… Me? I’m not off for anywhere at all.

Sometimes I wander out of beaten ways

Half looking for the orchid Calypso. — Robert Frost, “An Encounter” 

The city of Richmond, Virginia includes an array of treasures and the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is surely one of them. Located just a few minutes outside of the downtown on Lakeside Avenue, the garden provides a magnificent oasis for our stressed-out souls: walk around, have lunch, take advantage of educational programs and special plant sales, bring the kids, rent the facility for your own special events and meetings . . . come and make it a home away from home.

I did just that last Saturday to visit the Orchids Galore! show, which kicks off this year’s A Million Blooms program — be sure to get there by April 22 or you’ll miss it. And you won’t want to.

I’m not going to have a lot of text here, because I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ orchids. Just trust me when I tell you that if you live anywhere near Richmond, you should go. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is open from 9:00 – 5:00 daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas) and for a small fee and a short walk to the Conservatory — through some of the prettiest violas and tulips you’ll ever see — these exotic babies (hundreds of them!) will take your breath away.

One day I’ll have a really fine SLR camera. For now, here’s what I can accomplish with what I’ve got. Hope you enjoy them. And I hope you see that travel doesn’t always mean crossing a continent or an ocean — this was a transporting experience 30 minutes away from home! 

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

Nowadays nothing but money counts: a fortune brings honors, friendships; the poor man everywhere lies low. — Ovid

The "Old Man Fountain" and our guide, Francesco

My friend Novelia tells me that the tourists are finally coming back to Abruzzo. It’s been a long, cold, ridiculously snowy winter and she is ready for guests. Ready to make pasta. Ready to tour them through the Abbey where she works. And most importantly, ready to introduce them to her home town and make it heartbreakingly hard for them to leave. And she can do it, believe me. She just wishes there were more americani coming to Abruzzo. Maybe this will help.

Tim and I went to Abruzzo last May with a gang of 10 friends. Sulmona was our first stop, for four nights. Then we drove to L’Acquila to see the damage the earthquake had wrought and continued on to Civitella del Tronto in the north, where we would spend an additional three nights in the region.

Abruzzo is a mountainous region in central Italy that basically stretches from the Apennines to the Adriatic. It is a rugged landscape, with stunning switchback mountain roads in one part, with steep and rocky coasts in the other. It boasts many regional parks and the National Park of Abruzzo, with its hiking trails and unique animal species, namely the Marscian Brown Bear and the Gray Wolf. The region is popular with European travelers and even other Italians. But it presents some challenges for American travelers, who pretty much have to fly into Rome and then drive several hours to reach the major Abruzzese cities. Those willing to fly into another European gateway city can shorten the drive by flying into Pescara. Either way, it’s worth it. And you need a car here, anyway, so just decide what kind of drive you want when you arrive in the region.

You already know how much I love Italy — every region that I’ve visited so far. And there are many things to recommend the

Statue of Ovid in Piazza XX Settembre

Abruzzo region. Here are my Top 10 reasons:

#1             Novelia’s Pentouse — La Casa del Cuore — is truly “The House of the Heart.” Sleeps 4 or 6 in two bedrooms with two full bathrooms and a full kitchen/living area. Check it out here and contact her for rates and availability. She will give you an unforgettable experience. Tell her I sent you and make sure she cooks for you at least one night!

#2        Ovid — Why did I begin this post with a quote from the Roman poet Ovid? Because this is his homeland. Or, as he said it, “Sulmo Mihi Patria Est,” and trust me, you’ll see this quote or a simplified version of it (SMPE) all over town. Go to Piazza XX Settembre for gelato in the shadow of the monument to Ovid. Most of the town’s medieval monuments are clustered centrally around Corso Ovidio, so there’s just no escaping his influence. Plus, Corso Ovidio is the site of the nightly passeggiata, where couples from 9 to 90 walk the street arm-in-arm. So go between 6 – 8 p.m. and then again after 11 p.m. and people watch. A truly Italian thing to do!

Confetti flowers for sale all over town

#3            Confetti — Ever been to an Italian wedding? Gotten a little net bag of sugar-coated almonds? That, my friends, is confetti, and Sulmona is the world capital of confetti making to this day. But it’s not just the white ones that you might be familiar with. Confetti comes in all colors and each color is specific to an occasion: white for weddings; pink for a girl’s Christening, blue for a boy’s; red for a college graduation; green for engagements; silver for a 25^th anniversary and gold for a 50^th anniversary. And they can be filled not only with almonds, but also with hazelnuts, anise seeds, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, peanuts, pistachios, marzipan and chocolate. See these and more — including amazing confetti sculptures, flower arrangements and historical confetti-making equipment at Confetti Pellino, making celebrants smile since 1763.

#4        Piazza Garibaldi — The main piazza in town, and home of the twice-weekly mercato (Wednesday and Saturday), Piazza Garibaldi sits at the foot of the Maiella National Park and the backdrop couldn’t be more majestic. If you saw the George Clooney movie, The American, you’ll recognize this piazza when you arrive. You might even get a chance to buy cheese from the same elegant, gray-haired cheese vendor that he (and we) did. You can’t miss her. And what’s that on one end of the piazza, running into town? Oh, that’s the 12^th century aqueduct!

#5            Cathedral of San Panfilo — Named for the patron saint of Sulmona and dating from 1075, this impressive

Market day -- fruttivendolo

church at the end of town reveals layer upon layer of architectural additions and renovations as it was affected by fire and earthquakes over the years. Of special interest is the Crypt, with its late twelfth century marble Episcopal Chair and the altar of St. Peter of Morrone, consecrated October 10, 1294 by Celestino V immediately after he was crowned pope in L’Aquila. Other churches in town include the Church of Santa Maria della Tomba (with its fabulous bell tower) and the baroque Chiesa di SS. Annunziata.

#6            Pasqua a Sulmona — If you get a chance, spend Easter in Sulmona for one of the most authentic, over-the-top displays of liturgical drama on the planet. Everybody in town participates. Everybody in town knows the story of the “Madonna che scappa” on Easter morning. But something happens almost every single day on Piazza Garibaldi during Holy Week in Sulmona. Go and be amazed. Find the schedule at the site for the Office of Culture & Tourism.

Antipasto buffet at Hostaria dell'Arco

#7        Food — Abruzzo is well-known for its unique cuisine. Lamb from the mountains and fish from the sea. Home-made pastas and sheep’s cheese and I’m getting hungry just writing this. Here are a few things you shouldn’t miss: spaghetti alla chitarra . . . prosciutto di cinghiale . . . scamorze . . . salame di fegato dolce (or fegato pazzo) . . . agnello al cotturo . . . pasta e lenticchie . .. risotto alla zafferano. I could go on. Two restaurants that we frequented (I’m sure there are more good ones) were Hostaria dell’Arco on Via M.D’Eramo and Il Vecchio Muro just down the street.

#8            Celestinian Abbey/Hermitage in Badia— Just a few miles from Sulmona, in Badia Morronese, sits the

Sulmona, aqueduct from P. Garibaldi

Celestinian Abbey, founded by the Italian Pope Celestino V. He abdicated after few months and was charged by the poet Dante with cowardice. But things weren’t so black-and-white back then, I’m sure. The abbey was damaged by a strong earthquake in 1706, and over the years has been a boarding school, a home hospice and a prison. Today, it is part of the complex where our friend Novelia is an English-speaking guide (that’s how we met) and her pride in the place and its history is palpable. Find out all about Celestino’s peregrinations around the area in his search for spiritual peace and quiet and marvel at the remains of the abbey in the present day.

#9        The Joust —This spectacle was a regular feature in the Middle Ages until 1643, when it was finally abolished. If you’ve ever seen the palio (horse race) in Siena or Ferrara or any of a number of other Italian cities, you’ll appreciate the kind of medieval splendor that these events evoke. The Joust has been restored to Sulmona only in the last few decades, and offers a wealth of historical reenactments and over 500 characters in costume. Today the celebrated Giostra Cavalleresca (a “competition” among the seven regional borghi and sestrieri) takes place in the last week in July, with horses, captains in armor and duels a plenty!

#10            Location, location, location — Because you can make all kinds of side trips while you’re based in Sulmona. Visit Scanno, a little to the south, for its resort lake and shops selling traditional gold filigree jewelry. Go up the mountains from Scanno to Azienda Agricola Rotolo Gregorio  — the  Bioagriturismo Valle Scannese. The drive is spectacular and if you call ahead for food, you’ll get a great meal! Drive north to L’Acquila, the capital of Abruzzo. Reconstruction is slow since the 2009 earthquake, but it’s worth seeing. There are two museums there (San Giuliano Museum of Natural Science and Museo Nazionale d’Abruzzo) and a nearby village, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, known for its black lentils. Lured by the sea? Head for the town of Chieti, a former Roman municipality, or to the tiny historical section of Pescara for a fantastic meal at La Cantina di Jozz. Finally, if you like the mountains, remember that you’re right near the Gran Sasso Mountains, where skiing is popular. Or you can go to Pescasseroli & Abruzzo National Park to check out the nature reserve and those furry wild animals.

I’ve left so much out, but I hope this gives you a taste of the region. So rent a car and get a map and go have an Abruzzese adventure. And be sure to say Ciao! to Novelia for me!

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

They say life’s what happens when you’re busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you’re waiting for a table. — Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw

Sabrett's on Fifth

For those who don’t know, I’m a native New Yorker. Father born and raised in Brooklyn. Maternal grandmother born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen. I grew up about 30 minutes away in the suburbs, but always in the shadow of the Big Apple. We went there as a family for theatre, for dinners, for new movies. We went to visit the relatives in Brooklyn and Queens and sometimes venture up to the Bronx Zoo. As a teenager and young adult, I took the LIRR as much as possible to experience Greenwich Village, the Fillmore East, Broadway and Off-Broadway.

Home of the Rockettes

I had moved upstate for college, but when I graduated, I moved right back. First to Park Slope when it was still shaking off the SROs from the end of WWII and before it was the high rent district it is today. Then I made it across the bridge to what I called “the real city.” I stayed for more than a dozen years and then decided that I had to move to Vermont. Change of pace, that sort of thing. Hug trees. Find a more affordable lifestyle. Maybe meet a college English professor, get married and grow my hair along with the organic vegetables. Well, that part didn’t happen, but I did meet my husband because of Vermont. It’s a long story. Irony? We met at the New York Hilton Hotel, both attending an event put on by the Harvard Business School Club. Neither of us had attended Harvard; it was just fate.

Just below 30 Rock

But I digress.

I recently spent four days back in New York to attend the NY Times Travel Show. Good to be surrounded by other travel nuts and especially good to meet some of my Italophile friends who I’d been getting to know on Facebook and Twitter over the last two years. Sure, New York has changed. Restaurants come and go and there’s as much Italian signage on Madison Avenue now as there is on Via della Spiga. But New York is still New York: exciting, industrious, raunchy, artsy, overpriced, entrepreneurial, historic, trendy, neighborhoody, welcoming, dangerous, surprising, familiar, smelly, exhilarating — everything all at once.

Graybar/GCT rats!

I took some pictures this time and am sharing them here with you. Some iconic ones — Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, a Sabrett’s hot dog stand. Some that just tickled me. And a favorite that many New Yorkers miss as they rush into and out of Grand Central Station each day: the three metal rats climbing up the metal ropes just below the rat guards of the Graybar Building at 43^rd and Lex. Then there’s a shot I ran out of my favorite breakfast place in town (Café Un Deux Trois) to take: a seafood catering truck for a company called Meat Without Feet. Part of the Citarella food mecca, it’s one of the biggest players in the Fulton Fish Market scene and it just made me smile.

Meat Without Feet made me smile

Hope you enjoy these little images of my New York. God, I miss this place!

Buttons at Mood. Thank you, Mood!

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

I cannot make this stuff up. — Linda Jenkins

You’ve gotta love those wacky Brits!

As I sat down with my nice cuppa this afternoon to read the latest issue of one of my industry newsletters, I was stopped by a headline that read, “ Stranger events in England UK.” Of course I read. And I still have no idea what a “conker” is.

Without further ado, here are the upcoming events for your 2012 travel planning pleasure. Please let me know if you attend one!

Coal Carrying , Ossett, West Yorkshire

9 April 2012

Held each year on Easter Monday, the World Coal Carrying Contest is a test of strength and stamina in which participants carry 50kg (men) or 20kg (women) of coal over a mile-long uphill course.

The contest dates back to 1963.

Visit : www.gawthorpe.ndo.co.uk/coal.htm

The Olimpicks, Dover’s Hill, near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire

1 June 2012

Started by local barrister Captain Robert Dover in 1612, the annual Cotswold Olimpicks attracts thousands of spectators and features some well-known countryside games such as tug-of-war, obstacle races and wrestling as well as a few stranger events — including shin-kicking.

The two contestants first fill their trouser legs with straw — to help reduce the pain — before holding one another’s arms and kicking each other wearing steel toe-capped boots.

This year marks the Olimpicks’ 400th anniversary.

Visit : www.olimpickgames.co.uk

Cheese Rolling, Brockworth, Gloucestershire

4 June 2012

This annual event involves daredevils hurling themselves down the steep, grassy slopes in pursuit of Double Gloucester cheeses. The race starts with the master of ceremonies rolling a 4kg Double Gloucester cheese down the hill. On the whistle, competitors run, roll and somersault down the hill after it.

The event dates back to medieval times and is popular with international competitors.

Visit :  http://www.cheese-rolling.co.uk/

Egg Throwing, Helpringham & Swaton, Lincolnshire

24 June 2012

In the annual World Egg Throwing Championships, contestants must construct a gravity-powered egghurling device to launch an egg to a waiting team member. To achieve points, the team member must either catch the egg unbroken or get struck by the egg. As the egg can be traveling at speeds of up to 120 mph this is particularly tricky and can be painful.

Distances to be achieved start at 30 meters but can be extended up to 150 in the knock out competition.

Visit :  http://www.eggthrowing.com/

Pea Shooting, Witcham, Cambridgeshire

14 July 2012

This international event brings challengers from as far as New Zealand and the USA to compete for the World Pea Shooting trophy. Accuracy, not distance, is the aim of this competition, with contestants shooting a pea through a 12-inch tube, 12 feet towards a 12-inch target.

Visit : www.eastcambs.gov.uk/tourism

Toe Wrestling, Fenny Bentley, Ashbourne, Kent

25 August 2012,

Each August the Bentley Brook Inn in Derbyshire hosts the Ben & Jerry’s World Toe Wrestling Championship. Competitors locked their big toes together, and attempted to force their opponent’s foot to the ground.

The organisers applied (unsuccessfully) in 1997 for its inclusion in the Olympic Games.

Visit : www.bentleybrookinn.co.uk.

Gravy Wrestling, the Rose & Bowl Inn, Bacup, Rossendale, Lancashire

27 August 2012

The World Gravy Wrestling Championships take place annually as part of the Pennine Lancashire Festival of Food & Culture. Teams slide around in lukewarm gravy and attempt to wrestle one another to the ground. Team members win points for pinning the opposition down in the gravy.

Visit: http://www.worldgravywrestling.com/

Black Pudding Throwing, Royal Oak, Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, Lancashire

9 September 2012

Lancashire is known for the production of black pudding along with tripe (cow’s stomach) and elder (steamed cows’ udder). The aim is to throw a black pudding that has been wrapped in a pair of ladies tights at a collection of Yorkshire puddings on a plinth 20 feet up a tower built in the middle of the main street in Ramsbottom.

Visit : http://www.ramsbottomonline.com/

The World Conker Championships, Ashton, near Oundle, Peterborough

14 October 2012

The World Conker Championships are held each year on the village green in Ashton, Peterborough and attract over 300 competitors attempting to become the King or Queen of Conkers. There are various categories for the knockout competition – ladies, men, teenagers and children.

Visit : www.worldconkerchampionships.com

Contact: Yolanda Copes-Stepney at yolanda.copes-stepney@visitengland.org.

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

Open my heart and you will see/’Graved inside of it, “Italy.”  — Robert Browning

Having visited several far flung destinations around the world in 2011, our guest blogger Matthew Nunn is now focused on exploring nearer home in Europe. His next blogging targets will be his Sardinia holidays and a few other islands dotted around the Mediterranean. Matthew also helps to run Total Travel Blog out of the UK. Read what he has to say about four of the more magnificent piazzas in Italy. And if you have another one to share, please do!

Italians are known for their beautiful and famous architecture, and nowhere do they flaunt this better than in their piazzas. A piazza is known as a town square, despite the fact that many of them don’t actually achieve this square shape. They serve as the epicenter of Mediterranean life, enabled by the warm weather, a fondness for al fresco dining and an appreciation of taking life slow and gently.

Strolling down to the piazza is a common past time, but this hasn’t stopped many of them morphing into some of the most dramatically breathtaking city destinations around the globe.  A trip to Italy without visiting these areas in your chosen destination is virtually impossible, but if you want to go all out and see the finest on offer, then I recommend the following four piazzas, each famous for their own reasons.

Piazza San Pietro, Vatican, Rome

St. Peter's Square c. Matthew D Nunn

Also known as St. Peter’s Square, the first thing that hits you about this piazza is its size and grandeur. The Romans have gone all out here, with a range of shapes, styles and features on display that can have you wandering around for ages. The Elliptical area of the piazza features the renowned Obelisk, which being red granite and with bronze features, is surprisingly colorful for such a structure. The Enveloping Colonnades are four deep, allowing you to wind your way around and in and out of the sunlight.

Many people come here for the opportunity to see the Pope, which can generate crowds in the thousands. If you prefer a more subdued stroll, then avoid such events and take in the walk up to St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most amazing churches in the world, in your own time.  A visit inside is a must, as this is an example of the finest architecture the Catholic Church has to offer and has been touched upon by masters such as Michelangelo, with the added bonus that entry is free.

St. Peter's Basilica c. Matthew D Nunn

There are also a number of interesting additional features – first, a spot in the Ellipse creates an optical illusion as the fourdeep row of colonnades appear as a single row. Next, the spot where Pope John Paul ll was shot is also marked with a red square.

The Piazza Navona, Rome

The Piazza Navona brings together all the classic ingredients of an Italian Piazza: a church, an obelisk, a palace and numerous fountains, most famously the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, (The Fountain of the Four Rivers). There is plenty to feast your eyes upon here. The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is rich in imagery, with four river god statues underpinning an Egyptian obelisk, making it easy to see why it’s such a popular spot for tourist snaps.  The square also reveals the typical habit of Italians to constantly tinker with their public spaces, and many features (such as the Statue of Neptune) were added as late as the 19^th Century.

This is also one for the street artist fans, as many entertainers and artists ply their trade in the light hustle and bustle created by the al fresco dining scene.

Piazza Del Campo, Siena

Sienna's Piazza del Campo — Photo by PhillipC

Moving away from Rome, the distinct Piazza Del Campo is a powerful feature of Siena, a city known for retaining its medieval flavor. A tourist destination in its own right, it adds an additional draw to Sienna and the wider Tuscany region that has long been popular with holiday makers, and more historically travelers during the Renaissance period! What lifts this square above the traditional strengths of piazzas is the horse race, the Palio di Siena, which brings the square alive every July 2 and August 16. Watching this is like stepping back to medieval time, and much effort is put into maintaining the character of the occasion.

Aside from this, on a normal day the reserved yet intricate Fonte Gaia adds the traditional fountain to the square and the Torre del Mangia tower completes the scene, making this a fantastic medieval destination devoid of any modern intrusions.

St. Mark’s Square, Venice

What’s brilliantly fascinating about St. Mark’s Square is that it reflects much of Venice’s varied and colorful history. From times of power when the Venetian empire ransacked goods and treasures from all corners of its influence, to periods of its own subordination, particularly under Napoleon, the face of the square tells a million stories.

Particular favorites include St. Mark’s Basilica, which has many features from foreign lands older than the building itself. The Triumphal Quadriga, a set of bronze horses, are one such example and were pillaged from Constantinople by the Venetians, only to be then looted by Napoleon and sent to Paris.  Napoleon was known to take a distinct liking to the square, calling it the Drawing Room of Europe. The four horses were subsequently returned to Venice, however, and are back sitting outside the Basilica.

The Clock Tower tells its own story as well. Reputedly over 1000 years old, it collapsed in the early 20^th century, and is now today standing as a replica. Thankfully, it was rebuilt in the same image, which sits justifiably in a prominent position in the square.

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

Cooking — and eating — our way through the fabulous food region of Abruzzo

Figs in the city

I’ve always said that there’s a whole lot of Italy to explore beyond the tourist triumvirate of Rome, Florence and Venice. Seeing those parts of the country that are traditionally overlooked by American travelers was our goal last year, so we headed first for the central Abruzzo region and then went north to the border of Abruzzo and Le Marche. We’d heard about the rich culinary traditions here, and wanted to see for ourselves. How better than to drop ourselves into the middle of (American tourist) nowhere and sign up for a cooking class?

After spending a few days in the Abruzzese city of Sulmona — most famous for its confetti, those candy covered almonds central to all kinds of Italian celebrations — we drove north, first to L’Acquila to assess the earthquake damage and then to the Hotel Zunica, which would be home for three nights.

Set in the town of Civitella del Tronto (named for the river Tronto) the Hotel Zunica sits among the majestic Gran Sasso mountains and (from the right rooms) offers commanding views of the Adriatic Sea. The approach to this walled fortress city is simply breathtaking, through hairpin turns and snow-capped mountain ridges (year round). And the first view of the city, with its imposing 16^thcentury fortress — the last Bourbon fortress to surrender to the Piemontese in 1861, three days after the declaration of the Unity of Italy — provides a hint of the singular beauty and experience that lay ahead.

Civitella del Tronto, from the road below

Four generations of hospitality

Zunica bills itself as a hotel for gourmet travelers, and it is surely that. The current owner, Daniele, is the fourth generation of Zunicas to offer an elegant, welcoming place for travelers who are seriously interested in learning about the fine regional cuisine. He and his able manager, Maurizio Neri, lead a young and energetic team of chefs who maintain the old traditions and experiment with new ways to match food with technique and presentation. In fact, the restaurant’s kitchen is something of a workshop, where local families still come and share recipes with the young staff.

Our cooking class was a fine example of that, as we took our turn at the ancient, painstaking art of making pasta alla chitarra (flattened dough rolled over a device resembling guitar strings) from scratch and took part in the preparation of a fine ragu, made from local veal, lamb and pork. The cooking class was preceded by visits to a nearby olive oil mill and winery, where we sampled and were feted with local porchetta, pecorino and fava beans, fresh from the garden.

Savor the Abruzzese way

Making the pasta

At Hotel Zunica the menu changes according to the season, but all the pastas, breads and cakes are hand made, all the meats are locally produced and all the herbs and vegetables are grown nearby on small organic farms. Of course, Abruzzo is known around the world now for its fine pastas (De Cecco brand), olive oils and wine (especially the deep red Montepulciano and the delightful white Trebbiano). But this is also saffron country. And truffle country. And it has cheeses and salamis and legumes to please every palate, and seafood from the nearby Adriatic. Local women still make the traditional ceppe and chitarra pastas for the restaurant using the old methods. And when a platter of perfectly cooked two-inch-thick sizzling T-bone steaks is placed on the table, it’s about as good as it gets.

Civitella del Tronto is included among the “Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” and dates back to the year 1000. Our guide, Danilo, toured us through the winding streets to La Ruetta, the narrowest street in all of Italy, and spent a great deal of time with us at the fortress, explaining the history of the place and walking its formidable walls.

Everybody loves the "pausa"

If you’re looking for a very comfortable hotel in a place of unparalleled beauty that will provide a unique food experience — with a measure of history thrown in — you can do no better than Hotel Zunica. My thanks to Mario Scalzi at Parker Villas for suggesting this trip. If you’d like to get the kind of experience we had with cooking classes and tours, contact Parker Villas and ask about the Abbonndanza Abruzzese Cooking Tour. Visit Parker’s website or call 1.800.280.2811 for details.

To visit Abruzzo from the States, you’ll most likely fly into Rome and drive the 200 km from Fiumicino airport to Civitella del Tronto. But you can shorten the drive if you fly into either Pescara (70 km) or Ancona (100 km) from a connecting European flight. You’ll want to drive — this is gorgeous country and unlike anything you’ve seen if you’ve only been to Rome, Florence or Venice. Trust me. Abruzzo is unforgettable and you’ll want to see as much of it as you can. And you’ll want to eat!

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

No matter how far we travel, the memories will follow in the baggage car. — August Strindberg, Miss Julie

Creepy fact? Tim’s father, whom I never met, died on my birthday. My mother, whom Tim never met, died on his birthday. So each year, August 8 and February 6 come and go with very mixed emotions.

What does this have to do with travel? Not much, really. Or does it? Isn’t memory a form of travel — of going back to revisit (sometimes, whether we want to or not) places we’ve been, people we’ve known, dumb things we’ve done and good things we probably should have done. I think so.

And sometimes these infernal “trips down memory lane,” as they’re snidely called, exhaust me more than a ten-hour flight with three connections.

As I approach the date of my mother’s death, I’ve started thinking about all things Dorothy. The Wizard of Oz, certainly.  The late Bea Arthur’s irrepressible character on Golden Girls.  And, maybe most of all, Marvin Bell’s ecstatically romantic love poem, “To Dorothy.”

I first came upon Marvin Bell, who taught for many years at the prestigious and downright scary Iowa Writers’ Workshop, during  my three summers at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference in  Middlebury, Vermont. He was my manuscript advisor one year, and I still remember his kindness.

He read each summer, and each time he read this particular poem. He apparently reads it at every reading he gives, whether Dorothy is present or not. It is the ultimate expression of love and I share it with you here, in memory of my mother, Dorothy.

To Dorothy

You are not beautiful, exactly.

You are beautiful, inexactly.

You let a weed grow by the mulberry

And a mulberry grow by the house.

So close, in the personal quiet

Of a windy night, it brushes the wall

And sweeps away the day till we sleep.

A child said it, and it seemed true:

“Things that are lost are all equal.”

But it isn’t true. If I lost you,

The air wouldn’t move, nor the tree grow.

Someone would pull the weed, my flower.

The quiet wouldn’t be yours. If I lost you,

I’d have to ask the grass to let me sleep.

— Marvin Bell, New and Selected Poems, 1987, Atheneum

Buon viaggio, Mom.

Buon viaggio a tutti.

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

Here’s an oldie but a goodie. Did La Befana come to your house this year? Now it’s time to take down the tree in the Dini-Jenkins house . . . Buon Anno a tutti!

Christmas table happiness

When I was a kid, we celebrated Christmas on December 25. Santa Claus came down the chimney (I never knew how he got into our fireplace-less house) the night before and, since I was an only child, I awoke to boxes and boxes of joy. I loved it. And around 2:00 we ate the typical Italian-American Christmas uber-dinner: turkey with all the trimmings, lasagna and sauce (never “gravy” in my house, always sauce) that my father had slaved over for two days, an American fruit pie of some kind — and cannoli. And then my English-Irish mother, who would drive miles away to the only bakery she could find that made miniature Italian pastries, would bring out a tray of  yummy rummy babas, eclairs, napoleans, cream puffs, sfogliatelle, ricotta tarts, nut horns and more. I just gained five pounds writing these things down. My grandfather would enjoy his whiskey-laced black coffee with two teaspoons of sugar, and all was right with the world.

But at some point during the festivities, my Italian family always mentioned “Little Christmas” in the Old Country, their voices a little wistful and their eyes a little misty. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it always came up. Years later, I realized that this January 6 event was the “Twelfth Night” that Shakespeare wrote about. The Twelfth Day of Christmas. And years after that I put it together that Little Christmas was Twelfth Night was the Feast of Epiphany in the Christian calendar. The feast celebrating the arrival (finally!) of the Three Wise Men to the manger. So what? Well, in Italy — especially in the poverty-stricken southern part of Italy where my grandparents came from — there is a Christmas legend about all of this. The Legend of La Befana.

My beautiful Deruta ornament

Today, Babbo Natale comes on Christmas Eve and does his happy-making work. But in the days of my grandfather’s generation, Italian kids mostly got their chance at some goodies on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. That’s when La Befana, an ugly old witchy-looking woman, would board her broomstick and visit the homes where children lived.

Legend has it that the Three Wise Men who were following the star, looking for the baby Jesus, stopped at the old woman’s house while she was cleaning. They asked for food and water and a place to stay, and also asked if she would like to join them on their quest for the new King. Suspicious, she said “no,” making an excuse about having too much work to do. They left, and very soon she felt a twinge of regret. Perhaps she should have followed them after all. She gathered up some meager gifts and ran out of the house in search of the men, but to no avail. She could not find them anywhere, even though she was trying to follow the star they’d told her about.

Realizing the opportunity that she had probably missed, the old woman flies on her broomstick to this day, all over the countryside, visiting homes with children and filling their stockings with gifts. Oranges, candy, cakes, nuts and small toys… for the good children. The naughty children get lumps of coal. (My parents actually did this to me once and it has scarred me for more than 50 years . . . but I digress.) She still flies because she is still looking for the Christ Child, and seeks it in the face of every child she meets. And children still hang up their stockings on January 5 and still sing songs to La Befana (from Epifania, Italian for Epiphany) the good witch of Italy.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Italy during the holidays, you’re likely to see a Befana toy fair or two. There’s a huge one in Piazza Navona in Rome, where stall after stall tempts browsers with candy and toys (even chunks of black sugar made to look like coal). And children leave letters to La Befana in a manger, telling her what they’d like her to bring.

Leave it to us Italians to figure out how to get a double dose of holiday gatherings, giftings and mealtimes in a single twelve-day period! What about you? Any “Befana” stories to tell? How was Little Christmas celebrated inyour Italian family?

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

Iceland is surprising, sophisticated and a great jumping off point for your European travels.

Picture an island the size of Kentucky. Then add about 300,000 people and put 200,000 of them in the capital city. Make the people outside the city rugged farmers and. Throw in a long tradition of storytelling (sagas) and a history of rough sea voyages, Viking settlements and bloody battles. Don’t forget to add more active volcanoes than anywhere else on earth, a few huge glaciers and geysers and spectacular waterfalls that drop several hundred feet from lava cliffs. Sprinkle in the many geothermal spas that dot the landscape (and go a long way towards powering the island). There. You’ve got it. Welcome to Iceland.

The iconic Blue Lagoon at 10:00 a.m.

A quick five-and-a-half hour flight from Washington, D.C., Iceland is a land of stark contrasts. In Reykjavik, you’ll find a young, modern city where the partying and music scene go on into the wee hours. But outside the city, it’s a land where sheep, cattle and small horses graze contentedly and where its lava-encrusted countryside looks like a lichen-laced lunar landscape. Every turn on Highway 1, the ring road completed in 1974, takes your breath away.

Whether you’re into history and museums, spa rejuvenation, skiing, whale and puffin watching, ice climbing, horseback riding, rafting on glacial rivers or simply enjoying a steaming cup of swiss mokka and shopping in a vibrant and sophisticated European city, Iceland has something to offer. World-class entertainment came to Reykjavik this year, too, with the opening of the new Harpa Concert Hall on the harbor. And while Icelandic is the official language — not dissimilar to what the Vikings spoke when they arrived 1,000 years ago — most city folks speak better English than we do.

Gullfoss ("Golden") Falls

I confess I’d heard horror stories about meals of boiled sheep’s head, fermented shark meat and smoked puffin. But while those might be available, Iceland is known today for its small, delicious lobsters, lobster soup, Arctic Charr and home-grown lamb. The Icelanders also use greenhouse technology to create an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables — even bananas. And the array of yogurt (skyr) at our breakfast buffet each morning was stunning. But while Icelanders are fabulously proud of their local cuisine, they are also nuts about burgers, ice cream and their own version of hot dogs (pylsurs), made with red sausage and served with “the works.”

What to do in Iceland? First, make a stop at the Blue Lagoon and experience geothermal bliss in mineral-rich water that ranges from 98º – 102º F. You can also book a variety of spa treatments, but you may never want to leave the lagoon itself. Then take the famous Golden Circle Tour and see the Gullfoss (“Golden”) Falls, which tumbles 32 meters into a stunning double cascade. You’ll also see the Geysir hot springs in the Haukadular geothermal field — Strokkur was very accommodating, going off as scheduled every 5 minutes or so. Then go see the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thingvellir National Park, long the site of the Alpingi, or Viking parliament. Right there also sits the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where Europe and America drift apart — causing many of the earthquakes in the region. Continue on to the South Shore, where you’ll see glaciers and pass by Katla, the volcano geologists expect to blow very soon. You can even stop by the Thorvaldseyri farm that had to evacuate during Eyjafjallajökull’s infamous 2010 eruption, stalling international air traffic for days. And this is just the beginning.

Strokkur Geysir erupting -- right on time

An added feature to visiting Iceland is that you can book a flight into Keflavik Airport, spend up to seven nights in the capital city and then go on to one of several European destinations with no penalty charges. Check out the stopover booking engine on Icelandair’s website for more details. For me, Iceland was a revelation and I’m looking forward to going back.

IF YOU GO . . .

Icelandair flies direct to Keflavik from Dulles Airport, but you can also depart from Richmond and go through JFK. Check out the “extras” on the website (www.icelandair.co.uk) and plan your own tour or look for all-inclusive tour operators.

If you’re a stargazer and want to try for the Aurora Borealis, I recommend traveling with MWT Associates (www.melitatrips.com. Look for the Northern Lights and Lava Fields Tour. Conditions weren’t right the week we went, but the skies are breathtaking nonetheless.

We stayed in the Grand Hotel Reykjavik, on the outskirts of town. The staff was friendly and accommodations were comfortable (www.grand.is). But to be right in town, consider the Hotel Centrum (www.hotelcentrum.is) or the Radisson Blu 1919 (www.radissonblu.com/1919hotel-reykjavik). And Icelandair is opening up its own city center hotel in March 2012, the Reykjavik Marina (http://icelandairhotels.com/news/icelandair-hotel-reykjavik-marina-open-central-reykjavik).

Rainbow over the lava fields

For good eats, don’t miss the Fish Company (www.fishcompany.is/English) and, if you have time, order its eye-opening “Around Iceland” menu. It’s four courses of iconic fish, lamb and yogurt dishes from all parts of the island. For something more casual, stop in at the harborside Sea Baron/Saegreifinn (www.lvoe.ca/index.php?q=node83) and see what former fisherman and Coast Guard chef Kjartan Halldórsson is up to. Choose your order from the case up front — don’t forget the lobster soup — and pay at the cashier. Sit on the little wooden stools and your meal will be brought to you. There’s nothing like it. And if you can plan ahead, don’t miss an experience at Idnó, right next to the City Pond (www.idno.is/english.html).  It’s one of Reykjavik’s most historic buildings and now hosts both a restaurant and theatre. It’s the perfect place for a very special evening.

You’ll probably hear more from me in the future about this beautiful and inspiring place. But for now, please accept my warmest wishes for a light-filled Happy Hannukah and a very Merry Christmas!

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…

On packing: Lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then, take half the clothes and twice the money. — Susan Butler Anderson

‘Tis the season! If you’re planning to travel in the next few weeks, be sure to heed the words of our guest blogger, Holly Miller, a writer for Coupon Croc in the UK. Book your next vacation online and save with the latest discounts and promotions at CouponCroc.co.uk.

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

As travel plans solidify for the holiday season, you’ve probably already purchased your plane ticket, grabbing the early bird’s discount — but have you remembered the new weight tariff on airplanes? Airlines are charging considerable sums for baggage that is overweight — sometimes $50 or more per bag. Pack light this holiday season, and leave the stress behind.

Limit Bulky Clothing

Pack sweaters, for instance, that you can wear with several outfits and limit the weight you add by taking six sweaters when two or three will do instead. Remember: You’ll probably be wearing one of them on the flight.

Silk long johns are often warmer than the thicker cotton ones, and they certainly weigh less. Consider those instead of the old-fashioned type we wore as kids.

Do you really need five pairs of shoes? If you’re planning a night out while you’re away from home, take one pair of dressy shoes. If you’re planning on more than one night out, take one pair of dressy shoes that coordinates with each outfit you pack.

Recycle

For a week’s vacation, you truly do not need six extra pairs of jeans. Denim weighs a lot, and you probably don’t need more than three pairs total. Wearing a pair of jeans more than one day happens considerably more often than people might tell you, and it’s perfectly acceptable to do so.

Besides, you can throw a load or two of clothes in the washer while you’re away. Machines do work in most places — really. You don’t have to pack laundry detergent. They’re expensive per unit, but buying a small box of laundry detergent in a laundry mat costs far less than a weight tariff tacked onto the price of your flight travel — each way.

Ship Excess

If you’re bringing items for others either on your way to your destination or back home, consider the very reasonable rates the US Postal Service charges in their “any weight” Priority postage plan: So long as it fits in the box, you pay only a flat fee for mailing the box to a domestic address.

Often, that postage is far less than a weight tariff, and with prior arrangements, hotels may accept packages on your behalf if you have reservations there. Don’t forget that you can mail things back to yourself, as well.

Load up on souvenirs and other purchases if you wish, but be clear about how you’ll get them home before you buy. Just think outside the suitcase!

Ignore Holly's advice at your own peril!

Summary 

Airplane tickets cost enough to begin with. Don’t add to your travel costs by incurring weight tariffs with overweight bags. Pack only what you truly need; plan on recycling your clothing, and ship to yourself any excess.

Remember: This holiday season, your luggage is on a diet!

Buon viaggio!

Linda Dini Jenkins

Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…