A Travel Tutorial (of sorts)

Sometimes people wonder how I manage to travel as I do, and ask me what my secret is. Others claim I'm "lucky", as if my travels happen by magic, without any effort on my part. I can assure you that a lot of effort (at times, blood, sweat and tears) goes into planning and executing my travels, but it's always worth it in the end. And no, I'm not wealthy, or even well-off. I am 73 years old and I still work part-time to fund my travels. In my everyday life, I live frugally, and I travel the same way. When I started traveling in 2006, I had little savings and used my credit card more than usual that year. The main thing was deciding to go somewhere - Italy - to book a flight, and to arrange lodging. At that time,  it was more of a challenge to get things squared away, and I relied completely on guide books to choose where to stay. I won't go into all that was involved in making that trip work; instead I'll talk about what I learned from it. 

I learned that I could travel on my own and feel safe, find inexpensive lodging, figure out train and bus schedules, communicate well enough to be understood, and eat well without spending a lot at restaurants. I was easily able to use public transportation,  which was also inexpensive. Suddenly I was entering a new world of possibility. From that maiden voyage, I developed a strong desire to travel more, to explore another culture, language and people as much as possible. And I've continued that journey nearly every year since 2006, until covid derailed my traveling life.

For several years early on in my travels,  I had a housesitting gig, for several months at a time, in the countryside near Rome, which eliminated lodging expenses. (If that appeals to you, look into it!) After that I started renting apartments in Florence, and discovered I could rent them for a rate similar to that of apartments at home. (In other words, not that expensive.) To manage long stays in Italy financially, I acquired several online jobs to earn an income while living abroad.

In 2019, I rented an apartment in Bologna for 6 weeks, then traveled around for several more, visiting Italian friends. That trip was particularly outstanding, in that I visited numerous interesting and beautiful places within a relatively short time, often accompanied by Italian friends. It set a standard that I wanted to replicate in the future. But then covid came along and stopped me in my tracks. I stopped traveling completely from 2019 until now. 

Planning my travels this year was difficult, as I feared I had lost much of the confidence and momentum I'd  built up from planning and traveling yearly. I'd also experienced a devastating loss that had broken my spirit. Niggling fears and anxiety made me wonder if I would be able to manage as well as I had before. And the fear of getting ill while abroad was another concern. And yet, I made ambitious plans, adding France to the mix, along with the desire to learn French well enough to communicate basic needs effectively. I felt the need to be near the sea, to explore the Cote d'Azur in France and Liguria in Italy. I pushed through the worries and packed my bags.

Since I hadn't traveled for four years, I'd saved a considerable amount of money that could be used on nicer lodging - apartments with full kitchens and washing machines, instead of the lower-priced studio apartments or 2-star hotel rooms I'd relied on in the past. My flight was covered by a voucher from a canceled trip in 2020, so overall, this year's travel plans were easily affordable.

As it has turned out, my travels this year have been absolutely stellar, reinforcing the traveling moxie I've devloped over the years. Every little thing has worked out, none of my fears materialized, and many wonderful surprises have shown up along the way. I'm so very thankful I was able to move past the troublesome (and needless) worries that could easily have prevented me from enjoying the wonderful moments I've been able to experience. 

It seems I'm rambling, so I'll cut to the chase. There is no magic answer or advice to give to those who would like to travel as I do (and are physically and financially able to do so). It's basically a matter of choice: choose a place you'd like to visit, do some (or a lot of) research, plan an itinerary, book your flight and lodging, and GO!  It will be scary, and it will be exhilarating. You will learn along the way what works best for you and your confidence and skill at traveling will grow from your experiences.  Be bold - the world awaits you!

Getting lost and found

street scene in Rome, 2007

"We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; 

and we travel, next, to find ourselves.
We travel to open our hearts and eyes 

and learn more about the world…
And we travel, in essence, 

to become young fools again—
to slow time down and get taken in, 

and fall in love once more."

 - Pico Iyer

see the complete article at:
http://www.salon.com/travel/feature/2000/03/18/why/

Roma

Backtracking to my arrival in Italy, I was met at the exit of the airport in Rome by Lidia and Carlo. Fiumicino airport was a zoo that day, as it was the last day of the Italian holiday season and Italians were coming home from all over the world. I was glad to get out of there! The Spighis whisked me away and dropped me off downtown at my B&B, though we made plans to meet the next day for dinner. Perfect! I was very pleased with Little Italy, a B& B situated near the Termini train station, within walking distance of many Roman sites and access to the subway.

littleitaly

Run by Rene, an attentive Dutch man who's been living in Rome for 20 years, I was very pleased with the comfy room I was given. I settled in and then walked to familiar tourist sites: the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish steps, etc. For dinner, I tried a trattoria near the B&B that Rene had recommended. I was eager to try bucatini all'amatriciana, a Roman dish that is best served in Rome. The waiter neglected me in favor of tables with more people, and I started getting peeved. After an hour, I received the antipasto, bruschetta ai carciofi (grilled bread with artichoke topping) and a glass of wine. Still no pasta.

Two Italian couples sitting nearby, who arrived after I did, asked if I'd already eaten. When I told them I'd been waiting for an hour, they were not happy, knowing their food would be coming after mine. We waited nearly another hour, then the two couples simply got up and left. I followed them, leaving enough money to cover the bruschetta and wine. Uffa! By this time, it was nearing midnight, and I was no longer hungry for pasta anyway. When I told Rene about it the next day, he was appalled. Not a typical experience, I was happy to know. Perhaps the kitchen staff had not yet returned from holiday?

The next day, I got up early to explore Gianicolo, a park I'd been wanting to see since last year. I needn't have bothered. I took the Metro (subway) to the Vatican, walked by the long lines of tourists waiting to get in to St. Peter's (already seen it), and over to the park, which was a big disappointment. Great view of Rome, but it was dirty, crowded with cars, and there was no real sense of open space like Pincio, a lovely park on the other side of Rome. In addition, I had underestimated how long it would take me to walk back to Termini, where I'd made arrangements to meet my friend Deborah for lunch at noon. I'd hoped to have time to meander through Trastevere, my favorite area of Rome, but instead I rushed to take a bus over to Termini. I arrived just in time for our meeting.

Colosseo

We walked back the way I'd just come, past the Colosseo and Foro Romano, working our way towards the "ghetto," stopping to visit some interesting churches along the way. Deborah led the way to a great sidewalk cafe, where I had the pasta I'd missed out on the night before, along with alici fritte (fried anchovies), an antipasto that Deborah recommended. Quite tasty and not what I expected at all. The only anchovies I've known about have an intense flavor, because they've been cured and canned (they also have a different name: acciughe). Fresh anchovies don't have the fishy taste or smell, and are quite delicious. Deborah and I had a good visit, and I enjoyed hearing about her recent travels to Sweden and Finland, to see the midnight sun. We have similar travel aspirations, but different destinations. On the way back to Termini, we passed Torre Argentina, the famous Roman cat sanctuary, near some ancient ruins. Deborah is an avid cat lover and it was interesting to see this unique home to many abandoned cats.

We parted at 5 pm, and I returned to the B&B to grade final essays for my online class, finishing just in time to meet with Carlo and Lidia at 8:30 for dinner. (Typical dinner time in Italy). They picked me up and drove me to a small restaurant nearby. I was not hungry for pasta after my lunch with Deborah, so I ordered prosciutto with melon and grilled vegetables, while they both had pasta dishes. Lidia ordered a special dessert invented by the chef, a kind of chocolate brulee, over a syrup made from clementines. Squisito! (Yummissimo!) It was too rich to eat much of it, and in Italy, you NEVER ask to take home what you don't eat, so I left half of it there, uneaten. Ah well, there's always more opportunities to eat chocolate in Italy!

Lidia and I at Villa Borghese, 2009

I got back to the B&B about 10:30 and was ready to crash. I got up early the next day to buy my ticket early at the train station, then walked back a few hours later, my two heavy bags in tow (grazie a dio for wheeled luggage!) I rode the Eurostar, a fast train that takes only 1 and 1/2 hours to arrive in Florence. Very comfortable ride....across from me was a woman traveling with a cat, and it sat in its container on the table between us. Another Roman cat, it seems....

When I arrived in Florence, I called the agency that I rented the apartment from, and they agreed to meet me at the apartment in 15 minutes. The streets were thick with tourists, but I made my way, hauling my bags behind me along the cobbled streets, and arrived just as Mattias, a young man from the agency showed up to check me in. Unbeknownst to either of us, we'd be seeing a lot of each other in the next few days.

Almost there

I'm heading out soon for Rome, and I'm not sure when I'll have time to post again, so will share some of my upcoming activities while I have a minute.

I fly out of Kansas City Sunday afternoon, with one stopover in Detroit. I will arrive in Rome at 10:30 on Monday morning. My friend Lidia has offered to meet me at Fiumicino airport and I hope to spend the afternoon celebrating her birthday, albeit a week late. I stayed with Lidia and her husband Carlo last year, and they were very generous hosts.

Lidia, me and Carlo, 2009

This time I'll be staying downtown at a B&B, as I want to be in the center of things, where I can walk around Rome as I like. Lidia and Carlo live in the suburban EUR district, an area renowned for its modern, Mussolini - inspired architecture, but its about 30 minutes by car, bus or metro from the city center. I'm eager to get up early on Tuesday and walk around Rome before the streets get too crowded. I'm most interested in going to Gianicolo park, where it is said the painter Rafael met Margherita, his lover and the subject of many of his paintings, including La Fornarina.

On Tuesday, I've arranged to meet with Deborah, who lives in nearby Zagarolo. She's British, but has lived in Italy for 25 years. I connected with Deborah last year through an online housesitting site. Deborah has a sweet little house in the countryside outside Zagarolo, and needs a housesitter for months at a time to care for her cats while she travels. I had considered housesitting for her this year, but decided I preferred to be in the center of things in Florence instead of being alone in a house in the country. But Deborah and I have struck up a friendship, and I'm sure I'll housesit for her before long. She offered to meet me in Rome for lunch, and I'm looking forward to it.

Deborah, Zagarolo, 2009

One of the great things about her house is that it's across the road from a vineyard that makes a famous local wine, Tufaio, and if I were to be there in the fall, I could help with the wine harvest. Zagarolo is also famous for its hazelnut trees, and the locals join in for that harvest season as well. Maybe next year!

On Wednesday, I will take the train to Florence to claim my apartment and get settled. I'll have final essays to grade next week for an online class I teach, so I'll be eager to get that out of the way. (I'm an adjunct prof for an online university). Fortunately, it's a job I can do on my computer, and I hope to do some of it on the long flight to Rome.

On Thursday, I'll go to my first meeting of FLOW, the Florence Writers group that another friend, Melinda, has invited me to be part of during my stay. I met Melinda several years ago through her blog, where she writes about her life in Florence.

Living in Florence

Melinda, Florence, 2008

We met in person two years ago and have maintained a correspondence. Recently, she helped me out when I was looking for lodging in Florence, and we ended up talking about writing, which led to her invitation. In addition to her blog, Melinda writes for the Florentine, an English-language newspaper published in Florence, and is working on a book. I've been inspired by her column about expats and the reasons they choose to live in Florence.

Expats inFlorence

After the FLOW meeting, I'll be meeting my friend Domenico on Skype, as we have done most Thursdays for the past 3 years. Domenico lives in Grottammare, in Le Marche, along the Adriatic coast, and I've had several wonderful visits to his town and family over the past few years. He's one of the language exchange partners that I meet with every week, for an hour at a time, to develop our language skills. I've met many of my Italian friends through a language exchange website, and you'll be hearing more about them as time goes on. Because of this, I usually manage to meet and speak with my Italian friends for 2-6 hours a week, which has helped me considerably in my study of Italian. I'll have the chance to see many of them while I'm in Italy.

Domenico with his mom and sister, 2008

One of the families I'll miss seeing in Italy this year are the Ruggeris, of Rieti. I've visited them twice and have immensely enjoyed their friendship. I initially met them when they lived in Kansas City for two years where Andrea was transferred for his job at a pharmaceutical company. Monica, Andrea and their three children, Virginia, Camilla, and Tommaso, gave me a special tour of their region (Lazio and nearby Umbria) last year. They recently moved to Paris when Andrea was promoted in his company, and I've been invited to visit them there, too. If I can manage to go to Paris while I'm in Italy, I'll do it! Perché non? (Why not?)

Monica, Andrea and Tommaso Ruggeri, Cascata delle Marmore, 2009

That's a glimpse of what I'll be up to next week. But now I need to pack my bags!

Lost in transition

Pincio Park, Rome, November 2006

I leave for Rome on Sunday, only six days from now. It's been somewhat stressful planning for a 3-month stay, making sure things are taken care of at home and figuring out how to handle things in Italy. But planning ahead and doing it well allows me more freedom to enjoy my stay. Once I head for the airport, I enter a "magic zone," and the trappings of my everyday life fade away.

A friend of mine recently shared an article that states there is "definitive, incontrovertible proof" that travel makes us smarter (Leher, J. 2010, Panorama Magazine). I know this to be true from my own travel experiences, but it's great to hear that there is now scientific proof to back it up. Once I let go of my daily habits at home, my mind is free to make more creative and liberating connections. And each time I travel, I experience a kind of magic that stays with me for months after I return home. It's this "magic" that motivates me to plan the next trip, to challenge myself more each time, and to trust that I will be able to manage the inevitable fears and hassles that go along with the journey.

I have several friends to visit in Rome as soon as I arrive next Monday, and I'll attend my first meeting of FLOW, the FLOrence Writers Group the day after I arrive in Florence. After I get settled in my apartment, I've planned to meet a friend from home (who will be traveling in Tuscany), to show her around Lucca and le Cinque Terre, a route I followed on my first trip to Italy in 2006. Non vedo l'ora! (I can't wait!)

In the meantime, I have many, many chores to attend to, so I'd best get busy.

Why travel?

a view of Rome from Palazzo Barberini, taken in 2009

"We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves.
We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world…
And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again—
to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more."
- Pico Iyer

see the complete article at:
http://www.salon.com/travel/feature/2000/03/18/why/