Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

Italy Day 4: Point and Go

Amir described it best about ten minutes into driving our rental car. “The name of the game here is just point and go.” The cars are tiny and swift, darting in and out. Lanes seem to be a suggestion not the law.

Shortly after escaping the city we found ourselves in the rolling Tuscan countryside featured in all those college dorm room posters. Diane Lane would be proud of me for tackling this trip.

We ascended a bridge stretching across a winding river far, far below. The GPS informed us this was the River Tiber, which sent a wave of emotion across me. Last time we touched the Tiber as a family was 2018, on our last trip to Rome. We’d lost an unexpected but very much wanted pregnancy 10 days prior. At the time we were a family of three. We threw light pink roses into the River Tiber as a way to acknowledge the loss. Today, as we crossed that same river in a car as a family of five, in a compact SUV stuffed to the top like manicotti, I felt relief, peace, amusement and surprise at just how much your life can change in 5 years.

Every trip we take we like to book an “Extreme Rental.” In Arizona, it was a JEEP for off-roading, in Denmark a Christiana bicycle, yesterday a family bike. Today we added a JEEP Renegade to the mix – Amir at the wheel as usual, me looking up the significance of historic ruins (pro tip: Spot something of interest, find its name on Google Maps then look it up on good old Wikipedia). Amir’s a big history buff, so this is the least I can do since he always takes the hard job of driving.

Our JEEP Renegade

Our AirBnB is about two hours outside of Rome, in the Lazio region. A different listing initially caught my eye, but then I noticed the other had no bathtub (dealbreaker when traveling with small ones). Podere Palazzo offered a huge bathtub and was slightly cheaper – an easy decision.

The villa has a small English-style garden, a pond with koi fish surrounded by rosemary blooming with purple flowers. There’s a swing that #1BigSister is sure to monopolize, and two hammocks for Mama and Dada, There’s an outdoor dining table with a fireplace and seating area, plus an infinity pool (which we were told would be closed but looks pretty ready to enjoy).

I’m not sure words can do any service to the beauty of this villa, so I’ll just say that we finished the evening with a meal cooked here in our kitchen by Valeria, the sister of the owner. Our first course was fresh tomato bruschetta with a potato and egg torte. Next we had handmade spaghetti (a kid favorite), followed by Chicken Cacciatore, but not like the version I know… this one required cooking the chicken in white wine until nearly all the wine reduced, then adding balsamic, fresh rosemary and a touch of olive oil. That’s all then reduced down to a sticky, delicious broth. Man how I wish I could capture the aromas for you to experience.

There’s a lot more I could write about today, but unfortunately getting the kids to bed is still a nightly battle. And it’s exceptional torture as all three won’t sleep. Good thing I’m pretty sure we landed in paradise today. I think I’ll survive.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

Italy Day 3: Bici Pincio Bike Rental through Villa Borghese

We’d intended to rent a golf cart today, but thankfully that didn’t go as planned. Our AirBnB is deliberately near a large garden/park area called Villa Borghese. We learned early on that booking a stay with a playground or open nature space nearby is key for letting the little ones burn off energy (even more so when cooped up in a hotel room or airplane).

For our visit to Rome, we booked this apartment on AirBnB. If we are staying in a city with lots to do and explore, we don’t bother booking a place with many amenities as we won’t be home much to use them. If we are somewhere more rural, we try to book a stay with a hot tub, pool, swing set… something special to pass the extra time at home.

Not our house… maybe one day

Amir and I make a pretty great traveling team. When it comes time to planning for a vacation, our jobs require us to do things in a certain order, or else nothing would ever happen.

Step 1: Request vacation time at work.

Step 2: Book flights (that’s all Amir, thank goodness). He’s become an expert in credit card rewards and upgrades.

Step 3: Book lodging – AirBnB is our go to. As an alternative searching “boutique hotels” can also land you somewhere unexpected.

Step 4: Book transportation. This never used to be a focused step for us, but now carting around 5 people with baggage limits our ability to be spontaneous.

Step 5: Plan activities. We probably only decide 25% of what we are going to do somewhere before we go. We watch travel shows and YouTube videos for unique spots. The rest we decide on the fly once we arrive. This allows room to not overbook ourselves and to squeeze in experiences only discovered once we’ve arrived.

The Navigator

It helps that Amir has an innate navigation ability built-in to his brain. He can look at a map for 5 seconds and then remember the turn by turn directions to get us to our next adventure. It’s probably a skill everyone had by necessity prior to GPS, but for me that brain space has long been crowded out by many, many other things.

We had one destination today – Villa Borghese. The third largest public park in Rome, the gardens date back to 1605 when Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, began development. Fun fact: the gardens are the setting in Chapters 8-11 of Nathanial Hawthornes novel The Marble Faun.

The gardens are dotted with small food stands and cafes. We stumbled upon the Bici Pincio bicycle rental, offering all shapes and sizes of bikes. We were worried about our ability to find something safe and fun for our littlest and biggest riders, but they had every option imaginable. To our surprise, the lady said we could fit a “Small Family” bicycle… I glanced at Amir and #1LittleSister, skeptical, but she nodded with confidence, “You fit.”

#1LittleSister and #1BigBrother

I’m not going to lie – the bike was my favorite part of the trip yet, and the most fun thing I’ve done in a LONG time. I’m pretty sure my face just screamed childish joy. I want to buy one for back home. Except then I might have to park my car outside to garage my “small” family bike… on second thought – I should probably think this through.

We drove up upon a fanciful merry-go-round. Instead of the traditional horse merry-go-round, It was like someone knew our kids and designed the exact things our kids would want to ride… Lightening McQueen, rainbow unicorn, fire truck, princess pony… it was a little spooky to be honest.

After the merry-go-round and more peddling, we stopped to get a light snack and a glass of wine at an outdoor garden restaurant. They were ready with the high chairs, and as #1LittleSister flirted with the world, they gave her all the attention she ever wanted. #1BigBrother drank 3 glasses of apple juice, and I enjoyed brucette with my dry white wine. It was nice to slow down. The rest of the outing allowed time for photos and more sips from the public fountains.

We leave tomorrow morning for Tuscany – we’ve rented a car (could be a disaster if we don’t fit), and plan to stay at another AirBnB, this time in the rolling countryside with not much around us. It’s time to slow down.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

Italy Day 2: When in Rome, eat like the Romans

In truth it was a 1/2 day in Rome (because we woke up at 1pm)! And that was only because Amir woke us all up. This jet lag is no joke. Especially with kids. Fortunately there’s great coffee. And wine.

Lots of sunlight and sounds from the street

We reserved a 3 hour walking food tour from 5-8pm but had a few hours to kill beforehand. Fortunately with three kids under 6, getting out the door clean, dressed and fed is guaranteed to eat up at least an hour on the best day when everyone cooperates. At least they weren’t ready for breakfast yet – likely because they ate every strawberry and drank a liter of milk somewhere around 3am this morning.

First stop: Piazza Navona which is built on top of the Stadio di Domiziano, the only known brick Roman sporting venue (circa 80 AD). In its prime, it seated 30,000 spectators. It’s been described as a scaled down version of Circus Maximus. Today there are three fountains sitting in the “field” while the footprint of the stands is now occupied by apartments and shops.

We walked to a small restaurant guaranteed to have pizza and a decent house red… to our delight they had high chairs and a closet to store our stroller. I’ve been amazed lately back home at all the facilities advertising to families then not having high chairs or changing tables. While we haven’t seen many families with multiple kids, Rome does a good job welcoming our circus.

After breakfast/lunch, we completed our traditional stop at a local toy store. We’ve had luck in the past with buying a few toys while on vacation rather than trying to bring them. European toys are higher quality, made of wood not plastic, and built to last for generations. Across Italy there’s a culture of reuse and minimization of waste. I’ll have to save my explanation of the trash collection system for another post… perhaps if I can snag a photo of the tiny trash trucks.

We booked the food tour through AirBnB. As I’ve mentioned before, we typically book our lodging there and have come to love the “Excursions” offered through the site as well. You have to sort through them to avoid the super tourist-trap type stuff, but that’s not hard to do when your husband is essentially a travel agent.

Toys are arranged by ages

Alessandro (Alex) was our esteemed guide for the day. Single and living alone in Rome, he made a point to tell me most Italians don’t think he’s Italian thanks to his bright blue eyes gifted to him by his grandmother. He’s a charmer – a good fit for the role.

Taste 1: Porchetta & Wine We entered a small shop with a roast pig in the window and 1000 red wine bottles lining the walls. Alex knew the guys working there, and with the wave of a hand, 10 half sandwiches appeared. The pork is stuffed with rosemary, cooked all night then gently shaved and sandwiched between the fresh bread. A solid first stop.

My hand is hiding the pig head

Taste 2: Suppli Typical of Roman cuisine, they are balls of rice with tomato sauce, stuffed with a chunk of mozzarella in the middle, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. Everyone loved these. We wanted seconds.

Taste 3: Potato Pizza He ordered margarita pizza for us as well, but the potato pizza was the real winner. Consisting of crust, thinly sliced potatos, olive oil and just enough cheese, this hit a perfect savory balance.

Unveiling of the pizzas

Taste 4: Friend Artichokes (Carciofi Alla Giudia) Unique to the old Jewish Quarter, you’ll find them on the menu of every restaurant in this little area. Crispy on the outside – there’s a taste reminiscent of potato chips. Bite deeper in, and everything is soft and juicy. It’s a tactile experience as much as a taste adventure.

Fried artichokes

Taste 5: Gunther Gelato I was delighted to reach this last stop, not just for the amazing flavor selection, but to finally stop hearing, “When are we getting ice cream?” Pro tip: Don’t tell the kids there’s gelato on the tour, especially if it’s not happening for three hours. I picked coconut in a cone but ended up eating #1BigBrother’s chocolate after he experienced a meltdown due to his melting gelato.

Rome is almost better by night than by day thanks to the smart lighting that brings these ancient ruins to life. To close out the day, we headed to the Pantheon which closed hours earlier, but had a full piazza of on-lookers, hawkers peddling glowing toys and teenagers singing. It was a great way to close the tour. We said goodbye to the other family in our group (Americans stationed in Roda, Spain), and thanked Alex for his hospitality and expertise.

The Pantheon at night

I have to admit that wearing #1LittleSister most of the day did a number on my back (getting old sucks), so tomorrow we’re considering a golf cart tour of some outer areas of the city. If you remember from Jamaica, #1BigBrother just loves a good golf cart. I can’t wait to see his excitement tomorrow.

Buona notte,

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

Italy Day 1: The (long) Road to Rome

Believe it or not we’ve made this trip before. It was May 2018, and it was the last trip we took before I started blogging about said trips. The original purpose of these posts was to create a sort of digital scrapbook – goal achieved. But they also create a handy record of trip details – favorite restaurants, hidden softplays (I’m looking at you Heathrow). So alas, despite having visited Rome and Florence previously, we’re doing this from scratch. I can’t remember anything from last month nevertheless 2018.

Last time we did a transatlantic flight, we were Team Louka Party of 3. Now, as if infertility was never even a word in our household, we’re Party of 5. Kids ages 6, 3, and 15 months). And while we got to skip packing any formula this time around, packing for this trip still required some legitimate planning.

We ended up adding a few new pieces of gear to our travel arsenal. A GB Pockit+ collapsible stroller can fit in the overhead bin and ensures we can make it through security and fit it in our rental car for the (spoiler alert) Tuscany portion of our trip. And while the GB Pockit isn’t nearly the workhorse of our CitiMini, we still got some stroller clips for attaching small bags.

Add to that arsenal a TOBIQ family travel bag (separate compartments for each kid), and we were more mobile than you’d expect.

I also dug out the good old Boba baby carrier – 6 years and three big babies later, it’s still going strong. That gave us some added flexibility for when #1BigBrother decided he was over walking.

She was more thrilled than this, I promise.

All of us enjoyed not having to share our tv screens with anyone else. I particularly enjoyed 2.5 glasses of champagne as #1BabySister slept in the bulkhead chair for 3 beautiful, consecutive hours. On British Airways and many other airlines, you can reserve a bassinet for your baby.

Well that’s about all I can muster tonight. I can barely keep my eyes open and need to make sure I get to bed before everyone wakes up in the middle of the night. Wish us luck as we explore Rome tomorrow!

~Steph

Family & Friends, Travel Adventures

Jamaica Day 7: Deep Sea Fishing (sans catching) & Preparations for Returning Home

Amir and I went to Belize for our Honeymoon in October 2013. We didn’t have a traditional wedding registry with china, silver and home goods but rather a honeymoon registry where people could gift us a romantic dinner, snorkeling and other expeditions. One of our most infamous outings was deep sea fishing in the boat “Mojo.” We brought in a huge haul of mackerel, barracuda, yellowfin tuna, conch and more, but it wasn’t without a price. Amir had terrible seasickness for the first and only time in his life.

On our way out, full of optimism

We only had to go a half mile off shore to reach depths of 2000 feet and ultimately ended up about 6 miles off shore. The shelf drops off much sooner here than at home in Va Beach where deep sea trips take you 20-30 miles offshore.

We had four of these bad boys in at once

The local fishermen share tips and sightings of schools of fish across the radio. We listened to those reports of “Bonita” sightings and followed the birds to try and find out fish. There were at max two other charters out where we were, attempting the same maneuvers. Unfortunately for everyone NOTHING was biting. Our best catch was seaweed, and no one else had a bigger trophy.

Headed toward the bait ball

Our trip lasted 4 hours and while we didn’t get even a nibble, we did get to see 10-15 dolphin jumping waves in synchrony and a handful of flying fish take flight. We returned to Sea Glass empty handed but fulfilled.

Hide and seek

Back at Sea Glass, #1BigSister and I took advantage of our remaining pool time. We played hide and go seek. Her favorite spot was within the ring floats.

Amir gets his COVID test

At 3pm the nurse stopped by to administer our required COVID-19 tests for return back to the US. Ages 2 and up only. We are all negative.

Snail friends on the gift shop sidewalk

After establishing COVID negativity, the moms wanted to do some last minute shopping for gifts. There’s not too much here to be honest, just a few stalls with seashell jewelry and some Bob Marley t-shirts.

Before dinner I took a last walk of the property to snap a few more photos of the flowers. When I look back at our annual photo album at each of our trips, it’s always the close ups of nature that set the tone and bring me back to that place. Vacationing is always imperfect, and this one marked by the shooting in Texas, as our oldest starts kindergarten this fall.

I used to have my guard up on vacation to not fall in love with each place, chasing a mirage of perfection, as vacations are by definition manufactured bliss. I’d remind myself how home is home, the home we know and love. But lately home doesn’t feel like home. At least not my home, and it’s possible that home was the mirage all along, the ugly truth unfolding in loss of freedom, loss of innocence, loss of life.

Amir and I often fantasize of moving abroad (both his brother and my sister live abroad with their families). We’ve researched which countries accept our medical training, which value social liberty and freedoms we hold dear. We’ve said before we’ll use a vacation as a scouting mission to find that special place. I think the pursuit is on.

~Steph

One last look at Sea Glass Villa