Daily Front Row

2010 July 26

Dear Daily!

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Rebecca Minkoff's summer vacation
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Dear Daily,

I’ve most recently returned from one of the most unforgettable vacations. In my opinion, there are some trips that are meant to satisfy the mind and others to satisfy the soul. This three week long journey was a soul-satisfying venture that I’ll never forget.

Since my Italian destination wedding last summer, my husband Gavin and I wanted to travel to an exotic place to recreate our enchanting ceremony. Lucky for us, a dear friend was to be married at the same location as our wedding, and it wound up being the perfect time to plan our getaway. Joined by our closest friends, we gathered to celebrate the union of this couple and embark on our journey to Italy, Turkey and the Black Sea.

During our stay in Italia, we first ventured to a small hill town in Tuscany, staying in a villa in the city of Montalcino---what a small slice of heaven! Here, my girlfriends and I shopped 'til we dropped, especially in any shoe store we could find. The shoes are to obsess over, with their feminine shape, peep toe and color blocking---truly remarkable! We made sure to visit the historic sights of the Pantheon and its oculus of beaming sunshine, as well as the Spanish Steps in Roma. We rented a car to travel to several destinations, one of which was Bologna, one of Italy's most thriving and historical college cities, after Rome. Fun fact: it is the home to the first university, University of Bologna, which was founded in 1088! Higher education goes way back. It's also home to amazing markets and Italian food…which of course was irresistible!

After filling our bellies with the rich Italian food and embracing the culture, we ventured to the Turkish port of Bodrum and boarded a small ship to set sail in the Turkish seas. My husband and I spent our days together reading, sunbathing, eating, and embracing the majestic views with the best company. The trip was filled with one memory after another: astonishing sunrises and sunsets, an ice cream delivery man in the middle of the ocean fully stocked with all of the Ben & Jerry's and Good Humor bars we could ask for (and trust me...we asked for a lot!), Mediterranean cooking lessons on the bow of the ship, and more.

The boat docked in Istanbul so we could marvel at the sights on shore. One of the most intriguing places was the Grand Bazaar; it’s one of the biggest and oldest (since 1461) markets in the world. It covers 58 streets and is full of spices, food, jewelry, leather goods, and the list goes on and on. I was instantly drawn to the brightly colored spices and teas (they smelled wonderful) and 100% satin Versace sheet set---how regal! After absorbing Turkish culture at the market we checked out the famous Hagia Sophia (back in the day, a Cathedral of Constantinople) and now a museum where you can see its golden mosaics. Not far from the Hagia Sophia are the 1500-year-old cisterns which were built beneath the city of Istanbul as a water filtration system for the Great Palace. The city is laid out with such intricacy, history oozes at every turn!

Time does fly when you’re having fun, because before we knew it, it was time to depart from one of the most magnificent trips of our lives. We are truly lucky to have taken mental snap shots of Italy, Turkey and the open sea, to last a lifetime. We could not have asked for more spectacular experiences and memories.

xoxo,
Rebecca