Oh Spartacus!

The shopping in Rome was nothing like Florence. There weren’t street markets with leather vendors selling delicious colors of gloves, purses and jackets. The shops were mainly overpriced designer labels found in any city. I was still on the prowl for my euro-chic jacket but nothing popped out in the few leather shops we found on side streets. The energy for leather wasn’t the same in Rome- no streets overflowing with deals, no italian men singing “pretty woman” with every jacket I tried, no fierce haggling...I began to feel defeated. We actually considered jumping on a train back to Florence just to shop! We decided to be rational and stay put. On our last day in Rome we were walking to the colosseum for a tour. We encountered another leather shop...entered...and left with nothing. We saw another one, I had accepted defeat but Steve insisted we try anyway. I tried on a couple jackets and then the lady brought me a “new design” their company had come up with (The same one Steve spotted in the window before we had entered). It had a high collar with two buckles on it, and stretch material on the cuffs and hem. It was a matte chocolate brown and I liked it before I tried it on. Once I tried it on, I loved it. I had yet to try one on that was so comfortable! The leather was soft and perfect! I found my jacket!!! YAY!!! It was cool outside so I even got to wear it to the colosseum. Our tour was super interesting (I was still smiling over my fabulous jacket) and the tour guide talked about gladiators- ‘Spartacus’ being the most famous one- I found my inspiration and have named my fabulous jacket Spartacus

"All roads lead to Rome...Don't they?"

The skies were still cloudy the morning we left Siena. We met with our new travel friends from Parksville (Bill and Maureen) around 9am and were on the road shortly thereafter. Steve took up the co-pilot seat and Maureen and I sat at the table in the RV. Turns out that the road signs in Italy can be a little deceiving. To leave Siena we followed signs that pointed to Florence/Rome. But some time later there were no more signs with Rome on them- only Florence...hmmm...Maureen and I sat quietly while the men figured things out on the map...turns out we had gone on the right highway but in the wrong direction...There weren’t any “exit to Rome”, or “this way to Rome” signs...Maureen said ”Well, all roads lead to Rome...don’t they?” We all had a good laugh- and its true as we were soon on the right road to Rome. The RV ride was fun, it was nice to chat with other english speaking nice Canadians! We took a stretch at a roadside rest stop and Maureen spread out food for some nice sandwiches and wine. It also rained most of the drive and at some points it was down pouring- so it was a good day to be in transit. I don’t know if I could ever rent an RV in Europe- we still think Bill and Maureen are very adventurous and brave! We hope your travels were wonderful! We arrived to the campground just before 4pm, we said our goodbyes and Steve and I took the train into the city. We had a map from the campground and had no troubles finding our hotel. Our room was spacious and we were upgraded to have our own bathroom- yay! My favorite feature in the room would have to be the art over the bed. You know how every hotel has cheap art above the bed? This was a religious scene (of course) of a famous work in the sistine chapel. What I liked was the fact that it was actually a puzzle glued on a board and then saran wrapped! Hahaha- it made me laugh...

With so much to see in Rome, where do you begin?! Steve and I bought a guide book to  Rome that had daily itineraries mapped out. With this book and our guide book pages we made a list of all the places and monuments we wanted to visit. The list was long. 

The guide book also gave us advice and rules for crossing the streets in Rome which turned out to be a daunting if not life risking task. I’ll give you the lowdown: 

Step 1: Know that pedestrians do have the right of way. This will not be obvious. If you stand at a crossing cars will NOT stop- you must step out onto the road.

Step 2: Step onto the road when you think the speeding cars will have enough time to brake for you. 

Step 3: Once crossing, do NOT stop. There is no room for hesitation and you must go. Cars time their driving around you- especially the scooters- so even though they are slowing down, they will drive around you if possible.

Step 4: Look confident and pretend you know what your doing. 

It took us a few days to get used to this...but once we got the hang of it we were golden!  We would approach cross walks where tourists who didn’t know the rules yet would be waiting. So, we would get to the front of the crowd and walk out into zooming traffic, and sorta like how Moses parted the sea, we parted the traffic and the people could cross. 

Rome is big. There are only two metro lines...which took over 20 years to build because there are many ruins in the ground beneath the city, and below the ruins are water springs for Rome. We occasionally used the buses to get to other areas of the city, but lets just say there was a whole lot of exercise done everyday. Which was good because there was a whole lot of carb eating going on too! I read somewhere that Italians stay true to the ingredients- they don’t try to jazz them up and make them what they aren’t (the writer explained that this is what the French tend to do). I agree with this writer- the food was simple but good- pizza has one or two toppings, pasta sauce has one or two veggies or meat added, but they do work some magic with eggplant and definitely make it taste better than I have ever had! I had eggplant lasagna and it was delicious! I find it hard to name more than three dishes you could consider as “traditional Canadian food” (I can think of Nanimo bars...and poutine...or a caesar! Mmmm...I would love a caesar right now...no spice...hahahha) but food in Canada is highly varied and you can get pretty much anything! I’ve really noticed this...in Italy you eat Italian food. The restaurants all seem to have very similar Italian dishes. Thats it. There are other types of food available- but definitely not abundant or easy to find! We saw some Kebab joints...and a pub that made burgers- but other than that, you can expect pasta and pizza. And other than McDonalds and a place called Autogrill on the side of highways and in airports, there don’t appear to be chain restaurants around. Coffee and a pastry at breakfast and perhaps a sandwich or panini at lunch. My family always made bacon spaghetti- forget beef- and that is what they do in italy! There was always bacon spaghetti on the menu! I had to try it out- could mine be as good as the true pasta masters??! I tried it more than once of course...the first time was the best one- and was only a little better than mine :) But they added something to the tomato sauce ( I suspect it was cream) and it took the acidic edge off and it was soooooo goooood! But the part I didn’t like was the flavor of the bacon itself! This is common here for me, the way the meat is flavored or smoked isn’t...well...good ol Canadian!

As for the sites in Rome...amazing! We saw everything on our list and others as well. The day we went to St.Peters also happened to be public mass with the Pope- an unexpected surprise! St. Peters was incredible and the vatican museum/sistine chapel were great! I loved the colosseum and all the plaza’s and fountains all around the city. Another highlight would be the crypt in one church decorated with the bones of over 4000 monks! Creeeeepy!

All Caught Up!

So, the blog is completely caught up now! Whew! I guess rain storms while camping are good for something! 

Steve and I just want to say that we are having the most fabulous time and loving it all!...More than one of you has asked if we are about to kill each other yet. And I can happily and honestly say that we are the best team mates ever- we have adjusted to our new roles in traveling- I am the team photographer and lead navigator. Steve is the metro master, money handler, and the international charades master. We think about our family and friends a lot out here...We often have prolonged discussions regarding our future projects and endeavors...particularly dog or no dog? (We are constantly checking out other peoples dogs and debating size and fur texture.) Other hot topics: mountaineering or not? Piano in our house or guitars? Garden or grass? We even compare cars...there are many hours in transit and we end up discussing random things. Another future topic and much more urgent is India. The countdown to India is on...37 days. I’m going to need some chillers kb. STAT. Hahahaha! 

Florence

While in Cinque Terre we made room arrangements for Florence. We had our directions all laid out and finding the hotel was a smooth process. But why should things stay smooth? We arrive to the hotel only to be told the online booking company has overbooked them and we are redirected to another hotel. I was really upset because I thought this was a ploy and we would end up in some dingy dark hole. So, once again we are walking in the blistering heat with our packs on. Another new city with another new map. We locate the building and enter the hotel, again we are redirected- this time just up the stairs to the next hotel. Now I was really worried. The desk man gave us the lowdown and showed us to our room. It was a little tight for space but otherwise nice. We had luxury items- an air conditioner and a bathroom! Yes! But the first night we didn’t know how to use the AC and had to sleep with the window open and all the loud drunk people kept me awake. 

The markets in Florence were awesome! Leather vendors selling belts, cashmere lined gloves, fantastic jackets and of course purses! I decided I couldn’t leave Florence without a purse. The selection of styles and colors were endless. I fell in love with an oversized dark purple bag. Steve says you can fit a body in it. But I love it! I bargained with the vendor and got this work of art for 60 euro. I’ve named it “Pursis Maximus.” Steve bought himself a leather belt, but he hasn’t named it...One evening we were lured into a leather shop- Steve played along with the vendor and before we knew it he was trying on jackets. The first one they raved was “the latest Italian style” and I was desperately trying to make eye contact with Steve to warn him that he looked like a complete flamer in this shiny/tight/short leather jacket. I was laughing and imagined what shoes he would wear with that? What pants? It was FAR too Italian for my outdoorsy, unfashionable, laid back husband. The next jacket was amazing. It was a buffalo hide and it was casual yet perfect for my Steve! Oh how I wanted him to buy it! Then he said to the salesman “why don’t you find one for my wife” and the very first one he brought me was amazing! It was a dark brown fitted little bomber jacket with a cadet collar. It was so pretty. I felt like a sassy euro chick. The ensemble would have been complete with some high heels and a mo-ped. I even tried Pursis Maximus on with the jacket and they got along great. Steve suggested that I think about whether I really want a jacket and if I’d really wear it, so we left. Maybe he was right and my decision making skills were foggy from the fabulous smell and the soft feel of the leather. Then we went into another leather shop. Oh man. Once again I am overwhelmed and I am wearing “the one.” This time it had a little belt at the bottom and was just as sassy as the last. I needed to clear my head and sleep on it- sad to report I left another leather store without a jacket. However, I have had some time to consider the purchase and the logistics involved in sending one home (along with Maximus) and Steve and I will be shopping for my leather jacket in Rome.   

There are many museums in Florence. We decided to go to the Acadamia primarily to see Michaelango’s Statue of David. The room housing the statue was specifically built for it in the late 1800’s when it was relocated from the Piazza della Signora after being struck by lightening (a replica is in its place now). It was fabulous! Sometimes I wonder why things are called masterpieces- but not with this one! I remember my parents having a statue of David. I don’t know why they had it (a wedding gift?) I will have to ask about this...Strange how things in other parts of the world can stir up memories from your childhood in Elkford! Anyway, the Italians are mighty strict on enforcing a “no pictures, no video” policy in Museums and Galleries. We managed to get a little stealth footage of David anyway. We visited the Uffizi gallery as well. This one (like many others) claims to have the greatest collection of art in Europe. We saw works by Michaelangelo, Donatello, Bernini, and Bonachelli...They were all neat because we had seen them before- just not in real life. I liked them all more than the Mona Lisa :)

Finally, we went to the Galileo exhibits in the Science museum. This was my favorite. The displays showed tools and drawings early astronomers produced and used as they made discoveries about the solar system and the earth. It was unbelievable. There was a collection of tools used by Galileo himself. His telescope was on display. And his middle finger. Yup, Galileo’s middle finger was in a case. Apparently it was cut it off after his death. Its the same finger he wore that red ring on...

From Florence we had to make a big decision. Make a whirlwind trip to Venice or take our time getting to Rome? We decided on the latter and Venice will have to be seen another time. We are now in Siena and staying in a cabin type thing in a campground. There is a nice pool and a cafe. We enjoyed the pool on the hot day we got here and today it has been nothing but thunder and showers! We have met a friendly couple from Parksville who are brave enough to be RV’ing around Italy. They have offered us a ride to Rome and we will leave with them tomorrow morning. 

Pisa

We leave beautiful Cinque Terre and head south to Florence. We have to change trains in Pisa so we take this opportunity to go see the Leaning Tower. We stash our packs at the baggage storage service and leave the station. I’m thinking the tower will be neat but nothing super exciting. I was wrong! We came around the corner and suddenly there was a large cathedral and a white tower leaning. This Leaning Tower of Pisa is really leaning, not just a little bit, but a lot! It was captivating. Sometimes its the things you hear about, read about, or see in the movies that can grab your attention the most (this becomes very evident in the museums in Florence). There are hoards of tourists here. Steve joins the other tourists posing in the “I’m going to push the leaning tower up” stance. I can’t seem to get the alignment right and another tourist takes over for me. He does a decent job and Steve is happy to have this dorky photo (especially for you Tara!)

Cinque Terre

If anyone has ever been in a car with the temperature outside at least thirty degrees with no air conditioning and the windows rolled up for nearly two hours I know how you felt. We were more than relieved to get off this train and be in Monterosso. We went to the tourism office and the lady working there was very nice. We picked a hotel out of our travel book and she phoned them to see if they had room. We got a room and in the process met a couple of Americans from Seattle. We all set off for the hotel. I love how in Italy you ask for a “matrimonial” bed if you want a double bed...hahaha. Our room was large and had a big window that let in plenty of light. I think the sea-foam green decor was an au natural form of air conditioning because even without a fan or air conditioner the room actually felt cool. We wandered around the little town and peeked in some of the shops. I saw a dress that I had also seen in the market in Milan- however it was 25 more euros in Cinque Terre! We got some gelato and watched the sunset by the water. Later on we met up with the Americans for dinner. I really enjoyed strolling in the evenings- the air was so warm and the shops were so cute. We had some Limoncello samples at a shop selling liqueurs, wines, jams and honey. We then went for a drink at a local bar.

The next day Steve and I set out on the Cinque Terre trail. We should have left earlier because by 10am it was already hot out. The alloted time between the first two towns was 1h40mins. The terrain was up hill and up steps for sometime and then leveled off a little. Then all the elevation gain is lost when you enter the next town. The views were beautiful and we entered the next town of Vernazza hot and hungry. We went for a quick dip in the water and then had a piece of pizza. Looking at the map, we opted to take the train to the next town Corniglia as it was another long hike with elevation gain. From Corniglia we took the trail to Manarola- this is the Cinque Terre town that seems to represent the whole area- we walked around the corner and there it was in all its quaint, colorful, old world charm. The last leg of the trail took us through the famed tunnel of love and on to Riomaggiore. From here we took the train all the way back to Monterosso and went out for dinner and gelato with the Americans.

Our first taste of Italy!

We arrive at the bus terminal in Milan, except it doesn’t feel like we are in a city at all. We are somewhere on the outside of the city center and once again without a map. We use the metro map to guesstimate where we should go and at the same time follow the crowds. We end up right smack in the heart of Milan. We climb the stairs from the metro and are greeted with the massive Duomo. There is a huge square and people and pigeons everywhere. We find tourist information and get a map. I had researched a place to stay but couldn’t figure out how to book online. We had the address and in the smoking hot heat started to walk there. It was very hot. I can’t decide if its worse to be walking with my pack on in the heat or in the rain. Along the way we pass many three and four star hotels- and in Italy they charge the room per person. Its not 60 euro for a room, its 60 euro per person. Yikes. We finally get to the little place I found online only to find out its full. I was surprised by this because the day before it had rooms- but tourism season is among us now... Luckily though, we found a place just a few minutes down the street. The manager was hilarious and really helped us out with information and directions.

We showered and set out for our only night in Milan. We walked back to the main square. It was even more busy now- more people, more pigeons, artists, music, a low-key photo shoot, a loud protest with riot police on stand-by. Steve tired to punt some pigeons by luring them in with crumbs from his gelato cone. I thought we were going to fined or something because he was laughing like a mad man as he tried to kick the birds. I tried it too, but I just tapped them and it was gross feeling the feathers on my foot. I had read about a street market and after a long and diligent effort we had no luck finding it. We chose a little place for dinner on a pedestrian only street and watched the people go by. I read that Milan is a financial and fashion center. I don’t know about the financial stuff but the fashion was definitely flashy! Men and women, old and young, were completely put together. High heels (I study how they walk on all this cobblestone and it still baffles me), hats, jewelry, mini dresses, nothing makes you feel more like a grubby traveler than being in Milan! I don’t think people here need a reason to dress so flamboyantly-they just do it. Or maybe they do it because everyone does it. We passed by many designer shops but my favorite was a high end home decor store showing off bath tubs shaped like high heels! I thought of my city mom enjoying some wine and a dip in the gigantic shoe...

Anyway, during our dinner, two men (a turk and an aussie) were seated beside us. Personal space once again pushed to the limits as our tables were touching. We started chatting and they turned out to be editors for reality tv shows (Big Brother, Survivor, and some european shows). I was excited- could I be cast for Survivor!? Should I tell them my awesome new twist for the show? I played it cool. I’m pretty sure they were legit- especially after seeing them alongside Pamela Anderson and a bunch of other bay watch playboy bunny types on their camera. The aussie owns a restaurant and hotel in southern Turkey and spends a lot of time there. He gave us some great tips, warnings, and ideas for our visit there. The turk was more interested in how we could be traveling for nine months and had many questions for us...

Before leaving for the bus station we thought we would grab a little breakfast. We stepped out of the hotel to find the street outside transformed into a market! Yay! We strolled through the market and then sat for a cappuccino and orange juice with a croissant. I didn’t buy anything at the market but had a good time looking...We went back for our packs, headed to the train station and bought tickets for Cinque Terre.