Adiamo!

I realized that the last time wrote, it was coming off the high of the local Hopeless + Cause Atelier at the Old San Ysidro Church. It was quite the whirlwind as I prepared to head back to Europe, this time for Milan Fashion Week. It’s been a few months since I returned from a life-enhancing and surreal trip. I started writing this blog upon my return. However, life, as it does, got in the way. So many people have asked and of course I shared highlights. Each time as I relived it, I realized how much I obsessed with creating and seeing the world, but of course, it wouldn’t be a story without some Ms. Adventures. It was a 15 day trip and filled with so much beauty, lessons, and life. Adiamo–Let’s GO!

If you know me, you know that I stumble through life with humor and a good understanding of Murphy’s Law. I was coming off a high from La Vita e un Dono and wrapping up Macy’s Big Give Back, finalizing trip plans and just working my day job at Macy’s to build up some spending money when my brakes went out. Now I know they were in much need of repair but I was hoping they’d hang in there until returned. And to be honest, I was feeling pretty salty about it because I had repaired them the year before. However, a couple of weeks before my trip after work, they went completely out. I called my brother and he met me at an O’Riley’s to get brake fluid. With the help of the associate, we found out that it was empty. There was definitely something wrong. I called the shop that fixed them the year before and the manager told me to bring it in. I did that the next day, and was told that my rear brakes had been fixed the year before and my front brakes needed to be replaced. That was $900 I wasn’t expecting to spend so I spent the next 4 hours at the shop reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

Who knew in that moment, that was exactly what I needed to read. So I sat back on a bench outside the shop feeling grateful that I had the money to fix my car, for my brother and son who helped in the process, that I would now be driving safely, for this book that put everything in perspective, for the weather that I was enjoying while the brakes were being fixed and for finding a coupon (I saved $100). I left enjoying the ride again.

A few days later, I found that my water heater was leaking. I contacted my landlord and he came out and patched it up, but it didn’t stop the leak. He came back with his plumber and put a cap on the area that was leaking, I didn’t work. Now it was the day before I was to depart and and I had to coordinate with Isaiah to be at my casita to corral the pups so they could work on the water heater or replace it while I was gone. And of course 24 hours before my flight, I went into the app to check-in only to read that there might be delays or cancellations for flights through Houston, TX (where I was connection was taking place) because of Tropical Storm Francine. Luckily, this did not come to fruition. Through all this, I was trying to get a hold of the production company to finalize details, make the last payment and because of the time difference, it was proving to be difficult. I had also learned, earlier in the month, two people, very important to me, had been impacted by separate health issues that required surgery and these would be happening while I was gone. I started to think these were signs and had me questioning whether or not I shouldn’t be going.

But the night before my flight I invited the kids over for dinner, so I could see them one more time before I left and to go over details for the pups. It was a good evening filled with conversation and laughter. Hearing their conversations and laughter makes me smile my biggest and brightest smile. I was packing last minute items and the kids started to leave. I let the pups out in the back and went back to packing. I had so much on my mind and didn’t realize that I didn’t bring the pups back in. Chloe came prancing back to the room and since they usually travel in a pack, I stepped out to realize the other two were missing. That’s when I saw the back door open. Now you wouldn’t think that would be a problem, except that in a recent wind storm, part of my fence had fallen so when I let the pups out, I go outside with them.

Coco returned and was waiting for me at the front door, but Frankie, my smallest pup, wasn’t there. I live on the golf course. It was dark, He is so small and coyotes roam the greens. I left the other two in the house and headed out to the golf course with the flashlight function on my phone and called Isaiah. It all hit me and I started bawling when he answered. Through my tears, I explained what happened and asked if he could come back to help me. But as I walked back toward the back side of the property units, I saw movement. It was him. He had stepped on a goat head and was sitting there trying to get it out. I was relieved and took out the sticker and carried him back to the casita. I called Isaiah back telling him what happened and apologized for losing my shit. I finished packing and went to sleep so I could be ready for my 5am Lyft pick up.

If I Can Make It There, I Can Make It Anywhere

I arrived at the airport just before 5:30am. I checked my suitcase and headed to TSA. It was a busy Friday for Albuquerque, but the lines moved quickly. As I arrived at the gate, I sent a text to my friend, Evelyn. She and I would be traveling together, but in lieu of the Friday flight, she took the Thursday red-eye and arrived at JFK so I sent her a message to check to make sure she made it safely. I love that going to Europe gives me the excuse to visit NYC first. And the cherry on top was that Ang and her husband would be in NYC so I was hoping to have some fun with them. I had been communicating throughout the day with Evelyn giving her updates on my flights. I had reserved a table for us at Little Owl in the West Village. It is in the building used as B Roll for the Friends apartment building. She is as big of fan just like me so I thought that would be a treat for her to go to. When I arrived, I grabbed my suitcase and ordered a Lyft and was informed, I’d arrive byf 4:30pm. PERFECT! That would give me time to freshen up before we headed out for our 6pm reservation. I had also been in contact with Ang throughout the day and we landed at meeting up at 8:15pm at a rooftop bar, The Magic Hour in the Moxy, that a Macy’s colleague had mentioned on a previous trip. As I was traveling in my Lyft, I got an alert that I was off path, so I jumped on the app to see the path we were taking. And my usual 30 minute ride from LGA to midtown through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, was not the direction we were taking an at one point the app stated I’d arrive at 5:20pm. When we were completely off than my normal drive in, I asked the driver, why we were going on this longer route which crossed the East River by Central Park and took us down FDR Dr during rush hour traffic. I explained to the driver that I had 6pm reservations in the West Village. I arrived just before 5pm feeling a little flustered but happy to have finally arrived. I went upstairs, dropped off my bags, freshened up and then we were off. I was happy to be home. 🙂

Dinner at the quaint Little Owl was delicious. We both had about 45 minutes before meeting Ang and Nathan so I suggested that we walk through the neighborhood to Washington Square Park, which was alive with the end of summer students and families hanging out. As we looked around and I explained how in 2015, I attended a women’s entrepreneurial festival, I took a photo from above of the square and have used that photo in many of my designs. As we were people watching, a bicycle gang rode through the crowd popping wheelies and showing off. It was amazing. We started walking back to midtown but when we were afraid we’d be late we decided to hail a ride. They had arrived just a few minutes before we did so we grabbed a table with an incredible view of the Empire State Building. The DJ was playing and it was an evening filled with conversation, laughter and some dancing—“WHOA she has moves.” It was such a fun night and WAY past my bedtime, but we were in the city that never sleeps.

Day two: we slept in and set our game plan for the day before heading out. I wanted to go to M&J Trim Shop to get trim and a few notions. We also had reservations for Blue Box Cafe at 4pm. I have stayed at several different hotels when I visit NYC but recently, at the Hilton Garden in on Park and 33rd because of its proximity to Macy’s and 5th Ave. The trim shop was a short walk and it was another beautiful September day. Upon arrival I was sad to see the signs that the store was going out of business, which made me sad. For years, I have talked about a path to NYC, but after 2020, I don’t feel as strongly about it. It’s still my home away from home and I will visit as often as I can. However, the rent is still sky high and the couple of internal positions at Macy’s I looked at, did not pay what it would take to live there without 5 roommates. I purchased a few fun items: rosettes on ribbon, a beaded patch and crystal buttons. We made our way to Bryant Park and stopped at an outdoor bistro to people watch.

After running back to the hotel for a quick change and Lyft, we arrived at Tiffany’s Blue Box cafe just in time for our reservation. Evelyn didn’t realize the cafe was at the iconic 5th Ave store and after we stepped into the cafe, she realized the connection. This was my second trip to this cute restaurant. I attempted to get a reservation last Christmas, but it’s almost impossible unless you are vigilant in jumping on Resy, the reservation system, exactly at midnight EST, 28 days before the date you want. I did just that hoping to get a morning reservation so Angela and Nathan could join us before heading to the Yankee game, unfortunately they were booked so I opted for the latest reservation in hopes they could join us after the game. They were still at the stadium when we checked in so they didn’t join us. I love the spot because of its iconic Tiffany blue walls, the beautiful decor and table tops, and the delicious drinks and eats. It would be a wonderful place for brunch or to celebrate a birthday. We enjoyed our time and decided to meet up with Ang and Nathan after at Rockefeller Center. While we waited for them we popped into a couple of shops. I wasn’t planning to do much shopping since I packed supper light, but wanted to get Isaiah a tee from the Nintendo store as I always do when into the city. We grabbed a table at nearby pub. By this time, we had connected with Shannon and she mentioned going out around 9:00–9:30pm. I told her that might be too late for me but I’d let her know how we were feeling. We weren’t feeling it. I had an early Sunday so we said our good-byes and headed back to the room to watch Friends. It was so much fun starting this holiday with Ang.

I woke Sunday morning and got ready early since I had scheduled time with my Louis Vuitton colleagues. As a salesperson, I was feeling guilty about being off for two weeks. I figured if I could generate some sales while sharing photos at the gorgeous LV bags it was definitely worth a the early morning. I arrived at Macy’s at 10 AM. I always love walking through the employee entrance in NYC and checking in with security. I walk the halls before opening hours, and I can’t help feel that tinge of excitement. I perused the latest releases and shared photos while dreaming of taking home my own bag. The hour was fruitful. After mediating between my clients and my LV colleague, I had a week’s worth of sales in.

I headed back to the hotel and noticed along Madison barriers going up and people lining the street. I got back to the hotel so we could pack up and check our bags with the bell hop. I had decided I was going to head to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass and Evelyn was going to catch the Seahawks game at pub near then. We started walking along Madison and realized it was a parade. It was September 15th, and the following Monday was Mexican Independence Day. The streets were lined with thousands people sharing their Mexican pride with flags, football jerseys and bright colors. We were heading north and the sidewalks were getting more crowded. I was trying to capture some of the parade from my phone. I could hear the mariachis playing on floats and see the colorful Ballet Folklórical dancers, but the further north we went, the more congested it became. Until we bottlenecked and could not move. It was kind of scary. I was grateful that people were patient and a police officer got people moving. We headed east to Park Avenue and then headed north to try to miss the congestion. Just before 56 Street we headed west towards fifth Avenue. I ran to church and made it in time just before the first reading. After mass, I ran over to the Nintendo store to get Isaiah his T-shirt souvenir as they always do and then met up with Evelyn at the pub. We watched the remainder of the game and then headed back to the hotel. The parade was still going strong around 4 PM. While we were told it would be wrapping up by 5 PM, we weren’t sure how traffic was going to be or if a cab would have a hard time getting to our hotel, we opted to leave a little early to the airport. Luckily, we got a cab pretty quickly and headed across town to JFK. Both the commute and TSA security were quicker than expected. Shannon and her friend traveling with her were already boarding their plane. We were eagerly anticipating the same when we received notice about a delay. When we saw the flight team in their signature Emirates uniforms walk up to check-in, we started getting giddy. It was time. Adiamo!

SIamo Arrivati

We boarded rather quickly. I got to my seat and was fortunate enough to find that there were only two of us so the middle seat was open. YAY! We got a little later start departing closer to 11pm. Of course, I was too excited to fall asleep immediately. So after a glass of wine and a late night dinner, I made my space comfortable and dosed off for a few hours. I woke to our pilot announcing our descent and looked out the window to see snow on the Italian Alps. We arrived just before noon on September 16th. I gathered my carry-on and deplaned meeting Evelyn at the gate. She and I headed to the bathroom and freshened up heading to border control/customs and baggage claim. We received a faint stamp from Italy in our passports–YAY! Then we stopped and jumped on our phones to figure out our transportation options.

Evelyn is similar to me in that she doesn’t mind public transportation especially when it’s clean, safe, reliable and cheaper than a cab or Uber. The €17 train ride into Milan plus the €13 3-day metro pass was the better option than the €150-200 cab ride. We got our tickets and started heading into the city, the metro was definitely easier to maneuver than the trains, but we were also a little sleep deprived. We arrived at our apartment about an hour later. The whole time we had been communicating with Shannon. They had arrived a few hours before us and were waiting to check into the AirBNB. They were finally able to check-in a few minutes before we arrived. Our apartment was about a block and a half away from the metro station and once we figured out how to get out, we strolled down the street with our bags. We were in a residential area with a mix of apartment buildings, a hospital, office high rises and grocery store. We were in a residential community which I love staying in more that the touristy areas.

Milan is very green and even though it is the fashion and financial capital of Italy, thus compared to NYC, I found it to be more like New Jersey with it’s pockets of industry and sprawling residential areas. The first day we didn’t do much. We got our bearings and found the grocery store just down the street. The prices were incredible. Bottles of wine were €1-4 and all the goodies we consider gourmet were incredibly priced. We stocked up on pasta, bread, cheese, wine, limoncello, chicken, deli meat, coffee, milk and other necessities for approximately €50. For the first night we decided to stay in, I figured out the stove/oven and made our first meal in Milan.

The next morning, Tanya would be arriving from Paris. Originally, she and I decided to stay in town and explore Milan, while Evelyn, Carissa and Shannon were planning to take a tour of Lake Como and Bellagio. However, just days before Evelyn scheduled an interview for a position she applied for and was afraid that she wouldn’t have service if they were on the road or in an out of service area, so Shannon rescheduled the tour for later in our trip. Tanya arrived at the apartment about 9am. I was excited to see her and head out, especially since I was now a metro expert. LOL! We finally got out of the apartment about 11am. We decided to start our Ms. Adventures at the Duomo. It was a 20 minute metro ride with one transfer of lines. As we walked up from the underground we were greeted by a magnificent view of one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It was beautiful. We took a couple photos but realized we were all famished. Tanya suggested a restaurant she had read about that offered 2nd story views of the church. We made our way up to the restaurant. Milan is known for its saffron risotto so half the table ordered that option. I was wanting something a little lighter so I ordered a salad and pizza. We had a cocktail to welcome in the trip. We had our fill and before heading out exploring found a bathroom to freshen up. As I looked out the hallway bathroom, I saw an “official” Milan Fashion Week vehicle parked near the curb. I asked everyone if it would be okay to find it so I could get a photo with it. They obliged and like the Cheshire Cat, I took a grinning ear-to-ear photo.

We purchased our tickets for entrance to the Duomo and terraces. We opted to do our own exploration but I’d suggest a scheduled tour to get an in-depth history. According to the official website, construction on the Duomo in 1386 during the peak of Gothic Cathedrals. Construction began from the aspe where the beautiful stained glass windows are found. Construction continued throughout the next 400 years with the great spires on top and the laying of the Madonnina statue. Some of the spires and under construction while we visited. We started inside the massive Cathedral. It was awe inspiring. I made my way to a pew and sat for a prayer of gratitude for this trip. I found Evelyn and Tanya and we made our way around the arch, or aspe, looking in awe at the stained glass windows before making it outside to catch the lift up to the terraces. From the top of the Duomo, all of Milan was laid out in front of us. While the lift got us up to the first level there were additional levels to the different terraces. After all the stair climbing, I felt totally ok eating pizza for lunch. We spent the afternoon exploring and enjoying the view and conversation from on top. We headed back down about 3:30pm so Evelyn could find a quiet and comfortable space to prep and take her interview Teams call. We headed into Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is the oldest shopping gallery in Italy; built in the late 19th century. The gallery connects Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scalla and is magnificent in all its grandeur from the arching glass and cast iron roof, to the marble and mosaic floors to…well, honestly, I do it injustice to describe it in all its luxurious grandeur. We had to follow Milanese tradition (or superstition) in spinning around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms. As you can imagine, the damage millions of visitor doing this causes, so it’s kind of an awkward spin as you are trying to maintain balance in the divet of the mosaic.

Evelyn, Shannon and Carisa, found a restaurant to cop-a-squat while Tanya and I opted to search for nearby vintage shops. We explored the neighborhood and found a few shops but didn’t buy anything so we headed back to the restaurant where Evelyn was wrapping up her call. After they settled their check, we decided to explore the shops. Splitting up at times but the music in the piazza called us together. I love street performers and even more so when the crowds interact through dance and singing along. Tanya and I sat on the curb and we were enjoying the music while people watching. It was incredible to see how people dressed. There were the obvious tourists wearing their comfortable clothes for all their exploratory adventures and then there were the locals who were impeccably dressed and absolutely beautiful. It was getting late and instead of grabbing a bite there in the city center, we decided to head back to the apartment and figure out something nearby. We went back to the grocery store and stocked up on a few more necessities and again, we all pitched in and made our dinner family-style. That evening, Tanya introduced a couple of questions, one that if you’ve seen The Story of Us, you know. It was “What was your high point of the day?” (I smiled because I used to ask this at the dinner table when the kids were young). The others she took from the Prada windows: “What do people get wrong about you?’ It was a great way to get to know the people we were traveling with.

The day before Milan fashion week. I originally was considering taking a train to Cinque Terre for a day trip. But after looking at the weather the day before I decided it wouldn’t be a good idea. It was forecasted to rain. The Cinque Terre or five villages are connected through hiking trails, the train and ferry rides. I didn’t feel like it would be enjoyable with the weather especially since I really wanted to hike. Instead, I decided to stay at the apartment to finish sewing the notions I had bought in NYC and to tighten up the outfits for my show, while the gals headed out for Brera. The the plan was, I would meet them later in the early afternoon. I turned on Friends and started sewing away. For Milan Fashion Week, I had 10 looks that I pulled from both segments of my local show.  I wanted it to be not only cohesive, but also show the variety in my ready to wear creations. At 2 PM, I headed out to the metro and by that time the gals were heading toward the Duomo. It was a cloudy day and it was drizzling so I dressed accordingly. While I love traveling with others, I do really enjoy my solo time. As I sat on the metro, I watched all the locals: a mother and young son, a few teenagers, a smartly dressed man. I love people watching and smiled thinking how lucky am I to travel and experience places like these. I got to the Duomo before the gals arrived and headed into the galleria, I noticed a large crowd outside of Prada, I started overhearing conversations and questions about who might be there. It was of course fashion week and it could’ve been anyone. After about 20 minutes, no one appeared and they girls had arrived so we went exploring the side streets and found more signs of Milan fashion week with a big #MFW and a standing billboard with all the events.

The excitement for Milan Fashion Week was palpable. Don’t get me wrong I LOVED showing in Paris Fashion Week and so grateful to everyone that helped me with the production of the show and traveled with me. Around every corner, in Milan, there were signs advertising fashion week from large hashtag photographable moments, to billboards to street signs, the city was alive, celebrating the semi annual event. As we were shopping, we stumbled across a MAC cosmetic store and they were having a party celebrating Milan Fashion Week. Tanya and I were drawn in by the fun music and got made up, had our picture taken and received lots of goodies with our purchase. It was so much fun. It reminded me of a decade earlier when I attended New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. The city welcomed and celebrated this event and as we headed back to the Duomo the flashes of light caught our attention. As we got closer, we saw the paparazzi and fans taking video and photos…but who was it they were surrounding?!? While I don’t know the K-Pop groups, nor did I get a front row view, but after some deduction from Tik-tok posts, I believe it was the “boy band”, ENHYPEN, who were attending Milan Fashion Week and are Prada brand ambassadors. That evening, I finally got the details for the call time on Thursday morning. It was requested that I arrive around 8 AM at the venue. While I know some of the girls wanted to go out, I wanted to go back and get a good night’s sleep. Eek! Adiamo!

Baby, This is What You Came For

I don’t know that I got a good night’s sleep. I was just too excited! And by 6:00am, I couldn’t lay in bed anymore. I got up made coffee and sat on the balcony just enjoying the morning with my espresso and biscotti while I set my intentions for the day. Teresa was flying in on the red eye from NYC, after traveling all day from NM. She landed around 6am and took a cab to the apartment. When she arrived, and after freshening up a bit, she, Tanya and I jumped into a cab and headed to the venue. Our driver was talkative and told us a little about his life and shared the best, non-touristy places to go. We arrived just outside the venue about a half hour later: I Chiostri di San Barnaba. The venue was originally built as a monastery in the 1600s. The high walls reflected the architecture of the time. We walked through the small alleyway between two buildings into an open courtyard. Walking in with my luggage, we were welcomed by a member of the production team who directed us to thee space where designers were to set up. The producer, Christian, directed me to my spot and shared my model line up. We started unpacking the garments as he brought over the models. I was excited to not only work with Teresa again but also a model, Eleshia Ais, who walked for me a year before at Paris Fashion Week. My models came from Italy, Spain, Germany, east European countries, Africa and New Mexico. The models not fluent in English, and me not fluent in any other language besides English made for interesting conversations on model instructions. I did my best. As Teresa, attempted to take a cat nap, Tanya found a space to steam the outfits while I tracked down my models for fittings. It’s chaotic behind the scenes. While I receive the comp cards (model’s measurements and height information) in advance of the show, I really can’t determine which model is wearing the right look until I see it on them and sometimes after the fitting, when another model tries on the same look, I change it up. I try to take photos to keep me on track especially because 8 of the 10 were new, in a sea of models participating in the show. As I’ve mentioned before there is a lot of hurry up and wait time behind the scenes. Like herding cats, I gathered my models when I was given the alert for my start time. I attempted to get them in the right order but there were two models, I had to track down. The music I chose for the show was Kids by MGMT and Tricky by Run D.M.C. I had used these two songs earlier in the year when I participated in the Locker #505 fundraiser show. I loved how they flowed together. The models took to the runway and I waited until the final waterfall walk. And as it always happens, it was over in about 10 minutes.

We headed back to the staging area and the models participating in other designer shows quickly changed and those who weren’t asked for photos with me. I’ve said this before, it’s hard to know how your collection was received, but the way the venue was set up, attendees walked through the courtyard where I was with some of the models and several of them stopped to tell me how they enjoyed my creations on their way out. There were even designers that shared the same thing. I was elated and when I received the photos and video a few days later, my breath was taken away. The models looked so beautiful.

We left the venue after packing up all the garments and decided we needed a celebratory dinner. Our driver earlier in the day, had shared a neighborhood that was true Milanese that tourists didn’t really go to. It was near the venue so we asked our driver to take us there. I was rolling my bag along the street as we decided which restaurant of the several that dotted the road we would eat at. After being turned away from one, because we weren’t locals we found another upscale restaurant and settled into our table and decompressed. Tanya shared with me how she watched the audience and how she saw so many really pay attention and snap photos of my collection. She asked how I was doing. It was a surreal moment for me. Like a dream. It’s funny when I started designing, my dream was to join the designers who showed at NYFW but as I continued on I decided I wanted to show all over the world. Who would of thought a girl from the North Valley would show in New York, London, Paris and Milan–the big four. I am so grateful for everyone reading this who has supported these goals. I am grateful for everyone who wants one of my designs. I am grateful to those that think this is a silly hobby or that I’ll never succeed; you have motivated me more than you know.

We headed back to the apartment. We needed to pack because in the morning we were flying to the Amalfi coast. There was some miscommunication with our host. While the apartment could accommodate all six of our party. The sofa bed was locked and the host wanted to charge an additional $400 to unlock it, so Tanya decided to make it easier for everyone to get a hotel. She decided to get one close to the airport, but in her attempts to book it from Milan so late in the evening pushed the only options for the next day, so she asked her daughter who was 8 hours behind us to book it. It seems she able. I decided I would go with her because I didn’t want her to be alone especially traveling in a taxi late at night it was approximately midnight. We found the hotel but unfortunately, it was completely booked. She asked the front desk if they could check the other Hilton options and they were all booked as well. Well, we were in Milan for fashion week afterall. We arrived back at the apartment about 2am. We made our sleeping arrangements work and as I felt that I finally fell into a deep sleep, the alarm went off. I grabbed my backpack–how I would travel the next 6 days.

La Vita Dolce

We got to the airport and after finding out our gate (I have found when flying Easy Jet in Europe, they don’t release the gate number until 20 minutes before boarding, I guess to make sure you are paying attention. Lol!) we went into the boarding line. The staff were very particular on the size of your carry on bag and made sure each of us were able to fit our carry on in the small European bag check cube. We got on the plane and arrived in Salerno about an hour and a half later. I attempted to catch up on some sleep and was feeling a little run down. From the small coastal airport, we flagged down a van to take us to our villa in Positano. It was a beautiful and bright late September day. The blue skies dipped into the clear blue sea. Because the roads throughout the Amalfi Coast are one lane each way, it took us longer to get to Positano than our flight from Milan, but we got to see incredible views of the ocean, Mt. Vesuvius, all the small towns and cliffs. Our villa was outside of Sorrento down a winding alley way road. The host sent me a video on how to access our villa which had a gated entrance and a long winding walk way through a garden. As we arrived, I noticed several people who looked like their were heading to the water with their swim attire and small backpacks. We checked into our villa that was a beautiful beach house with Italian flair. As we walked through our private gate and down the stairs lined with flowers and greenery, there was a small pool on one-side and the villa entrance on the other. I opened up the doors and walked in. The villa was big enough to house seven people, so we all took space. As we got settled in and did a little exploring around the property. Tanya and I decided to go get water from the small shop at the end of our road, before we headed into town. There was a burly man behind the counter that didn’t speak English and who I could feel didn’t care for tourists. Tanya fluent in Spanish attempted to talk to him in that language instead of English. She wanted to buy 6 bottles of water. He responded 40 euros. Now I had heard that it was expensive in the Amalfi Coast but I started to think, “wow, it’s really expensive”. That was the only time we were taken advantage of throughout our entire trip.

We left taking our waters and talking about how we’d get into the town center. Right across the road from that shop was a bus stop. The thing about the bus schedule is that it’s much like the rest of coast. The designated times are only a suggestion–what are you in a hurry for. You’ll get there when you get there. We got back to the villa and freshened up real quick and headed out. We started on foot walking along the single lane winding road until we came across the first curve in the road and realized this is where we’d die. We went back to the bus stop. We went into a nearby shop that sold the bus passes and waited with the other patrons. The bus passes were a couple of euros and took us down to town center. As we were riding down the hill, we heard two young women talking in English, so we started talking with them and found out they were on a semester abroad program. Where can I sign up for this?!? As we got of the bus and started walking into town, they shared all their favorite places from eateries, to gelato, to shopping. We walked down the narrow cobblestone roads. The first thing I noticed was a makeshift exhibit paying homage to Sophia Loren in an alleyway. As we continued to walk looking for one of the restaurant suggestions, Ristorante Fuoro, we came across so many lovely little shops from leather shops, beachy attire, souvenirs to everything lemon, we decided we would spend time exploring and shopping, but first, we had to quench our appetites. Unfortunately, we didn’t find Ristorante Fuoro but settled on a restaurant that obviously catered to tourists based on it’s menu with mixed Italian and American dishes. We satisfied our hunger and hit the streets again. Sorrento was alive with music on the corners and people everywhere. It was bustling, but since we in town on the shoulder season, it wasn’t as crowded as a few weeks before. We headed back to the hotel after wandering through shops and grabbing some gelato.

One Day You’re Headed to a Brothel and BOOM!

The next morning we arose slowly. Unfortunately, Shannon and Carisa did not sleep well because of a springy mattress in their pullout bed. The original plan was to find a beach and send the morning in the southern Italian sunshine, and then in the afternoon head out to Pompeii for a twilight tour of the ruins with an archeologist guide. Since we had a slow morning, we opted instead to follow the secret path next to our villa to see where it would take us and then head into town to find Fuoro for lunch before taking the train to Pompeii. Evelyn, Teresa, Tanya and I set out while Shannon and Carisa stayed back to get some rest and meet us later for lunch. We headed down the path to Bagni Regina Giovanna to see what was attracting everyone. It started as a beautiful walking path filled with greenery and others coming and going and slowly became quite the hike down the side of the hill until we came to not only a beautiful view of the ocean but incredible ancient ruins. After returning home, I went back to learn more about this secluded paradise. What I found according to a write up on the area stated, “As much as Bagni di Regina Giovanna draws the majority of its visitors for its natural beauty, it is also the site of a famous Roman Villa which dates back to the first century BC. Villa Pollio is named after Roman noble Pollio Felice and one can only manage the former splendour of the structure that’s now a ruin, with its fabulous position looking out to sea. 

This little area three kilometres west of Sorrento is now named after Queen Joanna I of Naples (1325 – 1382) who is said to have entertained illicit lovers in secret corners of the cavernous pools around the villa. Whether that’s scurrilous gossip or has any basis of fact we will never know but it all adds to the overall allure of the place.” from https://www.sorrentoreview.com/bagni-di-regina-giovanna

Of course I’m in one of the most beautiful landscapes with history, clear blue water swimming coves and endless blue skies, and I forget my camera. I took it all in and then asked for photos from the gals. After the hike back up the hill, we took the bus into town. We were dropped off near more Roman ruins and walked into the city center to music. Raki Gelateria was nearby and opted to start the day with a little bit of heaven. I chose the Ananas Basilico (or pineapple basil) and while you might think, “ahhh do those flavors go together?” I can tell you, “oh yes they do!” I didn’t feel guilty because of my morning walk. We continued into the alley way shops.

When I travel to Europe, I wear a crossbody that sits on my chest and that I normally hold with one hand at all times to be safe. I keep my wallet in the back pocket so no one has access to it. We stopped at a booth of a local artist to pick up some souvenirs, when I was approached by a delivery man. I guess he noticed that when I went to put my wallet back into the pocket it fell out as I continued on. He stopped me and returned it to me. He suggested that I keep a photo id in it because if it got lost again, the finder would return it to the police station and I’d have an easier time claiming it. Everything was in there. Just proves the good out there, but I did make sure I put my wallet back and zipped it up properly every time I pulled it out. After we hit the shops, we headed to lunch by this time Shannon and Carisa joined us. I had been communicating with the property manager to get a better mattress for them and he informed me there was one in the other sofa so problem solved. Lunch was incredible. The restaurant is known for its lemon cream sauce over pasta and served in a lemon shell. I was soooo down for that but we also started with the bruschetta and fried squash blossoms. Each bite was delectable. The meal ended with a shot of limoncello. It was time to find the train and head to Pompeii.

We arrived just in time. Got our tickets and boarded. It was packed on this older train so we weren’t able to sit together but grabbed open seats. It was interesting to see the countryside and small towns. The sun was strong and at one point I felt that I was going to get sunburnt sitting in my seat so I moved across the aisle. Upon our arrival I could see some of the ruins outside my window. The train station was a short walk to the ticket windows for the archeological ruins. We were greeted by our tour guide who had a sign with Shannon’s name on it to welcome us. I mentioned this before about Milan but the dress in Italy is on a different level and it’s AMAZING. She was smartly dressed in a blazer, jeans, t-shirt and the year’s biggest trend Adidas Sambas, but she also wore jewelry and had a signature red lip and matching nails. After we got our tickets followed her into the various areas of Pompeii. The thing I have found with tours is that you are lead by someone who truly loves the history found in these places. As an archeologist, she painted a picture of Roman life before it was covered in ash and pumice from Mount Vesuvius after an eruption in 79 A.D.. It was fascinating to hear how the different classes lived and to see so much well reserved after all this time. We found out the story behind the modern day Italian horn and it’s connection male genitalia. We also visited a brothel in which you could pick certain sexual acts from fresco paintings on the wall. It was sad to see the preserved bodies in their last moments trying to escape the asphyxiation of the ash raining down on the town of 20,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Since I was a child, after watching I think it was a made for tv movie about Pompeii, I’ve always wanted to visit this piece of history. I was so happy that I was able to travel with friends who were interested in seeing it as well. We ended the tour as the sun started to set and walked back to the train station. We thought about staying nearby for a place to eat but it seems everything closed at the same time the museum did. All in all, I think we walked 18,000 steps so we were a little worn out. We took the train in semi-silence and found a restaurant near the train station in Sorrento. I was feeling a little under the weather or allergies were kicking in so I chose soup for dinner. The restaurant was busy and unfortunately as Americans we’re always in a hurry and I know we were hungry and tired so the slower paced service got to us. We got back to the villa about 11:30pm and in a half hour it was Tanya’s birthday.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

At midnight, she got on a three way call with her daughter and her best friend. Over the past couple of days I got everyone to sign a card and pulled out the birthday girl sash and tiara. The next day to celebrate we were heading to Positano for a sunset cruise and dinner. So around 1:00am we hit the hay. The next morning we woke up and headed into town. Teresa found this fun shop the day before so we spent some time finding beachy cute clothes. I bought a pashmina for the boat ride and we gathered for lunch at a lemon grove. For the past few months, I had been following a Traveling the Amalfi Coast group to get a better understanding on what to expect and suggestions on what to do, where to eat and all the things. Ristorante o’ Parrucchiano la Favorita was recommended over and over. As we walked to the restaurant, I couldn’t understand how a lemon grove restaurant could be in the town center, but as we walked in and ascended the stairs, there were lemon trees all around with high glass ceilings. We were seated in the center of it. The meal was delicious and our waiter was great. We found out there was a whole mediterranean garden housed in the building. It was beautiful filled with flowers, vegetables and other plants.

From there, we headed to the bus station for a ride to Positano. We needed to be down at the marina by 4:30pm so we were pressed by time and with the uncertainty of bus timeliness, we decided to hail a cab. We hit the winding road that was carved on the side of the cliffs on our way to Positano. We heard the story of the exclusive island that you could stay at for $20,000 a night which turned into a conversation asking if you had the money would you do it? We arrived in Positano shortly after. The van could only take us so far so we had to walk through town from the higher elevation drop off point down to the marina. We got the drivers information so we could call him back to take us back to Sorrento after dinner. We walked through the shops and quickly decided we would definitely do some shopping after the boat ride. We got down to the water and I found our tour guide contact. We were worried we’d be late but of course the Amalfi Coast is on it’s own timeline. Some of the group went into the nearby shop for gelato, while others including myself walked along the beach to see if we could find sea glass. The year before I took the sea glass I found in Nice and created rings for all my travel companions. The pieces I found in France were bigger in size but there were more colors, blue, green, orange and red, in Italy. The tour group started lining up the groups. Big, small and medium-sized boats made their way in to pick up their precious cargo.

Our boat arrived and I was excited to get on board. We made sure to inform our captain about Tanya’s birthday and he let her take the wheel while playing birthday music. Then the prosecco start to be poured as we moved to the front of the boat as sailed across the coast. Positano was in the distance so we got to really appreciate the beauty of the different colored homes dotting the hillside. We rode out to a small beautiful cove and as we headed out further into the ocean we stopped to watch several dolphins frolic in the water. It was simply amazing. I looked over and saw Tanya smiling from ear-to-ear. If you know me, you know I love birthdays and not just my own I love celebrating others and especially when I can help make it special. We headed back to the shore about an hour later. It was dark as we arrived and the colorful building turned dark with the lights brightening up the sky.

The next stop was dinner on top of the hill at La Tagilata. Again, I found out about this restaurant from the Facebook and as I researched further I found it was a true farm to table restaurant that offered cooking classes and was run by the family owners. The one the we’d miss at dinner would be the incredible views of bay. We took another cab up the winding road leading to the restaurant. We didn’t make reservations but they welcomed us. We sat at a long table and the food was served family-style. There were no menus instead there was a set price for four courses and house wine. The meal started with antipasti with freshly grown vegetables, cheese, meats, and pinto beans (gross but they were a cool NM connection). The first course consisted of pastas. When I say pastas, there were 5 or 6 options. This is a restaurant you go to if you haven’t eaten in weeks. It was DELICIOUS but also we stuffed by the end of the pasta course. The second course was the meats (I know you heard the Arby’s commercial in your head–lol). This course consisted of rabbit, pork and Florence steak cooked table side. It was divine (though I didn’t eat the rabbit–couldn’t do it). I was going to bust by this time but we had to have the fourth course, homemade cakes. especially since we were celebrating a birthday! It was the perfect way to end the evening. We headed back to Sorrento and then began to pack. In the morning, all but Tanya were headed to Dubrovnik, Croatia. When we started planning the Milan trip, Shannon said we had to go to Dubrovnik. So ADIAMO!

It was a rough morning, we filled our days with so much that sleep meant we were missing out on something. We didn’t even have time to utilize the pool beyond my nightly cold plunge for my feet and calves. It was the perfect reprieve after all the steps and climbing. The van was picking us up early in the morning so we hit the hay to Friends and woke up ready to hit the road. We flew into Salerno from Milan, but to get to Croatia we had to fly out of Naples. The gals headed out to the van while I made sure everything was in its place and locked up. I was the last one and we hit the road. Everyone was pretty much asleep as we made the drive to the airport. When we got to a fork in the road, where we’d turn left to go to Naples and right to Salerno, the driver took a right. Since Teresa was the one who had been working with the driver, I asked her what airport we were going to. She said Salerno. I informed her that she needed to tell him we needed to go to Naples. After a little exchange in conversation and the driver in frustration explaining that he doesn’t drive to Naples, he took us to the airport. Luckily we left early enough that the extra 20 minutes on the road, didn’t impact our check-in time too much. We gave Tanya hugs as we parted ways (she continued on to London) and grabbed a bite before we had to board the plane. The flight was a little less than an hour.

Hvala

Evelyn, Teresa and I stayed in an AirBnB apartment in the city center and Shannon and Carisa stayed just outside of the city wall, so we had separate drivers. We arrived just outside the city wall and had to walk the rest of the way since cars weren’t allowed inside. If you haven’t heard of Dubrovnik, maybe you’ve heard of the HBO show Game of Thrones? Seasons 2 through 6 were filmed here. And walking under the gatehouse, I could see why they used this beautiful city as Kings Landing. I’ll try to describe it a different way. If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, especially when one of the huge resort/casinos was recently built (and before all the cigarette smoke has set in)…I’m thinking Bellagio or Caesar’s with the faux marble and sparkling clean with the facade of a palace or castle. WELL, THIS IS DUBROVNIK, but it’s real. The sun was warm and beautiful in this coastal town yet I was feeling under the weather…still blaming allergies. We walked through the town, Teresa was navigating. We found the base to where we needed to climb steps to our space. It was probably 9 short stories up until we got to the door of our flat, stopping to catch our breath before knocking on the door. As we walked in, our host welcomed us and informed us it was two more flights up. As we reached the top, there was a door, our door for the next two nights. We walked into the cutest compact space. The small kitchen area was right inside the door follow by the bathroom and open space that includes a dinner table and living area and two separate bedrooms, I walked into the first room with a full bed and placed my backpack on the bed. There was a window that overlooked the tops of the Mediterranean tile buildings. Teresa and Evelyn were ready to explore. I needed a nap, so they headed out and I laid down and put on Emily in Paris. This show has become an annual tradition for us to watch on our down time. A couple of hours later, I got up and started to explore. I could hear music planning somewhere in the distance. It sounded like a music class which made me love where we were staying even more. I ascended the steps to the top level just under the city wall. There were artisans all along the path. Embroidery and lace were found everywhere and one with sunflowers caught my eye. I also found jewelry artists. And…the cats of Dubrovnik. They are everywhere stray and well taken care of at the sametime. I went down to the main level. I heard a busker playing the tamburica in traditional dress so I gave him a few euros tip and he called me to sit by him while he asked some to take our photo. It was quite charming. After enjoying the music for a bit, I texted Evelyn and Teresa to see where they were. We met up and they told me about their adventures taking the bus to a beach and other areas. We explored and shopped the local vendors before we met up with Shannon and Carisa for dinner. In my past travels, I knew what to expect for food options, but I always like to research local specialties and try to sample while visiting. Dubrovnik is known for seafood, beef and potatoes, and pasta. I was craving steak so that’s what I went with and it did not disappoint. We all were in awe with this beautiful place and did a little wondering around until we called it a night.

I slept with the window open and sometime during the night the heavens opened up and the sound of rain coming down made it even more magical. I slept in that morning. It was the first time since we arrived in Europe. There was no rush to do anything because as I explained earlier everything we needed to access would be view stairs and what I haven’t mentioned was the fact that there wasn’t railing throughout the town and as clumsy as I am, I wasn’t trying to break another ankle. We slowly rose and either Evelyn or Teresa braved the rain to get some breakfast. We were treated to some incredible delicacies: Krafna, similar to a donut, Zagorski strukli, finely rolled out dough and filled with delicious fresh cheese, and Lisnato s visnjama, phyllo pastry filled with cherries. We took our time as the rain subsided watching Emily in Paris, eating Croatian pastries and drinking coffee with the occasional working on the computer. Around noon, we left the flat and amazingly, there was no sign that it had rained. All the water must have drained into the ocean, so we headed up the steps and I showed the gals the area I found the day before. Unfortunately, none of the artisans were out from the day before so we walked around went to the local church and then headed down the “shame steps”. At the bottom was a market filled with fresh fruits like figs, strawberries and grapes, there were dried fruit candies and artisans selling their wares. We all found souvenirs and gifts for ourselves. We decided to eat lunch at the adjacent roof top restaurant.

I opted for the fish and vegetable dish. We talked about connecting with the other gals and we all wanted to get tickets to walk the city wall. The couple sitting next to us heard us talking and mentioned they were from Arizona. We talked about our travels and the places they’ve been. They also shared the travel broker they used. We left a bit later after great conversation and a good meal. We met up with Shannon and Carisa near the fountain, purchased our tickets and ascended the wall. Even with all the walking and steps climbing over the past week, I was still winded. This grand wall is over 80 feet high and 6,300 feet in length but there wasn’t a better vantage point for the ocean, hillside and town below. It was exquisite. We walked. We talked. We stopped for photos until we came across a little spot for drinks, but not what you think. They offered freshly squeezed juice and as you looked below there was a small citrus orchard. We ended our walk as the sun went down. We were famished. After walking into an Irish Pub and walking out after looking at the menu, the host at another restaurant waved us over. I am so grateful he did. I had the freshest salad I’ve had all this trip and truffle pasta. It was simply amazing. At dinner, both Shannon and Teresa mentioned they were feeling under the weather so we decided to head back to our rooms afterwards, but as we got up to leave I heard a familiar sound. There was a young musician playing on the patio and she was playing the theme song to Friends, I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts. It was the perfect way to end the evening…that and getting gelato, with no guilt.

We were checking out and flying back to Milan the next day, but before we left we planned to take a Game of Thrones tour throughout the old city. In the morning, we packed our bags and left them with our host. We split up for a bit because we all had a few last minute things we wanted to do. I went to the local museum because there was a Salvador Dali exhibit. It was a small exhibit but it included pieces I had no idea he painted: religious and Alice in Wonderland. We met up about 11:30am and started on our tour. Again, our tour guide dressed smartly. She talked about how Dubrovnik was chosen as the backdrop for Kings Landing after season 1, because she shared that Malta’s government (the location in season 1) was unhappy how the crew left one of the tourist gems after filming there. We stopped for a description on key scenes, but only after climbing up Fort Lovrijenac. Again the views went on for miles once we reached the top. We climbed back down and went into the old city. We stopped by the stairs of shame (which Evelyn, Teresa and I, climbed daily). Our tour guide mentioned that one of the shops had an iron throne replica and if you purchased something you could take a photo on it. As we wrapped up the tour, Evelyn and I decided we wanted a photo on it so we mentioned we’d meet the others for lunch after. We had a quick bite, then grabbed our luggage and headed to the airport.

Based on our travel schedule there wasn’t a direct flight back to Milan, so we’d have to take a connection through Naples. Our departing flight from Dubrovnik was scheduled for 6:00pm. We’d have a two hour layover and arrive in Milan just before midnight. We got to the airport and sped through the security lines. We looked at the departure boards to find our gate. It said B20 so we went through customs, got our Croatian stamp, walked up the stairs to the gate only to find it and all the surrounding gates completely empty. We went down stairs were there were people waiting for their departing flights and walked up to the gate agent. We were in the wrong place so she escorted us back to the customs post and the agent crossed out our stamp (but not really) and we found the right gate. Our flight was a little delayed but we made it to Naples in good time. In the airport, we decided we were going to get neapolitan pizza and I was glad I did. We also tried Kir Royales and I was hooked. We were sitting across an Italian cosmetics store, Wycon. Teresa had come across several reviews talking about the quality for a great price so we stocked up on a few items. It was time to find our gate, so we gathered our things. So Milan is a popular destination to fly to from Naples. We went to one gate and waited quite some time when things didn’t add up. Someone standing behind us mentioned the flight was Ryanair and we were flying Easy Jet. Shannon and Teresa were further up in the line, so as Evelyn, Carisa and I ran to find the right gate we jumped on our phones texting the gals to inform them of the right one. It was literally a scene out of Home Alone. We made it through with about a minute to spare. It was harrowing, but also a good story to tell. We all made it and arrived in Milan about two hours later. Shannon had checked a bag so we waited at baggage claim until hers arrived. Now when Evelyn and I flew in, we too the train and while I’m all about saving money but there I also didn’t want to arrive at the flat at 3:00am, so Teresa was in charge of ordering a taxi. However, with 5 people, at the time of night we were requesting it and where we were going, the taxis kept canceling on her. We finally got one and arrived at the apartment about 1:30am.

The next day was our full last day in Italy. All the gals decided they were going to do a tour of Lake Como, Bellagio and Switzerland. As exciting as it sounded, it going to rain and I really didn’t mind having a day to myself. I could sleep in, pack and check out the neighborhood, Brera, that I didn’t see early in the trip. Tanya said they had some great vintage stores. Early the next morning they left or I thought they all left. I got up and packed while watching Friends and attempted to use the washing machine (with no luck). I wasn’t quiet because I thought I was the only one there and then I went into the other bathroom to grab something when I found Carisa sleeping in the bed. I apologize profusely and said I was almost done and would be heading out so she would have the flat to herself. I headed out. Within the week we were gone, autumn had descended upon Milan. A light drizzle was coming down and the leaves were starting to turn. I took the metro to Brera and ascended the subway to find a little pink Prada booth covered in flowers. The woman inside was handing out Prada Paradoxe samples. I said grazie and moved on. Looking through the various shops I decided I was hungry. I popped into an Illy cafe and enjoyed Risotto alla Milanese which gets its vibrant golden color from saffron. I watched the patrons that came in. They looked like they worked nearby and dressed every so posh. I ended my meal with a caffe macchiato because when in Milan… While I was sitting there I looked up vintage stores near me. I found one a couple of blocks away. From the website they had Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Gianni Versace and vintage Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. I was looking for something special for Cati and this seemed to be the perfect place to look. While the shop was cute and it included several vintage items. None of the items on the website were found within so I asked the salesperson and she said the website carries different bags than the store. That was a bummer. I decided to walk over to the Duomo and look in the shops there. I found a department store on the south side of the building. I explored each of the floors but stopped when I found Emilio Pucci. I found the perfect hand painted Italian silk (from Lake Como) scarf. It was like I was with the gals. I gather my purchases and decided to head back to the flat because it was starting to get dark. That evening Carisa and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant hotel.

Evelyn and I had a later flight out so we took our time heading out. We took the metro to the location where we to catch a bus to the airport. After wandering around a bit, we found the right pick up spot and we were on our way to the airport. Once we arrived and made it through security we found a little Lebanese restaurant for some nosh and then picked up duty-free items before boarding. Delayed, we arrived in NYC about 8:30pm and got to our hotel about 9:30pm. I had a 7am flight back to Albuquerque so we ordered room service and called it a night. I arrived back in Albuquerque around 11am. While I’m sure I experienced some travel fatigue, I was ecstatically happy for this Ms. Adventure. Milan Fashion Week made and indelible impression. I am so grateful for the friends that traveled with me, for the friends that helped me raise funds for the production costs in Milan.

With love and light,
Dara Sophia Romero

If you are looking for your own Ms. Adventures, here is my link of Tours we used throughout Europe