I’m writing this as I am on the train to Valencia for the next three days. It’s a three hour trip from Barcelona and for the most part follows the coast south. It has been a beautiful ride and quite comfy as well. Trains seem so much civilized than planes, I don’t know why we do not use them more in the U.S. aside from distance and cost.
Espana won their match against Germany last night in Euro 2008 by a score of 1-0. I watched the game at an Irish bar down the street from the hotel since the sports bar in the neighborhood which is huge was wall to wall people and standing room only by 7pm and the game didn’t start until 8:45. A bunch of Irish lads lightened up the festivities by singing these crazy songs about the German players and soon everyone joined in with them . This was interspersed with the “Viva Espana” and “ole, ole, ole” both sung over and over and louder and louder. The game ended around 10:30 and EVERYONE took to the streets. Within a short period of time there were easily 10-15,000 people in just neighborhood park, it was mayhem. The young, old, drunk, sober and everything in between were easy converts to celebrate Spain’s first win in the Euro Cup in 44 years.
Earlier in the day, I immersed myself in Gaudi – the Spanish architect and artist. The Casa Batllo and Temple Explatoria de la Segrada Familia are both very different but emblematic of Barcelona. The Segrada Familia is inspiring by it’s sheer verticality and in the true manner of medieval cathedrals, it is still unfinished after 100 years. There are different façades surrounding the church and each one has a theme – the Glory façade has fruit on top of the pillars, the Nativity façade has people and animals and you can climb up in its towers. You get the picture, this cathedral is a work of art and architecture and while Gaudi is long dead, a mass has not yet been held in this church and it is anticipated to be completed sometime in the 2020s!
Casa Batllo on the other hand is a whimsical waltz. The outside is sprinkled with mauve, blue, and green tiles with wave shaped windows frames and balconies although I think they look like something out of a sci-fi flick. When Gaudi was commissioned to remodel this house, he based it on an ocean theme and he made two courtyards within the house to let the natural light in. The blue tiles going from top to bottom are light to dark since there is more light coming in at the top. Same principle applied to the windows. They are much larger on the bottom and get smaller as you go up. He felt that everything should not only be aesthetically pleasing, it should be functional and let nature enhance the elements. This house was awe inspiring to me. It was beautiful, crazy and yet, I could easily see a family living in the vast rooms and enjoying all the stained glass, beautiful oak floors and trim and the color and light used throughout. The house provided function yet art and beautiful space.
I've only been here a view hours and already have a better vibe than I did in Barcelona. I’m looking forward to touring the Ciudad de las Artes y last Ciencias. It houses an IMAX theatre, interactive science museum, an aquarium that would fill 15 olympic size pools and the second largest opera house in the world (Sydney is first). I understand from the manager of the place I am staying that it is easily an all day experience.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Spain Itinerary
Subject to change
6/24-30
Barcelona
6/30-7/3
Valenica
7/3-8
Alicante
7/8-10
Toledo
7/11-14
Granada
7/15-19
Seville
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hedonism and Art
Some say that Barcelona gives an impression of being dedicated exclusively to hedonism. Within a few blocks, you can find the Museo de l’Erotica, Museo de la Xocolata, and various sex shops interspersed with a number of bars and cafes, drinking is a given, nightlife doesn’t begin until at least 11pm and goes until daybreak, so I’d say the impression could merit some validity. The other thing I have noticed about this city is that art is everywhere – on the streets, painted on sides of buildings, tasteful graffiti, window displays, etc.
I still haven’t found my “grounding place” and typing that sounds so California but I have been enjoying the city more each day. Yesterday, I had no agenda but to chill and get my vibe going with this city. I strolled through the Mercat de la Boqueria which is one of the best stocked and most colorful produce markets in Europe and the pavement has a large mural designed and painted by Joan Miró. It makes Whole Foods and our farmers' markets look like mom and pop stands. There is produce, fresh fish, dried fruits and nuts, a bar/café or two, candy by the pound, bread shops, meats, olive oils, cheese, various types of rice, seasonings, juices, eggs and just about anything else you can think of to cook a fresh meal. Needless to say I was impressed and amazed. Now if I had some place here with a kitchen, it would be nirvana. I wondered around some of the neighborhoods not in the “tourist district,” passed by the university and by late afternoon decided it was time for a glass of sangria and a short siesta.
If you follow European futbol, you’ll know that Euro 2008 is underway, Spain beat Italy in three overtimes on Sunday night and last night Spain was up against Russia. Most of the bars show the game on wide screen tv’s so I thought what the heck. I ventured into the bar down the street around 8:30, game was set to begin at 8:45 and the Spainards/Catalans are VERY passionate about their team. I left the bar around 10 because it was now wall to wall people, everyone seemed to be smoking and the noise level was defeaning. I strolled around Las Ramblas, sat and watched people and sometime after 11pm, it was clear that Spain had beaten Russia. The streets were wild – honking, flag waving, drinking, just one big street party and I loved it! The final match of this tournament is on Sunday evening with Spain playing against Germany -- I can't wait.
Today I had a wonderful visit to the Picasso museum – only a few people in line when I arrived. The museum focuses on Picasso’s formative years and specific moments later in his life. He began his craft in the late 1800’s and it continued to evolve until his death in 1973. I had no idea that he spent a large part of his later life doing ceramics and was instrumental in the way ceramics are now made by artists. His evolving work from sketching and portraits to more abstract and Cubanism I also found fascinating. There was descriptions outlining each period and a chronology at the end. While it was very clear that Picasso was a brilliant, passionate artist, those traits carried into his personal life as well. I counted three wives as well as three long term lovers which overlapped, of course. Maybe I need to take a page from his book, not about the wives, but the lovers perhaps? I also ventured into the Museo de la Xocolata (Chocolate) because I thought how great that a city dedicates a whole museum to chocolate. It gave the history, roots, different forms of chocolate, medicinal qualities, etc but the best part came at the end with free samples:) I wandered into the Mercat de Sta. Caterina which is similar to the Mercat de la Boqueria but instead of a crazy, loud, place, it was much more subdued, with most things behind plastic cases, it seemed so much more sterile and formal than the other Mercat that I didn’t enjoy that as much.
Tomorrow I’m thinking I’ll hit a couple more of the museums, roam some neighborhoods and hit the beach but you never can tell.
I still haven’t found my “grounding place” and typing that sounds so California but I have been enjoying the city more each day. Yesterday, I had no agenda but to chill and get my vibe going with this city. I strolled through the Mercat de la Boqueria which is one of the best stocked and most colorful produce markets in Europe and the pavement has a large mural designed and painted by Joan Miró. It makes Whole Foods and our farmers' markets look like mom and pop stands. There is produce, fresh fish, dried fruits and nuts, a bar/café or two, candy by the pound, bread shops, meats, olive oils, cheese, various types of rice, seasonings, juices, eggs and just about anything else you can think of to cook a fresh meal. Needless to say I was impressed and amazed. Now if I had some place here with a kitchen, it would be nirvana. I wondered around some of the neighborhoods not in the “tourist district,” passed by the university and by late afternoon decided it was time for a glass of sangria and a short siesta.
If you follow European futbol, you’ll know that Euro 2008 is underway, Spain beat Italy in three overtimes on Sunday night and last night Spain was up against Russia. Most of the bars show the game on wide screen tv’s so I thought what the heck. I ventured into the bar down the street around 8:30, game was set to begin at 8:45 and the Spainards/Catalans are VERY passionate about their team. I left the bar around 10 because it was now wall to wall people, everyone seemed to be smoking and the noise level was defeaning. I strolled around Las Ramblas, sat and watched people and sometime after 11pm, it was clear that Spain had beaten Russia. The streets were wild – honking, flag waving, drinking, just one big street party and I loved it! The final match of this tournament is on Sunday evening with Spain playing against Germany -- I can't wait.
Today I had a wonderful visit to the Picasso museum – only a few people in line when I arrived. The museum focuses on Picasso’s formative years and specific moments later in his life. He began his craft in the late 1800’s and it continued to evolve until his death in 1973. I had no idea that he spent a large part of his later life doing ceramics and was instrumental in the way ceramics are now made by artists. His evolving work from sketching and portraits to more abstract and Cubanism I also found fascinating. There was descriptions outlining each period and a chronology at the end. While it was very clear that Picasso was a brilliant, passionate artist, those traits carried into his personal life as well. I counted three wives as well as three long term lovers which overlapped, of course. Maybe I need to take a page from his book, not about the wives, but the lovers perhaps? I also ventured into the Museo de la Xocolata (Chocolate) because I thought how great that a city dedicates a whole museum to chocolate. It gave the history, roots, different forms of chocolate, medicinal qualities, etc but the best part came at the end with free samples:) I wandered into the Mercat de Sta. Caterina which is similar to the Mercat de la Boqueria but instead of a crazy, loud, place, it was much more subdued, with most things behind plastic cases, it seemed so much more sterile and formal than the other Mercat that I didn’t enjoy that as much.
Tomorrow I’m thinking I’ll hit a couple more of the museums, roam some neighborhoods and hit the beach but you never can tell.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Barcelona or Bust
I left Bellagio for Milan with the intention of catching the train to Barcelona, I was relaxed and feeling good about my travels through Italy.
When I arrived in Milan on Monday afternoon, I was told by Trenitalia, “sorry the train is full but you can come back at 6:30 pm and see if there’s any cancellations” – so not what I wanted to hear. This train only leaves Milan on M/W/F and I had not been able to book the ticket online or through a travel agent for the last ten days and the agents had assured me that “there’s always room on that train, don’t worry.” So I am in Milan and thought what are my options: wait to see if space opens up on the train, book a flight or get to Genoa and take the ferry (18+ hours). After having lunch and a glass of vino, I thought, just go book the flight, call the hotel and that will be that. So I trudged to the internet café, luggage in tow, searched for flights and alas, found one for that night on EasyJet that was not $1000+. I booked the flight, called the hotel, caught the bus to the airport and was told by EasyJet, “you missed the check in by 3 minutes so you’re out of luck.” I asked as nicely as possible, “could you call the gate – NO, is there another flight I can get on, NO, is there anything you can do to help me, NO.” She directed me to customer service where there was a line about 12 deep all with similar issues to mine – a group of gals from Peru and Columbia who had been on an EasyJet from Athens which was late in arriving to Milan so there was no way could they have made the flight, an American on his way to Amsterdam for a conference and was given the wrong gate information on his boarding pass, etc. The customer service agent was just as worthless – I could pay another 100 Euros, plus another booking fee and come back 24 hours later for the next available flight. I went to the other terminal where most of the major airlines are located and found out that the next flight I could catch was 9:45am the following morning, I went ahead and booked it and had a lovely night in the Milan airport – caught up on my reading, sorted through and named my photos, paid bills, made a plan for Barcelona and watched the clock. I kept thinking, maybe this is a sign I am not supposed to go to Spain – nah, just the universe testing my resolve.
Barcelona is a vibrant city with a mix of young and old, historic landmarks and modern architecture, university and cathedrals, Islamic and Spanish influences, and a beautiful city park. After not sleeping for 24+ hours, when I landed at the hotel, I took a shower, a brief siesta and then headed out to get the lay of the land. This is a very walkable city with few cobblestone streets, not a lot of hills or steps, which is a refreshing change from Italy. I am staying in the El Raval section of the city, which is off La Rambla, a boulevard with a pedestrian walkway in the middle, and runs from the University to the sea and in between, there are colorful street performers, shops, bars, flower stands, artists and lots of people. It feels like a city that doesn’t sleep though I haven’t experienced that yet.
I don’t feel quite like I have my bearings yet here, perhaps I haven’t had enough sangria yet. In all the places I traveled in Italy, I found a piazza, cafe, enoteca, whatever that seemed to ground me and I would return as needed there to rest, evaluate, chat, get a grip and make a plan. In Barcelona, I have not yet found that place and while I am sure I will, it just seems unsettling at the moment.
With that in mind, I set out today to see the Cathedral, the Picasso Museum and wander aimlessly. The cathedral is surrounded in scaffolding so I didn’t enjoy that and the Picasso Museum had a line around the block and since it was about 80 degrees, decided I’d come back. So my last agenda point was to wander aimlessly which I did -- a little shopping, found the city park, the zoological museum, some great artwork and a refreshing sangria. Not bad for a first day.
When I arrived in Milan on Monday afternoon, I was told by Trenitalia, “sorry the train is full but you can come back at 6:30 pm and see if there’s any cancellations” – so not what I wanted to hear. This train only leaves Milan on M/W/F and I had not been able to book the ticket online or through a travel agent for the last ten days and the agents had assured me that “there’s always room on that train, don’t worry.” So I am in Milan and thought what are my options: wait to see if space opens up on the train, book a flight or get to Genoa and take the ferry (18+ hours). After having lunch and a glass of vino, I thought, just go book the flight, call the hotel and that will be that. So I trudged to the internet café, luggage in tow, searched for flights and alas, found one for that night on EasyJet that was not $1000+. I booked the flight, called the hotel, caught the bus to the airport and was told by EasyJet, “you missed the check in by 3 minutes so you’re out of luck.” I asked as nicely as possible, “could you call the gate – NO, is there another flight I can get on, NO, is there anything you can do to help me, NO.” She directed me to customer service where there was a line about 12 deep all with similar issues to mine – a group of gals from Peru and Columbia who had been on an EasyJet from Athens which was late in arriving to Milan so there was no way could they have made the flight, an American on his way to Amsterdam for a conference and was given the wrong gate information on his boarding pass, etc. The customer service agent was just as worthless – I could pay another 100 Euros, plus another booking fee and come back 24 hours later for the next available flight. I went to the other terminal where most of the major airlines are located and found out that the next flight I could catch was 9:45am the following morning, I went ahead and booked it and had a lovely night in the Milan airport – caught up on my reading, sorted through and named my photos, paid bills, made a plan for Barcelona and watched the clock. I kept thinking, maybe this is a sign I am not supposed to go to Spain – nah, just the universe testing my resolve.
Barcelona is a vibrant city with a mix of young and old, historic landmarks and modern architecture, university and cathedrals, Islamic and Spanish influences, and a beautiful city park. After not sleeping for 24+ hours, when I landed at the hotel, I took a shower, a brief siesta and then headed out to get the lay of the land. This is a very walkable city with few cobblestone streets, not a lot of hills or steps, which is a refreshing change from Italy. I am staying in the El Raval section of the city, which is off La Rambla, a boulevard with a pedestrian walkway in the middle, and runs from the University to the sea and in between, there are colorful street performers, shops, bars, flower stands, artists and lots of people. It feels like a city that doesn’t sleep though I haven’t experienced that yet.
I don’t feel quite like I have my bearings yet here, perhaps I haven’t had enough sangria yet. In all the places I traveled in Italy, I found a piazza, cafe, enoteca, whatever that seemed to ground me and I would return as needed there to rest, evaluate, chat, get a grip and make a plan. In Barcelona, I have not yet found that place and while I am sure I will, it just seems unsettling at the moment.
With that in mind, I set out today to see the Cathedral, the Picasso Museum and wander aimlessly. The cathedral is surrounded in scaffolding so I didn’t enjoy that and the Picasso Museum had a line around the block and since it was about 80 degrees, decided I’d come back. So my last agenda point was to wander aimlessly which I did -- a little shopping, found the city park, the zoological museum, some great artwork and a refreshing sangria. Not bad for a first day.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ciao Ciao Italy
I have enjoyed staying in Bellagio and it will be hard to leave. The weather has been pleasant (warm during the day and cooler in the evening), it is light around 5:30 am and stays that way until almost 10:00 pm, everyone from fellow tourists to shopkeepers to locals are very friendly and it gives a solo traveler a sense of community. I met some fellow travelers that I hung out in the evenings with which has been fun and way more social than I have been in years! This is a place I think I could return to over and over and always enjoy.
I left on this journey to cook, explore and try and figure out what is next for me in life, love, work, etc. At this point, all I can say is the trip has been equal parts exciting, adventurous, fun, frustrating, relaxing and at times, lonely. I still don’t know what is next for me, not any closer to the revelations I thought I might have and as I move westward to Spain and Portugal, I am excited about what I’ll see and do and who I might meet along the way.
As I leave Italy, I thought I would do a Top 10 list:
10. Smoke wherever and whenever you want.
9. Eat and drink what is local, always.
8. Take a siesta and relax.
7. If you order café after 10am it must be espresso -- anything else is a sign you’re a tourist.
6. Greet and acknowledge someone on the street, in a bar, shop, etc. whether you know them or not.
5. Drink proseco with lunch, white wine with apertivi and red wine with dinner. (Coca-Cola Light is never an option).
4. Women should always wear heels, the higher the better, with no concern as to terrain or distance.
3. Drive as fast as you can. Speed limits are mere suggestions and pedestrians are a hindrance.
2. Wear your clothes with flesh showing and skin tight - body type and shape are irrelevant.
1. Be PASSIONATE in everything you do whether eating, talking, loving, arguing, living.
Arrivederci Italy, Hola Espana!
I left on this journey to cook, explore and try and figure out what is next for me in life, love, work, etc. At this point, all I can say is the trip has been equal parts exciting, adventurous, fun, frustrating, relaxing and at times, lonely. I still don’t know what is next for me, not any closer to the revelations I thought I might have and as I move westward to Spain and Portugal, I am excited about what I’ll see and do and who I might meet along the way.
As I leave Italy, I thought I would do a Top 10 list:
10. Smoke wherever and whenever you want.
9. Eat and drink what is local, always.
8. Take a siesta and relax.
7. If you order café after 10am it must be espresso -- anything else is a sign you’re a tourist.
6. Greet and acknowledge someone on the street, in a bar, shop, etc. whether you know them or not.
5. Drink proseco with lunch, white wine with apertivi and red wine with dinner. (Coca-Cola Light is never an option).
4. Women should always wear heels, the higher the better, with no concern as to terrain or distance.
3. Drive as fast as you can. Speed limits are mere suggestions and pedestrians are a hindrance.
2. Wear your clothes with flesh showing and skin tight - body type and shape are irrelevant.
1. Be PASSIONATE in everything you do whether eating, talking, loving, arguing, living.
Arrivederci Italy, Hola Espana!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Another day in paradise
Bellagio is often called one of the most beautiful towns in Italy and rightfully so. The town is nestled amid cypress groves and rich, vibrant gardens and the earth toned buildings climb from the lakefront promenade along stepped cobblestone lanes. It occupies the spot on the lake known as Centro Lago where the three legs of Lake Como meet.
I had the good fortune to meet up with some fellow Californians at this great wine bar (thank you, Chuck) and we had dinner together at a nice place on the lake, just outside of town . Sherry and Emma are from Manhattan Beach and Tasha and Connor from Lafayette. It was nice to sit down to a meal without struggling in Italian and have a few laughs and share travel stories. After dinner, we retreated back to the wine bar as I had not finished my tasting flight. As I finished the last glass, I had to bid adieu as the innkeeper told me they locked the gate at midnight. Sadly, I made it back about 12:10 and had to wake him up to let me in. All in all, yesterday was a good day.
In the pics posted yesterday it was evident the rain and bad weather followed me from Milan and this morning I awoke to crystal clear blue skies and everything sparkling. I have a small balcony off my room and can see the lake over the rooftops – marvelous. Today, I enjoyed a leisurely day strolling around the streets and gardens and having lunch on the promenade.
I know I have said everyplace is interesting, beautiful, yada, yada but Bellagio has a different feel than the other places I’ve been in Italy. Given its location, the energy seems somewhat more European (lots of German, French and Swiss visitors) and less touristy than Florence or Rome. All in all, a spectacular choice to chill for a few days.
I had the good fortune to meet up with some fellow Californians at this great wine bar (thank you, Chuck) and we had dinner together at a nice place on the lake, just outside of town . Sherry and Emma are from Manhattan Beach and Tasha and Connor from Lafayette. It was nice to sit down to a meal without struggling in Italian and have a few laughs and share travel stories. After dinner, we retreated back to the wine bar as I had not finished my tasting flight. As I finished the last glass, I had to bid adieu as the innkeeper told me they locked the gate at midnight. Sadly, I made it back about 12:10 and had to wake him up to let me in. All in all, yesterday was a good day.
In the pics posted yesterday it was evident the rain and bad weather followed me from Milan and this morning I awoke to crystal clear blue skies and everything sparkling. I have a small balcony off my room and can see the lake over the rooftops – marvelous. Today, I enjoyed a leisurely day strolling around the streets and gardens and having lunch on the promenade.
I know I have said everyplace is interesting, beautiful, yada, yada but Bellagio has a different feel than the other places I’ve been in Italy. Given its location, the energy seems somewhat more European (lots of German, French and Swiss visitors) and less touristy than Florence or Rome. All in all, a spectacular choice to chill for a few days.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Lake District
The rain and I both arrived in Bellagio this afternoon. This charming town sits on Lake Como at the tip where the lakes come together. Thought I'd share a few pictures of my town for the next six days.
Trivia: George Clooney has a home on Lake Como :)
More later....
Trivia: George Clooney has a home on Lake Como :)
More later....
Monday, June 16, 2008
Milano
Milano is by far the busiest city I have been in to date. It reminds me of New York City with an Italian flair. Other than a brief respite this morning, it has been raining since I arrived.
I walked to the Duomo which is huge and very gothic looking. The building begain in the late 14th century and wasn't completed until the 19th century. The Milanese when they think something is taking too long, simply say "la fabbrica del Duomo". I climbed the hundreds of steps to the top and took some great photos and then went to the Castello Sforzesco which houses some of Leonardo da Vinci's works. This looks like a castle, as the name implies, and has beautiful grounds and a fountain that goes off about every half hour in the front.
I then meandered around the shops, had a hot chocolate that was more like melted chocolate with no milk added and walked back to the hotel. Nothing exciting just another day in Italy.
Looking forward to Bellagio tomorrow.
Ciao
I walked to the Duomo which is huge and very gothic looking. The building begain in the late 14th century and wasn't completed until the 19th century. The Milanese when they think something is taking too long, simply say "la fabbrica del Duomo". I climbed the hundreds of steps to the top and took some great photos and then went to the Castello Sforzesco which houses some of Leonardo da Vinci's works. This looks like a castle, as the name implies, and has beautiful grounds and a fountain that goes off about every half hour in the front.
I then meandered around the shops, had a hot chocolate that was more like melted chocolate with no milk added and walked back to the hotel. Nothing exciting just another day in Italy.
Looking forward to Bellagio tomorrow.
Ciao
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Firenze
I am sitting in the Firenze train station waiting for train to Milan and figured that now was as good a time as any to update the blog and it is somewhat of a ramble.
As I have travelled north in Italy, it has become more and more expensive and there are a lot more Americans everywhere – perhaps there is a correlation? When I arrived on Friday, I set out to shop and sight see cuz that’s what I’m here for. By late afternoon it was time for a gelato cone and while I told the clerk, "piccolo" (small), she kept adding gelato and then put a small waffle on top. The kicker was that she was done, said "that is 6 euro please" (about $9.50). I said, "no, no," I wanted "piccolo, piccolo." The bag lady in me was revolting. Very disgruntedly, they took the waffle off and gave me a much smaller cone – price 3 euro, twice the price as I have paid anywhere! Needless to say I did not have gelato every day here.
The other difference that I have found is that there are a lot of mosquitoes and bugs here and there are no screens on windows. In Lucca, I got bit by a few and have the red itchy bumps to prove it and the same here in Florence. I got back to my room last night and had it out with one of them. I refused to go to sleep until I knew it no longer existed!
Florence is a city with lots of neighborhoods tucked away, lots of open air markets selling everything you could imagine but predominantly leather and then there are the beautiful designer high end shops. In my search for a new red leather zip wallet, I found out about all the different types of leather, the fewer pieces - the better made and more expensive, why Italians don’t use zip (too many gypsies to see everything) and that prices can range for a similar wallet from 25 euro at a street vendor to 125 euro in one of the nicer shops. I did not find my dream wallet but did settle on a very nice red wallet which will suit my purposes nicely and a red wallet has good feng shui.
While I haven’t met my dream companion yet, I was propositioned twice last night in a matter of a couple of hours. First was by a young Italian man who wanted me to buy him a drink to spend time with me – NOT. If they can’t afford a drink, they can’t afford me. The second one whose name was Abdul who wanted to help me pack and "just spend an hour with you". These were both tempting offers but decided to pass – comments welcome :)
Surprisingly, I had an opportunity to climb up and down the 483 to the top of the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo of Firenze), it's dome is larger than the U.S. Capitol and the Pantheon in Rome. The lines were winding around the block, it was raining and I decided I needed something to come back and see. I did tour the Uffizi Museum which houses the great collection of Renaissance paintings and sculpture. It surprised me that the early paintings between the 13th and 15th century were mostly religious in nature and it wasn’t until the 16th and 17th century that artists decided there were other subjects, and far more interesting too. The frescoes on the ceiling were amazing with no two alike.
I’ve been thinking that I am not going to travel through Spain as I have in Italy, moving every few days – it is somewhat exhausting with the trains, hotels, packing and unpacking. Instead, I have picked a few cities I would like to see and will try and spend 5-7 days in each. They are Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Madrid (?) and Bilbao and then move on to Portugal.
As I have travelled north in Italy, it has become more and more expensive and there are a lot more Americans everywhere – perhaps there is a correlation? When I arrived on Friday, I set out to shop and sight see cuz that’s what I’m here for. By late afternoon it was time for a gelato cone and while I told the clerk, "piccolo" (small), she kept adding gelato and then put a small waffle on top. The kicker was that she was done, said "that is 6 euro please" (about $9.50). I said, "no, no," I wanted "piccolo, piccolo." The bag lady in me was revolting. Very disgruntedly, they took the waffle off and gave me a much smaller cone – price 3 euro, twice the price as I have paid anywhere! Needless to say I did not have gelato every day here.
The other difference that I have found is that there are a lot of mosquitoes and bugs here and there are no screens on windows. In Lucca, I got bit by a few and have the red itchy bumps to prove it and the same here in Florence. I got back to my room last night and had it out with one of them. I refused to go to sleep until I knew it no longer existed!
Florence is a city with lots of neighborhoods tucked away, lots of open air markets selling everything you could imagine but predominantly leather and then there are the beautiful designer high end shops. In my search for a new red leather zip wallet, I found out about all the different types of leather, the fewer pieces - the better made and more expensive, why Italians don’t use zip (too many gypsies to see everything) and that prices can range for a similar wallet from 25 euro at a street vendor to 125 euro in one of the nicer shops. I did not find my dream wallet but did settle on a very nice red wallet which will suit my purposes nicely and a red wallet has good feng shui.
While I haven’t met my dream companion yet, I was propositioned twice last night in a matter of a couple of hours. First was by a young Italian man who wanted me to buy him a drink to spend time with me – NOT. If they can’t afford a drink, they can’t afford me. The second one whose name was Abdul who wanted to help me pack and "just spend an hour with you". These were both tempting offers but decided to pass – comments welcome :)
Surprisingly, I had an opportunity to climb up and down the 483 to the top of the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo of Firenze), it's dome is larger than the U.S. Capitol and the Pantheon in Rome. The lines were winding around the block, it was raining and I decided I needed something to come back and see. I did tour the Uffizi Museum which houses the great collection of Renaissance paintings and sculpture. It surprised me that the early paintings between the 13th and 15th century were mostly religious in nature and it wasn’t until the 16th and 17th century that artists decided there were other subjects, and far more interesting too. The frescoes on the ceiling were amazing with no two alike.
I’ve been thinking that I am not going to travel through Spain as I have in Italy, moving every few days – it is somewhat exhausting with the trains, hotels, packing and unpacking. Instead, I have picked a few cities I would like to see and will try and spend 5-7 days in each. They are Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Madrid (?) and Bilbao and then move on to Portugal.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lucca
Lucca is an enchanting city and is mostly encompassed by the walls surrounding it. The walls were built by the Romans to protect the City and now they have a path that runs around the top of the walls where you can bike, walk, jog, whatever. Also, there are many benches and parks along the way to stop and enjoy the views. I chose to explore by bike today and it was fun to be not quite at a bird’s eye view but high enough up to see what was happening yet still being engaged. A city looks different from two stories up.
Yesterday, so un-Lucchesi of me, I ventured outside the city walls and explored some of the neighborhoods. Nothing noteworthy to report except it was fun to see the old women on their bikes with heels. The woman on the bike in the photo turned her head when she realized I was taking her picture. The main square in town offers a beautiful carousel with images of Lucca hand painted on the top and how can you not love that about a town. The children alternatively go for the carousel or the pigeons for a game of chase.
A Lucca trivia fact is that Puccini was born and raised here although he is known as a rebel after falling in love and fathering a child with someone else’s wife and thinking he was better than being the church organist. Lucca holds a year long festival to celebrate his music and how could I not partake in that – all Puccini, all year, who could resist. The program last night consisted of 3 duets and 4 arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Puccini’s Don Giovanni. These were performed by two opera singers and accompanied by a pianist. The festival is held in one of the churches here and has been “remodeled” to use for these purposes. Being in Italy with late night dining almost mandatory, I thought I’d wait until after the operatic performances to grab a bite to eat. That was a mistake. The performance was over at 8:45 and the town was almost asleep by then. Shops and restaurants were closed and after about a 20 minute walk around town, the only places serving food were gelaterias and pizzerias so I opted for the pizza, surprising I know. Tonight, on the other hand, the bar across the street was having a tacos and tequila night -- interesting for this small Italian town. I popped in and found that their idea of tacos were tortilla chips and the tequila being served was Jose Cuervo. My first thought was, what were they thinking and my second thought was, how spoiled are we to think this is not acceptable. I opted for a glass of wine and a few tortilla chips and then bid arrivederci so I could update my blog before bedtime.
The one thing that continues to surprise me is that locals or other travelers approach me, in Italian, for directions and about 50% of the time I can help and the other 50%, I just throw up my hands or offer my map. In shops, I greet the clerks in Italian, can mangle my way through to ask what I’m looking for and then of course, they start rattling off in Italian back. I think my vocabulary is up to about 50 words and I can even make some sentences – just don’t ask me anything too fast that requires more than a one word response :)
Tomorrow afternoon I'm off to Florence for the weekend, then to Milan for a couple of days and then up to Bellagio in the Lake District.
Yesterday, so un-Lucchesi of me, I ventured outside the city walls and explored some of the neighborhoods. Nothing noteworthy to report except it was fun to see the old women on their bikes with heels. The woman on the bike in the photo turned her head when she realized I was taking her picture. The main square in town offers a beautiful carousel with images of Lucca hand painted on the top and how can you not love that about a town. The children alternatively go for the carousel or the pigeons for a game of chase.
A Lucca trivia fact is that Puccini was born and raised here although he is known as a rebel after falling in love and fathering a child with someone else’s wife and thinking he was better than being the church organist. Lucca holds a year long festival to celebrate his music and how could I not partake in that – all Puccini, all year, who could resist. The program last night consisted of 3 duets and 4 arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Puccini’s Don Giovanni. These were performed by two opera singers and accompanied by a pianist. The festival is held in one of the churches here and has been “remodeled” to use for these purposes. Being in Italy with late night dining almost mandatory, I thought I’d wait until after the operatic performances to grab a bite to eat. That was a mistake. The performance was over at 8:45 and the town was almost asleep by then. Shops and restaurants were closed and after about a 20 minute walk around town, the only places serving food were gelaterias and pizzerias so I opted for the pizza, surprising I know. Tonight, on the other hand, the bar across the street was having a tacos and tequila night -- interesting for this small Italian town. I popped in and found that their idea of tacos were tortilla chips and the tequila being served was Jose Cuervo. My first thought was, what were they thinking and my second thought was, how spoiled are we to think this is not acceptable. I opted for a glass of wine and a few tortilla chips and then bid arrivederci so I could update my blog before bedtime.
The one thing that continues to surprise me is that locals or other travelers approach me, in Italian, for directions and about 50% of the time I can help and the other 50%, I just throw up my hands or offer my map. In shops, I greet the clerks in Italian, can mangle my way through to ask what I’m looking for and then of course, they start rattling off in Italian back. I think my vocabulary is up to about 50 words and I can even make some sentences – just don’t ask me anything too fast that requires more than a one word response :)
Tomorrow afternoon I'm off to Florence for the weekend, then to Milan for a couple of days and then up to Bellagio in the Lake District.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Siena
The only thing I can say about Siena – the people, the sights, the vibe, the men, the food, the wine is meravigliosa, fantastica. The city has an energy about it that is not frenetic like Rome, nasty like Naples or quaint and charming like Amalfi but just a very nice seemingly livable city. People are courteous, friendly and the men more flirtatious than I’ve seen thus far. The weather is also interesting – it’s clear, crisp and gorgeous sunny skies in the morning and towards the afternoon, it clouds up and rains and then is clear again in the evening. My only regret is that I wish I had the foresight to get an international driver’s license and rent a car for at least a day or two to explore the surrounding area more.
I took a day trip yesterday to San Gimignano, one of the towns near Siena which is quaint, charming and sits on the top of the hill. At one time the town boasted over 70 towers and controlled the trade in the Tuscan hill towns. Today, there are very few standing and the Torre Grossa is the only one left that you can climb (for a fee of course). I am a glutton for punishment as there are 220 steps to the top. The first 60 or 70 weren’t bad as they are the original stone, then they become the modern marvel of grated, wire stairs which you can see through and down. There should be a sign warning people of vertigo as I was about halfway up and feeling challenged and vertigo badly and thought, screw it, I’m going to turn around and go back down. As I contemplated my decision, a couple came by on their way down and said, it’s so worth the view, just keep going slowly and then an elderly gentleman said, follow me and you’ll be okay. They were so right, the views were incredible and once again, I amazed even myself. The climb down was not as bad as going up but I was a happy camper when I exited the museum and went for a glass of vino nearby.
This afternoon I arrived in Lucca via three trains and a taxi. This is a bite size city of churches, shops and gardens surrounded by walls and laid out very methodically by the ancient Romans. Many, young and old, ride their bikes sans helmets around and through town which is quite charming. The town is not far from Pisa, home of the leaning tower and about an hour from Florence. More on Lucca after I’ve had time to explore.
Ciao
I took a day trip yesterday to San Gimignano, one of the towns near Siena which is quaint, charming and sits on the top of the hill. At one time the town boasted over 70 towers and controlled the trade in the Tuscan hill towns. Today, there are very few standing and the Torre Grossa is the only one left that you can climb (for a fee of course). I am a glutton for punishment as there are 220 steps to the top. The first 60 or 70 weren’t bad as they are the original stone, then they become the modern marvel of grated, wire stairs which you can see through and down. There should be a sign warning people of vertigo as I was about halfway up and feeling challenged and vertigo badly and thought, screw it, I’m going to turn around and go back down. As I contemplated my decision, a couple came by on their way down and said, it’s so worth the view, just keep going slowly and then an elderly gentleman said, follow me and you’ll be okay. They were so right, the views were incredible and once again, I amazed even myself. The climb down was not as bad as going up but I was a happy camper when I exited the museum and went for a glass of vino nearby.
This afternoon I arrived in Lucca via three trains and a taxi. This is a bite size city of churches, shops and gardens surrounded by walls and laid out very methodically by the ancient Romans. Many, young and old, ride their bikes sans helmets around and through town which is quite charming. The town is not far from Pisa, home of the leaning tower and about an hour from Florence. More on Lucca after I’ve had time to explore.
Ciao
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Agerola and Siena
As my body was feeling every boulder climb and each of those 1700 steps from the day before, on my last day in Agerola, it was raining and windy so I decided when it cleared to take a short hike rather than go for another treacherous hike. I walked around the town which took about 20 minutes, decided to have a cappuccino – I know you’re thinking, she doesn’t drink coffee but I thought, oh why not try it once again as it has been a few years. After a few sips, I confirmed that in fact, I really don’t like the taste of coffee. After that experiment I took a path that runs through some of the local vineyards and gardens and although the rain was on and off, it was a pleasant and refreshing way to end my days of hiking on the Amalfi Coast.
In Agerola the hotel was a multi-generational, family run venture with breakfast and dinner provided as there are not a lot of other choices for hotels or restaurants in town. At dinner the first night, the second course was chicken. I was not that hungry but they didn’t understand that so I took a couple of bites and told them I was finished. The next night at dinner, the father told me they were serving chicken again and since I was a “vegetable”, they could offer me something else. I assured I wasn’t a vegetarian but if they wanted to provide something else, that would be fine. In a language challenge, I thought he offered an omelet with prosciutto and frommage (cheese) which I also found odd since if I was a “vegetable” I wouldn’t be eating prosciutto. When the second course came, they presented me with a plate of prosciutto and cheese and I just laughed. It was tasty and thought, oh well, I am not going to correct them. This was the routine for every meal, they would tell me what they were serving and wanted my approval before they served – I found it in equal parts amusing and great customer service. They also provided me with my own bottle of homemade red wine each evening and seemed disappointed when I didn’t drink the whole bottle each night.
On Friday night, as I was the only guest in the hotel, I told them I would have whatever they were having for dinner and not to make a fuss. This turned out to be an antipasti of bruschetta and grilled zucchini and a cheese pizza that was made at their house and brought to the restaurant along with fruit for dessert. They seemed delighted that I could be so accommodating and were charmed on Saturday when I left and presented them with a San Francisco t-shirt and a deck of playing cards with images of San Francisco. The grandfather, who spoke no English, went on and on and I just smiled and said grazie, grazie, perfecto since I had no clue what he was saying.
I arrived in Siena by train from Naples (via Florence) late yesterday afternoon. Siena is a lovely town and the hotel is very centrally located, the desk clerk looks like Orlando Bloom and it is an easy walk to the Piazza Campo, Duomo, shops and the back faces the local soccer stadium. I dropped my bags and cruised the streets and was immediately struck that while this is a big city, it seems quite intimate and cozy with walkways and paths that lead around the main areas. There are high end boutiques along side Upim, the Italian version of Target, pizzerias and gelateria. While corny, I could not resist taking a picture of the gelato mounds as it is the first time I’ve seen it presented like this – gotta love the artistry of the Italians.
Today, I walked around, toured the Duomo, had a gelato and sat and people watched in the Piazza Del Campo – it’s amazing what people say and do when they think you don’t speak English! By mid-afternoon, the skies opened up, there was much thunder and heavy rain and I decided to have a “chill day.” I went back to the hotel, took a siesta and read my book. It’s seemed a bit indulgent not to be exploring and walking and touring and taking pictures but a good day nonetheless.
In Agerola the hotel was a multi-generational, family run venture with breakfast and dinner provided as there are not a lot of other choices for hotels or restaurants in town. At dinner the first night, the second course was chicken. I was not that hungry but they didn’t understand that so I took a couple of bites and told them I was finished. The next night at dinner, the father told me they were serving chicken again and since I was a “vegetable”, they could offer me something else. I assured I wasn’t a vegetarian but if they wanted to provide something else, that would be fine. In a language challenge, I thought he offered an omelet with prosciutto and frommage (cheese) which I also found odd since if I was a “vegetable” I wouldn’t be eating prosciutto. When the second course came, they presented me with a plate of prosciutto and cheese and I just laughed. It was tasty and thought, oh well, I am not going to correct them. This was the routine for every meal, they would tell me what they were serving and wanted my approval before they served – I found it in equal parts amusing and great customer service. They also provided me with my own bottle of homemade red wine each evening and seemed disappointed when I didn’t drink the whole bottle each night.
On Friday night, as I was the only guest in the hotel, I told them I would have whatever they were having for dinner and not to make a fuss. This turned out to be an antipasti of bruschetta and grilled zucchini and a cheese pizza that was made at their house and brought to the restaurant along with fruit for dessert. They seemed delighted that I could be so accommodating and were charmed on Saturday when I left and presented them with a San Francisco t-shirt and a deck of playing cards with images of San Francisco. The grandfather, who spoke no English, went on and on and I just smiled and said grazie, grazie, perfecto since I had no clue what he was saying.
I arrived in Siena by train from Naples (via Florence) late yesterday afternoon. Siena is a lovely town and the hotel is very centrally located, the desk clerk looks like Orlando Bloom and it is an easy walk to the Piazza Campo, Duomo, shops and the back faces the local soccer stadium. I dropped my bags and cruised the streets and was immediately struck that while this is a big city, it seems quite intimate and cozy with walkways and paths that lead around the main areas. There are high end boutiques along side Upim, the Italian version of Target, pizzerias and gelateria. While corny, I could not resist taking a picture of the gelato mounds as it is the first time I’ve seen it presented like this – gotta love the artistry of the Italians.
Today, I walked around, toured the Duomo, had a gelato and sat and people watched in the Piazza Del Campo – it’s amazing what people say and do when they think you don’t speak English! By mid-afternoon, the skies opened up, there was much thunder and heavy rain and I decided to have a “chill day.” I went back to the hotel, took a siesta and read my book. It’s seemed a bit indulgent not to be exploring and walking and touring and taking pictures but a good day nonetheless.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Path of the Gods, Vineyards and Boulders
June 4, 2008
Today I set out to hike the Path of the Gods which takes you from Agerola to Positano. It was described as an easy hike of 3-4 hours with some ups and downs. The first hour was fine and then it became a path of boulders on very narrow paths to maneuver with sheer cliffs on one side and a sheer drop down to the water on the other. The last part of the hike was a choice of climbing up another 500 feet and then going down 700 steps to Positano or taking 1700 steps from Nocelle to Positano. I chose the 1700 steps and trust that's how many there were as I am not good with numbers and can't count that high with out some vino in hand.
If yesterday's hike was a challenge for the mind, this was one for the body.
Pictures posted later.
Today I set out to hike the Path of the Gods which takes you from Agerola to Positano. It was described as an easy hike of 3-4 hours with some ups and downs. The first hour was fine and then it became a path of boulders on very narrow paths to maneuver with sheer cliffs on one side and a sheer drop down to the water on the other. The last part of the hike was a choice of climbing up another 500 feet and then going down 700 steps to Positano or taking 1700 steps from Nocelle to Positano. I chose the 1700 steps and trust that's how many there were as I am not good with numbers and can't count that high with out some vino in hand.
If yesterday's hike was a challenge for the mind, this was one for the body.
Pictures posted later.
Agerola
June 3, 2008
Note: For those following the blog closely, the hotel only has a dial up connection and guests can only check their email every couple of days. There are no internet cafes in Agerola so there may be a lapse in posting the next few days.
Technical note: in order to post a comment you need to create an account
Arrived in Agerola (a-jer-ooh-la) yesterday from Naples. This village is at the top of the mountain – getting here from Naples was by van rather than bus, thank goodness. The town is a base destination for hiking in the Amalfi Coast and is a quaint and quiet town. When I arrived around 3 p.m., I wanted to have some lunch and as I walked the main street, everything seemed to be closed except for one proprietor serving “whatever you like” – now that can be taken a lot of ways but I was just looking for lunch, trust me. After having a scrumptious lunch of antipasti (a little salad, prosciutto, different salamis and cheese) and a glass of wine, I inquired why everything was closed as elsewhere in Italy (Rome, Naples, Amalfi) they did not seem to honor the siesta tradition of closing in the afternoon. He said that here in Agerola he thinks most are either lazy or rich so they don’t bother being open in the afternoon and it’s their whim whether they open in the evening! He then invited me to try a glass of their red wine which his family makes locally. It tasted similar to a pinot noir but gave me one heck of a buzz. I think the alcohol content was way more than I’m used to and then proceeded to have my own siesta after getting back to the hotel.
So this morning I wake up and the fog was rolling in over the hills and I thought, wait a minute am I in San Francisco? Are my weeks of travelling over with so soon? It was cool with a slight breeze and that misty, rain like feel. I packed my backpack appropriately, had breakfast and set off. The first hike was to be down from Agerola (elev. 1350 ft) through a canyon, then up to Furore (elev. 750) and then to to Amalfi for more touring if desired and the trip back up – approximately 8-9 miles of hiking. Since these are self-guided hikes, I started out great following the directions but took a wrong turn somewhere and as I had descended several hundred feet and could see nothing in the canyons below me due to the fog, I thought, “what was I thinking doing this myself, I’m going to slip and fall, end up in the bottom of the canyon and no one will find me.” After having a momentary pity party, I decided to journey on and before I knew it, the fog was lifting and I was seeing vineyards growing on the hillside, homes nestled among the vineyards, incredible views of the sea and when my path intersected with the path I should have been on, I chose to continue to Praino (sea level) rather than the original route since I was now on a mission. Am I ever glad I did. The views continued to become more spectacular and as I approached the town of Praino, this route afforded me the opportunity to walk along back paths of homes in the hillside, making my way down to the sea by a series of steps and concrete lanes and I wondered, how do people get up here to live in these beautiful homes. No sooner had that thought popped into my head, than a scooter approached me on the path -- questioned answered. It seems they also use mules/horses to check the vineyards and the houses way up in the hills and if anything needs to be done to those houses, they generally use a helicopter to drop any heavy materials.
Once I was at sea level, I caught the bus to Amalfi, had a bite to eat and a gelato of course and my only option to return to my hotel was by public bus but oh, well, what’s one more adventure. It was a winding, hairpin turn climb all the way to the top – think of the road up Mt. Tam but barely a single lane and a city bus maneuvering those turns. For the passenger’s excitement, the bus driver honks as he approaches turns, tunnels, etc to warn vehicles he is coming. Well, today one scooter driver ignored that honk, and the bus side swiped him. The passengers were all aghast but the bus driver stopped for just a moment, made sure the scooter was righted and on its way and so were we. Needless to say, I was very glad when we reached Agerola. And just for fun, I get to do the bus ride all over again tomorrow.
Here are my lessons of the day – you never know where a path might lead you, trust yourself and keep going. My reward was that what started out as a foggy, misty and unsettled day turned into a beautiful, sunny and adventurous hike. Stay tuned.
Note: For those following the blog closely, the hotel only has a dial up connection and guests can only check their email every couple of days. There are no internet cafes in Agerola so there may be a lapse in posting the next few days.
Technical note: in order to post a comment you need to create an account
Arrived in Agerola (a-jer-ooh-la) yesterday from Naples. This village is at the top of the mountain – getting here from Naples was by van rather than bus, thank goodness. The town is a base destination for hiking in the Amalfi Coast and is a quaint and quiet town. When I arrived around 3 p.m., I wanted to have some lunch and as I walked the main street, everything seemed to be closed except for one proprietor serving “whatever you like” – now that can be taken a lot of ways but I was just looking for lunch, trust me. After having a scrumptious lunch of antipasti (a little salad, prosciutto, different salamis and cheese) and a glass of wine, I inquired why everything was closed as elsewhere in Italy (Rome, Naples, Amalfi) they did not seem to honor the siesta tradition of closing in the afternoon. He said that here in Agerola he thinks most are either lazy or rich so they don’t bother being open in the afternoon and it’s their whim whether they open in the evening! He then invited me to try a glass of their red wine which his family makes locally. It tasted similar to a pinot noir but gave me one heck of a buzz. I think the alcohol content was way more than I’m used to and then proceeded to have my own siesta after getting back to the hotel.
So this morning I wake up and the fog was rolling in over the hills and I thought, wait a minute am I in San Francisco? Are my weeks of travelling over with so soon? It was cool with a slight breeze and that misty, rain like feel. I packed my backpack appropriately, had breakfast and set off. The first hike was to be down from Agerola (elev. 1350 ft) through a canyon, then up to Furore (elev. 750) and then to to Amalfi for more touring if desired and the trip back up – approximately 8-9 miles of hiking. Since these are self-guided hikes, I started out great following the directions but took a wrong turn somewhere and as I had descended several hundred feet and could see nothing in the canyons below me due to the fog, I thought, “what was I thinking doing this myself, I’m going to slip and fall, end up in the bottom of the canyon and no one will find me.” After having a momentary pity party, I decided to journey on and before I knew it, the fog was lifting and I was seeing vineyards growing on the hillside, homes nestled among the vineyards, incredible views of the sea and when my path intersected with the path I should have been on, I chose to continue to Praino (sea level) rather than the original route since I was now on a mission. Am I ever glad I did. The views continued to become more spectacular and as I approached the town of Praino, this route afforded me the opportunity to walk along back paths of homes in the hillside, making my way down to the sea by a series of steps and concrete lanes and I wondered, how do people get up here to live in these beautiful homes. No sooner had that thought popped into my head, than a scooter approached me on the path -- questioned answered. It seems they also use mules/horses to check the vineyards and the houses way up in the hills and if anything needs to be done to those houses, they generally use a helicopter to drop any heavy materials.
Once I was at sea level, I caught the bus to Amalfi, had a bite to eat and a gelato of course and my only option to return to my hotel was by public bus but oh, well, what’s one more adventure. It was a winding, hairpin turn climb all the way to the top – think of the road up Mt. Tam but barely a single lane and a city bus maneuvering those turns. For the passenger’s excitement, the bus driver honks as he approaches turns, tunnels, etc to warn vehicles he is coming. Well, today one scooter driver ignored that honk, and the bus side swiped him. The passengers were all aghast but the bus driver stopped for just a moment, made sure the scooter was righted and on its way and so were we. Needless to say, I was very glad when we reached Agerola. And just for fun, I get to do the bus ride all over again tomorrow.
Here are my lessons of the day – you never know where a path might lead you, trust yourself and keep going. My reward was that what started out as a foggy, misty and unsettled day turned into a beautiful, sunny and adventurous hike. Stay tuned.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Good, Bad, Historical - Naples
It has been an interesting few days. Our graduation dinner was fabulous and sad to see the week end but I learned a few new things, tried new dishes and would do it all over again. The Amalfi Coast is gorgeous and I spent a lot of time day dreaming about how I could possibly earn a living and the language and stay there.
On Saturday I arrived in Naples – you either love it or hate it. I’m not sure I hate it but it’s filthy (huge piles of trash line the streets), there is graffiti and graffiti art everywhere and on everything and am told there is no effort to remove it, ever! Riding on the train or the bus, it is routinely stopped so a “checker” can board to ensure each passenger has a paid ticket for the ride. It’s a 36 euro (54 USD) fine if you don’t have one – this does not deter people from boarding with out a paid fare. The neighborhood around the Via Duomo was interesting and I took the picture of the fish monger who was quite funny. Unfortunately, for the most part, I found most people I encountered here to be rude and unfriendly. For example, “which way is the bus” is met with a hand gesture and “over there” and even in my limited Italian, it is clear that they do not want to give you any more info than they have to. This is not a city that I loved and would not be in a hurry to visit again.
Here’s some historical information on my hikes to Mt. Vesuvius, touring Pompei and Capri. Mt Vesuvius is the best known volcano on earth. It is still an active volcano and monitored carefully and if it were to have a major eruption, the Napoli coast which lies directly at its base would be destroyed. It was an interesting and steep hike up with hut like structures along the way selling water, souvenirs, etc. At the last hut, they offered red or white wine for fortification for the downhill back -- you gotta love that. While it was sunny on the mountain, there was a lot of overcast. On a very clear day, I understand that you can see the coast down to Sorrento and a far as the Island of Capri.
Pompei was founded in the 6th century B.C. by the Osci and when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, the town had some 20,000 inhabitants and as I walked around the ruins, it was easy to see the way they lived. There were things like wine jars, inscriptions such as “welcome” and “money,” a swimming pool, aqueducts that provided water for street fountains and public baths and marble counters that looked like they had been part of their kitchens. It was incredible to see the well preserved frescos (see photo) and touring the Villa of the Mysteries which were used for rituals. Some of the rituals were depicted in the huge frescos on the walls. After being in Pompei, I feel like I need to take another European history lesson on this era.
Caesar Augustus built the first villa on Capri in 29 B.C. and it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons (not the drink). The architecture is amazing and there are a number of monasteries that pay tribute to this period. Walking around I came upon all these cows and I’m only posting one of them but took pictures of most all them. It is a similar project to the painted hearts in San Francisco but they call this the CowParade which is an international movement uses innovative forms and languages and diffuses the art with the immediacy in the heart of every city they are paraded in. Each cow has a theme and is sponsored by either a local, national or global business. At the end of the parade in July, they will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Okay, now some of you are probably reading my trials and tribulations of public transit and thinking – she’s on public transportation, the one who had so many issues with BART? The answer is yes. Other than a taxi from the Naples train station to my hotel, I have only used public transportation and am now so familiar with the workings of the bus and metro systems in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast (from Salerno to Sorrento) that I have been stopped by tourists looking for information.
I am off to Agerola which is south and is situated in the hills above Amalfi for another few days of hiking and daydreaming.
Ciao
On Saturday I arrived in Naples – you either love it or hate it. I’m not sure I hate it but it’s filthy (huge piles of trash line the streets), there is graffiti and graffiti art everywhere and on everything and am told there is no effort to remove it, ever! Riding on the train or the bus, it is routinely stopped so a “checker” can board to ensure each passenger has a paid ticket for the ride. It’s a 36 euro (54 USD) fine if you don’t have one – this does not deter people from boarding with out a paid fare. The neighborhood around the Via Duomo was interesting and I took the picture of the fish monger who was quite funny. Unfortunately, for the most part, I found most people I encountered here to be rude and unfriendly. For example, “which way is the bus” is met with a hand gesture and “over there” and even in my limited Italian, it is clear that they do not want to give you any more info than they have to. This is not a city that I loved and would not be in a hurry to visit again.
Here’s some historical information on my hikes to Mt. Vesuvius, touring Pompei and Capri. Mt Vesuvius is the best known volcano on earth. It is still an active volcano and monitored carefully and if it were to have a major eruption, the Napoli coast which lies directly at its base would be destroyed. It was an interesting and steep hike up with hut like structures along the way selling water, souvenirs, etc. At the last hut, they offered red or white wine for fortification for the downhill back -- you gotta love that. While it was sunny on the mountain, there was a lot of overcast. On a very clear day, I understand that you can see the coast down to Sorrento and a far as the Island of Capri.
Pompei was founded in the 6th century B.C. by the Osci and when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, the town had some 20,000 inhabitants and as I walked around the ruins, it was easy to see the way they lived. There were things like wine jars, inscriptions such as “welcome” and “money,” a swimming pool, aqueducts that provided water for street fountains and public baths and marble counters that looked like they had been part of their kitchens. It was incredible to see the well preserved frescos (see photo) and touring the Villa of the Mysteries which were used for rituals. Some of the rituals were depicted in the huge frescos on the walls. After being in Pompei, I feel like I need to take another European history lesson on this era.
Caesar Augustus built the first villa on Capri in 29 B.C. and it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons (not the drink). The architecture is amazing and there are a number of monasteries that pay tribute to this period. Walking around I came upon all these cows and I’m only posting one of them but took pictures of most all them. It is a similar project to the painted hearts in San Francisco but they call this the CowParade which is an international movement uses innovative forms and languages and diffuses the art with the immediacy in the heart of every city they are paraded in. Each cow has a theme and is sponsored by either a local, national or global business. At the end of the parade in July, they will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Okay, now some of you are probably reading my trials and tribulations of public transit and thinking – she’s on public transportation, the one who had so many issues with BART? The answer is yes. Other than a taxi from the Naples train station to my hotel, I have only used public transportation and am now so familiar with the workings of the bus and metro systems in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast (from Salerno to Sorrento) that I have been stopped by tourists looking for information.
I am off to Agerola which is south and is situated in the hills above Amalfi for another few days of hiking and daydreaming.
Ciao
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