Well, today's travel tip reminds you to do as I say -- not as I do -- and always respect posted travel signs while hiking. Check it out and feel free to tell me just what a blockhead I was in the comments!
I hope you are all smarter than this and stay safe, so you may live to trek another day! (Not to mention, dead folks don't read travel blogs.) Feel free to click directly through to YouTube and subscribe for all of our newest video updates. Though, we'll keep posting here, as well! On Belay, Ilana
For a little something different, today's travel tip features Ed! Here, he stealthily navigates the crossing of a terrifying suspension bridge and stares his future squarely in the nads. (Okay, okay...it's a tiny bamboo bridge...in paradise, but it sounded pretty slick for a minute there!)
Feel free to click directly through to YouTube and subscribe for all of our newest video updates. Though, we'll keep posting here, as well!
I hope all of you have the chance to see Rome at least once in your lifetime. There is something disarming about a modern city dressed in the architectural clothing of its forebears. The first time you spot the Colosseum from down a cobblestone lane, it will take your breath away. You can walk up to the Pantheon and touch it. And, depending on the museums you choose to visit, you can have your choice of standing in the presence of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, or Caravaggio.
But, even the most amazing cities on the planet take a little know-how to make the most of your time in them. So, here is my list of the top 7 things to keep under your traveling hat -- when in Rome.
Uno. Drink a cappuccino whenever you damn well please.
I can't tell you how many times I've read about the "rules of cappuccino" in Italian guidebooks. Basically, this most delicious of coffee libations is not to be consumed after breakfast, lest the person drinking be considered a hideous tourist unfit for holding a passport. After breakfast hours, it's more appropriate to ask for an espresso.
Now, I love coffee. Luh-uv. I will drink an entire bowl of coffee. If you've visited the blog before, you might even think Ed and I are crazy for it. That said, I don't like espresso. At all. So what about me, Rome?! Huh? What about ME?!
Espresso tastes like a punishment, with a little lemon peel on the side. It's coffee's angry step-child. Bitter. Rushed. Those little cups make me feel like I'm playing tea party. Sip, sip, gone. Inappropriate. If only espresso was served with a dollop of delightful milk foam to make it more palatable. Well, there's an inspired idea!
Truthfully, I drank cappuccino at all hours of the day whilst in Rome and never experienced a sideways glance from locals, waiters, or other travelers. From what I can tell, all of the 'no foam' hype has been overinflated. So, if you enjoy a little steamed milk in your coffee, drink on.
That's my niece, Kelley. A fellow lover of beans.
Due. Most of the hotels that you can afford are crap.
They are often very tiny and far from the center of town with iffy food at inflated prices. Get used to this idea. Opt for a place that at least has breakfast included and a free shuttle into the city center.
(If you can afford a nice place, make sure that you specify a double bed...not two twin beds pushed together. Also, I dislike you. Mainly because I'm irrationally jealous of your giant piles of money.)
Tre. Steer clear of the Pope on Mondays.
While it's true that St. Peter's Basilica is open every day and that is absolutely something you should try and include in your Roman itinerary, the Vatican museum is closed on Sundays. For this reason, we extended our trip in Rome an extra day and decided to hit Vatican City on a Monday. Packed doesn't even begin to to describe our time in the museum. Wall. To. Wall. We were a continuous, slow-moving, international, noisy herd.
Prior to your visit, I'd definitely recommend purchasing the timed museum tickets online. Additionally, plan to start with the Basilica and plan to take all day. Wear comfortable shoes. The audio guides are fantastic. Definitely spring for one, if you don't have a tour guide. While in the museum, you will naturally get excited and start to pick up the pace as you get closer to the Sistine Chapel. Do yourself a solid and slow it down when you get to the modern art section. It's transcendent.
Quattro. The Early Bird does not get the bucatini.
No doubt about it, Italians know food. There is nothing more stylish than slapping on your best leather boots, curling those eyelashes, and ordering up some apertivo (small bites and cocktails that precede dinner). Sounds great, doesn't it? What a lovely concept! Why did Italians think up this genius art, you ask? Because they were STARVING!
Splitting a portion of cacio e pepe is perfect for apertivo.
Here's the deal. Lunch in Italy starts right after breakfast and goes until around 3pm. Dinner, however, does not usually start until close to 8pm. Therefore, between those hours, you will invariably become ravenous and want to eat anything you find that's open. Don't do that. Trust me. Time your meals out. Eat lunch. As late as possible. And, plan on a late dinner. Then, if you absolutely cannot wait another moment, grab some apertivo around 7pm; but, resist the urge to order more than a small bite. Or, if you grew up in my family, you'd skip appies altogether and plan a gelato break for about 6pm...or maybe one at 5pm and one at 7pm. Speaking of gelato...
Cinque. I'll have the one with all the sparkly, crunchy, fruity bits on top.
Okay, this is not a perfect science; but, there are definitely a couple of things to consider when selecting a spot for brain freeze. If the gelato isn't displayed with impressive toppings garnishing each flavor, keep walking. Make sure you see some traditional flavors, such as frutti di bosco, pistachio, or zabaglione. Lastly, ask to sample a flavor or two. The consistency should be lush and velvety. Never thin, course, or icy.
Most importantly, wherever you decide to stop for the frozen treat, do yourselves a favor and DO NOT make it anywhere near the Vatican. You're welcome.
Seriously, the worst gelato of my life.
And, I don't kick many ice cream desserts out of bed.
(I actually tossed it right after this picture and found a better gelateria.)
Sei. Apologies, Anderson, but just say NO to wine and leather if you're not a Vanderbilt.
If you are branching out during your Italy stay and planning on visiting any part of Tuscany, do not try and buy wine or leather in Rome. You will definitely find a lot more value as you move toward the more rural areas of Italy. I perused boots and purses in Rome that were marked up 300% from what I had seen further north and many had a 'Made in Tuscany' stamp. Um, hello?! If you want to purchase the perfect distressed leather bag or Brunello di Montalcino, why wouldn't you go directly to the source?
Sette. When you just need to eat anything other than pizza, risotto, or carbonara.
Now, I know you are already rolling your eyes thinking that this day will never come; but, the truth is that a person can only eat so much traditional Italian food before they start to develop bolognese belly.
My sage advice to you is to search out "new Italian" restaurants. Guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet, will have them listed in a separate category. We were starting to go out of our minds on this last trip, until we sought out the foodie haven, Il Grappolo d'Oro Zampano. Braised rabbit stuffed with potatoes and sausage. An octopus salad that still haunts my dreams. Definitely one of the top 5 meals of my life.
There you have it, folks. Now you're ready to hit the Roman streets. Just watch out for overzealous rose sellers -- trust me, they're everywhere. And, maybe study up on a couple of phrases to help you blend in. I strongly recommend the Travel Linguist's free videos on YouTube. I was surprised by how much Ed and I were able to absorb with just a week of pre-Italy study. Here's one to get you started. Try it over an *extra foamy* cappuccino!
I can't tell you how many times Ed and I told each other to stick it "up you tardy." (Warning: Basic knowledge of Italian is required to get that bad joke.)
Davvero una vacanza Romana! A più tardi, Ilana
The “Packing List” This week, we were rocking the following:
Here's the first of our weekly travel tips! An excellent technique to hep you stay hydrated, when abroad -- or at least help you look like a local!
Also, feel free to click directly through to YouTube and subscribe for all of our newest video updates. Though, we'll keep posting here, as well! Until Next Week, Ilana
The “Packing List” This week, we were rocking the following:
Well, I've been writing about our trip to Bali a lot lately; and, while there's still MUCH more to share, I thought I'd take a little departure to talk a bit about what I do. It's probably the question asked of me most, "What does an anthropologist do?" A close second would definitely be, "What does a travel host do?" And, honestly, the answers to both questions are really the same. I study people and talk about them. I study their culture, mainly. But that includes a pretty giant swath of goodies...rituals, traditions, religions, stories, histories, etc... Well, that all sounds noble enough; but, there is a also a dirty little secret involved with the more modern element of my chosen career. A side of anthropology that often had my classmates at Columbia rolling their eyes. And, oh how I love it so! I'm talking about pop(ular) culture. I'm sure it would seem strange for one of you to spot me at the airport, walking away from the newsstand, not carrying the latest issue of Science News or the Economist; but, clutching my fix of People & US Weekly. (Especially when I've been abroad for weeks at a time.) The fact that most countries carry outdated issues makes no difference to me. It's about the ritual; it's about the familiarity of the story-telling; it's my touchstone to my country's immediate history. Like it or not, we are currently writing our own history. And, this new form of a very old tradition -- this voracious consumption of 'who wore it best' and 'who lost the baby weight in time to walk the catwalk' (I'm talking to you, Heidi Klum, you gorgeous freak of nature) -- is the general public's chance to weigh-in on a part of their culture with which they identify...or would desperately like to. Now, more than ever before, we are all easy-chair scientists. Every time we tune-in regularly to view our guiltiest pleasure -- reality television -- we are essentially viewing 22 or 45 minutes of a modern-day field study, where we are viewing a sub-culture at length to better understand what makes them who they are. And that, my friends, is anthropology! I think the label of being reality television watchers is the hardest part. I'm a travel television host and I don't even like the idea of the 'reality' distinction. I tell folks that I work in 'documentary television' simply to put more space between me and the dreaded turn of phrase. But, c'mon, if it quacks like a Real Housewife! However, when you really break down the types of shows that have never been more popular, you are left with some stark looks into the lives of people that we would otherwise never know. Tattoo artists in Los Angeles; Pageant-winning children in Georgia; Fashion designers in New York City; Angry dance instructors in Pittsburgh. We've collected quite an interesting assortment of specimens in our reality zoo. We have had the opportunity to better understand disorders likepicaandcompulsive hoarding, thanks to shows likeMy Strange Addiction andHoarders. We can move from sample to sample; case history to case history. Solving. Deducing. And, hopefully, concluding something that eventually allows us to move on. For some of us, it also may simply be about the fairy tale. Say what you will about certain magazines and television shows and the celebutantes and pop-tresses we invite into our living rooms; but, anthropologically speaking, it's all story-telling -- a tradition so old that it predates the written record. It can be a nice break from the rigors of hunting and gathering to fantasize about having a Kardashian bank account or Lohan sense of entitlement. Or perhaps, we see it as more of a morality play, wherein we can sit back and judge the ladies and gents who are happily destroying their livers and professional connections. Either way, we have an opinion. (Heck, even the general public that swears-off reality television has a pretty loud and specific opinion about the Kims, Lindsays, and Britneys of the moment.) And, I would argue that's a good thing. You SHOULD have an opinion. If this is, in fact, a historical imprint we are leaving of ourselves, then we should all know how we feel about it. When I think of the anthropologists that forged the social sciences. I visualize Margaret Mead and Franz Boas flying for countless hours, boldly charging into the midst of unknown and potentially aggressive communities, penning tomes about a culture so foreign and new that it would certainly change the course of modern history. And, those journals...all of that sweat and dust...they sit...deep in the lowest level...of the nicest libraries...in the most beautiful universities. My Arctic Expedition; Devil & Commodity Fetishism in South America; A Land of Ghosts; Coming of Age in Somoa. And, the more I think about those beautiful findings, the more they start to resemble their tiny ancestors on my cable channel guide. Ice Road Truckers, Amish: Out of Order; Ghost Hunters... So, say what you will about the scourge that is reality television; but, hear me when I counter with -- Margaret Mead never had it so good! The “Packing List” This week, we were rocking the following:
