I had the good fortune to spend the first few months of 2015 in Melbourne, Florida. It has been quite different from my normal travel to big cities, but it has been wonderful! Melbourne is a city full of nature, beaches, and I have definitely gotten my fill of antiquing (highlighted in upcoming posts).
Mount Dora is a cute town not too far outside of Orlando, with great architecture, shopping, restaurants and antiques. Well worth a visit!
A quick overnighter to South Beach, Miami, which reminded me of my time living in Mexico. I was speaking Spanish on Ocean Drive and loving the “see and be seen” mentality, which of course makes for great people watching!
The Dali Museum is a museum dedicated to the works of famous Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. I had visited this museum once before as a teenager, and still nothing compares to seeing them in person…the scale of some of the paintings is lost when viewing online or in books.
Navigli means “canals” in Italian. There are two main canals remaining in Milano: Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese, which form an upside-down V shape on a map. The Navigli neighborhood is where I called home. It is a charming area full of unpretentious cafés, boutiques, and bars, and is a hotspot for starting the weekend off with an aperitivo. I like it during the day more, because it is quiet and unassuming, and there are plenty of vintage shops to visit.
The last Sunday of each month there is a HUGE antique market in the streets surrounding the navigli, which I absolutely loved…I spent hours there each month, and highly recommend it to anyone who likes antiques/vintage. Prices are high, but it is worth a look!
I happened across this shop when walking near my hotel, and what a find! These are the kinds of shops I really cherish…full of traditional handmade products, items of days gone by. It does not have the ambience of the boutiques I highlighted in Sayulita, but there are little treasures to be found nonetheless. Also, I love to feel like I am discovering something special, it’s the hunter in me. 🙂 I bought a dress, handkerchief, and some small embroidered gifts…definitely could have bought more!
LA SURTIDORA DEL CENTRO: Morelos 256, colonio centro
puerto vallarta, mexico. phone: 222-1439
There are other Mexican beachside cities that I prefer over Puerto Vallarta, but there are a few food and shopping gems to be found here. Also, I have a soft spot for hilly towns by the water for some reason…maybe they remind me of Hong Kong, one of my favorite cities.
Last but not least, my favorite shop in Sayulita…Evoke the Spirit! A space so beautiful it looks more like a gallery than a shop, with beautifully designed & made products to match. And if you visit the shop, please be sure to say hi to Santos, the Huichol yarn painter in residence.
A very special thank you to Evoke the Spirit’s owner & designer Brittney Borjeson, who was so welcoming and helpful during my trip! You can see more about Brittney and her shop in Domino magazine!
EVOKE THE SPIRIT: 12A Jose Mariscal, Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico
A beautifully curated shop selling textiles, clothing, home goods and more.
ARTEFACKTO: avenida revolucion #40-C, sayulita, nayarit mexico 63734
A cheeky shop with colorful products mixing modern and traditional Mexican flair.
REVOLUCION DEL SUEÑO : 55 calle manuel navarrete, colonia centro , 63734 Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico
Jetsteph 