Hungry for Travel

I was supposed to go to Italy last June for research. That did not happen. (Italy had just started to open its borders to its European neighbors--but not to the U.S.) 

I spent last summer trying to re-create Italy at home, touring virtual galleries and reading my old guidebooks; ordering Florentine soap; reading Fleur Jaeggy, Cesare Pavese, and Elsa Morante; planting extra rows of San Marzano tomatoes, Rosa Bianca eggplants, and Genovese basil; and obsessively watching cooking videos on Giallo Zafferano and Italia Squisita, such as this one, "Pizza napoletana fatta in casa": 


I made the featured pizza, and it wasn't that bad!--though certainly not as good as Davide Civitello's, above. I learned a new technique (never use a rolling pin!), which stuck with me through my pizza-at-home year. 

Italy is open again to Americans, and I thought I would be first in line, in the American rush to go back. And when I heard the reopening news, I jumped on my computer and started researching flights to Rome. But then a few days later, I stopped. I wasn't quite ready to go--not for the long-haul flight, not with the recent Delta variant news. 

I just started seeing some American acquaintances on my Facebook feed in France--actually, two families together, extended relatives and all, on what looks to be, with daily updates, a looong holiday in Paris. 

I've seen photos of friends vacationing all over Florida, one in the Caribbean (locale not disclosed), and one in Mexico:

One couple is traveling across country, stopping at every really, really gorgeous National Park:

But the Americans in France, this was a first on my Facebook feed, i.e., travel beyond North America. 

That got me hungry for travel. Again, I'm not quite ready to hop on a plane yet--but I'm vaccinated and I'm thinking of it. 

In the meantime, I'm using Instagram to "travel." Florence is open, Rome is open (for now), and I can get daily (and sometimes live) updates on Instagram. 

Armchair travels 2.0: From Florence to the Florida Keys, 
Vermont to suburban Philadelphia. All in a few minutes. All in the palm of your hand.

I can see other people's gorgeous, ahhhh-worthy hungry-tourist shots, and to augment that, I can do some research from my desk, thanks to galleries and libraries opening their online doors to students, scholars, and would-be tourists unable to or still a bit hesitant to travel abroad. 

How about a virtual stroll through the Uffizi? 

This is not Italy-related, but thanks to Instagram-desk-chair-travels, I happened upon it yesterday. The Halekulani is probably one of the nicest hotels in Oahu--I've been there but haven't stayed there, to clarify (maybe one day?). 

I had breakfast there a few times at their aptly- and poetically-named open-air restaurant, House Without a Key, and it was--no hyperbole!--heavenly (if we're on the subject of divine art↑↑).

But here's a cool little Easter egg the Halekulani added to their Instagram--a recipe for their famous coconut cake. 

Here's an Instagram-worthy slice:


You can also check out the Halekulani on Facebook for the recipe. 

Comments

  1. LissaJuly 4, 2021 at 2:56 PM

    First of all, I am sorry to hear that Italy did not work out. I think that is a great idea trying to recreate it at home! That would be fun to follow a video and cook along with it. That sounds like a fun date night idea that I may have to borrow. I understand your fears, it is hard to test the waters again and feel comfortable stepping on a flight. I had traveled during the pandemic to visit my Fiance, and I doubled masked and made sure to pack lysol wipes. It was uncomfortable to be around people again, but the airlines have good procedures in place. I have been listening to music on youtube while I work to help my hunger for travel. Check these out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXAqVCbt-1A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEnxoE2iXzk Hope you can travel soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Disce VerumJuly 4, 2021 at 8:06 PM

    Hi Lissa! Thank you so much for the (magical) YouTube links. I saved both to my playlist--what a great concept--will be putting these on a loop. And thank you for sharing your travel experiences--I'm glad to hear that you were able to visit your fiancé! (Thank goodness for lysol wipes.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. That Will Show ThemJuly 10, 2021 at 3:32 PM

    Nope, never a rolling pin! I love these blogs! You are very good at transporting us through these!! I'm flying to NorCal, not outside of North America, between semesters and I am really nervous about it. Fully vaccinated, but concerned about the variants.

    Love the sound of uncorking the wine bottle on the YouTube sound track and got sidetracked with your virtual tour of the Uffizi . . . but on to more school work. Thank you for reminding me of the world out there ☺

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Disce VerumJuly 11, 2021 at 4:20 PM

      Hi That Will Show Them! Thank you for reading! And thank you for the kind words, and for sharing your reactions and experience. (Glad you enjoyed the Uffizi link!) I get your nervousness re: flying, absolutely. Between the new variants and the latest "belligerent passenger," I'm right there with you. But NorCal will be such a nice break--you'll definitely be out there in the world again! (I hope you'll get to enjoy lots of culture and a non-virtual museum, too.)

      Delete

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