Rome to Tel Aviv

Vesuvio from above

Staying at a B&B in Ostia had two great advantages: proximity to Ostia Antica and proximity to Rome’s Fiumicino airport. It took less than a half hour to get to the airport from the B&B. Vince was headed to San Francisco via Paris, Domenica was traveling to Baltimore via Atlanta and I was flying direct to Tel Aviv. Our different destinations meant we each departed from a different terminal. We said our goodbyes to each other after we’d barely entered the airport.

The best part of my flight home was that I got a fantastic view of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius from above. I was disappointed that we didn’t fly over Sicily; by the time we had gotten that far south the pilot had already begun to turn the plane east toward Israel. Other good things about my flight home: there was no one in the seat next to me, I arrived on time, I breezed through passport control and customs, Eli the taxi driver was ready and waiting for me in the arrivals hall. The drive home in Tel Aviv rush hour traffic, unfortunately, seemed to take as long as the flight from Rome to Tel Aviv.

Ostia Antica e Moderna

Via Ostiense, lined with columns and the distinctive stone pine trees

Roman Taberna at Ostia Antica

Though made principally of black and white stones, the designs of the mosaic floors at Ostia Antica were fancifully exuberant.

Valeria explains how the marble slabs were attached to the brick walls at Ostia Antica.

For the last day of our trip Vince and Domenica had arranged a tour of the archaeological site of Ostia Antica with Valeria, a native of Rome, an archaeologist and an excellent guide. Valeria’s enthusiasm for the history of ancient Rome was evident from her detailed explanation of the site. We learned about the layout of this port city, the sewage system, architectural details, the significance of marble, the lifestyle of the inhabitants, and so much more. I inquired about the iconic pine trees at the site and not only did Valeria explain that they are pines specific to the Mediterranean region but she elaborated, stating they are the pines from which pine nuts are gathered. She managed to collect a few edible pine nuts for us to sample on the spot and then went on to relate some recipes using pine nuts. Wow! Can’t wait to make Pasta with Three Ps: pesto, pomodori e panna (pesto, tomatoes and cream).

After our tour of Ostia Antica we decided to check out the modern city of Ostia, actually a suburb of Rome. Often referred to as Lido di Ostia, this seaside resort is a popular summer holiday spot for Romans.

Perhaps because it was off-season and rather chilly, we weren’t much impressed with Ostia. The place is not particularly attractive, had an air of touristy tackiness and seemed a bit lifeless. Part of  the problem is we arrived after the usual lunch-time hours and most public establishments were closed. We had a decent lunch in one of the few restaurants that was open, then popped into a cafe for gelato and caffè. By this time some of the stores had opened but we didn’t see much that captured our fancy.

We headed back to the B&B to rest up and prepare for our journey home very early the next morning. Dinner was at Trattoria i Ciarli, boasting a menu of typical Roman cuisine. We were pizza’d and pasta’d out by then so we all ordered secondi piatti of meat with veggie side dishes. It was no wonder the place was hoppin’ on a weeknight — the food was really quite good. For dessert we each ordered the homemade tiramisu and were in heaven as we emptied our dessert cups. We finished off our last supper with Italian liqueurs: I had sambuca, Domenica limoncello (I think) and Vince a type of bitter the name of which I don’t recall. And when we were done and asked for the check, the owner (or maitre d’?) brought over a bottle of limoncello and three glasses for a complimentary treat the second night in a row. Hmmmm… I really like that tradition and if we had known maybe we wouldn’t have ordered the round of liqueurs after all.

On the Autostrada to Ostia

Photo from Autogrill.com

Books on display at the Auto Grill. I like the way the image of Steve Jobs is echoed by that of the Italian author Bruno Vespa.

It was a long but rather easy drive from Puglia to Ostia, the final stop on our trip from the toe to the knee cap of Italy. We stopped off at the Auto Grill for lunch and had slices of pizza tastier than any you’d find in pizza joints in the U.S. The roads were in great condition and the traffic not too heavy until we hit the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the beltway that encircles Rome. Vince did a great job, as usual, managing the traffic-clogged highway at rush hour as our so far straight-forward route suddenly became circuitous. Shortly before 5 p.m. we arrived at B&B Artist located in a residential area near Ostia Antica, the excavations of the ancient port of Rome.

The landlady of B&B Artist is a transplanted New Yorker and therefore spoke perfect English with a hint of her New York accent although she’s been living in Italy for the past 30 years. The decor of this B&B was a bit over the top with faux columns in corners, plaster decorations adorning the walls, paintings with ornate frames filling nearly every square inch of wall space, and knick knacks and gee gaws everywhere one looked. The exhaustion we felt from the long journey was intensified by the profusion of kitschy decor of our rooms. But, at least at this B&B we could crank up the heat!

Our landlady directed us to Al Cinghiale, a local restaurant we could walk to from the B&B. I was turned off immediately by the display case at the entrance full of raw meat and the table laden with already-prepared antipasti; apparently grilled meats and the wide assortment of antipasti were the big draws of this restaurant. But we all opted for primi piatti of pasta and were satisfied. The waiter, sporting a stereotypical waxed handlebar mustache, was congenial and brought us complimentary Vin Santo and cantuccini at the end of our meal.

Locorotondo Di Notte

We had a lovely dinner in the city center of Locorotondo this evening. We took a stroll after dinner, then had dolce and caffe in a bar. Of all the places we’ve visited in Puglia, I think Locorotondo is my favorite. The historic city center is pedestrianized with predominately white stone buildings. The streets, which are paved with what looks like marble, are immaculately clean, potted palms and flowers decorate doorways and plazas.

Exploring Puglia

Our day began with a wonderful, light breakfast at Masseria Aprile, a charming agriturismo just outside of Locorotondo.

The proprietress gave us a brief history of the masseria or farm that belongs to her family. It is still a working farm but some of the buildings have been converted into rooms for guests of the B&B. Her husband gave us a brief explanation of the history and construction of the trulli that are characteristic of this area.

After breakfast we headed for Alberobello, a nearby town whose historic center, made up entirely of trulli, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We seemed to be the only visitors in town, as this is low season. Alberobello is full of charm despite the numerous souvenir shops displaying their wares outside the entrances of the trulli.

We decided to make our way to Ostuni, a nearby town known for its profusion of whitewashed buildings. Our first mission when we arrived in the city center was to find a place to eat. Not as easy a a task as we had thought. Most all restaurants, trattorie, cafes, bars and shops were closed due to November ferie (holidays). We ended up at one of the only cafes that was open and we each had a panino. Simple but delicious fare. As we sat eating our panini the skies opened and poured down. We whiled away our time until the rain ended and then decided to head back to Masseria Aprile for a rest. luckily our search for a place to eat had taken us through most of the picturesque streets in town.

The drive back was scenic as we passed one olive grove after another. When a rainbow made an appearance Vince pulled the car to the side of the road and we all jumped out to take pics.

We arrived back at Masseria at dusk. The light was simply beautiful. The farm animals were out and about so another photo session ensued.

This evening we’ll have dinner in Locorotondo. And tonight I shall dream of returning to this thoroughly enchanting corner of Italy for further exploration.

Through the Straits of Messina

We said goodbye to Sicily on Sunday morning and made our way to the small town of Paola in the province of Calabria. The only way to make that journey by car is to take the ferry from Messina to the Italian mainland. Our timing was perfect as we were one of the last cars to drive onto the ferry boat before it sailed through the straits of Messina. The 20-minute passage went quickly and smoothly.

We arrived at our cousin Pietro’s farm in Paola a little past noon and in no time Pietro’s wife Francesca began serving us yet another full-course meal. After lunch we visited the charming town of Amantea on the coast near Paola.

Monday morning, after a breakfast of fresh eggs from the farm chickens we visited the sanctuary of San Francesco of Paola and stopped by an ancient flour mill that is still in operation. Back at the farm for a simple lunch (including some of the very best buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and olive oil I’ve ever had) and we were on the road again.

Our destination was the town of Locorotondo in the province of Bari. It took about four hours to drive from the shin of the boot of Italy, across the instep tp the heel, passing some stunning scenery along the way. As we approached our destination we began to see trulli, the stone houses unique to this area of Italy. The trulli look like houses in a fairytale with their rounded corners and cone-shaped roofs. Our B&B is a trulli and also a working farm.

Eating Our Way Through Sicily

We began the day in Castroreale, a charming medieval town, too small to be included in any guidebook, but tops on our list of favorite places in Sicily. A coin toss in a cafe on the church piazza decided which of our cousins would host us for a homecooked meal. The coin toss winner was our cousin Giuseppe and his wife Lina who live in Barcellona. Lina prepared us a full course meal: pasta, followed by meat and veggies. The next course was a plate mounded with sliced Melinda apples. Then Lina placed a platter heaped with cannoli on the table. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but I managed to eat one large cannoli — but that wasn’t enough for Lina, who insisted we have a second cannoli. A round of horseplay ensued as Lina grabbed me and began to force feed me that extra cannoli! We were sent home with more gifts — a couple of bars of Lina’s homemade olive oil soap and a platter of dolce for each of us.

After our visit with Giuseppe and Lina we popped in to visit with Carmelo, Josephine and Silvana. we were presented with another platter of cannoli (!) but were allowed to politely decline the sweets. Even so we were each sent home with a bottle of Limoncello.

Our visits with our cousins always involve eating to excess, but plenty of laughter and good conversation always accompany the meals.

Sicilian Holiday

Arrived in Sicily yesterday but that seems a lifetime ago and I feel as if I’m in another world. I’m enchanted by the astounding natural beauty of this northeast corner of Sicily. We’ve been busy visiting with our relatives, all of whom want to prepare home cooked meals for us and send us home with gifts. I’m exhausted from lack of sleep so will stop trying to explain this experience with words and will let a few photos tell the story.

Italy or Bust

A postcard I purchased during my last visit to Sicily

The night before B. and I left for a weekend visit to Rosh Pina our washing machine went on the fritz. Luckily, I had already finished washing clothes. It was while I was washing a load of towels that the machine went berserk, constantly blowing the circuit breaker. We got it fixed upon our return and it’s been going along swimmingly since then.

Until tonight. The night before I depart for Italy. Again, I’d already washed the clothes and I decided to throw in a load of towels. This time the spin cycle wouldn’t work. The towels were sopping wet after running them through an extra spin cycle. Grrrr. Not fun having to wring out all those towels by hand before throwing them into the dryer. And even so, it took about three hours to get them dry!

And this, the night after my kitchen sink decided to spew water from below rather than from the faucet. That was fixed this morning.

Is this a case of home appliance sabotage? Some sort of nefarious plot to keep me housebound? Or just a set of really annoying coincidences?

Well, nothing will keep me from going to Italy tomorrow. Even the general strike that threatened to close down Ben Gurion airport this week only lasted for four hours on Monday.

I’m all packed now and ready to go. I just got word that the internet is down at the B&B in Sicily where I’ll be staying. It may be awhile before I check in again.

Sicilia, Vengo Subito!

Stuff for Sicily

Or in other words…Sicily, here I come! By now, my brother and sister, who arrived in Rome a week ago last Sunday and have been making their way by car to Sicily, should have checked into the little B&B Don Gaspano that I booked last August. I’m scheduled to depart on a 5:30 a.m. Alitalia flight Thursday morning. The taxi driver will be picking me up at 2:30 a.m. (ugh!) for transfer to Ben Gurion airport. I’m thinking maybe I shall sleep in extra late tomorrow morning and just stay up until 2:30 a.m.

My sibs and I will spend four days in Sicily visiting with our relatives, another day in Calabria visiting another relative, and then we will be back on the road heading north to Rome, with a two-day stop in Alberobello along the way.

Though I travel frequently, for some reason, I feel antsy about this journey and have gone obsessive-compulsive about my preparations.

A week ago I began piling items I want to remember to bring with me on a table in my office, namely, gifts for my relatives in Sicily and all the cables and adapters I will need for the electronic equipment I’ll be taking with me.

I’m looking at all that stuff now and hoping I’ll be able to find room in my one carry-on that I’m bringing with me. Last time I flew to Sicily on Alitalia they managed to lose my luggage and it took three days for them to get it to me. The only way to make sure that doesn’t happen again is for me to schlep all my stuff with me.

I’ve made calls to Orange Big Talk to ensure I’ll have cell phone access in Italy. What if I’m delayed transferring out of Rome to Catania where my sibs will be picking me up??

I’ve been mentally packing my suitcase all week. Tomorrow morning I’ll do the packing in earnest.

I dropped the key off to my petsitter, and have made sure there is fresh litter in the boxes and plenty of cat food while I’m away.

To make matters really frustrating, this evening something got knocked loose under the kitchen sink and water began spewing out onto the floor as I was doing the dishes. Arrrgh! I didn’t budget time for this clean-up! I’m hopeless at home repairs, so I’ll need to call maintenance tomorrow morning to come out to fix this.

I really doubt I’ll be successful in my plans to sleep in tomorrow.