the reason having a car is nice

Friday morning, my day to travel to Saluzzo...

I knew in advance that this day would be my longest travel day. In order to get to Saluzzo by train, you need to take 3 trains. The first takes about 3 hours but luckily it is on a more comfortable train. I decided to take a taxi to La Spezia instead of the bus in order to make sure I would catch the train on time.

There were 2 train times that would work to get to Saluzzo in a reasonable amount of time -the 9:54 train and the 11:54 train. I made a seat reservation for the first train and ended up arriving in Saluzzo at the arrival time of the second train (which if you do the math would be 2 hours later).

My day started ok with the hotel having someone carry my bag up all the stairs to the parking lot. There, the taxi driver was waiting. After an incredibly expensive taxi...about 10 euros more than the hotel quoted, I arrived at the train station with time to spare.

I was pleasantly surprised to find new seating on this IC train. I had a nice seat and the ride to Torino was very pleasant. We did stop along the way for a while and then were told over the intercom that there was an "incident" in Levanto and the train would be 10 minutes "in ritardo"...those words I never want to hear when taking a train. In the end we arrived 25 minutes late meaning that I missed my next train by 5 minutes to Savigliano. I waited another 30 minutes to take another train to Savigliano. So far, things were still ok. I then remembered that I needed to call the hotel as the woman I corresponded with told me she would be happy to pick my up at the train station in Saluzzo.

This was when things started to go wrong. My phone did not work. Nothing... I tried and tried to turn it on but nothing happened. I was sure I charged it the night before, but perhaps it was 2 nights ago?? I hoped that she would not be waiting for me at the train station as I was definitely not going to be there at my original time. I did write that I would call her that morning to confirm the time and hoped she would wait for my call.

When I got to Savigliano, I found out that the next train to Saluzzo did not leave until 4:03 pm (I was supposed to originally take the 2:03 train). And so...there I was with all my bags at a tiny train station with not much to do. I had heard that the center of the town was quite charming and so off I headed down a street, hoping to find the center. After a little while, I saw a sign pointing to a store with the words centro on the sign.

Because it was the afternoon, everything was closed except for the bars and some pastry shops. The one thing that I did notice was that there seemed to be a place to buy a gelato at almost every corner, sometimes even 2! I only had a piece of focaccia and a couple of nectarines on the train since breakfast and so I was pretty hungry. Also, it was VERY HOT outside. I eating gelato twice during my wait in Savigliano. The town was cute but it is difficult to judge when most everything was closed. A woman at the pastry shop where I purchased my second gelato told me where to find the most picturesque places to see.

 (Savigliano)

After taking a couple of pictures, I headed back to the train station and waited for the next train. This train was one of those tiny trains with only 2 cars. The ride only took about 15 minutes to reach Saluzzo. Once there, I took out my map that I printed off the internet and headed towards my hotel. The hotel is actually an old farm redone with beautiful rooms located about 15 minutes by foot from the center and about 25 or 30 minutes on foot when lugging baggage from the train station.

I finally arrived with sweat pouring down me. Everyone was so kind to me when I arrived. The woman at the desk immediately got me some water and had me sit and rest. The hotel is owned and run by a very nice family (a woman, Jean, from England and her husband, Tony, from Saluzzo). Once I got to my room, Jean called me to apologize that she did not arrive at the train station to pick me up and I told her that it was my fault as my phone did not work. The one day I really needed that phone and it did not work!! Luckily it was just the battery and so I immediately charged it and have charged it every night since!

The rooms here at the hotel are so beautiful and comforable. The hotel just opened last fall and so everything is new. I usually am not a fan of baths and prefer showers, but this hotel has a combo and so I took a long luxurious bubble bath to pamper my sore feet.

 (view from my window)

 (my room)

 (the building which is part of complex across from our rooms)

After my long soak in the tub, I finished upacking and then headed out to explore the town. Tony, one of the owners, volunteered to drive me into town and he also gave me a quick tour and also pointed out everything to see on the map. Saluzzo is a very charming town!

I had dinner at a pizzeria/restaurant called Quattro Stagione, which was recommended to me by the hotel. The food was WONDERFUL!! I was happy that they started serving at 7:30 as I was really hungry. I also wanted to get back to the hotel in time to watch the Italy-Ukraine match. I headed back just as the game began. In town, there were bars crowded with locals with reserved seats sitting in front of TVs waiting for the game to begin. I was near my hotel when Italy scored as all the cars started honking wildly.

Italy won!! A great game and now they play Germany...

A long day in which a car would have been nice to have but I arrived safely and survived. Both the hotel and town are lovely...

more later.

ciao!

boat ride to cinque terre

Thursday, my last day in Lerici....a long day on the boat!

After my morning breakfast at the hotel, I headed down to the port and boarded the first boat for Cinque Terre. From Lerici, the boat lands in Portovenere where you transfer to a second boat. This was my first experience this year with the charging crowd of people trying to be first in line to board the boat. I stood my ground and ended up getting a nice seat in the front of the boat to take some pictures. The boat ride was beautiful. It stops in 4 of the 4 villages of Cinque Terre. Because of the boat schedule and everything shutting down for a couple of hours at lunch time, I tried to figure out the best way to see as many villages as possible before needing to head back to Portovenere to then catch the last boat back to Lerici. I have been to Cinque Terre twice before, the first time in 1999 and the second time in 2000.

I decided to first ride the boat to the last village - Monterosso.  Monterosso is the largest town and to me the least charming although nice.

(Monterosso)

Because of the boat schedule, I could only spend time in 3 towns in order to catch the last boat back to Lerici. And so, I stayed on the boat and skipped exploring Monterosso and instead departed at Vernazza, as the boat headed back.

 Vernazza has always been my favorite village and I was looking forward to spending a little time in this village. Unfortunately, after Rick Steves, this area has been invaded with tons and tons of tourists. I could see the change just from 1999 to 2000, but this year, things were even worse! Tons of tourists now arrive by both boat and train. Many are very loud and obnoxious. The area is still amazingly beautiful but I only lasted 30 minutes after hearing a man play songs such as The Sting and New York New York on his accordion in the main piazza with tourists applauding him after each song.

(Vernazza)

And so, I took the train to the last town, Riomaggiore (town closest to Portovenere) and spent some time there taking pictures and then sitting on a rock on a cliffside doing a sudoko puzzle (my new addiction). The area is breathtaking.

(Riomaggiore - yellow X is where I sat on the rocks)

When the boats started running agin, I took the boat to Manarola (heading back towards Monterosso) and explored the town for a little while.

(Manarola)

After a long day visiting the Cinque Terre, I finally took the boat back to Portovenere and then waited for a connecting boat to Lerici. I was pretty tired when I got back to Lerici about 8 hours later. I decided to have dinner at my hotel instead of walking back down all those stairs into town.

A great last day to end my stay in Lerici and the Ligurian coast.

ciao!

tellaro & san terenzo

Wednesday morning I woke up to overcast skies. Since I was feeling a little sluggish and since I was not sure what the weather would do, I decided to wait until Thursday for Cinque Terre. I checked at the front desk about the bus schedule to Tellaro (a little town nearby). The man at the desk told me that the bus left for Tellaro every 30 minutes. I had a leisurely breakfast and then got ready and walked down to the bus stop in the piazza. I bought my ticket at the tabbacheria stand and then waited for the bus.

Buses are often late in Italy, but it seemed like I was waiting much longer than normal for a late bus. Finally I went to look at the schedule posted on a sign near the bus stop and realized that the time I thought the bus should arrive (which also was the time the hotel told me) only occurred on Saturdays. For some reason a few 30 minute time periods only occurred on Saturdays and so during these hours, the bus only came hourly. One thing that often happens when waiting for a bus that is late is that you often end up meeting others that are also waiting for the bus. I talked to the sweetest older woman who also thought that the bus came at 10:30 (and she lived in Tellaro). She began to tell me about the town. She said it was very small and that there were not many people who lived there. When the bus finally arrived, a big group boarded and then we were off. The ride took about 15 mins.

When we arrived in Tellaro, the woman took me on a short tour of the town before she headed on home. The town was quite charming with a little beach area at the bottom of the stairs and beautiful views. I bought some focaccia with tomatoes for lunch and hung out on a rock down by the water until the next bus came.

(pics of Tellaro)

After returning to Lerici, I spent some time hanging out in the center. Later in the afternoon, I decided to go to the Castello/Museo Geopaleontologico...a museum I could have skipped. All the rooms had dinosaur info/large fake dinosaurs/old rocks/etc. The views though were nice.

(view of Lerici from the castle/castello)

To get to the castle, you could either walk up TONS of stairs or take the elevator which was located inside a tunnel. Since I had been doing quite a bit of walking, I chose the elevator. Interestingly, when the elevator door opened, there inside was a woman sitting by the buttons ready to collect your money for the ride up. You could either purchase a one way ticket or a roundtrip ticket. I bought the roundtrip for 1 euro.

After my short tour of the museum, I walked to the next town, San Terenzo.

(pics of San Terenzo)

This was another little town with a beach and little shops. On the way, I finally found the tourist "i" information booth. It was located at the edge of Lerici closer to San Terenzo (not the best place for those staying in Lerici). The woman was very helpful and gave me lots of info on many of the towns nearby. San Terenzo was a lovely little beach town. Both San Terenzo & Lerici are located across the bay from each other and so you can see one from the other.

(looking at Lerici from San Terenzo & San Terenzo from Lerici)

After spending about an hour exploring the town, I caught the bus back to Lerici. I was not feeling that well when I returned and so I got some food and ate in my room Wednesday evening.

ciao!

portovenere

This morning, the sky was a little overcast. I decided to take the boat to Portovenere after having a delicious breakfast at the hotel. The boat ride was wonderful...a nice breeze, plenty of room on board, and beautiful views.

(Portovenere from the boat)

Portovenere is another little coastal town. I walked around town, took more pictures, and then found a place to have lunch. I first went to a restaurant recommended by Katia but I guess I did not look rich enough as the person seating people told me that they were not serving anymore (even though I just saw him seat someone). Also, many restaurants are not big fans of people eating alone or at least I get this feeling. I then decided to go back up to the street behind the main street and found a great little place to eat. I had a nice conversation with a mother and daughter from England who are on a cruise and had the day to explore Italy while their boat docked in La Spezia. I had a caprese salad and a delicious focaccia pesto and cheese sandwich. It ended up being a great choice for lunch.

(town of Portovenere)

After a little more shopping and some advice to a nice shopkeeper that wanted to know the best island to visit in Hawaii for hanging out at a beach, I took the boat back to Lerici. I hung out on a rock catching a few more rays and watching some children play together in the water. It is so interesting how children are all the same and even though they speak a different language, they still pretty much interact the same way. On my way back to my hotel to shower and change, I stopped for a gelato for the walk up to the hotel.

For dinner, I had the most wonderful meal at a restaurant called Ristorante il Frantoio, a restaurant recommended by friends of Katia. I don’t know the name of the dish I had as forgot to bring a pen to write down the name & the bill only said 1 primo. It was a ravioli dish...but not your normal ravioli dish. The pasta dough for the ravioli included a fish ingredient which made the pasta a black color. The ravioli were shaped like fish! Inside was some sort of cheese and the sauce was a red sauce with little chunks of fish.

(delicious ravioli dish)

The food was wonderful but unfortunately I was full and could not order anything else. I can never seem to eat more than one course.

(view from my room - merged picture)

well...time for soccer and bed...am thinking of taking the boat to the different villages in Cinque Terre tomorrow and want to catch the first boat of the day...

buona notte...

ciao

arrival in lerici

Monday morning, I had a quick breakfast with Francesco's parents and then I was off to the train station. I was glad that I made a reservation as there was only 1 first class car on this train and all but the last 2 compartments of seats are now pre-reserved. At the stop after I boarded the train, more people got on and an argument began. I think it had something to do with where to put the luggage and other people already int he compartment in the un-reserved compartment. All I understood was this lady continually repeating that she was not interested (in something??). Other than that, the train ride went without incident. When I arrived in La Spezia, I found the automatic ticket machine inside the station and bought my tickets for my next journey on Friday. This journey will be my LONG train journey for this trip...something I am not looking forward to. I made a reservation (the train I will be taking is the same train I was on from Empoli to La Spezia).

After buying my train tickets, I searched for the place to purchase the bus ticket. To reach Lerici, you can either take a taxi or take the city bus. The ride takes 35 minutes and so I decided to try the bus (I will be taking a taxi on the return trip). The bus was pretty crowded when I boarded, but I managed to find a seat and also store my larger roll on bag right behind the seat in the handicapped wheelchair area. Luckily there were no wheelchairs on board! I usually am not a fan of buses as I never know which stop is my stop (especially when going to a new area). I read ahead of time that my stop would be the last stop on the route and I counted the number of stops on the schedule posted at the bus stop. As the bus went along, more and more people boarded and no one got off. Also, the bus was stopping at way more stops than I counted. I also read that it took about 35 mins to reach Lerici on the bus and so my next strategy was to watch the time. Finally as we reached the coast area, people started to get off. Then we reached a stop near Lerici (about 5 mins away) and the bus driver told us that we all had to get off as this would be his last stop. Another bus would come by to take us to Lerici. Luckily, a very nice lady also was going to Lerici and so I stuck by her to figure out when to get off. When we boarded the second bus, the bus driver told us that we needed to go on a different route...a tour of the Lerici area! The lady was pretty funny with her comments about how we were now on a 1 hour bus ride.

Finally as we reached the coast area, people started to get off. Then we reached a stop near Lerici (about 5 mins away) and the bus driver told us that we all had to get off as this would be his last stop. Another bus would come by to take us to Lerici. Luckily, a very nice lady also was going to Lerici and so I stuck by her to figure out when to get off. When we boarded the second bus, the bus driver told us that we needed to go on a different route...a tour of the Lerici area! The lady was pretty funny with her comments about how we were now on a 1 hour bus ride. As we rode all around the area of Lerici, through a tunnel, up and down streets, we finally came to an area above Lerici where there was a bus on the side of the rode with people waiting outside. The bus had broken down and our (2nd bus) was sent to pick up the stranded passengers. There was quite a commotion as we stopped to pick them up (mainly from the people on board still waiting to arrive in Lerici). We then headed to the main town area of Lerici.

When we reached the stop that appeared to be the main stop in the center of the town, about 7 ladies, most of them much older, found out that I was headed to Hotel Doria in Lerici. When we got off the bus (which ended up NOT being my stop), the ladies were all very concerned about me and even asked the bus driver if he could take me to my hotel! I told them I was fine and would find the hotel. One lady accompanied me to the area where the stop I was supposed to get off of was located (Piazza Garibaldi - the main piazza). It was downhill and a very short walk so it was not a big deal. Then she told me to find a carabinieri or go into a store to find out for sure where the hotel was. She left me once she felt I was safe without her. Lerici is a very peaceful town and not a town where one should be worried about someone not knowing where her hotel was located but she was very sweet to be so concerned. I saw a sign pointing up a street with many stairs to my hotel about a minute after I was on my own. By the time I reached the hotel, I was huffing and puffing...a great workout!

The people at this hotel are extremely friendly and helpful. My room faces the ocean and has a wonderful view and great balcony. I took advantage of the sun and balcony and caught up on my laundry.

(view from my room - merged picture)

(my hotel- Hotel Doria - yellow x on my balcony)

Then I wandered the town, took pictures, and sat on some rocks by the water to catch a few rays. There are rocks to sit on, then a pay beach, and then further down towards San Terenzo, a free beach.

After an afternoon gelato, I headed back to my hotel, took a short nap, and then watched the 2nd half of the Italy - Australia match. A long 0-0 match with the winning goal during the last minute of the game on a penalty kick. The town erupted in cheers!! For dinner, I ate at a very delicious little restaurant in town. I had pesto pasta and focaccia col recco...my 2 favorite Ligurian treats! I wandered around the town some more and took a few more pictures and then headed back up to my hotel. The walk back up to the hotel continues to make me huff and puff and so I plan carefully before leaving.

(pics of Lerici)

I am now on the hotel's computer which is free. A mac with a keyboard which is different from other keyboards I have used while in Italy. Luckily, I know my way around a mac and found a way to switch to an American keyboard...the only hitch is that I have to memorize where all the keys are.

hope all is well with everyone.

CIAO!!

empoli with irene, francesco, & sara

Friday morning, I took the vaporetto to the train station and then the train to Empoli. So far, no big excitement on the trains this year except for a small outburst by this older man on the eurostar train (a very comfortable train) who started yelling at another man sitting near him who was constantly talking on his cell phone. Everyone was pretty shocked by this event and quietly discussed what had happened. After his outburst, every time a cell phone rang everyone held their breath not knowing if he would explode again. He huffed and puffed a little but other than that, he stayed calm. My train arrived in Florence 10 minutes late, and luckily my next train to Empoli also left 10 minutes late and so I made the connection without any difficulty.

Francesco's mother was waiting for me at the train station. It is wonderful to see everyone again. Sara is now 2 and it talking quite a bit. She calls me "Susanna" and is so cute! At first when I would speak with my strange accent, she would look at me with a funny look, but now seems to understand some of what I am saying. Friday evening we had a very delicious meal at Francesco's parents' house. Marusca made my favorite - ravioli with burro and salve and also some eggplant, tomato, & mozzarella cheese goodies and a zucchine vegetable dish. For dessert, we had fruit and then little yogurt fruit frozen treats.

Saturday morning, I had a nice relaxing breakfast with Marusca. After breakfast, Irene, Francesco, Sara, and I went to the center to walk around and do some shopping.

(Collegiate Church of S. Andrea in Piazza Farinata degli Uberti)

We went to the fish market, to the fruit and vegetable stand, to the bread store, and a few other shops. The weather was very HOT with no air moving at all. After a delicious pasta lunch, everyone took an afternoon nap.

We went to the train station later on in the day so that I could buy my next train ticket and we also stopped at a park. When we returned home, Irene began to cook a delicious dinner of seafood with pasta and also some shish-ka-bobs with tuna, bread, tomatoes, and zucchini. Giacomo & Francesca (friends who I met last summer who later went to Boston) came for dinner. We had a great time eating and chatting and after dinner, they showed me thier pictures of thier trip to Boston. We also watched some of the soccer match of the evening...soccer is on every night here for the world cup.

Today (Sunday), I went with Irene & Francesco to watch them vote. Voting is very similar, but also somewhat different...too much to explain right now but very interesting to see. We went to Irene's parents' house for a delicious lunch of pesto pasta, a vegetable dish, a seafood dish, fruit salad and ice cream (which I was too full to have). It is always so nice to be able to spend time with both of their families when I come to Empoli.

After lunch, I spent some time on Francesco's computer updating my blog, checking in on the red sox, and checking mail. After adding to my blog on the computer, Francesco, Irene, and I watched "Fever Pitch" while Sara was napping. When Sara woke up, we went for a walk to a different park.

For dinner, we went with Francesco's parents to this wonderful place called Ristorante Pizzeria Lo Spigo in Montelupo Fiorentino. The restaurant was located above the town up on a hill with amazing views of the valley below. The restaurant was very crowded and the food was excellent. What a wonderful way to end my weekend with my dear friends in Empoli.

(views from Ristorante Pizzeria Lo Spigo in Montelupo Fiorentino)

until later...

ciao!

**Update - Aug 20, 2006 - It's a boy!!!
Irene & Gabriele are both doing fine :-)

last day in venice

On my last day in Venice, I spent most of the day wandering the streets, taking more pictures and savoring every minute left in Venice.

(rush hour traffic on the Grand Canal)

I started off my day going to the Rialto fish market as well as the adjacent vegetable market.

(Rialto fish market and vegetable market)

(where the fish market takes place every morning)

After leaving the fish market, I wandered in a few stores on the way back to San Marco for one more walk through Piazza San Marco. I took a lot of pictures and then took a traghetto across the Grand Canal. The traghetto is like a little gondola that costs half a euro for the quick ride to cross the canal. You can either stand or sit - most locals stand.

(traghetto ride as I crossed the canal)

I wanted to get up close to the huge church that is pictured in so many pictures of the Grand Canal/San Marco area. The church is called, Santa Maria delle Salute. It was closed when I got there but the views of the church close up and the San Marco area across the canal were well worth the stop.

(views from San Marco of Santa Maria delle Salute)

(bride and groom going to the church - Santa Maria delle Salute)

(view from Santa Maria delle Salute of San Marco)

After taking more pictures, I took the next vaporetto not sure where I wanted to go. I decided to get off a couple of stops later to head back to Campo Santa Margherita to have lunch and another gelato. Since I was so close to the Accademia Museum and I had never been there, I decided to take a quick look. I was pretty tired from all the walking I had done and so I don't think I was in my "best museum" mood. It was also very hot outside and also inside the museum. I didn't stay that long and instead for some reason continued to walk instead of taking the vaporetto (I had an all day pass so getting a ticket was not in issue).

I walked back to the Santa Croce and San Polo sestieri and took more pictures along the way.

I finally stopped in the Palazzo Mocenigo which was very close to my hotel. This is now a fabric and costume museum. It was almost closing time and since a world cup match with Italy playing was starting, I think the museum might have closed earlier than most other days. I had to rush through the rooms. I could hear the roar of the people outside when Italy scored. After leaving each room, the woman closed the door to close that part of the museum. I would have liked to spend a little more time there...maybe next time.

The 3 most popular things sold in Venice are glass, lace, and masks. I had spent time in glass and lace shops on this trip, but not any mask shops. I decided to walk over to this little mask shop that was located not too far from my hotel called Peter Pan. I had walked by it a few times during my stay. The woman in the shop was extremely nice. She told me all about how she makes the masks by hand in this shop. I wanted to buy one but could not figure out how I could carry it during the rest of my trip. I also could not decide as there were so many different types of mask. I really should have visited the shop earlier in my stay as I could have shipped the mask home through the mail but really didn't think I would want to buy a mask before visiting this shop. I took some pictures of some of her masks, took her card, and hope to either some day order a mask or go back to her shop on my next visit to Venice.

I have definitely changed my opinion on Venice and hope to return again soon! I found the real Venice this time and have fallen in love with Venice.