Back in Roma...

Happy December....

Yesterday I took the train from La Spezia to Rome, a very nice 4 hour ride along the Med Sea and through the farmlands of Tuscany and western Italy. It was very nice.

Cinque Terre was amazing, however my last two days there crazy storms rolled in off the sea. It made for some amazing storm watching and crazy surf, even spraying foam on the balcony of my apt...it was wild....but cabin fever set in a bit. Each day I set out for some walks, but the weather was brutal...cold wind and rain... I ended up back in the apt in the afternoon and just read for the most part...for hours.... :) It was a wine, cheese, and bread party...

Yesterday as the train headed south the skies opened up and the sun appeared. Given Rome is a much further south, it is a good 10 degrees warmer here. I welcomed the change.

I cant imagine visiting Rome in the summer. Last night, a Sun night in winter, the streets were full of tourists...quite the contrast from the village of Riomaggiore where I was for 5 nights. In Riomaggiore things were so relaxed....people ventured out in the morning, then after 1pm you would think the village had been abandoned....good luck even finding food until after 5pm.....then after about 9pm back to being abandoned. :) This is partly due to it being the off season and partly due to their normal schedule. Rome is quite the opposite, the options for food are endless and everything is open all day and night....and its always bustling with traffic and motor scooters. Cars arent even allowed in the villages of Cinque Terre, it was great.

Tomorrow my travels come to an end and I fly back to DC. I will spend the next couple of weeks with my family in Virginia, then return to Portland after Christmas. Its been a good run and look forward to returning to Italy and other countries in Europe in the future. In just over one month I hit Rome, Sitges, Barcelona, the olive farm in Tuscany, Pisa, La Spezia, and the villages of Cinque Terre....not bad at all..... I will post a few more pics later and call it good. Thanks for everyones support and kind messages over the past few weeks. Peace, T

Cinque Terre - Day 4 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Ciao Turkey Eaters! Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day with friends and family.

I am in the village of Riomaggiore, the southern most village of the Cinque Terre. I am still staying in an amazing one bedroom apt right on the water. The weather has continued to be beautiful each day - clear, crisp, warm in the mid day, and cold at night.

On the first day I hiked from Riomaggiore through Manarola, to Corniglia...covering the first three villages. The next day I took the train to the northern most village of Monterosso and hiked south to Vernazza. And today I hiked south from Vernazza, back through Corniglia, Manarola, and back to my apt in Riomaggiore. I have now hiked each leg of the coastal trail connecting all 5 villages. Needless to say, each leg is stunning, amazing, and ubelievable in its scenery. I feel blessed to have had such great weather each day. http://goeurope.about.com/cs/cinqueterr1/l/bl_cinque_map.htm


I have formed a bit of routine staying here...... each morning I wake up and go to the cafe in Riomaggiore for espresso and a pastry. I then take the train or hike to the nearby villages and explore until late afternoon. After walking all day I return to the apt for a late lunch and wine. I then read on the terrace and watch the sunset until 5pmish. My terrace is ridiculously awesome. Right on the water, possibly one of the best spots in all of Riomaggiore. I still cant figure out why Dominico gave it to me at such a low price. Regardless, I am absolutely loving it and the sunset each night on the Mediterranean is beyond description. After the sunsets the clear sky becomes full of stars over the sea, and the whole scene is just really unbelievable. At night I make dinner, watch some BBC or CNN :) and usually crash very early. As it is November, there is no night life at all here and even by day the streets are close to empty. Many businesses are closed for the season, but there is just enough open to make it pleasant and relaxing. I love it.

I really just cant believe what I have stumbled into here - from the apt, to the trails, to the villages, to the perfect weather....its all hard to believe at times.

I have to admit today I certainly thought of all of you today as it is Thanksgiving and felt a bit lonely after a month now of sightseeing alone...all this solo walking everyday...thank goodness for my Ipod. :) But I certainly cant complain, I feel very blessed, and this has been the highlight of my travels thus far.

I have to be out of the apt on Sunday morning. Dominico has offered me two other units to move to if I wish to stay longer, but I think I will be ready to move on by Sunday. I will keep you posted and hopefully be able to post more pics of my hikes along the coastal trail called Sentiero Azzuro. From this computer I cannot post any pics of my hike today, but it included sections through high mountain side olive groves where locals were harvesting as I passed by, and as always stunning views of the sea, the villages from the high ridges, and the many vineyards carved into the mountain sides. Its really all just unbelievable.....

On this Thanksgiving, please send your thoughts and prayers to the people of Mumbai, India who are suffering through a tragic terrorist attack that started yesterday...... We are all very blessed to be where we are. Peace, T

Pics from the trail.... Monterosso..south to Vernazza...

Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore

Yesterday I braved the elements and took the train from La Spezia to the first village of the Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore. I picked up the trail there and hiked through the first 3 villages and took many pics, some of which I was able to upload last night. The weather improved and while gray skies persisted a bit, it didnt rain on me much at all.

While I was in Riomaggiore, on a whim, I popped into a Property Mgmt office to inquire about apartments. I met a very nice man named Dominico who had a few to offer at prices I couldnt believe. It is the lowest of the low season here now as the fishing season just ended, apparently many apts and rooms are sitting empty. I still couldnt believe the prices he was offering. I agreed to meet with him this morning and go from there.

I am now in Riomaggiore. I left La Spezia this morning by train and reconnected with Dominico. He showed me three apts, all were insanely cheap. I chose one with a balcony right on the water. :) Its a very nice one bedroom apt, with a kitchen, private bath, and beautiful (and huge) balcony hanging over the rocks with the sea crashing below. Its insane. I took pics, but the computers at this internet point dont allow external hardware, so Im not sure when I.ll get to upload any. From here I will explore the other 4 villages each day and hike the many miles of trails connecting each. Ive already made my first trip to the market for pasta, vegetables, bread, cheese, and wine. I.ll feel like a local after being here a week!

Needless to say, Im in a bit of heaven...in Cinque Terre for at least the next 5+ days....no worries about navigating trains or buses or where to go next....and staying in accomodations I never dreamed I would stumble into for so few euros.

Im hoping to find an internet point in one of the other villages that will allow me to upload pics of my apt and more of the gorgeous surroundings. I still have yet to explore Vernazza or Monterosso.

Someone tell Steve Laggizzino Im thinking of him right now. :)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Peace, T

La Spezia and Cinque Terre Pics

La Spezia Link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Spezia Check it out.....

La Spezia

Ciao Freedom Lovers! Im in La Spezia. Its very nice, a port town on the sea. Its a 10 min train ride from the first village of Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore. Im about to head there now and hop on the coastal trail that leads through all 5 villages.

The weather has turned a bit nasty. Its very cold and rainy. I had taken for granted the weather conditions given how nice its been over the past 3 weeks. I am still going to brave the elements :) and explore today. Hopefully it will improve by mid week.....

Gobble Gobble. -T

Tonight it is my last night in Pisa. Today marks 3 weeks since I arrived in Rome. The weather was beautiful today, clear and sunny. I have become used to the Portland weather trends where as if it is cloudy and rainy, it is typically like that for a week or more. Refreshing to have yesterday be so gloomy, yet wake today to clears skies and sunshine today.

I am uploading pics of Pisa as well as one of Sigismund and Ursula, the owners of the olive farm and vineyard just outside of Cecina.

Today was laundry day...I have now used a public laundromat in both Spain and Italy. Each was a bit challenging with no instructions in english, however today an Austrailian couple entered that spoke only english and had no detergent. I shared mine and we ended up spending over an hour talking about Austrailia, the US, and our travels. They are traveling for 4 weeks throughout Europe using a rental car. We exchanged information as they are attending a wedding in the US and hope to visit San Fransico. I encouraged them to venture north to the Pacific NW and offered my guest room as a place to stay in Portland. They in turn offered their place for me to stay if I ever visit Austrailia. They are from Perth, Austrailia, and I believe one of my long time co workers, Dean Hunter is from Perth.

Pisa is very relaxed with many college students as there is a university here. I like it. Tomorrow I board a train around 10am to head to La Specia, where I will set up camp and explore the Cinque Terre from there for a few days. The Austrailian couple had just done the exact same thing - come from La Specia, stayed there, and taken the daily train to Cinque Terre to explore the 5 villages, but stayed each night in La Specia. They told the me the thru hike trail leading through all 5 villages is open, totaling 12 km, or approx. 7.2 miles....I intend to walk the entire length over a couple of days, of course stopping in each village to sightsee.

Given today is Saturday all of the markets and shops were busier today. Christmas items are now appearing everywhere and crews were hanging Christmas lights on the streets. The holiday season is upon us. :)

So, Happy Holidays Everyone! Peace, T

Pisa....weather like Portland...

Im in Pisa now, took the train from Cecina yesterday. The weather here is similar to that of Portland...a bit dark, rain at times, sun breaks at other times. We.re just off the Med Sea.

I successfully shipped 12 liters of olive oil to Portland and 12 liters to Fredericksburg! I am excited to share the fruits of my harvest with all of you.

Tomorrow I will head to Cinque Terre...hopefully the weather will improve. For now, I am just relaxing after my time on the farm. Its sleeping in, espresso, gelato, wine, and good food for this guy for the next several days.....

I will be pullling for the Skins to beat Seattle Sunday from here. We must make up for that terrible playoff loss last year....and I attended wearing Redskins attire in Seattle!...I never thought Seattle people could be so mean, heckling me like Raiders fans....Booooooo Seahawks!!!!

"Never minded working hard, its who Im working for...."

I just completed my last day of work at Podere Vallari. Tomorrow I will take the train to Pisa. I will have spent 8 nights on the farm and it was a great experience. I highly recommed it to others. Over the 6 days of work in the fields we harvested over 1200lbs of olives. Crazy. Tomorrow I hope to ship oil to both Portland and Fredericksburg before I leave the Cecina area. The best part about this is that Ursula went to the mill today, so the oil I will be shipping will be made from olives I helped harvest!

Happy Birthday to Darryl Labbe and Bob McHardy! Both celebrated birthdays yesterday and both are incredible fathers. I could hear the partying going on last night in Charlotte and Fredericksburg all the way over here in Italy.... Good times!

Many thanks to my close friend Paul, an organic farmer in Portland, who put me in touch with Ursula and Sigismund. Without you this experience would not have been possible....you pimp.....I really appreciate it....

From here I will take the train to Pisa to explore for a day, then explore Lucco for a day, then off to Cinque Terre, one of my top destinations for this entire trip. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Cinque+Terre

Well, tomorrow Im off to get my lean on....get it? Lean on....Leaning Tower of Pisa....oh yeah, you get it...and you love it.....

Does anyone know what the laws are regarding shipping wine to the US? Podere Vallari (Sigismund and Ursula) make incredible wine and I would love to ship some back, but we are all unsure if its legal. They have been told they have to go through a US importer. Hit me with a comment if anyone knows for sure.

Mmmm....olive oil.....

Hedgehog and Farm Photos

Podere Vallari - Day 5

An organic farmer is not an electrician. However, an organic farmer and a production manager can almost make an electrician...almost.... :)

On Friday night during a wicked wind storm my cottage lost power. Last night I went without power which was awesome....full moon so bright you could work under it....fire in the fireplace...one candle....overlooking the tuscan valleys....absolutely ridiculous.....it was amazing.

Today Sigismund and I woke with the intention of diagnosing the lost power issue, rather than harvesting. We followed the signal flow, had power coming out of the metered source, but nothing at the cottage. FINALLY, we smelled burning in the underground condiut....very long story short, we pulled the whole main power cable from underground to find it had been eaten and badly burned/melted by some animal. No wind storm damage, just varmits!

Next we ran an extension cord and did some wiring that would make my father as well as every sound guy I know cringe..Sigismund made fun of me for insisting we at least wrap the bare wire in duct tap...classic.....I now have hot water and one lamp. I love it. We hope to install the new cable this week underground. Organic farmer style....all in house....Lord help us.

Tomorrow morning its back to the grove for more harvesting.

The weather was GORGEOUS today. Over 60, clear and sunny.

This afternoon allowed time for a short solo hike into the hills and farmlands. Unbelievable...sunset over the valleys with clear views of the Medeterranean and the islands off the coast.....beyond description.....the sunset, the olive groves, the vineyards, the hills...all farms...leading to the sea.....enough said...pictures dont even come close to representing what it looked like.

Tonight...pancakes and wine for dinner....this is living! I will be here until at least Thurs and I may come back after hitting Pisa, Lucco, and Cinque Terre...they really need the help with this years harvest.....

Tonight I put Ursula and Sigismund on Skype and donated my headset-mic. :) Bringing technology to the Tuscan Farm!

Also, I had failed to mention that on most evenings thunderstorms roll in off the sea. It is incredible...booming thunder, streaks of lighting across the hills, wind....all with the fireplace, my one candle, my tuscan villa, the sunsets, the olive groves, the vineyards, the wine....and my duct taped bare wire for hot water.....does it get any better than this? Sigh....if only Mercy were here..... There are like 12 cats here, my Mom would be in heaven...however, on my very first day on the farm I had to bury one that died right on the porch. I buried it in the field...farmer style....Iöll end on that note. :) Goodnight America! Ha.

Podere Vallari - Day 4

Ciao from Podere Vallari farm in Tuscany. I have now been on the farm for 4 days and its been a great experience. The scenery is what one would imagine in a movie...rolling hills of olive groves and vineyards, just 4 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, cool fall temps, great sunsets and sunrises, etc.

The farm is owned by Sigismund and Ursula Hadelich (google their son Augustin Hadelich, famous violinist). Sigismun is 64 and Ursual is 61, but you would never know it from their work ethic and stamina. They are organic farmers and use virtually no technology in their trade. We harvest olives by hand, bag them by hand, spread nets on the ground, trim the olive trees...everything is done by hand....it is quite impressive and hard work.

They take large quantities of olives to the mill roughly twice each month to be pressed into the best olive oil on earth. They also bottle and sell their own table wine each year from their vineyard.

Each day we have breakfast at 8am, work at 9am, short break at 11am, HUGE lunch at 1pm (their big meal of the day), work til dark, dinner at 730pm which usually consists of bread, cheese, wine, salad, etc., then talk until 9 or 10pm then crash.

They have been generous enough to allow me to stay in one of their vacation cottages - a tuscan style one bedroom cottage on a valley overlooking vineyards and olive groves. No phone, no TV, no heat, but a nice fireplace, and it has electricity. They have three similar dwellings if anyone is interested in visiting Tuscany, this is a great spot to consider home base. From here you can explore many areas as it is very centrally located in Tuscany and all of Italy really.

Yesterday we harvested 260lbs of olives, today slightly more. Its as difficult as any day Ive worked in concert production, but very rewarding and in scenery that is stunning. Every aspect of Ursula and Sigismunds life impresses me...they are organic farmers in the true sense of the word and making small batches of an amazing product and living just as one would imagine in Tuscany, very simply. Its awesome.

I´ll probably hang here another week or so as I am the only wwoofer http://www.wwoof.org/ right now and its clear they appreciate and need the help. If anyone is interested they´ll be harvesting until at least Christmas, sometimes into Feb....come help out and see Italy! Peace.

Podere Vallari - Tuscany - Harvesting Olives

I am now on the olive farm in Tuscany. The farm is called Podere Vallari. Google it. Ursula and Sigismund also offer vacation rental cottages on their property. Since it is Nov and there are no vacationers, I am able to sleep in one of the cottages. The surroundings are as beautiful as one would imagine.

I flew from Barcelona to Pisa yesterday, then took bus and train to Cecina where Ursula picked me up. Yesterday afternoon I had my first afternoon of work in the olive grove after a delicious lunch made by Ursula.

Yesterday there were three german women also working here, but yesterday was their last day of work. They are vacationing/wwoofing (willing workers on organic farms). They are sightseeing today and fly back to germany tomorrow.

I am on a german keyboard, which is different from an italian keyboard, which is different from a spanish keyboard. :)

The weather has been very Portland like. Booming thunderstorms last night, it was quite nice, but this morning too much rain to work. It is clearing now and after lunch we will work some.

I hope all is well in everyones world. Peace.

Bring On The Comments....

It is with great humiliation that I share today´s story, but it is too good not to tell.

I missed my flight to Pisa today. I fell asleep at the departure gate, merely feet away from the gate and counter. When I woke the plane had just pulled away from the gate. I went to the counter to inquire and the attendants told me they had called my name on the entercom and even delayed a bit to pull my bag off the plane. They laughed at me, and rightfully so. Needless to say, I felt sick when I realized what had happened. I am an idiot. Ha. Oh well, it makes for a good story I guess...but nonetheless, a very expensive and ridiculous story.

There were no more flights out of Barcelona to Pisa today. Alitalia could have gotten me there tomorrow, however it would have taken 12 hours and stops in Milan and Rome before reaching Pisa. Pisa is a 90 min direct flight from Barcelona. So....I now fly direct on Wed to Pisa. How embarrassing to contact Ursula (the owner of the farm in Tuscany) today and tell her what I had done. She apparently has a comparable story from one of her flights to the U.S. and claims we both will laugh.

I hopped the bus into the city am now still in Barcelona until Wed. Not a bad place to be stuck really, worse things can happen. :) But how humiliating.....

To my friend Nick who commented on attending the Barcelona football game - I actually watched that game in an oceanfront pub on the Mediterranean in Sitges! I had no idea it was happening, otherwise I would have tried to attend. The owner of the pub was present and spoke decent english. He explained to me the standings, the league, etc. It was as if they were playing a high school team, they killed Villadolid 6-0, and the score reflected their performance. But I am now hooked for sure...me, you, Hendric, and some Stella in the `Couv watching football when I return!

So there is my ridiculous story....I still cringe when thinking about it, but tomorrow I may take advantage of the mishap and venture to Monserrat http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/montserrat-shrine.htm or Figueres, birthplace of Salvador Dali...I´ll try not to sleep through the train stop....Ugh.....

I miss my dog, Mercy.....

Sitges/Barcelona to Pisa, Italy

Today is my last day in Sitges-Barcelona. Tomorrow morning I fly to Pisa, Italy where I will spend a couple of days sightseeing then board a train for Cecina. Ursula, the owner of the olive farm and vineyard will pick me up at the train station....then its time for some olive pickin´.

I am quite sad to leave this area. I love both Sitges and Barcelona. I may return after my time on the farm. I´ve attached one picture of Barcelona, last night, on a thriving Saturday night. The other picture is of Sitges today. It is beautiful here today, warm enough for people to be on the beach, everyone is dining outside, it´s gorgeous. Today´s bonus - naked chicks on the beach. I know, I am so immature, but it had to be mentioned. :)

I will also say goodbye to my friend Ki Ki tonight. She was instrumental in making my time here smooth and more fun. I hope to see her agan one day down the road.

My next entry will be from Pisa where I hear there is some sort of leaning tower..... :)

I miss Barcelona already.....Adios.

Barcelona

I am in Barcelona today. I took the train in from Sitges. Awesome. I love this city and the train ride along the Mediterreanean is beautiful. I could stay in Sitges/Barcelona for a long time. Sitges is perfect.

I made my first friend...a woman named Ki Ki who bartends at a bar called Nirvana in Sitges, just down from where I am staying. She has been beyond helpful with everything from translation, to food recommendations, to train directions. She is originally from Brazil and speaks english pretty well. It has made my time here much better just having someone to give me the inside knowledge and point me in the right direction.

Barcelona is one of the best places I have ever been......

Pictures - below are pictures of Rome and Sitges. Above are pictures Sitges (church on the coast) and amazing buildings created by Antoni Gaudi. Google him and his work. It's impressive. The picture of the bearded man with PBR 12 packs is my friend Eric, tour manager of My Morning Jacket, backstage at the Edgefield Amphitheater. Nothing at all to do with my trip, but still funny.

I need to figure out how I'm going to get back to Italy and down to Tuscany over the next week.....hmmm.

Hugs! -T

Arrivederci Roma - Hola Sitges, Spain

Hola from Sitges, Spain!

A lot has happened since I last wrote. First and foremost, congratulations America on your choice for our next president. You have made the world very happy. Everyone I´ve encountered is overwhelmingly in favor of Obama. Its the first thing people bring up when theylearn I am from the US and it´s nice to be proud to be from there. That hasn´t always been the case over the past 8 years. :) And my parents are pleased that I won´t be seeking refugee status and applying for citizenship in Italy or Spain.

On Monday we ended our day in Rome at the Piazza de Spagna, climbed the Spanish steps, grabbed some gelato, and had a late dinner in Trastevere. It was awesome. Marta departed for Torino at midnight. The following day I was scheduled to fly to Barcelona. Fortunately there was an Internet Pointe below where I was staying, and fortunately I decided to check my email before leaving. Bravofly.com, the website I used, had canceled my flight reservation due to a technical error on their part. Having to get out of the place I was staying and wanting to get out of Rome, I decided I would still head to the Ciampino Airport to see if Ryan Air had my info anywhere. At this point I am lugging my giant American pack around.

The travel gods were certainly not on my side on this day. The plan Marta and I had created for me to take the Underground to the train station, then the train to the airport was all wrong. After a few random stops on the Underground and some less than helpful attendants in the booths, I finally made it to Termini, the central train station. From there a helpful police officer told me to to take the shuttle bus to Ciampino. The shuttle bus drivers were on strike. Awesome. I finally abandoned the idea of going to the airport with no real flight reservation, and checked my bag at the train station so I could walk around the city with just my day pack. I strolled around, grabbed some food, and just enjoyed the city a bit more with no real plan, no place to stay that night. Then came the worst thunderstorms ever....southeast US style...Florida style.....explosions, streaking lightining, and walls of rain. Awesome. At this point I decide to inquire with hotels as I passed by, it was after dinner, and it is the low season, everyone was willing to negotiate. I found a reasonable rate and checked into a hotel near Termini. The room was beyond description - if Devo made hotel rooms, this was it...think Sprockets from SNL. Purple walls, purple carpet, plastic modern furniture, bright red bathroom, stainless steel counter tops....I took pics...it was laughable.

That evening I found another Internet Pointe after searching in the rain for a while. I booked a flight to Barcelona for Wed night. From here my lucked turned much better. I hit the hotel bar and Rome was playing Chelsea live. The game was being played in Rome and people were enthusiasitc. Rome won 3-1 and it was fun to watch a football (soccer) game with locals and other travelers. I then headed out for a very late dinner. I found a very quaint family restaurant, where I was the only real customer, just a couple of Italian guys hanging out watching football. The owner took very good care of me, asked if I was from the US and replied 'Country Roads take me home' in very broken English. It was funny. I had an amazing dinner with wine and talked to these guys the whole time. They loved that I knew Rome had won the game and we watched highlights. They asked about Obama. Then the owner grabbed an acoustic guitar and palyed John Denver´s Country Roads and Knocking on Heaven´s Door. It was classic! He didn´t really know the words so he just made the sounds he thought were the words. Bravo! It was good times.

Yesterday I strolled around Rome some more, had lunch, had gelato, the weather was sunny and warm. I hopped a train to the airport and my flight to Barcelona went well. I arrived in Barcelona a bit late, missed the last train and bus, and was forced to taxi from the airport to Sitges. I chose to stay in Sitges because after 5 rocking days in Rome I was ready for something a little more relaxed. From Sitges I can easily take the train into the city center of Barcelona. Sitges is a spainish beach town, its beautiful and very affordable given its the off season. http://www.virtourist.com/europe/sitges/Sitges_Spain.htm

Apparently in the summer this is a huge destination for the gay community. I´ll have to return in the summer for that action.

Today I am exploring Sitges. Tomorrow I will train into Barcelona to spend the day seeing the sights. From here I´m not sure where I´ll go, but I´ll probably stay here for 3-4 days. I have 8 days before I am to be on the olive farm in Tuscany.

Take care and give my best to everyone. Peace.

Roma, Italia - Day 3

Day 3 in Rome and my feet are so sore and blistered I'm limping. :) Another whirlwind day of exploring on foot and sight seeing....

Last night we hit St. Peter's Square at sunset. It was beyond impressive, very beautiful. We then finally found a pocket of the Trastevere neighborhood that appeared to be all locals. It was very fun...wine, dinner, wandering around the narrow cobblestone streets, etc. It's like Vegas, you can drink while walking down the street! Ha.

This morning we returned to St. Peter's Square and toured the cathedral. After that we hit the Vatican Museum which ends with the Sistenthe Chapel. Saw Michealangelo's great works and may other pieces that are beyond description, all of which was very impressive.

Throughout the day I am conituing on the regiment of excellent espresso, gelato, pizza, wine, and other great dishes. Ive taken a lot of pics but haven't attempted to upload any from the Internet Pointes I am using day to day.

Marta leaves tonight to return to Torino by train. I will be solo from tonight forward. I think I'm going to fly to Barcelona tomorrow......some relaxing on a beach is in order after three nonstop days in Rome. Peace.

Roma, Italia

Buongiorno from Roma, Italia!

I arrived in Rome Sat at 630am. My flight from DC was very good, smooth, on time, went by very quickly. My friend Marta, a native Italian, met me at the airport. This was blessing as navigating from the airport to train to the Underground (subway) to the bed and breakfast would have been beyond challenging.

We are staying in a nice city style bed and breakfast in the Tuscolana neighborhood. Tuscolana is a modest, very working class neighborhood, about a 15 min Underground ride to the city center.

Yesterday we spent the entire day and night on foot exploring the city center, seeing all of the sites. My feet are blistered. We had espresso and brioche overlooking the coliseum, lunch near the Pantheon, and dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood. If you had one day to cover all of Rome, we certainly did it.

Rome is busy and FULL of tourists. I can't imagine this city at peak season in the summer time. Everything seems to be catered to tourists, and thus very expensive. One of the more entertaining aspects of this city is the drivers. It is awesome to watch and our Saturday night cab ride in downtown Rome was classic - Notorius BIG blasting, which he kept turning up, whipping in and out of traffic in the tiniest car known to man...it was awesome.

Marta leaves tomorrow to return to Turin. From there I will be solo, which should be interesting and fun. I think I will depart Rome on Tuesday and possibly head to Barcelona. A flight from Rome to Barcelona is 37 Euros, 2.5 hours....train is 80 Euros and 36 hours....weird.

The weather has been gorgeous, probably peaking at 70 degrees today and sunny. The people and food have been great, and as one would expect the sites are beautiful. I am writing this from an Internet Pointe (internet cafe) right outside the walls of Vatican City.

From here, I must admit, I look forward to exploring some smaller areas of Italy or Spain...areas with less tourists :) and more reasonable prices, but thus far Rome has been very kind to me.

Have a great week everyone! Caio, Travis

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Greetings! (insert Bob Marley accent)

I depart Washington, DC tomorrow bound for Rome, Italy. I have been in my hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia since Monday. It has been an interesting week to say the least.


On Monday when I arrived I called my grandmother at 9pm to let her know I had made it safely and would see her soon. When she answered she didn't sound well. As we would later learn, she was having a heart attack at the exact moment I called. It was a remarkable coincidence and a blessing that I chose to call at that moment. My parents and I immediately headed for her house. Fortunately my father is a police officer and was able to dispatch an ambulance quickly without having to use the 911 line. The scene at her house was as one would expect, very frantic and quite scary. She was quickly taken to the ER and thanks to some incredible medical professionals and some amazing medical machinery she is now resting comfortably in the hospital. She may go home as early as this weekend and is doing quite well under the circumstances. Life is crazy.


In addition to the good luck I brought with me from Oregon, I also brought the classic Willamette Valley cold to Virginia. I spent most of the week in bed at my parents home. I blame the Crystal Ballroom, which is like an elementary school with sickness being circulated constantly among everyone. :) I am now on my second round of antibiotics in less than a month, but I am on the mend.






The Labbe Home - Est. 1980


I love being in Fredericksburg and am disappointed I spent most of my week sick and unable to enjoy it more. However today I did manage to squeeze in some Chick Fil A, a Carl's Milkshake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl and a stop at Sammy T's http://www.sammyts.com/ one of my favorite spots in downtown Fredericksburg. I look forward to my return in late December and until then I hope to have the adventure of a lifetime..... Peace Out America.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.