How to do Venice in 5 hours with your in-laws

Venice is absolutely unique, but you can get an accurate taste in about five hours. Here's how:

Hour One in Venice

Wander around from the train station through the tiny streets and over beautiful bridges. DO NOT use a map on your phone to navigate! Don't try to find anything specific. Just wander. Enjoy the sights and sounds and sun. Backtrack several times because I am really good at finding dead-ends.

Hour Two in Venice

Find some food. I'd love to recommend some amazing restaurants for you, but really you won't be let down if you can get away from the main shopping streets (typically the path between Ponte di Rialto and Piazza San Marco), and find a menu that doesn't have photos on it or a restaurant without a guy trying to lure you in. Heck, even if you let yourself be lured, you (probably) won't be let down.

Hour Three in Venice

Meander over to Piazza San Marco. Listen to an audio guide (they're free from the internet! We once again turned to Rick Steves after our success in Rome).

Hour Four in Venice

Get in line for the Basilica. Be told by the security guard that your husband can't take his backpack in. Wait for him on the steps inside the basilica, assuming he is taking his backpack to the free lockers. After ten minutes, wonder where the heck he is and tell your in-laws you are going to look for him since he doesn't have a working phone in Italy. Take seventeen steps outside and find him sitting alone on a step, very cold, since he assumed we had left him to fend for himself in the wilderness while we listened to another audio guide, having not actually heard that there were lockers. Tell him there are indeed FREE lockers, wait for him to put his backpack in a locker — for realz this time. Look at the basilica. Retrieve backpack twenty minutes later. (Hour four is optional.)

Hour Five in Venice

Decide you are all ready to head back to the Airbnb since we now have a solid idea of what Venice is and how it works and the beauty and the canals and the gondolas and blah blah blah, plus you are all rather tired of being cold and the sun is setting. Wander back through the alleys while the sun sets. Marvel at the fact that you have not only survived, but thoroughly enjoyed, three weeks with your husband and in-laws on a vacation.

Reggio Emilia Family-Guided Tour

Don't ever doubt Italian hospitality.

While in Reggio Emilia, my cousins Alessandro and Elisa took us all around the city center, showing us a really rich history of the city. They were so gracious and wonderful, and very sneaky about paying for lunch then acting like they suddenly didn't speak English.

I got a great tour of Reggio's best cappuccinos — I had three of them in a day which is about 2.5 more than I usually have! Coffee is integral to Italian meals. Any time we sat down at a restaurant or with family, we were offered coffee after the meal. I don't think the meal is over until you've had coffee. I've always known coffee either as a superfluous treat (for me) or as daily fuel (for family/coworkers). It was all delicious so I was glad to have a reason to try so much. For science.

Then they showed us a lot of history in Reggio Emilia, such as the gates from the ancient wall surrounding the city, Via Emilia, a road the Romans established, and beautifully painted ceilings in the H&M store. Oh, and uncovered facades on walls in the book store. And a beautiful plaza that you would swear was the inspiration for the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene. Y'know, the usual.

Point of origin of the city of Reggio Emilia, on Via Emilia

Erbazzone, a regional food - basically a pot pie crust and spinach/ricotta/etc. filling. OM NOM NOMS

One of Reggio Emilia's many squares, with tower and church residing over it.

One of the gates in the ancient wall that surrounded Reggio Emilia during Roman times.

Adorable graffiti.

Did I mention they were showing us all this stuff on the rainiest, coldest day ever, and they didn't complain even one time? Italian hospitality. Don't underestimate it!

The afternoon included visits to two cathedrals, a quick look in a museum and the pièce de résistance, Il Museo del Tricolore, a museum dedicated to the history of Italian Flag, which was created in Reggio Emilia! It was really big and had so much memorabilia related to the history of both the flag and the reunification of Italy in the 1850-70s. It was all in Italian, so I only got the gist of most things. But I also had fun translating the Italian using Spanish, and having Elisa help me fill in the blanks. Which makes me want to really learn Italian, then return so I can be immersed in it! A new challenge. (A new start?)

And then, after all of that, we went to an enormous dinner with a whole bunch of Allegris and cousins and in-laws, oh my! I am so. incredibly. happy. And full. This group opened their hearts and made us all Allegris. And even though a whole lot of none of them spoke English, we were able to piece together meaningful exchanges using the tiny amount of Italian I'd picked up, plus lots of pointing and gesturing.

A mere fraction of all the food we ate.

Lovely Elisa!

Romano

Oh, and I have a theory as to why Italians talk so much with their hands. When Italians walk around in a big group it's easy for tourists to get swept up and integrated, never to see their homelands again. And now that a foreigner is part of the family and the Italians have to figure out how to communicate, thus use giant gestures frequently. It's a working theory...

Reggio Emilia Familiga

My heart is so full right now, and so is my stomach!

I’ve just spent the day in Reggio Emilia, Italy, with some relatives from my mom’s Italian side: the patriarch of this family, Romano, is my Grandpa Pat’s cousin. If you work your way up our family trees, eventually we all get to Leandro and Bianca, my great-great-great grandparents.

My great-great grandfather, Primo.
(*I think. There were a lot of new names!)

It’s been so fun to learn who everyone is, and how we all fit together. Even more fun because for the most part no one speaks the same languages! Elisa — who I think is maybe my mom’s second cousin? — speaks excellent English and has been an amazing translator for us! But she is only one person, and there were nine of us at dinner. My in-laws and I know Spanish, and there’s enough overlap that we can almost get the gist of our conversations across. But there have also been several deer-in-the-headlights, “I have no idea what you just said” moments. And so many hand gestures!

What doesn’t need translation is the food, nor the responses to “another serving?” As cliché as it may sound, we were served such delicious food course after course by Nella, Elisa’s mother. And even when we asserted that we were full — which happened soonest for my mother-in-law — she served "just one to try." (It’s like how I’ve heard a vegetarian friend tell tales about travels in Spain: “Oh you don’t eat meat? Okay, you can have fish.”)

We were innocently duped by the first course (lasagna): servings were set out on our plates already as we sat down, and they looked... smallish. Each of us independently thought, 'maybe everything we’d ever heard was wrong?' Maybe this is the only serving we’re getting tonight? Oh, there’s more? Then sure! I’ll have another! 

But then we had soup (broth with handmade cappelletti --“little hat”-- pasta), and then we had pork with lentils (because lentils bring good luck and prosperity for the new year!), and then salad with homemade balsamic vinegar made by another cousin, then some breaded pork scaloppine), AND THEN we started on dessert, which was organic gelato (handmade by another cousin), plus pastries and macarons. We were so full!! 


At the end, Romano served us grappa, a strong liquor. Being both stuffed to the brim and somewhat terrified after the description from Elisa about how strong it is (about 75 proof!), Britton, Dave and I agreed to try a small (“poco, poco, poco!”) amount. This is when Romano very much reminded me of my late Grandpa Pat, always the mischievous one. When we said basta —meaning "enough!"— Romano, with a suspiciously sly grin, continued to pour just a liiiiittle bit more, as if he hadn’t understood our Americanized pronunciations the first time. 


Romano bears a strong resemblance to my grandpa (Romano has what he calls “The Allegri Nose” which is absolutely true) and also has the exact same smile Grandpa Pat would get when would tease and play dumb for the benefit of the grandkids’ entertainment. It was the first time I found myself really missing Grandpa Pat. I made my peace with the circle of life and that he’s no longer in pain or scared or confused. Today, I wanted to call him and tell him how amazing his people are. How much they still welcome and accept him as one of their own by welcoming and accepting me without question and with huge smiles (and with even bigger spatulas). And how much his nose ties him back to Italy. He would’ve gotten the biggest kick out of that I think. 


I’ve heard and read that grief manifests itself in waves, and at strange times, and without warning. This has got to be the happiest grief I think anyone could experience. I’m so, so glad I’m here, con la mia famiglia.

Rome Day 4: Day Trip to Pompeii

POMPEII!

Does anyone *not* have a memory from, like, fourth grade learning about Pompeii?

For me it's one of a handful of experiences I can point to and say, "that stuck with me." It was tragic and ancient, and amazing that a perfectly persevered-in-a-moment archaeological site came out of it. And today I walked it. I saw the plaster casts and the ruts from chariots.

It's not like Pompeii has occupied my thoughts incessantly for 20-some-odd years. Other than the basic pop-culture ancient-history tragedy I didn't know much about Pompeii before today. Turns out it was a huge, functional, on-its-way-to-glory city. It had crosswalks and bakeries and Roman baths and a red light district and impressive mosaics. Yet the people of Pompeii didn't know Vesuvius was a volcano. Go figure. 

Whether or not I had done my homework, Pompeii was really neat. Our two-hour tour explained the methodology of how archaeologists and historians have pieced together daily life, and they offered insight into most of what we were looking at. And it's all fascinating. What we know and how we know it is the kind of facts that just make you go Hmmmm. 

Let's let the photos do the talking, eh?

(More about the Dark Rome/City Wonders tour at the end of the post.)

H'okay. So. About the tour. 

It was, honestly, perfectly fine. Our two tour guides on the bus were fantastic and our guide around Pompeii was delightful. I very sincerely learned a lot and wanted it to continue for the whole day.

But it was still very much a get-on-the-bus; get-off-the-bus; listen-to-the-guide-in-headphones type of tour. According to our guides, Pompeii was busy today, and I'd doubt it gets any better if you're taking the tour in the summer. I got frustrated at certain points because I didn't feel like I had enough time to really take it all in. There was a boat-load of information but I just wanted to look at it. Which there frankly wasn't always time for. 

We stopped for lunch at a pizza place just down the road from the historic site, and the pizza was delicious (salad was meh). We also stopped by the National Archaeological Museum of Naples to see a lot of artifacts that had been "removed" (CoughLootedCough) including AHMAZING mosaic murals (HUGE, intricate murals) and erotic art originally from a Pompeii brothel (also, ahem, huge...).

Ultimately I felt like it was worth the money and I'd do it again, especially since it was my first day tour based out of Rome. But if I go back just for Pompeii, I'm definitely doing it DIY. High-speed trains leave frequently from Rome, so if you time it right you could have a lot more time to spend at the ruins than the two hours allotted for our tour (and we didn't get to go back to look at things!). 

Honestly, I'd seriously consider staying in Naples or Sorrento for a couple of nights if this is high on your to-do list. We had tried to work that into our itinerary but it was going to make everything super frantic. The ruins themselves have enough to look at for at least a day. Rick Steves (of Colosseum/Roman Forum fame) suggested three hours to follow along with his podcast on the site. You could very easily spend more time here.

Rome Day 3: Audio tours FTW

Today was full of ancient ruins! The Colosseum and Roman Forum are central to Rome's ancient history, and they're mighty impressive to look at. But even though I was here in 2012 and saw both I didn't take a tour, and of course I didn't look up any information before this trip because that would have been sensible.

Enter: The Rick Steves Audio Tours. If you've traveled much, you know the name Rick Steves. If you're like me and grew up on a television diet of PBS, you know him from the Saturday afternoon lineup (probably right after Bob Ross). He's a be-khakied, be-polo-shirted Very Nice Dude who has traveled the world and he brings it to your living room in soft-spoken, digestible 30-minute nuggets. It's delightful! And today we learned, he has an app for Europe. Day = enriched.

All four of us were able to download audio tours of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, then plug in our ear buds and meander on our own through the buildings and ruins. It worked really well for our group. We kind of stayed together without having to stay together or talk to each other. Plus we were still able to talk about what we learned afterwards. Each tour took about an hour start-to-finish, so if you play your cards right — or skip the line by buying your tickets ahead of time (this link is not an endorsement!) — you could easily get to both of these sights before noon. We took a bit longer than that, but we also didn't have a whole heckuva lot else to do today, so we definitely meandered more than we might have if today were our first day.

 

We also ate some delicious pizza, fried anchovies (surprisingly delicious!), perfect pasta, and of course MOAR GELATO. Because when you're in Rome, the food is as much of an attraction as anything else.

For those of you keeping track at home, today makes three gelatos in three days. Batting 1.000! I've tried lemongrass, pear and cheese, strawberry, giuliano chocolate (traditional Italian flavor), and "black passion" which was mega chocolate plus berries. OM NOM NOM.

Rome Day 2: Ancient Aqueduct, Walking Tour, Gelato

OHEMGEE AQUEDUCT.

I jumped around with glee at the sight of the ruins of Rome's ancient aqueduct at Parco degli Acquedotti in south Rome.

The arches, now in several segments instead of one long structure, loom on the horizon as you walk along the path. You're transported immediately from the busy Viale Giulio Agricola to a peaceful park, where locals are running with their dogs and greeting each other on the pathways. Children were laughing. There was even a babbling brook running through this thing. I'll tell you what, ancient Rome knew what was up.

It was super simple to get to, just take Metro A to Guilio Agricola, then head down Viale Guilio Agricola until you see a freakin' aqueduct.

Today we also went on a walking tour with Rome's Ultimate. I was so relieved to finally be on a tour with only six humans and a guide! After the cumbersome 30-plus member groups in Munich, having the guide almost to ourselves was super. Our guide was full of information and was flexible when I commandeered the route to stop for gelato. (What? I hadn't had any yet today!)

I didn't take too many photos (most of what we saw is plenty-well documented by the internets), but I do feel like I learned quite a bit that I didn't know before. And I got to eat gelato.

Carefonfidence: It's the Roman Way

Rome is not Munich.

Rome is not London.

Rome is Rome, and I love it.

Rome does not have the structure of London, nor the discipline of Munich. Rome is chaotic and alive and full of ancient history — the kind of ancient history that hooks you on ancient history for the rest of your life and ultimately leads you to get a degree in Anthropology. But enough about me.

To cross the street in London, you need to know the rules (zebra crossings FTW). To cross the street in Munich, you need to follow the rules (green man ONLY). To cross the street in Rome, you need carefonfidence(™). 

You must be careful and also confident.

Carefonfident. 

You might be at a crosswalk, but Rome isn't going to stop for you just because you look pretty today. Rome has places to be and cappuccinos to drink! Rome has no time for your floundering! Are you crossing or not because I'm only slowing down once!

Carefonfidence means looking for traffic in all directions, then closing your eyes to cross. (Metaphorically. (Sort of.)) One sign of hesitation, of uncertainty in the moment, and that Fiat is hitting the gas.

Carefonfidence is checking the dance floor for slick spots before busting a move at homecoming.

Carefonfidence is a life skill taught by your estranged aunt who'll teach you how to smoke then rat you out to your mother. Check all around you. Clear? Okay go!

Carefonfidence means owning that crosswalk like a lioness owns a cub. Put it between your teeth and declare, This Is Mine. I Tell It What To Do.

Am I getting carried away? I'm getting carried away.

My point is, Rome has a way of teaching you to be awesome. You learn how to be aware of your surroundings and how to gauge a situation. Then it teaches you how to say, "eff it" and go do whatchyoo gotta do. Or how to decide when maybe it's time to relax with a latte and try again later.

Get a postcard from Ellen!

Hey, readers — I'm bringing old-school travel habits back, and you can get in on the fun!

I'm working on building up my email list, so as a thank-you for subscribing now through Dec. 31, 2015, I'll send you a postcard from one of my upcoming destinations!

I'm talking a physical, hand-written, personalized-just-for-you, definitely-not-a-mass-email postcard. Just for giving me your email address and agreeing to hear from me about twice a month. What a deal!

Once you've subscribed, be sure to fill out this quick form so I have your mailing address (a key part to receiving a postcard). If that makes you squirm a little bit, no worries! I will send you a personalized email upon my return instead.

So where am I going next?

Oslo, Norway

A quick two-night trip with an old friend to see what Oslo is all about! Why Oslo? Because I found a round-trip ticket for £15 so why not??

Munich, Germany and surrounding areas

First leg of a holiday with my husband and in-laws. We'll be based in Munich but hopefully taking a few day trips. Any suggestions? Leave me a comment!

Rome-to-Venice, Italy

Second leg of the holiday trip. We're starting in Rome and heading north for about a week. Places in between are still TBD.

Can't wait to write to you about my travels.

PS — I would love to regret this decision. Please tell all of your friends by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter, or your platform of choice!

Venice [Europe 2012: The forgotten blog posts]

All of those romantic things you’ve heard about Venice are probably true.

I took this. It's actually this beautiful. No filters, no photoshop (except the words).

1. Beautiful views across the water
2. It's more fun to get lost in small alleyways than it is to know where you are. The island's not big enough to be truly lost.
3. AMAZING food
4. Grandiose architecture
5. Small tables set up for dinner in Plaza San Marcos
6. Great sex (wait, you hadn't heard that?)

One thing is not-so-true:

The Gondolas aren't romantic because you have to pay 80 EURO. That was about $120 when we were in Europe last summer (2012). And I’m all for getting spoiled, but that was more than our room cost for the night, and the ride is only 40 minutes. The other option would be to split a ride with another couple: because nothing says romantic like being on the water with total strangers who are trying to ignore you from the other side of the boat.

I can be content with the water bus.

I'll come back for you when I'm rich, Gondolas!