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Day 7 in Italy: After a Beautiful Last Day in Manarola, Will We Make it Back to Rome? Maybe.

I’m not sure we understand how radiators work. That’s how all the apartments we’ve been in so far have heated themselves and in Manarola it was cold. We twisted the little knobs on them, but they also only come on at random times and it never seemed to be at night and they never seemed to get hot enough. The bathroom was across the apartment, so if you had to relieve yourself in the night you had to decide whether you thought you could hold it or if you wanted to turn your feet into popsicles on the tile floor.

Beren didn’t sleep great because he was so cold, but in the morning getting some fresh pastries gave us all the energy and warmth we needed. We ventured out after breakfast and wound our way up the hill to the church in Manarola we had yet to see. As we walked, we saw the town getting up and get ready for the crowds. It was strange to see how much different the town was between 10:00-4:00 when everyone comes flowing off the train and out of the tunnel.

We made it to the church at the top of the village. The view was glorious and bright looking over the rooftops in the morning sun. All around the village on the steep slopes, terraces were cut into the hills and were dotted with vineyards and lemon groves. There’s a trail that climbs up onto the hills and circles the village through the vineyards starting right behind the church. We took this trail and it was incredible and sometimes treacherous, with Silas tripping and falling once much too near the edge.

It’s hard to describe the beauty that was before us. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. With the sea shining, the multi-colored town below, and the old weathered stone terraces and staircases winding through the verdant hills, it was Eden-esque. I could have stayed up there for hours, but we promised the boys the playground one last time.

For lunch, the boys were in a decent mood, so we decided to brave a real sit-down restaurant overlooking the harbor. Allison and I shared a seafood risotto and we got tagliatelle with pesto for the boys. Both were delicious. I had been hoping to get some great seafood with this proximity to the sea and this was it. The boys behaved generally well and, while he didn’t eat much, Beren spent most of the time playing with a prawn that had been in the risotto. He named it “Pucker” (I don’t know where he gets this stuff) and by the end of the meal, Beren was sad to leave him, despite his gradual dismemberment throughout the meal.

After lunch, it was naptime like always and cleanup the apartment time for Allison and I, with a small nap squeezed in. Soon enough the time came for our Cinque Terre adventure to come to a close and for us to brave the journey back to Rome and hope the picture of my Covid card would be sufficient again.

On the platform in Manarola, the regional train came to take us to the high speed train to Rome. It overshot the stop slightly, so everyone on the platform were trying to squeeze into just a couple doors. Beren and I pushed our way on and we thought Allison and Silas were right behind us, but Allison, being the kind and compassionate soul she is, let a few others go in front of her, until she realized the doors were about to close. If she missed this train, she probably wouldn’t be able to get to Rome until tomorrow and I had the bag with all the clothes.

Thankfully, she jumped on right as the doors closed, practically being pinched by them. She was sandwiched in the doorway being banged around, when people saw she had a child and made way to usher her to a seat. I was freaking out because Beren and I were in a place where we couldn’t see if she got on and she wasn’t answering my texts because, of course, the zipper on the pocket her phone was in got stuck.

My freak out ended when we arrived at our stop in Spezia and saw her on the platform. Unfortunately, I ended up having to break the zipper on her jacket to get her phone out. With crisis averted, we waited for the Rome train, while Beren sang Christmas carols on the platform, an activity that for some reason has become a favorite for him while waiting for public transit. We are often serenaded to Feliz Navidad or Bruce Springsteen’s version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town while we wait.

Beren and I played Nintendo Switch to pass the four hour ride and he ate an entire carton of crackers. No one ever checked our tickets and we made it back to Rome, found our bus, and around 9:00 PM made it back to our home base. We heated some left overs, ate quickly, and ushered the kids to bed.

Phew! It was a long day. I keep saying we’ll slow it down. Maybe tomorrow?

Day 6 in Italy: Cinque Terre-ific!

Buongiorno from the Italian Riviera! It’s our first weekend in Italy and today was the first day where we could spend it’s totality not having to work. We arose, got ready and walked down the main (possibly only) street in Manarola, the second town of the five that make up Cinque Terre. We found the one cafe open and had some breakfast, cappuccinos, and fresh squeezed orange juice and looked out at the morning sea. After experiencing our first night here, where essentially the entire town closes at 7:00 PM we found out not much would be open Sunday, so we made a trip to the grocery store, which is a tiny little place, and stocked up on some snacks for our stay and trip back.

After the store and various sporadic potty breaks, we decided we wanted to explore another town. Our host, Simone, who grew up in Manarola, told us his next favorite town of the five was Vernazza, so we walked 50 yards back up the street and down the long tunnel to the train station to take the 10 minute ride to Vernazza. Vernazza was a little larger than Manarola and, because it was the weekend, the streets were full of tourists coming to see the sights.

We strolled down the main drag and took in the sights, sounds, and smells. The gelaterias and gift shops were already in full force. There was a man staining a newly built deck in front of a restaurant with a full glass of wine, even though it was barely noon. You could hear the sound of the waves on the rocks and feel the salty breeze.

As we made our way along, we stopped and got some Frito Misto (mixed fried seafood, a local favorite) and fried calamari, both wrapped in cones of paper with a skewered lemon on top. The boys got some nuggets and fries. You may have noticed how I just said nuggets rather than specifying the type of meat inside. I say it this way because that is how they were advertised and the meat inside did not necessarily seem like chicken. Nevertheless, the boys gobbled them up. Allison and I joked that it was probably Pigeon meat, as those are a nuisance everywhere we go and it seems that would be a way to put them to good use.

The food was delicious, albeit a total salt bomb, and we sat eating it on the rocks looking out at the sea. Cinque Terre is known for their anchovies and, although I don’t normally prefer anchovies as much, they were the best part of the Frito Misto. After eating, we climbed the tower of an old fortress that use to protect Vernazza in the Middle Ages from pirate attacks. It’s now a restaurant, but looking out over the ramparts at the cliffs is still pretty neat. The boys liked pretending they were pirates/rock climbers and enjoyed themselves while we freaked out over their impending doom from falling off these sheer cliffs at a single misstep.

We then walked back up to the town and looked at the local church which was built in a gothic style. After the church it was gelato time (naturally) and we scarfed it down so we could make the next train. Once back in Manarola, the boys took a nap and Allison and I took turns going out and walking around before ultimately both coming back and napping too.

Once everyone was up again, we were going to take a train again to another town, but the boys hit there limit. Beren said, in an exasperated voice, “I don’t have energy for any more adventures.” After trying to push through and realizing we would have to wait a while for the train, we came to terms with the fact that we have been going pretty hard and all the walking and sight seeing is an adjustment for all of us. So we spent the evening instead in Manarola at the playground watching the sun set as the boys played. Not too bad.

It was much more crowded today and though we wanted to go the our apertivo spot we enjoyed so much the night before, we didn’t. We briefly thought about trying to go to one of the restaurants, but when we looked inside at the tables set with wine glasses and white table cloths, we imagined the boys losing their minds if we tried to force them through that, so we opted for the takeout pizza/focaccia place. It was a good choice and the boys scarfed down some focaccia with cheese and pesto.

It was finally today where I’ve started to feel the wear and tear too. My calves are on fire from carting the boys up all the hills and stairs. Now that we are finishing up the first week, we are going to have to figure out how to pace ourselves a little more. Tomorrow will probably be a day to wake up and take it easy in the morning before catching our late afternoon long train back to Rome.

Day 5 in Italy: Train Ride to Cinque Terre

The kids woke us up this morning (for anyone who was betting how long it would take for that to happen again). Thankfully, it was still past 8. We rolled out of bed and told the boys we would be going on our first big train ride. They were very excited and we spent the next hour and a half packing and trying to wrangle them into clothes. By 10:00 we were packed with our two backpacks and a duffle bag and we were out the door.

For the first time since we’ve been in Rome we were at the bus stop on time and the bus came as planned. We rode through the city and arrived at Termini station.

Termini is huge, pretty overwhelming, and notorious for pickpockets. I’ve only traveled on trains in Europe one or two other times, so we got there early to make sure we were in the right place at the right time and had ample buffer to figure everything out. We still hadn’t had a proper breakfast so we all enjoyed some cornetti stuffed with various things like sweet ricotta, apricot marmalade, and Nutella. After walking around a bit, the time then arrived to get on our train.

Beren found our carriage and we climbed in and found our seats. The train got underway and Beren was so excited to see how fast we would go. It was a high speed train, but like a plane, it never feels as fast when you’re on board. Beren kept asking when we would go faster. It was about at this moment, when we had just left the station and the intercom came on to welcome us to the train and checked for my ticket, and while I had the tickets, I no longer had my COVID Vaccine Card.

Right now in Italy, you have to show your vaccination status to do anything, including ride trains, so I had been keeping it in my front pocket for convenience rather than in my zipped inner jacket pocket where I keep the passports because you have to show it all the time. As they say, you live and you learn, and this was one of those lessons because, those notorious Termini pickpockets, they got me. Well they got my COVID card. Funny thing is, they didn’t get any of the cash also in my pocket. So now, here I was on the train without one of the most important papers to me, while the pickpocket successfully took something worthless to them. Honestly, I wish they had just stopped me after taking it and offered to sell it back to me. I would have gladly given them the money in my pocket.

I was pretty panicked. Thankfully, I remembered I have a picture of my card on my phone, without the booster, however, so still not technically what I needed, but it was something. This was all compounded because I had made another mistake and didn’t bring any copies of our important documents on our weekend jaunt. That will not happen again. But for now, I sat in anxiety hoping that my photo would work.

When the time came, and the conductor approached about 20 minutes before our stop, my phone photo did work. He glanced at the photo, didn’t ask questions, and moved on. I just hope that pattern will be the same on the way back.

This is where, I believe, even in the small things, God provides. He gave me grace and let my COVID pass picture work. Also, he orchestrated things beforehand. When we get back to Rome I have another duplicate COVID card waiting for me. I happen to have two because, many months ago, I forgot to bring my original to my second vaccine appointment, so they gave me another which I continued to fill in with duplicate information. Allison doesn’t have two, but I happen to. Once we get back to Rome, that extra pass is waiting for me and I won’t have a care in the world.

But until then, we will enjoy Manarola in Cinque Terre, which is amazing! It is like walking around in a postcard! Upon our arrival, our AirBnb host met us at the end of the tunnel exiting the train station. He walked us to the modern, and incredibly stylish, apartment with a balcony overlooking the main street. We walked from the door of our apartment about 100 yards down the main street to gaze out onto the green Ligurian Sea.

View onto Main Street from the apartment.

Enjoying the view down at the tiny harbor.

The small, brightly colored town is situated between two cliffs, almost like the houses just slid down between them. We meandered from the water up a steep path and found an outdoor restaurant, high up on the cliff to enjoy apertivo, which is essentially like a before dinner cocktail hour where you can get some heavy appetizers. We shared some incredible bruschetta with cheese, prosciutto, and grilled zucchini alongside a caprese salad. The boys also enjoyed a salad of fresh fruit.

Enjoying our apertivo. (Fruit salad not pictured)

As we ate, a storm moved offshore and the sunset came into full form, illuminating the palate of pastel houses lining the opposite cliff. Beren found a bug walking behind our outdoor table and he spent some time feeding his fruit to it while also building it a shelter out of leaves and debris. Meanwhile, Silas danced and ingratiated himself to the waitstaff. It truly was a beautiful moment in every way and one I will treasure.

After apertivo, I came back to the apartment to work while Allison and the boys hung out on a playground with the best view I’ve ever seen for a playground. Later, Allison and I were still hungry, so I went out to try to find some food around 8:30 PM, but it’s the offseason here, so nothing was open with the exception of a single restaurant for dine in only, so by circumstance and not choice, our nightly fast had begun.

I’m not sure what tomorrow will hold, but we will probably explore more of Manarola and more of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre. I’m excited to experience more of the beauty and charm on a day neither of us will have to work.

Day 4 in Rome: Into the Catacombs

A good night of sleep! Hooray! The boys seem to be getting accustomed to the time change, which is a relief. I honestly didn’t know how long this would take, but I was prepared for the worst. And, since we have been walking so much, for the first time in their lives, I’ve been waking them up rather than the other way around. Any bets on how long that will last?

Once we rolled out of bed, and had an espresso and some breakfast, we got ready to catch a bus down to the Via Appia (Appian Way) to the Catacombs San Callisto. So far our experience getting on the bus has been interesting to say the least. Usually, it has consisted of me looking up where we want to go in Google Maps, finding multiple bus route options, and then us sprinting to various stops only to see the bus we need driving away as we approach. Finally, we pick a stop to stand at and then grumble for 15 minutes or so while our boys probably wonder how their parents lost their minds. Then the bus arrives.

Once on the bus, they are very efficient and get us quickly where we need to go, however, there isn’t any indication of what the next stop is. Somehow, it seems like everyone else has some sort of homing pigeon sense of where they are because they will casually press the stop button and get off when they need to. Then there’s me, looking like a lunatic, hunching over at each stop to see the name of it out the window so I can count how many we have left.

The bus ride down to the catacombs was nice and took us outside of the city center for the first time. We passed through the Aurelian Walls and onto the Via Appia. It is one of the first paved roads built by the Romans to move military supplies and is also famous for being the road along which Sparticus’ army was crucified after their failed revolt. There are walls on each side and the road is narrow, without sidewalks. When we got off the bus, it was like the feeling in that scene from Indiana Jones where the big boulder is rolling after him and he had to find a gap in the wall to dodge it, except in this case the boulders were cars, hurtling toward us down this narrow walled, ancient road. Thankfully we found our gap in the wall and it opened us up onto beautiful countryside with rolling hills and towering pines.

We purchased tickets and began our tour of the catacombs. The particular set we went to were started in the 3rd century as a place to bury Christians instead of in pagan cemeteries. Numerous Popes and early Christian martyrs were buried in there and while we only toured a small portion, they apparently stretch for for like 20 km and at one point around half a million Christians were buried there.

Going down into them was a surreal experience. The hallways are narrow but tall, stretching up two or three stories, and the walls are lined with sepulchers, the small slots carved into the walls of rock where remains of the dead were laid. The air was cool and dry as we meandered through the dark galleries of graves looking at early Christian symbols carved into the rock and admiring frescoes of the last supper and the good shepherd adorning the graves. At each turn, there were paths, not part of the tour, that you could look down gazing at the sepulcher lined walls fading away into the darkness. My favorite part, however, was after our tour guide finished a particular stop on the tour and as everyone stood in silence taking in the scene, Silas yelled, “Yay! He’s done talking!” That’s my boy.

Once again, as I spoke about in my last post, being present in such a hallowed place stirred the emotions. Many of the people once buried there lived in a time and place where Christianity was not accepted and many of them paid the ultimate price for their faith. I am fortunate to not live as a Christian under those circumstances.

One thing our guide mentioned that stuck with me was after the dead were laid to rest in the catacombs, their families would still descend to visit their remains while they mourned, and they would bring bread and wine to take communion. They did this in light of John 11:25-26 where Jesus describes himself, after raising Lazarus from the dead, as the resurrection and the life. He is the one who connects the living to the dead, the dead to the living, and brings the dead back to life. By taking the symbolic body of Christ in bread and the blood of Christ in wine, it was the closest connection they could make while still living, with their passed loved one now living in new life.

The exit from Catacombs San Callisto, showcasing some of the epitaph fragments and Beren being weird.

After we reemerged from the catacombs we walked for a little ways down a path along some olive trees and went in a church that happened to have another random Bernini statue in it (apparently his final one). Then we looked up the nearest bus stop that was a moderate walk away. Once again, I unknowingly chose a path down a busy road with no sidewalks, no shoulder, and with walls and/or brush lining either side. We made it to the bus stop in time for the next bus, but only after some panicked walking, yelling, and Silas getting bushwhacked multiple times in the eye and face.

Enjoying a beautiful path alongside the Appian Way.

Church at the Catacombs of San Sebastian.

Once we made it back, I went to work and the boys went down for a long nap. Today was the first day I had to make the context switch from vacation to work and, thankfully, it went pretty smoothly. A double shot of espresso can do wonders. The boys and Allison went to the playground and I was able to meet up with them to go grab pizza from the corner spot for my dinner break.

We planned this trip to Italy as an adventure. So far it has lived up to that expectation in some challenging ways and in many many good ways. To keep the adventure theme going, we realized this evening it is supposed to rain in Rome all weekend. We knew this was a possibility, even an inevitability, at some point, but with most of the activities being outside, we were still concerned with what to do. So we looked for places it won’t be raining and, in the name of adventure, we booked train tickets and an AirBnB for the weekend in Manarola, a small coastal town part of the area referred to as Cinque Terre along the Italian Riviera. Our train leaves tomorrow at noon!

Day 3 in Rome: Time to be Tourists!

It’s day three of our Italian adventure and, while we did have another rough night, we at least didn’t sleep half the day away. The boys bedtime is essentially the same as their nap time back in the States, so for the past two nights they have gone to sleep only to wake up a couple hours later ready to party. As you can imagine, when we usher them back to bed, there has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Today was the first day we were planning to go out and see some of the sights. It was also the first day we were up early enough to have a proper café experience. About a block away we found a place. Allison and I enjoyed cappuccinos while the boys drank their freshly squeezed orange juice and ate their cornetti (Italian version of a croissant). The air was crisp and clear and we enjoyed people watching for a few minutes while having small talk with a patron near us. I will say, I’m still trying to figure out the whole restaurant and café ordering process. It’s not culturally intuitive to me and I often feel I look like a complete dunce. At least I’ve been able to complete the transaction. I guess I’ve got some time to practice.

We then took our first bus ride and it was a wild one. Beren did his best impression of a pinball as he bounced back and forth off of every seat and passenger around us as the bus careened through the city. Thankfully, we soon disembarked and, after a short walk, arrived at the Pantheon. The ancient temple is nestled in the surrounding buildings and is in impeccable shape considering how old it is (AD 126). It was originally built as a pagan temple to Roman gods and emperors, but has acted as a Catholic church since the early 600s, which in my opinion feels a little weird. The Renaissance artist Raphael has his grave in there, which is pretty cool, and it was neat to look at the giant hole in the roof, called the oculus, and the series of rain drainage holes in the beautiful marble floor. Maybe we’ll try to come back on a rainy day to see the drains in action!

While the boys had been awesome on the bus and at the café, of course in the Pantheon, where they were supposed be quiet, Silas insisted on trying to run past the velvet ropes and Beren’s persistent cough flared up, echoing around the quiet dome filled with people trying to be reverent and still fearing a global pandemic. Needless to say, we took in the sights quickly and were then off to Piazza Navona.

The Piazza is a large open space closed to cars and built on the grounds of an ancient racetrack built by the Emperor Domitian. It’s dotted by three beautiful fountains, sculpted by Bernini, and an Egyptian obelisk with a cross on top (also weird?). Without the traffic, the boys enjoyed freely chasing the pigeons, which has become a favorite Roman pass time of theirs. Silas affectionately calls them chickens.

Fountain with Neptune spearing an octopus.

Next we walked past the Column of Marcus Aurelius and on to the Trevi Fountain, while stopping to ogle at the interior of a few churches along the way. Just walking through the city is a pleasure. Every little alley is picturesque, despite the fact at any moment a car or scooter could come shooting down one of them and pass inches away from demolishing your toes. The Trevi Fountain was also beautiful, but this was the first place that felt crowded and we were getting fountain fatigue, so we didn’t stay too long. At this point, we were pretty hungry anyway and stopped nearby at a restaurant called Piccolo Arancia (Little Orange). It was pretty good, but soon we were rushing to get back for Allison to begin work.

Trevi Fountain (didn’t toss a coin in yet)

Back at the apartment, I tried once again to put the boys down but Silas, who fell asleep on the bus, refused, so he watched Peppa Pig. Tomorrow I’m hoping for 2/2 at nap time. Despite that, it was fun to hang out with my little guy and reenergize with an espresso while enjoying the early evening breeze through the window.

Later the boys and I walked to a small supermarket nearby to buy some snacks, wine, and ingredients for dinner. This was the first time we’ve bought wine in Italy and, at least at this supermarket, I was shocked by how affordable it is. I mean to be fair, it’s supermarket wine, but the average price was like 3-4 euro per bottle. It was in the wine section I thankfully remembered I have to haul all this home on the stroller, so I continued on with only two bottles. At checkout, I was asked if I wanted two bags. I said yes, thinking the clerk meant to double bag the wine, but instead he took two bags and tossed them onto my scanned groceries for me to bag everything myself into those two bags which I now hoped would be sturdy.

When we got back, Allison took the boys out for an early evening gelato (when in Rome!), while I worked on dinner. I used up the left over fettuccini to make alfredo and a simple salad. We ate and then tried to read the book of Romans to the boys as they squirmed on the couch, got bored, and then went to bed.

While we’re in Italy, I’m excited to continue reading through Romans. I enjoy getting to read the words of Paul in the same place as those who they were intended for. Despite the fact I am much removed from that time, it is amazing how relevant the words still are and to think about how they were read by others in this same city I’m currently sitting in almost 2000 years ago, carrying the same transformative power now as they did then. Being a history lover, there is something about being in particular places that transcends time. Being in Rome does that for me when I think about all that has happened here. When standing, looking at the Pantheon today, I thought about all of the other people throughout history who stood like me at different points in time, maybe on the same spot, and took in the grandeur just as I did and maybe felt similar things to what I felt. People ranging from Constantine to Michelangelo to Napoleon and so many others in between. It’s invigorating to think that we are are all connected by that place and that feeling regardless of time.

Overall, today was much better than yesterday. We got into a little groove and, rather than thinking, “Can we do this?”, I was grateful we get to do this! I’m sure there will be other difficult days ahead, but I’m sure there will be more like this one too.

Welcome to Rome! The First Day of our Family’s Italian Adventure.

We made it! After months of planning, and constant alternating between excitement and anxiety, we boarded a plane, flew for 9+ hours over the Atlantic and landed in Rome.

Overall the flight was mostly uneventful. Being the first flight of that duration with two young children, it could have gone either way, but as we boarded and got comfortable, the boys spread out and went to sleep. Allison and I tried to sleep, but were less successful.

We landed at 11:00 in Rome. Silas developed a cough while we were on the plane and as we approached customs, we were “randomly selected” to take a rapid COVID test. Thankfully only Allison and I had to take it and we were both negative. Other than that we made it through customs smoothly and our prearranged car was waiting for us.

After a short commute from the airport we arrived at our apartment adjacent to the Piazza di Santa Maria Lberatrice. Since our place wasn’t ready yet, we dropped our bags and explored the neighborhood. The boys played at the playground which, in addition to a normal playset, is covered with what seems to be one of every push toy ever created by man. In exploring the neighborhood, we ate our first suppli, which are a Roman street food. They are balls of rice, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella that are then breaded and deep fried. Needless to say, there will be many more suppli in our future.

Later that evening we went out for another walk before dinner. Back at home, we typically eat pretty early and are usually the ones dining alongside those taking advantage of the early bird special. This is likely going to be one of the bigger things we’ll have to adjust to because Italians eat later and rarely are restaurants opening before 7 or 7:30 PM. So while we waited we went for a walk along the River Tiber. We walked past the Aventine hill and then crossed over the river to meander through Trestavere. It was beautiful to get our first glimpse of the city in the twilight and to walk the narrow alleyways seeing the city awake from its nap as tables were being set out and strings of lights were coming on over outdoor restaurant patios.

Finally it was time for dinner and the walk had definitely fueled our appetite. We stopped at Pizzaria Remo, a small pizza place at the end of our block and enjoyed our first taste of authentic Roman pizza, margherita and salciccia e funghi (sausage and mushroom). After dinner, came the time the boys had been waiting for, gelato time! We found a gelato place close by and the boys got cones with chocolate while I got ricotta alla’arancia (with orange) dipped in chocolate and Allison got a mix of a chocolate cherry flavor with a marsala wine flavored gelato apparently churned by hand. They were all delicious!

Before coming, I tried to learn some Italian, which I’m very grateful for. It’s made figuring things out a little less intimidating. What’s funny is that, while I am trying to speak Italian when I can, it’s pretty clear, probably because of my accent, I’m not, so those I’m conversing with end up talking to me in English, while I fumble through Italian and it becomes very ironic. But I’m still going to try and continue to learn while I’m here because it’s fun and why not.

Overall, the first day here was pretty magical. I’m looking forward to all that’s to come.