S.P.A. TRAVEL DIARY: Ponza, Rome, & Packing
water + adventure + fashion = joy
Below you’ll find notes on Ponza, QC Roma, what I packed in my carry-on for a 2 week trip abroad and working in NYC. But first, an important news recap.
SPA NEWS:
“SPARTY” BUDAPEST” » tomorrow June 28 (if you go please report back)
Schmeissing Social Sunday June 29 with The Bath House Group at the New docklands Russian Banya in London
I’m hosting a yard sale from 10-3pm in LA this Sunday June 29, come get a LoCo wet bag! Address: corner of Waterloo & Sunset boulevard in Echo Park
WHAT I PACKED
Complete for: Wedding in France, Italian Honeymoon, Resort Press day in NYC, Plane clothes, & Spa adventures. In hindsight I guess I could’ve gotten a work outfit at one of the New York stores but I didn’t think about it until we got back stateside.
mix and match fits, all shot by me and logan Bathing suits:
Isa boulder bathing suit (now on sale)
Shoes: I really went crazy with shoes this trip, usually I top at 3 maybe 4 pairs. I think 4 is the max for the future
Tory strappy sandal heels (beware the red bled when wet)
vibram collab thong heels (similar)
Y/Project x Melissa bronze court mule
RTW:
Paris Georgia set from the wedding (on sale)
Brooks brothers button down (from council shop but similar) Comme si shirting also having mega moments this summer as expected
Lots of STAUD because I needed it for work & easy to pack and play:
William shirt, rugby polo, Burgundy dress (similar in brown silk), white top, black top, linen pants, board shorts, coverup dress (thought about this but I’m just not that into sardinecore summer), surf stripe set top and bottoms
Vivienne dress from the wedding (kind of similar)
Will always love film photos the most <3
Extra bits:
VINTAGE scarf from Logan’s grandma (similar and fancy)
4x glasses
The Row x Olivers People (similar)
Celine Leopard wraparound
CRAP Red wraparound
PUCCI scarf (similar)
St Barths pearl necklace (similar tahitian styles)
STAUD mesh tote (& bonus little clutch that comes with it) probably should have used the cloth or PVC but we love a clashing print + collapsible version and will always choose the lighterweight
Wrap skirt cover up
Undies <3 I like oysho
More ways to wear - shot me me, Logan, and our friend Josh WHAT WAS IN MY SPA BAG - honeymoon edition
Lots of ilia and merit (concealer, bronzer, pigment, mascara, highlighter, blush, eyeshadow that works as liner, brushes)
Vertra x Mick Fanning mineral sunscreen stick niche and fabulous
Hermes Voyage perfume - an engraved wedding present perfect for a signature unisex trip scent
Japanese waterproof mascara
Skin care samples!! including skinceuticals CE
what’s in MY spa bag PROs: Lock function is nice, handled italian cobblestones and ferries well, lots of pockets and interior zips, a bit more room than the tumi
CONs: A little more heavy than my trusty tumi which possibly matters more than anything else when you are weight maxxing
PS look at these kids clothes that my favorites Labananita and Milk Teeth made :
ISCHIA TO PONZA
The Pontine Islands are less known to the english speaking and American tourists but I predict only for now with the growing popularity of finding “off the beaten path” islands like Ischia and Sardinia. Ponza is probably most well known for being the sorbetto colored backdrop of “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” but most people probably don’t seek it out because they called it “Port-au-Patois” which leans more French.
The seasonal ferries between Ischia, Ponza, Naples, and the Roman coastline are some of the only routes connecting Romans and Neapolitans by water - maybe more than they’d like to admit. You can feel the shifts in culture and norms between these chains of islands.
Ferry travel has grown on me - I guess that isn’t really a shock considering the love of all things water this stack imbues. The last time I took the route from Ponza to Naples (stopping at Ventotene, Ischia, and Procida) my eyes were blocked from the history and secrets right in front of me as I was only thinking of the next destination. As we set off from Ischia to Ponza this time around, I was looking at the water in a different way.
A brief historical interlude: Ventotene (wind=vento), once called Pandataria, played a large role in exile culture. Augustus banished his daughter Giulia here and also built a summer palace (ironically named Villa Giulia) complete with gardens, aqueducts, and you guessed it - an elaborate thermae system complete with the usual Roman tepidarium (warm room), caldarium (hot room), and frigidarium (cold room). Later during the Fascist regime, political opponents made prisoners including Altiero Spinelli, who wrote the Ventotene Manifesto, were dropped on the island, continuing the exilations into post Roman times. The island next door called Santo Stefano housed a massive prison complex (you can take a tour of it - bring water the people say!) and maybe also the baths of Giulia:
Below are my travel tips that are for paid subscribers only! It includes travel recs and reviews for Ponza, Ventotene, and my thoughts on QC Roma. Think about joining the SPA club <3
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