Weekend in Rome

In what has been our most last minute get-away yet, the Saturday after Thanksgiving we headed up to Rome for a one-night stay. We decided at 1pm on Saturday to book a last-minute deal at a hotel in Rome, hopped in the car and arrived about two hours later! We checked in, valet parked the car for the weekend and were ready to explore the city on foot. 

First we stopped at the Spanish steps, which were crawling with visitors in the late afternoon warmth of the sun.





Then we proceeded to Trevi fountain, which was also very crowded, but we managed to push the girls through the crowds to get a photo and let them throw coins in over their shoulders.

On the way to Piazza Navona, we stopped in the ancient Roman Pantheon, where Brian gave us a quick tour (he had visited Rome when the USS Nassau stopped in Italy in 2010.)

Finally at Piazza Navona, the Christmas market had just begun. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it was a little cheesier than what I had imagined, what with the fluorescent lighting and carnival type booths. Clearly most things being sold were junk made in China. I guess I was hoping for some Italian-made Christmas ornaments and decorations, etc. But it was fun nonetheless! 

The girls enjoyed the carousel the best!

Brian encouraged Miranda and Sydney to enjoy drinking the fresh water carried into town from higher ground by the ancient aqua ducts. Although I'm always worried about drinking the water in Italy, we saw other people drinking it first, so when in Rome...

On the way back to the hotel, we walked by way of Campo di fiori, quickly past the busy intersection in front of the Victor Emmanual monument (nicknamed the "wedding cake,") and by way of Trevi fountain one more time to see it lit up at night. We slept well after all that walking!

But Sunday morning, we were (read: I was, at 31 weeks pregnant) still a little tired! So, after our hotel's buffet breakfast, we set out to visit some famous artwork in the Borghese Gallery (within the Borghese Gardens) and then caught a Hop On/Hop Off bus to see a few more sights. We ended our trip with a stop into Hard Rock Cafe for a little taste of "home" (nachos!) before we headed back home to Naples. 

Herculaneum (Ercolano, Italy)

On Veteran's Day, we ventured with Nana and Aunt Laura to nearby Herculaneum, a fascinating ancient Roman town destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, despite having been inactive for more than 800 years prior. The town was buried under approximately 50 feet of mud and ash and remained undiscovered for more than 1600 years. Then, in 1709 it was accidentally discovered by workers digging a well.

Pompei, a neighboring city, is bigger and more famous for having been destroyed by the same volcano eruption, since it received the brunt of the initial volcanic ash destruction. However, Herculaneum (pictured here) appears to be more well preserved since it was covered later and mostly by a type of volcanic mud and ash mixture.


It was long thought that most inhabitants of Herculaneum had escaped, since it was a relatively small city, more wealthy, and there was more time to evacuate as compared to Pompei. However, since 1981, 300 skeletons have been excavated from near the seashore, which is most notable because Romans generally cremated the dead and this was the first time Roman remains had been available for scientific study.

Mt. Vesuvius looms in the background

Ancient Roman snack bar

It was amazing to see how much of the original structures, wood, marble, and even paintings were preserved for all these years, encased in the volcanic mud. My personal favorite, of course, was the snack bar seen here--an ancient type of fast food and the original Mediterranean diet. How very modern!

Original marble flooring

Original painting

All For Naught Wrought Iron?

After having seen a friend's Italian wrought iron fruit bowl with a built-in banana hanger, it jumped to the top of my list of desired Neopolitan souvenirs. (Of course, I'm still learning about all my options!) It is handmade in Italy, decorative, holds a ton of fruit in the bowl, and saves space while keeping the bananas separate from the other fruits to prevent spoilage. Maybe it's the dietitian in me, but I knew I had to have one! (That huge yellow fruit is an Italian egnazio hybrid melon...it's white on the inside, but tastes much like a honeydew melon.)

So, finally, even when my veteran friends couldn't make it as planned, I was determined to find Ciro's and Luigi's wrought iron stores. Melissa was game to be co-pilot, and even taught me how to plug in the GPS coordinates that Linda had serendipitously provided just in the nick of time that morning. And after a major run-in with some branches on a narrow road (sorry, honey), and after safely driving through the busiest Italian intersection I've driven through yet, we made it to the stores!

Rumor has it Ciro and Luigi are brothers who don't get along, hence their stores are side by side and not one and the same. Ciro speaks some English, has more simple designs (his description, not mine), sells mostly by order, and is generally less expensive. Luigi speaks no English, has more of a selection, brings his stuff to the NEX now and then, and is more expensive. Ciro doesn't make fruit bowls. Luigi does. Ciro was open that day. Luigi was not. Oh well, at least we know where we're going for next time!

So, this week, we returned again, determined--even though I had to bring along my littlest shopper (which I try to avoid at all costs). Luigi was open that day. And Luigi had one fruit bowl. Check. Plus three decorative demijohn stand sets on order. Check, check, check.

The High Price of Gas

This may be stating the obvious, but gas is really expensive here. It's about 1.7 Euro for a liter, which translates to about 6.50 Euro per gallon, or almost $9 per gallon! Fortunately, we receive 400 liters of NATO gas coupons per month to subsidize the cost. But it's still about $5 per gallon with the coupons.

The coupons help a lot, especially because you can stockpile them from month to month. When you live on base and only have one car like we do, they go further. So far, they have covered all our gas expenses, even with taking a fairly long road trip about once a month. Even with driving 80 to 100 miles per hour!

They are only valid for a fiscal year (from Oct. 1 to Sept 30), so yesterday was the day to trade in any coupons you haven't used in the last year. You get a credit for them and can apply it to your October monthly ration. The downside: if you've stockpiled them for a whole year to be able to travel when you want, then all of a sudden you're back to only 400 liters for the month of October.

You can also only use the coupons in two chains of gas stations, Agip (soon to be ENI) and Esso. But there are many Agip and Esso gas stations, so it shouldn't present a problem.

Notice I say shouldn't present a problem. Oh, the "discussions" Brian and I have had about refueling in Italy, and it's only been 4 months! Here's the gist:

"Someone" likes to wait till the gas warning light goes on, then insist we have at least 70 miles left (while continuing to drive at 80 to 100 miles per hour) and that we'll be fine. "Someone" is usually driving, which normally is a good thing.

"Someone else" likes to be efficient and refuel when we're about at about a 1/4 tank and happen to pass an Agip or Esso conveniently located along the road we're on. "Someone else" also can't help to envision what a major inconvenience running out of gas would mean, especially in a foreign country. In fact, due to "someone else's" active imagination, we were once so low on fuel that "someone else" had to insist on being left behind at the agriturismo near Lecce with the dog and kids while "someone" went alone to find a gas station. (It was a gamble, but "someone" did return, in case you were wondering.)

So, indeed we have found there is a high price of gas in Italy, and furthermore, it's not just economical...if only the gas coupons could help alleviate the emotional costs! Nevertheless, there will still be more road trips in our future.

Let the Laughs Begin

Okay, if you've even noticed, maybe you've been wondering where I've been. Under a rock, really. But now--hopefully--the initial overseas adjustment to Naples is officially over! I'm sure I'll still have my moments, but for the most part, I feel much more comfortable being in Italy and Naples. The kids are in school some of the time. Yay! I'm getting offbase and driving places by myself (well, not without the GPS). And I am even helping to plan our family trips and adventures (albeit last minute). But most importantly, instead of feeling nearly terrified to do anything that would draw attention to myself, I can now find humor in our cultural/language mistakes and laugh at myself--or Brian, as the case may be.

So far, my favorite "foreigner moment" has been the time we returned to a local pizzeria having learned from our Italian neighbor to ask for more cheese, since they were a little skimpy the first time. And this time, Brian was feeling a little bold, so he ordered a Margherita pizza as usual and also took a stab at a Neopolitan pizza, even though he wasn't able to read the Italian description below it. After all, we are in Napoli, so we might as well find out how Neopolitans like their pizza. He ordered both pizzas with "molto fromaggio, per favore."

Little did we know...the Neopolitan way (at this restaurant, but not necessarily everywhere in Naples) is WITHOUT cheese...so in effect, what Brian ordered was a cheeseless pizza with extra cheese! Hmm, the waiter gave us a strange look, walked away, and returned a few minutes later to try to clarify our order. Luckily, Brian guessed our mistake and we changed our order to two Margherita pizzas with extra cheese. Although the waiter wasn't rude enough to laugh at us, we sure got a good laugh!

What are the odds Brian would pick a cheeseless pizza and add extra cheese to it?! I'm just glad he did--the whole experience helps to bolster my belief that something larger than myself made me snap out of feeling foreign in this foreign country. Well, that...and it's always easier to laugh at someone else's mistakes! But at least now that I can move past embarrassment and find humor in our inherent strangeness, I can really embrace living in Italy, mistakes and all.

Labor Day Weekend in Lecce and Puglia

I've said it before, and I'll say it many times again, I'd never make it as a travel agent. I love taking trips, but planning trips is not something I enjoy. It's partly being in a new country and not knowing the language or how things work. But it is mostly that I hate the responsibility of making the right choices for the whole family, even in the most familiar surroundings. But even though we planned this weekend trip at the last minute, it turned out so well that--uh oh--it sort of reinforced the idea of waiting till the last minute to plan the next trip we take! I guess if it's meant to be, it will be!

We knew we wanted to make use of our Labor Day 3-day weekend. So, we decided to head down to the Puglia region in the "heel" of Italy, which was about a 4-hour drive from Napoli. We'd heard Lecce was a beautiful city about 20 minutes from the Adriatic Sea, but we decided to stay closer to the water and the beach, which was the first place we went as soon as we arrived. (The girls will forever have the dark, volcanic sand from the Adriatic sea in their bathing suits...good thing it's the end of the season.)

This trip, we wanted to try an agriturismo, which is a working farm along with a bed and breakfast that is meant to attract tourists

looking for an authentic, relaxing and rural experience. The agriturismo we chose was on an organic olive farm.

The price for two nights also included dinner (which was delicious and made with organic olive oil, of course), a horseback riding lesson (or ride around the ring for our little kids), a pool, and access to the private beach-front property within a 3-km drive, along with chairs and an umbrella. It was just the right balance of activity and relaxation.

On Sunday we drove into Lecce to see the sights. First, we saw the Roman amphitheater built in the 2nd century with seating for 25,000 people; it was buried by other monuments over the years and today remains half buried.

Then we visited Piazza del Duomo to visit Lecce's cathedral, which is said to be one of Italy's

most significant. It was built in 1144, rebuilt in 1230, and restored between 1659-1670. Then we meandered around looking at the beautiful, Baroque-style architecture of many of the churches in Lecce.

Finally, we rewarded ourselves with some local fare for lunch: rustico (a type of fried pasta), a fried calzone, and of course gelato on the way back to the car.

Our favorite part of the trip began when Sydney and Miranda met their first Italian friends, Gaia and Luigi, at the agriturismo pool Sunday afternoon. All four kids swam and played for hours and didn't seem to notice/mind that they weren't speaking the same language! That evening at dinner, our families dined together and we were able to understand each other well enough to have a very enjoyable time! It still amazes me, since we know so little Italian and they knew very little English! But once we figured out we could use a little French to bridge the gap, we managed even better and had a great time!

We even met up for breakfast on Monday, and then spent the day at the beach together before having to head home to Napoli. But not before exchanging addresses; we may be able to meet up again if we find ourselves in Bari--a comforting thought! Making a personal connection despite still feeling so out of my element turned out to be just what I needed from this spontaneous weekend get-away. Couldn't have planned that if I tried!

Weekend in Tuscany

Chianti classico is one of our favorite wines, so when we found out the region of Tuscany is only a 3 to 4 hour drive from Naples, it was a no-brainer to make it our first weekend trip...even with me being pregnant! We ventured out the last weekend in July to beat vacationing Italians, who generally go away in August.

We stayed at a quaint inn in rural Arezzo, in the eastern part of Tuscany. Fields of iconic sunflowers and rolling hills full of vineyards were EVERYWHERE! And right outside the door to our "family room" were also fragrant lavender bushes; I was pleased to find a sachet in the room for the taking.

We spent Friday afternoon swimming in the pool at the inn. With plenty of snacks, we held out until 8pm to enjoy a gourmet Italian meal at the inn's restaurant. We told the waiter we wanted to try a chianti classico, and he returned with a half bottle (since I'd just be having a taste) of what he described as "a VERY good Chianti classico." We were slightly worried about what the price might be, since we hadn't even looked at the wine menu. Come to find out we could more than afford the 4 euro (about $6) price! Gotta love Italy! We also tried some regional cheeses and cured meats, a pasta dish with buttery white truffles and a delicious but huge portion of regional steak. Even after 10pm, the girls were most excited to finally get to the gelato dessert.

We eased into our Saturday morning with cappuccinos and an amazing, typical European breakfast spread including muesli topped with fresh nectarine (okay, only I ate that), cured meats and cheeses (and only Brian ate that), yogurt, breakfast cakes, and a variety of cornettos (croissants) filled with Nutello, marmalade, or cream (my personal favorite). Yum!

After breakfast, we drove about an hour to Greve in Chianti (the main city center of Tuscany). We enjoyed walking around the Saturday market, where you could find everything from fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats, to rugs, shoes, and clothing, etc.

Then we ducked out of the main piazza (square) into an enoteca (wine store) to explore the possibilities. We moved on to a tasting center, where you could pay anywhere from a Euro to several for a taste of hundreds of different types of wine. We were happy to find our favorite (special occasion) super tuscan wine Antinori Tignanello Tuscano--you could buy a TASTE for about $8...the whole bottle for about $80. But we already know it is good, so we passed.

I snapped a photo (for my New York-born Mom) of a statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer who was the first European explorer of North America, and in particular New York Harbor (1524), since the vikings (around 1000 AD). I just knew he must be important since there's a bridge in NYC named after him.

For lunch, we had one of my favorite Italian dishes yet, ribollita, which is a "reboiled" white bean-based stew with cooked greens and day-old bread used as a thickener. It was wonderfully rustic and wholesome, but more importantly, delicious. (And the only reason I even knew what it was is because of my foodie friend, Darlene!)

On our way back to the inn, we stopped at a Chianti winery, Villa Vignamaggio. Although we missed out on the tour since it was booked, we really came for the free tastings, so it was all good! We bought two bottles of Chianti classico and two bottles of their Super Tuscan blend. Four bottles down, 496 more to go to reach our total wine shipment allowance!

Sunday we drove to Cortona, the city where Under the Tuscan Sun was partially filmed, to spend the day before driving home. The movie is loosely based on a book with the same title, which was written by a woman (Frances Mayes) who moved to and still lives in Cortona. We happened on the first day of the Tuscan Sun Festival, but most of those activities were either off the beaten path or taking place in the evening. So we walked around the town taking in the beautiful sights, enjoyed a nice lunch al fresco, and ate the obligatory gelato-reward-for-good-behavior before reluctantly heading home. But we will be back...preferably when I can drink more wine.