Day 1696 walking all day around Rome! 🇮🇹🫶🏼

Coffee and Quotes made me smile this morning…. As the page does every day!

We started the day in an Italian supermarket! I love stuff like that!

The produce is out of this world and I honestly believe it’s way better than we see in the UK these days, since Brexit.

These peppers are as big as they look.

The shelves seem so well stocked… check me… supermarket geek!

These cannoli look amazing.

I’m currently on 8BUS heading into Rome to Piazza Venezia. I never saw this the last time I was here… and wow! The Palazzo Venezia.

Look at that smile. I am beaming 😆

This was literally around the next corner!!

Then I spotted the Colosseum in the distance!!

This was a beautiful fountain.

I then walked round to the Trevi Fountain. It’s under repair for the Rome Centenary next year so it’s not running and they built a walkway over where the water would be. I’m queuing to get onto the walkway. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get close to the architecture.

Then I carried on round to the Spanish Steps. It was heaving there today. It’s a beautiful day after all and much warmer than I expected. Not sure you can even see the steps?!

They’re behind me!!

These are the Christmas decorations at the Fendi store. So pretty!

I walked along the Tiber River and spotted the dome of St Peter’s in the Vatican.

Then the Castel Sant’Angelo. I climbed to the top of this in April. It’s lovely to see it from over the river.

The bridges are all really pretty as I walk.

And finally I need to take the jacket off. It’s hot in the sun and chilly in the shade!

The trees are still very autumnal.

Once again St Peter’s Basillica.

I’m back on 8BUS heading into Monteverde Nuovo.

Honestly with the CityMapper app you never need to worry about getting lost. It will find you and it will take you “home”. You can wander anywhere with a mobile signal and maybe a battery charger just in case, and you know exactly where you are. I can’t explain the buzz I feel inside as I wander around on my own. It’s feels so powerful. Sometimes I chatter away to myself (🫣😬). I must look like a crazy wummin 😆

Back to Melanie’s for Turkey Pot Pie. 🥧

If possible this was even better than her food yesterday, and that’s saying something.

I’m back on my travels again. Melanie is having a rest after a busy morning. I don’t want you thinking I didn’t help her clear up because as I write this it sounds like I just keep leaving her to clean…. 😬 I’m just desperate to see the city!

I’m wailing through Giancolo Belevedere .

Headed to the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica.

It’s beautiful!

Amazing views up here!

It’s a lot quieter at St Peter’s Square than it was in April this year but it’s still busy.

The sun sets….

I have had the most amazing day. Honestly out of this world. Melanie has messaged to say she’s on the train on her way here!!

This was the best hot chocolate I have ever had in the whole world. It is literally liquid chocolate!!

It was exquisite.

Melanie and I have walked through Rome in the dark and it has been amazing.

I’ve walked 29,377 steps!

The blog is full and I can’t add any more photos!

I’ve had the best day ever.

I’m like a kid at Christmas!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1695 Thanksgiving dinner in Rome (as you do!)

First of all….

I’m celebrating being Scottish out here in Rome!

When my travel friend Melanie asked me to come stay with her in Rome, and be a part of her Thanksgiving meal on Saturday 30th November, I jumped at the chance. I managed to get a flight for £74 which is cheaper than trying to get a train from Glasgow to Inverness.

That said, I did then add on a suitcase a month or so later, then chose my seats so I could have the window… that added up but hey…. I am paying for memories.

I have never celebrated an American Thanksgiving 🇺🇸. Melanie has been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for around 30 years and it is a big deal to be invited to her table.

She said she decided that, this year, she would invite strong women. I was proud but, you know me, I inwardly cringed because I can big a “big girl’s blouse” as we say in Scotland and I can “worry about the day we never saw” as my Gran would say.

I think it’s about time I actually realise what I do actually do. While I internally panic and flap and catastrophize at times, I still actually go and do the thing I want to do. Again the reason for writing the blog is to help others see the reality of life rather than just the FB glorified version of my life.

I am in my element out exploring the world. I feel a sense of peace and of excitement that I don’t get from the day to day existence of trying to make enough money to cover the bills. Does that sound awful? Should I be more grateful for the day to day… yes I should, and I’m working on that. I also think that I finally work to live rather than living to work. I had it all wrong in the past.

I’ve had a very peaceful November. I’ve spent it relaxing and resting and preparing for this adventure.

The bird is in the oven!!

Mrs veggie/vegan is being parked for the day. We had a long talk about this as I didn’t want Melanie to change anything for me. She told me last night that even the salad has meat in it. 😆

We wake at 6am but have slept from 9pm so that’s pretty good I think. It’s a beautiful but cold morning.

I’m off out to walk to the local park to see Belvedere Lake. You would never believe this was in the centre of Rome.

and then you stumble on some ancient architecture.

Wow!

Zoom in on this amazing fountain… it’s CarPlay growing!

I had a really good walk and then went back to Melanie’s lovely apartment!

Here I am all showered and ready for my first ever Thanksgiving.

And Melanie’s wonderful food…..

And the wonderful table. Full of wonderfully strong women!

Left to right, Claudia, Melanie, Antonella, me, Wadzi, Samantha & Rosana

And my meal! It was just as good as it looks!!

And boy did we talk. Strangers around a table and yet we talked and talked and talked!!!

What a wonderful noise we created!!

I love meeting people I don’t know. I’ve sat in an apartment with 11 Italians, one Zimbabwean, 1 Polish Italian and 2 American Italians…. When would I ever be able to do that?!? I loved getting to know everyone. it really is a small world.

(Did I say, Melanie’s son also had a table of 8 in the other room! She cooked for 15 of us!)

Then we got stuck in to the dishes before moving on to Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie and Cheesecake…. I loved my first ever pumpkin pie and of course I had to have a bit of all 3.

As the sun started to set, the starlings flew across the skyline. It was fascinating to watch so many of them.

The sky looked lovely at sunset.

Pic with Wadzi!

Pic with Antonella!

More chats, more washing up and then it is over. We are sitting on the couch. We have our feet up.

What a wonderful day with so many wonderful people.

Melanie is so kind to invite all of us to her special day. What an effort to go to, she’s been preparing since Tuesday….

Think we’ll sleep tonight!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Dy 1694 Ayrshire to Edinburgh Airport 🚙 and flight to Rome Ciampino 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✈️🇮🇹

Once again I appear unable to sleep on a flight. I am exhausted but there’s too much else going on and it’s freezing. I should have remembered from my flights to Milan. if I’m cold the Italians on this flight must be freezing.

So everything went well again so far!

Bed at 7.30, woke just after 9pm and again a few times and up with the alarm at 2am.

I was showered, hair washed and ready to to go so only had to get changed and close up my bags. Craig got up with me, bless him, it was lovely to have the company.

I left the house about 2.35am and drove over to Edinburgh Airport. That took about an hour at 10 minutes at that time of day. I thought the roads were surprisingly busy.

The only hiccup is that I think I may be in an NCP car park that’s payable on departure. I’ve pre-paid but they made me take a ticket and my gut tells me I’m in the wrong one. It might be fine. Guess I’ll find out on Tuesday morning after midnight when I land 😆

I chose a seat on the LHS of the plane so I could get to see sunrise.

I am soooo tired. I’m going to try and sleep again.

Claire sent me this after I’d gone to bed last night… I sent her this a while back and it still makes me laugh out loud!

Assume this is us over the Alps

So I landed just before 10am and managed to get on the bus to Rome Termini at 10.30.

This got me into Rome at 11.30 and it took me about 20 minutes to find the bus stop I needed.

Not surprisingly everything is in Italian and the local buses don’t have English at all.

I got out the City Mapper app to try to plan my journey.

It’s a strike in Rome today and everyone said the bus might not come.

So I got a bit frustrated trying to find the bus but actually it was all good. I just need to trust that I can find my way and I’m fine. Breathe through when I think I might start to get anxious. Someone will speak English eventually!

This is where I’ve travelled today.

Once you’ve done it once… it’s so much easier. Once you get into the routine of transport abroad, it’s just like public transport back home. You just have to trust that it will work out.

Melanie met me at the bus stop near her apartment and took me to her home.

It’s beautiful and so special for me to be saying in an Italian home.

She had made a lovely pot of homemade soup. We had lunch and a coffee. It’s great to catch up but I am tired.

It took everything in me to get back up and head back out. My body is screaming for sleep but I can’t waste a second now that I’m here.

I’m here for Melanie’s Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow so I’m currently on the number 8 bus heading back into Rome. I’m multitasking as I’m standing on a bus AND writing this AND trying to stay on top of my stops 😆

Now that I’m out, I’m so glad I have done it. It would have been so easy to stay in the house and sleep. Life is too short.

I’m passing through Trasstevere which seems to be pronounced Trast-avery which makes me smile every time they say it!!

I’m headed for Piazza Navona.

The fountain is being refurbished for Rome 2025. There is a lot of work underway for Rome’s Centenary celebrations. I went to look at the other foundation in Piazza Navona instead.

This city is full of history! I love it!

I then made my way round to the Pantheon.

It was too busy the last time I was here… but today I’m going in!

It’s only €5 entry and you have to wait in a big queue until they let you in.

It is breathtaking. I’m so glad I got to come in here. I’m writing this real time so I’m sitting right here just now.

This is the fountain outside the Pantheon.

I decided to walk back to Melanie’s… it was just starting to get dark.

I spotted the Vatican off in the distance.

I have had the best day. I’m so proud of myself for going out again this afternoon. I feel like I have this solo thing back under control after a couple of wobbles.

Happy weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1662 Milan to Bergamo to Lake Garda to Bergamo to Edinburgh and home!

Today is going to be a very, very long day!

We woke just before 6am. I will not get back home until abound 2am tomorrow morning! I am cramming everything into my last day in Italy.

We got the Metro to Milano Centrale station and then the train out to Bergamo. It was light already as the clocks went back last night. This road doesn’t get very quiet but this is a lot quieter than during the day time.

All the trains are very different here. We were on the green one today (so technical, that’s only because I’m tired and I can’t remember the name of the company) heading out to Bergamo where Melanie’s friend Ivan, was meeting us.

This was a double decker train.

Just to prove we made it!

Ivan picked us up here and drove us all the way over to Lake Garda. To Desenzano del Garda. It took us an hour and a half.

The lake is beautiful.

The sun was just starting to come through. I’m Scottish so it’s still warm but the sun and blue sky always helps. 😆

We walk out on to the harbour wall.

The water is so clear and turquoise.

We walked to the west along the side of the lake. There’s this lovely wee marina.

The lake is so vast the photos don’t do it justice. You can’t really see anything at the other side of the lake but it’s very pretty.

I did a pose!

There are lots of lovely private jetty’s.

And some you can actually walk out on… or sit on…. Melanie got that scarf in Verona yesterday… I may have bought one too!

There are boat trips but we didn’t have time to do a trip and get all the way back to Milan before Melanie’s train to Rome.

Loved this boat.

We sat here and had lunch at that really pretty marina. Ivan very kindly treated us to lunch which was so very lovely and kind of him… especially as he had done all do the driving.

And here is the food….. it was the best meal yet. Everything was lovely. Again… I’m too tired to remember what it all was but it was very traditional Italian food.

The marina from the others side.

I had left my sunglasses in the car as it had been cloudy the last few days and I didn’t need them! I did today 😎

Ivan drove us all the way back to Milan and we said our final goodbyes outside Milano Centrale.

I went in to the station for some more photos. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. I can’t believe how busy it is too.

I sat outside the station for a while and waited on my bus. It’s the first time I’ve needed to wear a cardigan.

Bergamo airport is heaving and my flight is delayed. Thankfully only by 20 minutes but I think they might have to wake me up to get on it.

Be found a wee corner to sit on the floor and I must be tired as it is sooooo comfy.

I’ve had such a lovely weekend.

I fought so much anxiety to get here. There are times I wonder why I put myself through it and then I remember the experiences that I have, when I do.

We’ve crammed so much in.

Thank you so much to Melanie for being my translator and guide and my Italian correspondent 🇮🇹😆 and thank you to Ivan for our trip today.

I’m going to get off the floor, head to the loo for the 100th time today then head through passport control and find my gate…. And hope there’s somewhere to sit through there!

Milano is a wrap.

Arrivederci

Stay safe everyone 🇮🇹✈️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Day 1661 rail trip from Milan to Verona, Italy 🇮🇹 🚆

What an amazing day we have had.

Our room is wonderful but in the heart of Milan so is not the more quiet… I was woken at 3.42am by a loud beeping rubbish truck… it took me a while to get back to sleep. The rain was lashing down outside but I did get more sleep until our 6.30am alarm.

We were booked on the 8.15 train from Milano Centrale to Verona.

We got the subway as it was still torrential rain.

Milan Central Station is breathtaking.

Here is our train. It’s going to Venice…. Ooooh!

We are so full of life in the morning. (Not so much on the way home!)

I took this snapshot while we were halfway there. I saw Lake Garda from the train. It’s beautiful even when cloudy.

The weather cleared up as we reached Verona and we’ve had lovely weather all day. It hasn’t rained once and we were so lucky!! The forecast in Milan has not been so good.

This is Piazza Brá.

The Verona Arena is on the Piazza. It was a stunning view for a coffee.

I’m in a T-shirt and Miss Rome has been in a woollen coat most of the day 😆

Then the sun came out!!

We then walked into the old town. It’s very beautiful. It reminds me of Dubrovnik, just more colourful.

There was a market in this square. We had a good wee wander around the market! Piazza delle Erbe.

We then went to find Juliet’s House or Casa di Giulietta.

This is the famous Romeo and Juliet balcony. Of course it’s very busy with people but not as bad as it must be in the height of summer.

It’s €12 to get into the house and I thought it was well worth it. It’s very beautiful and was surprisingly quiet inside.

You have to queue to get out on the balcony but even then it was only a small queue.

You can then walk all through the rooms of the house.

I have so many more photos but I’ll share them another day. It’s hard work doing all this sightseeing 😆😘

Back outside.

We then had some chocolate fountain strawberries… out of this world. Then headed out to the River Adige. It was beautiful…. So green.

And towards Ponte Pietro.

It looks really dark and mean and moody but for us Scots, it’s still warm!

Then another pizza… with the Arena in the background.

It was so lovely to sit down and enjoy the view again.

We’ve had the most amazing day but we’re shattered!! I have re-read this and feel I did it a disservice as we saw so many beautiful buildings.

This is why I travel.

I am blown away by the beauty in our world. I feel so at home wondering around here. There is beauty everywhere I look. How many times have I said “wow” today?!?

And the day is not over yet. It’s 4.42pm and we’re sitting in Verona train station waiting on our return to Milan Centrale.

We are now on the train to Zurich…. How exciting is that?!?! I could just stay on?!?!

What a truly wonderful day.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1457 trip to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill 🏛️🇮🇹🍕🍝

Ok so the Star Wars observant among you will soooooo know it typed Palpatine Hill to start with….. I am my husband’s wife 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Another amazing day and my last full day in Rome. I will sleep for a fortnight when this is over.

Today I had booked with Crown Tours for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The tour lasted 3 hours but they left us in the Colosseum to wander for the rest of the day if we wanted.

It was such contrast to yesterday but only because it was all in ruins…. This ancient area of Rome was as beautiful in its day, if not more so than the Vatican.

I’m not even going to remotely try and regale you with the history of the area. A tour is an explosion of information, while trying to get sunglasses on and glasses safely put in the bag, then glasses on and sunglasses put safely in the bag… while trying to listen and take photos…. you get the gist.

When you travel alone there is no one to hold anything. You just have to try to manage everything as best you can… while ensuring pickpockets don’t see you as fair game.

Palatine Hill is seen as the birthplace of the City of Rome around 1000 BC. It’s where all the upper class lived and all the imperial palaces were built. It had stunning views.

Everything was marble and decorated, even the servant quarters although not to the same extent and the imperial rooms.

The Roman Forum is in the low lying area between the hills and this is where everyone gathered for open air meetings from around 500 BC.

Before the Roman Forum and Colosseum were built, the whole area used to be marshland it was drained around 620BC due to constant flooding. That drainage system is still in use today.

The Roman Forum housed some of the most majestic temples and monuments.

The Colosseum was obviously where all the blood sports took place…. Animal against animal, animal against criminal, criminal against criminal and obviously the gladiators, some of whom became as famous as current footballers would do. Some 450,000 people were killed in the Colosseum in its day…. That’s a sobering thought as you stand inside it. that was all stopped by the Christians in the 6th Century.

The Forum was abandoned in the 7th century for the river area. A huge earthquake in the 9th century toppled many of the buildings and by the Middle Ages it had all been built over. Hence the ruins.

In true Julie fashion I got there early as this was by far the biggest distance I had to travel this weekend.

So many people told me that everything was within walking distance…. But it’s not when you don’t book the correct hotel and you have 45 minutes worth of train journey to get there.

I boarded the train at Balduina and had to take 6 stops to Roma Ortiense.

I chose to wear my short shorts this morning. Until now I’ve been blending in with the Italians wearing long trousers, they also have long tops and jackets with scarves. That’s a generalisation but there are a lot of them dressed for Scottish winter!

Today I stuck out like a sore thumb and I had the only visible legs on the first train!!!

I had to change at Ortiense onto the Metro and it was a good 6 minute walk with my legs on show through Italian suburbia. I only relaxed when I saw other tourists, once I got to the Colosseum. It shouldn’t matter what we wear and I tried to tell myself that the whole way there!

I got to the Colosseum for 8.30am and my tour was at 10. This gave me time to get some photos. The queues were already massive!

I found a nice wee cafe on Via Poliveria (reminded me of my friend Alice as it’s nearly her surname!!) and had a decaf espresso…. Yup I know…. 😂😂…. And a lovely pistachio filled croissant. It was so good.

Our tour started at the Roman Forum.

This old church was only opened in October having been closed for 50 years… they have managed to clean some of the art on the walls.

You can see Jesus in this one.

We are starting to climb up Palatine Hill now.

Looking down to the Colosseum.

I honestly have so many photos I don’t know where to start. I also don’t know that they all load up properly when I publish the blog. I’ll do a minimum for now.

That green door is the one of oldest doors in Rome… believed to date back to 300 BC.

We headed down into the Colosseum.

This was also incredibly busy. Thousands of people wandering around…. Just to give you some perspective.

My tour was the Arena Tour so you get right out into the main arena.

I finally left the Colosseum about 2.30pm… and was ravenous. I tied to go to a recommended restaurant but it was queued out… so I just pick a random roadside eatery and had some garlic bread and another veggie pizza….

I’ve already warned Craig that the garlic from the garlic bread will still be there when I get home tomorrow!!! It was soooo strong.

I didn’t have any plans for the afternoon so just wandered aimlessly, with a metro station always in mind.

I found some really lovely buildings and fountains.

I’m sitting on a comfy seat in the hotel gardens writing this…. As the pool is not open yet…. But I’ll head up soon and that will be me for the night. Pick up is at 9am tomorrow so I’ll get a lie in!!

I’ll be bombarding you with videos and photos when I get back. I’ve been so lucky with the weather. Not a cloud in the sky.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

Day 1450 a lovely Sunday with a surprise city break booking!! 🇮🇹

What a crazy day.

I woke at 7am and decided I wanted to go away next weekend. As I do.

I spoke to Craig to make sure there’s nothing else on and started looking.

The weather is wet and windy again next weekend so a train trip to Arisaig didn’t seem that appealing. (Should say here that I would love to go to Arisaig at the weekend but not if I get soaked everytime I go outside)!

I then went on to Skyscanner… of course I did.

On Friday 15th April I am flying to Rome for 3 nights!!!

Wow. No one is no more surprised than me!

I am equal parts excited and terrified.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Life is short and is for living.

Now.

I almost backed out as I was booking it… a million anxieties ran through my mind. Why would I put myself through the nerves of doing this? Why am I spending this money? What if I’m too scared to go? What if I’m lonely? I don’t drink so can’t just have a glass of wine somewhere? On and on and on…. But I still booked it!

Feel the fear and do it anyway!

I’ve paid a wee bit extra to fly with Jet2 so that I can get coach transfers to my hotel. I also have a hotel with a pool so I have somewhere to relax to if it all gets a bit much. Jet2 also offer 24 hour hotline support so there’s someone I can call if I need it. I can’t ask for much more than that.

Craig is working next weekend, and has never fancied Italy, so that’s the main reason I chose it. He’s really supportive of me travelling… though obviously wishes he could have a holiday too!

So yeah, check me. Excitement and nerves!!

Also I have to get the Monday off work too… eeek!

Other than that bit of dramatic news, I spent the day writing a bit of the book I kind of think I’m writing and headed up to Braehead to spend some Primark vouchers I got for my birthday and Christmas!

The weather is wild today, again! Even the drive to Braehead was pretty hair-raising.

I didn’t get the denim skirt but I did get the jumper.

Also got it in gray. It’s super lightweight but cosy at the same time. It will be great for layering.

I didn’t get the furry body warmer but it was super cosy!!

I got this T-shirt in this colour and in white and that was my vouchers spent!

Thanks Evelyn and Stuart & Lee!

A few pupper photos to end with.

Holding Bhru’s paw!

Big yawn! Sometimes I think we got a dog to match the couch in the sunroom 🤦🏻‍♀️😂😂

Appreciate any Rome suggestions anyone may have?

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️