I have been offline for almost two months while we’ve been at home in the USA. Although the break from thinking about and writing this blog has been refreshing for me, I’m ready to return to the game and ready to get back to planes, trains, buses, and new adventures. This upcoming trip may be one of our best and most exciting ones yet, one with a deep dive into unfamiliar cultures, …
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Arrivederci a Roma!
I cannot say enough good things about Rome! To repeat an earlier phrase, Rome is a spectacular outdoor museum putting history, art, and beauty within the reach of ordinary people on ordinary days. It’s there all the time. All a person has to do is open their eyes. In the last twenty years, Italy has done a marvelous and deliberate job preserving its beautiful relics …
La Traviata, the Opera
On the often seen social media list of forty things you have done, Stan and I can now add “attended a live opera performance” to our list of “have-done.” After that, not too much on that list is left undone. What a life! What did we think after our first (and note, I did say …
Roman Day Trips
Isn’t the name Tivoli inviting? It’s worth a day trip, we thought. An easy one-hour train ride through pretty farmland and scenery in the Lazio district took us there. Soon after arriving, we recognized that this town is special. First, founded in 1215 BC, Tivoli is 500years older than Rome. These places in Italy are very old, Old Testament old. Just after leaving the …
Seeing more of Rome
A blast of arctic cold has swept through Europe, reaching Rome and going as far south as North Africa. In the far corners of our baggage with stuff we did not unpack at this apartment, we found our silk thermals, puffy vests, hats, and gloves. These items have accompanied us on many trips, mostly unused, but they came in handy now and then, especially early and late in the day. On some …
Thanksgiving in Rome
We wished each other a happy Thanksgiving when we woke up this morning. As we leisurely stayed in our warm bed, Stan and I let our minds wander home; home today and home many years ago. We spoke of all the busy-ness probably going on today: preparations, decorating, cooking, baking, and setting the table just right. And we recalled past happy Thanksgiving family gatherings, and sometimes Thanksgiving gatherings with friends away from home. In either case, each had tables laden with food, plates piled with food, …
Cooking Italian
Stan and I are always up to something. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves. We took an Italian cooking class yesterday and had a ball. We made tiramisu, ravioli, and fettuccine. Wow! Let’s say wow one more time. It was easy, especially with a good instructor and a pasta machine. I can’t wait to try it all again at home, the way an Italian Nonna would do it, sans the …
Rome in Photographs
This story will be told in photographs. This fantastic city needs very few words. Enjoy Rome with me.
Roma!
Ah Roma! What a picturesque city! The unique umbrella-topped, Mediterranean stone pine trees standing on a hill remind us we are in Rome. Striking stone buildings decorated with elaborate sculptures are on every corner. I find I must fight the urge to photograph every one of them! Impressive two-thousand-year-old ruins of old churches and temples, remnants of ancient city walls, …
Malta, Tiny Country in the Sea
Without a doubt, Sicily is the most endearing country we have visited yet. I cannot count the times people have asked us, “Of all your travels, what is your favorite?” That continues to be a complicated question for us. We’ve had amazing and educational experiences in what are often considered some of the world’s greatest …