Tag: travel guide

A dream job doesn’t always have to be perfect: What I’ve learned as a guide in Rome.

I learned when I was still nearly a teenager that dream jobs aren’t all they are cut out to be when I landed a much sought-after role as a directing assistant to the directors of the Lion King, the stage musical, in Los Angeles.  When I started the job, my memories of walking through Times Square in New York and dreaming about seeing and working on all the Broadway plays were still fresh.  It only took three months of an exhausting and somewhat mind-numbing round-the-clock work schedule in Los Angeles preparing for the opening of the Lion King to teach me that there’s always a complement to our dreams: reality.

Fast forward (quite) a few years to just two weeks ago, when I started another dream job joining a team of OPCs who provide on-site program coordination for CISabroad‘s Faculty Led Programs around the world.  I was brought on due to my expertise in Italy, and I was offered my first week-long program in Rome, which just ended a week and a half ago.  And I’m still trying to catch up on sleep.

Me and my partner in crime and fellow CISabroad OPC Jamie, as we wait for the students and faculty to arrive at the airport.

Ha!  Actually, I’m exaggerating.  Slightly.  When you think about how exhausting it is to be a tourist – being outside on your feet everyday no matter what the weather is like, taking in a million new details and always having to be on your toes because you’re so far from home – and multiply that exhaustion by the amount of people you are responsible for as an on-site coordinator making sure every detail goes as planned for their experience abroad, the math is clear as the exhaustion multiplies very quickly.
But in the end, life is all about balance, right?  When I am in a challenging situation, I’ve learned to ask myself: ‘Does the experience and the work outweigh the exhaustion?’   And in this case, the answer is an overwhelming ‘yes.’
This job has given me the opportunity to see the cities that I have visited so often in the past in a whole new light through the perspectives and the knowledge that the students and faculty bring with them to these cities, from something as simple as a student’s comment about how she is surprised at the grand scale of all of the buildings in Rome, to visiting places that I would never have even known existed, let alone gone on my own, thanks to the expertise of the professors and the CISabroad staff that design the travel abroad programs.

IMG_2201
Students and faculty crossing the street on a tour of the churches in the center of Rome.

This work is only going to enrich the resources and the stories I get to share with you on Gracefully Global blog, and I’m really looking forward to hearing your feedback on my new job. 🙂
In just a few days I’m heading to Florence to prepare for a program that will be visiting Florence, Ferrara, and Ravenna!  I love these cities and I can’t wait to see what the students think of them.  And I’m already saving up some extra sleep hours so I’ll be doubly prepared. 😉
Since I’ll be on the road for the next week and a half, I won’t have many updates for you.  But in the meantime, here are a few highlights and favorite discoveries from our last program in Rome that maybe you can enjoy for yourself someday:

Baths of Caracalla near Appia Antica
Students seem dwarfed in size by trees at the Baths of Caracalla during our day trip to the Appia Antica area.

Appia Antica: Via Appia is a historic Roman road that connects Rome with Brindisi in the south, and when I say historic, that’s an understatement.  There is so much history to explore in this area outside Rome along the historic Appian Way that it could easily take you all day, including the Catacombs of San Domitilla, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Palace of Maxentius, and a bit of a drive away, the Baths of Caracalla (my personal favorite).  The downside to this neighborhood is that it is best reached by car, but there are buses that can take you there.  It is worth the investment in a day trip, especially if you like nature, as there is also a great park nearby that is beautiful on a nice day.

Capitoline Museum view to the Forum
Students looking out onto the Forum through the beautiful arcades along the side of the Capitoline Museum.

The Capitoline Museums: I very much enjoyed this group of archaeological and art museums on Capitoline Hill in Rome for reasons other than the artifacts – on one side of the museums (which are all connected but a bit confusing to navigate across) the view of the Forum is amazing, and on the other side of the museums there’s an affordable cafe with a gorgeous terrace where you can sit and enjoy the view of the city.  This is a destination for a beautiful, relaxing day – it is never crowded, and you can sit far above the crowds and enjoy the best views of both historical and contemporary Rome.  It is also right next to the Victor Emmanuel Monument (note that there is paid admission to go to the top of the monument), so if you want an even more dramatic view of Rome you can head up the monument after you’ve enjoyed lunch at the cafe.

Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square
Pope Francis looking wonderful as ever during the papal audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The Papal Audience: On Wednesday mornings, if Pope Francis is in town, he gives an informal service in St. Peter’s Square which is a free, ticketed event, open to anyone who would like to attend.  I had no idea what to expect of this experience, and it far outweighed my expectations.  It was such a positive experience seeing so many families excitedly waiting to see the Pope and to sense his wonderful spirit as he greeted pilgrims and audiences, and finally to enjoy the peacefulness and spirituality of hearing him speak.

Papal audience members
Excited audiences anticipating the Pope’s arrival.

The Pope usually starts greeting audiences around 10am, then speaking around 10:30.  There are introductions of groups in attendance in all different languages beginning at 9am.  We arrived at 8:45 and we easily found a seat.  You have to go through security, and tickets are free but required.  We had a difficult time requesting tickets when we went directly to the Vatican, and then we got a tip – if you are American, contact the North American College, which is the U.S. Bishops seminary in Rome at this email address. When we finally contacted them, they were very gracious and helpful and coordinated our tickets right away, and even gave us an orientation in their office so we would know what to expect from the experience.  They were truly wonderful, which added to the experience as a whole as being positive in every way.  Please note that we attended the papal audience during the early spring.  Summer hours and logistics will be different due to demand.
The Prati neighborhood: We all stayed in the Prati neighborhood in Rome.  As a tourist on my own accord, I never would have thought to stay here.  But it was truly a delight.  Not only is it well-positioned to reach many of the must-see destinations in Rome like the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo, it is pretty and “orderly” and has very few tourists and many chic bars and restaurants, making dinner after a long day on our feet an easy choice.

Here are our dining favorites in Prati:

For breakfast we loved Vero Cafe (Via Marcantonio Colonna, 30, which is not far from Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Cavour) because of its organic, healthy, and delicious traditional Italian breakfast offerings as well as more hearty American-style bagel breakfast sandwiches.  They have a wonderful staff, and also offer to-go cups for coffee and tea, which are a true rarity in Italy.

For lunch, don’t miss the opportunity to try the neighborhood star, Il Gianfornaio (.  They actually have several locations in Rome, so check out their website linked above.  They are a bakery, making delicious pizzas and desserts, but are also pros at buffets in general and offer a weekend brunch buffet and a nightly aperitivo buffet.  It is a popular, hectic place better for a quick lunch or dessert and coffee, but whatever you end up getting will probably be quite tasty.

Tea and ricotta tart at Il Gianfornaio.
Tea and ricotta tart at Il Gianfornaio.

For dinner there was nothing better than the warm, modern basement of Zi Gaetana and a huge, traditional, thin-crust pizza followed by one of their incredible desserts.  We also really liked 3Quarti for its traditional menu mixed with some fun surprises and its comfortable, pretty interior (although it is small so a reservation is suggested, otherwise be prepared to wait a bit).

Zi Gaetana dessert
Jamie and I were both exhausted yet determined to make it through dessert because it isn’t every day we can get a dessert like the ones they have at Zi Gaetana.

Here’s how Google Maps helps me navigate a new city like a local.

IMG_3227


I love to travel solo or semi-solo and Google Maps is the best companion, as not only does he help me find my way, he always let’s me get my way.  We’ve had a lot of adventures together, but we’ve had to work at our healthy relationship.  I’ve had to share a lot with Google Maps and keep him updated – good relationships are a two-way street, after all.  So in order to take advantage of all my Google Maps has to offer and execute my tips below, I’ve had to be logged-in to my Google Maps application on my smart phone so it remembers who I am.
Once you’re signed-in, you can really discover the miracles of Google Maps. Here’s how it has made me a better traveler:

IMG_59371. I can always find my way, with or without data, with Google Maps Offline Maps feature.

There is nothing more frustrating (and scary) than being exhausted after a long day as a tourist, trying to get back to your hotel, realizing you don’t know how to get back, and not having a data plan on your phone to feed your maps application to help guide you home.  Usually I load my directions via WiFi at the restaurant where I eat dinner before I retire for the evening, but sometimes I forget and other times WiFi isn’t available.  This is where Offline Maps is a lifesaver – it doesn’t need WiFi or a data plan to function (although it is slightly more limited than using Google Maps online as it doesn’t offer transit, bike, or walking directions).  I make a point to add downloading Offline Maps to my to-do list for all the cities I plan to travel to before I leave on vacation.

IMG_5949


Even if you think you don’t need Offline Maps because you have a rock star international data plan on your phone, you can never be too prepared. One night at a Paris metro stop I had unknowingly arrived just after the last metro I needed left for the night (Paris metros notoriously finish running relatively early in the evening on weekdays, like between 11pm and 12am).  While I had data on my phone during my Paris trip, at the time I was in the metro tunnel with no usable data signal, unsure of what I should do next.  Luckily I had previously downloaded Paris as an Offline Map on my phone and didn’t need a data connection to use it.  While it couldn’t load transit directions, it was enough to let me cross-reference with the metro map to see how far it was to get to my hotel from a different metro stop with an alternative metro line that was still running from the stop where I was waiting.

 

IMG_5947

2. I have the memory of a goldfish, so I always update my saved Google Maps “Home” location with the address of where I’m currently staying, no matter how briefly I’m there.

Sometimes the most obvious pieces of information can be the most elusive, such as the address of where you are staying in a foreign country. Take this familiar scenario, for example:


You get to your hotel or Airbnb via all the reservation information you printed out at the office before you left on your vacation.  You check in to where you are staying, have a rest and a shower, and set out exploring for the rest of the day.  You have a fruitful few hours of exploring and are ready to call it a day.  You reach for your reservation information to reference the address of where you’re staying to tell the taxi you’re planning to take, and much to your chagrin, you realize you’ve left the print-outs with the address in your room.  You panic.  You remember what neighborhood you’re staying in, but not the street.  What are you going to do?  You could (A) Google your hotel address on your smart phone if you have data or via a found WiFi signal. (B) Run around searching for a knowledgeable local who’s willing to help you and speaks English. (C) Try to find your way on your own by meandering back in the direction you came from in the dark. (D) Sleep on a park bench and deal with it in the morning. (E) Ask Google Maps (in offline mode if necessary) to navigate you to your hotel because you remembered to store the address as Home when you left on your travels.  I think by now you know which I’m choosing.

IMG_3119

Believe it or not, this scenario happens more than you think.  I’ll never forget the lovely lunch I shared in Lecce with one of my great friends, Janet from New York.  An American woman sat alone at the table next to us, and spent much of our lunch talking to us and asking questions.  She left a bit before us, and as we were walking back to our Airbnb, we ran into her.  She was lost.  She asked us if we could help her get back to her hotel.  I reached for my iPhone, and at the same time realized I had remembered her checking her email on her iPhone during lunch.  I asked her, “You have an iPhone with data, don’t you?”  She looked at me, confused, and answered, “Yes.”  I responded, “Have you tried inputting the address of your hotel in your phone’s map for directions?”  And she said, “You can do that?”  Well, now you know, ha!

IMG_59543. Google Maps tells me where the basics like ATMs and grocery stores are, wherever I am, which saves me a lot of time and hassle.

I hate paying fees to exchange money in advance of entering a country with a different currency.  Instead, I arrive and plan to withdraw money in the local currency from an ATM (cash machine) asap.  This plan has always worked out for me, especially since it is so easy to find ATMs in Google Maps.


While the ATMS are easy to find at airports and train stations, often these ATMs have the highest fees.  Instead, I wait until I get into the city, open Google Maps, make sure it knows my current location, and just type “ATM” into the search function.  It then displays a map with red dots all around me, each red dot representing an ATM location.  I select one, ask Google Maps to give me walking directions, and head over and withdraw a small amount, knowing I can easily withdraw more when I need to.

Sure beats going to the bank in your hometown in advance of your trip and asking them to exchange $1,000 from your account into Euro, and then spending your travels worrying about getting robbed.

IMG_59514. I navigate public transport like a local, wherever I am, with Google Maps Transit Directions.

While Google Maps Transit Directions are not available in every city, they are widely available, especially in cities that are major tourist destinations.
If transit directions are available where you are (and you can always check in advance of your trip by doing a quick test search), Google can tell you how to get where you want to be via public transportation.

It will give you several different options of different lines and types of public transportation (bus, metro, train), and you can even edit the time you want to leave.  For example, if I’ve made a breakfast date with a friend, I’ll check the transit directions on Google Maps the night before to see how long it will take me by changing the departure time to the following morning.

IMG_5952

The transit directions even include walking directions to where you need to catch the bus, train, or metro.  So there’s no excuse for spending the money on a taxi, Lyft, or Uber, especially since I’ve found that Google Maps has sometimes been more accurate with transit times than transit information posted locally.  If only it went so far as to tell you how to open the door on the Paris metros.  Then it would truly be a perfect travel companion.

Please note that Transit Directions are not available in Offline Maps, and are not accurate in the event of a transit strike or sometimes due to local holiday transit schedules.

IMG_6178

IMG_59565. Google Maps “Saved Places” feature helped me bar-crawl my way through the best-rated historic pubs of London.

Even though I could ride the London Tube like a pro if I had wanted to, thanks to Google Transit Directions, I had a lot of time on my hands during my trip to London, and I was determined to save every penny and not waste a single cent on Tube rides (although I found out at the end of my trip that the Tube graciously caps your daily ride cost to £6.50, no matter how much you ride in the city between certain hours, as long as you use your Oyster card).
Since I didn’t want to spend my money on the Tube, that meant a lot of walking.  And London gets pretty chilly, even during the summer.  If I was walking from, let’s say, The Photographer’s Gallery to, let’s say, East London to check out the amazing street art, I would want to stop to warm up every mile or so.  Luckily, beer is quite economical in London, and half-pints even more so, running from £1.50 to £2.50.  And, I happen to be a fan of beer, so what a great way to spend my money that I save from not using the Tube!

Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 2.50.31 PM



How did I manage to bar-crawl my way through London’s best pubs when I knew nothing about the city and even less about the pubs? I referenced my “Saved Places” on my Google Maps app, which, after I’ve saved a place, appears as a star on my map.  Whenever I wanted a break from my walking, I just looked for the nearest star on the map and navigated myself there, or had Google maps give me walking directions.  I would research the places I wanted to go with WiFi at my Airbnb at night, like articles about the best pubs in London, and when I found a pub that sounded promising, I punched it into my Google Maps app.  When the app located the pub I was looking for, I pulled up on the screen for more options and clicked the star to save the location.  And voila!  Look what my map looked like after all that research (see below).

IMG_6186

IMG_5800

6. There’s no need to wait until I’m on vacation to do my research: I put Saved Places on my Google Maps whenever I get a tip about a good place to go, anywhere in the world, all year round.

I often find myself shuffling through my Instagram feed and drooling over friends’ delicious meals at fantastic places in Asia or Europe and deciding I’m going to go there one day.  But I have the memory of a goldfish, so you and I both know I will never make it there.  Unless, of course, I take advantage of the services of Google Maps.  Now when I see an amazing meal a friend is eating on Instagram, or read a fantastic article about a city in the New York Times travel section, I immediately find and add the recommendations as Saved Places on my Google Map.  Not only will that information be there whenever I make it to these cities, it gives me all the more inspiration for actually going in the first place because my research is already half-done!

IMG_6092

IMG_59577. Google Maps lets me save ANY location anywhere on my map, leaving me with no excuse for not finding my way to “unofficial places,” like the meeting point for a walking tour or the start of a hike a friend recommends to me.

I was on Facebook a few weeks ago, and saw a New York-based friend’s plea for Los Angeles-based friends to take a photo of a billboard her friend had designed that had just gone up in Hollywood.  No one had replied to her plea, and I knew I would be in LA eventually, so I opened Google Maps and added a pin at the intersection the billboard was located.  I labeled it “Billboard I need to photograph” so I can reference it the next time I’m in Los Angeles and it saved as another star on my map. Pretty easy.


I also used this feature when I was in London to save the meeting points for the many London Walks tours I went on.  The walks were very educational (sometimes too educational, ha!) and economical, and we often met in front of metro stops or at well-known intersections.  I would just drop a pin at the tour’s meeting point on my Google Map and label it with the name of the walking tour and the time we were supposed to meet.

Obviously, I am quite passionate about my love of Google Maps.  I could go on and on and on…but I won’t.  Keep in mind that technology changes quickly, and Google Maps is always changing/improving – the latest update makes it possible for Google Maps to pay attention to the travel and restaurant reservation info you make through your Gmail account.  I will try to keep you up to date, but if all else fails, just play around with it and see what you come up with, or leave a comment here on my blog!

IMG_5701

The dawning of a new adventure 


As I start out on this new adventure to Italy and beyond for the summer, I can’t help thinking it is going to be a good one.  But really, I’ve already had more than my fair share of adventures, from my perch in a swinging TSA bassinet on my first flight from my birthplace in Togo, West Africa, to my multiple cross-country drives, and starting life anew in my thirties to pursue a graduate degree in Bologna, Italy.  If I never had another adventure, I really couldn’t complain, and I’d still be fiercely grateful for all of it.


After nearly a year of adjustment to being back home in San Diego, California, and getting used to not being a perpetual traveler, I am now off from my university job for the semester, and therefore back to my old traveling ways.  At the moment I am lounging in an armchair at JFK, on my way to a wedding near Lecce in Puglia, Italy, which forms the heel of the boot of Italy.  I have been to Puglia one time previously, and the abundance of sun, vegetables, and unique architecture made it a favorite of mine immediately.

puglia


Combine a beautiful place like Puglia with a traditional Italian wedding of two of your best friends, with some of your other best friends in attendance, and you’ve got an epic event on your hands.  Ironically, these two love birds met for the first time at my apartment in Bologna.  Several years ago, an American friend of mine convinced me to throw a “day after Valentine’s Day party” for singles to meet.  That particular friend is still single, but two of my other friends – an American and an Italian – met at that party, and the rest was history, as they say.

463592_3329842957195_1514233951_o
A few of our group that will be at the wedding, including the groom!!


Some of my favorite travelers, also part of the same friend group, are currently en route to the wedding as I write this.  I will meet one of them in a few hours at the Emirates check-in desk at JFK, after my godmother takes me to a Peruvian dinner in Queens to fill the time of my long layover.  Another flight and a bus and a train later, we will all be in Puglia together.  And that will kick off this summer with a bang.


I only hope that you all will experience time with loved ones and/or some wonderful adventures this summer as well.  And if you don’t have anything planned yet, well, get to it!
Stay tuned!

Suspended in time in Siena, Italy


Just as Siena is stuck in time, I wish I could have gotten stuck in time in Siena.  Like in Groundhog Day, I want to be living that weekend over and over.  But unfortunately it didn’t hit me how special my weekend in Siena was until I was actually gone, so I was not able to inquire as to how to stop time when I still had the chance.
So instead I rely on blogging, so at least we can relive it…together.


I had been wanting to go to Siena for years, and years, as I had heard so many bits and pieces of wonderful travel stories from friends who had been lucky enough to travel there.  There’s a great blog called “Just Visit Siena” that I’ve been following for a long time, and I even shared a video about it here on the blog a few years ago.  But Siena can be tricky to reach, due to mundane logistical challenges called mountains.  Pesky details.  An eight hour round trip train ride wasn’t worth it in relation to what I envisioned to be an overnight trip.


But after much anticipation, I finally got to go last April with my boyfriend at the time, who drove us.  The approach into Tuscany was undeniable and fit perfectly into the stereotype – the road was smaller, the grass was greener, the sun was brighter, and the soft hills curved into infinity.  We parked just outside the city, and walked in with our luggage.

Siena, Italy, cityscape
A chef statue seems to beckon us to enter Siena.


I was a bit worried that I would be disappointed with all of my high expectations about Siena.  I mean, at this point, I’ve been to a lot of Italian cities, and I’ve found that many of them are alike, or are not necessarily unforgettable.  But I shouldn’t have worried.  Siena is a place all its own.  Siena is, for lack of the creativity to come up with a better word, gorgeous.

Siena, Italy, church
There is never a dull view in Siena.


There are heart-stopping Tuscan views surprising you constantly, and each perspective is just as memorable (if not more) than the last.   And as cliche as it sounds, it is totally true: walking the narrow, winding stone roads feels like it must have hundreds of years ago.

Family, Siena, Italy, streets
A young family walking through the streets of Siena.


Wandering Siena is a constant visual delight, so walk slowly and indulge in reality, which we did as we toted our luggage and stumbled upon hidden courtyards,

Siena, Italy, courtyard, sky
A gorgeous Siena courtyard.


mysterious wells, and other fascinating historical remnants.

Siena, Italy, tourists, wishing well, courtyard
Some tourist boys enjoy a wishing well in a courtyard in Siena, Italy.


We were walking around with our luggage for an extended period of time because we had a small snafu with the hotel we booked on Booking.com.  Keep in mind – last minute bookings for Italian hotels via third party booking agents are never a sure thing due to communication challenges, a lack of a customer service initiative, and small hotels.  But we found another average, affordable hotel, so the crisis was averted (I never expect much from Italian lodging, but I never have to pay much either).  And Booking.com handled the “crisis” well.

Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy
Piazza del Campo at dusk in Siena.


Our first night in Siena was a bit quieter than either of us are used to, as we weren’t visiting Siena during the high season of their incredibly famous annual Palio Horse Race in July, and we are both used to the nonstop nightlife of Bologna.  There is no nightlife in Siena, so it is a good place to practice “early to bed, early to rise.”  There are a ton of interesting events, though, so do your research and plan accordingly.

Siena, Italy, Duomo
Tourists photographing the Siena duomo.


We joined the crowds on our first morning just walking and looking, relaxing and people watching the never-ending characters in Piazza del Campo, where the Palio Horse Race takes place (in our case the most entertaining animal was pizza-loving dog),

Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy, pizza, sun
A family trying to enjoy a pizza lunch in Piazza del Campo and rudely being interrupted by their dog.


checking out the Duomo,

Duomo, Siena, Italy
A different perspective on Siena’s Duomo.


the neighborhoods proudly displaying their flags supporting their horse,

Siena, Italy, Palio horse race
A neighborhood flag proudly displayed in Siena.


the famous Museo Civico, and an occasional unexpected attraction like a tiny church we found full of wonderful art and architecture.

Siena, Italy, street art
Art on the street in Siena


We didn’t do the Duomo tour because it was a bit pricey, but one of my English students highly recommends the tour and I definitely regret not doing it.


It is quite easy to eat well in this city without paying a lot, but it is also easy to eat an overpriced, mediocre meal.  We used a phone app, maybe yelp, to help us wade through our lunch options after eating an overpriced meal the night before.  We ended up at a modern family-run restaurant perched at the top of a hill at a beautiful outdoor table called Zest Ristorante and Wine Bar.

Siena, Italy, pasta
Lunch in Siena, Italy

The tiny street it was on stretched ahead, sharply curving down and up another hill, nearly giving me vertigo until I was distracted by spotting the special flags for the neighborhood horse flying proudly and colorfully ahead, and my potential vertigo was replaced with a sigh of appreciation for finding myself in this one-of-a-kind place. As I write this, I am remembering for the first time in a long time that I stopped to think and look around me for a moment, giving thanks to the universe to be able to experience this moment.  It sounds corny, but Siena really is that special.

Wine, Siena, Italy
More delicious food in Siena


After our amazing lunch, we relaxed again for a bit in Piazza del Campo trying to decide if we had it in us to do the big climb to the top of the Torre del Mangia, the major tower overlooking the piazza that is attached to Palazzo Pubblico, Siena’s City Hall.  It cost a bit, and the day was already winding down.  But, we decided to go for it.
It was unforgettable.  The climb went round and round…the steps were ancient, and we all were forced to cooperate as a group to get to the top.

Torre del Mangia, Siena, Italy
Climbing Torre del Mangia in Siena


But it wasn’t overly strenuous, and there were more than enough stops where we could take a rest and breathe in the amazing Tuscan air.

Torre del Mangia, Siena, Italy, landscape
The beautiful view from Torre del Mangia in Siena


It started raining on the way up, but somehow hiding from the rain and checking out the dramatic storm clouds just added to the drama and adrenaline of the experience.


IMG_5137
We finally got to the top, and our reward was a nearly unobstructed 360 degree view of Siena and its surroundings.

Siena, Italy, city, church, landscape
The light was peeking through the clouds and gave us a gorgeous view of Siena.


By the time we got down, we were so elated, there was nothing else we needed to do to improve our weekend.  We returned to a small bar, called the San Paolo Pub, with a balcony overlooking the Piazza del Campo smaller than my closet.

Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy
Piazza del Campo in the late afternoon sun in Siena, Italy.


The beers were affordable, and how much space do you need to enjoy a view anyway?  It was perfect.  We sat there for hours.  Couples came and went around us.  One was “like us” as my boyfriend had said.  “Whose English is better, his or mine?” he asked me earnestly, as he recognized the couple next to us was also an Italian guy dating a young American woman.

Piazza del Campo, nighttime, Siena, Italy
Piazza del Campo from our favorite little bar overlooking the square.


It was getting to be that time, but I wasn’t ready to go home.  “Let’s go back to the restaurant where we had lunch, please??” I asked him.  After all, we hadn’t yet had any of Siena’s famous Chanti.  He graciously obliged, and back we went to the same restaurant where we had lunch.  The young waitress and the manager, who appeared to be father and daughter, recognized us and greeted us warmly.  This is something I love about Italy – people are nice and gracious to you authentically.  They were genuinely happy to see us.

Coincidentally, we discovered that the young waitress comes fairly often to the small suburb outside of Bologna where I lived at the time.  Apparently she likes a restaurant in my neighborhood (ironically).  We talked about where I lived, and that I would be returning to the United States soon.  Suddenly, she gave us a worried look.  “But what about you guys?  What are you going to do, so far away from each other?”  she said it in Italian.

Good question, ha!  I guess her question could have also been about our trip to Siena.  What were we going to do so far away from it?  It was just a moment in time, that now I have the vibrant memories from.  Hopefully they won’t fade anytime soon.  Anyway, most of life is memories, really, isn’t it?  What more can I ask for.

Celebrating the Italian Summer at the Seaside in Cesenatico

Italians find themselves at the sea nearly every summer weekend, whether they smartly rent or own a whole beach house, or just a few feet of sand under an umbrella.  Having lived in Bologna for years and living as any honorable Italian would do, I joined in the weekend beach-side adventures, fleeing as far as Ancona, but mostly sticking directly East of Bologna in Rimini, Riccione and Ravenna.  But mostly Rimini, because it was familiar.  As soon as the fan came down off the top shelf of my closet and propped up by my bed, the early Saturday morning train rides to Rimini commenced. So it was fitting that I spent my last weekend in Italy before my big return to the United States relaxing at the Italian seaside lifestyle that had defined my summers there.  But this time I didn’t have to wake up early and take the train.  Instead, my boyfriend at the time preferred to drive.  And he was a different sort of character.  He didn’t do things the same way everyone else did.  Instead, he suggested we go to the tiny town of Cesenatico.  I didn’t have the slightest idea what to expect, but as always, I was up for the adventure.

The canal leading to the sea in Cesenatico, Italy
The canal leading to the sea in Cesenatico, Italy

The non-eventful drive and the parking process played out like all of my other beach adventures.  The drive east toward the Adriatic Sea is flat with huge green fields broken up by an occasional ancient structure.  As you approach the sea, there are lots of trees shading the streets and houses.  I was unsuspecting as we parked in an ugly supermarket parking lot until we emerged onto the main walkway of the village.  Stretching before me was a long canal that ran to the sea, flanked by colorful buildings and sporting a long line of cleverly named boats.  But these weren’t recreational boats, they were fishing boats.  And the canal, apparently, is famous because it was once surveyed by Leonardo da Vinci.  Only in Italy.

Fishing boats in Cesenatico, Italy
Fishing boats in Cesenatico, Italy

I was surprised by my surroundings.  “Where are we again?” I asked him.  I’m bad with proper nouns. “Cesenatico,” he replied. “But this place is so cool – why doesn’t everyone come here?” “I don’t know,” he said. “But that’s why I like it.  Not everyone comes here.”

 A boy playing on the beach in Cesenatico, Italy
A boy playing on the beach in Cesenatico, Italy

He was right.  There were definitely other Italian tourists, but they were mostly families.  Instead of walking into a tourist trap, it felt instead like we were stepping into the seaside life of these lucky Italians that call Cesenatico home.

A girl taking a stroll along the beach on her own in Cesenatico, Italy
A girl taking a stroll along the beach on her own in Cesenatico, Italy

We walked down the crowded main stretch along the canal, toward the sea.  I almost felt like a voyeur, watching all the families and the family dogs enjoying their Saturday.  There was even a funky shaped boat that cost one euro that would take you to the other side of the canal if you so desired.

cesenatico6

We drifted until we couldn’t walk anymore, to the point at the end of the boardwalk.  Fishermen and teens and couples like us trickled around, but nothing overwhelming.  Near the boardwalk was a sprawling restaurant with whitewashed walls and tables.  We were led to a table in the sand.  A family with a toddler playing in the sand sat at the next table.  We sat a bit with our drinks, the sight and sounds of the sea releasing our stress, much of which stemmed from my impending departure.   “It seems impossible to believe that in a week you will be in New York.  From Cesenatico to New York – I can’t imagine a bigger change,” said my traveling companion.  I sat and munched my olive and took a sip of prosecco.  He was right.  At that moment, New York was absolutely worlds away from Cesenatico.

The scene of a small town that looks after itself in Cesenatico, Italy
The scene of a small town that looks after itself in Cesenatico, Italy

We eventually found ourselves making our way back up the canal.  A pair of sunglasses caught his eye, and as he tried them on I wandered a few steps and discovered a little fair on a tiny side street, so characteristic of Italy.  Everywhere I turned this little street was dripping with charm – a candy-cane striped awning and a retro bike, a gelato shop that tempted my traveling companion, and knitted jellyfish hanging from a string tied to streetlights.

cesenatico8

I followed the jellyfish hanging from the sky, one by one, to a small, quiet piazza, full of families and a few curious adults, officially stepping over any remaining line between tourist and resident.  To my delight, there were nautical-inspired knittings livening up the ancient stone fountain, church, and doorways of the building facing the piazza, to match the hanging jellyfish.

cesenatico9

Children played under trees decorated with diamonds and more jellyfish.

cesenatico10

With a bit of internet research, I realized I had stumbled upon Cesenatico’s Urban Knitting Group “Il Mare in Conserva,” an installation art exhibit in the Piazzetta delle Conserve.

cesenatico11

I was utterly charmed to so unexpectedly wander into this peaceful, simple world.  I participated as an outsider, snapping photos of the happy children and cats, until realizing my travel companion had probably finished his gelato by now.

cesenatico12

I reluctantly followed the jellyfish back, and found him happy as a clam (no pun intended), taking advantage of his phone’s data plan as the celebrations went on around him.

cesenatico13

We made our way back to the car slowly, our departure marking a transition into a much more complicated world, void of knitted jellyfish and children playing jump-rope on the street.  It had not been just another beach adventure.  It was the end of an era of a naive American girl marveling in the oddities and delights of a beach life so different from my Southern California home.  And the beginning of a mysterious something else.

Perfect German Gentlemen

I recently spent a weekend in Kufstein, Austria. Which is a pretty small town. According to recently garnered information, it is located between South Tyrol in Italy and Bavaria in Germany, and is right around the corner from SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental, which is Austria’s largest interconnected ski area.  I don’t ski.  And I didn’t study geography in school (unfortunately).  So when I went, I really had little to no idea where I was actually going. My goal was simple: I was going to meet some old friends. The actual location of my friends was just a minor detail. I had a feeling we would have fun wherever we were.  And thankfully,  I really turned out to be right.

My great friend Timo, a fellow arts management nerd and a friend I made while studying at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh,  PA, has a teaching gig at a university in Kufstein and invited me out for the weekend. I am always looking for an excuse to travel, and I had never been to Austria, so why not?  And to make matters better,  a wonderful mutual friend of ours was working in Munich, only an hour train ride away. Two countries and two friends to explore with promised to be a fantastic weekend

I'm a lucky gal to have these two great friends.
Timo, me, and Thomas. I’m a lucky gal to have these two great friends.

Now, an important side note. I had no idea how to track down the train to get to Austria from where I live in Bologna, so I asked my friend Timo to do the research. By going directly to the Austrian ÖBB train website he was able to find me a round trip fare (not listed on the Italian train site) for a mere 60 euro. The train ride was not only totally economical, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. Riding through the Italian Alps defines the term “eye candy.” Views rivaling Yosemite or Rocky Mountain National Park are just whizzing by like, no biggie.

Most of the train ride looked like this.  My point and shoot unfortunately doesn't do the view justice.
Most of the train ride looked like this. My point and shoot unfortunately doesn’t do the view justice.

But as wonderful as the train ride was, the real highlight was the hospitality of my friends.  As the true gentlemen that they are, they had every moment planned, and still managed to let me pick my favorite parts of the trip. Timo met me at the train station, gave me a whirlwind tour of Kufstein, and brought me home to drop off my bags and to have a relaxed at-home happy hour.

I love a good salad, and sometimes the Italian salads don't do it for me.  Thank goodness for Austria.
I love a good salad, and sometimes the Italian salads don’t do it for me. Thank goodness for Austria.

Then on to an amazing Austrian meal complete with a character of a waitress and a huge fireplace in the middle of the restaurant, and not a tourist in sight. Nothing better than an Austrian salad and some potatoes and cheese. Yes, I’m easy to please.

Timo in his office in Kufstein.
Timo in his office in Kufstein.

The next day involved a superb Austrian brunch with endless scrumptious bread and cheese, a tour of his university, and a hike that straddled the border of Austria and Germany (he was looking forward to making free calls to Germany when we got to that part of the hike).

Beautiful mountains on our hike.
Beautiful mountains on our hike.

And a giant lake. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. In my life, not a typical day. But the Austrians seemed pretty nonchalant about all the grandeur and such.

Sushi night in Austria.  What more could I ask for?
Sushi night in Austria. What more could I ask for?

We topped off the awesome day with a sushi dinner of all things at a boisterous local hangout. I was thrilled.

The Austrian train company, ÖBB, is actually very reasonably priced.
The Austrian train company, ÖBB, is actually very reasonably priced.

Last but not least. Our day in Germany. After a train we nearly missed (running after trains is not sexy, I really need to start planning more appropriately), we met our friend Thomas for lunch in Munich at Prinz Myshkin, a restaurant they let me choose in the historic Altstadt neighborhood.  And the restaurant was vegetarian, no less.  What more could I ask for? Then, as the arts management nerds we all are,  our next stop was the modern art museum, Pinakothek der Moderne.  We sauntered our way to the museum after lunch with a brief delay by the Carnival parade that intercepted our walk.

Group of people in Munich's historical center randomly dressed as stuffed animals.
Group of people in Munich’s historical center randomly dressed as stuffed animals.

Adults dressed as jungle animals?  I was interested.

I love a good costume and a little drama.
I love a good costume and a little drama.

Once in the museum, I managed to set off several alarms in my picture-taking gusto as we casually took in the spectacular architecture of the museum, and the awesome Jeff Wall exhibit.

Enjoying the Pinakothek der Moderne museum.
Enjoying the Pinakothek der Moderne museum.

Followed by a great coffee break at the bar and a late Indian dinner when we got back to Austria. It was a successful day, I would say.

I left the next morning, and my disappointment about my short stay in beautiful Kufstein was short-lived, as once again the spectacular scenery of the ride through the Alps captured my devotion for a few short hours.

Back at home in Bologna, I was newly enlivened with the spirit of my awesome weekend, thanks to the amazing gentlemen hosts.  The first of a series of smashing successes with friend related traveling.  I highly recommend it.

Visiting Las Vegas on a budget

As a Southern California native and a frequent visitor to Las Vegas, I have a love/hate relationship with the city. Expensive, commercial, hot, and crowded, it is also a destination laden with treasures and beauty that you don’t find everyday. A fellow blogger put together this fabulous Vegas guide, and I am reblogging this post because it is so rich with information regarding finding those treasures in Vegas but not spending a fortune. Hope you’ll also find it useful!

One of my favorite views in the world

The view from the Rialto bridge in Venice is – in a word – indescribable.  Yes, you are submerged in tourists.  But if you can just face forward and take a deep breath and let the beauty of Venice pour in, you will never forget the moment.  The curve of the Grand Canal teeming with activity just below your feet, the pastel painted buildings lining the water with bobbing boats parked steps away.  Yesterday was a warm, sunny day, and the canal was gleaming with energy.  Even the birds seemed to know this was the place to be.

An Innocent Roman Sunset

Living far away from home isn’t always easy.  But this sunset view of St. Peter’s Basilica just off of the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta in Rome has a way of melting away all of my homesickness.  Just one gentle sweep of my eyes across the Roman rooftops and all my worries are gone…

Organized Tours: Not just for our parents anymore

Editor’s note: In my humble opinion, traveling solo is truly the best way to travel, whether you are joining a tour or setting out on your own. But when the thought of traveling alone becomes too overwhelmingly intimidating,  turn to an organized tour.  They aren’t as bad as you think.

But I think you’ve heard enough from me lately, so I asked an expert on the subject – one of my favorite people and a great friend from high school – to explain how she’s used organized tours to satiate her traveling appetite as a young, single woman. Giovanna has gone from slight isolation in our small town in the southwest corner of the US,  to pursuing international adventures on her own through the help of a great tour agency.  And she even managed to meet me for dinner in Florence. 

Giovanna and Peggy
Here we are, recently reunited in Florence (I’m having a hard time concealing my excitement). The tour company was nice enough to offer me a ride to dinner with Giovanna on their tour bus.

I’m from a small town in southern California where most people only travel to another country because we live in a border town 20 minutes from Mexico. So when I took my first trip across the country to Syracuse, NY I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack (I’m joking because I’ve never had an anxiety attack, but I’m sure that what I felt might have been a borderline attack). That first trip was for a continued education course just for a few days, but it encouraged me to be adventurous and explore other countries – countries on different continents, not just the one 20 minutes from my house.

group travel_trevi fountain_rome
Giovanna with friends from the tour at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

My friend found a trip to Italy with a tour company named Contiki, which specializes in tours for young adults, and I thought it was perfect! I would be traveling to another country with a group of people my age (safety in numbers), hotel and transportation would be taken care of, I didn’t have to learn a new language to get around (although leading up to the trip I did listen to an Italian CD over and over for months to learn common phrases), and I would get to see all the tourist attractions. That first trip was absolutely amazing and the only thing that was disappointing was how quickly we ran out of time in such a beautiful place. Since then I have traveled with the same company several times, including several other land tours and a cruise. I’ve felt so safe on those trips that last year I decided to take a tour of Europe and this time I went alone – eeek (I was nervous and excited at the same time)!  I made some wonderful friends while on the trip and learned a lot about myself and finally began to realize all that my traveling has taught me about culture, religion, art, music, FOOD, and respect for people.

Giovanna
Giovanna enjoying her food. 🙂

Although I have enjoyed traveling with tours, it certainly isn’t for everyone.  If your idea of traveling is to have freedom with sites you visit especially in respect to how long you will be there, or you prefer to travel without an itinerary, or to travel alone or with a few friends, then tours may not be for you.  The tours I have been on tend to be fast paced and you may not spend much time in any one city or town but you will find that you spend enough time to know if it is somewhere you would like to come back to and visit again.  The tour guide will also inform you of the tourist attractions and interesting facts and any relevant history related to the area along with tips and suggestions for meals and exploration.   You will be given some free time to roam and explore but the tour is on a time frame and will not wait for those who wander too far.  If you are unable to make it to the pick-up point at the appointed time you will get left behind and it is your responsibility to catch up with the tour group at your expense and I am a witness people DO get left behind!
Tours seem to come in all shapes and sizes, so it is never impossible to find one suited to your interests.  Here are a few resources for choosing a tour that’s right for you: