Run Lori Run!

Cinque Terre

Hello gorgeous!  Is this a beautiful place or what?  This is the inland view from the apartment we rented in Riomaggiore. And this is the view to the other side, our balcony looked out over the Mediterranean's Gulf of Genoa and it was more than perfect.

We visited in December and look how beautiful the weather was! It was sunny the whole time and there were even some crazy French people out swimming...

Riomaggiore, which dates from the early 13th century, is the southernmost village of the five Cinque Terre, all connected by trail. The water and mountainside have been declared national parks.

The town is literally vertical and people carve their places into the side of the mountain-- citrus trees, gardens, vinyards.

Multiple times a day we took a maze of stairways to get from the town's main drag to our apartment. That is a lot of stairs ...and no elevators!

The Via dell'Amore or The Way of Love, is a path connecting Riomaggiore to it's neighbor, Manarola and is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area. 

After World War II, the trail was renovated and became known as a meeting point for the boys and girls from the two towns. A journalist, who noticed all the amorous graffiti along the path, coined the trail’s name: Via dell’Amore. 

Some tourists are put off by the graffiti that covers the trail but it's just part of the history and charm of the lovers’ lane.

Closing a padlock with your lover onto a cable or railing at a lovey-dovey spot—often a bridge—is the current craze in Italy, having been re-popularized by a teen novel. And to profit from this, the hardware store in Riomaggiore sells these locks.

The owner of our apartment met us at the train station and offered to take us on a little stroll to show us around. She met us that afternoon and then... proceeded to walk us over to the next town over! And she has grand children. And she was in heels.  

It was a lovely walk and only further fortified my theory that all Italian woman are in better shape than me.  

She planned the walk perfectly because we ended up at Manarola as the sun was setting.

Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. Manarola is known primarily for its fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned. 

Back to Riomaggiore...

The town of Vernazza wasn't accepting visitors due to the flood that destroyed the town last October so we took the train to Monterosso instead. 

It was beautiful but shocking to see how the flood devestated the town. 

The water in the region is amazingly clear and blue and unseasonably warm. But not warm enough for me to join the crazy, swimming French people.

We visited Manarola again on our last day and I took what I think might be my favorite photo from our time in Cinque Terre:

The sunsets here were so beautiful. The scenery amazing. And the food was out of this world too. And, because of our exhuastive research on tiramisu, we learned that Riomaggiore has the best!

It is so hard to rank our experiences in Italy but this was, by far, one of the best places we visited.  It was such a nice change from the hectic pace of Rome and Florence. 

I highly recommend it!

Watercolor Spring

The sun is finally shining, flowers blooming, lettuce sprouting in the garden... It was (briefly) like a haze had lifted and the colors finally shone through. 

Then it started raining again... Hey, it's Portland, what do you expect?

So I've taken up watercolor painting!  As with most things, I should probably take a class to learn how to do it right, but instead I wing it.

Works for me...

This is a painting I did for my brother's birthday, based on many of my photos from Italy. Can you tell I'm ready to go back?  

Beautiful Siena

Hello, is this not the picture of Italian quaintness or what? Complete with santa repelling down the building...

As a day trip from Florence we took the train to Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. 

Photo credit
The medieval Siena Cathedral (Duomo) dates from the 13th century. The exterior and interior are constructed of striking white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes. And yes, all of the cathedrals started to blur together but I never tired of seeing them! Isn't this Duomo gorgeous?

During the 10th and 11th centuries walls were built to totally surround the city, and a second set was finished by the end of the 13th century. Amazingly, many of these walls still exist today.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is the oldest surviving bank in the world. Founded in 1472 it is still operating today with approximately 3,000 branches in Italy.

Statue of Sallustio Bandini outside the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. 

Siena was gorgeous, small, uncrowded and quaint.  We loved it.  However, this was about the time that Bert got sick and he was like a walking zombie, barely able to enjoy the sites.

The streets were narrow and, like Florence, people were out and about all day long.

Why is someone's hanging laundry more photo-worthy in Italy?

Siena is famous for its medieval cityscape and has been divided into wards since medieval times. Each ward (contrada) is represented by an animal or mascot and has its own boundary and distinct identity. Ward rivalries are most rampant during the the Palio, an insane horse race held here twice yearly in the Piazza del Campo. (If you're not squimish there are many youtube videos to watch the race but too many horse crashes for my taste!)

These hills were a workout!

 This was by far the best pizza I have ever eaten!

So there is Siena in a nutshell!  Next up Cinque Terre!

More Florence

So this is my last post on Florence.....sigh.....but then we're on to Siena ~ yay!

Isn't the Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge") beautiful? 

We learned that there have been shops on the Ponte Vecchio since the 13^th century! Initially there were all types of shops located here-- butchers, fishmongers and tanners--but together they created a bit of a stench so in 1593, it was proclaimed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could have their stores on the bridge.  We visited the bridge on Christmas day so the shops were closed but it was still a bustling, busy day with people everywhere.

View of the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi Gallery.

The Uffizi gallery is one of the most important and most famous art galleries in the world. And we were there! Luckily we had tickets for another skip-the-line guided tour because we heard that in the high-season the lines can be up to five hours long. Yikes!

Paired portraits (c. 1472) of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza Piero della Francesca.

The Uffizi gallery was built in 1581, under the request of Granduca Francisco de’ Medici. The original design was that of Giorgio Vasari, one of the leading painters and architects of the 15th century. The space brought together under one roof the administrative offices ("uffizi" ="offices") for the Florentine magistrates, the Tribunal and the state archive. 

The Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci.

Over the years, parts of the palace evolved into a place to display many of the paintings and sculpture collected or commissioned by the Medici family. 

The Doni Tondo, sometimes called The Holy Family, is the earliest of only three surviving panel paintings by Michelangelo Buonarroti, and the only one to be finished.

The Uffizi gallery had been open to visitors by request since the sixteenth century, but in 1765 it was officially opened to the public.

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, Beanie's favorite painting.

Replica of Michelangelo's David in the Piazza della Signoria

Michelangelo's David was created between 1501 and 1504 and is currently housed inside the Accademia Gallery. We weren't allowed to take any photos- flash or no flash- and they made that quite clear. But it was odd because there were plenty of security guards on hand whose only job appeared to be yelling at people for taking photos of the David. 

Giambologna's The Rape of the Sabine Women in the Piazza della Signoria

Benvenuto Cellini's statue Perseus With the Head of Medusa in the Piazza della Signoria

This is the 13th century location of Dante Alighieri's birthplace and around the corner is Dante’s Church.  The church itself actually preceeded the poet by many years but he did in fact worship there. It's one of the oldest churches in the city dating from 1032!

As a child in 1274 Dante first saw Beatrice Portinari, the woman who would become the love of his life. But they were never destined to be together, both marrying other people. Still, Beatrice remained the subject of many of his poems and was cast as the heroine of his Divine Comedy in which Dante called her the ‘True glory of God.’ Beatrice and her nurse are both buried in this church and often next to her tomb you will see flowers and notes with messages to Beatrice written by lovers who, like Beatrice and Dante, are unable to be together.

The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the burial place of some of the most famous Italians and features sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his students.

The original structure was built in the 1200s and the building's design reflects the simple, austere approach of the Franciscans. The Gothic marble facade was added in the mid-1800s by a Jewish architect named Niccolo Matas who incorporated a prominent Star of David into the composition.

It is the largest Franciscan church in the world and legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. 

Machiavelli died in 1527. The epitaph honoring him, in latin, reads: "So great a name (has) no adequate praise."

Michelangelo died in Rome at the age of 88 and his body was brought to the Basilica of Santa Croce, fulfilling his last request to be buried in his beloved Tuscany.

Such was not the case for Dante Alighieri.  He was exiled from Florence after taking a stand against the Catholic church's interference in Florentine daily life. He was sentenced to pay a fine and to serve a two-years exile but he didn’t pay the fine and was therefore sentenced to death.  He lived various places including Ravenna where he died in 1321 at the age of 56. Eventually Florence came to regret Dante's exile but requests to return his remains to Florence were refused. Nevertheless, in 1829 the tomb above was constructed but remains empty.

Galileo Galilei is considered the Father of Modern Science.  He, like Dante, ticked off the Catholic church and therefore was tried by the Inquisition, found "vehemently suspect of heresy", forced to recant, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. He died in 1642, at the age of 77. 

Leaving the Basilica di Santa Croce.

Skinny Italian Santa. 

You're just walking down the street in Florence, minding your own business...and then BOOM! The Duomo is right there in front of you!  I never tired of seeing bits of the cathedral peeking out from behind the buildings in Florence.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the cathedral church of Florence. The Duomo, as it is usually called, was begun in 1296 and construction lasted 170 years, the collective efforts of several generations. It was engineered in the Gothic style of Arnolfo di Cambio who was also architect of the church of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. The dome was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

photo credit

The cathedral complex, including the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile, is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The view from our apartment!

The huge dome is the iconic image of Florence and Filippo Brunelleschi's raising of this dome, the largest in the world in its time, was no easy architectural feat. He invented hoisting machines and lewissons for lifting the 37,000 tons of material, including over 4 million bricks.

At the base of the dome, just above the drum, Baccio d'Agnolo began adding a balcony in 1507. One of the eight sides was finished by 1515, when someone asked the great Michelangelo what he thought of it. The master reportedly scoffed, "It looks like a cricket cage." Work was immediately halted, and to this day the other seven sides remain rough brick. 

Santa Reparata was the old cathedral of Florence until 1412, when it was replaced with the current building of Santa Maria del Fiore. And luckily you are able to go beneath the Duomo to see these amazing relics.

There is even evidence that there were buildings present before Santa Reparata,  dating back to around 780.

So, in a nutshell, Florence amazed us. It exhausted us. It inspired us.

The city was decorated so beautifully, it was a magical place to be for Christmas.

Our condo was perfect. The food was excellent, the brioche were amazing, and the gelato here was so awesome we had it daily.  

And I wasn't sure if taking a 12 year-old on such an expensive vacation was a good idea, I mean would she really care if were were in a 13th century church?  Would she rack up a $200,000 phone bill from texting without an international calling plan?  But, alas, she raved about the art. She drew everyday. She loved the food. And after awhile she admitted she didn't even miss texting her friends!

Mission accomplished.

Bits of Rome

Okay this is my last Rome post and then we're on to Florence- are you with me?!

There is so much to love about Rome: lofty domed buildings, classical architecture with tile roofs, colorful shutters and bits of greenery tucked into every corner. Yes, the things they say about Rome are true-- it is fast, loud, big, and in some places dirty, gritty, and riddled with graffiti but there still is warmth, light, color, depth--there is beauty everywhere. 

Rome has a definite energy and fast pace but one perk of getting to know my camera over the last year is that I now have a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing the world. Slowing down a bit can bring to light beauty in details I might have overlooked in the past.

I think I must have taken hundreds of photos of windows and doorways!

                                                                                                             Don't you just want to peek inside this window?

During the Renaissance it was Roman custom to build elaborate fountains at the endpoints of aqueducts that brought water to Rome. The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. 

Monument to Victor Emanuel II who was king of Sardinia and then became the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878. 


There was never a shortage of opportunities to take interesting photos-- people, food, architecture. I was in heaven. 

The Colosseum is the largest colosseum ever built in the Roman empire and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus. 

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiator contests, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology.

During the games, people from all walks of life crowded together in this noisy and chaotic amphitheater. Besides amusing themselves with gambling and games, spectators sometimes prepared and cooked food, played music, applied make-up, and even scratched graffiti on to the walls and steps of the seating area.

And showcased inside the museum area, along with these slabs of graffiti, are ivory combs, hair-pins, dice, chicken bones, tooth picks, peach pits-- illustrating how everyday people spent their time while watching the games at the Colosseum. So cool!

From the Colosseum we moved on to the Arch of Constantine and then on to Palatine Hill.

The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. Recent excavations show that people have lived there since approximately 1000 BC! It stands 40 meters above the Roman Forum on one side, and the Circus Maximus on the other.

According to Roman mythology the Palatine Hill was the location of the cave where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf who kept them alive. Rome is named after the brother Romulus. 

The Domus Augustana, built by emperor Domitian, was the emperor's luxurious private residence. The Domus Flavia was the official part of the palace in which emissaries might be received or state banquets might be held. 

Also part of Domitian's palace, was this open area known as the Stadium of Domitian. Opinions are divided on if this was a stadium for exercising horses or merely a large garden. 

Original walls of the Cryptoporticus of Emperor Nero.

Original fresco in the recently discovered primary residence of Rome's first Emperor, Caesar Augustus (63 BC -14 AD). 

Archaeologists discovered remains of an early settlement, reputedly the dwelling of the legendary founder and first king of Rome, Romulus (771-717 BC).   

The Forum was the city's chief public square, and served as a market and meeting place. It was surrounded by monumental buildings, including temples, the senate chamber, a treasury, and a prison. It also contained arostrum, or platform, for public speakers.

1.Curia  2.Arch of Septimius Severus  3.Rostra  4.Temple of Vespasian  5.Via Sacra   6.Temple of Saturn   7.Colonna di Foca   8. Basillica Iulia  9.Basilica Emilia  10.Temple of Julius Caesar 11.Temple of Vestals  12. Temple of Castor  13.Church of S. Maria Antiqua   14.Temple of Agustus  15.Temple of Antonius and Faustina  16.Temple of Romolus   17.Temple of Venus and Rome 18. House of Vestals  19.Basilica di Maxentius   20.The Colosseum   21.Arch of Titus    22.Palatine

 

    Arch of Septimius Severus

The temple of Castor and Pollux

The Temple of Saturn, a tribute to the god of agriculture, stands at the foot of the  Capitoline Hill. It was originally erected in 497 BC and later rebuilt between 360 and 380 AD (as recorded in the inscription on the facade: "Destroyed by fire; restored by the Senate and people of Rome"). It served as the public treasury and was the focus of the popular December festival of Saturnalia.

The House of Vestal Virgins : the Vestals were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. These girls/women had the prestigious duty of guarding the temple of Vesta and keeping its sacred eternal flame burning. 

Their house was located just behind the once circular Temple of Vesta.

Temple of Romulus

Original walls, Temple of Romulus

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina under construction...

Basilica of Maxentius

So much history in one city. So much beauty. So many scooters....

So many photo opportunities!

I will be back.....

The Vatican and Saint Peter's Basilica

Regardless of your personal religious beliefs, Vatican City is well worth the time, energy, and sore feet. This was easily one of the most amazing places I have ever visited! One tip however: we chose the skip-the-line-guided-tour route and that was the best money we spent.  We arrived bright an early, skipped the long lines and had a great tour guide.  She kept saying how she had never been in the Vatican with so few people in it.

Vatican City is a walled enclave within Rome. It has an area of about 110 acres and a population of just over 800, making Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.

            The Belvedere courtyard, designed by Donato Bramante from 1506 onwards.

The Belvedere courtyard was a major architectural work of the High Renaissance which influenced courtyard design throughout Western Europe for centuries.

          The Colossal Head of Augustus inside the courtyard.

And in case you really didn't think it was colossal...

 

 

Today the lowest terrace is still called the Cortile del Belvedere but the separated upper terrace is called the Cortile della Pigna because of the large Roman bronze pinecone, once a fountain, positioned in front of the niche.

Egyptian Lion statue beside the pinecone thingie.

Huge metal sphere thingie by contemporary artist A. Pomodoro

Sarcophagus of Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine I

Pope Julius II founded the Vatican Museums in the early 16th century and can trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago:

The Laocoon sculpture which we did not actually see but now know is one of the most famous sculptures in the museum. D'oh!

The sculpture of Laocoön, the priest who, according to Greek mythology, tried to convince the people of ancient Troy not to accept the Greeks' "gift" of a hollow horse, was discovered in 1506, in a local vineyard. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo to examine the discovery and upon their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner and placed it on public display at the Vatican.

                                           Artemis statue (we actually did see this one!) in the Gallery of the Candelabra

The Gallery of the Candelabra housed many, many cool sculptures, some dating from 3rd century BC.

              Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana.

So in the midst of all these amazing sculptures, the artwork on the walls and ceilings can be overshadowed. The Gallery was restored by Pope Leo XIII in 1883-7 and he commissioned the German artist Ludwig Seitz (1844-1908) to do some of the frescoes on the ceiling and walls.

“With the grace of God and the effort of will we obtain the excellence of virtue”. 

Seitz, a German artist born in Rome, is responsible for the longest and most important series on the ceiling.The paintings are all derived from the ideas of Pope Leo XIII and his affinity for philosopher and theologian St Thomas Aquina.

In the middle of the ceiling, St Thomas is shown kneeling and offering his works to the Roman Catholic Church. Aristotle (representing Human Reason) is shown strengthened by the works of Aquinas.

         Est rosarium præcipue implorando matris dei patrocinio adversus hostes catholici nominis institutum 

                    Faith and Reason United, with St Thomas Aquinas teaching in the background. 

         Pope Leo III himself

The Gallery of Maps  was commissioned in 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII and contains a series of painted topographical maps of Italy based on drawings by friar and geographer Ignazio Danti.   

Notice how few people are inside with us. This is what is usually looks like:

                             photo credit

The gallery takes its name from the 40 maps frescoed on the walls, which represent the Italian regions and the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585). 

I think this was in the Gallery of Maps...

Raphael's rooms form a suite of four reception rooms, the public part of the papal apartments. They were originally intended as a suite of apartments for Pope Julius II. It was possibly Julius' intent to outshine the apartments of his predecessor (and rival) Pope Alexander VI, as the rooms are directly above Alexander's Borgia Apartment. 

1.)  Room of the Segnatura

Room of the Segnatura, this photo from wikipedia

The Room of the Segnatura contains Raphael’s most famous frescoes. Besides being the first work executed by the great artist in the Vatican they mark the beginning of the high Renaissance. Originally the room was used by Julius II as a library and private office and then later by Leo X as a small study and music room.

Within the Room of the Segnatura is Raphael’s the School of Athens,  one of his most famous works of art. Gathered are all the great thinkers and scientists of ancient Greece. Socrates is far left, in olive green. Leonardo Da Vinci is portrayed as Plato (pointing up) and Aristotle, next to him, is pointing down. 

 Michelangelo is Heraclitus:

And Raphael painted himself as Apelles in on the far right with a black beret:

2.) Room of Heliodorus

Room of Heliodorus, photo from wikipedia 

Room of Heliodorus: The Deliverance of Saint Peter 

Room of Heliodorus, ceiling

3.) Room of the Fire in the Borgo 

Room of Fire in the Borgo,  photo from wikipedia

At the time of Pope Leo X (1513 to1521) the Fire in the Borgo room was used as a dining room and the task of frescoing the walls was assigned to Raphael who entrusted a large part of the work to his students. 

               The Fire in the Borgo

The fire in the borgo, ceiling
 

4.) Room of Constantine 

The Room of Constantine, which takes its name from Constantine (306-337 AD), the first Christian emperor to officially recognize the Christian faith.

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Room of Constantine, ceiling

Room of Constantine

Detail from the ceiling of the Room of Constantine

Well, we weren't allowed to take photos of the Sistine Chapel, so you'll just have to trust me when I tell you it was breathtaking. 

The Borgia Apartment was adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI and  the paintings and frescoes (1492 and 1494) inside celebrated the supposedly divine origins of the Borgias.

Original blue Spanish tiles from the Borgia period.

                      Saint Gregory the Illuminator

In the Middle Ages pilgrims who reached Rome, touched and kissed the foot of this statue of St. Peter  and asked that he be merciful and open the gates of heaven for them if they died during their pilgrimage.  Some scholars have attributed it to Arnolfo di Cambio (1245-1302). (You can see these feet has seen some action- they're worn thin!)

                                        "Santa Veronica Ierosolymitana" which means "Saint Veronica of Jerusalem".

As the story goes, St. Veronica was in the crowds that lined the streets as Jesus, carrying his cross, made his way to Calvary.  Veronica broke through the soldiers and managed to wipe his face with her veil and when she looked at it afterwards, the face of Christ was miraculously imprinted on the veil.

Saint Peter's Basilica (1506-1626) is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter.  He was, of course, one of the twelve apostles but also, according to tradition, the first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.

Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. Bert keeps telling people that you could fly a Cessna inside there and it's true. The thing is huge! And let me tell you if you want to get a view like this one it'll almost kill you.

To get to the top of the dome you can take the stairs (all 491 of them) or an elevator part way and then only take 320 steps.  We opted for the latter thinking, sure, we're fit...

Not.

In some spots, the spiral staircase is so narrow and slanted that there’s only room for one person at a time to climb. There are people in front of you and a 75 year old lady right behind you breathing down your neck and there's no place to step aside and rest if you're having heart palpitations like me.  AND it was the perfect time to polish all the brass in the building creating some scary fumes...

But at least I lived to see the view!

The Vatican Gardens account for more than half of the Vatican's territory. Established during the Renaissance and Baroque era, they are decorated with fountains and sculptures. The gardens date back to medieval times when orchards and vineyards extended to the north of the palace.

Swiss Guards in their traditional uniform

And as we left we had to get the obligatory shot of the Swiss Guard! They must get sick of goofy tourists taking their picture. 

Popes recruited Swiss mercenaries as part of an army, the Pontifical Swiss Guard , which was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506. As the personal bodyguards of the Pope, all recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males between the ages of 19 and 30 with Swiss citizenship who have completed their training with the Swiss Army with certificates of good conduct, and be at least 5' 9" in height. I just wonder about those outfits...

Well, you have weathered the longest post evah. You stuck it out. You saw it through. And we're not even through my Rome photos yet!

Foodies In Rome

I like to eat. So let's just put that out there.

My brother is a chef and his one goal on our Italian vacation was to eat as much good food and drink as much good wine as possible.  I signed up for that immediately.

Beanie is a carb addict at the ripe old age of 12 and was excited to consume her top three foods with reckless abandon: bread, pasta and Nutella. And Brandi is a woman after my own heart- she was game for any restaurant, any kind of food at any time. I love her.

And then we get to Bert. Bert is a mutant and would be happy eating ramen noodles every night for the rest of his life.

I don't like to talk about it.

So we started our vacation in Rome- 5 days. And these photos just can't do it justice. Look at how beautiful these sandwiches are!  

And by the way, you should have seen the eye rolling I got from the men in our party, "Hold on guys, Lori's gotta take her 537th photo of gelato...."

Yes, the gelato was very photogenic.

And cute shop-fronts, quaint restaurants...

Bars (for coffee not beer), pizzerias and gelaterias are everywhere...

We ate our weight in pizza, I believe, and most was excellent. Generally, if we were in a nicer restaurant the pizza was well worth it. And the toppings were wonderful- anchovies, ham, fresh basil and the quattro formaggi- which was an artery clogger- was sooooooooo delicious!

I may have to buy a red check table cloth...

Did I mention that we had beautifully DRY weather for 98% of our glorious Italian vacation? And dining outside (with a heater of course) provided some great opportunities for people watching!

And did I mention that Italians apparently don't get sick of eating Italian food every day.

There isn't the culinary variety that we take for granted over here. We did see a couple of Chinese restaurants and an Irish Pub but mostly you have small neighborhood restaurants serving fresh pasta, beautiful salads and pizza. (I am spoiled by my beloved Portland: Mexican, Thai, Sushi, Middle Eastern food--and Italian-- all in my neighborhood!)

Food presentation is big here.  This is the little shop beside our condo with its meats and cheeses displayed so beautifully.  The pastries always looked gorgeous, the gelato was piled high and the holiday candy and bakery displays were amazing.  

Next up: the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum in Rome. Brace yourself.

Forty

                              Beanie, me, my brother Justin, Brandi (Bean's sister) and my husband Bert

Today is my birthday.  My fortieth. 

Four. Tee.

Truth be told it has taken me several months to adjust to the word "forty". Why is that? Why is it that my big birthdays- my 30th and 40th- were a bit harder to swallow but birthday 39 was just a walk in the park? Why is it on these birthdays we step back and look our lives and take stock: what should I have accomplished by the age of 40? 

“WHAT I DO TODAY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I AM EXCHANGING A DAY OF MY LIFE FOR IT.” –HUGH MULLIGAN

I googled "bucket list" and man, people have some odd ideas of things they *must* do before the kick the bucket. I have no desire to scuba dive, go to Burning Man or own a Capuchin monkey... but here is my list:

1. Italy
2. Learn to play chess 
3. Learn French
4. Be a good parent. Successfully raise a teenager. (work in progress)
5. Sea kayak in Alaska
6. Go white water rafting
7. Bungee jump
8. Ride a jet ski (well I rode on the back of one, does that count?)
9. Machu Picchu – Cuzco, Peru
10. Killer whale watching in the San Juan Islands
11. Drive across America, coast to coast
12. Try crazy bug food in Asia
13. Celebrate Chinese New Year in China
14. Ride in a helicopter
15. Santa Fe New Mexico
16. Feel an earthquake
17. Yellowstone National Park
18. Get another tattoo 
19. Grand Tetons National Park
20. Yosemite National Park
21. Glacier National Park
22. See a professional tennis match
23. See a professional baseball game
24. See a professional football game
25. See a professional basketball game
26. Switzerland
27. Visit The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand
28. Hike on a glacier
29. San Francisco, California
30. Key West Florida
31. Pyramids and Sphinx – Cairo, Egypt
32. Australia
33. Nepal/Tibet
34. Grand Canyon 
35. Las Vegas, Nevada
36. London, England
37. Redwoods
38. Guggenheim Museum – New York
39. Walt Disney World – Orlando, Florida
40. Maui, Hawaii
41. Spain
42. Amazon Jungle – Peru/Bolivia/Colombia/Brazil/Ecuador
43. India
44. Chichen Itza – Mexico
45. Athens, Greece
46. Niagara Falls – New York
47. Day of the Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
48. New Orleans, Louisiana
49. Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany
50. Take a photography class

And since I have so many culinary aspirations I decided to come up with a culinary bucket list as well:

1. Homemade bagels
2. Pok Pok's Pad Thai
3. Decent cinnamon rolls
4. Banh Mi sandwiches
5. French Crepes
6. Nigella's Sticky Gingerbread
7. Tikka Masala
8. Triple Layer Salted Caramel Cake
9. Fresh pasta
10. Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole (yes indeedy)
11. Pizza a la Colleen
12. Real sourdough bread
13. Tortillas
14. Paella
15. Cioppino 
16. Homemade Yogurt
17. Thai shrimp salad rolls
18. Graham crackers
19. The cheesecake of all cheesecakes
20. Egg rolls

Today has been a lovely day. Went out to breakfast, saw the latest Sherlock Holmes movie, had ice cream for lunch, got Cold Play tickets (yahoo!) and this cookbook, bought some books, went out to dinner and now am crashing: new books + sugar coma = bliss.

Tomorrow I start a new decade.

Bring it.

Rome: Ten Rules

Rome was the first stop on our multi-city whirlwind tour of Italy.  And as you know, I am a planner and a list-maker so of course I did my research. And what can I say, Rome is a complicated place... At first I wanted to title this post, "Everything they say about Rome is true." But I don't want to lump Rome into one big stereotype. So I'll just say...... a lot of what they say about Rome is true!

Outside the Capitoline Museum

Rule #1: Drivers in Rome are insane.  

We learned this fairly quickly after we arrived. Enzo came to pick us up at the airport and drive us to our apartment.  And this is where we learned that:

• Lanes are merely suggestions for where one should drive one's car. 
• If there is room for your car then you may drive there even if it means crossing two lanes of traffic and cutting off a bus. Enzo drove smack dab in the middle of two lanes for the duration of our trip.
• There are huge intersections with no traffic signals, no lanes, no order and yet there are no crashes and no people leaning out their Fiat windows cursing at each other:

 

• You can park anywhere. Even if it isn't a real parking space. Even if your car is going the wrong direction.

photo credit

• Scooter drivers in Rome are even more insane. By virtue of owning a scooter it is perfectly legal to weave in and out of traffic and ignore all rules of the road.

Rule #2: Walk aggressively.

If you wait for some polite driver to let you cross a busy thoroughfare then you will wait a looooooooong time. You can spot newbie tourists stepping tentatively off the curb at busy intersections, trying not to get ran over by maniac scooter drivers.  But, alas, we were stepping out in front of double decker busses like the locals in no time.

Rule #3: Pay attention to your money.  

There are many ways to become separated from one's money in Rome and many people who will gladly separate you from it. Here's the scenario: we were excited- there are freakin' ancient ruins right next to the ice cream place- do you believe it?! There is a bright red Vespa scooter outside too- how quaint! We're eating gelato in Italy- woo hoo! Four gelatos later we were FIFTY DOLLARS lighter. Watch out for hidden charges and checks that aren't itemized. 

The Colosseum 

Rule #4: Everybody goes on strike.

Strikes usually occur a few times a month and, strangely enough, most are planned ahead of time. Everyone from garbage workers, taxi drivers, public transportation and, in our case, workers at the Colosseum. 

The Vatican

Rule #5: Rome is overwhelming.

Everything is big. Everything is old. Everything is fast. Pace yourself and trust me, don't forget to bring band-aids for all the blisters you're going to get.

Trevi Fountain

Gladiators waitng for their photo op at the Colosseum

Rule #6: Beware the pushy gladiator.

And the pushy scarf guy, rose guy, cheesy plastic lighted reindeer antler headband guy. It begins to feel like everyone wants to sell you something.

Rule # 7: Schedules are...flexible.

I don't know how many times we asked a shopkeeper/restaurant person/tour operator when they close and they said, "Ummmm....... about..... 4:15." Not 4pm. Not 4:30. Not even a confident, definitive declaration of, "4:15!" No, there is definite contemplation going on here. 

And schedules can be odd: we're closed Mondays, open 11-3 on Wednesdays, 9-4 on Thursdays, 10-2 on all other days. Except Saturdays.

Rule #8:  Everyone in Rome dresses better than you do. 

Wear black and you're doing okay.  Wear stiletto boots and you're doing much better. Wear black and stiletto boots and smoke and you'll pass as a local.

Rule #9: Don't go in the summer.  

I guess I can't officially tell you not to go in the summer because I went in December but I did hear from many a local that the crowds are much tamer in the winter months. Going in December definitely had its advantages but we lucked out- it only rained twice in our 17 days- not usual!

Rule #10: You'll either love it or hate it.

This I heard a lot so I was pretty prepared to hate Rome. "It's too crowded." "My wallet was pick pocketed." "I was almost ran over by a bus." 

But we actually liked Rome quite a bit. Being that it wasn't raining, there weren't scores of people everywhere and we didn't get anything stolen outright (not counting our overpriced gelato that should have come with a complimentary scooter for that price) All in all we had a great time!

p.s. I hope you don't expect anything other that Italy posts for the next month because I have about 1300 photos to go...

New Year's Resolutions: Take 39

Our recent trip to Italy has made me contemplate many things: 

• How do women in Italy walk effortlessly along cobblestone streets in high heels?
• How can I figure out a way to get paid to quit my job and do a comprehensive and exhaustive study of tiramisu?
• How can I incorporate more gelato into my life?

• Is there a height requirement to be a nun? Every nun we saw was 5 feet tall or shorter.

• What is the life expectancy of a person trying to cross a busy street in Rome?
• Would there be life without Nutella?
• Why aren't the city streets filled with overweight Italians? How could I have eaten, for the last 17 days, a brioche every morning, slice after slice of pizza, glorious amounts of gelato and more pasta than I have ever consumed at any point in my life and... I still LOST TWO POUNDS.

 Here are my observations:

• I walked my ass off.  We literally walked aaaaaaaaaaaall day. All day. If we weren't wandering around the city streets we were running to catch a bus. If we weren't on a walking tour we were running to make a train. 
• Every place we stayed had stairs. Not three steps up to the front porch, I'm talking 20-70 stairs up to each apartment. And you're walking up these stairs multiple times a day. And they are old steps, constructed ages ago when steps didn't need to be "to code"-- one step 8 inches, 1 step 11 inches, and the next butt burning step is 15 inches tall. Oh my Lord.
• You will not find Ranch dressing in Italy. Or Thousand Island, Creamy Italian, or Catalina. Italians use oil and vinegar. Period.
• There aren't fast food joints on every corner.  I saw a few McDonald's and one Burger King restaurant and, don't get me wrong, they were packed, but there were no Taco Bells, Arby's, or Jack in The Boxes everywhere.

So while I don't plan to continue to eat pizza and pasta every day (I actually found myself craving broccoli) here are my new year's resolutions:

1. Use my legs more and my car less.
2. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
3. No more store-bought salad dressing.
4. No fast food.
5. No more Nutella.
6. Buy a snazzy, red Vespa scooter.