Girl In The Pretty Dress

Alghero may not be the largest place to visit in Sardinia but it's certainly one of the prettiest. The old-town is by far the most picturesque part - and can be reached via little archways leading off the harbour. Be warned though - the streets are made up of pebble-stone cobbles and therefore not somewhere you should venture in heels. On our first night we headed for dinner at Il Pavone - a restaurant the guide book recommended. We got there a little early, which was a blessing as we managed to catch the sun setting over the sea in the harbour - a little bit of pink-tinged magic. Almost everywhere you go in Sardinia dinner is made up of 4 courses: Antipasti, Starter, Pasta/Risotto course and Dessert. Il Pavone did not disappoint on any level. I's been owned and run by the same man for decades and he took the trouble to introduce himself to all the diners that evening. The waiter had been there for 25 years and between them they helped us pick the most amazing selection ...

There are many, many delicious cakes on offer in Vienna. However, I was most looking forward to trying Sacher Torte - which was invented in the city. Sacher Torte is a chocolate cake made to a secret recipe and sandwiched using apricot jam. As a girl who has eaten a LOT of chocolate cake over the years, I'd say this is definitely worth the hype. After exploring Stephansdom (and a nearby bavarian market) we headed to The Hotel Sacher to try out Austria's most famous cake in the place where it was first conceived.

I've been meaning to do this post for the past 3 months - but every time I sat down to write it I struggled to do justice to this amazing city. St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican City (as seen from the top of Castel Sant'Angelo) Two years ago I decided I wanted to go to Rome. I bought a guidebook and everything... then I bought my house. All plans for adventure had to be put on hold whilst I spent my time traipsing to solicitors, banks and building merchants. So this year, as a birthday present to myself, I decided to make it happen. I flew out on my birthday (word to the wise: if you book a flight on your birthday, make sure it isn't at the crack of dawn - no one remembers it's your birthday when it's that early in the morning!) and I got my birthday wish to stand in the Colosseum. Though I quickly learned that I've been calling it by the wrong name all my life - it's proper name is the Flavian Ampi...

Dress: Joy | Necklace: Joy | Shoes: Dorothy Perkins | Bag: TK Maxx Yay for Summer. And hurray for Summer Sales. I bought this dress from  Joy  for a bargain price (and it's still available online  here ). I love the scooped back, (scroll down for a pic) it's the perfect dress to keep me cool, yet covered. Stripes always say 'summer' and 'seaside' to me... so of course I  had  to buy an anchor necklace to complete the look (also from Joy and available  here ). I've just booked my summer hols - to Corsica! I can't wait to get back out to the med and enjoy a week by the sea. I've never been before so I'd love to hear any tips you guys have... Happy sales shopping! xx