When we last saw Char and Brad, they had just enjoyed their anniversary in Venice...
After that, we headed off to Trieste on the advisable the poorly translated
Tourist page. Thankfully, Trieste was pretty good. We saw a really big cave, and it was really big. The name of the cave, when translated, is actually "The Big Cave." It was big and only about 11 degrees inside. That was nice too.
We saw a castle and surrounding gardens there as well, the gardens were the best gardens we've seen this trip.
We got up the next day and started a marathon of traveling to reach our next destination: Piraeus, Greece. Here's the rundown: two hour train ride to back to Venice, a few hours of waiting, then a huge 36 hour ferry ride down the Adriatic to Patras, Greece. We arrived there after two nights of sleeping on the hard deck at about 5 in the morning. Then onto a 3 hour bus ride to Pireaus. Thankfully we found our hotel really easily and were able to check in right away. We made arrangements to get to Santorini the next day on a short 8 hour ferry ride.
Then, I (Brad) went to see if I could book our train tickets from Athens to Thessaloniki for when we get back from Santorini. We hadn't been able to do this yet because we literally couldn't. We tried to make reservations from Rome but were told that the only way to book tickets in Greece was to actually be physically present in the Greek statio. That you were traveling from. So we had to wait. So I made my way into Athens to the main train station and stood in line. I was then told by the clerk that I couldn't book tickets for August because, well I don't really know why. I was just told quite adamantly that I couldn't. So that was that. We're hoping to get tickets the day we travel. There are several trains going every day so we should be able to get something.
Anyways, we are now on Santorini and it is great!
Our hotel offers so many wonderful things like air conditioning, easy bus access, a pool, and pick up service from the port. Let me (Char) tell you there are only a few ways to get to the top and into the city. One way is to walk, which is ok if are ok with walking up some 400 uneven steps, and arriving sweaty at the top. The other way is to take a van, which is pretty good as it is air conditioned and rather comfortable. But I think the best (and Brad would agree with me on this) mode of transportation to the top is by donkey. Yesterday we experienced this first hand. We rOde to the top on donkeys. It was Awesome. My donkey in particular did not want to go, and whereas brad used encouraging words with his, I was attempting the clicking noises to make it go. However once the driver started to yell at it it decided it would go and quickly. Needlesss to say it was really really fun. Hh
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Best Anniversary Ever!!!
Well, it's safe to say that the best way to spend the third anniversary with your loved one is to spend a few days in the city of Venice. Let me (Char) tell you about the city of Venice. The first day we arrived we had a wonderful supper in a quaint piazza in the cool of the evening and during the course of the meal were serenaded by an Italian man with a guitar. It was all very Italian. Then yesterday on our Anniversay we took a boat bus to the small island of Burano, which was idylic to say the least. And then headed to the small island of Murano, and purchased some famous glass, which is very beautiful. And since we had a bit of time before supper we thought to ourselves, "hey, let's take our free gondola ride." How is that possible you may be wondering. Well, a few weeks ago we were checking about something on the Eurail website and noticed that as a thank you to their customers they were giving free gondola rides, and it just happened to be for the time we were in Venice. So, we hopped onto a gondola (with a few other people) and enjoyed a quiet view of some of the smaller canals. It's nice to have unexpected but welcome surprises. We enjoyed supper at a local restaurant, and Brad had the best steak of his life, and walked back to our hotel in the rain. Fortunately we didn't wander too far from the hotel and it only took a few minutes.
Then to top up our visit to Venice, we enjoyed a lot of contemporary art in the Venice Biennalle, a huge contemporary art show that takes place every few years, and has over 83 artist and tons of world pavillions, of which we saw only a few. My favorite work of art was an installation of pigeons. The artist had stuffed hundreds of pigeons and placed them where normal pigeons would be found. So, every time you looked into the rafters you would see pigeons and get annoyed at their presence, only to realise that they weren't real. I thought it was clever.
My (Brad) top picks included the pigeons as well, plus one called "Void". It was a large wooden sculpture of burnt wood, with a hole in the middle. It was a huge piece, put in the middle of a tiny room, which made it very hard to get around the sculpture and put the 'void' in the middle of our attention and you couldn't escape it. Very interesting and thought provoking.
Future plans? Tomorrow we are going to the city of Trieste, which is east of Venice, not far from the Slovenian border. Why go to Trieste? To see a big, huge cave. We had a couple days to kill before our ferry to Greece, and the cave won out. So, hopefully it'll be good and we'll have a good time there.
Our stay in Venice has been absolutely amazing. It's definitely a highlight of the trip.
On to another city!
Ciao,
Char and Brad.
Then to top up our visit to Venice, we enjoyed a lot of contemporary art in the Venice Biennalle, a huge contemporary art show that takes place every few years, and has over 83 artist and tons of world pavillions, of which we saw only a few. My favorite work of art was an installation of pigeons. The artist had stuffed hundreds of pigeons and placed them where normal pigeons would be found. So, every time you looked into the rafters you would see pigeons and get annoyed at their presence, only to realise that they weren't real. I thought it was clever.
My (Brad) top picks included the pigeons as well, plus one called "Void". It was a large wooden sculpture of burnt wood, with a hole in the middle. It was a huge piece, put in the middle of a tiny room, which made it very hard to get around the sculpture and put the 'void' in the middle of our attention and you couldn't escape it. Very interesting and thought provoking.
Future plans? Tomorrow we are going to the city of Trieste, which is east of Venice, not far from the Slovenian border. Why go to Trieste? To see a big, huge cave. We had a couple days to kill before our ferry to Greece, and the cave won out. So, hopefully it'll be good and we'll have a good time there.
Our stay in Venice has been absolutely amazing. It's definitely a highlight of the trip.
On to another city!
Ciao,
Char and Brad.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Enough with the flowers, which way to the brothel?
That, I have to say, is the first time I (Brad) have ever asked the previous question. Probably the only time as well.
Two days ago, we took a trip to Pompeii, the city ruined by a volcano in 79 A.D. After extensive archeological digging, they have unearthed a city that is very well preserved. We got to wander around the ruins and see houses, shops, the forum, what must have been magnificent villas, theatres, and last but not least, a brothel. Needless to say, the frescoes on the inside were not the most "tasteful" or "family oriented" but rather pictures of services offered in that type of establishment. 'Nuff said.
All in all, a very interesting trip though. To see and imagine how people lived in that time of the world, and to walk on really old streets was very intriguing.
Yesterday, we dropped in on the Pope. He wasn't available to have tea. But, we did tour the museums and see the Sistine Chapel. With about a million other people. I felt kind of like we were in a herd of cattle, being herded through a corral system. There was only one way to go, and to go the other way would've been impossible. We find that tour groups can be pushy, as they all want to stay close to their tour guide and they are not opposed to using their elbows to get through. So, in turn, I don't feel bad about elbowing them back.
St. Peter's Basillica was truly magnificent as well. After a strict check by the morality police (a VERY strict dress code is enforced for in the basillica) we entered by far the biggest church we've ever been in. Covered in gold, marble and big fat cherubs, it definitely did what the architects wanted it to do: put you in awe of the Creator, and His splendor. Michelangelo's 'Pietà ' scultpure was a simple portrayal of Mary's sorrow and pathos for her Son after he had died and had been taken down from the cross.
We found something that I (Brad) found very interesting: a bare cross. As you probably know, the Catholic church usually portrays Jesus still on the cross, and rarely is there a bare cross. But a few times in St. Peter's there were bare crosses. It was interesting.
Along with the theme of early Christian history, we visited the catacombs a few days ago as well, which was nice because it was underground and only about 15 degrees!! Quite nice to have natural air conditioning as we walked around 12 meters underground. We saw how the Christians, before Christianity was legalized, buried their dead in a way to differentiate themselves from pagans and in a way that was hidden from view. You can still see some of the early Christian art that decorated the tombs, such as the fish, the anchor, the dove, and other symbols of faith. I asked the question, "I've heard that Christians lived in the catacombs to escape persecution. Is that true?" After touring the catacombs, we could answer that question for ourselves: there's no way that people could live down there. For one, the constant coolness and dampness would've made it very uncomfortable, and secondly, the tufa rock that it was made out of, gives off sulphur gas, which is unhealthy for the lungs. As well, there was no evidence of habitation down there. So, the guide said conclusively that there was no way that people lived down in the catacombs.
Finally, a few pictures from our adventures. Hope you enjoy them. We're off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in Rome.
Ciao,
Brad and Char
Two days ago, we took a trip to Pompeii, the city ruined by a volcano in 79 A.D. After extensive archeological digging, they have unearthed a city that is very well preserved. We got to wander around the ruins and see houses, shops, the forum, what must have been magnificent villas, theatres, and last but not least, a brothel. Needless to say, the frescoes on the inside were not the most "tasteful" or "family oriented" but rather pictures of services offered in that type of establishment. 'Nuff said.
All in all, a very interesting trip though. To see and imagine how people lived in that time of the world, and to walk on really old streets was very intriguing.
Yesterday, we dropped in on the Pope. He wasn't available to have tea. But, we did tour the museums and see the Sistine Chapel. With about a million other people. I felt kind of like we were in a herd of cattle, being herded through a corral system. There was only one way to go, and to go the other way would've been impossible. We find that tour groups can be pushy, as they all want to stay close to their tour guide and they are not opposed to using their elbows to get through. So, in turn, I don't feel bad about elbowing them back.
St. Peter's Basillica was truly magnificent as well. After a strict check by the morality police (a VERY strict dress code is enforced for in the basillica) we entered by far the biggest church we've ever been in. Covered in gold, marble and big fat cherubs, it definitely did what the architects wanted it to do: put you in awe of the Creator, and His splendor. Michelangelo's 'Pietà ' scultpure was a simple portrayal of Mary's sorrow and pathos for her Son after he had died and had been taken down from the cross.
We found something that I (Brad) found very interesting: a bare cross. As you probably know, the Catholic church usually portrays Jesus still on the cross, and rarely is there a bare cross. But a few times in St. Peter's there were bare crosses. It was interesting.
Along with the theme of early Christian history, we visited the catacombs a few days ago as well, which was nice because it was underground and only about 15 degrees!! Quite nice to have natural air conditioning as we walked around 12 meters underground. We saw how the Christians, before Christianity was legalized, buried their dead in a way to differentiate themselves from pagans and in a way that was hidden from view. You can still see some of the early Christian art that decorated the tombs, such as the fish, the anchor, the dove, and other symbols of faith. I asked the question, "I've heard that Christians lived in the catacombs to escape persecution. Is that true?" After touring the catacombs, we could answer that question for ourselves: there's no way that people could live down there. For one, the constant coolness and dampness would've made it very uncomfortable, and secondly, the tufa rock that it was made out of, gives off sulphur gas, which is unhealthy for the lungs. As well, there was no evidence of habitation down there. So, the guide said conclusively that there was no way that people lived down in the catacombs.
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| From a few weeks back: Cinque Terre. |
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| The crowds on the way to The Sistine Chapel. Try to find Brad! |
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| So, wearing one piece wrestling suits was not permitted. |
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| Char looking rather angelic. |
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| And Brad poking a cherub in St. Pete's. |
Ciao,
Brad and Char
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
St. Theresa was ecstatic...
For a quick art lesson, check out Bernini's sculpture called "The Ecstacy of St. Theresa". Char showed me yesterday, and it is quite the sculpture (and story) to behold inside a church...
Onto other stuff.
Today, I want to tell you about an experience we had in the "Mamertine Prison". Now, this is the traditional site where it was believed that Peter and Paul were held in prison in Rome. Our guide book was a couple years old, and it said the only admisson fee was "donation expected", so we were expecting to pay maybe 1 Euro each to get in. We get there to find that there has been some updates and some more archeological stuff done and now it costs 10 euro to get in and that includes an audio guided tour. So, I was still wanting to go in, so in we went. We got into the first room and the guide told us to go and check out the prison cell, which was pretty interesting. Small, very short ceilings, and dank and dark. It made sense why people wouldn't want to spend time in an ancient jail. We came up, and the guide started an audio and light show in the first room. Oh yeah, it was just the two of us on this tour. No more tourists were there at that time... So, there was audio, something about water, and how the rocks could talk, and then the lights illuminated certain areas of the walls as they were talked about... I felt that this was a bit cheesy, but no worse that the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.
We went to the next room, and to another video presentation about different prisoners that were held there, and how Peter baptized the Roman jailer in the cell. (huh)
Another room, another video about how Peter, a simple fisherman became the first pope.
Another room, and yet another video about rocks talking to each other. These rocks were from different time periods of the city of Rome. At this time, both Char and I were in agreement that this was extremely cheesy and not worth the 10 euro we paid each to get in.
BUT, we weren't finished yet. The final multimedia presentation led us into a small chapel, where there was a very ornate crucifix. The audio started and talked about how the vitality of faith kept the Christian beliefs going. At the same time, there was a light show, illuminating different parts of the crucifix. It was at this time that we gave each other the raised eyebrow look.
Let us give you some snippits of the audio that was playing:
"Jesus said, 'I am the jar of good intentions.'"
"Jesus said, 'When my heart stopped beating, everyone else's started beating together.'"
As you might imagine, we were pretty ticked off at this misrepresentation of our Saviour. It also alluded to the belief of Universalism, didn't bring up the point that Jesus rose from the dead, and other things that we audibly gasped at. Needless to say, we were not impressed. A jar of good intentions? What the heck? If Jesus just had good intentions, he would've intended to die for our sins, and then just not have done it. Isn't there a saying, something about the road to hell being paved with good intentions?
And don't get me started on the fact that it was Paul and Silas who were in Phillipi and baptized the Phillipian jailer. No where in the Bible does it say that Peter was in Rome (I don't think...correct me if I'm wrong). Not a very heartwarming and faith inspiring visit. Don't make our mistake.
Now, as I go and calm down, here's Char.
On that note let's talk about something that was inspiring. Yesterday to familiarize ourselves with the city of Rome, we decided to take our own little walking tour. We started at the Coloseum where we took pictures of the outside (today we went inside the Colloseum, which was cool, but that's another story), from there we walked by the Roman Forum, and down that street and into a big white impressive looking building, which we think was the cultural heritage center or something. We really don't know. From there we wondered to the Piazza Navona, and looked at a Bernini fountain, and then from there we made our way to the Pantheon. Let me tell you about the Pantheon. The building was first built for the pagan gods of the time, like Venus, and a few others I can't really remember, and then with the rise of christianity the building survived because it was turned into a church and the statues of pagan gods were replaced with saints. But the most amazing thing about the Pantheon is an archutectural wonder because it is circular and you can fit a perfect sphere inside the building. There is also a 9 meter occulus at the very top that allow sun and rain in. The floor is also built on a slight slant so as to drain whatever water comes through the top. When we got there, it was 2 in the afternoon and the beam of light through the occulus was pretty cool. I think, for me, it was one of those "I can't believe I'm here" moments. I remember studying it in art history class and telling myself that one day I wanted to stand in that building and look through the occulus. It's pretty incredible in life when some of the things that you only dream about become a reality, and sometimes waiting for them makes the reality that much more significant. It was definately a high light for me.
I think that's all for now. We are going to rest and nurse our sunburns. 34 can be really really hot when you are on marble and pavement. Until later, Caio
Onto other stuff.
Today, I want to tell you about an experience we had in the "Mamertine Prison". Now, this is the traditional site where it was believed that Peter and Paul were held in prison in Rome. Our guide book was a couple years old, and it said the only admisson fee was "donation expected", so we were expecting to pay maybe 1 Euro each to get in. We get there to find that there has been some updates and some more archeological stuff done and now it costs 10 euro to get in and that includes an audio guided tour. So, I was still wanting to go in, so in we went. We got into the first room and the guide told us to go and check out the prison cell, which was pretty interesting. Small, very short ceilings, and dank and dark. It made sense why people wouldn't want to spend time in an ancient jail. We came up, and the guide started an audio and light show in the first room. Oh yeah, it was just the two of us on this tour. No more tourists were there at that time... So, there was audio, something about water, and how the rocks could talk, and then the lights illuminated certain areas of the walls as they were talked about... I felt that this was a bit cheesy, but no worse that the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.
We went to the next room, and to another video presentation about different prisoners that were held there, and how Peter baptized the Roman jailer in the cell. (huh)
Another room, another video about how Peter, a simple fisherman became the first pope.
Another room, and yet another video about rocks talking to each other. These rocks were from different time periods of the city of Rome. At this time, both Char and I were in agreement that this was extremely cheesy and not worth the 10 euro we paid each to get in.
BUT, we weren't finished yet. The final multimedia presentation led us into a small chapel, where there was a very ornate crucifix. The audio started and talked about how the vitality of faith kept the Christian beliefs going. At the same time, there was a light show, illuminating different parts of the crucifix. It was at this time that we gave each other the raised eyebrow look.
Let us give you some snippits of the audio that was playing:
"Jesus said, 'I am the jar of good intentions.'"
"Jesus said, 'When my heart stopped beating, everyone else's started beating together.'"
As you might imagine, we were pretty ticked off at this misrepresentation of our Saviour. It also alluded to the belief of Universalism, didn't bring up the point that Jesus rose from the dead, and other things that we audibly gasped at. Needless to say, we were not impressed. A jar of good intentions? What the heck? If Jesus just had good intentions, he would've intended to die for our sins, and then just not have done it. Isn't there a saying, something about the road to hell being paved with good intentions?
And don't get me started on the fact that it was Paul and Silas who were in Phillipi and baptized the Phillipian jailer. No where in the Bible does it say that Peter was in Rome (I don't think...correct me if I'm wrong). Not a very heartwarming and faith inspiring visit. Don't make our mistake.
Now, as I go and calm down, here's Char.
On that note let's talk about something that was inspiring. Yesterday to familiarize ourselves with the city of Rome, we decided to take our own little walking tour. We started at the Coloseum where we took pictures of the outside (today we went inside the Colloseum, which was cool, but that's another story), from there we walked by the Roman Forum, and down that street and into a big white impressive looking building, which we think was the cultural heritage center or something. We really don't know. From there we wondered to the Piazza Navona, and looked at a Bernini fountain, and then from there we made our way to the Pantheon. Let me tell you about the Pantheon. The building was first built for the pagan gods of the time, like Venus, and a few others I can't really remember, and then with the rise of christianity the building survived because it was turned into a church and the statues of pagan gods were replaced with saints. But the most amazing thing about the Pantheon is an archutectural wonder because it is circular and you can fit a perfect sphere inside the building. There is also a 9 meter occulus at the very top that allow sun and rain in. The floor is also built on a slight slant so as to drain whatever water comes through the top. When we got there, it was 2 in the afternoon and the beam of light through the occulus was pretty cool. I think, for me, it was one of those "I can't believe I'm here" moments. I remember studying it in art history class and telling myself that one day I wanted to stand in that building and look through the occulus. It's pretty incredible in life when some of the things that you only dream about become a reality, and sometimes waiting for them makes the reality that much more significant. It was definately a high light for me.
I think that's all for now. We are going to rest and nurse our sunburns. 34 can be really really hot when you are on marble and pavement. Until later, Caio
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Sudden thoughts from Florence!
Here we go: some points from our stay in Florence.
1. We are now the Popplefers. At least according to the day trip tour guide that we went with yesterday. Italians have a hard time with the obscure German names.
2. Tap water here is seldom cold. Thankfully there is faucets for drinking water scattered around the cities. These are usually colder.
3. My bed in the hostel this week is more like a hammock with a wooden pole down the middle. I get into bed and I don't get out until absolutely neccesary.
4. We sweat all the time. And just because a store is in a mall doesn't mean it's air conditioned.
5. We visited Pisa today to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In all other situations our camera lens has been exceptional. But today, it was gracious enough to fix the lean in the tower whenever we took a picture. The wide angle lens curves the edges in so it made the tower straight. Quite humourous, as basically all we went to Pisa for was to take forced perspective pictures of the tower.
5. Every time I (Char) go the bathroom, I play a little game I like to call "how does it work?". The bathrooms here are not as boring as in Canada, there are many stages of the game. The game begins with locating the bathroom, as they are not always clearly marked. Next there is the matter of whether I have to pay for it or not, and if so to who or what? With that out of the way I can proceed to the toilet, which may or may not have a toilet seat, or toilet paper. Some have both, some have neither. The fun part comes when I get to figure out how to flush it. To flush I can either:push a button, pull a lever, pump a foot pedal, press a foot button, or push down a lever. Today was a special day as I encountered my most unique toilet and got instructions on how to use it from a very concerned Italian lady. Unfortunately she was talking to me in Italian, and when she realized I still didn't understand, she proceeded to show me. It was a squatter toilet, and from many hand gestures and motions, I understood that I needed to: use it very quickly, push the button on the wall and then run out as quickly as possible. The Italian people are so helpful. The game ends when I come out and tell Brad if I won the game by figuring it out.
1. We are now the Popplefers. At least according to the day trip tour guide that we went with yesterday. Italians have a hard time with the obscure German names.
2. Tap water here is seldom cold. Thankfully there is faucets for drinking water scattered around the cities. These are usually colder.
3. My bed in the hostel this week is more like a hammock with a wooden pole down the middle. I get into bed and I don't get out until absolutely neccesary.
4. We sweat all the time. And just because a store is in a mall doesn't mean it's air conditioned.
5. We visited Pisa today to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In all other situations our camera lens has been exceptional. But today, it was gracious enough to fix the lean in the tower whenever we took a picture. The wide angle lens curves the edges in so it made the tower straight. Quite humourous, as basically all we went to Pisa for was to take forced perspective pictures of the tower.
5. Every time I (Char) go the bathroom, I play a little game I like to call "how does it work?". The bathrooms here are not as boring as in Canada, there are many stages of the game. The game begins with locating the bathroom, as they are not always clearly marked. Next there is the matter of whether I have to pay for it or not, and if so to who or what? With that out of the way I can proceed to the toilet, which may or may not have a toilet seat, or toilet paper. Some have both, some have neither. The fun part comes when I get to figure out how to flush it. To flush I can either:push a button, pull a lever, pump a foot pedal, press a foot button, or push down a lever. Today was a special day as I encountered my most unique toilet and got instructions on how to use it from a very concerned Italian lady. Unfortunately she was talking to me in Italian, and when she realized I still didn't understand, she proceeded to show me. It was a squatter toilet, and from many hand gestures and motions, I understood that I needed to: use it very quickly, push the button on the wall and then run out as quickly as possible. The Italian people are so helpful. The game ends when I come out and tell Brad if I won the game by figuring it out.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Venus and David send their regards from Florence
Well, we have arrived in Florence and have spent the last few days walking everywhere in the old city. Mostly the first day was spent walking to and from the information center next to the train station as we tried to book a tour and figure out how to get advance tickets so we wouldn't have to spend hours standing in line. But it was worth it as we got up early yesterday and viewed the Birth of Venus with only a handful of people in the gallery. It was pretty awesome. As we didn't have to stand in line for hours we had plenty of time after we were done the Uffizi gallery at 10am. So, we had a "second breakfast" and went to view a Jewish Synagogue. It was refreshing to see a different house of worship than all the catholic churches we have seen. Then today we visited the Academy and saw the David in person. It was pretty impressive, but we weren't allowed to take pictures, which I think is just a ploy to sell more postcards.
Yesterday, we also did a bit of shopping and noticed that the more expensive stores had much better air conditioning. The Gucci store in particular had excellent air conditioning, and you know when there is a security gaurd and each bag gets its own shelf that you are in pricy territory. Brad actually touched a bag. I told him not to because they are so expensive that they don't even put price tags on them, because they assume if you are in the store, than you have the money to purchase one.
An interesting experience I (Brad) had the first day we were here happened as we were walking down the street. I should note that there are a lot of priests, monks and nuns dressed in traditional robes around the city. So, as it was hot outside and we were dressed for the warm weather, I was wearing a tank top and shorts. We couldn't go into a church nearby since I had my shoulders uncovered. So, we were walking away from this church, when a monk turned the corner and was walking toward us. Now, I don't know if he was just having a bad day or if he was really warm, or perhaps regretting his vows, but he gave me in my summer apparel the "glare of death". Seriously, he stared me down for a few seconds as we passed each other on the narrow sidewalk. Imagine a rather large balding monk on a narrow sidewalk staring you down. Not a pleasant experience. I admire men of the cloth, but sometimes you gotta wonder: they probably get really hot under there. It must be enough to make anyone miserable.
Tomorow, we're off to the countryside, as we booked a bus tour for the day. We're going to see a small village called San Gimignano, Siena, and tour a wine estate in the area of Chianti. Is it sad that we are both really looking forward to the air conditioned bus that will take us?
And Char bought a skirt. She looks hot in it.
Brad wishes it was culturally acceptable for men to wear skirts so that he could get more air circulation. The monks would not approve.
Saturday, off to Pisa for the day for lots of pictures of forced perspective with the leaning Tower of Pisa. Hopefully on Sunday we can find an English speaking church to attend, and then Monday, off to Rome!
When in Rome...
Ciao,
Char and Brad
Yesterday, we also did a bit of shopping and noticed that the more expensive stores had much better air conditioning. The Gucci store in particular had excellent air conditioning, and you know when there is a security gaurd and each bag gets its own shelf that you are in pricy territory. Brad actually touched a bag. I told him not to because they are so expensive that they don't even put price tags on them, because they assume if you are in the store, than you have the money to purchase one.
An interesting experience I (Brad) had the first day we were here happened as we were walking down the street. I should note that there are a lot of priests, monks and nuns dressed in traditional robes around the city. So, as it was hot outside and we were dressed for the warm weather, I was wearing a tank top and shorts. We couldn't go into a church nearby since I had my shoulders uncovered. So, we were walking away from this church, when a monk turned the corner and was walking toward us. Now, I don't know if he was just having a bad day or if he was really warm, or perhaps regretting his vows, but he gave me in my summer apparel the "glare of death". Seriously, he stared me down for a few seconds as we passed each other on the narrow sidewalk. Imagine a rather large balding monk on a narrow sidewalk staring you down. Not a pleasant experience. I admire men of the cloth, but sometimes you gotta wonder: they probably get really hot under there. It must be enough to make anyone miserable.
Tomorow, we're off to the countryside, as we booked a bus tour for the day. We're going to see a small village called San Gimignano, Siena, and tour a wine estate in the area of Chianti. Is it sad that we are both really looking forward to the air conditioned bus that will take us?
And Char bought a skirt. She looks hot in it.
Brad wishes it was culturally acceptable for men to wear skirts so that he could get more air circulation. The monks would not approve.
Saturday, off to Pisa for the day for lots of pictures of forced perspective with the leaning Tower of Pisa. Hopefully on Sunday we can find an English speaking church to attend, and then Monday, off to Rome!
When in Rome...
Ciao,
Char and Brad
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Our first taste of Italy
After a fairly uneventful train ride to La Spezia, Italy, we were excited to get to our hotel and hopefully get some sleep. To our great excitement, we found that our room had A/C in it! This was a great thing as it was really quite humid and hot when we stepped out of the train.
We woke up and bought a 2 day pass to Cinque Terre National Park and hit the trails for the last two days! It's hard to put into words the sights we saw and the amazing natural beauty of the area. We really wish we could upload some pictures, but we can't find the motherboard of this computer to get a USB port. Needless to say, we took upwards of 500 pictures in the last two days. Unbelievable sights! Several of these pictures were pretty much the same angle as the ones from our Italy calendar at home, which we bought for inspiration through the last winter. The sea, in Char's words, "was the best color of blue, because it was blue, green and white, and clear. It was just incredible. I took a lot of pictures of that."
For those of you who want to know the details of where we are, look on Google Maps, and type in La Spezia. That's where our hotel is, and a little to the west and north is the 5 villages that make up Cinque Terre: Monterossa, Vernazza, Coringlia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We took a train to Monterossa and then hiked to Vernazza along a coastal trail, which wound it's way partly up the mountainside, through vineyards and lemon groves. The path was quite steep, filled with endless steps (usually in the upward direction) and amazing vistas with great panoramic views of the sea and surrounding hillsides. We were reading that this area has been cultivated for the last 1000 years, and there are terraces all the way up the hillsides, so that the farmers can grow grapes and other plants. It took about 2 hours to get to Vernazza, and we were covered in sweat by the time we got there. A boiling hot day deserves gelato.
Let me tell you about the amazing gelato in Italy: its like having a piece of fresh fruit in icecream form. Words cannot express the awesomeness of raspberry gelato.Char rather enjoyed the dark chocolate variety. After refilling our water bottles and rehydrating ourselves, we continued onto the next village, Corniglia. So, doing a strenuous hike in the hottest part of the afternoon, we stopped frequently in the shady patches to leave sweat marks on the rocks where we sat. Again, winding through terraced vineyards and farms was in some places enchanting. We arrived in Corniglia, sweaty and hot. But with smiles on our faces from an amazing walk through some of the best scenery we have ever seen. Well worth the effort and time put into it.
Today, we went back and visited the other two villages, and the 20 minute walk between the two of them seemed like a leisurely stroll. Heck, it was a leisurely stroll. More gelato ensued along with focaccia pizza, which was rather tasty and we had another amazing day enjoying Cinque Terre. The villages themselves were full of steep streets, narrow staircases leading up the hillsides and little old ladies sitting on benches talking in Italian. Probably about all the tourists that come along the path. So I took a picture of them.
Plans for tomorrow? Not much. We might explore La Spezia a bit, but the main thing is rest, for the next day we're heading to Florence to start a week in Tuscany! We hope to do some day trips to Pisa, Assisi, Siena, see the country side and hopefully do a vineyard tour and enjoy life "Under the Tuscan Sun."
Ciao,
Brad and Char
We woke up and bought a 2 day pass to Cinque Terre National Park and hit the trails for the last two days! It's hard to put into words the sights we saw and the amazing natural beauty of the area. We really wish we could upload some pictures, but we can't find the motherboard of this computer to get a USB port. Needless to say, we took upwards of 500 pictures in the last two days. Unbelievable sights! Several of these pictures were pretty much the same angle as the ones from our Italy calendar at home, which we bought for inspiration through the last winter. The sea, in Char's words, "was the best color of blue, because it was blue, green and white, and clear. It was just incredible. I took a lot of pictures of that."
For those of you who want to know the details of where we are, look on Google Maps, and type in La Spezia. That's where our hotel is, and a little to the west and north is the 5 villages that make up Cinque Terre: Monterossa, Vernazza, Coringlia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We took a train to Monterossa and then hiked to Vernazza along a coastal trail, which wound it's way partly up the mountainside, through vineyards and lemon groves. The path was quite steep, filled with endless steps (usually in the upward direction) and amazing vistas with great panoramic views of the sea and surrounding hillsides. We were reading that this area has been cultivated for the last 1000 years, and there are terraces all the way up the hillsides, so that the farmers can grow grapes and other plants. It took about 2 hours to get to Vernazza, and we were covered in sweat by the time we got there. A boiling hot day deserves gelato.
Let me tell you about the amazing gelato in Italy: its like having a piece of fresh fruit in icecream form. Words cannot express the awesomeness of raspberry gelato.Char rather enjoyed the dark chocolate variety. After refilling our water bottles and rehydrating ourselves, we continued onto the next village, Corniglia. So, doing a strenuous hike in the hottest part of the afternoon, we stopped frequently in the shady patches to leave sweat marks on the rocks where we sat. Again, winding through terraced vineyards and farms was in some places enchanting. We arrived in Corniglia, sweaty and hot. But with smiles on our faces from an amazing walk through some of the best scenery we have ever seen. Well worth the effort and time put into it.
Today, we went back and visited the other two villages, and the 20 minute walk between the two of them seemed like a leisurely stroll. Heck, it was a leisurely stroll. More gelato ensued along with focaccia pizza, which was rather tasty and we had another amazing day enjoying Cinque Terre. The villages themselves were full of steep streets, narrow staircases leading up the hillsides and little old ladies sitting on benches talking in Italian. Probably about all the tourists that come along the path. So I took a picture of them.
Plans for tomorrow? Not much. We might explore La Spezia a bit, but the main thing is rest, for the next day we're heading to Florence to start a week in Tuscany! We hope to do some day trips to Pisa, Assisi, Siena, see the country side and hopefully do a vineyard tour and enjoy life "Under the Tuscan Sun."
Ciao,
Brad and Char
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