As I mentioned earlier, my internet here on the mountain is going to be a bit less predictable than in Roma. I was fortuna in Roma. I could hear many others discuss the patchiness of their services.
So from Anacapri, I will write when I can. I do find it helpful to get down my thoughts and daily excursions as soon as possible, as they tend to roll over one another.
Here are a few of my “breadcrumbs” from yesterday’s walk.

The streets…AND

My driver (from lunch yesterday) texting while driving…not just an American fault.

Street Art

THE cutest logo on one of the beautiful doors of Capri.
And my favorite…

Isn’t it meraviglioso to have/have had fathers like we do!

roaming further Sud

Si I am aware I have written my title twice. Last night I was writing on the terrace here in Anacapri and the mosquitos set in. I went inside to finish up and walking that 20 steps lost my internet connection. And I guess a draft was not automatically saved. Avanti!

Sunday morning began at the Roma Termini. This should look familiar to most of my famiglia. Mom, Dalton, Avery and I spent a few hours huddled here on our last trip. This morning, no problems. I arrived extra early to be comfortable. And to be honest, I never tire of people watching.
The train to Napoli arrived and departed right on schedule. I was a bit apprehensive about Napoli. It has a reputation of being Italy at its grittiest. Rick Steve’s says if you love the chaos of Rome, go further South, if not….don’t.
I remember our brief stop here with the kids. We all huddled together like penguins trying to stay warm. When movement was necessary, we would psych ourselves up and move in a clump. Well, having no one to clump with. I exited the train and simulated a clump(ish). There were 2 young girls walking with confidence toward the exit so I just tagged along, grabbed a taxi outside (ignoring the many offers inside), told my driver with authority (yea right) “Molo Beverello per favore”. Franco, the owner of the small guest house I will be staying at in Capri had alerted me to what the fare to the port should be. When my driver tried more and opened his glove compartment so I could not see the meter, I was poised and ready with pen and paper in hand already having written the cab number on it. This was also a tip from Franco. Supposedly if the taxis in Napoli get a complaint, they are off the streets for five days. Worked like a charm. We settled on 12 euros…Franco’s suggested amount.

I purchased my ferry ticket to Capri, hopped on board and set sail. Ciao Napoli!
Buongiorno Capri!

Finally, to meet Franco. I exited the ferry, walked the pier, my new red Samsonite (“Red-a…like the Ferarri” my helpful salesman added) gliding along the cobblestones as if it were remote control. I found the Farmacia, found the Fontana. People watched for just a bit…..quite the spectrum here in Capri.

Classy…

Comfort?
And then up drives my Franco looking just like Franco. Picture an Italian, bit shorter wizard in the original Wizard of Oz. He hops out of his jeep kinda van thing, strolls over and says, “Ah Paige, you are nothing but beautiful.” Not exactly sure what that means, but ok….
He takes my Ferarri, tells me to sit where ever I want and declares, “Andiamo!”
As we drive from the port to Anacapri, Franco fills me in on my bella surroundings. At one point, he hits my leg and says, “I still-a have cherries-a for you to pick”….like I have been neglect.

The “streets” here are crazy skinny, but Franco pulls over for a couple of seconds for me to snap this.
Seriously, the streets are like skinny sidewalks! Buses, motorcycles, jeep/van things, Vespas, pedi, all share. I swear we had to suck in several times to slip past a bus(ish) and a wall. All the way, Franco is pointing out sights.

A copy of Lourdes.

And we arrive.

Franco tells me that because I was the first guest to secure for 2013, he has saved me the best-a room. “It is fantastico I tell-a you!” Meet the “Olive”.

As we stand on my terrace, Franco points out the islands, the towns and Vesuvio in the Bay of Napoli. He tells me, “If-a you open-a your arms-a, you have the Bay of Napoli in them-a”. (He is good!)
He then turns to take me in to see my room.

To drive the point home, he takes me to the mirror for my “surprise” of this room he has chosen. He tells me that when I look in the mirror of this room, I see myself in the Bay of Napoli!

And sure enough…

At this point, I tell Franco I am hungry and he says there will be a car for me in 10 minutes. When the car arrives, a young guy pops out and says, “Mama Giovanna?”…uhhmmmm sure.

After my first meal in Capri, the driver picked me up, and asked me if I wanted to be dropped off at my room or in Anacapri. I wanted my room to rest a bit, but couldn’t pass up getting my bearings. The only issue was, with these tiny, winding streets, I had no clue how to navigate back to the guest house. I kinda tried to explain that and he said, “va bene…it-a is-a very easy-a.” and dropped me off in Anacapri.

I roamed around a bit, feeling ragged from my day’s journey. I thought if I could make it back, shower, get redressed, I would tackle finding Anacapri on my own. I had picked this cherry earlier. and had been hanging onto it.

When I sat down to take its portrait, I forgot to pick it back up again. I realized this when I was back at the room getting cleaned up.
Feeling a bit refreshed, but still a bit tired and NOT a bit hungry. I began walking back into “town”. This time I made myself a little picture map on my phone, taking photos of where I was turning or weaving right and left, nothing exciting, just land marks. At one point, the surroundings started to look a bit familiar…I got a smile on my face, turned a corner and

There was my cherry!
I bought a bottle of wine and some waters, made my way back without needing my photos, sat down to “talk” with you,

Watched the sunset (Franco had told me earlier that the “Colors will crazy you!”).

And called it a night.

I decided to mix up the breakfast routine a bit this morning. I had a quello che lei sta avendo…translation, “I will have what she is having.”

Then it was back across the Tiber to Trastevere….which translates, “across the Tiber”.

I arrived early and again loved the area. Cafes were just opening, it was a cooler morning than usual, perfetto. I went again to Santa Maria Trastevere.

The church is located on a main piazza near a large fountain.

Look! My prediction was wrong, the road crew of due completed their job…bravo.

One of my favorite photos from my first trip to Italia was of a man gazing out his window. I love to get these small glimpses of daily life when visiting someone else’s city.
During my tre visit to the church, preparations for a wedding were in progress. It was quite an experience sitting in this breathtaking church and the Ave Maria began to play.

I even captured a snipit of it on my phone but am not sure how to share.
Well, off to class.

This must be the place.
The class is limited to 12 participants. Our group consisted of 3 from North Carolina (one currently living in London), 2 from Virginia, 2 from Austria, 2 from Australia, 2 from Michigan and then me.
We were greeted by Erica and a cup of espresso.

I will not share every detail of the day but it was a wonderful, complete experience. Chef Andrea shares a perfect mix of Roman history, culture and food. His expectations are high and holds his students to HIS standards…he demonstrates this by throwing away 1/2 the carrots one has already prepped by saying, “No, thees is not-a good-a. You eat-a with your-a eyes-a first-a!” or “You are not-a an elephant-a…smaller peezes of cheesa!” Just to share a few.

Chef Andrea chooses the menu based on Traditional ROMAN dishes, client requests (that’s me!) and dietary restrictions (that’s NOT me! or, luckily, anyone else in our group.)

Here Chef Andrea shares his rough morning at the market with us.
After a great introduction to our day, we were all put to work.

Photo op!

Many hands make light work….unless the first attempt is thrown away and it must be redone (by the way, it was not me..I was on potato duty, not carrot.)

This was MY request!! Stuffed pumpkin blossoms. Some were stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella and some with eggplant and mozzarella. We also received a lecture about taking a few minutes to do correctly and not mutilate the blossoms.

Beer batter for the blossoms….it does’t matter what type of beer, you only need it for the yeast-a.
Once the blossoms were stuffed and ready to be fried, we began the Bolognese! Fresh tomatoes, garlic, sofrito (carrots, onions and celery) ground pork and ground beef. This was served with handmade (these hands here…and 22 others) gnocchetti. My words and photos certainly do not do the experience justice. Chef Andrea always had a side note to share. Many were about how American Italian dishes are misnamed and many not even Italian (meatballs, garlic bread lower your heads!).
This was my first time to make pasta.

These are the leetle peelowsa that get turned into

The gnocchetti. By the way, if your gnocchetti does not have a “wave-a” in it…DO IT OVER…or else someone will try to eat it and spit it out because-a eet esa no good-a! Be warned!!

The gnocchetti was boiled briefly ( in the water we blanched the tomatoes in…because it has the nutrients from the tomatoes peel (that we threw away) still in it… and then added to our Bolognese sauce-a.
Oh yes, back to my friend the chicken. We also made chicken cacciatore or “hunter’s chicken”. Thees-a ees-a only made-a with cheecken, no breast-as…(say as you move your hands around that region of the body), garlic, olive oil, black olives, rosemary, salt and white wine veenegar-a….not tomatoes! EVER. If you-a use-a tomatoes….eet esa not-a cheechen cacciatore.

Oh, and another thing- you always serve chichen cacciatore with roasted potatoes…always.

This was the fresh dipping sauce we made for our pumpkin blossoms. Chef Andrea says it is really to be served over pasta, he was just trying to give us yet another recipe to take home. Avery will LOVE this one; tomatoes…..big side note here, use ONLY GRAPE tomatoes, NOT cherry tomatoes…suffice it to say that one of our members will not ever forget this…

I am sure I am forgetting something, but on to dessert- Sautéed peaches ( hard peaches…bang them on the counter and also with a knife to illustrate they are HARD) with crema.

And now, time to enjoy the fruits of our labor, with fabulous wine pairings of course…Perfetto!

I cannot say enough good things about this experience. If you like to learn, cook and eat, it is a must for anyone visiting Roma!

After the class, I roamed back home, not exactly knowing where I was but loving every turn.

Lover’s Locks along Ponte Garibaldi.

A wedding.

Trajan’s Column.

The 2014 Priest Calendar (?)

Another wedding. (Check out his scarpe!)

Bocca della Verita (The Mouth of Truth) Straight out of Roman Holiday!

A new suitcase.

And a bel tramonto!
Arrivederci Roma!
Next stop Capri.
Ciao!

Not sure if the guys on the scaffolding are reading my blog, but they did allow me to sleep later this morning. Although my body is very tired each evening, my mind keeps going and falling asleep takes a bit. So the extra time in bed was bene.
Today I really had no agenda. There were a couple of places I thought I might check out, but I was very open. The temperature here has been just like Texas. I kept wondering why all these well dressed Italians are not sweating like….let’s say me…then I realized their pace is MUCH slower. So today, I decided to try to camminare like an Italian….although not as well dressed. (More to come on their style later.)
Breakfast was the ho-hum usual. By ho-hum I mean a perfetto cappuccino and another oh so yummy almond and crema croissant.
Yesterday, my biking buddies (I use “buddies” loosely. The conversation didn’t flow much until the wine at the final stop did. One was a doctor from Florida and the other worked for The Bill and Linda Gates Foundation) laughed at my paper map. Ricardo wanted to show us something, but he said, “But we do not have a map.” On the contrary Ricardo…and I whipped my already well worn and marked one out. Anyway, they all thought a paper map was strange I guess and tried to give me a tutorial on downloading the gps maps on my phone. I shared with them my fear of costs but they said if when I was on wifi, I would download a map, then “move it around”…at this point, I really made them laugh…I asked, “move it around?”, as I held my phone and moved it through the air….no they said, move the map with your finger and it will load the surrounding areas and then you will have it later. The benefit they said was I would always know where I was.
ANYWAY, short story long, I decided to try to navigate in this manner today, or at least to my first stop.
So I put in “Gusto”. My sister-in-law had just told me about this place. Sounded kinda like a restaurant/shop to me…right up my alley. As I followed the blinking blue dot, I am sure I looked just as silly as I do holding and constantly turning my paper map, but it did the trick.

Past the Spanish Steps…

No matter HOW I looked on my bike yesterday, PLEASE tell me I did not look as silly as these guys!!

Along the fancy shops of Via Condotti.

Slipping by the ever watchful eyes of the Roman Guards…btw…Caesar has eyes EVERYWHERE…I think he know this guy’s using his cell under his helmet!
And finally to Gusto.

Now Tricia might be looking at this photo and saying, “That’s not Gusto.” In fact I am not positive it is the one she told me about. The blinking blue dot was not exactly here, but when I looked up, the place said Gusto, so I decided this would be my Gusto.

What a wonderful place. I arrived before any sort of lunch crowd and walked around a bit taking photos of everything. The lunch special was one plate of any and everything from the homestyle table. Although I probably should have, I did not choose that. I instead order Caprese number tre. Avery wondered if I would get tired of them on this trip…I am doubtful!

My kind of pane e acqua.

As I was entering, one of the waitstaff was adding a fabulous looking dessert to the day’s selections. I did not want to hurt his feelings, so I ordered that and an espresso as well.

I asked if I could take his photo before he “presented” it to me. Once I did, he asked to see it, and then gave me the universal “eh” sign…funny.

I LOVED my sugar packet!!
And on the flip side,

Will do! Andiamo!
As I left Gusto, I asked the hostess which way to Trastevere. She told me where a taxi stand was. I told her no that I would be walking. She said, “Oh no, molto pedi!” But if I hadn’t pedi-ed, I would have missed all this.

As Avery would say, “It’s a sign!”

What does this say about the person living inside? Are they aware it is there? You’re an Ass, but an angelie one at times? Hhhmmm?

This one’s for you Ellie!

And finally to Trastevere. OK, travel tip…if you come to Rome…my recommendation is to stay in Trastevere. It was my original thought a year or so ago, but I let a few things sway me. It is not that I regret it. This trip is all about finding places I want to come back to. I think my family would LOVE staying here. It is said to be the “grittier” side of Rome. My kind of grit!
I had wanted to make my way here today because this is where my cooking class is tomorrow. I am so glad I pedi-ed all this way.
First stop was Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Of the churches I have visited, I think this one is my favorite. It has such warmth to it. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Rome. Perhaps the first where mass was openly celebrated. The groundbreaking was in the 4th century. A Christian house-church was founded here about 220.

Intention candle for my famiglia.

I have no words. This is on the ceiling. Other stunning areas of the ceiling have dramatic reliefs. It is as if there are statues attached.

Special remembrances.

I know to you it seems like I have just eaten, but I was ready for my first birra, so I roamed about choosing from many contenders. But when I heard “Stayn’ Alive” coming from this spot and the energetic, friendly looking waitstaff, I knew this had to be the place….and I PROMISE…I only ordered a birra, the rest just kept coming!

And if that wasn’t enough…my happiness was completed when this oily, salty bag of pane was placed on my table…thank goodness I had a plastic bag in my purse or there would have been no dinner for me tonight!

Speaking of pane…you think Ricardo might give me a decent reference if I were to apply for this job?

I relaxed at Grazia & Graziella for quite a while.

Could they be any more clear!?
In fact, I lingered in Trastevere long enough to attend 5:30 mass at Santa Maria in Trastevere. What a beautiful experience. To think of all who have worshiped there….and then there is me.
As I said, Trastevere was definitely a find. I will return tomorrow for my cooking class.

I am betting the street crews will still be there!
Fino a domani!

The plan was to sleep a bit late, thinking I would need the extra rest for my bike tour along the Ancient Appian Way. A bit after 8:00, I was awakened by someone out my window….my room is on the 6th floor. I was aware there was scaffolding out there, just didn’t think beyond that. Anyway, with the whistling (musical, not at me), the tromping to and fro and …let’s just say Italian communication…I decided to slither out of bed (yes my window has shutters, but they are open a bit and slats are missing and yes my window has curtains, but they are very sheer) and hole up in the bathroom for a bit.

So, PLAN B. I got over (kinda) the mental hump of wearing longish shorts and keds, got dressed and went down to my Pasticceria for my morning fix. I brought along my ipad thinking this was a good time to do a bit of reading and research.

I sat there trying to take it easy and just enjoy the morning until my 2:00 tour…but I obviously have difficulties with that….I decided the churches I wanted to see were not that far from my room, I had a couple of hours, so I ran back up to my room, grabbed a couple of necessities and started making my way. I won’t go into my navigational issues….wait, is it me or is it Roma? But I did pretty good finding Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest church in Roma dedicated to Mary. Construction began in 435 AD. So this church makes our Saint Mary’s look small and new! Going into a church of this magnitude is overwhelming for me. There is so much to see and even more to learn. Knowing I had a bit of a time limit, I took in the highlights.

The urn holds several pieces of wood from Jesus’ crib.

This stunning stained-glass has such a contemporary almost cubist feel to it.
As I exited, I asked a Padre the direction of another basilica on Rick Steve’s Pilgrim’s Tour. “Straight down this street.” Straight down…how could I turn back now? On to San Giovanni in Laterano.
.

This was the first Christian church in Roma. It opened in 318 AD. It was the home of the popes until the renovation of Saint Peter’s during the Renaissance. It is still owned by the Vatican.
At the entrance, there is a statue of Constantine, the emperor who legalized Christianity.

I find the doors an interesting detail. These were the original doors of the Roman Senate (3rd Century). The church had them moved in the 1650s to remind the population that the Church was now Europe’s lawmaker.

Leaving San Giovannni, I make my way back (kinda) to my room, just in time to ditch the ipad, grab a hat and lather on more sunscreen.

Part Due

I am going to make this short and….well short. I’d like to say that I just don’t want to talk about it, but they say (especially Romans) that conversation is good for us….so, WHEN IN ROMA.

This is where it begins. A little background- As I share Roma’s history with my students, I continue to find it fascinating. So I figured a good way to really get a feel for it was to bike their original road VIA APPIA ANTICA. I chose a 6 hour, 18 mile tour. Now those of you who know me, know the “idea” of the ride overtook the details, like how far, the terrain, 93 degree day….ya know, the details. But in my defense (which I restated a couple of times today) I did contact the company explaining my lack of biking stamina and they assured me that this is a ride for all…..now in THEIR defense, the site DOES list the milage (in kilometers…are those shorter or longer???) and the level of the tour “leisure to intermediate”.
Anyway, back to the ride. There were only 2 other people going, male in their early 30’s….I asked! And of course Ricardo, the guide.
Bottom line…the ride kicked my culo! Not only was the pace fast (“You think we were going fast?” Ricardo questioned.) but the terrain varied. As we went up a steady long incline at the entrance to the catacombs, I was certain I was going to have to ask San Sebastiano to scoot over. While waiting for our English speaking tour guide at the catacombs, I realized people were looking at me as if…well, there were no mirrors so I am not sure, but it wasn’t good.
Thank goodness for the cooling temperatures in the catacombs. This part of the afternoon was very interesting. However, no photos were allowed. The information shared was overwhelming, but I look forward to reading more about them; something like 7 miles of tunnels and 80,000 tombs!

Of course, San Sebastiano’s tomb is in the attached church. San Sebastiano is the patron saint of athletes, due to his endurance after being shot by arrows and left to die.
Other highlights of the tour include-

 Ruins along the via.

Aqueducts!

Pecora!

After our last stop at a medieval, working farm, I was reenergized (a bit) and actually peddled my way to the front a couple of times, Ricardo noticed this. I figure it was just the horse heading to the barn thing.
After that “adventure”, I stumbled to my room, showered and am heading to bed…not even dinner tonight.

One little side note, the traffic/driving in Roma is crazy! But I have to say, watching someone text while on their Vespa zooming by, takes the torta!
Ciao! Buonanotte!

After the Papal Audience my pace slowed and my frustration with the streets eased up. Here in Roma, it seems as if every block has a different name…which makes navigating, for me at least, molto difficile. For only being here 2 days, I have walked in many circles.

Piazza Navona was hot and populated mostly by venders selling their (or someone’s) wares. I found one actual artist that I liked very much. I was just not ready to commit this early on my 1 fabulous piece of art to buy.

A short, yet winding walk away, the Pantheon. Each time I visit, the grandeur of the front portal contrasting with the roughness of the remainder of the building, strikes me.

After a bit of a rest, an afternoon pick me got me going again.
Ricardo, the owner of my B&B shared a restaurant recommendation, and with a couple of hours to spare before dinner, I just roamed.

I cannot tell you what it is like to turn a corner and be surprised by a sight like this one. Look very closely at the end of the street. You almost have to pinch yourself as a reminder that this is real and not a backdrop.

The Forum, I believe, is my favorite spot in Roma. I am fascinated to imagine the spirits that linger.

So far, if I could bring back a really cool piece of Roma, I think I would choose one of these. Each time I pass one, I just love it! I need to put my hillcountryhousegirl on the trail. If anyone could find one…I bet it’s Ann.
The sun began to set and the streets and sidewalk cafes began to fill with a different crowd.
As I walked by one small, outdoor restaurant, the sound of an accordion completed the picture.
A few blocks later, I walked by these guys. As I walked past, I loved the idea that they were slowly gearing up for work; completing that picture of a perfect Italian evening. I am learning that regret for not taking a photo is worse than any embarrassment I might cause myself by asking permission to photograph someone. In this case, they were even more tickled at the thought than I was! I think I made their night.

Dinner at the recommended restaurant was wonderful. But the neon light of the pizzeria by my B&B caught my eye again.

A slice of tarta de nonna was a sweet ending to a molto bene day.

**Check out my instagram at paigetcinitalia for a bit more** and if you can figure out how on earth those guys in orange do it….do tell!
Buonanotte!

Up bright and early. The Sister yesterday advised us to get to the “Catholic Pep Rally” by 7:00 am. Sister Mary Catherine said they give out WAY more tickets than there are seats. In her orientation she told us how to dress, “knees and shoulders covered and EVERYTHING in between”. Although I certainly feel one should dress conservatively out of respect, there are VERY FEW around me who feel this way. Case in point, the woman in black leggings you could see right through and a shirt that declared, “what the hell” with skulls adorning it. At least she was there…right…
So out the porta by 6:30, grabbed a delicious Italian breakfast and a taxi to Piazza San Pietro.

By 7:00 am quite a crowd was forming, they shuffled us through a few barricades, and by 8:00ish, I was in the front seating area….without a seat. At that point, I watched as people there for Holy experience acted….pretty unholy. My philosophy was that part of this adventure was for me to work on being more patient, so I just stood near an area with lots of seats (reserved for large groups from different parishes) thinking that I might get lucky. I figured if I did not, I was there in the right frame of mind and heart and He would know that.

The people watching was…I do not even have words. Several newlyweds came presumably right from their ceremonies. Old, young, really old…really young and every age inbetween.

The troop of “ladybugs” were so like something right out of a movie.

But of course nothing could compare with when Pope Francesco entered the piazza. All united then. By that time, I had secured a seat. Never speaking more than “si, si, grazie” to anyone. I was seated a few chairs from a barrier when an Italian woman about my age, motioned for me to come over by the barrier. Again, “si, si, grazie.”

See…my forced patience benefited me! The shouts of “Papa! Papa!” were something I will never forget. He stopped his “Pope Mobile” right in front of me and kissed babies raised over the barrier for his precious blessing.
At the end of the audience, the same woman turned to me and gave me a Pope Francesco prayer card. Although I had just purchased several and they are now blessed, the one from her will be my favorite.

roaming 5,812.8 miles

Arriving at the airport I was quickly and soundly reminded that any pathetic attempt I had made in the last couple of years to learn any Italian was silly!
Sure, I can pick out a word here and there, but the speed in which they parlare makes my head spin!
I actually think this is a fun diversion for them…saying crazy, nonsense things to Americans as we say “grazie, si, Si, grazie” and walk off .

My poor wheels. Not sure what I will do on Sunday.

My cool and cozy room.

Fontana di Trevi
And yes, I threw a coin in.

Where I picked up my biglietto for the Papal Audience.

My first Caprese. And Pasta Carbonara from La Carbonara.

And of course a wise traveler always scopes out a spot for domani!
Buonanotte!

Sunset / Sunrise