The weather was uncooperative again today, but the sun managed to peek out for a few minutes this afternoon in between rain and thunderstorms. I think I will have a permanent indentation on my waist from tying my raincoat there every day. The highlight of today was definitely seeing Accidentally Brave tonight. Here are the rest of the day’s adventures:
Author: Laura Irwin
NYC 2019: Day 1
I certainly didn’t plan for my summer excursion to New York City to coincide with a week of damp, cloudy weather. But such is life. After an early morning drive to New Haven and a train ride from there to Grand Central, I’m here to enjoy a couple of days of sights in the big city. Here are today’s highlights:
Rome 2019: Day 7
Today’s final Roman adventure took me to the catacombs of the Appian Way. Of course, I stopped at the Trevi Fountain on my way to the catacombs and tossed a coin in the fountain to ensure a return visit.
Rome 2019: Day 6
Today I explored the ancient ruined port city of Ostia Antica, a 30 minute train ride outside of Rome. In its heyday, the city boasted 50,000 residents. Now, all that’s left are ruins of that vibrant, bustling city. You might think there’s not much to see there, but you’d be very mistaken. Before catching the train this morning, I stopped at Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the largest Catholic basilicas in Rome. Then I grabbed a maritozzi and “hot chocolate” from Pasticceria Regoli. A miscommunication ended up with me getting a warm milk with cocoa sprinkled on top instead of hot chocolate. Hardly the rich Italian indulgence I was hoping for!
Rome 2019: Day 5
Today has been the best day in Rome so far. Not because I did anything special, but because I didn’t. I didn’t see any grand museums or visit ancient historic sites. In fact, this is the only day of vacation where I didn’t have anything specific planned. Instead, I took to the streets of Rome and simply wandered. In and through centuries-old churches, around small piazzas off the main tourist routes, and down tiny alleyways just to see where they went. It was glorious.
Rome 2019: Day 4
I did it. I climbed to the top of the dome in St. Peter’s Basilica. Given my claustrophobia, and the fact that the 321 stairs were barely wide enough for one person as they twisted up corkscrew-style (at the very top, there is a rope to help you up the final set of stairs), it was quite a feat.
Rome 2019: Day 3
From the Colosseum to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill to ancient temples and churches only recently excavated, today was a day to imagine life in ancient Rome. My first stop of day was the Colosseum, where I had a guided tour of the Underground, Arena, and Third Ring. The tour started on the arena level where we could imagine thousands of people watching everything from gladiator contests to public executions. From there, we headed to the Underground to see the corridors, tunnels, and elevators used to transport animals up to the arena floor. Our final stop was the third ring (“mid-class seats”) to see the view spectators had of the entire Colosseum.
Rome 2019: Days 1 and 2
Bongiorno from the Eternal City! I feel like I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Rome, so I’ll reserve judgement about how much I like it until I have more to base it on. Suffice it to say, I’ve enjoyed my first day and a half, and I have a feeling it will only get better from here.
Key West 2019: Days 3-5
If you’re wondering where all of my blog posts are, there hasn’t been very much to tell and I’m very much ready to go home. I’ve eaten some lackluster meals, took a long, traffic-filled road trip up the Keys, and witnessed an altercation at the pool. Read on for more details…
Key West 2019: Day 2
I bookended my day with sunrise this morning at Smathers Beach and sunset tonight at Mallory Square. Because sunrise is my favorite time of day, and I made it my goal to be up and watching the sun rise every day of vacation, I figured I’d start the week at Smathers Beach. I thought I might be alone, but there was plenty of company between walkers, photographers, and other sunrise enthusiasts. Sunrise tonight was equally beautiful, though I was certainly not alone for that one!
Traveling with Laura 