Naples - Pizzeria da Michele

'You like pizza?' asked our taxi driver as he weaved between the harrowing roads of Naples, never for a moment breaking eye contact to glance at the road ahead, 'Si, it's why we are here' we answered. With that he screeched to a stop in the middle of the road, pointing down a nearby alley. 'Da Michele', he said, 'It is where you must go'. And so we did.

It turns out we had stumbled upon what is widely regarded as one of the best pizzerias in Naples, and the very same one that Julia Roberts eats at in Eat Pray Love. With a crowd of fast talking Italians and wide-eyed tourists outside jostling for a table, I had little doubt that we had found the right place.

As our number was called we were bustled into the restaurant, which seemed all the more authentic for its stark white walls, fluorescent lighting, and throw-away plastic cups. No menus, of course, so we ordered quattro margarita pizzas with extra mozarella, and quattro birra to match.

Of course the wait was excruciating. Just knowing you are about to eat what is possibly one of the best pizzas in the world is a concept that almost completely overwhelmed me.

And there it was; bubbling, gooey, charred, crispy, and traditionally soupy and soggy in the middle. This, this exact moment of pure happiness and gluttony, is why I went traveling.

It's so far off any other pizza I had ever had before. The dough, more like a naan than anything, was so soft there wasn't a chance of eating it in hand like a normal slice, so we hacked at it with our cutlery, using our hands to roll it up and clean the messy juices as we went.

The toppings were simple; a strong sweet tomato sauce, chewy bubbling mozarella and a small sprig of basil in the middle.

To quote Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love, who describes it much more aptly than I ever could: "I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return. I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair."

Sitting here writing this, now with a few more Neapolitan pizzas in my stomach, I can barely remember what a 'normal' pizza tastes like, but why would I want to? The days of stiff crusts and dry toppings are behind me (well, at least as long as I stay in Naples).

Travel Diaries- Melbourne

Melbourne is one of my FAVOURITE cities, and conveniently it's only a few hours across the ditch.

It has a great culture full of arty types and hipsters (NB: must wear cool clothes at all times, or clothes so uncool that they are ironically cool. Get ma drift?).

The first time I ventured to Melbourne was on a school design trip and it won my heart. I was lucky enough to be taken to art galleries such as the National Gallery of Victoria, Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) and the Centre for Contemporary Photography.

All of the galleries were amazing and I thoroughly recommend taking a shopping break to check them out, but- if you're not ready to commit to all three then at least check out whats on at the ACMI in Federation Square and I guarantee (well, hope) that you wont regret it. The last time I visited they were hosting the international Disney exhibition and I spent hours and hours wandering through a history of all of our favourite childhood cartoons. To me that was more beautiful than any painting!

The real reason I go to Melbourne however, is for the food. Food, glorious FOOD! From the bustling Queen Victoria Markets to the hidden rooftop bars and restaurants- Melbourne does food and they do it well. 

I've had some of my favourite meals in Melbourne, but I'll try and narrow it down to a few of my top picks....

Number 1 (and rightly so): Tucked away on Flinders Lane Chin Chin is a must-do for Thai food lovers. It's like a cross between Moo Chow Chow and heaven. Please go. 

Number 2: Mexican foodie paradise on Collins St Mama Sita had a line out the door for a reason.This is the place to go for fantastic authentic Mex with a trendy Melbourne hipster tapas style twist. The Sangria was good too they tell me. 

Number 3: I haven't been to Cookie in over a year so I hope it's as good as I remember. Great cocktails, fantastic fusion food and stumbling down the stairs distance from Rooftop Bar and Cinema.

Honorary mentions: 

The Croft Institute - a bar that needs to be seen to be believed. With its mental asylum theme it's not your usual watering hole. Hidden down one of the many alleyways in China Town this is notoriously difficult to find but well worth the adventure. 

Madame Brussels - Yeah yeah I know it's a bit touristy but it's still pretty freakin' awesome. With waiters dressed in sailor boy outfits and jugs of pink cocktails this is definitely one for a girls night out!

I hope these tips are helpful for anyone Melbourne bound! Go to a few of these places and you'll have a smile like my friend Liv here. Happy eating!

P.S. Photo's taken on my Lomography Diana F+ with B&W 35mm film