Going Abroad with Friends
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
I'm currently in ITALY and (wrote this post last week and had so much fun typing that sentence :))
I'll be in Rome for a few days, then we're going to Puglia, the heel of the Italian Boot, where we'll travel from Bari to Monopoli, do a day trip to Pologano a Mare, we'll go to Martina Franca where we'll day trip to Alborello, and then stay in Gallipoli. We'll then head to Lecce and leave to return to Rome from there. Our last night will be in Rome and then back to Boston, bellies and minds full.
I'm travelling with two of my very good friends who I've known for sixteen years.
One is a world traveler and our planner. She booked us on tours and booked our hotels and told me when to book our train tickets. She's also an excellent photographer. She's been to Rome before and has some favorite places we're going to hit up-including a spot that has amazing cacio e peppe. YUM!
The other is an outgoing person who makes friends at the drop of a hat. She'll be the one who will be on the train talking up strangers and making friends while I hide in the background reading my book, ha! She's the one who registered the three of us with the state departments in Italy so they know where we are and where we're staying while we're there and how to get a hold of us--just a step further than using your passport. My mom was happy when she heard about it.
I've been planning by obsessively reading things, watching things, and researching things. I've plotted them in maps and trying to refine what I need to do vs. what I want to do.
Articles and Guides about Italy:
- A guide to Rome from Katie Parla
- A Puglia Road Trip from Uncornered Market
- Another Roman blogger with some older posts (hasn't been updated in a little over a month) on Revealed Rome
Books:
- I got Tasting Rome and Eating Rome out from the library.
- Tasting Rome is new and thus has the better recommendations and more gorgeous photography--it got me super excited about my trip.
- Eating Rome, however, schooled me in how to order a coffee without looking like a loser and has fun inside tips, too. I seriously enjoyed both.
- I tried to listen to the audio book for A Room With A View, which EVERYONE recommended, but it just was not my jam. So I watched the movie. Which confirmed that it's not the story to get me stoked about Italy (though I did love a young Helena Bonham Carter as a non-villain).
- If I hadn't read Under the Tuscan Sun already, that could have been just the ticket.
- I also recommend The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons for a fun romp through Rome that you can breeze right through.
Movies:
As I said above, A Room with a View just wasn't my fav. Nor was The Name of the Rose, despite Sean Connery and a super young and earnest Christian Slater. For movies, you have to go traditional.
- Nothing is better than Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role and Gregory Peck. My mom and I watched RH last weekend and loved it. The Spanish Steps! Gelato! Romance! Vespas!
- I was hoping to watch Il Postino, so I got it from the library. But sadly, my computer doesn't play DVDs.
- The Talented Mr. Ripley is another good one to get you in the mood, particularly if you're going to the Amalfi Coast.
- And Stealing Beauty with Liv Tyler is a great one.
Travel tips:
My friend Kristin traveled with a carry on for two weeks in Europe, so I bought her luggage and took the challenge. I'll report back about how hard / easy it was to shoehorn everything in there...This article about traveling with friends was great and makes me want to take more trips!
I wish that I was as organized in my packing as this lady
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