May 2017 Newsletter from Elizabeth in Rome

may 2017 newsletter

Are you working on your summer travel plans too? I know a lot of people do this a year in advance, but me? A month or two is as much planning ahead as I can possibly handle. When Sophie and Emma were younger, I used to plan one big 10-day beach vacation. This was usually to Greece, but often in Puglia. These days though, between my work schedule and Domenico’s, and the fact that neither daughter is available at the same time for a formal vacation, I tend to plan short getaways for Domenico and me, with a month long stay in August our home in Umbria.

But as I map out our weekends and short breaks I realize that I would have a very difficult time ticking off that box asking : is this trip for work or pleasure? I’ve just spent an inordinately long amount of time on both the Trenitalia and Maggiore Rentacar sites planning trips to Positano, Parma, Sardinia, Naples, Torino and Como in the next few months. And while it’s definitely for work (working on both new books) , it’s also completely and utterly pleasurable.

So here’s the question. Is my entire life all about work? That would be bad, according to just about everyone. Or, rather, do I live in one long permanent vacation? I think it’s the glass half full question coming up again, and since I always see my glass as running over, I’m pretty sure I’m ok with any sort of label you put on it.

I am, however, just starting to think about a long trip in January 2018. Both books will be handed in by then and it’s low season tour wise. And while I’ve just said I rarely separate work from leisure, I am thinking I want to go someplace that is as far away from my normal routine of pasta, pizza and prosecco as I can possibly get. Asia? India? What I need are suggestions. Got any ideas?

what's new

Rome is in full on tourist mode. I’m writing this on May 1 (our version of labor day), which is a holiday throughout Europe, and although many stores and museums are closed today, the city is PACKED with tourists from all over the world. I obviously can’t complain because this is my bread and butter (or bruschetta with olive oil). And both Sophie and I are giving tours right and left.

While we both love giving tours around Campo dei Fiori and the Jewish Ghetto, we actually prefer steering folks towards neighborhoods that are less jam-packed with big groups. This is why Sophie loves leading people through the alleys of Trastevere. While the neighborhood is definitely wall-to-wall people at night, during the mornings the markets and shops are filled mostly with locals. Old men play cards in the piazza and kids kick balls by the fountain. And we both love leading guests to Testaccio which is almost completely devoid of any sort of tourism. (except for us and a few other of our food-focused colleagues).

We also love showing people how easy it is to escape to the countryside for the day. In just an hour and a half you can be in a field full of goats! Or a winery if you prefer. Or Porchetta. Take your pick.

But sometimes a day is not enough, which is why we’ve started leading week long tours in Umbria. I’ve just scheduled our weeks for 2018, one in the spring and another in the Fall. And Sophie plans on spending 3 weeks in Puglia this August to start mapping out a week in Puglia too. (I know I’ve said this before, but Puglia 2018 is going to happen. Promise).

There are still 3 spots left on our Week in Rome in November! A lot of people ask how and why we choose November and March for our Week in Rome tours. Easy answer: less people! As ‘low’ season in Rome gets shorter and shorter each year, I can think of nothing more luxurious than being able to visit the city when it’s blissfully devoid of big tour groups. Really. It’s heaven.

If you'd like more information about any of these tours just email me here, or else Sophie here.

travels

Now that the weather is turning a bit warmer we start heading up to our place in Umbria as often as possible. It’s my favorite time of year since it’s warm in the day, but cool enough in the evenings to have an excuse to light the fireplace. We had friends come visit one weekend, which meant that in addition to grilling bruschetta and lamb chops, we also managed a few road trips. The last time I had been to Gubbio I was a grad student and my memories were of a slightly damp, dark town filled with ghosts (Really, I kid you not, saw a ghost while I was there!) But I’m glad we made it back with our friends, because Gubbio is completely gorgeous (ghosts or no ghosts). We climbed the stone streets up to the main piazza which is lined on three sides by medieval palaces, with the forth side looking out to the Umbrian hills. Fantastic lunch at Taverna del Lupo where I managed to nab one of the Piatti di Buon Riccordo. So all in all, a fantastic trip.

We also spent Easter in Bari, as always. But this year I managed to catch the good Friday procession. The entire population of the old part of Bari participates and carrying massive wooden statues on their shoulders, march through the town for about 8 hours, complete with bands. It was pretty amazing.

Sophie and I spent a day in Florence where I was photographing for my book at the San Ambrogio market. Did you realize that it takes about an hour and a half on the fast train to get from Rome to Florence? We were there in time for our first cappuccino of the day, and managed to get a full days work in, before ‘commuting’ back to Rome.

And speaking of taking the train in Italy, here are a few tips. It’s super easy to buy your train tickets at the Trenitalia site, and they even have it in English. But one thing that’s not obvious is that you can get a special 50% discount on same day roundtrip tickets. Just make sure you book both legs of your trip together for the discount to kick in. In addition, they also are currently running a special 3 x 2 discount. If you are buying three tickets, you only pay for 2 (regardless if it’s the same day roundtrip or not). In general, the earlier you book your train ticket the best deals you will get. The one thing I would caution against is the super discounted Super Economy level of ticket. Although it is very cheap, only commit to this if you know for sure your travel plans won’t change, since the ticket is neither refundable nor changeable. The Economy and Base fares offer more flexibility. Another thing to keep in mind: Although the Treni Regionali are cheaper, they are as slow as molasses. Instead, make sure you get on one of the faster, Frecce, trains. And finally: if you do opt for Business Class (1st class) there is a special car that is Silent. If people talking loudly on their phones or children watching movies on iPads with no earphones drives you nuts, the Silent car is your ticket to peace.

a few links

If you like pork, there’s a camp made especially for you.

One of my favorite parks in Rome is only open a few weeks a year.

Is that a peperoni on your dress or are you just happy to see me?

Brillian article about something we all take for granted.

Remember those lamps the city of Rome was removing last month? Well, look where they turned up.

I found this article on New York City’s Subway completely fascinating. And slightly scary.

Cooking with flowers. It’s the season.

If you happen to be in Florence in May, here are some springy things going on.

Before I started writing only about food, I also wrote a lot about architecture and design. The funny thing is, now I get emails from people writing to me and saying “I didn’t realize you were THAT Elizabeth Minchilli.’ I mean really, is there another person out there with my weird name? Just in case you are curious, my two most recent books are still very much in print. Restoring a Home in Italy tells the story of 22 homeowners (including my own story) and their tales of turning piles of rubble into homes. Italian Rustic is the book I wrote with Domenico, and captures techniques of rustic building methods in words, images and drawings so that you can recreate them where ever your home may be.

And in case you missed them, here are my most recent blog posts:
Artichoke and Asparagus Pasta
Rice with Peas, Asparagus and Lemon
Retrobottega in Rome

and finally....

I hope your May is full of blossoms and berries!

x,Elizabeth