Home Again

Several people have asked me to make a last post. First some picture explanation's, as I still can't figure out how to label them. The first church is where the Last Supper is located. The Prada and McDonalds pics are inside the mall...it is really huge, if you look at top of pic you can see the covering, which was like the inside of a church.

Leaving Cinque Terra was sad for me. We got up at 5am...and dragged our suitcases down all those steps to a totally deserted street. We could smell the pastries baking, and peek thru the doors and see people working, but the street was all cleaned up and no tourists anywhere, except us. We took a last picture heading up to the train and I know I will remember it even without the camera photo to remind me.
We were a little worried about figuring out how to get on the right train to Milan, and then finding our hotel, but we did it. I think my feet and legs were about as exhausted as they could be, but we had these reservations to see the Last Supper...so we made ourselves do it. The "painting" is in such a small little church...compared to the huge churches we had been in. They take you 25 at a time into this large room. Then you get 15 min. to admire the work. I paid for a "tour" as the 6.00E tickets they sell at the church were sold out 2 months in advance. So I paid 30E each(now you know why we got up at 5am). The extra euros bought us a "guide" telling us all about the painting. It was much bigger then I imagined...covering a huge wall...but it is very faded and deteriorating pretty rapidly. They de-ionize you (or something) before you go in. No pictures allowed so I can only show you the outside of the church.
We decided that since we were in Milan, we should at least check it out, even though we were seriously drained. I am really glad that we did. It is a huge city and it kind of felt like being in Times Square.... Italian style. It was a half hour walk from the church to the city center....Jim promised me a cab ride back. They say that whatever is in the windows in Milan, will be in the States in a year, so I took a few pictures. It was block after block of serious window shopping. Then we arrived at this mall that looked like a church on the inside. We loved seeing the Prada store, but the prices on the items in the window kept us from going inside. And most amazingly, there was a McDonalds right across the floor from it. There is also a huge cathedral in the center of Milan with a big square...it was so much more modern then the other Italian cities we had been in. While we were walking, Jim came across a display of cars...Lamborghini, Ferrari and a Maserati....on a red carpet outside some swanky hotel. The man guarding them was fascinated with Jim's little $80.00 camera and he had to stop and show him...Jim got a HUGE kick out of that. He wishes now he had traded the "look at his camera" for a sit in one of the cars. We headed back to our hotel hoping to catch a cab along the way, but no such luck. When the concierge at the hotel said the closest restaurant was 4 blocks away, Jim inquired about a cab. He said,"That is RIDICULOUS....only 4 blocks away"...so we walked because we were too embarrassed to say...."we have been walking at least 100 miles over 3 weeks to get HERE right now!!!!" This of course means we had to walk back...but we did it early and went to bed early as well. Our last supper(HA) was a wonderful pasta and huge shrimp(eyeballs included) and of course wine, and then we collapsed.
We got up at 7am our last day and spent the next 22 hours...riding trains and subways, buses and planes to get home. After we got in our very own car, we went straight for McDonalds and had a good ole American burger and fries and Jim even had a chocolate shake. Too much homemade pizza and pasta had us craving fast food...or maybe it was the airline food. Then we kept talking to each other to try and stay awake on the painful hour and half car ride home. We went straight to bed,even though it was still light out...but for us it was 5am. In the middle of the night, I got up and couldn't figure out what hotel room I was in. It took several minutes for me to realize I was in my own bedroom and I KNEW how to use the bathroom... even in the dark!!!!!

We had a wonderful trip. We met so many fascinating people and experienced many unforgettable things. But we are happy to be home and appreciate the beautiful, clean and friendly place that we are fortunate enough to live in.

Thanks for reading and commenting. I don't think I am a BLOG kind of gal, so this will probably be the last one, unless my kids bug me to do some more....hummm, where to go next?

Arrivederci Everyone!!!!

Last day in Chinque Terra

Today is our last day in Cinque Terra. We took a train to the furthest town and did the walk of LOVE….it was a really nice easy walk and had wonderful views. Then we caught the local train back to our town and just hung out here all day. The pictures say it all…just the wine and the sea, and the private deck to ourselves. Everytime we have gone to the deck previously, it has been packed with people. Today we sat there for at least an hour all alone. It is Friday and for some reason it is so quiet today…you would think just the opposite…but it feels almost deserted…it is really nice. Tomorrow we get up at 5 am to catch the local train at 6:15. First we will have to lug our now HEAVY suitcases (Lemonchello on board) down the 3 flights of winding staircases, then 100 cobblestone and very steep steps to the street…then uphill to the train station. After the train takes us to the next town, we need to buy tickets for Milan(3 hours)….and then make a subway transfer to the hotel….and make it in time to see The Last Supper…if I hadn’t already bought the tickets we would skip it. Jim is not too happy about the 5 am alarm to wake us up. We had planned to see some sights in Milan but have decided we do not want to see another church, museum, statue or ancient ANYThing for awhile.
Our Trip has been perfect in every way…no problems so far…please everyone knock on wood as you read this.
Some of the things I will miss…the sound of the sea and church bells outside our window, 4 oz of cappacchino (Im too embarrassed to order 4 more to equal my usual morning drink), walnut sauce pasta, the Italian kids playing in the streets, orange and red and tan buildings, really fast trains, and lots of really good wine.
Some of the things I won’t miss….slow moving tourists, trying to figure out EVERYTIME how to operate the toilet,or bathroom sink or shower(they are all different), reading a train schedule, anchovies, and hiking uphill.
Some of the things I’m looking forward to….getting in my car and going anywhere I want, a 20oz latte, my easy walk with Terry, MEXICAN FOOD, seeing all of you… friends and family.
Ciao….Grazie …and Arrivederci!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe we will blog from the London airport, as we have 6 hours to kill there.

Coming Home Soon....

I am sorry about those last pics…hopefully I fixed them today. We have to go to the café…pay for a half hour and then it logs us off…so we are rushing, and something weird happened…not sure what.
Today was another fun filled day. We went to this great little café at about 10:30am…the owner was a riot, we LOVED him. He said…as we walked in, not knowing us from anyone…”Today I have 400 pastries made, but you a sleep inA…so now all I have is croissant and ricotta, I make for you OKA???….” I said yes, I’ll take a capacchino too…then he said, “Ok…and I have oranges, I makeA fresh juice for you with da oranges, I offer…. you decide…up to you a”….It was only more fun from there. We told him we were going to make the walk to Montessoria and he said to your dad “ you know, you can notA goA… in those shoeAs, you well get hurt…I do not careA, except then you cannot come back and have a dinner with me, so you go changeA your shoeAs!!!!!!” So he did.
Then we made the freakin 3 hour walk …up hill…over a mountain to Montessoria…I thought we would die. The pics included today should be of the view looking down on our little town of Vernazza as we walk…please notice that we get higher and higher. IT was unbelievable. We learned afterwards, that we did it in the hardest direction and the one most people skip and take a boat to. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any harder, one side against the mountain, only a path as wide as my shoes to walk on, cliff dropping into the Mediterranean sea….then a little stream started running thru the path. So…thousands of uphill and downhill steps, cliff hanging views, slippery steps and an aerobic workout like neither of us have seen. Finally, we make it to the end and what do you think is the first thing we see????…ICE COLD BEER sign…even I was glad to see that. All we took was a bottle of water and a banana with us…so we sat down and had beer and frociaccia sandwiches. We were so happy to make it without suffering a coronary!!!Matt…no amount of exercise could have prepared us for THAT!!!!!!!!!! You would have been proud of us, we kept up with people a lot younger and more fit then us. Then we walked all over this cute little town with beautiful beaches. We decided to treat ourselves to the boat ride back as neither of us wanted to walk ANYWHERE…not even to the train station. The boat ride was wonderful, and now we plan to take it to the other 3 towns tomorrow. We hung out at the beach for the rest of the day and then made reservations for one of the 6 view tables that hangs over the sea. It is a castle from hundreds of years ago, that used to be a look out for the town. Hopefully, we will have pics tomorrow as the camera ran out of power so we have to go back and take pics. The sun set, the waves crashed all around us…it was very romantic. Jim ordered shrimp that were more like lobster, you could crack the claws….and I had a wonderful pesto pasta…I swear someone’s mamma made that pasta in the back room…so fresh. We sat next to a young couple from Sweden. Italy is only 3 hrs away so they vacation here all the time. It was amazing how much she looked like me…same nose and freakly face…I really am Swedish!!!!!!
We cannot believe we have one more day here and then off to Milan. We have to leave for Milan at 6 am in order to make our LAST SUPPER reservations. It is so sad…our wonderful vacation is coming to an end. ….but Jim still has at least 10 more gelato flavors to try, so he will have to do some serious eatin.

Winding Down in Paradise....

We have arrived in Cinque Terra and it is so much more than I expected. Everyone MUST come here sometime in their lives…it is paradise. I am so glad we saved this for last…It is still crowded and touristy, but also laid back and charming. Most of the tourists leave at night as they are staying elsewhere, so it becomes an amazing place in the late afternoon. I am quite sure our room would not be legal in the states. It’s about a 100 steps up cobblestone alleys to get to the building. Then it’s 3 flights up a narrow (one person and a suitcase) spiral staircase, with a rope for a hand rail….by the time we got to the room we felt we had run a marathon. But it was worth it….the view is great. The pictures I have sent show a view of the sea …and one of the church tower that rings every hour…adding to the ambiance. These are the views from our bedroom window. The other view is of the inlet from our bathroom window. I can sit on the John and see this view, not sure who can see me!!! Then there is a picture of the little inlet, with a beach and all the restaurants sit around it. We are headed for a cappachino right now. Yesterday was beautiful and we just meandered thru the streets checking it all out…then had a fabulous dinner right on the water. Jim had a seafood spaghetti with muscles and clams….I had a “to die for” ravioli with walnut sauce…it was so great I might go back for more. Today it is pouring…..the hardest rain I have ever seen… that hits the cobblestone roof and is even more enjoyable because of that. I am afraid the trails from town to town will be washed out…so we may have to take the train. It should be an interesting next blog. Unless we just sit in our room and soak it all in….which sounds good to me. There is no tv, no maid service, no phone….also no street vendors. The towels are this thin dishcloth like material….that we use all three days we are here. This is typical Italian hotel living and I LIKE IT.
Chinc Chinc = Cheers...... Thanks for responding to the "blob", we love reading your comments

Last blog until Cinque Terra

Venice has been so much fun. Out tour director is a kick in the pants…we have had a great time because of her. Yesterday we went to Buano island by private boat….down the grand canal and across the lagoon. We arrived at this amazing little island…no crime, no drugs, and you can only get there by boat. There are 4 hotels and a spattering of restaurants …and they make lace. We had lunch at this wonderful place. Here was the meal…for lunch if you can believe it…carafe’s of wine…and water…YES MATT…the water with gas is amazing….then risotta, cooked for 4hours with shrimp…then pasta with marinara and clams, then 3 fresh fishes, not sure what but they were amazing…then big bowls of fresh fruit with almond brittle and these little hard cookies that you dip in your wine….sooooo gooood…..THEN a cappachino and last but not least a shot of amerreto….SERIOUSLY, I doubt I can get into my pants. We had the night on our own so wandered around looking at the 10 million identical shops. This morning we had a private boat again which took us to the fish market and a walking tour of the back streets of Venice where the Venitians live…this was fascinating. Everything arrives here by boat…no cars or trucks can get here as it is all canals and bridges. It was a fascinating look at a different lifestyle. Then we had our gondola ride thru the smaller canals …with champagne at noon….eye…eye…eye….can’t believe all of this. It was so much fun. We had 4 gondolas and everytime one of us popped the cork on the champagne, everyone yelled CHINK CHINK…and all the pedestrians stopped and took pictures of us and waved at us…it was hilarious. The pics I have included are of the view from our room…on the gondola ride, and the view of Venice from the Bell Tower in St Marks Square. You really have to go up to realize where you are at. If it wasn’t for all the thousands of tourists…this would be a really peaceful place to visit. Our hotel has venetian glass chandeliers hanging everywhere…they are not my thing, but they are beautiful if you like big GODY chunks of glass. Oh and this hotel has the room price posted in the room as 800 Euros…that’s $1200…this room is about a 120 in Bellingham, minus the view of course.
Tonight we have a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Lida has already helped us buy our train tickets to Cinque Terra, so that is a relief. We will leave here around 830 tomorrow morning. IT will actually be a little sad to leave all the new friends we have made in this tour. But we are really looking forward to some relaxing beach time at our next destination…pictures to follow.
Arrevedercia…..

Update 6 2 2008

We are finally in the internet cafe...in the last blog, the first two pictures are in Florence. We will write again soon...having a wonderful time in Venice.

Venice.....

We have arrived in Venice. However, there is no internet in this hotel so I have to type this offline and find an internet café to send it off. I will try to do some catching up here first.
Our time In Florence was wonderful. On our second day, we got up and drove to San Gimignano. This is a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany. It was pouring rain again and it was a pretty steep hill…but the view and the shopping was worth it. Out group bought so much stuff in these shops. Jim and I refrained as we still have so much more left to do, and we don’t want to lug it around. I hope I don’t regret that because things are unbelievably expensive here in Venice. Most of us ate lunch there and then we headed to Pisa. It was great seeing the Leaning Tower and hearing the history. But I wouldn’t do that one again. Jim and I had a cappucchino and just sat and looked at the tower and the people… not much there but tourists and JUNK, and a leaning tower. Howerer, as we were getting off our tour bus, our tour director gave out the BROWN ALERT…she pointed at a group of young girls and yelled GYPSIES. Apparently, here in Italy they cannot arrest anyone under 14, pregnant or with a baby. So the gypsies, disguised as tourists in plain black and white clothes, mingle amongst unsuspecting people and rob you of everything in your pockets and purses. They are always with a Mom and a baby and at least one pregnant girl…or one pretending to be, all young girls. Anyway, they glared at her when she pointed them out. Jim was so fascinated by this that he went back to the entrance to sit and watch them again. This time, as another tour bus was loading, the gypsies got on the bus…pushing and shoving thru the crowd. They rob everyone and then hop off the bus before it leaves. The tour director of that group got off and started yelling and pulling the gypsies off the bus…Jim said it was amazing. He liked that more then the tower.
We left there and headed back to Florence for our “included” dinner. We were about 5 miles outside of the city, when the traffic came to a complete stop at a toll booth. There was at least 10 lanes going into the city and no one knew what was happening. Eveyone was getting out their cars and further up ahead we could see the military police. We still do not know if they were there because of the traffic or just caught up in it. Suddenly the rumors were flying…someone said a plane had crashed…someone else said it was a bad accident. Then the word came back that the wait was now 2 hours( we had been there at least 30 minutes already) so all the cars started turning around and going the other way. It was the most amazing chaos I had ever seen. Our bus driver got out and tried to move traffic around us…the tour director was frantically calling her office trying to find out what was going on. Finally, the bus got turned around and by taking back roads…which were also crowded…we got to our restaurant 2 hours later…it should have taken only 10 minutes. Our tour director ordered free wine for everyone because of the mess. What an exciting day!!!!!!!!!!!We have not heard what actually happened…hard to believe it was just bad traffic. There is a couple from LA in our group, and they said they had never seen rush hour in LA that bad.
Yesterday everyone was on their own to explore Florence. Jim and I went to Uffizi gallery. It was HUGE and we could have stayed there all day and not seen it all. But we left after about 2 hours, had a cappucchino under some clock tower. We walked all over Florence and the crowds were UNREAL…I think we are hitting the beginning of the tourist season. Everything had 3 hour lines…so we only did the free stuff and just walked…sat near the Ponte Vechio bridge and walked around the Dromo…sorry about the bad spelling. Then we had the most wonderful dinner. The first night was the most fun one…this was the best tasting one. The people sitting next to us had gone to school in Florence and had come back 10 times to eat there. So we ordered what they ordered and it was fabulous. It was samplers of food…3 salads, 5 pastas, 4 desserts…and in the middle of all that…a Balsamic filet steak…..it was heaven. It was honestly the best food I have ever eaten. We rolled out of there and made a long walk home thru Florence…I didn’t want to leave.
Today we took the fast train to Venice. We were a little nervous at the train station…as there is a train strike…but fortunately it is only affecting trains out of Rome…good thing we got out of there.
Venice is amazing. Our hotel is right next to the train station and our room overlooks the canal…off to the right just a little. I hope to send pics in the next blog of that. We walked all over and got lost so many time out on our own. After dinner we took a taxi down the grand canal to St Marks Sq….the crowds are really thick here…there is a cruise ship or two in port…so we are hoping it is better tomorrow. This is a huge tourist area and is somewhat unappealing from that aspect. But the views are great….we have a busy two days ahead of us so will try to update you as soon as we can. I have never walked so much in my life…but all the pasta and gelato is catching up with me…pants are getting tight despite the added exercise. We couldn’t be having a better time and we are having so much fun with everyone in this group. We miss everyone an can’t believe we still have another week !!!!!