Italy Tribute Menu

Last night I had a couple of friends over to eat dinner and see my photos and videos of Italy. I wanted to recreate the typical food I had enjoyed in Italy, but scaled back a little to accommodate smaller appetites. Thus there is no Primo course of soup, pasta, or risotto.

L'antipasto

• Bruschetta with tapenade
• Olives
• Caprese salad with home grown basil

Il secondo

• Sauteed pork scallopini served with arugula (lightly dressed)
• Rosemary, olive oil and sea salt potato fries

Il dolce

• Plum-Mascarpone Cheesecake with Ginger Crust

Prosecco and aqua minerale. 

A good time was had by all!

GPS view of my trip

GPS information culled from my Canon PowerShot SX230 HS.

Cataclysms: Montecassino

If you have ever longed to visit Normandy to pay your respects to the dead of World War II, as I have, consider a visit to Montecassino as well. The Commonwealth Memorial at this location is deeply moving, and I wept without shame as I walked among the grave markers, reading the names and regiments of the soldiers resting here where they fell.

I was not familiar with the history of the battles at Montecassino, but it seems tens of thousand of Allied troops died in the attempt to wrest this critical area from Hitler's grasp. Blunders were undoubtedly made, but it is a testament to the strength of the Axis forces that it was not until the Allies were triple the strength of the Nazis that the battle was finally won.

See the bottom of this post for some additional information I gleaned from another website.

The Monastery of Montecassino is visible on the hilltop

The memories are still fresh

From the website Monte Cassino Battlefield Tour:

The Commonwealth Cemetery of Cassino is the largest WWII Cemetery in Italy. The cemetery contains 4265 grave markers of soldiers. They died in battles against the German army. In the middle of the cemetery there is a tall white monument. There are fifteen tall granite slabs located on both sides of the monument. On the slabs are the names of over 4000 missing soldiers who died in Italy and Sicily. In the centre of the beautifully landscaped cemetery is a lovely pool surrounded by a mosaic tiled walkway. Between September, 1943 and May, 1944 the town was occupied by the Germans. The Germans had a great strategic position - on the mountain - and were able to see the entire area. The Allied Forces made many unsuccessful attempts to conquer Monte Cassino.

Cataclysms: Pompeii

On our last full day of touring, we visited two memorials to the dead -- Pompeii and the Montecassino Commonwealth War Cemetery. This post is about Pompeii.

Pompeii

I've decided to let pictures tell the story of my visit to Pompeii. Everyone knows about the historical event, so there is not much I can add, except my enduring impressions. Pompeii was settled 2,700 years ago by the Greeks, with temples, an amphitheater, homes large and small, and shops galore. When the Romans moved in, they were horrified by the lack of drains, which they instantly retrofitted, as well as adding a gladiator training ground. The Greeks built with pumice, but the Romans with brick and mortar, which was much sturdier and lent itself to more beautiful structures such as arches.

Pompeii was big enough to hold a population of 30,000 -- a good sized town! -- although at the time of the eruption, probably 12,000 - 15,000 were living there. There was no lava in Pompeii -- it was smothered in ash, and its denizens were suffocated to death.

The dead of Pompeii -- they covered their mouths
to try to prevent asphyxiation, to no avail.

Footnote: I bought a small tile at Pompeii bearing the inscription Cave Canem -- Latin for "Beware of the Dog." I have always wanted one of these. True story.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie ... that's Sorrento

When I wasn't traversing the Amalfi coast on crowded, narrow mountain roads and praying for unconsciousness, I was sitting by the pool at my five-star hotel drinking cappuccino and wishing I could have joined the group on their day trip to Capri. Ironically I was reading The Story of San Michele on my Nook while everyone else was visiting San Michele in person. That was the day of my stomach upset, and thus Sorrento and Capri passed me by for the most part.

The night before I was at our touristy dinner in a restaurant set on a pier over the water. Nice! And I wandered down to the water's edge to pay a wet compliment to the Bay.

Our dinner was kind of hilarious. The Neapolitans like to make a big cheesy show out of everything, so we applauded heartily when the servers brought out enormous platters of fish or pasta. Our entertainer for the evening, Maurizio, sang us the old songs of Naples, and when he brought around his obligatory self-published CD for sale, I was amused to see the cover photo was of him and Michael Bolton posing together. Naturally I couldn't resist such star quality, and I purchased one. I wonder if Maurizio was the one who taught Bolton to sing in Italian.

One of our tour group, Steve -- who got it in his head that my entire blog was about him so I guess it's time to mention his name -- made a big stack of limoncello glasses and we had fun with that too. Not sure who drank them all, but we were all mellow-yellow going back to the hotel.

Things I didn't miss

While I was in Italy, I did not miss:

• Picking up dog poop in the yard
• Cleaning the cat box
• Cooking
• Shopping for groceries
• Doing laundry
• Housework in general
• My job
• TV (amazing!)
• Frozen meals
• Watering the garden
• Reading commercial emails

Things I missed a bit:

• My family
• My pets
• My soft bed
• Shorts (I needed them in Italy!) 
• Cotton underwear 
• A washcloth 
• Toilet seats
• Doing laundry (yes, it appears in both lists)

And now for something completely different ...

We drove from Florence in the north of Italy to Sorrento in the south today. The landscape changes from lush and cooler and to hot and dry, and the rolling hills of Tuscany and Umbria change to mountains and coastline as you approach Napoli.

We drove past Mount Etna and Naples, and deposited our luggage in the five-star La Pace Hotel in Sorrento before embarking again on a white-knuckle tour of the Amalfi coast. This does not involve a nice scenic tour close to the water, as it sounds. It means driving high up in to the mountains on ridiculously tight switchbacks on a narrow road and looking down a terrifying sheer drop to the sea below. We followed this route until we reached Positano, a town built vertically from the sea nearly to the mountain tops. Seriously, it has to be the most inconvenient way to live that I can imagine. There is not a flat surface on any of the streets until you reach the beach level. The rest either climbs or descends, depending on which way you are going. Positano has many chi-chi shops for the tourists (beware) and it is certainly an interesting place to visit, but as the old saying goes ... I wouldn't want to live there.

Pisa and Florence

A long, long coach ride in the rain from Venice to Florence by way of Pisa yesterday left my lower legs swollen alarmingly. Nonetheless ....

I was very impressed with Pisa's cathedral and baptistry, but I regret to tell you that something is wrong with the pretty bell tower. It leans at an alarming angle. (Joke.) I found them very beautiful indeed, and it was so interesting to see these gleaming white buildings resting within the protective Roman-era city walls, dark brown and green with age yet still standing.

Another coach ride brought us into bella Firenze! At last! Our hotel is a converted palazio in the heart of the city, and the fabulous Duomo is three or four short blocks away. We started our visit last night with a trip high into the Tuscan hills for a fabulous gourmet dinner featuring Tuscan specialities such as risotto with zucchini flowers and vegetable soup that is so thick - because it is made with bread - that it is served on a plate next to the macaroni selection and the risotto as the second course. For the third course we had a mixed grill of five meats. After I had demolished one of these meats and declared it was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten, someone informed me it was bunny. I have never eaten rabbit before and never thought I would like to, but I became an instant convert.

The Gates of Paradise

This morning we visited l'Accademia where Michelangelo's David lives. The Italians refer to Michelangelo simply as "The Genius." The epithet is well-deserved. Then we walked over to the Duomo - my favorite piece of architecture in the world. It is huge, and you don't really realize how much it dominates Florence until you see the city from the perspective of the surrounding hills. Across the Square is the baptistry with the famous Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti. Faithful copies were made in WWII and sent to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco while the original doors were hidden in an old barn in the countryside to protect them from bombing. Tragically, a few years ago the Arno flooded Florence to a level of about 12 feet, and the bronzes were almost destroyed. In fact several of them were detached by the torrent of water and mud and were found later, floating many streets away. They have now been removed to a new art gallery, but handmade copies of the originals have been erected in their stead, and they are just as beautiful to the eye.

Then a quick walk to the Piazza della Signoria where a copy of the David now stands in its original place, as well as other amazing sculptures by Bernini and others, and we finished up at Santa Croce cathedral.

I am tired, tired, tired from the pace of this trip, with not a bit of downtime for 7 days and counting. So I am spending the mid-afternoon in my hotel room to recuperate my energy. However, at 4:00 PM I have a reservation to visit the Uffizi Galleries, only 3 blocks from the hotel. This is a side trip I am taking on my own. I am looking forward to spending time wandering along at my own tempo, lost in great art.

Tomorrow we are back on the road for Sorrento and Capri, then Pompeii and back to Roma by Friday night.

Don't rock the boat: Venice

The Bridge of Sighs - the prisoner's last walk
from the Doge's Palace to the prison.

We started out very early (7:40 AM) for our long coach ride to Venice today. As we traveled I noticed that every inch of reasonably flat land is cultivated with sunflowers, grapes, olives, tomatoes, artichokes -- all manner of delicious comestibles. Our route took us high up through the Apennines along some scary switchback roads, across the River Po into Northern Italy. It was a feast for the eyes.

We spent almost all our time in Venice on the water, in water taxis or gondolas, and walking around St. Mark's Square. There were more people than pigeons, if that gives you a clue as to the crowd levels.



I did buy Murano glass, in jewelry form, as gifts for a couple of lucky people, as well as a mille fiori necklace for myself and a cheap watch decorated the same way. Our tour consists of long days with many checkpoints, and being able to gather with the others at specific times is crucial to the smooth continuation of our experience. So I felt the watch was a more than acceptable expenditure.

Basilica San Marco

I am writing this from my room at the Principe Hotel in Venice, an old building with excellent amenities. I just wish someone would make it stop rocking. The Grand Canal is just outside and you will not convince me that the land doesn't move with the water.

A word about my fellow travelers. I am the only single person on this tour, and the other people have been incredibly kind, inviting me to sit with them for a meal or to join them in any activities where we need to subdivide into smaller groups. I was overwhelmed today just before the gondola rides when we needed to form groups of six ... clearly as the odd man out my presence seemed somewhat problematic.  But not a bit of it. I immediately received no fewer than five invitations from other couples to join them as part of their gondola group. It was quite embarrassing to have to turn so many of them down! But my heart was secretly bursting with gratitude at the kindness of these relative strangers; and now, my friends.

Assisi

A visit to the birthplace of St. Francis, history's most humble saint, deserves a simple blog title. And so it is.

It was over 100 degrees F when we visited Assisi and its less populous sister city, Spello. I loved Spello, a hilltop town built by the ancient Romans and added to by succeeding generations in the middle ages, Renaissance, and modern times, to create a true gem of a hometown with all its ancient character protected both by fiat (not the car) and by its proud residents.

Una nonna de Spello

We walked up, up, up Spello's cobbled streets and alleyways, chatting with some of the local nonnas, all of whom seemed to have a big pash for our local tour guide, Marco. One nonna gave him some fresh eggs from her daughter's farm, another 88-year-old nonna allowed him to take out her trash, and a third brought out her 50th wedding anniversary photos in their lovely frames to pass around our group so we could share her joy. Talk about being off the beaten path ... Spello is truly a hidden gem.

On to Assisi, again very high up in the hills, but accessible enough -- as it would have to be, as the third biggest religious attraction in Italy after the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, receiving about 5 million visitors annually. In spite of this daunting statistic, and the fact that a steady stream of visitors kept arriving, Assisi was not nearly as crowded as the Rome attractions, and the atmosphere was generally peaceful. Many deeply religious people come to Assisi as pilgrims, and I would say the proportion of really religious people here versus those visiting the Vatican was much higher, or so it seemed to my observing eye.

Basilica of Saint Francis

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis is astonishing, two churches in one, one built atop another, and both decorated every square inch with important and beautiful frescoes.

Way beneath the ground level, I was deeply moved to visit the holy tomb of St. Francis, and it gave me great joy to see that his special companions, the early followers from the days when townspeople were still spitting on the little brothers and calling them "Pazzi" (Crazies!) were entombed in a circle around Francis' relics.

After this we visited the nearby Santa Maria degli Angeli, which enshrines whole the original Porziuncula built with Francis' own hands, and also the rope belt he was wearing when he died, bearing the three knots that represent the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Santa Maria degli Angeli

The air in the Umbrian hills is fresh and invigorating compared to the atmosphere in Rome. We got full enjoyment of the beauty of the environment in our hilltop hotel, the Roseo, which looked out over the valley with serenity.

Arrivederci, Roma. What, already?

Tonight I took the walking tour mentioned in the last post, and tossed a coin in the Trevi Fountain for a special intention. One of my tour group friends slipped on the wet surface when he tossed in his coin and sat down hard on the wet edge of the fountain. Did he get sympathy? Not on your Nelly. His wife, who had been capturing the moment on film, said she just wished she had had the video setting on. An older Italian man who saw the incident laughed hysterically, and kept repeating, "You're supposed to throw in the money, not yourself!" Clearly he was very cheered by this little slip.

It is actually forbidden to touch the water, never mind throw yourself in, and our serious guide informed us that the ill-fated Anna Nicole Smith spent 3 days in jail here after flouting this law.

Pantheon

I loved the Pantheon. I love that it has been upgraded from a pantheistic church honoring the top twelve deities of the Roman heavens to a Christian church honoring the top 12 Martyrs. I love that when it rains through the open roof of this rotunda, a system devised 18 centuries ago sucks out the water from the sloping floor and a series of pipes delivers it to the Tiber where it will do no harm. I love that Trajan built it for himself to convince others that he was probably immortal, after copying the idea from a similar tribute built to Alexander the Great.

And I love that Rafael is entombed in the Pantheon, the only artist of his stature to be so honored simply because he came from the right school of painting. Sort of a trade union thing.

It is impossible to plumb the delights of Rome in one day, but I did my best.  Assisi and the crazy little saint I love so much tomorrow.

The miracle of the weeping eye: Rome

Ever since I arrived in Rome yesterday, my right eye has been gently weeping tears. Just one eye. This is not an emotional response in any form; it is probably an infection of some kind I have not experienced before. Rather than getting upset about it I have decided to treat the phenomenon with respect, as if I were one of those weeping statues in churches. It just seems appropriate.

Last night I took the optional excursion to go out to dinner at La Caravana, a romantic restaurant with a huge outdoor eating area, followed by an illuminations tour of major sites. Only a small number of people did this excursion. The dinner was fun and the food good, although very high in carbs. Bread-, rice- and potato-based dishes formed the antipasto course, with some salami and prosciutto, then pizza, then a sweet cheesecake with chocolate bits in it. The wine and Prosecco flowed freely, however, which helped everything along. The entertainment was very simpatico - see the video!

The Pietá - possibly the world's greatest piece of religious art.

Today we visited the Vatican. We were ushered through some immense corridors in the Vatican Museum, and as much as I enjoyed the tapestries and paintings, I couldn't help wishing I could break away and explore much, much more. Following this we went into the Sistine Chapel, and it was wonderful to see how the cleaning of the frescoes has really made them pop. Sadly the chapel was crowded (as was every other place we have been), but we spent quality time marveling at the art. From here we walked over to the St. Peter's Basilica and again it was a wonderful experience. Rather more ornate than I am used to, with some competing styles of art on a massive scale, but the more you learn about it the more it all makes sense. I was deeply moved to see the resting place of Pope John Paul II - the Blessed - not far from the Pietá.

After an inadequate lunch and rest stop, and self not buying any souvenirs at all, we bused over to the Collosseo - the Colosseum. Now this was spectacular, and after all the hi-jinks of the street vendors outside, the guys dressed as gladiators who try to get you to give them money for a photo with them, the horse and carriage touts, and multitudes of tour groups, the atmosphere seemed strangely calm and reflective within the walls of the ruins.






I am resting in my hotel room now from the day's heat and an immense sense of tiredness from all the walking and stair climbing. I have signed up for another walking tour tonight, to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, but I am not at all sure I have the strength. I'll have to decide soon, though.

Tomorrow we depart for Assisi at 7:45 a.m.

On the ground in Italy

After a grueling flight from JFK, I finally arrived in Fiumicino Airport. Our flight was delayed in New York so I missed my tour shuttle to the hotel. I have decided to wait until the next shuttle, now about an hour away, to save taxi money. To fill the time, I opened my netbook and tried out the XCom Global wifi device - and hooray, it works! Unlimited wifi throughout my trip for $13 a day. Sweet.

Some thoughts on air travel.

1. People who travel first class or even business class on trans-Atlantic flights live like kings compared to those of us in steerage class. 
2. The "Main Cabin" is code for "where the suckers are."
3. American Airlines does not have clean airplanes. There was something sticky on my tray table, the arm rests still had ashtrays in them (soldered down, but how old does that make them??) and the toilet looked like something from a neglected bus station. 
4. We can put a man on the moon, but we can't serve a tasty meal on an airplane in the Main Cabin. 
5. Steerage class air passengers have about as much room as 17th Century sailors, without the mobility. The sailors could at least lie down in their hammocks. 
6. Anyone over 5' 5" and 200 pounds will not be comfortable in steerage. Period.  
7. The longer the flight, the worse the experience. 

OK, that's my little rant over and done with. My Italian adventure lies ahead and I am looking forward, not backward now. Enjoying the smells and sounds of espresso coffees at the bar while tasting San Benedetto Aqua Minerale Naturale and Fruitella soft candies. I have seen the Dolomites and the Tyrrhenean Sea from the sky. It is 90 degrees F, proper football is on the TV, and a small fire in a trash can by the airport exit aroused no excitement whatsoever.  

I have arrived.   

A traveler's prayer

Traveling abroad so close to today's somber 9/11 commemorations prompted me to look for a prayer for protection that I can say now and throughout the trip. I liked this one:

God, you have given us feet to move, and a mind to imagine new things and places and people. You have made us to travel and explore your wonderful world. Thank you for this gift. Still, this world over which we move is wrought with dangers and threats. When we travel, we are vulnerable. Please protect our steps. Protect us on the road, and in the air. Send an angel of protection to accompany us. Shield us from evil and the Evil One who would use this opportunity to bring destruction. Bring us safely there and back home again. And while we’re gone, protect those we leave behind. Keep the peace and secure the boundaries of our home. Assign an angel of protection to stand guard over our property and our loved ones, our children, and our friends and family. Keep us healthy and guard us from sickness, injury, accident and violence. Give wisdom to those flying the airplane and driving the vehicles, and keep the machinery working properly. Moderate the weather on our travels. And even now, begin to prepare us and the places we will visit, so that we can meet you there. In fact, Lord, come with us. Join us on this journey and be our companion and guide and protector and provider. In Jesus' name we pray.

-- Posted by Mark Herringshaw on Beliefnet.

Saint Christopher, watch over us.
Deliver us safely to our destination
and home again.

The prepared traveler

It's ridiculous how much money and effort I have put into getting ready for this trip. I have purchased all of the following:

• A new Canon camera with GPS.
• An ASUS netbook for writing up my trip journal, downloading photos, and providing pre-bedtime entertainment (since I don't expect I will understand Italian TV).
• A Nook with lots of books downloaded. I love to read on vacation, especially on long flights. I also have several audio books downloaded to the iPhone.
• An XCom Global portable Wifi device (rented for the duration of the tour).
• A $2.99 monthly subscription on Skype for unlimited calling to US phones.
• A tote bag to replace the usual carry-on, as the magical mystery tour bus won't accommodate more than one piece of large luggage.
• A new handbag and wallet.
• Various articles of clothing. Amazing how clothes that will do fine for at home are clearly not good enough for travel. Plus, it is challenging to pack enough pieces for 11 days without over-stuffing the suitcase, so a mix-n-match strategy was essential.
• New shoes (see above). Just could not take the 10-year-old sneakers with the peeling-off soles to the fashion capital of the world.   
• Other minor stuff, but this list is daunting enough.

Financial arrangements also received some extra attention. After I discovered that my bank charges fees for purchases and ATM withdrawals overseas, I opened a checking account with Capital One. There will be a small fee for cash withdrawals, but none for purchases.

Still trying to get enough Euros from the local American Express Travel center. They were out of supplies when I visited them on Friday. Should be able to complete the transaction Monday or Tuesday.

The back story

I have always wanted to visit Italy. Although I grew up living and traveling abroad, Italy is one destination that somehow never made the itinerary (except for one transfer at the Rome airport while flying between Cape Town and New York, somewhere in the mists of the 1970s).

By February of 2011 I was finally able to save enough money for what I consider a long trip to Italy – 11 days of traveling and touring. I chose Insight Vacations for my travel provider as I had heard good things about them. The tour is called “Best of Italy,” and I selected it because it includes all the places on my Italy Bucket List: Rome, Assisi, Florence, Sorrento, Venice, Capri, Pisa and Pompeii. You can view a map of our route at the top right of this blog.

My former cruising buddy was excited too, and agreed to join me, so we booked together. After months of happy anticipation, only a couple of weeks before our departure, she and I both received some sad news about family members’ health. For my companion, it spelled the end of her participation. This loss gave me a hollow feeling and dampened my enthusiasm. In any case, my portion of the trip was in serious limbo too, while I waited and watched to see if my father, who was very ill, would recover in time for me to travel with a clear conscience.

As of today, my trip is still on. I depart in less than a week (Wednesday, September 14), leaving my adult son in charge of my home and pets and as emergency backup for my parents. Prayers to Saint Francis that all goes smoothly.

Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
 
-- St. Francis’ prayer for vocations, but quite applicable to me.