On Anniversaries

Recently I entertained the parents of a childhood friend who had just come off a 15-day tour of Italy and were spending a couple extra days in Rome. After finding out that one of my favorite restaurants had closed its doors forever and successfully schlepping them from San Lorenzo to Campo di Fiori, which by the way is always such a bust and please avoid it, we toasted the sunset at my favorite bar, atop the Radisson Blu near Termini. Coming from the chaos of Rome’s historic center the silence up there is deafening, there’s always an in-season berry at the bottom of your Prosecco glass, and the previous day’s rain brought the most spectacularly clear view of Rome’s surrounding hills and mountains I’ve seen in all of my nine years of living/being in Rome. Which happened to be nine years precisely on that day.

In Which Thanks Is Given

This blog, which celebrates the life I live, and through which I hope to inspire others to live lives worth celebrating, has been neglected. I’d like to tell you why.

I’m Eeeeeeating, On a Jet Plane…

I first flew to Paris on TWA flight 800, which some of you will remember had been thoughtfully renumbered sometime after it went into the sea off Long Island. I was traveling on Famous Designer‘s dime to Semaine du Cuir – the leather and suede exhibition where I was to meet vendors I’d known only via phone and fax (hi, I’m old), and hopefully pick up some new sources.

Before I left, I asked the designers for direction in choosing samples to bring back from the show. I will never forget their responses:

• “I’m thinking…sherbet.”
• “Bring me back beautiful things.”
• “I love horsey leathers.”
• “I want the Marc Jacobs jacket that’s at Barney’s.”

Fashion people aren’t like you and me.

But I digress.

On Homesickness

There are these weeds in Rome – I’m sure they’re in other places too, but I’ve only ever seen them in Rome – that have long stems that look furry, but they’re prickly. If you grab them without thick gloves it feels like your hand was dipped in acid for about two minutes, which is a long time when your hand feels like it’s been dipped in acid. During those two minutes you’re running to wash your hands and then you’re washing your hands and you can’t think of anything else except the blinding pain. And then the pain subsides and it’s hard to remember how badly it hurt.

This is what homesickness feels like, except the blinding pain is inside you so there’s no washing it out; you’ve got to ride it out until it subsides.

Celebrating Father’s Day From Far Away

My father is the original foodie. He’s not the most verbose man on the planet – I’ve always maintained that he says five things a day, and they’re all hilarious – but he lives to eat, and doesn’t mind telling you all about it. Whether it’s the crappy excuse for a hoagie he had in New Mexico in 1981, his much-adored pescatore recipe or the latest “chow-down” with my parents’ friends, he can recall almost every meal he’s ever had with an impressive clarity and describes them with sometimes overwhelming passion.

In fact, sometimes he’ll call me simply to talk about food. I’ll know food is going to be the topic, because he starts with my name instead of “Principessa,” which is how he starts when he’s just calling to chat.

Summer Trip Planning

So. I got a Eurail pass in the mail this week, courtesy of my France Travel Guide peeps at BootsnAll. I’m super excited to start using it. Since it’s good for 15 days over two months – and I can travel on as many trains as I can during each day – it’s going to take some planning to be able to visit as many places as I can this summer. I envision long, fun days of hopping on and off trains, running around gorgeous towns and cities, and then heading off to the next place on my list. BLISS.

Hotel Rant: Not Singing My Tune

I’ve been traveling a lot recently and I’m excited to show you pictures and describe all the fantastic things I’ve done. But first, Cal, ever vigilant of my hotels obsession, alerted me to the most egregious hotel marketing stunt I’ve ever seen. While it should be noted that I’ve never stayed at a Tune Hotel, nevertheless I shall now rant about it. Gather the kids and make some popcorn, this one’s going to be a doozy.

Visitors

So, I have been going online to see what I need to look like for my trip to Europe. I have already transitioned from full coverage foundation make-up by Kevin Aucoin to tinted moisturizer by MAC so that I have the Parisian nude look. Also, I am working on reducing my pores. And, I am going to buy lots of black clothing although I hear Scott should purchase brightly colored pants for Italy. Additionally, I have to find very expensive shoes. Any other suggestions?

-In which my very best friend in the whole wide world prepares to visit me. AND I LOVE HER FOR IT.

Good Friday

I just spent the most hallucinatory three hours getting back to Mandrione from Trastevere. Here are some things I witnessed:

Quick Braggy Post

I’m in Cosmopolitan Italia this month!

They put Beyonce on the cover, though.

Look at and/or download a PDF of the article by clicking here.

What A Day It Was, Part Two

When I was making plans for the MK & Bern Weekend, I knew I wanted to go to another town along the French Riviera. And since everything is so close, I figured it would be fun to hop on and off the train from Ventimiglia after our fantastic lunch to hang out at one of these places. Eventually, I narrowed it down to Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer, and left it up to the guy at the hotel to decide. He couldn’t say “Villefranche-sur-Mer” fast enough, so that’s where we went.

What a Day It Was, Part One

Travel addict MK and her sister Bern came to Nice for the first of (MANY) 40th birthday celebrations this year. We had an amazing time, pretty much doing nothing but lounging and chatting and letting the sun hit our faces and tasting delicious things. It was absolutely divine, and much needed on all sides – for me coming off a six-month job that hijacked my life, and for MK and Bern who’d been digging themselves out of the constant East Coast snow this past winter.

I’m going to be saving the logistical stuff for the BootsnAll France Travel Guide, so go there now and sign up in the orange box on the right-hand side to receive those pithy missives in your inbox – but I can tell you here about our lunch in Ventimiglia, Italy.

The Only Green Thing I Could Find For St. Patrick’s Day

Vive la France?

Link-o-rama

OK, get those mouses ready – I’ve got a lot of stuff for you to click on.

First, here’s what I’ve been doing on some other sites recently:

• Top 10 Best Destinations to Visit in France, on GotSaga
• Expat Life: Finding a Home in Italy and France, on Amateur Traveler (and if you have iTunes, I highly recommend subscribing to the free Amateur Traveler podcasts)
• Five Things You May Not Know About France, on Travelated

I’ve also been busy working on the France Travel Guide for BootsnAll, mostly cleaning up and updating old posts. It’s hard work, but important to me as my name is on it now, and I want it to be perfect! However, I have been able to sneak in a few posts I’m particularly proud of:

• Four Side Trips from Paris: A No-Nonsense Guide
• How to Eat in a French Restaurant
• How to Plan a Trip to France
• Self-Guided Provence Wine Tour Itinerary

Also, if you have not already done so, it greatly helps my bottom line if you become a fan of the WhyGo France Facebook page, and if you sign up to receive WhyGo France posts and newsletters in your email inbox. (It’s the orange box on the right side of the page.)

In personal news, I spent a delightful girls’ weekend in St.-Privat last weekend with my Montpel girls; photos and tidbits to follow. And I’m excited to be spending another girls’ weekend in Nice at the beginning of April, combined with a ton of on-the-ground research of the French Riviera – so you can expect more photos and tidbits here, as well as super-awesome posts on WhyGo France.

And finally, in non-me news:

• My friend Pam went to Antarctica, and she’s writing about it on her blog, Nerd’s Eye View. Because of her schedule her gorgeously written, amazingly insightful posts are interspersed with some “best of” older posts, so scroll down to read the whole thing. Definitely worth your time.
• Clements International is doing an Expat Youth Scholarship. I’m deeply saddened that I don’t have the time to be a judge for this worthy cause, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be checking in to see the entrants – and you should, too. And if you know an expat kid who could use a scholarship, please encourage him or her to enter.
• I just finished reading David Farley’s An Irreverent Curiosity, about his quest to track down perhaps the strangest of all relics venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. He tackles the subject with respect and with grace, he weaves a fair bit of fascinating church history, and his tales from his year living in Calcata, a hilltop town outside of Rome, are truthfully told and an absolute joy to read. I highly recommend this book.

What have you been up to?

Pasta Carbonara: A Photo Essay

I spent the weekend with some friends, eating and walking and chatting, and it was delightful. For Sunday lunch we had carbonara, a pasta dish of bacon and eggs that I have determined is the “breakfast of champions.” After the jump, here’s how it all went down:

Rome’s Stormy Days

I never tire of looking at the view from Marco’s terrace. This is a good thing, since I am usually on it, freezing my ass off, stealing wifi from some kind soul. Anyway, in winter there are usually some spectacular weather events. Here’s one I was able to capture. Enjoy!

The Gianicolo at Sunset

Here are some pictures of, and from, Rome’s Gianicolo hill at sunset:

It’s Been Too Long

Hi. How are you? It’s been so long. Too long. And for that I am truly sorry. So much has happened since I last checked in.

Morning Light

So a few weeks ago I was in one of my rearranging moods, and decided to see what our bookshelf would look like on its side, perhaps creating a long shelf for our ever-growing collection of electrical boxes and consoles. This idea led to a chain of events involving humiliation, a mad Belgian and morning light in the South of France. Don’t worry, it all will become apparent after the jump.

Thirty Years!

I’ve written about it before on this day in years past, but today it is 30 years since my mother and I got on a plane to Cleveland, OH to have me join the second national touring company of Annie.

It’s true! It was in the papers! Well, the paper. Of my tiny island.

That day changed the course of my life. I loved every minute of my 2 1/2 years on the road. And I’ve been loving the last eight years more or less on the road as well.

Travel addicts everywhere, UNITE!