Rome: A Designer Gown That Didn’t Quite Fit
Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I visited Rome. I had a lovely hotel room with a view of St. Peter’s, and in 48 hours shopped my little heart out, had an amazing breakfast at the Vatican (story to come) and even got caught in an August blizzard.
But the city was just, well, uncomfortable to me. At first I thought I was just off my solo travel game, or maybe it was the jetlag (note: going from DC to Seattle to Rome was a DUMB idea). But I was just in Mexico City and did fine there and have had jetlag in Asia, so eventually I had to admit that Rome just didn’t fit me.
Like any gorgeous dress, I really wanted Rome to fit. However, between the crowds of stereotypical tourists and the constant vigilance against scams I had to admit defeat. In my first 24 hours I got into a cab that had its meter set at 11 euro, had change “mistakenly” counted back to me, got sucked into buying bread for 3 euro that was just placed on my table (rookie mistake!), and was charged 8 euro for wine that was listed at 4. That level of shenanigans puts the Buddha’s Birthday scam in Bangkok to shame!
As I boarded the train to Bari I began to worry that the entire trip would be colored with the same lens. However, upon entering the Bari train station to transfer to Matera, I let out a sigh of relief. It just fit. And in my 1st hour in Matera I made a friend out of the local trattoria owner who insisted the wine was on the house.
Aug. 7, 2014
August in Rome: Perfect Timing for Snow
It’s the stuff you don’t plan that makes a trip. I loved my Breakfast at the Vatican yesterday (and will post about it soon), but without a doubt the highlight of Rome was being caught up in a blizzard. In August.
Turns out that August 5th, 2014, was the 1,660th birthday for the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. The original church was built on the spot of a freak snowstorm on 8/5/354 according to legend. With any great legend, a party must follow, so on August 5th every year the Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore becomes a snowy wonderland, courtesy of bubble machines.
I read about the event in the local English language magazine (Tip: ALWAYS check the events calendar) and just had to see this one firsthand. Arriving at the Piazza about 8:15, I snagged the last table at a trattoria on the square and waited while sipping a lovely Rossi and dining on Gnochetti with rocket greens.
And Waited. And Waited. Turns out that before any snow commenced, the crowd was treated to a full-length movie celebrating, well, the Popes. Best I can tell with my non-existent Italian, the movie was almost political in nature, with lots of baby kissing and proclamations of friendship between the late (and newly sainted) John Paul II, the former Benedict, and the current (and VERY popular) Pope Francis. It was interesting, but an hour and 45 minutes is a loooong time to make even the most fervent believers wait for the miracle of snow.
Finally about 10:45, the main event began and huge fire hoses of bubbles began spraying skyward. Much dancing and cheering followed and the “snow” was definitely worth the wait, if only to see nuns take a selfie.
August 6, 2014
Random Crap Found While Digging Up the Naples Metro
So today I rode the Naples Metro to the Naples National Archaeological Museum. My expectations were not high after yesterday’s excursion to Pompeii (more on that later) but I was blown away. My hotel is near the Toledo station and I ‘m so glad it is as I got to see an unexpected treasure: The most beautiful metro station in Europe. It certainly was beautiful, giving an aquatic illusion in mosaic, but it’s not what I want to talk about.
Two stations down, at the Museo station, there’s a little room just past the stairs to exit the station. Attended by one bored guard, it’s a collection of, well, basically 3,000 years worth of daily life in Naples, and it is astounding!
…and just to recap, this is BEFORE you get to the museum, basically lying around in the metro station!
August 13, 2014
4 Reasons to Visit Matera: Italy’s (Insert Travel Cliche Here)
Travel writer Sue Rodman gave a talk about “building a new travel blog vocabulary”. Good timing for my post on Matera because every hackneyed phrase about a destination ever written comes to mind: “off the radar”, “hidden gem”, “best kept secret” etc. etc.
So instead of torturing you with claptrap, I decided to come up with a quick list of reasons you should visit Matera. Because you should visit Matera.
To orient yourself, picture the “boot” part of Italy south of Rome. From Naples, you can draw a somewhat straight line to Bari. Matera is roughly in between those lines. It’s not the easiest to get to as you have to either take a train/flight/bus to Bari and transfer to Matera or find one of the few direct bus lines from Rome or Naples. Rome2Rio might help. I came from Rome and departed to Naples and it was 5 hours from Rome, 4 hours back to Naples.
But Matera is worth the trip. Here’s Why:
The Sassi: The what? The Sassi, or caves, of Matera were lived in without pause from the Paleolithic era to after Mussolini. Sometimes Poverty is a gift to tourism (which is a post in itself) and the extreme poverty of the Puglia/Basicilata region meant that poorer residents simply couldn’t afford houses and made do within the caves. Finally in the 1950s progress came to Matera, but so did Unesco so the sassi remain intact. From afar the town looks like Tatooine from Star Wars. Up close it rendered me speechless.
Even the “new” Matera would be worth seeing in itself. The piazzas are walkable, the cathedrals are gorgeous, and more culture drips from a random Matera street than off of many A-list cities I’ve visited. And oh, the food…
For a glimpse of real Italian life: I know, again with the cliches, but this one is true. “Siesta” is a Spanish word but the Southern European cultural influence lives in Matera. Life comes to a standstill at lunchtime and resumes in the late afternoon. I still remember the “gelato limone” I enjoyed every evening just perched on the edge of a fountain enjoying the show.
Matera is still a bargain compared to Northern Italy. Here’s my hotel room, in the Palazzo Gattini, costing $100/night in August thanks to Luxury Link. It came with a lovely breakfast every morning and a bottle of wine to enjoy on the rooftop terrace. Meals? I didn’t pay more than 10 Euros for an Entree. The aforementioned gelato? 1 Euro. When my wine wasn’t free (thanks to traveling solo as a woman in Italy…another blog post) a carafe cost three euros.
Oct 20, 2014
Breakfast at the Vatican Museums Tour by City Wonders Review: The Access is Worth Every Penny
Ed note: I liked this tour so much I did it again with a friend a few years later on my own dime, and it was still worth it.
When you only have 3 days in a city like Rome, time can be more valuable than money. I couldn’t imagine wasting 1/2 of my days in line (in August heat no less) to see the highlights. So of course my first priority in tours was special access. While researching options for touring the Vatican, I came across many companies advertising “early entry” to the Museums. My first thought was “if so many companies have ‘early entry’, how much less crowded than normal can it be?” Turns out I was right: the “jump the line” passes just put you in a shorter line with everyone else who bought a pass.
Then I came across the Breakfast at the Vatican Museums Tour by City Wonders. At first it sounded too good to be true, but City Wonders has negotiated a special partnership with the Vatican that grants their tours both a specific physical entrance and the ability to start the breakfast at 7AM…so you get a jump-start on everybody!
Of course this access does not come for free: The breakfast is $135 (current exchange rates), compared to $75 for the standard City Wonders early access tour. I had to know what made up the $60 difference so contacted City Wonders. I was invited to join a breakfast tour so I could see the difference between the two.
Breakfast at the Vatican Tour
At 6:50 in the morning our group (which is capped at 20) met our guide, Michaela. She was personable, friendly and beyond knowledgeable about the topic of Renaissance intrigue. Her passion for the soap opera rivalry between Michelangelo and Raphael was contagious. I had no idea their paths had crossed at all, let alone in such a dramatic fashion! Art is so “up there” (for lack of a better term) but Michaela brought the intrigue to life.
I let City Wonders when I know I was skeptical that any breakfast food was worth $60…and I was right. Not that the breakfast isn’t lovely- it is. The buffet matches that of a 4 star hotel. But no buffet breakfast is worth $60…until you factor in the setting. The Breakfast at the Vatican tour is not about the food:
I was able to enjoy my breakfast with the above view and take a leisurely stroll around the Pinecone courtyard before the tour even began. And Michaela was able to talk while we strolled the courtyard so we were already prepared for what we were going to see.
The 15 minute jump start makes all the difference
I will say that the other groups caught up quickly once the doors opened as the City Wonders jump-start into the buildings is only 15 minutes. Soon enough flags started popping into view and groups started snaking through at warp speed to reach the Sistine Chapel. Because we had time to prepare, we felt no need to rush and were able to enjoy all the wonder in between.
Once you get to the Sistine Chapel, crowds bother you a lot less than you think they will because you are looking up. Tours get a solid 20 minutes in there, which I felt was definitely enough time. Again I was so grateful for Michaela’s time at the beginning of the tour as it helped me pick out details I would have never found otherwise…such as the fact that Michelangelo was basically teaching himself how to paint and felt he painted the first scene (which is the last scene chronologically-The Drunkenness of Noah) too small to be seen well from the floor. Tip: I was so grateful to have packed a cheap pair of binoculars!
Only once I exited the Sistine Chapel and we were on our way to the St. Peter’s Cathedral did the full value of the City Wonders tour sink in:
Bottom: Two hours later
Worth. Every. Penny.
Nov. 7, 2014
How I chose Puglia instead of Capri
When I discuss something three times in a week, it’s time to write about it. This week three people have mentioned Italy’s Capri, and three times I’ve advised against it in favor of the Adriatic Coast. But this post is not about Puglia- it’s about how I ended up on the Adriatic Coast in the first place. I use one simple strategy to save big on travel: focus on the experience, not the destination.
Last year in Italy I knew I wanted some time at the shore. Of course Sorrento and Capri rose to mind first because they’re the ones most visited by Americans. And the most expensive. And the most crowded. And yes, Sorrento was beautiful on the day I visited. And crowded with Americans. And Expensive. I was grateful to have only done a daytrip from Naples.
My experience on the Adriatic side felt distinctly different. It was still crowded (it was August after all), but the tourists were mostly Italian. It was more families going to the beach for the weekend as opposed to hard core vacationers. My favorite meal in Trani was a Foccacia from a seaside bakery costing 2 Euro. In Metaponto the beach umbrellas were rented by families whose women- no matter their age- rocked bikinis.
The best part? My hotel room, through British flash sale site Secret Escapes was $81/night including dinner and breakfast. By focusing on the experience- beautiful Italian coastline– instead of getting wrapped up in which town I saved big.
Sure, there’s only one Eiffel Tower (actually, I can think of two others in Epcot and Vegas but point taken), but there are lots of Roman Ruins, lots of gorgeous mountains where you can zipline, and of course lots of coastline. By asking WHAT you want from travel instead of the specific WHERE you can have an amazing trip…while banking your savings for the next adventure.
August 4, 2015
Is Poverty a Gift to Tourism?
Take up the White Man’s burden, Send forth the best ye breed
Go bind your sons to exile, to serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.
Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden”
This question has been bothering me for a while, and I’ve only recently put it into words. Many of my favorite destinations exist in their current state not due to development but due to neglect. And that neglect means the residents there didn’t have access to the means to join the modern world. So I ask you: Is poverty a gift to tourism?
A related question: are poor people “cute”? I think we can overwhelmingly agree the answer here is “no!” but think again. How many of your interactions with locals leave you thinking something like “I love how simple life is here” or “the people here seem so happy with so little”? I’m now wondering if we’re suffering from the same delusion writers like Rudyard Kipling show.
Take the Sassi of Matera, which I fell in love with last year. The Sassi are only still available to visit because Italians lived in them up until the 1950s. The poverty in southern Italy was so extreme that people lived in caves up until 60 years ago. And that’s in Europe.
Now think about the developing world- how many places have you visited that were made more beautiful because of a lack of historical development nearby? The rush to visit Cuba springs to mind. Cuba is on the map right now because of what it doesn’t have as much as what it does.
I’m not passing judgement here and I’m not sure I have an answer. I’m going to Vietnam this summer and am sure the dilemma of “authenticity” vs. prosperity will be front and center not only for me, but for the Deal Kids. Participating in organizations like Pack for a Purpose seems a good place to start.
May 8, 2015
Some Thoughts on Napoli
Naples seems to be a city people either love, or love to hate. I get it. It’s exhausting. Literally. I needed a nap by my 3rd day! Naples assaults your senses unlike any other city in Europe; in fact the best way I can describe it is to imagine a 3rd World Capital City dropped on top of Rome. Naples isn’t Italian so much as an outpost of Italy.
Physically, Naples is repulsive in parts: you can’t help but notice the trash and graffiti. It’s the first city in Italy where I’ve been actually approached by beggars. While I haven’t felt unsafe (and think that part of the Naples legend is overplayed a bit) you also wouldn’t see me out past 10PM here.
Naples is one of the few cities where I NEEDED the double decker bus tour to orient myself…I kept getting lost! It’s also a city where I was really grateful to be staying at an American standard hotel (the Renaissance, a Marriott Cat. 5) as a respite from the chaos.
However, Naples also has a Metro system that’s a work of art. Its cathedral contains art from the 4th to the 17th centuries.
Unlike Rome, Naples is the city where I haven’t had a meal over 10 Euro, and they’ve all been great. Naples is where the coffee stand on the corner serves an eye-popping espresso along with playful banter for 80 cents.
Naples is the city where an employee at the national archeology museum, noting my interest, sneaked me into a closed gallery for a tour of items specifically found in Naples. (Being an Italian man, he also asked me to lunch afterward…which I declined.) His English was about as good as my Italian, but his pride showed through in any language. He told me, “Napoli is Greco, Napoli is Macedone, Napoli is Romani, Napoli is Napoli”.
My thoughts exactly. Napoli is Napoli. I’m sorry to go.
Aug 16, 2014
The other Roman Colosseum
very major city has it’s cliche attractions: Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Empire State. In Rome the biggie is the Colosseum and while I did visit it, I actually enjoyed Rome’s OTHER Colosseum just as much.
Turns out just about the time the original Colosseum finished up in 80AD, new Emperor Domitian decided to make his mark by building his own Greek style stadium just down the road. Finished in 86AD, the Stadium of Domitian held 15-20,000 spectators; about half the size of the original. It was shaped more like a track field than a circle and hosted more Olympics type events. It’s the first known stadium made entirely out of brick.
Much of the stadium was lost to time. I only learned of it while touring the Baroque explosion that is St. Agnes in Piazza Navona (also known for the Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini).
In St. Agnes I noticed a mention of the original stadium but thought nothing of it as pretty much everything in Rome is on top of something else. However, when exiting the church (looking towards the back left of the square if you’re facing the fountain) I saw a sign that said “archeologia” that piqued my curiosity.
Turns out on the back side of the square is an entrance to the recently recovered Stadium including an entire end section 2 stories high, many artifacts, and even the original stairs. The entire ruin is inside a building that also contains a really interesting re-enactment of what the original games would have looked like to spectators.
What made the Domitian Stadium special, though, was that it was pretty much deserted! Instead of jostling for a view, I was able to stroll undisturbed and really got an idea of how everyday Romans spent their leisure time. I left feeling not like a squashed tourist, but like I actually saw something special.
Have you ever found an alternative to the “must see” site that excited you more than the original? Please share in the comments.
August 21, 2014 (Ed. Note: I took my daughter in 2023 and we were both still impressed.)
The 5 Star Crypt on Rome’s Via Veneto
Luxury hotel seekers head to one address in Rome: Via Veneto. Just down the block from the Jumeriah Grand and the Westin Excelsior lies another posh resting place: The Capuchin Crypt of the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.
I found the Santa Maria chapel by accident on my last day in Rome and it was the highlight of my time in the city for its sheer eccentricity. You may remember the Capuchin monks from The Da Vinci Code as the monks who utilized methods of self-torture in order to be closer to God. While the book was certainly an exaggeration, maces, flails, and barbed belts are on full view in the museum attached to the chapel.
The museum is but a preview to the crypts below. I’ve been searching for a single word to describe what I felt upon viewing the first room in the crypt and can only come up with “breathtaking”. Old bones are old hat in Europe, but the Capuchins raised it to an art form. On every surface floor to ceiling are mosaics, frescoes, and tableaus: MADE OF 100% BONES.
We’re talking scapula butterflies.
We’re talking vertebrae crown molding.
We’re talking femur chandeliers.
We’re talking both horrible and beautiful…and unforgettable.
If you get to Rome, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you miss the Capuchin Crypt.
Sept 24, 2014
Pigna: A Leap Back in Time
My Opel Adam is a time machine. That’s the only conclusion I can come to because there’s only 60 minutes between this:
and this:
The difference is that stark and happens that fast.
At first glance Pigna is jarring, to be honest. A little disorienting- scratch that- totally disorienting. Pigna- on the western side of Lurguia just this far from Cannes and Monte Carlo- looks like a stage set. Because nobody actually lives in a Medieval town, right?
Wrong.
My vision of “Medival village” was Rottenburg on the Romantic Road in Germany. Now Rottenburg is lovely- but it’s basically a Middle Ages theme park. Not so Pigna. A few (very) hearty tourists have found the place but it’s otherwise untouched from its founding 1000 years ago. The 933 (as of 2004) residents go about their business of, well, survival. Time not only stands still in Pigna- it appears to move backwards.
Pigna and the surrounding villages (called “cinque valli” to separate them from Cinque Terre) will scare off a lot of people- and that’s a good thing. For one, while I suppose you could use buses to get around most people will want a car. Which means driving a stick shift up in the mountains. I will say that the Opel gave me a good five seconds on an incline before sliding downhill, which is much more than I ever got from a Fiat. Be prepared to play chicken with bikers- both motorized and pedal pushing.
Once you arrive into town, which looks like this:
you have to park your car as the entire town is only accessible on foot. Pigna is Italian for “pinecone” and you have to think of the streets as layers of a pinecone- each only accessible by stairs from the next. It’s a recipe for getting lost, which I did numerous times. In addition, Pigna is not for anyone with mobility issues- and this includes needing to use a stroller. If you can’t Baby Bjorn or your tyke isn’t ready for the hike, wait a year or two.
Thankfully there’s truffle topped pizza to be found at Sol Ponte on the bottom of town as well as terrific pastries at Desir de Roy- I recommend the almond filled with Marzipan. And thankfully modern facilities are slowly coming available.
I was invited to preview Liguria Holiday Homes‘ new (on the inside) Medieval townhouse and it’s stunning. From the DeLonghi espresso maker to the LED lighted jacuzzi bath the home is an oasis from antiquity set in a 1000 year old frame. I enjoyed picking up some fresh pasta and tomatoes from the Alimenti and tossing them up with olive oil from a local grove. Paired with wine from neighboring DolceAcqua, I was in heaven and it cost me almost nothing.
Just down the road from Pigna…
Special mention should go to neighboring DolceAcqua, about 15 minutes down the road. While it’s a bit more touristy, there’s a good reason. My first thought upon seeing it was “this looks as beautiful as an impressionist painting”. As a matter of fact Monet spent a fair amount of time in DolceAcqua during his most productive years. You can easily see the inspiration for his works that are based on the area. I could’t drive by DolceAcqua without at least stopping daily for coffee.
As you can see only a specific kind of traveler will appreciate Pigna and the region’s charms. However, if you’re tired of the well-trod trails and looking to add authenticity into your travels- have I got a place for you.
