Celebrating a Special Birthday in Italy
I have this idea to write about our trip to Italy in the first person…with you the reader being the armchair traveler to whom I tell my stories. I hope it works for you and that it doesn’t cause you to doze in the armchair as I am fond doing. To get the story in the right order please start with October’s issue.
Italy continued…..
January 2010 Cinque Terre
Are you bored with my talking about Italy and our travels? I could combine our two coastal experiences and make this my last column. You see we started our trip by travelling north from Rome to the Cinque Terre, 5 villages hanging off the cliffs of the Italian coast on and then finished our time south of Rome on the Amalfi Coast.
Let me tell you about the Cinque Terra and if I have room I will tell you about Amalfi.
Cathy and I enjoy hiking and we had heard that there were 5 villages on the coast of Italy that we could hike between. For us it was a must do experience if we were going to Italy.
We had also heard that zillions of tourists headed here to hike the villages and it was suggested that staying in a village outside of the 5 was a good idea. I booked The Belvedere Hotel just north of the area in a village called Bonossola. It came highly recommended on a number of internet sites and promised a great view looking over the Mediterranean.
We trained from Rome to Bonassola studying the map of the village to ensure that we could find our way from the train station to our hotel by foot. You must remember that this was early in our travels and we had not yet realized the value of taxis.
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Anyway it was lucky we took her advice because the Hotel Belevedere was half way up a mountain and not just 6 flat blocks as the map suggested.
We stayed for three nights and while the hotel was very nice with great views and patios the town was dead. I’m not kidding. The first night we walked in for dinner and were hard pressed to find more than 10 people. We had succeeded in finding a quiet village outside the hustle and bustle of the Cinque Terre. The town itself was beautiful and if I was independently wealthy and looking for a spot to invest I would really consider Bonassola however there was not a lot of activity.
It was good for me to experience this because I now know that I don’t mind and if fact like, walking out of my hotel into busy streets when I am on holidays. Do you have a preference? Quiet or active?
Did I mention the names of the 5 villages? Most people hike the trails from the southeastern village of Riomaggiore. It makes sense to me to go in the direction that most people go. You encounter fewer people that way. Walking the path from Riomaggiore through Manarola to Corniglia is quite enjoyable and easy. It’s actually more like a sidewalk. There is a climb up to Corniglia that is steep but again, the path is wide and with steps. Leaving Corniglia and heading for Vernazza and Monterosso the path becomes a trail and is much more challenging. It is narrow and not for the faint of heart. Good foot wear is important on this section of the trail although there were, of course, young people wearing flip flops, laughing and having a good time. How does one say it? It is the prerogative of the young to put fashion above the practical.
I haven’t talked about the beauty of the walk. I think it is fair to say that one would be hard pressed to find more beautiful scenery anywhere. The views are stunning and the villages quaint and traditional especially when you get away from their centres.
One can hike between the five villages easily in a day although many chose to break it up into two days.
Travel between the villages if you don’t walk is by train. Cars just aren’t practical. We were told “Why drive? To drive takes an hour, to walk ½ an hour and by train 5 minutes.
A word about taking the trains between the villages They are very inexpensive and run hourly if not more often during high season. One buys one’s ticket from a machine or at a ticket office and you validate it before getting on the train. We never got checked by a conductor on the trains between the villages however I don’t recommend trying to get away without buying and validating a ticket as the fines are quite steep if you get caught.
So you can understand my reasoning in the following situation. Cathy and I were standing about 7th in line for tickets when our train pulled into the station. Panicking because the trains stop for less than a minute at the station we decided to forego the purchase of the ticket and take our chances. We jumped on the train and waited in a state of high anxiety in fear that we would run into a conductor. Our anxiety increased incredibly when the train sped through Bonassola, our destination, without stopping. In our hurry we had boarded the wrong train. It was quite some time before the train stopped and we were able to find our way back. Luckily we didn’t get checked and when all is said and done we had a bit of an adventure as well.
Just as another aside I will mention that fish in a restaurant for some reason is very expensive. Our hotel in Bonossola had recommended a rather high end restaurant in the village that we decided to give a try. The fish on the menu ran about 5 times as much as Argentina steak (9 euros for the steak and 50 euros for the fish). We thought there was some mistake. Needless to say, the steak was wonderful.
A word about eating in Italy. Italians pride themselves on their food and it is fair to say that we enjoyed all of our meals while there. If we had a bad one I have forgotten about it. We found that the prices were on par with Canada as long as you avoided the hotel restaurants and were willing to eat in local establishments. They are more fun as well, don’t you think. The anxiety that comes with wondering if the waiters speak English makes the experience more enjoyable. Especially when the meal is great and the price less than you could have hoped for and you are successful in being understood.
We still found that buying some cheese, sliced meat and a bottle of wine at the local deli and taking it back to eat on our balcony very satisfying. This we did for most lunches while we usually ate out in the evenings.
You want to know about the cost of accommodation? We paid between 80 and 110 euros a night for our hotels. That’s between $120 and $165 Canadian. This was more than we would spend here but we had heard it was even more expensive so we felt we did well. And that is what counts right. It’s true isn’t it that one person may find $200 a night a good deal while another may think that $100 is too much so what counts is that you are happy with the price you pay.
It is now clear that I will have to put off telling of our adventures on the Amalfi coast for another month. Should you decide to visit Italy I would highly recommend considering hiking the Cinque Terre.
December Issue: Lucca
You say you want to hear about our favourite place in Italy. There were so many. How to choose? Lucca! Yes! Lucca may well have been tops for us. I want you to know about it in case you are planning your trip to Italy and are looking for places to visit that are a bit unique and not as well known as say Florence. We had our best meal here and a great two and a half days.
Lucca is located in the heart of the Tuscany and just a short train ride to the coast, Pisa and Florence.
Trattoria Gigi, A popular trattoria in Lucca.
It is best known for its historical area which dates back to before 180 BC. The old city is encircled by a four kilometer wall, wide enough to support a beautifully treed pedestrian walk on top (no motor vehicles allowed). One must, of course, walk or ride a bicycle around the wall. We rented bikes and spent a wonderful couple of hours leisurely exploring the old city from the top of the wall.
Claudia and Cathy on the historic wall.
When in Lucca it is important to visit the cedar statue of the crucified Christ, the Volto Santo di Lucca or the Sacred Countenance in Duomo San Martino.
It is said that the statue was carved by Nicodemus, one of the fellows who took Christ off the cross. In 782 it was in danger of being destroyed and so was placed in an unmanned sailboat and set free to sail the Mediterranean looking for a home. Upon arriving on the Italian sea shore it was then placed in an unmanned oxcart and set free to be delivered to the home that God deemed most suitable. This home is, of course, Lucca. It is convenient that Lucca happened to be on the pilgrims route from Canterbury to Rome and became a favourite resting place for many years..
This rendition of Jesus is very middle eastern- almost black. Carlo, our guide spoke of many past visitors who had trouble believing this statue was in the likeness of Jesus. It just wasn’t white enough. I have to say that a middle eastern looking Jesus made a lot more sense to me than a blue eyed Jesus with blond ringlets, don’t you think?
You want to know about our guides in Lucca? Well, there was the beautiful Claudia who recommended our hotel and the best restaurant (the Buca di Sant’ Antonia) of our time in Italy (which is to say a lot as Italians pride themselves in their cuisine) and Carlo, our guide for a morning tour of the old city. I emailed the Tourist information centre in Lucca asking for their help and Claudia was the one who got back to me.
Our Lucca guides Claudia and Carlo
You chuckle at my calling Claudia beautiful. You’re worried that if she reads this she might be embarrassed? Perhaps, but I mean it only as a compliment and I know she will understand as Italians flirt a lot more than Canadians. We Canadians could learn from them in this regard. Claudia was very helpful and made me feel that Lucca would be a special place to visit. I think I have a soft spot in my heart for Italian women. You laugh! You think because I am in Italy celebrating my wife’s birthday with her, that I shouldn’t look?
Carlo was a great guide and made us feel comfortable from the get go. Besides showing us the sites of Lucca he easily answered all our questions. He had attended Leonard Cohen’s concert when he had performed in Lucca on his European tour a couple of years ago and recommended an Italian singer by the name of Fabrizio de Andre to me. I have thoroughly enjoyed his music. Being a bit of a political nut I was interested in his take on the flamboyant Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi (Canada’s Maclean’s magazine called him the most interesting man in the world.) While he said tour guides weren’t suppose to talk politics, I appreciated the opportunity to talk about something other than old churches.
Sculpture of Puccini
Claudia arranged for us to go to a Puccini concert which was very enjoyable. The local music department puts on a classical performance nearly every night of the year. The composer of many great operas, among them La Boheme and Madame Butterfly was born in Lucca and Lucca has named the years 2009/2010/2011 as ‘The Years of Giacomo Puccini’. More than 1000 events are already organized for the next three years.
You want to hear about the restaurant Buca di Sant’ Antonia that provided us with such a great meal? OK. The restaurant was opened in the late 1700’s and was hopping when we arrived. We had had a reservation for the night before and called to have it changed but for some reason the request had been misplaced. Not a problem as long as we were comfortable eating in the front room. As it turned out this, with its welcoming fire place, was the best seat in the house. Here is a picture of our table.
Our table at Bucca di Sant’Antonia
I wish I could remember the name of the meal I had. It consisted of tomatoes and zucchini filled with the most wonderful ground meat. At any rate, I called the owner to our table and asked if I might have the recipe. Jokingly he asked if I was going to open a restaurant in competition with him. Shortly after he returned with a book on the history of the restaurant and the book itself had some 12 recipes with local Lucchese dishes.
Have I cooked any of the specialities from the book? Well as a matter of fact, yes. Shortly after our return I surprised Cathy with Agnello in umido con olive amare and for desert Tarta di riso. It was excellent if I must say so myself. You want to know it in English! Lamb stew with bitter olives and for dessert, sweet rice cake (complete with rum and sambucca).
But I haven’t told you about our lodgings. Located a ten minute car ride from Lucca in the middle of the Tuscany country side is the well appointed Villa Marta.
Andrew and Alessia
Their description of the hotel says it all.”Hotel Albergo Villa Marta, a former hunting lodge, transformed into a fine and elegant 4-star country resort, deep in the Luccan countryside in the heart of Tuscany, a place where you can enjoy total peace and relaxation, due in no small part to the welcoming and attentive hospitality with which Andrew and Alessia care for their guests.”
It was indeed elegant and welcoming. We borrowed bicycles and spent an afternoon riding in the countryside stopping only to hike to the top of a hill overlooking the valley. So romantic!
I must tell you a story. It is something you should know in case you visit an elegant 4 star lodge in the Tuscany. On the Thursday night of our stay the hotel had a BBQ. Not unlike a BBQ we might have here at home with the exception that they had most amazing selection of food.
Seated next to us was a couple from, of all places, Victoria B.C. We chatted and shared small talk. They had been staying at the Villa for most of the week and were very friendly. They finished their meal earlier than we did leaving a half bottle of wine (a Tuscan specialty) on their table. As it was one we hadn’t tried, I suggested to Cathy, rather cockily, that we try some as they didn’t finish it. It was quite good and in no time we had drank it all. In the middle of the night I woke up with the stark realization that the hotel saves patrons wine from one night to the next which explained the fancy stopper that had been in the top of the wine.
Did I fess up you ask? Suffice to say should I ever meet those folks again I owe them a bottle of red.
I would tell you about my experience renting a scooter but I am afraid I am running out of time. You will have to remind me to tell you about this another time.
For now Arrivederci Next month I will tell you about our time in the Cinque Terra and perhaps Amalfi.Puccini events: http://www.puccinielasualucca.com/
Hotel Villa Marta: http://www.albergovillamarta.it/
Restaurant Buca di Sant’ Antonio: http:
//www.bucadisantantonio.com/homeing.html
Trattoria Gigi: http://www.gigitrattoria.it/
November 2009 Issue
So…I was told that I had written the introduction to our Italy trip and hadn’t even got from the airport into Rome. Guess that means I should try to tighten things up. What do you think? You don’t mind my being a little long winded? You feel it is different from your average travelogue? I agree. Sometimes it’s what happens between visiting the historical sites that is really interesting and …well… you can always just call me an old wind bag and stop reading.
Bus # 64 is well known as the bus to take to see the sites of Rome. It runs from just past the Vatican at one end of historical Rome to the Termini (the train station) at the other end. It is therefore always packed with people even though the buses run almost endlessly. Bus # 64 is also the bus that pick pockets frequent or so we were warned in the travel guides. As it happens bus # 64 was the bus we needed to take to get to our apartment when we arrived in Rome.
Before I go on I have to say that mentioning pick pockets can lead some people to think that Italy is not a safe place. Our experience was just the opposite. We met only honest people who, if anything, went out of their way to help us. We even unknowingly overpaid one hotel and were notified by them, once we got home, that we had done so.
So…back to bus #64. I don’t ride the buses in Thunder Bay. Nothing against them I just drive so catching the bus in Rome was a stretch. Especially given that the bus was already full and we were trying to squeeze on with two fair sized suit cases. Not only that but we quickly found out that if the driver was announcing stops we couldn’t hear them. The directions to our apartment were clear…from the given bus stop. Luckily, as I mentioned, Termini was at one end of the bus route and given that we were by the Vatican, our bus stop was at the other end. So we had lots of time to worry. Here is the trick to travel. Travel with a problem solver. By the time we had crossed the city, Cathy had learned that many bus stops list all the stops on the route on a sign at each stop. And that the current stop was circled. Thus she successfully found our stop.
As we were to find out, Italy is not a flat country. The walk to our apartment included a climb of some 107 steps (not that I was counting). Not the last steps we were to encounter. If I may make a suggestion at this point… where ever possible take a cab.
Valerie’s guest house was everything we had hoped for. A two bedroom apartment with a kitchen equipped with juice, cereal, milk, butter, sweets and coffee. All the things we would need for a great breakfast. Plus a balcony. In countries where palm trees grow I advise that balconies are to be sought out. We were met by Amie, the owner’s son, who proceeded to show us how to make a great espresso and generally orient us to the city. Italians tend to have a different relationship to coffee than we do. Espresso is the drink of choice and given that the cup is so small it takes but two rather small slurps to drink it down. And that is how it tends to be taken. We watched construction workers walk into the coffee shop, order espressos, shoot them back, pay and walk out. A bit like the drug of choice. We, of course, had to try Amie’s espresso but after that chose to order cafe con lattes. Coffee with warm milk. A word of warning though. At a café outside the Pantheon I rather confidently said “Voule una latte” and got a glass of warm milk.
By 1 pm we were in line to take a tour of the Vatican museum with our guide with the red hair and green umbrella. No kidding! A word about tours. Take them if you can. Or at least rent the audio recorder offered at some historical sites. There is nothing like having someone explain the significance of what you are looking at. Janet our red headed, Vatican guide, was no exception. She took us step by step through the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and had a wry, somewhat irreverent sense of humour. Never the less I have to say that I have a bit of a resistance to tours. I hate that feeling of being herded that comes with raised green umbrellas and red hair (both designed so that folks can readily identify their guide and not get inadvertently drawn into a tour with a German speaking guide.)
St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Christian Church in the world (20,139 square meters) was truly huge and impressive. There were confessionals available in a number of languages and I suggest to Cathy that she might take the opportunity to cleanse her soul but she politely, well not so politely, said she would pass. After that we headed back to the apartment for a short nap and a bite to eat.
When we travel we have always enjoyed picking up local cheeses, sliced meat and a bottle of wine to have at our hotel. It was even more enjoyable in Italy because Italians really appreciate food and local delicatessen owners love to make recommendations. Eating in also saves a bit on the expenses of eating out. After that we headed to the Piazza Navonna to enjoy some street entertainment. Well truth be told, the Piazza really wasn’t our destination. We just stumbled across it. Rome comes alive around 9:30 or 10 at night during the summer. At Piazza Navonna there were mimes, street entertainers and families with kids of all ages. We loved the festive feeling of that evening and arrived home around 1 a.m.
Cathy at the fountain
We started by the Vatican, headed for the Pantheon, went up to the Spanish steps, got lost and went for a walk in a park, then down to the Trevi Fountain continued down to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum and home along the Tiber River skirting the Trastevere district. T’was not a day to go without a nap so we caught a few zzzs before heading back to Trastevere for supper.
A word about the sites we saw. What can I say that would do them justice? They are truly amazing. What both Cathy and I commented on most was that we were walking where people walked 2000 years ago. To stand in the Coliseum and envision 50,000 Romans (mostly men) sitting in the stands was awe inspiring. To realize that the beautiful Trevi Fountain is at the end of a 20 kilometer long aqueduct built in 19 B.C. to bring fresh water into Rome tends to put history in perspective. I somehow feel that our times must be superior intellectually to those 2000 years ago and I suppose we should hope that we would have learned a few things and evolved over the years but one can never dismiss the genius of those that have gone before us.
I will leave it to you to read about the various sites. I couldn’t hope to do them justice here so will conclude this chapter on our celebration in Italy by saying that we loved Rome and would visit again in a minute.
Next month I will write about our favourite spot. Well, it is so hard to pick one place but I think it is fair to say this place was extra special. Arrivederci.
October 2009
For this issue let’s do the preamble and get to Rome:
Cathy and I on the Pantheon steps
I know that many of you will have travelled. We Canadians are so fortunate to have this opportunity, so you will no doubt know that the planning itself becomes an exciting part of the dream. I’ve heard some people say that the planning can be as much fun as the trip itself but I disagree. There is nothing like setting foot on foreign soil with all its excitement and anxiety. Yes, anxiety. Don’t you agree that putting yourself in a place outside your comfort zone produces a least a little anxiety? Most travelers don’t talk about that but given that I want to be honest with you I have to say that travel produces, in me at least, its share of anxiety.
The Roman Colosseum
We planned our trip around five destinations over our two week holiday. We would start in Rome, train to the Cinque Terre, spend a few days in Lucca, go to Florence then down to the Amalfi coast and back to Rome stopping on route at Pompeii. We debated about going to Venice but decided because it was on the other side of the country that we would save it for another time. As if Venice was the only place we missed! Of course not! There are so many amazing places to visit in Italy that we had to limit ourselves and keeping it to 5 destinations was perhaps packing too much in. We wouldn’t know until we got there.
I also took on the challenge of learning a little Italian in hopes that it would facilitate a few experiences. I have this thing about wanting to learn other languages. It is unfortunate I don’t have ability in this area.
Swiss Guard at Vatican
At any rate if I was to be truthful I felt my attempts to speak Italian often interfered rather than helped. It could be because I mumbled rather than confidently enunciated or it could be that they just didn’t understand me because my pronunciation was so bad. Here’s what I learned. If someone spoke a little English it was far better to just ask your question in clear English however if they spoke no English then attempting Italian was often worth the effort. The problem was that I couldn’t tell who was who by just looking at them. You laugh! You don’t know how much easier it would have been if people wore “I speak English” or “I don’t speak English” signs.
Rome was our first destination. We had a direct flight from Toronto to Rome and arrived at the Rome airport at 7:45 am. Perhaps you have flown into lots of foreign airports and are comfortable finding your way around. I have done my share but I still have a little trouble relaxing and enjoying the chaos of such experiences.
This Mime gave me a real scare
Tip # 1: Don’t be afraid to ask for help even if you feel foolish.
Once you have collected your bags, in our case from carousel number 10, we headed for the train from the airport into Termini in the centre of Rome.
Tip # 2. You must buy your ticket from the tobacco shop or a ticket office and then before you get on the train validate it in a little yellow box just before the platform. The advantage of this is that you can buy a whole bunch of tickets at once and then just validate them as you use them. We did this at the Rome station for our whole trip (we trained everywhere) and it worked well.
Tip # 3. The buses in Italy work the same way, only you validate your ticket right on the bus. You can’t validate tickets on the train and you get a pretty substantial fine if you have a ticket but haven’t punched it before travelling.
Just as an aside, you many think it odd to buy bus tickets from the tobacco shop. I did. But so many people in Italy still smoke. I was surprised. It felt like living in Canada 30 years ago.
Arriving at the Rome train station (Termini) is a bit like arriving at Marina Park at 8pm on Canada Day. It is totally packed with people. Termini has 29 platforms for the trains that come and go. The trains are all electric which makes for a very clean station. They are also a very cheap means of transportation which means a lot of people travel by train.
Now that I have us in Rome I will bit you a fond goodbye and continue our celebration in Italy next month. Arrivederci.
Rome Apartment, Valeria’s Guest House: http://www.valeriaguesthouse.com/
Bonassola Hotel, Villa Belvedere: www.villabelvedere.it
Lucca Hotel, Villa Marta: www.albergovillamarta.it
Florence Hotel, Residenza d’Epoca: http://www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com/
Amalfi Hotel, Residenza Pansa: http://www.residenzapansa.it/?lang=en
Lucca Hot Spot, Gigi Trattorria: http://www.gigitrattoria.it/
Lucca Restaurant, Buca Di Sant’ Antonio: www.bucadisantantonio.com