3. Dinner with new friends
4. Eggplant Parmesan
5. Strolling with the locals
6. Pizza in the garden
7. Figs
9. Comfy bed (Lucca)
10. Fresco's
12. Tuscan hill towns
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Things I love about Italy - Part Deux
1. Villa Magnolia
2. Quiet Sundays
3. Dinner with new friends
4. Eggplant Parmesan
5. Strolling with the locals
6. Pizza in the garden
7. Figs
8. BBC World News
9. Comfy bed (Lucca)
10. Fresco's
11. Free Internet Service
12. Tuscan hill towns
13. Lucca
14. Italian courtyards
15. Outdoor markets
16. Biking on a crisp fall day
17. Pasta with pesto sauce
18. Puccini arias
19. Pastry shops
20. Trulli
3. Dinner with new friends
4. Eggplant Parmesan
5. Strolling with the locals
6. Pizza in the garden
7. Figs
9. Comfy bed (Lucca)
10. Fresco's
12. Tuscan hill towns
Friday, October 15, 2010
O Mio Babbino Caro
Tonight I was thrilled when the aria 'O Mio Babbino Cara' from Puccini's opera 'Gianni Schicchi' was performed at a concert I attended. I think this is my all time favorite aria (I'm unfortunately not a opera buff so my list of favorites is pretty short). The city of Lucca sponsors nightly concerts featuring Puccini's music (this is his home town). Tonight he shared the bill with Mozart. It was held in the San Giovanni church where he worked as an organist before he became a big time composer. It was a lovely experience and will definitely be one of the highlights of my trip. I may go back for more tomorrow night.
Today I also went to Pisa, a short 30 minute wonderful bus ride, to see the sites. It did not disappoint. I was a little surprised at the throngs of tourists surrounding the cathedral and tower. I guess I shouldn't have been since this is one of Italy's most iconic sites. Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a little like seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. You can't believe you're really there and that it's the real deal. I purchased a ticket to climb the tower and waited my turn. Inside it's a little disconcerting because you are walking up steps that are definitely leaning to one side. The stairs are worn from years of wear and the passage way is narrow but it was so much fun. I debated whether it was worth the 15 euro ticket but figured I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon and I could check it off my bucket list.
I also toured the Cathedral which was very beautiful and the Baptistry.
I think it's interesting these days of baptism by sprinkling that the Roman Catholic church used to baptize by immersion. Something must have gotten lost in translation or fell out of favor. The acoustics in the Baptistry were amazing. Today a couple of security guards stood at the baptismal font and sang three tones within 10 seconds and made a chord, creating a harmony by themselves. A woman also sang a bit of 'Ave Maria', so beautiful.
In the Cathedral the most stunning piece of art is a huge mosaic completed in 1300 of Jesus Christ between Mary and John. The style is not what you will find in most other Italian cathedrals, but more Eastern Orthodox or Byzantine. In 1200 AD Pisa was a powerful sea-trading power and traded with both Europeans and Byzantine Christians as far south as North Africa and as far east as Syria.
When I returned to Lucca I finally took a turn around the battlements of their walled city. Lucca has had a protective wall for 2000 years beginning with a Roman wall, then later medieval wall and the 16th century wall which survives today. It stretches for 2.5 miles. Today I walked, tomorrow I want to rent a bike and experience it on wheels. The pathway is wide and lined with trees and grass. What a beautiful way to enjoy your city, from above the roof tops.
All in all, a great day.
Today I also went to Pisa, a short 30 minute wonderful bus ride, to see the sites. It did not disappoint. I was a little surprised at the throngs of tourists surrounding the cathedral and tower. I guess I shouldn't have been since this is one of Italy's most iconic sites. Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a little like seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. You can't believe you're really there and that it's the real deal. I purchased a ticket to climb the tower and waited my turn. Inside it's a little disconcerting because you are walking up steps that are definitely leaning to one side. The stairs are worn from years of wear and the passage way is narrow but it was so much fun. I debated whether it was worth the 15 euro ticket but figured I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon and I could check it off my bucket list.
I also toured the Cathedral which was very beautiful and the Baptistry.
I think it's interesting these days of baptism by sprinkling that the Roman Catholic church used to baptize by immersion. Something must have gotten lost in translation or fell out of favor. The acoustics in the Baptistry were amazing. Today a couple of security guards stood at the baptismal font and sang three tones within 10 seconds and made a chord, creating a harmony by themselves. A woman also sang a bit of 'Ave Maria', so beautiful.
In the Cathedral the most stunning piece of art is a huge mosaic completed in 1300 of Jesus Christ between Mary and John. The style is not what you will find in most other Italian cathedrals, but more Eastern Orthodox or Byzantine. In 1200 AD Pisa was a powerful sea-trading power and traded with both Europeans and Byzantine Christians as far south as North Africa and as far east as Syria.
When I returned to Lucca I finally took a turn around the battlements of their walled city. Lucca has had a protective wall for 2000 years beginning with a Roman wall, then later medieval wall and the 16th century wall which survives today. It stretches for 2.5 miles. Today I walked, tomorrow I want to rent a bike and experience it on wheels. The pathway is wide and lined with trees and grass. What a beautiful way to enjoy your city, from above the roof tops.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
An expensive lesson to learn
I turned in my little Ford Fiesta rental car this evening and it was none too soon for me. Driving has had its advantages and quite a few disadvantages:
Advantages - freedom to go where you want when you want, no baggage to haul on and off the train, safety when traveling alone
Disadvantages - cost of fuel, cost of toll roads, paying to park everywhere, aggressive drivers, narrow roads, tour buses, poor road signs or no road signs, no map or gps, no co-pilot, Italian radio stations, low stone walls
It's the last one that finally got me. In all the years I've rented cars and with all the crazy drivers and sometimes dangerous roads I've navigated over the past two weeks it was a small stone wall, about 18" high that did me in. The villa in Puglia had a very low wall you had to drive around to exit the grounds. Within the first hour of being there I scraped the side of the car trying to make a super sharp turn.
I've been dreading turning the car in every since. I knew I've have to pay for the damage and I did. The cost of buying insurance from Hertz wouldn't have been much less so all things considered I guess it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Since I rented the car with my credit card I'll see if they will cover any of the charges when I get home.
All things considered I like traveling by train better but that wasn't a good option for most of my itinerary. Train, bus and foot will be my modes of transportation during the coming week.
Lesson learned, the hard way.
Advantages - freedom to go where you want when you want, no baggage to haul on and off the train, safety when traveling alone
Disadvantages - cost of fuel, cost of toll roads, paying to park everywhere, aggressive drivers, narrow roads, tour buses, poor road signs or no road signs, no map or gps, no co-pilot, Italian radio stations, low stone walls
It's the last one that finally got me. In all the years I've rented cars and with all the crazy drivers and sometimes dangerous roads I've navigated over the past two weeks it was a small stone wall, about 18" high that did me in. The villa in Puglia had a very low wall you had to drive around to exit the grounds. Within the first hour of being there I scraped the side of the car trying to make a super sharp turn.
I've been dreading turning the car in every since. I knew I've have to pay for the damage and I did. The cost of buying insurance from Hertz wouldn't have been much less so all things considered I guess it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Since I rented the car with my credit card I'll see if they will cover any of the charges when I get home.
All things considered I like traveling by train better but that wasn't a good option for most of my itinerary. Train, bus and foot will be my modes of transportation during the coming week.
The before shot
Lesson learned, the hard way.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Italian Men
Today, Wednesday, was a travel day. I had to drive from Brindisi to Lucca, a good nine hours. The freeways here are very good, except the tolls (about $60) and the price of gas (about $80). I've been traveling on a wing and a prayer and the prayer seems to working since I don't have a map (dumb, I know). I had no problema until I reached Lucca. I'm staying inside the old walled city and couldn't find which porta (gate) I needed to enter near my hotel. I finally found it and the hotel. The clerk at the desk was stunned that a woman would attempt such a thing alone. I believe his comment was, 'Not bad for a woman'.
The hotel has a computer and internet for free so I'll be able to post more often the next few days. I'm off to bed.
Buona notte.
The hotel has a computer and internet for free so I'll be able to post more often the next few days. I'm off to bed.
Buona notte.
Uncle Tony
Before I left the office I had discussed my travel plans with a co-worker and discovered her father's family is from Martina Franca, a city located in Puglia. Uncle Tony was in Seattle for her wedding and so I was able to meet him and her father before I left. Her uncle extended an invitation to meet when I was in the area and even invited me to stay with he and his wife. I contacted him yesterday morning and arranged to meet.
Tony and Kizela Basile are two of the nicest people in the world. Tony is a retired taxi driver and Kizela used to work in accountability (I believe she meant accounting). They took me to their home, gave me a tour pointing out which bedroom could have been mine and made me promise that when I came back I would stay with them. They invited me to lunch and asked if I'd prefer fish or meat. I went with fish not knowing that we would drive about 20 miles away to Taranto to their favorite restaurant, Restaurante Gesu Cristo (Jesus Christ), no kidding. In Kizela's words, the food is very clean.
Lunch lasted at least two hours and consisted of about six courses. I thought when I said fish I'd order a nice fillet off the menu. There was no menu and the food kept coming: octopus, squid in tomato sauce, mussels, mussels seasoned with breadcrumbs and herbs, clams in linguine, a whole fish baked in salt and shrimp. It was all delicious. After lunch we drove back to Martina with Tony and Kizela singing along with a cd of Napolese music about weddings and red and white watermelon. Red watermelon means a happy marriage; white watermelon, not so good. We stopped for cookies and then back to their house. Tony volunteers at the local university so we were going to meet up with him later.
Kizela took me into town and showed me around the sites. She stopped to ask a woman about a museum she wanted me to see but was closed. Turns out the woman was hosting a foreign exchange student from Seattle and wanted me to meet her later that afternoon. We then met the woman's husband who was a captain or something with the police, they took me for a drink. They talked. Kizela then bought me a beautiful little ceramic dish. We stopped by a dress shop where she knew the owner. They talked. The woman showed up with the foreign exchange student. They talked. We talked. We all went to see Tony, met the head of the university. We all talked. Finally made it back to my car about 8:00 p.m. but what a special day. In spite of the challenges with conversation I got to meet two lovely people and had a small glimpse into an average couple's Italian life.
Thanks Tony and Kizela. Grazie mille!
Tony and Kizela Basile are two of the nicest people in the world. Tony is a retired taxi driver and Kizela used to work in accountability (I believe she meant accounting). They took me to their home, gave me a tour pointing out which bedroom could have been mine and made me promise that when I came back I would stay with them. They invited me to lunch and asked if I'd prefer fish or meat. I went with fish not knowing that we would drive about 20 miles away to Taranto to their favorite restaurant, Restaurante Gesu Cristo (Jesus Christ), no kidding. In Kizela's words, the food is very clean.
Lunch lasted at least two hours and consisted of about six courses. I thought when I said fish I'd order a nice fillet off the menu. There was no menu and the food kept coming: octopus, squid in tomato sauce, mussels, mussels seasoned with breadcrumbs and herbs, clams in linguine, a whole fish baked in salt and shrimp. It was all delicious. After lunch we drove back to Martina with Tony and Kizela singing along with a cd of Napolese music about weddings and red and white watermelon. Red watermelon means a happy marriage; white watermelon, not so good. We stopped for cookies and then back to their house. Tony volunteers at the local university so we were going to meet up with him later.
Kizela took me into town and showed me around the sites. She stopped to ask a woman about a museum she wanted me to see but was closed. Turns out the woman was hosting a foreign exchange student from Seattle and wanted me to meet her later that afternoon. We then met the woman's husband who was a captain or something with the police, they took me for a drink. They talked. Kizela then bought me a beautiful little ceramic dish. We stopped by a dress shop where she knew the owner. They talked. The woman showed up with the foreign exchange student. They talked. We talked. We all went to see Tony, met the head of the university. We all talked. Finally made it back to my car about 8:00 p.m. but what a special day. In spite of the challenges with conversation I got to meet two lovely people and had a small glimpse into an average couple's Italian life.
Thanks Tony and Kizela. Grazie mille!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)