It’s just under three weeks until we embark on our next slow travel journey.
It has snuck up on us, as my favourite person has not been a hundred per cent, I’ve had a couple of health issues of my own, there has been my PhD and waiting for the EPL fixture list to come out. All have meant we could not settle our final plans.
However with the last unknown, the EPL season fixture out, our itinerary is complete.
Continue reading
As generally happens over an extended holiday, some days are better than others and I would have to say the latter few days in the UK and Ireland were not the best of our trip. Pouring rain to greet and farewell us in The Lake District, high winds in Wales, a cancelled ferry and then no cabs at the ferry terminal in Dublin when we eventually arrived had made for a less than ideal few days, but that was all about to change!
As we flew along the Italian Coast, I felt an uplift in spirit and a regret that we had not scheduled more time in Rome before going home, but getting bathroom renovations completed before Christmas and my PhD meant we needed to be home.
With only a couple of days in Rome, all we could do was enjoy a coffee or two, some gelato, pasta an Aperol Spritz (perhaps more than one) and the chaos that is Rome. Just wonderful.
The weather was bright for our arrival. Flying into Rome the country side was so different to what we’d seen in the previous 6 weeks. The patchwork quilt of green replaced by the grey browns of a countryside that has experienced a Mediterranean Summer and a bright blue big sky.
Once on the ground we were through immigration in no time Continue reading
The title of today’s Daily Prompt, Chaos made me think immediately of international airports. No matter how you plan, whether you have access to an airport lounge there is something about an airport that screams CHAOS!
What time do I need to leave the hotel by to get to the airport?
Will the train get me there on time? Should I get a cab? What time do I need a cab?
Where is the departure gate? There are only about 300 of them in Changi, Dubai, Rome?
Do I have my passport? How many times will I check to make sure while I’m in line?
Then once I get on the plane – will I be able to store my carry-on conveniently? Am the only person who has read the size rules?
Then arriving – what line do I need to be in? Will my luggage arrive? It hasn’t before.
The list of questions goes on and on?
Does Chaos spring to mind as you think of airports?
Villa Aldobrandini, Frascati
Continuing with a desire to expand our horizons away from the heart of The Eternal City we decided to “Do as the Romans Do” and go to Frascati for the day, or more particularly for lunch.
Frascati is a small town located about 30 minutes by train from Rome. It is a favourite amongst the inhabitants of Rome to get away from the heat in summer or for an evening meal. Judging by the number of teenagers that shared our train ride it’s also a favourite place to get away from your parents on a Saturday afternoon.
After a late breakfast we caught the metro to Rome Termani and decided to walk around the up and coming Monti district which is located near the station.
Making us acutely aware of how much the world had changed in recent months each metro station had members of the army inside with hands on their machine guns. I’m pretty sure that they are not there to stop fare evaders!
Monti was once a poor area but is now quite trendy. Just the place for people like us. There are new modern bars and coffee shops and for the first time in months we saw food that was not just Italian . I saw a coupe fo Indian Restaurants and had instant cravings! Monti is also home to sone very trendy boutiques that immediately caught my favourite person’s eye as well as my daughter’s back in Australia with the benefit of WhatsApp.
There was lots of browsing in the boutiques but no purchasing. Continue reading
The Pantheon
It is so easy to get stuck in Rome and not venture far afield. There is quite literally something amazing at every turn. An ancient ruin here, a church there and of course an obelisk always nearby. There is also some of the best shopping you’ll find anywhere. The days whizz by with visits to the Colosseum, Vatican, Roman Forum, walking through the gardens around the Villa 
Borghese …
In our case this has meant that in previous visits to Rome we haven’t ventured very far, however this time we made a decision to venture a little further afield. This meant looking at the guidebooks for that section towards the back of the book that says something like Day Trips or Excursions. It will never say what to do when you’ve seen all there is in Rome as that is just not possible!
So with a steely resolve we ventured to the back of the guidebook and settled on Ostia Antica for our first foray out of Rome. It’s about 25kms from Rome and easily accessible by Metro and Train.
Ostia Antica is a port city that it is said dates back to the 7th century BC. A town whose fortunes rose and eventually receded just as the sea did, such that by the 9th century it was abandoned. It’s a port city that is now some kilometers from the sea!
With the entrance fee paid and our guidebook purchased at the site in hand we were ready for what turned our to be something very special. After just a few minutes at Ostia Antica we wondered why there is such an obsession with Pompeii. Perhaps it’s Vesuvius? Continue reading