July in Italy
Summers in Italy are a thing to behold. I'm fairly certain the phrase, "La dolce vita" was first coined during an Italian summer...perhaps in July...I stumbled across this poem by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, and thought it rather a fitting The figs we ate wrapped in bacon.The gelato we consumed lustily:coconut milk, clove, fresh pear.How we’d dump hot espresso on it,just watch it melt, licking our spoonsclean. The potatoes fried in duck fat,the salt we’d suck off our fingers,the eggs we’d watch get beaten’til they were a dizzying bright yellow,how their edges crisped in the pan.The pink salt blossom of prosciuttowe pulled apart with our hands, meltingon our eager tongues. The green herbswith goat cheese, the aged brie pairedwith a small pot of strawberry jam,the final sour cherry we kept politelypushing onto each other’s plate, saying,No, you. But it’s so good. No, it’s yours.How I finally put an end to it, plucked itfrom the plate, and stuck it in my mouth.How good it tasted: so sweet and so tart.How good it felt: to want something andpretend you don’t, and to get it anyway.
— Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, “July”Here are a few pictures I've snapped this summer so far...
2013 A Review in Pictures Flipagram
In 2013 I welcomed my husband home after 751 days. Eight months later I kissed him goodbye for what should be 190 days. I kissed him... A lot. Said good bye to family and friends in Miami, fulfilled a life long dream of living in Europe. In Italy I've made some good friends who feel like family, climbed a mountain (sort of), read a ton of books. Wrote some stuff, including a letter to Juliette (and felt her up). I became a soccer mom, sent my baby to Kindergarten, drank a bunch of wine, and even more coffee and tea, and ate way too much gelato. My Gram gives the best hugs and slobbery kisses and I miss them. Oh and I still heart Mr. Darcy!I made this using the Flipagram app and the song is "Sway" by Blue October
Venice in the rain...
Last weekend we planned on going to Venice. We awoke early and just kept getting delayed. The biggest delay coming from our youngest son who got car sick a block away from the train station. We returned home of course and cleaned him up. We then had some lunch and meandered around our TLF for a bit. Around three o'clock we ventured out again. We drove around familiarizing ourselves with the area some more, we visited a local grocery store (our first time) where I found the most delicious cookies, and then got back into our rental car and just drove around some more. When we found ourselves in the exact spot where Evan had thrown up all over the place-thus halting our trip. My husband turned to me and said, "You're gonna see Venice today." He then turned his head and said, "Boys, I promised your mom I'd take her to Venice, and we're going."
I was less than compliant because it was already so late in the day nearly five by then and the forecast called for rain in Venice that evening. Not to mention my "maybe all of these hiccups today mean we're not supposed to go" argument. But my protests fell on deaf ears and before I knew it we were all aboard a train to Venice. The city I'd dreamed of. The city I longed to see for so very long.
We arrived at twilight as a light rain began to fall.
My husband snapped as many photos as he could before night fall.
I was simply trying to soak it all in. Even as the rain began it's more persistent fall that would last through out the night.
We walked around for a few hours and when the kids began to complain a little too loudly we stopped in a cafe for pizza. After which we ventured out into the wet cold night, which in a city like Venice, made it much more ethereal to me despite the bustling of people. We ventured into the maze of buildings, following the echoing of church bells, found our way out and treated our boys to gelato.We all ended up with soaking wet shoes save for my husband who'd worn his waterproof hiking boots. We were cold and chilled to the bone, but still we were in Venice and knew she would be but a train ride away.Love & Seeing Venice in the Rain,nicole
Italy and the Squat Toilet
Just over a week ago on one of our first outings exploring our new Italian home I encountered the "squatty-potty". It was at a local restaurant where we were having dinner. The very description of it sounded completely alien to my ears. "A toilet, that's basically a whole in the ground." I imagined a dirt floor and a hole. I was a little unnerved and so had to go and take a peek at the time even tough there was no real "need".I'd heard about horrible public restrooms in places like China, but never in Europe. The only thing I'd heard was that one had to pay to use them here-which I've as yet, not encountered.
When the "squat-toilet" was being explained to me I was told that for "numero uno" you should face the back and for "numero due" you should face the front. When I got in there that made no sense to me. My advice, should I ever need to share the mysteries of your public toilets to the unaware would be to roll up your pants at the ankles if you're wearing them and find any sort of moisture on the floor. Plant your feet firmly in the center, there are grooves there that will keep you from sliding. Pull down your pants and squat low. The squatting low is key to not getting dripped on. The first time I used one I easily went into my softball catcher's squat and it worked great. So far I've been lucky in that all of the public restrooms I've encountered have been clean. Even the one on the train to Venice was not horrible. Though there was no soap, there was paper and luckily I always have hand sanitizer in my purse. I am a former Girl Scout after all Italia.Since my first encounter with your squatty-potty, I find myself acting like a four year old when it comes to your toilets. I’m curious, and feel more than a little compelled to go in and have a look around. A novelty I'm sure will wear off eventually.On my way to the toilette I secretly guess what sort of commode I’ll encounter. Either way you’ve usually decided that squatting is the best way to go about a public restroom since most of your more standard toilets don't have a seat on them. Which leaves me no place to lay my delicate derriere should I so wish; and lets face it, I never really wished to in the States, so why would I here? A fact I’m very glad for now because my disdain for sitting in public has led me to develop excellent squatting capabilities which I was forced began to hone during my freshman year at college. My dorm had a common bathroom on our floor, so I squatted a lot that year perfecting my "technique".Flushing is another matter I find rather confusing. All of your toilets seem to have a different flushing mechanism. It's taken me a few moments sometimes to figure them out. Also, if there's a basket in there I should put my paper in it. Shouldn't I? I suppose doing so is way better than finding out too late a toilet doesn't flush too well.I'd also like to comment on the closeness of the male and female restrooms. I understand space is limited here. I get that. I also understand that most of your buildings were born before indoor plumbing. I will just need a little time to get used to having the men pee at such a close proximity. In one instance the men's stall was right next to mine in the same room. I thankfully had only ventured in to take my son to use the facilities. I can't tell you how quickly I high-tailed myself out of there. Call me a prude American if you wish Italia, but this girl like's her privacy when toileting. Also, why do you leave your doors to your restrooms open? I don't want people (I mean random men) to see me washing my hands, or adjusting my smeared mascara at the mirror. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that. But I'll keep you posted should I begin to. Promise.I was still very surprised to discover a toilet in the floor. I mean what if I had to sit? Like what if I couldn't stand? What would I do?I still haven't answered that question, as none of the toilets I've visited aside from those on base have a disabled stall. Which led me to pay attention at other public places. For instance at the train station where I had to climb down and then back up a ton of stairs. I spied no elevators at any of the three train stations I've visited so far. Which gives me pause to wonder what does one do when one can not walk on their own here? I'm still investigating that, but if you could help me figure it out without having to ask a native I'd really appreciate it.I never imagined I'd write about toilets...Prego Italia for the experience and opportunity to ponder these differences in culture. I'm embracing them. I really am, though I can't promise a bear hug in the toilette any time soon!
Ways To Save While On Vacation
Spring is nearly here and in South Florida it doesn’t mean the grass will be green once more, or flowers will be blooming. What it means is that vacationers will be flocking to our Sun and Sand and warm weather. It also means that many of us natives will be making our own plans for a get-a-way.
Taking a vacation, or even a long weekend, can get costly. I’m all for enjoying life but I don’t think a vacation should result in a person requiring debt consolidation to pay for it!Using credit cards while on vacation is sort of a given, however debt management must play a key factor when planning how and when you’ll use your credit.Using your credit card to pay for airline tickets is smart (especially if you pay them off quickly.) Using your credit card to pay for the $7 coke at an amusement park is probably not the best idea.Saving for a vacation is the smartest thing you can do. A well planned and well thought out vacation can help you determine how much money you’ll need to save. Once you’ve figured out how much you need, budget each month and put money away. Having a vacation savings account will help. Or, simply put away a bit of cash and don’t touch it. Many credit counseling services can also provide you with great tips on saving money for special things, like vacations, and other general items. Fiscal responsibility is so important, and a vacation that doesn’t end with you being in a lot of debt, will be a vacation much more enjoyed!Here are some ways I save while traveling.My best friend loves to stay at fancy hotels. I enjoy a nice hotel too, but I don’t enjoy paying for it. I often use travel websites to either “choose my own price” or find a bargain on hotel rooms. I usually get a much nicer hotel room this way.If you have small children, bring your own stroller. Renting a stroller at amusement parks is expensive.Pack light. More and more airlines are charging for baggage.I’ve lived in some of the biggest “tourist” cities in the U.S. including Las Vegas and D.C. Trust me when I tell you; a coupon is your best friend. Look for coupons for meal discounts, amusements, hotels, travel, etc.Also take advantage of any discounts you may be entitled to from memberships in things like AAA or AARP. My husband is in the military, one of the first questions I always ask is “Do you offer a military discount?” I’ve actually been given a discount sometimes when the business didn’t usually offer one just because I asked politely.Meals can get costly. Lunches are usually cheaper than dinner, so if there is a “fancy” restaurant you want to enjoy, opt to dine in for lunch instead of dinner. Having a kitchenette or even a mini-fridge in your hotel is a good thing. You can store breakfast-y items in it. If you’re traveling with children, see if you can find a place where the kids eat free or are discounted with a paying adult. If you’re not a “big” eater, share your meal. I do this a lot with my kids because I am never able to finish those large meals served at restaurants.If you’re traveling to a city where you know people, stay with them. Staying with friends, or relatives is a great way to save while on vacation. Even if your stay is for a night or two it can add up to some real savings.
The preceding was a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.