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Citta Alta, Bergamo.



Well, we're home after a grueling 20 hour trip. It would be so much nicer if Italia were closer! Our flights and connections went smoothly, which was surprising given our luck most of the summer with airplanes. We arrived home to find "Welcome Home" balloon bouquets, flowers, and cupcakes from our incredible neighbors the McManus' who house-tended for us all summer. I woke up this morning confused as to where I was, having spent the better part of the last two months in so many hotel rooms. It was comforting to realize that I was home, and the air conditioning was a super bonus.

Thanks so much to all of you who packed your virtual luggage and followed along with us on our incredible summer vacation. It was great to read all the blog comments and stay in touch with everyone although we were a continent away. If I learned anything this summer it is this: Don't wait to take that vacation with your family or friends. There are so many amazing things to see and experience in this world of ours, and so many wonderful memories just waiting to be made. As the Romans said long ago, Carpe Diem, Sieze the Day. So for now, we'll be waiting to hear about your vacation plans and to become followers on your vacation blog!

One last cappuccino

We are here at the airport in Milano having one final cappuccino before boarding our flight. We had an incredible two months in Bella Italia and are already longing for our return. See everyone stateside. Arrivederci Italia e grazie per tutti. Mi mancerai. A presto.

Changes in latitude, changes in attitude

Well, today is our last full day here in Berzo and what a day it will be. We will be attending the festa for the 40th wedding anniversary of my cousin's who graciously house us when we visit Bella Italia. It will be a grand event for sure and wil also begin the process of saying goodbye to family and friends. Earlier this week I decided that the only way to accept the fact that we must leave is to change my attitude to one of looking forward to our next return trip. So, invoking Jimmy Buffett's song, I have begun the process of changing my attitude as I change my latitude. So, here's what I'm looking forward to stateside: seeing all the family and friends who have followed our adventures this summer, Mr Ghee the cat, Mr Homer the dog, air conditioning, a dishwasher, a real washing machine and dryer, no psycho drivers, Mexican food, real 3G cell phone coverage, not living out of a suicase, sleeping in my own bed, and yes, even a bit of fieldwork at China Mtn. One last post tomorrow before we fly west.

The concert

I bought our tickets for the concert 2 months two months ago and had been anxiously waiting for the event. Two months of anticipation seemed like forever especially since I would be seeing my favorite singer. Well it was so worth the wait!! The concert was outdoors at the Fiera di Bergamo where 8000 people heard him sing for over two hours. This was part of his world tour to promote the album "Ali e Radici" - wings and roots. He sang many of my favorite songs and it was great fun to sing along, especially since it was in Italian. Rachel joined in too on those she knew, which will now be an indelible memory of our first concert together. We captured some of the concert on our phones and Rachel videoed part of it on her camera too. I definitely had a raspy voice and throat the next morning but it was well worth it. All in all, It was an awesome experience. Yesterday we drove to Torino to visit the university where Rachel hopes to attend a summer session in a few years. We picked up some information and then walked around the city for a few hours visiting the Duomo and the nearby archaeological park of Roman ruins at the Porta Paletina. We will be spending our last few days visiting family and taking small trips around the Bergamo area. A lot of people keep asking me if I'm ready to go home after almost two months. The answer is the title of Eros' album "Ali e Radici" and the verse that talks about not being able to pick between wings and roots.

Three hour countdown to Eros

We picked up our tickets for the concert a few hours ago! I'm so excited I can hardly stand the wait. Just a few hours now and then, finally, I get to see Eros Ramazzotti!!! More tomorrow.

Our week in Milano is over, but we had a great time despite the incredible heat and humidity. I certainly will not miss the over-crowded Metro and the commute, but I will miss having an espresso every morning with the girls in the office. Our evening at La Scala was quite nice and the Romeo e Giulietta ballet itself was beautiful. Having bought tickets late, our seats weren't that great - we were in the highest tier and on the side - so we had to stand and sometimes crane our necks to see the performance, but it was well worth it. Honestly, I don't know how people can make their feet and bodies so supple - the dancers were amazing and so fluid. The opera house is beautiful inside, decorated in ornate burgundy and gold, along with a stunning chandelier - simply gorgeous. It was almost like you could feel history all around.

Last night we visited the Naviglia Grande area of Milano, a canal system that was started in the late AD 1100s to connect the city with the Ticino River in Switzerland. Leonardo da Vinci designed part of the system, which still carries water to the city, although many of the canal segments have been filled in. Barges once used the Naviglio Grande to transport the marble used to build the Duomo. Today, it is a lively area filled with bars and trattorias that cater to the "Happy Hour" crowd. After visiting the area, we stopped at a bar along the canal and had a glass of chardonnay and some really great appetizers. If you ever come to Milano, don't miss the Naviglia Grande area.

We are returning to Berzo today for family events this weekend. On Monday we head to Torino to visit the University (where Rachel hopes to become a student someday) and then the event I've been waiting for all summer - the Eros Ramazzotti concert in Bergamo Monday night. I'm not sure what our internet access will be like next week, so I might only be able to post text instead of pictures too.

Our week in Milano

We left Bergamo by train Sunday afternoon in the sweltering heat headed for Milano for the week. The smaller regional trains don't have air conditioning so it was a really uncomfortable and sweaty one hour trip. Luckily our hotel was close to the train station and I've never been so happy to be in air conditioning. It has been ridiculously hot for at least 10 days and there is no end in sight. It's not the heat that's the issue really - it's that combined with the humidity that makes it horrible. Anyway, I've been working at the office during the day while Rachel has been seeing Milan (and yes shopping but no shoes yet). My colleagues here are very friendly and accomodating and I'm enjoying the experience alot except for the 45 minute commute via subway and bus. You really get to see a cross section of Milan that way! Tonight we are dressing up and going to a ballet at La Scala, the world renowned opera house here in Milan. Just a few more days here than back to Berzo for a final week. I don't know how I'm gonna get myself on the airplane to come back. It's hard living in two worlds especially when your heart pulls one way and your reason pulls the other. It's so not fair!!!

The Alps and the Tour de France

This morning I read that Lance Armstrong begins his ascent of the Alps in the Tour de France, where he is expected to make a strong showing. So, here are a few pictures of those incredibly beautiful mountains taken from the airplane as we fly into Milano. Good luck Lance!

Arrivederci Greg and Venezia

We returned from Paris on Tuesday night and had a bit of excitement at the Milano airport. While waiting for our luggage (not it's not another lost luggage story), Rachel realized that she left her purse tucked underneath her seat on the airplane!!! So, we scrambled over to the baggage claim counter and worked with a very nice lady to get her purse back. Luckily, the plane hadn't left for elsewhere and after about 15 minutes of negotiations between the baggage personnel and the security folks, a policeman walked through the door with Rachel's purse. During the ordeal, I kept thinking that we might be spending the next day at the US Embassy trying to get Rachel's passport reissued, but thankfully everything worked out.

On Wednesday morning we said goodbye to the Third Musketeer - Greg - who left for the U.S. Despite several airplane delays, he made it back home and is adjusting to the time change (such a not-so-fun experience). After we dropped Greg at the airport, Rachel and I went shopping (go figure) on our way back to Berzo and, yes, she did get another pair of shoes (#6). I finally bought some too at Scarpe and Scarpe (translates to "shoes and shoes"). When we got back to Berzo, the electricity was off at my cousin Bruna and Gene's house where we are staying. Apparently, a pretty strong thunderstorm over the weekend killed the electricity, so by the time we got back days later, all the food in the fridge had to be thrown out, including all the wonderfully delicious cheeses, prosciutto, and salame. Oh the smell of rotting cheese...

Today we drove to Venezia for a final time and tonight we are staying in Padova. It's always hard to say goodbye to Venezia but I'm certain that I will return yet again. I don't know what it is about that city that draws me so strongly - the beautiful glass wares, the shimmering water, the beautiful architecture - but I'm glad that it does. Tomorrow we will visit the Basilica of San Antonio in Padova in memory of my Mom who was much devoted to him and to the orphanage established there in his name. Then back to Berzo to prepare for next week in Milano, where I will be working in the office. Yes, it's time to go back to work but, hey, at least I'm still here in Italy!

Versailles

One of the fountains

The palace

Palace

Palace

Gardens

Our plan for the day was to visit the Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV (17th century king of France), which is about a 1/2 hour train ride from Paris. After three different Metro (the subway) connections, we finally got to the train station but ended up on the wrong train, taking one that left a few minutes earlier than the one to Versailles. So, we doubled back and finally made it out to the Palace. As luck would have it, the Palace is closed on Monday (!!!), so we ended up touring the gardens instead. They are vast and gorgeous, filled with fountains (that were turned off today), statues, topiaries, and rows upon rows of trees and flowered walkways. Just before leaving, a few of the fountains were turned on (we are guessing to "test" the lines), so we did get a chance to see some of their beauty. Although the palace itself was closed (a huge disappointment for Greg who planned the trip to Versailles), we were able to see it from the outside. It is enormous, really enormous and it is surrounded by the gardens where Louis XIV reportedly walked daily. By the end our our three hour walk everyone's feet were aching.

It is our last day in Paris. Tomorrow we fly back to Milan and Greg flies back to the US on Wednesday. Watch out Europe.....Elena and Rachel are on the loose for three more weeks.

Happy 4th of July from Paris

Arc d'Triomphe

Stained glass window at St. Germaine, the oldest church in Paris

Museum d' Orsay

Bon jour from Paris and Happy 4th of July to all. We flew in yesterday and were greeted by the usual bad weather that seems to be following us around Europe - yes, it was raining again! It's gorgeous weather today though, and we've been out enjoying the sites. We started at the Museum of Orsay which houses the collection of Impressionist and Post Impressiont art. I finally got a chance to see some original Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Gaughin, Monet, Manet, and others. The Van Gogh's were definitely my favorite, especially his self portrait - stunning! Greg says that if you walk around it 180 degrees his eyes followed you. We had lunch at a quaint, cafe near the museum and then we walked around the Notre Dame area for a bit longer. Tonight we are celebrating the 4th by taking in Paris - the City of Lights - after dark. Tomorrow we are planning on visiting the Palace of Versailles, which is about a 45 minute train trip outside of Paris. More tomorrow.....

Ravenna photos

Ravenna

We spent the past two days visiting Ravenna, a city of art south of Venezia near the Adriatic coast. It's long history extends back to the Umbrian and Etruscans, then Romans, Ostrogoths, Longobards, the Venetian Republic, and now Italy. During the 4th and 5th centuries AD, it was the western extent of the Byzantine empire and it was during this time that it's incredible mosaics were created within it's various churches and baptistries. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and rightfully so. Think of 10 superlatives like - stunning, gorgeous - and magnify them 100 times and you might be close to describing the mosaics. The body of work is astounding and largely focuses on biblical themes. There are over 200 different colors of glass represented and millions of individual pieces. It's impossible to do justice trying to describe the mosaics. I'll post photos as soon as I can download them onto a computer. Don't miss Ravenna when you visit Bella Italia!! Today we are driving back to Berzo. We stopped in Parma along the way to have lunch and tour the city. I had Parma prosciutto and melon and it was simply delicious and fitting to enjoy it at it's source. Rachel bought another pair of shoes in Parma (5 and counting).....

Lost luggage and the Last Supper

We've had an eventful week despite not traveling much. It all began with our luggage being lost on the flight back from Budapest on Monday. We arrived into Milano at 11pm but our bags never made it. After waiting in line behind probably the rudest person ever, we finally got to the luggage counter to learn that the tracking system here is nowhere near as sophisticated as in the US. We left with some phone numbers and instructions to call the courier the next day. The short story is that it was finally delivered to us 36 hours later. On the late drive back to Berzo I was stopped by the police who were conducting a routine vehicle check. We finally got to Berzo at 1am. What a crazy day.

On Thursday we took the train to Milano to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper fresco, which was stunning in it's newly renovated state. The colors were far more vibrant than what I remembered from when I saw it back in 1972. Before we visited it though, we watched the Italy vs Slovakia world cup game at a bar across the street. With our hearts full of hope and our luck running out, we watched our heritage country lose in the last few minutes. The Azzurri are being mercilessly pounded in the Italian press, much more so than I've ever seen a US team criticised. They really take their soccer seriously here!!!

As I write this we are on our way to Ravenna, driving in horrific traffic. Ciao for now. Forza Azzurri 2014!!!!

Budapest pictures

The lady who embroidered some of the doilies I bought. Her apron is all hand embroidered - what gorgeous handwork.


The famous Pest market building



The rock church on the Buda side bank of the Danube. The west side of the river is Buda and the east side is Pest. Together, they are - guess what - Budapest.
This rock church area is also the location of the first known settlement of the area, this by the Celts, then the Huns (Attila mauraded here) and the Longobards. The area was also the northern outpost of the Roman empire, with the city of Antiqum being just a little north of modern Budapest. The Turks came later and ruled for several hundred years, and there are still some areas where their architectural influence is still evident in the form of columns topped with turban effigies. The city was heavily damaged by the German in WWII



The Buda castle area, including the steeple of St. Matthais church and some of the city walls.

Budapest

View of Pest and the Danube River. The bridge in the center is the famous Chain Bridge.



Budapest has been a great place to visit despite the ever-threatening weather. Yesterday we toured the Pest side, on the east side of the Danube River (see photo). Contrary to the famous song, the Danube River (called the Duna here) is not so blue, instead it runs a grayish brown. It is busy with commerce and large tour boats where you can book a dinner sightseeing and music show. The Pest side is quite different than the Buda side, being more modern and highly commercial. The waterfront zone is filled with shopping areas that cater to tourists and include many souvenir shops, clothing stores, and even a Burger King. I finally succumbed to the incredible hand embroidery and bought an outrageously beautiful centerpiece and some other smaller doilies. Rachel and I posed for a picture with the lady who made some of the smaller pieces (I'll post it). We had hoped to visit the central indoor market but since it was Sunday, it was closed. Regardless, our 3-mile walk gave us a great overview of the city, including the Rock Church, Geillert hotel and baths, and the Chain Bridge, the first suspension bridge ever built (it's the one in the photo above).

We had a very tasty dinner at a small restaurant here in the Buda district to celebrate Father's Day for Greg. We splurged on a really good bottle of Hungarian wine and ate some local specialities like perch in a lemon sauce and catfish with paprika sauce. My dish was accompanied by mashed potatoes with herbs, which was presented on the plate by two heaps of solid green potatoes. I was uncertain about eating them at first, but they ended up being delicious. We shared a dessert of honey cake with homemade raspberry ice cream, which was wonderful.

It's our last day in Budapest and we return to Milano late tonight. This morning we will visit the underground labyrinth beneath the Buda Castle before leaving to catch our flight back. After today, the next post with pictures won't be until the weekend when we visit Ravenna, the city of incredible mosaics.

Happy summer solstice to all.

Budapest pictures

Archery practice


Rachel enjoying goulash soup

Budapest archaeology

St. Matthais Church

A Saturday in Budapest

We woke up to partly cloudy skies and were able to spend the entire day rain-free, the first time in 5 days!. We walked around the Castle District admiring all the incredible architecture of the churches, royal palace, and other stately buildings. The St. Matthais church is stunning, its roof being made of hand painted ceramic tiles. I overhead a tour guide say that the tiles were made by the same person, which must have almost been a life's work. The area around the church is undergoing renovation, including pipeline replacement. We took a look in some of the diggings and could see the stratigraphy of ancient, brick-lined roads. We also took pictures of on-going excavations along the outskirts of the castle wall. I know I'm not supposed to be "working" but it's hard to pass up a chance to see some archaeology.

The souvenir shops are full of hand-painted ceramics and beautiful hand-embroidered goods. The latter are a bit pricey though, so I decided not to splurge although the piece I was looking at would be beautiful on my parent's buffet. Rachel bought a fur-lined scarf/hat, while Greg some traditional Hungarian sweet paprika. We tried a few different food dishes today. Rachel had goulash soup for lunch, while Greg had venison with a plum sauce for dinner - he said it was excellent.

There's a 90% chance of rain tomorrow, so I'm not sure we'll be outdoors much. There is a labyrinth underneath the Buda castle that we're planning to visit, rain or shine. And then, of course, there is the Italia soccer game in the afternoon. Forza Azzurri !!

Pictures of Milano

Castello Sforzesco


Castello Sforzesco

Galleria shopping area




The Duomo

Berzo to Budapest

Hello from Budapest, where everything is written is Hungarian! This is going to be quite the challenge. No Italian, no Spanish, but thankfully the hotel staff speaks English. We arrived under cloudy skies, the same type of weather we had in Italy the past few days. It rained, and rained, and rained for 3 days straight in Berzo, so we really didn't get out much except to visit Milano one day and twice to Orio Center (the mall in Bergamo).

We took the train from Bergamo to Milano to avoid driving into the city. Unknown to us, though, we were supposed to have "validated" our train ticket before we left the station, so we got stung with a 50 Euro fine,which translates to about $60.00!!! The train attendent told us the fine was typically 50 euro per person, but since I feigned understanding Italian (and thus deemed a tourist), he only charged us one fee! Nowhere on the front of the ticket did it say that the ticket needed to be "validated", nor did the instructions provided at the ticket booth. It was, however, printed in small print on the back of the ticket. Lesson to all - if you travel the trains in Italy, make sure you validate (punch) your ticket! We made up for our misfortune, however, with an incredibly delicious lunch at the Bar Madonina overlooking the equally incredible Duomo cathedral. We also visited the Galleria where all the trendy fashionista shops are (Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada) and the Castello Sforzesco, a beautiful castle in the center of Milan (will post pictures soon.

Shopping at Orio Center focused on Rachel buying shoes - she bought 4 pair and was smiling the whole time!! I'm sure that there will be more shoe shopping before we leave Italy. Greg was frugal, buying only a rain jacket and umbrella, while I splurged on some Italian CDs, having dropped way too much money on jewelry in Venice.

We've only been in Budapest a few hours, enough time though to see how spectaculary beautiful the city is. We are staying on the Buda side, in the Castle District, near St. Matthias Church. The architecture is stunning, dating back at least 1000 years. We'll be walking around the city tomorrow, and I will definitely post pictures then.

Greg's post: We came with wallets full of Euros ready to increase per capita incomes of eastern Europe.........But NO! Hungry is not on the Euro even though they are a member of the European Union. So does anybody know what a HUF is worth in dollars? Send Help!

Wahoo!!!!

Che Bella giornata!!! What a beautiful day here in Italia, a great day to wear the purple and gold of the newly crowned NBA champion LAKERS!! Didn't get to see the game of course and when woke up here it was just over. Got all the details from my nephew Ruben who is just about their greatest fan who now has laryngitis from yelling at the TV so much. Sounds like it was a tense but good game. Let's see. Lakers are CHAMPS, Dodgers are in 1st place, and Italia and the US are holding ground at the World Cup. Forza Azzurri and go USA! We're in Rome waiting for the plane to Budapest. More later. Go Lakers 2011 !!!!

Rachel's post--- I decided to try a Venetian specialty of cuddlefish with a black ink squid sauce served over grilled polenta. Suprisingly, it was delicious- chewy but tender and it turned my tongue black.

Venezia 2

We've spent the last three days enjoying Venezia, where it has been hot and humid yet, as always, incedibly scenic and beautiful. The city is already filled with tourists even though its only early June. The first day here, we spent walking the streets around Piazza San Marco, where teh signature church, tower and all the pidgeons are. We also visited the Rialto Bridge, which spans the Grand Canal, and had drinks at a quaint bar where we watched the gondolas pass by. Rachel and I did quite a bit of jewelry shopping, while Greg mostly took in the sights.

Over the next few days we spent time visiting area where we hadn't been, like the Accademia (the art area) and the garden zone area on the island of Saint Elena (yes, there really is anisland nhere named after me, or me after it?). The Accademia had wonderful shops with more unique glass items, really beautiful pieces of artistry. The garden areas were a real surprise and a welcome change from the incredibly busy tourist are near Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge.

Last night we had dinner on the Grand Canal. Greg and I shared a baked sea bass served with Mediterranean style potatoes, zucchini, and carrots in a tomato sauce - simply delicious. We sat a table right along the canal and watched the gondolas and taxis pass by.

We are leaving Venezia today, returning to Berzo for the next 5 days. Rachel and I will visit here again before returning to the US since we both love it here so much.

Greg here - Rachel is suggesting I change my diet!! Living off of gorgonzola, prosciutto, pizza, lox, vino, birra, and fruit is somehow unhealthy? Sound like vacation to me....ciao.


Next blog won't be until next weekend when we're in Budapest. Until then, ciao!!

Venezia

More photos from Toscana

Toscana


Firenze. Duomo and Torre in the background.

Firenze. Rachel and the lucky cinghale. Rubbing its nose brings good luck.

Firenze. Greg and his favorite Italian food - prosciutto.

Pictures of San Gimignano

Overview from the top of the tower




Some of the last remaining towers

Beautiful Toscana

We spent the last two days in Toscana visiting Firenze, San Gimignano,and Siena. Today we will travel to Lucca and then to Bologna for the night. San Gimignano is an incredibly beautiful, walled Medeival city that actually has roots back to the Etruscans (2nd century BC). It sits atop a hill overlooking the Tuscan countryside and once had 72 towers, now only 14 remain. We climbed to the top of the highest tower at the palazzo (225 steps) and were rewarded with an awesome view. The city was a thriving settlement on an important travel route until it was decimated by the plaque in the 13th century. It then ceded to Florence and subsequently fell into disarry until recent restoration. It is now a well traveled tourist spot and its streets are lined with many quaint shops selling gorgeous ceramics, salumes (including the local speciality of cinghale (wild boar)and prosciutto, vin santo (a local sweet wine )into which you dip cantucci (biscotti). And I better mention the gelato again - totally awesome.

It is our last day in Toscana, tomorrow we head to Venezia.

We're finally here!

Saluti da l’Italia!!!! After a grueling 30 hour trip to Milano, we’re finally on vacation. As suspected, one hour wasn’t enough time to make the connection from London to Milano, so we ended up with a 6 hour layover at Heathrow. Part of the delay involved the plane being boarded by three armed police officers who escorted off some young, real clean-cut looking guy. We don’t know what for, all we know is that he caused us to miss the connecting flight. The upside is that we flew over the Alps at sunset – wow, what a view of some incredibly beautiful mountains. One of the airlines – either British Airways or Alitalia – damaged Rachel’s suitcase to the point where the pull up handle doesn’t work. So we limped the suitcase and ourselves out of the airport and into a hotel in Milano, finally getting to sleep at midnight

Today we drove to Firenze where the weather is hot and humid. We walked around the city and did some window shopping on Ponte Vecchio – the old bridge that crosses the Arno River. It has the notoriety of being the only bridge in Firenze that wasn’t bombed by the Germans in WWII, I believe because of its historical significance. It’s lined with jewelry stores – lots and lots of gold, which is really pricey. Firenze is known for its leather, and Rachel splurged on a beautiful lambskin jacket. We ate dinner on the patio of a quaint trattoria in Piazza della Signoria, which is right next to the Uffizi art museum. We had the most delicious bruschetta I’ve ever eaten – can’t even explain how wonderful it was. Unfortunately, the pizzas weren’t that tasty. We made up for that though by having our our first gelato of the summer, a delicious scoop of coconut and one of amarena (cherry). It was definitely worth the 3 year wait. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting the Duomo and the Pitti Palace in Firenze. Next day, we’re off to Siena, San Grimigiano, and then Lucca.

The only way I can think to end this post is to say…..it’s so good to back in Italia.

Arrivederci

Finally, after months of preparation and the packing of a multitude of suitcases(a mere 8 counting carryons), IT'S TIME TO LEAVE FOR ITALY!!! Despite having to reschedule our flight for a day later because of the British Airways strike, and the ever-present threat of the Icelandic volcano, we're on our way tomorrow afternoon. We fly from San Francisco to London and hopefully will make our 1 hour connection from there to Milano. Then it's a not so quick trip through the rush hour traffic (it's worse that LA's, really) to Berzo. A day to rest and then off to Firenze, Bologna, and my Venezia (yes, it's mine). We'll catch up on the blog over the weekend. Until then, arrivederci. Next stop - Milano!

25 days and counting

Ciao amici,

Welcome to our blog!! We are just over 3 weeks away from leaving for our vacation. Needless to say, the excitement and anticipation mounts daily. We created this blog to keep in touch with family and friends while we're gone, and to share our adventures with you. Although it won't be possible to check in daily, we will send notes and pictures whenever possible, which basically means whenever we're in a hotel versus at home in Berzo. So, pack your virtual luggage and come along with us to Bella Italia and points beyond.