Oct 18 in Bologna: http://www.flickr.com/photos/debstah1/sets/72157622495984701/
Oct 19 in Ferrara and Bologna: http://www.flickr.com/photos/debstah1/sets/72157622627170574/
All further pics will have to wait til I'm back "on the grid" :(
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Italy 2009 Trip Day 7 - Tuesday October 20
3:15pm: sitting in my practically 2-bedroom apartment in Parma. Still 60 euros, but Max, the friendly owner, said the room was available to he gave me the upgrade. What a nice guy. Woke up a little before 7:30, finished packing, got breakfast, and checked out of the lovely Hotel Paradise. They called a cab for me and I made it onto the 8:30 slower train to Parma.
My luggage is getting progressively heavier and the slow Regional trains have much smaller space between them, so I had to put it above me on the rack. Luckily a couple friendly people helped me get it up and down! The girl who helped me get it down was about my age and I said sorry I didn't speak Italian but I just didn't want to hurt her. She spoke English and started asking me where I'm from and she got all wide-eyed when I said I live in LA. I assume she's never been there ;)
Arrived shortly after 9:30am and purchased my ticket for tomorrow so I'd have one less thing to worry about then. Had to wait a while for a taxi but then went quickly to the B&B. My room wasn't quite ready yet, but Max invited me into his apartment (he lives downstairs from the rooms he rents), gave me a map and booklet and showed me some things. We arranged to meet at 2 so I could get the keys to my room.
Did all the "tourist" stuff, including the impressive Teatro Farnese, the gorgeous Duomo and Baptistery, a few other churches, the main square (Piazza Garibaldi), and general wandering. Parma's very compact and easy to get around. It's very beautiful and classy. And I got my obligatory cheesy magnet! (in this case literally cheesy :))
Found Trattoria Correiri, which had been recommended a lot of places, and had lunch around noon. Got torta fritta - typical fried bread that I had wanted to try - and prosciutto. The bread was awesome. Even the ham was awesome. Then I got capellati (I think?) in brodo, which was similar to the tortellini in brodo but a different shape. This place was interesting, once you ordered they put a slip on your table, and the waiters kept looking at it. This one waiter looked at my slip and made a face. Still kind of wonder what he was thinking. Anyway, by the time my soup came I was pretty full so I ate about half of it and went. It was a fairly expensive lunch but I'm still full almost 3 hours later and if you don't eat well in one of the best food cities in all the world, where will you eat well?
After lunch I wandered around a bit and back to the B&B. I checked out the Billa supermarket right nearby just to see what it is like. Pretty impressive. Met Max at 2 and he showed me everything I need. My "room" is beautiful. I'm trying to upload pictures from yesterday and the rest of the day's before, but the internet connection here is weak and the large files of my pictures is killing it. I'm looking into getting the flickr uploadr, which would maybe be able to shrink the size of the pics and make for easier uploading.
5:50pm: wandered around the gorgeous park. Wandered through the historical center again when I felt a couple droplets of rain, so I came back to get my umbrella and jacket just in case it continues to get worse as the sun sets.
10:20pm: back from dinner. Decided to go back to Trattoria Correire, after walking around for a while and not seeing anything that really struck my fancy. I almost got the same thing I had for lunch (minus the soup!!!!!!) but the waitress spoke more English than the guy at lunch so I asked her what the "risotto parmigiana" was and she said, it was just cheese. So, I tried that. And some Lambrusco (I still don't like red wine:)). It was, well, rice (cooked al dente, interestingly) in a sauce of melted parmagiano. No other way to describe it! With three big thin slices laid on top of the rice, then they also brought a bowl of grated cheese to me. Really? Not enough in the dish already??? So I ordered a "crumbly almond cake" for dessert, having no idea what it was going to be. Basically, it was a big hunk of handmade "cookie" that had at least a hundred huge, whole almonds in it. It was delicious. Parma's reputation for great food is certainly deserved, even if I did only eat in one place :p however, right near my B&B there is a pizzeria/foccaceria and the smells coming out of this place are… wow. I think I will check it out tomorrow after the cheese tour when I'll need a quick lunch before getting on the train to Cinque Terre.
So I was able to get up the pictures from yesterday and the day before, so that completes Bologna. Parma's pretty so I took a lot of pictures here and I need to go to bed, so there's no way I'm going to get these pics up before I "drop off the grid" unfortunately. This will, I believe, be the last blog I can post until my very last night in Florence. :( Don't forget to come back and check then!
One final note about Parma: There are a lot of bike-riders here. And half of them have a cigarette hanging off their finger as they ride. Pointless much?
My luggage is getting progressively heavier and the slow Regional trains have much smaller space between them, so I had to put it above me on the rack. Luckily a couple friendly people helped me get it up and down! The girl who helped me get it down was about my age and I said sorry I didn't speak Italian but I just didn't want to hurt her. She spoke English and started asking me where I'm from and she got all wide-eyed when I said I live in LA. I assume she's never been there ;)
Arrived shortly after 9:30am and purchased my ticket for tomorrow so I'd have one less thing to worry about then. Had to wait a while for a taxi but then went quickly to the B&B. My room wasn't quite ready yet, but Max invited me into his apartment (he lives downstairs from the rooms he rents), gave me a map and booklet and showed me some things. We arranged to meet at 2 so I could get the keys to my room.
Did all the "tourist" stuff, including the impressive Teatro Farnese, the gorgeous Duomo and Baptistery, a few other churches, the main square (Piazza Garibaldi), and general wandering. Parma's very compact and easy to get around. It's very beautiful and classy. And I got my obligatory cheesy magnet! (in this case literally cheesy :))
Found Trattoria Correiri, which had been recommended a lot of places, and had lunch around noon. Got torta fritta - typical fried bread that I had wanted to try - and prosciutto. The bread was awesome. Even the ham was awesome. Then I got capellati (I think?) in brodo, which was similar to the tortellini in brodo but a different shape. This place was interesting, once you ordered they put a slip on your table, and the waiters kept looking at it. This one waiter looked at my slip and made a face. Still kind of wonder what he was thinking. Anyway, by the time my soup came I was pretty full so I ate about half of it and went. It was a fairly expensive lunch but I'm still full almost 3 hours later and if you don't eat well in one of the best food cities in all the world, where will you eat well?
After lunch I wandered around a bit and back to the B&B. I checked out the Billa supermarket right nearby just to see what it is like. Pretty impressive. Met Max at 2 and he showed me everything I need. My "room" is beautiful. I'm trying to upload pictures from yesterday and the rest of the day's before, but the internet connection here is weak and the large files of my pictures is killing it. I'm looking into getting the flickr uploadr, which would maybe be able to shrink the size of the pics and make for easier uploading.
5:50pm: wandered around the gorgeous park. Wandered through the historical center again when I felt a couple droplets of rain, so I came back to get my umbrella and jacket just in case it continues to get worse as the sun sets.
10:20pm: back from dinner. Decided to go back to Trattoria Correire, after walking around for a while and not seeing anything that really struck my fancy. I almost got the same thing I had for lunch (minus the soup!!!!!!) but the waitress spoke more English than the guy at lunch so I asked her what the "risotto parmigiana" was and she said, it was just cheese. So, I tried that. And some Lambrusco (I still don't like red wine:)). It was, well, rice (cooked al dente, interestingly) in a sauce of melted parmagiano. No other way to describe it! With three big thin slices laid on top of the rice, then they also brought a bowl of grated cheese to me. Really? Not enough in the dish already??? So I ordered a "crumbly almond cake" for dessert, having no idea what it was going to be. Basically, it was a big hunk of handmade "cookie" that had at least a hundred huge, whole almonds in it. It was delicious. Parma's reputation for great food is certainly deserved, even if I did only eat in one place :p however, right near my B&B there is a pizzeria/foccaceria and the smells coming out of this place are… wow. I think I will check it out tomorrow after the cheese tour when I'll need a quick lunch before getting on the train to Cinque Terre.
So I was able to get up the pictures from yesterday and the day before, so that completes Bologna. Parma's pretty so I took a lot of pictures here and I need to go to bed, so there's no way I'm going to get these pics up before I "drop off the grid" unfortunately. This will, I believe, be the last blog I can post until my very last night in Florence. :( Don't forget to come back and check then!
One final note about Parma: There are a lot of bike-riders here. And half of them have a cigarette hanging off their finger as they ride. Pointless much?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday Oct. 18 Bologna Pics (first half up)
Bologna Oct 18 pics (first half): http://www.flickr.com/photos/debstah1/sets/72157622495984701/
Off to Parma tomorrow where it should be my last day with internet. I'll try to at least get all my Bologna and the day in Parma pics up :/
Off to Parma tomorrow where it should be my last day with internet. I'll try to at least get all my Bologna and the day in Parma pics up :/
Italy 2009 Trip Day 6 - Monday October 19
Woke up at 7:30 to my alarm on my ipod. Went down to breakfast and set out to find the Mercato delle Erbe. I knew it was on via Ugo Bassi but I didn't know where. I wandered up a ways and couldn't find it. I should've asked someone :) Instead I walked up to the train station and got on the 10am train to Ferrara, arriving at 10:30. Conveniently, I was able to find a poncho in the Ferrara station's market. As an aside, there was an American family in the seats across from me. The kid was probably about 10 or 11 and the things he was saying clearly suggested they've been in Italy for an extended time…doesn't he have school?
Followed signs to the Castle in the center of town and the walk from the train station was farther than I thought it was going to be. But I made it in about 15 min and the castle is quite an impressive building. Wandered around a bit more, found the tourist info office inside the castle, got a map and asked where the Jewish museum was and set out to find it. The tour was at 12 and it was about 11:30 so I wandered these old alleys a bit. I went into a 99c store! HAHA!! I bought an emery board, since I'd broken a couple nails.
At 12, went in to the museum. There were 2 other couples - both italian. And as an aside, I'd like to note that 3 of the 4 of them were wearing BLUE jeans and ALL FOUR of them were wearing SNEAKERS. So me, the only American, was wearing nice slacks and black shoes. That's all I have to say about that.
Anyway the tour was interesting enough. There was quite a strong/old jewish community in Ferrara dating back to medieval times. They had the keys from the ghetto gates from the 1600s and even a torah scroll from the 1700s. The remaining active synagogue (with 70 members) is quite small and beautiful and the museum contains quite a lot of old memorabilia type things.
I was so hungry after the tour around 1, but on Monday it seemed like 90% of the restaurants in Ferrara were closed. Really annoying. I kept wandering and wandering til about 2ish when I finally gave up and went to a 'touristy' place right on the main square. I just had a sandwich. I tried to go to the castle, and it was closed. Wish I knew about that earlier.
Tried to catch the 2:30 train back to bologna but I miscalculated the time and got a bit lost so I showed up about 2:50. there was a slower train leaving at 3, so I caught that instead of waiting til a 3:30 train.
I'd say Ferrara was a bit of a waste. The Jewish tour was interesting and their duomo is quite beautiful but I should have planned better and caught a much earlier train.
Back in Bologna about 4pm, I took a bus down to the main square, figured I'd just wander around a bit more. Lo and behold, on the bus, I saw a sign for MERCATO DELLE ERBE! So I got off at Piazza Maggiore and wandered there for a few minutes. Went into the famous Tamburini shop/deli and looked at the goods. It was really quiet in there though. Then went back to the Mercato delle Erbe, which would not reopen til 5. Found a coop supermarket right near it and bought a bottle of water and some of the local shape of pasta.
The Mercato delle Erbe is….amaaaaaaaaaazing. It's like the Boqueria in Barcelona, except 100% Italian. There are no bananas at this market. Why? Because bananas don't grow in Italy. I think you get the point. But the best thing about the market is that it's freaking cheap. Many stalls had several types of grapes for one euro a KILO. And they're the biggest grapes you've ever seen. It's also very very un-touristy, and one guy even glared at me for just having a camera around my neck. Whatever dude, I caused no harm. Bought some tomatoes and tangerines for a whopping 1.40 euros, and some Baranese (or something?) green olives. They're delicious!
Wandered around yet a bit more and bought a cheesy magnet to add to my collection - it's a TORTELLINI with the two towers in the middle, I love it haha. Came back to the hotel a little after 6pm and here I am typing at a little after 7. Started packing up so that I can try to do as many pictures after dinner as possible before I leave for Parma.
8:30pm: back from dinner. Managed to get into Trattoria del Biassanot, which is the one that turned me down on Saturday. They said I had to be done by 8:30, well for me that's no problem eating alone. Only a few minutes later they started turning people away. Most of the people in the place seemed to be tourists, but the food was awesome. I had the traditional pasatelli in brodo, which is glorified (but delicious) chicken noodle soup. Then I had pasta, which was also delicious. Interestingly, this place had a cover charge AND then added 10% for service. Whatever. It was still tasty.
Now I want to do as many pics as I can and finish packing up so I can get out pretty quickly tomorrow.
Bologna is different. I don't think it has an attracting heart and soul like Florence, but the food really is indeed the center of this city. I could shop at the Mercato delle Erbe every day of my life. There aren't that many sites and the architecture is not THAT interesting, but it's definitely a cool place that's bustling without the annoyances of Rome.
Followed signs to the Castle in the center of town and the walk from the train station was farther than I thought it was going to be. But I made it in about 15 min and the castle is quite an impressive building. Wandered around a bit more, found the tourist info office inside the castle, got a map and asked where the Jewish museum was and set out to find it. The tour was at 12 and it was about 11:30 so I wandered these old alleys a bit. I went into a 99c store! HAHA!! I bought an emery board, since I'd broken a couple nails.
At 12, went in to the museum. There were 2 other couples - both italian. And as an aside, I'd like to note that 3 of the 4 of them were wearing BLUE jeans and ALL FOUR of them were wearing SNEAKERS. So me, the only American, was wearing nice slacks and black shoes. That's all I have to say about that.
Anyway the tour was interesting enough. There was quite a strong/old jewish community in Ferrara dating back to medieval times. They had the keys from the ghetto gates from the 1600s and even a torah scroll from the 1700s. The remaining active synagogue (with 70 members) is quite small and beautiful and the museum contains quite a lot of old memorabilia type things.
I was so hungry after the tour around 1, but on Monday it seemed like 90% of the restaurants in Ferrara were closed. Really annoying. I kept wandering and wandering til about 2ish when I finally gave up and went to a 'touristy' place right on the main square. I just had a sandwich. I tried to go to the castle, and it was closed. Wish I knew about that earlier.
Tried to catch the 2:30 train back to bologna but I miscalculated the time and got a bit lost so I showed up about 2:50. there was a slower train leaving at 3, so I caught that instead of waiting til a 3:30 train.
I'd say Ferrara was a bit of a waste. The Jewish tour was interesting and their duomo is quite beautiful but I should have planned better and caught a much earlier train.
Back in Bologna about 4pm, I took a bus down to the main square, figured I'd just wander around a bit more. Lo and behold, on the bus, I saw a sign for MERCATO DELLE ERBE! So I got off at Piazza Maggiore and wandered there for a few minutes. Went into the famous Tamburini shop/deli and looked at the goods. It was really quiet in there though. Then went back to the Mercato delle Erbe, which would not reopen til 5. Found a coop supermarket right near it and bought a bottle of water and some of the local shape of pasta.
The Mercato delle Erbe is….amaaaaaaaaaazing. It's like the Boqueria in Barcelona, except 100% Italian. There are no bananas at this market. Why? Because bananas don't grow in Italy. I think you get the point. But the best thing about the market is that it's freaking cheap. Many stalls had several types of grapes for one euro a KILO. And they're the biggest grapes you've ever seen. It's also very very un-touristy, and one guy even glared at me for just having a camera around my neck. Whatever dude, I caused no harm. Bought some tomatoes and tangerines for a whopping 1.40 euros, and some Baranese (or something?) green olives. They're delicious!
Wandered around yet a bit more and bought a cheesy magnet to add to my collection - it's a TORTELLINI with the two towers in the middle, I love it haha. Came back to the hotel a little after 6pm and here I am typing at a little after 7. Started packing up so that I can try to do as many pictures after dinner as possible before I leave for Parma.
8:30pm: back from dinner. Managed to get into Trattoria del Biassanot, which is the one that turned me down on Saturday. They said I had to be done by 8:30, well for me that's no problem eating alone. Only a few minutes later they started turning people away. Most of the people in the place seemed to be tourists, but the food was awesome. I had the traditional pasatelli in brodo, which is glorified (but delicious) chicken noodle soup. Then I had pasta, which was also delicious. Interestingly, this place had a cover charge AND then added 10% for service. Whatever. It was still tasty.
Now I want to do as many pics as I can and finish packing up so I can get out pretty quickly tomorrow.
Bologna is different. I don't think it has an attracting heart and soul like Florence, but the food really is indeed the center of this city. I could shop at the Mercato delle Erbe every day of my life. There aren't that many sites and the architecture is not THAT interesting, but it's definitely a cool place that's bustling without the annoyances of Rome.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Italy 2009 Trip Day 5 - Sunday October 18
5:25pm: Woke up around 8:30 after having not gone to sleep til like, 2:30am or later. Anyway, woke up and got ready, moved the drying laundry to the closet from the bathroom, and went to breakfast. Cappuccino, a couple kinds of pastry (croissant smeared with nutella!!!!!), a hard-boiled egg, and I was off on my way.
Wandered around the Piazza Maggiore area again - took some pictures in the same place I did yesterday - except that today was quiet and empty where yesterday stood a very busy and bustling market. Went to the tourist info office just before 10:30 for the church/monument walking tour. A couple I recognized from breakfast that morning was on there so we started chatting; turns out they're from Palo Alto, come to Italy every year and always stay at the hotel in one of their apartments. The tour was good, we saw two of the main churches, the Due Torre (2 towers), and the main square, and plenty along the way. The church of Santo Stefano is particularly cool - it's actually several churches put together and all in stone and kind of dark.
So after the tour was over, the lovely Jerry and Sandi asked if I wanted to join them at lunch - they were going to a pizzeria they liked called Pino. Luckily it was open today. I had a pizza piled high with prosciutto. It was delicious. It took me 4 days in Italy to have pizza, I know you're proud!
After this, they showed me their favorite gelateria off the beaten track (Gianni). They had awesome names for gelato, including "L'avvocato" or, The Lawyer. HA! They also showed me a big supermarket way off the beaten track, where I bought a few different chocolate bars AND THE GREEN SICILIAN OLIVES I DISCOVERED LAST TIME IN FLORENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That kind of made my day. Anyway, came back to the hotel for a couple minutes, gave them my email address, and talked to the owner a bit. Everyone suggested I go to Ferrara tomorrow. We'll see.
Set off to find the Jewish Ghetto which is right near the Two Towers. The streets (alleys?) are narrower and less open and airy than the rest of town. There was some bizarre procession on the way. At first I thought it was a funeral but people were clapping and watching and they were heading towards a small church, they didn't seem upset. People were burning stuff, there was practically a marching band-type group, and they were carrying something.
Anyway I walked around the ghetto for a few minutes but I decided not to go into the Jewish Museum… just did not feel up to it? Got a small gelato (chocolate and coffee) at the 2nd branch of the Gianni Gelateria. It came in an edible (cone) cup, called "cisterne" - really cool!
Walked around and found the pizzeria I ate at yesterday. They are open tonight, so I might head there for dinner. They have beef on the menu (I think) so I may splurge for that.
Wandered back and into the city's actual Duomo (which unlike most Italian cities is not on the city's main square but near the start of the main road that connects the train station with the heart of the historical center), which was quite beautiful indeed. Also checked out Zara and H&M, and still no sign of a decent-looking cheap pair of sunglasses. By the time I find them, the rain will have moved in LOL! Maybe tomorrow I should look for a poncho instead... Came back to the hotel to write this up, upload yesterday's pictures (which at nearly 7pm now is still not done), and look up Ferrara a bit. Seems quite interesting indeed so I think I'll definitely head there tomorrow - plus it's only a half hour on the train, which I didn't realize!
9:00pm: back at the hotel stuffed to the gills. Went back to the pizzeria I ate at yesterday, it was indeed open! I splurged and had filetto (beef) with a side of roasted potatoes. Oh. My. God. See, the potatoes were just roasted with some rosemary and olive oil. And the steak was just grilled and they brought ME the olive oil and salt to season it to my liking. That's why food is so good here. I was brought two plates that appeared plain. No garnish, no froo-froo. Just real damn good food. You just can't get beef like that in the US. Was it the most tender I've ever had? But it just had so much flavor. By the way, I ordered (or tried to order) the steak "mezzo sanguine" or medium rare. Well, it was fine for me, but it was no medium rare. It was way rarer than probably any restaurant in the US would be willing to serve it! So it was a bit of a splurge, but it was worth every penny and really hit the spot.
A little after 8, I finished dinner and walked around the main square and took some pictures at night. Then I found the main branch of the Gianni gelateria and got a small "cisterna" of nutella and coffee. This place's gelato is so flavorful and so creamy, it's among the best I've had anywhere, really.
So now I am back at the hotel, I will try to go to bed early tonight so I can make it to the food market early tomorrow, so I can make it to Ferrara on the 9am train. The 10am is probably more reasonable though. ;)
Wandered around the Piazza Maggiore area again - took some pictures in the same place I did yesterday - except that today was quiet and empty where yesterday stood a very busy and bustling market. Went to the tourist info office just before 10:30 for the church/monument walking tour. A couple I recognized from breakfast that morning was on there so we started chatting; turns out they're from Palo Alto, come to Italy every year and always stay at the hotel in one of their apartments. The tour was good, we saw two of the main churches, the Due Torre (2 towers), and the main square, and plenty along the way. The church of Santo Stefano is particularly cool - it's actually several churches put together and all in stone and kind of dark.
So after the tour was over, the lovely Jerry and Sandi asked if I wanted to join them at lunch - they were going to a pizzeria they liked called Pino. Luckily it was open today. I had a pizza piled high with prosciutto. It was delicious. It took me 4 days in Italy to have pizza, I know you're proud!
After this, they showed me their favorite gelateria off the beaten track (Gianni). They had awesome names for gelato, including "L'avvocato" or, The Lawyer. HA! They also showed me a big supermarket way off the beaten track, where I bought a few different chocolate bars AND THE GREEN SICILIAN OLIVES I DISCOVERED LAST TIME IN FLORENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That kind of made my day. Anyway, came back to the hotel for a couple minutes, gave them my email address, and talked to the owner a bit. Everyone suggested I go to Ferrara tomorrow. We'll see.
Set off to find the Jewish Ghetto which is right near the Two Towers. The streets (alleys?) are narrower and less open and airy than the rest of town. There was some bizarre procession on the way. At first I thought it was a funeral but people were clapping and watching and they were heading towards a small church, they didn't seem upset. People were burning stuff, there was practically a marching band-type group, and they were carrying something.
Anyway I walked around the ghetto for a few minutes but I decided not to go into the Jewish Museum… just did not feel up to it? Got a small gelato (chocolate and coffee) at the 2nd branch of the Gianni Gelateria. It came in an edible (cone) cup, called "cisterne" - really cool!
Walked around and found the pizzeria I ate at yesterday. They are open tonight, so I might head there for dinner. They have beef on the menu (I think) so I may splurge for that.
Wandered back and into the city's actual Duomo (which unlike most Italian cities is not on the city's main square but near the start of the main road that connects the train station with the heart of the historical center), which was quite beautiful indeed. Also checked out Zara and H&M, and still no sign of a decent-looking cheap pair of sunglasses. By the time I find them, the rain will have moved in LOL! Maybe tomorrow I should look for a poncho instead... Came back to the hotel to write this up, upload yesterday's pictures (which at nearly 7pm now is still not done), and look up Ferrara a bit. Seems quite interesting indeed so I think I'll definitely head there tomorrow - plus it's only a half hour on the train, which I didn't realize!
9:00pm: back at the hotel stuffed to the gills. Went back to the pizzeria I ate at yesterday, it was indeed open! I splurged and had filetto (beef) with a side of roasted potatoes. Oh. My. God. See, the potatoes were just roasted with some rosemary and olive oil. And the steak was just grilled and they brought ME the olive oil and salt to season it to my liking. That's why food is so good here. I was brought two plates that appeared plain. No garnish, no froo-froo. Just real damn good food. You just can't get beef like that in the US. Was it the most tender I've ever had? But it just had so much flavor. By the way, I ordered (or tried to order) the steak "mezzo sanguine" or medium rare. Well, it was fine for me, but it was no medium rare. It was way rarer than probably any restaurant in the US would be willing to serve it! So it was a bit of a splurge, but it was worth every penny and really hit the spot.
A little after 8, I finished dinner and walked around the main square and took some pictures at night. Then I found the main branch of the Gianni gelateria and got a small "cisterna" of nutella and coffee. This place's gelato is so flavorful and so creamy, it's among the best I've had anywhere, really.
So now I am back at the hotel, I will try to go to bed early tonight so I can make it to the food market early tomorrow, so I can make it to Ferrara on the 9am train. The 10am is probably more reasonable though. ;)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Trip Day 3 Florence Oct 16 Pics finally up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debstah1/sets/72157622481432437/
Ugh, just looked at the forecast for next Wed-Sat or so and it is not good, in fact it is really quite AWFUL :( Cinque Terre could be fun :(
Ugh, just looked at the forecast for next Wed-Sat or so and it is not good, in fact it is really quite AWFUL :( Cinque Terre could be fun :(
Italy 2009 Trip Day 4 - Saturday October 17
9:20am: Sitting on the train to Bologna. These Eurostar/AltaVelocita trains are so nice. Plugs, comfy seats, lots of leg room. So much better than flying. Of course, at 19 euros for a 1 hour ride, not exactly cheap either.
Woke up around 7:30, took a shower, paid (with credit card!), ate breakfast, and set off for the station at 8:30ish. Claudio said it was best to walk, but when I saw the taxi station in the Piazza…I had to. It was only 6 euros, worth every penny to save my legs, feet, and shoulders (from my backpack). Got my ticket with the self-serve machine with no problem and the train arrived shortly from Rome. The seat next to me is empty, so I have lots of room. Now just waiting for the train to leave, which I think it is finally doing a few minutes late.
Off to Bologna to eat myself sick for 3 days (and in the meantime to hopefully enjoy a bit of scenery along the way)!!!!
11:00am: in the hotel, all settled in and wireless set up easily. Cute little room, though a bit warm. Should be fine at night and I can always crack a window open. Train ride was nice when we weren't in a tunnel. Another glorious day in Italy.
Off to eat (and maybe sightsee a little)!
6:45pm: Phew, long tiring day. At 11, I set out to Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna. Bologna is unique because it's lined with hundreds of miles of arcaded porticoes. Handy if it rains - which it did not today. But this means if it's busy, it feels very packed. And today was a VERY BUSY SATURDAY. It's less than 10 min walk from my hotel to the main area. I set out to find the daily food market, and what a lot of great looking food indeed. Unlike other markets like in Rome where people set up stalls in a square, these are permanent shops that set up things outside their shops. There are also lots of delis, meat, and fish shops interspersed. Wandered around and mostly just looked. The medieval streets are narrow, and busy, so it was kind of a mob scene. Pretty cool for sure though.
Got real hungry around noon and wandered around a lot to find a place that looked decent and not overly touristy. At about 1, I finally found a place called Scalinatella that had a large menu of pizzas and pastas very reasonably priced that didn't seem too touristy. Indeed, I heard no English being spoken inside (I got back to the hotel and while looking for something else I happened to find the name with the information that it is supposed to have some of the best pizza in Bologna…so I might just have to go back!!!)! Anyway I had pasta called "garganelli" - which I'd never heard of before but I've seen it on many menus since - and it was fresh and al dente and delicious with tons of grated cheese. I couldn't even finish it and just now at 7pm I am just starting to get hungry.
Anyway, after lunch, I wandered around the Piazza Maggiore area a bit more - it's lots of shopping so there were lots of locals out and about shopping on their Saturday afternoon. I forgot sunglasses so I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a pair of cheap ones. Then I sat in the square for a while and rested my feet until my museum walking tour at 3:30. Met up with the tour guide at the tourist info center, and there was a group of 4 Spaniards supposed to take the tour two… except that they left once they found out it was a museum, not a monument tour (that's tomorrow morning). So it was just me and the guide - like a free private tour of 4 museums! There was the archaeological museum, a museum for the city's art collection in the municipal building, a museum for the 20th Century painter Morandi (zzzz), and a civic medieval museum with artifacts from the city's great university history. 4 museums in just over 90 minutes, this is my kind of sight-seeing! The tour guide was great and refused to take a tip. I felt bad. We were talking about Italian coffee and why it's so good, and she said she had never heard of Starbucks!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing (in a good way). I tried to offer her a tip but she refused. So I basically got a private tour of 4 museums completely for free. I have a feeling tomorrow's tour will have more people, but I kind of hope not.
Got back to my hotel around 5:30 and soaked my feet in the bidet for a while, which I don't think helped that much, and researched some places for dinner. Turns out there might be a couple really great places right near my hotel so I will check one of those out.
10:00pm: Tried to go to Trattoria dal Biassanot shortly after 7pm (early by Italian standards), which came highly recommended by my hotel. Only 3 tables were full but he said every other place was reserved…that's the first time I've been turned away from a restaurant in Italy, in October no less! Looked like plenty of other people were being turned away too. Saw another recommended place across the street, and it looks good, but it's one of the few places opened Sunday so I wanted to save it. Walked down a bit and saw Trattoria Tony, which I had read about as being good. The menus for all these places were actually quite similar. Most of the tables at Tony had "reserved" signs, but they seated me. Very cute place, really nice waiters who kept playing with a few kids. By 8pm it was packed. I had a mixed salad (was actually craving vegetables) and the famous tortellini in brodo, which at 9 euros I find quite expensive for basically soup, but considering the pasta's handmade and expensive to buy or make I guess, it's not that bad. I saw it on other menus for as high as 14 euros… FOR A BOWL OF SOUP. Anyway, it was good. Nice meal in a very locals-y kind of place. Several of the people coming in who had reservations knew the owner/manager and gave him a big hug.
Asked my hotel if there was a decent pasticceria around since it was a bit chilly and she pointed me to one around the corner. I got a chocolate sandwich cookie type thing, which was deeeeeeeelicious. They had little mini cake like things which I may have to go back and try before I leave.
Came back here around 9 and did a bit of laundry. So the bathroom has a step in it and I've already tripped about 10 times. I know it will happen at least 20 more. Hopefully I make it out without actually hurting myself. The only English channel I get here is CNN. I've only had it on for a little while and I've almost thrown the remote at the TV multiple times.
So I started uploading my pictures from yesterday a few HOURS ago, and it's still only 75% done. The wireless here is incredibly slow, I guess. And that doesn’t include the few videos I took. I've got today's pictures all ready to go and I will put it all up as soon as possible, or rather, as soon as this connection cooperates...
Oh, one thing I almost forgot. To the pregnant woman who walked past me puffing on a cigarette…really? In 2009???????
Woke up around 7:30, took a shower, paid (with credit card!), ate breakfast, and set off for the station at 8:30ish. Claudio said it was best to walk, but when I saw the taxi station in the Piazza…I had to. It was only 6 euros, worth every penny to save my legs, feet, and shoulders (from my backpack). Got my ticket with the self-serve machine with no problem and the train arrived shortly from Rome. The seat next to me is empty, so I have lots of room. Now just waiting for the train to leave, which I think it is finally doing a few minutes late.
Off to Bologna to eat myself sick for 3 days (and in the meantime to hopefully enjoy a bit of scenery along the way)!!!!
11:00am: in the hotel, all settled in and wireless set up easily. Cute little room, though a bit warm. Should be fine at night and I can always crack a window open. Train ride was nice when we weren't in a tunnel. Another glorious day in Italy.
Off to eat (and maybe sightsee a little)!
6:45pm: Phew, long tiring day. At 11, I set out to Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna. Bologna is unique because it's lined with hundreds of miles of arcaded porticoes. Handy if it rains - which it did not today. But this means if it's busy, it feels very packed. And today was a VERY BUSY SATURDAY. It's less than 10 min walk from my hotel to the main area. I set out to find the daily food market, and what a lot of great looking food indeed. Unlike other markets like in Rome where people set up stalls in a square, these are permanent shops that set up things outside their shops. There are also lots of delis, meat, and fish shops interspersed. Wandered around and mostly just looked. The medieval streets are narrow, and busy, so it was kind of a mob scene. Pretty cool for sure though.
Got real hungry around noon and wandered around a lot to find a place that looked decent and not overly touristy. At about 1, I finally found a place called Scalinatella that had a large menu of pizzas and pastas very reasonably priced that didn't seem too touristy. Indeed, I heard no English being spoken inside (I got back to the hotel and while looking for something else I happened to find the name with the information that it is supposed to have some of the best pizza in Bologna…so I might just have to go back!!!)! Anyway I had pasta called "garganelli" - which I'd never heard of before but I've seen it on many menus since - and it was fresh and al dente and delicious with tons of grated cheese. I couldn't even finish it and just now at 7pm I am just starting to get hungry.
Anyway, after lunch, I wandered around the Piazza Maggiore area a bit more - it's lots of shopping so there were lots of locals out and about shopping on their Saturday afternoon. I forgot sunglasses so I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a pair of cheap ones. Then I sat in the square for a while and rested my feet until my museum walking tour at 3:30. Met up with the tour guide at the tourist info center, and there was a group of 4 Spaniards supposed to take the tour two… except that they left once they found out it was a museum, not a monument tour (that's tomorrow morning). So it was just me and the guide - like a free private tour of 4 museums! There was the archaeological museum, a museum for the city's art collection in the municipal building, a museum for the 20th Century painter Morandi (zzzz), and a civic medieval museum with artifacts from the city's great university history. 4 museums in just over 90 minutes, this is my kind of sight-seeing! The tour guide was great and refused to take a tip. I felt bad. We were talking about Italian coffee and why it's so good, and she said she had never heard of Starbucks!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing (in a good way). I tried to offer her a tip but she refused. So I basically got a private tour of 4 museums completely for free. I have a feeling tomorrow's tour will have more people, but I kind of hope not.
Got back to my hotel around 5:30 and soaked my feet in the bidet for a while, which I don't think helped that much, and researched some places for dinner. Turns out there might be a couple really great places right near my hotel so I will check one of those out.
10:00pm: Tried to go to Trattoria dal Biassanot shortly after 7pm (early by Italian standards), which came highly recommended by my hotel. Only 3 tables were full but he said every other place was reserved…that's the first time I've been turned away from a restaurant in Italy, in October no less! Looked like plenty of other people were being turned away too. Saw another recommended place across the street, and it looks good, but it's one of the few places opened Sunday so I wanted to save it. Walked down a bit and saw Trattoria Tony, which I had read about as being good. The menus for all these places were actually quite similar. Most of the tables at Tony had "reserved" signs, but they seated me. Very cute place, really nice waiters who kept playing with a few kids. By 8pm it was packed. I had a mixed salad (was actually craving vegetables) and the famous tortellini in brodo, which at 9 euros I find quite expensive for basically soup, but considering the pasta's handmade and expensive to buy or make I guess, it's not that bad. I saw it on other menus for as high as 14 euros… FOR A BOWL OF SOUP. Anyway, it was good. Nice meal in a very locals-y kind of place. Several of the people coming in who had reservations knew the owner/manager and gave him a big hug.
Asked my hotel if there was a decent pasticceria around since it was a bit chilly and she pointed me to one around the corner. I got a chocolate sandwich cookie type thing, which was deeeeeeeelicious. They had little mini cake like things which I may have to go back and try before I leave.
Came back here around 9 and did a bit of laundry. So the bathroom has a step in it and I've already tripped about 10 times. I know it will happen at least 20 more. Hopefully I make it out without actually hurting myself. The only English channel I get here is CNN. I've only had it on for a little while and I've almost thrown the remote at the TV multiple times.
So I started uploading my pictures from yesterday a few HOURS ago, and it's still only 75% done. The wireless here is incredibly slow, I guess. And that doesn’t include the few videos I took. I've got today's pictures all ready to go and I will put it all up as soon as possible, or rather, as soon as this connection cooperates...
Oh, one thing I almost forgot. To the pregnant woman who walked past me puffing on a cigarette…really? In 2009???????
Friday, October 16, 2009
Italy 2009 Trip Day 3 - Friday October 16
7:30am: Wow, these beds are hard. But still, I slept not too badly considering the time change. Probably about 7 hours total. Looks like a chilly but clear morning in wonderful Florence! Very much looking forward to a cappuccino for breakfast and then out for a very packed and full day!
2:10pm: Been going nonstop for about 6 hours and now I need a rest. Breakfast at Bar Donnini was delicious - 2 fresh pastries, a cappuccino and "orange juice" - I use the quotes because, sorry Italy, juice is one of the few things you don't really do very well. Anyway, a very nice "authentic" breakfast indeed. And there was a steamed milk heart on my cappuccino <3
Set on my way to Church of Santissima Annunziata - in the square of the same name, designed I believe by Michelangelo. Pretty church and one gorgeous side chapel. Some guy got really mad at me for taking a picture? Not someone who worked there but a tourist or person praying. But there were no signs forbidding it. I know it's a place of worship but I'm not one of those disrespectful people who uses flash or is even loud about taking pictures.
Made it to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi only to find that the Chapel of the Magi is closed today, bummer. But it meant the rest of the palace was free so I wandered around and took a few pictures.
Stumbled upon the San Lorenzo market and I bought a scarf/pashmina that is "supposedly" part cashmere and part silk, made in Italy, for 5 euros. It's probably total crap, but it's purple and cute and helped on this breezy but stunningly beautiful day.
Around 10 I got to "Dante's Church" - which I had tried to go into last time but it was closed. This time, I managed to catch it in the few short hours it's open. I was right in remembering a leather workshop right across from the church, but it was not open :(
Walked across the ponte vecchio and saw all the amazing glittery goodies. There was one pair of earrings I would absolutely love, but we'll see. I think they're in white gold, which would obviously be a lot more expensive than silver. But, they're so pretty...Then I found the famous chocolate shop and bought a couple of dark bars, they look so tasty.
I just kept wandering around, through the Oltrarno - found the Francesco shoe shop and they had nearly nothing in my size and the woman spoke no English. So I kind of got lazy and didn't feel like bothering. Some things I think I could BS my way through, but probably not purchasing shoes.
Made it to Palazzo Davanzati, the Church of Santa Trinita, and then Church of Santa Maria del Carmine - where the famous Brancacci Chapel lives. You're supposed to have a reservation but most books say if you're alone you can walk right in so right before noon I walked right in. Student rate for 18-25 year olds is 3 euros, otherwise 4. She said "it's 3 euros for students"... Oh, ok! Do I really look so young? :(
Wandered around a bit while I worked up my appetite, and found a little leather shop. Got a cute lavender wallet for 27 euros.
Found Trattoria Sostanza for lunch at about 12:45. Got the chicken breasts in butter I had read so much about. OH. MY. God. Just look at the picture when I can post it. I'm sitting here, now at 3pm, absolutely stuffed still. This is such, what I'd consider, a "typical" Florentine/Tuscan type of place. Large tables seated randomly with strangers. Small hand-written menu, really warm service, and awesome awesome food. On my way out, the guy shook my hand and was like, see you soon! So good.
9:10pm: Sitting in the B&B's tea room, stuffed again and a lot poorer after a fun afternoon of shopping and more eating. I may have bought not one but two purple leather purses, and two pairs of earrings. Not any one thing was particularly expensive, but with a 1.5 exchange rate, it adds up. Oh well, who knows when I'll ever be back. Good thing my suitcase was about 1/3 empty!
After finally finding that leather store across from Dante's church (open this time) and wandering the Ponte Vecchio, I got a couple bus tickets and caught Bus 13 up to Piazzale Michelangelo, around 5pm. I could see this view at sunset every single day of my life and never get tired of it. I did the extra little hike to San Miniato and made it in time for the 5:30pm vespers. I inconspicuously sneaked a couple videos, and by the time I left the church, the sun had started to set a bit more and I took some pictures that will hopefully turn into good panoramas.
Caught bus 12 back down - and unlike 2 years ago did not get lost! Got off right across the Ponte Alle Grazie and walked around the Santa Croce area for a while before dinner to work up an appetite. I decided I was going to go back to I Ghibellini - a pizzeria I went to two years ago. I kind of got lost but after about 20 minutes wandering around I finally found it and was starving. I thought I was being good by ordering just a crostini and pasta… But… Then the crostini came out and was a HUGE slice of bread piled high with tasty things. So I left half of it so I'd have at least a little room for my pasta - homemade fresh pici - like really thick chewy spaghetti. It was delicious and I ate as much as I could possibly get down. I got a small cannella (cinnamon)/chocolate gelato at Perche No on the way back to the B&B but I couldn't even finish it!
Off to Bologna tomorrow!
Pictures coming soon
2:10pm: Been going nonstop for about 6 hours and now I need a rest. Breakfast at Bar Donnini was delicious - 2 fresh pastries, a cappuccino and "orange juice" - I use the quotes because, sorry Italy, juice is one of the few things you don't really do very well. Anyway, a very nice "authentic" breakfast indeed. And there was a steamed milk heart on my cappuccino <3
Set on my way to Church of Santissima Annunziata - in the square of the same name, designed I believe by Michelangelo. Pretty church and one gorgeous side chapel. Some guy got really mad at me for taking a picture? Not someone who worked there but a tourist or person praying. But there were no signs forbidding it. I know it's a place of worship but I'm not one of those disrespectful people who uses flash or is even loud about taking pictures.
Made it to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi only to find that the Chapel of the Magi is closed today, bummer. But it meant the rest of the palace was free so I wandered around and took a few pictures.
Stumbled upon the San Lorenzo market and I bought a scarf/pashmina that is "supposedly" part cashmere and part silk, made in Italy, for 5 euros. It's probably total crap, but it's purple and cute and helped on this breezy but stunningly beautiful day.
Around 10 I got to "Dante's Church" - which I had tried to go into last time but it was closed. This time, I managed to catch it in the few short hours it's open. I was right in remembering a leather workshop right across from the church, but it was not open :(
Walked across the ponte vecchio and saw all the amazing glittery goodies. There was one pair of earrings I would absolutely love, but we'll see. I think they're in white gold, which would obviously be a lot more expensive than silver. But, they're so pretty...Then I found the famous chocolate shop and bought a couple of dark bars, they look so tasty.
I just kept wandering around, through the Oltrarno - found the Francesco shoe shop and they had nearly nothing in my size and the woman spoke no English. So I kind of got lazy and didn't feel like bothering. Some things I think I could BS my way through, but probably not purchasing shoes.
Made it to Palazzo Davanzati, the Church of Santa Trinita, and then Church of Santa Maria del Carmine - where the famous Brancacci Chapel lives. You're supposed to have a reservation but most books say if you're alone you can walk right in so right before noon I walked right in. Student rate for 18-25 year olds is 3 euros, otherwise 4. She said "it's 3 euros for students"... Oh, ok! Do I really look so young? :(
Wandered around a bit while I worked up my appetite, and found a little leather shop. Got a cute lavender wallet for 27 euros.
Found Trattoria Sostanza for lunch at about 12:45. Got the chicken breasts in butter I had read so much about. OH. MY. God. Just look at the picture when I can post it. I'm sitting here, now at 3pm, absolutely stuffed still. This is such, what I'd consider, a "typical" Florentine/Tuscan type of place. Large tables seated randomly with strangers. Small hand-written menu, really warm service, and awesome awesome food. On my way out, the guy shook my hand and was like, see you soon! So good.
9:10pm: Sitting in the B&B's tea room, stuffed again and a lot poorer after a fun afternoon of shopping and more eating. I may have bought not one but two purple leather purses, and two pairs of earrings. Not any one thing was particularly expensive, but with a 1.5 exchange rate, it adds up. Oh well, who knows when I'll ever be back. Good thing my suitcase was about 1/3 empty!
After finally finding that leather store across from Dante's church (open this time) and wandering the Ponte Vecchio, I got a couple bus tickets and caught Bus 13 up to Piazzale Michelangelo, around 5pm. I could see this view at sunset every single day of my life and never get tired of it. I did the extra little hike to San Miniato and made it in time for the 5:30pm vespers. I inconspicuously sneaked a couple videos, and by the time I left the church, the sun had started to set a bit more and I took some pictures that will hopefully turn into good panoramas.
Caught bus 12 back down - and unlike 2 years ago did not get lost! Got off right across the Ponte Alle Grazie and walked around the Santa Croce area for a while before dinner to work up an appetite. I decided I was going to go back to I Ghibellini - a pizzeria I went to two years ago. I kind of got lost but after about 20 minutes wandering around I finally found it and was starving. I thought I was being good by ordering just a crostini and pasta… But… Then the crostini came out and was a HUGE slice of bread piled high with tasty things. So I left half of it so I'd have at least a little room for my pasta - homemade fresh pici - like really thick chewy spaghetti. It was delicious and I ate as much as I could possibly get down. I got a small cannella (cinnamon)/chocolate gelato at Perche No on the way back to the B&B but I couldn't even finish it!
Off to Bologna tomorrow!
Pictures coming soon
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Italy 2009 Trip Day 2 - Thursday October 15
4:30pm CET: Sitting in the neat, tidy, peaceful Zurich airport. I can't believe how quiet this place is at 4pm on a weekday. I was going to buy some chocolate, but it's outrageous even at the Duty-Free shop. I don't understand the whole Duty-Free concept - yeah maybe there is "no tax" but the stuff has to be a good 50%+ more expensive than other shops. So big freaking whoop.
My flight takes off at 5:45, but when I headed toward that gate, this guy said we were early and there were no toilets at the gate so we should just stay and shop and eat.
I got probably 5 hours of not very sound sleep. Flight was fairly smooth save for some bumpy parts. Landed a bit early, excellent. Going to take a picture of the one view of Zurich I will have during my 2 hours here :p I am tired.
Almost at Firenze!!!
4:50pm: made it through security. Had to open my suitcase and show them my Fiskars for kids scissors - she laughed as soon as she saw how small and plastic they were. I asked the guy if I had to take off my shoes and he said no, and I said I asked because we have to take all shoes off in the US and he laughed and said "the hysteria in America" but yet they question my plastic scissors, which they didn't do in LA :)
I still cannot get over how freaking quiet and empty and orderly this airport is.
6:25pm: currently flying over the Alps (I presume?) as the sun sets. I kinda wish I had my camera readily accessible and was in a window seat! Because I know you were wondering with baited breath, Mel, this plane does have individual A/C units and I did immediately check to make sure they worked ;) And the good news is that I also made it onto this plane with carry-on only, which was a nice surprise since it's a small plane and I thought I was maybe going to have to gate check it. But no, the bins were big enough! That's a relief and one less thing to worry about and waste time on when I arrive. I can run straight to the taxi and get to town ASAP.
This flight's only 55 min long air-wise. Nice. But they still brought around drinks and a snack of a soft pretzel SMEARED with butter. And here comes mini Toblerones! By the way, I should mention how odd it is that there is more legroom and more under-chair room than on my transatlantic flight. The chair's also more comfortable.
Met an American couple who are going to Florence for the first time, for a week. I gave them some pointers that they seemed to appreciate.
Sunset in the air is quite pretty.
10:15pm: Landed right on time. Caught a taxi easily (once I found the right place) and clutched tightly as my kind taxi driver weaved around the rotaries and in and out of lanes of traffic. I have no idea how I made it to Piazza della Repubblica safely, but here I am writing the rest of this blog! I buzzed and the lovely Claudio who owns the B&B I'm staying tonight and tomorrow night, greeted me warmly… actually, I thought I was going to get a hug, that's how friendly he was. Anyway, he showed me around and the place is exactly how it looked on the website, so that's a relief. My room is the less expensive of the three, because it has no Duomo view, but that also means it has no view of the square, which means no noise at night. All pros for me.
After I chatted with Claudio for a while and asked him some questions, I set out to find some food, aka gelato, from the wonderful Perche No which I'd had 2 years ago and loved. I had a delicious combo of Chocolate Mousse gelato (the texture is impossible to describe) and Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut). It was chilly, but who cares :) As an aside, walking around this city again, I felt the familiarity and it felt like coming home, in a way. This city is simply magical.
Then I basically just wandered all around. Took some pictures in Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, from the Ponte Vecchio and of the Ponte Vecchio, then over to the Duomo and Baptistery.
So, now I am here updating this and soon I will be making myself try to get some sleep so I get on a normal schedule! Pictures coming soon, if not later today then tomorrow! :)
My flight takes off at 5:45, but when I headed toward that gate, this guy said we were early and there were no toilets at the gate so we should just stay and shop and eat.
I got probably 5 hours of not very sound sleep. Flight was fairly smooth save for some bumpy parts. Landed a bit early, excellent. Going to take a picture of the one view of Zurich I will have during my 2 hours here :p I am tired.
Almost at Firenze!!!
4:50pm: made it through security. Had to open my suitcase and show them my Fiskars for kids scissors - she laughed as soon as she saw how small and plastic they were. I asked the guy if I had to take off my shoes and he said no, and I said I asked because we have to take all shoes off in the US and he laughed and said "the hysteria in America" but yet they question my plastic scissors, which they didn't do in LA :)
I still cannot get over how freaking quiet and empty and orderly this airport is.
6:25pm: currently flying over the Alps (I presume?) as the sun sets. I kinda wish I had my camera readily accessible and was in a window seat! Because I know you were wondering with baited breath, Mel, this plane does have individual A/C units and I did immediately check to make sure they worked ;) And the good news is that I also made it onto this plane with carry-on only, which was a nice surprise since it's a small plane and I thought I was maybe going to have to gate check it. But no, the bins were big enough! That's a relief and one less thing to worry about and waste time on when I arrive. I can run straight to the taxi and get to town ASAP.
This flight's only 55 min long air-wise. Nice. But they still brought around drinks and a snack of a soft pretzel SMEARED with butter. And here comes mini Toblerones! By the way, I should mention how odd it is that there is more legroom and more under-chair room than on my transatlantic flight. The chair's also more comfortable.
Met an American couple who are going to Florence for the first time, for a week. I gave them some pointers that they seemed to appreciate.
Sunset in the air is quite pretty.
10:15pm: Landed right on time. Caught a taxi easily (once I found the right place) and clutched tightly as my kind taxi driver weaved around the rotaries and in and out of lanes of traffic. I have no idea how I made it to Piazza della Repubblica safely, but here I am writing the rest of this blog! I buzzed and the lovely Claudio who owns the B&B I'm staying tonight and tomorrow night, greeted me warmly… actually, I thought I was going to get a hug, that's how friendly he was. Anyway, he showed me around and the place is exactly how it looked on the website, so that's a relief. My room is the less expensive of the three, because it has no Duomo view, but that also means it has no view of the square, which means no noise at night. All pros for me.
After I chatted with Claudio for a while and asked him some questions, I set out to find some food, aka gelato, from the wonderful Perche No which I'd had 2 years ago and loved. I had a delicious combo of Chocolate Mousse gelato (the texture is impossible to describe) and Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut). It was chilly, but who cares :) As an aside, walking around this city again, I felt the familiarity and it felt like coming home, in a way. This city is simply magical.
Then I basically just wandered all around. Took some pictures in Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, from the Ponte Vecchio and of the Ponte Vecchio, then over to the Duomo and Baptistery.
So, now I am here updating this and soon I will be making myself try to get some sleep so I get on a normal schedule! Pictures coming soon, if not later today then tomorrow! :)
Italy 2009 Trip Day 1 - Wednesday October 14
4:39pm PDT: I truly cannot believe I am here sitting in the airport ready to go to Italy. I've been thinking about this trip for about two years. It still hasn't quite sunk in that I'm actually going and actually going today - despite the fact that I am sitting in the damn airport. I booked my ticket 6 months ago. How is it time already? Where does the time go? I fear the trip will fly by so fast it'll be like a dream. I must take a ton of pictures and try to remember every moment. Sorry in advance if I am boring with every detail :)
There's wireless here, but I am not going to pay $7.99. Dear LAX, Long Beach gives free wireless. Just FYI. I am bored already and have no internet to entertain me. How will I make it 11 days? As I said to a couple co-workers earlier today, I don't think I've been without the internet for 11 days since we GOT it when I was young. It will be a test of wills for sure :)
An uneventful shuttle ride. Came right on time at 2:40, but of course on the 405 we hit traffic so it took almost an hour to get to the airport. The other passenger in the van kept asking the driver to "drive smoothly" because he was getting carsick. Clearly he has never driven on the 405 before, because that road is impossible to drive smoothly on.
So, they didn't weigh my suitcase so I got IN with my carry-on with no extra effort. Now I wish I'd brought that extra pair of pants I took out at the last minute :) The international terminal, which I've never been inside before, is quite a mess. They're remodeling all over and once you get past security, a lady told me there was almost no food. So at about 4:00 I had a good old McDonald's fries. I hate McD's so much, but their fries are so damn good. I love how they're literally twice as expensive at the airport.
Back to the present, now, and here I am sitting in nearly-empty gate 104 more than 2 hours before boarding. But that's OK, I like the peacefulness of it. It seems like the weather might be clearing up a bit - If you'd told me a week or two ago that the weather was going to be nicer upon my arrival in Italy than it is here in LA, I probably would have laughed at you. But it's been awful here the last two days, which makes me feel even less badly about leaving for almost three weeks.
I'm already getting boring and my flight hasn't even taken off yet. I'm sorry in advance. I warn people about the dreaded "wall of text" every day at work and here I am giving you one. Oh, look, the incoming flight (the one I'll be taking on my trip back to LA) is arriving, just on time. Which is, of course, good news because that means my plane is here nice and early. People are taking pictures of it. I enjoy good pictures/memories as much as anyone, but really? The plane sitting in taxi at the airport? I guess whatever floats their boat!
It's quite interesting how, in the international terminal, English is probably the minority language. Feels like I could be at any airport anywhere in the world with the variety of languages being spoken and passports being flashed.
I'll stop boring you. For now!!!
5:20pm PDT: I spot sunshine in LA!!!!!!!!!!!
11:50pm CDT: I think we're over the midwest somewhere, according to the in-flight monitor thingy. Not far from Sioux Falls to be exact. The outside temp is -61F, because I'm sure you wanted to know. 8:41 left :( Had dinner, which consisted of surprisingly edible chicken, rice, salad, roll, and brownie. Before dinner they gave out a pretzel-y thing called something like "Happy Snack" (Amanda, I feel like this is kind of up your alley, so I've saved the bag and will take a picture for you later:)
When the flight first started, I looked up and, to my horror, saw no individually controllable a/c vent. My first thought was my coworker Mel's face when lovable Mr. Sterns was telling us that, to tell if the pressurization in your flight is working OK, you can check the a/c and make sure it's working. But soon after my mini-freak out, I felt some air so I am assuming all is well.
Flight has been smooth so far. Not much to report. Going to try to sleep as much as possible!
There's wireless here, but I am not going to pay $7.99. Dear LAX, Long Beach gives free wireless. Just FYI. I am bored already and have no internet to entertain me. How will I make it 11 days? As I said to a couple co-workers earlier today, I don't think I've been without the internet for 11 days since we GOT it when I was young. It will be a test of wills for sure :)
An uneventful shuttle ride. Came right on time at 2:40, but of course on the 405 we hit traffic so it took almost an hour to get to the airport. The other passenger in the van kept asking the driver to "drive smoothly" because he was getting carsick. Clearly he has never driven on the 405 before, because that road is impossible to drive smoothly on.
So, they didn't weigh my suitcase so I got IN with my carry-on with no extra effort. Now I wish I'd brought that extra pair of pants I took out at the last minute :) The international terminal, which I've never been inside before, is quite a mess. They're remodeling all over and once you get past security, a lady told me there was almost no food. So at about 4:00 I had a good old McDonald's fries. I hate McD's so much, but their fries are so damn good. I love how they're literally twice as expensive at the airport.
Back to the present, now, and here I am sitting in nearly-empty gate 104 more than 2 hours before boarding. But that's OK, I like the peacefulness of it. It seems like the weather might be clearing up a bit - If you'd told me a week or two ago that the weather was going to be nicer upon my arrival in Italy than it is here in LA, I probably would have laughed at you. But it's been awful here the last two days, which makes me feel even less badly about leaving for almost three weeks.
I'm already getting boring and my flight hasn't even taken off yet. I'm sorry in advance. I warn people about the dreaded "wall of text" every day at work and here I am giving you one. Oh, look, the incoming flight (the one I'll be taking on my trip back to LA) is arriving, just on time. Which is, of course, good news because that means my plane is here nice and early. People are taking pictures of it. I enjoy good pictures/memories as much as anyone, but really? The plane sitting in taxi at the airport? I guess whatever floats their boat!
It's quite interesting how, in the international terminal, English is probably the minority language. Feels like I could be at any airport anywhere in the world with the variety of languages being spoken and passports being flashed.
I'll stop boring you. For now!!!
5:20pm PDT: I spot sunshine in LA!!!!!!!!!!!
11:50pm CDT: I think we're over the midwest somewhere, according to the in-flight monitor thingy. Not far from Sioux Falls to be exact. The outside temp is -61F, because I'm sure you wanted to know. 8:41 left :( Had dinner, which consisted of surprisingly edible chicken, rice, salad, roll, and brownie. Before dinner they gave out a pretzel-y thing called something like "Happy Snack" (Amanda, I feel like this is kind of up your alley, so I've saved the bag and will take a picture for you later:)
When the flight first started, I looked up and, to my horror, saw no individually controllable a/c vent. My first thought was my coworker Mel's face when lovable Mr. Sterns was telling us that, to tell if the pressurization in your flight is working OK, you can check the a/c and make sure it's working. But soon after my mini-freak out, I felt some air so I am assuming all is well.
Flight has been smooth so far. Not much to report. Going to try to sleep as much as possible!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Where in the world have the last 5 months gone?????
Holy cow...
Last time I updated, I'd just booked tickets and finalized my itinerary. Now I leave in FOUR DAYS! Where has the time gone!!???!!?!?!
Pretty much everything is in place as I'd hoped. The lovely Renee will be joining me for the 2nd part of the trip, which should be much fun seeking out the gelaterie and fun shops all over Tuscany.
I got my new camera, the fantastic Olympus EP-1, and cannot wait to try out all its features in the most beautiful place in the world.
I managed to snag a (free!!!!) cheese tour in Parma through the cheese consorzio, so I hope that's awesome. Rented a car, which should be an...interesting.... experience :)
Now if only my body would cooperate! I decided to get my 2 bottom wisdom teeth out a month before leaving, then a few days ago my back started hurting badly and now I have a sore throat and am hoping it's nothing worth worrying about. When you have been saving and dreaming and preparing and planning something for basically 2 years, you just want it to be perfect! So, fingers crossed.
This weekend is all about packing and doing the final little things. I'm mostly packed and my suitcase (the 5pound Sub-0-G rolling carry-on) is about 1/3 empty. But man, getting down to 18 pounds is not easy! Hopefully Swiss Air is not too strict about weight.
So, it's ridiculous that I'm leaving so soon. The biggest thing left to hope and pray for is good weather. Of course, rainy Italy is better than no Italy, but we're hoping for the best!
I think I'll have internet the first several days of the trip. I plan on blogging like last time. Even when I won't have internet I'll write up every day and post it all when i get home!
Last time I updated, I'd just booked tickets and finalized my itinerary. Now I leave in FOUR DAYS! Where has the time gone!!???!!?!?!
Pretty much everything is in place as I'd hoped. The lovely Renee will be joining me for the 2nd part of the trip, which should be much fun seeking out the gelaterie and fun shops all over Tuscany.
I got my new camera, the fantastic Olympus EP-1, and cannot wait to try out all its features in the most beautiful place in the world.
I managed to snag a (free!!!!) cheese tour in Parma through the cheese consorzio, so I hope that's awesome. Rented a car, which should be an...interesting.... experience :)
Now if only my body would cooperate! I decided to get my 2 bottom wisdom teeth out a month before leaving, then a few days ago my back started hurting badly and now I have a sore throat and am hoping it's nothing worth worrying about. When you have been saving and dreaming and preparing and planning something for basically 2 years, you just want it to be perfect! So, fingers crossed.
This weekend is all about packing and doing the final little things. I'm mostly packed and my suitcase (the 5pound Sub-0-G rolling carry-on) is about 1/3 empty. But man, getting down to 18 pounds is not easy! Hopefully Swiss Air is not too strict about weight.
So, it's ridiculous that I'm leaving so soon. The biggest thing left to hope and pray for is good weather. Of course, rainy Italy is better than no Italy, but we're hoping for the best!
I think I'll have internet the first several days of the trip. I plan on blogging like last time. Even when I won't have internet I'll write up every day and post it all when i get home!
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