Rome - Day 2

Another beautiful day in Rome! We woke up feeling great and after a delicious cafe latte and croissant headed to the Campo de’ Fiori market to see what the locals were stocking up on. I’m a huge fan of Rick Steve’s travel guides and the walking tour of his we planned to do started there. And it was only two blocks from our apartment! Have I mentioned we are in an amazing location!

Julie eating fruit that the man selling it to her said “very fresh” 10 times! Incredible produce, flowers, pasta, nuts, olive oils, leather goods, and hats to name just a sampling of what was available. 

After browsing at the market we let Rick talk to us and guide us through his “Heart of Rome” walking tour. You can pay a person to do it or just download his free APP which is just as good if not better since you can start and stop it whenever you want. There are so many piazza’s in Rome with statues, fountains and entertainment it’s fun to stop and enjoy whatever catches your fancy.

Me at one of the beautiful fountains in the Piazza Navona, our pizza and wine lunch along the way, the Four Rivers Fountain in Piazza Navona and a random street in Rome.  

The streets are narrow in many parts of Rome and traffic is restricted to police, buses, taxi’s, residents and government vehicles. So if you come don’t rent a car because you can’t drive it in Rome. They are very pedestrian friendly and many of the streets have people and cars walking right down the middle. Shocking that you really don’t hear many car horns! 

A fun thing Rick pointed out on the tour was a coffee shop called Caffe Tazza d’Ora. This is one of Rome’s top coffee shops dating back to when you needed a license to roast coffee. And it’s the coffee shop visited back in the 80’s by Howard Schultz who wanted to recreate it in the US and you now know it as Starbucks!

We walked through it and it smelled great!

Next up was the famous Pantheon. We did go in but planned to go back and do the separate Rick Steve’s audio tour so I’ll save the details for then, but it’s a must see if you’re in Rome. An incredible architectural feat!

It was packed! Hi Julie! Those columns are massive - 40 feet tall and each a single piece of granite. Built in 120 AD. 

Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. So beautiful and so crowded! We took daytime pictures but went back in the evening and it might be even prettier at night so going to post that picture. You’re supposed to toss a coin over your shoulder and legend says it will assure your return to Rome. I love Rome so made sure I did it. It’s worth it! 

Very dramatic - the enormous figure in the center is called The Ocean. 

Our last stop on the tour was the Spanish Steps. Very crowded but we managed to get to the top for a picture. 138 steps and a fountain at the bottom.  

If you look closely you can see the fountain at the bottom. Check out the people on the street straight ahead. And cars drive on it too! 

We also went into at least 5 churches but I won’t post pictures of all of them. They were all beautiful and we made a point to say a prayer in each. I can’t even imagine how many churches are here - it almost seems one every couple of blocks.

We met friends for dinner at a tiny little restaurant 3 doors from our apartment. It is called EST. We had walked by it a number of times and it looked really cute so we thought why not try it. Everyone loved it - although I’m not sure you can have a bad meal here without trying hard. The restaurant only had at most 10 tables, and the manager was so sweet and waited on us herself. We asked for a suggestion on ordering wine and she took it so seriously and was so concerned that it was absolutely perfect for what we would be eating. Definitely one of the best wines I’ve ever had. She was equally concerned that we had the perfect amount of appetizers depending on whether or not we would be enjoying dessert. But of course! 

The manager is the woman on the left, appetizers were prosciutto with fig and caprese salad, a pasta entree with fresh tomato and zucchini and tiramisu. All fantastic. I’m eating pasta everyday. Glad I read that recent article that said studies show people who eat pasta lose more weight than people who don’t. Relief!

A night time walk after dinner just to see Rome in the dark and enjoy the festive atmosphere with tons of people out walking and having fun. The Eternal City - I love it!

Caio for now!

Rome - Day 1

Another great adventure begins! First stop Rome with my dear friend and traveling soul sister Julie! 

At O’Hare getting ready to board our 9 hour flight to Rome.

We arrived at 10:30 AM via a very new plane and successfully found our shuttle to get us to the apartment we had rented in a great area in Rome close to the Pantheon and historic sites - and what appears to be great shops and restaurants. Previous to coming we had scheduled a tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Pallatine Hill because we had read the weekend would be more crowded so we needed to just drop our belongings at the apartment and head out. Getting into the apartment went fairly smoothly once we figured out the address and entry instructions we had been given and how to use all the keys once we got into the lock box. And all of this with no sleep and no food!

Our little street!

It took about 20 minutes to walk from the apartment over to the Colosseum area to meet our tour. Definitely best to schedule a tour for the big sites or you will spend lots of time waiting in line just to buy a ticket, and then wait in line a long time to get in! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to grab lunch on the way although we passed lots of great little places with awesome looking food. 

Victor Emmanuel Monument - going to go there another day but spectacular!

We made it to our tour and got our first look at the Colosseum!

Almost 2000 years old!

The tour was 3 hours long. We had booked it with a recommended company called Walks of Italy. The guide Davide was excellent. He talked and walked nonstop and I got about half of what he said. Partially because I was tired but mostly because there was just so much history and information. We walked on the same actual stones Caesar walked on over 2400 years ago! If something is only 1500 years old they act like it’s almost new! 

Julie and I in the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine. 

The Forum. Ancient Rome birthplace and considered the most important real estate in the creation of Western Civilization.  

Palatine Hill - where the emperors lived.  

You can read about these things but for me seeing it brings it all to life. We were able to enjoy it on a beautiful sunny day and the crowds were very manageable.  

Next on our agenda was food! And wine! We started walking in the general direction of our apartment and happened across a beautiful square where tons of people were just hanging out listening to an amazing musician. We got a table on the square and enjoyed our first wine in Rome while listening and snacking on bruschetta. We still had our second wind but realized that fatigue would come back quickly so continued heading back to the apartment. Rick Steve’s my travel guru always says take the little streets and alleys instead of the main thoroughfares so we did and found the best street! The cutest restaurants, shops and gelato stores! We got a table at Bistrot and it was delicious!

Then across the street for gelato! Met the owner and maker of the gelato and promised him to come back!

We got our apartment through Airbnb and it’s going to be perfect. A studio in a fantastic location and has a little kitchen, sitting area and washing machine. Love the tiny little street it’s on. Lots more planned here for the next few days so check back! 

Ciao! 

San Antonio

We finally had a chance to spend some time on the River Walk. The first couple of days we were really focused on the games - and dealing with the huge amount of people doing the same thing. There were still a lot of people on the River Walk but much easier to park and walk around. They have done a great job in San Antonio of making the downtown area very tourist friendly and it really is beautifully landscaped. We checked out a few restaurants and decided to have lunch at the Iron Cactus based on reviews we read. 

The guacamole is made tableside and was amazing! We sat outside on the River Walk and it was pretty. The food was good but everyone decided it’s hard to beat Mi Tierra for Mexican.

We walked along the River Walk a bit and here are a few pics to give you an idea what it’s like if you haven’t been there.

Pretty bridges and at least 5 degrees cooler than being up on the street.  

You can’t go to San Antonio without a stop at the Alamo - so that’s where we headed next. It is conveniently located right downtown and even though I’ve been there quite a few times I always learn something new. Remember the Alamo!

Keeley modeling a coonskin hat. She reminds me of the famous Girl with the Pearl earring painting! Anna with musket in the Alamo reenactment we observed.

The weather has been great here but a little humid so we headed back to the River Walk to take the boat tour and cool off. I thought the “kids” might think it was kind of lame but they actually all liked it a lot. We had a good tour guide - a mix of interesting and funny, and the tour is only about 45 minutes so not too long. Part of the river is natural and part man made and plays a big role in keeping the city from flooding during the heavy rains. 

The boats were all replaced about a year ago and are now all electric.  

Next we headed back to The Pearl area. We all really enjoyed it when we were there the day before so wanted to see more of it. We got the car and drove and had a drink at the Hotel Emma. Such a beautiful cool hotel. The bar is gorgeous and very welcoming. It has a wonderful drink menu and some interesting nooks to sit in.

Sitting in one of those nooks! 

Our last stop of the night was at a restaurant in The Pearl called Botika. It is an Asian fusion restaurant and was fantastic! We ordered a number of different dishes to all share - dumplings, egg rolls, salad, short ribs and noodles, lobster and rice and tofu and noodles. Every dish was different and delicious - plus a good beer selection. A great way to enjoy our last night together.

Top to bottom- tofu and noodles, salad and lobster and rice. Yumm!! 

Fun fact - San Antonio hosts the 2nd most conventions in the country! Number 1 is Las Vegas, and number 3 is Orlando. 

Tom and Anna left early the next morning but Keeley, Matt and I were able to make one more stop before heading home. Another brewery! Freetail Brewery was not far from where we were staying and we needed to eat anyway so why not? I’m not a beer drinker but I do enjoy visiting breweries so maybe I better start. Keeley and Matt are really knowledgeable so it’s fun to learn about the different kinds of beer, plus this place had great pizza! 

I’ll go anywhere for pizza! 

This was such a fun trip made even more memorable by having my family there to share it with. I might be slightly prejudiced but I think they’re pretty great! 

I read an article I really loved that a friend posted called “Jump While You Can.” It’s pretty self explanatory and I wouldn’t do nearly as good of a job as the author did - but it just reaffirmed how I’m trying to live my life. A shorter version of what my dear Dad used to say. “If you have things you want to do and you can do them then don’t wait. Life is short and you never know what’s coming.” So now every week I write “Jump While You Can” at the top of my planner and try to do that every day.

So I have a BIG jump coming soon! Check back when you can and come along! Thanks for reading! 

#ifnotnowwhen#justsayyes#chooseadventure#jumpwhileyoucan#planestrainsbusesboats

San Antonio Championship Game!

Going to the National Championship Game!!! It would have been great to see KU play in it but we came for the the whole event and we’re going! But first we need food. REVELATION!!! Look who has opened in Texas!! We had to go!!

The Final Four and this!!! How did I get so lucky??

It was going to be a late night since the game didn’t start till 8:20 so we headed down to The Pearl area late afternoon. The Pearl was originally a brewery about a mile from the River Walk and has been converted to a super cool area with shops, restaurants, bars and a hotel. Also appears to have apartments and lofts. They have done an awesome job of integrating the old and the new. 

Lots of people out and about just enjoying the libations and beautiful weather.

We wanted to get a bite to eat before heading to the game so headed to La Gloria which serves Mexican street food in a cool restaurant right along the river at The Pearl. I have been there twice before and this time I thought it wasn’t as good, but they were super busy so I will reserve judgement. They did the best they could to get us seated and out.

Don Julio Tequila shots all around!

We left the car at The Pearl and took an Uber to the Alamo Dome which turned out to be a great plan. Traffic wasn’t bad and we made it into the dome in time for all the championship festivities. I was so excited for the game and definitely more relaxed than if KU had been playing. I would say the experience was even cooler than I had imagined. 

So happy to be there with these guys!! And having Matt and Anna with us made it even sweeter! 

The dome was very full which I hadn’t really expected. It was full for Saturday’s games but some people left after the first game and some came late for the second game. This time it was packed the whole time and all for that one game. Lots of energy and excitement. The National Anthem was cool. The flag was elevated by guys coming out of the ceiling acting as the pulleys. 

Lots of confetti at the finish! Matt’s favorite moment was meeting Marlins Man! Celebrity sighting! Me standing in the the physical bracket surrounded by Kansas.

One of my most favorite parts of the entire tournament is the “One Shining Moment” montage video they play after the awarding of the trophy post Championship game. We stayed for the presentation and then watched the video in the dome. It always makes me teary and it was so memorable to me to see it there. All in all the whole thing exceeded my expectations and was so special to share it with my family. 

We still have more time in San Antonio so excited to share more experiences and food next post. Thanks for checking in and sharing in my fun! 

Austin Texas

Austin, the Capital of Texas and home of the University of Texas Longhorns - we need to go! Everyone was interested in taking a day trip over to see Austin and it’s only an hour and a half drive at most. Since we got back late after the game and dinner we slept in and took our time heading out. Matt and Keeley are very in the know on local breweries so had researched and planned our first stop - Jester King Brewery. Turned out to exceed our expectations. It was a beautiful Easter Sunday and the brewery is on a lovely farm just on the outskirts of Austin. Super family and dog friendly. We ended up staying longer than we planned because it was such a great setting and they had so many different kinds of beer to try. Not that I would know - I was drinking a glass of the one kind of white wine they had - but that’s what happens in a brewery and it’s totally fine with me. 

Easter Sunday and getting to watch God turn water into beer! 

The brewery lacked food and luckily I had gotten a great recommendation from my friend Cheryl on a wonderful place for dinner - so we headed that way. It was roughly on the northwest side of Austin. I knew the minute we pulled in that I would love it! Chez Zee was so quaint  and unique and had a huge case of desserts - always a good sign to me. 

Everyone loved their food and I have just pictured mine. Chicken with artichokes and capers with rice pilaf and veggies. Double chocolate gooey butter cake for dessert. Good margaritas and appetizers also. Thanks Cheryl!!!

You can’t go to Austin with out checking out 6th St. I have been told - so we headed there last. It was Easter Sunday so we knew it would be quiet as that’s where there are tons of bars many with live music. I have read that many times they just shut down the entire street to traffic so we most likely saw it in a way that many people don’t. The kids all said it really reminded them of Nashville and I need to believe them since it’s been forever since I was there. It was fun to see but definitely not where I would be spending time on a regular basis - but fun to see.

A cool mix of really old buildings surrounded by brand new high rises and lots of construction.  

We did see the state capital which is located right off 6th St on a big square but it was pretty dark and tough to get a good picture. Next time I’m there I would love to see the University of Texas campus and the Lyndon Johnson library. And I hope there is a next time!! Next post - more in San Antonio and the National Championship Game! We’re going!