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Eleven years in Rome: My annual reasons for living here

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Every year around Jan. 11, the anniversary of my arrival in Rome in 2014, I write all the reasons I love living here. After 11 years, it’s still not a problem finding new reasons. This year I found a whole new list, ranging from the draw Rome’s 930 churches has on me to chocolate-covered frappe served every Easter. Hope this list brings back fond memories or your trip to Rome or inspires you to make some memories of your own.

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Oregon Ducks: My hometown team is No. 1 and seeking first national title — while I watch alone from a world away

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I was born, raised and educated in Eugene, Ore., and been an Oregon Ducks fan since 1963. Now they are ranked No. 1 entering the College Football Playoffs and I am stuck 10,000 kilometers away, cheering alone. That’s OK. Considering my star-crossed history with college football’s late blooming power, I won’t mind watching on my laptop until 4 in the morning. I write what it’s like to be an Oregon Ducks fan in Rome.

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Rome Christmas markets: The subtle, romantic way to get into the Christmas spirit far from family

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Christmas is different in Rome. Despite being the center of the Christian world, Christmas celebrations are more subtle here. A popular way to celebrate Christmas is Christmas markets. There are many in Rome and we spent the weekend going to three of them. They’re great for snacks, shopping and generally getting into the Christmas spirit without drowning in bright lights and loud carols.

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Palestine: Tourism trying to show another side of a country at war

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You like to get off the beaten path? Why not Palestine? Yes, you can visit. In fact, I visited with the marketing director of Palestine Tourism at the World Travel Market in London last month. He enlightened me about how safe Palestine remains outside Gaza. And there is so much to see and do. I’m ready to go. Read my blog and you might, too.

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Txoko: Basques’ traditional feast a gastronomic peek into a delicious culture

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A txoko is a traditional Basque feast that goes back 150 years when Basque men needed a place to gather, talk, sing and, especially, cook. They are still going strong today. They let in women but not members of the public. We got lucky. A member of my Travelers’ Century Club is also a Basque with connections to a txoko in the surfing town of Mundaka. We all got invited during our meeting in Bilbao. Believe me, it is a delicious tradition worth keeping.

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Bilbao: Guggenheim puts Basque capital on world stage

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Bilbao was an ugly industrial city better known for being the center of Basque violence before the Guggenheim Museum was built in 1997. Now Bilbao is one of the top destinations in Spain. We went for a meeting of my Mediterranean Chapter of the Travelers’ Century Club and found a terrific, manageable city with tons of culture, thanks to that unbreakable Basque pride.

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Iasi Pogrom: A little-known dark period in WWII revealed in riveting museum in charming Romanian town

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I’ve been to many World War II museums in Eastern Europe but a relatively new one in the Romanian town of Iasi blew me away. The Iasi Pogrom Museum details a few days in the summer of 1941 when Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescu ordered the slaughter of 13,000 Jews, one third of Iasi’s Jewish population. Many others died on horrific train journeys to concentration camps.

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