my city life

with Lynette Standley

Well, I did it. I finally booked a ticket to Italy. And I leave in two weeks!It will be 497 days since I last flew home from Europe. I counted.  I may be crazy, but there are three great reasons to do it now: Crowds are still light, so I can experience Rome without throngs of people. I’m fully vaccinated and ready to go back. And four airlines are offering “Covid-tested” flights to Rome, so – like traveling to Hawaii – you get your test before departure, everyone on the plane has a...

I finally made my first big trip post-Covid, to the Big Island of Hawaii. Like many people, I haven’t been on a plane since the world shut down over a year ago. My last trip in March 2020 was to visit my son in Kona, Hawaii. Appropriately, that was my first big trip as things begin to open. I say “post-Covid,” but you know what I mean. It will probably be with us for a long time. But I’m fully vaccinated and was anxious to see my son, so I decided to venture out.Traveling to the Hawaiian Islands...

Salty spring greetings! And I mean that in the most positive sense for good cooking. I love salt—on my salads, in my pasta water, in my banana bread.Have you seen the Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat? (It’s also a book.) Whether you like to cook, eat or travel, this show has something for everyone. Four one-hour episodes are an easy, entertaining watch. Let's dive into salt. S.A.L.T.It’s such a valuable preservative and seasoning that it was used as currency eons ago.Today it’s key to...

I've spent months looking into the Travel Crystal Ball. I'm finally seeing a glimmer of hope.I recently joined a Rick Steves live Zoom presentation. It was a fun compilation of different shows featuring islands of the Mediterranean, with occasional live commentary from Rick. He lightheartedly snacked on Caprese salad and sipped limoncello as he talked about shooting a segment on Capri many years ago. I think the neighbors could hear me cheering when he predicted we’d be traveling again by late...