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Italy

July 2017
A 23-day adventure by Kelly Read more
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  • TravelerItaly
    Day 5

    Tavernaccia - Flavio (Our Dinner)

    July 9, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    We wanted to try the restaurant Tavernaccia da Bruno for supper, but when we arrived (right as they opened and after a half hour walk, I might add) they told us that they were booked - all night.

    Ugh.

    Here we were, in a new neighbourhood with all our eggs in one basket. Brad checked the Google Map I made of restaurant recommendations and discovered that we were only 14 minutes away from Flávio al Velavevodetto, so we took a chance and started walking.

    This took us further into the Tessaccio neighbourhood of Rome, which seemed sketchy and deserted at first, but then there were more people and restaurants that made us feel better.

    We arrived at Flávio and were told we would have to sit inside, which was just fine with us. By now it was 8 and we were hungry!

    Evan ordered cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper pasta); Brad had rigatoni carbonara with gunicale; and I had the house special which was hand made ravioli. Mine came as four huge ravioli (each one the size of my hand) packed with ricotta and parmasean - it was all delicious! Then we shared a secondi of tripe in tomato sauce. Tripe is the lining of the cow's fourth stomach and it was unctuous! Evan even tried it (just to shame those who are saying "gross!" at the moment).

    We were stuffed! I used my basic Italian to get the bill (il conto per favore) and then we walked home. Just as we approached Fatamorgana, Brad decided he still had room for gelato (Evan always has room) so the boys shared a cup of vanilla and rice gelato and straticalla gelato.

    Finally, we made it home around 10:30 just in time for Evan to shower and all of us to hit the hay.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 6

    The Colosseum and Forum

    July 10, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We had a big day planned today - it was our tour of the Colosseum! We decided to take the tram to our tour's meeting point, but we got off quickly to see the grave sites of John Keats and Percy Shelley (we saw their house earlier if you recall).

    After paying homage to these poets, we hopped back on the tram and made it to the Colosseum where we met our tour guide, Sonia (who was wearing 4" wedge heels!). We were equipped with ear bud headsets and a receiver device which allowed us to hear Sonia without being right next to her. This is important because there are so many people at the Colosseum! She led us around the outside first and explained where the gladiators' barracks would have been and how they hoisted the shades to provide some shade for the spectators. Then we got to go in a private entrance which led us right onto the floor of the Colosseum! It was an incredible vantage point as you could see up and down. Then we were led to where the spectators would enter and sit; we also got to see where the emperors would be seated. It was a lengthy and in depth tour, but most of it was in the shaded areas so it wasn't too hot.

    Our guide then took us over to the Forum. We had to pass through security before getting into the area that once housed the vestal virgins and the senate. It is almost all in ruins now, but our guide had a book that showed what people believe these structures would have looked like. The Forum offered no shade, so our group was pretty parched by the end of the tour! Nonetheless it was an excellent tour that I would recommend paying the extra money for.

    When the tour finished, we decided to take the tram back to our neighbourhood and get groceries. It was nearly 4 and we hadn't had time for lunch yet. We shopped at CarreFour, which is the same chain we shopped at in Paris. The selection was incredible and we found a lot of great items, plus we had fun looking at all the groceries like frozen whole squid, the huge bottles of pop, and all the sliced meats (oh, and the whole fresh rabbits).

    Once we got home, we had lunch and cooled down. Tonight, we are going to an outdoor concert by the Lumineers, which we are all excited about (although it requires taking 2 buses, so we will see how we do)!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 6

    The Lumineers

    July 10, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Well our bus misadventures continued tonight. We took the bus by our apartment, and that was easy enough. However, when we arrived at Termini Station for our transfer, bus 910 was nowhere to be found. It was supposed to come every 13 minutes, but we waited almost 40 and no bus. We weren't the only ones waiting though, and the crowd grew and grew and so by the time it showed up, the bus was completely packed! We only had to ride for 6 stops, but was it ever hot and sweaty for that 20 minutes!

    We finally arrived at the venue, which is a really cool outdoor amphitheater. They had "food trucks" (mobile food booths?) and so we got in line to get supper before going into the amphitheater. We chose the vendor with the most interesting menu. Brad and I got octopus sandwiches with sautéed broccoli greens and mozzarella that was so runny she had to smear it on. Evan played it safe with a burrata and tomato panini. We were able to eat our sandwiches while we stood in line to get into the amphitheater.

    After a detour to the washroom, we found out seats in the balcony level. I don't have any good pictures to show how the venue was set up, but there are basically two levels - the floor and the balcony. We had great seats and quickly got settled before the band started.

    The Lumineers came on around 9:45 and were incredible! The crowd was really into them and sang along to many songs. They even did two songs completely unplugged and had the crowd sing "Hey! Ho!" with them, which was really cool! They probably played for 90 minutes, which included an encore. The three of us had a great time singing, clapping and dancing along as knew almost every song they played! It was a Father's Day gift to Brad that we all enjoyed!

    After the concert, we were able to take two buses to get home. With songs still buzzing in our ears, we all fell into bed around 1 am. A long day, but one we are sure to remember for a long time!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 7

    Basquiat and Man It's Hot!

    July 11, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    It was a late start today as we were all tired from last night's concert. When we finally got moving, we realized how crazy hot it was outside as there was no breeze today! With sweat running down our backs, we walked over to Roscoli again to have some baked goods. We had the ricotta filled hand pie again, but we also tried a Neopolitania. I have no real idea what it was, but it was kind of chocolatey and kind of nutty.

    After our snacks, we walked over to a gallery that was showing a Basquiat exhibition. We had seen posters for this show and after Googling it, found out it was still on! The exhibit was really interesting (and the free audio tour was helpful) and well put together. I've only seen a few Basquiat pieces previously, so it was nice to see an entire show of his work.

    We finished our tour of the gallery and then decided to walk to the Villa Borghese. It was only a 30 minute walk and we have walked longer, so we felt confident. What we failed to understand was that almost all of it was uphill! Rome is actually quite hilly, and is often described as a lasagna because of the layers of settlements and civilizations that just built on top of the old ones. Anyway, our legs are in awesome shape by this point in our travels!

    We arrived at the Borghese Park, which is absolutely huge (3 square miles). We walked through part of it on our way to the Borghese Gallery, which, to our surprise, was sold out for the day. This was a bit disappointing, but there was nothing to be done so we hopped on the bus (and then tram) and headed home where Brad and I enjoyed cold beer and Evan snacked on a chocolate bar in our AC.

    We couldn't relax too long because Evan and I had a dinner reservation! Brad went to the Ryan Adams concert at the same amphitheater we were at last night. Evan and I didn't want to go, so we made a dinner reservation at Tavernaccia da Bruno (the place we couldn't get into on Sunday)! We dressed up and Evan used his Google Map to walk us there.

    We were seated at a lovely table for two once we arrived. The hostess was very kind and explained the menu. Evan decided that his primi course would be paparadelle with wild boar ragu, while I had cod ravioli with tomatoes and olives. Both were outstanding! We shared a secondi (you don't have to have primi and secondi, but it was a date so we indulged) of oven roasted suckling pig with roasted potatoes. The skin on the pig was so crispy and salty and porky - heavenly! Evan said it was his favourite thing he's eaten here! I also had a glass of wine and Evan had a glass of Fanta, so we were able to cheers to our date.

    Our dinner ended around 9, and then Evan guided us back to our neighbourhood. We made a detour so that we could get gelato at Fatamorgana. Evan chose straticalla again along with cherry cheesecake. I had avocado and lime, and a tea smoked chocolate. I know they sound crazy, but both flavours were delicious! After our gelato, we headed home. He's not a cheap date, but he's certainly a cute one!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 8

    Castello St Angelo, Pranzo, Caravaggio

    July 12, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    After breakfast we ventured out on the tram and then bus to the Castel Saint Angelo. This ominous structure has been many things such as a tomb, a papal safe house, and a prison. We have seen it from afar many times during our adventures in Rome, so it was neat to see up close.

    Next, we wanted to go to a church that housed three Caravaggio paintings, but it was closed for a few hours (this happens a lot here) so we decided to go for pranzo (lunch) and then go back to the church afterwards. We had enjoyed our octopus salad at Fish Market so much the other day that we decided to return there.

    This time they gave us the Italian menu, so I used my limited Italian to try and figure the menu out. In the end we ordered fried calamari; a tuna burger (which Evan loved!); a salad of shrimp, burrata and tomato on a toasty bun; a salad of fennel, oranges, olives and raw tuna; and the octopus salad. Everything was so delicious! I'm not a big fennel fan, but the fennel salad was delightful! Needless to say, we were very full!

    Since it was our last day in Rome, and Baladin was halfway between Fish Market and the church, we just had to pop in for a "quick pint." Evan coined this term when we were in London three years ago, although he uses it facetiously because he feels that these stops are never quick!

    After our pints, we made it to the church to see the Caravaggio paintings. You had to pay a machine to see them illuminated (brilliant scheme) but it was worth the few coins.

    We left the church and headed towards home. The boys wanted to get one more gelato at Fatamorgana, so we ducked in there quickly. Evan had straticalla (he says it never disappoints) and strawberry, while Brad had blackberry and pear. We will miss this gelateria when we leave tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 8

    Rome

    July 12, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    For our last night, we decided that we needed to try suppli (a fried rice ball often filled with cheese). Brad had had suppli at Bir&Fud before the Ryan Adams concert last night, so he wanted to take us there to try them.

    When we arrived there, we were informed that they were having issues with their kitchen, so we couldn't get suppli but we could get wood fired pizzas. We were glad we stayed because not only were the beers delicious, but so was the pizza! Brad and I shared a pizza that had zucchini blossoms, buffalo mozzarella, and strips of pork fat on it. It sounds crazy, but it was so good! Evan stuck with a traditional margherita pizza (he had a whole pizza himself).

    Still on the hunt for suppli, we checked TripAdvisor and discovered we were quite close to the number 2 suppli place in Rome. We walked for a bit before we found this hole in the wall that was indeed serving suppli (and other things) for take out (you could eat in, but you were basically just in the way of the crowd). Brad bravely faced the horde trying to order (there is no real belief in lining up for things here). He emerged with four supplis: potato, rice and marinara, carbonara, and cheese. We wandered over to the outdoor theatre to sit on a bench and share our supplis. They were hot, salty, and deliciously creamy! Definitely worth the search.

    We were now stuffed to the gils and we still had to pack, so we walked home and got to sorting our stuff. Tomorrow we take the take to Firenze (Florence)!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 9

    Firenze or Bust

    July 13, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    We were up early (by our standards) in order to be packed and ready to leave by 10 am. Brad got up extra early in order to go to the bakery and buy us a loaf of still-warm bread.

    We had breakfast, got showered, and packed everything up. Our taxi arrived at 9:55 and we were off to Termini Station to catch our train.

    On the train we were able to sit in a foursome with a table in the middle. This allowed us to eat our snacks around lunchtime. Brad and I also had espressos as well as some small cookies he bought (Evan had cookies, no espresso!). The train was a high speed train, so we were traveling at 240 km/h through the countryside. I thought I might read a bit, but the view was too pretty to stop looking at. There were lots of little towns on hilltops, which looked very cool. The whole trip took less than 90 minutes from station to station.

    We quickly caught a taxi from the station in Florence and were at our apartment in 10 minutes. Giorgio met us and showed us the place - our jaws dropped! It is huge and gorgeous! We have a big garden just outside our kitchen doors and Evan's room is huge! Giorgio is a grandpa, so he also showed us a picture of his grandkids - he is such a kind man! He also gave us a bottle of chilled Prosecco to enjoy later!

    After settling in, we walked to S. Forno and bought mortadella, focaccia, and a soft Tuscan cheese. We also stopped in at CarreFour to grab fruit and yogurt. Evan spied a blue raspberry Fanta, so he got that too. Once home, we ate another small lunch to tide us over until supper. It's unusual to have supper before 7:30 in Italy, so we have had some very late meals.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 9

    Piazzale Michelangelo

    July 13, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    During the late afternoon, we all had short naps. We have two special dinner reservations coming up on Friday and Saturday, so we decided to stay in for supper. Brad made us seafood stew (well, we bought it and Brad heated it up) accompanied by slices of this morning's fresh loaf of bread. Evan and Brad enjoyed a quick stint on the patio before we had to catch the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

    The jam packed bus took us up a winding hill where we were told by Giorgio there's a great view at sunset. He was not mistaken! We arrived as the sun was beginning to set and the view of Florence and the Arno River. We camped out and admired the view for quite awhile - Florence is so beautiful! Evan took a ton of pictures as well.

    Finally we decided to start our half hour walk home. We got to see a lot of the city and the beginnings of the nightlife. We passed so many delicious smelling restaurants! We even passed a man made beach where they've set up a bar and restaurant for the summer.

    Our next two days are fairly low key, but once Sunday hits we are very busy. For now, though, we are all looking forward to seeing more of Firenze!    Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 10

    Mercato Centrale and Palazzo Vecchio

    July 14, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We had a great night's sleep in our new pad. After having breakfast, we ventured out to Mercato Centrale which is a huge indoor market. We toured the food stalls and checked out all the organ meats (tripe, tails, hearts, brains, livers) which is when Evan told us he was considering becoming a vegetarian! I don't think that'll last long. Anyway, we bought a few items including: pork sausage, pecorino romano that was sealed with hay (a traditional method), two types of bread, and even a craft beer. Evan bought a piece of traditional Tuscan cake that is similar to fruit cake but much softer.

    We hauled our funds back home so we could have some of them for lunch. The cheese wrapped in hay was excellent!

    After cleaning up, we set off for the Palazzo Vecchio. This is the secondary tallest structure in the Florentine skyline. It was previously a town hall, then the Medici family took it over and made it into a residence, then it was a town hall again, and now a museum.

    On our way there, we got to walk down a main square which was lined with gold (maybe "gold" too) jewelry shops. There are also a ton of that broke the "good gelato" rules that we learned in Rome (piled too high, brightly coloured).

    The museum itself was very interesting. The first room you enter is a room full of frescoes by Vasari that detail Florentine war victories. You then move into the Medici rooms that were made especially for certain members of the family. The rooms were wry ornate and I loved the huge windows, which would have provided quite the view! We also saw the room with a huge globe and a variety of maps from the Medici. We didn't go up into the bell tower because you had to wait an hour in line and we are going to the top of the Duomo on Tuesday anyway.    Read more

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