Travels

Favorite Corners - Rome

Rome. The Eternal City. The place where every name, step, grass covered hill, or drop of water has a story. For example, the Vatican's name is derived not from the church but from the old Etruscan area upon which it sits. Walked a few miles in Rome? One thousand steps of a Roman soldier, or mille, made up a Roman mile. Think a hill is just a hill? A large grassy mound along Via di Ripetta is actually the mausoleum of the first emperor Augustus. There are secrets and stories everywhere. Thirsty after a long day of sightseeing? Don't bother buying a drink. The aqueducts still bring fresh drinkable water to the city's fountains. So, grab a bottle and fill it up. Here's to Rome! Salute!

Jenny WongMay 18, 2016Favorite Corners, Rome, Italy

Climbing Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius is the second active volcano we've visited (the first being Mount Etna over a decade ago). Perhaps a bit temperamental, Vesuvius has had over 40 eruptions since 79 AD when it took out Pompeii and other surrounding settlements. The most recent eruption was in 1944 during World War II. They say that Vesuvius is due to erupt, and since the cap on top of the volcano is so thick, the next eruption may blow out sideways. For now, on the surface, Vesuvius lies quiet. Waiting.

Jenny WongMay 15, 2016Rome, Italy, Day Trip

Food Fridays - Rome

Out of all of our travels so far, we've enjoyed the food in Italy the most. Maybe it's the alfresco dining, the accordion music that warbles in the air, or the way ordering in Italian rolls off the tongue, but the food here is perfecto. First bites tingle with freshness, making us close our eyes, forget about the busyness of the day, and focus on the simple pleasure of good food.

Jenny WongMay 13, 2016Italy, Rome, Food Fridays

Remainders of Pompeii

Another day trip from Rome leads us to Pompeii. The name "Pompeii" comes from the Oscan word for the number 5, after the 5 Oscan families that originally settled there. Written descriptions described Pompeii as a coastal city overlooking the bay. When Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the amount of ash and volcanic debris changed the landscape by pushing back the sea and extending the coast by kilometers, making Pompeii inland and thus, unable to be found for centuries. Although not the only city to be consumed by Vesuvius' volcanic wrath (several settlements and a city called Herculaneum also suffered the same fate), Pompeii is the one that lingers longest in history's memory.

Jenny WongMay 11, 2016Rome, Italy, Day Trip

Selfies and Modern Art in Florence

An hour and forty-five minute train ride begins our day trip to Florence. This post is less based on what we saw, and more of what we did. Lots of selfies. Playing with the black and white setting on the camera. And indulging in some modern street art amidst the twisting beauty of Florentine streets. We also ate, but that, my friends, is another post.

Jenny WongMay 8, 2016Day Trip, Florence, Italy, Rome

Food Fridays (mini version) - Florence

We took a day trip from Rome to Florence to take in the architecture and, of course, the food.

Jenny WongMay 6, 2016Food Fridays, Day Trip, Florence, Italy, Rome

Favorite Corners - Malta

Malta is a little island, so little in fact, that it takes 45 minutes to drive end to end (and that's the long side). However, to do that drive would mean missing out on so many intriguing towns and natural wonders both above ground and below. Malta, like the island life, is meant to be taken slow and to be savored.

Jenny WongMay 5, 2016Malta, Favorite Corners

Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and the Tarxien Temples

Malta is home to some of the world's oldest free standing structures. Clocking in at a ripe old age of 3600 B.C., they are older than Stonehenge and even older than the pyramids. Not much is known about what these megalithic buildings were used for or the people that built them. We saw three of the more well-known sites but there are plenty more that have been found on the islands of Malta and nearby Gozo.

Jenny WongMay 3, 2016Malta

St. John's Co-Cathedral

This was the church of the Order of the Knights of St. John (yes, the St. John's ambulance guys). Completed in 1577, the church interior was originally very simple, but in the early 1600's, one of the Grand Masters called for a redecoration. Years of money and gifts from Grand Masters and Knights yielded a gorgeous example of the baroque style.

Jenny WongMay 1, 2016Malta

Food Fridays - Malta

Malta is the first place we've been to where we found it hard to pinpoint the local cuisine. Part of our confusion stems from the fact that Malta, as a port city, has incorporated a lot of foods and flavors from other cultures into their own. One discovery we made was that Sicilian food has a heavy influence here, so we were very excited to partake in the first decent pasta we've had in months.

Jenny WongApril 29, 2016Malta, Food Fridays

Meteora

Meteora didn't arrive on our travel bucket list through the usual ways like guidebooks or word of mouth or stunning movie scenes. It all began with a record album. Back in 2003, Linkin Park released their second studio album. The album itself was one of the best they've ever released, but what captured my attention was the album title: Meteora. Fascinated by this title, I took to the Internet to find out the origins of this word. A few clicks in, this is what I saw.

Jenny WongApril 27, 2016Greece

Favorite Ruins - Athens

Okay, this is really a "Favorite Corners" post, but with Athens, "Favorite Ruins" felt more appropriate. Athens is an intriguing coexistence between modern, myth, and ruin. Clean efficient metro lines zip beneath the ancient weight of marble temples. Words etched in early Greek letters share walls with fresh graffiti. Construction noises boom from inside the stoic crumble of the Parthenon. A young olive tree marks the spot where, thousands of years ago, the goddess Athena planted a gift for the city that would forever treasure her name.

Jenny WongApril 24, 2016Favorite Corners, Greece, Athens

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