Firenze = Fabulous Food Coma

Firenze comes From the Latin florens, florentio, floreo meaning to flower or blossom but I think it should mean food because the food in the Tuscan region is just sensational. Since being here we have sampled some of the finest food we have ever tasted and have learnt how to distinguish between foods that are “meh” and aren’t worth the calories or the kilometres needed to burn them off and foods that are worth putting in your mouth and savouring every last morsel. 

One evening we enjoyed ourselves learning how to make pizza from scratch (it’s waaaaay easier than you can even guess - and waaaay healthier than the deep fried grease traps of our local Australian pizza chains) and then made our own gelato that was smooth, silky and chocolatey. Our teacher chef, Catarina, walked us through each step and spoke about the absolute importance of using the best ingredients and a healthy dose of love when we prepare our food. After eating our own pizza and gelato we have become very adept at picking out good tasting foods and fake gelato and we’ve pretty much been in a food coma ever since. 

The other thing that we have really enjoyed, and I guess this is part of the joy of travelling, is visiting local supermarkets and eateries to explore the local produce and try things out. One thing we did try which is a specialty of Florence was a dish called Lampredotto. We were told it was very good by some locals and that we should try it. We didn’t ask what it was and didn’t even translate it into English before tucking into a bowl. This was probably just as well because it turns out that Lampredotto is the stewed 4th stomach of a cow. Hmmm. We didn’t mind the taste - it was beef/tomato flavoured with some indistinguishable herbs thrown in - but the  texture was a little too chewy for our liking.  I took a few mouthfuls, as did the boys but Bren polished off most of the meal. Let’s just say that this won’t be a recipe we’ll  be recreating back home.  Pizza and gelato however - you bet!!! 

Point A to Point B - the Italian Way

We have become very adept at catching public transport - trains, trams, busses and ferries - since being in Italy. We’ve become experts at reading timetables, navigating streets to find particular stops and knowing where to validate tickets (because it’s not enough apparently to purchase a ticket - you have to have it stamped or punched in order to make it valid otherwise you can cop a mighty big fine).  It’s actually not a bad way to get around when things run to plan. What we have begun to learn is that things rarely go to plan here and very few people in the know really know anyrhing at all!!  Tonight I write this sitting on the floor of a SITA bus that is full to the brim with people trying to make their way from Positano to Sorrento. The reason that the bus is so full is two fold - the busses aren’t running to time because there has been a rock slide on the usual route so busses have to be diverted and also because they are running less busses because it’s winter and  there are less people touring around. I would hate to think how many people they cram into a bus during the summer.  This morning before we took the bus from Sorrento to Amalfi (we had to take the bus because the ferries don’t run in winter) we tried to catch a train from near our hotel to  the bus stop to try to rest our weary feet before another day of walking thousands of steps. Good plan - if only it worked. We waited for the train for over half an hour only to be told it was “in retardo” for at least 20 minutes. So off we trotted at a good pace into town only to see the train pass us by 10 minutes later..... 

Oh yes and if you drive a car or a scooter - don’t worry about indicating or rules about giving way, if you need to overtake then just do it - even if there is oncoming traffic - there’s always room. And those white lines that pedestrians cross at - only stop if there is someone walking directly in front of you otherwise drive straight through - those pesky pedestrians can just wait!! 

But seriously it’s all part of the adventure and it’s teaching us the Italian way - don’t stress, a timetable isn’t carved in stone (or Italian marble), it will be what it will be, another bus or another train will always come (even if you have to wait a few hours!!)

Sweet Sorrento

Rome is the big, black sheep of the family - the one who is interesting in their own right but you always feel uneasy when in their presence. On the other hand Sorrento is the Grandma who loves to cook for you and spoil you and who wraps you up in their arms to give you a warm  hug.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked Rome, it’s just that I’ve really fallen for Sorrento . It has a much different feel to Rome. It’s just as busy with many Neapolitans still enjoying  their Christmas/New Year holidays but there is a more laid back vibe to the place. For one thing there are no hawkers hassling you every minute or so, for another reatauranters and retail staff don’t try to drag you into their establishments. Tonight we sat and people watched on the Corso ITALIA, the main thoroughfare through the town.  We noticed that people stroll - like walk really, really 

slowly - as if they have nowhere to go and nothing to be on time for. It was fascinating -

and very much a reflection of how the people of this town operate. We tried it for a bit but got far too cold so had to start walking along at a more brisk pace to warm up. Sorrento was home to the Greeks for a good portion of its early history but was eventually conquered by the Romans. After the fall of Rome the ownership of Sorrento went back and forth between Rome and a number of other civilizations because they felt that because of its mild climate and position overlooking the Bay of Naples it was a pretty awesome place to set up, build some palatial villas and grow produce.  Speaking of produce Sorrento is mad about citrus. Pretty much every bit of green space is used to grow lemons and oranges. And they are the loveliest and largest lemons I have ever seen or tasted. 60% of the lemons grown are used to produce Limoncello which is the most disgusting thing I’ve tasted (sorry Sorrento). I’d much rather the lemon conserve or the lemon cake or the lemon chocolate or the lemon sorbet or the lemon cookies or smell the heavenly lemon soap they use the lemons for. Another thing I love Sorrento for is the Christmas decorations. The town is lit up every night and it becomes a magical, twinkling wonderland. They even have Christmas songs playing a good week after Christmas - talk about the town of my dreams.  It’s ticking so many boxes - it’s going to be hard to leave. 

The Appian Way - A History Lesson

Our last day in Rome was spent outside of the city itself in a place known as Appia Antica or The Appian Way. This road, built from around 312BC, was once of vital importance to the Roman Empire as it connected Rome to its many outlying towns including Naples and Puglia (about 480km away on the Adriatic Coast).Ancient Romans knew how to build things well. The large flat stones used in the original road are still intact and there is evidence of it being used extensively throughout history with wheel ruts carved into its hard stone. The road was used primarily by the military (hello Julius Caesar) but also by merchants and Christians including, historians believe, Jesus Christ and the ApostlePeter. Nowadays Romans and tourists use it primarily for recreational purposes. We had heard about the possibility of hiring bikes to traverse the first 8km of the road and it wasn’t the least bit hard to convince the boys to do it. The hardest part was convincing them that the bikes weren’t in fact mountain bikes and that they had to treat them as such. We had a great time and I highly recommend doing this if you ever find yourselves in Rome. 

Rome - 10 Stats and Facts for First Time Tourists

1. Rome is old - really old. Its been around for about 28 centuries and it’s architecture is testament to the brilliant designers and builders of its time. It’s history is a rather potted one - full of intrigue and nastiness and some very clever people. 

2. 30,000 people file through the Vatican every day during high season (March through November, Easter and Christmas. Each person pays 10 Euro - do the maths on that and you’ve got a tonne of money being made every day for their collection!! 

3. We have walked on average 18,000 steps a day since being here. Some of that includes running to catch buses, missing them, then having to run the streets of Rome to get to our tour on time!! 

4. Toilets are a rare thing here. If you are lucky to find one be prepared to buy something or paying a couple of Euro for the privilege of using the loo. 

5. The average temperature has been a brisk 14 c and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. It’s been a lovely respite from the heat at home and makes dealing with the INSANE crowds much easier. 

6. I recommend NOT coming here in the summer. If the crowds are mad now it makes me shudder to think what they would be like in peak season. 

7. Seagulls are about twice the size as their Australian counterparts (maybe it’s all the pasta and pizza on offer here) and I swear they squark in an Italian dialect. 

8. Hawkers are everywhere and they are very annoying. We must look like tourists because they offer us their wares (in particular selfie sticks and battery chargers) every time we walk past. Seth has rather ingeniously designed his own selfie stick using a stick he found on the ground!! I guess we are in the city that is renowned for brilliant artists and designers of the past and present - perhaps some of it is rubbing off!

9. Rome has marble footpaths!!

10. Collosseo (colosseum) is Italian for long wait. Not really but it could be. We waited in line for about 2 hours just to get into the venue (plus another hour to get our tickets). Next time we’ll just book online and pay the extra 12euro. It was worth it though. The mind boggles at the thought of how this structure was built - it really is a colossus of building. 

Xx N 

Christmas Day in Rome

Azure blue skies and a chilly 7c greeted us when we landed in Rome after close to 24 hours of travel.  Thankfully our wonderful travel agent, Sam had  the foresight to book us a private transfer to our hotel. We are so glad she did. Drivers are crazy - they have to be. This place is a narrow rabbit warren of cobble stone roads and people wanting to get somewhere fast. Watch out crossing the road too. Pedestrian crossings are merely an indication that this might be a safe place to cross. Cars zoom through even if you are already making your way across.  

Parking in Rome is very efficient!!

We have quickly learned that Rome is a place for the bold! It is a place where old meets new, the poor meet the rich and hawkers meet tourists on every corner and everywhere else in between. I lost count how many times we were offered selfie sticks, bracelets, battery chargers and light up balloons on our afternoon walk to the Colloseum. We learnt to be bold in our approach to them (no eye contact. no small talk, an abrupt no to their requests) which is completely at odds with how we usually interact with people. 

We managed in our semi comatose state to experience a taste of what Rome is well known for including Paletine Hill, Roman Forum, the Colleseum and of course a dinner of pasta and pizza.