What's Your Scary Story?

Happy Halloween Everyone!


Who or what are you portraying today? If you ask me, I wanted to be a sexy policewoman this year! I have my costume ready and was already planning where to go and party but sadly I'm still sick so I'm stuck at home with my boring cough medicine beside me. Well, the least I can do tonight is actually watch scary movies.

Well how about story telling time? I don't really believe in supernatural or ghosts but let me share to you a mysterious experience when my husband and I stayed at this castle hotel in Pisa, Italy.

We were driving around Tuscany so we arrived at this villa hotel late in the evening. The big iron gates were already locked so we have to call the reception to enter the premises. Since it was very late, the receptionists have also left but gave us the security code to enter. We drove in, parked our car near the villa and decided to check first the inside before we bring in our things. While walking towards the villa, we noticed the lights in one of the rooms on the third floor were on and the window opened so we're happy to know that we're not the only guests. The inside was really fancy and beautifully decorated, the reception left us a map to our room and after how many attempts of pushing the walls around, we finally found our ''secret'' room located behind the living room wall. There were two hidden rooms behind and our room was exquisite. My husband and I went back outside to take our stuffs in and I observed the light in the room upstairs were already off and the window closed so I assumed that the other guests might have already been sleeping.

We were in our room when we heard this really weird noise like a chair being dragged back and forth. It was frightening so we weren't able to sleep. My husband doesn't believe in ghosts but he was convinced that we should go back to our car and sleep there instead. It was 3 am, the noise didn't stop and we were very scared so I opened the window to check where the sound comes from and it was actually from the outside. Every time a car passes by, the weird sound comes so we thought it was nothing relevant. We felt so relieved then slept like a log.

Breakfast time, we were quite alone in the breakfast hall and we met the owner of the villa so we asked if the other guests have left early. His reply was ''Oh, you two were the only guests here tonight.''

What's your story?

Photo from the hotel website.

Photo from the hotel website.

Photo from the hotel website.

At the balcony of the Villa. :)

Lovely ceiling details.

Villa Carlotta

Known for its gorgeous garden, exquisite art display and breathtaking view, the Villa Carlotta was once home to a noble Milanese family.

In 1801, a famous politician and avid art lover, Gian Battista Sommariva bought and revamped the villa. Up on the roof he added pediment and a clock; transformed the backyard into an astounding botanical garden; and appended a collection of art from Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez.

In 1843, Princess Marianne of Nassau purchased the villa and gave it as a wedding present to her daughter Carlotta and George II of Saxe-Meiningen. The villa was then named after her, Villa Carlotta.

At present, the villa is a museum and botanical garden.


Villa Carlotta
Address: Via Regina, 2, Tremezzo, Province of Como, Italy
Coordinates:  45° 59′ 11″ N, 9° 13′ 51.3″ E
Admission: €9

Hotel Villa Malpensa

Have you ever imagined for once in your life to live in a Palace without spending like royalty???

Situated in a quiet countryside of Malpensa (Italy) stood a lovely Villa built during the early 1900s, it was originally owned by Count Gianni Caproni.
The family Bonini, the new owner of the Villa since 1985, after years of painstaking restoration back to the ancient and original splendors. The Villa in Art Nouveau style from 1920 with the attached chapel built during 1774 is now a four star hotel, The Hotel Villa Malpensa.

Only 800 meters to Malpensa Airport (Milan), the hotel is strategically out of the air routes therefore provides a quiet stay. Hotel Villa Malpensa doesn't only give excellent service and friendly staff but also very reasonable rates.

Hotel Villa Malpensa
Address: Don Andrea Sacconago, 1- 21010 Vizzola Ticino (VA) Italy
Tel: +39 0331 230944

#ootn
Dress: Michael Kors
Bag: Vintage
Shoes: Pedro Garcia
Accessories: Earrings- Liz Claiborne, Bracelet- Mango


See Hotel Villa Malpensa

La Spezia, An Italian Mediterranean City

When my husband and I were driving around Italy, it was not really part of our plan to visit La Spezia. Our GPS got lost or shall I say 'we got lost' and ended up in a beautiful Mediterranean city, La Spezia. It was Springtime (May) but the weather in La Spezia is sunny and lovely. We were so happy to have found this wonderful place! We enjoyed walking around the city and had my first real Italian Gelato. Sadly it was not part of the trip so we didn't stay longer in the gorgeous city!

La Spezia, in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province La Spezia, it is one of the main Italian Military and commercial harbors and hosts the arsenal of the Italian Navy. 


Things to do in La Spezia:

* Sightseeing/ City tour, walk around the city; Go to the beach.
* Visit historical Churches like Cristo rei de Secoli, Abbey Church of Santa Maria Assunta,
   Santi Giovanni e Agostino, Nostra Signora della Scorza
* Go to Museums like Ubaldo Formentini: Civic Museum in the Castle of San Giorgio,  
   Amedeo Lia Museum, Palazzina delle Arti and Museum of Seals, etc.
* Visit the Castle of San Giorgio

For Hotels in La Spezia click here.

Coordinates: 44° 6′ 0″ N, 9° 49′ 0″ E

Outfit
Dress: Mango
Bag: Mulberry
Shoes: Alesya
Sunglasses: Ray Ban
Accessories: Antica Murrina

Casa di Giulietta (Romeo and Juliet)

I guess when we were teenagers, Romeo and Juliet was the most romantic story we have ever heard. Although it ended tragically, the story inspired us how powerful love can be.

In spite of the many movie versions; the 1968 Romeo and Juliet, the 1996 Romeo + Juliet and the newest film 2013 Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy was written by William Shakespeare. The love story happened hundreds of years ago in an Italian city of Verona. Two families who are sworn enemies, the Montague and the Capulet, but didn't stop Romeo and Juliet from falling in love and having a relationship.

When I visited the city of Verona, I was really inspired on how the people of Verona made the tragic story like a real-life story, the city is like dedicated to Romeo and Juliet. Every year hundreds of thousands of people visit the lovely city of Verona to see Juliet's Balcony (Casa di Giulietta) which was also featured in the movie Letters to Juliet.

Most of the things found in Casa di Giulietta is from 1968 Romeo and Juliet film. Most of the clothes in the movie are displayed in the small museum. You can also send letters to Juliet just like Amanda Seyfried's movie Letters to Juliet.

Casa di Giulietta
Address: Via Capello, 23, 37121 Verona Province of Verona, Italy
Opening Times: Mon 1330H- 1930H; Tue- Sun  0830H-1930H
Admission: €3

Hundreds of tourists visit to see the famous balcony where Romeo declared his love to Juliet.

A closer view of the balcony...

Lucky me, I'm standing in the balcony! ;)

Juliet's bed...

Clothes from the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet.

Letters to Juliet sent! ;)

Paintings of naked Juliet.

A painting of Romeo and Juliet making love.

Statue of Juliet in the courtyard.

Venezia

VENICE- An Italian city on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and connected by bridges. A World Heritage Site and also called the City of Love, Venice is the capital of the Veneto Region. Known for its unique art and architecture, Venice is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

A perfect place for almost all occasions! Whether it's honeymoon or family vacation,Venice is such a gorgeous city where everything is just walking distance. You can also rent water taxis or the romantic gondolas with the singing gondoliers.

The city provides a bewildering array of cozy hotels and international restaurants. But if you're on a budget, it's better to stay outside the city for Venice is also dubbed as one of Europe's most expensive city. Luxury shops cluster along San Marco and local souvenir shops like Venetian Masks and Murano glass are found everywhere around the city.

Venice Travel Guide