Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 and Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

Buonasera! Here is the final installation to my trilogy of Italy vlogs—a short video on my 24 hours in Forence. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Part 1 on Rome, and Part 2 on Venice + Burano (probably my favorite out of the 3). If you're liking the videos so far, please give them thumbs up, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Although I was only offered 24 hours in Florence, I was able to explore a variety of places because the city was very condensed and easy to navigate on foot. Considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is filled with famous masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s David and Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Despite not being very well-versed in art history, I still found the city to be intriguing and filled with gorgeous monuments. Oh, and scattered with delicious authentic Italian food on every street corner.

We decided once again to do one of our early morning photo/filming trips. Since the area around the Duomo (otherwise known as Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) is always crowded with tourists during the day, I attempted to get some nice shots at dawn but found dozens of other photographers and vloggers trying to do the same thing.

As a general rule of thumb: your knees and shoulders must be covered whenever you enter a cathedral or church in Italy. But don’t be alarmed, there are dozens of vendors selling scarves and capes outside the church for women like myself—who, finally getting a break from her work wardrobe, chose to bring along the most revealing pieces from her wardrobe on her vacation.

Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the best vantage points to get a view of Florence as a whole. Do note that you will have to work for it though. Google maps might tell you that it’s a twenty minute walk from wherever you are in the city… but that twenty minute walk is a walk straight uphill. And if you’re doing it in the 90 degree Italian summer, do expect a workout before you’re rewarded with the view.

After hiking up to Piazzale Michelangelo, we were quite starving by the time of dinner. Because Italians usually eat very long dinners late into the night, we booked a reservation at La Giostra at 9:15PM. I was dying to try the Florentine steak, and the internet was telling me that La Giostra was the place to try it. Although the steak itself set us back 84 euros, the restaurant provided us with multiple glasses of wine on the house and a free appetizer platter. We also ordered the pear ravioli, which was divine.

And by no means did they skimp on this appetizer sampler. On it was a tasty salad, bruschetta, foie gras, vegetable fritters, and house-made bologna. This would’ve set me back at least 15 bucks in San Francisco. But here it was 0.

The restaurant is dimly lit with hundreds of small ceiling lights that created a romantic but nostalgic vibe. On the wall are photos of famous celebrities that have visited in the past, including John Travolta and Tom Hanks. If you’re interested in dining here, be sure to make a reservation in advance on La Giostra’s website.

Our small but cute Airbnb. Filled with all sorts of nostalgic furniture.

The shakerato was definitely my favorite drink in Italy. Such a shame you can’t get it in the States…

Being a tourist, I was obligated to say hi to the David statue at the Accademia Gallery. David was created by Michelangelo when he was only 26, and is considered one of the most renowned works of the Renaissance. Because it’s such a famous piece of art, be sure to book your tickets to the Accademia online in advance to avoid waiting in the long line that stretches far around the block.

The Accademia is also home to a myriad of other famous works of the Renaissance. If you get tired of looking at paintings and sculptures, be sure to stop by the music gallery that showcases a variety of ancient instruments.

Stop by Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that houses multiple shops selling everything from jewelry to leather goods.

Taking the train out of Florence? Stop by Mercato Centrale Firenze, a hipster marketplace/food court that’s located few minutes away from the Firenze SMN train station. You’ll find a variety of vendors selling authentic Italian street foods, and loads of locals and tourists alike enjoying a casual lunch.

Below the food court is a marketplace, selling fresh vegetables, meats, spices, olive oils, pastries… you name it. I was really hard to walk through without the urge to get myself a second lunch.

I had a fairly smooth time traveling throughout Italy thanks to the Frecciargento—which is the high speed train that connects Italy’s major cities. Previously known as the Italian Eurostar, the train got me from Rome to Florence in 2 hours and from Florence to Venice in another 2 hours. I would highly recommend taking the Frecciargento or Frecciarossa, especially if you’re traveling first class, in which case they will offer you a free small bottle of wine and snacks!

Although I’m relieved that I’m done with all my Italy vlogs, I’m also sad to finally put this vacation behind me. I truly had a great time, and learned lots of the Italian language and customs along the way. If you found any of the content helpful, please pin these ideas on your boards on Pinterest, give the video a thumbs up, or subscribe to my YouTube channel :)

♥ Cindy

Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 and Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

Buongiorno! I promised y’all a part 2 to my Italy Part 1 Vlog on Rome, and here it is!

Venice was one of the most stunning and unique places I’ve ever traveled to. Despite the city being touristy, it was definitely less hectic and more manageable compared to Rome and Florence. Although Venice has plenty of places dedicated to tourists and large crowds, it’s easy to step away from the main road and into quieter, more secluded alleyways. Due to its small size, Venice is very easy to explore on foot (you also have no choice but to do so since cars and bikes alike are not allowed on the island).

In addition to Venice, we also set aside one morning to visit the island of Burano, which is just a 30-40 minute boat ride away from Venice. Its colorful houses, small narrow streets, and picturesque canals make it one of the most gorgeous and rare places to photograph.

Since boats are the only form of transportation allowed in Venice, walking around became exponentially easier compared to the more hectic Rome and Florence. You can stroll through the city carelessly without having to worry about cars and vespas looming around the corner.

I loved exploring Venice during sunrise and sunset—the orange sunlight hitting the colorful brick houses really makes everything look surreal. I made an effort to wake up at 4:30 AM one morning to explore the area around our Airbnb and the Rialto bridge to get a sense of the city at its quietest.

Waking up early proved its value when I arrived at the Rialto Bridge. I walked past it a couple of times during the day and it was absolutely flooded with tourists trying to get their own photo of the Grand Canal. At 6AM, however, it was completely empty and gave me a chance to watch Venice’s sunrise without the disturbance of other tourists.

Piazza San Marco is equally as beautiful in the rain as it is at at dusk. Be sure to stop by both sides of Caffè Florian to listen to live music performed by small ensembles of classical musicians.

Compared to Rome, Venice’s food game is unfortunately not as strong. Try to avoid tourist traps that serve American staples like French Fries and Burgers or American-converted Italian dishes such as Spaghetti and Meatballs. (Note that Italians never eat spaghetti together with meatballs. They will have them separately—spaghetti as a first course and meatballs as a second—but they will never combine the two).

But because Venice is so close to the ocean, there is a large selection of fresh seafood that comes to the island every day. Opt for the dishes that contain seafood instead of the more familiar American dishes.

Burano

When in Venice, try to stop by the picturesque island of Burano. The distinct colorful houses in this small island town were used to help sailors coming back in the fog determine which house was theirs. To paint a new house in Burano, you must notify the local government, which will then give you a selection of possible colors you’re allowed to paint with. Quite complicated, but definitely an important protocol to keep the island looking colorful and beautiful.

As Murano is popular for its glass-making, Burano is famous for its lace. Stroll through the town and you’ll find countless shops selling locally-made lace.

getting to Burano from venice

To get to the island of Burano, we took the Vaporetto Line 12 (Vaporetto = water-bus) from the Fondamente Nove stop, which comes around every 30 minutes. Tickets cost 7 euros one way, and the ride takes around 30-40 minutes, stopping at the island of Murano in between. To get a good idea of when Vaporettos arrive, download a super helpful app called CheBateo, which provides a time estimate of arrivals for each boat—available on the App Store and Google Play.

Restaurants in Burano serve a wide variety of seafood. We had the spider-crab gnocchi and the more adventurous but equally-delicious squid ink spaghetti. Our verdict? Don’t be daunted by the squid ink and the black color. The spaghetti was actually amazingly-savory and was reminiscent of the seafood pasta we had the previous night.

What’s a visit to Venice without a Gondola ride? Try to go around dusk to catch the sunset and to avoid the harsh midday sunlight.

Go museum-hopping and visit the free-to-enter Museo della Musica, a museum of music focused on displaying ancient instruments (such as the 6-string viola here!)

Remember to fill up on gelato, coffee, and pasta before you leave. Our gelato was from a shop located right off Piazza San Marco called Venchi, which also sells beautifully-wrapped gift boxes of chocolates. We shared two scoops: the rich Crema and the refreshing Fig.

I am the woman under the umbrella.

The Bridge of Sighs received its name because prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice there before they were taken down to their cells.

Venice was by far my favorite city in Italy—possibly one of my favorite cities I’ve ever traveled to. Tired from visiting touristy spots in Rome and Florence, I made an effort to skip touristy attractions such as the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. Instead, I found that wandering the streets (and even allowing yourself to get lost for a while) was more rewarding and eye-opening. Farewell Venice for now, but I’ll definitely be coming back to you in the future. I’ll be sighing one last time as I get on the train to leave.

Liked the video? Give it a thumbs up on YouTube. Liked the post? Save a few pins from this post to Pinterest :)

♥ Cindy

Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 and Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

Ciao a tutti! I'm finally back from my Italy trip! Although I was extremely sad to leave, I was itching to get back to my laptop to edit the footage that I shot in Rome, Florence, and Venice with my Osmo Mobile 2. After spending three days in Rome, I felt like I had barely scratched its surface when I left. Although filled with many tourist traps and large crowds, there are also quieter neighborhoods scattered across the city that will give you a taste of the local lifestyle. If you're planning to visit Rome soon, my tip to you is to get to try to get lost in the narrow alleyways in local neighborhoods like Monti or Trastevere. Filled with excellent cafés, bars, and restaurants, I find these colorful neighborhoods to be far more intriguing than the always-crowded Vatican city or Spanish Steps. You'll spend less time waiting in line and more time immersing yourself within a more authentic side of the city.

We stayed in the beautiful Monti neighborhood, an area filled with colorful houses and greenery. There are small cafés, bars, restaurants, and boutiques every corner you turn. It's filled with locals, but also conveniently located next to the Colosseum and Roman forum—so you have touristy activities at your disposal. It's also only a 15 minute walk away from Rome's main train station and metro stop, Termini station.

Try to go to the Colosseum when it first opens in the morning (around 8:30AM) to avoid the crowds and the heat. Make sure to buy your tickets ahead of time (we received them through the Roma Pass) to skip the lines.

After finish up at the Colosseum, head over to explore the ruins of the Roman Forum, which is only a couple of minutes away. 

Important: You must eat at Osteria da Fortunata. The pasta is handmade by an Italian grandma sitting in the window and they have an oxtail fettuccini that's to die for. Make sure to make a reservation beforehand though, considering they are popular with both locals and tourists. Also, make sure to brush up on your knowledge of Italian pasta dishes since there is no English menu.

Dare to climb the 551 steps in the dome of St Peter's Basilica to catch this sick view?

Stop by at Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè, an ancient coffee shop born in the thirties, to grab a 10/10 cup of coffee. My favorite coffee drink in Italy was the Shakerato, which is prepared by shaking expresso with ice cubes in a cocktail mixer. It's not very easily obtainable in the U.S., but it's everywhere in Italy. It's in my opinion a perfect treat for those Italian hot summers.

After visiting Sant'Eustachio's, walk only a few steps to get to the Pantheon. It's crazy to think that this architectural feat was completed nearly 2000 years ago. Although once a Roman temple, the Pantheon now serves as a church.

Italy or Eataly? Stop for some street food and eat whatever looks good to you in the window. Italians absolutely love putting their food on display. Just try to get a bit further away from major tourist locations to ensure that you aren't paying steep prices for dishes that have been modified for tourists.

Escape to Trastevere, Rome's more traditional neighborhood that has the look and feel of a small town. You'll find people chatting away in its many cafés and having dinner on terraces overlooking the sunset. Try to visit this neighborhood during the evening, as many street performers will flock in the area around Piazza di Santa Maria.

Don't forget to go for a gelato at the famous Gelateira alla Scala while you're there! I got the caramel cookie and black cherry.

Take advantage of Rome's many free sights, including the picturesque Piazza del Campidoglio and the lively Piazza Navona (which fills up with artists and street performers in the evening). 

I wish it wasn't so, but the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps) seems to always be filled with hoards of tourists. Try to climb to the top to the Trinità dei Monti, a church where you'll catch a gorgeous view of Rome's rooftops. There is also a street in front of the steps filled with designer clothing stores, in case you need to do any impulse shopping.

Stop by Campo Di Fiori early in the day to stroll through the farmer's market and to...yes, eat more food again. Note that pizza is sold by weight, so don't be afraid to grab a few small pieces of each different kind (many of which are topped with fresh ingredients and vegetables, which you'll rarely find in American chains). The last photo is of pistachio-crusted lamb from Roscioli,  a deli + bakery + restaurant serving a wide range of Italian staples.

Don't forget to stop by the Trevi fountain to make a wish!

If you're leaving Rome via train like I did, try to stop by Mercato Centrale—located just a few minutes outside of Termini Station. This is no typical food court, kids. You'll find variety of top-notch Italian cuisine and a pop up from the famous Bonci pizzeria (whose pizza has the most crunchy yet chewy crust, oh my God). You'll even find more non-traditional, more trendy items like ramen if you're starting to crave some Asian food at this point :)

This has been quite a long post to finish. From sifting through countless photos to finding the right clips to edit into the vlog, I'm quite exhausted from the amount content I've gathered while I was abroad. And... I'm not even close to being done. We've still got Florence and Venice to go—so watch out for those posts and videos as well!

Rome has been hectic but also beautiful and intriguing. Out of all the Italian cities I've visited, Rome stands at number 1 for its food. Definitely come with an empty stomach.

All photos were taken on the iPhone X and edited on VSCO.

♥ Cindy

I've been obsessed these days with oversized denim jackets. It's even better if the jacket is in a bold color like this bright red one. For petite girls, oversized clothing can be a bit of a challenge to style, and for a while, I steered away from pieces with a lot of volume because of what they did to my portions. But after looking at a few British brands that also carry petite clothing in addition to their normal styles, I was able to find an oversized jacket that worked for my body. I realized that in order to make a oversized jacket work for a small frame, you have to look for one that is cropped in length—preferably one that sits just at your belly button, or just a few inches below.

Another one of my obsessions lately has been these white wide leg jeans from Cheap Monday (who was nice enough to feature one of my Instagram photos in their gallery for these pants). I feel like I've seen dozens of pants like these on Pinterest lately. This pair combines all of the trends that have been lurking in stores in the last year: the high waist, the cropped length, the raw hem, and the flared wide leg. 

Apparel: Red Denim Jacket: ASOS| Striped shirt: Brandy Melville | Jeans: Cheap Monday| Shiny penny loafers: ASOS | Hoops: H&M

To balance out both the oversized denim jacket and the wide leg jeans, I realized that I needed something tighter to layer underneath. I found this striped and slightly-cropped top from Brandy Melville. It worked wonders with the high waisted pants, and was short enough to show off the shape of the jeans without me having to tuck in the shirt and just long enough to cover my belly.

Photos: These were taken by the wonderfully-talented Jeffery Wang, a friend I met from UCSD and now a colleague at Pinterest. We took these a while before the sun started setting, so it was still bright enough for us to catch the reflection of the San Francisco skyline in the warehouse window.

Don't forget to check out Jeff's mind-blowing 500px portfolio! 

Makeup

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark brown + Glossier Boy Brow in Brown | Eyes: Son & Park True Black Eye Pen Liner, Glossier Lidstar duo (shade "moon" in the middle, "cub" on the sides) | Lips: Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Lipstick in "Spanked"

After going to the Glossier pop-up event in San Francisco, I purchased the Lidstar duo in the shades "moon" and "cub." The warm, peachy tones worked perfectly with the reds in my outfit as well as the warm tones from the sunset during the photoshoot.

I think this is a look that screams "Summer in San Francisco" with all of its warm tones. Because summers in San Francisco are never very warm, you'll definitely find yourself reaching for a jacket and a pair of pants on a daily basis. Why not try an oversized jacket and pants this summer? And experiment with different color combinations as well? I hope y'all have fun mixing and matching :)

♥ Cindy

After tackling gigs and chasing deadlines at work in March and April, May has finally calmed down and I was able to do a bit of traveling. Because there was lot of waiting around in airports and downtime on airplanes, I took the time to do some music discovery and fell deeper in love with some artists that I had only scraped the surface of in the past. This playlist also reflects two amazing shows that I went to this month: Cyrille Aimee at SFJAZZ and Itzhak Perlman with the San Francisco Symphony.

5.

If I could somehow "marry" a voice, I would marry Jordan Rakei's voice. Ugh.

listen

---

How Deep is your love

PJ Morton

A cover of a classic Bee Gees tune, this song has some really soulful vocal harmonies that kept me humming along and caused me to make the stank face at my desk whenever I gave it a listen (sorry, co-workers).

---

Add the bassline

Jordan Rakei

No, this is not a playlist for only Jordan Rakei songs… I’ve just been loving him so much this past month. I especially love these set of lyrics in this song:

Sweet sounds of July
Sweeter than a blackberry pie
Sweeter than the breeze of the night
The gat plays, hit the rewind
Oh here’s the Rhodes
Minor 9 insatiable
Sharp 11 losing control
Now here’s the vocal

And then he interrupts with some yummy vocal harmonies after that…

This man is such a genius ♥

---

Harmony

THE CHARM PARK

A more cheerful tune amidst the moody Jordan Rakei songs. The vocal harmonies in this one are also super yummy (hence, the title).

---

NERVE - ACOUSTIC

Jordan Rakei

Okay, last Jordan Rakei song for this playlist, I promise! This is just an acoustic version of the first song on this playlist. I absolutely love the strings mixed with the acoustic guitar (especially with the sound of fingers on the strings). The addition of background vocals also adds a fullness without overcomplicating the song.

---

I'm so satisfied with this month's set of songs. I feel like I binge-listened to every single one of them on repeat. They're also full of emotion and have great lyrics. Give this playlist a listen, and I hope you can enjoy these songs as much as I did :)

♥ Cindy

Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Most of the content on my YouTube channel is music-related, and I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to vlogging. But I recently bought the DJI Osmo Mobile 2, which is a gimbal that helps stabilize footage from smartphone cameras. I purchased it mostly because I want to capture videos of my upcoming trip to Italy without having to carry around another heavy camera for filming. The Seattle trip came at a good time to try out this gimbal on a smaller, safer scale.

If you liked what you saw, please subscribe to my YouTube channel :) It's looking a bit empty right now, but I'll try to upload more content now that I have Adobe Premiere and my gimbal. For those who want more detail beyond the video, please read on for a list of 10 fun things to do in Seattle:

1. Catch the view of the bay from the Seattle Great Wheel (No dad, it's not called the "Seattle Eye")

2. Geek out and jam out at the Museum of Pop Culture, which is conveniently located right next to the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass museum

3. Take a stroll through Chihuly Garden and Glass, one of the most gorgeous and unique museums I've ever been to

4. Explore Pike Place Market and (try to) eat at Pike Place Chowder. If you're not one to wait in line, no worries—you have 10,000 other food options at the market.

If you really must try Pike Place Chowder, consider its other location inside the Pacific Place shopping mall, which is far less crowded than the one in Pike Place Market.

5. Stop at the the futuristic Amazon Domes while strolling through Downtown 

So for number 6, I'm going to focus on food. And because there's so much good food in Seattle, I'm going to separate it out into 3 parts: brunch, coffee, and dinner. These photos are not from my most recent trip to Seattle, but from 2014 when I went to interview for a certain tech company and was given a generous budget to spend on food.

6a. (9:30 AM, Brunch) Grab brunch at Lola (I got the Smoked Salmon Benedict). Also, those potatoes. I still remember how good they were 4 years later. Oh my God.

6b. (3:30 PM, Coffee + Snack): Get world class latte art at Moore's Coffee Shop. This café has the daintiest English interior, and is connected to the retro and equally-elegant Moore Hotel.

6c. (7:30 PM, Dinner): Get a seat at The Pink Door (if you can, given they're completely booked most Saturday nights) and try the "boobie cake"—a dense chocolate cake + mousse covered with ganache finished with a gold leaf on top. Just telling the waiter your order will be very fun.

7. Head up the Space Needle just before sunset to catch a romantic panoramic view of the city. It's always hard for me to decide what time of day to head up the observation deck in large cities to catch the best view. I always find the daytime view quite boring and lean towards nighttime so I can see everything light up, but it's not very practical for photos—or for cities so north that it takes until 9:30-10 for the sun to finally set. Sunset is a great compromise where you'll see the color of the sun saturate the city with warm tones—as well as some buildings start to light up—but also be able to get great photos without much grain.

8. Go coffee tasting at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room. I would definitely skip the long lines at Pike Place Market for the original Starbucks and come here instead. There are so many options for signature coffees and drinks here—which you won't find at any other Starbucks—as well as an in-house Princi Bakery (originally from Milan). Plus, you can get really unique breakfast items here, like the Eggs in Purgatory, which we ordered. We also got the coffee flight, which featured 3 different types of specialty coffees to share, plus chocolate truffles on the side. The affogato, made from cold brew with vanilla ice cream, was also a really delicious, unique drink that you can't get at any other Starbucks. 

9.  Visit the Picturesque campus of the University of Washington. Usually this place lights up with cherry blossoms in April. We were a bit late to the party, so we missed them unfortunately ): But the campus is still beyond gorgeous!

10. Take the Boeing Tour and walk inside famous planes like Air Force 1 and the Concorde

Do you guys enjoy the travel content I've been putting up lately? Do you prefer the video over the more text/image-heavy LA post? Let me know in the comments, or just message me on Instagram about what you'd like to see more, and I'll try to incorporate your suggestions into the next vlogs/blogs on Italy!

All photos from the current trip taken on the iPhone X and edited on VSCO. The photos from 2014 were taken on an iPhone 5 I believe.

♥ Cindy