Travel
Hiking the Serra di Celano, Abruzzo
Not surprisingly, after our long Corona lockdown this spring, I was chomping at the bit at the idea of being able to hike once again. Nothing like being confined to one’s city apartment to accelerate daydreams of vast mountain vistas and wide hiking trails. Luckily, my family and I escaped the moment we could to…
Read MoreThe showstopping square in Italy’s Cittaducale
On a recent visit to Rieti with my younger son, we decided to explore the nearby town of Cittaducale. Just 8 km east of Rieti, Cittaducale is an impressive example of a late medieval fortress town. Perched on a strategic hilltop location and surrounded by mountains, this town is a pleasant place to wander. Although…
Read MoreWandering the silent, medieval streets of Toffia
I’ve driven by Toffia many times on my drives from Rome to Rieti, but never made time to visit. On a recent weekend trip to Rieti, my son and I decided to take a little detour from the Via Salaria to visit this picturesque, medieval town. We were in Toffia on a perfect summer day.…
Read MoreA breath of fresh (sea) air in Sperlonga
I’ve already written about our post-lockdown travel. After months of lockdown during what was an absolutely perfect, gorgeous Rome spring, it’s not that surprising to note that the first trip out of Rome my family and I decided to take was to the seaside. We travelled to the beautiful beach town of Sperlonga on the…
Read MoreFeeling like royalty in a nobleman’s hunting palace
I’m often up in the Italian town of Rieti, in northern Lazio. My youngest son is a runner, and joined the competitive track and field team here, although his daily training is (thankfully) in Rome. His involvement with the team means I’ve had plenty of chances to explore this pretty medieval town about 90 minutes…
Read MoreFlying the friendly skies in the age of Corona virus
I used to be a seasoned traveler, but in the age of Corona virus, all bets are off. I took my first trans-Atlantic fight since this pandemic broke out, and it felt odd to be back in then skies. My first leg was a European flight within Shengen. The Rome airport was eerily empty, and…
Read MorePost-lockdown travel
As I come to grips with our post-pandemic life and beginning my travel blog once again, I’ve written in recent weeks about pre-lockdown travel and exploring Rome under the lockdown. This leads to the moment in June that (finally!) travel restrictions ended, and we could travel once again – first in our region, and then…
Read MoreLockdown “travel”
Last week, I wrote about pre-lockdown travel, and the almost mystical imagery it took on (at least in our minds) during our time of Corona lockdown. For those who know Rome, it is a beautiful, lively city always full of people on its streets and picturesque squares. It was tough to experience it during lockdown,…
Read MorePre-lockdown travel
It’s been a tough few months around the world, and I haven’t really felt up to keeping a travel blog going when the farthest one could travel in Rome was 200 meters from home. We’re cautiously optimistic here in Rome, and while we are not back to pre-pandemic rhythms, it’s good to be returning to…
Read MoreA Rome ghost town in Lockdown
I’ve been living in Rome for years, and I’ve never seen it a deserted as it’s been the past week. For just over a week now, we’ve been in lockdown from the corona virus. Lockdown was gradual. First it was school kids at home, then most workers were shifted to teleworking. Soon restaurants, shops, theatres,…
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