40th Anniversary Trip Day 9

40^th Anniversary Trip – Day 9 – Tuesday – Padua

We have a comfortable night’s sleep, right in the center of the city and enjoy coffee (the apartment has a coffee maker) along with the cheese and bread we bought yesterday.  Alina arrives at 9am as promised.  She’s young and delightful.  Her English is better than my Italian, which isn’t saying much, but with the help of a translator on my computer we’re able to communicate.

Alina has brought her baby daughter Rebecca.  I go over and give the baby a kiss, and she reaches out to me.  I ask if I can hold her, and she snuggles up in my arms, much to Alina’s surprise.  I guess she doesn’t usually take to strangers.  I hold her for a while, which gives Vicky and Alina a chance to discuss some things (including getting us more coffee and directions to the boat for tomorrow).  Finally, Rebecca gets restless and tells me (thru body language) that it’s time to go back to mommy.  We say “Ciao” to Alina and consult over how to spend our day.

It's a sunny morning.  We walk around and find some shops.  Both of us find shirts that we really like, and buy them.  We continue to wander – and wonder at an astronomical clock – take a look! 

Next, it’s off to the duomo.  Once again, we study the architecture and the decorations.  When we go into the church it’s raining, but by the time we leave, the sun has come out.  

We head for the old city hall, which is now a market.  We get more cheese, and marvel at the beautiful layouts of some of the market stalls.

Finally it’s time for a cappuccino, which we have at an outdoor café in the square.  After a leisurely walk back to the apartment, we enjoy a lunch of bread and cheese, and rest for the afternoon. 

Our ticket to the Scrovegni Chapel also includes admission to Padua’s historical museum.  We head over there midafternoon.   Not only the artifacts, but also the building itself are steeped in history.  The first description plaque is in both Italian and English, but then we find ourselves looking at display cases of pottery, coins and more with descriptions only in Italian.  That’s when I remember seeing a sign in the gift shop offering audio headsets in multiple languages for only 2 euro each.

We spend the next couple of hours following the history of Padua from the Etruscans (7^th Century BC on) through the Roman era (including a fascinating description of the advanced road building techniques they used) and up through the middle ages.  There are statues, wall carvings (in stone) and a huge collection of lifelike images.  I’m particularly excited by a contemporary bust (head) of Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor. 

My interest in that civilization was nurtured by Mrs. Ferguson, my high school Latin teacher, who spent several months teaching us about that history before we ever learned a word of the language.  Her philosophy, she explained, was that since we were learning a “dead” language, we ought to know about the people who actually used it as a living language.  Can’t speak for my peers, but Mrs. F. engendered a lifelong interest on my part.  Some years ago, Vicky and I read Colleen McCullough’s “Masters of Rome” series, which traces the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Empire - hence my interest in Augustus.  The books are historically accurate novels and I highly recommend them.  The first one is “The First Man in Rome”.

Eventually it’s time to head over to the chapel.  So what’s the excitement?  Enrico Scrovegni commissioned the building of the chapel at the beginning of the 14^th Century and hired the artist Giotto (di Bondoni) to Decorate it.  It appears Enrico’s late father was a notorious moneylender and he may have built the chapel to help dad’s soul!

Whatever the reason, Giotto covered all the walls and the ceiling with frescoes depicting the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.  One end wall has a “Last Judgement” probably influenced by Dante’s work, complete with apostles, saved souls and rather nasty devils.  Giotto was the father of the Renaissance, and his realistic figures (you can see the folds in the clothing, and the faces look like real people) were a complete break from previous work.  They were also the inspiration for the art that followed.

The chapel and frescoes are amazingly preserved, and I get lots of photos (flash not allowed but not needed).  To preserve it, only 30 people are allowed in at a time, and only for 15 minutes.  It’s a sealed environment and you spend time in a waiting room (with videos to watch) to get acclimatized before your visit.

This is definitely a highlight of the trip.  Vicky had wanted to go to Siena, the site of many of Giotto’s works, and neither of us was aware of this chapel until I researched Padua.  I’ve added a few of the photos.

After our visit, we look for the cats who were in the gardens as we approached, but they’ve gone about their business.  We search for a place for dinner and stumble on Caffe Pedrocchi, a popular hangout for Padua locals since 1831.  It has several rooms of different ambiance, but we’re seated in the elegant main dining room.  Two American ladies at the next table are eating Caesar salads that look amazing.  We strike up a conversation, discover they are sisters traveling Italy and the Balkans, and they love the salad.  Vicky orders one and it tastes even better than it looks.

I try a “specialty” of the Veneto – veal (calf) liver with caramelized onions and bacon.  This being Italy, it’s light and flavorful and since it appears on every menu we see for the next week I guess it really IS a regional specialty.  A great choice and a great ending to our all too short visit to this wonderful city.

40th Anniversary Trip Day 8 - Monday

40^th Anniversary Trip Day 8 – Monday – Barga to Padua

We have a train from Florence at 2:30 but leave about 11:30 to give ourselves plenty of time to return the car.  This time we decide to take the (toll) autoroute, and it’s relatively easy to find it as there are plenty of signs.  We lose about a half hour due to construction and have to drive around Lucca, but once we hit the autoroute it’s a straight run to the vicinity of Florence Airport.  The autoroute ends there, so it’s no problem to pay the toll and I’m also able to gas up the rental car.

The map says you just continue straight on after the toll booth, then make a U-turn to the airport, and surprisingly it’s signposted.  Then (wonder of wonders) we see signs for “Rental Cars”.  These start us in the right direction but we end up just going around in a circle so I find a place to park in the airport and go to the info desk.  The person there has obviously done this before and gives me a map to the rental car return place.  The first sign we followed was correct, but then we have to negotiate a couple of roundabouts, but eventually we’re able to return the car and take the shuttle to the airport terminal (there’s only 1).

We see the tram stop just outside the terminal and get ourselves and our luggage onboard a waiting tram with no problem.  Now we need tickets.  The system in Italy is you buy a ticket before getting on the tram or bus, then validate it at a machine on board.  If an inspector catches you with no ticket or one that isn’t validated, you get fined.  I get off leaving Vicky and the luggage onboard and search the platform for a ticket machine.  An English couple arrives and points me to the machine, which they use first, taking quite a while to figure out how to work it.  They get on the train and I follow their example with the machine, but as the second ticket is appearing the tram, with Vicky and our bags, takes off.

There’s another tram in the station, leaving in 5-10 minutes so I get on there and validate my ticket, hoping that Vicky doesn’t meet an inspector.  When I get to the stop for the train station, there’s Vicky with the bags so we have a joyful reunion then cross the road (a hazardous experience at any time in Italy).  We’re about a half hour early for the train and they haven’t announced the track yet, so we hang around until they do.

We have no trouble finding our reserved seats (2 windows again) and 1.5 hours, a bag of cheese crackers, a glass of Coke Zero and a bottle of water (all free) later, the train pulls into Padua, our home for the next 2 nights.  We’ve booked an apartment in the city center thru Air BnB and have directions.  We hop on a tram and 3 stops later hop off, walking a short distance and find the apartment.  The self-check-in instructions work fine and there’s an elevator to get our bags up to the 2^nd floor.

Alina, our hostess, will come by around 6-6:30pm to get copies of our passports (always needed in Italy) so we go for a short walk around the area.  We’re right on a square where a young man is playing a piano, and the restaurant right next door to the apartment looks good so we make a reservation for 7:30.  We also find a cheese shop and bakery and get ourselves some Pecorino and rolls for breakfast tomorrow. 

As we wait for Alina (who won’t come until tomorrow morning due to a family emergency), I check opening times for the Scrovegni Chapel (of which more anon) and discover you have to book a specific time slot.  I get us tickets for 6:45pm tomorrow (the only slot open) and now it’s time for dinner.

It’s strange, but we never tire of Italian meals.  This time we share a salad and smaller meals.  Service is good, and the journey back to the apartment is easy (next door, remember).  Vicky decides to turn in but I'm not tired so I go for a short walk before I do the same.  I don't even get lost.  Our apartment door is just to the right of the monument.

40th Anniversary Tirp Day 7

40^th Anniversary Trip Day 7 – Sunday – Rain and Snow

I read somewhere that people always romanticize their vacation when talking about it.  The weather today is anything but romantic – cold and rainy – but we still manage to have a great day.

We get up late (the included amazing breakfast buffet in the hotel is served until 11am) and today we eat in the main restaurant as the large conference that’s been here all week has finally ended.  Previously we were in the lounge, which was no problem.  I drive into Barga alone to retrieve my umbrella.  Vicky kindly lends me hers so I don’t get soaked walking through the old town.  I’m able to find a parking space just outside the walls, but don’t hang around afterwards.

We have a lazy day around the resort, with me enjoying the pool complex again, although this time I have lots of company.  Nobody’s venturing out too far.  Hope our lynx friend found a warm place to curl up and keep dry!

In keeping with the “stay around” philosophy, we have dinner in the hotel, but this time decide to keep it simple.  We enjoy a couple of pasta dishes and end with the amazing tiramisu that we now know how to make.

While we’re excited about the next part of our trip, we’re sorry to leave this wonderful resort.  The room, as I said, was amazing, especially for the view. And the staff has been wonderful.  The ever-helpful navigator suggests we leave the car at Florence airport instead of driving it downtown, and she’s able to connect me with Avis, who are happy to let me do this at no charge.  She tells me there’s a bus that connects the airport to the train station in 30 minutes, but I do a little research on the internet and find that there’s a new tram service that does the same at a fraction of the cost.

As I said, it’s cold and rainy.  The forecast was actually for snow, which was working with the steep, narrow roads and fast drivers around here.  Fortunately, it doesn’t snow right where we are, but it does result in some great views from the balcony of our room.  We complete our packing and enjoy our last night in Barga.

40th Anniversary Trip Day 6

40^th Anniversary Trip - Day 6 – Saturday – Lucca

One reason we chose this area is the proximity to Lucca, a town that dates back to Roman times and has intact medieval walls.  Lucca is also close to Pisa and if the weather were better, we’d have probably done a driving trip to both towns.  However, a combination of our experience navigating Italian roads on the trip up here, and the unpredictability of the weather has changed our plans so we’re just going to go into Lucca today.

It’s only a 25-minute drive (yeah, right!) but the ever-helpful Navigator in the hotel suggests we drive 10 minutes to the local station and take the train.  The Lucca station is right outside the walls, and this way we’ll avoid driving in the city.  Speaking of which, since Lucca is considerably smaller than Florence, we decide to check with Avis to see if we can return the car to Lucca.

We drive to the station and park the car, and head to the pharmacy across the road.  We’ve both run out of mouthwash.  2 problems – we don’t know the Italian for mouthwash and the clerk doesn’t speak English.  We’re both proud of my miming of rinsing the mouth and gargling and buy the bottle he recommends.  Later that evening I find we are now the proud owners of a bottle of sore throat medicine.  So much for my miming talent!

As we’re crossing the road, we see a large cat and, as is our wont, we call “kitten”.  He stops and looks at us, then walks away.  This is when we notice he has almost no tail.  A little research confirms that we’ve actually seen the rare (once thought extinct) Italian lynx! This is an amazing bonus for us.  Unfortunately, I’m not able to get a photo before he’s gone.  We decide he’s found a place to get food in this village.

We take the train and decide we’ll check with Avis first.  The office is close to the station but as usual the streets don’t do what the map says, so we spend a half hour finding the place.  As we do so it starts to rain.  Then we discover it closes early on Saturdays so it’s no use to us.  Undeterred, we head into the coffee/patisserie next door and enjoy a cappuccino and pastry until the rain stops.

You can walk or bike around Lucca’s walls but we do neither as there’s so much to do inside the walls.  We visit the cathedral, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours and built starting in 1063 under the supervision of Bishop Anselm who went on to become Pope Alexander II.   Vicky, as usual, explains the architecture (Gothic) and the significance of the paintings to me.  We also see the elaborate sarcophagus of Ilario di Caretto, commissioned by her rich husband after she died aged 26.  The poor woman has been moved around the church over the years. I claim the 217 steps to the top of the bell tower and get some good pictures and a sense of achievement.

Later we head down the street to the church of Saints Giovanni and Reparata which was the cathedral until San Martino (see above) was built.  This has been the subject of extensive archaeological work since the 1960’s and I’m able to go underground and see the tiled floor of a Roman domus (rich man’s house) the dating to Republican era (1^st and 2^nd Century BC), as well as evidence of several layers a church construction.  Although I don’t see them, they have apparently found domestic objects predating the founding of Roman Lucca, so this place has been inhabited for many centuries.  I’m in heaven!

One of Lucca’s other claims to fame it that it’s the birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini, and since we’ll be attending one of his operas (Turandot) in Venice we try to find it.  As usual it takes time, but just as we’re about to give up, there it is.  Of course, you have to go somewhere else to get entrance tickets but someone who’s just done that points us in the right direction.

Puccini’s childhood home includes the piano on which he composed Turandot, original furniture and clothing, family photos and stories of the composer’s life.  He was a much-loved musical genius but, as we discover, his private life was somewhat scandalous.  He had an affair with a married woman, who he eventually married after her husband died.  Giacomo became the last of a long line of musicians in his family when his only son became an engineer.

Now it’s time to return to the station for the trip back.  The car is still where we left it, but there’s no sign of the lynx.  We eat at a pizza restaurant at the bottom of the hotel driveway, sharing a huge calzone and salad.  Another great day in Tuscany.

40th Anniversary Trip Day 5

40^th Anniversary Trip Day 5 – Friday – into Barga

A cloudy day, but after breakfast we head down the 2km driveway and up the road to the nearby town of Barga.  This should be our first visit, but we actually passed through it on the way here as a result of one of the many wrong turnings on the journey from Florence.

One of the very helpful “Navigators” at the hotel has shown us where to find parking.  As she predicted, the lot next to the entrance to the old town is full, but we find a spot on the road down to the town hospital and have an energizing walk back up to the town (City?) walls.  I’m pleasantly surprised at Barga.  I suppose I was expecting something like an English village, but instead we find a medieval town with narrow, twisting streets with no traffic (except for fast driving local residents!)

We climb to the top of the hill and visit the sandstone duomo (cathedral) which dates back to the 11^th Century.  It’s dedicated to St. Christopher, the Patron Saint of travelers. The last part of the walk involves broad steps with minimal handrails so Vicky is worried about making it down again.  But she valiantly makes it and we’re rewarded not only with the cathedral visit but great views over the town.  We meet two couples from Yorkshire (England),. one of which has a house in a nearby village.  They’ve driven down through France, bringing their dog with them, so we get to make a canine friend too.

We find a much easier way to get down the hill and stop in a cute square for drinks at a café (outside tables).  Our new English friends soon arrive and take the next table.   After a leisurely stay we head back to the car, finding the restaurant (Scacciaguai) that I discovered online and where the hotel staff have made a reservation for us tonight.

Back to the hotel for a rest until it’s time to return for dinner.  At 7:30pm we’re the first diners and get a great table. There are only about 10 tables, in a couple of rooms, so it’s quite intimate.  The décor is rustic Italian.  Soon several other parties arrive but it’s an hour before any Italians turn up!  The dining room features TV screens where you can watch the chefs preparing meals in the kitchen.  As we’ll later realize when we see the chefs cleaning up and the TV is turned off, a table here is yours for the evening!

We’re in luck as it’s truffle season and they’re harvested locally.  The menu features several truffle dishes.  We decide to start by sharing a beef carpaccio with truffles – a great, flavorful start to a great meal.  Vicky has a chicken dish and I opt for pasta.  Everything is home made and delicious, including the crème brulee dessert. Service is friendly and yes, they speak English well.  (Great since I’m finding Italian very hard to pick up).   I’m ready to add one more to the rave reviews of this place!

We’re over half way down the hill to the car when it starts to rain and I realize I left my umbrella in the restaurant.  I make the choice not to go back for it then, because climbing the hill in the rain seems more strenuous than sprinting for the car.  Vicky has her umbrella so takes a more leisurely approach and I’ve started heating up the car by the time she reaches it.  3 days later I find they’ve kept my umbrella for me.  A super meal to end a super day, despite the rain.

40th Anniversary Trip Day 4

40th Anniversary Trip Day 4 – Thursday – Italian Cooking

Interesting cloud formations over the valley this morning!

Today we’ve scheduled a cooking class at the hotel – titled “From the Land to the Table”.  At 10am we meet our chef Stefano and our fellow students – Gerry and his wife from San Diego and Jose from Napa Valley.  We all head out to the nearby village of Castelnuevo, where Stefano takes us to the market and introduces us to the vendor he uses not only for this class, but also for the hotel.

We see fresh vegetables and fruits, including the biggest tomatoes I’ve ever seen, plus multiple varieties of potatoes.  We consult on what we want to prepare, and Stefano orders the vegetables.  Then it’s on to a store where we see huge hams, other meats, cheeses (including several varieties of Pecorino, the local specialty and one of our favorites) and spices.  Once again Stefano does the honors, after which he takes us to a sidewalk café for a cappuccino.  Finally, back to the hotel where Stefano will prepare for our class while we get to rest.

 I spend a delightful couple of hours in the “wellness center” which includes a delightfully warm indoor pool with a section with whirlpool jets and a waterfall you can turn on and off at will.  Today I have the place to myself, so I enjoy playing with the options.  All the while, soft relaxing music plays.  After getting my fill of the pool I investigate the “thermarium”. Discovering a steam room, a dry sauna and an intriguing set of showers.  You push a start button and a light comes on ahead of you.  Stepping under the light you’re hit by a cool fine spray.  It stops, the next light ahead (red this time) comes on so you step forward into a heavier, warmer spray.  30 seconds later, in the blue lit area, jets at various levels hit you front and back (or on each side, depending on how you stand!)  Another red section is a fine cooling spray, then the final yellow light leads you to a strong final shower.  I complete the treatment and go back and do it again!  A great diversion.  Meanwhile Vicky’s been relaxing in the room.

At 4pm we meet Stefano, now in his chef’s uniform, and our fellow students and head to the kitchen.  It’s a private kitchen used only for the classes, and contains some devices like a hand cranked potato ricer that Stefano remembers his grandmother using.  The idea is to use gadgets we can replicate at home, rather than the hi-tech ones they use in the main kitchen.

The pictures below were taken on our balcony.  We’re not saluting – just holding onto the hat so it won’t blow away in the wind!

We’re equipped with our own aprons and chef’s hats, and for the next 2.5 hours enjoy a hands-on class learning how to make pasta from scratch, gnocchi (pronounced “nokki” which is not how I’ve ever pronounced it) a salad and finally tiramisu.  I really get into the gnocchi.  We’re supplied with 2kg of potatoes that have been boiled in their skins, and a knife to peel them.  Then it’s onto the ricer.  One person holds it up while another turns the handle, and very small pieces of potato come out the bottom.  For the second batch we also rice cooked beets and mix them in with the potatoes.  As we’ll discover later, these will produce gnocchi that are not only colorful but have a distinctive flavor.  You could also add other riced vegetables.

To the riced potatoes (with or without beets) you add a little flour and some eggs.  Then you get to knead the whole mess into a dough.  Once you have the right consistency, you roll it thin, cut it into long strips and slice each strip into small pieces.  Each piece gets a little filling, then you roll it over and use a fork to crimp the edges.  Voila!  Gnocchi (in my case not very uniform but that proves they’re hand made.  They get dropped into boiling water and they tell you when they’re done by rising to the top.

Meanwhile my colleagues have been making dough for ravioli and other pasta and I get to try that too.  It’s basically the same process except you use flour, not potatoes.  We make some ravioli (same crimping process after stuffing with a mixture of ricotta, chives and spinach) and tagliatelle which will be served with a meat sauce.

Soon Stefano brings out drinks (wine or soft drinks), various thinly sliced deli meats and cheese (2 kinds of pecorino and the best parmesan I’ve ever had) to keep his workers (us) happy.  He shows us how to make a salad of faro and vegetables, chopping them with a flair that would make a teppanyaki chef green with envy, and finally the tiramisu, layering biscuits with the mascarpone cream and fresh berries.  When they later arrive at the table, they’ll be garnished, as will everything else.

My only regret is not taking the camera to the class.  The blurb they gave us said they would be taking pictures, but they didn't, and we were so involved we didn't think about it till later.  So you don't get to see us with our hands in the dough - but we have the memories.

The class ends with each family being presented with a book of recipes, not only for what we’ve made, but for many of the kitchen’s other specialties.  We’re asked what time we would like dinner and how many tables.  We opt for one table for 6 (Jose’s wife Nancy will be joining us) and unsuccessfully try to persuade Stefano to join us and make it 7 people.  Then we’re taken up to the main kitchen and meet some of Stefano’s colleagues, after which it’s time to relax.

At 8pm we head down to the dining room, having dressed a little more formally for dinner, and discover none of the others have changed.  We have a reserved table and are served with great flair, including drinks and the delicious breads that accompany every Italian meal.  The salad arrives in a cheese flavored Italian version of a taco shell. Everything else is elegantly served, including the tiramisu, with strawberries.  Tiramisu 2 nights in a row.  I love Italia!  We become minor celebrities as Stefano comes to check on us several times, and other diners appear fascinated with our special treatment.

A great day, and a great meal to end it.  Stefano has made our feeble efforts into a gourmet feast!

40th Anniversary Trip Day 3

40^th Anniversary Trip Day 3 – Wednesday

A good night’s sleep for both of us, and we don’t have to get up too early.  It’s nice to have a good long hot shower after the overnight flight.  Breakfast is typical European – coffee, croissants and other pastries and a little ham and cheese.  It’s light on the fruit, unfortunately for Vicky, but it gets us on our way.

After checking out we cross the road and wait for the regional train that will take us back to the airport.  The journey is only 7 minutes.  Vicky takes a seat but I just stand.  We arrive at Platform (Track) 1 of 3.  All of them are parallel and close.  Tracks 1 and 2 have the nonstop “Leonardo Express” that takes you to Roma Termini (the central station) in about 30 minutes.  A helpful Trenitalia lady tells us that our train to Florence will be the next on Track 1.  The current train leaves so we head onto the platform, knowing we’re in Car 2, but not where Car 2 will be.

Our train is a Frecciarossa 1000, which translates as Red Arrow.  It’s the equivalent of the French TGV and can reach speeds up to 350km.hr, although according to the onboard monitor we’ll never exceed 247, but that’s still 150mph!  It comes with 4 classes – Standard, Comfort, Business and Executive.  The last is very expensive but there’s not a huge price difference between the first 3, so we splurge on Business Class.

This gets us both window seats with a table between us, a “Welcome Aboard” package of a snack and choice of beer, wine or (for us) Coke Zero plus a bottle of water, and a selection of free newspapers (all in Italian!).  But it’s super comfortable, quiet and fast.   We’re able to get lunch at our seats – a light pasta for Vicky and a roast beef club sandwich for me, with more Coke Zero and water.

We have 2 stops in Rome, first at Termini where a lot of people get on, including 3 young people who sit opposite us and are very quiet, then at Tiburtina, a small suburban station.  From there it’s nonstop to Firenze (Florence) which is our destination, although the train will continue to Venice.  We enjoy the journey and the green Italian countryside.  Then things get interesting.

I’ve reserved an Avis car at a location only a 5-minute walk from the station and I have detailed directions from Google Maps.  Yeah, right!  After about a half hour we find it – the actual streets bear no resemblance to what google maps told us!  We booked the smallest car – a Mini – and they “upgrade” us to a larger car – a very comfortable Peugeot.  It will, of course, use more fuel, but it’s a diesel, and diesel fuel is cheaper than gas in Italy.

Once again, I have detailed directions from Google Maps, plus a map of Tuscany.  We explain which route we want to take to the rental lady and she kindly shows us which way to go.  Downtown Florence is off limits to nonresident drivers and if we cross into the so-called ZTL we’ll get photographed and fined.  The Google Maps route would have taken us right thru it, but she explains how to avoid it.

We do avoid the ZTL but her directions don’t work too well and we spend the next half hour braving the streets with motorcycles whizzing by us on both sides, and other cars trying to figure out what these slow-moving tourists are doing.  Poor Vicky is trying to read the street signs, which are few and far between.

We finally get on the right road, which turns out to be called Fi-Pi-Lu which stands for Florence to Pisa and Lucca.  It’s a good fast road, though not as scenic as I would have liked.  Our directions tell us which exit to take, and finding it’s not a problem.  Now the surroundings are more scenic and the traffic much lighter, but the Google Maps directions strike again and so, although we do eventually reach the hotel unscathed, the journey, which was supposed to have taken 1.5 hours, lasted more than 3!

Once we arrive, everything gets better quickly.  This is the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco, 5km from the mountain town of Barga.  We have 5 nights here in a “standard” room for free, using Marriott points.  But they’ve upgraded us several categories and we have a room with a large balcony, giving incredible views of the valley, the mountains and Barga.  There are 2 sets of doors onto the balcony, one from the bedroom and the other from the bathroom.  Take a look at the view from the bathroom!

We also find a welcome food plate, with marinated strawberries and home-made fruit tarts waiting for us.  We explore the resort, finding an amazing upscale clothing boutique where Vicky gets a belated birthday present of a very flattering black dress and complementing scarf.  While she’s trying on the outfit, I make friends with the store owner’s little dog.

We have dinner reservations at the hotel restaurant.  The table they take us to is right next to an area where a very noisy conference group is just starting to attack their buffet.  Although there are no tables for 2 available, when I ask to be moved, the manager gives us a round table (meant for 6) in a quieter location.

We opt for the Menu Gastronomique, a set 4 course meal.  You often find these in Europe, and this one looks intriguing.  The first course is tender beef carpaccio, one of my favorites, accompanied by a custard filled tart made from spelt flour, a healthy grain that I’ll come to learn more about.  Then comes spelt flour pasta accompanied by chicken livers and onions.  Now I’ve found a way to actually enjoy chicken liver!  The main is a delicious beef stew, and to end it all what the waiter describes as “the best tiramisu you’ve ever had”, which turned out to be correct.  It’s garnished with a yellow fruit the size of a cherry tomato, which we later find is called Chinese Lantern.

To make it even better, I get a non-alcoholic Italian beer I’ve never seen before.  A large meal, and a great start to our stay.  Then back to the room for a good night’s sleep.  Here’s a close-up of Barga, taken from our balcony.

40th Anniversary Trip days 1 and 2

40^th Anniversary Trip – Days 1 – 2

Yes, it’s amazing to think that Vicky and I’ve been married almost 40 years, but it’s true!  We’ve been planning this trip to Italy for months, and now it’s here.  I was planning on uploading every day or so but my new computer doesn’t have the login, So Il’’ post after I get home – one post per day!

We’ve flying out of Los Angeles at 10pm tonight, but after we missed the boat due to airport problems at the start of our cruise around South America, I insist we leave early.  Our flight from Phoenix to LAX leaves at 10am which isn’t bad except that we’re at the other side of the Valley and it’s morning rush hour.  So we’re up very early and our friend Lisa arrives at 6:30 to take us to the airport.

Wouldn’t you know it, minimal travel problems and we’re at the airport around 8am, with over 1.5 hours until boarding.  Time for a coffee and to explore the newly remodeled Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor airport.  It really is so different it’s hard to envisage where the areas we’ve used so often in the past actually were!  We do board the plane and it leaves on time and actually arrives about 20 minutes early, so we get to sit on the runway at LAX until the gate opens up.

With 7 hours until we can check in for the flight to Rome, what is there to do?  Fortunately, one of the perks on one of my credit cards is access to the Delta Sky Club (lounge) at a reduced price.  We find the lounge, which is one of the better equipped ones we’ve seen.  The chairs are comfortable and Vicky is able to get some sleep.  I also get a little but inevitably I’m too excited, so I enjoy the free food (fresh salads and do it yourself tacos, plus cookies and free drinks) and work on the computer for a while.

Leave about 5:30 and find where our luggage was stored, then walk over to the International terminal to check in for our flight on Norwegian to Rome.  The line to check in snakes around half the terminal, since Norwegian has about 5 flights to Europe leaving in the next few hours.  Fortunately it moves fairly quickly and it’s only an hour or so before we’re at the front of the line …. just as they decide to prioritize those traveling to Barcelona and Madrid, which flights leave an hour before ours.  So we stand and watch other people, who didn’t arrive as early as us, get processed first.  Eventually an agent takes pity on us, and since I checked us in at one of their computer terminals (they don’t allow online check-in) it’s only a minute later that we’re ready to head for the security check.

For the first time in years we don’t have TSA Pre-Check, and so we have to go thru the whole rigmarole of taking off shoes and belt, emptying out pockets and doing a whole body scan.  We luck out due to Vicky’s intense dislikes of escalators.  We take the elevator to the security area and discover that this has put us in the (short) line with disabled people rather than the very long line for everyone else.  Thanks, Vicky!

I’d checked out the terminal online and discovered there’s a P F Chang’s restaurant on level 5, which otherwise has only the First and Business Class lounges, so it’s quite quiet, and we get a table, and a good meal, quickly.  I guess our timing was right, as there’s a long line waiting when we leave!  Then it’s down to the gate and wait to board.

Norwegian allows you to pay a small fee for “Priority Boarding” which I did, so we’re among the first to board.  I’ve chosen seats at the rear of the cabin – the only place where you can get just 2 seats together instead of 3 – so it’s nice to get on early and not have to get past lots of other people trying to stow their luggage.

The flight is almost 12 hours and I catch a couple of movies including the new version of “A Star is Born” which is much better than I expected it would be.   I also play several games on the interactive screen.  Vicky, as always on long flights, sleeps well.  The meal was a choice of chicken (which Vicky said was good) and beef with pasta which for me was one bite of beef and most of the pasta – need I say more?

It did come with a small, but fresh salad and some chocolates, so all was not lost.  An hour or so before arrival they served a light snack, which was better.  Al in all, not a bad flight.  We choose Norwegian because their prices are good, and for what we paid, I can’t complain.

On arrival at Rome airport we’re pleasantly surprised to discover that citizens of certain countries, including the USA, Canada and New Zealand, are eligible for electronic passport checks.  Not only that, but they open the rear door of the plane.  So in no time at all we’re through that formality without the usual long wait that comes from being at the back of the plane, and ready to find our bags……which, of course, haven’t yet arrived.  However it’s not long before they do and we’re re-united and out the door.

I’d found a hotel close to the airport which had a shuttle and booked there for the night.  I had directions to the shuttle which were actually correct but the pick up area didn’t look right so we went past it at first.  But then we did find it – only 3 other passengers – a young couple who were dropped off at what appeared to be a funeral home(?) and a lady who was going the same place we were.

We arrive at the B&B Hotel Rome Fiumicino, one of a chain of over 450 in Europe which I’d never heard of before this trip, and are pleasantly surprised.  The room cost only 40 Euro (about US$45) and although small and basic was spotlessly clean and has a good bathroom.  It’s now 8pm Italian time on Tuesday and past time for sleep, but not before we head to the mall behind the hotel to get a Coke Zero.  The only place to get this also serves gelato, so a raspberry gelato is my nightcap.

The hotel is a real find, especially as the train station is right across the road, and tomorrow we’re taking the train to Florence.  The beds are comfortable, and we sleep well.

A great start to the trip!