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Venice again

15 Apr
Venice Again
We love Venice. We’ve now taken five trips there since October 2010 and we are already discussing the next one…. This time we had the opportunity to see La Serenissima through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old and it was great fun!
Aubrey made us go on a gondola. we are indebted to her!

Aubrey made us go on a gondola. we are indebted to her!

Our friends came from Washington, D.C., and rather than letting them crash in Rome, we whisked them off to Venice on the high-speed train. I think this can be a good way to arrive in Italy from the U.S. We’ve done it twice ourselves: Land in early morning in Milan or Rome and take a Freccia train to Venice, allowing for a catnap and time to lunch on the train, then settling into B&B or apartment and freshening up with a shower. By this time you are sufficiently revived to hit the calli of Venice and take a walk to get your bearings in the daylight before an early (for Italy) dinner about 19:00. After a good night’s sleep you are practically adjusted to local time by the next morning.
You cannot see everything in Venice in a couple of days, but you can get a good taste of this unique locale. We did a pretty good job of covering territory, walking about 6 miles (9.6 km) each day, first through San Marco, San Polo, and Dorsoduro on Day One, then through Murano and Burano on Day Two.
Of course we visited favorites: Frari Church, my jeweler on Murano, the tower at San Giorgio Maggiore. But Ric and I try to do something we have never done before each time we visit Venice. This trip, at the urging of our young friend Aubrey, we added gondola ride to our experience list. I have always thought the gondola a dorky, touristy thing to do, and it probably is, BUT it was really fun to see the city from a different angle and in the back canals. I think it may be even more fun as a group than as the iconic romantic ride for a couple. As a result, we very well might do it again the next time we take friends or family to Venice. Rick and Jane, are you ready yet? 
Below, past the insane cruise ship photo sequence, are a few more pictures of our trip. The following three photos illustrate the insanity of letting cruise hips sail throughu Venice in the Giudecca Canal. 
As we approached San Marco in a vaporetto, this cruise ship was making its way into the Bacino to go out to sea.

As we approached San Marco in a vaporetto, this cruise ship was making its way into the Bacino to go out to sea.

The all-too-big ship pulls alongside our "water bus" or vaporetto.

The all-too-big ship pulls alongside our “water bus” or vaporetto.

These things are just too big. Starting in November, the biggest are suppose to be banned. It was frightening to see how close they can come to other water traffic.

These things are just too big. Starting in November, the biggest are suppose to be banned. It was frightening to see how close they can come to other water traffic.

Click any image below to see a slideshow.

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Motown, Italy

7 Apr
We made a mistake when we visited Torino: we didn’t stay long enough. The trip was a celebration for Ric’s birthday and the goal was to take the longest train trip possible from Rome on a high-speed Frecciarosso.  Torino was a match for that plan, 4 ½ hours each direction, so we set out on the morning of Ric’s birthday expecting to find a pleasant enough city, have a good dinner, then another long train ride back to Rome on Sunday.
No driver! Passengers are free to observe the "view" of a clean tunnel as the train whizzes along.

No driver! Passengers are free to observe the “view” of a clean tunnel as the train whizzes along.

The train is such a joy! Faced with a 4 ½ hour flight I want to slit my wrists, but 4 ½ hours on the train facing my sweetie across the convenient table, gazing out the window, with time to read, nap, and surf the internet, is so fine! The stewards come by with coffee and little snacks, and of course there’s a bar car for light meals and wine. Certainly beats flying.
Torino is indeed a pleasant city. Much of it is new-ish due to heavy damage in WWII, but the predominant architectural style is Baroque. It was the first capital of reunified Italy in 1861 and home of Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy. Today it is “Motown, Italy:” the headquarters of Fiat, Lancia, Iveco, and Alfa Romeo are here.
With only an afternoon and evening to explore, we had to make a
Happy passenger in the Torino Metro.

Happy passenger in the Torino Metro.

smart choice. After a quick lunch, Ric chose the  Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (The National Automobile Museum) as our first stop. I was prepared to be bored, but hey, it was his birthday so the agenda belonged to him. After all he succumbed to my whims for my 5-day birthday celebration last month.
The first pleasant surprise was the Metrotorino: sleek, modern, Habittrail-like, no graffiti, no crowding, no noise…and no driver! Metrotorino whisked us to within a short walk of the museum. Boredom was not the emotion I felt upon entering. This is an amazingly well-curated exhibit of over 200 vehicles in 200,000 square feet! The collection includes an 1896 Bernardi and an 1899 Fiat, as well as cars by Rolls Royce, Peugeot, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Benz, Oldsmobile, and more. There are Formula One cars, family cars, a mock assembly line, films, WWII vehicles, models, perspective on the changing world of automotive transport, man-machine interaction, etc.
I decided the tube the Metro runs in resembles the hamster set up Derek used to have, a Habittrail.

I decided the tube the Metro runs in resembles the hamster set up Derek used to have, a Habittrail.

I thought the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile would be a bust and was amazingly surprised. I had looked forward to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema  in the Mole Antonelliana. While it certainly documents the development of film, it was a bit heavy on old equipment and artifacts from the earliest days of the cinema. The building itself is fabulous. As we were there at night, and a rainy one at that, we skipped the panoramic elevator noting we need to return on a clear day.
Click any picture below for a slide show featuring some of the exhibits in the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile. 
And on that note, we really do need to return to Torino. We missed the Egyptian Museum, the Baroque and Rococo palazzi , not to mention the gardens and shopping. The food was excellent and for our single dinner in the city we were fortunate to select Sotto la Mole. It is very small and intimate with a limited menu, beautifully prepared and served.
Ghost Bike detail

Ghost Bike detail

Ghost Bike sculpture in Torino

Ghost Bike sculpture in Torino

Torino is at the foot of the Alps, close to the French border, and the Piemonte Region is well-known for its food and wine. The Alps here beckon for summer exploration, so we will be back and spend more time in Torino on the way. 

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Milano Musings

2 Mar

2 March 2014

When you arrive in Milan after living in Rome for awhile, the first thing you notice is how tall the buildings are. (If you are coming from, say, Seattle or Denver, you won’t even notice.)

The Duomo in Milano, during a brief rain-free moment in the evening. It truly is spectacular!

The Duomo in Milano, during a brief rain-free moment in the evening. It truly is spectacular!

In Rome nothing can be taller than St. Peter’s Dome, so the buildings all top out at about 6 floors. This lends an interesting sameness to the architecture of Rome, a unity in height if in no other manner. Also, in Milan, there is a “newness.” As the city was heavily damaged in WWII, one doesn’t find as many old buildings.

The second thing you might notice is the streets: they are wider overall than in Rome, and fewer are winding alleyways. Some areas have broad flat sidewalks without loose stones so you can walk without watching your feet. And it is flat. Rome’s famous seven hills won’t exactly test the legs of someone from Portland, but Milan makes Omaha look hilly.

Not your average mall restaurant....

Not your average mall restaurant….

I had need to go to Milan for work, and Ric came to join me for the weekend. Two days in the office passed easily enough and I didn’t have time for any culturally significant outings. Upon Ric’s arrival we headed to Centro Storico to wander around, taking a quaint little tram that dated to 1928.  Now some real behavioral differences began. In Milan, those waiting to board a tram or a Metro train actually let those exiting get off before shoving their way on. Ric and I turned to each other in wonderment! What a delightful change in comportment!

We shopped a bit – after all Milan is the shopping Mecca of Italy – then proceeded to supper in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. To call this a “mall” is like calling Villa Borghese a “playground.” No food court or discount stores here. Rather the likes of Prada, Valentino and Versace. For the record, we didn’t buy anything in the galleria.

Saturday dawned like a Portland March day, but even colder and wetter.

The rain did not deter the crowds waiting in line to enter the Duomo. Glad we arrived before the line was so long.

The rain did not deter the crowds waiting in line to enter the Duomo. Glad we arrived before the line was so long.

It never stopped raining, making for a good museum day. We were impressed at the number of people out despite the rain. Long queues of umbrellas waited patiently to enter the magnificent Duomo, and we narrowly beat the crowd both at the Duomo and for an Andy Warhol exhibit nearby, handily avoiding the long queues because we are early-birds. The Warhol exhibit was eye-opening as we discovered some of Andy’s less-known work, all from the private collection of Peter Brant. Truly amazing that one person could have amassed such a collection from a single artist.

The pillars in the Duomo of Milan are about the size of sequoias.

The pillars in the Duomo of Milan are about the size of sequoias.

As to the Duomo, this is the fourth largest church in Europe and quite a contrast to most of those we’ve seen in Italy. Ric said “This church seems almost Lutheran,” which is quite insightful as it is predominantly Gothic, reminiscent of the Protestant Churches of Northern Europe. Of course the Lutheran churches in our hometowns lack marble, entombed remains of cardinals on display, or pillars the size of sequoias.

Yes, that's the body of a Cardinal, with a silver death mask. Nothing like this in St. Paul, either.

Yes, that’s the body of a Cardinal, with a silver death mask. There’s nothing like this in St. Paul, MN.

4th longest nave in Christendom, so says my guidebook.

4th longest nave in Christendom, so says my guidebook.

There's nothing quite like this in St. Paul, MN.

There’s nothing quite like this in St. Paul, either.

The afternoon took us to a more obscure museum, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana  where the building was as much art as the contents. This is a fabulous palace with amazing mosaics and inlaid floors. Regrettably, no photos allowed so I cannot show you. Again, a private collection, this time of none other than a Cardinal from the 17th century, Borromeo.  In this vast collection of 1600 items there’s a Caravaggio, Raphael’s original charcoal drawing for his Vatican fresco “The School of Athens,” a Tiziano, a Botticelli or two, a DaVinci, several Brueghels, and a lock of Lucretia Borgia’s blond hair. Oh, and Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus in its 1119 page glory is in the library at Ambrosiana. We saw 22 pages carefully displayed. (It’s only 500 years-or-so old.) Church work was very profitable back in the old days…. I don’t think Papa Francesco would approve today.

For those looking at this post as a travel guide, we stayed at Hotel Teco, a sweet and relatively (for Milan!) inexpensive hotel at about €137.00 per night including breakfast. We were able to get a VAT exemption as diplomats. To my Embassy friends: don’t overlook the paperwork needed before you travel.  A 17 minute walk or €10.00 cab ride from Milano Centrale, Hotel Teco is convenient to the Metro (5 minute walk to the Rosso), and Tram #1 to the Duomo is about a 7 minute walk. Numerous restaurants including Ristorante Sabatini (the woman at the front desk said “ottimo pizza” and she was right!) are a short walk away.  I also like Osteria Mamma Rosa nearby, although we didn’t make it there this trip.

I’ve been to Milan four times for work, and once prior in personal travel. I’ve either lacked time or weather sufficiently pleasant for a trip to the roof of the Duomo. I think we’ll have to take advantage some sunny summer day and hop a train to Milan just for the day and make our way to the top. 

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Day 3: Road Trip!

15 Feb

The tiny hill town of Cività di Bagnoregio has been on my list for more than three years. Today, a glorious clear and sunny day, we picked up a Car Share Fiat Panda from the piazza near us and headed north. I can let the pictures speak for themselves: Cività is almost too cute in a medieval-cute sort of way.  Even sweeter, we saw mostly young couples wandering hand-in-hand (Ric thinks they were at the Vatican celebration of engagement yesterday) and young families out for a day together. We meandered the little lanes, admired the views, and tucked into some fine country cuisine.

Cività, founded by the Etruscans 2500 years ago, is called Il paese che muore (the town that is dying) because it has been eroding for centuries. It is said about 12 people live there in winter and 100 in summer. Cats seem to out-number residents at this time of year. Doors lead to nowhere and stairs to a cliff edge. Surrounded by badlands and battered by wind, tourism is keeping it alive.

Click on any photo below for a slide show.

Cività surrounded by “badlands” slowly eroding.
Ancient Etruscan gate in Cività
One of the feline residents enjoys February sun.
Note the “window” with nothing but air behind it.
End of the lane
Fabulous bruschetta, polenta, pasta, and house wine.
Arch in Cività
Stairs end at a cliff
The long bridge from Bagnoregio to Cività and my favorite co-pilot.
Elegant gate to a palazzo in Cività.
Kitty enjoys the sun in her garden. Lots of black and white cats indicating a shallow gene pool.

It was exhausting to drive today! We both remarked that our train trips – no matter how long – invigorate us. The car trip had us both tense and tired. We had intended to make another stop, but were weary beyond belief. There are so many places one cannot go by train that we must climb in a car now and then, but it sets our minds at ease that we made the right decision to sell the cars and rely on feet and public transportation for most of our needs.

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Off-season travel

19 Jan

We are big fans of off-season travel. It’s not that we don’t like people, but crowds in hot weather, in cities and in museums, do make for a lesser quality experience in our opinion. So we selected January for a trip to Firenze, knowing it could rain, but also knowing there would be no crowds. Since Firenze is a museum-intensive town, rain would not present a huge problem.

Michelangelo's David (actually the copy) outside Palazzo Vecchio in Firenze.

Me and my shadow. Michelangelo’s David (actually the copy) outside Palazzo Vecchio in Firenze.

We’ve been here for 30 hours and done more in that time than we usually do in a 3 day trip: We’ve been to 5 museums and the Duomo and walked some 31,000 steps according to my pedometer. In the high season, with crowds, we’d never have lasted.  Luckily the rain has occurred only when convenient to us. It rained while we were sitting under cover at lunch; It rained when we were inside taking una piccola pausa today, and it rained when we sat for an aperitivo after tromping through the Uffizi Gallery. 

Last night was clear and moonlit contributing to a lovely romantic stroll and the opportunity to see the fine Giambologna sculptures in the Loggia dei Lanzi without anyone in the way. 

Moonlight over Piazza della Signoria, Firenze.

Moonlight over Piazza della Signoria, Firenze.

We saw the real David, in the Accademia, without having to wade through a thousand people. Truly a treat as Michelangelo’s unfinished Prigione also lacked observers. The Medici Chapels were almost deserted, and each and every room of the Palazzo Vecchio could be enjoyed.

Two Giambologna's, several Roman era pieces, and few human beings, Piazza della Signoria, Firenze.

Two Giambologna’s, several Roman era pieces, and few human beings. Piazza della Signoria, Firenze.

Don’t tell anyone, but hotel prices are lower in the off-season, vendors are willing to deal, and one does not have to dodge motorini in the pedestrian-only center of Firenze.

Empty tables hopefully awaiting patrons, Firenze.

Empty tables hopefully awaiting patrons, Firenze.

San Lorenzo Market, Sunday morning. No crowds; Bored vendors.

San Lorenzo Market, Sunday morning. No crowds; Bored vendors.

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