The Giant Red Maple Leaf on Our Plane's Tail Wing (Tuesday, October 4)

The travel gods have blessed Jim and I. Planes, trains (commuter and 'bullet'), cars (speed demonized Italian drivers sitting a paint coat away from the rear of our car!), minivans, and boats (from sardine can vaporetti to romantic gondolas). We have traveled them all and are now safely home. Mother Nature also looked kindly upon us. Florence gifted (?) us with one day of rain - torrential, but sporadic - nothing to ruin our day. Tuscany finally provided us with two thunderstorms, the likes of which we have never experienced, but they made their appearance at nighttime. Rather than being a hindrance, they provided a grandiose and exciting show of light and noise - Mother Nature's power. Perhaps, her warning that we must never ignore her! Sunshine and warm temperatures prevailed for the remainder of our entire trip. More frequently than not, the sky was blue without a cloud to be seen. Although my feet and quads may beg to differ, the health gods watched out for us. No stomach upsets, no colds, no injuries. Tuesday morning, sitting in the lounge at Fumincino, we watched an American woman being wheeled in in a wheel chair. She suffered a horrendous fall, underwent major surgery in Italy on her badly broken leg and was now on her way home. Air Canada's executive class pods were deemed her best mode of transportation for the long almost 10-hour trans-Atlantic. From Toronto she was scheduled to head home to Chicago. As I watched her struggle to the plane's washroom on crutches, all I could think was, "There but for the grace of god......"
We had barely begun to unpack, when one of our neighbours asked us what the highlight of our trip was. Funny thing, on our last night in Rome over a farewell dinner, Jim and I asked ourselves that very question. We then began to list magical moments, favourite locations, etc. Due to the non-stop, ever increasing list that we kept adding to over a half hour, we laughed and ceased the insanity of even attempting to create such a summary. Truthfully, this has been the trip of a lifteime. We both acknowledge that. Our first trip to Italia gave us a taste of this remarkable country. We knew that we must return! Our return has allowed us to vistit so many unforgettable historic sites, works of art, vistas, etc. that all we can do is wrap ourselves in memories of bella Italia and smile. It has all been the best! Italy - you have left your footprint on our hearts!
As I booked our journey, I nursed small misgivings about its length - 5 weeks! It is a long time to be living out of a suitcase.  Not once, though, did we feel homesick. Small twinges of homesickness teased me when Michelle, our daughter-in-law, posted pictures of Morgan and Zachary apple picking. However, by this morning, packed and ready to go, I just wanted to GO HOME. Preparing to board, I glanced out of the large windows of Fumincino and there she was. That glorious red maple leaf on the tailwing of our Air Canada flight. No matter where we travel, when I see that symbol, my heart sings. For me, that symbol says, "home has come to get you!" and I love it!
Our trip home flew us over Corsica, Monaco, France and then, instead of taking the standard trans Atlantic route over Labrador, dipped us down over the Atlantic to avoid bad weather over Newfoundland. We did fly over Halifax (hi, George and Mary) and Peterborough (hi, Jo and Pete). And then we were home. Oh Canada!!!!!
So this is it for my blog! Next trip - most likely France. But for now - that's all folks!
Arriverderci! Ciao!

A Day of Nostalgia In Roma (Monday, October 3)

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Ray and Judy followed by some teary goodbyes as they prepared to head to the airport.
Jim's fondest desire today was to visit our two favorite sites and so off we set.
Four year's ago we spent many a night, sipping on a glass of wine, watching the world unfold while seated at the beautiful Trevi Fountain, which, by the way, is even more beautiful at nighttime. Three proposals of marriage actually took place before us. The Trevi almost fills up a the piazza and is Rome's most famous fountain. I refer to it as the 'rock star of fountains'. Everyone wants to be there! It is crowded, noisey and wonderful! The sculpture shows Neptune's chariot being led by Tritons with two sea horses. One sea horse, representing rough, threatening seas, is quite wild. The other, representing peaceful seas, appears calm. It is a tradition to throw a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to Rome. It worked for us before, so we wanted to guarantee a return! Who says we are superstitious? Upon our arrival, we found the Trevi with NO water and filled with workmen. Ah, no! Crowds still surrounded the fountain. Jim and I decided to take a seat, wondering how to throw a coin into a waterless fountain filled with workmen. Miracle of miracles, the crews vacated the fountain and to the great roar and cheers of the crowd, water began to pour out. Our coins made their mark, guaranteeing our return!!
Next on our list was the 2000 year old Pantheon. Truthfully, it is the most impressive site in Rome with construction that boggles the mind. Beautiful Roman bronze doors welcome one inside. The interior dimensions of this once temple are massive. The extraordinary dome, with it's famous oculus, has puzzled modern engineers as to how the ancient Romans ever conceived of and constructed such a sophisticated structure of unreinforced concrete. Raphael is buried here. We could not have experienced a better day for a visit. Sunlight shone through the oculus, reflecting on the adjacent wall. What a magnificent site.
Jim and I wound our way through the narrow streets back to our hotel. It has been an afternoon of printing off boarding passes, calculating customs' declarations (ugh!) and packing (more ughs!) Tomorrow we head back to Canada! A farewell dinner tonight, a good night's sleep and we are ready!
Arriverderci Roma!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...Tourists, That Is! (Sunday, October 2)

We have watched two American tourists storm out of a tiny trattoria in a small out-of-the-way Amalfi village (Marina di Priai) because the tratorria menu was only in Italian and the Italian speaking owner was unable to translate. In Venice we witnessed a frail elderly Venetian woman, lugging groceries over one of the many bridges, almost knocked to the ground by a group of oblivious "lemmings" surging over the bridge in pursuit of their umbrella toting leader. The lady did not crash to the ground only because Jim grabbed her. We have seen tourists totally ignoring "no photo" signs, taking flash pictures of precious tapestries, mosaics, etc. Small wonder the Galleria Borghese has such strict visitor rules! I appreciate that tourism brings much needed money into countries, but I wonder how out of control, this has all become.
I am on another rant because of something Judy told me today.
We realized this morning that all of the sites in Trastevere that we wished to see would be unavailable as it is Sunday. Because ancient Rome is closed to traffic on Sundays, we decided to hike around the ancient city and enjoy the sites on this glorious sunny day. Four years ago, Jim and I spent quite a bit of time under Constantine's Arch, inspecting the historic carvings telling the tale of Constantine's triumphant return to Rome. The carvings were magnificent. On our arrival today, the Arch was surrounded by high cast iron pickets. What? Why no access? Judy explained to me that the guide they had hired when they arrived in Rome at the beginning of September told them that Rome has become a city of fences, because tourists are chipping off souvenirs from historic sites ( Constantines Arch, the Coliseum, favourite fountains, etc.)to take home. Are you kidding me? Matt would say WTF? That would explain why we found Neptune's Fountain (actually all three fountains)in Piazza Navona yesterday to be surrounded by similar fencing. Jim and I sat on the edge of that beautiful fountain four years ago, enjoying the sculpture and sound of the water. No longer possible! Dear god, why do some tourists feel they have the right to so upset the countries they are visiting. The ancient sites in Rome truly belong to the world! I am so upset! Traveling, I have always thought, should provide us with the opportunity to learn how other societies were formed (their history)and how they live. We have so much to learn from each other. When did this morph into the right (?) to damage historic sites, disobey rules and interfere with local lives?
I love Rome. This second visit has more than solidified those emotions. But now I feel embarrassed to be a tourist!
Arriverderci!

It Dices! It Slices!..... ( Saturday, October 1)

Judy and Ray, Jim and I have been to Rome before. The draw this time, aside from just being in The Eternal City, was to visit areas not covered before, so this morning, we chose four destinations.
First on the list was a climb of St. Peter's - the dome, that is. Of course this was Jim's cruel idea. Soon I may be forced to " keel" him! My quads and legs, at this point in our trip, don't know whether to scream or just go along with another day of pure torture!?!? To beat the massive crowds of tourists, we headed out early and were actually the first to begin our ascent. Because of the tight and confined corridors in the upper levels, my claustrophobia told me to remain at the first, which both Judy and I did. At this level the views down into the altar area and up into the cupola are stunning. The workmanship in the cupola mosaics is in plain view. The massive size and intricacies of these are even more remarkable when you realize the era in which construction took place. My mind continues to be boggled with the "how's". Jim and Ray were rewarded for their climb with the ultimate view over Rome and St. Peter's Square on a clear day with not a cloud in the sky.
As a Bernini groupie, I was more than a little disappointed during our last visit to his Four Rivers fountain in Piazza Navona, to find the fountain covered by cleaners' scaffolding. So...we now headed off for Piazza Novona. There are actually three fountains in the piazza,
but the Four Rivers is the draw. At the time of Bernini's work, only four continents were
known; they are represented by four rivers - The Ganges, The Nile, The Platte and the Danube. Well, there she was in her full and clean glory. This groupie is satisfied!
Rome's market - Campo de' - was next. Unlike Venice's market which is restricted to fresh produce, meats and fish, Campo de' Fiori is about as crazy as the drivers in it's city.
Everything is for sale. Stalls sell inviting looking foods, clothing, jewelry, cooking
gadgets...........Hawkers in their stalls yell out deals. This is Rome - chaos on the roads
and chaos in it's open market. I love it! At one stall, an elderly Italian gentleman was
selling wonky gadgets for slicing, dicing and whatever preparation you can dream, food. His
sales spiel was hysterical and before we knew it, Jim was his pitch man demonstrating gadgets.
Looks like our Jim may have found a new career!
Trastevere is a 17th C. area of Rome characterized by ochre-colored buildings covered in ivy, narrow cobblestones streets and even the typical Italian laundry hanging between buildings. We decided to wander through on our way back to the hotel. The area was so bewitching that our consensus was do do a walking tour of the area tomorrow.
Arriving back at the hotel around 4:30, we asked our hotel owner for a ristorante recommendation. This is when staying at a smaller Italian hotel truly pays off. Their owners are usually well acquainted with the local neighborhood. Peter sent us to a little hole-in-the-wall (and I am not exaggerating) called Gilberto's which he said serves the best fish in Rome. We enjoyed the most extraordinary meal. Gilberto's serves no meat, but every conceivable type of fish or seafood is available. The osteria was tiny, the diners chatty, while Italians (there is the key!) lined up outside waiting for a table.
A domani!

A Sculptor, A Painter...and A Surprise (Friday, September 30)

I am an avid fan of two artists - Bernini, the sculptor and Caravaggio, the painter. I frankly admit that had I lived in the early 1600's, I would have been a Bernini groupie. Did they have fan clubs back then?
A regret after our last visit to Rome was that we did not see the Borghese Gallery. We had not realized that reservations were required. Many experts say that if you can only visit one museum during your Roman visit, make it this one. And so, we got smart, booking months in advance. Visits are strictly limited in number of visitors and time spent in the Galleria - 2 hours! The system works far better than that in Florence's Uffizi.
This morning we hiked up to the Galleria, leaving our hotel near St. Peter's, winding our way along the Tiber, crossing at Ponte St Margherita into Piazza del Popolo and then up into the Borghese Gardens. Jo, I know you will appreciate the distance covered!!
Piazza del Popolo is a huge Roman square. It is anchored in it's centre by a 10-story obelisk. The obelisk was initially brought from the Ramses II temple and erected in Circus Maximus where the infamous chariot races took place. It was ultimately moved to the piazza. How, I wonder, did they move and erect this monument twice? There was no Amherst Crane company, no large flat-bed trucks. These questions constantly move through my mind when it comes to Roman ingenuity.
The Borghese Gardens are Rome's version of Central Park. As such, they provide a green, shady and peaceful oasis from the madness that is sometimes this crazy, wonderful city.
Within the Gardens is the Borghese Galleria. You are required to be present 30 minutes before your appointment. This early arrival is to prepare you for entry - no cameras, no bags, no backpacks, no purses. Just you, your audio guide and the most magnificent art.
I am not going to bore you with a description of all we saw. Bernini's David, although less famous that Michelangelo's earlier version, is actually a finer piece. I do have to mention one piece which Bernini felt was his greatest achievement - Apollo and Daphne ( great name, eh?). I am now going to quote Rick Steeves in his description. "...... capturing a thrilling, action-filled moment. In the mythological story, Apollo races after Daphne. Just as he's about to catch her, she calls to her father to save her. Magically, her fingers begin to sprout leaves, her toes become roots, her skin turns to bark, and she transforms into a tree. Frustrated Apollo will end up with a handful of leaves." Jim and I spent at least a half hour in this room with this sculpture. It is truly a masterpiece. The audio tour mentions that the team cleaning the sculpture noted that the leaves carved by Bernini are so thin that when touched ring in the manner of crystal glSs being pinged. Again, my mind asks how. How did Bernini look at that block of marble and see this? How did Bernini, using the limited equipment of the time, carve a piece so fine? I am in awe.
The Caravaggio Room contains many of his famous paintings. We had the luxury of not too many tourists and the time to feast on his gritty, moody representations of the time.
Back to St. Peter's Basillica we hiked. This visit was to take in Michelangelo's Pieta and other Bernini works.
Sore feet and legs drove us back to our hotel. And now some fun began.
Judy Gage is a friend of mine, dating back to old Royal LePage days. Jim and I became good friends of Judy and Ray's, even visiting them in Victoria after their move west. The last time we saw Judy and Ray was in 2009 when they visited at Christmastime. I am a terrible communicator (to which George and Mary Buckrell will attest!). Jude and I talk once or twice a year as our lives take us in different directions. Judy is on Facebook, but rarely uses it. For some unknown reason the day I posted "8 weeks and counting..." on Facebook and then replied to Melissa's query with an explanation of our trip, Judy accessed FB. She called me immediately at home to find out when and where we were going to be in Italy. To make a long story short, we were scheduled to be in Rome at the same time. Now!! Without telling Ray, she booked the same hotel. Jim figured out what was happening, but Ray remained in the dark. Upon our return to the hotel, we asked the front desk staff if the Ego's were yet here. The answer was that they had just arrived. Jim grabbed a bottle on wine and knocked on their door, "Servizo di camera" (room service). When Ray opened the door, all hell broke loose. Lots of hugs and kisses, laughter, a bottle of wine on the roof garden and then dinner last night. What fun! It has been a great day!
A domani!

Trenitalia Per Roma (Thursday, September 29)

At 6:30 a.m. I arose and opened the window to our hotel room. The sun was rising, the night's lights were still glowing, and Venice was just awakening. The city wore a gentle peach colored sheen. Vaporetti carried a few early risers; taxi boats were jostling into place for the morning rush. What a view! Hard to believe that within a few hours we would be saying goodbye to this city of water we have so thoroughly enjoyed.
Our Eurostar train to Rome was the "bullet", making stops in Bologna and Florence and then rushing onto Rome. We were transported from the Adriatic in the north, south to almost on the Mediterranean in under four hours. I must say it again - our train was scheduled to depart at 9:27 a.m. Which it did right on the second! Love you Trenitalia.
My book was out ready to read, but I could not take my eyes off the passing countryside. From Venice to Bologna, the landscape looks almost like our prairies- flat as a pancake. With the exception of small towns along the way, every inch of land is being cultivated with a crop. When you are a small country with a large population, you do not waste your arable land.
As we blew through Bologna, Jim looked up from his newspaper as said straight-faced, "look and see if Bologna's suburbs are named Salami". Such are the trials of traveling with Jim!?!?
Once past Bologna, I waited with great anticipation for glimpses of the Tuscan countryside. We were now in Tuscany all right. Problem? Tuscany is hill country. The track ran through a series of extremely long tunnels carved though the hills. It was like being on the Toronto subway, only without the stops! And then, south of Florence, there they were - cypress trees, little hill towns, tidy row upon tidy row of grapevines, olive groves..... Goodbye to
Tuscany, too!
And then into Rome we roared. The drive to our hotel was like watching a river of cars move without purpose or destination. Traffic in Rome takes on a life of it's own. Sort of like trees in a raging river during a flood. How anyone in this city drives and survives is a total mystery to me. It's a miracle, I guess! We have arrived at our hotel (in one piece, I might add), wandered the streets around St.Peter's Basillica, treated ourselves to a gelato (yum) and are now sitting on the roof garden journelling and blogging. We have four glorious days in Rome to see some of what we did not get to during our previous visit, although I think that the Coliseum is once again calling to Jim.
Ciao!

Basilicas : 2 Jim and Daf: 0. (Wednesday, September 28)

Today was our walking day! See if we could work your way around Venice and not get lost.
First on our agenda was the Realto Market. The market is a series of "campos" along the Grand Canal, congregated along the narrow alleyways in the area. It is honestly a sea of fruit and vegetable stalls piled high with inviting fruits, vegetables and dolce. Fresh herbs, a truly amazing array of mushrooms, mouthwatering figs, and the list goes on. The neo-Gothic porticos also house the daily fish market. There were creatures of the sea here that neither Jim nor I could identify. The markets are populated with curious tourists such as we, with restauranteurs purchasing produce for the day, and with average Venetians doing their grocery shopping. Jim commented that we would eat differently given the opportunity to shop in this fashion.
Then it was on to finding St Mark's Square in the maze of twisting streets. Hallelujah, we did it! The tides are up and St.Mark's today was partially flooded. Quite the sight! Makeshift pedestrian bridges crossed the flooded areas. If anything, the Venetians are resourceful! The Basillica, our main destination had lineups worse than on Sunday. The wait was almost two hours. It was not happening! That makes two Basillicas we have attempted to visit (Florence and Venice), but failed to do so because of massive crowds. Who says travel in September is easy? Oops! That would be us! We may have to re-evaluate,
Not to be defeated, we hiked down to the Naval Museum. Miracle of miracles, it was open. The museum is owned by the Italian navy and they have done an admirable (get the pathetic pun?)job of preserving and documenting their past. Of particular interest to me was the large room dedicated to gondolas. Amongst the gondolas on display was Peggy Guggenheim's, donated to the
museum after her death.
We walked the whole way back -quite the hike - successfully. What is all of this stuff about getting lost in Venice?
Tonight's dinner was on the canal at our favourite trattoria. Tomorrow we day goodbye in the morning to this city which has snuck it's way into our hearts. Where to tomorrow? The final days of our journey (sob!) return us to Roma, The Eternal City!
Arriverderci!

"If Ever There Was A Place That Touched Heaven..." (Tuesday, September 27)

Today was our tour from Venice of the Dolomites and Cortina. Bellissime Tours is an Italian company that offers small group (eight people) day trips with English-speaking guides. We booked this trip from Canada based, actually, on the advice of good old Rick Steves. What an incredible experience. Joining us were six other people - Myka and Siva from London, England, Tom and Barb from Colorado, and Glen and Diane from San Fransisco(loved this couple in particular). Each couple was a delight which added so much to our enjoyment of the day. Our guide, Alex, was informative and highly entertaining.....outright funny most of the time!
Picked up at the Tronchetta at 9:00 a.m., we drove through some of the Veneto countryside, striped with row after row of Proseco grape vines, heavily laden with fruit. Apparently the grapes are now ready for harvest, but the farmers like to harvest these particular grapes after a rain fall, which has not recently happened in Venice.
Our first stop was Longarone for a view of the infamous "Diga di Vajont" where the Italians learned a harsh lesson about building dams in the Dolomite mountains. At 10:30 p.m. on October 9,1963, a huge landslide on the southern slope sent millions of cubic metres of rock debris into the reservoir behind the dam sending a 250-foot tsunami-like wall of water over the dam top and into the sleeping towns in the valley below. Over 2000 people lost their lives. This one is for you, Peter. Longarone now hosts the international gelato competition. Put that one on your agenda!
We stopped at spectacular Auronzo di Cadone for a view over the turquoise lake to the mountain town. The architecture was now distinctly Tyrolean rather than the tawny colored villages in Veneto.
Next stop was Pieve di Cadone, to visit the birthplace of renaissance painter, Titian. Born in
the 1470's, his home miraculously remains intact; an art gallery displaying some of his works
is inside.
We were now fully within the Dolomite range of mountains, their soaring peaks coming into view. The Dolomites are part of the Italian Alps, but were renamed because of their unique appearance and composition. Lunch was on the side of a mountain at a little mountain hut. Doesn't sound like much, but the food was some of the best we have had thus far in Italy and 100% from the farm that runs the cafe.
We now began to climb. The road we were on is only open four months of the year due to inclement conditions. Last week they experienced a not insignificant snowfall. A toll is charged for every vehicle that uses the road, the funds from which are used to maintain it. Up, up the tight switchbacks we climbed. You could see the towering peaks above and the deep verdant valleys below. Honestly, I should have been terrified by our steep ascent, but was totally mesmerized by the surrounding vistas. At last, we arrived at Tre Cime di Lavaredo at an altitude of 7500 feet. Mother Nature sure knows how to dwarf one. Diane gasped and said, "If ever there was a place that touched heaven..." It is her quote that I have used in my title. We were now only 24 km. from the Austrian border.
Due to their border location during WWI and the conflict between the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy, the Dolomite area became a war zone. From our observation point we could see the entrance to tunnels used by the Italian forces during this conflict. A million pictures were, I am sure, taken by the eight of us and then it was back to Venice. On the return trip, we visited the charming town of Cortina, host to the 1956 Winter Olympics.We were dropped off (luckily close to our hotel) at Piazza Roma at 6:30p.m. A long day, but spectacular.
We plunked into the chairs outside our hotel to enjoy a glass of wine and sundown. As darkness descended, Jim beckoned to me. He had a gondola waiting for a night trip through the back canals. Gotta' love this man I married! As we left the Grand Canal, entering the narrow little back canals, I was that child again, looking at the paintings on my parents' wall and moving down those mysterious channels. The only difference? I was enjoying this magical evening while holding Jim's hand! Life does not get much better. As we skimmed through the quiet, still and dimmly-let canals, we made a pack - to return to Venice for our 50th anniversary. Cortona may have tugged at my heartstrings, but I think Venice took direct aim at Jim's heart and won!
A domani!

Glass and Lace (Monday, September 26)

Four islands - Cimitero, Murano, Burano and Torcello lie within Venice's lagoon. Our destination today was Murano and Burano. Rather than take the "sardine can" to St. Mark's Square and then the LN vaporetto to the islands, Jim and I headed out by foot through the narrow streets of Venice to the north side of the city and the vaporetto station at Fondamenta Nuove. Hallelujah! We did not get lost! And, even better, we beat the crowds!
Murano is the glass makers' island. Its history dates back centuries. Chandeliers created by Murano artisans show up in paintings by Veronese, Tintoretto, Bellini and Titian. Running along both sides of the island's canal are showrooms, workshops and furnaces. To wander the showrooms is to look at masterpieces in glass from teeny-tiny figures to massive chandeliers. The workmanship is spellbinding! And jewelry - wow!
Burano, on the other hand, is home to lacemakers and fishermen. Houses are painted in bright colors, so the story goes, so that they can be spotted from the sea by their fishermen. Lace making has been a craft of the island since the 15th C. Handkerchiefs, scarves, colars, napkins - you name it - are available in the most intricate of patterns. Wandering the colorful, spotless streets, without the ever present tour groups is a sheer joy!
The Adriatic today was turquoise blue, the sun was shining, and the breezes were refreshing. What more could we ask for.
Tomorrow we are off to the Dolomites, Cortina, etc. For the day and then back into Venice.
Ciao!

An Orchestra, Two Capuccinos and Millions of Pigeons (Sunday, September 25)

When in Venice, do as the Venetians. Right? Even though the boats are steel and butt ugly, the vaporetto (Venice's buses) are the way most Venetians get around. Line 2 is the fast boat that zips down the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square in about 25 minutes. Jim and I opted to jump aboard Line 1 which takes about 45 minutes to reach the Square, but which stops at 'every' stop. The Grand Canal is Venice's main street and we wanted to experience it. The vaporetto are hysterical really. When approaching a station, the captain big-time powers the boat in reverse, water flying everywhere. The landing crew throw ropes over the station docks and the boat jerks to a sudden stop, clanging onto the docksides. Standing passengers struggle to regain their balance. The gates open, streams of people rush off and streams of people squeeze aboard. Now I know what it is like to be a sardine in a can. we laughed the whole way to St. Mark's Square. We couldn't see a damn thing!!!
Piazza San Marco is everything and more than you see in photos. It is surrounded by historically significant buildings - St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, Correr Museum and the bell tower (Campanile). The piazza is immense! Napoleon once referred to it as "the drawing room of Europe". How appropriate! Grand cafes surround the piazza. Orchestras play (even in the morning)and white jacketed waiters serve. This was too much for Jim and I to resist. We took a seat at Cafe Florian which has been in business since 1720. The orchestra was playing old Italian favorites, our capuccinos were served on a silver tray by a white jacketed waiter, thousands of pigeons sat on the arms of happy tourists feeding them in the centre of the piazza and, to tell you the truth, I could have happily remained there all day.
But that was not to be - we had serious touring to do. Our first was the Doge's palace, where the Doges lived and ruled Venice. This opulent structure was built to show off the wealth and power of Venice and intimidate foes. For me the most memorable part of the tour was crossing the canal, to the 17th C. prisons, over the covered Bridge of Sighs. This infamous bridge's name is taken from the sighs of the prisoners stealing their last glimpses of freedom as they made their way to dank cells or the executioner's block. Our tour of the prisons left the hair standing up on the back of my neck and a huge desire to "get out". Emerging from the palace, we were stunned by the line up for the Basilica. Later! We headed off along the magnificent promenade to the Naval Museum, only to arrive at 1:15 and to find it closed. And so......we continued to walk to the end of the peninsula, enjoying the breezes and views.
At 4:30, we had reservations for a Grand Canal Tour, leaving from the Royal Gardens beside St. Mark's Square. With an hour to kill, we visited the famous Harry's Bar for their renowned Bellini, a wonderfully refreshing concoction of chilled white peach juice and Prosecco. Yum! It was delicious! Harry's Bar looks the same today as it apparently did in the 1930's. Rather plain and ugly, but functional. They have served Maria Callas, the Aga Kahn, Ernest Hemmingway and Woody Allen. And now they have served Jim and Daphne Lockett! Go figure!
Our tour of the Grand Canal was truly some of the best money we have spent. We departed on a glorious wooden launch with driver, tour guide and only 6 other passengers. We slowly wound our way up the Grand Canal in the late afternoon sunlight. Architecture, history, stories of movies and stars, and specific sites were all part of the tour. Any questions were glady answered. Arriving at the top of the Grand Canal, our driver then returned to our point of embarkation, winding through the back canals of this glorious city. What an experience!
It was then back onto the " sardine vaporetto" - number 2 this time - and home to our hotel. Dinner was a relaxed meal - along the canal, of course!
Arriverderci!

Watercolor Paintings On My Parents' Wall (Saturday, September 24)

The Ponte Vecchio awash in sunlight this morning did not make our departure from Florence and Tuscany all that easy. The PV will forever be for me one of my favorite landmarks. It's history, survival and beauty grabbed at my heart.
Our Eurostar reservations were for 12:07; we were at the Florence Train Station by 11:00 a.m. (I hear you Chris and Matt!!!!) However, watching '9478 Venezia 12:07' pop up on the arrivals/departures board made my heart stop. We were actually going to Venice! Our train looked like a red bullet, sleek and fast. She travels on special rails and literally flies along the tracks. Bologna, Padua, Verona flew by and, in what seemed like no time, we arrived at Santa Lucia Train Station.
Emerging from any train station in the world means seeing taxis, buses, and crowds. Just once in your lifetime I wish you the thrill of exiting the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice. You walk out to the Grand Canal before you! OMG! We were in Venice and there is the Grand Canal. Jim says that I scraped my chin on the ground when my jaw dropped. I actually began to tear up. On my Mother and Father's living room wall were two watercolor paintings of Venice's back canals. As I child I used to study those pictures, imaging what it would be like to move through those narrow waterways. My imaginings morphed into a huge desire to see Venice. That desire morphed into an item on my bucket list. Well, check that item off!
Our charming little hotel, Antiche Figure, fronts onto the Grand Canal. We have the most delightful corner room with a total of three windows overlooking various parts of the canal!
Our hotel staff told us to get lost ( not figuratively) in our travels,walk the back streets and not worry about our safety. Venice is safe.
And so Jim and I set off to find the Realto Bridge. We wandered narrow cobblestoned streets, passing shops displaying incredibly intricate Venice Carnival masks and costumes, 'dolce' stores luring customers with the most delectable treats we have ever seen and Murano glass artisan shops with the most stunning chandeliers imaginable. Jim saw one chandelier priced at €29,000!
Dinner was at a little trattoria along the canal. Our usual dinner conversation was almost non existent as we sat mesmerized by the traffic on the Grand Canal - taxis, vaporettos (Venice's buses), police boats, garbage boats, gondolas, and even an ambulance (sirens blaring) racing by. Somehow they all manage to share the canal in relative peace.
Tomorrow we are off to famous St Mark's Square, etc. via vaporetto!
Still have to pinch myself to believe that we are here!
A domani!

Encore! The Magic of the Ponte Vecchio at Nighttime (Friday, September 23)

Goodbyes were difficult this morning. Goodbye to Cathy and David and Donna and David, goodbye to our beautiful villa, goodbye to charming Cortona (our adopted hill town)and goodbye to sleeping with the windows open, smelling that sweet Tuscan air!
Our trip to Arezzo was a speedy and easy one, in no small measure because of the GPS Italy card Matt gave Jim at Christmas. Arezzo is a larger, busy centre, but Jeelo brought us right to the front door of Europcar. We both breathed an enormous sigh of relief as the car was returned unscathed. Anyone who has driven in Italy knows of what I speak!!! I must compliment my husband on his calm and patient driving. The stress never showed in his demeanor, but his hands were plagued by cramps after a long drive. You get the picture, I am sure.
We were able to catch the 11:43 train (which departed at 11:43 on the second!) and then the realization that we were getting the chance to see Florence one more time set in. Excitement!
Our day was spent aimlessly wandering the beautiful streets, enjoying the architecture. For dinner we headed across the Ponte Vecchio to Oltrano and the little trattoria, Celestine, we enjoyed so much on our initial visit.
And then the magic began. Music and laughter lured us to the centre of the Ponte Vecchio. Two Italian musicians (looking like troubadours) were performing. And perform they did - from their microphones, sitting in the centre of the bridge, trailing alongside people out for an evening stroll, and even lying in the centre of the bridge! Bravos! Cheers! Laughter! We sat for well over an hour on the stony, hard curb loving every moment of it. In the distance the lights of Florence sparkled on the Arno River. Pure magic! And good for the soul!
Tomorrow, we get to watch the train station arrivals/departures board flip over the destination, Venice, (wow!) and we will be on our way!
Caio!

Mega (???) Bene! (Thursday, September 22)

This morning was filled with laundry, ironing and packing for tomorrow's departure. How exciting can my life get?
I did, though, have one thing left that I wanted to accomplish in Cortona and I had promised Steve Haslam to do so. Frances Mayes is an Amercian writer (Under The Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life, Every Day In Tuscany:Seasons of An Italian Life, A Year In The World......the list goes on). Her Under The Tuscan Sun about the purchase of her villa, Bramasole - a romanticized version - was made into the popular movie of the same name starring Diane Lane. This movie and Frances Mayes are largely credited with putting Cortona on the tourist map. She is revered in town. A simple question in the Tourist Information Office, "Bramasole?" will result in directions to her villa. Steve said, "Say hello to Bramasole" and thus we set off to do so. I have read everyone of Frances' books on Tuscany so I was most certainly not averse to this expedition.
Bramasole sits on the edge of a precipice down a very narrow road (viale) overlooking the valley below Cortona; it is backed by acres of gardens, olive groves, etc. I promise you that the villa itself is a stunning site. The gardens, even though ravaged by a July hailstorm this year, are stunning.
So there we were, Jim and I, taking photographs and feeling as if we were invading someone's privacy. I need to say at this moment that hundreds of tourists seek out the villa and walk by. Frances Mayes, in her blog, says that she finds this to be a compliment. Thus, my guilt
was slightly assuaged.
Admiring the gardens, I was nudged by Jim. "Look, isn't that Frances Mayes coming down the
front pathway?" And so it was! She passed through her front gates, looked at Jim and I, smiled and said, "Where are you from?" I am still in shock. The conversation was easy and comfortable; she was exceedingly gracious. She pointed out her husband, Ed, standing on one of the upper balconies and dressed in a bright pink shirt. She laughed and said," See, we dress him to match the geraniums" which were, of course, pink. I asked if her Tuscan Cookbook was near completion and a huge smile broke out onto her face. Next March, for anyone interested. The conversation moved to Giusi (one of her favorite people in the world). A friend of hers was picking her up in a car. Jim said that Giusi was cooking for us tonight. Ms Mayes turned
as she was getting into the car, laughed and said, "Can I come?"
I have admired Frances Mayes for taking a gamble in her life! That it paid off handsomely is a result of her talent. How refreshing it was to meet someone you admire and to have them be all that you hoped. After she drove off, Jim turned and said that we should have asked to have our pictures taken with her. Neither one of us asked as we felt that we were already intruding. Sometimes it doesn't totally pay be be a mannerly Canadian!
Now for Giusi's meal last night. We were again treated to aromas beyond compare, as Giusi and Anita created our incredible meal in the kitchen. Here goes:
Crostinis with assorted toppings, fresh olives, pecorino cheese with black pepper, Proseco (of course)
Puffed pastry stuffed with a heavenly zucchini mix
Spinach and ricotta raviolis with sage butter ( this is my favorite Italian dish, bar none!)
Lemon veal scallopini with a porcini mushroom stuffed with zucchini and cheese plus salad
Tiramisu (acknowledged by all of us as the best we have ever had!)
As Anita was removing plates from our table, we began complimenting the meal: Fatastico! Excellente! Delicioso! And then Cathy, with all of her newly acquired Italian gestures, hands spread about a yard apart, pronounced, "MEGA bene!" "Mega?", we all chimed! Anita began to laugh and in Italian told Cathy that she was creating new Italian vocabulary. We could hear Anita giggling in the kitchen telling Giusi of the new word. Why not? A new word!
Mega bene it is, Cath, but not just the meal. Mega bene for the Tuscan countryside! Mega bene for this gem of a villa! Mega bene for the chance to know Giusi, an Italian treasure.
Arriverderci!

The Monkey Wrench (Wednesday, September 21)

We said our goodbyes to Assisi this morning and hit the autostrada back to the villa. The decision was made to let our GPS (nicknamed Jeelo) take us 'wherever' on our route home. At the border of Umbria and Tuscany, quite a distance before the cutoff to Cortona, Jeelo took us off the highway and onto mountain backroads. What a spectacular drive as we " switchbacked" our way over the mountains and back to the villa. The countryside was, in many cases, reminiscent of Vermont. We passed old decrepit farmhouses, sitting on hillsides with glorious vistas over Lake Trasimeno. Oh, how I wish we were in the financial position to purchase and renovate one of those. Anything in Tuscany goes for €$€$!
As we near the end of our stay, I thought of this lovely area, Tuscany, and no longer wondered at it's popularity. In my heart, I pray that Jim and I are blessed enough to return. Tuscans love any reason for a celebration and there are so many local events we would love to witness. Il Palio in Siena is a medieval spectacle that has survived to present day. Ten of Siena's seventeen town districts compete for the much coveted palio, a silk banner. Il Campo, Siena's large central piazza, becomes a racetrack. Our good friends, Marlene and David MacKay, saw the racetrack of packed dirt set up in Il Campo on their visit to Italy this summer. The race is run at 7:45 p.m. The ten horses and their 'bareback' riders tear three times around Il Campo with a speed and violence that makes most spectators hair stand on end. Even if a horse loses it's rider, it is still eligible to win. The town is decorated with the flags of each town district and the festivities go on for days. Leave it to the Sienese to celebrate in such a fashion!
Montepulciano celebrates with Bravio delle Botti. Again this is based on a neighborhood competition between the town's eight districts. Of course this town, famous for it's Vino Nobile wines, would use wine barrels in their celebration. Amidst the townspeople in medieval dress-up and much flag waving, eight two-man teams race giant unwieldy wine barrels up the steep streets to Piazza Grande. Just remember that itvtakes about twenty-five minutes to walk from the bottom of Montepulciano to its main piazza!
I would also love to be here in November to witness the olive harvest and pressing. All are reasons to return.
Our plans for this upcoming Saturday included:
1. Returning our rental car to Arezzo (a town about 40 minutes north of Cortona)
2. Catching the local train to Florence.
3. Boarding the Eurostar for Venice
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!" Our travel agent, Connie, warned us that the local trains frequently change their schedules. On checking, we discovered that there is now no Saturday train leaving Arezzo in time to get us to Florence for our connection to Eurostar. One thing in Italy - you gotta' be flexible. Sooooooo.....we will leave the villa on Friday, a day early, drive to Arezzo, take an afternoon train into Florence, stay in Florence on Friday night (not what either one of us would classify as a hardship) and then be in place on time for our scheduled Eurostar to Venice. Our hotel, The Hermitage, can accommodate us on Friday night; this makes leaving the villa a day early much easier to swallow.
As for tomorrow? Looks like it will be a day for laundry. Ugh! I have one more thing I would like to do in Cortona before we leave. Hopefully I will be able to tell you in my next blog. Best of all, though, Giusi is cooking for us again tonight. For Jim and I, there could be no more suitable ending to our stay here!
A domain!

Sometimes You Screw Up and It Works Out For The Best (Tuesday, September 20)

Maps spread out over the table in the kitchen this morning, coffees in hand, Jim and I were getting ready for our trip to Assisi. Originally, we thought we would take the train, but then opted for a drive instead. Putting the hotel location into our GPS, Jim asked for the address. I handed him our email confirmation. "Daf, this reservation is for the 19th - yesterday!" Now, I have to tell you, for every trip, I draw up a detailed itinerary, not just for Jim and I, but also for Christopher and Matthew. So much for details. I had the wrong day. In minor panic mode, we began searching for a hotel. Nothing was available at the hotel we had booked. I went to the veneer.com site and ironically, up popped the hotel (a few steps from the Bascilica) I had originally wanted, but that was unavailable for the 19th. "Book it, Dano" as Jim always says and we were on our way.
Our trip took us through the mountains in which our villa is located and down onto the Umbrian plains. Assisi, perced on Mount Subasio and glowing with it's tawny coloring, is visible for quite a distance.
A dear friend of ours, Richard Tone, loved Assisi when he and Meredith visited four years ago. He said that he found great peace here. Assisi is actually called The City of Peace! We were looking forward to our visit.
We wandered the town, viewing some of its sites and "getting the lay of the land" so to speak. It is a lovely town, marred partially, though, by the number of tacky stores selling religious paraphernalia and mini china friars, etc. But this trip was about St. Francis' Basciilica and
it did not disappoint.
The Bascilica is really a double church, one atop the other. It is truly magnificent. For Jim, the journey was a spiritual one (I could see it in his face) and for me, the non Catholic, it was about the art of Lorenzetti and Giotto.
Below the main level church is the tomb of St. Francis, buried here in 1230. I found the votive lamp hanging above the tomb to be quite moving. The oil for the lamp is offered each year by different cities in Italy to honor the figure of their patron saint. There is a small lower room containing the relics (Francis' habit, etc.)of St. Francis. Of particular interest to Jim and I was his chalice and patten. He used this at Subiaco to celebrate mass; it was donated by that monastery. We visited the monastery at Subiaco on our last trip to Italy.
The lower church is glorious, but it was the upper, that blew me away. There are a series of frescoes by Giotto encircling this whole large church. Giotto uses the frescoes - all 28 of them - to tell the story of St.Francis. Jim and I followed the storyline of frescoes ( reading from our guidebook) and wondering at his talent.
Umbrian cooking is famous. Thank you Mario Batalli! We set off after dusk for some Umbrian fare. I had a spelt pasta dish with different mushrooms and the famous truffle shaved on top. Jim - prepare yourselves - had pigeon. Yes, I said pigeon. It is a popular dish in Umbria and my darling husband was daring enough go for it. Our waitress even gave him the "thumbs up" sign. He said it was delicious. Sure hope it didn't originate in Venice's St Mark's
Square!!!!!
After dinner, we did our own passeggiata, and wandered the now quiet streets of Assisi. I think that this was my favorite moment of the day - no tourists, the Bascilica awash in dim lights, and the only the sound was our footsteps on these ancient cobblestones.
Arriverderci!

Cortona - You Are Pulling At My Heart Strings (Monday, September 19)

That little section of my suitcase packed with sweaters, socks and hiking boots asks me every morning, "What were you thinking?" Tuscany has been bathed (with the exception of one day in Florence)in hot temperatures and sunshine. There is usually a heat haze laying over the land by mid-afternoon. Not so after yesterday's storm. Temperatures have cooled considerably, as has the air, and the sky offers sunshine one moment and threatens rain the next. Cath and David, Donna and David headed out today to Volterra and Siena. Jim and I, off to Assisi tomorrow, decided to spend a day in Cortona to shop and museum it.
Our first destination was the potter to purchase some gifts. Cortona has it's own official pattern (pale yellow and green, with a stylized sunflower)and I love it. After making purchases, Jim hiked the bag back down to our car rather than have to carry it for the rest of the day (in Cortona, that's like being a beast of burden!) and I sauntered into an Art Gallery with a display of local artists' works - sculpture, oils, watercolours, and photography. The photography, by Masserelli, was an immediate draw. His shots were enchanting - Tuscan views capturing that unique lighting we so frequently gush over here. Why can I take so many photos and not once come close to the very essence of nature this man captures? Wouldn't have anything to do with talent, would it? When Jim arrived, it was like a magnetic force drew him to one of the photographs - a line of cypress trees in the middle of a " crete" field bathed
in a haunting light. I'm not going into the whole story, but we purchased the photo in the galleria dealing with Masserelli's work. The galleria itself (Il Pozzo) was down a little
alleyway and in an excavated 11th C. courtyard with an ancient well at it's centre. Charming!
We sat at an outdoor cafe and toasted our purchase with a caffe latte. Looking around Piazza della Republica, I felt quite nostalgic. This rustic little hilltop town has over the past week has become like a second home to us and she will have a part of my heart forever with her crazy, twisted streets, warm and friendly people, glorious vistas and unique architecture. I am unabashedly in love with Cortona!
Tuscany is, of course, the land of the Etruscans who moved into the area as far back as 800BC. Cortona has a fine Etruscan museum with exhibits of archaeological finds from within a 20 mile radius of the town. The museum is spectacular. You descend into the exhibit area which is actually located within the excavated walls of an ancient Etruscan village. Two hours flew by as Jim and I examined exhibits and were truly blown away by the intricacy of the Etruscan pottery, jewelry and mosaics. We were told that the University of Alberta Archaeology Department is largely responsible for the restoration of the mosaic collection in the Cortona Museum. Yeah, Canada!
We returned to the villa late in the afternoon and watch storm clouds roll in over the mountains. Dinner, for the very first time, was inside due to the weather.
A domani!

"Taking The Waters" (Sunday, September 18)

In her book, "Bella Tuscany", Frances Mayes talks about Italians' yearly visits to spas and thermal springs as an Italian obsession. Apparently, they consider it as a birthright and, believe it or not, their health insurance covers such visits. (Wonder how long that will last in their new economic state!) Jim and I headed out to the little hilltop town of Bagno Vignoni which is built around a large thermal pool where the Medicis used to "take the waters". The historic site is quite beautiful in it's simplicity. This pool is surrounded by picturesque mellow stone buildings, architecturally Very pleasing. The hot (51 degrees C) sulphurous water bubbling up in the centre of the pool, is actually volcanic in origin. To maintain the integrity of this historic site, no public bathing is allowed. However, there is a public pool in which you can dunk yourself. Jim and I had taken bathing suits and towels along so that we could "take the waters", but today was Sunday and the enormous (it was huge!)pool was full of Italian families. We decided to pass! Truthfully, it was an extremely hot day, so a dip in 51 degree waters wasn't 'calling to us', so to speak.
The countryside surrounding this area is " pecorino cheese" country. We headed off to San Quirico d'Orcia to visit the cheese outlet for Fattoria Pianporcino Cheesemakers. They offer cheese tastings of the differing pecorinos and Brunello wine tastings to accompany the cheese. Here is where I must day, "Duh!" As we drove into town, San Quirico d'Orcia felt virtually like a ghost town. OMG! It is Sunday and nothing is open. After three Sundays in Italy, you would think Jim and I would remember that everything is closed. Donna and David had a similar "duh" moment when they drove to Montepulciano today to visit the Contucci Vino Nobile cellars only to find them closed!!!
We began our drive home, opting to drive through what the Italians refer to as their "crete" area. Think The Godfather movie when Michael is sent into hiding in Sicily. That primeval landscape of such stark beauty is the kind of countryside we drove through. With virtually no other cars on the road, we passed through this barren landscape , dotted with classic Tuscan farmhouses and lone cypress tres. We attempted some photos ( which can never do the area justice), but a haze was settling in over the countryside (a harbinger of the thunderstorms to
come).
We enjoyed a lazy dinner (Mom's spaghetti recipe, Jo!).
David Welstead has been saying all along that he wants to experience one of the thunderstorms for which Tuscany is so famous. Jim keeps joking about wanting to see lightening hit a washing machine (his favourite scene in "Under The Tuscan Sun"). Mother Nature did not let us down. Well, excluding the washing machine, that is. Around midnight, a spectacular thunderstorm hit. Lightening that lit our room as if it were daylight, driving rain ( actually coming sideways
in our open window), and crashes of thunder that echoed off the mountainsides. Cathy said she felt as if she was in a drum when the thunder cracked! David, you got you wish and Mother Nature did not disappoint!
Tomorrow's weather forecast is " iffy" - a good day for the Etruscan and Signorelli museums in Cortona and some gift shopping!
Ciao!

Un Po' di Niente (Saturday, September 17)

Today marked the beginning of our second week in the villa and Tuscany. I cannot tell you how frequently I have heard the words, "I could live here". Truthfully, these words are not true. Usually they are said with a sigh as we awake to our view over beautiful Cortona or watch the sunset in the west. None of us could accept the thought of living permanently anywhere but Canada, but this thought is a reflection of how gentle the people and countryside of Tuscany are. Add to that the incredible weather - sunny, warm days and cool breezy nights - we have had and the mix is irresistible.
Giusi and Dario's farm, as I said in an earlier posting, is mixed. We all guesstimate it to be around 50 acres or more - olive groves, vineyards, hay fields, chickens (and our morning alarm clock - the rooster), and bushland. There are tractor trails crisscrossing the farm, affording Dario access to all of his fields, etc. These tractor trails make great hiking trails. As we have been told to wander freely, Jim and I headed out this morning for the upper hay fields and a ridge on the edge of the mountain we face. It was a glorious day. We ascended past the vineyards and hay fields onto the ridge. What a magnificent vista. Looking one way, we could see Guisi and Dario's farm spread out below us, plus a peek at our villa. With his telephoto lens, Jim took a great photo of the villa from that height. He has posted it on Facebook. In the other direction lay Lake Trasimeno and her three islands. Jim pointed out the
ferry we rode the other day, plying her way from Passignano sul Trasimeno to Isola Maggiore. We just stood, breathed in the warm, clear air and smiled. Perfecto!
I won't bore you with the rest of the day which was spent catching up on laundry and ironing so we have something to wear. I was going to tell you the sorry tale of Nonna's iron, but I will save that for another day! We - all 6 - spent this lazy day wandering the farm, doing chores and resting around the pool. Jim and I prepared dinner of Friday night. Tonight Cathy prepared lemon chicken (we are all trying to emulate our Giusi) and it was outstanding.
Tomorrow is a mystery; Jim and I will decide where we are headed in the morning. Such stress!
Ciao!

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Friday, September 16)

Today dawned and my first thought selfishly was that we are now entering the third week of our trip. Can we somehow slow this whole thing called 'time' down?
Today Cathy and David, Donna and David decided to drive north to near Firenza to hit the famous designer outlet mall. Not exactly being in need of nor in the financial bracket to buy anything by Prada, Dior, etc., Jim and I (much to Jim's relief) decided to head out to Montepulciano.
Our drive took us around hairpin bends, olive groves, neatly tended vineyards on terraced hillsides and, of course, the always in a hurry to pass you, Fiats (only Italian car that comes to mind at this moment!). Our drive was really Tuscany at it's best - the loveliest scenery we have seen thus far and so evocative of that traditional image of Tuscany with its rolling vineyards punctuated by lines of cypress trees leading to grand villas. We slowed down to watch the beginnings of a harvest at one of the vineyards - what an operation! This is when you wish you could jump out of the car and ask if you can help or even just observe. Perhaps we should have!
Beautiful Montepulciano sits atop a narrow ridge of volcanic rock - quite an imposing site as you approach. It is another hill town guaranteed to push your quads to the breaking point. It is a 25 minute hike from the bottom of town to the main piazza. Groan! However, the views over the Valdichiana countryside make all of the exercise worthwhile or at least I keep telling myself that!?!?
Our main draw was the town's wonderful wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano , and a chance to tour the cellars of Contucci Palace where they actually welcome tourists. After tasting
several wines in the Contucci Cantina, Jim and I ventured forth into their cellars. The
cellars are actually 13th C vaults in the palace basement. A maze of interconnecting dimly lit vaults filled with huge Croatian, French, and Italian oak barrels of wine......you could get lost in your wanders. Jim said , "What a way to go!" Each barrel is identified with a brass number and then labeled. "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2010" - wow! Can't wait! Of course, we made some purchases.
We did some wandering around, concentrated mostly around Piazza Grande and then headed to a little trattoria, balcony hanging off the edge of a cliff, for a light lunch.
I have been searching for a pasta bowl set to add to my mishmash of Italian pottery already at
home. Most definitely not match-matchy with my Italian stuff! Jim was the first to spot the shop. "I think we need to go in here." And there it was - just what I have been looking for. A colorful design on lemons and sunflowers.....how I will remember Tuscany. The purchase was
made; thank heavens they can ship to Canada.
And so it was back to the villa. Cath and Dave, Donna and David returned to announce that even though discounts are supposed to be up to 70 percent at the outlet, prices were outlandishly high. Over $300 just for a t-shirt. No purchases were made.
I think that tomorrow will be a day of hiking around the villa and laundry!!! How exciting can you get?
Arriverderci.

So You Want To Be A Chef, Eh? (Thursday, September 15)

Most of today was taken up with smaller activities and no major expeditions, as we all wished to be at Locanda del Molina on time for our Tuscan cooking class.
Tuscany is the orchard and vegetable garden of Italia and Tuscans are justifiably proud of their local produce. The olive is their staple ingredient ( big surprise!) Cuisine here is rustic and simple. Local cheeses (especially the pecorinos) are, bar none, some of the best we have ever tasted. Some ingredients, we have never tasted - white truffles, Valdichiana beef and wild boar. Chestnut trees abound and the nuts are used in ever conceivable fashion. It was with much excitement that we met Sylvia Baracchi, our instructing chef and heard that the recipes we would be preparing were local traditional dishes.
The late afternoon session (4:00 p.m.) began when we donned our aprons. Not sure how happy the guys were, but we gals loved it! Then it was hands on from here on. We were to prepare each of the courses and then at 7:30 dine on the fruits of our labour. This is when you hope that you don't mess up! After donning our aprons, I should say that we were each given a glass of wine, of our individual choosing. I'm thinking this was to make us happier when we realized the work involved in preparing such a meal.
So here is the menu
Antipasti: Fiori di zucchini ripen con ricotta e basilica (stuffed zucchini flowers with ricotta cheese and basil)
Primi: Pici con sugo di anatra (Pici with duck sauce)
Secondi: Pollo in umido con fungi di stagione (braised chicken with mushrooms)
Dolce: Sfogliatina di pere e pinoli con cioccolato caldo (puff pastry with pears, pine nuts and melted chocolate)
If you are on Facebook, Jim has posted quite a few photos of the class. For two and a half hours, we worked in a warm kitchen (pizza oven was even lit) and learned sooooooo much! We cleaned zucchini flowers and stuffed the flowers with the most incredible mixture of ricotta cheese and local herbs. I do believe that there was quite a bit of sneaky tasting by we chefs-in-training. Of course, Silvia pretended not to notice. Small wonder, actually, that there was any filling left to actually use in the flowers!!! Pici is a pasta made of flour and
water from which the chef forms the thin threads with their hands. This, believe it or not, was back-breaking work. First the pasta had to be made and then the tiny threads rolled in our hands. There was much joking during dinner about which noodle belonged to which one of us. "Hey, that noodle has to be yours - it's uneven!!!" The making of the duck sauce had all of us salivating as the aromas met with our now hungry stomachs. The braised chicken with mushrooms was quite easy to make actually. (Jo, sorta' like Mom's chicken cacciatore!) For the dessert we made a fabulous custard, rolled puff pastry, filled the pastry with the custard, pears (we had peeled and sliced) and pine nuts. We then rolled the pastries up and baked them.
So here's the scoop. We had the time of our lives and cannot wait to try out our new recipes on poor, unsuspecting friends. But to be a chef, working at this full time, must be mind boggingly fatiguing. Donna said that seeing what is involved, she wonders how some chefs don't commit murder when a dish unjustifiably gets sent back by some ego-centric diner trying to look important. In our now tired states, we all agreed.
I thought the most welcome words were, "Here's your apron!" I was mistaken. The best words were, "Chefs, would you like to be seated."
Oh, and the meal? Damn fine!

Isola Maggiore - Population: 25 (Wednesday, September 14)

Always a place to explore. Today Dave and Cath headed out to Montepulciano (Jim and I plan to explore there on Friday), Donna and David were heading out for a random drive, and Jim and I were headed for Lake Trasimeno, but a slightly altered route from the one Cath and Dave took yesterday, driving around the lake.
Lake Trasimeno is the largest lake in Italy with a 45 km shoreline (sorta' small when you come from the shores of Lake Ontario). The lake, itself, has an extensive history - Etruscan gardens and graveyards, the stage for Hannibal's greatest victory over Rome.......and the history goes on. Our destination today was the historic island of Isola Maggiore in the northern part of the lake. As we flew in to Florence on our crazy Al Italia flight we could actually see the lake to the east. The lake can also be viewed by climbing the ridge behind our villa. We were eager to visit.
The ferries to Isola Maggiore leave from the absolutely charming town of Passignano sul Trasimeno which is dotted with bright umbrella'd cafes along it's Trasimeno shoreline.
Isola Maggiore is about a 15 minute ferry ride from the mainland. It is said to have been visited by St. Francis one stormy night in 1211. What is of interest is that the tiny hamlet on the island has not changed since the 15th C. However, the population, once around 300, is now only 25. Yup! I said 25. Jim and I wandered through what felt like a ghost town. Very few of the architecturally beautiful buildings have been maintained. What a waste! We actually felt a bit sad. A trail from the village leads up throughnthe olive groves to the highest point on the island. The island is famed for it's lace and embroidery production. Ironically, then original instructor for this craft came from Ireland.
We spent about two hours exploring and then headed back to the mainland for lunch.
The drive back to the villa was truly Tuscany at it's best -acres of olive groves and vineyards.
Tonight's dinner is in. Cath is cooking. The kitchen smells fabulous. Tomorrow is our cooking class (can't wait) and then Friday, I am on for dinner.
A domani!

Salute! (Tuesday,September 13 ..........cont'd)

It is actually early morning (before 7:00 am), Wednesday. My legs must have decided it was time for me to get up, because they began to cramp. Small wonder after our ascent yesterday of Everest, errrr, I mean Cortona.
I promised a few words about the meal Giusi cooked for us last night. Truthfully, I do not have the writing talent nor skill to convey the combination of aromas and subtle tastes, nor the magical atmosphere of the evening. But here goes......
In our Tuscan wine tasting course, our instructor first served Prosecco and the Italian toast, "Salute!" Even though Prosecco is a wine from Veneto, she informed us that it is the traditional Italian "Welcome to our home." Giusi arrived about 4:00 p.m. and took over our kitchen with her sous chef. At 7:00 p.m. We were served h'or d'oeuvres out on the terrace. Placed on the garden table was a bottle of Prosecco and the most amazingly light deep fried vegetables - zucchini flowers, zucchini strips, and red pepper strips. The batter was like air and the vegetable flavours bursting! We six toasted ourselves with the Prosecco and then headed into the kitchen, glasses in hand. "Salute Giusi! Salute Anita!" Our two chefs actually seemed overcome by the gesture. Good Canadian thing to do, don't you think?
Cathy decided, at this juncture to put on a Pavarotti CD of famous opera arias. As we drank and ate on the terrace, during the rest of the evening, we could hear Giusi and Anita singing along to the arias while they cooked in our kitchen. They knew every word.
I so wish that somehow through this computer I could send you some of the taste sensations. Not possible! I am reduced to generally listing what we had. I embarrassingly do not know the Italian words for each course.
Antipasti - paper thin slices of prosciutto with arugula, slices of parmesan, and orange.
- thin slices of grilled eggplant
- crostinis with Italian sausage (Giusi's) and mozzarella
Primo. -freshly made tagliatelli with the best tomato sauce I have ever tasted
Secondo. -lemon chicken (this was my personal favorite), thin pork slices in the most
amazing rosemary sauce, roast potatoes and salad as the contormo
Dolce. -thin bowl like shell (cross between shortbread and meringue) with fresh fruits
Topped by lemon gelato.
See! This reads like nothing. I am totally incapable of coveying the suble flavours and beauty of presentation.
Dinner completed, we wandered into a totally clean kitchen with the dishwasher humming. Hugs and kisses, gracias....and then Giusi and Anita departed.
After our meal, we were talking about the Andre Rieu concert in Cortona. Yesterday, in the ceramics shop, Jim and I were speaking to the potter who was quite conversant in English. There are three major piazzas in Cortona - I asked in which piazza was the concert held? Our lovely potter told us that it was in Piazza della Republica, even telling us from which balcony one of the arias was sung. When asked whether she attended, she placed her hands over her heart and said, " Si. Twice." (The concert was filmed over two performances.) David and Donna had not seen the concert on PBS. We were talking about the magic of the first number when the cameras soar in from above showing beautiful Cortona at nighttime and the orchestra begins playing the haunting theme from the Godfather. Thank god for iPads. Jim grabbed our iPad, went to YouTube and pulled up the very number. Funny thing, there wasn't a dry eye out on that terrace as we listened to that haunting theme performed by Rieu's amazing orchestra and said a silent thank you for the privilege of being in this magical place.
Arriverderci!

Who Needs Everest When You Have Cortona (Tuesday, September 13)

Cortona appears as if the gods spilled a town down a hillside. The town is full of crazy, twisting streets, veering off at impossible angles. It is stunningly beautiful with incredible views over the countryside. The approach roadway is punctuated with two lines of cypress trees. Each tree was planted in memory of local boys who died in World War II. Quite moving!
Jim and I decided to spend the day exploring our local hillside town - Cortona - which is only a ten-minute drive from our villa. Cath and Dave were headed out to drive around Lake Trasimeno; David and Donna stayed behind at the villa for a day of swimming, reading and relaxing.
Jim and I (actually, Jim) decided to climb to the highest point (Fortezza di Girifalco). What was I thinking? And so we began climbing the twisting streets with at least a 10 percent grade. Aaaach! Along the way, we poked our heads in artisans' shops - the coppersmith, the potter, the painter, etc. Those stops were my reprieve, I promise. Up, up, up we climbed. At each turn, Jim would pipe up, "It's becoming more level". My darling husband is a bald-faced liar. The final approach was up a 15 percent grade along a cypress-lined stone path. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! screamed my quads! And finally, we reached the top. Ahhhhhhh! What a view. The views from the watch tower were extraordinary, looking down to the plains below and beyond to Lake Trasimeno. We decided to return the the base of Cortona by following the ancient city wall. Little did we know that that path dropped straight down! The descent was actually more difficult than the climb. High fives between Jim and I. "We did it!"
Via Nazionale is the main street and truly the only one that is flat. It is lined with charming trattorias and some unique artisan's shops. Via Jannelli is one of the most famous streets in Cortona, and has maintained a medieval aappearance that immediately takes you back in time. Old medieval terraced houses built with red brick and wooden beams line the street. Our final stop was Piazza della Repubblica, the heart of Cortona. It is truly the heart of the
town and home to Town Hall and Palazzo de Popolo (Palace of the Captain of the People).
At this moment, the six of us are sitting out on the terrace with the most incredible aromas wafting out of our kitchen. Guisi and her sous chef are cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I'll makenyou all salivate tomorrow with the details.
A demani!

Niente! (Monday, September 12)

Nothing exciting to report today. The grocery stores are open so we spent the morning stocking up on groceries for two weeks (amazed at the low cost of fresh foods, meats and cheeses here) swimming, chatting, and planning side trips for the next two weeks - Assisi, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Orvieto, San Quirico D'Orcia (to see pecorino cheese being made), Deruta (for Tuscan ceramics)and Chiusi to start. Tomorrow we are spending the day in Cortona (can't wait)and then it will be back to the villa for Giusi's meal, about which we are all excited. She said that she is going to surprise us.
Tonight it is Canadese with steaks on the BBQ. Italian appetizers, of course!
Arriverderci!

...AND THE ROOSTER CROWED (Sunday, September 11)

Awoke this morning to the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing. Cath was already up and in the kitchen. As everyone rose we were all chuckling. Around 4:30 a.m. the roosters began crowing, then the dogs barked, followed by the sound of farm machinery moving in the fields. All of this is a reminder that our villa is an "agriturismo" and located on a working farm. Giusi and Dario's farm is mixed, but their primary crop is olives which will be harvested this November. Would love to be here for that. Sitting on our counter when we arrived was a bottle of their olive oil! Delisioso!
It had been decided that today would be a lazy country day with just a bit of grocery shopping. Jim and I hiked up the hill behind the villa and farm through beautiful olive groves. Puff! Puff! The view afforded from the top of the hill was over the mountains to Cortona and down into the valley where Camucia lies. The trail to the top of the hill ended at a T-intersection with what appeared to be an ATV trail. As Jim and I were beginning to descend, two motor cross bikers zoomed up the trail, lifted their face masks and yelled, "Buon giorno!" and then roared off. Love this country!
Heated up after hiking, we all had the same thought - a swim. And so we adjourned, so to speak, to the pool.
A mission into town for groceries was met by the sudden realization that this is Sunday and Italy. Duh! Nothing was open, so for dinner we made reservations.
Locanda del Molino is a ristorante in the charming little town of Montanare, about a five minute drive from the villa. It is also where we will be taking our cooking class this upcoming Thursday. So it was off for a wonderful candlelight dinner.
A domani!

Sweet Air of Tuscany (Saturday, September 10)

Actually had an uneventful drive from Siena to our villa. We are finally learning to let the GPS do her job and not second-guess her. I should clarify that by saying "I", as Jim has let the GPS do her job all along!
Jim and I were the couple responsible for bringing food for last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast. We stopped in a tiny village, Pergo, and the adventure began. I cannot express how incredible it is to shop in an Italian grocery store - fresh vegetables and herbs, a meat and cheese counter beyond compare (Jim was in heaven!), freshly made pasta........ Of courseh,attempting to read all of the Italian labels can pose quite a challenge. Thank God Jim worked so hard on his Italian before we left. Groceries purchased, it was on the the villa.
We could see Cortona as we began to work our way into the mountains. When the receptionist at our Siena hotel heard that we were off to Cortona, she sighed and told us that in her mind it is the most beautiful of the hill towns. Arriving at the villa was an OMG moment. It sits of the side of a mountain overlooking Cortona and Camucia, at it's base. The gardens surrounding the villa are stunning. I have been so proud of myself with the lavender I have been growing; the lavender here forms the bordering hedges; the fragrance wafting on the breeze is warm and inviting. The terrace out the front is enormous with a table large enough to seat ten, if needed. Needless to say, we ate al fresco last night overlooking the twinkling lights of Cortona. Inside the kitchen is massive. Yahoo! We even have a dishwasher. There are three bedrooms and three washrooms, beautifully decorated in stunning tiles and ceramic surrounds. Enough on the villa.
Cath and Dave and Donna and David arrived within a short time of each other. After everyone had settled in, we sat out on the terrace and popped the cork on Prosecco. No sooner had we done so when Giusi, the owner of our villa, showed up with a large tray appetizers. At this juncture, I need to tell you that Giusi is a well known chef in Cortona and a close friend of Frances Mayes (Under The Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany) for whom she often cooks. I am telling you this so you can imagine how wonderful these appetizers were. Giusi's English is minimal, but there was much laughter and hand gesturing. She will be cooking dinner for us on Tuesday evening. Wow!
We ate dinner al fresco on the terrace, while holding a photo contest - who can get the best sunset photo?
We all crashed at ten o'clock. Must be getting older. Couldn't be the amount of wine consumed, of course!

"Cor Magis Tibi Sena Pandit" (Friday September 9)

On the front of Porta Camollia, the most important Sienese gate, are the above words from my title.  Translated from Latin, these words mean, "Siena opens her heart out to you much wider than this door!"  How true.  Siena for Jim and I has been like a giant hug.  She is a warm, friendly city of great grace and we have grown to love her.
We awoke this morning to the sun shining of the distant cypress trees and umber Tuscan homes.  How beautiful a scene.
After another wonderful breakfast al fresco, we headed back to Il Campo (Piazza del Campo).  The piazza is laid out in the form of a shell, paved with brick in a herring-bone pattern and subdivided into nine sections . Grey stone slabs form a border around it all. Il Campo is truly the living, breathing heart os Siena and the pulse is a vibrant one  Locals and tourists alike gather in the piazza to sit in the sunlight or to enjoy a cappuccino in one of the surrounding cafes. Jim and I watched a wedding party leave the City Hall today with much cheering from both guests and piazza onlookers.
At the bottom end of Il Campo sits Palazzo Publico (The City Hall). Within City Hall is the Civic Museum.  I had been excited to visit this because of two Lorenzetti frescoes - Effects of Good and Bad Government. The frescoes were magnificent and did not disappoint.  Jim and I spent quite a bit of time identifying all of the details contained in these incredible works of art. I know that this all sounds horriifically boring, but these two frescoes poitively speak to the viewer. For example in Bad Government, a horned, fanged, wine-drinking devil (Jim emphatically states that this is not modeled after him) sets the vices - Avarice and Vainglory - loose. Arsonists torch homes and fields, soldiers rape and pillage.....get the picture?
From here, Jim and I visited the Siena Duomo.  Meredith, I remember you speaking about this amazing structure after your trip to Italy.  I am not a huge fan of exploring every duomo in every Italian town (yawn!!!), but the Siena Duomo should be a "do not miss" on any Siena visitor's schedule. With its extravagant Gothic facade, its inlaid floors (both art and pattern), its majestic double dome, and (for me) its sculptures by Bernini and Michelangelo, it held Jim and I in its enthrall for over two hours.  In this case, I am thankful that we opted for the audio tour.  Interesting is the fact that Siena's original plans were to build an even grander duomo (how could that be possible?), but a devasting plague in the 14th. century killed Siena's financial ability and will to complete their vision.
We spent the short latter part of the afternoon making a grocery list for tomorrow when we take over a villa in Cortona.  Cathy and David, Donna and David (coming in from Venice and Florence) will join us in Cortona. Our villa is in the mountains just on the outskirts of the hilltown of Cortona. I am not sure that Cortona will ever be the same.
We are off for a special dinner tonight to say goodbye to beautiful Siena.
Arriverdela!

SUPER TUSCANS

Had a lovely breakfast al fresco at our Volterra Inn and then set off for Siena with a small side trip to San Gimignano - the Tuscan hill town with all of the picturesque towers.  Our first clue that our plans may go awry was when we noticed over two dozen tour buses parked in a bus lot below the town.  I could not count fast enough to get the exact total. Ahead of us, as we ascended the hill to the outside parking lots, were six additional buses disgorging passengers and tour guides.  Looking at the main city gate was like looking at a stream plugged at a point and having difficulty breaking through.  At exactly the same moment, Jim and I turned to each othetr and said, "This ain't happening" and began retracing our steps to the highway heading to Siena.
I just need to rant a bit. I know that I will offend all of the people who feel that they wish to see a country on a guided tour, but I passionately, vehemently (are you getting the idea?) hate bus tours.  Walking down a narrow street in any town in any part of the world with a tour of forty people coming at you is like attempting to swim up stream against a mighty current. We have never experienced any groups in a tour who acknowledge that anyone else other than the tour lemmings may be present.  In Pisa, Jim and I were examining each of the incredible panels on the Pisano pulpit when a tour guide, with 40 lemmings in tow, stepped right in front of Jim and began lecturing. Pardon me?  Instead of viewing a historic piece of art and history we were surrounded by lemmings. Tour buses, in an attempt to show their clients the local scenery, take minor, lovely country roads that can barely take two normal cars passing each other nevertheless a bus and car.. I took a photo of three massive tour buses coming at Jim and I on such a road today.  I heard a member of a guided tour today complain about how much climbing there is in Siena (heck, she should have visited Volterra).  I wanted to lean over and ask, "Does the term hilltown not mean anything to you?" Dear tour guides, please take your swarms of lemmings and your *******sunflower or whatever else you are holding above your head and GO AWAY!!!!!  Okay, my rant is over and I feel better.
At this juncture I need to again thank Matthew for our GPS Italia card.  We never would have found our way through some of the small towns today nor found our way to our hotel inside the Siena walls without "Jeelo" -  (that's what we have named her.) Thank you again, Hon.
We decided that today would be a non-site day. No need to suffer from overload, so we did some shopping (a bit too much) and enjoyed a leisurely lunch in Il Campo. Il Campo, the giant square (or should I say round) in the centre of Siena, reminds me of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Everyone wants to be there.  It is like a celebration.  Tomorrow, Jim and I will begin site seeing in earnest - especially the City Hall with its famous paintings and the stunning Duomo.
This afternoon we took an amazing two-hour course on Tuscan wines at The Tuscany Wine School.  During class, we learned all about Tuscan wine making history, its traditions, and what DOC's and DOCG's mean on wine labels.  Best of all, we discussed and tasted the new famous wines, the so-called Super Tuscans.  Our instructor, Mariaouisa Cesani's family owns the famous Cesani Vernaccia vineyard and winery just north of San Gimignano, she was a font of knowledge and quite entertaining.In addition to two Super Tuscans, we tasted one of Tuscany's best - Brunello di Montalcino. Needless to say we were quite the 'happy' duo when class was finished. Two hours - six wines.  Not bad, eh? I'm liking this Italy thing.
Ciao!

Alabaster - An Ancient Etruscan Art (Wednesday, Spetmber 7)

We said our final goodbyes to Pisa this morning and headed for the ancient Etruscan town of Volterra in the western part of Tuscany.
There were two routes by which to leave Pisa, one not favored because of it's proximity to the airport. You guessed it. Given our combined navigational skills, we managed to end up on the airport route. Driving through the town of Ponsacco presented it's own issues as we seemed to circle the same tiny streets more than once. "Didn't we just see that?" We needed our old t-shirts from sailing - 'Quit Yelling At Me' and 'I'm Not Yelling'. How long have we been married?
Have you ever experienced Italian drivers? It is if they have been born with speed and Laborghinis in their blood. Picture Jim and I driving the tortuously twisting and steep roads that approach Volterra, one side, retaining walls holding back the cliffs and the other, sheer drops to the fields below. Sitting right on our tail was a conga line of Italian drivers in a rush to get anywhere. Jim finally found a small spot to pull over and allow them by. Vrmmmmmm! We were left in their dust, but could now enjoy the spectacular scenery. I need to say that at no time was Jim traveling even slightly under the speed limit.
The only way to describe Volterra is sheer drama. It has been built on a ridge 545 meters above sea level and is surrounded by walls - one Etruscan, the other medieval. Volterra has not yet been touched by the frenetic pace of life found in places like San Gimignano, etc. Arriving in Volterra is like stepping back into the past. Etruscan influences, tiny medieval streets and a distinct lack of many tourists add to it's charm. I hate to think how many photos we actually took.
The entrance to the town is an imposing Etruscan arch. Thanks to the local citizens who buried it in stones from the main street in 1944 to prevent the Nazis from blowing it up as a means to stop the advance of the allies, you can walk through this impressive arch today. After we were through the arch we did a mini walking tour, visiting most of the historic sites. It's sorta' like st. John's, Chris - all the roads are steep and UP! How does that happen?
At the time of the Etruscan civilization, Volterra was the place where working with alabaster was started. Alabaster is a soft and fragile stone, mined underground, and used in lamps, lighted sculptures, etc. because of it's beautiful translucence. There are a number of artisans in Volterra attempting to keep the craft alive in traditional workshops. Jim and I happened down a tiny and narrow walkway and stepped into 'alab'Arte' - Georgio Finazzo's workshop. It was like stepping back in time. He is using historic work utensils while standing in the white dust of completed works. What a picture he presents and his work is stunning. He warmly invited us into his workshop and spent time explaining alabaster and working with it. From here, we did a Rick Steeves thing. La Vena di Vino is a wine tasting hole in the wall. Two guys have devoted themselves to wine and share it with a fun-loving passions. Each day they open six or eight bottles and after a mini lecture, serve you choice by the glass, pairing It with Truscan munchies.
Painful legs and quads eventually drove us back to our charming hotel at the Etruscan Gate. We will head back UP into town tonight to have cinghiale for dinner. I'll leave that to you to figure out!
Ciao!!

Thank You Matthew - Mille Gracias (Tuesday, September 6)

Today we picked up the car (from EuroCar) that we will be using for the next three weeks in Tuscany.  We lucked out. "Senor Lockett, we would like to upgrade you for free. Would that be alright?" Of course we had to pause and give great thought to our answer.  Hah! Hah!  ....and we drove away in a brand new Series 200 Mercedes. So sad!
We headed north to Lucca and at this point, negotiating our way through the tiny one-way Pisa streets to find Highway S1, we said a silent thank you to our son, Matthew, who at Christmas gave his father the Italy card for his GPS. Mille gracias, Matthew. You saved our marriage.....and perhaps my very life!!!!!
Once in the countryside, the drive to Lucca was stunning.  Lucca is the only town in Italy that has retained its ancient walls and ramparts.  The walk around the ramparts is 2.5 miles of tree-lined walkways with views into the town below (its Roman amphitheatre and cathedral) and to the mountains in the north.  Around 1:00 p.m. we descended to Via Fillungo, the main drag. Incredible shops are housed in century-old storefronts.  The tiny, narrow cobblestoned street is only wide enough to allow the passage of a small car. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at a little trattoria in one of the piazzas.  Here I go again - I LOVE this. You have to hear my lunch - tortino di porri su fonduta di gorgonzola dolce e pepe rosa (leek pie on melted sweet gorgonzola cheese and rose pepper). It even sounds delicious without knowing what the words translate to.  Jim enjoyed a fettucine with porcini mushrooms and gerebrilelia (an Italian herb, apparently) which his smiles and m-m-m-m-m's indicated was also outstanding. I promise that we are actually losing weight here.  We walk miles and climb, climb, climb every day.  The portions we are eating are not Americanized! And the food is so fresh!
Aaaaaach! was my first word on our trip home. For anyone who knows what kind of passenger I am, you know that Jim was ready to throw me out of the car at this juncture.  We weren't really paying attention to the GPS, thinking that we would be able to retrace our route into Pisa.  Easy right? Well, we ended up on the autostrada, heading in the direction of Genoa. Oh well, who doesn't want to make a short visit to the sea?!?!  Thanks again to the GPS, we eventually maneuvered our way back into Pisa and to our hotel. Yahoo!
We did a bit of window shopping (wine stores, olive oil stores, and yes, clothing.)We are now sitting on a treed terrace at the rear of our hotel contemplating our navels....and our trip tomorrow to Volterra.
Yahoo! I am now caught up with my blog!
Arriverderci!

It's All About The Piazza (Monday, September 5)

I love Italian train stations. The massive Arrivals and Departures board that dominates Italian stations is in a state of constant change with trains arriving and leaving, tracks (binaris) being posted and wonderful  destinations - Napoli, Roma, Livorno, Firenza, Venezia, Milano - flipping up.  And trains arrive and depart "on time".  Our train to Pisa left at the scheduled time of 10:28 exactly and arrived in Pisa at 11:28 as scheduled.
Our hotel, on the south side of the Arno, is about a twenty minute walk from The Leaning Tower of Pisa. As soon as we were settled we headed out. I was prepared to be disappointed as we had been told that the whole area is one of massive commercialsim. That is partially so.  However, the Field of Miracles (The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo and the Baptistery) are untouched by the crass commecialism and actually sit in a beautiful green field surrounded by the ancient Pisa city wall on one side and cyprus trees on the other. I was totally unprepared for how startling beautiful the Tower is with its graceful arches, bright white marble construction and pastel tiles. Jim climbed the tower. I chose not to after being informed that the stairs are a claustrophobic sprial ladder.  The views in Jim's photos are spectacular.  We toured the incredibly beautiful Duomo with its spectacular 320 foot nave.  I know I am strange, but in spite of the glorious art and the pulpit designed by Pisano, what I loved most was what they refer to as Galileo's lamp. "This bronze incense burner is said to be the one that caught Galileo's attention one day in church.  Someone left a church door open and a gust of wind set the lamp swinging. Galileo realized that the burner swung back and forth in the same amount of time regardless of how wide the arc." (Rick Steeves). We saw that exact experiment in the Galileo Science Museum in Florence. The baptistery creates a beautiful mood. The font is massive, allowing for baptisms by dunking for adults or smaller side baths for infants.  "Shhhh!" signs are everywhere as the acoustics in the round building are incredible and any whisper can be heard easily.
Our hotel recommended a trattoria for dinner - Il Bistrot". Okay, here's where I am in heaven.  We sat outside this charming little trattoria in a small piazza.  As we dined on the most incredible food (chestnut gnocchis with rosemary sauce for me and spaghetti a la vongole for Jim) the tables filled up with friends and families out for an evening meal.....and this was a Monday!  In the centre of the piazza small chidren rode their bikes or played.  Familes and friends sauntered through, out for their evening stroll.  All of this was under a sky filled with stars and a bright moon. Sigh!

An Apology

Please accept my apologies for spelling mistakes (I particularly like my "guilt" ceilings) and grammatical errors. Jim's iPad and the blogger program are not totally compatible. I cannot get the blog's spellcheck to work on this computer nor can I scroll back on what I have written, making it almost impossible to proof. I promise that I am not as illiterate as it appears. Our Kristen has sent something which may be of assistance and we will try to get to it today. I also, however, do not wish to spend this trip ironing out computer issues. We are herebto visit Italy! If you can put up with the problems, I'll keep writing.

Hey, We're Canadian, We Can Do This (Sunday, September 4)

Today dawned with rain; the streets of Florence were very wet and almost empty. Jim and I had decided yesterday that we would hike the Oltrano - the other side of the river. We looked out the window after breakfast at pouring rain wondering whether we should plan another activity. Jim finally piped up, "What's a bit of rain to two Canadians?" Off we went - raincoats and hiking shoes. The Oltrano is rustic, old Florence where many residents of Florence actually reside. Starting on the Ponte Vecchio we headed down narrow streets, passing many artisan shops. At one point, we could actually see the high-water mark from Florence's devasting 1966 flood. Walking some of the narrow lanes you could almost touch both sides of the street. One interesting note about the Ponte Vecchio - as the Germans, at the end of World War II, were retreating from Italy, the general (Wolf) was ordered to blow up Florence's bridges. Wolf destroyed all of the bridges except for the Ponte Vecchio. In contravention of his direct orders, he blew up buildings at either end of the bridge to hinder the allies crossing.
In the afternoon, we had reservations for the Uffizi Art Museum which houses the world's largest collection of Italian art. I did not actually complete yesterday's blog yesterday because my feelings for the Uffizi Gallery were so mixed. All of the art on display is overwhelming for anyone but the true art student or afficienado. We rented the audio tour which may have been our first mistake - too many paintings, to detailed the analyses. To many unrecognizable names for me. Ultimately, Jim and I decided to concentrate on the major renaissance painters - Botticelli, da Vinci, Raphael and Titian. It was fascinating to compare Botticelli's innocent Venus (Birth of Venus) with Titian's sexually charged Venus of Urbino (va-va-va-boom!) I have loved Raphael's work since seeing the Raphael Rooms in The Vatican Museum and his work displayed in the Uffizi did not disappoint. The absolute hitnof the day for both of us was Raphael's Leo X and the Cardinals in which he paints the Vatican's meaner side in Leo's eyes and expression. No love of God here - just naked power! The pairing is so real that you can almost feel the fur-lined cuffs of Leo's regal robes. All of the rest in the Uffizi left me feeling slightly let down. Sorry, Jo! The lower level of the Gallery was such a warren of tiny, unmarked and claustrophobic rooms that we never did locate the Carrivaggio paintings I so eagerly wanted to see. I hear you - get over it, Daf!!! I have to acknowledge that sculpture has more of an emotional impact for me than paintings. I was looking for the emotional impact of DAVID and didn't find it.
We wandered our way back up to the Duomo, but huge lineups were waiting to enter. Now we have
a reason to return to Florence.
Stopped for a cappuccino and panne forte ( to be discussed later). Sorry Starbucks, as much as I love you, it is no competition. When it comes to cappuccinos, Italy takes the Gold Medal!
We dined with a wonderful couple we have met from Idaho. He is doctor who handles sleep issues. Given our collective jet lag, we had some great laughs about that issue. We truly enjoyed our evening in a little trattoria across thebPonte Vecchio in Oltrano - excellent food, wonderful Tuscan wine and much laughter.
Off to Pisa tomorrow.

"I Can Take This Guy." (Saturday, September 3)

Achy feet plus stiff legs equals incredible day.
The first stop on our itinerary today was the
Galileo Science Museum. Having hit the streets early - earlier than museums open - Jim and I hiked along the North shore of the Arno for about a mile. South of the Arno and clinging to the hills are villas, gardens and trees. What a backdrop to this magnificent city.
The Galileo Science Museum is chock-a-block full of weird contraptions - telescopes, globes, clocks, physics experiments, etc. Jim was in heaven - gadget heaven -and I remembered why I didn't fare well in high school physics. Best of all (and not morbidly so) was Gailieo'sfinger preserved in a jar. Yup! A jar! Given Galileo's persecution by the Romsn Catholic Church for his scientific beliefs, his middle finger appears to be raised in that international F/U symbol. Have to love it!
The highlight of the day, though, was seeing Michelangelo's DAVID. Had to pinch myself to believe we were actually standing before him. David stands at 17 feet high under a remarkable dome that bathes him in sunlight. Experts say that the statue captures David sizing up Goliath. His eyes are steady - searching with internal concentration. Michelangelo has captured the precise moment at which David seems to be saying to himself, "I can take this guy!" Oh my God, this statue is inspiring. Jim and I circled David for about thirty minutes, spotting Michelangelo's genius - raised veins on his right hand and arm, his rib cage evident under taut skin, the manner in which his hand is almost fondling the stone, his tensed shoulder blades.........Leading up to David are Michelangel's "prisoners". These are unfinished figures that seem to be fighting to free themselves from their marble slabs. The struggle is palpable and I felt totally stressed.
We ate a late lunch at a little trattoria by the Duomo and watched hundreds of tourists lined up around this huge edifice. By the way, our trattoria was actually located in the birth home of Donatello.
Our next visit was to Palazzo Vecchio, home once to the Medicis and Leopoldo. We hiked up eight stories to view their magnificent residential rooms. Frescoes, paintings, and guilt ceilings abound. I had to smile, having just finished "Loving Frank" about Frank Lloyd Wright. What a contrast in architectural and decorating philosophies.
We finished with a bit of window shopping. I must say that you can actually smell leather in the air, because of all of the fine leather shops!
It was then back to our roof garden for a glass of wine and my battle with this blog, loading photos and Jim's Apple iPad!
Dinner was al fresco under the stars and Michelangelo's clock in Piazza Vecchio. Then it was back to Ponte Vecchio and a night of music.
Ah! Bella Italia - io amo!

Tutti va bene (Friday, September 2)

Recipe for jet lag:
Take Air Canada to Rome 8.5 hours
Add small dose of sleep - approximately 3 hours
Add transfer between terminals and 2- hour wait in Fuiminciano Airport
Mix in 1/2 hour flight to Florence ( should have been 1-hour flight, but had "cowboy" pilot (that's another story for another time).
Heat up at 35 degrees.
.....e presto ! Please note that this is a "tested" recipe.
Our cab driver from the airport to the hotel was charming. He chastised us for not spending enough time in Florence (3 days), but congratulated us on our choice of hotel in the centre of it all.
Hotel Hermitage is charming, with a fabulous roof garden overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. After changing, Jim and I headed out for a reconnaisance mission. Florence is an architectural
delight, quite compact and totally pedestrian friendly. When fatigue made us walk like two drunken soldiers, we returned to the hotel - Jim to the roof garden to write in his journal and me to our room for total collapse and an hours nap.
I must tell you that Florence by night is magical. We could hear music from the Ponte Vechhio
so we headed down. Two musicians were singing - gorgeous Italian songs - an appreciative crowd
clapped in time, and couples young and old danced in the middle of the bridge. So okay, I'm a
sucker for this kind of evening.
At this juncture I was going to add some photos, but between Jim and I we seem totally
incapable of adding them via this ------- iPad! Help David! I'll try to add some on Facebook for the time being.
Tomorrow, with some real sleep under our belts we will begin to explore in earnest.