Italy #18
Today we went in and out of many, many glass shops in Murano. Wow what neat stuff and much of it very expensive. And we both liked the expensive stuff made by artists, signed, limited editions, etc. We wisely left it all there. We watched a glass blower make horses which was fascinating. He did them in 2 minutes! They are beautiful and delicate. I would have bought one but I don't think the thin legs would have made it home intact. We had an interesting ride home on the varparetto going somewhere we hadn't been before. Murano is one of the islands a few minutes from Venice.
Some random thoughts:
Saw their ambulances today -- yellow boats the same shape as the taxis which we figure are about 30 feet long and about as wide as Don's boat.
We tried to eat our gelato at an outside table but got kicked off. One mustn't sit unless one orders from the waiter then it costs way more.
The taxi drivers all stand when they drive around. They seemed very busy today -- Saturday.
We see people sitting at the end of docks all the time. Only place to be on the water unless you are at a restaurant or on a boat.
The posts holding things up are rotting at the water's edge. So sad to see the abandoned lower floors of all the buildings. Many stores seem to be built up inside as there is a step up into them. They have air conditioning -- often a portable with the hose stuck out the door because it's dripping moisture all the time.
Speaking of moisture. My cold from 10 days or so ago was mild but it gave me an annoying tickle which magically disappeared as soon as I got into Venice. Lots of moisture in the air.
We have been grateful many times that we have travelled with small suitcases. Much easier to manage. We are going home with our carry-on size checked and a duffle bag with things like breakables. Eleanor is having trouble staying under the 26 lbs for carry-on but I have room in my bag so took a few things. Hope all goes well tomorrow with our middle of the night adventure catching the vaparetto then bus.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Italy #16
Yesterday we had a longish train ride. The first part was the milk run and the train wasn't airconditioned. The second one was thank goodness. Hot here. We arrived in Venice to be hit by the muggy heat. We were both drenched in no time. We found a ticket booth and bought our 72 hour vaporetto (like a water bus) tickets. A short ride brought us to our stop with the hotel just minutes away. Our room is over the market which is quiet luckily. The hotel is very old and the rooms are a bit of a come down from our last ones! We are in a small room with not much space to put things. Our bathroom/shower is down the hall and we are sharing with two other rooms. But I'm not complaining as more creature comforts would mean big bucks in this city.
The canals are neat and we like to watch the gondolas go by. Also the water taxis -- very long jet boats that cruise around looking for passengers. We've used the vaporettos a lot so are getting our money's worth. Plus we do a lot of walking and getting lost which is the recommended activity here. We eat off the main canal as it's much cheaper. But one must watch where one orders a coffee! We shared a good pizza for supper last night for E10 but Eleanor paid E4,50 for her capp! Most places charge a fee of at least E2 for just sitting at a table and giving you bread. By the way, forgot to mention that having wine with supper isn't much more than having water. Eg. water E1 and wine E1,80.
Today we "did" St. Mark's Square seeing the Correr Museum, the Basilica and the Doge`s Palace. All very worthwhile. Found a neat lunch spot -- cafeteria style and if you eat it standing at the little round tables very cheap. Cappacinos were E1,50 and the sandwiches delicious and different.
Breakfast is minimal here so we buy fruit at the market. Our last place didn`t have fruit either except for a bit of canned. Speaking of fruit. Several times up in the mountain we had delicious fresh fruit then would get canned fruit cocktail at the B&B. Strange.
Will stop for now. Are going to look for some supper.
I'm back and it's now 11 pm. We've had supper then wandered the streets again. Some are only as wide as a sidewalk. We go down lots of dead ends to find neat gardens or restaurants or just nothing.
The city is hopping tonite. We had our "sightseeing" vaparetto ride but had trouble getting a seat outside. Very busy. The canal is choppy with so many boats going back and forth.
A Rick Steves' tour is staying here for 3 nights. They are in a different section.
We got the odd whiff today of sewer. It's surprisingly fresh as there is often a breeze.
Yesterday we had a longish train ride. The first part was the milk run and the train wasn't airconditioned. The second one was thank goodness. Hot here. We arrived in Venice to be hit by the muggy heat. We were both drenched in no time. We found a ticket booth and bought our 72 hour vaporetto (like a water bus) tickets. A short ride brought us to our stop with the hotel just minutes away. Our room is over the market which is quiet luckily. The hotel is very old and the rooms are a bit of a come down from our last ones! We are in a small room with not much space to put things. Our bathroom/shower is down the hall and we are sharing with two other rooms. But I'm not complaining as more creature comforts would mean big bucks in this city.
The canals are neat and we like to watch the gondolas go by. Also the water taxis -- very long jet boats that cruise around looking for passengers. We've used the vaporettos a lot so are getting our money's worth. Plus we do a lot of walking and getting lost which is the recommended activity here. We eat off the main canal as it's much cheaper. But one must watch where one orders a coffee! We shared a good pizza for supper last night for E10 but Eleanor paid E4,50 for her capp! Most places charge a fee of at least E2 for just sitting at a table and giving you bread. By the way, forgot to mention that having wine with supper isn't much more than having water. Eg. water E1 and wine E1,80.
Today we "did" St. Mark's Square seeing the Correr Museum, the Basilica and the Doge`s Palace. All very worthwhile. Found a neat lunch spot -- cafeteria style and if you eat it standing at the little round tables very cheap. Cappacinos were E1,50 and the sandwiches delicious and different.
Breakfast is minimal here so we buy fruit at the market. Our last place didn`t have fruit either except for a bit of canned. Speaking of fruit. Several times up in the mountain we had delicious fresh fruit then would get canned fruit cocktail at the B&B. Strange.
Will stop for now. Are going to look for some supper.
I'm back and it's now 11 pm. We've had supper then wandered the streets again. Some are only as wide as a sidewalk. We go down lots of dead ends to find neat gardens or restaurants or just nothing.
The city is hopping tonite. We had our "sightseeing" vaparetto ride but had trouble getting a seat outside. Very busy. The canal is choppy with so many boats going back and forth.
A Rick Steves' tour is staying here for 3 nights. They are in a different section.
We got the odd whiff today of sewer. It's surprisingly fresh as there is often a breeze.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Italy #15
Today we went on an extensive hike to the top of a ridge and on to a refugio way up high on a rocky inhospitable spot. It's a place to stay as well as eat. We had lunch there then headed back down. (Alysson -- we were up the Schlern).
The hike involved going up to the alpine by bus, then going up a chairlift. From there we walked downhill to a farm/refugio where we had coffee and used their bathroom. Again it was a place you could stay at. Then it was uphill for 2 hours on a trail which reminded me of the Inca Trail (only 1/2 the elevation!). We went up the side of a rocky hill encountering a bit of snow here and there. At the top we were at 7544 feet. It took us 1 1/4 hours to get down to the bottom then it was uphill for quite awhile to get out of the "hole". From there it was downhill again to where we started in the morning. We caught the #10 bus which delivers us right to our hotel door. We have just got the hang of which busses you need a ticket for and which you can pay the driver. And now we're leaving. Oh well.
That alpine area is so huge it would take days and days to explore the different areas. It would be fun do do by mountain bike as the elevation changes are very manageable.Saw two idiots taking their bikes up this trail so they could go down the other side. Must have carried them a lot as the trail was very rocky in spots with steps cut into them.
Because of the heat, wearing my knee brace and all the downhill, my left leg is red from knee to ankle. And, no Samara, it doesn't hurt. Just looks like I have a terrible disease. Will wear long pants tomorrow on the bus/train to Venice.
The flowers changed today. We had several shades of blue and white in with the yellow. The arnica is so much larger here. There is lots of bog marigold and buttercups -- a tall variety. Of course some of the yellow flowers are dandelions.
The thunder rumbled around us but nothing developed. Good thing as we were pretty exposed.
So we are off in the morning to Venice.
A few notes on Castelrotto: Population 8400 with 6100 tourist beds. Elevation 1060 m. Names are confusing as they are both in German and Italian. Thought they were two different places for awhile -- Castelrotto and Kastelruth.It's origins go back before the Roman times.
Today we went on an extensive hike to the top of a ridge and on to a refugio way up high on a rocky inhospitable spot. It's a place to stay as well as eat. We had lunch there then headed back down. (Alysson -- we were up the Schlern).
The hike involved going up to the alpine by bus, then going up a chairlift. From there we walked downhill to a farm/refugio where we had coffee and used their bathroom. Again it was a place you could stay at. Then it was uphill for 2 hours on a trail which reminded me of the Inca Trail (only 1/2 the elevation!). We went up the side of a rocky hill encountering a bit of snow here and there. At the top we were at 7544 feet. It took us 1 1/4 hours to get down to the bottom then it was uphill for quite awhile to get out of the "hole". From there it was downhill again to where we started in the morning. We caught the #10 bus which delivers us right to our hotel door. We have just got the hang of which busses you need a ticket for and which you can pay the driver. And now we're leaving. Oh well.
That alpine area is so huge it would take days and days to explore the different areas. It would be fun do do by mountain bike as the elevation changes are very manageable.Saw two idiots taking their bikes up this trail so they could go down the other side. Must have carried them a lot as the trail was very rocky in spots with steps cut into them.
Because of the heat, wearing my knee brace and all the downhill, my left leg is red from knee to ankle. And, no Samara, it doesn't hurt. Just looks like I have a terrible disease. Will wear long pants tomorrow on the bus/train to Venice.
The flowers changed today. We had several shades of blue and white in with the yellow. The arnica is so much larger here. There is lots of bog marigold and buttercups -- a tall variety. Of course some of the yellow flowers are dandelions.
The thunder rumbled around us but nothing developed. Good thing as we were pretty exposed.
So we are off in the morning to Venice.
A few notes on Castelrotto: Population 8400 with 6100 tourist beds. Elevation 1060 m. Names are confusing as they are both in German and Italian. Thought they were two different places for awhile -- Castelrotto and Kastelruth.It's origins go back before the Roman times.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Italy #14
What a fabulous day we had!!! We went down to the next town by bus then rode the gondola up the Compatch which is a small village on the edge of Alpe di Siusi. This is a huge alpine meadow that would take days and days to hike everywhere. We were taking pictures constantly. The meadows were yellow with flowers -- numerous varieties -- with a few blue and purple ones. Eleanor managed to find the way to a hotel Alysson had stayed in two years ago when she was training with the Canadian team. Neat place way off the beaten path. We had lunch there -- goulash, cappacino and apple strudel. We had a tour of the rooms. It would be quite reasonable to stay there this time of year. A big room with a view was E90 per person and included breakfast and three courses at supper. Also can get a mountain bike to use. We are paying less down here but costs us a lot to go up each day plus have to pay for supper.
After we had our lunch we followed a lovely trail to a refugio where we ate again! And it was only 15 minutes down the trail. And we could still see our lunch spot! But we were sensible and had yogurt and fruit. The yogurt was homemade(delicious) and the fruit fresh with quite a variety. Amazing as in the last two hotels the only fruit we get is canned fruit cocktail!
We had few drops of rain but generally the day was sunny. On our way down the mountain on the bus it poured then while we were eating supper a big thunderstorm rolled through. Supper was venison -- delicious.
The sky has cleared so we enjoyed an evening walk through the village.
Neat things: To boil our eggs for breakfast we put them in little baskets suspended in a tank of boiling water. There was a timer to set. Eleanor was shown how to use a slicer for her whole tomato at the salad buffet tonite. I finally found the buns I remembered from Austria so many years ago. They are soft instead of those hard things down south. I may have mentioned before that E and I haven't enjoyed the bread very much -- quite dry. It's good here -- some nice browns as well.
Found out today that we had been upgraded! That's why our room is so nice. Our balcony is twice the size of some of the others. Anne and Karen -- you would have loved these rooms!!!
The amount of English spoken around here is quite small. Mostly German.
What a fabulous day we had!!! We went down to the next town by bus then rode the gondola up the Compatch which is a small village on the edge of Alpe di Siusi. This is a huge alpine meadow that would take days and days to hike everywhere. We were taking pictures constantly. The meadows were yellow with flowers -- numerous varieties -- with a few blue and purple ones. Eleanor managed to find the way to a hotel Alysson had stayed in two years ago when she was training with the Canadian team. Neat place way off the beaten path. We had lunch there -- goulash, cappacino and apple strudel. We had a tour of the rooms. It would be quite reasonable to stay there this time of year. A big room with a view was E90 per person and included breakfast and three courses at supper. Also can get a mountain bike to use. We are paying less down here but costs us a lot to go up each day plus have to pay for supper.
After we had our lunch we followed a lovely trail to a refugio where we ate again! And it was only 15 minutes down the trail. And we could still see our lunch spot! But we were sensible and had yogurt and fruit. The yogurt was homemade(delicious) and the fruit fresh with quite a variety. Amazing as in the last two hotels the only fruit we get is canned fruit cocktail!
We had few drops of rain but generally the day was sunny. On our way down the mountain on the bus it poured then while we were eating supper a big thunderstorm rolled through. Supper was venison -- delicious.
The sky has cleared so we enjoyed an evening walk through the village.
Neat things: To boil our eggs for breakfast we put them in little baskets suspended in a tank of boiling water. There was a timer to set. Eleanor was shown how to use a slicer for her whole tomato at the salad buffet tonite. I finally found the buns I remembered from Austria so many years ago. They are soft instead of those hard things down south. I may have mentioned before that E and I haven't enjoyed the bread very much -- quite dry. It's good here -- some nice browns as well.
Found out today that we had been upgraded! That's why our room is so nice. Our balcony is twice the size of some of the others. Anne and Karen -- you would have loved these rooms!!!
The amount of English spoken around here is quite small. Mostly German.
Italy #13
Today we had an uneventful trip by a fairly high speed train to Bolzano then transferred to a bus. Had 0 minutes to spare! Wait time would have been 30 minutes so no problem if we missed it. Interesting thing here -- we open up the bottom of the bus and put our own bags on and off. As we got near the mountains on the train the whole feel of the country changed. We went from Italy to ``Austria``. The views from the bus as we travelled up to Castelrotto were stunning. It was a 50 minute trip of constant jaw dropping views. We got here at 2 then tried to find something to eat. Everything was closed it seemed. Finally found a nice place where we had coffee and dessert. Eleanor was very sensible and had yogurt and fruit. I had some sort of torte. We later went for an early supper so we could spend the evening walking. (Also had nothing to eat since breakfast except for the snack). I had an appetizer (spaetzle with mushrooms and ham) which was big enough for a full meal. How would anyone eat that and dinner. With a salad it was plenty.Eleanor had pork and salad. Good German food. Hear lots of German spoken as well.
Our room is amazing. We have two rooms each with a king size bed! It`s done the Austrian way with a comforter and no top sheet. We have a sitting area inside plus a nice sized balcony. All this for E41 per nite each. This includes breakfast.
Alysson -- thank you, thank you for telling your mother that we had to come here. Already our bruised souls from three days in Florence are healing.(A bit dramatic.) This is our kind of world.
The town is Tyrolian with some of the Dolamites above. Wonderful picture taking opportunities this evening with the good light.
Happy Birthday Shannon. Will be late as I don't plan on getting on the internet until tomorrow nite.
Today we had an uneventful trip by a fairly high speed train to Bolzano then transferred to a bus. Had 0 minutes to spare! Wait time would have been 30 minutes so no problem if we missed it. Interesting thing here -- we open up the bottom of the bus and put our own bags on and off. As we got near the mountains on the train the whole feel of the country changed. We went from Italy to ``Austria``. The views from the bus as we travelled up to Castelrotto were stunning. It was a 50 minute trip of constant jaw dropping views. We got here at 2 then tried to find something to eat. Everything was closed it seemed. Finally found a nice place where we had coffee and dessert. Eleanor was very sensible and had yogurt and fruit. I had some sort of torte. We later went for an early supper so we could spend the evening walking. (Also had nothing to eat since breakfast except for the snack). I had an appetizer (spaetzle with mushrooms and ham) which was big enough for a full meal. How would anyone eat that and dinner. With a salad it was plenty.Eleanor had pork and salad. Good German food. Hear lots of German spoken as well.
Our room is amazing. We have two rooms each with a king size bed! It`s done the Austrian way with a comforter and no top sheet. We have a sitting area inside plus a nice sized balcony. All this for E41 per nite each. This includes breakfast.
Alysson -- thank you, thank you for telling your mother that we had to come here. Already our bruised souls from three days in Florence are healing.(A bit dramatic.) This is our kind of world.
The town is Tyrolian with some of the Dolamites above. Wonderful picture taking opportunities this evening with the good light.
Happy Birthday Shannon. Will be late as I don't plan on getting on the internet until tomorrow nite.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Italy #12
Today was a great way to finish up the group part of the trip. We got on a bus at 9 am and drove for 2 hours through the Tuscan countryside. It wasn't as green as the pictures but we were looking at it with mid-day sun plus they had been haying so the fields had that look.
We arrived at a restaurant/hotel/ winery/organic farm. There we had a cooking lesson which was fascinating. We had an appie, 1st course, 2nd course and dessert plus wine. We made various stages of it all and will be getting the recipes by email. We made picci which was wonderful -- hope we can get the right flour at home. It's a fat noodle that we stretched out thin. He also demonstrated gnocchi made from ricotta cheese and a bit of flour. Few calories and dead easy. He made pesto from arugula and almonds plus showed us how to make a low fat version. It was a huge meal with all those courses.
After a short walk to see some special pigs (which were the source of the homemade sausages we ate) we walked to a winery. Pretty hot here so not much fun walking on the road -- around 35. The wine tasting went on and on for hours it seemed which drove me crazy. I'm not a red wine drinker anyway so only had one. Had a hard time staying awake.Along with the wine they served bruschetta and some meats which just added to the food overload. So no supper tonite! We got back at 9 pm and everyone had to pack.
The drive home was beautiful as the greens were so much more intense with the evening sun. Hard to get pictures through bus windows though.
We had a wrinkle in our travel plans for tomorrow. Turns out we got tickets on a higher speed train which leaves from a different station. Thank goodness I showed the tickets to Vivien. So, no problem, as we will take a taxi to the right station. Thank goodness for tour guides!!!! We are off to Balzano leaving at 9:35 and arriving just before 1 pm. Then it's a 50 minute bus ride to Castelrotto where our hotel is.
Today was a great way to finish up the group part of the trip. We got on a bus at 9 am and drove for 2 hours through the Tuscan countryside. It wasn't as green as the pictures but we were looking at it with mid-day sun plus they had been haying so the fields had that look.
We arrived at a restaurant/hotel/ winery/organic farm. There we had a cooking lesson which was fascinating. We had an appie, 1st course, 2nd course and dessert plus wine. We made various stages of it all and will be getting the recipes by email. We made picci which was wonderful -- hope we can get the right flour at home. It's a fat noodle that we stretched out thin. He also demonstrated gnocchi made from ricotta cheese and a bit of flour. Few calories and dead easy. He made pesto from arugula and almonds plus showed us how to make a low fat version. It was a huge meal with all those courses.
After a short walk to see some special pigs (which were the source of the homemade sausages we ate) we walked to a winery. Pretty hot here so not much fun walking on the road -- around 35. The wine tasting went on and on for hours it seemed which drove me crazy. I'm not a red wine drinker anyway so only had one. Had a hard time staying awake.Along with the wine they served bruschetta and some meats which just added to the food overload. So no supper tonite! We got back at 9 pm and everyone had to pack.
The drive home was beautiful as the greens were so much more intense with the evening sun. Hard to get pictures through bus windows though.
We had a wrinkle in our travel plans for tomorrow. Turns out we got tickets on a higher speed train which leaves from a different station. Thank goodness I showed the tickets to Vivien. So, no problem, as we will take a taxi to the right station. Thank goodness for tour guides!!!! We are off to Balzano leaving at 9:35 and arriving just before 1 pm. Then it's a 50 minute bus ride to Castelrotto where our hotel is.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Italy #11
Yesterday we had a treat -- our guide arranged for a bus to transfer us to Florence so no going up and down stairs in the train station!! It was wonderful!
We dumped our luggage at the hotel and went on an orientation walk. Saw all the famous squares, churches, etc. I don't much like being in a big city. Just not my thing.
This morning we walked to the train station which is about 15 minutes from our hotel. We got our tickets for the next two legs. Stressful!!! The machine kept putting us on different cars until we asked for isle seats. Finally got on the same car. The time we really wanted on Monday was sold out already. Today is Sat. Fortunately lots of choices.
We then walked over to the "David" museum to meet the group as we had our tickets booked a few days ago. Got in quickly of course. There was a surprise in there -- a musical instrument museum. Very interesting. Then we saw David. Wowwwww. He is quite fascinating and the way they have him lighted makes it special.He is 17 feet tall plus on a pedestal.
We found a place I had noted yesterday for lunch. Nice fresh salad with fresh cheese, tomatoes, etc. Plus a refresing lemon drink. It's hot here so get quite sticky and thirsty.
Several of us are fed up with being here. A couple aren't sleeping well so looking forward to going home on Monday. Eleanor and I don't like the crowds. We are looking forward to the mountains. Tomorrow should be a great day though as we are having a bus trip into the countryside to go to a winery and have lunch. I'll be glad to see more of the fields and cypress trees which are so typical of the area. Also the old houses with their earthy colors.
Speaking of colors. I now know where the term "burnt sienna" for paint comes from.
Shopping here is very expensive. We've priced out a few things we bought in Lucca. Many high end shops plus chain stores we have in Canada. The market is interesting and several bought leather purses there. The leather comes from South America, is made into goods here in Italy then sold at the markets by Iranians.
We are spending the afternoon in the hotel's little patio. Hope to get on the internet. Couldn't in Sienna, hence the backup.
Yesterday we had a treat -- our guide arranged for a bus to transfer us to Florence so no going up and down stairs in the train station!! It was wonderful!
We dumped our luggage at the hotel and went on an orientation walk. Saw all the famous squares, churches, etc. I don't much like being in a big city. Just not my thing.
This morning we walked to the train station which is about 15 minutes from our hotel. We got our tickets for the next two legs. Stressful!!! The machine kept putting us on different cars until we asked for isle seats. Finally got on the same car. The time we really wanted on Monday was sold out already. Today is Sat. Fortunately lots of choices.
We then walked over to the "David" museum to meet the group as we had our tickets booked a few days ago. Got in quickly of course. There was a surprise in there -- a musical instrument museum. Very interesting. Then we saw David. Wowwwww. He is quite fascinating and the way they have him lighted makes it special.He is 17 feet tall plus on a pedestal.
We found a place I had noted yesterday for lunch. Nice fresh salad with fresh cheese, tomatoes, etc. Plus a refresing lemon drink. It's hot here so get quite sticky and thirsty.
Several of us are fed up with being here. A couple aren't sleeping well so looking forward to going home on Monday. Eleanor and I don't like the crowds. We are looking forward to the mountains. Tomorrow should be a great day though as we are having a bus trip into the countryside to go to a winery and have lunch. I'll be glad to see more of the fields and cypress trees which are so typical of the area. Also the old houses with their earthy colors.
Speaking of colors. I now know where the term "burnt sienna" for paint comes from.
Shopping here is very expensive. We've priced out a few things we bought in Lucca. Many high end shops plus chain stores we have in Canada. The market is interesting and several bought leather purses there. The leather comes from South America, is made into goods here in Italy then sold at the markets by Iranians.
We are spending the afternoon in the hotel's little patio. Hope to get on the internet. Couldn't in Sienna, hence the backup.
Italy #10
Today we had our orientation walk, getting up to an old fortress which gave us some decent views. We spent the afternoon walking around the wonderfully interesting streets. Some went on a wine/country tour which was very interesting.
Dinners last night and tonite were good. We shared duck and some pasta last nite and tonite we had a medieval meal. Interesting surroundings.
Eleanor and I are walking 10 or 11 miles a day. For lunch we went to a very interesting pork place. It's a local secret. We got a variety of meats and cheeses with some good bread (hard to find around here). We then stood outside at a little table to eat it. Got free wine. We are trying local specialities as much as possible.
Today we had our orientation walk, getting up to an old fortress which gave us some decent views. We spent the afternoon walking around the wonderfully interesting streets. Some went on a wine/country tour which was very interesting.
Dinners last night and tonite were good. We shared duck and some pasta last nite and tonite we had a medieval meal. Interesting surroundings.
Eleanor and I are walking 10 or 11 miles a day. For lunch we went to a very interesting pork place. It's a local secret. We got a variety of meats and cheeses with some good bread (hard to find around here). We then stood outside at a little table to eat it. Got free wine. We are trying local specialities as much as possible.
Italy #9
Today we caught the train around 10 am and travelled a short distance to Pisa where we stored our luggage. We walked to the tower area (quite a long walk) and some of us paid to climb the tower. Felt weird as we went round and round on the marble steps. On one side you would lean out and on another, in. We had two hours there. Hot and we were tired from not enough sleep. It was OK -- something one must do when in the area.
We then got the train with one transfer to Sienna. Again lots of up and down the stairs to change tracks. The elevator got used a lot. The ride up to the hotel was long and windy -- went up, around, down, up again, etc. We were supposed to have an orientation walk but noone wants it. Tomorrow. Supper at 7.
Today we caught the train around 10 am and travelled a short distance to Pisa where we stored our luggage. We walked to the tower area (quite a long walk) and some of us paid to climb the tower. Felt weird as we went round and round on the marble steps. On one side you would lean out and on another, in. We had two hours there. Hot and we were tired from not enough sleep. It was OK -- something one must do when in the area.
We then got the train with one transfer to Sienna. Again lots of up and down the stairs to change tracks. The elevator got used a lot. The ride up to the hotel was long and windy -- went up, around, down, up again, etc. We were supposed to have an orientation walk but noone wants it. Tomorrow. Supper at 7.
Italy #8
We travelled to Lucca yesterday taking a total of 3 trains. One of the transfers was really tight and imagine 24 women and their heavy suitcases all going down and up the many stairs to go througgh the tunnels to change tracks then getting through the doors of the train. There was a conductor at the last one and he said to hurry!
Lucca is so different. We have been in steep seaside villages for over a week and now it's a bit inland and flat. Our hotel is gorgeous with lots of old stuff. It was built in the 1400's and turned into a hotel in 2000. It used to be a nunnery training center. The breakfast room used to be a shop. There is a spot in a corner where they show some original Roman walls. We have a nice room with two windows which is good for cross ventilation at night. But one thing hasn't changed -- around 6 to 7 am they start collecting garbage and I swear they throw the wine bottles into a bin. Very loud and better than any alarm clock.
Lucca is the only completely walled city. It was never been destroyed by a war. So today we will cycle the walls.These were turned into a city park by Napoleon's widow. We are inside the walls of course so very old with narrow streets. We have taken to calling "car!" so everyone obediently goes to the side. There are bikes eveywhere but their bells are so gentle we don't always hear them. I guess we aren't attuned. We had a walking orientation after arrival then were let loose. With a map we are fine. Dinner last night was lovely -- risotto with asparagus and two salads. Again we shared. Breakfasts are hard to resist though with so many choices.By the way, yesterday was Anne #2's birthday. I'm Anne #1.
The hotel people have to paint the walls every year to keep them looking nice. Were apoligizing yesterday and we could see why. The walls start to peel. It 's been so damp that the paint wouldn't dry so they are just starting now. Have the masking tape on.
Sorry about no pictures but I haven't had a chance to try again. As I said a few days ago, my former system isn't working now. I think that blogspot "improves" things then it just messes me up. (Madge -- I need a lesson from you).
All for today. We are due to meet for the bike ride.
Later: We had the bikes for 3 hours and had a lovely leisurely ride around the city. Went clockwise then counterclockwise.It was very peaceful. Then Eleanor and I then decided to brave the city streets. It was fun going around the pedestrians and other bikes, ringing our little bells then locking up and going shopping. After returning the bikes we found a bakery for coffee and the local specialty of buccellato -- bread dotted with raisins and nuts plus lightly flavored with anise. It was awesome. Of course we had the requisite cappacino with it.
Soon after we metup with our two CEO's who had bought a variety of stuff for a picnic which we had on the wall. They even bought four bottles of wine. We had a variety of olives, architokes, meat , cheese, bread, etc.
We were so full that we didn't bother with supper as we had a concert to go to at 7 and the restaurants only start serving then. We could have had pizza or something like that but didn't feel the need. Soooo, on to the concert. Every evening, 365 days a year,they put on a Puccini concert in one of the large churches. It was a variety of opera highlights and some were familiar. We had two soloists who took turns and a pianist. Wow! The acoustics were amazing of course. So then we were extremely fortunate to be able to go to another concert at 9:30 free because we had paid for the first. It is only done once a month and we hit the nite!!!! There was a full orchestra, full choir, incredible conductor who was fun to watch and six soloists. They did Verdi. It was in another church close by. In between we grabbed a quick supper. Again I had a local specialty -- tortellini stuffed with beef.To sum up, it was an amazing day that we didn't really expect. Got back to the hotel just before midnight.
We travelled to Lucca yesterday taking a total of 3 trains. One of the transfers was really tight and imagine 24 women and their heavy suitcases all going down and up the many stairs to go througgh the tunnels to change tracks then getting through the doors of the train. There was a conductor at the last one and he said to hurry!
Lucca is so different. We have been in steep seaside villages for over a week and now it's a bit inland and flat. Our hotel is gorgeous with lots of old stuff. It was built in the 1400's and turned into a hotel in 2000. It used to be a nunnery training center. The breakfast room used to be a shop. There is a spot in a corner where they show some original Roman walls. We have a nice room with two windows which is good for cross ventilation at night. But one thing hasn't changed -- around 6 to 7 am they start collecting garbage and I swear they throw the wine bottles into a bin. Very loud and better than any alarm clock.
Lucca is the only completely walled city. It was never been destroyed by a war. So today we will cycle the walls.These were turned into a city park by Napoleon's widow. We are inside the walls of course so very old with narrow streets. We have taken to calling "car!" so everyone obediently goes to the side. There are bikes eveywhere but their bells are so gentle we don't always hear them. I guess we aren't attuned. We had a walking orientation after arrival then were let loose. With a map we are fine. Dinner last night was lovely -- risotto with asparagus and two salads. Again we shared. Breakfasts are hard to resist though with so many choices.By the way, yesterday was Anne #2's birthday. I'm Anne #1.
The hotel people have to paint the walls every year to keep them looking nice. Were apoligizing yesterday and we could see why. The walls start to peel. It 's been so damp that the paint wouldn't dry so they are just starting now. Have the masking tape on.
Sorry about no pictures but I haven't had a chance to try again. As I said a few days ago, my former system isn't working now. I think that blogspot "improves" things then it just messes me up. (Madge -- I need a lesson from you).
All for today. We are due to meet for the bike ride.
Later: We had the bikes for 3 hours and had a lovely leisurely ride around the city. Went clockwise then counterclockwise.It was very peaceful. Then Eleanor and I then decided to brave the city streets. It was fun going around the pedestrians and other bikes, ringing our little bells then locking up and going shopping. After returning the bikes we found a bakery for coffee and the local specialty of buccellato -- bread dotted with raisins and nuts plus lightly flavored with anise. It was awesome. Of course we had the requisite cappacino with it.
Soon after we metup with our two CEO's who had bought a variety of stuff for a picnic which we had on the wall. They even bought four bottles of wine. We had a variety of olives, architokes, meat , cheese, bread, etc.
We were so full that we didn't bother with supper as we had a concert to go to at 7 and the restaurants only start serving then. We could have had pizza or something like that but didn't feel the need. Soooo, on to the concert. Every evening, 365 days a year,they put on a Puccini concert in one of the large churches. It was a variety of opera highlights and some were familiar. We had two soloists who took turns and a pianist. Wow! The acoustics were amazing of course. So then we were extremely fortunate to be able to go to another concert at 9:30 free because we had paid for the first. It is only done once a month and we hit the nite!!!! There was a full orchestra, full choir, incredible conductor who was fun to watch and six soloists. They did Verdi. It was in another church close by. In between we grabbed a quick supper. Again I had a local specialty -- tortellini stuffed with beef.To sum up, it was an amazing day that we didn't really expect. Got back to the hotel just before midnight.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Italy #7
Yesterday (Saturday) we had a wonderful hike. Only 7 of us opted to go, led by Elizabeta. We took a train to Riomaggiore which is just south of us. It is one of the five Cinque Terra villages. We climbed for 50 minutes and the toughest part was the humidity. We were all dripping. I resorted to putting my buff on my head for a sweat band. The mist was swirling about. It cleared and the air was normal again. I love these trails as there are little restaurants along the way. Wish we had that in Canada. At the first one Eleanor had two cappacinos at E1.50 each!! They are E2.50 down below in all the villages. I had a big North American ice cream bar. At the next stop we had lunch -- E had spelt salad and I had foccacia bread with cheese and pesto, fresh from the oven. Then I had a lemon fizzy drink which was very much like our Sprite. Guess what E had! -- a cappacino. The trail most of the way was level with little ups and downs. The views were spectacular and the trail through trees, grasses and flowers. There were even exercise stations in one area. Eventually we got to the downhill part and it certainly was tricky in many places. We were climbing down trail that was basically rock faces. No danger of falling down the mountain but slipping was certainly a concern. We all placed our feet very carefully. So we got down and were in a beautiful port city -- Porto Venere. We had time to walk up to the old church and observe the wedding guests walk up the cobblestone path in their rediculous high heels. One lady was walking in bare feel carrying her shoes. The trip home was by boat so we could see the places we had meals at -- way up high.
For Eleanor and I it was a perfect day. One gal had blisters the whole way -- we were out for 7 hours -- tough! Eleanor did her best to doctor them which helped somewhat.
For dinner we just went across the road. I had ravioli in pesto sauce. This area is famous for its pesto and I can see (taste) why.
Now today: As usual we start with breakfast which is included. Cappacinos (I may have to have one every day at home!), granola, croissants (some small savory ones as well as the large sweeter version), yogurt, juice, fruit (not very ripe), bread, cheese, meat, etc. I stay away from the meat and cheese -- does not appeal at that time of day.
Today we did what the rest of the group did yesterday. Six of us took the train to Riomaggiore (south) then caught the north bound train for Margarhita which is out of the Cinque Terre. From there we walked the one and a half hour shoreline trail to Port Fino. Lovely!!! A few times we had to walk on the road which is tricky when vehicles are passing each other. We had lunch there -- the recommended meal that Anne and Karen had the day before -- pesto lasagne, salad and tiramasu. To die for. We shared. We decided to leave early as there was not a lot to do plus the shops were very, very expensive. I should have added a third very. Good thing. We were sitting in the train staion when the heavens opened.
Shannon and Robbie ---- we had supper tonite at Billys. Great meal with a thunderstorm going on. We had horse meat for an appetizer!!! It tasted like proscuitto. Next was spaghetti with shrimp -- had to peel our own so sort of messy with tomato sauce all over them. Again we shared. And a baked vegetable dish which included eggplant. Then Eleanor had the local specialty of sweet raisin wine with biscotti and I had a white chocolate, almond and lemon torte. Wow to both!!!
So tomorrow we are off to Lucca which is south of here. I hope the internet is better. I get only a fair signal in the room but usually get out if I go downstairs. Sometimes I am only partly through a short letter and it drops out. Frustrating. Especially for Eleanor as my computer does not like her. No internet cafes here.
These five villages are all built on steep hillsides with the ocean directly below. Spectacular. There are no flat places. Our village of Manarola has only one main street. Little side ones lead you to stairs and more stairs. Fun to explore. On our main street are parked their boats. Each morning we wake up around 6 to banging as they collect the garbage. Sounds to me like they are throwing all their wine bottles in a bin. We get back to sleep though. On Friday and Sat nights the streets are noisy and right below our window. I woke up at 1 and they were still partying. There is live music up the street which is too loud (and smoky) up close but sounds good through our window.
So far, Positano is our favorite with this place a close second. Hated the looks of Naples -- empty buildings, garbage, abandoned farms, peeling outer layers of their concrete buildings, etc.
Time to quit. Hope to send it tonite.
By the way, have not had a letter for a week!
One more thing -- mainly for Samara and Don. I have that horrible heat rash on my legs. It is so ugly but I wear shorts anyway. I took some pictures and will try to get some medic interested in finding a solution.
Yesterday (Saturday) we had a wonderful hike. Only 7 of us opted to go, led by Elizabeta. We took a train to Riomaggiore which is just south of us. It is one of the five Cinque Terra villages. We climbed for 50 minutes and the toughest part was the humidity. We were all dripping. I resorted to putting my buff on my head for a sweat band. The mist was swirling about. It cleared and the air was normal again. I love these trails as there are little restaurants along the way. Wish we had that in Canada. At the first one Eleanor had two cappacinos at E1.50 each!! They are E2.50 down below in all the villages. I had a big North American ice cream bar. At the next stop we had lunch -- E had spelt salad and I had foccacia bread with cheese and pesto, fresh from the oven. Then I had a lemon fizzy drink which was very much like our Sprite. Guess what E had! -- a cappacino. The trail most of the way was level with little ups and downs. The views were spectacular and the trail through trees, grasses and flowers. There were even exercise stations in one area. Eventually we got to the downhill part and it certainly was tricky in many places. We were climbing down trail that was basically rock faces. No danger of falling down the mountain but slipping was certainly a concern. We all placed our feet very carefully. So we got down and were in a beautiful port city -- Porto Venere. We had time to walk up to the old church and observe the wedding guests walk up the cobblestone path in their rediculous high heels. One lady was walking in bare feel carrying her shoes. The trip home was by boat so we could see the places we had meals at -- way up high.
For Eleanor and I it was a perfect day. One gal had blisters the whole way -- we were out for 7 hours -- tough! Eleanor did her best to doctor them which helped somewhat.
For dinner we just went across the road. I had ravioli in pesto sauce. This area is famous for its pesto and I can see (taste) why.
Now today: As usual we start with breakfast which is included. Cappacinos (I may have to have one every day at home!), granola, croissants (some small savory ones as well as the large sweeter version), yogurt, juice, fruit (not very ripe), bread, cheese, meat, etc. I stay away from the meat and cheese -- does not appeal at that time of day.
Today we did what the rest of the group did yesterday. Six of us took the train to Riomaggiore (south) then caught the north bound train for Margarhita which is out of the Cinque Terre. From there we walked the one and a half hour shoreline trail to Port Fino. Lovely!!! A few times we had to walk on the road which is tricky when vehicles are passing each other. We had lunch there -- the recommended meal that Anne and Karen had the day before -- pesto lasagne, salad and tiramasu. To die for. We shared. We decided to leave early as there was not a lot to do plus the shops were very, very expensive. I should have added a third very. Good thing. We were sitting in the train staion when the heavens opened.
Shannon and Robbie ---- we had supper tonite at Billys. Great meal with a thunderstorm going on. We had horse meat for an appetizer!!! It tasted like proscuitto. Next was spaghetti with shrimp -- had to peel our own so sort of messy with tomato sauce all over them. Again we shared. And a baked vegetable dish which included eggplant. Then Eleanor had the local specialty of sweet raisin wine with biscotti and I had a white chocolate, almond and lemon torte. Wow to both!!!
So tomorrow we are off to Lucca which is south of here. I hope the internet is better. I get only a fair signal in the room but usually get out if I go downstairs. Sometimes I am only partly through a short letter and it drops out. Frustrating. Especially for Eleanor as my computer does not like her. No internet cafes here.
These five villages are all built on steep hillsides with the ocean directly below. Spectacular. There are no flat places. Our village of Manarola has only one main street. Little side ones lead you to stairs and more stairs. Fun to explore. On our main street are parked their boats. Each morning we wake up around 6 to banging as they collect the garbage. Sounds to me like they are throwing all their wine bottles in a bin. We get back to sleep though. On Friday and Sat nights the streets are noisy and right below our window. I woke up at 1 and they were still partying. There is live music up the street which is too loud (and smoky) up close but sounds good through our window.
So far, Positano is our favorite with this place a close second. Hated the looks of Naples -- empty buildings, garbage, abandoned farms, peeling outer layers of their concrete buildings, etc.
Time to quit. Hope to send it tonite.
By the way, have not had a letter for a week!
One more thing -- mainly for Samara and Don. I have that horrible heat rash on my legs. It is so ugly but I wear shorts anyway. I took some pictures and will try to get some medic interested in finding a solution.
Italy #6
Today is Friday. Yesterday Eleanor and I caught the ferry to Salerno (as Anne and Karen had done the day before).It was lovely going down the coast and looking at the villages plus the area we hiked through the day before. We had plenty of time in Salerno to find the train station plus buy our tickets. We were trying to figure out what track to go to when a very helpful (we think Roma) fellow came along. He also grabbed our bags and carried them up for us. Of course he wanted money but we were happy to pay for the help. The ride was uneventful but the Rome station was stressful. Luckily we had enough time to figure out what track. We are doing well with two sets of eyes. We got to La Spezia where we had to transfer to the local train. Ticket people were unhelpful but two young Americans were more savvy than us. When we got on our car two of our group were sitting there! They'd come from Milan. The rest apparently missed this train by two minutes so arrived in Manarola as we were finishing supper. The only annoying thing about the second train ride -- my seatmate spent 2 1/2 hours talking loudly on his phone. I was wishing it would run out of batteries.
Today was a long day. We had breakfast in the hotel then an orientation which there was no time for last night. We didn't get started hiking until 10. Not good for such a hot day. The three sections we did were interesting but challenging in spots. The trail got very narrow and any misstep would send you over the edge. But we all managed. About half the group stopped in town #3 (Corniglea) for a long lunch while the rest of us grabbed something to eat from a little deli (yummy things -- focacia with olives and cheese, or a rice pie) plus I got some gelato and an orange. We headed off on our next section which took 1 1/2 hours. (Our first section took about 3 hours -- we had left from Manarola which is town #2.) At Vernanzza we had a coffee, snack, pee break then kept on going to the last town of Montarosso. That section took 2 hours. We refilled water bottles every chance we got -- bars, taps in the towns, etc. We had a lovely treat about 20 min out of Montarosso. A local had set up a lemonade stand on the trail and made fresh squeezed lemon juice! For a modest price of course but very welcome. We got to our destination at 7 pm and met the rest who had come on by train. Supper was great. Eleanor and I had a mixed fish grill consisting of several different white fish, prawns, crab leg, squid and swordfish.We caught the 9:30 train back to Manarola. Sleep might be a bit elusive tonite as it's Friday and lots happening. We are right on the street so hear everything. There is music playing as well (live).
We have two women guides -- Elizabeta and Viviene. We need two as the group is so large and everyone goes at a different speed.
Very hot today. My legs from the knees down are partly covered with the heat rash I get from hiking. After tomorrow it will even be worse.
Eleanor and I enjoyed our hike today very much plus the views were spectacular.It was fascinating seeing how they garden on these narrow terraces. There are very narrow little stone steps down or up into them.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Italy #5
Some bits and pieces from Positano:
Meals: Very interesting -- swordfish with zucchini rolled up inside, proscuitto with some spicy meat rolled up inside, various white fish (last night's had eyes looking at me), salads with a very light dressing or none (mostly delicious),pizzas (thin crust), sub sandwich with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil leaves (yummy), fresh spaghetti, squid, eggplant. We eat breakfast (a good one then snack mid-day (gelato or other dessert) then have a good supper.The bakeries are full of wonderful looking treats and we've succumbed to some of them.
There is nothing flat in town except for the beach. Houses piled up on top of each other.
We are very close to an elementary school. At about 8 am they start arriving -- hordes of them chattering to each other. It echoes off the buildings. I watched them all arrive today. The school is composed of at least 5 different levels on one side and two on the other.The school busses are yellow but smaller than ours.
Our sleep patterns are normal.
Cars are parked along the edge of the highway (which is narrow to start with). This is basically the only parking around and we were told that there will be steps nearby for them to get to their houses.
Forgot to say that Francesca gave me a vase of roses from their garden on my birthday. Sad note: She looked very unwell today and told us she has thyroid cancer. It looks to me like she's on chemo.
In the 1300's much of Amalfi (the next big town along the road east) fell down into the sea with an earthquake. Very vulnerable here with everything built on a steep hillside.
On our hike yesterday, we had a small group of sheep go by with two dogs and two shepherds. Made our day!
I tried to send pictures today. Followed exactly my former directions but somehow the program has changed. So may not get any out until I get home. I had time to play with it today but no go.
We are off to Salerno tomorrow morning. We will be taking the ferry instead of the busses as it gets us in much sooner. Will give us time to figure out how to buy train tickets from the machine. Anne and Karen went that way today. A beautiful sunny day so must have been lovely. It takes 70 minutes.
So, tomorrow night around 9 pm I figure, we will be in Manarola in the Cinque Terre. The rest of the group will be coming in about the same time from Canada.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Italy #4
We started the day with a huge croissant and a cappacino supplemented with yogurt and granola bought from a grocery store. We then headed off for the town of Amalfi by bus. Then we had to cool our heels for 1 1/2 hours waiting for the bus to take us to Bomerano which is where the hike starts. The roads around here are amazing -- goat tracks which handle busses, cars, etc. Those guys are good drivers. Many times we were perched on the edge of nothing.
The trail is called Path of the Gods. Only problem today was the low hanging cloud which gave us no view for the first while. Too bad as we at 650 meters above the sea. Eventually it began to clear. The trail was great and we really enjoyed it. Then it was the 1700 steps down into town!!! Weather is cool with sunny periods which is perfect for hiking.
Will send this if the internet isn't down again.
We started the day with a huge croissant and a cappacino supplemented with yogurt and granola bought from a grocery store. We then headed off for the town of Amalfi by bus. Then we had to cool our heels for 1 1/2 hours waiting for the bus to take us to Bomerano which is where the hike starts. The roads around here are amazing -- goat tracks which handle busses, cars, etc. Those guys are good drivers. Many times we were perched on the edge of nothing.
The trail is called Path of the Gods. Only problem today was the low hanging cloud which gave us no view for the first while. Too bad as we at 650 meters above the sea. Eventually it began to clear. The trail was great and we really enjoyed it. Then it was the 1700 steps down into town!!! Weather is cool with sunny periods which is perfect for hiking.
Will send this if the internet isn't down again.
Italy #3
What a wonderful birthday I had today. We caught the bus to Positano, arriving mid-morning. We were too early for our rooms so left our luggage there and wandered around. The shops are fantastic and so tempting. Eg It would be great to have one or more of their large colorful pots in our gardens. Post are E300 approx with shipping coming to around E100 or so. We decided clothes were easier so we will wear our souvenirs!!!!
Positano is amazing. We are constantly going ga - ga over the views. It is perched on a very steep hillside with houses one above the other. The roads are amazing. They wind along the rugged hillside supported by ancient rock walls and arches. They hang out over the edge in many places. Anyone who complains about that windy area past Golden should come here. Roads are a minimal two lanes at the most. They beep when going around corners to warn the vehicle on the other side. We were in full size busses so not a lot of extra room! I never have felt unsafe though. Drivers are very good.
So, back to Positano. There seems to be one main road through town and the rest is miles of lanes and stairs going down to the ocean. These sidewalks are lined with shops of all sorts. We have visited all three of our designer lady`s stores and bought of course. The beach is very nice. All the other beaches we have seen so far are tiny things.
The B&B is awesome -- thanks Shannon!! We two sets of sisters are in ajoining rooms so have the two balconies connected. We got room 4 -- thanks again Shannon. Francesca looks tired as she is managing a 15 month old plus the business. Grandma and her mother are also there. Haven`t seen the sister. Gorgeous view from our balcony. Plus the internet worked here! Trouble is it is being iffy tonite in Positano so will get the blog sent out when I can. Just hit an unknown button so the font changed.
We went our for a lovely dinner tonite. I had veal stuffed with proscuitto and cheese plus a salad. The girls bought one tiramisu for dessert - one candle- we all shared the treat.
Eleanor says we walked about 7 miles today (she has a pedometer). We followed an interesting path along the ocean (west Shannon) and found a tiny little pebble beach. And what a find we had!! -- lots and lots of broken pottery. The pieces were glazed but then smoothed out by the wave action (like beach glass is). They had flowers, leaves, lots of different colors. Eleanor will be making a mosaic of them along with the tiles we bought for our Mabel Lake sign (eg bought a 2 and a 1 plus two borders).
Time to close for tonite.
What a wonderful birthday I had today. We caught the bus to Positano, arriving mid-morning. We were too early for our rooms so left our luggage there and wandered around. The shops are fantastic and so tempting. Eg It would be great to have one or more of their large colorful pots in our gardens. Post are E300 approx with shipping coming to around E100 or so. We decided clothes were easier so we will wear our souvenirs!!!!
Positano is amazing. We are constantly going ga - ga over the views. It is perched on a very steep hillside with houses one above the other. The roads are amazing. They wind along the rugged hillside supported by ancient rock walls and arches. They hang out over the edge in many places. Anyone who complains about that windy area past Golden should come here. Roads are a minimal two lanes at the most. They beep when going around corners to warn the vehicle on the other side. We were in full size busses so not a lot of extra room! I never have felt unsafe though. Drivers are very good.
So, back to Positano. There seems to be one main road through town and the rest is miles of lanes and stairs going down to the ocean. These sidewalks are lined with shops of all sorts. We have visited all three of our designer lady`s stores and bought of course. The beach is very nice. All the other beaches we have seen so far are tiny things.
The B&B is awesome -- thanks Shannon!! We two sets of sisters are in ajoining rooms so have the two balconies connected. We got room 4 -- thanks again Shannon. Francesca looks tired as she is managing a 15 month old plus the business. Grandma and her mother are also there. Haven`t seen the sister. Gorgeous view from our balcony. Plus the internet worked here! Trouble is it is being iffy tonite in Positano so will get the blog sent out when I can. Just hit an unknown button so the font changed.
We went our for a lovely dinner tonite. I had veal stuffed with proscuitto and cheese plus a salad. The girls bought one tiramisu for dessert - one candle- we all shared the treat.
Eleanor says we walked about 7 miles today (she has a pedometer). We followed an interesting path along the ocean (west Shannon) and found a tiny little pebble beach. And what a find we had!! -- lots and lots of broken pottery. The pieces were glazed but then smoothed out by the wave action (like beach glass is). They had flowers, leaves, lots of different colors. Eleanor will be making a mosaic of them along with the tiles we bought for our Mabel Lake sign (eg bought a 2 and a 1 plus two borders).
Time to close for tonite.
June 2nd
Today was Capri day and a great one. We had sunny skies but it wasn't too hot. The four of us opted to take the tour and for 2 E more than just the ferry, we circumnavigated the island. We landed at the small harbour and took a bus up to Capri town (so missed the exciting bus ride Shannon had told us about which goes from the main harbour up). We hated the town as it was jammed with people so set off on a recommended walk. Karen and Anne opted for the chair lift and walk. Eleanor and I covered about 11 km by taking the wrong route and going around some military place but we loved the trail. Then we finally found the right one and made it to some very early ruins. We finished the day with frozen margaritas while waiting for our boat. On the way there we were hoping to go into the "blue" grotto but the seas were too rough. We would have gone in in little rowboats. The opening looked small to me and the waves were filling it. The boat did back into the "green" grotto. The island is mostly cliffs straight up and down with some areas full of caves, grottos, etc.
We were gone all day so headed out for supper soon after returning. Found a nice little restaurant down on the water about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. We got there before their 7 pm opening. Good recommendation from Rick Steeves.
We are packed up and ready to move on tomorrow to Positano -- by bus.
Today was Capri day and a great one. We had sunny skies but it wasn't too hot. The four of us opted to take the tour and for 2 E more than just the ferry, we circumnavigated the island. We landed at the small harbour and took a bus up to Capri town (so missed the exciting bus ride Shannon had told us about which goes from the main harbour up). We hated the town as it was jammed with people so set off on a recommended walk. Karen and Anne opted for the chair lift and walk. Eleanor and I covered about 11 km by taking the wrong route and going around some military place but we loved the trail. Then we finally found the right one and made it to some very early ruins. We finished the day with frozen margaritas while waiting for our boat. On the way there we were hoping to go into the "blue" grotto but the seas were too rough. We would have gone in in little rowboats. The opening looked small to me and the waves were filling it. The boat did back into the "green" grotto. The island is mostly cliffs straight up and down with some areas full of caves, grottos, etc.
We were gone all day so headed out for supper soon after returning. Found a nice little restaurant down on the water about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. We got there before their 7 pm opening. Good recommendation from Rick Steeves.
We are packed up and ready to move on tomorrow to Positano -- by bus.
More on Pompeii:
The houses were for the most part small and of course with just the walls left. No space for cooking -- probably just sleeping. There were "restaurants" scattered about. They had cooking counters that were covered with flat decorative rock. In the top were inset holes where the soup, stew pot sat. There would have been a small fire under each one. There were, of course, a few very palatial homes with extensive gardens,rooms, etc. The bakeries were interesting with their wood ovens and grain grinders powered by slaves or animals.
We saw the plaster casts of actual bodies from one family who had fallen in their garden. Very moving as there were a couple of little kids.
The roads are paved with huge stones and crowned so that they drained well. We can only assume what was in these streets as there were huge stepping stones for people to cross them. No stepping in the "muck". The stones were indented from the wheels of the carts, etc. We saw no signs of bathrooms.
It was very worthwhile seeing but my advice to the next person who visits is to rent the self guiding audio devices. We got lost right away trying to follow Rick Steves. Eleanor had bought a guide book which helped a lot.
Sorrento is a very hilly city and quite large but as we are in the center everything is handy. We are minutes from everything.
The houses were for the most part small and of course with just the walls left. No space for cooking -- probably just sleeping. There were "restaurants" scattered about. They had cooking counters that were covered with flat decorative rock. In the top were inset holes where the soup, stew pot sat. There would have been a small fire under each one. There were, of course, a few very palatial homes with extensive gardens,rooms, etc. The bakeries were interesting with their wood ovens and grain grinders powered by slaves or animals.
We saw the plaster casts of actual bodies from one family who had fallen in their garden. Very moving as there were a couple of little kids.
The roads are paved with huge stones and crowned so that they drained well. We can only assume what was in these streets as there were huge stepping stones for people to cross them. No stepping in the "muck". The stones were indented from the wheels of the carts, etc. We saw no signs of bathrooms.
It was very worthwhile seeing but my advice to the next person who visits is to rent the self guiding audio devices. We got lost right away trying to follow Rick Steves. Eleanor had bought a guide book which helped a lot.
Sorrento is a very hilly city and quite large but as we are in the center everything is handy. We are minutes from everything.
Sunday, June 1st 2013
We've been here about a day and a half. The flight was uneventful -- just long. Had a short connection in Paris with a long, long walk to the next departure lounge but made it OK. My luggage arrived which I was happy about.
Funny thing happened in Seattle when we went through customs. Eleanor and I went up together and the lady asked us if we were married! Then she asked us if we slept together! When we said we were sisters she gave us a lecture about coming up together when we weren't "family".
Yesterday we were sort of exhausted from little sleep but kept awake by walking around, shopping, etc. And we really did shop. The clothes here are awesome and stylish. I got a neat outfit for half price because it was the winter line and Eleanor bought a beautiful dress. The lady from the store is the designer and has three more stores in Positano where we are going next. So we will visit her there. Her factory is there as well.Then today in another shop down the street I bought something that matched.
We spent the day at Pompeii with Anne and Karen. What a neat place. It was well worth the time (4 hours?) and money (not much). I was worried about the weather though as in the nite we had a monsoon. But by morning the sky was blue and we didn't get rain until noonish -- and just showers. We took the train there and back -- about 20 to 30 minutes each way. Afterwards E and I wandered the streets, going down to the harbour.Sorrento is built on a hill with spectacular cliffs, lots of cobblestone roads, great architecture, etc.
Not much in the way of beaches around here as it is very cliffy with these small beach areas. Noone on them as too cool. They've had a lot of rain. Supposed to be better tomorrow. But we had no complaints about today with the sunny morning.
Can't get on the internet so far. Need to go downstairs and get some help. Apparently they have changed systems and it's not working right yet.
We've sampled the gelato and canoli (pastry with yummy filling). Supper last night was pasta with buffalo and tonite fresh caught sea bass. Breakfast in the hotel is great with lots of selection. Lunch was a shared pizza at about 3 pm.
The hotel is very nice. I can't believe how nice when we aren't paying very much. Good recommendation Shannon. Only complaint is the water's not hot -- just warm.
Off to Capri tomorrow.
We've been here about a day and a half. The flight was uneventful -- just long. Had a short connection in Paris with a long, long walk to the next departure lounge but made it OK. My luggage arrived which I was happy about.
Funny thing happened in Seattle when we went through customs. Eleanor and I went up together and the lady asked us if we were married! Then she asked us if we slept together! When we said we were sisters she gave us a lecture about coming up together when we weren't "family".
Yesterday we were sort of exhausted from little sleep but kept awake by walking around, shopping, etc. And we really did shop. The clothes here are awesome and stylish. I got a neat outfit for half price because it was the winter line and Eleanor bought a beautiful dress. The lady from the store is the designer and has three more stores in Positano where we are going next. So we will visit her there. Her factory is there as well.Then today in another shop down the street I bought something that matched.
We spent the day at Pompeii with Anne and Karen. What a neat place. It was well worth the time (4 hours?) and money (not much). I was worried about the weather though as in the nite we had a monsoon. But by morning the sky was blue and we didn't get rain until noonish -- and just showers. We took the train there and back -- about 20 to 30 minutes each way. Afterwards E and I wandered the streets, going down to the harbour.Sorrento is built on a hill with spectacular cliffs, lots of cobblestone roads, great architecture, etc.
Not much in the way of beaches around here as it is very cliffy with these small beach areas. Noone on them as too cool. They've had a lot of rain. Supposed to be better tomorrow. But we had no complaints about today with the sunny morning.
Can't get on the internet so far. Need to go downstairs and get some help. Apparently they have changed systems and it's not working right yet.
We've sampled the gelato and canoli (pastry with yummy filling). Supper last night was pasta with buffalo and tonite fresh caught sea bass. Breakfast in the hotel is great with lots of selection. Lunch was a shared pizza at about 3 pm.
The hotel is very nice. I can't believe how nice when we aren't paying very much. Good recommendation Shannon. Only complaint is the water's not hot -- just warm.
Off to Capri tomorrow.
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