Roman Holiday: The Vatican & Saint Peter's Basilica

The Vatican. Home to the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the western world. Spiritual Home of the Roman Catholic Empire. Home Sweet Home to the Pope. Host to ten thousand visitors every single day.

A girl in the ticket line next to us literally passed out from heat exhaustion and her family pressed her to get up and go on. This was not about having an enjoyable museum going experience. It was more pilgrimage meets marathon. How long can you wait in the sweltering sun for tickets? How much art and history can you soak in while being pressed on all sides by other exhausted, hot, sweaty, grumpy pilgrims? How many other heads can you crop out of your photos to make it appear as though you were not one with the horde? No, this was about saying, "I've been there."


Eric had a poster of this painting hanging above his bathtub when we were in high school. It's one of his all time favorites. That fellow in the orange boots? Michelangelo himself. (Eric says he never took them off. Not even to sleep. Can you imagine the stench?)

The Sistine Chapel was really a thrill- despite the hoards who brazenly ignored the "no photos" and "silence please" signs, I was moved to see such an iconic work in person. I could almost see him up there, cursing and grumbling, while he turned out the Renaissance's most famous masterpiece. Though the room was crowded and noisy, my heart swelled up with joy at the sight of it. It made the whole trip worth while.

The light in Saint Peters' was quite beautiful. Aren't these scattering rays of light exactly what you imagine when you think of the clouds parting to reveal a heavenly choir locked in harmony? Creating sacred spaces with light was a particular specialty of Bernini, and I enjoyed each glittering beam.

This is what utter exhaustion looks like. Just hold me pillar.


We revived ourselves with what else? Happy Hour!

This is what Roman happy hour looks like- a buffet of free appetizers with your 5:00 cocktail. That delightful little round puff pastry was filled with an olive tapenade or tuna salad. Yum.

Thanks to the aforementioned exhaustion we sat at this bar for several hours and drank our dinners. Have you ever been to the Vatican? What did you think? Were you moved? What was your favorite part of the experience?

When in Rome, Drink the Free Water with the Romans!

A lovely detail of life in ancient Rome still survives today. Nasoni ("nose" in italian- they do look like big schnozzes, don't they?) are fountains found on many a street corner. The water is public, free and potable, a rarity in many European cities. We filled our water bottles at these fountains many times and it was nice to see tourists and locals both making use of them. (And fun to imagine someone in a toga doing the same thing fifteen hundred years ago!)

I think big water bottles are one of the biggest giveaways that you are a tourist (and an American), but without them it's hopelessly difficult to stave off thirst, especially since ordering it in a restaurant means a 2 euro charge (or a huffy little scene with a waiter. Take your pick.) How do Europeans manage to drink all that espresso and wine without hauling bottles around in their bags like us tourists? Nasoni help to unravel the mystery, but I'll keep you posted on my other findings.

Roman Holiday: The Colosseum

I've selfishly decided to catch up on the Rome whirlwind, if only because writing it down now while it's still fresh will be fun for me to refer back to. Hopefully it's a fun read too!

Rome in summer is crowded, hot, dusty and overwhelming. I've never been in a city so loaded with history, religion, art and culture. It is literally beneath your feet and around every corner. We only had four days but were lucky to be traveling with like minded friends. We'd never manage to see it all, so we figured we'd do the the highlights and take plenty of breaks for pasta, pizza, wine and gelato. But we started with the Colosseum.

As we walked in the entrance with the tourist hordes, Eric turned to his left and noticed one of his students! Turns out he had stumbled upon a tour group of students from Hawaii and two of his kids were in the group. After exclamations about the coincidence they sweetly posed for this photo. I think it pleased E to see them out exploring and enjoying the world- this was such an important theme in his classes (and our life really!)


The other thing that struck me about this mammoth place is that it really was a house of death, where hundreds of thousands of gladiators and animals fought to the death for the amusement of the masses. (A grisly detail? After some of the tournaments they attempted to cover the stench of blood with perfumes. I hope it was strong stuff.)

We like to think of ourselves as more civilized, and perhaps we are, but don't movies serve much the same function? We take comfort in the thought that it's all fake, but I think those scenes may affects our psyche in much the same way it did to see someone's throat cut and their lifeless body dragged away. (A bloody movie certainly gives me lifelike and terrifying nightmares.) And football is still played in stadiums based on this same design. While few players die, there is evidence that this game causes brain damage to many of it's athletes. Food for thought at least.

Eating in Vienna: Candy Parade!

Gruss Gott! (That's how Vienese say "Hello"!) Due to a series of internet snafus I've been unable to post as much as I'd like. So even though we are actually in Vienna, I haven't been able to share any of our adventures in Rome yet. I'm not sure if I should try and catch up or just jump in where we are. While I'm debating, I thought I'd show you a few more little delicacies I've been enjoying right this second.

Haribo is king here, and though I'm not usually much of a gummy fan, I couldn't resist this 1.3 Kilo box of assorted goodness. These fluffy little white marshmallow mice are my favorites hands down, thought the twin cherries also have their charm.


The pretty packaging (an octagonal box!) drew me to these Moser Roth Pralines and they were a bit of a dissapointment to be honest. The peach filling in each truffle is quite saccharine. I think I prefer liqueur filled dark chocolates, or even cordials, because the alcohol adds a bit of bite and balances the sweetness. But aren't the wrappers pretty? They remind me of pineapples and I think it would be a charming way to do a party favor in Hawaii sometime.

Hope your week is as sweet as mine so far!

Cruising the Amalfi Coast

One of the highlights of our trip so far was a scooter ride along the Amalfi coast. I felt like we were in a James Bond chase scene as we zipped along the winding roads high above the ocean with the sun overhead and a mile of sheer sandstone cliff face just beyond my elbow. Italian drivers are quite nonchalant about creating their own passing lanes- in the center of the road! Eric has been practicing his motoring skills since we first arrived in Hawaii, first on the Vespa and recently graduating to the Rebel. Although he handled all those steep mountain roads with style, I felt a buzzing tingle of energy in my stomach, arms and hands underlying every hairpin turn.

I held to him tightly and used each powerful surge of fear to practice trusting him and letting go of my inhibitions. This helped turn the fear into an exhilaration I haven’ t felt in a long time. It was a thrill to be alive and present for something so simple and so extraordinary. And it was nice to remember that being a little frightened, acknowledging that fear, finding center and plunging in anyway can make an experience richer and more precious. There are thousands of details about this trip I’ve already forgotten, but I won’t forget what it felt like to wrap my arms around my husband, let go of my fear and peer out at the vast blue expanse of sky meeting glittering water.

Here’s to fewer souveniers and more experiences.

Snapshots from Italy's Amalfi Coast

A few snaps from the Italian leg of our journey along the Amalfi coast. Have I gone too far with the gaussian blur? Ah well, the beautiful light and crumbling stucco will do that to a girl. You can see more photos from our trip here if you'd like. I have to confess that their tiny cars look quite amusing to my American eyes, but I'd dine here happily for the rest of my days.

Eating in Italy: Delizia al Limone

If Sorrento is famous for lemons, it's also famous for delicious ways to use them, most famously the delightful liqueur Limoncello, which tastes exactly like a lemon drop.

But this sinful little confection is another innovation. The Delizia al Limon is a limoncello soaked dome of sponge cake filled with a light lemon mouse and topped with a little strawberry.

Pardon me, but doesn't it look rather like a breast? Knowing Italians, somehow I doubt this is accidental. If anyone can translate the Italian Wikipedia page, I'd love to know if this is mentioned. This was only one delicacy we enjoyed at La Zagara in the charming seaside town of Positano on the dramatic Amalfi coast. Just look at all their other confections! We could have spent ages trying them all.

I love the cafe culture here because it makes it easy to drop in to more than one place for treats in a single day. No one minds if you just order coffee and sit for an hour or two shooting the breeze and watching the world go by and then cross the street for more of the same. (And there are plenty of tourists to spy on here! Eric and I enjoy playing "Guess the Nationality". Big white tennis shoes and baseball caps give us Americans away every time, though sometimes they turn out to be Australian. Three quarter length pants and a leather purse on a man? Odds are he's French. Go figure.

Hotel Esperidi in Sant' Agnello Italy

During the Italian leg of our voyage, we wanted to visit Sorrento on the southern coast just beyond Naples, but it was quite expensive to stay in the town itself. No worries- Eric found us a place one train stop away in Sant'Agnello. Hotel Esperidi was quite lovely and the charming staff made us feel right at home.

We stayed in the more modest "chalet" which was quite tiny and not as glamorous as the rest of the resort. But for only 50 Euros, I'd say Eric hit it out of the park. I don't mind sleeping somewhere cheaply when the grounds and common areas are so thoughtfully done.

There is stucco and terracotta galore in Sorrento!

Not to mention loads of lemon trees and cute bikes. (This region is famous for Limoncello. Remember when I made a batch a few summers back?)

I liked the blue checkered tiles at the pool and the geraniums blooming in the sunshine absolutely everywhere made me anxious to get several pots going as soon as we get home. So cheerful and unpretentious, aren't they?

The lobby and lounge is devoted to Jackie. Not sure why they chose her as a "theme" exactly, but I think she would have approved the decor nonetheless.

We also opted for the five euro breakfast each morning and it was a pleasure to come eat musli and have our cappucinos on these prettily set tables.

Eric and I are at a strange point in our life of traveling where hostels don't really cut it anymore, we hate the anonymity of chain hotels, and we aren't quite up to a $200 dollar a night splurge either. (Especially when its a six week adventure!) It's wonderful that there are more and more budget friendly boutique hotels popping up to fill this gap. What is your favorite hotel experience?

Tasting Sweden: Salty Licorice

Swedes take licorice quite seriously indeed. I've tasted salty licorice from Holland before and felt certain that it was an acquired taste. A second sampling didn't change my mind. It's certainly chock full of interesting flavors, but the salted ammonia taste didn't give way quickly enough to the prickly spice of the licorice which I do find enjoyable. I couldn't resist this skull shape however. They had bins full of candies which you could mix and match as you pleased. There were lots of lovely shapes, but I don't really care for gummy candy so we ended up with this small selection. The pretty red wrapped candies were a chocolate covered caramel that was more my speed. What is your favorite kind of candy?

Kladdkaka: The Swedish Brownie

One of our days in Lund was rainy and dreary, so Brandon showed us how to make a traditional Swedish dessert called Kladdkaka.

It's essentially a brownie, but you cook it just long enough to form a crisp top layer so you have gooey chocolate center left.
Ours ended up a bit more firm than they are traditionally, but we had no trouble eating it anyway.
We enjoyed cooking in that night- Eric made a thai curry just for fun since it will be a few weeks before we have access to a kitchen again. It's sort of a relief to cook in when you've been eating out every single meal.
What are you having for dinner tonight?

See the Swedish Countryside on a Rail Road Track Bike in Lund!

Our lovely host and hostess brought us out into the Swedish countryside of Lund for an excursion and picnic. It was a gorgeous spring day and we took a short walk from the bus stop through rolling fields of green rye with the warm sunshine on our backs and sounds of birdsong and the wind through the leaves.

These bikes gave us our vistas of the countryside. They are converted to fit on a railroad track and were shockingly easy to pedal. They were also shockingly noisy and vibrate-y.

It felt quite blissful and idyllic nonetheless.

Every now and then we had to give them a push across the country roads.

We stopped for a fantastic picnic of coffee, spicy Swedish gingersnaps, fresh summer strawberries, and a creamy walnut cheese (Which we bought from this wonderful gourmet cheese shop down the street from Brandon's apartment. It had terracotta tiles and handmade pasta and jam lining the walls. When I asked for a sample of the cheese, the owner offered me a little taste from her silver cheese knife. When I hesititated, used to individual sample spoons in the U.S, she said sweetly "It's your finger, after all." and we laughed. It was delicious.)

All in all, a lovely day. It made me want to enjoy more vacation activities instead of just wandering from museum to cafe to pub day after day. We are talking about taking a wine tour while we're in Italy.

What are your favorite travel tips?

Graduation Week in Lund, Sweden

We've made our way to Lund, Sweden for a visit with our dear friend Brandon. It's graduation week and many of the local high school students have a tradition of dressing in white, donning sailor caps, renting a truck, decorating the sides with tree branches and driving around town drinking beers, blasting music and blowing whistles. Here are a few roaming bands of them I managed to snap. So many blondes!

Sweden is very charming- we've been drinking lots of coffee (Brandon says Swedes drink more coffee per capita than anywhere else on earth!) enjoying wandering the cobblestoned streets, cooking in (we made incredible fish tacos last night!) and shopping at little Swedish dollar stores. I can't wait to show you what we did yesterday- it involved railroad tracks, ten dollars worth of fancy cheese and wild flower picking!

Bean Town Photo Essay

Took in a ball game at Fenway. Oh baseball, I've missed you.

Strolled around in Cambridge and pretended to be Ivy League.

Admired the dogwood blossoms.

Slipped off our shoes and napped in the sunshine by the Charles River.

Wandered around on the Freedom Trail. Little known historical fact about Paul Revere; Huge Bruins Fan. (They're hosting the Stanley Cup Finals right now!) Stopped off for gelato in Little Italy.

Stumbled upon a random Revolutionary War reenactment parade complete with cannon and musket fire.

Best sweet potato fries I've ever tasted at Four Green Fields Pub. They were battered first and were crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Delicious.