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Today we visited Colle Florido, a winemaking business in Abruzzo run by a friendly couple. They grow the grapes on their land and are closely involved in every step of the process.

They love what they do and are dedicated to making completely natural wine that respects the environment. On one of the barrels are drawings that their daughters made. One of them shows red and green grapes growing on vines, with wind, rain, and sun appearing from a row of clouds and a man and woman standing hand in hand.

[and-kiki-blog]

This is a trabocco. It's an old fishing pier contraption that was used on the Abruzzo coast.

We rented bikes from Il gatto con i pedali in Pescara, and they suggested we take the train down to Vasto with the bikes and explore that area. A trail that runs along the sea there. I think it's one of the most beautiful rides I have taken!

In addition to the trabocchi, which are important to the cultural heritage of Abruzzo, there is the old town of Vasto. Visiting it requires locking up bikes and climbing the mount. When we arrived it was quiet, but we found a bar that was a micro-mini-party thanks to one very bubbly local woman who wanted to dance.

[and-kiki-blog]

Nat Gas lows: Are we there yet?

Natural gas has steadily sold since reaching 10.00 in August. Looking at a chart that goes back to 2013, it's approaching 10-year lows. But now after two strong up days, is it time to get long into a this little pullback? Or is natural gas headed for 1.80 before it bounces?

[and-kiki-blog]

EUR to USD: Where next?

The Euro has had a huge run-up since October, but it's now reaching the 1.10 levels that served as support back in 2019. Will that now become resistance? Or will the Euro continue moving higher?

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Pizza Forward

Sasà Martucci - Pizzeria I Masanielli in Caserta uses locally sourced organic ingredients and makes REALLY good pizza. We found out about it from Pasta Grammar and went there on our way back to Naples after a day in Lazio. Our friend Andrea is vegan, so she had this pizza with almond ricotta. Delicious!

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Pistachio muffin

At Centrale del Caffè in Naples, they have a pastry that brings together a sour cream cake and a pistachio sfogliatella in the shape of a muffin. They call it a pistachio muffin and serve it with a fork, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

[and-kiki-blog]

Villa Volpicelli and Mt. Vesuvius

Facing the now-dormant volcano best known for destroying Pompeii, this 16th-century villa rests beside boulders and Mediterranean waters. My husband's parents lived here early in their marriage with their three young children. Today would have been my mother-in-law's 85th birthday, so we went and put a portrait of her on the brick exterior wall facing the center of Naples.

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Spaghetti al pomodoro del Piennolo

Grown on Mt. Vesuvius, these tomatoes are then tied into bunches and hung from the rafters of shops in Naples. They have a unique mineral flavor and slightly tough chewy skin. Unusually scrumptious with spaghetti and basil.

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I just opened an IRA with Robinhood. Now what?

If you have an account with Robinhood, you've probably heard that they now offer IRA accounts. And they say that aside from employers, they're the only place offering a 1% match on deposits.

Obviously, that's not anything like a 401k employer match, which can run anywhere from 25% to 100%. But it's not nothing. And opening up the account is instantaneous.

But once you've put money in there, the question is what to do with it. You (and I) probably don't want to throw it at the most recently minted crypto or some small stock with earnings on the horizon.

Here are three possible approaches to save and grow what's in a new Robinhood IRA.

1) Diversify: One way of looking at diversification is by visiting the CME's site, where you can see the different categories of asset groups traded on the futures market: equities, energy, metals, FX, agriculture, interest rates, and yes, crypto (Bitcoin and Ether). Then, in your IRA account, you can put some money into index funds of those markets: QQQ to get long the Nasdaq or SIL for exposure to silver. If you want to invest in the Euro, there's FXE.

2) Keep cash: Leaving anywhere from 15% to 30% of your IRA account in cash will likely decrease the intensity of fluctuations in the balance.

3) Add a little more: If you set your account to withdraw a small amount once or twice a month directly from a checking account, you can steadily contribute to your IRA. These deposits add up, and by the end of the year you won't have to scramble to make an IRA contribution.

[and-kiki-blog]

Near the funicular to Castel Sant'Elmo, Pizzeria Vecchia Napoli sells classic Neapolitan snacks like pizza fritta from a glass case on the street. Inside, the simple dining room is decorated with old snapshots and there are two wood fired ovens in the kitchen in back.