Road trips, mountain walks and holidays

Weekend in Rome Another title of this blog post might be ‘Back to Rome’ as we were there quite a few years ago. However, the last time we only spent part of our trip in Rome and enjoyed some time traveling outside the city. We also visited Grotte di Frasassi and Vesuvius volcano . This time, it was a trip with an aim to spend the whole weekend in Rome – we wanted to walk around the historic centre of the city and enjoy Roman food. We arrived at Termini station just before midday and the first thing to do was to have a late breakfast. There is another blog about our gastronomical experiences during this weekend. Eating was very important part of our trip and added significant value to our trip. Baths of Diocletian Just after the meal, we went to the Baths of Diocletian (Termas de Diocleciano) museum, which is a part of the larger Museo Nacional Romano . The Baths of Diocletian are a huge complex and were constructed three hundred years AD, they are located just in front of Rome Termin...

It’s so cool to wake up in the morning in the heart of Rome after a night’s sleep, when the delicious breakfast, which is included in the price of the accommodation, is already waiting in the restaurant on the rooftop terrace. Amazing feeling! All you have to do is get out of the huge bed and get dressed so that you can show up on the terrace. Colosseum On the first day in Rome, we visited a museum, so on the second day we wanted to enjoy the sunny day and fresh October day in Rome. The first thing we did right after breakfast was going to the Colosseum – after all, what would be Rome without the Colosseum? We had even been inside before, but to take a selfie in the background of the coliseum was a must. What made thing seven easier was that the Coliseum is located less than a ten-minute walk from  Monti Palace Hotel . We had a plan of going from the Coliseum subway station to our next activity – walking through the park on the other side of the city centre. However, we had t...

This blog was written a few years ago but I’m leaving it here just to remember and remind you and also myself how it all went wrong around the world not that long ago. Travelling to the country on the yellow list In June 2021 we had to go from the UK to Italy; at that time Italy was on the yellow travel list and only essential travel to those countries was allowed. Now, about a month later, some rules, for example, regarding self-isolation for double-jabbed travellers, have changed. However, the basics still are the same and I was thinking that this information may be useful for others travelling from the UK to and returning from any yellow list country. I did a lot of research to find out what is required in practice and how to save some money by finding cheaper test providers. Of course, at the first instance, I recommend following Government guidance, in particular foreign travel advice, which is being updated regularly. This blog is more about my findings and practical tips to make...

This blog is the second part about experiences during our trip to Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on procedures before and after return. Travelling to the UK from a country on the yellow list In June 2021 we had to go from the UK to Italy; at that time Italy was on the yellow travel list and only essential travel to those countries was allowed. So, we had to follow tough rules upon our return including tests and self-isolation. Since then, some rules have changed and, for example, there may be no self-isolation requirement for those who are double jabbed. However, I would always recommend checking the latest Government guidance and in particular foreign travel advice, which is being updated regularly and changing often depending on the situation in each country. Rules to enter the UK We had to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test before travelling to England from Italy. The test had to be taken in the 3 days before the departure from Italy. Fortunately, the rapid antig...

Good food in Rome – it is just the title of this blog. In fact, this blog is about excellent and even fantastic food in Rome you may get there. Rome is a very busy tourist city and you may often get average-quality food for a high price. We were lucky to find quite a few excellent places; this is an experience I write about here. Earlier we had a trip to Rome which included Italian cooking classes in Rome; this time it was only about consuming food not preparing. All this was experienced during our trip to Rome in the autumn of 2021. This was a short stay in Italy’s capital during mid-October weekend; the main aim of the trip was to visit Rome’s historic centre once again, although to experience of eating nice food in Rome was an important component of the whole trip. So, this blog is entirely about where to find good places to eat in Rome. A place for a good breakfast Close to Termini station, we found a nice breakfast place – restaurant NOI Roma located on the corner of Via Gaeta an...

Visiting the Etna volcano was a part of our trip to southern Italy and Sicily. Location and basic facts Mount Etna is an active volcano located in the eastern part of the largest Italian island Sicily, near Catania city. Like many other active volcanos, it is located in the area between two large geological plates, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate in this case. Etna is active almost all the time. The height of Mount Etna is 3350 metres (10,900 ft) above sea level, it covers an area of around 1190 square kilometres and is the biggest active volcano in Italy. Etna is a stratovolcano, which means it is a typical conical volcano with a caldera built up by many layers of hardened lava. Another Italian volcano, Vesuvius, is also a stratovolcano, although it is not as active as Etna and is only half of the size of Etna. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanos in the world, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2013. The last most serious eruption of Etna followed by ...

Visiting east of Sicily was a part of our trip to southern Italy and Etna. Arrival to Sicily We arrived in the Sicilian town Messina on a ferry from Villa San Giovanni Imbrachi late in the evening. Messina is the third biggest city in Sicily. The crossing was pretty quick as there were only about ten kilometres between these towns by the sea. We might be very lucky as immediately after arrival at the ferry port we got tickets and boarded the ferry straight away. The price for a person travelling by car is about 20 euros. After exiting the ferry in Messina, we immediately continued our way to Acireale, direction of Taormina/Catania, where we had booked a guesthouse for a few nights before going to the western part of the island. Acireale Acireale is a small gorgeous coastal town in the east of Sicily, not far from Catania, which is the second biggest city in Sicily after Palermo. When we arrived, it was very close to midnight. It took a while to find the exact location of our guesthouse...

These travel notes are related to our trip to southern Italy, eastern Sicily and Etna. The best travel time to these areas is summer, although it may be quite hot there. About Sicily This is a post about travel to Italy, specifically – Sicily; it's amazing to spend vacations there. Sicily is one of Italy’s regions and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Its territory is almost 26 thousand square kilometres (ten thousand square miles) and is similar to the size of such countries as North Macedonia and Albania. Almost five million people live in Sicily, which is about 8% of the Italian population. Unlike nowadays, Sicily has been a very rich and powerful region. During ancient times, Greeks had significant settlements in Sicily; many may know such names as Syracuse and Archimedes who lived there before was killed by Romans. Later on, Romans annexed Sicily and it was a Roman province for a while. After the Greeks and Romans, the island was ruled by many other great powers – B...

A real paradise on earth This was a very short and exciting trip in June 2010. The trip to Sardinia island, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, lasted only 4 days. However, considering that the sun is shining all day long in Sardinia, the sea is beautiful, and nature pampers everybody with warm evenings – even two weeks may be too short to enjoy all this beauty. Sardinia could be a place to return to again and again. Arrival to Sardinia We arrived at Alghero Airport on a Ryanair flight from Frankfurt. At the airport, we immediately picked up a pre-booked car to continue our journey to the opposite part of Sardinia Island. This time we hired the car from myCarHire.co.uk, which offered good prices (for a 3-day rental we had to pay £84). This company has a large network of partners throughout mainland Europe and on many islands, so there is a lot to choose from. Costa Smeralda Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Al Saraceno Residence, located in the famous Costa Smeralda reso...

Visiting Southern Italy was one of the most psychologically difficult journeys. Why? Hard to even say. Perhaps, the approaching winter, the self-sufficiency of the Sicilians, the harsh climate of Sicily and the landscapes around with territories delimited. In any case, we had hoped for more than we experienced visiting several regions of the country. We decided to go to Sicily again to understand this and experience more olive oil, pasta, and pizza. And who knows what else. When I was reviewing these travel notes, our last trip was to Sicily again. Some things have not changed and some appear different. However, that’s not the story here. We started our first trip to Sicily in Puglia, and that’s exactly what this story is about. Puglia The trip started in the southeast of Italy at the end of September, when we landed at Brindisi Airport, in the province of Bari, Puglia region. If you have had a look at a map of Italy, then it’s the very heel of the Italian “boot”. Puglia is washed by t...

Rome, Umbria and Vesuvius This was a short trip, together with friends, to Umbria and Vesuvius in the second part of November. We arrived in Rome by plane. In advance, we agreed to rent of apartment in the centre of the city. The apartment was located just a few hundred meters from Vatican City, river Tiber and very close to many other attractions. A few days after arrival, we rented a car to reach other points of interest outside of Rome – Vesuvius, caves of stalactites and to taste some Italian food in the countryside. Italian capital Rome We were lucky with the choice of accommodation – we found a bedroom flat offered for short-term rent in Rome . Communication with the landlord agent was effective, upon arrival, we were met exactly as agreed before and accommodation was as good as we expected in terms of comfort, location and cleanness. I’d use this service again for sure. Italian capital Rome, with its 2.7 million residents and history of more than two and a half thousand years, i...