My Summer Vacation, and the Lobster Roll Chronicles

On August 18th, Dr. C., our son Ryan, and I headed for the East Coast to celebrate our granddaughter Poppy's birthday and Ryan's birthday.  Dr. C. is newly retired, and so we are on an extended vacation.
Celebrating Ryan's birthday, we went to see

which was a great show.  We loved it.
Next up was celebrating our twin grandchildren's birthday at the beginning of September.  Sonny and Tilly were born a month prematurely (almost in an Uber car) but you would never know it, they are hale, hearty and happy.  This is a photo of them with their big sister Poppy blowing out candles

Poppy did the decorating on their cake.  We had the pleasure of babysitting the twins for 5 days while Poppy and her parents traveled to England.  We now know why you have children when you are young!
After the babysitting, and little projects around the house, we took off to meet up with friends in New Hampshire and family in Maine.  That's when my lobster roll addiction kicked in.  I love Maine lobster, and a lobster roll is a perfect amalgamation of lobster, crunchy grilled roll, and just the slightest bit of mayonnaise.

This lobster roll had a lobster salad flavored with tarragon; now it was delicious, it wasn't the quintessential lobster roll that you imagine, but the setting in Portsmouth, NH, and the food were terrific. This was eaten and enjoyed at Martingale Wharf.

We were so surprised by Portsmouth, it's a great town!

Next up was a little shopping at the Kittery Outlet malls, and then lunch the next day. 

This was true lobster salad, with mayonnaise and celery in the mix

I opted for the fried clam roll; yes, there is a roll under there

The next day it was off to Harpswell, Maine, another day another lobster roll; this time preceded by chowder

This one wins the prize so far; a bit of mayonnaise, LOTS of lobster, a perfectly grilled roll, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside

My brother opted for the 2 lobster special--all this for $20---amazing

Of course, hand cut onion rings are the perfect accompaniment

Tomorrow we'll leave Maine and head back to Connecticut for another week.  We leave for Italy on September 18th for 6 weeks---someone has to do it!  Hopefully Dr. C's cell phone will stop ringing, and he'll be able to really be retired.  I'll be blogging for real once we are there, and I hope you'll follow along.

What's App?

When I open up my phone, I am amazed at what I can find with a swipe of my finger.  Although I am a tech dinosaur, I do love having a lot of information on a phone, so that when I'm looking for something I can usually get a great answer in a matter of seconds, or in my case minutes.  I'm grateful for the ability to find a restaurant, seat on an airplane, and figure out what the heck that vegetable is in the farmer's market and how do I cook it.  These are some of my favorite Apps in no given order.

The Specialty Produce App is a deep volume of information about fruits and vegetables, with photos, information about where and when they are grown, and some recipe and storage ideas.  It's awesome, and you can also "spot" produce when you are shopping, so others can see where a certain vegetable or fruit is available.  It's free.

Getting lost is a fact of life, and without Google maps where would we all be?  Stuck in the driveway.  I've used it everywhere:  in Europe, and all over the US, I'd be lost without it and that's no joke.  Free in the Google play store.

Since I travel so much keeping track of the weather is something I do a lot---OK, I'm really a geek when it comes to weather.  I sometimes gloat about our fabulous weather here in San Diego, but for the most part I'm checking out where I'm going so I can plan my packing.  Free.

How else would you know what your neighbor is having for breakfast if you weren't on Facebook.  I use this primarily to see what my kids/and their friends are doing, as well as my professional page to put up photos of food, and other information.  It's annoying at times, with the adverts and unwanted things in your feed, but for the most part, I use it to catch up.

I still don't understand it, but surprise, I've got followers, and I'm following people---how interesting!  Truth be told, if I post on my professional FB page, it goes to Twitter....incestuous.

Also not sure I understand this one either, but I put up shots of food, and other things---I have yet to figure it out, but it's there if I need it.

Getting news during the day, when I'm traveling, I depend on the AP, since it is just headlines and facts.  Free in the google play store.

I've found that Flight Stats is smarter than the airlines when it comes to posting delays and gate changes.  It's saved me miles of walking at O'Hare and Dulles.  Free.

Recently a flight was cancelled, and I was assigned a seat by the airline, this genius app will tell you whether it's a good seat or not, and has comments by travelers about the different planes and where to sit for the best experience, but as we all know flying is not fun anymore.

Worth every penny, if you are going to Italy, these apps are all you need.  Elizabeth Minchilli's recommendations are spot on, and the app is full of information, especially for first timers.

Late at night, coming home, it's nice to know you have a flashlight just in case you can't find the lock to put your key in.  I used this a lot in Italy, since the streets can be pretty dark. 

I love Uber, and have used it in Rome, New York City, and in Los Angeles.  It's clean and neat with no money changing hands, and no tipping to try and figure out.  The app is GPS based, and works amazingly well. 

Checking on the Euro when I'm Italy, this app let's me figure out how much something will cost before I buy.  Simple to use, containing all the worlds' currencies, it's awesome.  Free.

I use the Trip Advisor occasionally; I like that there are reviews from real people, and that I can compare hotels, and restaurants, and find things to do in different cities.  Free.

Last but not least, the My Gelato app---I haven't used it yet, but had to have it---it's free. 

I have more apps on my phone than I need, but I do love the instant gratification of being able to find things, get directions, as well as the weather and current news. 

Some Tips for Seeing Rome

Rome, the Eternal City: it's filled with art, history,and Italians!  To navigate this city well do your homework. Here are a few of my best tips, not necessarily in any order.

• Research what you want to see, then make a workable plan.  Rome can be exhausting, it's noisy, and chaotic, but it's worth all of that.  
• Hire private licensed guides for the big stuff.  This will save you time in line, and will also save you the headache of trying to figure out where you are and which way to go. All licensed guides have passed tests. they know their stuff, and they get front of the line privileges at the Colosseum, Vatican museums, and other historical places.  The groups are usually no more than 6 to 8 people and it is worth every penny. 

• The companies I've used have been www.contexttravel.com, and www.theromanguy.com.  Context is a bit more high end, giving you art historians at the Vatican museums, and Archaeologists at the Colosseum---well worth the money.  The Roman guy hires licensed guides as well, and all are passionate about their subjects.
• Don't plan too much in one day if you don't have to. Remember that eating here is also something that needs to be savored just like the sights.  Maybe do a tour in the morning, lunch, a rest period (be Italian for goodness sake) and then an evening tour/or walk-about if time is short.  If you can plan one tour per day, that's the best of all worlds, because there are so many places to walk and experience.

• Download apps and find great blogs.  My favorite is www.elizabethminchilli.com  Elizabeth is an author, married to an Italian, and her blog has lots of great info, but for the best info, download her app Eat Rome.  (If you are going to Florence and Venice she has done those apps as well---can't wait for her book Eat Rome)  Every restaurant recommendation has been spot on.
• Download Viber to your smart phone to keep in touch with home.  Free text, and phone calls from WIFI
• I like to rent a short term apartment while I'm here.  Rental agencies abound, as well as www.homeaway.com, www.airbnb.com, and www.flipkey.com.  The benefits?  You can spread out, you have a place to come back to and have a rest, and your are living with the locals.  

• Download the Uber app for your smart phone.  The cars are clean, the drivers are courteous and they can cost less than taking a cab, plus you don't have to worry about having enough cash on hand; it's all done electronically and NO TIPS.  
• Use public transportation if it's close.  The Metro here is a great deal and easy to navigate;        3 Euro for an all day pass.  It goes to a lot of attractions: the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (which is covered in scaffolding right now), Piazza del Popolo, St. Peter's, and Eataly. 

• OK, Americani, this is how the rest of the world sees us:  overweight, wearing shorts and tank tops into sacred places, baseball caps, sneakers, no style, and arguing with shop keepers and wait staff because they don't speak YOUR language---it's THEIR country, make an effort. A simple buon giorno,buona sera, and Grazie, are all appreciated.  You are a guest here, act like one. 
• What to pack:  If you are planning to have dinner with the Pope or Prime Minister then by all means pack that suit or cocktail attire.  Pack light, you will be buying things to take home, and that suitcase will get heavier and heavier as your trip goes on. For the most part, Italians dress casually, when they are outside of work, but they have style, so no running shoes at dinner, but find some comfortable walking shoes (Ecco, Munro, Mephisto, Dansko, Clarks, Aldo) and definitely pack them. Pick a neutral wardrobe color, black/grey/beige, and then accent with color--maybe a gorgeous silk scarf, cashmere sweater, or Murano glass necklace.   Cobblestones are hard on the knees/hips/and feet so be careful and watch your step---last year I broke my leg on uneven pavement, walked around on it for 2 weeks, went home and was put into a boot till I left to come back to Italy.  Learn from my mistakes. 
• I tell people that the treasure of Italy isn't the art, history, culture, food, olive oil or wine, it's the people.  Make an effort to know them, and you'll find that treasure.  Buona Notte from Rome.