The Bicycle Dress Makes Its European Debut

After a blissful interlude, I'm back in the states and back to the blog!  It was the best trip of my life!  I walked hand in hand with my hubs through the streets of Italian cities, ate gelato almost every day, and didn't touch a lick of academic work for twelve days.  Although I'm jet lagged and have a bit of a case of post-honeymoon ho-hums, I have to tackle depositing my dissertation and packing and moving in the next week.  But for now I'll share with you the European debut of my Anthro bicycle dress.  I wore it in Venice and Padua with gladiators and a belt¹ and in Florence with gladiators and a headband.² I did have intentions for remixing a bit more dramatically, but since we were putting in long days in the hot sun, I pretty much gave up on that and went for comfort. 

1. Dress - Anthropologie (remixed), Belt - from another dress (remixed), Sandals - Steve Madden (remixed), Barrette - Goodie (Target and remixed), Necklace - Etsy (remixed), Purse - Nine West (remixed), Sunnies - Oscar de la Renta (remixed), Background - Courtyard in the Doge's Palace, Venice

Last Sunday was our first full day in Italy.  We went to the Doge's Palace and the Accademia in Venice.  Then we took a train to Padova to meet up with one of M''s cousins who has lived there for several years while attending veterinary school, and just walked around, since the churches and museums were closed, and had a glass of prosecco or two in cool cafe bars and lovely dinner in the main piazza.

I also wore the dress in Florence, where M. and I had intended to rent bicycles.  However, when M. saw how crowded the streets were with tourists, he decided that trying to ride bikes through them wouldn't give us the relaxing vibe we were going for.  I have to admit that I pretty much agreed.  I was content to walk around Florence and see its lovely sights again.    

 2. Dress - Anthropologie (remixed), Sandals - Steve Madden (remixed), Headband - Goodie (Target and remixed), Purse - Nine West (remixed), Sunnies - Oscar de la Renta (remixed), Background - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

That day we climbed the 400+ steps to Bruneleschi's Dome, went to the Uffizi museum, which houses my favorite painting in the world, Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, and escaped the crowds at the Bardini Gardens.  The gardens were a beautiful little oasis on a hot afternoon in Tuscany.  They also provided tremendous views of the city. 

Looking at these pictures is such a lovely break from the reality of packing that I need to get back to.  I'll take other little breaks to try to catch back up on the happenings in the blogosphere over the course of the next day or two. What has been your favorite vacation (or vacation combined with research trip)?  Where did you go and what did you do?