Visiting Rome, Italy

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. This month Kate is in Rome, Italy, exploring the wonders of the Eternal City.

Captions (clockwise from top left): The Pantheon, Pizza at a café in Piazza Navona, the imposing facade of the Colosseum, a Roman bicycle.

Ah, Rome. The ancient sites, the hustle and bustle, the fantastic food, the beautiful churches… this was my second visit to Rome, Italy. Last spring I spent a month in Rome, and I had such a wonderful time that I decided to make a repeat visit. I visited many of my favorite sites, including: the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, St Peter’s Square, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, among others. In addition to eating a decent amount of pizza and pasta, I also enjoyed the following highlights of my time in Rome:

Captions (clockwise from top left): the exterior of the Palazzo Farnese, fans waving their scarves at an AS Roma game in the Stadio Olimpico, delicious Roman gelato, Rome Marathon runners with St Peter’s Basilica in the background.

Palazzo Farnese – A 15th century palace that is now home to the French Embassy, the Palazzo Farnese is home to an incredible collection of art. Annibale Carracci’s frescoes beautifully adorn the walls and ceiling of the banquet hall; some call this the second most beautiful ceiling in Rome (after only the Sistine Chapel).

Rome Marathon – In mid-April every year a crowd of about 15,000 runners gather at the Colosseum for the start (and finish) of the Maratona di Roma. This year my husband ran his first marathon. He enjoyed the flat course and the incredible sites that he passed along the route: Trevi Fountain, Piazza del Popolo, St Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona, among others.

AS Roma soccer match – Calcio (football/soccer) is taken very seriously in Italy, and Rome is no exception. Romanistas (fans of AS Roma) don their red and yellow and travel to the Stadio Olimpico to cheer on their team. During this trip I was able to witness a match between AS Roma and their city rivals SS Lazio. It was an intense and enjoyable experience. The passion of the fans was incredible and the atmosphere at the stadium was electric.

If you’d like to plan a visit to Rome, Italy, to see an AS Roma soccer match, visit an incredible art exhibit, run the Rome Marathon, or just to wander the cobblestone streets, please get in touch with us today. Let Caldwell Travel make your dream Italian vacation a reality!

Visiting Athens, Greece

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. This month Kate is in Athens, Greece, exploring the wonders of this ancient city.

Greetings from Athens, Greece! The temperatures are in the 60’s (Fahrenheit) and the weather is fantastic, featuring plenty of sunshine! Being February, this is greatly appreciated and has made walking around the streets of Athens that much more enjoyable. I’ve been eating at outdoor restaurants (pita, Greek salad, fresh seafood, olives, feta cheese). Everything has been delicious! Don’t worry – I have also enjoyed an abundance of shopping opportunities. And of course, I’ve been visiting museums and archaeological sites. The best so far has been the Parthenon, which is a truly wonderful structure. Massive marble columns stand 45 feet high gleaming in the steady Greek sun. Over 2,500 years of history impose itself upon you, complete with characters from Greek mythology staring back at you in relief. Plus there are other incredible buildings that are included in the Acropolis complex: Propylaea, Erechtheum, and Theater of Dionysus. The Parthenon and Acropolis complex are truly incredible sites and should not be missed when visiting Greece.

I’ve also spent a fair amount of time exploring the neighborhoods in downtown Athens. Plaka and Anafiotika are two of my favorites. Plaka is full of charming restaurants and good souvenir shopping; and, Anafiotika (pictured above) is right at the foot of the Acropolis and looks to be a slice right out of a Greek Isle. It’s very hilly and fully of tiny winding streets with beautiful homes and great views of surrounding Athens. I also recommend climbing Filopappou Hill for a stunning view of the Acropolis, Parthenon and the city of Athens.

A trip to Athens would not be complete without a visit to a few world class museums. So far I have visited the new Acropolis Museum (pictured above), which is an incredible collection of statues and artifacts from the Greek Bronze Age up through Roman times and Byzantine Greece. The museum has only been open for 18 months and has already garnered a lot of rave reviews. If you come to visit, I highly recommend staying to eat a meal at the outdoor restaurant overlooking the Acropolis.

The rest of my Athens itinerary is a busy one: I have plans to visit the Benaki Museum and the National Archaeological Museum, as well as several churches, the Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora, Temple of Zeus, the National Gardens, and much much more.

If you’d like to plan a visit to Athens, Greece, or anywhere in Greece, please get in touch with us today. Let Caldwell Travel make your dream Greek vacation a reality!

Argentina’s Wine Country

After spending the past five weeks in Buenos Aires, we decided it was time to get out and explore this wonderful country. Argentina is large and diverse – with tropical rain forest in the North, rugged mountains in the West and glacier fields in the South. This week we are heading West, to Mendoza – the core of Argentina’s wine country.

70% of all of Argentina’s wine is made in Mendoza. We are heading there to check out some of the vineyards, take tours of a few wineries and sample the finished product. We’ll be sure to report back with our findings and share some photos of our experience.

Florence, Italy

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. She is currently on a 5 month European Adventure.

When you think of Florence, you may think of Renaissance art, the Uffizi, Michelangelo’s David, the Arno, the Ponte Vecchio — but Florence is a city of so much more.

Did you know that the history of modern Italian language has roots in medieval Florence and came into common usage thanks to Dante’s Divine Comedy? Or that modern poetry and modern prose were born in Tuscany as well… Well, Florence was also the first city to mint its own gold coins (in 1252) and to pave its streets (1235). It was a Florentine that invented the eye glasses, Gucci handbags, and art history. A Florentine cartographer gave his name to a new world that was discovered in 1492; the public lottery, the opera, soccer and minestrone soup are also said to have originated in Florence.

Thanks to the rise of the Renaissance in the 15th century, Florence became the world’s leading center of mathematics and astronomy. Science was divided into separate disciplines (chemistry, physics, biology) in Florence. Galileo, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello and Machiavelli all called Florence home at some point. Art criticism was initiated in Florence. Modern Political Science traces its origins back to Florence and Machiavelli’s The Prince.

Florentines claim to have invented French cuisine thanks to the marriage of Catherine de’ Medici to Henri II of France in 1535. Catherine who was only 14, took a full complement of chefs and an encyclopedia of Tuscan recipes with her to France. She also apparently introduced the French to the wonders of eating with a fork.

Even with all of these amazing feats, Florence to me is an adorable compact Tuscan city with red-tile roofs, more than its fair share of leather goods and tons of Renaissance art. I will remember climbing a nearly never-ending staircase wedged between the lower dome and the upper dome of the Duomo. I will not forget the larger than life 7th level of Hell painted on the dome in Santa Maria dei Fiori. I will savor the bitter sweet hot chocolate with whipped cream soaking up the sun’s warm rays in the Piazza della Signoria after walking the long U-shaped corridors of the Uffizi Gallery. I will remember the irregularities in human form of both Venus in The Birth of Venus with her long forearms and nonexistent shoulders as well as David by Michelangelo with his large head and hands. I will treasure the view over Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo and the relaxing picnic afternoon spent there. It may have only been two weeks – but they were wonderful weeks. !Ciao Firenze!

Want to travel to Florence? Contact Caldwell Travel to book your Florence vacation today!

Venetian Charm

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. She is currently on a 5 month European Adventure.

For years I have dreamed of visiting Venice and seeing the canals. My desire began by seeing images of the gondolas, canals, and bridges when I was younger. The concept of roads being waterways and transport being via boat were too foreign for me to understand; therefore, I simply had to see it myself. Venice is unlike anywhere I have ever been. The canals are picturesque, the gondoliers are plentiful and the city is in a romantic decay.

Venice can be a challenge. The roads are small and maze-like. At times, it can feel like you are a mouse in a labyrinth. Utilizing landmarks is difficult as you can’t see anything thanks to the five story buildings built only five feet apart from each other that run less than fifty feet before T-ing into another short and hopelessly narrow road. But what fun it is to get lost in the quaint Venetian neighborhoods! This island city makes it enjoyable to get lost, knowing that you can’t wander too far off, after all. Don’t feel bad getting turned around and ending up some where other than you intended – that’s part of the Venetian charm.

I love traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and getting a glimpse of life different than my own. Venice provided us with challenges in navigation but rewarded us with memorable views on nearly every bridge we crossed. The fact that Venice is comprised of 118 small islands all connected via small canals, raised bridges and larger waterways makes island life fascinating.

Venice may be a bit ‘overrun’ with tourists but there is still Venetian life in the calm and quiet neighborhoods to be enjoyed. We sat in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and watched as the kids got out of school and came in the square with their parents to play until dinner. We frequented (and by that I mean almost daily) the bakery down the street for genovese, tortini or ravioli fresca. We enjoyed Italian gelato and sampled over 30 different flavors – all very delicious. The Venice that we found was exceptional and we came to fall in love with it.
An evening spent walking St. Marks Square (Piazza San Marco) and listening to the dueling orchestras was a highlight of Venice for me.
The canals, gondolas, bridges, gelato and so much more will not be forgotten any time soon.
Our time in Venice was simply unforgettable.

Spring in Rome

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. She is currently on a 5 month European Adventure.

The trees are budding, the birds are chirping and the flower markets are in full swing. Spring has finally arrived in Rome. It is currently in the high sixties, there are no clouds in the sky, a gentle breeze is blowing and the Roman sun is warm on my back.

Spring flower bouquet at Campo de'Fiori

The crowds have begun to roll into the Eternal City for Holy Week. The crowds this past Sunday (Palm Sunday) around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City were absolutely unbelievable. It was wall-to-wall people up and down every street in the area. Most people were carrying palms from the service which made maneuvering between them even harder. Next Sunday is slated to be even busier – if that’s even possible.

Looking toward St. Peter's Square and Basilica

On nearly every street in all of Rome, you will find a Gelateria selling gelato (similar to ice cream) and a Pizzeria selling, you guessed it, pizza. Sampling numerous varieties of both products, I would recommend the Bianca pizza, which may appear plain in contrast to most pizza as it is only topped with olive oil and salt, and the fruit flavored gelato. Gelato is made with milk contrasted with ice cream that is made with butter cream – so it is healthier to indulge upon. The fruit flavored gelato – whether pear, peach, strawberry, coconut, lemon – is an absolute taste explosion. The flavors are so much more vivid as compared with ice cream, even the chocolate and vanilla are leaps and bounds more flavorful.

Gelato at a Gelateria by St. Peter's Square

As you meander along Rome’s uneven, but picturesque, cobblestone streets there are certain things to take into consideration. First, always watch the road. The streets are made of cobblestones and some are missing or different heights than those around them making for a very dangerous walking surface if you’re not paying attention. Second, be cavalier but cautious when crossing streets. The automobiles here don’t necessary subscribe to overly pedestrian-friendly driving practices; however, they do typically pay very close attention to whether or not you intend to cross. If you hesitate, you have conceded the right of way – wait for the next gap in traffic. And third, be on the look out for scooters. They are everywhere! They even tend to go the wrong direction up one way streets. Don’t take it for granted – look both ways.

Watch out for Scooters in Rome - they are everywhere!