The first of many blog posts to come from my whirlwind, four day trip to Italy!  Did you see this pic on Instagram?!  It was a crazy, fun, million-miles-an-hour trip, and I loved every minute of it!

I shared what I packed for the quick trip in this post.  When I’m packing for a trip to places that I’ve never been, I always keep in mind that the days are likely going to be packed with activities and exploring.  I like to pack casual, cool, and comfortable items that can be mixed and matched.  If you followed along with my Instagram Stories, you saw that we ended up doing a LOT of activities each day.  Therefore, I needed to be dressed in an outfit that would accommodate being out and about for hours on end each day.

On this particular day, Michael, myself, and our two friends Louise and Steven, wandered around Modena all morning before heading to a family run balsamic business (it was really just their home) to take a tour and do a little tasting.  It was amazing!  More to come on that in a later post.  Afterwards, we wanted to walk past Massimo’s famous restaurant, Osteria Francescana.  These photos were taken in the alley where the kitchen doors open up – the chefs and cooks were sitting right outside and we could see inside the restaurant while we snapped these photos.

Outfit Idea for Exploring a New City

When choosing an outfit for exploring a new city, there are three main things I take into consideration … I want the outfit to look cute (because, pictures!), be comfortable, and be weather appropriate.  On this particular day, the high was in the mid 70s.  I opted for a light and airy top that wouldn’t show sweat, which really wouldn’t have been an issue, except for the fact that we had to book it (read, power walk) about 2 miles to make our balsamic tour on time.  I picked this top up in-store, and I can’t seem to find the striped print online.  However, it is available online in a crisp white and a fun fish print!  For sizing reference, I’m wearing a 4.  It’s such a steal at only $25!

I paired the top with cropped, distressed jeans.  This pair of Madewell jeans is much less restrictive than my full on pair of skinny jeans.  I’m wearing last year’s version, but this year’s look just as good!

A must for exploring a new city is comfortable shoes.  I’d worn these Splendid sandals around D.C. a couple of times and knew they would be perfect for Italy!  They’re cute and comfortable!  And they’re on sale!

H&M Top (not available in stripe, available in white and print, wearing 4) | Madewell Jeans (wearing last year’s version) | Splendid Sandals (on sale!) | Quay Australia Sunglasses | Quay Australia Sunglasses