Liz & Alex in Italy

We knew the following day was moving day so our third day in Spokane was moving day so we knew that we wanted to just have an easy, uneventful day.

We started with breakfast at Franks Diner! There's a Franks diner in Tucson ( completely different owners/ different company) but since it was Sam and Patrick's favorite hangout spot in Tucson we obviously had to check it out!

Spokane Franks is fabulous in an old early 1900s train car.

There's almost always a long wait but it's definitely worth it. They have all your basic classic diner food- benedicts, omelets, waffles, hashbrowns, hot cakes.

And all in ridiculously huge portions of course! There is no breakfast more American than this delicious monstrosity! I had the cornedbeef hash with onions and peppers, two eggs and hashbrowns. Amazing.

And the train car itself is beautiful too!

After our huge breakfast Lauren and I headed downtown to have some tea and chats! We found Atticus Coffee & Giftshop named after To Kill a Mocking Bird. The gift shop was so cute with handcrafted items of all kinds.

Carved wooden items

Prints and bags and magnets... just about everything you could want and all locally made! The other half of the store is a very cute coffee shop with excellent tea! ( and while 3$ espressos are a regular price in the States it made my 1 Euro espresso seem all the nicer)

After a while, Sam and Mom joined us and we played a game called Ravine in which we had to work together to survive stranded on an Island. We all died immediately the first game but by the end we not only managed to build a shelter but to live to the rescue! It's a fun game!

Soon enough it was time for Lauren to head to Seattle 4hours away -- but not before taking some silly polaroids

It was good to catch-up and see her, even if was for such a brief period. Friends like these make the heart full.

On Friday night my good friend from college, Lauren, drove all the way from Portland to visit! Like everyone else, I haven't seen her in two years, and for her to take the time to drive 6 hours for a two-day visit was such a pleasant surprise! And it made our hearts so happy! So she was all set to join us on our further Spokane adventures over the weekend!

On Saturday, we decided to have an adventure. Only a 30 min drive from downtown Spokane is the huge and stunning Couer D'Alene Lake, Idaho. ( Which we had passed on the way into Washington)

For anyone in the Spokane, Idaho, Montana area this is the lake visit. Perfect for a day at the "beach", cooling down in the not-too-cold but just-right water, enjoying water sports and tree-lined trails. This lake is the spot that anyone with a day off in summer is heading to. And it is worth it.

Although we went on Saturday and there was an Iron Man happening the next day, the lake wasn't too crowded. I didn't feel that packed-in no space between beach towels crowdedness that Southern California or Mexico can sometimes get.

We had plenty of space on the soft sand and plenty of room to swim about and enjoy the waters. While there are many different beaches and areas of Couer D'Alene, we headed to the easiest to find and most popular - City Park.

This beachy bay has a huge swim area that has perfect shallow waters that slowly deepen the further out you go.

Mostly sandy with some pebbles I would absolutely recommend water shoes because that sand is scorching and you have to run from the towels to the water as fast as your feet will carry you!

We definitely should have brought (and bought) a beach umbrella/ tent/ something to provide shade. While the lake is a perfect temperature the sun was hot. We did our best to avoid sunburn but weren't entirely successful.

After enjoying the sun, and the water and relaxing for a bit we decided it was time to try paddle-boarding. We packed up our stuff and headed over to the grassy knoll, steps, and dock with SUPs, boats, and kayaks.

And it was closed. Closed on a Saturday. Ridiculous. We consoled ourselves by lying on the grass in the shade and enjoying some amazing ice cream.

Lauren and I went down to the stone pebble steps to sit in the water and enjoy the coolness.

And then we decided that we really needed to try Standup Paddle Boarding. So we walked the 10min back to the car and drove a bit further down the lake to try a find a rental place that was open on the weekend.

We found a spot! Standup Paddle Boards were 20$ for an hour, so we got two, and Sam, Patrick, Lauren, and I went out to do our best! I had paddle-boarded in Noumea so I was fairly confident, but for the others, it was their first try! Patrick fell a lot. He kept trying to stand up too quickly and when you do that you fall just as quickly! Lauren had some falls and some wobbles early on but once she got the hang of it she was like a pro. Sam crushed it! She took her time getting up but once up there, only fell when Patrick sealed onto the board.

(unfortunately I didn't bring my gopro or waterproof case to the States! So we weren't able to get any good photos- just had mom take a small video from the shore)

The good thing about SUP is that even falling is fun! While Lauren and I tried to both stand up we ended in the lake quite a lot (!) so we stuck with having one person on the paddleboard and one person floating peacefully in the lake with their life vest.

I have always mocked life vests but actually, just being able to float in the lake with 0 effort was kind of amazing. 10/10 would recommend.

After falling for the billionth time, Sam and Patrick called it quits and headed for the shore which meant it was Mom's turn! She wasn't ready for standing, but she knelt on the board and paddled around a bit! And then she sat on the front while I stood and paddled behind her. Lauren took the opportunity to venture far out on the lake.

It was so peaceful and beautiful with the pine forests and gentle waves. The cool lake and the hot sun. A perfect day.

Once our hour was up we needed to get out of the sun and packed it in to go have an early dinner nearby. Another delicious meal was followed by some deep deep sleeps from the exhaustion of our big day out.

I am truly jealous of Sam and Patrick being able to head to Coeur D'Alene any time they have an afternoon free!

Our first day in Spokane we decided to do all the touristy things! From the river walk to the mall, using lime scooters to enjoying the flowers at Manito Park- we packed a lot in!

We started our day with a nice lie-in and only headed to brunch at 11.30! Our first stop was, of course, Incrediburger & Eggs. With mimosas, the Pig Newton- burger, fried egg, Havarti and fig jam, and the Earth & Turf mushroom burger with carmelized onions -- Mom and I were in food heaven! It's hard to think of a more American meal than really good, packed-with-flavor hamburgers.

On our way downtown, we found an "adventure" spinny wheel which had a variety of suggestions of little things around downtown to try. We found we had no choice but to feed the garbage goat!

It's a metal goat with suction for its mouth that will suck up garbage into a metal container. A way of encouraging people not to litter but also a brilliant little quirky activity.

Right next to the garbage goat, you'll find the bridges across the Spokane River. The upper bridge gives great views of a rushing river and some light rapids.

The lower bridge really highlights the 'falls' and both bridges offer stunning views of the river. Watching the river is pretty mesmerizing. We don't get a lot of rivers like this in Tucson, nor in any other place I've lived.

We were going to take the 'sky ride' which involves gondolas going over the river but it was too hot! An extreme heat warning, temperatures in the 100's F (40's C), and a city not prepared for that kind of heat meant no sky ride and also required us to head into the air-conditioned River Park Square mall to cool down. The Mall is huge and tall, though the top floor is only movie theaters.

In the mall, there is a local store called From Here. Where, you guessed it, they sell items made in Spokane! They had a wide variety of printed shirts, magnets, teas, bath bombs, jewelry, mugs, stickers, artworks etc. It was a really cool store and we each got a little something.

Once out of the mall we were able to use one of Spokane's other cool features- Lime Scooters. This is an app like bike-sharing except for electric scooters! It makes it so much faster and easier to get around downtown -- especially in the heat! Mom was a bit worried about her balance but she did a great job! And we arrived safely at Aunties Bookstore.

This is a bookstore a perfect new bookstore. If I had the time and money I could spend every day at this bookstore. New books, an upstairs gallery and some off-beat merch- - the vibe is immaculate.

It's also connected to Uncle's Games! Which is just plain cute.

I showed great restraint in not buying all the books and we scoot scooted our way back to the car to head to Target for some swimming supplies for Day 2.

It was weird being inside a big box store like target where virtually no-one was wearing a mask. While the smaller stores like Aunties and From here still had mask requirements in place- Target and other big box stores say (according the the CDC guidelines) vaccinated customers don't have to wear masks...and we're just using the honor system...

It was a weird pivot from Italy to not have the hand sanitizer station and temperature gun at the front and practically everyone shopping as though there was never a pandemic! ( except for the checkouts which had plexi glass and all the employees were masked)

Aside from the River Front, Spokane has another really fabulous park where you can enjoy the fresh air - Manito Park! This is more of a botanical garden but completely free! We found a little tree fort for children ( and big kids like me! ) and then we were able to enjoy the very well-manicured flower lawn. Another big difference from Italy where the parks tend to be wilder and over-grown.

The flowers were beautiful and although the rest of the fam got a little annoyed with my stopping every 5 seconds to take another picture it was a delightful place to explore! It felt so nice to be out in nature again- even if it was just a city park. Surrounded by pine trees is the way to exist in the world!

We ended in the Rose Garden and got ready to find a perfect dinner spot.

After puzzling over google maps for 45min we found Wooden City. We called and were able to just squeeze in a reservation for 15 minutes from our call! And let me tell you, this place is worth the wait!

Amazing koren-style chicken wings with carribbean rub, superb pizzas, and a to-die-for lemon bar for dessert! The atmosphere is a perfect mix of casual-chic and our waitress had the most calming vibe in the world. You just felt more calm speaking with her. The food was delicious and Sam even taught us about putting honey on pepperoni pizza! I know the Italians are dying inside at the thought but the salty-sweet flavor profile was quite nice.

Day three of the trip brought more driving! 5 hours from Salt Lake City Utah to the tiny town of Dillon Montana. But for this leg, we decided to do some classic road trip activities!

Today was our shorter day because the second-to-last day of any trip is always the worst. The novelty of driving has worn off, you're tired and yet you can't be excited for your destination yet because you still have a whole day left!

So for this leg of the trip, we decided to take the time to stop and see the small things..

We stopped at the state signs as we entered Idaho

And even visited a roadside attraction! The Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot Idaho! Blackfoot is a small town, which seemed like most of the small towns across America. The kind where you can't tell the difference or the things that make is unique to it's residents without spending a lot of time there. But we were only there for a moment. Long enough to take a photo in front of the giant baked potato

Which cleverly had a phone stand so you could take the photo on a timer instead of missing a person from your group.

The fam didn't do any research upfront so we didn't know that you had to order your baked potato made-to-order 2 hours ahead of arrival until it was too late. But we still tried their potato ice cream, chocolate-covered potato chips and fresh fries!

We carried on past the many potato fields and dramatic planes of Idaho- giving strong midwest vibes with a small spot of rain.

traveling through to Montana where there was literally no one else on the highway at 2pm. It was just us and the cows for a good hour! Montana really makes you feel the emptiness and bigness of the world.

It is the epitome of vastness. Huge sweeping planes that rise up into hills, mountains and cliffs that really make you feel small in the world. Connected to nature and yet somehow so tiny and minute in the grand scheme of time. Montana is beautiful.

Our hotel in Dillon Montana was ok. It was an old-school outdoor hotel ( as in all the rooms opened onto the parking lot) and we had to work hard to make sure the cats did not make daring escapes. The internet was also absolutely horrible. I couldn't even send a simple email to my boss on the WIFI! So we were happy to leave the next morning and head straight for Washington.

This was our last day of driving and we were determined to get there as soon as we could. No random stops, nothing too interesting but driving through pine forests, and mountains. We went back through the skinny bit of Idaho and finally entered Washington and Spokane!

( this is from both the 3rd & 4th day)

About 30minutes from our destination Sam's car ( which Mom and I were driving) was hit with two sizable pebbles and got a huge crack in the windshield!

We had almost made it without incident! But no one was hurt and the insurance will replace the windshield this week. So with a slightly obstructed field of vision, we rolled into Spokane. Sam and Patrick peeled off to go to the military base and their pet hotel while mom and I headed to our no-pet hotel and then to Heritage Bar & Kitchen for some well-deserved drinks and amazing burgers.

On the second day of our cross-country road trip we drove! surprise!

We woke up early, dealt with unimpressed cats

Ate a COVID-safe breakfast

and started to make our way towards Utah. ( We reached it pretty quickly)

Just over the border, we had to stop for a police-escorted giant boat.

Then we began winding our way through the Red-Rock. It swiftly gave way to dry grass fields with Utah's famous red-rock buttes and monuments. Then came the cows. Utah is a place of cows. Green fields, fed by small rivers with cows ( and a few horses)

It was nice to finally see some greenery. And the drive to Salt Lake City wasn't terrible. Six hours of driving and it was much of the sameness. We were happy to finally arrive and had some amazing BBQ for dinner!

I'm back in the States! After not seeing my family for two whole years, and finally having all the paperwork I needed, I decided to head back to the States to visit the fam and take care of some bureaucracy!

The flights were long but uneventful. Being in a plane for the first time in so long was pretty amazing- just the act of flying is an incredible thing that I've definitely taken for granted in the past- I forgot how cool it was!

My first two weeks in the states I saw my family, my nonna, a friend, got vaccinated and worked!

But for my third week: I'm helping my sister move from AZ to WA! Roadtrip-style! Her, her husband and their two cats are moving for military reasons and my mom and I are helping!

The move started out a bit rocky- The military was originally going to move all their stuff ( their entire house) but something went wrong in scheduling so they had to rent a 20ft Uhaul. THEN they were supposed to pick up the Uhaul at 6am on Sunday, weigh it, have movers pack it, weigh it again and depart on Monday. Uhaul screwed up and didn't have the truck ready. They weren't able to pick it up till 9am and the movers were not about to work in 115F heat.

So at 5 Monday morning ( the day we're supposed to leave) the movers arrive. As they move out boxes, we clean the apartment. The cats were, of course, appalled.

Finally, after taking the truck all the way down to the other side of town to be weighed, and getting the ok on the apartment walk-through, we set out through the Arizona desert at 11am.

The landscape shifted from cacti to mountain-desert to stunning Red Rock to pine trees and back to classic desert as we neared the top of Arizona!

For the most part the drive was uneventful. The cats, after much protesting finally allowed the motion of the car to rock them to sleep. We each had walkie-talkies so we could communicate directions, needs to pee and the all important- cows on the side of the road.

The only other big event was the fires around Flagstaff. We weren't in danger of flames but we did see some heavy smoke.

We finally made it to the tiny town of Page by 8pm ready for bed and day two!

After a short lunch break at the Lago (part 1), we continued on our way towards the Po River!

After another 45min of cycling along various types of tracks, we finally arrived at Gualtieri, one of the small towns near the Po.

We cycled through the town, along the tiny streets to the nature reserve at the top of the town.

It was a little difficult to find because we had to cross the freeway and the map made it look so easy and close by when, in fact, it was a further 10min cycle. The nature reserve has a very man-made feel to it with all the birch trees in orderly rows but they were mesmerizing to watch zoom by and we were happy to feel out in some sort of nature that was different from Parco Caprette.

Finally we made it!! 38K later we were at the Po!

It's not the most beautiful of rivers, but it was better than the crostolo ditch-creek we had followed here. So we took some time to take it in.

I'm sure in summer it really livens up and is less brown. It was also weird to think about the Province on the other side and how we were prohibited from going there right now. But on our side there were cyclist, dog walkers and fishermen enjoying this muddy river.

We found some nice stone benches and sat quietly next to the river while having another energy snack. We knew we had a long ride home. ( but only 31K because were were going to take the less-lost route :-) )

But at least the ride home had beautiful golden-hour afternoon lighting, even the potholes in the cycle track seemed nicer.

While it was nice to have the cycle tracks of various levels- some a little tarred, some gravel, some dirt and all away from the main busy roads. There was one particular stretch that just required

~constant vigilance~

Just before that section though we were enjoying the farms and fields that we passed by. It had a very peaceful steady vibe.

The road leading from/to the lake is a paved farm road- a road alongside many farms. And one of those farms had 3 dogs who were not fenced in. They were very small and didn't run in front of your bicycle but they were ready to defend their home and section of road with as much ferocity as they could muster! We had to pass them going both ways so on the way back we filmed it

It was just the bit of adrenaline we needed to push homeward. The lake that I said looked like it was once a popular spot? Turns out it is still a popular spot if you go around 4pm! We stopped for a quick pee but there were many people going for their evening walk/ having an afternoon chat with friends. We pushed onward...the 31K back home had beautiful lighting but was definitely tiring.

Google said it would take 2hrs to bike there, but we are both unfit and easily lost. We took about 3hrs there and 3hrs back accounting for small breaks and getting lost. All in all it was a BIG trip!

We are in Zona Arancione now which means no more traveling outside of our comune. So we were glad to do something so tiring and adventure-like before being confined to our immediate area. Sometimes you just got to make the best of what you have available to you and this 68K journey was worth it.

The weather is getting warmer and sunnier and Alex is FINISHED with her exams for this semester! She has two weeks to recoup and we are going OUTSIDE!  To celebrate having time to leave our house, we decided to do something a little crazy....go on a super duper long bike ride!

We wanted to do something active, socially distant and out in the fresh air. The Po River which runs through the top of our province created the lush farm area that makes up most of our region. SO we decided we should go see it! While the route is not nearly as beautiful as the Apennines in the other direction, it is incredibly flat and since we haven’t done much exercise in the past two months, we decided the flat route was better than trying to go up into the mountains.

The path we followed generally ran alongside the Crostolo River - the same that runs through Parco delle Caprette. It was combination of gravel bike path, single track,  and paved road 

There was only one kind of sketchy point in which we had to go through the town of Castelnovo di Sotto. The town itself had very nice bike paths

but getting into the town we had to ride on the side of a somewhat busy road and go around a round about which was very nerve wracking.

Helpfully, as this is a common bike route- the town has little stickers posted on sign poles directing you towards the Po. This stickers are very small and so it became a bit of a treasure hunt for a while

Once we were out of Castelnovo di Sotto, we thought the path would be easy to follow but we did accidentally end up on a farmers driveway ( we took the low path when we should of taken the high path.) We ended up needing to sort of clamber up the bank while the very confused horses judged us.

But we found the path and once again, we were riding along the Crostolo, however it had transformed from a pleasant river to a distinct ditch. Not pretty at all. Very ditch.

Though we did see terrapins in the water! Which means it must be somewhat clean...

Around us was a lot of very flat farmland and various farms. While not as stunning as Monte Ventasso it was nice to get a feeling of wide open space and endless horizon after staying inside for so long.

15k in we had a half-way rest-stop, Lago La Fornace. It’s a sport-fishing lake just north of Castelnovo di Sotto.

It was beautiful to stop and eat our sandwiches, take a breather and check in with how we were feeling. There were a few fisherman scattered around the edge but for the most part it was deserted!

With very many nice benches, a lovely little play are with swings for children, a cafe ( that was closed) and an area where they might make pizzas in the summer this seemed like it was once a popular spot!

We were really pleased to have found this chill spot in the middle of nowhere. And though we only took a short 15min break, it was worth the stop.

Overall, I generally expect things to be different in Italy. I moved to a new country with a different culture from my own and so, while I may be confused by the differences or how to function with them, I am not surprised by them. But sometimes there are things that I just never thought would be different. Things so ingrained as normal and usual (across many English speaking cultures not only in the U.S) that it’s never even occurred to me that they would be different.

It doesn’t happen often, but this Christmas we wanted to do a puzzle.

Alex’s family is English - South African, and, like any good English family, puzzles are a part of their lives.A way to unwind, something to do with family without having to keep up conversation. Something fun, calm and soothing. Although not a huge staple in all U.S. homes, I also enjoy a good puzzle.

 When we first mentioned puzzles to one of our Italian friends, he was surprised and announced a great dislike of them. We didn’t think much of it, they’re not for everyone.

But this Christmas, Alyssa was coming over and had the tradition of doing a puzzle all together. So we went in search of a puzzle.

We could barely find one! Our friends all denounced puzzles ( or at least, didn’t have any around) and the only puzzles we could find in the shops were either 24-104 piece puzzles for children or 1000+ piece complex 3D masterpieces! In all the shops we went into these were the options!

We were really surprised! No nice, fulfilling but not too complicated 300-500 piece puzzles?

Perhaps if we were in a bigger city, we might have found one hiding somewhere but there really weren’t any around!

We asked our friend Alberto, our friend who plays tons and tons of games and the most likely to have a puzzle, if he had a one we could borrow. He said “of course you can” “Great! by the way how big is it?” “ it’s 2000 pieces.”

2000!

I completely understand now why our friends don’t like puzzles. If huge, complex puzzles that take hours were the only option, I wouldn’t like them either. Finally, Alyssa broke down and bought a 300 piece puzzle online.  And we did it over some tea and chats.

Happy 2021! Let us hope for a better year than the last! While we celebrated a quiet and isolated Christmas and New Years, we did manage to eat delicious Christmas Eve pastries, watch the best Christmas Carol interpretation (Muppet Christmas Carol) and enjoy the sound of fireworks, even if we couldn’t see them from our balcony. BUT we are still in lockdown -  Zona Rossa- here in Italia. And the main reason for it is La Befana.

The Italian Christmas Season officially ends with the Epiphany- Epifania - a catholic holiday marking when the Three Wise Men  made it to the Bethlehem and gave their gifts to baby Jesus. It is celebrated on the 6th of January ( 12 days after Christmas) and to deter the gathering and celebrating of Italian families and friends we are in a strict and complete lockdown until the 7th.

So what does the Epiphany have to do with an old, shabby, good-hearted, hardworking lady who rides around on a broomstick distributing presents?

There are a few origin stories surrounding her but the one I found most common is this: While following the Star to baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men stop for the night at La Befana’s house. They ask her to come with them in the morning to also greet the New King. She declines because she has so much housework to do, but promised to catch up with them. By the time she finished her housework, they had gone too far. She began running after them with the gifts for baby Jesus, broom still in hand. She was able to fly on her broomstick but never managed to catch up with the wise men. So, now on the eve of Epifania (January 5th) she continues searching every house for the child and leaving candies, chocolates and small gifts for the the good children she finds.

(photo by Simone Zucchelli)

For the bad children she, of course, leaves coal. For the lucky good children of Italy, from my understanding, they wake up on the morning of the 6th and check their stockings or fireplaces to find smaller gifts than Babbo Natale (it’s hard to carry big items on a broomstick!) but treasures nonetheless- books, colored pencils, oranges, dried figs, and hard-to-find candies.

The name Befana originates from the Greek word for Epifania, and the witch has been a tradition in Italy since at least the 8th Century!

There are several theories on how she came into being. It’s possible she came from the Celtic tradition of celebrating Mother Nature in the middle of Winter- she would give gifts of seeds and food to sustain the people while she rested over the harsh winter months. Or it could date to the Roman Pagan festival of Saturnalia, where Romans would go to the Temple of Juno to have their fortunes read by an old crone.

(not my photo)

Whatever her origins, Italians are still celebrating with markets, bonfires, gifts, feasts, and Befana appearances.

This year, of course, we are in full lockdown and un-ending rain. I’m sure Italian children will wake up the morning of the 6th to treats and unusually small family gatherings will still make too much food. But Alex and I will be inside, studying and working and being as boring as ever. In any case, Buona Befana Tutti!

I’m shamed to say it has been a month since my last post! And for that I am sorry. Truthfully, we haven’t really done anything post-worthy in the past month. This is due to three things: 1. COVID 2. Alex has been studying like mad for her exams that were yesterday and 3. The Weather.

The weather since the end of November has been extremely rainy and gloomy and cloudy. Even when we managed to sneak a walk in Parco Caprette between thunderstorms is was gloomy

Though occasionally the sun has poked through for a day or two early on and we managed to take a small turn around the park in the city center- which looked mystical

Basically for the first two weeks of December it rained all day everyday. My advice to anyone coming to visit: November & December are made of rain, visit at your own risk

Aside from the gloomy weather, Alex has been finishing her online lectures and using every moment of spare time to study for her upcoming exams. We have a tiny break for Christmas but the exams are definitely looming.

And then there’s COVID. For a while we were zona gialla meaning there were mask madates, a 10pm curfew, and restaurants and bars closed for dine-in at 6pm but overall things were semi-open. Then we moved to zona arancione take-away only, many more movement restrictions. We’re back to gialla for now, but the days around Christmas & New Years are moving into ZONA ROSSA. Which basically means everyone must stay inside at all times, except for work, health or emergency. They are also allowing people to visit up to two friends or family on Christmas day. Which is nice of them. 

Because Alyssa can’t make it home for Christmas she is coming to our place thanks to this exception! Which means for the past week(s) we have been isolating. i.e leading the most mundane lives.

But it’s the holidays! And last year I posted all about the lights, and markets and trees that adorn Reggio this time of year.

Well...usually.

There arelights

and trees

and traditional almond paste and meringue grass-snake Biscione in the pasticceria windows

But everything is smaller...less brilliant than last year. And most of all, rightly so, there aren’t markets. At least not the Christmas kind. There are still, oddly, the regular markets with all kinds of nonsense. But there are not really any markets with crafts and locally made foods and other goodies.

Just as well I suppose- nothing else about 2020 was usual why should this be any different? But since we’re spending so much time inside and since outside is especially gloomy..this year Alex and I decided we needed some extra Christmas Cheer in the house! So we made a light tree. And keeping with Alex’s family tradition, we found a few non-native evergreen branches and put together a little charlie brown tree!

( Alex’s family usually cuts down an actual small tree but we work with what we have)

And then to top it off: We finally figured out what to do with all the practice exercises Alex does to study!

Obviously make a winter wonderland in our living room!

So some years you get to have drinks with family and friends on La Vigilia di Natale ( Christmas Eve)

And some years you make a cookie-cutter out of a tin can because you forgot to get one from the store and now  you can’t go get one because you’re isolating completely to avoid a literal plague.

Although the Winter Solstice has just passed, we still have a long, cold, dark season ahead of us. So however you’re coping or celebrating or surviving, I hope you’re finding things that bring a little joy and using what you have to make the best of your surroundings.

Fall has arrived in our town and with it the crisp air, the crunchy autumn leaves, the colors, the squash…

Due to Alex’s study schedule and COVID precautions we haven’t been traveling very much lately.  But I’d say we had a pretty successful Autumn before the November cold and rain took over.

Early on our Italian-American friend Alyssa wanted to carve jack-o-lanterns and while we couldn’t find any more pumpkins ( she got hers early) we managed to get a Japanese pumpkin (kabocha squash) which works just as well and set to work carving Alex’s first jack-o-lantern!

We were pretty pleased with our efforts. (obvs I wore my jack-o-lantern shirt)

The day was perfect and we were happy to eat by jack-o-lantern light on the balcony that night!

The next day we roasted him with some fresh veggies -delicious! Arguably even better than a regular pumpkin.

It was so good we did it again with little kabocha squash the day before Halloween in order to have proper Halloween night jack-o-lanterns! Paired with my grandma’s spiced cookie recipe shaped into ghosts and jack-o-lanterns? Perfect autumn vibes.

For my birthday on Halloween we wanted to do something simple and something safe so we ended up going for a really long bike ride through Parco Caprette

and to the very very small town of Vezzano sul Crostolo. The path their followed along the river, through beautiful autumn countryside with great colors.

The semi-packed trail is fairly wide and there were a few groups of people but mostly we were able to ride side-by-side and enjoy the scenery and tree-lined path.

Finally arriving at Vezzano we stopped for a wee slice of birthday cake and actually delicious vanilla tea. It’s the first really nice tea I’ve had at a café in Italy. I was pretty impressed.

20k later we were back in time for sushi, classic Halloween movies and autumn blanket cuddles.  It’s nice having a park and trail so close that we can still have little adventures without having to look to far.

The November rain has started its unrelenting cycle, bringing with it a chill and a second wave of coronavirus causing further lockdowns I know we won’t be traveling or doing much of anything interesting for a while. But I’m also in a whirlpool of bureaucracy so anything could happen

When it was still fairly warm outside and we were using Alex’s 5 days of freedom to the fullest- we went to the beach! (again) In the true Italian/British fashion we went straight to the same spot we enjoyed last time, secure in the knowledge that it would be a good vacation and not bothering to try to find a new adventure.

This time we went with Alyssa and our friend Espidito who is from (near) Napoli! It was his first time in Liguria and we hoped our perfect little beach wouldn’t disappoint.

We found our previous free-parking and arrived just in time as the lot was pretty full with people hoping to enjoy the last warmth of summer before fall crept in.

After stopping for a quick cafe, we began our climb through the town, up the hill and into the woods

With the trail following along an old wall, with stone steps in some places, this trail is super well-marked and easy to follow- even if it’s not so easy to climb.

We did see pomegranate, grapes and prickly pear! Enjoying the trail a bit more slowly because we knew we were only hiking about an hour and a half to get to the beach.

The way was steep and when we got to the spot where we climbed down last time our rope was gone! There were a few blue arrows off to our right and so we followed those

They lead to another rope! It’s a bit of a steep climb but with the rope it feels very secure and easy.

And so we headed down to our beach.

After clambering over the big boulders, the first thing we noticed was that there was definitely more sand and fewer pebbles than last time. But the beach only had a few couples on it and we were happy to find a spot to lie in the sun.

If I have one recommendation for anyone who is anywhere near the ocean at anytime it is to invest in some good goggles. Honestly, there is so much going on under the surface! and you look ridiculous which is always funny

This time in addition to small groups of fish

We saw an tiny Octopus! Who was not thrilled at Alex approaching him with the gopro

The second recommendation is an underwater camera. Our gopro has gotten so many fun shots! And you can look really cool underwater. It’s so worth it.

Unfortunately, this time, we saw quite a few jelly fish and so didn’t swim quite as long as last time nor did we jump off the rock since it was pretty well surrounded by them.

Alyssa had work at 5 so after enjoying the sunshine, the beach, the cool water and the relaxing sound of the waves we headed back towards Tellaro. We did a quick turn round Tellaro, just to show Espidito the town - which has a strong octopus theme.

Driving two hours, hiking another hour and half just to reach this small beach is actually so worth it.

It’s just the kind of adventure that renews the spirit and nurtures the feeling that everything will be ok.

Celebrating the 5 days Alex had free between her final exam and the beginning of her second term meant we tried to do a little of everything- but most importantly exercise outside. She’s spent a long time in her chair at her desk and is about to continue to spend a long time in her chair at her desk. So to celebrate her 5 days of freedom we figured: why not go for a 20k (40k round trip) bike ride?

The roads from Reggio to the tiny town of Quattro Castella are mostly flat, and not very challenging. Meaning a 20k ride along them take about 2.5hrs. Not too bad for a beautiful sunny september day.

We donned our helmets and set off from our apartment around 9. The weather was perfect and we were so excited!

The way out of town has some pretty decent bike paths and passes stores, piazzas and small parks with....just....rabbits....chilling? We were a bit surprised at how calm they were as we rode past

Finally we headed properly out of the city! For the first time without a car! The first half of the trip there has this lovely wide bike path raised up from the side of the road and was super safe as we cruised past the farmlands

The second half of the trip is a little more precarious. As we are just biking along the side of the road. Farms and fields to our right, a two-lane road to our right. But there weren’t a lot of cars at all and the ones that did pass us gave us plenty of room. We never really felt unsafe.

Finally we were heading down a beautiful, winding country road alongside farms, birds, and in the distance we could see the hills with the four hills and remaining castle that Quattro Castella is named for

We put on our masks and rode through town up to the entrance of the

We headed up the long drive towards the base of colle di Bianello.

Once you get to the top of the drive the views, while nothing compared to Monte Ventasso, are pretty nice.

And it is a lovely place to stop and have a small picnic! There are plenty of benches to sit upon just at the bast of the hill in the shade of the trees.

We decided to head up the hill to the castle. Even though we knew Castello di Bianello is only open on the weekends we though it might be interesting to see what we could see. The road is driveable and there is a small parking lot at the base of the castle.

Il Castello di Bianello was built around 1044 originally as a defensive structure, it morphed into a proper residence.

The gates were locked, of course 

But what we could see looked pretty cool. And the views were even better from up here.

Knowing we had a two hour ride back we didn’t stay too long.

After one last look, we headed back through town and towards home. We discovered that the roads were, in fact, on a slight hill since the ride home was much much easier and a bit quicker!

Not all adventures have to be so big. This great mini-adventure was a perfect day trip for us!

We made it to Bivacco Santa Maria Maddalena for the first part of our hike in the Tosco-Emiliano Apennines, but now our real climb began. The hike up the to top of Monte Ventasso is really steep and is marked as “expert level” on the website. However, we knew we could do it with some steady patience.

Half-way up the climb there is a really lovely look-out point in the form of a rock jutting out over the hills. You can stand on it and see the beautiful valleys and rivers below. It really lets you feel the vastness of the land. (if you’re not afraid of heights)

It was at this point we stopped to admire how far we had come, and how small the Bivacco looked. The views were great and we were only half-way up! This boded well.

Finally we reached the top! ...kind of....we reached a top. We did summit the mountain and paused to enjoy our progress. We were definitely on the top.

But our destination was just a bit further on, along the ridge and to the top-top marked by a cross.

Alex jogged ahead to get this video of us climbing the last stretch. A decision she regretted.

At the top of Monte Ventasso there is a huge iron cross and a guest-sign-in book! We signed Happy Birthday to Alex and then stood back to enjoy the view.

Only for a few minutes though because then the clouds started to roll in. It looked almost like smoke coming off the mountain! they were moving pretty quickly!

We knew the weather forecast said rain in the afternoon so we decided it was time to head down to the lake.

This half of the loop trail is pretty much straight down the hill to the lake. you can even see it from the top- which is a beautiful view.

The light on these soft hills were giving us serious Sound Of Music vibes and were were really pleased to be surrounded by such beauty on our way down, even if our knees didn’t thank us.

The last third of the trail is back through the forest. But this forest was really muddy and we were going downhill. It was still silent and beautiful but we had to really take our time and watch our step navigating tree roots, rocks and just slick mud.

I fell once, but was mostly unharmed. This hike is definitely for the able-bodied and sure-footed among us.

After 3hrs of hiking, we made it back to the lake!

On the lake side there is a small restaurant-shack situation with picnic tables. The clouds were really starting to come in and the temperature started dropping. We had a quick warm tea, checked out their free- library and then decided to head back for lunch.

Overall our hike up into the Apennines was everything we wanted it to be! Nature, friends, beautiful views, expansive spaces....everything that makes the perfect birthday trip!

For Alex’s birthday at the beginning of September we decided the best way to celebrate was to get out of the apartment and to get as far away from buildings, cities, and people as we could reasonably do in a day trip.

Alex wanted panoramas, views and nature. So we headed to the Appenino Tosco-Emiliano National Park.

The Tuscan-Emilia Apennines are just an hour and half west of us making it an easy day trip with a friends car. Now, like all other Italian hiking trails, there is little-to-no useful information online about the hiking trails in these mountains. There is a bit more than usual if you go to the parcoappenino website they give you some information about what’s available. However, their Italian and English versions of the websites are actually completely different with different trails! And while I was looking for a short-ish, manageable hike on the Italian version I had trouble finding anything. When I switched to the English version of the site, lo-and-behold I found exactly what I was looking for...

 Anyway there’s a this lovely little loop from Lago Calamone up to the top of Monte Ventasso and down again only 5k should take about 3hrs! After doing a few more very specific google searches and finding a couple of blog posts I decided this was the loop for us! So we headed with our friends Alyssa and Raffaella to Lago Calamone.

Upon arriving at the lake you’ll actually park about half a mile away in the parking lot of the hotel/restaurant. The walk to the lake is along a gravel road that’s very easy and pleasant and then you arrive at the lake itself.

It’s an incredibly peaceful sight and immediately I knew we made the right decision. Once you reach the lake you’ll have the choice of going left or right.

Since the trail is a loop it technically doesn’t matter. But heading to the right will take you up a fairly steep path straight to the top of the mountain. Heading to the left will take you on a more windey path around the other side of the mountain. Not wanting to repeat our stair-climbing hiking adventure in Liguria we headed to the left on trail 663 towards Bivacco S. Maria Maddalena. Just as we left the lake we did have to climb quite a steep cobbled hill.

Following the signs for we entered a beautifully green, lush forest.

With huge trees, incredibly quiet and peaceful and no other people around it was really nourishing to walk along the soft trail.

The trail climbs a little bit and at the top of the hill you are met with a sign post. It points to the left with two names we hadn’t heard of in our research. Very helpfully someone wrote “No Bivacco S. Maria” in sharpie.

We knew we were heading to the Bivacco and so turned to go in the opposite direction. There was a sign indicating that the trail might be closed and dangerous. But the sign was posted in 2015 and the trail wasn’t blocked off in any way so we decided to proceed with caution and if it seemed dangerous we could always turn back.  As we left the forest and were spat out on a steep-ish hillside we were met with spectacular views.

We also found out why the trail had been closed. There had clearly been a rockslide.But since there were four of us and the slide wasn’t very unstable or steep, we carefully made our way across.

Easily reaching the other side we continued to marvel at the valley below and walk along the hill

until we finally reached Bivacco San Maria Maddalena. A refuge and church it is thought to have been the destination of an ancient woman’s pilgrimage taking place at the end of July.

Now it is a small church overlooking the valley and hills beyond.

We paused here (2k into the trip) to admire the scenery, and drink some water before our real climb up trail 661 and to the top of Mt. Ventasso began.