Return to Rome

April 27
I return to Rome via ferry, bus, train and metro. Go out to dinner near Piazza del Popolo with my sister and her family, my parents, and the English couple and their family. I love walking this area of Rome, the visuals of the statues, architecture, and tall, old trees, and feeling its history. I have been to Italy many times, and I always wish I could stay longer. I could imagine living here.
April 28
After packing, exercising at my sisters Gym, I meet my parents and my sister and her husband at their favorite restaurant in Borghese Park overlooking the Rome skyline for another delicious meal. I offer to clean and organize my nieces bedroom, and after spending an hour with my sister doing that it looks great. I cook vegetables for everyone (Alan cooks chicken parmisian, my fathers favorite). My parents leave for Paris tommorrow, and I leave for Miami, so we take the leftovers for our plane rides tommorrow.
I miss my children very much and feel sad that I can not hug them. I look forward to my son David picking me up from the airport tommorrow and taking me out to dinner. I try to figure out how I can see Ashley and Max, but due to their and my schedule, I probably wont see Ashley until July, and Max until October.
Max is now planing to have his wedding in Israel, on Jan 1, his birthday. His empoyer has made him an offer he can't refuse so he will be moving Sept 1 to London. David is continuing with his redo of his condo, and his girlfriend is moving from Los Vegas to move in with him in June. Ashley was accepted and is transfering to the University of Michigan. I had asked her to join me on my trip to China, but she wants to spend as much of her summer as posible with her boyfriend, who will stay at the University of Colorado in the engineering school. She is also taking him to Israel for 2 weeks, where my son Max will take care of them.
I have much to do in the next 3 days before I leave for China.

Isola del Giglio

Cala del Arenella Beach

Cala Del Arenella Beach

Walking down from Castello
meditating on boulder behind my hotel
Seagull Ferry escort

Light Tower at Campese Beach

Castello

Campese Beach

crystal clear water behind my hotel

Castello

View from my hotel room

My view from my hotel

Porto Giglio

April 24
Visit with my parents, cook a big breakfast, and catch a taxi to the train station. My train track is so far (20 min walk) that I miss the train and have to wait for 1 hr. After arriving at Borochello, an older couple offers to drive me 20 min to the Porto Stefano to catch the ferry boat to Giglio. The line to buy my ticket for the ferry moves at a snails pace, and even though I am 5th, it takes 20 min to purchase my ticket. I enjoy the beautiful port, the boat ride with the Island and ocean views, and the sea gulls (picture 5) seem to escort us for the 1 hr ferry ride.
After arriving at this quaint port/village of Porto Giglio (picture 10) with its connected multicolored buildings, I lug my suitcase to a hotel on the water I found on the internet. Part of my journey is to be more flexible and go with the flow, and since this is supposed to be the off season, I didnt make a hotel reservation (all of my other travel this year is prearranged and paid for in advance). It turned out to be vacation time for Italians, and even though I found Hotel Saraceno on a cliff on the ocean, with a room with an ocean view the first night, every hotel was completely booked for the weekend except at another hotel with a single room the size of a closet with no view. When I asked the man taking reservations at this hotel what was I going to do, he responded, "In Italy we say, tommorrow is another day". He turned out to be right.

April 25
Have I got a room with a view (picture 9). All kinds of boats in and out of this pretty, tiny port harbor, birds, ferry boat, small sail boats, crystal clear ocean (picture 11), even jelly fish. After sitting outside my hotel on boulders by the ocean, and eating breakfast, I ask again about keeping my room and after much looking at their records, they tell me I can keep my room. Yea!

The weather is perfect, not a cloud in the sky.

I hike from Porto Giglio, 1 hr to the living medieval town of Castello (picture 7,10). The vistas are unbelievable of the big blue ocean, other islands in the distance, boats, little neighborhoods built on little beaches along the coast, and clean fresh air. Castello is a 11th century jumble of narrow walkways, with worn brick and stone walls connecting in the oddest ways, built within a high stone wall. I loved wandering around for 1 hr and bought a cute black T-Shirt

Continuing on to Campese Beach, the longest beach on the Island (picture 6,8)), I hiked 1 hr down a narrow dirt road which turned into an ancient rocky trail. The site of this beach haven town as I traversed down the mountain was spectacular. Beautiful colored wild flowers, huge boulders covered with green bushes and trees reaching out into the ocean, newer constructed buildings, 15 boats from yachts to zodiacs, and a general lazy feeling. I sat by the water, walked on the beach with my hiking shoes, and started back up the ancient rocky trail to the main road, stuck out my thumb to catch a ride back to Porto Giglio, was picked up by an italian who I conversed with in spanish, and returned exausted to my hotel.

After taking a very hot shower, washing my clothes in the sink, and messaging my aching feet, I went out for a fish and vegetable dinner at a resturaunt on the water. There didnt seen to be any menus and it was outragously expensive!

April 26

My hotel is full and my hallway was noisy until 2 am. I wake up tired, have breakfast and go back to bed for an hour. This is another perfect weather day. I walk to the Monticello Hotel, which looks like a small castle, to check it out since I tried to stay there but it was fully booked. From there I walked a few miles straight down to the small, serene Cala del Arenella beach (another small neighborhood), with gently, lapping clear water (picture 1, 2). I hike back up to the hotel, and took the mostly shaded stone path I couldn't find yesterday, up to Giglio Castello. the views were breathtaking! (picture 3) After reaching the top, I came back down the same path , and found a spot to absorb the enchanting view and meditate for a while.

Returning to my hotel, I sat on the boulders behind my hotel and watched the hypnotic, crashing waves for a long time (picture 4). I really enjoy the sound and views of the ocean.

I say my daily prayer in Hebrew, then in English, which says thank you God for giving me life, sustaining me, and bringing me here to this place and time. I also thank God for my many blessings ( children, family, friends, health, ability to travel, etc.) and ask God to bless them and Israel, and for the world to be able to see that Israel is good and needs to be supported in its efforts to survive, and that the world will be a better place because of it, and to give Israeli's the strength and wisdom to do what they have to do to.

Rome, Italy

April 23
I exercise, then saute olive oil with delicious mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes, zuccini and zuccini flowers. Rhonda brings home beautiful, fresh artichokes, so I saute it up for her with onions, mushrooms, and green olives. Yummy! I work on the blog and take a walk through popular Piazza del Popolo, and onto Via de Babuino and buy a yellow top (most italian designers are showing black, white, red and yellow). I bring home for my sisters her favorite large white flowers.
My sister has arranged for an American Italian batchelor to pick me up at 7 and show me around Rome. Surprise! I think we really like each other. He leaves Rome early tommorrow for Spain to play Polo, and also I leave for Isola del Giglio (my son Davids' friend suggested I go there and described itas paradise, and everyone I have mentioned it to says the same thing) . We plan to get together Tues night when we each return. Unfortunately, I leave Wed to return to Miami for 3 days before my trip to China.
My parents have just arrived tonight to my sisters apt, from visiting my son Max in Israel(which they enjoyed). We catch up and they all go to sleep while I write to all of you. I love Rome!!!!!!

Cinque Terre, Italy

April 20
Rhonda and I take the metro to the train station, then a 5 hour train ride to Moterosso Al Mar in Cinque Terre. Our plan is to hike all day tommorrow to all 5 villages. We pull our luggage up a steep climb to a Porto Roca, a great hotel on a cliff. We get a room with a balcony overlooking the sea and the town, with the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below. We have dinner at Belvedere, an outstanding reasonably priced traditional Italian and seafood restaurant. The weather forecast for tommorrow is overcast and raining. Rhonda says she is not going to hike if the weather is bad, but I am determined to hike anyway since we are only here for 2 days.
April 21
It is raining outside, but I dress for hiking and we get to breakfast just before they close at 10am. We meet the couple at the table next to us who happen to live in my sisters neighborhood in Miami! It is a small world. The rain lets up so Rhonda agrees to hike. The path is rocky, slippery, wet, and steep. Rain comes and goes, with an occasional peek from the sun. This coastal trail has magnificient views of the cliffs, ocean, terrace farming(olive groves, lemon trees, flowers), lush terrain, and the villages we pass through. Each village has a tiny harbor, with small wooden fishing boats parked on the street, a main square, 4 story buildings with ground floor restaurants and stores, and narrow walkways. We complete the hike in 5 hours, and take the local train, which passes along the coast through each town, back to Monterosso. After a hot shower, and washing my hiking clothes, we have another delicious dinner at Belvedere. I savored every bite of the best fish soup I have ever had. It is very windy so we take a brisk walk through the Mideavil tiny alleyways of Monterosso.
April 22
It is windy, overcast and drizzling. We leasurely get up, have breakfast, walk around town, buy a few things, and return to the hotel. We sit on chaise lounges holding umbrellas, on a terrace overlooking the ocean and the town. We take the train back to Rome, arriving at 8:30pm.

Rome, Italy

April 16
I am greeted by my sister, Rhonda, who has moved with her family to Rome for one year. Her eldest daughter, Racquel is attending NYU Tish school in musical theater. Her daughter, Brystal, a Senior in High School at the American Overseas School of Rome, will go to NYU Tish school for film and production this fall. My 10 year old niece Saige can't wait to tell me about her new friends.
My sister lives 7 blocks from the Piazza del Popolo, near the Spanish Steps. She is renting an amazing large apartment, with 12 ft high, carved ceilings, large wood framed windows and shutters, and marble and wood parque floors throughout. We buy food at the local vegetable and fish market.
After a 3 hour nap, my sister and I shop on Via del Corso, and watch all the activity at the Spanish Steps. Her husband, Alan, cooks us a wonderful dinner.
April 17
My sister wakes me at 11am! We work out at the gym, eat delicious leftovers for a late lunch. We go shopping with Brystal for her Senior Prom shoes and belt, walking through the Borghese Park to Via Veneto. I buy very Italian looking, black lizard, comfortable walking shoes which I wear out of the store.
I love the architecture of the old buildings, with the old painted walls, large windows, and stone carvings. I love how the Italians dress, the sound of their language, their love of life. The elegant buildings are are worn with age and filled with history.

April 18
Up at 10am, go to gym with my sister, and have lunch at Casina Valadier restaurant in the Borghese Park overlooking the city skyline. Yesterday, a bank ATM machine charged my account but did not give me any money. My credit card company said they can't cancel the charge until it is posted in 48 hours and I have to call back then. The local bank said they only check the machine on Mondays and I will have to come back. My sisters' experience in dealing with the buracracy in Italy is, everything is "not possible".
After eating the vegetable soup Rhonda and I made for dinner, I take my niece, Saige, for pizza at her favorite restaurant. We then meet my sister and Brystal on Via del Corso, walk past the Pantheon to Piazza de Santa Maria for gellato at Blue Ice.
April 19
I exercise, then walk with my sister through Piazza del Popolo where there is a talent show, continue up to the Borghese Park, and down the Spanish Steps, and back on Via Babuino. We spend much of the day preparing for the Passover Seder at my sisters home tonight and his parents, to celebrate with us.

This very articulate, friendly, genuine English couple met when they were 18 years old, and married 12 years later. She is Jewish and he was raised Christian, but now is Atheist. They came to Rome for a 2 year adventure, 1 year ago with their 3 intelligent , good looking, grounded teenage children(Italians call this a 'cappachino break'). I loved listening to their proper English ascent.

The 40 year old Italian batchelor still lives at home with his parents(very commom in Italy). He is a well connected party goer. He has an American Jewish father and Italian Catholic mother.