Reminiscing about our honeymoon...

I always take part in the Instagram 'Throwback Thursday' hashtag as I love looking through old photographs. Last Thursday, I used a photo from our honeymoon which I hadn't shared on Instagram yet. This led to me looking nostalgically through all my honeymoon albums to remind myself what an amazing holiday it was.

As I take photographs with my digital camera when I'm on holiday rather than with my phone, I realised that there were loads of honeymoon photos I hadn't put on Instagram yet. I consequently decided to spend the bank holiday weekend reminiscing about our three beautiful honeymoon locations (Rome, Malcesine and Venice) through sharing new photographs.

I posted nine photos from each location on Instagram as I liked the symmetry of it... I'm a bit pedantic like that. Here's what the end result looked like:

Rome

Malcesine

Venice 

Have you been to any of these locations? Or have you written any posts about your Instagram activities? Please leave your links below if so, I love seeing other people's photographs! 

Honeymoon destination #2 - Malcesine

After four amazing days in Rome, we moved on to the next stop of our honeymoon... Malcesine in Lake Garda. I'd eagerly done lots of research on Pinterest and stumbled across some beautiful photos so I was very excited about seeing the famous Lake Garda in all its glory.

We caught the train from Rome to Verona which went without a hitch. I can confirm that Italian trains are much cleaner, spacious and punctual than British trains, and their stations are much better organised! Our transfer driver was waiting for us as we got off the train and drove us straight to our hotel, which took just under an hour. The car journey was a great opportunity to take in the scenery... we could tell straight away that we'd decided to visit an extremely beautiful part of the world.

Hotel Casa Barca was recommended to us by a friend who got married in Malcesine a few years ago. We were expecting great things after seeing the hotel's exceptionally high ratings on Trip Advisor and we definitely weren't disappointed. You'll already have seen their amazing breakfast in my previous post... it's possibly the greatest breakfast selection I've ever seen. I just loved everything about this hotel, including the bright and airy rooms, the tranquil roof garden, the secluded poolside area and the hotel bar. There was also a health and wellbeing area with a spa, jacuzzi and half price massage treatment. The hotel was only a short walk away from the town centre, and the staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. Perfection!

View from the roof garden

Outside the hotel

View from our balcony

Malcesine is such a pretty little town and a stark contrast to the grandeur and opulence of Rome. I loved the narrow streets and the unique shops dotted around the town, and there were countless restaurants and bars hidden in all the nooks and crannies. I've never seen so many bag shops in such close proximity before... this was dangerous for a bag addict like me! I also loved the coloured buildings... a pink building here and there makes the world seem like a much better place. 

The main attraction of Malcesine has to be the beautiful lake on its doorstep. I've never seen such a clear, blue and sparkling body of water in my entire life. We spent many hours walking along the lake, eating ice cream and taking in the striking view from various angles. Apparently this is a great lake for wind surfing... we didn't do that ourselves but saw lots of other people having a go! The lake really was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. 

The focal point of Malcesine is its majestic castle. I took hundreds of photos of the castle itself and of the views from different vantage points. Hundreds of people get married in this castle every year, and you can really see why when you experience its beauty. There were amazing views from every level and the castle itself was a fascinating mix of ancient stone and refurbished sections. I couldn't choose just two or three photos of the castle and of the views from it, hence the photo fest below!

We also went on a trip to Limone during our stay in Malcesine as it had been highly recommended to us and it was just a short trip across the river. We caught the boat over to Limone which was a lovely experience and we stayed there for a few hours. We walked around the lemon grove which was very relaxing and had an ice cream (of course) at the side of the lake. Limone was a real hub of activity and I loved all the lemon merchandise. Lemon soap, lemon chocolate, lemon tea towels, lemon liqueur... for someone who loves lemon, it was like a lemony paradise!

On our last day in Malcesine, we discovered yet another beautiful walk and view of the castle. There were just hidden gems everywhere, and I honestly think you could go on a different walk every day even if you stayed in this fascinating town for a month!

Malcesine really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, and it was the perfect honeymoon destination as it was so secluded and peaceful. I was very sad when we left Malcesine, but we did have a few days in Venice to look forward to... check back in a few days to find out what we got up to on the final leg of our honeymoon!

P.S. I apologise for the over-use of the word 'beautiful'... there are only so many superlatives in the world and there will never be enough to describe the beauty of Malcesine!

Food, glorious food (and drink) - Honeymoon style #2

After eating our way around Rome, we moved on to Malcesine in Lake Garda to discover what food and drinks this little town in the north of Italy had to offer. Quite a lot, as it happens.

We operated at a much slower pace in Malcesine which meant that we had more time to enjoy a few afternoon cocktails. I loved the way we were presented with a little bowl of crisps every time we ordered a drink... I have an unhealthy love for crisps.

If it's even possible, I think we ate even more in Malcesine than we did in Rome. Here are some of the delights we enjoyed during our stay:

My first Bellini of the holiday

Sometimes you just can't beat a pepperoni and cheese panini

Hawaiian pizza

I can't remember what this orange cocktail was called,

but it was lovely!

A simple but amazing starter... glorified cheese on toast

with lots of garlic and olive oil 

Spaghetti, chilli and olive oil... what's not to like?

Yes, we had lots of gelato here too... 

Epic pizza slice!

Glass of wine... I love the bubble glass

This was a STARTER. There were about ten mozzarella balls hidden

underneath the eggs and the cheese strips!

Steak and chips. My first ever steak!

Spinach and ricotta calzone

My favourite cocktail of all time. White Russian!

Lovely breakfast hot chocolate at the hotel

Aperol Spritz. Everyone drinks this in Malcesine!

Another epic pizza slice

More meat and cheese

Looks unappetising but this was one of my favourite meals

of the honeymoon... ravioli with smoked cheese and pistachio sauce

Mint mousse dessert with a shot of limoncello

Lunchtime Strawberry Daiquiri! 

Yet another spaghetti bolognese

More wine!

Last dessert in Malcesine... ice cream bomb

Lovely Pina Colada at the hotel bar

My large and varied breakfast on the last morning... 

We were in Malcesine for six days. That's a lot of eating and drinking opportunities, as you can see from the disgusting amount displayed above. I loved every second of it and don't regret a single bite/sip. 

Food and drink was extremely reasonable in Malcesine (2 euros for a huge pizza slice!) and we ate all our meals outside. Usually under some kind of canopy or sun umbrella, but still outside! Such a lovely relaxing place, and perfect for casually eating and drinking all afternoon (and evening). 

I'll be publishing my last instalment in a few days where I reluctantly admit to what I ate and drank in Venice. Watch this space!

Wedding, honeymoon and new house!

So... I'm back in the blogosphere! I'm not sure how often I'll be posting over the next few weeks as things are still slightly (very) hectic, but I just wanted to write a quick update on what's been happening over the last month or so. Because a LOT has been happening, as you'll already know if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter.

This is pretty much a post filled with photos... everyone loves photos, yes? I'll be writing more detailed posts on the various aspects of the last month over the next few weeks so that's something for you all to look forward to with bated breath.

Let's start with the biggest and most significant thing. I got married!

It was such a lovely day and all the stress leading up to it was totally worth it in the end. Everything went according to plan, all my suppliers did a fantastic job, it didn't rain, the church service was beautiful, the food was scrumptious, the speeches were tear-jerkingly wonderful and all the guests had a brilliant time. What more could you ask for on your wedding day? 

The day after we got married, it was time to embark on our first ever adventure as Mr and Mrs Davies. Honeymoooooon! 

We travelled to three amazing locations in Italy over the course of a fortnight. First stop... Rome!

Next stop... Malcesine, Lake Garda

And last stop... Venice! 

Separate posts will follow on all our honeymoon destinations, although there aren't enough superlatives in the world to do them justice. I loved the views, food, drinks, architecture, relaxation, people, walks, hotels, ice cream... I could go on for hours. 

Last but not least, we've also completed the move into our new house over the last few weeks. Why not just do everything at once? 

Our little house is coming along nicely, particularly the kitchen. We've got a few little DIY projects to sort out over the next few weeks, but nothing too major as the house was decorated so beautifully before we even moved in. 

So as you can tell, it's been a pretty busy few weeks with constant highs (and an abnormal amount of food). I can't wait to blog all about the separate aspects of my wedding day, honeymoon and new home as it'll bring back all the memories in full force. These blog posts will also be a lovely way of looking back at these momentous occasions and remembering all the little details which made them so special. 

Now I just need to decide which part I should blog about first... watch this space!