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Schooooools out for summer! Yes that's right. 8th of June was officially the last school day here in Italy, where the kids have about 3 months worth of summer holidays. Hugely exagerated if you ask me. Just bare minimum if you ask my son. Either way, that time needs to be at least partially filled if you don't want to go bonkers, as my son isn't yet of the age that he would rather be left alone by his parents.



This year, as one of my resolutions/wishes was to travel and experience more, I wanted to be better prepared in regards to what places to go to, where to visit, during the summer months instead of having to scramble for something last minute, which often resulted in a rut style "meh okay, it's late already let's go to our usual place".




Here are some places  that I would love to see this summer. Many of them I haven't yet been to, even tho I moved here some oh my gosh 13 years ago. It's about time, yes?


My Italian Summer Travel Bucket List



Lago d'Endine - A smaller lake nested away in the North Italian Alps, just above Lago d'Iseo.


Lago Moro
via my post Lago Moro

This small gem is located approximately in the same region as Lago d'Endine, as it too is hidden away in the North Italian Alps just north of Lago d'Iseo, close to Darfo Boario Terme.


Limone
via Di Quinok - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons

This beutiful little town is located on the western coast of Lago di Garda and widely known as being very pretty.


Lonato
via Di © Xavier Caré / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lonato is found between Brescia and Lago di Garda and has a host of old buildings in its historical town to sight see, like for example a dome and castle


Lovere - This is a small town on the north end of the western coast of Lago d'Iseo, called the most romantic town by an english poet.


Malcesine - Malcesine has two attractions besides being located on the eastern coast of Lago di Garda. One is the old castle, and another is the possibility to take a lift to the top of Monte Baldo.


Parco delle Cascate - This is a nature park in an area that has lots of natural waterfalls. We have already visited this in 2012 and I want to go back there now that my son can walk better & more.

Parma

via CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons


San Martino di Battaglia

Venezia
via Di Luca Aless - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons



A bucket list for Germany is in the works ... as soon as we get back from our beach holidays.

What about you? Kids or not, did you make a bucket list for summer?




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We are off on a road trip to Calabria (Southern Italy) very soon, for some ten days of ocean and beach and hopefully something else once we get there. Honestly, I am not the classical beach grill bum. For a day or two I enjoy laying there, but after that I get bored, even if I have a book. But since we go by car, I suppose some day trips can surely be arranged.

The Summer Vacation Edit - Essentials & Must Haves for being stylish on the beach, at the bar and for the city | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion & quirky personal style blog

What about you? Are you someone who can do two weeks just laying around on the beach? Or are you more like me in that you have to change things up, explore the area a bit?

When I go on holidays, I like to pack as minimalistic as possible whilst still remaining able to do almost anything if the occasion arises. Of course, in the end I usually overpack, so I make it a habit to remove a couple things last minute.

Here are some of my current favorite beach holiday essential "Must Haves" to be extremely stylish and versatile whilst laying around in the sand. And day tripping. And bar hopping. I am going to pack pretty much what is in the pictures, although I will use my own stuff. As you can see, I couldn't decide on a top and that's pretty much how it'll go down here in "real life". What I totally want to get my hands on are a pair of geometric statement earrings.






1. Round Beach Towel

2. Sunglasses Sonix Melrose

3. Mavi Jeans Vanna Shorts

4. Sam Edelman Gigi Sandals

5. J.Crew One Piece Swimsuit Ruffle Shoulder

6. St. Honore Pineapple Strawbag

7. Tassel Earrings

8. Shiseido Sun Protection SPF 38






1. Raviya Tie Dye Maxi Cover Up

2. Bikini Lab Reversible Top

3. Beach Please Towel

4. Dr. Hauschka Blackthorn Firming Body Oil

5. Bikini Lab Reversible Bottom

6. Sunglasses Sonix Bellevue





1. Mango Tropical Print Dress

2. Isabel Marant Geometric Earrings

3. Dr. Hauschka Warm Red Lipstick

4. Boohoo Lily Palm Print Maxi

5. Yuwei Geometric Drop Earrings

6. Vince Camuto Cross Body Bag

7. Sole Society Geometric Earrings





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Linking up with: Not Dressed As Lamb



Sirmione is an old town. A very old town. It's origins go back at least to roman times when this was a waypoint along the Via Gallica and the poet Gaio Valerio Catullo (or his family more likely) had a villa on that small peninsula reaching into Lake Garda. The  remains  of the building are part open-air, part indoor museum today.

La Rocca di Sirmione, Lago di Garda. Two swans and a motorboat on turquoise water | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog

We visited the ruins of this villa many years ago, but this time, even tho I would have fancied going there, my son had other plans. He wanted to see the inside of the Rocca, the smallish but very well preserved castle right at the entrance of the old town. In fact you can enter the old town only through a narrow gate (about enough to let one car pass) or by water, I suppose.




The view from the castle walls, and especially the highest tower (it's a bit of a climb, but nothing too bad) is almost breathtaking. Very beautiful looking out over the lake from up there. The castle walls extend into the lake, building a small protected harbor and the water around the structure takes on a turquoise coloring.

La Rocca di Sirmione, Lago di Garda. Sightseeing outfit --> Red boho dress with chiffon volant sleeves & beaded sandals | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog

inside la Rocca (Castle) di Sirmione, Lago di Garda | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog

La Rocca di Sirmione, Lago di Garda. On the ramparts. Wearing a rust red bohemian style dress with chiffon volant sleeves & studded black bag | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog


On the ramparts of La Rocca di Sirmione, Lago di Garda. Wearing a flowy red boho style dress with chiffon volant sleeves & studded black bag | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog

Inside the castle of Sirmione, Lake Garda

Looking out over Sirmione from inside the castle | Funky Jungle - Personal Style & Life Blog

View from the ramparts of La Rocca di Sirmione onto Lake Garda | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion blog

Pittoresque house in Sirmione, Lago di Garda | Funky Jungle


Sirmione, Lago di Garda. Wearing a rust red bohemian style dress with chiffon volant sleeves, emroidery & tassels | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & life blog



Previously seen on Funky Jungle  --->  Beaded Sandals - Studded Bag


*The following part contains affiliate links. Acquiring comes at no extra cost for you*

Outfit Details: Dress - Mango (old - similar here & here & swooning over this) | Sandals - Ikwetta (old - similar here & here) | Bag - Boohoo (old - similar here & here)





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Linking up with: Not Dressed As Lamb | Lou Lou Girls | Elegantly Dressed And Stylish | Get Your Pretty On | Jeans & Teacup | Rachel the Hat | Jo-Lynne Shane





Montisola is a fairly big island in the Iseo Lake (Lago d'Iseo). It is the biggest lake island in Italy as well as in Southern and Central Europe. You can reach it daily via the ferry boat service offered. Main ports for that service are Iseo, from which we parted, Sulzano e Sale Marasino, all located on the Brescian side of the lake, that is the side that is part of the province of Brescia.


Peschiera Maraglio as seen from the ferry boat - Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog


Montisola

At Montisola (or sometimes refered to as Monte Isola which is the name of the conglomerat of small villages located on the island) there is a variety of things to do. You can walk around the whole island by foot, or rent a bike to do it. You can enjoy a bath in the lake as there are several points that provide space to put a towel and easy entrance into the water. Or you could visit either the Rocca (a small castle) or the church/sanctuary Santuario della Madonna della Ceriola on top of the mountain that gives the island its name. Personally we haven't been to the church yet, but I've put it on this summers bucket list which I plan to share with you all soon.




If you are ever on holidays at Lake Iseo, I absolutely suggest you take a day trip over to this island. Starting from Montisola they also offer a so called "3 Island Tour" by boat. You will be ferried from the big island over to the two smaller ones which are both privately owned. I don't think you can visit the houses there, but just riding the boat around the lake is an enjoyable experience.

My Boho Vacation Style Outfit

Well there really isn't much to see. Usually my husband takes the pictures of me, but that day he wasn't with us, so I asked my parents. Alas... I'm afraid you will have to do with "Mini Me" pics and gorgeous scenery. I hope you can still get an idea of what I was wearing. It was a great choice for walking along the lake side and at some point dipping my feet into the water. The palm print culottes appeared on the blog before, styled less casual, more chic although I'd really only would have to change up shoes and accessories here to elevate the look. Maybe I will, to show you the difference.


Lungolago Iseo as seen from the ferry boat - Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Peasant style boho blouse and tigerseye peace symbol necklace on the ferry boat - Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Small motor boat at Lungolago Peschiera Maraglio on Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Small furgoncino Ape at Lungolago Peschiera Maraglio on Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Me in boho style vacation outfit at Lungolago Peschiera Maraglio on Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Me in boho style vacation outfit with palm print culottes at Lungolago Peschiera Maraglio on Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Me in boho style vacation outfit with peasant bohemian blouse dipping feet in water at Lungolago Peschiera Maraglio on Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Son and me dipping feet in water. I'm wearing boho style vacation outfit with peasant bohemian blouse and palm print culottes. Sensole, Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

At the ferry landing at Peschiera Meraglio, Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Rocca, Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog

Son on the ferry boat watching the lake & the waves. Montisola Lago d'Iseo | Funky Jungle - Mindful fashion, quirky personal style & local travel blog


Outfit Details: Palm Print Culottes - H&M (old - similar here & here) | Boho Peasant Blouse - Mango (old - similar here & here & also luv this one) | Blue Satchel Bag - local Made in Italy (old - similar here & here) | Sneakers - Puma (old)


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Linking up with: Not Dressed As Lamb | More Pieces of Me | Elegantly Dressed & Stylish | The Pleated Poppy | Get Your Pretty On |



No, that is not a typo. It's just the Überwald (Discworld) way of saying it. Yes, I did read a good part of Pratchett's Discworld novels, though I confess I miss the last couple ones, namely "Snuff" and "Raising Steam", which are sitting here on the library. Me and my husband are both big Discworld fans. I really need to get around reading them. If you've never read one of these, check them out, especially the Watch. It's sort of fantasy, but it doesn't take itself, or humans on the Roundworld (aka us) too seriously.


Anyway, this is Brescia Castle. Still very beautifully intact. Brescia, as a city to visit, is somewhat lesser known abroad, compared to for example Verona who has that "Wonderous Balcony of Shakespearian fame". I think that's a shame because Brescia does have a good amount of beautiful places & buildings to visit  like for example the roman temple or the museum inside the Santa Giulia monastery. Recently Brescia has also been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. And not the least they make some of the best pizzas I have eaten in my life here. Of course, if you like cars, especially old cars, you might know Brescia because of the famous oldtimer race "Mille Miglia" which happens to be the coming weekend. The cars will go on their journey to Rome (and back) this Thursday in the early afternoon.

Hmm yes, I admit it. These pictures are slightly dated. We actually visited Verona in September last year. Still valid as far as looks & thoughts are concerned and goes to show I always had intention to eventually get back into the swing of things.

Verona - Transparent blouse, bralette, high waisted jeans

Verona, located just to the east of Lake Garda in the North Italian region Veneto, is a lovely city at its center. Lots of renaissance & medieval flair with more ancient vibes sprinkled throughout. Just very crowded a lot of times during the summer months because it is a big tourist attraction. And the day we visited there was to be a concert at the famous Arena in the evening, so we didn't get to go inside. The Arena is an almost fully preserved amphitheatre dating back to Roman times.

Last Sunday we visited Bergamo Alta, the old medieval & renaissance town part of Bergamo, which is located upon a small hill. You can reach it by foot or a small train, as in general only people who live there are allowed in with the car. Much easier to just park in the city below.

Me and a very old door


It's beautiful and definitely worth a visit should you happen to be in the area and time permitting. If you do, I would suggest to at least go back down by foot, as I found it nice to go through the old city gate and follow the old stairs. The view on the city down below is great as well.

Today I'm going to let mostly the pictures do the talking. These are from a Sunday trip maybe three weeks ago. We went up the Monte Maddalena, which is the mountain just to the north of Brescia. Up there we did one of the easier hikes through the forest, which takes about one hour.


I was wearing the ... chinos. Hah! They are just too darn good for everything. And in a last hooray to summer, a tank top with lace back. Which by the way, is a great layering piece too, as you soon will see. Plus my trusty hiking companions, the Puma sneakers. They work well enough for easy hikes like we do at the moment.

After the dinner outfit, now something which is quite the juxtaposition. The clothes I wore for a trip to Lago Moro where we went one Sunday for some walking. We actually travelled there by train & shuttle bus as opposed to car. I really enjoyed this. Somehow going by train it felt more like travelling instead of moving from the point of start to the point of destination, and preferably as quick as possible.


Lago/Lake Moro is a small lake in the Italian Alpes above Darfo Boario Terme in the Val Camonica and unless you are a resident up there, you aren't allowed to go up by car most of the time. Hence the shuttle bus. You can walk all around the lake, it's a fairly quick & easy hike. We did that and then stopped at the official bathing spot to hang our feet in the water for a bit. I definitely want to go back up there next summer for some actual bathing.

The second day trip we did during my parents visit to our corner of Italy was to a park again. What can I say, I have a six year old active boy who doesn't fancy slowly walking through museums inspecting everything without actually touching it.

Parco Giardino Sigurtà is located south of Lake Garda. It is quite large and it's a bit of walking doing it all by foot. Infact my poor mum was exhausted afterwards. I'd been there before, but I didn't remember it to be that big, because back then we crossed the park with the little train that brought us to the tent where our friends' wedding party was held. Yes, you can do a tour of the park by train. You can also rent bicycles or electric mini cars by the hour. And you can hold your wedding with style and a vibe of nobility there.

Casual look and leather backpack for visiting Parco Giardino Sigurtà

The park is popular with families (but not only) for obvious reasons. Besides fancy flower arrangements, ponds etc, it has large curated grass areas where you can sit down, establish base camp and your kids can run off to play. It also has a didactic farm, where you can learn about the common farm animals. Personally I cannot go anywhere near there (allergies), but I figure it's great for kids. What striked me was the fact that despite the park being quite full because it was an official holiday here, it was also clean. If you ever go on holidays at Lake Garda, consider a visit to this park for a change of pace.

I was dressed for casual action, wearing my beloved khaki chinos, a very loose top and the gladiator/slave sandals. And if you are out all day and have to carry a bag, which includes at least a small bottle of water, a backpack is always a good idea. The hair was ... well ...

Red leafed tree

Der zweite Tagesausflug waehrend des Besuches meiner Eltern in unserer Ecke Italiens fuehrte uns wieder in einen Park. Was soll ich sagen, ich habe einen sechsjaehrigen Sohn, der es gar nicht so unterhaltsam findet langsam durch ein Museum zu laufen und auch wirklich nur mit den Augen und nicht mit den Fingern zu schauen.

Der Parco Giardino Sigurtà liegt suedlich und nicht unweit vom Gardasee. Es ist ein recht grosser Park, und alles zu Fuss abzulaufen ist schon ein netter Spaziergang. Meine arme Mama war am Ende ganz geschafft. Ich bin zwar schon einmal in dem Park gewesen, konnte mich aber nicht erinnern, dass es so viel war, wahrscheinlich auch, weil wir damals die Tour mit dem Parkzug gemacht haben bis hin zu dem Zelt wo unsere Freunde Ihre Hochzeit feierten. Ja, in dem Park kann man eine Tour mit Zug machen. Oder aber Fahrraeder und diese kleinen elektrischen Autos die man von Golfplaetzen her kennt stundenweise mieten. Oder eben seine Hochzeit mit Stil und einem Hauch von Adliger Atmosphere abhalten.

Der Park ist aus offensichtlichen Gruenden sehr beliebt bei Familien (aber nicht nur!). Hoert hoert. Neben huebschen Blumenbeeten, Seerosenteichen und so weiter gibt es riesigen Grassflaechen (englischer Rasen) wo man sich hinsetzen und dann einfach mal die Kinners rennen lassen kann. Ausserdem gibt es im Inneren des Parkes noch so einen didaktischen Bauernhof. Ich selbst gehen ja nicht in die Naehe (Allergien) aber ich kann mir vorstellen, dass das fuer Kinder toll/interessant ist. Was mich am meissten erstaunt hat, war das der Park, trotz der grossen Menschenmenge - wir waren an einem nationalen Feiertag dort - sauber war. Falls Ihr mal Urlaub am Gardasee macht und etwas anderes sehen wollt, den Park kann ich empfehlen.

Ich selbst war sehr "casual" und aktionsbereit angezogen. Chinos in khaki, ein uebergrossen Top mit Belueftung, meine Gladiator-/Sklavensandalen. Ja und wenn man den ganzen Tag unterwegs ist, aber eine Tasche braucht, wo dann noch mind. eine kleine Flasche Wasser drin ist, dann ist so ein Rucksack eine feine Sache. Die Haare ... naja ...
---

Il secondo viaggio fatto durante la visita dei miei genitori nel nostro angolo d'Italia era ancora in un parco. Che posso dire, ho un bambino di sei anni molto vivace, a cui non piace molto camminare lentamente in un museo guardando ogni oggetto senza provare a toccarlo.


Il Parco Sigurtà e situato a sud del Lago di Garda. È piuttosto grande e percorrerlo tutto a piedi è una bella camminata, infatti la mia povera mamma era piuttosto stanca quando siamo usciti. Io c'ero stata in precedenza, ma non ricordavo fosse così grande, dopotutto avevamo preso un trenino che dopo un breve giro panoramico ci aveva accompagnato ad una struttura dove si è tenuto il matrimonio di un amico. Già, si può fare il giro turistico con un trenino, si possono noleggiare biciclette e auto elettriche. Si possono anche organizzare matrimoni di classe e l'aria di nobilità.

Il parco è meta molto gradita per le famiglie (ma non solo!) per ragioni piuttosto ovvie: a parte le aiuole fiorite molto belle, i laghetti, ecc. ha grandi aree erbose molto ben curate dove è possibile sedersi per riposare o semplicemente come campo base mentre i figli corrono e giocano. Ha inoltre una fattoria didattica dove si possono vedere molti dei comuni animali da allevamento. Personalmente non posso neanche avvicinarmi, causa allergie, ma è bellissima per i bambini. Ciò che mi ha colpito è stato che nonostante il parco fosse piuttosto affollato per il giorno festivo, era allo stesso tempo veramente pulito. Se pensate di andare in vacanza sul Lago di Garda, considerate di visitare questo parco.

Ero vestita casual, indossando i miei chinos kaki, un top molto comodo e i sandali da gladiatore/schiava. Se dovete uscire e star fuori tutto il giorno portando una borsa, con almeno una bottiglietta di acqua dentro, uno zainetto è una buona idea. I capelli ... eh ...


Parco Giardino Sigurtà, Veneto, Italia

Sitting at the Pond, pondering

Standing at the water lilies pond


A gateway between trees

Pink & white water lillies

Herb garden and lion's statue at Parco Sigurtà

My feet, mint nail polish and gladiator sandals

Little palm tree forest

Climbing pink roses

Me and a ball
Of course I took off my shoes at some point. That grass!!! Heaven below your feet.

This post is part of the Blogger Parade "Italy" organized by Tina in the Middle.

The other participants are:  27.7.2015 Elena & Maria || 28.7.2015 Lisa - Lebens Lounge || 29.7.2015 Michelle - Beautiful Fairy & Tina - Tina in the Middle || 31.7.2015 Hanna - Written in Red Letters ||
---

Dieser Post ist Teil der Bloggerparade "Italien", die von Tina in the Middle organisiert wurde

Die anderen Teilnehmer sind:  27.7.2015 Elena & Maria || 28.7.2015 Lisa - Lebens Lounge || 29.7.2015 Michelle - Beautiful Fairy & Tina - Tina in the Middle || 31.7.2015 Hanna - Written in Red Letters ||

Wuerde mich freuen wenn Ihr den Maedels einen Besuch abstattet!



Outfit Sources:

Khaki Chinos - H&M
Top - Mango Outlet (old)
Sandals / Sandali / Sandalen - Maledetti Toscani (old) --- *cute budget option*
Backpack / Zainetto / Rucksack - Gift --- *similar*
Necklace / Collana / Halskette - Fair
Bracelet / Braccialetto / Armband - D.I.Y --- bracelet tutorial here
Sunglasses / Occhiali da Sole / Sonnenbrille - H&M






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