Hello and welcome back! In this episode we are back to talking about Florence! Headed to Florence but short on time? We've got you covered with tips on what to see in Florence, what to skip, what's free in Florence, and what's worth the price. While we mentioned in episode 3, Florence can be a day trip, an ideal trip to Florence could be 4-6 days. Enough time to see the galleries, catch a few sunsets from the rose garden at the Piazzale Michelangelo, and stroll the Ponte Vecchio. If ...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Benvenuti a La Settimana Infernale, or Week of Hell, named for the intense heatwave lazily moving across southern Europe. Here's an update on what's happening in Rome, what to do if you're visiting during the anticyclone causing the heatwave, and what is an anticyclone?
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello, hello! Welcome back to Episode 3 of Season 2. In this episode, we're talking about Florence. Specifically, we are taking about how to get there (planes, trains, and automobiles (buses)), and how to get around. We're also offering a very brief history. Not necessarily of Florence, but of Italy as a whole, and how the local dialect of Florence ended up as Italy's national language. In this episode, we mentioned Trainline, a way of purchasing train and bus tickets in a surprising...
Jul 17, 2023•44 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Hello and welcome back to Episode 2! Before we get to talking about the North, Florence specifically, we wanted to very briefly go over a few points of interest about Rome that we haven't previously mentioned. In particular, we wanted to talk about how to stay cool on those heat-wave days that send Rome past the triple digits, and which day trips are feasible (and which aren't). In this episode, we mention a few parks: Villa Borghese (Near Flaminio) Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele (Near Termin...
Jul 08, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello and welcome back! We apologize for having been gone for so long. While Only A Bag has always been on our minds, we couldn't figure out the time to sit down and finally record another episode. And then we found the time! Here's episode one of Season 2. We lightly delve into "northern" Italy vs "southern" Italy, and how it might affect your trip to Italy. At one point, we mentioned a bakery in Siena, which is here: https://goo.gl/maps/Js4UEQfURAr1JEr5A We have als...
Jul 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back! (If you prefer to read the podcast as an article, you can find it here !) Now that you've learned all you can about getting started with house sitting, we thought we could share our favorite house sitting websites. These might not be the best, but these are the ones we've had the most luck with, or the most pleasant interactions with homeowners through. Like always, we hope you enjoy! Nathaniel and Darcy Here are some links to the mentioned websites! If you use an affiliate...
Nov 07, 2022•31 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to another episode of our housesitting series! If you prefer to read our advice, you can find the article on our website ! In this episode, we talk about the "house." For us, this means cleaning the house when we leave, how to treat the house when we're there, and what to do in the absolute certainty that you break something. We hope you enjoy! Want to jump right into house sitting? Here are some links to our favorite websites! Trusted House Sitters: Affiliate Link | N...
Oct 22, 2022•36 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back! If you prefer to read our advice, you can find the article on our website ! Now that we've talked about setting up your profile for various house sitting websites, in this episode we discuss our tips on how to get your first sit! We hope you enjoy! Want to jump right into house sitting? Here are some links to our favorite websites! Trusted House Sitters: Affiliate Link | Non-Affiliate Link Nomador: Non-Affiliate Link MindMyHouse: Non-Affiliate Link House Sitters UK: Affiliate L...
Oct 06, 2022•28 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast (For the article version, click here . And as always, we love feedback about our website! Welcome back! In this episode of House Sitting: Miniseries, Darcy and I discuss setting up your profile, what to include and what to leave out, and sending that first message! We hope you enjoy! Nathaniel and Darcy Want to jump right into house sitting? Here are some links to our favorite websites! Trusted House Sitters: Affiliate Link | Non-Affiliate Link Nomador: Non-Affiliate Link MindMyHouse: Non-Affili...
Sep 24, 2022•19 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast (For the article version, click here .) Hello and welcome back! In previous episodes, you might have heard us mention "house sitting." Well, in this episode, we discuss our introduction to house sitting, as well as some of the websites we like to use. In the beginning of the episode, we cover some "housekeeping" items, such as our new website, Instagram page, and our new use of affiliate links which will be disclosed. We will also use non-affiliate links in the descriptions o...
Sep 15, 2022•31 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Hello all, and welcome to our "Kitchen Sink" episode for Rome. There were so many little things we wanted to mention in the last few podcasts that either didn't fit, or we weren't factually sure on. So we added them into one large podcast. A "just in case" type of thing. Some of it is also updates to prices or practices as we've experienced them We also have a website! www.onlyabag.com. We will post the blog version of podcasts here as well as any and all other information we think is interestin...
Jul 28, 2022•59 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to another episode of the Rome series! In this episode we discuss how to navigate the used clothing markets of Italy, and the ones we like to frequent. We hope you enjoy! If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch. Towards the end we mentioned a group of vintage stores in the Monti neighborhood which are: Pifebo Vintage Shop Flamingo Vintage Shop Roma Humana Vintage Roma King Size Vintage Pulp Vintage Blue Goose Abito Update July 2022: We finally have a ...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back after our impromptu 6 month break! To get things started, we figured we should round out the last of the food episodes talking about the thing we love best: gelato. Not only do we discuss the parts of a gelato cone, we discuss things to look for when hunting for the best gelateria in any city. At the end, we mentioned our list of our all-time favorite gelaterie in Rome, and here it is! Some of these gelateria have multiple locations, we list the ones we visited. If you want to make ...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast What's the best way to order a coffee in Rome? Do you sit down and wait for someone to come over? Or go to the bar? What is a "normal coffee?" What are those red drinks everyone is drinking around 5 o'clock? Are the water fountains in Rome potable? In this episode Darcy and I take a look into coffee and drink culture in Rome. As always, I hope you enjoy! Nathaniel: @MellorNathaniel Darcy: @not_mr_darcy Also, we kept pronouncing "brusque" as "brisk." I only noticed while editing. Sorry!&nbs...
Nov 09, 2021•56 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone tells us where to eat in Rome. Where to find the best cacio e pepe or pizza. Even Google Maps gives advice. So we wanted to tell you all how to eat at restaurants and what to expect when you do. As always, I hope you enjoy! Nathaniel on Twitter: @MellorNathaniel Darcy on Twitter: @not_mr_darcy Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are writing articles as quickly as possible, but we'd love for you to check it out and send us any comments! www....
Nov 01, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to our episode on food! We try to lay the groundwork for any trip you might take to Rome by discussing street food, food markets, groceries, the customs around food, and what to do if you have allergies. Darcy was coming off a bit of a cold, so I did a heavy portion of the talking, sorry about that! We hope you all enjoy! Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are writing articles as quickly as possible, but we'd love for you to check it o...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Hello everyone! We are so sorry for our long absence. We moved houses again, lost internet, and real life got in the way. We are now back! In this episode we talk about getting to Rome by flying there, getting from the airport to the city, and getting around Rome once you're there. I also mentioned a website for cheap student flights which is called www.studentuniverse.com. Some of my talking might be quick in this episode, and I do apologize! I realize I talk quickly when I'm excited ab...
Oct 14, 2021•46 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast For the next few episodes Darcy and I will be talking about Rome, since that's where we are currently! Instead of talking about the normal sights and "to-do" lists, we thought we'd talk about some of the quieter sides of life. Like gelato, used clothing markets, and finding good food! I hope you enjoy! Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are writing articles as quickly as possible, but we'd love for you to check it out and send us any co...
Aug 22, 2021•7 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I invited my travel partner, Darcy, to talk with me about traveling together. We discuss the pros and cons, costs, and how it's important to sometimes take some time apart. I hop you enjoy! Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are writing articles as quickly as possible, but we'd love for you to check it out and send us any comments! www.onlyabag.com
Jul 20, 2021•32 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Possibly the greatest debate while traveling is whether or not to go alone. For some, it's an eye-opening experience, a chance to connect with themselves and learn about the person they really are without distractions. For others, it's a deeply lonely experience that reinforces how far out of their comfort zone they are. In this episode, I discuss having a new normal, changing your perspective, and learning how to travel alone. I hope you enjoy! Update July 2022: We finally have a website!...
Jul 18, 2021•23 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I cover things you will need before you hit the road. This isn't about packing or any gadgets, but the bare basics such as a passport, visa, vaccines, travel insurance, and more. I hope you enjoy! Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are writing articles as quickly as possible, but we'd love for you to check it out and send us any comments! www.onlyabag.com...
Jul 05, 2021•29 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Only a Bag, a travel podcast! Since this podcast will weave certain topics in and out of every episode, I thought it would make sense to give a brief overview of those topics: One bag, ethical traveling, long-term traveling, and housesitting. I will go into more depth in the following episodes. If you have anything you'd like to hear me talk about, please let me know! Thanks for listening, Nathaniel Update July 2022: We finally have a website! It's a bit light on the content as we are...
Jun 10, 2021•22 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
