Roma - Day Three

It was another big day of exploring in the hot summer heat.  Rose and I ventured back to the Colosseum for an inside peek that also included a walk around the Forum and on Palatine Hill. Also known as Palatino, it is one of seven hills in Rome and guess what other city has the same amount of hills: Providence, Rhode Island!!!!!

We popped into a pub for a nice bite to eat at La Pace del cervello - pizza and salad - between touring the Colosseum and the Forum / Palantine Hill  Totally hit the spot. We were seated next to a couple of other travelers and we got to talking to Steve (from San Francisco) and Alejandro (from Denver).  We got to talking about recent Pride parade. We learned that they walked in it.  It was Alejandro's first parade and he loved being part of it.

After our day of exploring, we trudged back home to take a nice hot shower before heading out to dinner using the EatWith.com app. I learned about it through a post on the Rick Steves Travel Forum and I thought I would check it out.  What a fantastic experience it was!  Janice and Francesca were our hosts in their home for an authentic Italian meal.  It was outta of this world.  Janice's longtime friend, Pietro, was also a guest and kept us very entertained. We played some fun games and were gifted with jewelry that each of us will treasure. If you are traveling, I highly recommend you check out the service and when in Rome......be sure to check out Janice and Francesca's offer.

 

Be sure to check out all the photos - including images of all the dishes we enjoyed at Janice and Francesca's home!

Roma - Day Two

I am exhausted!  We made it into quite the day of sightseeing.  I woke up at 10 am - Italy time - which was 4 am Providence time.  Not too bad considering I usually wake up at 5 am back home.  I was able to stay up until 9 pm last night and after THIRTEEN HOURS of sleep, I felt pretty darn well rested. This was good because we embarked on an ambitious day of walking around the Eternal City.

It is my practice to journal each morning, which I did so with a cup of espresso by my side. I always sign up with Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case something funky is going on in the world that I need to know about.  It was super helpful in March 2020 when I was kind of freaking out over the rumored US border closing due to the pandemic.  I reached out to the office and got the actual scoop that settled me down. I also learned the very good news that I can reenter the US without taking a COVID test!  Of course, we already spent $200 on the necessary testing kit but now re-entering the country will not be such a hassle.

 

Today was a day of churches. Our taxi driver told us yesterday that there are 1800 churches and 4 basilicas in Rome but a quick google search reveals only about 900 of them.  Well, we visited just a few today:  Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli, and a couple of small ones. In one, the sun was shining in one window and served as a spotlight on a statue of Mary.

We climbed down the Spanish Steps and weaved our way over to the Trevi Fountain where hundreds of tourists were also convened. There were a couple of polizia working the unfortunate duty of keeping an eye on a few fools insistent on climbing parts of the fountain. Rose and I did toss our coins into the fountain, too!

We also climbed the many steps of the national monument, Altar of the Fatherland, also known as Vittoriano that provided a fantastic view of the Colosseum!

 

We headed out to pick up some food at the market and swung by The Forum and the Colosseum only to be surrounded by THOUSANDS of people celebrating Rome's Gay Pride parade.

 

 

All in all, it was a phenomenal day!  Tomorrow, we tour the Colosseum and check out a dinner through EatWith.com. Stay tuned!

To see all the photos and videos I took today, check out this album!

Roma - Day One

The start of our journey started out as lovely as it could get with dear friend, Susanna, driving us to Logan Airport in Boston on Thursday afternoon.  Traffic was not too bad and getting through security at the airport was easy peasy.  

Our flight was jam packed but I was successful in changing our middle seats to our own window / aisle seats, which made the journey that much more enjoyable. We flew on Delta and what a nice experience!  For the first-time-since-COVID-flying experience, this was the way to do it.  Super comfortable, good food, free alcohol (although I passed on that offer due to often being dehydrated on flights), fantastic amenities, and attentive service. 

When we arrived in Rome, getting through customs was like, 'what customs?' - it was that easy.  The only snafu was with our ride to the air bnb (which is as darling as the pictures showcased - check out my video on my Instagram account that is a little tour of the place).  It seemed we were all set and asked to wait a few moments to wait for another rider.  Then, the driver comes out to tell us that his 'car is broken' and he will pay for our cab.  We learned from our cab driver that there is some funny business going on with companies subcontracting to others and people end up navigating issues.  In any event, we got to our place and had a very nice chat with the fellow who has only been a cab driver for a month. As I remember it, after he was treated for cancer, he decided to give this job a go.  He shared some heartbreaking insights about the healthcare system in Rome.  All the 'good' doctors move to Germany, the US, or other countries for better opportunities and no one sticks around. He shared that if his brother hadn't 'known a guy' (so Rhode Island!), he likely would have succumbed to his cancer. Our chat wasn't all doom and gloom but it was an interesting view from a local.  

  

Shortly after arriving at our place, our host greeted us to give us the keys, a tour of the space, and a lovely bottle of wine.  Sandro is married to the cousins who own this apartment. A very generous spirit and so welcoming.  We were thrilled to learn that the building repairs that would have had our windows covered with scaffolding had wrapped up before we arrived! Busting open all the windows to let in some of that Roman air before it got too hot, we unpacked to settle in and then ventured out to grab some groceries.  It was just a ten minute walk away and we picked up some necessities: salami, fruit, greens, etc.  Again, we experienced such generous spirits as I didn't know you have to weigh and tag your produce before coming to the register.  The very nice cashier lady ran all the way over to the produce section to do it for me!  When we picked up some prosciutto in the butcher shop, the very nice fellow explained that they don't use pounds, they use grams, so I ordered 20 slices - problem solved.  I expressed my gratitude to both of these folks for being gracious with this buffoon American.

After we got back into the apartment, we blew a fuse using too many things but both Rose and Sandro saved the day and we were back up and running with power. What a treat it was to sit in our kitchen to chow down on the bounty of goodness.  I cracked up the bottle of wine for just a few sips (note to self: not recommended when trying to outrun jet lag but the fully leaded espresso certainly helped). The food was delicious.  

We love our apartment and can't believe our luck in finding this place.  I am so looking forward to taking a shower and falling asleep in my home for the next two weeks.  The antiques and art are just perfect. The sky is so blue.  The colors are outstanding.

One of the best ways to deal with jet lag is to get your butt outside and take a walk, which is exactly what Rose and I did.  Our destination was the Colosseum, for just a peek since we are touring it in a couple of days.  It was a perfect way to meander and explore the nearby neighborhood.  We bumped into a nice British couple trying to figure out the street parking situation.  I hooked her up with Google Translate to help read the different signs and then we were on our merry way.  

As with any proper meander, I spied with my little eye a very interesting park, so of course we popped in for a look-see.  Parco del Celio is a former monastery located just a few blocks from our apartment:

"During the Middle Ages the monastery passed into different hands: from the Greek Basilian monks who fled the iconoclastic struggles, to the Benedictines in the first half of the 10th century AD, to finally reach the Camaldonese monks in 1573."

Of course, since it is quite warm here in Rome, we had to enjoy a gelato! As we approached our intended destination, Rose spotted a gelateria and we made a beeline to it.  I have been dreaming of a two gusti serving of the heavenly goodness: coconut and chocolate.  Rose enjoyed peach and dulce de leche.  We were not disappointed. It seemed quite fitting to spot a nearby building that looked as tasty as our treat.

We decided to make some fresh pasta at home tonight.  We are determined to stay up until at least 8 pm, hopefully 9 pm, to get on track with a new sleeping routine.  At the time of this writing, we have three hours to go.

 

To view all the photos I took today, check out this photo album!

Ciao!

Dennise

 

Countdown: Quattro!

At the time of the writing of this post, I am just four goddess-willing days away from flying on a jet plane to Rome, Italy so I can rewrite my own Italian story.

My first / last visit to Italia was 17 years ago when I traveled to the country for my honeymoon.  Although I was in gorgeous Tuscany for a month's time, let me just jump to the punch line: the marriage did not last a lifetime. It was a stressful time while abroad on this Grand Tour amidst perfect wine, mind-blowing history, and picture-perfect foods.  I was navigating mild depression and feeling very unhappy.  Plus, I was pretty much doing the sole parenting of our then 18 month old toddler.  Fortunately, there were several others staying at the villa and I had some support. But the experience didn't inspire anymore big traveling for me again for over a decade.  It was in 2016 I ventured to Montreal to bring in 2017 when my true blue travel bug bit and then there was no looking back!

Fast forward to the present.  My darling daughter and I have been hoping to take a trip to Europe since 2018 or so but for many reasons - including the obvious one - it kept getting delayed, so when the world started to open up again, I suggested we take a trip to celebrate a major milestone in her life: her high school graduation.

Well, that idea was not with out some stress because the darling daughter let her passport lapse and I sadly booked a trip to Italy without her. I recruited my buddy, Rose, to join me for a portion of the trip and set about coordinating the details for the journey.

Planning the trip, especially in relation to the destination, has brought up a whole mess of feelings: excitement, anxiety, frustration - just to name a few.  I find this interesting because I have traveled to several places outside of the US over the past few years without experiencing any stress. Planning a month-long trip to a foreign country is quite the undertaking and I was determined to make this dream come true. I realized that the fact that this is my first journey since the pandemic and to a location that has some negative memories associated with it, it was no wonder all these not-so-hot feelings were coming up for me. After Rose's weeklong visit, I am to live in Italy for another three weeks, all by myself.  Me. Living in another country for a total of one month. Am I out of my mind?!  I don't speak or understand Italian.  Thank goodness for Google translate, yes?

Because it is a big trip, I am working with a travel agency, Connecting Hearts Travel. So many moving parts amidst so many people who also had the same idea as I did to travel to Europe this summer. The moment you would find a suitable Air Bnb, it was gone within minutes, so as soon as I found places to stay, I booked them, Danno.

Hawaii Five O Jack Lord GIFfrom Hawaii Five O GIFs

My first two weeks will be in Rome.  Rose will be with me for Week 1. Lila will arriving Week 2 and will be traveling with me for the rest of my stay there.  As it turned out, the  passport folks got her renewal to her in a matter of weeks (!). I found a sweet apartment to stay in. It is just a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum. 

"The apartment has been part of our family since 1942 when, during the war, our grandparents and parents arrived in Rome. Uninhabited for a few years, after several events my cousin Monica and I decided to renovate it completely to give it a taste of the past by dedicating it to our grandmother of Sorrento."

Rose and I will be hitting all the spots during her 7 day visit: The Colosseum, Vatican City / Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's, The Pantheon - just to name a few. It will be a whirlwind of tourist-saturated, daily excursions but we also have a few 'off the beaten path' destinations to check out as well. A new friend has us going on a mission to visit her Italian friends from her days of living there with her family for 5 years. Of course, I have no intention of trying to see all of the Eternal City in two week's time, so the last few days upon Lila's arrival will be low key meandering around our neighborhood.

The two of us will hop on a train bound for Firenze (aka Florence) for a weeklong visit. We will be staying in a quaint apartment a few blocks from the train station. I may not book visits at the obvious places because I just want to walk around and explore with Lila.

The final leg of this Grand Tour will have us in the northern part of Italy. I'll be staying in Clusone, which is east of Milan. There I will be spending some time with a couple of professional colleagues before I head back home to the U.S.

It is going to be an epic adventure, no doubt. I plan to prepare a few blog posts to share a few of those adventures.

Ciao!

A woman, an idea, and a dream starts to come true

When I was little, I would dream about living and managing a motel.  To be honest, I think I read about the story of a girl my age who lived at a motel with her family and I was intrigued by her experiences.

Fast forward to the future.  I live a life of service in many areas of my life ranging from my relationships, to my business, to serving the community.  Helping others is something that I like to do and yet, I never thought to pursue a career in hospitality. I have no idea why not because it is something that always comes to mind.

In March 2020, I visited Spain with a friend of mine almost moments before the pandemic hit the world hard.  During our visit, we shared with one another our dreams: I wanted to manage an inn and she wanted to own one.  A match made in bed & breakfast heaven!

Granted, starting a new business in hospitality may not be the best idea with so many unknowns lurking about (i.e. COVID-19 and a looming presidential election) but if you can't dream now, when can you dream?

My pal put a bid in on a property last week and it looks very likely it is 'a go'.  Yesterday, we talked about vision and next steps.  The future.  It feels a bit whirlwind because it kind of is, but sometimes you have to jump onto the merry-go-round and hold on for dear life with a smile as big as Texas on your face.

As things move forward, I will keep you posted right here on this blog.  My job for this project is capturing the details of the journey to share the story with our future guests.  This is a dream that is coming into reality and I am both thrilled and feeling a bit anxious.

Stay tuned!

Never Stop Dreaming GIF from Neverstopdreaming GIFs

The Trifecta of Thrilling Truths

I have some extra time on my hands these days because I am not gallivanting around town so much due to the pandemic.  I am not sure when I will be able to resume my shenanigans of checking out festivals and arts, but I do know that I am figuring out a new way to explore.  Exploring is one of the most important life experiences I enjoy.

In my daily writing, I enjoyed a 'ah ha!' moment of sorts: figuring out what makes a happy day for me.  I came up with three things that when experienced, I can tag as a banner day:

• Learning
• Laughter
• Love

If I have the opportunity to learn at least one thing over the course of the day, I'm good.  Imagine my joy when it is chock full of new knowledge!  Just the other day on my Daytripping with Denny K outing to Woonsocket, I learned a whole mess of things in just one part of the Ocean State (aka Rhode Island).  Imagine my excitement when I think about the other 38 cities and towns in the state to explore!

Who doesn't like a good laugh out loud moment?  Whether it is watching one of my favorite shows on PBS Rhode Island - The Durrells in Corfu - or scrolling through some silly animal posts on Instagam, I just a good guffaw like the next guy.

Lastly, love.  I get to feel it everyday of my life.  It could be a pleasant exchange with someone at the park (from six feet away, of course!) or a text from a friend.  An exchange of well wishes and care fills my heart to an almost bursting level.

What are your three thrilling truths?  

Another lesson learned that helps me when I am in pickle is the following question:  Will I regret doing it or not regret doing it?  That simple question has helped me figure out some important decisions.

So, here is a bit of a homework assignment for you: go out and learn something.  Try looking up Rupi Kaur, find out what a amphisbaena is, and who makes THE BEST chocolate in the world (hint: it doesn't start with an "H").

And, try not to laugh watching this funny cat video! Oh, and why not send a little love text to a special someone, just because.  I'm telling you, your day will be amazing!