August 3, 019

The Uffizi Gallery and The Duomo Walk. August 3, 2019

Today is the afternoon of August 4th and I am realizing that writing the next day is not ideal for my process. I like for the day to be fresh in my mind and by 4:00 pm the next day, (which is now), I’ve already experienced quite a bit of another day, so yesterday has lots its freshness. Live and learn. Process is important.

Two mass shootings within 24 hours in the US. With an evil, stupid, small man as the president, nothing will ever change. He is on their side and nothing will change that. So, I am feeling hopeless and ashamed of my country, of the president and his evil cronies, of a country that worships guns. How do we fit all of this into our sense of well being and morality? How can we live and breathe and tolerate an entire system that allows this to continue? As a woman, I feel the men in our country want us to feel and be small and powerless. Guns are more important than woman. Abortions are harder to get than a gun. A fucking assault rifle. Who are the sinners now? How many lives are completely shattered by these reckless, homicidal, hateful individuals? I resent sharing the world with these kinds of people. It’s hard to breathe when I think of all of this. It doesn’t make me want to come home. As a Jew, we are taught from the time we can think, to never forget. If only the Jews never forget, how can the world change? There are not enough of us to make the change happen, everyone needs to make the change happen. And the change can never, ever happen as long as nationalists, racists, sexists, etc have any say in any of this. And there are so many who have the say now. I feel so sad, deep in my throat, deep in my belly, deep in my core. I am sure you feel so sad, too. The only thing we can do is keep going. Keep breathing and taking good care of our children and our loved ones. To fight and to keep going are the only choices. I see your pain. I will keep fighting with you to make change happen.

Back to the day that was yesterday, Saturday. We went to the Uffizi Gallery. It’s always a battle for me, there are so many people, so many crowds, so much inconsideration. I try my very best to soak in the Botticellis, to let them fill my heart and my brain and my soul, because they are beautiful and beauty is so important.

Halfway through the Uffizi there is a lovely, outdoor, roof-top cafe. What a nice way to have a break. We had espressos, (Mayim is now drinking espresso, decaf, of course), and a snack. We relaxed, it was so nice to chill. A beautiful view. Excellent.

Then, we spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. The crowds were too much, it felt nice to be away from people. We had dinner, pizza party! GF pizza. My review is: it was OK. Not that great. Oh well. Pizzeria Otto on Sandy has amazing GF pizza, I am not kidding. It is delicious. Then, we dropped the boys off at home and went for an evening stroll from the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio, the bridge that crosses the Arno River. So many people were out! There were lots of people French kissing on the bridge. I wanted to watch, but I was too afraid of being caught.

Then home, to bed. And now is tomorrow! I will write about today, tonight, when it is still fresh. Tired or not.

Thank you for caring about my blog, for reading it, for supporting me when I have my doubts!!! Thank you!!!

Love and miss you!!!

Love, Eden

P.S. Towards the end of today’s images, you will see a name, Giacomo Zaganelli. At the end of the Uffizi Tour, he has three videos on exhibition. They are fantastic!!! These videos show what has been very aggravating and irritating to Aaron and myself, the hordes of people photographing everything with their phones. They walk up to a piece of art, take a photo with their phone and walk away, without even looking at the art. What is this? It is absolutely absurd and it happens constantly. His videos are spot on. Excellent.

August 2, 2019

Yesterday was a wonderful, full, magical, terrific day. We started the day with a tour that was truly amazing. Sandro and Ludovica were our tour guides. Sandro is a professional wine taster and Ludovica is an Event Planner. They’ve been doing these tours because they love their city so much, they want to share it with others. Also, they brought their sweet dog, Shyra.

As you know, I am always searching for community, for connection, for people like me, for people like us. Warm, welcoming, loving people. These people are not easy to find, they are the secret gems of the world and when you come across someone like this, you have to savor them and honor them, you have to love them and feel the love, even if it’s for only one day. One meeting. When I find my people, I hold onto them and I never want to let them go. Some of these people I talk to everyday, some every other, some once a year… But I always know that the connection is there, and no matter how much time has passed, it feels like we pick up where we left off. Sandro and Ludovica are these kinds of people. Yesterday, from the first moment that I met them, they were the most welcoming, warm and kind. I would love to be friends with them forever. And maybe I will only know them for one day, and that is OK. When we come back to Florence we can meet up with them again. And you can come to Florence and meet them, too.

Sandro took us on our tour, Ludovica took the other half of the group because they were all French speakers. We went on a whirlwind tour, all over the heart of Florence. Sandro took us to places that we would never, ever have noticed. Not ever. And each place had special meaning to him, to his family, to his childhood, to his grandparents, to the city of Florence. This is the kind of tour that I was hoping for, to learn the secrets only the locals know. For me, I love traveling, but as a tourist, I feel I am always on the outside and I always want to feel like a local. I always want to talk with the people who live in the places that I visit, but more often than not, the people we interact with the most are all in the service industry. They are our servers in restaurants and cafes. Although this can be wonderful, it’s hard to create a meaningful connection this way. Sandro and Ludovica are our kinds of people, also looking for connection and they created the coolest thing, they are creating the connection. I feel inspired! I LOVE connection! How many ways can I create it in Portland?!

I am still digesting all of the things that Sandro and Ludovica shared with us. You will see from the photos, we went everywhere and there are so many stories that go along with each stop we made. We had espresso at a famously Florentine cafe. We had wine (or soda) at a wine shop that Sandro’s father went to everyday. We had ham and fried pizza dough (boys did, I had ham, eggplant and tomatoes). We went to a gorgeous showroom of fine Florentine china, the richest, most fancy dishes. We went to the Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, it was established in 1221 by Dominican monks. It smelled gorgeous. The pharmacy was sumptuous, with the furnishings also dating back to the 1200’s. Also, Sandro took us to a jeweler who specializes in miniatures.

By the end of the tour, we felt like old friends and that is my most favorite thing. I will treasure these memories. I am putting this feeling into the tiny, magical glass jar that I wear around my neck, so I can visit it whenever I want.

After the tour, we went home for lunch and a quick power nap. Then we made it to our 4:15 appointment at the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. Michelangelo’s David never disappoints, turning the corner and seeing the David at the end of the long corridor is a stunning feeling. It is so much more beautiful in person than you can ever imagine. Even the boys were impressed.

We spent as much time with David as we could before the crowds made us crazy. What do people do with all of the selfies that they take with David? Or the family photos in front of him? It never occurs to Aaron and I to stand in front of works of art and have someone take our photo. Maybe we are the weird ones? Oh, yes. I forgot, we are the weird ones.

Then we went for gelato and I had fig gelato! It was awesome!!! FIG!!!

Side note, (this is a rant, you are warned): I find sightseeing to be exhausting and frustrating. Huge group tours of 50 or so people come into the small rooms, they crowd in front of paintings, they all pull out their cell photos and raise them high, snapping photos with their phones. It is agonizing to watch. Today, a big, tall man stepped right in front of me as I was looking at a painting. A woman behind me grabbed her cell phone and walked her boobs right into my back in order to take a cell phone photo. After being pushed and smushed and stepped in front of, all I want to do is leave and not be around humans for a long time. Also, don’t even get me started on the tour group leaders of these giant groups, talking into the microphone that is connected to the ears of all the people in the group. There is so much disconnect here. The group leader does not have to make eye contact, they just walk and talk and mumble (our tour guide at the Vatican mumbled a lot) into the microphone, there is no humanity there. I much rather either be my own tour guide, or be in a small group. Enough of that!

Tonight we are going to a pizzeria! Gluten free pizza! Our airbnb host made the recommendation and the reservation for us. And tomorrow we have reservations already made as well. With my diet and my rather high expectations, finding a restaurant is a difficult and laborious process. I feel relieved that our next two dinners are planned. More often than not, we find something good, and sometimes we find that magical place with amazing food and sisters who hug and kiss us, that we will remember for a long, long time. La Botticella! We love you!!!

We’ve been hiding out in our apartment this afternoon. We are crowd weary. We went to the Uffizi Gallery today, I will blog about that tonight (or in the morning, mornings seem to be a more creative time for me than right before bed, duh).

I miss you and I love you!

Love, Eden

August 1, 2019

Leaving Orvieto with Glimpses of Florence. August 1, 2019 (iPhone photos)

Photo description: Train station, Orvieto. Our host at our airbnb recommended a restaurant that we were looking forward to going to. When we got there it was closed. The hangry members of this group were very hangry. The note, when I put it into Google Translator reads, “Closed for dinner. Domaine reopens”. A glimpse of Giotto’s tower. Interior of the restaurant where we had dinner, Osteria Pepó. It was empty because we were very late and they were closing. The Duomo. We walked and came upon this gorgeous Cathedral and Giotto’s Tower. I climbed it 16 years ago, the reward is a gorgeous 360 degree view of Florence.

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How is it that no matter how many days we plan in one place, whether it is 2 or 4 or 10, we are always ready to move on to the next city? (I say that, but it’s not entirely true. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to leave a place I love, especially a tropical place with a beach. I always cry for one full day before we leave.)

Today, I had no problem leaving Orvieto. Orvieto is a strange place. It just doesn’t feel welcoming. We love you and goodbye.

Onto Florence!

I love traveling to a new place. During the train ride, I’m so excited about going somewhere new. There are all the good bits of anticipation, it’s all new, it’s a beginning, it hasn’t started yet, so it’s not almost over. I love it. It feels like a full time. And trains are relaxing. The trip from Orvieto took almost 3 hours. We arrived at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence around 15:00, jumped in a taxi and arrived at our apartment. This apartment is amazing! It’s beautiful and the shower is awesome. I haven’t been talking about the showers that we have experienced, but not all showers are good.

Andros, Greece: Awful shower. It was hot for one minute, then ice cold for 2 minutes, hot for 1 minute, ice cold for 2 minutes, on and on. The fucking worst. Not even worth showering. Fuck those showers.

Rome: Tiniest shower ever built. Aaron couldn’t even move. Picture the scene when Buddy the Elf is showering in the North Pole. We made the boys shower there once, then not again. It wasn’t worth the agony. Also, the hot water in the kitchen would not work unless the hot water was on the in the shower. Meaning, we had to run the shower just so we could do dishes. I do not understand.

Orvieto: Great shower! YAY!

Florence: Gorgeous, luxurious, walk-in shower. Fabulous!

The boys and I went to the grocery store in Florence. It’s 1 block away. We got delicious turkey and bread. Ciopolini onions, olives. Fruit! I told you I was going to get fruit! Grapes, peaches, cherries. GF bread. I found a brand of gf bread in Europe that is delicious! I need to ask New Seasons to carry it. Udi’s and New Cascadia can go fuck themselves. We had an awesome, delicious picnic at our apartment for lunch. We will do that again tomorrow, but we will buy more meat and bread at the Mercato Centrale.

Tomorrow we have a 3 hour walking tour. It starts at 9:30. You should hear Lavi when we tell him we have to be somewhere in the morning. He is the worst. Moaning. I can’t even.

More tomorrow!

Love you and miss you!!!

Love, Eden

July 31, 2019

Ciao! Good morning! I was too far into fatigue psychosis last night to be able to write. I had to just put myself to bed.

Orvieto, the second time, is an interesting mix. I love the architecture, being in an ancient town, being surrounded by buildings that are 1,000 years old. I love the cobblestones, the handmade pottery, the gorgeous Duomo. This time I don’t hate Aaron. Last time, I remember I was miserable and feeling disconnected from Aaron. I wandered around by myself and found a payphone, used a calling card, and called Danielle back home in the States. I was so sad and worried that Aaron and I were doomed. Danielle helped cheer me up. And then I got my period. Also, this time the boys are with us, which is quite a bit different. Also, we are 16 years older and I have to wear readers.

I tried to take a walk yesterday, I did for a little, but it was too hot and a siesta made more sense.

My goal was to buy some pottery here, Orvieto is famous for their handmade and beautifully painted pottery. We bought two small pieces from a woman’s shop. (Of course I wanted a giant bowl, but how to get it home?) Her father was the artist, she is continuing his legacy. She was so kind, we had a nice chat, and I’m excited to use their beautiful art in our home.

We had an amazing lunch yesterday. This region is well known for their ham and wild boar. I had ham, polenta and grilled vegetables. It was delicious. Boys had pasta, homemade noodles. Aaron had wild boar meat sauce with pasta. Dinner was also very good. Worst ambiance, ever! But the food was surprisingly delicious. I had gf pasta with a delicious tomato sauce. Lavi’s meat sauce was meh. Aaron and Mayim had delicious pizza.

I realized this morning, I haven’t found good looking produce, so the boys have had no fruit or veggies in a long time. Mom fail!!! We we find good produce in Florence! Ugh.

I felt homesick last night. I felt sad because I didn’t feel very welcome here. And I was very tired. And the bad ambiance.

Today is a travel day. We take the train to Florence. I am excited! Tomorrow morning we have a tour. It should be good, I will let you know.

Please enjoy the photos of Orvieto! The Duomo here is absolutely stunning. The artwork. The stripes. It’s so beautiful and peaceful inside. There are two photos towards the end of the gallery of the ceiling in our apartment. I can’t get over these ceilings. We are the top apartment, so this is the underside of the 900 year old roof. These are the beams they used 900 years ago. I am stunned. I want to know the history of all of the people who lived here. 900 years worth of stories.

I miss you! Love you!

Love, Eden

July 30, 2019

Buonasera! Today was a travel day. We left our beloved neighborhood in Rome, Trastevere. We had the most wonderful time in Rome! Such a great do-over, Aaron and I both didn’t connect with Rome the first time, so I am happy that we loved it this time. We took a taxi to Termini train station in Rome, our train left at 13:00 (they use the 24-hour way of telling time here. It is hard for me). We waited for our train on Platform 2 for quite a while. We asked 4 different train station employees if we were at the right spot. 10 minutes before our train was meant to leave, finally someone told us that our platform was 2 EST, which was way the fuck down there, far, far, far away from where we waiting. We had to run! Marisa - I ran for so long and so far with my big heavy pack on! My shins were burning! Thanks coach, couldn’t have done it without you!

We made our train! With moments to spare.

We made some friend on the train. Two brothers, originally from India. One lives in Amsterdam, one lives in California. They are both in IT, like Aaron. So nice to chat and make new friends, if only for a train ride.

We made it to Orvieto. We took the funicolare up to the top of the hill town. Our apartment is amazing. It was built in 1200. Are you kidding me? I can’t wrap my mind around this. 1200! It’s a lovely apartment at the top of the building. I will make sure to take photos from our balcony.

We walked around a little bit today. We didn’t get here until 15:00, so we were all in need of some torpor time. But we did get to walk around a little and so far I don’t recognize anything. Aaron and I were here in 2003. I want to figure out where we were in 2003, to see if I remember. I know I’ll remember the Duomo. I will let you know.

Dinner was good. Not amazing, but it was very nice. We talked with a couple with a 7 month old baby. It was so nice to talk to other people!

Now it is 23:51. Mayim passed out before brushing his teeth. Lavi is tucked in. Aaron is working (boo). I am blogging. Really looking forward to getting in bed and reading my trashy novel.

Tomorrow we will relax. Have coffee. Stroll around. Shop. Down time in Orvieto.

I miss you! I love you!

Love, Eden

July 29, 2019

Our last day in Rome! We went to the Vatican. It was the Vatican. It seems like something you should do, you have to do. And then when you do it, you wish you weren’t doing it. And when you’ve done it, you wish you hadn’t. You move along the miles of museum within a sea of people. It is not enjoyable. At. All. I booked a tour for us through the Vatican. Our tour guide was horrendous. She killed all the passion, all the beauty. She was boring, flat, and she was making my life feel bad. I unplugged from her and life was better again. There were too many people to actually enjoy all of the art, and there is a tremendous amount of art in this museum. Tremendous is an understatement.

My favorite part was the room full of the gorgeous, gigantic sculptures that were originally in the Pantheon. They were stunning. (I included some of these photos in this post). Sculptures of powerful, beautiful, commanding women, goddesses. I loved them. Our tour guide skipped this room altogether. Can you believe this? Maddening! I took my time and enjoyed the room as much as I could while battling the crowds surrounding me. Some people have no bubble, no need for bubble. I need a big amount of bubble and lots of people touched me. Unacceptable.

Please enjoy the photographs of these sculptures!

We were tired and hating humanity by the end of the tour. Of course, as you know, the tour finishes in the Sistine Chapel where it is almost impossible to enjoy Michelangelo’s ceiling. It was packed, standing room only. The guards yelled “SHUSH” constantly. We took it in for a few minutes, then made our escape. It’s unfortunate, but this is how it is.

This evening we went back to our favorite restaurant, La Botticella. It is a wonderful Italian experience. The sisters/chefs/owners love my kids like crazy. They hug them and kiss them so much. It is the best. Although Mayim hates it, his cheeks get bright red. One sister said she was too shy to hug and kiss Lavi because he’s older than Mayim, Mayim’s a little kid but Lavi is big. But I told her he is the sweetest. So she did. And he is.

We dropped the boys at the apartment and had a stroll. Tonight wasn’t as bananas as previous nights, but people were still out at 11 pm. In fact, they are still out. I hear some rowdy boys outside our building right now.

Time to pack! Heading to Orvieto tomorrow!

Ciao ciao!

Love you and miss you!

Love, Eden

July 28, 2019

Scenes From a Roman Holiday. July 28, 2019

Today was our day off from our vacation. We slept in. We had coffee and snacks at a cafe. Our goals were to go to the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood and to visit the Pantheon. We did it all.

We visited the Great Synagogue of Rome, we even took the tour. The synagogue was built in the early 1900’s. It’s very pretty. Very big. The tour was quick and the museum was terrible. Very disappointing. We ate at a restaurant in the neighborhood, also meh. Oh well. We were Jews in Rome and that is alright.

Today was a rainy day, we used umbrellas. We walked around and made it to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is an amazing sight.

All in all, it was just a day in Rome. A day in Rome is a great day. Just being and not going at a fast pace to see it all is a good feeling. Just soaking it up, soaking it in, wandering and looking around.

I would like to see the Trevi Fountain without the crowd. Maybe Tuesday morning.

Tomorrow is The Vatican day.

Things I notice in Rome:

The women/girls dress fancy. All wear dresses.

Many women wear ridiculous shoes. High heels. Platforms. All of the streets are cobble stones. They are literally hobbling themselves.

Many toilets have no toilet seats. Many have no toilet paper.

The nights are for socializing and/or meat markets. We get to see many people making out. Some are very drunk.

Families with small children are part of the late-night scene.

love you. miss you.

Love, Eden

P.S. These photos were taken with my iPhone. My apologies. SWAK.

July 27, 2019

The Big Day. Tour of Palatine Hill, The Forum, and The Colosseum. July 27, 2019

Yesterday was a huge day and I am still tired. The tour started at Palatine Hill. I don’t remember exploring this area when we were here 16 years ago. I am so happy we took a tour. If you just walk around these incredible sites, everything looks ancient and interesting, but when we did this the first time, with no guide, I had no idea what I was looking at. This time, the guide brought everything to life, he was full of a tremendous amount of information that he shared with us. And it was incredible. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert, I’m sure I would get so many things wrong, but I will try. Also, I am still processing everything i learned yesterday, it was so much information!

Palatine Hill was so many things, the main thing it was, was the Emperor’s palace. There were many emperors, so I am not sure which emperor built which building. The remains are tremendous, it seems it would take hours to walk from one end of the palace to the other (I exaggerate). The baths were fascinating to learn about. Hundreds of people bathing together, but not just bathing. Exercise was extremely important. Exercising the body and the mind. All the buildings had radiant heat. They were to change temperatures of baths and steams and such very slowly, so no big heat changes. Men and women would bathe together and all of this was purely for good health and socializing. And it was all free! I love learning about this time, before Christianity. I love that they worshipped gods and goddesses. Women did not have as many rights as men, but they were allowed to bathe together, they did not have to be separate. All of these buildings were of the utmost opulence. Marble and artwork, it’s hard to imagine and so sad that everything is in ruin now.

Then the Forum. In the beginning, this area was a flood area. It was full of malaria, although they did not know then that mosquitoes were the cause. Eventually this area was drained and the Forum was built. It was the government buildings. Some temples, but no one lived here. The stones in the walkway are The Stones that Julius Caesar walked on. They are the original stones. This is amazing and it also gives me the creeps.

There is so much more, but I would have to write volumes and volumes. These are the highlights that I remember.

Then, onto the Colosseum. We booked this tour specifically so that we could go down into the underground of the Colosseum where they kept the wild animals: lions, tigers, bears, elephants, ostrich, rhinos. Also, the gladiators. I could feel the sadness, the pain, the suffering down there. It was so real to me. I still feel a deep sadness thinking of it now. The Colosseum was where people went to see people kill and to see them die. To see animals suffer and die. To watch animals eat humans. On one hand, the engineering that it took these ancient people to build the aqueducts, to build these incredibly beautiful, perfect, opulent buildings, to drain swamps, to fill the Colosseum with water - the Romans and Greek were incredible engineers, doing what we do now but with no modern technology. And the perfection they reached is astonishing. Then, these same people, so ruthless and murderous. The Roman Empire conquered most of the known world and took everyone as slaves. To be so intelligent and to lack humanity. This makes me feel crazy. And things are still the same now. How is it the some people are filled with so much compassion for others while others have none? Are we born with the ability to empathize or is it taught to us? This thinking breaks my heart into a million pieces.

The tour was long and rich. By the end, we were 100% saturated and exhausted. It was a hot day and all in all, we walked about 10 miles. There was much crankiness! Much bickering! But we made it to our apartment and relaxed. I napped. Everyone else chilled. I love siesta, you know this about me. It is essential to my well-being.

Dinner was that lovely, long, relaxed, delicious, olive-oil filled, wonderful experience. I found a restaurant near our house, literally 30 meters away, and it was fantastic. It was two sisters. One of them saw Lavi from behind and his long hair, thought he was a girl and said so. Then I said he’s a boy and she went bananas, apologizing and hugging and kissing him. The people here love children. Our meal was wonderful and felt like home-cooking. I had a glass of wine. Antipasti. Fried artichokes! And a delicious chicken dish. Aaron had ravioli. Lavi, pasta. Mayim, lasagna. We were FULL. And happy. Then, Aaron and I left the kids at home and walked around, doing the scene. What is this scene? It’s 11:00 pm and EVERYONE is out walking. Drinking. Eating. So many people! You would never, ever see that in America. I love it!

Today we have the day off from our vacation! We are relaxing. No tours. We slept in. Now we are getting ready to explore the Jewish Ghetto - the oldest Jewish community in the world! The fried artichokes are a Jewish delicacy! I just had them for the fist time last night and they are delicious! Then we will circle around to the Pantheon. We saw it at night, but it was closed. We will go in today. I’d love to see the Trevi Fountain again, maybe we will. It was so crowded when we were there. Yuck. I will let you know!

Going to get dressed and head out now.

Love you and miss you!!!!!

Love, Eden

P.S. There was a thunderstorm last night! It was so great and so creepy! I just kept thinking that I was in Rome, an ancient city, and people have been experiencing thunderstorms here for thousands and thousands of years. Julis Caesar! Augustus Caesar! Marc Anthony! Brutus! Holy shit! America is such a baby!

July 26, 2019 Later Today

First Impressions of Rome. Plus Our Tour. July 26, 2019

What a full day! Athens this morning and all of a sudden, Rome! We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant 2 minutes from here. It was very sweet, on a tiny side street, very mellow and it felt like we were in Italy, for sure. We ordered the vegetable antipasti plate, I had an insalata mista and a parmesan omelette without the parmesan. The boys all had delicious pasta dishes. We also had espresso and water with gas. It was all so lovely except when I choked on my espresso and it sounded like I was having an asthma attack. I hate when that happens. It’s frightening and embarrassing. Of course my initial reaction was to jump up from the table and walk down the street. Aaron came with me. I thought I was going to pass out. I had to use every bit of my yoga skills to maintain some calm. I was embarrassed.

Then, we wanted to walk to the market. It was hot, in the 90’s. High humidity. I totally flamed out. We turned around and came to the apartment and napped for two hours.

Then, our tour with Ribal! It was excellent! I love tours so much, I always learn things I would never have learned from a book. He took us to many famous sites. The Spanish Steps (which aren’t Spanish at all), the Trevi Fountain, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and a few more spots. (I might have spelled some of those incorrectly, my apologies, too tired to look them up). He was welcoming, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. We had gelato. All wonderful things! Thank you, Ribal!

We had dinner, I got to have gluten free pasta! The restaurant was good, not great, but a solid good.

We will be up early tomorrow. Walking to the Coliseum for our tour. We have to be there at 8:20 and it’s a 40 minute walk. Lavi is psyched about getting up so early tomorrow. That is a total lie. He’s been complaining about it. Often. How do we take the kids to Rome and not have them act like spoiled brats?

Bedtime! Sending you all my love!

Love and miss you!

Love, Eden

July 26, 2019

We are in Rome! This is the story of yesterday that I was too tired to write last night. It feels like so much has happened since we were in Andros, but not really, just a lot of traveling. The ferry to Athens. The flight to Rome. Let me backtrack…

Yesterday we woke up early to pack up and check out of our Andros house by 11:00 am. Our ferry did not leave until 18:45 (6:45) so we had all day to fill, which was wonderful, but also like ripping a band-aid off very, very slowly. I hated to leave Andros. It is such a beautiful, relaxing, lovely, dreamy place. I wish I could bottle that feeling in a tiny bottle, put a cork in it and wear it as a charm on a necklace. I could open the top whenever I wish and let that feeling out and fill me, especially during winter. Sometimes I wonder why everyone in the world does not live on a beautiful island. I wonder a lot how I can, and how I can keep traveling and traveling. Maybe I’ll be ready for home sometime, I think that day will come. For now, travel is Queen.

Back to my story of yesterday. We had a whole day to fill, the boys were exhausted from being in the sun and swimming so much at the beach, even Mayim the water sprite, didn’t want to swim anymore. We decided to visit an ancient ruin, St. Peter’s Tower. It was built in the Hellenistic time, and I don’t know much more about it. We made the tiniest hike to the tower, took in the view of the coast, took some awkward, tired, hot, family photos and got back in the car. Do you remember how on the first day we tried to get to Vitali Beach? Google maps guided us to take the goat roads, the horrible, rutted, rocky, skinny, washed out roads on the side of the mountain with a cliff on one side. We had to abandon our adventure when our tiny car couldn’t make it up the last hill. Well. We found the proper road to Vitali Beach and we tasted the sweet taste of success! We came full circle and we felt triumphant! Vitali Beach did not disappoint! Gorgeous and blue forever and ever. The waves were much bigger than the beaches we visited the days prior, but the beauty was real. And then we had to continue to peel the band-aid because it was time to head to Gavrio, where we would meet the ferry.

By the time we got to Gavrio, everyone was hangry and cranky. We grabbed a snack - another Greek salad for me. Mayim ordered a crepe with ham and cheese, but it came out as a hoagie. Not sure if she misunderstood crepe or if a ham and cheese crepe is actually a ham and cheese hoagie when you are in Greece? It will remain a mystery. There was enough food for Lavi and I to share the salad and Aaron and Mayim to share the sandwich. (Lavi’s lactose intolerance is getting bit more consistent - he’s been shying away from dairy ever since he ate that revolting waffle with 2 scoops of ice cream and regretted it all night with a tummy ache).

Then, we waited for the ferry for a while. It was a bit late. Got on the ferry and found good seats again. We were in much different spirits on this ferry ride. Going to Andros we were full of the anticipation and excitement of island life. Going home to Athens, we were tired and sad and it was late. Boo. Finally made it to Rafina, the port city, got in a taxi back to Athens and met our Airbnb host who showed us our apartment for the night, a tiny and lovely place to sleep for a few hours before we left for the airport this morning.

We got to Athens at around 10:00 and went for some dinner. Athens is spectacular at night. Everyone is out. 10:00 is early for Athenians, it seems. We tried a different restaurant and it was wonderful! I finally had a great meal in Athens! I had olives, dolmas, and stuffed tomatoes. Everything was excellent and vegan, so I could it it all! Lavi got an amazing beef stew. Aaron and Mayim got gyro, which Aaron liked, but Mayim did not. He ate some of Lavi’s beef stew and I think he would have licked the plate. The server brought the kids and Aaron a cherry drink and I had ouzo. Very good and relaxing, all of my tendons in all of my joints melted and I felt warm and full of love. Full of Athens. Sad to leave Greece. Excited to travel to Italy. All the feelings.

I slept for a few hours. Woke up at 5:30 am. Showered. Got a taxi at 6:45 am and here we are in Roma! We haven’t even ventured out yet. The restaurant we are going to for lunch opens at 12:30, which is now and we will go.

More tonight!

Miss you and love you!

Love, Eden

July 25, 2019

A View From Up High. An Hellenistic Tower. Awkward Family Photo. And - We Made It To Vitali Beach! July 25, 2019

I want to write, I really do. But, I am going to try something new tonight. It is 1:30 am. My alarm is set for 5:30 am. Flying to Rome! Excited and nervous, my normal state of being. My new something is that I am going to write in the morning. I believe I’ll have time to do so at the airport. So, sorry for the short story tonight, but I will write more!

Love you. Miss you!

And - hope you enjoy the photos. Can you believe the color palette? Ugh. Love.

Love, Eden

July 24, 2019

Beach Day, II. Lavi Knows How to Chill. Mayim Is Cold, His Lips Are Blue. July 24, 2019

I’ve got to start my writing earlier! It’s already almost 1 am. Goals for future.

Today was our last full day in Andros. I feel sad. I love it here. We spent the day at the beach again. So relaxing especially after my strawberry daiquiri.

We tried a new place for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I ordered dolmas and the first bite blew my mind! I forgot what delicious, flavorful food tasted like! It was so so delicious, how will I find such delicious dolmas in Portland? We will have to search. I think it must be an old, family recipe. I had grilled shrimp. They came with the heads again. Very interesting. Am I supposed to eat what is in the head portion? I don’t. And ew.

You should know, all Greek food comes with french fries.

Aaron is passed out next to me, snoring. Do I tell him to roll over? Maybe he’ll quiet down. Sort of distracting.

Mayim made a friend at the beach today. He’s so friendly. A sweet family, they live in Andros for the summer and live in Pennsylvania during the school year.

I must admit, I am tired and not feeling juicy in a creative way. Here is what is coming up: Tomorrow, our ferry leaves here at 18:45, so we have most of the day to explore. Then to Athens for the night. We leave for the airport very early Friday morning and head to Rome! Wow!

Sleep well. Miss you so much.

Love,

Eden

July 23, 2019

After chasing the most dreamy, idyllic beach, we found the dreamiest one today. Our Andros neighbors recommended it and I am grateful. It was absolutely stunning. I want to live here. I am an island girl. I love the island life so much.

Today we slept in, my mantra was, It’s OK, I am on vacation. We all got up around 11, Aaron made us eggs, then we headed into Batsi for coffee and beach snacks. As Aaron and I do, we found a coffee house we love. The owner is incredibly welcoming and gracious. He makes delicious, strong coffee, he also sells local foods, especially honey. I want some of this honey! I’ve seen white box beehives all over the island. I always order a double decaf espresso, very sweet. Today, Aaron ordered a double espresso that he drank immediately, and a double cappuccino for to go. My kids eat nothing in the mornings. How do they survive?

Then we went to the grocery store, it’s tiny, called A and B. We bought Lays chips. Salt flavored. These chips, these ordinary Lays potato chips are incredible. They are so much better than American Lays. Why is this? We also got some turkey, rice cakes, Cokes, water, Doritos, (which are also better than American Doritos, say the boys), cookies. So much junk! But I am going with it, trying not to worry about it too much. (Lavi’s stomach is upset right now. We better clean up our eating tomorrow).

Then to the beach. We went south, wound down the side of the mountain to the most gorgeous, turquoise water. Cliffs, for jumping. Straw umbrellas with lounge chairs for everyone. There was also a beach bar and cafe. They blasted music all day, which I thought I would hate, but it was such good music, (except for the Madonna songs), lots of 80’s songs mixed by the live DJ. How weird and cool, beach DJ playing 80’s songs that are originals, as well as 80’s songs covered by Greek artists with techno beats.

We lounged and swam and I’ve decided I need to move to a tropical island. Maybe we should move to Greece so we can take a 2 hour ferry to this island anytime.

So many different bodies on the beach. I love to see all of the shapes. I love to see big, beautiful, round butts on women. No one was topless today, but in the past few days I’ve seen some topless women. I love seeing their boobies. I love seeing all the bodies. I find so many shapes to be gorgeous, which is something I need to apply to my own shape, my own body. America has brainwashed all of us women, insidiously and incessantly preaching to us that we have to be skinny, gaunt, flat, hard bellies, 6 packs, of course. I hate it. It’s toxic. All the bodies are beautiful, stupid America.

We left the beach around 6:30, I was desperate for some torpor time. We came home, showered and rested. I could see the salt on my skin. Then power naps. Then Batsi. I love Batsi. I continue to be surprised to see so many families in town, so many kids and babies. I love it! The wind is silky and warm. Everyone is eating dinner at 10 pm, so relaxed, taking it slowly. We walk around. We shop. The boys got necklaces today. Mayim’s has a tiny gold shell, Lavi’s has a tiny gold nautilus. I bought gorgeous earrings. Aaron got earrings yesterday. The boys got ice cream on waffles for dessert. They looked absolutely disgusting to me, not to the boys. Mayim felt sick right away. Lavi’s sugar and dairy tummy ache came later. Gross! It looked truly horrifying! To me, at least, the lactose intolerant lady. Ugh.

So, we came home. Mayim passed out (also, he has sad mosquito bites that have been bothering him. You know how mosquitoes effect him. Swollen. Ouch). Lavi is passing out. Aaron and I are almost in pass out.

puh-puh-puh

Miss you! Love you!

Love,

Eden

July 22, 2019

The Hike to Chora. Andros, Greece July 22, 2019

Today we used our Lemon Tree tip and hiked from a small village, in between houses, on routes that must have been there for 100’s of years to Chora, the capital of Andros. Ancient looking stone walls, all hand-built, stone by stone. Stairs going up and down. Winding us through olive trees, fig trees, plum trees, walnut trees, orange trees, lemon trees. Again, our hero, figured out the navigation. I would have never found Route 1. Aaron is an expert navigator.

There are springs all over the mountains here. The water is clean and flows out constantly. They are old, older than cars. Older than electricity. Older than bottled water. Older than modernity. We filled up our water bottles like the locals do.

It was a long, sunny, windy hike, approximately 7.2 km. Our destination was Chora, the capital of Andros. We walked all the way to the end of Chora, to the ocean. First, we were greeted by the Queen of All Cats. Then we ate some soulvaka and skewers, Greek salad, sparkling water and Cokes. Then we took a quick dip in the ocean. The water and waves were rough, I only put my feet in. Lavi, too. Mayim got wet all the way and Aaron was his spotter.

It was a magical day. The hike was phenomenal. We saw things we never would have seen if we had not walked all the way. The springs, walls, the in-betweens of homes in the villages, beautiful gates, gorgeous, old, Greek homes, orchards, mama goats, villages so remote, so unique, a dog waiting for his mom, so many olive trees, the vistas, the ocean in the distance, then the near-distance, then right in the water.

Miss you so much.

Love, Eden

July 21, 2019

You Can’t Always Trust Google Maps. Also, Chill and Be Batsi. July 21, 2019

We all slept through the night! Some of us better than others. Aaron was up at 5 am, but went back to sleep. I slept until 7:45. I had to wake the boys up at 11. Seems like we are getting with it.

Today we attempted to get to Vitali Beach. I’m not going to lie, my hopes and expectations were extremely high. This beach looks gorgeous. My failure is that I trusted google maps, and I learned something. It’s much better to ask locals. Google maps took un on a route with roads that were meant for only the goats and sheep that live in those mountains. The only reason we got as far as we did is because Aaron is obsessed with cars and car shows and he has a true talent for driving. He was even a hero for other people who stupidly took this goat road as well. They bottomed their car on a huge rock. Aaron saved the day for them. We got almost all the way to Vitali Beach, we could not make it the last few miles. The road was washed out and not even our hero could get our little shitty car up that hill. We did make it to a nearby beach. It was gorgeous and windy af. Not ideal for relaxing, but ideal in beauty. We might try again, depending on the winds. There is a lot of wind on this island, out in the middle of the ocean.

We made it home, a different and much better route.

Tonight we had a Lemon Chat with a local who conducts these chats in his crazy tree house in Batsi. He gave us all the local tips of where to go, what to avoid, so now we are set and will not drive goat roads. He confirmed that the goat roads we took were very bad and very, very wrong. He was excellent, we had a great chat. Made lemonade using lemons from his lemon tree and fresh spring water that flows through the stairway in Batsi. So strange, but also a magical tree house.

Onto Batsi for some nightlife. Everyone was there, things don’t get started until 9pm. We had snacks and drinks. Walked around, enjoyed the wind. Now it’s time for sleep. We are all pooped. Goat roads will do that. Also, I cried a little. I was so so so frustrated that we could not get all the way to that damn beach.

Love you and miss you.

Love ,

Eden

July 20, 2019

None of us could sleep last night. First, my nerves were frayed because of the earthquake and the aftershocks. I was still a bit upended at bedtime, even though I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep. I think I fell asleep, but restlessly, and by 3 am I was up. And Aaron was up, so were the boys. We still have not fully made the jump to Greek time. And when we tell locals this, they are always shocked and say, “but it’s been 3 days”, which doesn’t make us feel any better. My alarm went off at 5 am, I was reading my book. Aaron’s alarm went off at 5:03 am (he hates setting it on the hour). Our taxi was coming for us at 6 to take us to Rafina, the port where we were to catch our ferry.

Since we were all up before the alarms, it was a snap getting ready and out the door. Our taxi driver was very nice, I sat in the front and had to use my air brakes many times, Greek drivers are insane. Also, every Greek citizen smokes cigarettes. I think it is required by law. It’s shocking to me, I feel like Americans are prudes in so many ways in comparison. We don’t smoke, we wear helmets. So boring.

We got to the ferry early, (thanks to Aaron, one of his few anxieties in life is being early for flights and ferries), and we got great, cozy seats of the ferry, inside, which was ideal because everyone outside was smoking iike a chimney. Thankfully, smoking was not allowed inside. I love ferries. So relaxing and easy. We had a couch and a table. Espresso drinks. Strange pastries, one filled with a hot dog (they call it a sausage, but it’s absolutely a hot dog) and one stuffed with ham and cheese. I had my own special needs snacks that we bought in the health food stores in Athens. Tiny stores. Health food is not the phenomenon that it is in Portland. Leaving the Portland bubble can be shocking sometimes. Not all people do things the way we expect things to be done. Very interesting.

Such a relaxing ferry ride. I started a new book, which so far is very good. It’s called Southernmost. I finished the other book this morning. It was a pretty terrible book with super hot sex scenes. Perfect book for vacation, (or anytime, super hot sex scenes are my fav). The ferry took 2 hours, we got off on our island, Andros. Stopped at the grocery store, (not a health food store, not even a little), but it seemed like the one everyone shops at, so when in Greece, I nailed it. We got lots of food that I can eat (phew). Then to our house. Which is lovely and interesting and has a great view. The neighbors feed the stray cats, I wonder if they TNR, but probably not. The cats are so skinny. Cats are everywhere in Athens, and I guess here, as well.

We unpacked, had some lunch and we all took naps, totally soaking in the very sweet and mellow vibe here. Such a huge contrast to the intensity of Athens. Aaron woke me up after two hours (I’d like to be able to sleep tonight). When he woke me up it took me an uncomfortably long time to figure out where I was. I could not place myself in the world. I recognized Aaron, and the room was familiar and for 1 15th of a second, I was a little freaked out that I had no idea where I was. Only Lavi did not nap. I think both boys are asleep now, hopefully we will all sleep past 3 am.

The sunset was stunning. We saw an owl. A small one. Owls are a symbol of Athens, of Athena the goddess.

Miss you. Sending you lots of love,

Love,

Eden

July 19, 2019

The Parthenon. Athens, Greece. July 19, 2019

This morning we got up early to beat the heat. We met our amazing tour guide at 8:00 this morning at the New Acropolis Museum. We were a little late, google maps took us to nowhere, we had to reroute.

Our tour guide was Jessica, she is from the Netherlands, but lives here permanently . She is an archeologist and an official tour guide in Athens. We loved her so much. She took us on an amazing tour and told as so many fantastic stories about the history of Athens, the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Athena, Poseidon, and many others. It was incredibly hot on top of the Acropolis. The Parthenon was stunning. The Caryatids were my favorite. I am grateful we went early. Jessica told us many things and made sure we were in the shade as much as possible. It was a nice, leisurely tour. As we were leaving the crowds were exponentially bigger.

After we toured the Acropolis, Jessica took us to the New Archeological Museum, which was a beautiful museum.

I would write more, but I cannot express to you how exhausted I am. The jet lag. The barf bug. I just can’t even.

I do want to share about the earthquake. First, we are OK! Many of you might have heard that there was an earthquake near Athens today, it was a 5.1. We were walking back to our apartment through an incredibly crowded part of the city, all of a sudden there was a loud bang, a group of men were all looking up, I couldn’t tell what was happening. I didn’t feel anything. People were running in all directions, they were running out into the street, everyone was getting on their cell phones calling who? It was frightening. I didn’t know it was an earthquake, I thought maybe it was an explosion? A bomb? I asked someone on the street, she told me it was an earthquake. She felt it. It was so strange not feeling it at all. We went straight home, all of shaken. While relaxing and cooling down inside, there were aftershocks. We kept running out of the house and hanging out at the cafe downstairs. That was a nice part. We talked with Peter, he works there. He is very kind and friendly. And cute.

And now, I am going to sleep. Catching a 6am taxi to Rafina Port. Heading to a Greek Island. I will not have wifi there, but i will continue with my storytelling and post them all when I get back to the modern world.

I hope we sleep well tonight! Please send your well wishes!

Love, Eden

July 18, 2019

Hi friends. You will not even believe it. Last night, after our most wonderful, delightful meal, I threw up all night long. I do not think it was food related. Aaron had a barf bug the night before, then I got it. Please say prayers that the boys don’t get it! It was shite, to say the least. Stupid barf bugs! Fucking shit.

I finally fell asleep around 6 am and Aaron and I woke up at 2:00 pm. Aaron woke me up with a tiny amount of panic because we had slept the entire day. Lavi woke up at 3 and Mayim 4. Jet lag is the real deal.

As you might know, if you’ve been following my story, my camera was broken. We hoped it was just the filter. Or perhaps just the lens.

I found a camera shop today.

We walked through the city of Athens which is an extraordinary mix of so many kinds of architecture, most crumbling, peeling, falling apart. Some things are beautiful, some are bad and old and ugly. Always it is fascinating and dreamy, we are in one of the oldest cities in the world. It’s hot, there are so many people everywhere, so many cars and millions of mopeds. The moped drivers do so one-handed, no helmets, while texting. Many pigeons in the big square that we walked diagonally through. Many Muslim people sitting in the square, some feeding the pigeons. Also, the smells are intense. Car/moped exhaust. Food. Coffee. People.

I kept telling Mayim to snap photographs of everything around him with his imagination. It feels surreal to be here, but for kids, I think they accept things in a different way. One day they are here, next day they are there. It doesn’t seem to phase them in the same way it effects me. I keep saying, I am in Athens. I am in Athens. In disbelief, excitement and a bit of worry (being so far from home is an interesting feeling, we should talk about that more, later).

Aaron navigated us to the camera shop. It was tiny, just a small, narrow space. They were incredibly kind and generous. We figured out what was wrong with my camera. The body. The most expensive part. Mayim almost lost it, but all of us, including the people working at the camera shop, reassured him that it was time for an upgrade. My camera body is old (as all things digital get after a short amount of time, when I think about my Dad’s Nikon F, it’s older then I am and is still a gorgeous camera). So, today, in Greece, I bought a new camera body. And this photo of Aaron is the very first portrait I have taken with my new camera.

I am grateful beyond words and feelings and heart and soul to Aaron. I can’t say more now, but I will say that I am working on this in therapy - the ability to talk about the good things in life. Always, puh-puh-puh.

Everywhere you look, there are evil eyes for sale. This is big for Greeks. And it should be for Jews as well. If you are Jewish, is the evil eye a thing for you? Lmk.

Sleep well. Miss you.

Love,

Eden

July 17, 2019

First day in Athens. I had planned a tour for us for 10:00 am, which was much more difficult than I had anticipated. I had no idea where we would be in the jet lag department. I thought we might be fully awake and ready to go, I also thought we might be totally wiped out and asleep. Lesson learned, we were wiped out and totally asleep. Aaron woke up around 6 am with a migraine and puked a few times. Sad and yuck. And poor Aaron. We went back to sleep until my alarm went off at 7:45. Too early. But we rallied. I got up and showered and booked it to a grocery store nearby. About a 6 minute walk. I put some groceries in a basket, bread, eggs, bananas, OJ, almond milk. Got to the counter and realized I forgot to put my wallet into my daypack. Thankfully the woman was so kind, she let me put my basket behind the counter. I fast-walked back to the apartment, we fast-walked back to the grocery store where we only bought bananas, bread, OJ and water because we had to meet our tour guide at 10. We were 6 minutes late. It was hot and humid, but easy. I walked about Athens by myself and found the grocery store. Walked among hundreds of people, Athens is a huge, busy, dirty, amazing city. All around us we are surrounded by modern buildings as well as buildings built in 135 AD. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it all. The Acropolis is always up there. You just have to look up, it hangs above the city like a star.

We met our tour guide. She was quirky and interesting. We went on a leisurely walk with her, she told us about some things here and there. Mayim was a wreck. so exhausted. Aaron somehow rallied from migraine and puking and was doing well. Somehow I was full of energy and Lavi was his cool, mellow self.

We finished our tour and walked down a long, busy, crowded shopping area with modern, chain stores you see anywhere in the world. Hated it. Much more interesting are the flea markets and the Plaka. We got coffee at a chic cafe where we met a young man from Nashville. We made it home, then went to the cafe on our street for lunch. Greek salad is delicious. Today’s was good, last night’s was amazing. I also had french fries with my salad, fries are very big here. Boys had many versions of meat. Lamb, beef. Mayim was craving hamburger. We learned hamburgers in Greece are patties with no bun.

Then home. For naps. Aaron and I slept for 4 hours of the best sleep ever. I love jet lag because my naps are the most wonderful. Then a nice, long walk through flea markets and shopping and Plaka. I bought a dress from the nicest woman. She put the dress on me, she put the belt on me, she styled me. My favorite. More walking. Tired Mayim. Then dinner at a wonderful restaurant also on our street. The ambiance, the people, the cats, the surroundings. I love eating in Europe. The meal took 2.5 hours. Lovely.

Now I’m in the nook. Stream of conscious writing because I am beat, I want to get this down and I want to get in my bed.

Tomorrow is more walking. More ancient ruins. More food. Gelato. Coffee. So many people. So many smells, many bad, some good.

Also, we discovered a second bathroom in our apartment today! Yasssss!

Love,

Eden

P.S. The photos were all taken with my iPhone. Tomorrow is Fix Camera Day.

July 16, 2019

We are in Greece! We left Portland at 7:00 pm on Monday, and now it is 12:25 am on Wednesday. This is the farthest I’ve traveled. It was very easy, but uncomfortable af. Wow.

I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is: we are in Athens! The sad and bad news is, my camera was dropped in the airport in Portland and is now broken. The filter is bent. so, the lens no longer focuses. I can only manually focus. We will find a camera shop tomorrow to problem solve. Maybe and hopefully it’s an easy fix! And maybe I have to replace the lens. This is sad and bad. And for the person who dropped my camera, it is especially bad and sad.

Onward and upward! I will keep you posted!

Our apartment in Athens is amazing. It’s quirky and old and three levels. There’s a whole rooftop terrace. I can’t wait to see it in the daylight.

We have a 2 hour tour planned tomorrow morning with a local Athenian. She is a volunteer, all of the tour guides in this group are volunteers, they do it because they are passionate about their city. I am hoping for a lovely tour.

Not being able to use my camera is like not being able to use my arm or my imagination or another limb whose name I don’t know. We will fix it.

I love you,

Love, E