Reflection from Rome
Category Archives: Rome
Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details
When I was in Rome I climbed the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica to the top for a view of the city. Along the way I stopped and saw these tiles. After taking a picture of one of the scenes I thought it would be interesting to focus on one of the corners to show the tiles in detail.
Travel Confessions
This is part of a series on Travel Confessions. My nomination was from Renee at cravesadventure and you should go to her blog and read her travel confessions too!
There are a few rules in the Travel Confessions series:
- Post a photo (or photos) and description(s) of your confession(s) in a new post.
- Tweet your post with hashtag #TravelConfession and follow/tweet @Traveling9to5
- Tag 3 other travelers you’d love to see
My list is all about souvenirs. Some are useful, some are decorative, and some never make it home at all (chocolate).
Confession 1: I still bring home refrigerator magnets when I travel. I already have a big collection, but they’re cute, inexpensive and easy to pack. And when they’re on my refrigerator I get to reminisce about where I got them. Here are some of my favorites.
Confession 2: Shoes, handbags, jewelry and scarves are my idea of great souvenirs. When someone admires one of these items I like to say, “I got this in Italy.” Then I try to stop talking because otherwise I’ll describe the day, time and place where I purchased it. But I always remember…
Confession 2 1/2: This relates to Confession 2. After my first trip to Florence I found myself with three handbags, two pairs of shoes and many scarves. I barely had room for these in my suitcase and I finally had to leave the shoeboxes behind.
Confession 3: Chocolate is a delicious souvenir, and sadly one that never lasts long because I eat it immediately. Here’s an example: I bought chocolate at the Rome airport that I ate before I boarded the plane. However I still have the empty box.
Now I will nominate three bloggers to share their travel confessions:
I’m looking forward to hearing your stories!
The Best Things about Travel
When you decide what is most important about travel you can have great experiences. Here are some things to keep in mind so you’ll have a good trip wherever you’re going:
Pack as lightly as possible. If you forget something look for it at a local grocery store or shop. I still have pads of writing paper, toothpaste, bars of lavender soap and other necessities from local stores. I should include snacks and candy but since I eat them immediately I’m not sure why I’m mentioning them.
Travel theme: Multiples
The topic of multiples reminded me of the last time I was in Italy. I took lots of pictures of one of my favorite subjects – chocolate! Not surprisingly I had many pictures to choose from. And since I’m reasonably sure pictures of chocolate don’t have any calories, here they are.
Chocolate should probably be purchased in multiples too.
The View from St. Peter’s Basilica
One of the things I wanted to do when I was in Rome was to see the city from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. I decided to take the elevator, but there was still a long and challenging walk up many steps to the top. When I reached my destination there were impressive panoramic views. Since I was in no hurry to leave after the effort it took to get there I decided to have a good look around.
Airport Shops in Rome
Just when you thought you’d bought enough souvenirs from a trip to Italy, there’s one more opportunity at the airport shops. Here are all the designers you somehow missed in Florence or Milan, as well as duty-free shops for things like candy or perfume. And since you’ve checked your luggage, why not get a few more keepsakes to carry on the plane? What’s surprising is that I couldn’t find anywhere to buy one last gelato (and I really looked).
A Gelato Journal
One of the things I look forward to in Italy is the gelato. And on this trip I was determined to sample gelato everywhere I went. It wasn’t easy, but I’d challenged myself and I did my best to go to as many gelato shops as I could. So while I was in Italy I had at least one a day. But it was in the name of research, and I decided to eat as much as possible to provide accurate information.
How to Get Around in Italy
Now that I’m back from Italy, I realize there are many ways to go from place to place. Besides walking, I thought I’d focus on how people get around. For instance, did you know you could get into a traffic jam while in a gondola? Just look at this:
The Perfect Guide Book
I’ve been doing some planning for a trip to Italy in May. Things are going great, and I’m now checking guide books for information. And here’s where I have some suggestions for the researchers of these books for things that I really want to know, such as:
Meg Travels 