Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by Laura & Brett
Happy Thanksgiving! I spotted this big guy back on one of the wine estates we visited when we were in Bordeaux. Wonder if he is still strutting his stuff, or if life had other plans for him?

Happy Thanksgiving from Rome!

Although today is not a holiday in Italy, we have been blasted with Black Friday ads, from big electric signs in Roma Termini, on the radio in the taxi on our way over to our apartment, and on billboards down the street. Yes, they apparently celebrate Black Friday in Rome, crowds, sales and all. All I can think is we didn’t send our best.

This afternoon, we’re visiting the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palantine Hill. We signed up to take a small group tour, with no more than 18 people allowed in the group. We had a wonderful welcome yesterday from our host when we arrived at our HUGE apartment (after an easy train journey from Florence and quick taxi ride with a charming driver). We chatted for nearly an hour while he went over a map of Rome with us and suggested places we should visit and what times we should go to miss the lines. We made French toast this morning with panettone for a special breakfast – we used the traditional version of panettone, with dried fruit, but discovered there were over a dozen different varieties to choose from in the market including chocolate chip, chocolate marble, tiramisu and zuppa inglese flavors. Instead of going out to dinner like we thought, I’m going to fix chicken cordon bleu, roasted mixed vegetables, and pasta with olive oil, garlic and cheese for our Thanksgiving dinner, and instead of pie we’ll probably just enjoy another slice of panettone along with coffee for our dessert.

How thankful we are this year! While we are missing our family, we are feeling exceptionally blessed, and are so grateful for the opportunities we’ve been given, for the things we’ve been able to see and do, for our continuing good health, and for our family and friends who have supported us along the way. I’m also grateful for all of my readers, for your sticking with me through it all, and I wish you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings!

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Published by Laura & Brett

Slow traveling the world with a sense of adventure!

18 thoughts on “Happy Thanksgiving!”

  1. Happy Thanksgiving! I am so glad you are having such a great time. I have been to Rome only once for a business trip. I was able to take a hop-on, hop off tour right accross the street from my hotel for just one day. Hotel Columbus was very close to Vatican.It is a remarkable place to be sure. Have fun!

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    1. Thanks! We had a great, if tiring day yesterday. We are also very close to the Vatican (five minute walk), and because we’re still very tired and sore from yesterday’s tour we plan to only walk up to visit St. Peter’s today. There is a lot to see there though so we hope the weather will cooperate!

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  2. If you want to give Thanks, there are vesper services every evening at 6pm at the Augustin Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati..a 15 minute walk from Colosseum..Vespers with the nuns singing. Supposed to be quite lovely. Happy Thanksgiving Laura and Brett!

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    1. That does sound lovely! Yesterday was great but it was EXHAUSTING, and last night we were in bed and asleep by 8:00 p.m! Thanksgiving dinner turned into a few crackers with some cheese because we were so tired and sore(my bursitis and Brett is sick), so I’m fixing our Thanksgiving feast tonight.

      Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  3. Happy Thanksgiving! Love your blog, have been reading for YEARS. My Mom and I were in Rome for a week last month and LOVED it. One of our favorite days a little off the beaten path — a day in Testaccio/Ostiense (see the pyramid, visit the Protestant Cemetery (prettiest cemetery I’ve ever seen), check out the Testaccio market (great sandwiches at Morde e Vai,also buy food to take home!), eat at one of many many wonderful classic Italian trattorias (we had a good meal at Da Danilo), check out the Puerto Fluviale street art and visit the museum Centrale Montemartini (totally unique!) An if you are visiting the Vatican musuems, grab some pizza to go at Bonce Pizzarium, amazing and inexpensive! Also highly recommend the Aventine Hill, Orange Garden (views) and the Knights of Malta keyhole (really amazing). All of above (excluding restaurants) only cost is 10 euros to visit centrale montemartini.

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    1. Thank you! And, thanks for the interesting tips of things to do here – we like to include things that are a bit “off the beaten path” if possible. Weather permitting, we are going to try and join our host tomorrow to visit the Knight of Malta keyhole and the pyramid, cemetary and Mouth of Truth. He also highly recommended Bonci Pizzarium! Today though will be just St. Peter’s – it’s close and both of us are still recovering from yesterday’s exertions.

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  4. Happy Thanksgiving to you! Loved the gelato posts! You’ll have to come visit our tiny Alaska town some summer and try our award winning gelato shop with flavors like stawberry- rhubarb, Alaskan blueberry, and the chocolate noir sorbetto. I think the combo of lavender and Earl Grey is my absolute favorite!

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    1. Thanks! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

      I never thought gelato would be my excuse for coming to Alaska but now I want to try your town’s selection. The lavender and Early Grey sound like my kind of flavors (but Brett would definitely go for the blueberry and chocolate noir). We’ve looked at a few gelato shops here in Rome, but no new or exciting flavors so we’ve passed.

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    1. Thanks, Ellie! I hope you had a lovely holiday. We’re beginning to get excited about returning to the U.S. – can’t believe that’s happening in just 15 more days! Still, we have lots still to see and do in these remaining days: more of Rome and then Lisbon!

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  7. Maybe you got some extra tourist things to see because everyone else was shopping yesterday? Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you!
    We took the Rome to Lisbon train once. In the middle of the night they lift the train to switch wheels- the gage of the rail lines is different in Spain!
    Enjoy my favorite walking city!

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    1. We are enjoying Rome, but have been constrained by Brett having a massive head cold, and a major flare-up with the bursitis in my left hip. Thankfully crowds haven’t been too bad although they’re still here.

      We’re looking forward to Lisbon (we are flying there from Rome via Ryan Air), although I’m beginning to wonder how I will handle the hills. I have no problem going up but my left knee sure hates going downhill!

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  8. A belated Happy Thanksgiving and love that you’re in Rome. You’re firing up so many happy memories for me. 🙂 And sorry to hear we’ve exported Black Friday…that sounds about as embarrassing as McDonald’s all over the world. ha!

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    1. The Black Friday stuff really surprised us. We hadn’t seen it any other place.

      We are currently down for the count even though it’s a nice day today and we had plans to go out. Brett spiked a fever and is coughing a lot, and my head is stuffy and I have the beginnings of a sore throat. We decided to stay at home again today as we prepaid our Vatican Museum tour tomorrow and were afraid if we exert ourselves today we won’t be able to enjoy the museums tomorrow, and we have a big travel day on Wednesday. We are going to go out for dinner, but sadly that’s all today. Guess we are just going to have to come back some day!

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    1. Thanks! We are one the mend, and get better every day, but the colds are hanging in there. Brett rarely gets sick, but when he does it’s awful.

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