When in Rome

​I’ve done extremely well with my pursuit of trying every spritz flavor in Italy. The Hugo spritz is currently in the lead.

I have also done very well with trying Roman foods. Caccio e Pepe is my new favorite meal. 

And I don’t drink coffee. Like ever, but give me a granita di caffè alla panna and I’ll be your best friend. Who needs Diet Dr Pepper when you can consume this concoction? 

Keagan has also mastered the art of Roman food. He ordered ox tail in a red tomato and carrot sauce. The waiter had him use gloves and a bib to protect his clothing. He said it was finger licking good and tasted like more.

We started our day at the UNESCO site of Hadrian’s castle where the Roman Emperor built a mausoleum for himself and his family.  It later served as the pope’s residence, a fortress, and now serves as a museum. 

This was a miss for me, but the boys seemed to be intrigued by the engineering and construction of the castle. The view from the top was stunning, though.

We also visited the Pantheon. It was free the last time we were there, but now people queue in long lines to buy tickets at an electronic kiosk. How things change and stay the same!

We walked over to the Trevi Fountain. Keagan said, “What in the world is this?” Come to think of it, I’m not sure I really know besides the fact it is an example of Baroque art and famous. I’m sure it served as a water source at one point. I urged him to toss a coin to ensure a returned trip to The Eternal City, and he said no coins were needed to make sure that happened. 

Then we walked just five more minutes to the Spanish Steps where we filled our water bottles with fresh water.

And then to the guys demise we walked 45 min to Vatican City where we toured the Vatican Museum. I can’t believe people come here and then stand in line to buy tickets. It was hours long - truly. The pictures don’t do the art in this museum justice. 

After hours on our feet, it was time for appertivo. I suggested we head to Piazza Navona to people watch and have a drink. Forty minutes later we arrived. The boys were not happy with more walking, but a couple of drinks later they forgot their sore feet. Keagan was hungry and ordered veal. It was too beautiful to eat!

The Roman plazas are bustling with people and activity, but I love the dark side streets and alleyways of Rome. The hidden boutiques, specialty shops, the flowers in bloom, the gelaterias, and the local trattorias are just so pretty.

The boys refused to walk another 40 min to the apartment, so we stood for 40 min waiting for a bus to take us back to Testaccio. We ended the evening with croissants and maritozzo alla panna.

Both were misses for me. I’ll stick to the gelato. We leave Rome tomorrow morning. I would love another day here, but other places are calling my name. I bet the boys are hoping these other places aren’t requiring 20,000 steps a day.

Andiamo a Rome

​Maybe it’s the oppressive heat. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep. Maybe it was the limoncello on an empty stomach. Whatever it is, I barely know what day it is, the time, or my name. 

But we made it to Rome! This is the courtyard of our AirB&B building. It’s so European and so pretty.

And this is one of the bedrooms. 

Each room has a mural of a famous painting.

I booked the apartment for early access, so as soon as we landed, we checked into our place. We agreed we would nap for only two hours, and no surprise, we all awoke to alarms in deep REM sleep. But we are refreshed, out of our travel clothes, and have the train app figured out; we are ready to conquer the day. 

We had reservations for a guided tour of Palatine Hill, The Forum, and The Colosseum. Without the guide, we would have had no idea what we were looking at, but almost three hours in the sun listening to a history lesson was a lot when you are tired, hungry, and more tired. And the crowds. I know four people in Italy right now. Did everyone come here for vacation this year?

It’s been 25 years since I was in Rome, but I’m looking at it like I have never seen it. A plus to getting old maybe. However, Palatine Hill was not seen on our last trip. The views from here are the best of the best. 

I don’t remember The Forum, the ancient market area. But again without a guide, the remnants of the ancient city would have meant very little. For example, I’d never know the “alter” is the place Julius Cesear was cremated. And we would have never understood how a menorah found its way on a Roman ruin (this arch was built to celebrate the Roman empire’s victory over the Jews in 70 AD).

And then the highlight of it all. Steps from the metro line; you literally walk out of the metro to this. The last time we were here you just walked in. Today you have to have reservations, security checks, and ticket check points.

Keagan loved this part of the tour.

After our tour, our feet were begging for a respite. I had taken note of a trattoria near a piazza where you can people watch and eat. We headed that way to find the piazza was the ancient grounds for chariot races and was the ending point for a military parade held June 2. The stage and scaffolding from the event were being dismantled; it didn’t have the aesthetic I had hoped for. But did I mention we were hungry and tired? We didn’t care about anything but food at that point in the day. We ordered pizza con pomeriggio e prosciutto. I tried the traditional Roman suffli, a fried rice ball, and was not impressed with either. I was very happy with my limoncello, though. I’m on a mission to try every variety of aperol spritz while on this trip; I have about eight to nine more varieties to try. 

We walked back to the apartment with two more stops in mind. Snacks and gelato. I found the “most popular Italian cookie” according to Instagram posts and was excited to try them. 

It’s no Chips Ahoy. It more closely resembles saw dust, not that I’ve eaten that but that is the texture I got from the cookie I ate. I’ll stick to the gelato. 

After only five or so hours, we accumulated more than 13000 steps. It’s time for sleep. The AC is turned down low - so low most Romans probably find it a sin - and we are ready for uninterrupted, no alarms, deep sleep.

Tomorrow we have another full day with gelato, spritzes, and site seeing on the agenda.

Spring is Here

​I love spring time when the yard turns green, the trees leaf, and the flowers bloom. This year spring arrived in January and it’s been beautiful since.

I thought I lost the clematis to the ice storm, but it’s stronger than ever.

I planted two more azaleas this color. They remind me of Easter at my great-grandmother’s house. I’m determined to have them in my yard and vow to keep them from burning up this summer.

I’m not sure where these wild daisies came from, but I’m loving them.

I deviated from my usual pink, and went with white and yellow this year in my planters. Giallo is my new favorite color.

The hearty salvia never disappoints.

I got the snowball bush for Mother’s Day four years ago, and I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t bloom. It occurred to me last year that they are always planted in twos and probably cross-pollinate. And I was right! This year’s big blooms are just what I wanted to see.

I love the purple periwinkles in the ivy. 

I always know summer is almost here when the irises bloom! 4.5 weeks but who’s counting?!?!

Any day now my peonies should bloom - the highlight of spring for me. 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! 

We started the day at church. The soon-to-be-doctor had to be reminded to wear dress socks with his slacks instead of athletic socks. Some things don’t change.

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This year I decided to take our annual pic in the backyard. We get outside, rushing to get the pic before the rolls burn, and the dog frantically starts digging up the hostas I planted yesterday. I’m fit to be tied! I yell for Wes to intervene, and Ryker pulls out a chicken! A dead chicken. Nothing says Easter like your dog proudly carrying a dead chicken in his mouth all around the yard. The neighbors love us.

But the rolls were perfect! The carrot cake was even better!!

Me Trip Day #4

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Yesterday was St Patrick’s Day and the college kids must have been out late drinking at the Irish bar because they didn’t arrive to the beach until noon. That was fine by me! The view was fantastic! The water was choppy today; the waves were bigger and louder than yesterday. It will make for great white noise when I sleep tonight! 

 

After a few hours on the beach, I took an Uber to Old San Juan for a history and food tour. My uber driver was fantastic! Besides telling me he thought I was 38 (looking for a tip no doubt), he let me practice my Spanish with him. Even when I used Italian words instead of Spanish, he told me my Spanish was perfect. 🤣

I had some of the best food and drinks on the tour: ceviche, gnocchi made from a yuca, mofongo, rice and beans, and tembleque. And I tried soursop juice for the first time. It’s hailed as a good food to fight cancer, but so was the guinea pig in Peru. I’m not sure I’m on board with either.

This drink was fantastic, but I downed two watermelon mojitos prior to being served this and missed its name. That mojito was singing my name tonight. I’m pretty sure it’s the local Don Q rum that I’m loving so much. 

But the best surprise was running into one of my current and favorite students on a side street! He was in shock. I was in shock! What are the chances?!?!

I love Old San Juan - the colors, the architecture, the blue cobblestone - but two cruise ships were in the port. The streets were crazy crowded.

Tomorrow I’m up early to catch a flight home. I’m always a bit sad to leave a vacation destination, but I’m really wishing I had one more day here. If TSA strikes in San Juan tomorrow, I won’t be sad one bit. This trip was everything I wanted except one day too short. Solo traveling is better than anticipated. It’s a solid 10/10!

Until next year!