Back in January, I took the opportunity to head down to Rome for a couple days. I had only been there once before (in 1992, as a poor post-graduate) and didn't realize until now what I've been missing. It's an unbelievable town on different levels. There's the obvious stuff: see the pics above and in the next post. I spent much of the first day in and around Vatican City. I got lucky in finding an English tour guide to take me and some others around; while I typically like to do my own thing, there's just too much history and nuance there to go unguided (without missing much of what's interesting). Small piece of trivia - in the third picture, the third window from the right on the top floor is the Pope's bedroom. The guide's detail on the Popes, the history, Michaelango, etc. made it all come alive.
But then there's also the living city of Rome, with its markets, small streets and neighborhoods, wonderful little fountains and artistic/architectural gems. I especially enjoyed the old city near and just to the west of Piazza Navonna. It reminded me of an Italian "Left Bank" with its boutiques, cafes, fantastic people watching, and ample opportunity to get lost. Which I did for hours. Indeed, much of my two days in Rome were spent walking around town. I stayed west of the train station (quite a ways from the main tourist attractions) in a clean little dump of a hotel and on day one walked from there to the Spanish steps (first picture) all the way to the Vatican and then back. It was a haul, but I was wonderfully exhausted by the end of the evening. Before retiring, I managed to find a small restraurant recommended by my tour book. I arrived at 7:50pm (in the pouring rain) only to find they didn't open for 10 more minutes, but the owner/chef let me in early (I think I looked like one of those dalmations in that kids' movie), gave me a small corner table and then chatted with me for a long while about the menu. I ordered everything he recommended and was very pleased. I did skip dessert there as a friend had recommended a
gelati spot in the same part of town he swore was Rome's best; it lived up to the hype (picture 2 is not that place but one of many gelateri/espresso bars I bopped to and fro throughout the day).
I wish we had more time in Europe. I'd love to take Tracy back to Rome. With the strolling, food, people watching, shopping, and history, it's our kind of town. But, hey - Topo Gigio on Wells Street. We still love you....
A few snaps of our garden the day after that fateful storm on February 1 that wiped out my satellite connection beaming in the Super Bowl. By London standards, this was the "big one". Jenny, Brooks, and Andrew came over for fun in the snow. This allowed Tracy to stay inside with a certain little princess and prince, who complained it was too cold to go outside.
Back in January, I took the opportunity to head down to Rome for a couple days. I had only been there once before (in 1992, as a poor post-graduate) and didn't realize until now what I've been missing. It's an unbelievable town on different levels. There's the obvious stuff: see the pics above and in the next post. I spent much of the first day in and around Vatican City. I got lucky in finding an English tour guide to take me and some others around; while I typically like to do my own thing, there's just too much history and nuance there to go unguided (without missing much of what's interesting). Small piece of trivia - in the third picture, the third window from the right on the top floor is the Pope's bedroom. The guide's detail on the Popes, the history, Michaelango, etc. made it all come alive.
A few minutes up the road from the camel ride was the volcano national park. It featured a stunning, barren landscape. At the top of the drive was a restaurant where we decided to dine - its top feature was both chicken and seafood grilled over the heat emitted by the still-radiant volcano. No lava - but lots of heat. The chicken was actually quite tasty. The heat also allowed for some other minor spectacles, such as fire coming out of the mountain and geysers-on-demand. A pail of water poured into small holes was flash-boiled and the steam spewed into the air. 
One could concoct a fabulous tale of piety and devotion wherein the Portnoys were so dedicated to recreating a realistic recounting of the Passover story that we went into the desert to experience the journey of our forefathers. Yeah, sure. Camel riding is one of the only tourist attractions in Lanzarote and we were game.
We just returned home from a wonderful weeklong trip to the Canary Islands, a straight 4 hour flight south from London. It's a few small islands off the western coast of Africa, right near the countries of Morocco and Western Sahara. 