Merano 2022
In October we had a beautiful relaxing weekend in Merano- Meran (German name ). Located in the region of Trentino and commune of South Tyrol It’s home to many beautiful Terme or Hot Thermal springs . Situated at the base of the Oetztal Alps it’s super lush and green with many beautiful hiking trails and the food is some of my favorite in Italy. You’ll notice the German influence all through Merano and during Christmas the Mercatino- Christmas market has the most wonderful mulled wine . Get yourself a mug and peruse the stalls that sell handmade gifts that are unique only to this region of Italy. On this trip we stayed at The Hotel Ansitz Plantitscherhof http://plantitscherhof.com and it was wonderful. The spa inside the hotel and the heated pool outside is perfect after hiking and shopping all day. Other great hotels we’ve stayed at and I would recommend would be ; Meisters ,Hotel Irma http://hotel-irma.com and Hotel Sonnenburg . Merano is so lush and peaceful. The passer river runs through the city and in the city center there are many delicious cafes where you can just grab a brioche , hot chocolate and park yourself on a bench surrounded by blooming flowers and the soothing sounds of the river. Or wine . Or a beer. The German influence I mentioned earlier is everywhere from the food , language , and architecture so you get the best of both countries here. What’s nice about Merano’s city center is that you’re able to visit all five of the museum’s they have on the “Museum Mile.http://www.gemeinde.meran.bz.it is The Prince’s Castle and it’s beautifully preserved with art and weapons from the 14th -17th centuries . http://www.meranoebraica.it the Jewish Museum and Synagogue, and the Women’s Museum http://www.museia.it My favorite restaurant is Onkel Taa http://www.onkeltaa.com The photo I’ve posted from the entrance is in German but it’s been a restaurant since 1430!!!They have their own garden and it’s just so elegant and cozy. The food is next level fresh , savory , herby , fantastic . I always feel so alive and content after eating here and the entire staff are just so kind. After eating we always hike as the area is just too beautiful not to . I hope you take a visit here it’s definitely worth it !! XO Tera
My birthday in Venice ! July 2022
Ah Venezia how I love you . Venice is where I’ve spent my last few birthday’s. My husband always whisks me away for a few unforgettable few nights. This birthday we stayed at and did dinner at . We also did a photo shoot in our beautiful room . Venice hotels are so full of opulence. If you’re planning a trip to Italy a night or two in Venice or Venezia how Italians say it is a MUST. The 177 canals and 120 tiny Islands are all connected by beautiful bridges. Prepare yourself with COMFORTABLE shoes because when you’re not in a water taxi you’re going to be walking .. A LOT. Comfy sneakers or boots only . No heels or sandals EVER! I’ve seen those cobblestone streets take women out of their beautiful hells just don’t do it. St. Marks Square was my first stop when I arrived years ago . I went to the top and it was freezing windy but so worth it and fun . I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that it was Vittoria Risi who’s from one of the tiny islands of Venezia who welcomed me to Italy when I first arrived and gave me an incredible tour . The Canale Grande is the main water taxi well transportation way in Venezia and it splits the city into two sides.There’s a lot of shopping to do in all of the Piazzas , many beautiful galleries . The island of Murano is worth seeing (although I’m a Venini girl LOL) and so much incredible food and sweets to eat. In my opinion staying in San Marco for your first time is the best option as you are in the heart of the city’s most important monuments , churches, squares and some of the best food and wine. Off the beaten path is Santa Croce (more locals) , and Castello . Some of our past stays and my favorite Venetian hotels are The Venetian Times Hotel which has the best breakfast buffet ever . Santa Croce Boutique Hotel . I loved the Turkish spa here . They have a beautiful garden and it’s fantastic for aperitivo and breakfast . The Palazzo Venart is so stunningly beautiful . When I say opulent THIS is what I mean . We also love The Metropol , CA Maria Adele and The Gritti Palace. My birthday dinner this year was at Local ristorantelocal.com mmmmmm so good. I’m posting the birthday photosets on my website this week uncensored and here are some fun ones from that night ! If you come to Venice tell me where you end up and what you love ! XO Tera
Prague 2023
I decided to venture out of the city a bit and see some new places. All of the above places are a must see if you’re taking your first trip to Prague. Like a lot of famous European cities you’re going to hike and walk A LOT especially to get the most spectacular views. St. Vitus Cathedral is about 300 steps to get to the top but it’s worth it! Good Thursday morning to you all! The first trip of the new year was to Prague . I have some family who relocated this year to Europe and I’m so excited! So far none of my family’s made it to visit me in Italy but I can easily take a quick trip around the EU . I’ve been to Prague numerous times and I love this city so much . Since I’ve seen all of Prague’s most famous Landmarks like The Prague Castle, St. Vitrus Cathedral, Charles Bridge , and the Jewish Quarter – cemetery . Gotta get that IG selfie!! LOL I’m kidding really , leave your phone take the hike and just enjoy the view . The old town square is where you’ll find the world’s oldest astronomical clock . It chimes and plays beautiful music on the hour every hour . My husband told me (not sure if it’s true LOL) that King Charles IV had the clock made and after it was finished he had the eyes removed of the two men who made it so they couldn’t make another clock! Yikes! Not the most romantic thing to tell me on our stroll ! Prague feels kind of dark to me at times and funny enough one of the things I see for sale that freak me out are those Marionette Puppets . I’m not a fan of clowns either and I see many of them in the touristy shoppe windows . I’ll stick to buying chocolate and other sweet snacky things !Speaking of sweets on every corner you’re going to see shops and stands selling “Trdlo”. It’s like a sweet cone shaped pasty/ funnel cake filled with ice cream and you can choose your toppings . I’ve personally never had one so if you do tell me if I should next time! We opted instead to get our sweets at a newly discovered cocktail bar called Parlour. Blink and you’ll miss it . There’s only a TEENY sign on the door which is located down a small flight of stairs underground. It’s very small inside maybe four tables but theres a good 10 seats at the bar. It’s a nice atmosphere and the mixologist tailors a cocktail for you based on your preferences. Next trip we want to check out Hemingway Bar … We had breakfast at Veget Bistro Cafe in New town . It’s really small like only three tables small but super healthy .The food is so good and the service was fantastic. It was so welcomed since I kinda indulged a bit too much with drinking and getting my asian food fix with super spicy rich food! Unless I cook at home here in Italy I don’t have the option to eat any Japanese , Thai , or Vietnamese food . Our first dinner on Friday was at Taro http://taro.cz. We did the seven course tasting menu and it was amazing . We liked the seating around an open kitchen with only 14 others . Small and intimate . We arrived a bit early and so during our wait we walked up the street to the Manifesto Market http://manifestomarket.com to have a margarita before dinner .There’s a lot of great food and drink options here ! It’s also heated inside during the winter so it’s really cozy ! If you take the Prague metro (which we do to go around ) it’s the Andel Stop. We had a solid bowl of Ramen at Takumi and the best Vietnamese food is in Little Hanoi or SAPA . SAPA is about 30 minutes outside of Prague. It’s worth the trip to eat delicious Vietnamese food , shopping , and have the best Viet Cafe mmmmmmm. I’m going to be in Prague a few more times this year so I’ll have more updated stories of delicious fun things to do !! XO Tera
London 2022
Every Easter we go to London . This trip we stayed in the South Hampton Area and it was so nice! I lived in Putney many many moons ago and London is always one of my favorite cities to visit. The Natural History Museum http://nhm.ac.uk is always first on my list . The National Geographic Wildlife Photographer of the year exhibition is not to be missed. I’ve had the best Indian food of my life in London if you’re wanting something high end I love http://tamarindrestaurant.com You will find excellent places and many options on Brick Lane . Boxpark Shoreditch http://boxpark.co.uk has great options as well for Indian and even Thai food . We were really lucky to have four wonderful sunny semi warm days ! It’s a crap shoot if you’re going to get the thick London fog , grey skies , heavy rain . It can be gloomy. It’s also the second coldest place I’ve ever been in (the first being Halifax Nova Scotia . My mouth literally froze in mid sentence talking to my best friend as we strolled through Hyde park LOL IT WAS AWFUL!! We ditched our reservation at SEXY Fish (we found the reception Icy there too no thanks ) and found a lovely Dim Sum spot a block over and GRUBBED!! It was definitely more our speed . We warmed up with Lychee martinis and oolong tea. This past Easter trip to London we didn’t stay at our usual hotel The Connaught but we did spa and dine there . I highly recommend The Connaught Bar for Appretivo http://the-connaught.co.uk Happy Hour as we Americans call it . The Martini Cart is quite the experience and the Bartenders here know what they’re doing ! We wanted to try Jean Georges by Helene Darroze . Out of all the Michelin Star places I’ve been to this one was the second least impressive sadly. I won’t go into detail as I’m not a restaurant critic but for 900 British pounds (lunch tasting menu) it just wasn’t worth it in my opinion. Instead head to KILN http://kilnsoho.com a Thai/Laotian place in SOHO . It’s a small place but wow so delicious ! Treat yourself to something from Harrods I always grab a few boxes of my favorite chocolate from http://charbonnel.co.uk and Byredo make-up was my splurge. I love the perfumes but ladies their make-up is fantastic I highly recommend . Covenant garden is another one of my favorite spots to shop I love Neals Yard Remedies http://www.nealsyardremedies.com and take a stroll through Neals Yard . There’s also the Wild Food Cafe . It’s super colorful all the side shows and entertainers like Hollywood BLVD in Los Angeles . Maybe there’s something that sort of ties it all together for me in some way. I’m hoping this Easter when I visit it’s will be warming up and I will get one of those fantastic sunny London trips!!! XO Tera
Corsica Italy 2016
When I think about this Corsica trip it was when I was first dating my boyfriend Alberto who’s now my husband. June will be five years that we’re married and this was our first trip together. We went in May and drove to the port in Livorno (Tuscany region south). From Veneto it takes almost four hours. We wanted to have our motorcycle in Corsica to go around so we took the ferry . It was an easy ride and I recommend it if you want to bring your car , vespa or motorcycle. This is an easy site to check the time tables if you’re considering the ferry .http://go-ferry.com To be honest I have no idea where we even stayed. Back then I was doing feature dance shows on a Friday so I’d have the weekend off. I’d work from midnight to 5 am then he would pick me up and whisk me off to a beautiful new destination in Italy . It was a fun sexy way to see this beautiful country and we were falling in love in the process… Where is Corsica Corsica is part of France so there’s a lot of french/Italian speaking and you will find both types of food there. It’s an Island located in the Mediterranean sea west of Italy. Sardegna is directly south. One sweet thing was that they make delicious Jams , and sweets with the local Hazelnuts grown there . The meat and cheeses will have some of this “essence ” especially the wild boar as they love to eat the Hazelnuts ! What to see and do in Corsica We had our motorcycle so we cruised around the island up to the highest peak Monte Cinto . Corsica is the most mountainous Mediterranean island. There’s many forests with beautiful hiking trails (our favorite activity) and I couldn’t get over how green and lush the island was .Bonifacio is also STUNNING!! It’s located at the most southern tip of Corsica and the limestone cliff allows you see beautiful views of the Tyrrhennian sea. The best time to visit Corsica We visited in May and the weather and beaches were perfect! A few beaches we went to were Calvi , which can be quite touristy and crowded but fun ! Palombaggia which was not only very beautiful but much more serene.. We even managed to snap a few sexy pics …The last few times I’ve gone to Sardegna I’ve thought why can’t I just hop on over to Corsica LOL It would be so easy!! If you’re coming to Italy I’d make it part of your stop! You can squeeze it in on your next trip to France too!! XO
Sardinia Summer 2022
Goodbye Summer ,Hello Fall ! It is The first days of Fall here in Northern Italy and I’m writing about the last days of summer in Sardinia. Is it safe to say that summer is everyone’s favorite season? We’re only in the first week of fall and I’m still getting those morning walks in wearing a hoodie. It’s not really jacket weather yet and I haven’t busted out my Thermacare heating patch wraps!! That’s one of my tips and secrets for surviving cold wet winters ! They work great on planes too.I prefer hot humid weather. I don’t like to drip sweat to the point of mopping my face with tissues or change my shirt twice a day from sweat stains but the humidity is great for my skin. I have stick straight hair so I don’t have to worry about my mane.I am all for the intense hot summers!! I escaped most of that here though by running off to Africa (it was winter there) and when I came back at the end of August it had actually cooled down considerably . Sardinia Season When we visited in September last year it poured rain the entire four days we were there which made the sea quite rough and dirty. I’ve always maintained that Sardinia has the most beautiful sea and beaches in the world (YES the entire world ) . In the seven years I’ve lived here in Italia I’ve seen Sardinia from top to bottom and it’s just stunningly beautiful , with incredible food . If you do visit Italy don’t miss the chance to come here or Sicily !! Also Corsica . Just skip the mainland and do an Island tour ! August and September are not the best months to visit. Italy in general is at it’s hottest temperature and since the schools are out and most businesses take their holidays or ” Ferragosto” most places will either be overpacked or a ghost town . Neither are ideal ! May and June are the best months to visit Italy and your visit must include Sardinia! Best Beaches and Places to Eat in Sardinia This trip we were back in Cagliari and spent half of our time in Chia . Chia is about an hours drive heading to the southern point of Sardegna . It’s actually one of my favorite spots , the water is so clean and warm and I love seeing all the fish as you swim . I have this weird obsession with the Nuraghe and my sweet husband (probably tired of my chirping LOL ) took me up to the one in Chia . Next time I would like to see the Barumini Complex as I hear it’s impressive . They’re just fascinating to me ! Here are some places to eat we love : Dal Corsaro http://stefanodeidda.it . It’s a Michelin star restaurant that sits atop Viale Regina Margherita a beautiful street overlooking the port. They have the best tuna (which Sardegna is known for ) raw fish (pesche crudo) and it’s just a really spectacular view. Which brings me to Luigi Pomata http://luigipomata.com and Fork http://stefanodeidda.it on Viale Regina Margherita. These three places are incredible with great service and a great wine menu . We tend to also pop into an Enoteca (italian cheese , meat and wine shop) and grab cheese, meat and wine to take with us as we head out to the beach for the entire afternoon. The sun is unreal and I always come back so bronzed! Summer may be over but Sardegna is less than an hour flight away so I may have to find a weekend to explore more Nuraghe since it’s not beach time! XO Tera
Tulum
TGIF!!! It’s been exactly one week since we’ve arrived home from Tulum and Africa and I want to be back on a plane again! I’ve missed traveling so much. Summer is winding down , school’s starting in two weeks and these past three months have flown by at lightning speed! As I’m recounting my trips from this year I realize how lucky I’ve been to have taken them . Each place left me with such a different feeling in my soul and that’s WHY I travel . It’s funny , all the years I traveled I still had to have a “base “. That base and place I called home was Los Angeles . Something always drew me back no matter how far I went into the world I HAD to return to LA. Now with my office and studio / business being based there it was understandable but in 2015 when I made the decision to leave and move to Italy there was no longer this feeling of “I HAVE to have a home base!” In fact tonight as I was talking to Alberto I told him “it feels good to be home but I’m so ready to just go again and wherever “. He smiled , poured me more wine and said ” baby I have to do a deposition in the morning ” lol . His work , family and clients are all tied to our life here , there’s no just up and leaving . I’m ready though!! Which leads me to our trip in June , Tulum ! I had to return to Los Angeles in June for a night and ended up staying actually two nights due to an immigration error but yay! I got my Nordstrom , CVS , and adjustment with my Chiropractor , then got to spend two wonderful nights with my best friend Ann who gave me a massage (rolfing ahhhhhh ) and we did an arching light energy session. Alberto was meeting me in Tulum and it was the first time for both of us . We had our honeymoon in Cabo, did Mexico City , but we’d never visited the Yucatan side. Our first option is to always be by the sea so we booked seven nights at Zereno http://en.zereno.mx and it was such a great choice! I hadn’t done my research on Tulum so I didn’t really have a “plan” per se. We really just wanted to lay on the beach and eat Tacos ! Like we just wanted to relax. I’m always looking for an animal to see in the wild but Mexico didn’t really have that for me (Until I saw a Xoloitzcuintle!) Now I want one ! Zereno our beautiful apartment / hotel was located about 3 km from Las Palmas beach . It’s a public beach but pretty nice and all of the “main ” hotels , nightclubs and discos are around here . We decided to rent a scooter to head a bit out to see the Mayan Ruins / Pyramids and we swam in one Cenote (forgot which one uff !! but it wasn’t for me ) but honestly we literally just went to Ziggy’s beach club http://ziggybeachtulum.com EVERYDAY and loved it . Like that was our spot . I got a dress from one of those hot influencers that strut up and down the beach peddling clothes LOL and drank Mezcal and ate tacos for lunch everyday . I’d buy candy from the kids too and Kopal or something from the locals .A place worth mentioning is Fitalicious cafe http://fitalicious.com.mx. We had breakfast there every morning and it was so healthy and good. The owner was really kind and it was just a great atmosphere . We had dinner a few nights there too. We ventured out a few more places into the city center but I REALLY liked the area we stayed in . Zereno has bikes you can use so we were close to the beach , a fantastic Health food market and gym .Even on vacation like what else do you need!! Such a great trip!! XO Tera
Costa Rica 2021
Our first trip to Costa Rica was in 2018 . International restrictions were lifted so we headed back to Costa Rica this time staying for twenty days and adding the Caribbean side of CR to our itinerary. We started our trip in the capital San Jose .We picked up our 4×4 and headed to our first stop Quepos. After flying for fifteen hours the three hour drive to Quepos is kind of a nice “jumping off point ” for us to get our trip started . There’s a beautiful apartment we rent for a few days owned by a lovely french couple Fred and Carl called La Maison Blanche . They’re located in the El Cerro area of Quepos and their property is so clean , comfortable and with the most stunning views. I can cook , do our shopping , laundry and it’s 45 minutes away from Dominical which is this tiny surf side town that has an amazing array of cafes and organic shops , It’s just a cool vibe. It hit different because once you’ve been somewhere and you go back and find that the same people are working in your spots , it’s just so cool to me. I guess I’m not explaining it LOL It’s just a lovely feeling I had. We did stay in a beautiful resort Makanda by the Sea http://Makanda.com for two nights in Manuel Antonio . A really beautiful resort with amazing amenities. The staff was super kind , the food was wonderful and it was just nice to lounge in the pools and bar at night … Until the monkeys came !!! Oh and a scorpion found its way into my bathroom but other than that it was a fantastic stay! Our next stop was Villas Alturas. http://villasalturas.com We were staying seven days on the pacific side then driving across the country and up to Tortuguero to stay the weekend (hoping ) to catch the turtles nesting. We visited Villas Alturas on our first trip and went to tour the sanctuary , (SLOTHS) but it was the Tamarindo margaritas and fish tacos that really lured us back . YES they were THAT good and we booked a villa with the most breathtaking view so we could eat and drink there for the next two nights while we went whale watching. If you’re going to be in the area this is the best accommodation in my opinion . The sanctuary is small and to be honest after visiting a few I’m not fond of them in general but for activities and a stop over before heading down to the Osa Peninsula if you’re headed that way I recommend it.We now needed to start heading east towards Tortuguero and this was a long tiring bumpy drive . NOT as bad as Africa was in some parts but you do need a 4×4 to get around Costa Rica if you plan on driving to see parts of the country for sure. Our last trip to the Oso peninsula had us crossing rivers (Luna Lodge!!!) so we were MUCH better equipped this time . Located in the Northeast Tortuguero is small and you really only need two days to visit . You take a small boat through the mangroves and canals and after 45 minutes you arrive to this tiny village . There’s literally one path that guides you and winds around the few shops and cafe’s . It’s on the canal side and there’s no driving it’s just walking or bicycles allowed. For accommodation we stayed right next to the beach at Pura Natura as our focus was to see the turtles . You go with a guide , at night around midnight and only red lights are lit so as not to disturb the turtles. This sadly was what I call the “dip in the trip ” for me….. I feel like on vacations there’s sometimes that one time or moment where something just feels off for you am I right ? For me is just wasn’t a pleasant experience being there . The saving grace was this beautiful spot we found about five minutes from our hotel called Taylor’s Place. It was this beautiful space we stumbled upon and the sweetest guy came out and greeted us . He was like come in ! He made us Pina Colada’s then told us he’d cook us something amazing . Yea he did! Alberto had steak with coffee sauce (he says it was tamarind but I swear Taylor said cafe LOL) and I had prawns . I’m telling you it was one of the best dinner’s I’ve ever had and we went back again the next night for more . He was super sunburned from fishing all day and prepared us the most amazing fish . Finding Taylor’s was really what I needed . This was our first trip after a six month lockdown in Italy and between that , studying, not seeing my family and just a lot of unknown stuff floating around my head was kind of all over the place. Tortuguero isn’t MY place at all but If you’re curious about going do a little research first is my suggestion . It was about four hours to get to Limon which is the main port city on the Caribbean side. It’s a bit chaotic and bustling , but if you need to get gas , stretch or essentials it’s a solid place to stop. We stayed in Puerto Viejo , and Cahuita for this last ten days of our trip. The sea is so beautiful here . Blue and green , warm , it’s so beautiful . We stayed at a few different places my favorite being La Paz Del Caribe http://lapazdelcaribe.com run by a WONDERFUL couple (Wade and Laurie ). They are the kindest people and have this beautiful comfortable home in the jungle. They know their area really well and will give you the best
Vlog 2 – She’s Aliveeee
My First Vlog
