Travel Treasures: Ceramic Plates From Florence

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Kiera Reilly

Poached eggs on avocado toast is a staple in my breakfast repertoire. What makes this breakfast meal particularly special for me is serving it on this pretty dish I purchased in Florence, Italy.

Avocado toast on dish from Florence, Italy

I bought these dishes when we were in Florence several years ago. While Dave rested in our hotel, I used the free time to shop and went to a ceramics store recommended in this adorable shopping guidebook, The Civilized Shopper’s Guide to Florence by Louise Fili. The book is four inches square, so it’s easy to carry with you while exploring and shopping.

Luckily I still have the book because I can not remember the name of the store, but I remember the inside clearly. There were tables and shelves of beautiful plates and ceramics, each more beautiful than the next. It was hard to decide what to purchase, although I was limited by my desire to take the items with me and not ship them home.

I purchased four of these plates to use for small bites, snacks and sandwiches. They are bright, colorful and always bring a smile to my face, and they remind me of our wonderful trip to Florence. I also purchased four small bowls which are the perfect size for serving ice cream at home (unfortunately, while the bowls remind us of Florence, the ice cream is not the same as the gelato we had in Italy).

I recommend purchasing this book if you plan to visit Florence, and you like to shop! There are so many artisan shops listed here, and we also discovered a list of gelato cafes to visit. Those suggestions alone were worth the price of this book!

Here’s the page for the ceramics store from the book – Sbigoli Terrecotte – I made notes! Normally I don’t like marking my books, but for this one, I decided to jot notes to help me remember which stores I visited and what I liked about each one.

The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Florence by Louise Fili book on ceramics on Florence Italy

The page for Sbigoli Terrecotte ceramics shop in Florence from The Civilized Shopper’s Guide to Florence (note Lau Lau on the bottom left looking up at me)

The book is divided into walks around different neighborhoods in Florence. Each walk includes a section on eating and drinking, and we used these suggestions to try different gelato shops. Vestri was one gelato cafe we particularly enjoyed (my notes in the book say, “Yummy!! I think best gelato we had.”). There is also an index by specialty in the back of the book, with categories such as Frames & Prints, Children, Linens, and Paper Goods, for example.

Vestri gelateria in Florence Firenze Italy

Dave enjoys Vestri gelato and chocolate in Florence, Italy

Although ceramic plates are difficult to transport while traveling, I realized that I enjoy purchasing items to bring home that I need, rather than a random souvenir. I use these dishes and bowls every week, and it is nice to have a small reminder of our trip in our kitchen.

Have you been to Florence? What special items did you bring home?

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Sharing Weddings Around the World for #FriFotos

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

This Friday is the last #FriFotos. The weekly twitter trending hashtag was started five years ago, and the #FriFotos hosts decided that it is time to end this weekly fun. Each week a theme was announced on Tuesday and everyone on Twitter was encouraged to share their photos around the theme. I always enjoyed thinking about my travel photos in a new way – instead of gathering all of my pictures from one particular trip, the theme made me think about things I saw on many trips. For the final #FriFotos, the theme is #memories – get your photos ready to share on twitter – and to see the memories that others share as well!

Back on July 10 of this year, the theme was weddings. It’s always a happy time when you see a wedding party no matter where you are, and I especially love spotting weddings when I am on a trip. Here are some of the photos I shared in July – some are from weddings of friends here in the U.S. In all of them, everyone is very happy for the couple and their life journey ahead.

A happy couple after posing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005. It was a beautiful summer day and there were brides and grooms everywhere taking photographs. If you look behind this couple, right along the water, you can see the white of another bride’s dress.

St. Petersburg, Russia with Peterhof in the background.

Here is another couple on that same day in St. Petersburg.

Kissing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When I was in Hong Kong for business in 2006, I wandered around exploring the city and by chance came across city hall. There, there were wedding parties everywhere! The entire courtyard was full of brides, grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen and family and friends. As you can see from the photos below, every where I turned was another wedding party!

Here are some photos of my friend’s weddings.

My high school friend married outside in Park City, Utah on a lovely summer evening.

My dear college friend Marianne married in the fall in a castle in Maryland.

The picture is blurry, but I love how happy Marianne and Jon are as they make a toast.

While preparing this post I remembered some additional wedding photos I snapped while in Italy in 2013, and I thought it would be still fun to share them here.

We saw this couple in Naples posing for photos with a photographer and videographer.

Bride and groom in Naples with their camera and video crew.

In Positano, we saw this couple as they exited a church as newlyweds and then posed for photos.

Happy couple in Positano leaving the church.

Posing on the steps in front of the church in Positano.

This couple is almost hard to spot on the Spanish steps in Rome, until they pose for the photographer.

Can you spot the bride and groom on the Spanish steps?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein. Remember, the LAST FriFotos is this Friday, October 16, 2015. The theme is MEMORIES!

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and Spencer Spellman (@SpencerSpellman). Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

A Lamborghini for the Pope

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Pope Francis touched down in the United States yesterday afternoon to much fanfare. I saw this photo essay by the Los Angeles Times highlighting some of the “Popemobiles” that the pontiff has used for travel over the past hundred years. I particularly liked the first photo showing Pope John Paul II in a Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet.

That picture reminded me of a papal golf cart I saw in the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini several years ago. We were in Italy to watch the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza, and decided to visit Motor Valley in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, home to Italian auto manufacturers Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati to name a few. I booked a full day tour with MotorStars that took us to the Lamborghini Factory, Ferrari Museum, and Pagani Factory. One of the stops on our car tour was to the privately owned Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini (note the museum moved to a larger location in Funo di Argelato in 2014; we visited the old location in Dosso di Sant’Agostino). This museum is distinct and separate from the Museo Lamborghini which is attached to the Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. We visited the Lamborghini factory and attached museum on our tour too, but the Pope’s golf cart was in the private museum.

Outside the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini. Fabio Lamborghini, Ferruccio’s nephew, is on the right. He gave our group a tour of the museum.

While the highlight of the museum for many is the Countach and Miura on display, there were also other interesting vehicles to note, including some of the early tractors Lamborghini built.

The Lamborghini Muira (on the left) and Countach (right) on display under a photo of Ferruccio Lamborghini.

And, there was this little golf cart made for Pope John Paul II.

If you zoom in on the front seal it reads, “Papa Giovanni Paolo II.”

From the side, you could see a Poland scarf draped on the seat, honoring Pope John Paul II’s home country.

The museum provides an interesting look into the history of Lamborghini and showcases not only cars, tractors, and unique vehicles like this golf cart for the Pope, but also family photos and Lamborghini memorabilia.

If you are a car enthusiast, a visit to Italy’s “Motor Valley” in the Emilia-Romagna region is a must. The tourist website for the Emilia-Romagna region has information about the museums and private collections to visit, along with other places of interest.

I found a more detailed review of the museum (at its new location) by Mark Smyers on the LamboCars.com site here.

So far the photos of Pope Francis’ visit have shown him in a Peugot in Cuba and a Fiat after landing in the US though his official popemobile for his visit will reportedly be a Jeep Wrangler.

What is your favorite popemobile?

Dreaming of Monza!

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

The first Formula 1 race I attended was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 2007, and I was fortunate to attend again in 2009. It is a very special race. Every year when I am watching the practice sessions, qualifying and the race on television at home, I wonder why I did not make plans to attend.

It is quite a sight to see the tifosi, Italian fans supporting Scuderia Ferrari, in person. Their presence in Ferrari attire, walking around the track with Ferrari flags on poles or draped across their shoulders certainly adds to the event.

I wish I was in Italy right now so we could head to the track at Monza this weekend. It is sure to be a fantastic weekend.

Forza Ferrari!

This photo from 2007 shows the podium after the race, with the tifosi and other fans on the race track. Fernando Alonso, driving for McLaren, placed first, with his teammate Lewis Hamilton placing second. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen placed third.

The 2007 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix podium with the tifosi in the foreground.

Travel Treasures: Portugal, Singapore, Italy and Vietnam

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

It was a typical “June Gloom” morning here in Southern California yesterday, and I decided to bake some muffins for breakfast to help brighten my day.

I served the muffins on a small plate I recently purchased when I was in Portugal, and I used a placemat that I brought back from Singapore.

I love using items from my travels at home – it reminds me of my trip to a different part of the world, the people I met, the food I ate, and then shop or market where I purchased the item.

The plate I purchased in a gift shop in Fatima, Portugal, outside of the town center. We stopped there before visiting Fatima and the site of the apparitions of three local children in 1917. I love the blue and white colors of this small plate. It is the perfect size for small snacks, a sandwich, or in this case, muffins.

The placemats I purchased along with other printed fabrics in the Little India section of Singapore. I do not remember much other than I bought different sets of placemats and napkins for friends and family.

This morning, the sun was shining, and I used a bowl from Sorrento, Italy, and a ceramic juice glass from Vietnam for my breakfast.

The bowl I found in a ceramic shop run by the artist, on one of the streets in Sorrento. His work had a pale blue color to it, and most of the items had an ocean theme. You can see some of the fish swimming at the top of the bowl.

The ceramic juice cup I purchased in Can Tho, Vietnam, at the Victoria Can Tho resort. When our group arrived to check-in, we were greeted with hand towels and fruit juice in these ceramic cups. I have bowls at home in a similar style – a matte brown glaze on the outside, and the inside muted colors. The cups are the perfect size for a small juice, and they are dishwasher safe. When I have juice for breakfast, I fondly remember my time at this lovely colonial hotel.

What are your favorite treasures from your travels? Do you bring back dishware to use at home?

#FriFotos Revisits Night

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Last week’s #FriFotos theme, back by popular demand, was night. I shared these photos on Twitter throughout the day.

The theme for this week is JOY. Share your joyful and joyous pictures with the world on Twitter and Instagram this Friday, April 3, 2015.

I take many photos at night, but since I’m usually without a tripod, it is difficult to find a steady surface to place the camera to allow for a long exposure. Often, I return home and sort through dozens of attempts at night, and only manage to find one or two photos that truly capture the magic and beauty of this time of day.

The “white nights” experienced in the summer in the northern most parts of the northen hemisphere are special to experience. I was on a cruise in the Baltic Sea in June when I captured this photo below, which was probably taken in the middle of the night. Most people closed their drapes to keep out the light and to sleep better, but I enjoyed sleeping with the curtains and windows open, listening to the sounds of the sea and watching the sky ever so slowly change to darkness.

This is a photo I shared the last time the theme was night – in June 2014. This is taken from a cruise ship on the Baltic Sea.

When we arrived in Positano, Italy, after a quick visit to Capri, it was just about time for the sun to set. Wandering along the narrow streets and watching the glow from the lights inside the buildings, we explored this magical town.

The beautiful Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano, Italy.

During our trip to Sydney in late May and early June, we experienced the Vivid Sydney festival – night time events around the city that brought crowds to watch waterfront buildings transformed by light displays. The display on the opera house made it seem like the white “sails” were folding or crumpled pieces of paper.

The Sydney Opera House lit up for VividSydney in 2012.

Just last month in Dublin, I saw the city lit in green for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Confession Box, a pub in Dublin.

In Hong Kong, there are lights and signs everywhere, and it provides a colorful backdrop at night.

The streets of Hong Kong at night.

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

A WARM #FriFotos

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

The warm sun hits a colorful building in Trinidad, Cuba

Two weeks ago, as everyone on the east coast was suffering from record low temperatures, snow and ice, the theme for #FriFotos was WARM.

It was fun to look through my photos and see which ones depicted a warm-feel. The first photo above is from Trinidad, Cuba. This colonial town is bathed in beautiful light early in the morning, which is when two of the travelers in our group and I took a taxi into town ahead of our guided tour so we could wander the streets and take photos. The lighting was just right, and the colors of the town popped everywhere we turned.

When I visited Rome in May of 2013, it was a bit cooler than I expected. I ended up wearing several of my t-shirts at once to keep warm. But the warmth of the sun on this bright day, showcased the beauty of the city. We were at the top of the Vittorio Emanuele II monument when I took this photo.

Rome on a warm, sunny day as seen from the Vittorio Emanuel II monument (aka The Wedding Cake)

Rome on a warm, sunny day as seen from the Vittorio Emanuele II monument (aka The Wedding Cake)

One of my favorite places in the world is the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. We always stay on the North Shore, where there is beautiful scenery and lush vegetation. This photo is of the Hanalei Valley lookout – there are always cars here stopped to take photos of this scene overlooking the taro fields.

The Hanalei Valley on Kauai’s North Shore.

We were in Buenos Aires in May of 2014, and as it is the start of winter in the part of the world, the weather was cool. But the lighting at the end of the day warmed up the luxurious Hotel Alvear.

Hotel Alvear in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In December, I flew to Honolulu to meet up with my friend Rosemary who had traveled to Hawaii for the very first time in order to attend the opening ceremony of, “The Eddie.” This annual invitational big-wave surf competition was celebrating it’s 30th year, although the event has only been held nine times. Waves need to reach a certain height for a sustained period in Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore in order for the competition to run. At the beginning of the holding period each year (usually from early December through late February when the North Shore waves are the biggest), there is an opening ceremony with the Aikau Ohana and the invited surfers and alternates for the competition. After the opening ceremony, the surfers paddle out to the ocean for a ceremony. You can see more photos from the opening ceremony, which was on December 4, 2014, here.

Paddle-out for the opening ceremony of The Eddie in Waimea Bay, Oahu.

The sunsets in Hawaii are always spectacular, and on my last night there in December, the sunset in Waikiki did not disappoint. It was a warm aloha before my flight home that night.

Warm Waikiki Sunset

About #FriFotos on Twitter

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Zoom, Zoom and Vroom, Vroom for CARS on #FriFotos

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

The theme for #FriFotos a few weeks ago was cars. It was hard choosing which pictures to share from the myriad car shows and races I have attended, in addition to the photos of cars spotted while traveling around the world.

(The #FriFotos theme for tomorrow, February 20, 2015, is CHOCOLATE)

Every August, we head to the Monterey peninsula in northern California for a weekend full of car shows, auctions, viewing and races. We attend the annual Concorso Italiano celebration of Italian-made cars, watch the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, marvel at the cars up for auction at the many car auctions taking place throughout the weekend, and walk the greens at Pebble Beach for the highlight of the weekend, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

No matter where you are that weekend, you’ll see exotic cars, vintage cars, and expensive cars driving the local roads or parked in Pebble Beach, Carmel, Monterey and all the neighboring towns.

Here’s one car that we happened to pass by while taking a bike ride on 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach – the Bugatti Veyron. It seemed to be a professional shoot for this Hermes edition of the car, but as you can see, everyone stopped to take some photos of their own.

The Bugatti Veyron was posed for a professional photo shoot.

Beautiful interior of the Bugatti Veyron Hermes edition.

The paparazzi were out in full force to photograph the Bugatti Veyron.

For more views from the professional shoot, click here.

A few years ago, we traveled to France in June in order to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans), the most-famous and most-respected endurance car race in the world.

A few days before the race, there is a driver’s parade through the streets of Le Mans. The drivers for each race car (three drivers share driving duties during the 24 hours of the race) sit on the back of an open-air vehicle to parade through the town for the gathered crowd of car racing fans.

We were lucky to see Audi Team Joest drivers Tom Kristensen (aka “Mr. Le Mans”), Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish in the driver’s parade. During the race, I managed to capture one picture of McNish driving – the cars are so fast, it’s hard to capture them without blurring the photo!

Audi drivers Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish in the driver’s parade for Le Mans, 2010.

Allan McNish driving the Audie Team Joest car at Le Mans, 2010.

In 2007, we traveled to Italy for a group trip to Lake Como. Luckily, the weekend before the trip began was the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Italy at Monza.

I think this Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is beautiful, and during the race, it is the slowest car on the track as it serves as the official safety car.

F1 Safety Car at Monza.

As you might imagine, the Italian GP is the home race for Ferrari, and Ferrari fans, the tifosi, are always in attendance.

When I traveled to Cuba in 2011, it was fascinating to see the many 1950’s era cars driving around on the roads. It made it seem like I was in a time warp to another era.

The lavender shade of this car was perfect for the hot sunny days.

Cars in Havanna – not all of them were old.

About #FriFotos on Twitter

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

An Adrenaline Filled #FriFotos

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Kiera Reilly

Last week’s #FriFotos theme was adrenaline (July 25, 2014). At first, I thought, I don’t have anything to share because I don’t sky dive, mountain climb or ski (or ski that often). Then my memory turned to one of my favorite trips, to South Africa, and to a safari I took during that trip.

Riding in the bush looking for animals was at times monotonous, but then we’d see a beautiful bird or a delicate spider web and be in awe. All of that riding around paid off though, when we encountered large animals.

We briefly crossed into Botswana while we were stationed at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, and took a boat ride down the Chobe River and loaded into safari vehicles to see elephants in Chobe National Park. We saw lots of elephants milling about, many bathing themselves in water.

Our group got a real adrenaline rush when we were watching a baby elephant. The momma noticed us, and thought we were a bit too close for comfort. As she approached our vehicle in a not so friendly manner, it was scary.

Momma elephant guarding her baby from our vehicle in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Later during our trip, we stayed at Shishangeni Lodge just outside of Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Although this crocodile was heading away from us, it was still pretty scary to be that close.

Crocodile – even when they’re heading the other way, you get a bit of adrenaline!

On one of our first drives during our stay, we were lucky enough to encounter some lions. They were just waking as it was early morning, but seeing them watch us was still nerve-wracking!

Lions waking up but sitll watching us as we stopped to watch them.

Lions waking up but watching us as we stopped to watch them.

After our morning safari drives, we returned to the lodge for breakfast and leisure time. There were safari guides that offered to take us on bush walks. They seemed to think it was a perfectly normal thing to do, so I decided to go along. But, when you have guides with rifles and large bullets, you quickly realize walking alone in the bush can be dangerous.

Here our bush walk guides survey the landscape.

At one point, there was a rhino very near us, and they could tell that he could smell our group. It was frightening hearing this very large animal sniffing and breathing so close to us. They quickly gathered our group, and told us if we were being charged to stand behind a tree, because the rhino wouldn’t be able to turn that quickly and get to us.

During an afternoon game drive, we happened upon this momma rhinoceros and her baby. While they didn’t seem to notice us, or at least care much that we were snapping lots of pictures of them, it was still a rush to see them up close.

Momma and baby rhino.

I thought of other times I’ve had adrenaline rushes, and one of them was of a very different sort. Dave and I have been to the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, twice. Both were very memorable and exciting – our first trip there in 2007 was the first time I had been to a Formula 1 race, and it was amazing to see how fast the cars zoomed around the track.

For our second visit, we went early for a fan day, where holders of three day tickets can visit the track on Thursday for a pit walk. Being a Ferrari fan, I made my way down to the Ferrari pits, and wiggled my way up to the front – and was able to get 2007 F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen’s autograph before snapping a few pictures of him. Quite an adrenaline rush to be so close to the Ice Man!

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen signs autographs at Monza, 2009.

Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella races around the Monza track.

It was fun remembering both my trip to South Africa and to the F1 race in Monza with an “adrenaline” perspective.

I’m looking forward to this week’s #FriFotos – the theme is HEAT.

About #FriFotos

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Kiera Reilly

Planes, Trains and Formula 1

Category Archives: Italy

Travel Treasures: Ceramic Plates From Florence

Sharing Weddings Around the World for #FriFotos

A Lamborghini for the Pope

Dreaming of Monza!

Travel Treasures: Portugal, Singapore, Italy and Vietnam

#FriFotos Revisits Night

A WARM #FriFotos

Zoom, Zoom and Vroom, Vroom for CARS on #FriFotos

An Adrenaline Filled #FriFotos

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