee a seat! We got on at the second stop and nabbed two of the only three remaining seats on the whole bus — I was so shocked! I’d definitely recommend getting on at the first stop if possible, and also trying to be some of the first people to board. They do allow standing passengers on the bus, but it wouldn’t be ideal on the bumpy and winding roads!

• to make our lives easier, we decided not to bring the buggy to San Marino, and instead opted to carry Bean in our BabyBjörn. Honestly, I am so glad we did this — she fell asleep against my chest basically as soon as I sat down, and stayed that way for the whole journey!

• for the return journey later the same day, we made sure to queue up early to get seats together. The bus pulled up about 15-minutes before the departure time, and, as some of the first people onboard, we were able to avail of the two spacious seats up front. After a cute game of peekaboo with the driver, we lay Bean across our laps and she slept the whole way home!

GETTING AROUND:

• in case you didn’t know — Husband, looking at you —, San Marino is perched very high up at the top of a literal mountain. As such, the streets through the historic centre are all extremely steep, with some feeling near vertical. I was so! happy! not to have the buggy with us, because it definitely would’ve been a pain to push it around all day.

• as well as the sheer steep-ness, there was also a LOT of steps dotted around the city, many of which were unavoidable. It definitely would’ve been a massive annoyance to try to navigate with a buggy.

• aside from all that, the city of San Marino is super compact! Everywhere we wanted to see was within easy walking distance of each other, and directions to the main attractions are well signposted for tourists.

day 6-7: bologna

GETTING THERE:

• on our return to Bologna four days later, we once more took the train — except this time it was a ‘Regional Veloce’ train. This differed from the above train in that there were a few more stops, so the journey was a slightly longer 1-hour and 35-minutes.

• also different from the above, our tickets for this train — which we booked in advance, online — showed unreserved seating. I was less nervous about this seeing as we already had one successful train journey under our belt, but thankfully we found seats together anyways. We were able to lay Bean across our laps again, and she literally slept the whole way. For more info about trains and routes, visit the TrenItalia website here.

• again, there was plenty of room for our luggage — wheely bag, backpacks, folded up buggy, etc.

• FYI: the ‘Regional Veloce’ trains do not have any baby-changing facilities on board! This wasn’t a huge concern for us because our journey was relatively short, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if going further afield!

WHERE WE STAYED:

• looking for ease on our final night, we booked into Hotel Cavour. Centrally located off Via dell'Indipendenza, this was an easy walk to the few remaining spots we wanted to squeeze in before leaving. The building felt very safe — complete with a 24-hour reception desk —, the staff were friendly enough, and it was very handy having them organize a taxi for us to get back to the airport!

• room-wise, we booked a ‘Deluxe Double Room’: a spacious top-floor room with a large double bed, a little table and chairs, a desk, a private bathroom, and a travel cot for Bean, FOC. Our room rate also included breakfast the following morning, which was the usual European spread of meats/cheeses/yogurts/pastries, etc. All in all, perfect for our 1-night stay!

• this hotel is buggy friendly! There was a relatively modern elevator towards the rear of the building that was very spacious, so we were able to travel up and down to the room with ease!

a note on eating out

• pre-trip, we decided to forego any evening meals in restaurants in favour of lunch-time outings instead. Firstly, if the worst case scenario happened and we had a fussy baby on our hands, people are generally more understanding of that during the day. Secondly, Bean is just a more chill and happy baby during the day, so our chances of fussiness were slim. Lastly, seeing as we have a somewhat regular night time routine that works, we figured it was no big deal to eat in for dinner. We usually ended up getting takeout, but also — thanks to our carefully chosen apartments with kitchenettes! — Husband was able to whip up something once or twice.

• generally speaking, we tried to time Bean’s afternoon nap to coincide with the approximate time we planned to go out for lunch at. Most of the time, we nailed it and she slept through the whole meal in her buggy! The odd time she was awake, she was happy to chill in her buggy, playing with a teething toy, making friends with fellow diners, or watching the busy waiters go about their business.

• drinks-wise, it just wouldn’t be a trip to Italy without heading out for an aperitivo in the early evenings, so we tried our best to make it happen. Again, about half the time we got lucky and she was asleep — as in the third photo, above — so we tucked her buggy into an unsuspecting corner while we enjoyed a spritz! Other times, when she was wide awake, we’d opt for a seat outside where a) she could people-watch or b) we could make a speedy getaway if she started fussing.

And there we have it: One Week in Italy and San Marino | Our Itinerary for Baby’s First Trip! What did you think? I hope you found it helpful, and if you have any questions please drop them in the comment box below.

Ciao,

Vicki xo

related posts

The Bologna Diaries, Vol. 05
A Quick Guide to Rimini, Italy
One Day in San Marino

Ciao, friends! Happy Sunday! How the heck are you? Welcome to our Monthly Musings: March 2026 post — I hope it finds you well! Not to show my Irish-ness by talking about the weather, but can we please talk about the weather for a second? Isn’t it nice that the rain has finally stopped? Can you actually even believe that Tuesday just gone was the first day of the! whole! year! without a drop of rain? All the way to March without a single dry day; how insane is that? How Irish! It’s been so nice the past few days to be able to go out and enjoy the sunshine, even if it’s been accompanied by a crisp fresh wind — I’ll take it. Weather talk aside, shall we get down to business?

Our musings for the month ahead are below. All the usual suspects are there — travel, recipes, movies, books — with a few additional tidbits thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy, friends!

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monthly musings: march 2026

Baby update: Bean is officially 5-months old and things are going so well! She still loves going for walks in her chariot — aka: buggy —, still sleeps through the night, and is still super easy-going. Her current favourite things are holding onto her feet, which is the cutest thing ever(!), kissing her Big Bird teddy goodnight, and being around us when we’re doing even the most boring things. Milestone wise, she rolled over for the first time last month! It was both very exciting and wildly anti-climactic.

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It’s official: we survived our first trip away with our little bambina! We spent one week soaking up the vibes — aka: eating and drinking to our heart’s content — in Bologna, Rimini, and San Marino; it went so well! Bean was an absolute angel travel companion: very adaptable, super chilled, and had no problem moving from city to city or settling into different travel cots etc. The journey had us taking trains, buses, planes, taxis and shuttles, and I’m pleased to report she didn’t go ballistic even one time! Her easy & cheery nature made the whole trip so much easier for us; we feel so lucky to have had everything go off without a hitch. I’ve already started dreaming up our next escape 😉

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Aside from the win of traveling with our piccolina, it just felt so good to get out there and travel again! We hadn’t been away since our babymoon trip to Gdańsk last May, and I cannot even begin to explain how wonderful it was to leave the country for a bit! We spent four days in Bologna, three days in Rimini, and did a day-trip to San Marino from the latter; it was perfect. Bologna still fits us like an old glove, and it was surreal to revisit some favourite spots with our baby in tow. Rimini and San Marino were both new-to-us, and I can’t believe we finally made it to either — we’d been planning and failing to visit both since 2022! Travel guides coming soon!

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I mentioned last month that I want to bring a little more fun/joy to boring everyday stuff, and I’ve been making a few small changes to achieve this. One of these things has been to colour code my calendar. Orange for family, pink for friends, yellow for holidays, red or green for appointments, and blue for birthdays. It’s such a tiny thing, but looking at the rainbow of colours makes even the mundane a little more fun! Other small but joyous things I’ve been doing: being more proactive in organizing to see friends, painting my nails fun colours, and treating myself to an iced latte every now and then.

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I also mentioned last month that I wanted to get back into scrapbooking and, omg, it is the tonic I didn’t know I needed! I ordered some fun little scrapbook bits and bobs — deco paper, round-edge cutter, paper guillotine, many stickers, etc. — online and I could lose hours in the scrapbooking zone! I’ve been focusing all my energies on Bean’s baby book, and it’s turning out so cute! I’m almost up to date on that, and then I’m going to turn my crafty attention to making felt birthday crowns — I’m so excited!

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What’ve you been watching lately? Movie-wise, things have been pretty slow for us. New watches include The Housemaid, which we both thought was so overrated and long, and Bones and All, which, while gross, I found weirdly romantic? We also watched The Thomas Crown Affair, which reignited my desire to become an art-thief. Don’t the movies just make it look so easy and cool? Fun rewatches include My Best Friend’s Wedding, Knocked Up, and Wedding Crashers. TV-wise, we’ve found ourselves rewatching Seinfeld lately. It’s just such a comforting watch, it is literally the perfect thing to put on at the end of the day when you’re brain is too tired to comprehend anything else!! I refuse to be sorry about this rewatch! To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here.

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Did you read anything great last month? I continued down the Stephen King rabbit hole and read If It Bleeds, a collection of four short stories. I wouldn’t normally go in for short stories, but it was actually quite fun! My favourites were Rat and If It Bleeds, but the other two weren’t half bad either! All of them had a supernatural element, which, again, I wouldn’t normally go in for, but those parts weren’t overtly in-your-face supernatural, so I was able to accept it, you know? Either way: fun! To follow along with my reading in real-time on StoryGraph, click here.

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Recipes from around the web: Husband has made this gorgeous soda bread recipe a handful of times over the last few weeks and it is so good! It tastes just like McCambridge’s, but the resulting loaf is much larger, and it’s so fresh and lovely! Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a nice healthy homemade brown bread recipe.

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: February 2026 post! I hope you found something to take away with you, be it a hankering to start scrapbooking, a recipe, or an urge to book a flight. Catch you again next month!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

PS: the photo above was taken in Bologna last week! Wandering around our beloved quadrilatero district, sometime between eating gramigna alla salsiccia and nocciola gelato, pondering our Aperol spritz spot for the evening, with the sun beaming through the market justtt right. Sigh, I miss Italy already. Ugh.

related posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021 // 2020
2019

Hello friends! Happy Monday! How the heck are you keeping? I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and, ideally, finished with work for the evening. I’m dropping into your inbox for the briefest of moments to share our Monthly Musings: February 2026 post. The extra-observant amongst you might be thinking that I normally send these posts out on the first Sunday of the month, which is indeed correct. Forgive me, but the only excuse I have to offer you is that tiny wriggly creature pictured above. I will try my darndest to be more on schedule moving forward.

Seeing as we’re relatively close to the end of the month, I’ve kept the musings listed below somewhat more concise and bullet-point in style. All of the usual suspects are there — travel, recipes, movies, books, etc. — but just with less rambling.

Enjoy, friends!

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monthly musings: february 2026

Baby update: Bean is doing great! Still sleeping through the night, still easy-going, and still the cutest baby I’ve ever laid eyes on. She has started making the most adorable little dinosaur ‘rawr’ noises and it melts our hearts every single time. She did, however, hold a grudge against me for two full days last week after getting her vaccine shots — but alas, as the queen of grudge-holding, I can see where she gets it from.

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We’re setting off on our first trip as a family next week!! We’ll be spending one week in Italy and San Marino and I can barely wait! I’m so excited to get back to our beloved Italia and I can’t believe that we’ll get to bring our little sidekick around to all of our favourite places — eep! More details next month, promise!

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So late to the game on this, but I’ve finally finalized my IN and OUT lists for the year ahead! INs: more crafting (scrapbooking, felt birthday crowns, knitting, etc.), more travel, more real-life posting on Instagram, make some new mom friends, see my besties more, more self-care, more fun in the every day. OUTs: perfect camera-only images, sitting on things that irk me, being too scared to try new things. What’s on your IN/OUT lists, or what resolutions are you making for the year ahead?

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Did you have a nice Valentine’s Day? Husband and I spent the whole weekend tucked up with our little cherub and had the loveliest time ever! It was filled with pastel coloured roses, linguine and meatballs, fancy Champagne, soft-serve ice-creams and walks in the rain, the cheese board of our dreams, espresso martinis, and a takeaway. The perfect weekend ❤️

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In case you missed it, last month I started a new series: Cookbook Corner! Wherein I shared every cookbook we reached for over the course of the month and what recipes we used. I’m so glad you guys love the post and the idea behind it as much as I do; will definitely be making the effort to keep it up!

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Also ICYMI, the two final posts from my 2012 inter-railing trip hit the Notes from the Archive shelves recently: An Afternoon in Salzburg, Austria and 7 Hours in Paris, France! I have a small handful of other trips to share in the series — starting with Bruges next week! — so watch this space!

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The best book I read last month: Remain, by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan. It also happens to be the only book I read last month, but still. A good cheesy read about a supernatural love story, which I normally wouldn’t be into, but was actually good fun! To follow along with my reading in real-time on StoryGraph, click here.

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On the film front, some cheesy-yet-enjoyable highlights for me were Hot Pursuit, The People We Meet on Vacation, and a rewatch of The Perfect Man, which I have on DVD and will love forever. On the not cheesy front, we also watched Caught Stealing and F1, both of which I rather enjoyed. To follow along with our movie watching in real-time on Letterboxd, click here.

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Recipes from around the web: we devoured this Oven-Cooked Chicken Shawarma from Nigella! Delicious marinade and super simple to cook off at dinner time; we enjoyed ours with flatbreads and some cooling pickle rice. We also made many, I repeat MANY, batches of these Ugly Scones from The Rock Bun over the course of the month, and I highly recommend you do the same. The best scones in existence.

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: February 2026 post! Three weeks and one day late — but who’s counting? Catch you again next month!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021 // 2020 // 2019

Friends, hello! I hope this post finds you well. I’m dropping into your inbox on this miserable afternoon to share a new type of post with you: Cookbook Corner! See, I don’t know about you, but I LOVE having a nose through other people’s cookbook collections, and then proceeding to judge them based on what I do or don’t find there and what general condition they keep their books in. With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to open the doors into my own personal collection and share a monthly roundup of which books we’ve reached for over the last month, and which recipes were the ones that caught our eye! Think of it as an ode to our Cookbook Club of yore, but with less rigidity about sticking to a set book or two.

I’m hoping that by creating this monthly round-up, it’ll force me to get back into the swing of trying out new-to-me recipes from books I own but maybe haven’t made too much from, you know? I’m also hoping that these posts will encourage you to deep dive into your own cookbook collections, or perhaps introduce you to a book or two that you may not have heard of.

Shall we?

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cookbook corner, january 2026

Alison Roman’s Something from Nothing seems to have come out as our most used cookbook of the month, but that’s just because it was a new and sparkly Christmas present. Moving forward I plan to try to incorporate a more varied selection of books, mixing old, new, etc.

Anyways, here’s everything we made this month and which books we got the recipes from!

savoury

Crunchy Chicken Parmesan with Burst Tomatoes from Alison Roman’s Something from Nothing // hands down the most delicious new recipe we tried this month; we loved it so much we made it twice! Husband whipped up a lemony orzo pasta salad to serve with it both times, and it was so! good! If you’re considering adding this cookbook to your collection, this recipe alone would be reason enough! Run, don’t walk!

Carbonara for Two from Alison Roman’s Something from Nothing // a ridiculously detailed, wonderful recipe! The end result was surprisingly creamy, garlicky, and so light! Will absolutely be adding to the meal plan again!

Goodbye Meatballs from Alison Roman’s Something from Nothing // a really very delicious meatball recipe. Tender and delicious, the only real negatives for us were a) the added step of frying the meatballs, and b) the inclusion of ricotta, which we literally never buy or know what to do with when we have leftovers. The first step is probably worth it for the added flavour, but the latter is perhaps a little too fecky for us.

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Browned Butter from Alison Roman’s Something from Nothing // the only recipe we’ve made from this book that didn’t wow us. It was easy and flavourful, but at the same time we thought it was just kind of fine? They can’t all be knockouts!

Fagioli all’Olio from Emiko Davies’s Florentine // addictively moreish, these beans grace our table about once every month; they are the perfect accompaniment to any meat-heavy meal! I always takes the cheat’s way out by using tinned beans, but the flavour is never anything less than top notch.

Chorizo Nachos from Sam Sifton’s New York Times: No-Recipe Recipes // we are divils for homemade nachos, and this cheese sauce recipe has totally upped our game! We were never really into cheese sauce before because it just seemed so globby(?) and unnatural, but this one is so delightful that we’ve 100% been converted to the dark side!

Sausage Rolls from Justin Gellatly’s Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding // this has been my go-to sausage roll recipe for years, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Of course, back when I had the energy for such things, I used to make my own puff pastry for these, but alas, if you squint and turn your head sideways, storebought is almost just as good.

sweet

Salted Vanilla Shortbread from Nicola Lamb’s SIFT // pictured in my December Monthly Musings post, these were so good! Husband remarked that they taste like those buttery Danish biscuits you get in the blue tins, and he’s so right! Delicious.

Ultimate Chocolate Cake from Nicola Lamb’s SIFT // of course this would be the cake Husband chose for his birthday: an epic 18 layer masterpiece. A small labour of love, but absolutely worth the effort — this was so delicious! We especially enjoyed the slices that we zapped ever-so-slightly in the microwave for that gooey, unctuous, super chocolatey mouthful.

Sweet Bacon Pancakes from Joy Wilson’s Over Easy // this has been Husband’s go-to pancake recipe for years and it is such a keeper! Although the title is somewhat misleading — Joy serves the pancakes with a side of sugar baked bacon slices — this makes the fluffiest American-style buttermilk pancakes. Is there anything better on a Sunday morning? I think not.

Ultimate Chocolate Biscuit Cake from Sophie White’s Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown // we get a hankering for this every so often and it never lets us down! The easiest, most comforting no-bake recipe out there.

And there we have it, our first ever Cookbook Corner! I hope you enjoyed this first mooch through my cookbook shelves — I’m looking forward to showing you some more of my collection over the coming months! If you take just one recipe away with you, please let it be either the Crunchy Chicken Parmesan or the Salted Vanilla Shortbread; you will not be disappointed!

Chat next week for our monthly catch-up,

Vicki xo

related posts

Cookbooks to Travel Through, Our Favourites
Cookbook Club, May 2021
Cookbook Club, June 2021

Hello, friends! Happy New Year! Welcome to our Monthly Musings: January 2026 post, our first of the year! I hope it finds you wearing new supremely comfortable pjs and vegging out to the max before any real world duties start back up again tomorrow. Did you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s? I hope it was filled with all sorts of delicious over-indulgence. Personally, I devoured an excessive amount of cheese, far too many choccies, and many a festive tipple — it was wonderful! Our plan to split our time between our two families went off without a hitch; Bean was a perfect angel and somehow everything went very smoothly! We rounded out the break on New Year’s Day by celebrating with both of our families together, which was so lovely for Bean’s first year!

The last few days, we’ve been taking it pretty easy. You know, lounging on the couch reading, going for lazy walks along the seafront, and curling up under a blanket to watch a movie. It’s been so nice! We had one final hoo-rah earlier this afternoon — more details next month! — before we officially get back to some semblance of routine and normality starting tomorrow. It’s always so hard getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas break, but part of me is also looking forward to the regular-ness of life? Anyways, let’s get down to business!

As is tradition for our first Monthly Musings post of the year, you’ll find a massive recap of all the usual suspects listed below — travel, recipes, movies, books, blog posts, etc. One of my favourite posts of the whole year to write, I just love getting the chance to look back over the last 12 months and summarize everything.

I hope you enjoy, friends!

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monthly musings: january 2026

But first! A baby update: Bean is doing great! She sleeps entirely through the night — and has since she was about 3-weeks old 🙏 —, is in good form 97% of the time, and is generally just super chilled out. I know all of this could change in a heartbeat, but for the moment she seems to be pretty easy-going! New adorable things she’s started doing include beaming up at us first thing in the morning when we wake her — which is literally the best thing ever and makes getting up much more enjoyable — and joining us on the couch for a cuddle while we’re watching a movie in the evening. Having her relaxing on my lap with her chubby hands clasped around my fingers at the end of the day is one of my new favourite things in the world ever ❤️

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Personally speaking, last year was a pretty big one for me. Amongst countless other happy moments, big highlights include: getting pregnant on our very first attempt, celebrating 2-years of marriage and 10-years total with my forever love, giving birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl, and spending our first every Christmas together as a family of three. That being said, every coin has a flip side, and every highlight above was met with a lowlight: emergency surgery at 29-weeks pregnant, spending nearly 3-weeks in hospital from complications following said surgery, being written off work sick, and a hairy and traumatic birth. It goes without saying that the highlights far outweighed everything else, but oof, I hope 2026 is a little easier on us!

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Travel-wise, 2025 wasn’t nearly as good for me as previous years had been. I travelled to two different countries, neither of which were new-to-me; however, within those countries, I did manage to hit three new-to-me cities. I took 4 flights between 3 airports, stayed on the same continent all year, and spent a total of just 7-nights sleeping in a foreign country. Apart from the obvious reason for lack of travel back in 2020, these are my worst travel-stats since 2011 — gah! Now that we have Bean’s passport, I think we’ll definitely be booking in our next trip asap!

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Blog-wise, last year was a big one! Mind-bogglingly, the readership and subscription numbers continued to climb up from the previous year, which has been so lovely! I just took a peak at the ‘subscriber locations’ section of the site, and apparently we have subscribers across 19 countries, including India, Hong Kong, Australia, and Japan— how insane!! I absolutely love creating posts to share on this little corner of the internet, and the fact that people keep stopping by to read what I share is so beyond rewarding — thank you for being here, friends! It truly warms the cockles of my heart ❤️

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Post-wise, I published 38 pieces in total — not too shabby! There were 7 new travel guides, 15 old travel guides, 11 monthly musings posts, 1 special announcement post, 1 bucket list, 2 new recipes, and 1 recipe round-up. I know the guides and recipes are what draw people in, but, between you and me, these monthly musing posts are some of my very favourite to write. I love that they offer little glimpses into my life beyond the blog and, whenever I sit down to write the new one, I always read the previous year’s post to see how things have changed. It’s so fascinating! Do you keep a journal or something similar? It’s so cathartic!

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Stats-wise, there were some pretty big shakeups in the list of most popular posts on the blog! The most visited travel guide last year by an insane(!) number was Two Weeks in Japan | Our Honeymoon Itinerary, with A Food & Drink Guide to Kyoto, Japan trucking along in second place. These were followed in due course by Four Days in Osaka, Japan, A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, Two Weeks in Vietnam | Our Top Tips & Itinerary, and Four Days in Kyoto, Japan, respectively. That Villefranche-sur-Mer guide had been the #1 post since publication back in ‘23, so the fact that it’s been knocked down three(!) whole pegs has my jaw on the floor! I’m thrilled to see how popular my Japan guides have become — they’re some of my very favourite on the site! Thanks for trusting my recommendations, friends!

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On a less stats-oriented note, here are some of my personal favourite posts from the year. I can’t decide if my fave is this monthly musings post wherein I shared that we were pregnant, or this special post announcing Bean’s birth. Either way, they’re tied for top billing! Travel-wise: I think my Three Days in Stockholm, Sweden post is one of my favourites I’ve shared maybe ever? We had such a great time there and I am obsessed with the photos we managed to capture. I also feel a particular fondness towards my 48 Hours in Bristol, England post, which is probably because the city wowed me much more than expected. Recipe-wise: my Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Shortbread is an easy favourite — I am so proud of that recipe, I genuinely think it’s super delicious. Lastly, to round out the list, it’s gotta be my What We’re Meal Prepping Before Baby Arrives post, because it captured such a specific and joyous time in our lives. What were some of your favourite posts?

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According to our Letterboxd, we watched 184 movies last year — not bad considering we had a baby in October! Our most watched actor was John Travolta, thanks to our Travolta-season, and our most watched director was Chris Columbus. Standout thumbs-up movies from our list include: Conclave, which had some of the best vape acting we’ve ever seen, and A Complete Unknown, which we went to see in the cinema the very day we found out we were pregnant. Standout thumbs-down movies from our list include: Drop, which was so dumb it bored us senseless, and sadly, After the Hunt, which I wanted to like but just thought was pointless. What made it onto your hit and miss lists?

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Reading-wise, I did pretty well in 2025! Likely because I spent half of the year mentally and physically out of action, I managed to devour 25 books! Two standouts for me were We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, and Holly by Stephen King. The former because the sheer English-ness of it had me lol-ing on basically every second page — especially the traffic talk! it killed me —, and the latter because I love a good thriller and the plot of this was wildly unexpected. Also a special mention to Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which got me through some pretty awful nights when I was in hospital! If you’re interested in a deeper dive into my reading habits, here’s my StoryGraph Reading Wrap-Up. What were some of your favourite reads from the year?

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: January 2026 post; the first of the new year! I hope you enjoyed the roundup style of the post — I love getting to reminisce over the previous year before fully embracing the new one! Let’s catch up again in February, okay?

Have the most wonderful month!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

related january posts

2025 // 2024 // 2023
2022 // 2021
2020 // 2019

Hello friends, happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you well rested and Sunday-ing it up to the very best of your ability. I’m dropping into your weekend for just the briefest of moments to share a new recipe with you: Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Shortbread. As you might remember, Husband and I spent a speedy weekend in Bristol a few months back and had the very best time. We explored, recharged our batteries, and spent the large majority of our visit eating our way around the city — which is how we stumbled across the shortbread that has lived rent-free in my head since that first buttery morsel passed my lips.

Can I tell you about it?

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See, about 5-minutes after arriving into Bristol city, we ambled through the door of Hart’s Bakery, a buzzy little spot that I’d read about online. It was mind-bogglingly busy for how out of the way it was, but we managed to secure a fresh-from-the-oven sausage roll and a fancy walnut + salted caramel millionaire’s shortbread; both of which left us sufficiently impressed. However! It was on our second visit that we discovered the pièce de résistance: their shortbread. Stacked high in a Jenga-like tower, said shortbread was thickly cut and lightly sparkling under a liberal dousing of white sugar. Stupidly, we only got one to share — but after devouring it in 0.5 seconds, we were straight back into the queue to secure a couple more for the journey home.

I knew pretty much instantly that I’d have to try recreate the shortbread to share here, and after several attempts, I finally feel like I’ve been somewhat successful! See, the thing is, their shortbread is totally different than any I've ever tasted before. It was earthy and slightly chewy, with a fantastically oat-y texture, and a lovely warm buttery flavour. During my recipe development deep dive, I found this old post on the Hart’s Bakery Instagram sharing that they put brown sugar and whole grain flour in their shortbread, which explains the depth of flavour and crumbly earthy texture.

I’ve really tried to capture the essence of the shortbread we loved so much in Bristol, and I’m pretty happy with the final result! They’re chewy yet crumbly, buttery without being greasy, sweet without being sickeningly so, and, best of all, ridiculously easy to make. I hope you love them, friends!

Happy baking! xo

brown sugar whole wheat shortbread

prep: 10-minutes

cook: 40-minutes

total: 1-hour 30-minutes

yield: eight generous slices

ingredients

• 150g plain flour

• 70g wholemeal flour1

• 20g wheat bran

• 200g salted butter, at room temp

• 110g light brown sugar

• granulated sugar, for finishing

directions

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Prepare an 8-inch square baking tin by lining it completely with baking parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and wheat bran. Using a wooden spoon, add the butter + sugar to the bowl and cream together until smooth.

3. Empty the dough into the prepared tin and press it evenly across the base. I used an offset spatula to smooth my dough out, but the back of a regular spoon would work just as well!

4. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 20-minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown.

5. Remove the tin from the oven and use a sharp knife to score the shortbread into 8 generous sized pieces2. Return the tin to the oven and cook for another 20-minutes, or until the shortbread is a deep golden brown all over.

6. Remove the tin from the oven. Using the pre-scored marks as your guide, slice the shortbread into 8-pieces and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Transfer the tin to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before removing the shortbread. Once cooled, enjoy with a nice cuppa!

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The shortbread we devoured at Hart’s didn’t have those traditional little dock-ing marks on top, so I excluded that from this recipe — but this would be where to dock if you were so inclined!

related posts

48 Hours in Bristol, England
Torta de Santiago, An Ode to Walking the Camino
Homemade Dunes Blanche, An Ode to Bordeaux

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Friends, hel-ho-ho-ho! Happy Saturday, and welcome to our Monthly Musings: December 2025 post! I hope it finds you basking in the glow from your Christmas tree lights, listening to some appropriately festive music, and wearing your most cheesiest Christmas jumper. If none of that is possible, I hope at the very least that it finds you caffeinated — which is arguably the most important way to be in the mornings. Now, how the heck are you? I can’t believe it’s December already! I absolutely loooove this time of year and will use any excuse to be as festive as possible — I will be that friend wearing the seasonal earrings, socks, bow in the hair, and/or jumper; you just gotta embrace it! The season is short, so I like to use every opportunity to be as festive as can be 🎄

Our musings for the month ahead are below! Along with the usual suspects — travel, recipes, movies, books, etc. — I’ve also included a few seasonal tidbits here and there. You read on, I’ll be here, trying to corral Husband into making us a couple of his famous homemade hot chocolates. Nothing makes a weekend more cozy!

Enjoy!

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monthly musings: december 2025

Baby update: Bean has started smiling and it is the cutest thing ever! It started out as kind of a side smile, then it turned into a whole mouth one, and now it’s this huge cheeky beaming grin that literally melts my heart; I am obsessed. Other cute things she has started doing include staring at her hands, blowing bubbles, and coo-ing back conversationally to us. I was going to include a “not so cute things she has started doing” section, but she somehow makes even the most spectacular of bathroom explosions look cute, so I couldn’t think of anything to list. It’s hard to believe she’s over two months old already!

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Carrying on from the opening paragraph, I really want to try and make Bean’s first Christmas as magical as possible. Which, logically, I know is silly — she won’t even be 3-months old for the big day — but still! I love the fact that Husband and I are responsible for making the season extra special and cozy for her, so naturally I’ve made a detailed list of all the little traditions I want to hit! Nothing extravagant, just simple things like baking cookies, a new tree decoration every year, matching pjs, etc. What are some of your family Christmas traditions?

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Related: what are your plans for Christmas? Surprisingly, Husband and I have actually never spent the entirety of the holiday together before, but there’s a first time for everything! To keep things fair, we’re spending Christmas Eve night & Christmas Day morning with his family, and Christmas Day day/night + Stephen’s Day morning with my family. Logistically it might be a little difficult at times with Bean, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it ❤️

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Do you have any lovely outings planned for the next couple weekends? I went out out with my best gal-palz for festive drinkies last week and it was the best thing ever! It was my first time going out properly since Bean was born and it felt sooo nice not worrying about feeding times and nappy changes etc.! I still have my work Christmas do tonight and Husband has his Christmas drinks coming up too, but that’s about it this year! Cozy, intentional outings to make us feel like more than just new parents. I love having an extra excuse to meet up with loved ones over Christmas!

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Over the course of the last month, a handful more Notes from the Archive posts hit the blog: An Afternoon in Bratislava, Slovakia, Three Days in Kraków, Poland, 72 Hours in Prague, Czech Republic, Two Days in Berlin, Germany, and Unwinding in Munich, Germany. Each post details what I got up to during my inter-railing trip around Europe back in 2012, and I have just two more to share before moving on to other travels. I hope you’ve been enjoying them, friends!

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I mentioned in my last MM post that we’re itching to travel again soon, and, although we still haven’t booked anything, we’ve definitely made steps in the right direction! We applied for, and received, Bean’s first ever passport(!), we’ve started getting her used to going out in the BabyBjörn, and we’ve been altering our destination plans slightly. I don’t want to say too much more about it now, but I’m so excited about the idea of our first trip as a family of three ❤️ Do you have any fun trips planned? I need to live vicariously through you!

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What have you been watching lately? TV-wise, we recently devoured both seasons of Platonic and we completely loved it!! I lol-ed during every single episode, and once or twice I even cried with laughter! If you haven’t seen it, I would definitely recommend! Movie-wise, we’re already working our way down the Christmas list. We’ve largely kept it to the classics thus far — Die Hard, The Santa Clause, Elf, LA Confidential, and The Holdovers —, but! we also managed to squeeze in Netflix’s A Merry Little Ex-Mas, which was so cheesy and terrible that it was almost enjoyable. As always, if you’d like to follow along with our viewing in real-time, here’s a link to our Letterboxd.

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Have you read anything wonderful lately? I decided to continue down the Stephen King route and read Finders Keepers, another book involving the Holly Gibney character — it was so good, I barely put it down! I know I am beyond late to the SK party, but oof, I’m definitely a fan! Husband has since secured me two more SK novels from the library for Christmas reading, and I can barely wait to get started! In the interim, I’ve been reading Jo Nesbo’s latest, Wolf Hour, which was shockingly disappointing, and am currently finishing up Lou Berney’s Whiplash River, which isn’t a patch on his other book I read in October. If you’d like to follow along with my reading in real-time, here’s my StoryGraph page.

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As an ode to our cookbook club of yore — sidenote:💔, should we try to revive it?? — I thought it might be nice to share what recipes/books I’ve been reaching for lately! Savoury-wise: we made the Creamy Beans on Toast with Chorizo from Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown and the Sloppy Joes from Byron: The Cookbook, both of which were as comforting as they sound. Sweet-wise: I made the LPC (Lazy Person’s Cake) from Sugar, I Love You and the Salted Double Chocolate Shortbread from SIFT — an accidental Rav vs. Nicola head-to-head! Team Nicola all the way! —, both of which were divine. I also whipped up the Christmas Morning Muffins from How to be a Domestic Goddess, which were such a hit; we will definitely be making more for the big day! What cookbooks have you been reaching for lately?

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If you’re rooting around the archives looking for a good Christmas bake or two, allow me to point you in the right direction! I’ll be whipping up my annual Kladdkaka for our Christmas Eve dessert this year; I make it every year in December and it feels so festive to us now. These Cinnamon Sugared Almonds make for the easiest and most delicious hosting gift, while this Orange & Almond Cake with Cranberry Glaze adds a fresh & zingy pop of flavour to any Christmas table. If you’re looking to truly wow people, you could go all out by assembling a Christmas Cookie Box, but, fair warning: it’s a lot of work. Lastly, while not out-and-out Christmassy, these Nutella Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies are so decadent that they somehow suit the season just perfectly! Anything pique your fancy?

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: December 2025. I can’t believe the year is almost over — what a beautifully crazy and life-changing one it was! I’ll be back next week with my long overdue Bristol-inspired shortbread recipe, but other than that we’ll catch up again in the new year with another MM.

I hope you have the best Christmas and New Year’s ever!

My love to you,

Vicki xo

PS, don’t you just love my new cookie plate? I am unabashedly obsessed with it and bought a whole handful to gift this year! It’s just so adorable! ✨ Obsessed ✨

related posts

December 2024 // December 2023 // December 2022
December 2021 // December 2020
December 2019 // December 2018

Hello friends, good evening! Welcome to our Monthly Musings: November 2025 post! I hope it finds you unwinding, chill-axing, and, ideally, wearing something cozy to safeguard against that autumnal chill. These days I tend to wear nothing but my most coziest comfy clothes, so I think I’m autumn-ing just right. Tell me, did you have a nice weekend? I had planned to share this yesterday, but one thing led to another & the day got away from me. Amongst other things, we introduced Bean to one of her great-grandmothers, hit the seafront for an autumnal stroll, and, cold weather be damned, treated ourselves to some pretty epic ice-cream sundaes last night. It was glorious!

Our musings for the month ahead are listed below. You’ll find all the usual suspects — travel talk, recipes recommendations, movies, books, etc. — and a few off-piste tidbits thrown in for good measure. I apologise in advance for any disjointed sentences and paragraphs; I blame baby brain entirely.

Enjoy!

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monthly musings: november 2025

In case you missed it: we had our baby last month! A beautiful baby girl — officially named Lois, but for the purposes of this blog will remain Bean for the foreseeable future — that already has Husband and me firmly wrapped around her little finger. It’s hard to believe she’s already been out in the world for a whole month(!), but Husband and I both have the dark under-eye bags to prove it. Tiredness aside, it’s been so lovely settling into somewhat of a routine as a family of three ✨

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Yesterday marked two whole years since Husband and I got legally married! Last year we celebrated by jetting off for a weekend in Stockholm, but this year we kept things more low-key: a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers, a fantastic dinner of spaghetti & meatballs — eaten Lady & the Tramp style, obvz —, many a lovely newborn snuggle, and chocolate & caramel sundaes. It was perfect! Happy anniversary, Rob — I couldn’t imagine doing life without you! Here’s to many more years together ❤️

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Did you have a most spooktacular Halloween? We spent Bean’s first ever spooky season pretty much the same way we’ve spent the last few: pumpkin carving, cozy-ing it up with cute themed candles, watching some classic Halloween movies, eating junk, and dressing up as the cutest pumpkin in the patch. Okay, that last one was just Bean — but, wow, who knew how fun it’d be to dress babies up in tiny adorable seasonal outfits? I’m already looking forward to dressing her up next year!

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Related: although not as in-depth as our scary-movie-viewing of yore, we did manage to enjoy a few classics this year! We couldn’t let the big day pass us without some iteration of Halloween, and this year we watched #3, which, shockingly, I loved! Extra schlocky and darn-right cheese-tastic! Aside from that, we also were able to squeeze in Practical Magic — so fun; will have to add to our yearly seasonal rewatch list! —, The Conjuring, and, for the sake of a good throwback, Casper. What spooky movies did you watch this year? As always, if you’d like to follow along with our movie viewing in real-time, here’s the link to our Letterboxd.

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Continuing down my Notes from the Archive rabbit hole, a couple new posts hit the site while I was off learning how to keep a baby alive! A Layover in London, England / Four Days in Split, Croatia / An Afternoon on Hvar, Croatia / 48 Hours in Zagreb, Croatia / and Three Days in Budapest, Hungary are all up, detailing everything I got up to on my 2012 inter-railing trip. Seven more posts covering the rest of the trip will be hitting the blog one at a time over the next few Sundays, so keep an eye on the Travel Index if you’re enjoying following along! It brings me so much joy sharing these snippets from my earlier travels; I hope you find them helpful, friends 😊

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Speaking of travel, I miss it so much! It’s only been five months since our last trip out of the country — see: 7 Things to See in Gdańsk, Poland and A Food & Drink Guide to Gdańsk, Poland — but that honestly feels like a lifetime ago! The travel itch is REAL, so I think it’s time to start seriously planning our first trip away together as a family of three! We have hopes and dreams of taking Bean to Italy for her first trip abroad — our current plan being to slowly make our way from Rome to Bologna or vice versa, hitting San Marino en route — but I’m fully aware that might change when we start booking things. Where did you go for your first trip with a little one in tow? Please send any and all recommendations our way, I’d love to hear them!

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In case you were wondering, the meals we stocked our freezer with pre-Bean — see: What We’re Meal Prepping Before Baby Arrives — literally saved our lives over the last month! We were just so! tired! and OVERWHELMED for the first while that the thought of cooking was too much to even consider, and being able to throw dinner in the oven with little to no thought was a godsend. We have devoured nearly everything, and are slowly starting to find the energy to cook fresh food once again. I’m so glad we made the effort to stock up while we could, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone expecting in the near-future! Alternatively, if you’re just looking to love on friends in the new-baby-boat, I found this piece very good: What You Should Really Bring to Someone Who Just Had a Baby.

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What have you been reading recently? After devouring Stephen King’s Never Flinch back in September, I have spent the past month reading another of his books about the same character, Holly. I borrowed the paperback from a friend and knew nothing about it before diving in, but it’s so good! Even better than NF, perhaps? I think yes! I love the quirkiness of the main character, and the twisty-turn-y nature of the plot. If you’d like to follow along with my reading in real-time, join me on The StoryGraph.

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Joy the Baker linked to this post recently and I loved it: How to Have an Analog Fall. As in, ideas and suggestions to make us slightly less reliant on our phones and technology. I was pleasantly surprised to realise that I already do many of the old school things that Julianna recommends — reading actual books, watching DVDs over streaming, etc. — but I love some of her other recommendations: keeping a physical diary, lunch dates, day-tripping, and so forth. Fun!

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Have you been doing any autumnal baking lately? I’m normally baking up a storm this time of year — mostly pies and crumbles, but anything warm, spiced, and buttery usually hits the spot — but, understandably, haven’t made it near the oven thus far. Husband, however, recently found the energy to whip up the best chocolate biscuit cake ever, which we proceeded to devour alone over the next two days. If I did have the energy, I rather like the look of these Pear Bars, these Toasted Milk Powder Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or this Easy Apple Crisp. What’s your favourite thing to bake this time of year? Let me know in the comments so I can live through your kitchen adventures!

And there we have it, our Monthly Musings: November 2025 post! I hope you found something to take away with you — be it a new recipe, the inspiration to spend a little extra time away from your phone, or a hankering to plan your next trip abroad. See you next month for another catch-up!

Until then,

Vicki xo

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