Picture Challenge - January 13

Yes, this is another picture from my Italy trip. This is a lunch that I had while on a day trip to Tuscany....I REALLY would love to experience these good, clean, unencumbered flavors again. Perhaps this spring I'll do some experimental cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables and fall in love with going to the farmers market.... I'm ready for gloomy weather to go away....

Picture Challenge - January 12

Another from my Italy trip. I saw this sign and was intrigued...not so much by the franchising part of it, but by the doppelganger part of it. I wonder if there really are doppelgangers out there.....

Picture Challenge - January 11

This is another from my spring Italy trip collection. I see this and think of Sara and think that she needs to put such a wine shelf out on her patio...you know so that guests will know what the selection is that they are drinking.... This was actually outside of a wine shop and displaying the options available for purchase. 

Picture Challenge - January 9

Since it is a rainy, nasty day here in Texas, I thought I would share one of my pictures from my trip last spring. This is a beautiful shot of the Tuscan countryside where the sky was a glorious blue and the sun was warm on our shoulders.... Ah, to be back there sipping some nice wine....

Pompeii

I'm seeing Pompeii today.

Keeping my fingers crossed that Mt. Vesuvius stays quiet while I'm here because I don't want to end up like this: 

The Vatican

Today I am going to the Vatican to see the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basillica, etc.

I have no plans to see the Pope at this time, but you never know. And hey, since I've had the dream to be Pope, I might just stick around and take over.

You GO Girl!!

****WARNING - THIS MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME****

As I plan for my trip, I have to think about all sorts of things (and thank goodness many of the travel sites will remind you of things that never would have crossed my mind, normally). One of these things is how to handle bodily functions. I sorta forgot that I will be traveling to a world that while clean and sanitary may not be fully modern in their facilities at all locations. I'm thinking primarily when I visit Stonehenge or Pompeii and the toliets may be a bit more rustic than what I am used to. With this in mind, I came across the Urinelle, the urinating funnel for women.

Here are the use instructions found on the back of the packaging:

I'll report back on how well these actually work. On a side note, since I have to try out lots of different options, I've also invested in the Go Girl, which is reusable:

If these work, I may just take up doing more things in the great outdoors....

Travelin' Shoes

Recently I mentioned the need for a shoe intervention due to my continued purchasing of shoes in preparation for the big trip. At that time, I said that I couldn't post a picture because it would cause certain people to have a conniption. Well, I've changed my mind... Here is a picture of the shoes that were purchased for the trial: 

So, yes, if you count correctly that is twenty-two pairs of shoes on those stairs. Yesterday, I sent fourteen of these shoes back to Zappos. I returned all the shoes, except for the fourth one from the left on the bottom row. I am still planning on returning the red pair on the top row and torn whether I will return the one not yet sent on the first row. 

I've taken the shoes that I intend to wear most (cute Merrell flats and cute Privo flats) out for an extended spin on walks with the dog and they performed perfectly!! 

So, now I have my tours planned and my shoes picked out. I have the wardrobe determined (for the most part) and got the haircut for simplicity. I really think I'm set. 

Keeping Your Valuables Safe

In my travel preparations, I'm in search of a good wallet that will hold passport, credit cards, emergency contact information, etc. However, when searching on Amazon.com for such an item I came across The Brief Safe:

Yes, gentle readers, you are seeing that correctly. In the front is an area where you can store your valuables. You then toss this item into your luggage, or if at home into your laundry basket, and even the most diabolical theif will think twice about picking them up and finding your stash.

Really?!?

Trip Planning Advice Needed

I am once again mentioning that I am going to Europe in the near future and I'm finalizing my plans. However, I'm having some difficulties in making up my mind on what I want to do, or rather I have come across something that I want to do, but can't decide whether it is really worth doing and which option to go with, so I'm putting this out there to my faithful readers for their thoughts and input....

Since I'm going to be in Rome, I know that I will be able to fill up each and every minute of my time there with museums and churches and architecture and other amazing sites, but I also found these tours that focus on food and drink. This is where I'm torn. Here are the options that I'm considering:

• Rome Walking Tour and Cooking Class. 4 hour tour where you have a short tour through the city then end up at a local restaurant where you get to have some hands-on experience learning how to do some Italian cooking. This is the least expensive option and it is only available, to me, on my last day in Rome.
• Small-Group Cooking Lesson in Roman Countryside. 7 hour tour to the small town of Mazzano Romano where the chef will take us through the market to pick out fresh vegetables, meats, etc. then back to the kitchen to learn how to make a 4 course Italian meal and then eat it along with some wine. This is the most expensive option but it is currently available for any of the days that I will be in Rome.
• Small-Group Cooking Lesson in Rome. 5 hour experience in Rome where you spend time in the market picking out the fresh ingredients and then leaning how to make 3 types of pasta and a meat dish and then eat and have some wine. This is middle of the road cost-wise and is available any of the days.
• Taste of Italy Food Tour to Chianti and Umbria. 13 hour experience up North of Rome towards Tuscany. There is a stop in the town where Frances Mayes based her novel "Under the Tuscan Sun" and you finish up in Chianti at one of the oldest wine cellars where there is wine and olive oil tasting...oh and lunch is thrown in there. This is also middle of the road cost-wise but is only available on either Sunday when I first get to Rome or on the last day before I leave. This one has nothing to do with me learning to cook anything, but it does take me out of the city and into the country-side.

Okay, I need your feedback.... Should I consider any of these or am I being silly and know that there is going to be so much to do and see just in Rome that taking an entire, or at least the majority of a, day in this manner?

So hard to make a decision.....

Shoe Intervention

So, as I have mentioned recently, I am taking a trip shortly to the Old Country (England/Italy) and have been trying to prepare myself. As part of said preparations, I have been making some tough wardrobe decisions. I mean, I don't want to look like a full on geeky tourist and yet I want to be comfortable. I am only taking one bag for 10 days so whatever I pack has to be lightweight. There are many obstacles that I am having to face here, as you can see.

One difficult obstacle has been which shoes to take. Due to this obstacle I have been spending a lot of time shoe shopping on Zappos.com and have purchased a lot of shoes (and while I'm not going to give an exact number just know that when I say a lot, I mean A LOT). Thank goodness Zappos have free shipping both ways AND will take shoes back for any reason for 365 days post purchase.

Luckily with Sara's shoe intervention assistance (she even offered to provide written procedural intervention documentation) I have finally narrowed down what I'm going to be taking and what I will be keeping just because they are too cute to return. I will be returning the greater majority of shoes this weekend so that those funds can be freed up for other things.

If I didn't think it would throw my parents into a conniption, I would take a post a picture of all the shoes.... Hmm, maybe I still will just because I am THAT daughter.

Trip Planning 2

Well, since it is two days after my last post and if you can do the math, you should be able to figure out that we are now down to 30 days before leaving for Europe and I'm not really much further along in my plans than I was before. Okay, that isn't quite true since the last post we have:

• Scheduled a tour for the Vatican Gardens.
• Scheduled a day trip to see Lacock (where parts of Harry Potter was filmed), Bath, and Stonehenge as the sun is setting.
• Have narrowed down a day trip to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, just need to click the 'purchase' button.
• I purchased a bunch of shoes from Zappos.com yesterday as I continue to try and find the perfect shoes to walk in.

I have also been spending some time with my Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary that I recieved as a birthday present. This I find to be very entertaining, although I'm not certain how much good it will actually do me. Here are some tidbits that I have come across while flipping through the book:

In the "Help for Women" Section:

• Leave me alone = Mi lasci in pace.
• I want to be alone = Voglio stare sola
• I'm not interested = Non sono interessata
• I'm married = Sono sposata
• I'm a lesbian = Sono lesbica
• I have a contagious disease = Ho una malattia contagiosa

So I guess the only ways to get rid of an Italian man is to be married, gay, or diseased...

Of course, I then flip to the "Ah, Amore" Section and come across these gems:

• I'm not married = Non sono sposata
• I'm adventurous = Sono avventuroso
• I'm lonely tonight = Sono sola stasera
• I'm rich and single = Sono ricca e single
• I have no diseases = Non ho malattie
• I have many diseases = Ho molte malattie
• Let's have a wild and crazy night! = Passiamo una notte di fuoco!
• You are my most beautiful souvenir = Sei il mio piu bel ricordo
• How's my breath = Com'e il mio alito?
• Darling, will you marry me? = Cara, mi vuoi sposare?

Hmmm, maybe these are the ones I should be focusing on.

Subliminal Italian Part Due

As I mentioned in my last blog, I'm trying to learn Italian, or at least some, before my trip to Italy. I am still listening to the books as I fall asleep, but I'm concerned that I may be missing the whole end of the book as I don't know if my Kindle Fire continues playing it....perhaps I need to run through the whole book while awake....

Anyway, I was visiting with Sara recently and I had her listen to a bit of the book and I have to say, it makes me laugh. The whole thing is played to music with a bit of a backbeat and the people talking repeat things almost as if they are rapping, but a very smooth, easy-listening jazz sort of rapping. For example:

"I would like... Vorrei... I would like.... Vorrei... I would like.... Vorrei Vorrei Vorrei... A coffee... un caffe... a coffee.... un caffe.... a coffee.... un caffe un caffe un caffe caffe caffe.... I would like... a coffee... Vorrei un caffe.... with milk... un cappuccino un cappuccino un cappuccino...."

And so on. That is the only part that I can easily recall and I can see myself at a restaurant in Rome saying "Vorrei un cappuccino un cappuccino un cappucino..." They are going to think not only am I a rude American but I'm a mentally challenged American.

Ah well, we shall see. 51 days before I head out and so much to do.

Subliminal Italian

I have 54 days before I leave on a 2 week trip to London and Rome and cannot wait!! I decided that I needed to pick up some Italian in case of emergency (I figured I already had English down). In an effort to learn this beautiful language, I purchased some audiobooks to listen to. The ones that I selected are by the Earworms company. I listen to them periodically throughout the day and every night as I'm going to sleep, hoping that I will sublimially learn the language. The Devil Dog is also learning the language, so maybe I should start disciplining him, or praising, in Italian.

Molto bene!