Backstory

Our nest is empty. A joy-filled seasonal gig teaching Florida history to kids leaves me plenty of time for solo travel. My son needs me like young adults still need their mom, mostly for companionship and guidance. Mark and I have pondered how to navigate our changing needs as a couple. He with his preference for shorter travel and I with my interest in longer, immersive nature experiences.

I imagine myself as Goldilocks with her porridge; one path feels too hot, the other too cold. Changes at age sixty with an aging body and mind come more slowly than in the younger years. I relish my hard-won contentment after a lifetime of uprooting unhelpful childhood conditioning. And yet, I feel this crone life stage is as important as those that have come before. I’m reminded of something our fabulous new democratic VP candidate Tim Walz says, “we’ll sleep when we die, there are campaigns to win.”

This summer, I nailed it. The “it” was figuring out how to meet changing priorities after 30 years of marriage. I’ve got the itch to explore. For the third summer since I turned 60, I’ve taken month-long solo camping road trips with Cleo, my pup. It’s such a pleasure to escape Florida’s summer heat and have time to myself for context-rich, nature-oriented travel. And yet, I’ve discovered this summer that the fast-paced travel of cruising has its place in our lives. The two trips, so very different in style and substance, were invigorating.

I can’t say I was all that interested in taking a cruise. Ambivalence would be the best word to describe my feelings. Cruising, to me, is environmentally bad. It’s really, really wasteful and filled with luxuries I never experienced as the child of a single mother. However, we needed something as a couple that would meet Mark’s need for a short, interesting adventure.

This summer’s travels, including solo camping and a cruise, have added up to a perfect combination. I’ve returned home ready to make a few changes and interested in my future.

Cruising

A friend recommended Windstar Cruises as a better alternative to the humongous cruise ships. I didn’t think much about it during the preparation phase and remained focused on my summer solo camping trip. Friends assured me I’d have a great time on the cruise. But I was skeptical. Mark did all the planning for what turned out to be an extraordinary European coastal city cruise.

I continue to struggle with participating in such environmentally damaging travel and am exploring options. Havila Voyages looks particularly attractive with its battery-powered ships and low food waste practices. Hurtigruten Voyages is another option for cruise travel that has less environmental impact.

Arriving in Rome

Jetlagged from our 12-hour journey from Tampa, we found our way to the Sant’Ivo Apartment in Rome’s Pantheon nighborhood. We had three days to adjust to the time change and see a bit of the city before boarding our cruise ship. Although the apartment was spacious, the lack of a hotel concierge to help us get oriented was frustrating. I was fatigued, irritable, and whiney as a five-year-old. Mark, like a good husband, figured out I needed a massage. After having no luck making a phone reservation, Mark suggested we walk to the Thai massage parlor only a few blocks away. When we arrived, we opened the door and discovered several women sitting in the reception area waiting for the next client. Sixty minutes later I returned to Mark as a mature, enlightened woman. My love affair with Thai massage is in full bloom.

After our first night at the apartment, the electricity went out throughout the building. We waited all afternoon for a response from the staff. Concerned about being stuck in a hot apartment the remaining two nights of our stay, we booked a room at the beautiful Hotel Residenza with a fabulous breakfast included. The hotel was near the Campo Fioro market and next to the French Embassy. The Tiber River was only a 10-minute walk away. It was perfection.

Private Tour of Rome

A friend reminded me that July was the most awful month of the year to be in Rome, her favorite city. Her warnings returned to me as we walked the city making our way in the oppressive heat and large crowds. Our solution was to hire Sandro, a Rome native, for a four-hour whirlwind city tour in his air-conditioned car.

We briefly visited all these places in one afternoon thanks to Sandro’s intimate knowledge of the city: Popolo (Peoples) Square, Pantheon, Spanish Steps/piazza/Pincio Hill, Aventino Hill, Circus Maximus, Appian way, Catacombs, Cecilia Metella Tombstone (Appian way), Colosseum hill, Arc Costantino, Roman aqueduct, Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, Tiber River, Ponte Sisto, Castello San Angelo, Janicolo hill, Garibaldi piazza, Tiberina island, Jewish Ghetto, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Farnese, Testaccio, Villa Borgese, Via Veneto “la dolce vita”, Via nazionale & Najadi fountain, The Hole of Maltas knights, the Pyramid, and Aurelian wall.

If you’re planning a trip to Rome and would like a private tour, Sandro Pagnotta is your guy. He can be reached directly at 917-291-1760. Tell him Elizabeth and Mark sent you!

Coming next: Part Two, Cruising European Coasts with port stops in Cannes and Sanary-Sur-Mer in France, Palamos in Spain, and Barcelona, Italy.