Category Archives: Accommodations

Live the French Way—Celebrate the Pleasure of Life

Story and photos by Alison Ramsey

Dozens of blooming white flowers and shimmering candles in glass holders grace the center of a long dining table. Greeted with a glass of sparkling wine upon entry to the Cigale Room, Sofitel Chicago Wine Dinner guests seat themselves around the table and sip their bubbling beverages while reviewing the printed menu of culinary delights and drinks to come. The varied-height centerpieces create intimacy between clusters of conversing guests, allowing privacy within a group setting. Per French ideals, one simple joy of life is savoring food and wine that bring out the best in each other, and Sofitel Chicago is an expert in this pairing of dishes and drinks, offering fine dining experiences through its creatively curated Sofitel Wine Dinners. This series of seasonal dinners introduces guests to exquisitely prepared courses matched with wines and cocktails whose notes enhance flavors in the meal.

The September 2022 Sofitel Wine Days Dinner at Sofitel Chicago was prepared by Executive Chef Cliff Crawford, who crafts meals that embody Sofitel’s “Live the French Way” motto. He said, “I always strive to have a noticeable French influence in the menus. It can be ingredients used, such as cheeses or pâtes, or could be a modern take on French classics.” Per this ideal, the September dinner’s first course was a beautifully plated French-style tuna tartare alongside cucumber mousse and delicate cucumber curls, ponzu onion, and topped with a marquise-shaped scoop of paddlefish caviar. This flavorful delicacy was accompanied by a generous pour of golden Domaine Gilles Noblet Mâcon-Fuissé from vineyards in Mâconnais, Burgundy, France.

Sofitel Chicago began hosting these wine dinners in late 2021, and a gourmet dinner is scheduled for each of the remaining three months of 2022. The dining room’s exquisite décor changes based on the time of year, as does Chef Crawford’s menu planning. “It is really just about the season and the ingredients that are best at that time of year. It mostly revolves around produce. Wild mushrooms, for example, are one of my favorites. I love to have morels in the spring and black trumpets in the winter,” Crawford said.

The Fall Harvest Wine Dinner on October 7 will feature wines from France, Italy, and the USA, alongside seasonal spreads. The November 11 Winter Whiskey Dinner will serve an exclusive Maker’s Mark bourbon mixed into cocktails, in lieu of wine. The December 9 Art de Noel Dinner will feature holiday décor and include festive cocktails to compliment the meal.

Regarding guests at these luxurious dinner experiences, Chef Crawford said, “I would like to see them leave with plans to return. I feel we are a bit of a ‘hidden gem’ here in downtown Chicago; we are a great location, but not everyone has heard of us. I want them to feel like they have found something special.” To purchase tickets for upcoming dinners at Sofitel Chicago, please visit https://www.sofitel-chicago.com/dining/wine-dinner-series/. To round out the evening, a convenient and comfortable overnight stay in the posh rooms above can be booked at https://www.sofitel-chicago.com/.

The 5-star Sofitel Chicago is part of a French luxury hotel chain that embodies “living the French way” by celebrating life through a sophisticated and unique approach to luxury accommodations and hospitality. Its stylish avant-garde exterior is a preview of the interior’s chic design and atmosphere. Le Bar, the glass-walled bar and lounge on the lobby level of the hotel, is a trendy place to unwind and socialize while indulging in savory appetizers, flatbreads, main dishes, and desserts, and sipping unique libations like the Banana Old Fashioned. A combination of Bacardi 8-year, Giffard Banane Liqueur, Angostura bitters, Angostura cocoa bitters, and Demerara syrup, with a dark cherry and an orange peel garnish, one patron described this drink as “a really interesting take on an old fashioned. Not too sweet, and very banana, which was fun!”

The higher floors of Sofitel Chicago offer a wide-windowed, stunning view of the bustling city below, while an easy flick of a switch lowers the blinds for privacy and comfort. In the European way, the fluffy bedding provides a warm nest in which to rest beneath a soft duvet with no need for a top sheet. Room bathrooms are supplied with bath and skin products by LANVIN Paris, a soft white robe, soaker tub, and rainfall shower. Luxurious and cozy, Sofitel Chicago provides home-away-from-home accommodations that pamper and allow for chic indulgence.

Further celebrate the art of living—l’art de vivre—and say oui to a nearby adventure that will bring the soirée to new heights. A mere five-minute walk from Sofitel Chicago, you can experience elevation to an even higher viewpoint of the city, at 360 CHICAGO, the top of the former John Hancock Center. The observation deck sits 94 floors high (1,030 feet above the Magnificent Mile) and is the home of Chicago’s highest thrill ride, TILT. To get to this height, you first stroll through an exhibition celebrating the history of Chicago and nine of its culture-rich neighborhoods. A quick 20-miles-per-hour elevator ride then lifts you to the glass-walled, 17,000-square-foot level that allows breathtaking 360-degree vistas of the city and lakefront. On a clear day, you can even see four states from this lookout deck!

An add-on to the observation deck entry is a ticket to experience TILT, where guests 42 inches and taller can spend 2-3 minutes safely angling forward over the cityscape and peering downward through the glass window. While excited participants tightly grasp handles to their right and left sides, the glass wall is set into action in a series of motion profiles, allowing people to feel the sensation of leaning out into the sky and over the skyscrapers. Energizing music builds as the windows tilt farther and farther out at each interval, causing some people to close their eyes, some to giggle nervously, and others to shriek in terror. At night, colorful lights outline each panel separating participants. In “Extreme” mode (an experience that requires a prerequisite signing of a safety waiver), a window can even slide open for guests to enjoy further thrills and feel the city breeze. Trying out the basic mode, with its increasing angles and exhilarating music, Megan Pletzer from Madison, Wis., said, “You think it’s done, and then it just keeps going!”

A general admission ticket to the observation deck includes entry to the brand new CloudBar, which officially opened on September 14, 2022. Owned and operated by Magnicity, a Paris-based company, 360 CHICAGO’s CloudBar is a novel, sky-high bar and lounge that magnifies the best of Chicago by featuring local food and beverage partnerships and décor by area artisans. Magnicity CEO, Alexia Vettier, said, “We want each Magnicity location to act as a true city ambassador for our guests—encouraging exploration of the vibrant neighborhoods within our cities and forging new adventures and experiences. We are thrilled to introduce our brand-new bar concept with CloudBar.”

Photos above courtesy of 360 CHICAGO.

The Gettys Group Chicago design team fashioned the area to give people the feeling of “floating in the air.” Numerous reflective surfaces (including the ceiling, drink rails, and back wall) echo the spectacular sights visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Modern European lounge furniture and stylish lighting coupled with customized, original graphics by Chicago-based muralist Lauren Asta emphasize the blended cultures found in the city.

At this great height and surrounded by inspiring art and lights, you can also stimulate your sense of taste with snacks and sips from CloudBar’s offerings. The “Feeling Tilt-sy” cocktail carries on the “TILT” theme, served in a unique glass that leans to one side. Another colorful drink emits a haze of white mist from its lime-accessorized martini glass. Exclusively available at CloudBar is the Magnicity Pilsner, created by Moody Tongue brewery in partnership with 360 CHICAGO. Other true Chicago brands and products can be found at this exciting altitude, including wares from Garrett Popcorn, Vosges Haut-Chocolate, Carol’s Cookies, Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, and Kikwetu Coffee Company.

Photos above courtesy of 360 CHICAGO. Pictured at center above is artist Lauren Asta.

This space in the clouds is also available to be rented for private events, weddings, and parties. For information on event reservations, please visit 360chicagoevents.com. Relax at cloud level with besties and beverages, elevate your mood, and let the spectacular city views fill you with joie de vivre, the joy of living.

Chicago “Staycation” Offers Family-Friendly Fun

Stories and photos by Alison Ramsey

The kids’ favorite part of a weekend in Chicago? “The hotel! The hotel’s fitness center!” Weekending in downtown Chicago with small children sounds overwhelming, but a kids’ suite hotel stay and a family-friendly itinerary ensure a safe, fun, and memorable vacation. Swissôtel Chicago’s kids’ suites are like a sky-high family apartment, with a cozy master bedroom and bathroom, spacious common area and bathroom, and a separate but adjoining bedroom and bathroom for the littles. Plenty of full-wall windows provide a panorama of the Windy City, with views of Buckingham Fountain, the Chicago River, Pritzker Pavilion, Maggie Daley Park, and Navy Pier.

The suite’s shared rooms and kids’ wing are equipped with age-appropriate toys, games, and art supplies to engage and entertain without even needing to turn on the TV. The teepee tent provides a snug hideaway and place to house stuffed animals along for the trip. A giggle-filled game of Twister, marker doodling on fresh paper, birds’-eye boat-watching, and exercising in the huge, clean, and upscale Penthouse Fitness Center—you can enjoy the city without ever leaving Swissôtel!

Eventually you’ll need to eat, though, and if room service isn’t your preference, you have plenty of dining options near the hotel. Eggy’s diner at the Chicago-Benton Place location is a 5-minute walk from Swissôtel across a beautifully landscaped park and serves home-cooked breakfast and lunch, coffee and tea, and bar drinks. Milkshakes, fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, chocolate-chip pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, crepes, skillets, sandwiches, and soups are among the delicious options for feeding a range of tastes. Crayons and a coloring sheet of cute food characters make waiting time seem fast.

Chicago’s one-of-a-kind spy-themed dining experience at the SafeHouse is a 15-minute walk from Swissôtel down the Magnificent Mile to River North. The Red Door at 60 E. Ontario is the entry point to spy headquarters, where you start in a non-descript office and either whisper the correct password to Moneypenny, the front office “secretary,” or engage in an amusing test to gain clearance. Upon entering the underground restaurant and Interpol Bar, you can make your way through dimly lit rooms to explore spy memorabilia, discover secret rooms, complete a checklist of secret agent duties, climb through a sewer pipe labeled “DANGER,” and email goofy selfies from the photo booth.

Silly surprises like one-way mirrors and alarms await in the bathrooms, and kids and adults alike can play with futuristic tech gadgets and create their own agent names. In-character waitstaff check with “Command” regarding food allergy inquiries and provide junior agents with top-secret disguises (sticky-backed fuzzy mustaches) upon request. Reasonably priced fare includes A License to Kill Mac & Cheese, “007” Layer Salad, Mission Impossible burgers, Camp Stanley Nachos, and Russian Finger Potatoes. Junior Spies can request meals like Goldfingers chicken nuggets, Carmen Cortez mac & cheese, or an Uncle Machete chopped taco salad. Make your escape by dialing a secret code in the hidden phone booth, dodge the maze of red lasers in the dark hallway, slap your agent nametag on the wall, and make your discreet exit back onto the city street.  

To head from dinner toward an evening at Skydeck Chicago in the Willis Tower, ride the scenic water taxi from the north side of the river at Michigan Avenue to the Ogilvie/Union Station stop, followed by a short walk, or call for a 13-minute Lyft drive. The winding, museum-tour walk to get to the elevator bank displays an artful collection of exhibitions, facts and figures about Chicago, and fantastic photo opportunities—an El simulation with vibrating seats and city scenes sliding by the window; a giant, plastic Chicago-style hot dog and deep-dish pizza to rest on; jazz, Oprah, The Second City, Wrigley Field, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and iconic city scene backdrops to pose in front of. A speedy ride in the elevator (1,600 feet per minute) shoots you up to the skyscraper’s viewing level.

The highest observation deck in the U.S., the Skydeck Ledge juts out over four feet from the 103rd floor—a breathtaking 1,353 feet above the Chicago River and Wacker Drive. View the city below with confidence, knowing that the Ledge can withstand four tons of pressure, hold 10,000 lbs, and is seamlessly constructed using three layers of half-inch thick laminated glass. Groups of guests are given a timed five minutes to step into one of the Ledge booths and take in the view, jump, do handstands, yoga poses—however they want to spend their time in the sky. Some feedback from kids who were initially wary of traveling up so high included, “We’re in the air, we’re super-secure, and we’re looking down 100 stories. It was a cool experience!” and “Well, that was awesome, and I totally don’t regret going on it!” A 1.5-mile Lyft ride or walk brings you back to Swissôtel.

From Swissôtel to the massive Chicago Park District play area, Maggie Daley Park, is a 7-minute walk. The largest free activity is the Play Garden, a series of interconnected, imaginative play spaces integrating landscaping with the sculptures and structures. The Sea area features a large-scale ship and lighthouse tower with ladders, slides, talking tubes, and lookout scopes. The Watering Hole’s animal-themed splash pad includes a shady area with a bench for parents. A Harbor boat play zone, Enchanted Forest sensory exploration pathway, and Wave Lawn of rolling topography and sloped hills offer varied equipment and opportunities to engage all senses and stimulate imagination. Slide Crater’s giant suspension bridge slung between two towers is thrilling to run across while trying to keep your footing. Experience slides of all sizes and formations in this area (although the metal variety can be HOT in the summer sun!). Talk through tubes with others around the structure, rotate knobs to spin giant wheels, and be the lookout at the viewing scopes.

Other free areas include the tennis courts, picnic groves, Cancer Survivors’ Garden, and skating ribbon (rollerblades and Micro scooters are available to rent if you don’t bring your own equipment). For a fee and no reservations needed, visitors of any age can scale the Climbing Wall (shoes, helmet, and harness rental is offered), and kids aged 4-8 can even take a 15-minute climbing lesson with an instructor to assist them. Mini golf and a bungee jump are available for a fee. Conveniently located by the skating ribbon, the Rink Café food truck sells hot dogs, burgers, giant pretzels, ice cream, and other refreshments to enjoy under shady umbrellas.

For an energetic, colorful, laughter-filled theater experience, bring the kids to the Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre in the Lakeview neighborhood. While you wait for the show to begin, a scrolling marquee featuring jokes and ridiculous facts sets the tone for the event, warms up the crowd, and encourages audience participation. Through a series of comedic, surprising, awkward, and artful vignettes and instrumental songs involving PVC pipes, paints, lights, water, glow sticks, cereal, remastered instruments, and drums, the talented Blue Man Group cast opens an otherworldly dimension of sensory entertainment that enthralls and mesmerizes. Audience members in the front few rows don rain ponchos as protection from the show’s shower of water droplets, food, and paint. Several individuals were also singled out to participate in the show—on stage or from their seats—in “we’re laughing with you, not at you” situations. There is truly no comparison for this unique performance, and remembering those expressive, endearing blue faces will keep you smiling long after the lights go up.

Back at Swissôtel, the family can order refreshing drinks or nightcaps from the lobby bar and bring them upstairs to the suite, relaxing together in the living area to wind down for the night. A leisurely round of Pictionary or Connect Four or a warm shower under the rainfall showerhead brings an end to the eventful excursion in the city. Watch out the windows as Chicago dims its lights and rests up for a new day ahead.   

The Best of Outdoor and Camping Near Prague

In a city where the average daily temperature ranges from 30 °F to 66 °F across the entire year, camping and other outdoor activities are popular. From May to September, the temps are typically in the mid 60s to low 70s, so it is perfect weather for water sports. The only time it gets really cold is November to March, when it is in the 30s. 

Whether you want to camp in a tent in the woods or do some glamping in a fancy cabin, Prague has all of that and more. Many of the campgrounds are along the Vltava River—the longest river in the Czech Republic—so you can fish, swim, and do some boating. Leave your bags with a Prague suitcase storage facility first for safekeeping while you have a great time outdoors. 

Photo by Josh Hild on Pexels.com

The most popular camp in the city, Oase Praha boasts 167 sites and seven cabins. The basic sites have 328 square feet without any hookups; standards include 328 square feet with electricity. The comfort sites have 328 to 492 square feet, water, and electricity. The premium sites have 558 square feet, water, and electricity.

The cabins (luxury mobile homes) have room for up to six people, with three bedrooms, a kitchen with appliances, satellite TV, a bathroom, and a shower. Onsite you can find a restaurant, playgrounds, indoor and outdoor pools, a dog park, a horse trail and horses, and pedal go-karts, and much more. Showers, dishwashers, and washing machines are also onsite.

Centrally located in Prague, its name says it all. River Camping Prague is right on the Vltava River, so you can enjoy lots of water fun. A neighboring water sport facility rents out kayaks, rafts, and canoes. The restaurant has delicious Czech cuisine, and you can order rolls to be delivered for breakfast in the morning. Pets are welcome.

Rent a bike to get to the zoo or botanical gardens just a few minutes away. The snack shop is fully stocked, many sites have fire pits or grills, and you can get wood from the reception area. Electric hookups are also available, and you can shower or wash clothes at the wash facility.

Near the river as well as the zoo, botanical garden, and Troja Palace, Autocamp Petrokova is the perfect place for those who want to be near the major attractions. They boast large sites for tents, caravans, or motor homes, with hookups for electricity and water. Pets are welcome. 

You’ll be right near a tram stop, and a bus stop where the bus can take you to the train station so you can get around to the palaces, museums, and Charles Bridge. The park provides showers, washing machines, and a kitchen for cooking. There is a private road that runs along the Vltava River where you can walk, bike, or skate. 

Whether you want to pitch a tent, park your RV, or rent a bungalow, Matyas Camp has all that and more. Fall asleep to sounds of the river just feet from your site, with a view of the hills in the background. The campground boasts clean facilities, home cooking in the restaurant, and a fun-for-all-ages pool.

Electricity and water are available, and pets are welcome. Washing machines and showers are available nearby, and you can also rent a boat or bike for your enjoyment. The kids will love the playground, swings and hammocks, fishing pier, sandbox, and table tennis while you enjoy an adult beverage at the bar. 

Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

In the middle of the Vltava River on the island of Císařská louka, under the stars across from the Vyšehrad Castle, you’ll find Caravan Park Prague. Whether you want to park a trailer or pitch a tent, there is plenty of open space to enjoy. Electricity and water are available for use as well. 

You have a variety of choices at Triocamp. Bungalows offer room for six with beds, AC, bathroom, and a kitchen. Cabins boast room for four with beds, a small fridge, heat, and dining set with 24-hour restrooms and showers. They also have a hotel with beds for up to three people, and private restrooms with showers. 

For a really unique way to camp, try the safari tents. Up to six people will enjoy two bedrooms, a kitchen, seating area, and a deck with furniture. They also have large sites for tents and RVs with electricity, restrooms with showers, and a kitchen. In addition, they have a pool, play areas, and a bistro featuring live music nights. 

Just 15 minutes from the zoo, botanical garden, and Troja Castle, Camp Dana has lots of space to park your RV, van, or pitch a tent. You will have electricity and water, as well as the use of hot showers and toilets 24 hours a day. Cook in the outdoor kitchen and shop at the camp market while the kids play on the equipment.

Enjoy the terrace and garden or watch television in the lounge area. The hotel has rooms for 2-4 people, with a seating area, shared bathrooms, and an onsite laundry. The Stromovka Park is also nearby, where they have ponds, playgrounds, and a restaurant. 

Just a few minutes from downtown Prague, Camp Džbán is right on the edge of a nature reserve with hiking, swimming, and the national forest. The campsite boasts 320 spots for RVs or tents with electricity, picnic tables, and lots of green space to enjoy. The chalets have beds for four, kitchens, and outdoor seating. 

There is a playground, tennis/badminton/volleyball courts, and a golf driving range right at the campground. No need to go anywhere else unless you really want to. The café serves meals and a wide range of drinks and beer. Showers, toilets, and washing machines are also available. 

Camping Drusus has room for 70 RVs or tents as well as eight cabins, and a guesthouse that accommodates visitors year-round. Campsites have electricity and plenty of space as well as access to showers, restrooms, kitchen facilities, and laundry. Several rooms at the guesthouse hold up to four people, and some have private baths. You can dine at the onsite restaurant, GUSTA, with its own mini-brewery for home-brewed beer.

Be sure to check with these campgrounds to see if you need reservations in advance. Also, verify the rules about pets, because some do not allow them. And don’t miss your chance to go into the city and visit the attractions like the Řepora Museum, Koněpruské Caves, and Karlštejn Castle.

Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

Eurostar on a Roll

By Don Heimburger

Don Heimburger and Eurostar Driver Detlef Hofmann shake hands prior to departure from Waterloo Station, London, when the train left from this station.

Nearly 22,000 travelers hop aboard a Eurostar train each day, and more than 75 million have traveled the Eurostar routes over the last decade.

That figure represents more rail passengers than all the airline passengers combined on both Eurostar routes out of London.

So what’s new with Eurostar for 2008?

NEW FOR 2008

For one, since November, 2007 Eurostar has moved to a new station, from Waterloo to St. Pancreas, reducing the rail journey between London and Paris by 20 minutes. (I loved Waterloo Station!)
The travel time is now 2 hours and 15 minutes, and between London and Brussels it is only 1 hour and 51 minutes.

Also opened was Great Britian’s first high-speed line (called HS1) which carries the Eurostar exclusively. This allows travelers from London to Paris or Brussels to use the train for a one-day business or leisure trip. Every day the train runs 18 roundtrips between London and Paris and 10 between Brussels.

Eurostar trains feature 18 cars each, with car configurations changed depending on if the train is designated as a Business Premier train or a Leisure Select train. The train also runs to Lille, Eurodisney/Marne La Valle, Avignon (summer only), and Bourg St. Maurice (winter only).

TRAINS SEAT 766

Trains seat 766 persons, with special cars situated between cars 7 and 12, and standard class cars 1-5 and 14-18. There are always two bar cars, 6 and 13.

If you are a U.S. citizen, you will probably want to book your trip through Rail Europe, especially if you want to purchase a Eurail Pass that can include the Eurostar (and you can receive up to a 60% discount). Go to http://www.raileurope.com for the details.

In other European rail news, last summer the new French Railway TGV East train broke the world’s rail speed record, reaching a top speed on the trip of 357 miles per hour! A Rail Europe spokesman said, “This accomplishment is monumental for the SNCF and the rail community, and will have a positive impact on all who wish to travel east from Paris.”

The average speed, however, of the TGV East trains is 200 miles per hour. Each first class seat features its own electric power outlet, and broad seat cushions; first class passengers can book a taxi through the train conductor; and on-board messages are in French, German and English.

As an example of faster speeds on the TGV, here are new travel times posted by Rail Europe for travel between some stations:

  • France-Geneva:
    Paris-Bellegarde: 3 hours 10 minutes;
    Paris-Geneva: 3 hours 45 minutes
  • France-Switzerland:
    Paris-Lausanne: 4 hours;
    Paris-Zurich: 6 hours 10 minutes
  • Brussels-France:
    Brussels-Lyon: 3 hours 40 minutes;
    Brussels-Avignon: 5 hours

Rent an Apartment in Italy

By Phyllis Schweikle
Photos courtesy the Italian Government Tourist Board NA

It is said that 65% of the world’s art treasures are in Italy, and 50% of those are in Florence. Five of us wanted to stay there for a full month, so hotels were too costly, and any pensione were too “rustic” (I’m finished with group sharing of bathrooms).

I made a list of our basic needs: old Florence neighborhood, quiet, four bedrooms, three baths, a well-stocked kitchen for my chef husband, air conditioning and a washing machine.

Then I entered “apartment rentals Florence Italy” in my computer search engine. Pages appeared with links to user-friendly websites for every size apartment, location and price, often with neighborhood maps. Historic Florence is not large, but if your interests lie near San Marco, then San Spirito may not be the neighborhood for you, unless you really like to walk a lot.

That year we found a wonderful apartment on via del Corno, behind the Palazzo Vecchio. While affordability motivated us to rent, we came away with so much more from our experience that today renting is our favorite option wherever we plan a stay of six days or more. Rent and you become what the Italians call famigliari — “familiars,” recognized and greeted by the fruit and vegetable guy, the baker, the butcher. You become absorbed into the fabric of your temporary neighborhood. Today at Ristorante Buzzino, where we often regrouped that first year, we embrace and are embraced, welcomed home on annual visits.

In major tourist areas, most Italians speak English, so if language is not your gift, you will be fine (always carry a light weight dictionary). But think about it… you are moving into a neighborhood, so why not learn some basic pronunciation rules and a few simple phrases? You will be amazed at the response to your effort. Check out the website “CyberItalian” and see if this interactive language learning tool appeals to you (for a $25/year membership you have so much to gain and comparatively nothing to lose).

We have learned a few things from renting six different apartments (five in Florence, ranging in size from studio to four bedrooms, and a two bedroom in Rome). Here are a few thoughts to consider:

1) Rates depend on a number of factors, but Italians are pragmatic, so don’t be afraid to negotiate respectfully if you plan to rent for three weeks or more. Owners are willing to reduce rates rather than leave a unit vacant.

2) Study the photos of every room. In my experience searching for six different apartments, online photos are reliable. So that ‘fish-eye‘ picture you see really does reveal the struggle to showcase a small space (which may be fine for you). If you find an interesting description with a photo of the terrace, request photos of all the rooms. There may be nothing wrong, but I’m just saying…

3) Italians are used to living in much less space per person than Americans. An apartment listing for 3 to 4 persons may have one bedroom for two, and a full size sofa bed in the living room, and/or a daybed in your bedroom to accommodate someone. If that’s okay with you, then go for it.

4) “T” stands for “Terra” which means Ground Floor. In Italy, the 1st Floor (Primo Piano) is one flight up, so unless you are young or athletic, you may want to eliminate any apartment without an elevator which is above the 2nd floor . Remember you will be carrying suitcases filled with necessities on arrival, and treasures when you leave, daily groceries, that famous bottled effervescent water, and your tired self up those steps at least once a day.

Our second apartment was a penthouse with a terrace and wonderful views. It belonged to an artist whose lovely artworks and subtle personal touches made us feel instantly at home. I was entranced by the interior photos, and though the description said ‘4th floor walk-up’, we were in very good shape. After all, I had walked all 60 miles of the Breast Cancer 3-Day that year. A few steps weren’t going to be a deal-breaker! Unfortunately, Tony and I both caught the flu at a language school we were attending. Every day for three weeks, two in health and one in illness, at least once a day, I’d find myself sitting on that 65th stair, surrounded by books, or groceries, and that water, staring exhaustedly up at the final 70th step with its terrace gate like a pilgrim outside the pearly gates.

5) Arrival can be a bit overwhelming, but ask how to use the washing machine and the oven (your dictionary should have a conversion table for weights and temperatures). Most important: be sure to ask where your electric box is. In one apartment we lost power repeatedly until the owner explained we needed to turn off the water heater in the bathroom before heating the oven. Italian electric flow is not like ours. Your daughter cannot dry her hair while you wash clothes, and your husband watches the news in air conditioning. In Italy, the circuits will blow. Ask where the switchbox is located. Then, when it happens, you can turn the power back on and choose where to reduce your draw. Trust me.

7) I assume there are clothes driers at the lavanderia (laundromat), but I have never seen one in an apartment or home. An Italian drier is the sun and breeze, and rain is an extra rinse cycle. In city apartments without terraces, you will find a drying rack in a closet along with clothespins, but be sure to check outside your windows…another clothes line could be there. You will also find an ironing board and iron. Italians iron everything. Washers do not hold a large number of articles, and take a long time to cycle. I would not recommend washing jeans within 48 hours of departure unless you plan to wear them damp.

Anais Nin wrote “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” May your adventures be joyous, your courage rewarded, your view expanded.