A Week of Lasts

This week was all about lasts, savoring familiar places and routines before turning the page once again. Our last walk on the beach at Follonica. This time we went for an extra-long stroll, determined to make it last as long as possible. With the sun shining so brightly, it wasn't hard to linger.

Follonica Beach

Our last lunch the day before leaving Massa was at the littlest trattoria in Italy, Tana dei Brilli. It's Niccolò's current favorite spot in town. We had been once about a year ago for our anniversary, but for some reason never made it back. After this visit, we made a firm note to return. We had forgotten just how good it was--familiar Tuscan flavors with a slightly unexpected twist..

Local cheese with an onion marmelade

Carpaccio with local cheese

Ceci soup

Tortelli with ragu

Serena, Niccolò, and I all ordered the chickpea soup with pancetta, while Ira went for the pasta with ragu. Everything was delicious, and once again we wondered why we don't come here more often.

That evening, it felt only right to go to Pizzeria Da Carlo for one last pizza. The women who work there recognized us immediately and already knew we'd be dining in--they're always so warm and welcoming. I tried a different pizza this time, topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella. It was good, but still not quite as good as my beloved gorgonzola and artichoke. 

On our walk home, Ira captured this beautiful shot of the Duomo--the last one for this trip.

Da Carlo Finale

Nice Shot!

With everything packed and stored on the second floor, we were ready to head stateside. Our journey took us by train from Follonica to Roma Trastevere, then a quick transfer to the Fiumicino train. We managed the connection with only minutes to spare and luggage in tow. A small victory, but we'll take it.

Arriving at the airport felt oddly comforting. Familiarity goes a long way in reducing travel stress, and Fiumicino now feels almost routine. This time we stayed at the HelloSky airport hotel--mostly because the Hilton was full. The hotel is practically inside the airport. The room was fine, but probably not one we'd choose again. Since we were already on site, Ira and I decided to get our steps in, explore the terminals, and scope out dinner options. Unfortunately, the HelloSky buffet was...pitiful. Truly. Would not recommend.

HelloSky hotel room

Blue bathroom at HelloSky

The room art was more interesting. I suppose you'd call this airport art?

Roger Moore

We walked through Terminals 1 and 3, briefly considered eating at Rosso Pomodoro, but eventually wandered over to the Hilton and had dinner there--even though we weren't staying there. It turned out to be a great decision. We figured we should load up on the vegetables before a long flight where they tend to be scarce. 

Artwork in Terminal 3

Ira's fish

Cauliflower puree

Hilton Kinetic Art

The next morning we were up early, making last-minute adjustments to even out the weight in our bags. We were determined to avoid a repeat of the great gate unpacking incident (which you can read about in a previous post--funny now, stressful then). Bags checked and under weight. Winner winner. 

We had hoped to spend some time in the lounge, but Delta no longer has an agreement with the Rome lounge. Darn. I do give Ira credit, though. He's become an expert at researching strategies and squeezing the most out of a limited travel budget. A little effort really does go a long way. 

The flight to Atlanta was uneventful. To help with jet lag, I try to switch to the destination time zone once I'm on the plane--which meant staying awake until we reached San Diego. That required a lot of movies. I watched Downton Abbey: the Finale twice (first in Italian, then in English--no judgement please), Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and Tron: Ares. I actually enjoyed Tron, more than the previous sequel. 

In Atlanta, we had to collect our checked bags and go through security again--something that still throws me every time. That water bottle you get on the plane always gets me. I forget to drink it before going through security again. I've learned the hard way more than once. Getting pulled aside always feels like a personal failure. And why is it always so hot? My latest YouTube hack discovery: bring a reusable bag and stuff coats and scarves into it while walking around. Much more comfortable--and it slides nicely under the seat on the plane. 

We arrived in San Diego on time, grabbed our bags, hopped in an Uber, and were in bed just after midnight. The next morning, our only goal was sunlight--as much as possible. And look who came out to greet us, still in his pajamas.

Kobayashi in his PJs

We slept through the night (a small miracle), then focused on staying awake and soaking up the sun. David was thrilled to have us back--not just because we're his bonsai buddies, but because we're his excuse to eat Mexican food. He'd happily eat it every day if the rest of his family allowed it. We were more than happy to enable.

Taco Plate

Housemade tortilla chips and guacamole

We ended the day with a classic La Jolla sunset.

After a week of goodbyes, smooth landings, and familiar comforts, it felt like the perfect way to close this chapter. Life is good.

Ciao ciao!