A summer nessescity

In a land where iced coffee (as Americans know it) is as close to a reality as a unicorn, alternatives must be found. 

And also in a land where, in the height of summer, temperatures can reach well into the 100 degrees Fahrenheit, cold coffee in a nessescity.  

My go-to (Italian style) cold coffee is a caffè shakerato. 

They’re great because A) they can be ordered practically anywhere B) they contain coffee and C) are ice cold.  

It’s a simple recipe: 

A shot of espresso, ice cubes and simple syrup all combined in a cocktail shaker. Usually served in a Martini glass. 

I like them because I can feel fancy, even if for just a second, while I sip this classic Italian summer staple and drip with sweat at the same time.

Antico Caffè Greco on Via dei Condotti in Rome is a common stop for me and should be for you, too, should you find yourself there.

PRO TIP: order it at the bar and you will pay much less but still get to enjoy the ~fabulous~ atmosphere. At the table is much more expensive but the service is superb.

What a conversation

It’s not often that I long to be a part of a stranger’s conversation but I couldn’t help myself after observing this scene for a moment.  

I was walking in the Jewish quarter of Rome and had already passed this group of women when it struck me just how significant a moment it had been that I just passed by. 

Six women and one little girl. How incredible a sight to see them having a conversation. Six women, each probably having lived at least seven times longer than the little girl. But they were sharing their collective experience with her. 

It was a simple moment on a Saturday evening. One that happens probably almost every day in the exact same spot. But it’s the repetition that makes it special. That little girl will be better off later on in life because she has these memories and the the shared wisdom.

Ramblings #1

Just the other day a friend told me she wished I would write more. She told me she thought I had a funny way of saying things and she liked it. 

So here's to her and taking the lid off of Pandora's Box because there is no going back now!

I, too, wish I would write more. It's a cathartic release but also one of the hardest puzzles I've ever had to do: choosing the right words and putting them in the correct order so that the meaning in my head matches the point coming across on paper (or a screen). 

I am going to commit myself to writing more. Not necessarily about Italy or travel but just about life in general. But since Italy and travel are a ~big~ part of my life, you can fully expect some of that, too. 

I have always enjoyed writing, though my confidence in my ability has gone through peaks and valleys over the years. Some of my favorite things I have written came about either on a caffeine-fueled adrenaline-surged afternoon during a college finals week or a sudden epiphany at 3AM and hastily transcribed on my phone Notes app using questionable knowledge of the English language. 

I have often tried to put too much thought into what I write, mainly because it used to be done for a grade. But know I'm not writing for a grade. I'm writing for me. And I guess also for whoever else wants to follow along. 

I remember being told in 9th grade English when we were learning about fragmented sentences and dangling modifiers and whatnot we were told we had to learn how it all works in order to break the rules. Well, I think that time has come. 

Stopover in Oslo

One of the nice things of traveling trans-continentally fairly often is finding a place to do a little stop over. This time around I decided to stop in Norway for a few days on my way from the States back to Italy. 

Though I only stayed in Oslo, Norway was breathtaking. And I've heard it only gets better the further north you go. 

If you find your way to Oslo, stay in the Grünerløkka neighborhood. It's hip and cool and has awesome street art (ie: that psychedelic peacock). 

Visit their National Gallery to see Munch's Scream and Rodin's Thinker. 

Go to the Viking Ship Museum to see, well.. a viking ship. 

There are beautiful parks and waterfronts to stroll along. 

Anyways.. Norway is definetly one of those places I'll be returning to some day.