That Travel Meal: T-H-E Italian Cocktail

[trip style = food + wine]

It's on every menu. It's on top of every table. It's on every set of lips. Enter the Vespa of Italian apéritifs.

To call the Aperol Spritz a meal {per this post's title} is a bit of a stretch; however, as this series profiles palate-pleasers from around the globe, for today's purposes, this tart, fizzy bevvy is the latest inductee into our That Travel Meal hall of fame.

I give you Italy's most in-demand drink—and the official Trip Styler summer cocktail—sure to transport you to a trattoria on a cobblestone street pronto.

Trip Styler Tip: Do like the locals do and pair it with prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe or salty chips. 

Aperol Spritz
- handful of ice
- 2 parts Aperol
- 3 parts prosecco
- 1 part soda
- orange slice to garnish

Trip Styler Tip: To spice up your spritz, add a splash of Lillet and/or Hendrick's gin, and switch up your garnish to lime or grapefruit.

Related
That Travel Meal :: Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey
That Travel Meal :: Best-in-Show Burrata at Ava Gene's
That Travel Meal :: Chevre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza

[photos by @tripstyler featuring @MrTripStyler's hands] 

Dressing for La Dolce Vita

[trip style = any]

Being in Italy this summer for almost a month taught me some major packing lessons—ones that are easily applicable to Italy, as well as every other trip. 

My BIGGEST take-away: Don't treat your clothes like fine china. Bring AT LEAST one special-occasion garment with you. 

I recently wrote about my top Italy packing pointers in the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog; here's the skinny. 

How to Pack for Italy
1. Map your wardrobe
Once you figure out where you’re going in Italy, and in what season, map your travel wardrobe. For example, I went to Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Ischia and Capri during summer, so my suitcase was filled with nautical stripes for the coast and flowy silhouettes to stay cool {in every sense of the word} in the Eternal City’s musty heat.

2. Pack with passion 
Italians are passionate people—from fashion to football—so channel this all-or-nothing attitude in your travel attire. Don’t reserve your perfect-fit tailored pants or red-soled shoes for a once-a-year occasion; bring them to Rome where Italians dress as if they’re runway ready every day. Furthermore, edit and re-edit your suitcase contents before you leave so you’re only tempted to bring your Sunday best.

Wearing made-to-fit Capri sandals in Rome.

3. Be a shoe-in
Don’t flash your tourist card sporting a pair of I’ve-just-gone-for-a-jog sneakers thinking “they’re practical for sightseeing.” Repeat after me: Runners and flip-flops are a no go (and you won’t see any Italians grabbing an espresso con panna looking like they’ve just gone to the gym). Italian-made shoes are iconic for a reason: They’ve managed the near-impossible task of fusing comfort and style. So think like a local and pack for a well-heeled journey. 

Trip Styler Tip: If you are visiting the Amalfi Coast or Capri, save room in your suitcase for custom-made shoes, starting around 40 Euro. 

4. Dolce-ify your wardrobe
Never fear, practical packers! Dolce-ifying your wardrobe does not mean you have to fill a Louis Vuitton trunk, ship it overseas, and dress like Donatella during Milan Fashion Week. Instead, take cues from the catwalk and add one piece of glitter to your getup. For example, choose an I-might-be-famous hat and sunglasses combo, a pair of statement shoes, or an unexpected bracelet. I followed these rules and was mistaken for an Italian actress on several occasions!

5. Strut
Finally, whatever fine-tuned attire you choose to include in your travel wardrobe, strut your stuff. All of the head-turning Italians I spotted had one thing in common (in addition to a fashion-forward ensemble): Confidence, which is always in style

[photos by @tripstyler]

Italy: Baby Styler Edition

[trip style = luxury + urban + beach + food + wine]

As we boarded the plane for our three-week immersion into Italy, I wasn't sure whether the trip would be BANANAS or breathtaking with Baby Styler in tow. Was it crazy to take a tyke to Italy? Feeling adventurous, I'd been told by multiple Italophiles how much Italians love babies, so I thought we'd give it a go. 

Turns out, Italy with Baby Styler was one of the best trips we've ever taken, and not just because he tried his first pizza—by a Michelin-star chef no less! 

Don't get me wrong, there were moments of mayhem, like the time we had to call housekeeping at our chi-chi Relais & Chateaux hotel when a leaky diaper "situation" ensued on top of the comforter, or when... actually, I'll spare you the details. All in all, I came to the conclusion that if Italy is on your travel list, don't avoid it when you have kids; sprint there as fast as you can.  

Because we're ultra-respectful of other hotel- and restaurant-goers with our wee one, and refuse to sacrifice style when we jet-set, we stay and eat well at the kind of places with white tablecloths. Sometimes that's a problem in North America; in Italy, it's the opposite.

If you walk into an "it" restaurant or hotel in Italy, the staff and other diners welcome you with open arms {some even offer to pick up your child while you eat}. At first, we were taken aback by this outward affection and social grace, but after observing the cultural love for children, we eventually said to ourselves "when in Rome" and for a few minutes ate our pasta while Baby Styler danced beside us in the arms of his new BFF. 

Here are some of our favorite moments with our "bello bambino".

[photos by @tripstyler]

Postcards from Portland

[trip style = urban + beach & sun + food & wine + weekend getaway]

Portland is one of our most requested cities for Trip Styler-approved recommendations. As I tend to visit the City of Roses between the fall and spring, I decided to venture down for a summer getaway in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its award-winning restaurant scene, easygoing lifestyle and friendly locals, Portland offers a guaranteed good time. Besides the usual brunches, happy hours, bike rides and tax-free shopping, I set my sights on two spots I'd been meaning to visit: Sauvie Island and the Multnomah Whiskey Library. Together they make the perfect Portland day. We all know about après-ski and the nineteenth hole—let's make après-beach part of our social practice!

Things to know: Hotel rooms and Airbnbs are pricey and hard to come by during the summer, so plan ahead, stay outside town or snag a last-minute room on Hotel Tonight. I booked the Ace in late April for a July stay, and the rate was twice what I've paid during the winter.

Hot dogs or legs?! We chased the sun to Sauvie Island {pronounced saw-vee or soh-vee}, about 30 minutes north of the city, on a 37°C day. The most popular beaches, Collins and Walton, face the Columbia River. The northern end of Collins beach is clothing optional. Beware of sand so hot it will burn your feet ... etc. ;-)

Pack a picnic basket and stop for berries at one of the many farm markets and pumpkin patches on the island. Looking for a hike? There are a several 2-3-mile trails on the island. Can't get enough? Plan your trip around one of several long table dinners over the summer or stay in this modern farm cottage.

Things to know: Purchase a daily parking permit {$7 usd} on the east side of the island from the Reeder Beach RV Country Store or just north of the bridge from the Cracker Barrel Store to park in all beach and wildlife areas.

"I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." I couldn't help but quote Ron Burgundy while sitting in a tufted leather couch in the Multnomah Whiskey Library. As I watched bar-backs climb rolling ladders like Belle in Beauty and the Beast to access one of the 1,500 bottles of liquor, including 900 whiskeys, I marveled at the attention to detail and spectacle of the place.

One of the most unique features of the bar is the personal touch. Your cocktails are mixed and your whiskey is poured right in front of you by a bartender who wheels over a bar cart. I started with a 12-year-old Ezra B single-barrel bourbon that my bartender selected for me after I told her what I liked and my price point, followed by a delicious cocktail. Their most popular cocktail is the Old Fashioned, which my friend called the best she's ever had. Two drinks and a few hours later, we pulled ourselves off the leather couch and into the warm evening, passing dozens of people waiting to get inside.

Things to know: Anticipate a long wait for this popular, seated bar. Put in your name and wait in the new Green Room bar below the Library as you sip on a low-proof cocktail designed to open your palate while you wait to be seated upstairs.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Oregon Travel Diary :: Feasting on Portland
That Travel Meal :: Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey
Pant-Stretching Portland
Fashion Friday :: Falling for Portland

[images via @heatherlovesit & dana avila photography]

Roam+Board :: Our Rome Appartamento

[trip style = urban]

When we first arrived in Rome we had one goal: Adjust. Adjust to the time zone and adapt to the heat {the kind where you can't sit outside until 9pm unless you have an entourage with an "Evian spritzer" and "fan attendant"}. With Baby Styler in tow, we decided to ease into Italy and rent an apartment via Airbnb, in case his jet lag went "south" at 3am, or on the off-chance we'd need a washer/dryer while traveling with an infant :)

Our only requirement: The flat had to be cool and collected.

What
Enter this designer-styled, two-bed, two-bath apartment in a 1950s building sporting hand-painted teal tiles and a succulent-adorned entrance. Inside the mid-century retreat, graphic walls and iconic furniture such as a Bertoia Chair and Arco Light lend a mod-yet-approachable Roma vibe.  

Bonus: Our super-host even arranged a baby crib, highchair and organic baby food for Baby Styler {plus vino for us}.

Where
In a residential, embassy-stacked district one hour by car transfer from Rome's International Airport {FCO} and three stops from Piazza del Popolo by train.

When
Available year-round.

Who/Why
You're looking for a sense of space and local taste.        

Cost
Rates hover around $170/night in high season and $118/night in low season. 

Photos

Master bedroom

Master bath

Second bedroom

Dining area

Learning the art of the iconic Moka Express {read: Jet lag miracle worker}, created in Italy in 1933. Eighty-five years later the same design is still sold. 

Breakfast. We stopped by the local grocery store {a 15-min walk away} to pick up some espresso and this Roman staple: a spongy lemon and cocoa cake with so much girth that two pieces kept me full for five hours.

Patio. Trip Styler Tip: Rome has mosquitoes, so if you're going to use this little oasis, put on some repellent or cover your limbs. 

Related
Ciao! :: Roma with Expedia 
Ciao! 

[photos by @tripstyler]