October 4 –
25, 2001
We
arrived at the airport quite early because of security concerns, but were
pleasantly surprised at the ease in getting through the lines at the ticket
counter and security. Because of the
early morning hour and light air traffic, the San Diego terminal was
delightfully quiet as we found our gate.
I felt jittery as we boarded the
plane, and gave it a blessing as my friend Elisa does each time she boards a
flight. I managed to stay pretty calm
until our bumpy descent and arrival into a
wet, dreary Chicago, and decided to take the relaxation medication on
the next leg after all! Following a
brief layover, we boarded and blessed Flight #??. At Peter’s urging, I swallowed the valium and relaxed, ate dinner
and slept for most of the flight. As
we flew over the French countryside, I awoke to a smiling husband who seemed to
have enjoyed the trip without my typical clutching, clawing, and nervous
babbling!
One
of the joys of such a long flight eastward is watching the day slowly break
over the horizon. Slowly but surely,
the night disappears behind you, along with your familiar life and
routine. The sun and a new day, with
new adventures lay ahead. I was
bursting with relief and excitement as we landed in the typical morning fog at
Milan’s Malpensa Airport. I was also
astounded that we are actually on the ground - American airports would never
have allowed landings with such poor visibility! Ah, Italy! We eased our
way through customs quite quickly and easily found the shuttle bus for the one
hour ride from the airport to the Central Train Station in downtown Milan.
We
had been warned that Italy is an adventure, and our bus ride was no
exception. While we crept slowly
through rush-hour traffic along the autostrada and Milan suburbs, the bus
driver’s morning radio show immersed us in the Italian language and pop
music. The early morning DJ team
appeared to be having a wonderful time joking, laughing, and bantering back and
forth while playing mostly unfamiliar 60’s style music and an occasional
English rock tune. As I looked out the window I expected Sophia Loren to be
walking down one of the graffiti lined side streets!
We
arrived at the train station, purchased our train tickets and looked for a
place to dump our carry-on bags so that we could squeeze in a little
sightseeing. Alas, the security
precautions installed since 9/11 required a lengthy wait, not only to secure a
baggage locker, but also retrieve belongings.
So, we opted to save the famous Duomo and Leonardo’s Last Supper
for the next trip and head off to our home base for the next two days, the
small town of Varenna located northeast of Milan on the shores of Lake
Como. By this time, a hotel, bed, hot
meal and private bathroom were looking pretty tempting! It was fun to people watch, however, while
we waited for our train. I peeked in the terminal shop windows, drawn
to the food stalls, as usual. The food
looks great already! To my delight, I
found that my European wardrobe (dark colors and Ecco walking shoes) helped me
look like a native. A very nice looking
gentleman asked me for directions!
Much to his disappointment, “Non parlo l’italiano. Mi displace!”
We
boarded the 12:15 p.m. train leading us out of the city, through the suburbs
and countryside, and into the hills surrounding the Italian Lake District, a
vacation destination for the cultured and elite of Europe. Since it was Friday, we were accompanied by city
folk and students heading out of town for a weekend getaway to the numerous
small towns that dot the landscape along the shores of Lake Lecco and Lake
Como. Our stop, the quaint hillside
hamlet of Varenna, lies on the eastern shore of Lake Como, just before the lake
branches out to form Lake Lecco. A
walk from the train station through narrow, steep, stair-studded streets led us
to our hotel, the Albergo Milano. Too
pumped up to rest, we immediately set off to explore the little village and
enjoy the lakeside views. Before
heading back to the hotel for a little rest, we visited St. Georgio Church in
the town square to light candles for our loved ones and thank the Lord for a
safe journey!
We
had been instructed to meet our Rick Steve’s “Taste of Italy” tour at the Nilus
Bar on the harbor front at 5:30 p.m. I
was a little anxious about who we had
committed to spend 21 days of vacation with, and was delighted that our tour
guides, Brad and Kathy, and the 21 others who had signed on for the tour were
warm, friendly and equally excited about Italy and about touring. After some brief introductions – I shared
that we were celebrating our 25th Anniversary (much whooping and
applause) and, since we were Catholic,
wanted to check out “Headquarters” (much laughter) – we tasted some
regional wines and feasted on Northern Italian specialties that included
bresaola (wafer-thin slices of cured raw beef), cheese, bruschetta (grilled
bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil) and lasagna. I was in heaven already!
During
and after dinner, we had the chance to mingle with the group and get to know
our travel companions, all dedicated Rick Steves fans who have traveled to
Europe before. Our guides helped
acquaint us with the local culture, suggested sights for our free day tomorrow,
and delivered the mandatory Rick Steves money belt pep-talk. Since pick pocketing is a highly developed
art form in Italy, we moaned and
groaned, agreed to the tour policy, and figured that we’d get used to the
permanent ridge across our bellies by the time we reached Rome!
By
9:00 p.m., jet lag had kicked in, so we made a quick jaunt to the gelato shop
(chocolate, of course!), took a leisurely passarella (lakeside walk) past the
twinkling lights of the town (molto romantico!) and collapsed in our quaint
hotel.
We
awoke to Peter’s trusty alarm watch and leisurely breakfasted on bread and jam,
apple cake, granola and juice in the hotel dining room overlooking the lovely
and scenic Lake Como. After numerous
attempts at reading an incomprehensible ferry schedule, we headed down to the
dock and took the next boat across the lake.
Who knew where it was headed!!??
The sky had cleared, so the views from the uncrowded craft were lovely
and peaceful. The water was clear and
serene, and the surrounding jagged, mist-shrouded mountains were dotted with
enchanting villas and towns. After a
brief ferry stop at the town of Menaggio, we disembarked at Bellagio, the
“Pearl of the Lake.”
From
the harbor front, steep-stepped lanes were filled with upscale shops,
restaurants, hotels, and, as the day went on, more and more tourists. We window shopped, explored spectacular
views from Punta Spartivento (Point that Divides the Wind) at the tip of the
lakefront peninsula, visited the Church of San Giacomo (Lombard-Romanesque, 12th
century – that’s old!), lit more candles, bought postcards and lunched al
fresco at Rick’s recommended Trattoria San Giacomo, a delightful restaurant at
the top of Salita Serbelloni, a quaint pedestrian lane filled with shops. It was a great place to people watch as we
waited for our multi-course meal of bresaola, salad with olives and mozzarella,
and fettuccini pomadora. We had an
amusing time identifying Italians, Americans, Germans and British. The Italians had dogs, the Americans wore
Dockers or sneakers, the Germans were tall, and the British wore outlandish
outfits. Lime green shirts, hot pink
slacks, and shorts in October! Who
taught these people how to dress?!
Directly
across from the restaurant was an example of Europe’s newest retail brainchild,
the Internet Café. Basically, Luigi the
gelato maker installs a few computers in the back of his shop and gives you
access for just a few (thousand) lira per hour. It is a wonderful way to keep in touch with loved ones and catch
up on news and sports scores if you don’t have a TV with CNN in your
hotel. And Joe thought he was free of
us for a few weeks! After a brief email
check, we meandered through the town, stumbled across a dog show in the local
park (explains all the dogs in town!), encountered numerous other tour members
(how fun to run into friends!), and caught the ferry for a relaxing ride back
to Varenna. Further exploring in
Varenna and wine on the lakefront hotel veranda added a finishing touch to a
lovely afternoon. How wise of Rick to
start our tour off slowly, saving the big cities and high-energy activities
‘til we’ve overcome jet lag.
Our
group met for dinner at a local restaurant, Albergo Olivedo, and we shared a
table with our guide, Kathy, who gave us more details on the local cuisine and
culture. Our meal was feast of Northern
Italian specialties. The primo piatto
(first course) consisted of thick buckwheat noodles in a cheese/cream/potato
sauce. For the second course (secondo
piatto) and dessert, Peter opted for a grilled filet of Lake Como white fish
and strawberry gelato. I selected a
veal chop topped with a wonderfully rich mushroom/wine sauce and apple tart. Yummy, but filling. My tummy gurgled all night and I know this
because I was awake most of the time to hear it! The second night in Europe is a killer, even with the help of our
leftover French sleeping pills!
We
awoke early to Sunday morning church bells and a rainy, misty view of the
lake. After bolting down a quick
breakfast, we boarded the Belgian bus hired by the tour company for the trip to
our next destination, Alpe di Siusi.
After cruising along the narrow roads through the tiny villages
bordering Lake Lecco, we entered the Italian version of the freeway, the
Autostrada. Meantime, our talkative
guide, Brad, gave us details about the geography, landscape, architecture,
people, food, wine and history of the area.
He was quite informative and amusing, so I think we’re in for a
treat! The bus was remarkably
comfortable, with cushy seats, huge picture windows, lots of legroom and a bar
stocked with soft drinks and water.
Since Italy has few “dumping stations,” we were encouraged to use the
on-board restroom only in an emergency.
While this policy cut down on the use of the on-board bar, it gave us a
chance to stop periodically for a leg-stretch and visit to the Auto-Grille,
Italy’s version of the Ho-Jo style rest stop.
This being Italy, however, the shopping and food were grand! You could stroll down the aisles and find
fresh cheese, meats, fruit, cookies, candies, toys, toiletries, magazines,
books – you name it! More importantly,
you can pick up a wonderful meal and, for 500 lira, you can use a clean rest
room! I could have spent much more than
our allotted 20 minute pit stop there, but the town of Verona was calling our
name, so we headed back on the bus for the quick ride to Verona, of Romeo and
Juliet fame.
It
was William Shakespeare who acquainted English speaking peoples with the charms
of this northern Italian town. Legend
here states that his name was really Guillermo Shakesperiano, and he fled Italy
due to circumstances of an “illegitimate” nature. Homesick and doomed never to return, he resorted to writing
stories about the land and people of his birth. Nice story…..but he sure speaks better English than any Italian
I’ve met so far!
It
was the Romans, however, who first discovered Verona’s unique position in the
heart of the Adige River valley with direct access to the Brenner Pass. Surrounded by ancient Roman walls and the
river on three sides, this important town was a crossroads some 2000 years ago. This was especially handy when chasing
Barbarians (bearded ones) back up into the mountains where they belonged! The town is filled with Roman ruins, most
significantly the large, pink-marbled, well-preserved amphitheater located at
the edge of Piazza Bra, the town’s central market square. Since it was Sunday lunchtime, the citizenry
were out in their after-church finest, filling the bars, restaurants and
streets. It was such fun to mingle
among them, listening to the musicians who were strolling through the
pedestrian-only side streets and squares.
We peeked in the windows of the designer shops lining the Via Manzinini
and munched turkey, tomato and cheese panini (sandwiches) in the park. A visit to an ancient town is not complete
without a climb up a tall tower, and the views from 13th century
Torre L’Amberti did not disappoint us, with
panoramic views of Verona and the surrounding countryside. Juliet’s legendary home and balcony are a
Verona must-see, very overrated, but well worth the two minute walk off the
main street. I was even able to snap a
picture of the balcony minus a Juliet wanna-be leaning over to her Romeo on the
patio below the window!
While
strolling back to the bus, we met up with tour members, George and Elizabeth,
from Seattle. We enjoyed talking about
the city and finding common interest in the playoff action of the
Mariners. So far, Mariner fans
outnumber Yankee fans on the tour.
Because Rick Steves is a Seattle based organization, we’re not
surprised!
On
the bus ride to our next stop, Bolzano, we passed the city Trento, site of the Council
of Trent. With the skyscrapers and
post-war apartment buildings in the distance, it was hard to imagine 16th
century bishops huddled together trying to figure out how do deal with the
likes of Luther, Calvin and all those other troublemakers! Just past Trent, the bus began to climb
hills, and quickly approached the south Tyrolean town of Bolzano, gateway to
the Dolomites, and also known as Bozen.
Willkommen! In this part of
Italy, German is spoken as well as Italian, so it was fun to try to read the
bi-lingual street signs and billboards.
Bolzano is home to the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology, final resting
place of “Oetzi” the Ice Man, a 5000 year old body frozen in a glacier and
discovered by German tourists some few years ago. The museum was quite fascinating once you got past the display
cases filled with arrowheads and broken pottery. On the second floor, one finds Oetzi in all his shriveled
nakedness laying in his specially refrigerated tomb. Since he was about my height and weight when he died, it was kind
of spooky! More interesting, however,
were the items from his campsite – woven clothing, fur overcoat, shoes, tools,
and food. H was pretty high fashion for
his time. His baggage even looked
suspiciously like the Rick Steves 22” carry-on rucksack and I swear he wore a
money belt! Particularly impressive
were two grains of corn displayed in a lighted case. Apparently Oetzi was a farmer at heart. I was struck that archeology is a painstaking art for which I’d
never have the patience.
Back
on the bus and up curvy, steep slopes to our totally yodelly home-base, Alpe di
Siusi. Mountain mist and fog interfered
with the stupendous scenery as we climbed the hills. Just as well, as I was as
jumpy as a frog around each turn anyway.
As we moved further and further up, I moved closer and closer to the
center aisle of the bus. Finally Peter
and I just traded seats and I closed my eyes for the rest of the journey! We arrived to our hotel, Pension Seelaus,
just in time for a wonderful meal that included a full salad bar, bow tie pasta
in a cheese and cream sauce, chicken, rice and tiramisu for dessert. The family owned inn was delightfully
spacious, with a modern bath, beautiful pastoral views, and luxurious white
down comforters. After breathing in the
cold, fresh mountain air, we snuggled in for a great night’s rest amidst the
authentic peace and quiet that only the countryside provides.
We
awake to cold air and clear, blue skies.
After a hearty breakfast, we joined the tour for a short hike to the
closest village, Compatsch. A few of
the ladies opt for a bus ride to Castelrotto (Kastelruth), a charming mountain
hamlet filled with quaint shops and restaurants. Much to my surprise, I
preferred to join the heartier folks for the hike through the Dolomites. There would be plenty of time for
shopping! A gondola from Compatsch
delivered us to the start of the trail appropriately named Panorama. Since it was damp overnight, the trail was a
bit muddy in places, but we reveled in the refreshing air, alpine meadows and
views of the soaring cliffs above.
During the two hour walk, led by our guide, Kathy, we had fun making new
friends and staying out of the way of the power-walker Germans who wear really
hefty hiking boots and carry walking sticks!
Additional trails led up into higher altitudes and the dense forests and
soaring cliffs above, but we opted for milder route, remembering that we were
all over 40 and it was vacation after all!
Another gondola ride took us to the top of Mt. Williams for a stupendous
view of the Dolomite region and the sud-Tyrol range of mountains. After a lengthy round of picture taking, we
returned downhill via the gondola to Saltria, one of the many refuges located
throughout the area that service hikers from throughout Europe. We sat with our traveling companions at
tables on the balcony of a delightful restaurant, absorbing the beauty and
tranquility of the scenery, laughing about our slips in the mud, and savoring
minestrone, lasagna, and, apple strudel.
Wunderbar! A shuttle bus back to
Compatsch was a welcome respite for our weary feet and our stroll back to the
Seelaus was leisurely and peaceful.
With little late-afternoon traffic, we were even able to hear the gentle
clink of cowbells on the cows returning back to their barns after a long day of
feasting on the alpine grass. Yes, they
really do wear those bells!
Our
pre-dinner tour gathering consisted of wine-tasting and “Buddy”
introductions. While it seemed silly at
first, we came to appreciate the buddy system implemented on Rick Steves’
tours. Someone besides our spouse was
always on the lookout for us, making sure that we appeared at the designated
meeting spaces and never got left behind.
My buddy was Debbie Kirsch, a great gal about my age from New
Jersey. She was very energetic and full
of life with a great sense of adventure.
The mother of two young adult daughters, we had a lot in common! I was most impressed by her optimism
and positive attitude. She had been in New York City for business
on 9/11, and saw the collapse of the World Trade Center. While this was quite traumatic, she insisted
on traveling to Italy as planned and was determined to enjoy herself. Peter’s buddy, Jack Moody, coincidentally, was from upstate New York
and worked in prison ministry. They
have the same wacky sense of humor, so it was a perfect match! We had great fun introducing our buddies to
the group and discovered that Rick Steves tours seem to be a bit
self-selecting. We had so much in
common! All of us had college degrees,
had traveled to Europe before, loved books and art, and watched PBS! It seemed like everyone was employed (or
had been) either in the field of education or computers. Our fears about group travel eased away as
the evening progressed and we feasted on spinach lasagna, venison in a rich
wine sauce, and prune cake for
dessert. Since Pension Seehaus was a
family owned hotel, the appearance of Grandpa, two young bedroom-slippered
daughters, and “Rex” the family dog, only heightened our sense of
camaraderie.
We
awoke early to perfectly clear blue skies.
After a quick breakfast and goodbyes to our friendly hosts, we departed
in the Heidebloom for our scenic drive along the Great Dolomite Highway. Giant peaks surrounded us on all sides as we
maneuvered through the twisting, turning roads. Our bus driver, Pietre, handled the hairpin curves with ease and
dexterity. In some spots, he had to
back up and then drive the front the
bus out over a cliff to navigate the turn.
I closed my eyes often! When I
did open them, however, I was rewarded
with gorgeous scenery, unlike any I have ever seen before. The starkness of the peaks reminded me of
Night on Bald Mountain from Disney’s Fantasia.
Brad delivered his geological insights and pointed out the numerous ski
lifts and trails. We passed through
many small alpine villages, all preparing for the upcoming ski season. Numerous hotel construction projects filled
the towns, anticipating the crush of Germans that would arrive sometime in
November. How did they ever get those
huge cranes up the hills?! We stopped
in one of the villages for a stretch, window shopping, coffee and potty break,
and then headed to a lower elevation for a picnic lunch along a peaceful
mountain stream. Brad and Kathy’s
supply of salad, panini, assorted wines, olives and sweets fortified us for the
ride to Venice.
We
knew we were getting close when we passed numerous chain hotels on the
outskirts of the city. We were happy
to be booked at a hotel located in the heart of town, away from all the hustle
and bustle of the major tour groups.
Our bus dropped us off at the boat docks at the end of a long causeway
leading to the lagoon and we boarded a vaporetti (motorized bus-boats) for our
trip down the Grand Canal to our hotel.
What a great place!!! Boats of
all sizes, shapes and colors filled the waters. Lavishly decorated palaces and churches lined the canal, and it
was great fun to imagine the days when Venice was the world’s richest
city. The Byzantine architecture was a
sharp contrast to the alpine chalets we had passed just a few hours
before. We disembarked at the Rialto
Bridge and joined the throng of pedestrians through the narrow, cobbled
shop-filled streets. The boat ride
full of commuters and the throngs of tourists made us particularly grateful for
our lightweight packs! This is definitely
a city where big, heavy luggage is inconvenient. After a checking in at our 800 year-old hotel (Albergo Guerrato), we joined our
guides for a brief orientation and walking tour, culminating in our arrival at
St. Marks’ Square. Wow!! Hard to believe we were actually there!
We
grabbed dinner at a local pizza restaurant, accompanied by our new friends,
Henry and Carolyn. Since Henry is a
retired Lutheran minister, we had a fascinating conversation about his seminary
training, the life of clergy in the church, and the similarities and
differences in our faith traditions. He
was full of questions about the Catholic Church, and we were pleased to be able
to answer them! Following dinner, we
were able to explore the streets and shops in relative peace and quiet, since
most tourists head back to the mainland at sunset.
The
highlight of the day, however, was our evening gondola ride through the canals
of Venice. Our group boarded four boats
and, accompanied by an accordionist and vocalist, headed out to the Grand
Canal. Since the lower floors of the
buildings along the canals are flooded and uninhabited, there was a spooky
quality to the experience, particularly along the quiet “side-street”
canals. Pedestrians waved to us from
bridges as we passed. Riding the canals
during the evening hours is a treat, as the canals are virtually empty of
tourists and very quiet and
serene. Water lapped against the
foundations of buildings and the boats, creating a peaceful, romantic
atmosphere. Upon reaching the Grand
Canal, however, the splendor of nighttime Venice confronts you. The gondoliers tied our four boats together
and continued to serenade us with top Italian-American hits. Listening to “Volare” from the middle of the
canal at 10:00 p.m. was very touristy, but I loved it! The romantic mood was somewhat broken when
Peter caught the wake of a passing vaporetti.
Fortunately, the weather was pleasant and the water wasn’t nearly as
fragrant as we had heard it would be.
In fact, it smelled much like the San Elijo Lagoon (ed. the lagoon at
the end of our street) on a hot day!
Our
lovely ride ended too quickly, and we proceeded back to St. Mark’s Square to
listen to the Venetian “Battle of the Bands.”
Two elegant cafes on opposite sides of the Piazza San Marco set up
outdoor seating, complete with live music.
Their dueling orchestras alternately perform – a free concert to those
of us willing to stand during the music and run back and forth between
numbers. Who could ask for more - a star-lit night, glittering ancient buildings, sensuous canals, Venetian ghosts,
live music, new friends??? The only
distraction was from the occasional street vendor selling wind up toys on the
square! What a day!
Our
day began with an early walking tour conducted by our local guide, Elizabetta,
a gorgeous, skinny, witty native wearing a great looking leather jacket. She introduced us to the back streets of
the gloriously decaying city, explaining how the city was built, how the canals
drain the pedestrian-only streets, and how flooding and humidity continue to be
threats. Law requires owners to keep
their properties habitable, and since the cost is prohibitive for most people,
the government is buying up more and more buildings. Italians are anxious to preserve this city, a national
treasure. However, the population is
shrinking and aging, leaving a strange mix of shopkeepers, restaurant owners
and tourists. Sadly, most families
choose to live on the mainland or the large island of Lido, a short vaporetti
ride from the old city. Elizabetta was
very knowledgeable and informative, and we enjoyed her “Back-Door” perspective.
We
met up with Brad for a mid-morning tour of the Murano Glass Factory. He led us through a museum displaying the
best of Venetian glass-making, to a workshop, where a Murano apprentice worked
the molten glass. We oooh’d and ahhh’d
as he created a glass horse in a matter of minutes right before our eyes. And he still has three years of training to
go! We then spent some time in the
neighboring gift shop, choosing just the right vase to add to our travel
collection. The charming salesman was
very anxious to sell us some non-tip drinking glasses when he found out we were
from Southern California, or, as he noted, “earthquake country.” We passed on the glasses!
The
rest of the day was free, so we jammed lots of activity into the remaining
hours. We began with a tour of the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), the seat
of the Venetian government and home of the ruling duke during Venice’s
heyday. The signature Venetian mix of
architectural styles, Gothic and Byzantine, was striking, and one could see how
visitors to the palace would be awed by the power and wealth of the
republic. The Giant Hall of the Grand
Council was very impressive, containing Tintoretto’s Paradise, the
world’s largest oil painting. Peter
particularly liked the weapons of torture displayed in the Armory, but I found
the adjacent prison more interesting.
The doge could sentence, torture, and jail opponents in their own home –
the medieval version of “time out,” I
guess. Messages scratched on the wall
lead you to believe that the conditions must have been horrendous!
Galleria
dell’Accademia, Venice’s top art museum, was relatively quiet in the early
afternoon hours, so we were able to examine paintings by Bellini, Veronese,
Tiepolo and others at a leisurely pace.
A delightful walk through side streets and over canals and bridges led
us back to St. Marks Basilica, the legendary home of St. Mark’s bones. The mosaics on the exterior front and inside
walls are breathtakingly beautiful and haunting. Built in the shape of a Greek cross, the nave of the church is
small. But the sanctuary and Pala
d’Oro, a gold golden altar piece made with 80 Byzantine enamels set in gold and
precious stones, are exquisite. A
narrow staircase at the entrance to the church led us up to an outdoor balcony,
where we had a pigeon’s-eye view of the famous Bronze horses, the Piazza below,
the Campanile di San Marco (tower) next door, and the Grand Canal beyond. We waited on the balcony until 4:00 p.m. to
hear the church bells loud and clear, but, alas, bells in Italy don’t every
seem to ring on the hour like you’d expect!
We finally heard them about 25 minutes later while strolling along the
walkway adjacent to the Grand Canal!
It
didn’t take us long to figure out that the best way to avoid smoke filled
restaurants at dinnertime is to eat before 8:00 p.m., along with all the other
non-smoking Americans in town! We
sampled an “early” meal of spaghetti with clam (Kate) and Bolognese (Peter) sauces
before heading to St. Bartolomeo Church to attend a chamber concert of Vivaldi
hits. The church is a gem, well hidden
behind a massive McDonald’s restaurant.
Who would ever guess that behind a small door adjacent to McDonald’s you
would find such a beautiful, intimate little church, filled with masterpiece
paintings and a collection of antique stringed instruments. We joined two other couples from our tour
group, listening to six young musicians fill the church with glorious Baroque
music. Vivaldi in Venice! This was too good to be true and I felt like
I’d died and gone to heaven!
After
a fitful night’s sleep, we awoke early.
Too much excitement and too much activity in the produce market adjacent
to our hotel! We bid a reluctant
farewell to Venice and joined our bus for the short ride to the Church of Sant’
Appollinare in Classe, just outside the ancient Byzantine city of Ravenna. While the exterior of the church is rather
bulky and plain, the ancient mosaics
within are stunning. It was very
helpful to have a local guide give us
the history of the church and interpret the stories depicted on the walls. We continued next door to a Mom & Pop
truck stop for lunch where we sampled “Mama’s” famous lasagna. Apparently Mama is so renowned that you can
get her recipes online. While lunch was
great, I’ll pass up the recipes. Mama
cooks heavy, and I don’t get along too well with béchamel sauce. Peter ate almost two portions of lasagna
and loved every bite! The restaurant
was quite fun, though, packed full of locals feasting on Mama’s specialties
before siesta. Another “Back-Door”
treat!
Soon
after our departure from Classe, we were treated to the beauty of the Tuscan
landscape – rolling green hills dotted with villas and cypress trees. After our arrival in Florence, we checked
in to the Hotel Accademia, an elegant hotel with an exotic marble staircase and
lovely old stained glass windows.
Another orientation and walking tour culminated with a visit to Santa
Croce Church, the largest Franciscan church in Christendom and the parish home
of Michelangelo. He is buried there,
along with Machiavelli, Rossini and Galileo.
The richly frescoed chapels, particularly the Bardi Chapel containing masterpieces by Giotto, were lovely and
inspiring. Santa Croce Square was very
inviting, with locals mingling with the tourists anxiously picking up bargains
in the surrounding leather and jewelry stores.
We
proceeded to the nearby Baldevino Restaurant, a local favorite of our
guides. The interior is lovely,
designed by the famous interior designer, Fulvio (who I have never heard
of!). Our sumptuous meal began with a
plate of assorted cold meats, focaccia with olive oil and rosemary, tomato and buffalo mozzarella and, finally,
perfectly steamed asparagus dotted with freshly shredded parmesan. Peter and I passed on the green salad so
we’d have room for the main course, pasta shells with a walnut sauce and gnocchi
with tomato sauce. Delizioso! Since we had no room left for the gelato
dessert and needed to find a Laundromat, we snuck out before coffee was served.
Our
Florentine Laundromat consisted of four coin operating washing machines and two
dryers. A few machines were free, so we
were in luck! Peter had to buy some
beer at a nearby bar to get the appropriate change, but once everything was
stuffed in the machines, we sat down to catch up on our journals and people
watch. A few folks from the tour
turned up too, so we had a grand time drinking beer, folding clothes and
sharing impressions of the trip. Since
our hotel room had a TV with CNN (our first TV in almost a week!) we caught up
on the local war news before heading off to sleep. We were better off without the TV!!
Our
morning and afternoon were free, so we got up early to catch some of the many
sights. Since sculpture is our favorite
art form, we began with a tour of the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence’s
lesser known museum of sculpture located in a former prison adjacent to
Florence’s main square, Palazzo Vecchio.
The museum contains Donatello’s David, works by Michelangelo, and
rooms full of Medici treasures. I was
inspired to read the novel, Agony
and the Ecstasy! Our self-guided
Michelangelo tour continued with a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia,
permanent home to his vastly superior David. Seeing the copy at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas is not the real
experience of the genius and artistry of Michelangelo. Seeing the original was a real thrill. Peter got in trouble with the museum guards
when he tried to take a picture, so I bought postcards in the gift shop.
We
then headed back to see the Duomo, Florence’s Gothic cathedral. The exterior, covered with pink, green and
white Tuscan marble, is quite impressive.
With the exception of the dome, the inside is quite plain and
unadorned. Apparently all the great art
was removed and placed in the neighboring Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Instead of another museum tour, we opted to
climb the adjacent 82-meter tall bell tower created by Giotto for an impressive
look at Brunelleschi’s marvelous dome and the surrounding city landscape. It was a clear, warm and sunny day, and
the red-tiled panorama was just as I had imagined. It was definitely worth the steep-stepped climb.
The
adjacent 10th century Baptistery is Florence’s oldest building.
Ghiberti’s exterior doors are stunning and the mosaic interior ceiling
beautifully illustrate stories from scripture.
How powerful it must have been to be initiated into the Christian
community in such awesome and beautiful worship space! Unlike the interior of the churches we had
visited so far, this space lent itself more to reflection and prayer.
The
Via dei Calzaiuoli, a pedestrian-only street lined with restaurants and shops,
leads from the Duomo to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Arno River. While window shopping, we found a yummy
looking rosticceria and treated
ourselves to mushroom fettuccini (Kate) and ziti with tomatoes and eggplant
(Peter). The self-service cafeteria had
numerous salad, pasta, and main course selections to choose from – everything
looked wonderful! Fortified, we
continued Rick Steves’ “Renaissance Walk” through the Palazza Vecchio and the Uffizi Courtyard (lined with marble tributes
to famous Florentines, and there are many!) to the gold, jewelry and leather
shops housed on the Ponte Vecchio. We
crossed the river and rested our weary feet while catching up with the newspaper on the steps of the Pitti
Palace. We decided to save that
museum for the next trip! A brisk walk
back over the Arno River, a repeat visit to 14th Century Santa
Croce, and souvenir shopping along the square followed. Peter bought himself a Florentine leather
wallet, and treated me to a lovely white gold anniversary band. What a guy!
What a day!!
But
we weren’t finished yet! We met up with
our tour group for our guided visit through the Uffizi Gallery, home to a great
collection of Italian paintings. We
viewed works of Giotto, Leonardo,
Raphael, Caraveggio, Rubens, Titian, Michelangelo and Botticelli. I love the Botticellis’s! Because the museum is modest in size and
organized chronologically, the tour was delightfully comprehensive and
informative. Also, since the number of
visitors is regulated, we were able to view each piece without accompanying
mobs. The staff at Paris’ Louvre could
take some organization lessons from the Florentines!
A
simple dinner of ravioli with pesto (Kate) and Bolognese (Peter) sauces
accompanied by gelato from a neighboring gelateria topped off a perfectly
glorious day of touring. (Note: Have you noticed that Peter keeps ordering
“safe” sauces????)
When
visiting Florence, it’s important to remember that for most of its history, it
was a centrally located fortified city, constantly battling invading armies
from all directions. On the surface,
it’s not beautiful in the way that Venice, Paris and San Francisco are
beautiful. It’s beauty was hidden from
potential conquerors within the stone walls of its blocky buildings. The soul of Florence continues to lie
within. While walking back to the hotel
in the evening, it was fun to peek up into the elaborately decorated and
chandeliered rooms facing the street.
What a great place!
We
left Florence with heavy hearts – there was at least two more days of sights to
see! But on to Pisa, about 1-1/2 hours
away. Rick aptly refers to Pisa as a
“touristy quickie.” Poor Pisa. Once a regional superpower, it was defeated by
Genoa, the port silted up, and it fell from grace. Thank goodness it has its lovely Duomo and crazy leaning
tower! The huge Romanesque church and
baptistery were quite beautiful. We
were taken aback, however, while witnessing a wedding liturgy in the large side
chapel where the priest had his back to the assembly! Perhaps it was because of the logistics of the chapel. I hope so!! Haven’t seen that since I was about 8 years old! The adjacent campanile, better known as
“The Leaning Tower,” looks just like the postcards, so you can skip the
sidetrip if your time in Italy is limited.
The tower was designed by a guy named Banano Pisano. Great name!! Peter had lots of fun taking engineering type pictures of the
tower…..we’ll see how they come out! The surrounding area is filled with tacky tourist shops and
Senegali selling junky animal figurines.
Apparently, the Senegali come to France and Italy for 3-6 months each
year selling illegal knockoffs of Rolex watches, Gucci bags and other assorted
items. I felt sorry for them – they’re
just trying to make a living. But the
stuff was really ugly! Close by we
happened to find a nice restaurant filled with tour mates and enjoyed salad and
artichoke pizza before heading back to the bus for our journey to the
Mediterranean coast.
The
brief drive took us past the hills of Carrera, noted for the famous marble
favored by Michelangelo. The mountains
looked snow covered, but we were reminded that marble is still actively
quarried in the area, and what we saw was marble, not snow! We soon arrived in the hilltown of Levanto
and boarded the train to Vernazza, our quint Cinque Terre home. The five remote, cliff-hanging Cinque Terre
towns are virtually inaccessible to vehicle traffic, and once again, we were glad
that our baggage was lightweight. The
main street of town, lined with quaint shops and restaurants, led down the
hills to a small square fronting a protected harbor of small boats. We travelled back up many steep stepped
lanes to our cliffside hotel, the Trattoria Gianni. A tight, winding spiral staircase led us to our rooms. Ours, with a view into the next door
neighbors bedroom, was famous for its bordello bed, which filled the entire
floorspace of the room. I would have
exchanged the infamous bed for a little space and a private bath! Everyone wanted to see our bed, so we had
lots of guests. Who said Rome had the
market cornered on orgies!
To
escape the claustrophobic room, we explored the shops and harbor, enjoying a
beer on the waterfront with Jack (Peter’s buddy) and his wife Jeanne. Peter bought a phone card and after numerous
attempts to understand the directions, we were able to reach Joe from a pay
phone in the noisy square. Since it was
7:00 a.m. Pacific time, he was less than enthusiastic about catching us up on
local news, so the conversation was brief!
We went to 6:00 p.m. Mass at the local church built in the 1300’s and
located above the harbor. The first few
pews were filled with local women, all over age 70 and dressed in black. We sat with the tourists in the back. Midway through the liturgy, I remembered
that I was sleeveless, a no-no in Italian churches, and felt the wrath of
numerous righteous widows as I received communion. It was hard to stay focused, however, since there was no music,
no sense of ritual, and I couldn’t understand the languate. I kept translating the prayers into English
and was comforted to know that we Catholics are all praying the same prayer
every weekend. I was pleased to find
out from our guides later that the young families usually go to church in the
northernmost town, Monterosso, on Sunday mornings because of the religious
education programs located there. So
it’s not just old women in church after all!
Our
group was treated to a wonderful dinner at the Castello, a restaurant atop the
highest Vernazza peak overlooking the Mediterranean. The food was grand:
salad, penne with pesto and swordfish (Kate), spaghetti with salmon and
veal cutlet (Peter), accompanied by the famous vino delle Cinque Terre and
topped with cookies and sciacchetra, a wonderful 18% alcohol desert wine made
from near-raisins. The name means “push
and pull” … push in a lot of grapes, pull out the best wine. The only drawback to the evening was when I
got locked in the cliffside, Biffy-style restroom. I kept my cool for about 5 seconds. I then imagined tumbling into the sea and pounded on the door
until the white-faced owners arrived to get me out. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed interminable. The panic justified another glass of
sciacchetra before heading off to the bordello bed.
What
a noisy night! Unfortunately, Americans
have discovered the Cinque Terre and it’s not the quiet, peaceful place we
thought it would be. We awoke numerous
times to drunk students singing through the narrow lanes of town. In spite of our lack of sleep, we departed for the Blue Marlin café at 8:30
a.m. for tea and panettone, met up with others from our group, and began our
hike from Vernazza south along the mountain trail through the charming Cinque
Terre towns. The route to Corniglia was
steep and narrow, with grand views of the hills towns perched below and the
Liguorian sea beyond. A few yachts
dotted the aquamarine blue water as we huffed and puffed up and down the
trails, stopping occasionally to catch our breath, take some photos, and cool
off. After about 90 minutes of hiking
we arrived in Corniglia, peeked through the shop windows and refilled our water
bottles. A less vigorous hike led us to
the next town, Manarola, where the ten of us quickly found a pizzeria and
chowed down on pizza and calzone.
Tomatoes, ham, cheese, mushrooms and artichokes filled my sandwich and
fortified me for the least strenuous part of the trail, the Via dell’Amore
(also known as Lovers’ Lane), toward the southernmost town, Riomaggiore. It was lots of fun to share the warm sunny
day, lovely views, and camaraderie of our traveling companions. We laughed at the Japanese tourists in their
high heels and dressy clothes. Once
again, my Ecco shoes came through. Not
a blister yet!
A
ten minute train ride from Riomaggiore deposited us back in Vernazza, leaving
us plenty of time for postcard shopping, an internet café check, and a quick
shower before dinner. We watched the
sunset from the harbor while catching up on our journals from the jetty. Again, our meal was a feast. Since this area of Italy is the home of
pesto sauce, I began the meal with pesto spaghetti, the best I have ever
eaten, smooth, light, and heavenly. A
wonderfully sautéed veal was capped off with pound cake soaked in
sciacchetra. Yummy! As we left the restaurant, we were amused by
a number of cats sitting at the kitchen steps waiting for leftovers. Joe would have wanted to take them all
home! I must admit, they were very
cute.
Monday, October 15: Cinque Terre – San Gimignano – Siena
The
morning bus ride led us past lovely villas back into the hill towns of central
Italy, with a lunchtime stop in the quaint village of San Gimignano. Beyond
the city walls, it’s very cute and touristy, with tons of shops to pick up
regional specialties such as wine, ceramics, and wild boar sausage. Originally fortified with 72 tall towers, 14
remain, and they provide a stark contrast to the warm and inviting Tuscan
sky. The views of the rolling hills and
valleys below were stupendous.
A
visit to the Collegiata, the frescoed church highlighted in the film Tea
with Mussolini, was a must! It’s
such fun to see foreign sights from the movies. After a tour of the church, I hunted for postcards and almond
cookies while Peter toured the macabre Museum of Torture. We met up with eight other tour group
friends and feasted on ribollita, a hearty Tuscan bean soup, at Osteria del
Carcere, one of Rick’s recommended restaurants, before heading back to the bus
for the short ride to Siena.
Once
again, we arrived in town in time for a late-afternoon/early evening
orientation and walking tour. Our hotel
was a short walk from the historic center of town. With the maze of red-brick lanes going in every direction, it was
easy to get lost! But with scores of
interesting shops and restaurants to see along the way, we didn’t care! If disoriented, all you needed to do was look up, find the 100 meter tall Torre
del Mangia (Italy’s tallest secular medieval tower), follow that direction and
you’re back at Il Campo, Siena’s great central piazza. It’s located at the historic junction of
Siena’s various competing neighborhoods, or contrada, and is the site of the twice-yearly
horse race where the grand prize is simply boasting that your contrada is
numero uno.
Il
Campo is the heart of town, surrounded by trendy restaurants and colorful shops
and stalls. By early evening, most of
the tour groups leave the city, so we were able to blend in with the locals and
feel right at home on the square. A
local guide, Donatella, gave us an informative
tour of the highly ornamented
Gothic cathedral filled with works by Michelangelo, Donatello, Pisano and
Bernini. The intricately designed
mosaic floor is usually covered for protection, but we were fortunate to be
able to see many of the colorful (green, yellow, red, pink) marble works of art
at our feet. They were so stunning that
you had to be reminded to look up to catch the other masterpieces on the walls
and ceiling. Donatella was quite a
colorful character too. Her wildly
patterned, clingy spandex outfit and elaborate jewelry seemed to fit in the
elaborate church!
When
we exited the church, it was twilight,
and the sky was a deep, but brightly vivid blue. It was the most captivating, indescribable, and unreal looking
sky I have ever seen. Now I know how
the book “Under the Tuscan Sky” came to be named!
Since
Rick’s restaurant recommendations have never led us astray, we set out for
Antica Osteria Da Divo and savored
prosciutto with melon, spaghetti with mushrooms, oil and pepperoncini
(Kate) and penne with tomato sauce (Peter).
Another safe sauce! To my
surprise, pepperoncini mean “spicy red hot pepper,” not the little pickled
yellow ones we see in the stores at home.
It was yummy anyway, and I decided to make sure that I brought home one
of the regional specialties, red hot pepper olive oil! During dinner, we struck up a conversation
with a delightful young American couple sitting next to us. They were travelling alone, overheard us
talking about the Mariners, and seemed starved for American companionship. We had lots in common, as they live in
Seattle and he grew up in the Bay Area.
After
dinner, we found the cheapest Internet café yet (3,000 lira, about $1.50 for ½
hour) and caught up on correspondence and sports news. Being able to keep in touch with loved ones
far away was a wonderful stress reducer
while travelling abroad, particularly during this turbulent time!
The
head cold that I had been fighting for four days finally flowered, so we took
advantage of our free day to tour at a little slower pace. We slept in, but still had time in the
morning to tour the Museo dell’Opera e Panorama (Cathedral Museum), built to
house the cathedral’s medieval art collection.
While Peter climbed the Panoarama dal Facciatone for a superb view of
Siena, I examined a beautiful
collection of elaborate hand embroidered altar vestments. Amazing!
Nearby, Santa Maria della Scalla, a renovated old hospital, displays a
rich treasury and a lavishly frescoed hall depicting Siena’s innovative health
care and social welfare system in action.
We spent quite some time examining the work, letting the fresco tell the
story of the rich and poor alike in 14th century Siena.
After
a leisurely lunch at another of Rick’s family owned establishments, we poked
around in the shops and people watched on Il Campo while spooning icey cool
strawberry gelato down my aching throat.
Then it was across town to see the Church of San Domenico, permanent
home of St. Catherine of Siena’s head.
The huge brick church is rather bland, inside and out, but the display
case containing her head is quite a jaw dropper. Who needs art when you have body parts!
Our
group met at the hotel in the late afternoon for a sampling of wines and local
specialties. Brad and Kathy, our
guides, provided a feast of assorted cheeses, salami, wild boar sausage, tuscan
bean salad, bread, olives, crackers, chocolates and panforte. Peter and I fell in love with the panforte,
a dense dark cake spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and vowed to take some
home. We were stuffed! Having enough of wine tasting, Peter and his
beer-loving friend, Denis Giblin, sought out the nearest Irish pub to talk
computers and books. I joined his
wife, Malca, and a few others from the tour for an evening passeggiata. We explored the shop windows, shared stories
about our families, and discussed what wonderful souvenirs we planned to take
home. Siena is the perfect town to
refine the art of strolling….something I must do more often when returning
home!
Wednesday, October 17: Siena – Assisi – Baschi (Umbria)
I
neglected to mention above that the winning contrada celebrate their Palio
victory by drumming through the streets of Siena, not just during the day or
immediately after the race, but throughout the year, day and night. We were charmingly reminded of their victory
numerous times during the night, and came to understand why most of the
tourists stay in hotels outside of town!
Consequently, we groggily departed Siena for Assisi, one of the
anticpated highlights of our tour.
We
stopped first at Santa Maria degli Angeli, the huge basilica built on the small
portion of land given to St. Francis by the Pope when he started the Franciscan
community. Located below the hillside
village of Assisi, it was originally a small chapel. A sketch on the door shows the original chapel with its
surrounding monks’ huts. It is an
important site because it is here that
Francis consecrated St. Clare as the Bride of Christ. The simple chapel where he died and the
adjacent rose garden were particularly moving.
You could almost picture him in the garden talking to the birds! (before
he died, of course!)
Francis
is buried in the huge Romanesque basilica up the hill in Assisi. Once he became famous, the home town wanted
him back! We began our tour of the
basilica at the lower entrance. A
stunning ceiling of stars connects the
two sides of the nave, painted with parallel scenes from the lives of Christ
and St. Francis. Peter and I were immediately drawn to the
steps leading to the chapel and tomb at the lower level of the lower
basilica. Francis’ remains are contained
in a stone box above the candle lit altar. The atmosphere was subdued and
prayerful, so we stayed there for quite a while, awed to be in the earthly
presence of such a devoted disciple and humble person. I prayed that, by just being there, some of
his generosity and goodness would rub off on me!
On
a spiritual high, we continued our tour of
the lower basilica, lavishly decorated by Martini, Lorenzetti, Cimague
and Giotto. We followed a series of
staircases through a courtyard to the upper basilica (the first Gothic church
built in Italy) and examined the wonderful gallery of Giotto frescoes depicting
the life of St. Francis that line the two sides of the nave. This was the portion of the church that was
damaged in the 1999 earthquake, and we were very glad that the restoration had
been completed so we could tour this marvelous place.
We
had some free time to explore the friar-filled, student-occupied town. The shops were very touristy, and the
religious articles in the shops were disappointingly high church. I had hoped to find a fine quality Nativity
to bring home, but found most of the sets either too tacky or too ornate. But lunch was wonderful! Our guides had arranged for us to eat at a
posh hotel (isn’t it ironic to find a posh hotel in Assisi?) overlooking the
Umbrian hills and valley below. The
view was stupendous and the food amazing.
After a first course salad, we were treated to two pasta courses: spaghetti carbonara and penne with truffle
cream sauce. I had despaired of ever
having real truffles, and the flavor were as rich and earthy as I imagined from
reading Peter Mayle’s books. A
delicious panicotta with fruit sauce topped off the lovely meal.
After
a short bus ride from Assisi, we arrived at Le Casette, outside the Umbrian town
of Baschi. Agriturismo, or agricultural
tourism, began in the 1960’s to encourage farmers to remain on their land,
produce food and offer accomodations to tourists. Our home for the next two days was a large stone farmhouse,
surrounded by cozy bungalows, smack in the middle of a working organic farm of
vineyards and olive groves. The air was
clean, cool and fresh, and the setting was peaceful and quiet. Just what we needed after the drumming of
Siena! After settling into our
comfortable rooms, Peter joined friends for a game of bacce, while I explored
the grounds and relaxed on the porch with my Dick Francis mystery novel.
We
gathered on the farmhouse porch at dinnertime for more winetasting and
socializing, followed by another feast of Umbrian specialties. The hearty peasant fare consisted of
crostini topped with anchovies, tomatoes, and olive paste; soup, chicken with
herbed potatoes, and cake. After
dessert, Grandpa Lazlo shared his jug of homemade cherry wine, hugged all the
ladies, and sent us back warm and glowing to our bungalows for a good night’s
sleep.
An
early morning bus ride delivered us to the town of Bagnoregio, where we walked
to the long, pedestrian bridge connecting the town to our destination,
Civita. We were enshrouded with fog and
mist as we crossed the bridge spanning a very deep ravine. Civita is perched
high on the pinnacle above. I held
Peter’s hand tightly and was glad that I couldn’t see exactly how far above the
canyon we were! Only 15 permanent
residents remain in the town nowadays; it’s now mostly an escape for rich
big-city Italians. Tourists are the
only means of support, and, for a few hundred lira, the town’s little old
ladies were happy to show us their church, ancient olive press, and household
gardens. The foggy conditions
interfered with our hilltop view, but cast a mystical atmosphere over the town
as we explored. I was captivated by
narrow side streets that were lined with old homes decked with elaborate
staircases and entrance doors. At the
end of town, the main street led to a trail down the opposite side of the
hill. The honeycombed cellars and
cisterns carved into the rocks below the town date from Etruscan times. There were two or three shops, one selling
base reliefs of Umbria’s charming homes and villas. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase such a unique
souvenir!
Our
long walk back through town over the bridge and to the bus parked in Bagnoregio
fueled our appetite for lunch at our next stop, the family owned Le Velette
winery overlooking the ancient city of Orvieto. Sassy Cecilia escorted us through the estate, pointing out the
vineyards and the crushing/bottling areas.
We explored the vast network of 1000 year old caves dug by Christians
escaping persecutions which are now the home of the aging wines and the
family’s extensive private collection.
The tour concluded in the beautifully decorated family dining room which
had been set up for more wine tasting and feasting. The table was covered with exquisite linen and colorful ceramic
dishes holding wonderful looking food, all carefully chosen to accompany the
four selected wines that we were to taste.
A light white wine was paired with two types of pizza, onion and zucchini. The following dry white was served with a
rich cheese bread and light, soft white cheese. We moved on to a warm, smooth red wine accompanied with a hearty
parmesan cheese, salami and prosciutto.
Finally, we washed down a light but creamy torte with a sweet dessert
wine. We felt like kings and queens
with the wonderful food, elegant atmosphere and attentive service.
Most
of us snoozed through the 45 minute bus ride to Orvieto, where we window
shopped and toured the Duomo, another elaborately decorated, striped medieval
wonder. The area is known for ceramics,
and I resisted the temptation to buy prettily decorated pasta bowls. Peter flat out refused to carry dishes around
for the remainder of the tour, so I just added them to my Christmas list!
Back
at Le Casette, Peter continued the bacce competition while I enjoyed the peace
and quiet from the porch. Another
hearty meal of crostini, spaghetti with tomato/anchovy sauce, pork cutlet, plum
tart, and Lazlo’s cherry wine topped off a great day. I’ve never eaten so much and enjoyed it so much in my life!
We
left at the crack of dawn for the long journey south through the center of
Italy towards the Amalfi Coast. Since
we were traveling on the Superstrada, not just the Autostrada, the AutoGrill
was even more elaborate and fun to explore during our rest stop. We arrived in Pompeii by noon and were
greeted by Alphonso, the host at the nearby hotel where we lunched on pizza and
pasta. With his short cropped hair,
fluttery manner and slight lisp, we were reminded of Martin Short’s wedding
planner character in the movie, Father of the Bride. He was an amusing prelude to the
archeological wonder that lay ahead.
We
met our local guide, Guittano, who expertly guided us through the large and
surprisingly colorful site. Guittano
was quite an attraction himself, with his mid-length sweeping hair, Neapolitan
tan, open neck shirt, gold neck chain, cool black sunglasses and suave
manner. He was very well informed and
loved history almost as much as the ladies!
Pompeii
is located halfway between Naples and Sorrento, a few miles inland from the Bay
of Naples. Without a view of the bay,
it was difficult to imagine that the sea at one time was at Pompeii’s door. When looking up at the summit of Vesuvius
ahead, however, you see that the its two peaks were created when the entire
side of the mountain blew, filling the city and port below with dust, ash, and
debris. We began our tour at the town
gate and public baths and continued to the temple filled Forum, the commercial,
religious and political center of the old town. Nearby, we stopped along a fenced, roofed area to view piles of
pottery and plaster casts of victims in mid-gasp. Pretty gruesome!
We
were fascinated to see how the Roman model of urban planning is still used
today. There were sidewalks,
crosswalks, one and two-way streets, street signs, storefronts, fountains, and
the remains of what must have been beautiful courtyard entry homes. We passed more baths, some ancient “fast
food” stands, a bakery complete with ovens, and the town brothel with stone
beds, stone pillows and erotic wall drawings.
The wonderfully preserved House of Vetti, home of two wealthy merchant
brothers, was a highlight. Built around
a central courtyard, the surrounding rooms were decorated with colorful mosaics
and frescoes that amazingly survived the blast. We very much enjoyed
Guittano’s captivating stories about the people and lifestyle of first century
Pompeii.
After
a short and scenic bus ride along the bay, we arrived in Sorrento, the gateway
to the Amalfi Coast. Beautiful views
abound, as the city is perched on a ledge under the mountains and over the Mediterranean. With its shabby rooms and unreliable
plumbing, our hotel reminded us of the British sitcom, “Faulty Towers.” However, we had a wonderful balcony view of
the harbor and felt quite at home, surrounded by familiar flora such as bougainvillea,
star jasmine, acacia, lantana, and palm trees.
Once again, we joined our guides for an orientation tour, and were
thrilled with the wonderful shops and restaurants lining the streets. Prices here were much more reasonable that
in the north, so we picked up an additional bag for carrying home souvenirs and
the promised red Ferrari for Joe. It
was a little smaller than he wanted, but a Ferrari nonetheless!
The
Hotel Loreley’s dining patio overlooked the sea below, and the staff served our
group a surprisingly good dinner of minestrone, roasted herb chicken (Kate), swordfish
(Peter) and tiramisu. And finally,
good bread! Fully satiated and droopy
from a full day of touring, we headed off to bed, leaving the balcony doors
open so we could listen to the splashing Mediterranean and cool, citrus scented
breeze.
We
luxuriously slept in and joined our friends for a leisurely breakfast on the
dining patio. Our original plan was to
take the ferry boat to Capri. However,
when we found the dock jammed with cruise ship passengers debarking for a day’s
sightseeing, we abandoned our plan and decided to spend a more relaxing day in
town. Our tour-meter was registering
low, and we thought it best to regroup and energize for the much anticipated
city of Rome to follow. Capri would
have to wait for the next trip to Italy!
We
spent the morning people watching, exploring the shops, and enjoying the harbor
views from numerous cliffside parks.
Sorrento is a British tourist destination, so the city was pleasantly
full of English speakers and pubs. Lunch at the charming tile-walled Ristorante Pizzeria Zi’Ntonio
was delightful, more melon and prosciutto, pasta and pizza! An afternoon siesta was just what the
doctor ordered for my nagging cold. We
joined other tourists and locals in the town’s lovely Baroque Cathedral for
6:00 p.m. Mass. With lots of gesturing
and inflection, the presider seemed to be a very passionate fellow. I wish I could have understood his homily! We topped off the day with a wonderful meal
at another of Rick’s recommended spots (Pizzeria Giardiniello) and a delightful
passiagata through the marvelous Sorrento streets.
The
tour departed from the hotel early in the morning for a bus ride along the
twisting, cliff hanging Amalfi Coast Drive.
Though I longed to see Positano, the prospect of such a white-knuckled
journey was more than I could bear.
Peter sweetly offered to accompany me on the train from Sorrento to
Pompeii, where we met up with the tour later in the morning. Now you know why he’s nicknamed “St. Peter
of Rios.” I could tell from the pasty
white expressions on some of our tour companions that I had made the right
decision! We excitedly bid farewell to
looming Mt. Vesuvius and set out for Rome.
On
the way, Brad entertained us with more history and storytelling. He challenged us to name the top 10 Italians
of all time, chosen because of their contributions to mankind. Brad had mentioned each at some point during
the tour, but since some are a bit obscure,
I only came up with five. They
are: Galileo, Columbus, Marconi, Enrico
Fumi, Alexander Volta (battery), Leonardo Febonacci (number 0), Evangelista
Torricello (barometer), Michelangelo, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Some of the women on the tour thought that
Ferragamo, Armani, Gucci, Valentino, and Versace should be included. I, of course, thought Vivaldi, Rossini, and
Puccini should have made the list! We
were comforted to know that Madonna Ciccone is #100. Go Italian-Americans!
George Denison received first prize, a diamond clip, for having all ten
correct. (Note: the diamond clip was really a dime wedged within a paper clip –
a “dime in clip”!) Brad threw in some
chocolates as a consolation!
We
approached Rome via the Superstrada from the south, and got our first peek of
St. Peter’s dome rising above the city.
Since it was Sunday, the traffic was light, and in no time we were
bidding farewell to our trusty bus driver and checking in at the Aberdeen Hotel
on Via Firenze, a tranquil, safe, handy central location. Our room was spacious, modern and clean,
with mini-bar, TV, and colorfully tiled
bath. It seemed like the lap of luxury
after the Loreley!
In
no time at all, we were back on the streets for our orientation tour, beginning
at the closest major street, Via Nazionale.
It was great to be back in a big bustling city again! After a short walk and bus ride, we stopped
to see the illusionary art at the extravagant, Baroque St. Ignatio Church. Apparently the church founders ran out of
money before the dome of the church was completed. The solution: hire a painter to paint a fake, flat dome! It sure looks real! The elaborate ceiling, painted by Andrea
Pozzo, is a propagandist extravaganza extolling the success of Jesuit
missionaries throughout the world.
Being Jesuit educated folks, we loved it!
Just
around the corner, however, sits a real dome and Rome’s best preserved ancient
site, the illustrious Pantheon. Built
between 118-125 C.E., it is a marvel of Roman engineering, with its huge dome
hidden behind a classical portico. The
huge, one-piece granite columns along the portico are Italy’s biggest. Originally a temple to “all the gods,” then
a Christian Church, locals and tourists alike now enter through the huge bronze
doors to sit under the skylight and enjoy the beautiful classical architecture.
We
continued our stroll to nearby Piazza Navona, a racetrack shaped “square” which
has been the center of Roman life since ancient times. It was originally used for athletic
contests, chariot races and other sports, and is now ringed by shops and trendy
cafes. At dusk, the three magnificent flamboyant Baroque fountains created by
Bernini light up the square. Just past
the lively piazza, Brad ushered us into Rome’s best, and most crowded, gelato
store for an early evening treat – three scoops of any flavor! With over 80 to choose from, it was
tough! Amaretto, tartufo (also known as
“death by chocolate”), and tiramisu for Kate; chocolate, mint and strawberry
for Peter. With a warm, sultry evening,
it was a challenge for us to scarf down the huge scoops before it all
melted. No problem, our next stop was
the Trevi Fountain! Brad pointed out
its architectural oddities while a few of us rinsed off our sticky fingers,
took “loving couple” photos, and tossed coins over our left shoulder, assuring
our return to Rome.
We
passed the nearby Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, mobbed with tourists,
teenagers and young couples, before heading to the Metro for our trip back to
the hotel. Since we were full of ice
cream, we declined a fancy restaurant dinner with other members of the
tour. Instead we settled in our quiet,
luxurious room with CNN, spumante from the mini-bar, and our first McDonald’s
hamburger in three weeks! Why does a
Big Mac always taste better in Europe?!
Monday, October 22: Rome
We
arose early to begin a walking tour of the ancient sites. A quick stroll through the neighborhood
streets of East Rome led us to the Colosseum.
We wandered around the exterior, marveling at the wondrous
structure. Upon entering, it was easy
to imagine the thousands of fans streaming in to witness the excitement on the
arena floor. A handy ramp had recently
been installed across the interior and it was fun to peek below to the vast
network of what were at one time underground tunnels housing gladiators,
slaves, prisoners and cages of wild animals.
We climbed the steep stairways up to higher levels to catch stupendous
views of the interior of the structure and the surrounding neighborhood. I kept hoping that Russell Crowe would peek
around a corner, but, alas, he must out in the countryside fighting Barbarians!
We
exited the Colosseum near the Arch of Constantine, the monument celebrating the
military coup that led to Constantine’s reign and conversion to Christianity, a
great turning point in world and Christian history. The tour continued down the
main drag of the Roman Forum, Via Sacra, past the ruins of the main square,
temples and palaces of the political, religious and commercial center of
ancient Rome. Even with Rick’s tour
book and Brad’s expert guidance, I found it hard to get enthused. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was my urge
to get to Vatican City….I was relieved when it was time for us to board a city
bus over the Tiber to what I anticipated to be the highlight of Rome. We grabbed a quick panini lunch at a street
side café and summoned all our mental and physical resources for an afternoon tour of the Vatican “mega” Museum.
Brad
and Kathy deftly guided us past the ticket lines and through security to the Pinacoteca
(Painting Gallery), highlighted by Rafael’s Transfiguration, Leonardo’s St.
Jerome, and Caravaggio’s Deposition. We continued back to the ancient world, viewing fascinating
mummies from Egypt and classical Greek and Roman statues collected by 15th
and 16th century popes. The
popes may have been corrupt, but they had great taste, and I am thankful that
they were able to acquire such wonderful pieces of art and history for us to
see (though I’m sure that wasn’t their original intention!.) I was amused by the numerous marble benches
flanking the long hallways containing beautiful tapestries and ancient
maps. Along with other tourists, we
frequently parked our weary bums along the journey through the hallways of this
immense museum. The spectacular Raphael
Rooms also offered us opportunities to sit back and drink in the art of the
Renaissance. Before entering the
Sistine Chapel, we detoured through the modern art museum featuring works by
artists from the late 19th and 20th centuries. We delightedly found these religious works
to be very accessible and much more reflective of our image of God, Christ and
Mary. Then, through a narrow, almost
hidden doorway, we entered the Sistine, and were immediately overwhelmed by the
beauty and religious history depicted on Michelangelo’s ceiling and the Last
Judgment. I wished that I had
brought our binoculars to catch all the colorful details of these
masterpieces! Since they have been
recently restored to their original splendor, I was grateful to see them as
Michelangelo intended. One could spend
hours in the Chapel (maybe electing a new pope!), but it was time to move on
with the tour to the highlight of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica.
Excitement
bubbled within me as we passed the bronze Jubilee doors to the main entrance of
the basilica. What a thrill to be
walking through the grandest, most beautiful church in all of Christendom. Though it is two football fields long and
six acres in area, it was glorious, but also comfortable and intimate. I felt very much at home, in this, our
spiritual home.
Michelangelo’s
dome is spectacular, and the main altar, framed by Bernini’s bronze, corkscrew
columned canopy, is a fitting altar of sacrifice. Though Michelangelo’s Pieta is a lovely tribute to Christ
and his mother, I found Bernini’s dove window shining above the front altar to
be the most spiritually moving piece of art.
The late afternoon sun poured through the alabaster window of the spirit
directly on our heads below, inspiring us to celebrate 5:00 p.m. liturgy with a
gathering of pilgrims from around the world.
The Mass was celebrated in Latin, so we were able to pray the prayer of
thanksgiving in unison with fellow worshippers, a new experience for us in
Italy! The organist and visiting English-speaking
choir provided lovely music, and the organist pulled out all the stops at the
recessional, providing the “chill” moment of the day. Exhausted, but exhilarated, we proceeded out the front door to
St. Peter’s Square and continued down the shop lined Via del Conciliazione to
catch the bus back to the hotel for a rest before dinner at Hostaria Romana
with our friends, the Moodys and the Giblins.
Pasta carbonara, pasta with clams, good wine, great company, and an
evening passagiata through the neighborhood topped a spectacular day!
Another
free day to explore this glorious city!
We began with a tour of the Borghese Gallery, a beautiful villa and
museum set amidst a lovely park and gardens in northeast Rome just a brisk walk
from our hotel. The Borghese is
primarily a museum of sculpture, so Peter and I were thrilled to view such
masterpieces as Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte and Bernini’s David, Apollo
and Daphne, and Rape of Proserpine. Once again, I marveled at how artists were able to transform
hard, cold marble into warm, breathing works of life. The upstairs rooms of the villa contain paintings by Caravaggio
(my favorite, with his stark contrasts of light and shade), Raphael, Titian and
Correggio. The villa itself is a
masterpiece with its frescoed walls, inlaid marble floors, and gold leafed
luxurious interior design. The
surrounding gardens provide a peaceful respite from the noise and activity of
Rome, and, after our two-hour tour, we relaxed by the fountains before heading
off to our next stop, the National Museum of Rome.
Rick
aptly refers to this museum as a “walk back in time.” It is the home of the major Greek and Roman statues that were
formerly scattered in other museums, and contains Greek sculptures and portrait
heads of famous Romans dating from the early republic (500 BCE) through the
fall (476 CE). It was fun to see the
real faces of these well-known characters – they actually looked quite human,
warts and all. Hadrian (117-138), of
the wall fame, was the most handsome by far!
We
lunched at Pasticceria Dagnino, a popular daytime hang-out for business folks
working in the area. I resisted the
mouthwatering pastries filling the display cases in the attached bakery and
filled up on Sicilian style pasta!
Since we were wearing long pants and a shirt with sleeves (mandatory for
visits in churches), we decided to embark on Rick’s “Pilgrim’s Tour,” a journey
to the great basilicas in Rome.
Santa
Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s oldest and best preserved churches and the
largest church in the world dedicated to Mary. On a hot August night in 352 an elderly couple had an apparition
of Mary and she requested that a shrine be built on one of the city’s
celebrated hills. The next morning, the
city woke to find the Esquiline Hill covered with snow. Today, this church, St. Mary of the Snow,
stands on that site. Colorful 5th
century mosaics blend with a Renaissance ceiling and Baroque architecture to
create a marvelous worship space and tribute to Mary. Once again, binoculars would have come in handy! Thank goodness all the churches sell
postcards of the stupendous artwork contained within. Contained in an urn under the altar are several pieces of wood
that are said to be from the crib of Jesus.
I wanted to believe that it was true and, together with a huge marble
statue of a kneeling pope, sat meditating that possibility.
The
lovely, tree-lined Via Merulana connects Santa Maria Maggiore to San Giovanni
In Laterano, the cathedral of Rome and seat of the Bishop (aka JPII). Opened in 313, it was the first Christian
church in Rome and the center of Catholicism until the renovation of St.
Peter’s during the Renaissance. It is
bulkier and less ornate than Santa Maggiore, and reminded me very much of St. Ignatius
Church in San Francisco.
Just
across the street is a small building housing the Scala Sancta, the 28 steps of
Pilate’s residence brought to Rome in 326 by Constantine’s mother, St.
Helena. Since Jesus climbed these steps
on the day he was sentenced to death, pilgrims today climb these steps on their
knees reciting a litany of prayers. The
stairs are now covered with walnut wood for protection, and lead to the Sancta
Sanctorum which was the private chapel of the popes in the Middle Ages. Unlike
most of holy sites we had so far visited, this space was quiet, reflective and
reverent.
Just
a short walk away lies the fascinating multi-layered San Clemente. The small upper church at ground level was
built in the 12th century and contains lovely mosaics depicting
Christ crucified and triumphant. The
lower church, spiritual home to the earliest catechumens, was built in the
fourth century, a time when
Christianity was still unpopular and the faithful were instructed and
worshipped in hiding. The second
century dark and damp Temple of Mithras is located another level below. This religious cult, popular among soldiers,
stressed loyalty and dated back to the time of Alexander the Great. Rick’s book stated that when Christians
gained power, they found the beliefs of this cult similar to their own – a
savior bringing life, a life-giving sacrifice, a ritual meal – and banished
it. I found this church, therefore, to
be wonderful physical metaphor of the development of spiritual life in the
early church.
After
a quick subway ride, we met up with our tour group for a final get-together at
La Baia Restaurant, a Rome-meets-Southern-California-style pizzeria favorite of
our tour guides. Surrounded by beach
and palm tree frescoed walls, we whooped it up one last time with more pasta,
pizza, wine and live music. Since Rev.
Henry had generously composed a tour tribute, based on a well-known Gilbert and
Sullivan tune, the group graciously allowed him and his band of nymphettes
(Tracy, Malca, and yours truly!) to perform.
It was a rousing success! We
spilled out onto the street, laughing and singing, enjoying one last walk
together along the fabulous Via Veneto to our hotel. Hugs, goodbyes, and promises to keep in touch followed for those
who were heading home the next day.
Wednesday, October 24: Rome
Our
last day in Rome, and we had the impossible task of squeezing in every sight we
hadn’t yet seen! We began the day,
however, with a repeat visit to the Vatican to catch the Pope’s Wednesday
morning general audience. We crowded
into St. Peter’s Square along with thousands of people and were lucky to find
seats about 50 yards from the dais constructed at the front of the
basilica. At 10:00 a.m. he appeared,
meandering through the aisles of the square in his Pope-mobile, to the cheers
and waves of the excited crowd. After a
few minutes, he took his place on the dais, and greeted us in numerous
languages. Assisted by cardinals, he
addressed the crowd in Spanish, French, German and English. Though his voice sounded weak at times, and
he could barely keep his head from drooping, I was touched by his desire to
connect with his flock, in spite of the obvious physical demands of the weekly
audience. We were also deeply moved
when he stated that his special prayer for the day for family of the ill and
dying. Brother Stephen is in good
hands!
Ahead
of the throng, we slipped away from the square, waved goodbye to the holy city,
and headed back over the muddy, reedy Tiber River to retrace our Sunday evening
walk. We detoured through Campo de
Fiori and enjoyed a peek at the colorful stalls filled with fresh produce,
flowers, cheese, fish, spices and trinkets.
After a repeat swing through the Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, San
Ignazio we landed at Rome’s only Gothic Church, Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Built in the eighth century over a
pre-Christian temple to the goddess, Minerva, it is the home to St. Catherine’s
tomb (without her head; that’s in Siena, of course) and a little known
Michelangelo statue, Christ Bearing the Cross. Unlike the Pieta at St. Peter’s, this work is totally
accessible, and we are thrilled to get up close and personal with one of the
master’s creations.
Before
grabbing a quick lunch, we strolled back to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish
Steps, and window shopped in the nearby sophisticated fashion district. Then it was on to Piazza Barbarini on the
east side of town to check out the Capucine Crypt below Santa Maria della
Immaculata Concezione on the Via Veneto.
The crypt contains the artistically arranged bones of over 4,000 monks
who died between 1528 and 1870. My high
school physiology class came in very handy when figuring out the makeup of the
fireplace mantles, chandeliers, and “wallpaper” decorating the four rooms and hallway
of the crypt. Creative, but creepy….with
very interesting postcards to add to my collection!
Peter
headed back to the hotel for some last minute packing, but I continued to
stroll through the streets, people watching and picking up last minute
souvenirs. After a leisurely dinner at
a nearby restaurant, we met up with our new friends, the Moodys, for a concert
of operatic favorites at the neighborhood Episcopal Church. The music was lovely, but my heart was heavy
at the thought of leaving this beautiful city and wonderful country
behind.
It
was hard to believe that our three week adventure was coming to a close. I had been apprehensive about being away
from home for such a long time, but found that the time flew. The tour was super, freeing us from
logistical details and giving us the opportunity to make every minute
count. Having such great American companions
on the journey was an added bonus. In
the early hours of morning, we reluctantly boarded a cab for the ride to the
airport, our pockets filled with just enough lira to have fun in the duty free
shops. Prior to boarding the plane, I
swallowed my trusty tranquillizers to ensure peaceful sleep and sweet dreams of
Alpe di Siusi, the canals of Venice, Michelangelo’s masterpieces, the glorious
Mediterranean sea, the Tuscan landscape, the marvelous food and, finally, the
warm and generous welcome of the people of this grand and glorious country. Of course, we will return…..our coins
sitting in the Trevi Fountain have ensured it!