Archive for the 'Travel' category

Pitigliano: Tuscany’s City Built of Tufo

Jan 29 2013 Published by under Travel

We had stopped by Saturnia and Sovana, but our final destination was the village of Pitigliano.

Perched on a rather perilous seeming cliff, the town is sometimes referred to as Italy’s Little Jerusalem. Though the synagoge is rarely in use, it has been turned into a lovely historical landmark.

The rocky village is worth a visit, full of twisting alleys, dark passage ways, friendly locals and delicious Tuscan home cooking to keep you warm even on rainy January days.

Plus, planters filled with kitties which is always sure to be a hit with me.

And an Ape in every shade!

If you want to book a trip, we stayed at Il Tufo Rosa, a comfortable home base with the bonus of delicious organic olive oil for sale downstairs. (Tufo is the kind of rock the city is built of).

We left Rome Saturday morning and were back by Sunday at 6 pm.  It was a brief road trip and possibly too short a time in Pitigliano, but it’s doable in two days.

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Saturnia Hot Springs

Jan 16 2013 Published by under Travel

After a great lunch in Sovana, we had earned a little R&R.  We piled back into our cinque cento, clown car style, and set off for the nearby village of Saturnia.

Exploring another Tuscan town was not the priority. Instead, we were on the hunt for thermal hot springs.

The Saturnia hot springs are in an idyllic little valley.  The source is located slightly farther upstream and a fancy spa has been built around it.  We were going for the eco-chic experience and headed for the outdoor pools.

The natural pools are gorgeous and located just below a little waterfall.

Unfortunately, the waterfall and the distance from the source, mean that in mid-January the water is not-so-hot.  More like the tepid terme, rather than hot springs.  Next time we might spring for the spa.

But the view really couldn’t be beat…

Just follow the signs to Saturnia, and then the brown signs with the spring icon.  There is free parking heading down hill towards the springs.

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Sovana, Southern Tuscany

Jan 13 2013 Published by under Travel

With a New Year’s resolution to make the most of our time in Italy, a few friends and I hatched a plan to get out of Rome for the weekend. One of my colleagues is from the southwest corner of Tuscany, so that seemed like a good place to start.

We picked up our rental car and found ourselves in Sovana, 2.5 hours later.

Sovana has one main street that leads from the Cathedral at one end, to the ruins of a palazzo at the other.

The town’s claim to fame is that it was the birth place of Pope Gregory VII, who died in 1085.

The town was cute but also quiet. After fortifying ourselves with polenta al ragù…

And acquacotta, a soup from Maremma that is made with bread and egg…

…We piled back in the car for the next Tuscan town.

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A Weekend in Sorrento

Jul 29 2012 Published by under Cheese, Italian Food, Travel

A few weeks ago, we caught the 10 am train to Naples (because the 9 am was sold out- buy your tickets early, people! 29 Euro to get there in 1 hour 10 minutes)

After a walk through the fish market and impromptu used shoe sale to get pasta fritta, we endured a long wait at Da Michele for the best pizza marinara in the world.

By 3 pm we were waddling down to the port to catch the ferry to Sorrento, turning down an offer to buy an iPad out of a plastic bag on the corner.

We arrived in Sorrento and once I caught my breathe from the brutal stair climb from the port to the town, my first impression was:

“Damn, Sorrento is touristy.”

But it’s also quite beautiful.

We were actually staying in Seiano, a town just a few stops away on the circuvesuviana.  The view of the bay and Vesuvius was refreshing after our Rome-Naples-Sorrento day.

The next morning, we started the day in Vico Equense, which I preferred to Sorrento.  It was filled with locals headed to the beach.

But for our last lunch we did go back to the Sorrento track down Inn Bufalito, for cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.  Because really, what are you doing in Campania if you aren’t eating cheese? That would be ricotta di bufala with chestnut honey, mozzarella di bufala, and bufala bocconcini.

Add some rosemary and garlic focaccia and don’t both ordering anything else.

This is a doable (but tiring) weekend trip from Rome, but it’s worth heading south to see the rest of the Amalfi coast.  Don’t believe me? Check out Gilian’s posts on her time in Positano.

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I Love Paris in the Summer: Bastille Day

Jul 23 2012 Published by under Travel

I arrived at my Paris metro stop at 12:15 am, to find two good friends waiting to whisk me away for a midnight omelet.

But on Saturday morning, it was pastry time.  Turns out La Bague de Kenza was right around the corner from our hotel.  The Algerian pâtisserie offered a buffet of almond-filled sweets.  The lemon was my favorite, along with the savory wraps we started the day off with.

You can indulge yourself at 136 Rue Saint-Honoré.

We ate our prized sweets and savories on a bench near the Louvre, to the confusing sounds of tanks rolling down Rue de Rivoli.

Apparently, when you head to Paris on Bastille Day, you get a mix of army parades and fire works for free.

The heavy-duty military vehicles were not the only ominous thing about the day.  I left 95F Rome for 55F and rain in Paris.

But it cleared up a bit as we walked away from the tanks and machine guns. Funny how that can happen.

By the time we got to Eric Kayser, it was positively balmy.  Well, not really. But I was pretty sure I had just stumble upon bread heaven.

*Technically* we weren’t looking to buy bread right then because we were on our way to a museum.

But then I figured, “Hell, if you can’t carry a foot and half long piece of bread into a museum in Paris, where can you get away with it?

Which is how I ended up toting a sesame baguette around the Rodin garden.

So to recap, buy a baguette at 17 Rue de Bac, and continue on for amazing views and beautiful sculptures.

As I had been toting baguette for some time (hence forth referred to as: purse bread), we left the sanctuary/museum in search of a cheese shop on Rue Cler.

I know at this point you are crying real tears for me, while playing tiny violins, but it turns out… cheese shops aren’t too keen to open on the 14th of July.

So we fueled up with steak tartar, chevre salad, and frites, before going off in search of a David Lobovitz book signing.

Copy of the Sweet Life in Paris in hand, we made our way to Breizh Café (109, rue Vieille du Temple), without a reservation.

So, two things: 1) Go here. 2) Make a reservation so that you are allowed to stay at your table for more than an hour.

Ok, so we were only allowed to stay for an hour, but it was worth it.  Ivan picked best with his Banana and Salted Caramel crepe.  My buckwheat gallete with French chorizo was nothing to sneeze at, though.

After stuffing ourselves, it was time to see the real attraction.

The disco ball, music and fireworks were just an added bonus.

*pew pew* **space ships!!** … was all I could think about on the way home. That and Abba songs.

What a weird Day 1 in Paris.  Day 2 to come.

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A Weekend Retreat to Procida

May 27 2012 Published by under Travel

Last year for my birthday, I was given a surprise party, booked a ticket to California, and then scampered off to Ischia.

This year for my birthday, I had a delicious pajama brunch party, booked a ticket to Budapest, and then scampered off the Procida.

Procida and Ischia are Capri’s less famous (and less crowded) sister islands in the bay of Naples.

I basically spent our entire weekend on Procida walking around going: “omggggg, sooooo cuuuute”.

I also managed to work, “Did you know that this is where they filmed Il Postino??” into conversation about 10 times in 48 hours.

I watched Il Postino in 11th grade Spanish class (yeah, I know, but the Spanish link is there, trust me). I couldn’t believe the place was real and I was there.

I also managed to mention several times that The Talented Mr. Ripley was also filmed on Procida.  This was admitted to conversation fewer times because I find that movie pretty creepy.


Camera-ready Procida is easy to get to from Naples.  Just hop on a 35 minute ferry (for about 15 euro, depending on the time/company)

The streets are narrow and winding. Sidewalks can be hard to come by but hat’s fine because life on the island is pretty slow.  Rather than getting mowed down by scooters like you would in Naples or Rome, you’re likely to see friends cruising side-by-side to have a chat.

You don’t need a car to get around here.  You can walk around the entire perimeter of the island in less than 4 hours.  When I spotted this part of the island from a beach on the other side, it was only a 20 minute walk to get there.

Procida can’t be done in a day from Rome.  It’s too much to get to Naples and then get the ferry.  Besides, it’s worth some more of your time.  We did it in a weekend, leaving Rome at a godforsaken hour (5:45 am Saturday) and returning by 10 pm on Sunday.

Exhausted, but refreshed.

Procida is famous for its lemons and our hotel even gave us a bag to take home.  Try the sorbetto while you’re there, but in terms of other eateries, check out Katie Parla’s guide to the island.

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Italy for Easter: Pasqua con chi vuoi

Apr 09 2012 Published by under Day Trips from Rome, Life in Italy, Travel

There’s a saying in Italy: Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!

Which in English basically means: Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you want!

One of the great things about living in the center of the Catholic universe is a four-day Easter weekend.  And with no family obligations, we skipped town and hopped on a train out of Termini:

We left early and got to observe spring in Lazio through the fog and blur of the train window.

And ultimately, stepped off the train in Siena. Up the tower to stare at the houses and churches that looked like toys from so high up.

But then it was back to Rome, which is truly beautiful this time of year:

*My computer is broken :( so apologies for phone-only pictures.

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A Weekend in Madrid

Feb 11 2012 Published by under Travel

The weather is a bit miserable out and I’m missing a certain Irishman, so my thoughts are drifting to a lovely weekend getaway to Madrid.

We headed off to Spain in January as part of a belated Christmas celebration.

In high school, my favorite class was Spanish Literature.  Lorca, Cervantes… and now cute tiled street names to match. In love.

Also in love with the food pickings. Huevos Manchegos, where have you been all my life?

Mainly, we wandered. Despite the cold weather, Madrid is a lovely city by day.

And by night.

But we avoided a lot of chill by staying indoors and exploring the incredible art scene Madrid had to offer.

Amazing. I can’t even tell which museum was my favorite.  We saw Francis Bacon, Rothko, Lucien Freud, Goya. Oh, the Goyas!

And we also took shelter in tapas bar.  My favorite was conveniently located next to our hotel (Ingles Hotel). Viva Madrid had a modern feel, mixed with classic tiles, and staff that came to recognize us even during a short stay.

I mean, who could say no to more Jamón ibérico?

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The 2011 Round Up… A Few Days Late

Jan 05 2012 Published by under Travel

I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions, but I do believe in clean slates.  That being said- I have been a bad, bad blogger and for that I am very sorry.

In a past life, I lived the internet.  My work and my life were online.  It was an interesting time and I learned so much, but I eventually found myself following a different path to the Bel Paese.

My RSS Feed is full of expat experiences and Italian stories that I look forward to catching up on each and every day.  Sometimes my taste swings pseudo-intellectual and for that I have added a few academics to my list of must-read blogs.  Today, one of those bloggers posted a list of tips and one struck a chord with me.  Particularly #4. Post more.

I must post more in 2012.  Prepare yourself. I’ve got about 3000 Italy pictures waiting.

I think 2011 was a year of discovery.  Here are the most important things I learned:

Italian: It ain’t perfect, and it ain’t particularly pretty, but I’ve learned enough Italian to make myself understood.  I’ve even learned enough to argue with vendors and proprietors of all sorts when that charge, usually simply marked as ‘EXTRA’, appears on the bill.   In fact, the other day my waiter told me I was ‘arrabbiata,’ which I thought meant ‘delicious spicy Roman tomato sauce’ but really just means angry.  I mean, c’mon dude- 10 Euro service charge when it says ‘service not included’ on the bill? No.

How to coexist: Relationships are complicated.  Take two people from two different countries and drop them in a third? Expect a few headaches.  My Irishman and I had quite the 2011 and if it’s off to this great of a beginning, I can’t wait to see where 2012 takes us.

Enough for a Masters degree: Lots of books and papers later, November 11th marked the end of my most recent stint as a student.  Apparently I learned enough in 2011 for a degree!

How to pack: And below are some of my favorite destinations:


Amsterdam in March

Ischia in April

California in May

Marrakesh in July

Prague in August

And LOTS of other lovely Italian destinations!

 

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Day Trip: From Rome to Pisa

Oct 26 2011 Published by under Travel

Let me start out by saying that most people would not try to do Pisa in one day from Rome.  Luckily, we are not most people and were crazy enough to catch the 6:15 am Sunday train to Pisa.

One good thing about taking a four-hour train ride at 6:15 on Sunday morning is that no one else does, so we were able to catch some Z’s and arrived feeling pretty refreshed.

The fact that Pisa is pretty cute and we serendipitously stumbled upon a mercato, also helped soothe over the early morning start.

Not in need of any clothes or shoes? Well how about a nice porchetta sandwich to start the morning off right?

After a quick panino, we set off for Palazzo Blu… see if you can spot it:

We were in Pisa to see the Picasso exhibit being hosted there, but along the way, I managed to get distracted by an adorable little church.

And then the name of the street that runs along Palazzo Blu gave me pause:

The exhibit was ok.  We were a little disappointed that there were so many lithographs and so few paintings, but I thought it was well curated.

After being artsy, it was time to be touristy.  I mean, c’mon, it is pretty silly looking:

But it can look pretty straight if you get right up to it:

The rest of the afternoon was filled with ribollita, wandering down alleyways and drinking wine with the boy.  We had another 4 hour train ride ahead of us back to Rome, so we slowly made our way to the station.  It was A LOT of train riding in one day, that I wouldn’t recommend for everyone, but we had a great Pisa day trip.

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