An Italian Trip to Remember

Woke up at 5:30 this morning and just couldn’t seem to get started. Took our showers and found our way down to the breakfast room. I had some scrambled eggs with a croissant and some green tea. Mom had a bowl of granola and yogurt with her English Breakfast Tea.

We met the group outside the hotel at 8:30AM and were introduced to Elizabeth, a local tour guide who was going to take us on a walking tour of Venice. We put on our little radios with ear buds in place and took off at a fast pace. Elizabeth had an amazing amount of knowledge and it was, at times, overwhelming. She would throw out facts on Venice history like it was no big thing. And Venice has been around a long long time. There is a lot to know.

She explained about the services here in Venice. There are no cars, no buses, no bicycles, no method of transport except by boat or by foot. Garbage is picked up every couple of days by a man pulling a large-ish cart. They ring your doorbell and you come to the door with your trash. Then it’s hauled to a boat that takes it to the mainland for disposal/recycling. *Garbage isn’t left outside anymore due to the huge rat problem that evolved.

Mail delivery. There are a lot of islands in Venice. Each one is it’s only little postal area. And each house or business has an assigned number (like a house number). But there are no street names. Makes the job for the postman much harder.

Food delivery. Each day fresh food is delivered by boat from the market to the restaurants. Some of the boats have refrigerators on them to keep the cold items cold. We walked past many places where food had been delivered and was left outside the front door. You can see in the photo below the boat with boxes piled high for delivery.

Fire department. Elizabeth asked us “why do we need a fire department here in Venice? We are surrounded by water!” Then she went on to explain about the many fired that had destroyed parts of Venice in the past. And yes, the fire “trucks” are boats.

She showed us the different styles of building from over the centuries. The oldest examples are from Byzantine Empire circa 13th century. There is Gothic, Renaissance, Moorish, Romanesque, Venetian Gothic, Baroque, NeoClassical and NeoByzantine (not necessarily in that order). It is truly a wonderful place to see all sorts of styles.

We finally stopped at a tiny little shop of a man by the name of Franco Furlanetto. He is one of four traditional oar and forcola makers in Venice. He crafts them by hand and has been doing so for over 30 years. We learned it can take him about 50 hours to make one forcola (this is the place where the oar is used to maneuver the gondola). Elizabeth likened it to a gear shift in a car. Franco demonstrated how he works his craft. We learned there are the best kinds of wood for the forcola: Walnut (the best), cherry, and pear. The wood has to be seasoned at least a year to avoid problems later.

After the demonstration was over, we walked to the open market where all fresh foods were sold. Mom and I decided we weren’t feeling up to San Marco Basillca and opted to return to the hotel.

When we got back to the room, I set Mom up on the iPad so she could read her email. I fell asleep before she was done; and apparently she napped as well. Thank goodness I set the alarm for 3PM. We were both out like a light.

After our midday nap, we decided to check out the Doges Palace. It was a bit of a walk but there was no one in line so we got right in. Elizabeth and Sara both recommended we wait until after 4PM because the cruise ships would have departed. They were right.

Doges Palace or Palazzo Ducale was the residence for the Doge of Venice. It was constructed in the mid 14th century in the Gothic style. The Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice (up until the late 1700’s) and was elected to the position for life. The palace includes the Doge’s apartments, armories, a prison section, assembly rooms and art. Lots of art. On the walls. Ceilings. Fireplaces. Doors. I kept taking photos but you just can’t take it all it. See below for a sample:

We worked our way through the armory display. Amazing collection of weapons.

We finally made it to the prison cells and crossed of the Bridge of Sighs. Legend has it that the prisoners who were on their way to their cells would sigh as they glimpsed their last look at Venice through the tiny windows. It’s an enclosed pathway over a small rio on the way to the prison cells.

We walked back toward the hotel; much easier now after doing it several times. We ate at the restaurant outside our hotel. Mom had chicken breast and potatoes. I had the spinach ravioli. For dessert we shared a tiramisu and a coconut/chocolate cake. We sat outside to eat our meal, and by the time we were done it was beginning to get chilly.

Came up to our room and got ready for bed. Tomorrow we head to Florence. Time on the bus and we get to see David!

Ciao for now!

Alarm going off at 6AM while on “vacation” seems wrong. But today we were going to Venice so it was all very right. The usual shower and breakfast; check to make sure our bags were packed “light”, and onto the bus at 9AM. We drove straight to Venice with only two stops. First one simply a bathroom break, and the second was lunch on the Autostrada (European freeway). High end truck stop for sure…but the food was good and the restrooms were clean. The cans of Pringle’s were huge!

Because it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, Sara switched our gondola ride from tomorrow night to this afternoon. As she’s telling us this on the bus, I start crying. I was so bummed because I thought we weren’t going to get to do the gondola ride because of the rain (apparently even the gondola drivers have their limits). So Sara stopped talking for a moment and came right to my seat to make sure I was ok. I had to reassure her it was a happy cry. For those of you who know me well, I cry a lot. Happy cry, relieved cry, mad cry, sad cry; I’ve got them all. I told her I was so relieved I couldn’t help it. Venice is the pinnacle of this trip for me. I have ancestors who walked these streets, lived this life. A piece of my history is here.

Before we get to Venice, we have to stop so our driver can pay the visitor “fee” (tax). 360 euro please! Averaged out to about 13 euro per person. Every visitor must pay this fee. Sauro then parked the bus and we grabbed our “light” bags (for Mom and me it’s my roller bag (carryon) and the matching backpack. Which you have to wear on your front, not your back to deter pickpockets. I felt like I was geared up like a SWAT team member.

We dragged our gear to the vappareto station to get on the equivalent of a water bus. It was packed! We did get seats which was nice. It was about a 25 minute ride from the station to our stop, Acedemia. It was about a 15 minute walk to the hotel from there. Over a few bridges and over thousands of stone square pavers. The sound of the carry on rolling across places where people have walked for hundreds of years still rings in my ears this evening.

We got our room key and wanderer our way to our room. It’s on the second floor, but you have to travel down hallways and up stairs to find it. Our view is a grey building with a small waterway between us. The room is L shaped and small…but we are not complaining. Well, Mom is a bit miffed there were no slippers here like the other hotels. And our light fixture hanging from the ceiling…it’s fantastic! Pretty sure it’s blown glass in red, blue, green and yellow.

We met back up with the group around 4:15PM. Sara walked us over to the Piazza to help us get the lay of the land, and then we were off to take a gondola ride. Yes, it does seem totally cheesy. But it was fun and the gondoliers work very hard to move those thin long boats thru the water (and around lots of other boats). One of our boats had a musician and a singer. One of the songs he sang was “Volare”. The ride was about 25 minutes long. Of course, I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks for about half the time. And I was seated in the front facing everyone else. I tried to hold it together but the emotions were running so high today.

Getting off the boat was easy, just a step up and you are back on dry land. There are steps and landings all over Venice. We met back up with Sara who led us to the restaurant for dinner.

Arrived there around 6:45, which is TOO early for most Italians to have dinner. They must have made an exception for us. This was probably the most food I’ve seen yet on this trip.

Our first course was Caprese salad. I ate about 2/3 of it, including the tomatoes. I did drench in a vinaigrette which helped some, but not all. The tomato texture is not something I enjoy.

The second course was spaghetti with a sauce of your choosing. I chose Bolognese because the other two were seafood in origin. Mom also chose the Bolognese. One of the choices was a Venice specialty, Black Squid Ink pasta. And it was black! I took a bite, and it had a seafood taste to it, plus the sauce turned your lips and tongue black.

The server came to take our plates but left our knives. I thought that was strange because wasn’t dessert next? Oh, no it wasn’t. Here comes course number 3, fillets of some type of fish. Mom had a bit of it, and I tried a bite as well. I still don’t like fish. But like I’ve said before: I’m here…I’m going to try things.

Round 4 is a bowl of lettuce, beets, shredded carrots and tomatoes. And more bread. We each take a small bit of salad and comment: “Now. This must be it.”.

Nope! Course #5 is a huge plate of chunks of cooked beef and thinly sliced Parmesan cheese on top. By now we are just praying for the madness to stop as we are getting so full (and beef is so heavy!).

Course #6 was different fried seafoods. I didn’t ask what was in there, but I did see a few shrimps with faces still intact. NOPE! Mom trying battered squid and thought it was tasty. I saw what I hoped was an onion ring, but alas, no it was not.

Are we there yet? Almost to the finish line! The servers clear the tables one more time and bring out plates of tiramisu. Lucky #7. Surprisingly, we could all still eat that! And it was the best one yet I’ve had on this trip.

The server comes back with Limoncello and Grappa. We each have the option of what to try.

Five out of the six of us had the Limonchello. #6 had water. It was a perfect little drink to finish the meal. We toasted to our good health and over abundance of food. Sipped our drinks and then slowly got up and started leaving. It can take a few minutes for 27 people to clear a restaurant.

Sara got us back to the Piazza where she left us to listen to a quartet playing music outside a cafe. A few of the couples in our group started dancing. It was seems so unreal, but also just right. The music stopped and we resumed our stroll back to the hotel. Not sure I would have made it back without being led. This city is like a maze. A wonderful old, amazing maze.

Mom and I got back to the room and got ready for bed. I have the AC running as it’s humid and I’m overheated today. I might have to turn it off soon so Mom doesn’t turn into a popsicle. I was able to Facetime my dear husband a short time ago and catch up on home life. It sounds like all is well at home, although it really hit me tonight about being away and missing my man. So yes, one more time there were tears.

More from Venice tomorrow! Hoping for a tear-free day!

Ok, maybe it’s the 6th day. Still a little confused exactly what day it is today. I forgot to set the alarm last night; we didn’t wake up until 8:45 AM. Thank goodness there wasn’t a bus to catch! Mom had meant to get up early to see about walking/hiking with other members of our group. Lucky for me…it was raining and she’s a fair weather hiker.

We cleaned up and went down to breakfast. Apparently we were the last ones there. Oops! It was continental breakfast with all sorts of breads, fresh fruit, yogurt and cereal. They would also fix you eggs and bacon if you wished. Which I did. It’s so hard to believe you can eat anything the next morning after the dinners we are having. But yes, we were hungry. This morning I had coffee with my breakfast, and Mom had her tea. The coffee was excellent, not bitter at all. I still had to put a little milk in it, but probably could have drank it black.

After breakfast we came back to the room to gather our laundry. There is one washer and one dryer here that we could use for no charge. When I inquired at the front desk, Rosie the young lady there says to me: TELL ME! I laughed because I was startled and she was grinning as well. Her English was excellent, and I’m pretty sure she speaks both German and Italian as well.

We washed two loads of clothes and I became aquatinted with European washer and dryer equipment. Of course, there is no English on the machine at all only German and Italian. There are digital readouts, but not helpful when you don’t speak the language. The washer was easy. Load, soap, push start. The dryer? That’s a whole story unto itself. One of the maids got it started for us. You have to turn it on first. Ok. Then select your mode of drying. “Cotton” was what we chose. This was just for the clothes we washed last night that weren’t dry yet (just to get something done while one load was washing). Ran the dryer for about 30 minutes and everything was dry. Great!

Now we put our freshly washed clothes in the dryer. We run it for an hour. I opened it to check. Everything is still wet and HOT! Steam hot enough to burn you rolls out of the machine. So we set it for another hour. I was able to upload some photos to the blog but not sure if they can be viewed. The strength of the internet here is dependent on how many people are NOT using it. Was able to get some uploaded since everyone was out and about.

While our clothes are ”drying” we walked to the supermarket only to find they close from noon to 3PM. Okay then. There is another grocery store but I wasn’t sure where it was. Saw it on the way into town but it seems it was further away. Google Maps to the rescue! Four minute walk. Perfect. It’s all uphill, but hey, we need to get a little exercise today.

We pick up a few items; toothpaste, bottled water, cheese/salami, crackers (mid-day snack) and some cookies. We leave to go back to the hotel and discover it’s just around the corner from the hotel. Oh brother! Everything here is a maze of roads. And the building are all at least 2-3 stories tall and kind of look the same (meaning the wall texture is the same, colors are similar). And the street names are in German.

I sent Mom to the room to prep the snacks. Checked on the laundry…still the same condition as when we left. Only one thing left to do. Google the owner’s manual to see what could be wrong. Of course, it didn’t really give helpful options. This particular machine, a Miele 5135C is a Condenser Tumble Dryer. There is no external vent to the outside of the building. In my mind I’m thinkI got this is one big veggie steamer! Anyway, I opted for a different setting than the maid recommended and let it go another 15 minutes. During that time I came back to the room and let Mom know. She was just puttering around, searching for a necklace she hadn’t seen since we got to Italy.

Who knew laundry was so exciting? It’s really not. I decided to bag up all our clothes, hot and damp and brought them back to the room. We hung up everything, and had our afternoon snack. Best little break ever.

I checked the clothes and they seem much drier than when we hung them up about 45 minutes prior. Not dry, but close. Since we are leaving tomorrow, I was taking no chances. I grabbed the hair dryer and proceeded to dry every piece of clothing we had washed. Took about 1 1/2 hours, which was still faster than the machine. I am now very proficient at drying and shirts quickly. And I must say…very disappointed in my microfiber underwear. It did not dry quickly as I expected. Should have stuck with cotton.

At 6:15 we met our group in the bar of the hotel; which really is more like someone’s formal living room with a large wet bar in it. Tonight’s discussion was to share something you learned about your buddy. I think I might have left this out previously. We all chose a buddy who was not our traveling companion. That way when we are ready to get on the bus, or walk to our next destination, there is someone to check to see if you are missing. Theory is great and it has proved successful multiple times already. Our guide doesn’t do a roll call, she just says “buddy check” and we look around for our buddies.

Anyway, I don’t know my buddy very well; I actually spent more time talking to his wife. And because of that, we agreed to embellish what we knew about each other. His name is Norm, so I introduced him as being from Boston, and his best friend is named Cliff. They hang out at a bar where Norm hides from his wife Vera. Not true of course, but that was the first thing to come to mind. He introduced me as a “cat woman in training” and that I had come up with the idea of the Cheesecake Factory first, but since I didn’t have the financial resources the idea was stolen from me. Very clever and funny. We learned a bit about everyone so now we have more to talk about as we move thru our days. I have to say I was concerned about the social aspect of this tour, but they’ve got it figured out.

We finished our drinks and left for dinner. The restaurant was around the corner from out hotel. We ate dinner with Shirley and Margaret (they are both from Canada and were traveling together). Shirley speaks fluent German so it was nice to have her help interpret the waiter’s questions. I opted for the spinach ravioli and Mom had a Breaded Pork Cutlet with French Fries and Cranberry sauce. Her cutlet was huge! She ended up sharing it with me as my ravioli was from the starter menu so the portion was smaller.

For dessert she had a raspberry compote and I had Chocolate Ball with chestnut ganache inside, served with warm vanilla sauce. When our server brought it to the table, he set the plate in front of me. The chocolate ball was about the size of a baseball. There were cut figs and strawberries on the plate as well. Before I knew what he was doing, he slowly poured the vanilla sauce over the ball, melting the top of it. Needless to say…amazing! I tried one of the fig slices. Not exactly to my liking. It did NOT taste like a Fig Newton!

After enjoying our 2 1/2 hour meal, we settled the bill. Tipping here is appreciated but not necessary. It feels odd to leave one euro for a 30 euro bill. On the way out, I spotted some baby booties in a display case. Shirley asked one of the staff to open the case. We learned they were knitted by the chef’s mother! 10 euro and Shirley had a pair of booties to take home to her soon to be arriving grandchild.

A short walk and we were back at the hotel. Final check on our clothes; all dry. We sorted and packed for tomorrow. Since we are going to Venice, we are to pack “light”. I pulled out my extra bag and filled it with items not needed for a couple days. We will use my carry on and my backpack only. Everything else will stay in “deep storage” on the bus while we are in Venice.

Getting excited to see Venice. Ciao!

Super early wake up call this morning. Had to be on the bus by 8:20AM. Showers, packing and breakfast completed in quick order. Another wonderful breakfast overlooking Lake Como. Even though the skies were grey, it didn’t matter. I was sad to leave; there was so much to see and to there. Perhaps a reason to return?

Our bus is very nice. Seats about 47 and there are only 28 of us…so plenty of room to spread out. The bus has it’s own WiFi, tray tables, adjustable air vents, comfortable seating and charging jacks for all your electronics. I think the bus is fairly new. Our driver, Sauro, is great! Some of the places he got us into and out of would have made the most seasoned American driver cringe. Speaking of cringing…I lost count how many times we were passed on narrow, curvy roads. I though for sure we were going to see a bad accident. Finally I stopped looking at the road ahead and concentrated on the scenery.

Our first stop was on the Autostrata at a “rest area”. It’s really a gas station with a fast food joint attached, as well as a store and coffee shop. The store had just about everything, including a fine selection of meat and cheeses. We stopped only to use the restroom (or purchase coffee as some did.

We arrived in Varona around 11:30. Apparently it was “Bicycle Varona Day” which translated into: many closed streets. Our driver Sauro managed to turn around our bus in a busy intersection and find a place to off load us. We walked about a half mile to the piazza where we all split up to do our own thing for a bit. Mom and I wandered around window shopping and then found a cafe to have lunch; sitting outside people watching. There was a wedding party celebrating at the restaurant next door, so there was a lot of laughter and cheering going on there. Our server was about the fastest person I’ve seen in a food service position. I must have tried 5 times to catch him to ask for the check (in Italy you have to ask…it’s considered rude to bring you the check)! Mom finally made eye contact with him and he was over in a flash with the check. We paid and roamed around some more, looking at all the trinkets and cheap souvenirs offered up in the piazza.

Back on the bus we go. Next stop, Bolzano! Here we are visiting Otzi the Iceman. To be brief (well I’ll try anyway): Otzi was discovered in 1991 by a couple of hikers just this side of the Austrian border. There were multiple theories on who he was and why he was there. After some tests, it was discovered he was from the Copper Age and had died 5300 years ago. Specially preserved in ice, he remained until discovered (thank you global warming). He now resides in a museum specially built for him in Bolzano. Special means a temperature and moisture controlled room. Back up generators if the power goes out. He even has an ambulance and a special place at the local hospital if things were to go wrong at the museum. Mom and I spent about 45 minutes there looking at all the exhibits. Recovered along with him were his belonging (tools, weapons, fire starting equipment, etc).

After taking a gander at Otzi, Mom and I made our way down the brick streets back to the Walter Platz Piazza to meet the rest of our group. Back to the bus again (by now it’s about 4:30) and heading for Castrelrotto. We are very near the Austrian border. In fact, this village looks more German than Italian. The first language spoken here is German, then Italian. We took several winding narrow roads to get here but in the bus it’s a very nice ride. We arrived at dusk, so did not get to see a very clear lay of the land. However, Mom and I did get a glimpse of the Dolomites Mountains. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow so that may be all we see of them.

After checking into our rooms, we freshened up a bit and met the group to go have dinner at Pizzeria Sporthutte. All I know is I almost died getting there. Not really. But it was at the top of a steep hill and of course we were walking. At the high elevation I did have a struggle for breath but then all was well. REMINDER: Lisa: get off your butt and start exercising!

It had not only traditional made pizza, but also lots of German food. I had Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom sauce and rice. Mom had Breaded Chicken Cutlet with German Potato Salad. Very good food and good conversation as well. Our group is mostly retired or semi-retired people (I’m probably one of the youngest with the exception of one gal’s daughter who appears to be in her early 20s), and we all have varied backgrounds. It has been very fun learning about these new friends.

We walked back to the hotel (much easier coming back) and all scattered to our rooms. Mom and I each did a little hand washing in the bathroom sink…a pair of pants for me and some under garments. It actually worked better than I expected. Mom bought some laundry “sheets”. They dissolve in water and the water become soapy. Pretty cool! Would be great if you were camping or somewhere there were no washing machines.

Mom was reading and says: I should probably try to read a little before I fall asleep. No more than 2 minutes later, she’s out. She just woke herself up a few minutes ago and decided she better put on her nightgown and go to bed. One funny thing about this hotel; there is a fitted sheet on the bed, but no cover sheet. Just a blanket and comforter. Mom noted this (again) as she snuggled under the blankets. And again…she was out.

And so I shall too…we are getting up around 7 tomorrow for breakfast. It’s supposed to be amazing, although I can’t imagine what can top Hotel Royal Victoria in Varenna. Guess we shall see!

Buen Notte and Gute Nacht!

This morning was a little more relaxed. We slept until 7:30 and didn’t make it down to breakfast until 9AM. We were on our own today with nothing scheduled. Breakfast was in the dining room overlooking Lake Como and the surrounding hills. It was fantastic. Mom and I had our cups of tea. I am still wanting to try a cappuccino in the morning but always have to consider the repercussions. Perhaps soon.

Mom was very good and ate healthy…yogurt, granola, and a fruit filled croissant (hey…there was fruit!). Myself, I had scrambled eggs, bacon, mini donut, some German pastry and a chocolate filled croissant. Oh, and two grapes. They were delicious, but also with seeds, which I didn’t know until I had taken a handful. It wasn’t worth the hassle.

A quick trip back to the room and then off to the boat dock we went. We first stopped at Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist), a tiny church built in the 1100’s. Inside the church are several frescos from the 14th century; one of them titled “The Adoration of the Three Wise Men”. It is very plain, made of stone with timber roof trusses. There is a stone fire pit at the back of the church which I can imagine would be used often to drive away the cold drafts that must blow in during the winter months.

After our brief visit to the church, we casually made our way to the boat dock. I purchased a new wallet and a scarf that will also serve as a belt. With the weight of my camera and my phone in my pants pockets, my pants keep hanging low. I’m still in search of a bag to carry my items in…something like a bohemian bag would suffice. Oddly enough, haven’t found one yet. My new wallet is blue and handmade here in Italy.

We finally get on the ferry boat to head over to Lenno, approximately a 30 minute ride (with several stops in between). Once at Lenno, we walked about a half mile to get on another boat to take us to the Villa del Balbianello. Originally constructed in the late 1700’s as the retirement house for Cardinal Durini. Prior to him purchasing the land, there was a Franciscan monastery located there since the 1300’s. The monastery was converted into a villa; as well as being added on to. The villa passed onto a nephew of the Cardinal’s but was eventually sold outside the family and has multiple owners. The last owner was Count Guido Monzino (businessman and explorer). He renovated it extensively but only ended up staying there about a year’s time. When he died, he left it to National Trust of Italy.

The tour took an hour through the villa. It was very ornate with chandeliers in almost every room. Secret stairwell connected the master bedroom to the guest room. The views of the lake from each room cannot be imagined. The lake beautiful; but with the trees and gardens framing that view; it makes it unforgettable.

After the short boat ride back to Lenno (10 euro), we had a late lunch over the water. Mom and I split a Margerhita pizza. The food was good, and there was so much to look at while we ate. There were swans and ducks in the water. Also seagulls that seemed to be fighting over each little bite of food they could find. We even saw a lake fish as the water is so clear.

We hopped on the ferry boat back to Varenna (several stops in between again). I think you could spend a month here and not even come close to visiting all the little villages on the lake. No, we did not see George Clooney. His summer home is further south from Varenna. But don’t think for a minute that we didn’t think about it.

After we walked back to the room to refresh ourselves before meeting up with our travel group again. We walked less than 1/2 a block to a little bar and filled up the back room with our group. Sara, our guide, gave us the skinny on tomorrow’s travels. Then we all had a chance to visit with each other briefly over drinks. At 7 we started toward our dinner destination. It was about 3/4 mile walk across Varenna to the house of Ferruccio Castelli. He is a world renowned chef who opens his home to Rick Steve’s tour groups that come to Varenna. The walls of his home are covered with framed awards and certificates he has earned during his career. With his wife, son, son’s girlfriend and a family friend, they served dinner to almost 30 people in their home (which really is an apartment).

It was a four course meal. The first course was thinly sliced smoked beef atop some greens and topped with thin slices of Parmesan cheese. Also some sort of salad that to me looked like a ball of peas and carrots in mashed potato. I know that’s not what it was, but that’s the only way to describe it.

Second course was a hearty dish made with buckwheat pasta, cubed potatoes, cheese and something else. Mom had the same thing for dinner last night, but this was so much better. Pasta made by hand; Ferruccio demonstrated for us between courses how he makes it.

Third course was lake fish. Filled with toasted bread crumbs and covered in vegetables. Served with it was polenta. I am not a fish fan. After this meal, I am still not a fish fan. But I promised I would be adventurous and try new foods. I ate half of my fish and all my polenta. I’m sure if you love fish, this was an amazing dish.

The fourth and final course was a tart. It tasted like figs, but it was actually apricot and peach filled! It was delicious! Served with grapes from “America”; they were purple grapes. Also figs from our host’s garden and some Italian plums.

As we worked on our dessert, our hosts offered us a choice of homemade limonchello, grappa, or a savory liquor he makes himself and exists only in his home. I opted for the limoncello which was so smooth and delicious!

We did have to pay for this dinner; Ferruccio isn’t rich. At a bargain price of 30 euro we were able to enjoy all this as well as start making new friends while we ate. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad I went. It was loud and laughter was heard often. And watching Ferruccio talk…so animated. He speaks almost no English, his wife and son were interpreting, as well as our guide.

Well fed, we all started walking back to the hotel. It’s mostly uphill back, so I’m hoping we burned off SOME calories from dinner. Mom and I stopped at the front desk to clear any charges we had incurred and made our way to our room. Did I mention that you have to put your room key into a “lock” in order to turn on the lights? What a great idea! You will always know where you key is!

Once again I am up past midnight. I must learn to get the done faster and earlier! Tomorrow we are off for the Italian Alps!

Buena Sera!

Another early wake up this morning at 6:45AM. We still aren’t quite adjusted to the time change and the fast pace of city life, but it seems to be getting easier. It also helped that Mom discovered the power button to close the outer shades so there was less light coming in during the night. Why we don’t have these at home I’ll never know. Mom also discovered the “Housekeeping” button but thank goodness no one knocked on our door at 3AM.

Showers and final repacking of our bags took a little time this morning. We then enjoyed our Mega Continental breakfast downstairs. Back up to the room for a short rest before hauling out bags downstairs and checking out. Most hotels in the area we stayed in will hold your bags so you can go do your thing (take a tour or what have you), and then return after checkout time has passed. We ditched our bags and headed back to Il Duomo one more time.

Because we had purchased our tour tickets ahead of time, we were able to jump the line with our guide and ride the elevator to the roof…well the lower roof anyway. The elevator only holds 6-8 people so it was very cozy. We reached the roof in short order and quickly took in a view of Milan. Our guide started to explain about the history of Il Duomo (Duomo means “house” in Italian) which celebrated it’s initial groundbreaking in 1386. It was considered “completed” in 1965, but renovation is constant. Our guide said you will never see Duomo without scaffolding ever again. *side note: the original cathedral was constructed in 355AD. Eventually it was destroyed by fire and the area rebuilt into what has become current day Il Duomo.

We met Antionetta who was our guide for Il Duomo Rooftop tour. There was another couple with us but they only spoke Spanish and ours was an English language tour. There was a little confusion and some frustration by our guide, but it sorted itself out and they tagged along, even though most of what she said was lost on them. It became a private tour which was incredible. We could ask all the questions we liked. I’m sure my mouth was hanging open most of the time. The marble alone I could have looked at for hours. All the while it seemed there were church bells ringing and made for a nice soundtrack for our tour.

Recent history of the Duomo: Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy in the Duomo. The building escaped major damage during World War II, some statues falling from the spires and having to be replaced. The gold plated Madonnina is on top of the tallest spire of the Duomo. Until very recently, no buildings in Milan could be built taller than the Madonnina. Lastly, there are approximately 3400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 135 spires.

Our guide mentioned the absence of pigeons around The Duomo. The Piazza below is full of them…but not one live pigeon on the roof. Why? There is an electronic bird net that keeps them away from the building. There are three carved pigeons that are allowed to reside on the roof.

Our guide took us to the “upper” roof which consisted of walking up about 80 steps. The marble was worn from the footsteps of the many who had passed before. We spent some time up there and then made our way back down (that’s 80 more steps) towards the elevator. We took the elevator back to the street level and said good bye to Antionetta. Another stroll thru the Piazza and back to the hotel to pick up our luggage.

I ordered another taxi thru the “My Taxi” app and off we went to the Milan Train Station- Stazione Milano Centrale. This is the largest railway station in Europe and sends trains out all across Europe. During the building of the Stazione, Benito Mussolini became the Italian Prime Minister. He heavily influenced the construction to have the station represent the power of the Facist regime. This building is very gray and industrial looking.

Mom and I arrived early for our train, so took in some sights. It seems if there is any part of an empty building, a store will be opened within. I would never think of a train station as a place to purchase clothing or accessories, or even Sephora makeup; but it was all there for the buying. We restrained ourselves to a bottle of water for me and a Coke Zero for Mom.

The train station too is a great place to people watch. We almost got too involved watching people when I realized it was time to board our train! There are 24 tracks at this station and most were full. I saw the beautiful red high speed trains and was hopeful, but no. We ended up on a regional train that looked tired and aged. There was graffiti on the sides of some of the cars and the paint was faded in some places. We hopped aboard and found our seats in “first class” which I am not sure what made it first class but I didn’t want to go look.

The ride from Milan to Varenna was supposed to be about 70 minutes. It ended up being closer to 85 minutes. We had to watch carefully; the train only stops in Varenna for about 2 minutes for loading and unloading of passengers. The door handle stuck as I tried to lift it; and then it opened up and we were able to hop out.

It’s a brisk 15 minute walk to the Hotel Victoria from the train station. There are no sidewalks here to speak of, just narrow roads; some paved with asphalt, some with bricks. We made it to the hotel rolling our little bags behind us. Along the way we encountered a couple who would be joining us on our tour.

We checked into the hotel and were grateful to take off our shoes for a few minutes and sit down. Our room faces the church across the way; tomorrow I will be exploring it. There is also a church from the 11th century right next to the hotel that we will be peeking into tomorrow.

At 5PM we met with our tour group, I believe there are about 25 of us; all Americans and a few Canadians. Our guide is from Britain, her name is Sara and she is hilarious. Also no nonsense when the moment arises. We indulged in some “nibbles” as she called them: bread, sliced meats, peanuts and potato chips. After introductions and instructions for the next day, Sara took us on a short walk to the ferry where we would be able to pick up our taxi for rides along Lake Como. Tomorrow we are on our own until 6:15PM, then we meet at the bar next door for a drink and then off to dinner at a local’s home. More on that tomorrow.

You can’t get dinner served in Italy until at least 7PM. Mom and I dropped into the restaurant across the courtyard front hotel. I had Spaghetti ala Carbanara and Mom had Pizzoccheri, followed of course by Tiramisu for dessert. Tonight’s dessert was way better than last night’s. Not as soggy and less alcohol.

Tummies full, we dragged ourselves back to the room. I checked my watch; we walked over 10,000 steps today. WOW! I know we will feel it tomorrow…lots of stairs today, not just at Il Duomo, but here in Varenna as well. The town is on the side of a hill so there are lots of stairs and sloped streets (paved with stones or bricks).

I started writing this about an hour and half ago. Mom is asleep and I have the window cracked open for some fresh air. There were people at the restaurants in the courtyard, and their laughter would float up thru the window. Italians are a very expressive people, and can get very loud, very fast. But now it’s almost 12:30 and the only noise I hear is the wind through the tree outside the window. The church across the way tolls it bells every half hour. Fortunately, it stopped at 11PM. That would have made for a very long night!

Time to put my head on my pillow and let my body catch up from today. More tomorrow!

Ciao!

The alarm woke us at 6:45AM. There was already the sounds of hustle and bustle of this busy city. We slowly came awake and started our morning ablutions. Mom opted for the shower, which she likened to an RV shower stall. I chose the bath tub with shower head at shoulder height (and no shower curtain). Tomorrow I think we will switch. She was too confined in the shower, and I was worried about spraying water every where. On the plus side, the water was hot and the pressure was very strong.

Our breakfast is included and is a continental breakfast on steroids. Lots of coffee, various breads (including croissants of which we each had one), fruit and hot items such as eggs and sliced meats. With my croissant I enjoyed a sliced canned pear and green tea. Mom opted for cereal and English Breakfast tea.

Back to our room to rest a bit. Mom read and worked crosswords and I might have napped briefly. Then we were up and off around 11:00. I ordered a taxi thru the “My Taxi” (a great suggestion from my friend Serena!) who arrived within minutes of order. I sat in the front and Mom in the back. I swear my life flew past my eyes at least twice. Driving in Milan is an art. It’s a combination of taxis, “regular” cars, scooters, bicycles and large trucks. Oh, and buses and trams. It’s a constant state of horns honking and stop and go (or go, stop, stop go).

But I digress. Our destination was Basilica Di Santa Maria Delle Grazie. home of IL Cenacolo…The Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci. We met up with our guide for this tour, a delightful Italian lady who knew her stuff. We were able to view the Last Supper which has not fared well over time. Some of the colors were faded or non-existent. But the work was amazing. His attention to detail was fantastic. We were only allowed 15 minutes in the sealed room. There was a woman in there who’s job it was to yell at you if you used your flash on your camera. Fortunately that wasn’t me.

We were then escorted outside and around the Basilica. We started walking to Sforza Castle which was constructed in the 15th century by Francisco Sforza, Duke of Milan. It’s an impressive structure with the Duke’s quarters having been painted by Leonardo da Vinci. We did not tours these rooms, but saw photos of the paintings.

*Sidnenote: 2019 is the 500 year anniversary of Leonardo’s death. There are all sorts of museums and displays celebrating his work. It is a year long celebration here in Milan.

From Sforza Castle we worked our way to the Piccolo Teatro, former home of the Duke’s favorite mistress. Now it’s a building that contains a restaurant and some other businesses.

Next we walked to La Scala, the Milan Opera house. Rather plain on the outside, but the inside is reputed to be incredible, the acoustics perfect according to our guide. Very expensive to go, but well worth the money.

We then walked through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Mom and I had been there last night, but it was better now that we could hear the history. It is full of high end stores; Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton etc. the most interesting item I took from this stop was this:

On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan’s. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull’s genitals. (Stolen from Wikipedia). We did not spin our heals on the bull’s testicles, but watched many, many people do so.

From there we ended up in the Piazza in front of the Duomo. We said goodbye to our guide and sat down in the Piazza for a short while, I FaceTimed with my dear husband, and he discovered he could see us on the live camera that overlooks the Piazza. After our short rest, we walked to the department store La Rinascente. 9 floors of amazing and high dollar items. The top floor is is made up of places to eat and high end food to purchase. We had lunch there and enjoyed a nice rest before starting our walk back to the hotel. Mom had some sort of salad with salmon and I had the “meat platter”. Sliced ham and salami with some sort of green cream cheese-like spread. And of course bread.

On the walk back we stopped at a candy store, the ODStore. And what a candy store! Three floors of sweet goodness! I’m guessing the OD stands for overdose. We purchased on box of chocolate covered cookies and two bottles of water. Then we started our trek back to the hotel. Of course, we might have gotten a little turned around, but Google Maps to the rescue.

Back at the hotel for a nap…yes we have been napping a lot since we arrived. Up at 7PM for dinner at the hotel. Mom had carrot/potato soup and I had Pizza Margherita. Accompanied by a liter of water for me; half a liter for Mom. Tiramisu was shared for dessert. We asked for our bill and headed to our room to prepare for tomorrow. Rooftop tour of Il Duomo and a train ride to Varenna to meet up with our tour group.

I am having a few technical issued downloading photos to my site. Please be patient, they are coming!

The alarm rang at 6:00 AM this morning. Amazingly enough I slept through the night. My mother, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well. sounds like she had about 4 hours of sleep. I’m hoping that means good rest for her on the flight to Paris.

Miracle of miracles! I was able to get everything packed into my two bags. There was enough room for an extra blouse and a book to read! I can’t believe how little I have. My mom also got her bag packed and she’s carrying a large purse that is doubling as her carry on bag. It took her a while, but she finally got it zipped closed on the way to the airport!

My dad drove us to the airport and despite the rain, we made good time. Doug rode with us and I thought (not for the first time) this is going to be the longest time we have been apart. Ever. Thank goodness for today’s technology. I’m armed with my SIM card and a few apps to use for free phone calling. I have downloaded What’s App for calling (and messaging). I will still have data on my devices for texting and emailing as well. What a time to be alive!

Mom and I had signed up for the TSA pre-check program. Amazing! Only about 4 people ahead of us. Non-TSA: I’m guessing a couple hundred waiting. We breezed right through and found our gate right away (D1–first one on the concourse!). I found a couple bottles of water and sandwich to eat.

Boarded with no problems…first class is amazing! Although it reminds me of when I was a teenager on our trips to the South Pacific. Air NewZealand’s coach was as nice as Delta’s domestic first class now. Not complaining…just an observation. Before we took off my mom looked and me and said: “we are leaving for ITALY!” It seems like we have been planning this so long I’m still not believing it’s here!

For lunch Mom opted for the Salmon Salad. The other option was Vegetarian Lasagne. Hence my sandwich choice back in Portland.

The flight to and arrival in Minneapolis was uneventful. We found our next gate after walking about 15 minutes. Missed getting my Chik-Fil-A, but I’ll survive.

We boarded our flight to Paris (via AirFrance) and found amazing accommodations in our business class “pods”. The attendants were very helpful and constantly asking did we need anything?

Dinner was a 3 course meal. I promised myself I would be brave and try new things. So I did! The first course was the appetizer including cheeses, bread, shrimp, ham wrapped melon and a small salad. Before the course was brought, the attendant put a white linen cloth over the tray table. Then out comes the first course. Then the main dish. I have the chicken and Mom had the scallops. Finally, the final course arrives; we each chose the little cake plate. Overall, very good for airline food.

After eating Mom read and I watched some shows on my iPad. I had somehow locked up my inflight entertainment center and just didn’t have the heart to bother anyone. Mom dozed off and eventually I did too; the chairs turn into “beds” and I was able to lay down. It was not quality sleep, more of a cat nap for sure.

About an hour and half out from Paris the lights come on and it’s time to eat again. Didn’t we just eat? Breakfast was an omelette with bacon, fresh berries, yogurt and rolls. Oh, and a small glass of orange juice and cuppa tea for both Mom and myself.

Our arrival in Paris was a little daunting. We had to get to a different terminal via a train. There was a lot of walking; we also had to go through security and have our passports stamped. We finally made it to our gate and sat; only to find out they switched gates from the time we arrived to the time we got to the gate! It was only across the concourse, so just a few steps and we claimed our new chairs waiting to board. While we were waiting, there were a couple little birds at the gate as well, just picking up crumbs.

We board our last leg to Milan. By now we are half-awake and tired of dragging around our bags. This was just an hour and a half flight and lunch was served here as well. More shrimp, bread, couscous and a macaroon for dessert. The flight was smooth and I’m pretty sure we flew over the Alps, although they were covered mostly with clouds.

Arrival in Milan. After the customary bathroom stop, we worked our way out of the terminal and found a ride to the hotel. We had debated taking the train, but would still have needed to get a cab from the train station to the hotel. So $99 euro and an hour later, we arrived at Hotel Brunelleschi. The ride was a little nerve-wracking. But we arrived without a scrape so I’ll just relish the experience.

After arriving in our room, we unpacked a bit and took a short nap. Woke up around 5:45 and tried to get ourselves composed and somewhat reorganized. Decided to venture out for dinner…although dinner usually doesn’t start here until 9PM. We walked to Il Duomo and that’s when it hit me that I was finally here. Yes, I cried. It was so overwhelming! And amazingly beautiful. And the people in the square in front of the Duomo! From all over the world! I could have stared for hours at this building (and the surrounding buildings as well.

We moved on to the Galleria, still in search of a place to eat. Another beautiful building, full of designer shops and places to eat. We stood outside of LaScala (opera house) and watched people lining up to go see tonight’s show. All dressed up in their finest.

We didn’t find anything to our liking so we worked our way back toward the hotel. We managed to cross several streets without getting run over, so I’m feeling pretty smart right about now. There are moped/scooters everywhere and they come out of nowhere…fast! And most of the riders were business men…so odd to see a man in a suit on a scooter weaving in and out of traffic.

Finally, we just decided to have dinner at a place right around the corner from our hotel… Kebobs and Pizza was the name. We each ordered a small 4 cheese pizza and grabbed a bottle of water. Our “small” pizza was probably as big around as a medium one at home! But it was just bread and cheese, no tomato sauce. It tasted so good! We ate our fill and walked back to the hotel.

It’s almost 10PM so we are turning in for the night. Tomorrow we are off to see The Last Supper, La Scala, and a few other places around Milan. It’s been an amazing 25 hours since we left home.

Buona Notte!

Less than 48 hours away now. All the packages from Amazon have arrived. Now to start the packing process. I’m reluctant to start; this is the smallest bag I have ever packed for an international (and quite possibly locally as well) trip. I’ll post photos tomorrow when the deed is (almost) done.

Right now it’s a normal September fall day. It’s raining outside and football is on inside. Just finishing up baking a batch of cookies for the hubby; next the pot pie will go into the oven for dinner. I love fall days like this. I love the rain; the sound it makes hitting the ground. The smell of fresh rain is so calming and refreshing to me.

This morning Mom and I indulged in a pre-trip manicure/pedicure. Since Lynnae is heading back to school tomorrow for her Senior year, we brought her along. We enjoy going together and try to go a few times a year. I’m almost embarrassed to say the best part was the hand massage; it seems the more I age, the more my hands ache at the end of the week after pounding away on the keyboard.

Today I’m also getting all my documents in order. Printing train passes and tour tickets. Our itinerary for not only us, but spouses as well. I should have my phone on and will have access to texting and email (and of course blogging). I purchased a SIM card that will hopefully suffice for the time we are there. We shall see!

Signing off for now! Thank you for reading along!

We are 6 days away. I’m trying to make my lists, pack my bags, pay the bills, etc etc… The Amazon boxes are piling up in my dining room as deliveries arrive with my new shoes, new clothes, travel size everything!

On this 18th anniversary of 9/11, I have been reflecting on how much things have changed since that day. Before then I wouldn’t have had one concern about boarding a flight. Now it’s definitely a concern as I prep for this trip. I’m not complaining, just thinking about the times past when we were more innocent. My mom and I both signed up for the TSA Pre Check program…it helps save some time at the airport. Totally worth the money…especially for Mom. She’s delighted she doesn’t have to take off her shoes!

I had a chance to look at the Google street view of our hotel in Varenna, Italy. Across the street is a church that was built in the 1200’s. So amazing! I can’t wait to peek inside!

That is all for now…just checking to make sure this will feed over to Facebook so I can make sure those who want to follow this, can.

Ciao!