When in Rome…

Welcome to the 368th Tablescape Thursday!

As I type this, my laptop says it’s 3:24 PM, but I know that’s EST time back home in Georgia. The handy little “Dual Clock” widget on my phone informs me that it’s actually 9:24 PM where my physical body finds itself…Rome, Italy.

After traveling over 5,000 miles and crossing six time zones, I arrived early this morning just in time to catch this beautiful sunrise as we were nearing Rome.

Sunrise Coming Into Rome, 10-7-15

 

The internet service was great earlier today, nice and fast. Now it’s crawling at a snail’s pace as I create this post. We’re talking shades of dial up! Each photo takes several minutes to upload, even when the photo and the resolution are reduced to the size appropriate for posting online. I’m guessing other guests in the hotel have all returned from their sightseeing for the day and are online, and perhaps that’s the reason for the slowness.

Sharing photos on Instagram is much faster and easier during the day, so be sure and follow along there for frequent updates as I take you to the Tuscany region and the Amalfi coast over the next couple of weeks. I’ve already begun sharing a few pics but there will be a lot more to follow as the trip really gets underway tomorrow. You’ll find BNOTP on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch on Instagram

The Room Key

This is the key each guest is given when checking in. It weights a ton and is an awkward fit inside a Travelon travel bag. lol You wouldn’t want to lug it around the city while out touring for the day.

I was told you drop it off at the front desk each time you leave the hotel, then retrieve it upon your return. They have these cute cubbie holes on the wall behind the desk where they store your room key while you are out.

Room Key

 

First order of business today once I was in my room, was to turn on the air and cool it down a bit. Ummm, where’s 75 degrees on this thing? 😉 Thermostat in Celsius

 

No tablescape to share this week but I did snap a quick photo of the yummies they served us at a little “Welcome” gathering we had in the bar area of the hotel this evening. The small ones on the right are Ascoli Olives and they come from the coastal town of Ascoli Piceno, if I’m remembering correctly. The larger ones on the left are rice balls. They had cheese inside and I think a form of tomato sauce since the rice was reddish. They were both really good!

Eating Italian

 

Hope you are feasting well this Tablescape Thursday! I’m looking forward to sharing Italy with you. I have some other great posts lined up over the next two weeks, including some lovely porch Before and Afters!

Update: We just arrived in Chianciano Terme and I snapped a quick pic of the view from the room. It’s almost 3:00 PM here now.  Looking forward to sharing some additional photos of this area soon!

Chianciano Terme, Italy

 

Looking forward to the wonderful tables posted for this Tablescape Thursday!

Tablescape Thursday

 

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Comments

  1. Hope you have a wonderful time Susan! Looking forward to hearing more about your trip 🙂

  2. Peggy Thal says

    Have a fun time. Enjoy every minute. 70 degrees is about 21 Celsius.

  3. Susan, I still can’t believe these back-to-back trips you’re taking. I wouldn’t even have my laundry done from the first trip yet. You have a lot of energy. Have a wonderful time, and I look forward to more pictures. Wow! That room key is huge! Glad you don’t have to carry it with you. Thank you for continuing to host while you are on the go.

    • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

      She does have a lot of energy, Laurie! She said when her head hits the pillow she goes to sleep fast and sleeps all through the night! I haven’t slept through the night for at least 40 years; maybe never. I can’t even imagine how good that would feel! I do wonder if that is what helps her stay so energetic. She needs a lot of energy for all the fun projects she does. 🙂

  4. Wow, you have hardly had a chance to get over jetlag from Africa! Have a wonderful trip you world traveler, you!!

  5. Very exciting Susan, I am looking forward to my trip to Italy!

  6. Jet setting the world again! Have a grand time. Will look for photos……Ciao

  7. Elena Wortman says

    I’m so looking forward to your posts and photos from Italy. Hubby and I have travelled there five times, and I would go every year if I could!! We love the people, the laid-back way of life, the history and antiquities, the art, and the (best of all!) food. Safe travels and God bless.

  8. Enjoy your trip, Susan! Glad you got there safely. Our turn in in May..Christine

  9. Can you believe I once kept an identical HUGE key in my purse after checking out of a Paris hotel? I realized it at the airport, called the hotel and they said they would pick it up. I guess I had so many things I had bought that I didn’t notice one more heavy item!

    Vicariously enjoying your travels!

  10. Valerie Strickland says

    Hi Susan! Of course you will have a great time. Send lots of pictures (even if the connection is slow). I wanted to share with you that I frequently stay in a bed and breakfast that uses the same key system you mention in your post: 1842 Inn in Macon, Ga. When I first stayed there they explained that the large key was common with hotels in Europe. They also have the cute key storage cubby you mention. I find I like the system of dropping the key at the front desk – I never lose my hotel key!

  11. Well you just have a wonderful time. Looks exciting already! Thanks for all you do.

  12. Suzanne Alexander says

    I love Italy! My husband and I were in Venice and northern Italy in August. Amazing country! Have a fantastic time. I’m looking forward to seeing your photos.

  13. Have a wonderful trip, Susan. I don’t know which of your trips I envy more! Hope the tour goes well! Looking forward to your pictures and posts!

  14. Love the first picture. Looks like your plane is floating on foam. Hope you have a wonderful time.

  15. So happy for you and love sharing your travels. Those fried olives and rice apps look so good. I’m gonna search for the recipe. Looking forward to the next installment of your Italy Travelogue! I’m checking Instagram daily also. Vikki in (boring) VA. 🙂

  16. EEEEEEeeekkkk!!! You’re in ROME!!! EnJOY!! franki

  17. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Glad to know you arrived safe and sound. Have a ball! 😀

  18. I just saw Marzia from Sicily post to you on Instagram. How wonderful is that?!! 😀

  19. Wow! You’re already back in the air headed to a new exotic location?? Sounds like fun. We will all enjoy traveling along via internet 🙂

  20. Oh Susan, have a great time. I am reliving Italy just seeing your first post. Send lots of pictures and let us know how the tour went.
    If possible let me know if it is a strenuous tour with lots of walking or a tour that is laid back.

  21. You are having some amazing adventures!

  22. Marlene Stephenson says

    I like the key system,i hate trying to keep up with it. Have a great time and send us some pictures when you can,am so enjoying all of this through you.

  23. OMG ……….. Rome………….Italy! I am so insanely jealous! Have a wonderful time and enjoy every minute of it!

  24. Rome.. Susan I’m so jealous!
    I had to giggle when you said “where’s 75 degrees on this thing?”
    I hated it when we changed to metric in Canada but it did force me to learn some of the quick and basic conversions from Fahrenheit.
    With temperatures just double it and add 30.
    So if it’s 25 Celsius… you double it to 50 and add 30 which gives you 80 degrees F
    I still do it to this day and we’ve had metric system here for 40 years.
    I always need to convert it to really know what the temp is outside… it’s silly but for some reason I’m not happy until I know the temp in F

    Anyways… I hope you have a wonderful safe trip and take lots of pics for all of us armchair travelers! 🙂

  25. Can’t wait to share this trip via your blog, Susan! This is definitely on my bucket list. My husband and I talk about it and how we need to visit Italy while we still can! LOL! Have a marvelous trip! I’ve already enjoyed your Instagram photos and will await more.

  26. Oh, Susan, You are going to have a FABULOUS time. I’ll be following your trip. I love to travel.

  27. Have a wonderful time! I hope to relive my trips to Italy through your photos!

  28. Wow–you are quite the jet setter. I’m looking forward to savoring your beautiful photos of Italy, as I did your safari pix! Those rice balls are arrancini, which is best-loved of my appetizer recipes–my family devours them Thanks for providing such marvelous vicarious travels….

  29. So glad you made it safely!!! Oh, rice balls, my mom always made them at Christmas time………..so insanely jealous!!!

  30. Oh wow…I guess I have been too busy-I missed this. I’m looking forward to tracking you on this adventure.

  31. Linda Page says

    Can’t wait to see more pictures of Italy. Love the room key. You know, all hotel room keys used to have big fobs and were kept in little cubbies behind the front desk in all hotels and the fobs had the hotels name and room number on it. I liked that system better than the magnetic cards we use now. Just call me old fashioned….or just old. I am so jealous of your trip that my friend, Sunny, and I took a 2 day trip to Monroe, LA (you know how I love Louisiana) and I wish you had been with us. Have a fun time in Italy and keep those pictures coming!!!

  32. Hello Susan!
    I didn’t know you left already for Italy! Have loads of fun!
    Liz

  33. Hello
    and Glad you cans till type
    I just got back from an overseas trip to Bosnia, Croatia, Germany, France
    and I was sooo tired when I got home after 5 planes changes and several security checks, I don’t want to ever travel again LOL It took over 24 hours to get home from Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast

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