Tuesday June 23, 2015

We had a very Roman day today. What do I mean? Well, we visited some of the classic sites of Rome today. Specifically we followed Rick Steves' "Heart of Rome" walk from his Rome guidebook which I had downloaded onto my phone before leaving Delaware.

We found a knitting and needlepoint (such as it is) store today

We had a bit of a late start. I guess we both were determined to take advantage of the fact that we had nowhere to be at any particular time today. So, once we were up and ready to head out the door, we had to get ourselves to the starting point (Campo De'Fiori) of the walk which was a good three kilometers from our apartment. I was determined to use my map and therefore not run up roaming charges on the phone by using the GPS. Well, negotiating Roman streets is not easy let me tell you. First of all, they've never even heard of a grid (or a straight street for that matter) and add to that the traffic and the uneven pavement plus my short term memory difficulties and well it all adds up to plenty of "Where are we?" moments. When we found ourselves about to cross the Tibur when I knew all too well that wasn't something we wanted to do, I called in the cavalry -- in the form of Google maps, that is. Honestly, I am still not sure how we got to that riverbank when only a minute or two earlier we were doing so well (or were we?).

Bought new hats

Well eventually we made it to the Campo De'Fiori and there was indeed a market there. Picturesque I suppose but it didn't feel as genuine as the one we saw in Testaccio. From Campo De'Fiori we walked to Piazza Navona where after admiring the Four Rivers Bernini-designed fountain we stopped for a little lunch (yes, I know -- "Already?"). I had spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Delicious. Plus a six euro Diet Coke. Not so delicious.

Piazza Navona 

After lunch we stopped at the Pantheon (more interesting from the outside than the inside) and the Trevi Fountain which although undergoing a thorough renovation can still draw the tourists in big numbers. Same too with the Spanish Steps -- crowded despite the fact that you cannot see the Baroque church towers at the top of the steps. Of course it really doesn't matter whether these sites are in the best condition or not because visitors to Rome are going to go to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps because they are in Rome and that's what you do when you are in Rome. Which, come to think of it, is exactly what we did and why.

Trevi Fountain 

Spanish Steps 

Our walk concluded with a stroll through the Via Condotti area which is where the expensive stores are located. We took a cab back to the apartment and had dinner at a local place called Luzzi's (we ate there the other night too). Nothing fancy just lasagna and roast chicken.  Then needlepoint and watching "Looking" on the computer.

Monday June 22, 2015

Had a wonderful tour yesterday of the Forum, Palatine Hill and Coloseum. It was Sunday so all these spots were quite busy. The day got off to a rocky start when we decided to sit and have coffee at an outdoor cafe while waiting for our tour to begin. The bill for one medium cappuccino and one medium cafe latte? Almost twenty euros! Unbelievable. I guess we should have known when the menu didn't include prices until the last page (which we didn't see until after we placed our order).

At least the coffees were big!

Our tour guide was very good, informative and brief (a rare combination). Also the tour group was small and included another couple from the cruise we just ended. Small world.

Weather continues to be comfortable with highs in the low eighties. This is a good thing because you could easily bake out there with all those antiquities and very little shade.

Views of the Forum from Palatine Hill

The most interesting sight for me in the Forum was an triumphal arch dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish temple and the sacking of its treasures which were brought back to Rome but then "lost". Can you imagine losing the original artifacts from the temple of Jerusalem? Talk about a big "oops". Personally, I would check the Vatican -- that's all I am saying.

View of coloseum from third tier

The coloseum is very large that is the first thing that strikes you upon seeing it. That and the fact that the building is undergoing a thorough cleaning and stabilization effort meaning (of course) that a good deal of the exterior is covered in scaffolding. 

Just as in the Forum it's funny to see what remains of the past and how/if these things strike the fancy of modern day visitors. The coloseum obviously impresses people now as it must have when it was first constructed but it's strange to me that a building devoted to violence and butchery should be so popular with modern day visitors.

We went on a special tour that allowed us to visit the basement and the third tier which are two areas normally not accessible to visitors. It was certainly worth it if only to escape the crowds.

View of Coloseum from "basement"

The Sunday afternoon crowd

Today we went on another food tour. The area we explored is called Trastevere. It's a great neighborhood with a real neighborhood feel to it. Of course it was Monday today so it wasn't too crowded or busy. The star of the tour, other than our tour guide Jasmine, was the Porchetta at this one shop. Juicy, with bits of well-browned meat and a pleasant  rosemary flavor. Fantastic-o. Or as the gal at the cookie shop we visited showed us, it was "crazy good".

Here he is -- the king of Porchetta!

And his ninety-something year old mother who works as the cashier and as you can imagine takes no guff

Holding your finger to your temple means "crazy" in Italy and holding your finger to your dimple while smiling means "good"  (as in something tastes good). Therefore combination of the two gestures equals "crazy good" -- according to our tour guide this gal is the first to use these two gestures in tandem.

Saturday June 20, 2015

This is a photo from the website where we rented the apartment. What it doesn't show is that there are tables underneath that window from the next door restaurant which is also not in the photo.

So, we've arrived in Rome. The car service picked us up and transported us and our luggage in time enough to meet the apartment owner. We went over a few details, paid, got the keys and once we said our goodbyes we had a chance to check the place out. First impression? The place is darker than I had thought. Secondly the street is busier and louder than I had hoped (there is a bus stop right in front of the apartment and a restaurant has tables nearly up to the front door). As Russell said this afternoon, "If you are not a city person you would have a real hard time with this place". He's right, it's loud.

We had hoped this would prove to be a good needlepointing spot but the chairs are thrift store finds with seriously uncomfortable cushions (we are getting used to them though)

Positives? The bathroom is new and the place was clean. It cost less than we thought it was going to, so that was good. And it includes wi-fi so we won't have any issue with posting the blog or receiving email. Also there is a place I can go running nearby.

Bathroom is new-ish and shower is larger than on the boat

Some of my initial negativity was no doubt related to the shock of returning to the real world after life on the cruise ship. Also my grandiosity gets in the way. Is this place the Ritz? Absolutely not but it's not the "pits" either. Fact of the matter is that it's in that vast middle space between the two extremes and it will work fine for us. But in some ways it's a challenge and that's okay. In fact it's  more than okay it's really good for us-- pushing ourselves and all that.

We had dinner last night at a local tratorria called Luzzi's. It was good food and reasonably priced but certainly nothing fancy. After dinner we walked around the Coliseum pinching ourselves that we were in Rome.

Dinner last night-- lasagna with meat sauce and sautéed arugula 

Coliseum after dinner, first night

We were up and out relatively early today (9:00 am) for a walk to our meeting point for the first of two food tours that we will be doing while in Rome. The neighborhood we explored today was called Testaccio and our leader was Sebastiana. We had a fairly large group (I thought -- 10 people) even though two people didn't show up. We also had a long list of places to visit -- seven different locations (and we got food to sample at each one -- yikes!). 

Our guide -- Sebastiana from Sicily and America 

My favorite stops included Volpetti's which is a salumeria (they sell cheese, prepared food, prosciutto, oils, vinegars, etc.). The place is a Roman institution and we sampled fantastic sheep's milk cheese flavored with truffles and also San Daniele prosciutto that was melt in your mouth delicious. Another favorite spot? In the Testaccio market we visited a vendor who sells cannoli that are not like any cannoli I've ever eaten. The pastry shell was a revelation! Last stop on the tour? A real gelato maker of course. Apparently 85% of the gelato sold in Rome is "fake" (meaning it is made from a powdered mix). This place was family owned for over a hundred years and featured flavors such as almond, tiramisu or my favorite-- crema (think French Vanilla seasoned with orange rind and cinnamon). Oh, I almost forgot to mention our pasta stop where we ate classic Roman dishes such as Amatriciana, Carbonera and Cacio e Pepe (Romano cheese and black pepper). Oh my gosh it was all so good and we even managed to avoid getting soaked by an early afternoon thunderstorm.

Doing cannoli research!

I'v got the backpack in front of me so I don't accidentally bump into people in the crowded marketplace 

After the tour Russell and I went back to a couple of the stores and picked up some dishes for dinner at "home". Already the place is seeming more familiar though not a whole lot more comfortable (see caption re. needlepointing chairs). 

Tomorrow we have a long tour of the Coliseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill (all ruins). The tour is for five hours (with a short break) so I am thinking I might have been overly ambitious with this one! I'll let you know.

Thursday June 18, 2015

I just lost a long post that I spent over an hour writing so here is the Reader's Digest condensed version:

Naples today

Spent the day "Cooking with Francesca"

Francesca (center) is a food blogger. She was assisted by her friend Valentina (at right).

First to market together 

Menu: Buffala mozzarella with local grape-type tomatoes and basil, 

Then hand made pasta with Amatriciana sauce and Pecorino Romano, 

Followed by Pork sausage 

with sautéed green peppers and

the aforementioned tomatoes, 

Dessert = tiramisu 

Tiramisu surprisingly easy to make and quite tasty -- must use organic eggs and cold

Pasta also surprisingly easy to make -- dough hook with Kitchen Aid then knead by hand with heel of palm, let rest before rolling out)

Amatriciana sauce made with guanciale (pork cheek) and sautéed tomatoes only -- wonderful flavor from guanciale 

Did you know that Italians actually don't eat that much garlic? They use it to flavor items and then remove and discard -- a misconception 

Sausage also delicious (do not poke -- releases flavor and makes them dry out)

Lunch conversation = husbands, children, families, Naples, Obama, food (of course)

After lunch Valentina brings us to where we can find our way back to the ship

On board by three o'clock 

Time to pack

Ugh

Jettison clothes that no longer fit (yes I have gotten bigger again -- watch out all you full figured gals out there because here I come!)

Still hard to get everything packed but we managed

No word from car service -- will they show tomorrow?

Dinner with Ben and Jürgen 

Goodbyes all around

Best dining room attendants ever! Heru and Eko at Table 18

Sad to go but ready for next adventure 

Wednesday June 17, 2015

Cruising the coast of Italy this evening

Today was a quiet day spent "at sea". The ship is traveling from Greece back to the west coast of Italy (specifically Naples). Russell and I rented a cabana again today so that we could have uninterrupted stitching time as well as a guaranteed comfortable place to sit (with a view). I think it was worth it. One of the worst aspects of this ship is that there are not a lot of comfortable places to sit and stitch (other than our room and our veranda). So, although it is kind of galling to have to pay for one (a comfortable place to stitch that is) I am glad that there is one and that it was available.

Yesterday we visited Mykonos and at the risk of sounding like Debbie Downer it wasn't all that I was hoping it would be. Now granted I was having ... wait for it ... another thermal breakdown (also know as a heat wave). I had made a vow after the last time I wrote about "the mother of all heat waves" that I wouldn't talk about the subject anymore because it's boring. And it is boring but the fact is that it impacted my mood and subsequent enjoyment (or lack thereof) of Mykonos.

So, in short, I was in a bad mood because I was sweating lots and no amount of fanning or resting was helping. Russell, I have to say, was rather patient especially when I had a little breakdown over posing for a selfie (don't ask -- too stupid).

Selfie meltdown 

We walked the "streets" of Mykonos Town and the shops were mostly not as high-end as I was expecting (lots of T-shirts, sun hats, swimwear, beach towels, etc.) There were some better stores but with my shirt plastered to my back (and front) and the sweat dripping down my forehead I didn't feel like being on the receiving end of some sales person's dismissive gaze. 

So we dodged tiny cars driving on the sidewalks and smelled plenty of trash (it must have been trash pickup day) and urine before finally calling it a day. We considered going back for the beach. After all, Mykonos is known for its beaches but once I returned to air conditioning I was too appreciative of it to leave. 

Really?

I think it was just a long week with lots of ports and being sick during part of the week added up to more than I could handle. So don't judge Mykonos from my experience. The place does have crystal clear water and the buildings really are white with blue trim. And there are gay people there (I saw 'em). And stores (such as they were) and restaurants. And of course there are those neat, highly photogenic windmills (see photos above and below).

Later in the day, at dinner with some friends, they said Mykonos was their favorite port. Which just goes to prove that one man's poison is another man's pride. Also the very real danger of sweat-induced negativety.

Note severe lack of shade

Note sweaty back and determined-to-not-have-fun stride

Monday June 15, 2015

Sunday -- Rhodes, Greece; Monday -- Santorini, Greece. Wow and wow. Rhodes first. We had signed up for a long (seven hour) tour and were worried that it would be too much for R. Needless to say it was an early start (8:00am) and on to the bus. First stop Lindos Acropolis. This small town is a thirty minute drive from the port city of Rhodes. Aside from its spectacular setting, it also features lots of tourist oriented shops (of course) and more importantly a ruin at the top of a hill right outside the town. First order of the day -- to climb the two hundred and eighty something steps to the top. This was not quite as easy as it may sound since we are talking about old steps of varying widths and heights, also although it's early we are still talking about Greece in June. Get the picture? Good.

Tempting but no

Stairs

More stairs

The View from Lindos Acropolis 

View from the top -- stunning. Trip down was much easier. Back in the bus we were off to the beach for lunch at a "five star" hotel. I've heard about these "five star" hotels before and it has been my experience that the more stars cited by tour providers the more dubious the distinction. Driving to the place certainly justified my lack of faith -- a honky-tonk beach town followed by overgrown landscaping. Ah but then ... Well I won't say "nirvana" but it was certainly better than expected. The buffet featured Greek food such as moussaka, Greek salad, pork gyros and for dessert a variety of phyllo and honey pastries. Yummy.

Russell looks kind of skeptical -- like he doesn't think this shot is going to turn out

After lunch, R decided he had had enough for the day and we were dropped off at the ship prior to the walking tour of the town of Rhodes that was next on the agenda for the rest of the group. Our conclusion from the brief visit? Rhodes seemed rather like Baja California to the two of us. Very arid, beautiful blue water, rugged terrain, not too many people, a real place. I've spoken of this "real place" thing before and what I mean I suppose is that the place in question a.) has not been completely overwhelmed by tourists  and/or b.) defines itself as being more than just a tourist destination.

Rhodes, Greece

Santorini, Greece

Other side of view (literally)

Speaking of real verses fake, we now come to Santorini, a place that is keenly aware of its value as a tourist destination. I guess the question is whether it defines itself only in those terms and I wasn't really there long enough to get a read on this although my suspicion is that it's perilously close to falling into this predicament (if it hasn't already).

Gorgeous shots Russell!

Oia, Santorini, Greece

Still, I liked Santorini. It's almost impossible not to like. I mean the place is gorgeous especially the town of Oia. This town features exactly what you think of when you think of the Greek isles. White stucco buildings with soft edges and sky blue trim. Occasional blue domes. Buildings cascading down toward the sea. Abundant sunshine. Narrow, pedestrian-only lanes. And views, of course, the views -- out to the sea which is a rich, deep blue. It's definitely got "it", whatever "it" is.

Going back to the ship via cable car (and tender)

Goodbye Santorini! Until we meet again.

But is Santorini more than just an "it" place. I would love to take some more time to find out. And that is what this cruise is all about, getting little snippets of places to find out if we want to come back. Santorini and Rhodes have both made the "will return someday" list.

If you can't wear white in Greece ...