2 years ago…

time flies…

although i know this and experience it over and over, it is always surprising just how fast the months roll on. two years ago i had the pleasure of  running away to italy for a brief period of bucolic bliss. although i had made some preparations earlier in the year to do something like this, the experience almost completely fell into my lap. so i left new york, made a quick stop in england for a wedding and family reunion of sorts, and headed to rome. as I boarded the bus at the airport in rome and started heading into the city, panic struck me.  i didn’t speak the language, i figured i would wing it, after all, i was a seasoned traveller. but in my overconfidence i had neglected to get even an english-italian translation book, they take up too much room i thought as i packed.  despite my worrying i made it to my destination without any major issues – agriturismo pulicaro in torre alfina.

olive trees with pulicaro in the background

feeding time

there were so many chickens! needless to say i had to get over the fear of 50 chickens swarming your feet at once for food.

feisty rooster (aka nagasaki)…everyday he waited until i turned my back and then shamelessly attacked me

late afternoon feeding

daily harvest

rabbit apartments – i don’t think i will be owning any rabbits in my lifetime

harvesting tomatoes in the big garden

processing all those tomatoes with the nonnas – i spoke no italian and they spoke no english but we made it work

completing the process…feeding scraps to moulting chickens

roasting veggies in the outdoor oven

view from the outdoor oven

due to the location of pulicaro, i spent weekends exploring the two closest villages either by bike or very generous rides from strangers. one weekend however, i took the train to rome. it had been years since i’d been in rome last and like any backpacking 19 year old, i saw all the sights on that first trip. this time i had one agenda: eat.

probably the best meal i had in rome. i’d done a bit of reading before hand so i made the trek to necci dal 1924. i learned the hard way that there is nowhere to stay in this little neighborhood. despite that one hiccup, i did have a very lovely afternoon in pigneto.

pizza bianca e rosso

friday market in campo de fiori

is there any other way to start a meal? this was every bit as good as it looks but i have to say, far and away, the most delicious thing i have ever eaten (in my entire life) was the wild boar salumi at pulicaro.

my last week at pulicaro was a quiet one. marco and chiara (my lovely and amazing hosts) were out of town and the other wwoofers had left, so it was just pascuale (marco’s cousin) and myself. two days before i left a storm rolled in and left the most beautiful skies…

goodbye summer…hello fall

it’s only just october and yet summer feels like so long ago.  and, although i am beyond happy

about the arrival of fall, it was a pretty great summer…

it all started on a lake…

a most delicious meal (per se) and birthday celebration…

inaugural visit to governors island…

warm afternoons at the pool/beach (brooklyn bridge park)…

tons of tomatoes…

picnic on the island…

kayaking in the east river…

jazz party…

tennis and martinis, a new tradition i hope…

a much needed visit home…

goodbye summer…hello fall

california…

i was craving a trip to california all summer long and so as the weather started to change in new york i booked my trip home (finally). though it wasn’t nearly long enough (vacation never is), i had a great time. running all over town to see people, i managed to make time for a an hour or two at the beach almost everyday. there were so many babies to see, some brand new and others so big! there was a quick trip to san diego for some time with the bff, barbecuing with the family, tennis, heaps of mexican food, swimming, train rides, and lots of catching up.

morning walks at my favorite beach

how did they get so big?

trisha and baby paloma. so happy to meet this little one!

tired selma – vacation san diego

family

the best feeling

i love lucy’s

perfect day

train riding

this little one

goodnight hop hop

1 year ago today…

it’s amazing how time flies. a year ago today (8.24.11) this little one came into the world.

i was lucky enough to be there (though i almost didn’t make it). it was the most amazing thing i have ever seen in my life.

she is crazy about me.

i can’t wait to see her next month!

jazz party on governors island

we were excited – can you tell?

probably the cutest girls there

these people were not messing around

california dreamin…

loving these photos. they make me so nostalgic about california. can’t wait to plan a trip home.

all photos from josevillablog.com

when good things happen…

sunday i woke up with only one thing to do. little did i know the day that was coming my way. after eating some of the most delicious bbq i’ve ever had, i serendipitously found myself on governor’s island. i have been wanting to ride bikes on the island forever and it finally happened. as my partner in crime for the day put it, it felt like being at summer camp.

*free* ferry over

i want to live here

or here

relaxing on some oyster shells

lady liberty in all her glory

this campus makes me want to go back to high school

goodbye until next time (next weekend)

123

these all happened today…

…so did these

• happy hour
• bike ride
• book signing, talk and tasting
• free photobooth under the manhattan bridge
• mushroom slice
• secret glow worm habitat finally found!
• baby paloma was born (clearly the winner)

kayaking on the east river

dream come true

as long as i’ve lived in new york something has bothered me. it wasn’t until about a month ago that i became acutely aware of the fact that i’ve always wanted to get in the east river. of course i’ve fantasized about swimming over to manhattan plenty of times, or even just jumping in on a hot day, but something has always stopped me.

in california i never think twice about sticking my foot in the ocean, so the constant resistance i feel here is so unsettling. my perception of the east river has always been this: cold, dirty and dangerous. and though one can make a case for all three, i can now testify that i have been wrong – at least about the cold and dangerous part. when i began to think seriously about this, and all the frustrations i’ve had, i decided i would absolutely be getting in the water as soon as possible. kayaking in red hook (on a insanely beautiful evening) seemed to be the perfect introduction. all i can say is that i wish i’d done it earlier.

weekend in connecticut

so nice to wake up to this

floaties

the house

kayaks, canoes, floaties – such fun

sharing is caring

the were a couple of ducks/duck-couple sharing the grounds with us

boat house

the menu

goodbye camp treusch