Sunday in Assisi

Sunday morning we woke up pretty early in order to catch the train to Assisi. It's a long journey (2.5 hours from Florence), but all of us felt pretty strongly that we wanted to go. It's a really beautiful city, and it holds such importance in the Catholic church that we couldn't miss it. On the train, we met a man and his wife who had just spent a week there. Their church had organized a pilgramage - 7 holy places in Assisi in 7 days. We chatted for a bit, and then Aunt Clare said, "It's very important for us to go to Assisi because we're both Clares", meaning that St. Clare is our patron saint. But this man immediately assumed that she meant that we were both members of the Poor Clares, a branch of Franciscan nuns. Only in Italy....

We got to Assisi about a half hour before mass was about to start, so we took a cab from the train station up the hill to the town. The cab driver asked me where I was from after we talked for a minute, and I told him Seattle. He was surprised, and said he thought I was from Rome because of the way I spoke italian!

Mom in front of the Basilica

We went to mass at the Basilica of St Clare, which was wonderful. There were a group of nuns singing all of the hymns and responses, hidden away so that we couldn't see them. Afterwards, we went to Osteria gli Orti for lunch, which had been recommended by the cab driver.

Aunt Clare's antipasto plate, which was totally empty before we left!

Assisi is full of hidden little alleys and corners and so many beautiful flowers

I wanted to go to the museum exhibit to see the instruments of torture for the martyrs, but I was overruled...

After strolling through the city for awhile, it was time to go back to the station, and we hailed a cab in front of the Basilica of San Francesco. All it took was a little question of the cab driver to start an incredible adventure: I asked him where all of the fields of sunflowers were, since we saw them in pictures but not in person. He asked me if I wanted him to take the street near the fields, since it too went to the station. I said yes, and we were off! We went along a street that was right under the city, and the panorama was spectacular.

We stopped to take a few pictures, and then he asked me if we had been to Chiesa della Santa Maria dei Angeli, which is right near the station. We said no, so he took us there, explaining all the way (in italian) why this church was so important. I translated the best I could for mom and aunt Clare. He parked in front of the church and took us inside. We saw a plaque commemorating three days of prayer in the late 80s, attended by leaders of all of the world religions. Then he showed us a small chapel built by St. Francis to honor the Virgin Mary. He showed us the place where St. Francis died. On display is the rope belt that he wore around his habit as well as blood from his stigmata. It was a spectacular mini tour led by a man who was very emphatic about showing us the most important parts of his city and his religion. Of course, we tipped him very well, and he tried to refuse the extra. He had even turned off the meter while he took us inside the church. It's people like this that make Italy so wonderful!

The long trip back to Florence and then pizza for dinner for all of us. Here's mine below...and yes, those are slices of hot dog on the pizza! We all laughed so hard when it came that we practically could not eat!

The Cinque Terre

The three of us in Monterosso al Mare

Saturday we headed to the Cinque Terre - a group of 5 tiny towns on the west coast of Italy in Liguria. Many many people (including Rick Steves, the travel guru) say that the Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful locations in Italy, and I can see why! The towns are on the coast, and there is every opportunity to experience the beauty of nature there. You can swim, boat, snorkel, hike, ride horses, wander through the forest, etc, etc.

We took the train from Florence to La Spezia, and bought our "Cinque Terre Card" there. This card allows you to ride the train on and off between the towns as well as walk the trails between the towns. We started with the northernmost town, Monterosso al Mare, which was the most beautiful, in my opinion.

Monterosso al Mare

We walked around a little (these towns are very tiny) and I put my feet in the Ligurian sea.

The trail between Monterosso and the second town was reputed to be the most difficult, so we skipped that one and took the train to the second town, Venzana, where we would begin our hike. That town was also very pretty, and we started out on our hike (during the heat of the afternoon on a day that reached around 90 degrees). This hike was pretty darn hard: 2 kilometers uphill followed by two kilometers downhill. And it wasn't easy steps either - it was big rocks that had been transformed into steps.

Monterosso al Mare

The hike took us two hours before we reached Corniglia. Thankfully, there was a rest stop about halfway through the hike, where we were able to purchase water and snacks. We had lunch in a little trattoria in Corniglia, which was very good.

My lunch in Corniglia: some kind of fish. Beautiful, isn't it?

We then took the train to town #4, where Aunt Clare and I got off to hike the final segment of the trail, but mom continued to Riomaggiore, the last town, because she was all hiked out. The final portion is named "Via dell'amore" because it's an easy stroll, with benches spaced out where you can sit and enjoy the view with your loved one. We wandered around Riomaggiore a little and then got on the train back to La Spezia and then to Florence. A quick dinner at a bar on the way to the apartment and then we all collapsed in our beds, after long showers. I don't think I've ever sweated so much, even after my triathlons! And it's a good thing too, since we're eating so much that I have to stay active, otherwise I won't fit into any of my clothes when I get home!

The view from the trail looking down at Corniglia

View from the trail

Tomorrow I'll write about our Sunday in Assisi. I hear that Seattle is having a heat wave - I hope that you are all staying comfortable!

The weekend

We have been so busy travelling this weekend that I haven't gotten to a computer and this internet point closes in 2 minutes! I promise another post (including pictures) Monday...

Friday in Florence

Today was a day to stay in Florence for Mom and Aunt Clare. I had school, as usual, which was fantastic, as usual. I get so much satisfaction from this class! Here's a picture of my class: Marco, our teacher, Yumi, the japanese girl, Anna, the polish girl, and me.

One funny story from class today: Marco was helping us with the pronunciation of some word...can't remember what, but he did say it was a tongue twister. He then gave an example of a tongue twister in Italian. He asked us to each say a tongue twister in our native language (I chose 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore'). It was very cool to hear tongue twisters in Polish and in Japanese!

After class, I met mom and AC at the apartment, and then we headed to San Lorenzo for a little shopping at the open air market. I picked up another few necklaces very similar to my purple Murano glass necklace (which broke last week) as well as a linen skirt, which I changed into right there on the street. It's way too hot for anything heavy!

Then we wandered down to the Santa Croce district to have gelato at Vivoli, which is considered by many to be one of the best gelaterias in Florence. As you can see, we had no problem finishing our gelato!

We hopped on the bus after that to head up to San Miniato al Monte. I had heard about the Benedictine monks who sing Gregorian chant every afternoon and I was eager to hear it. We got there just in time...around 5:15. The singing began at 5:30. We looked around the church a little, which was VERY beautiful and VERY old, built around 1027. Then we sat down to listen to the monks. It wasn't long before we realized that it wasn't just chanting - we were attending mass in Latin. So, although we had planned to spend only a little time there, of course we could not leave during mass, so we stayed until the end, which was really wonderful.

Mom and Aunt Clare in the courtyard in front of San Miniato

A nice walk back down the mountain, and then dinner at Trattoria dell Angiolo, which is one of the most wonderful meals I've had yet, and that's saying a lot! We started with grilled vegetables for Aunt Clare and Pecorino with Etruscan sauce (which was honey). Then Aunt Clare had tagliatelli with Porcini mushrooms, mom had gnocchi with pesto, and I had tagliatelli in lemon cream sauce. Absolutely fantastic! The waiter recommended tiramisu for dessert, and it was one of the most wonderful tiramisus I've had....my first one here on this trip. Thank goodness we had to walk a little to get home, because we were absolutely stuffed full.

My cheese and Aunt Clare's vegetables tonight.

I know that these posts are full of superlatives, but I just can't say enough about how wonderful everything is here and how happy I am. Even though we're dying from the heat, we're all dreading the end of this trip because we're having such a good time here.

The view while crossing the Arno river this evening

For Thea: a very sweet pug on the bus on the way to San Miniato

Thursday's events

Here's Aunt Clare's account of Thursday (while I was in school):

Donna and I took the train to Chiusi and then a bus to Montepulciano. It is a hill town that has the highest elevation in Tuscany. It was fabulous with spectacular views overlooking the olive groves and grape vines. Everywhere in town they had wine tasting - obviously we didn't know this area was famous for its wine. We also had a pasta that we never saw or ate before. It is called pici - it is made from flour, water and olive oil and then hand rolled into a tubular shape - fabulous! We mostly walked up-hill exploring the city, shopping, and eating in the 90+ degree weather. We need a cold wave soon!

And from me:

I spent the morning in school, and then had a leisurely lunch and a short nap, since I knew it would be a long night. I then met mom and AC for a quick dinner in a bar near our apartment, and then I went to the opera! It was a production of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino at Teatro Communale, which is very near our apartment. The opera was Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Shostakovich, and it was MARVELOUS! I loved everything about it. During intermission, I went to the bar to have a little snack and a glass of wine. A man came over to me and asked if he could sit with me, and we chatted a bit. He walked me back to my seat, and as it turned out, he had been sitting right behind me during the first act. He sat next to me during the second act, and afterward, took me out for a pizza and then walked me back to the apartment. A complete gentleman, very polite and interesting. And thank goodness he was full of stories, because my italian isn't really good enough yet for small talk with strangers!

The shoes of Italy

Here's a sample of what we see when window shopping

And of course, I had to buy a pair for myself!

Wednesday in Florence and Fiesole

The morning was spent in class, where we had an unusal (for me) assignment. We had a long discussion about the geography of Italy, including receiving a chart of the regions of Italy (of which there are 20) and a list of each name and short description. We had to figure out which was which. Then Marco talked with us about the differences between all the regions, culturally and linguistically. He asked us to come up with a few questions about the regions of Italy - as if we were journalists interviewing Italian citizens about the differences between the regions and what their identity was: were they Florentines? Tuscan? Italian? He gave us a grammar lesson, fixing each question so that it was correct. And then he sent us out to find Italians on the street and ask them our questions! I was terrified to do this, but Marco assured me that it would be just fine, and in fact, it seemed that everyone was friendly and welcoming, and we all had an opportunity to chat with someone about their thoughts on regionality. This is what makes this school so special to me: it's all about lessons building upon each other and it emphasizes self-discovery. You are not spoon-fed one thing - you have to work for everything you learn, which makes it much more valuable, in my opinion.

While I was in class, Mom and Aunt Clare were doing a little more shopping, and I got to see the results, including some beautiful jewelry and linens. We met in front of Dante's house (!!!!), which is near my school and near the restaurant that we wanted for lunch. It was the same restaurant that we had visited for dinner in 2005 when all seven of us were here: Mom, AC, me, Mary, Melissa, Pam and Yasmine. We sat outside that evening, but it was too hot on Wednesday, so we stayed inside. More absolutely delicious food....we haven't had a bad meal yet!

Afterwards, we shopped a little more on our way back home, including stopping at a store called "Falsi gioelli", which has beautiful jewelry. I definitely want to buy something there! Mom took a nap, I went to the opera house ticket window for a ticket to the opera tomorrow night, and Aunt Clare found the Pennsylvania girls choir singing in a church near our apartment!

In the evening, we took the bus to Fiesole, which is very close to Florence - about a 15-20 minute drive. It's up on a hill, and the vista there is incredible, as you can see!

The very steep path up the hill

The view from up top...it was a little hazy, but you can see the Duomo in the distance

We ate at a little restaurant on the piazza with a very flirty waiter. Gnocchi with red sauce for mom, antipasto and pasta with red sauce, eggplant, and capers for Aunt Clare, and tagliagelli with pesto followed by chicken caciatorri for me. Red wine, as always, and a little coffee afterward. So far, we haven't ordered dessert in any of the restaurants! But we've had gelato many afternoons, and that's the best anyway, although I definitely need to have some tiramisu soon!

After dinner, the bus back to Florence and a little window shopping before bed.

Pictures

I just read the comments that y'all want more pictures, so I'll do my best. The problem is the connection here - I sometims have difficulty finding a computer that will download the pictures. But now that I've started school, I can use the wireless connection there, and hopefully that will be easier.

Mom, Aunt Clare and I send lots of love to all of you!

Tuesday in Bologna and Parma

Walking down "Verdi Street" in Parma


A gorgeous meat store in Bologna...look at those hams!


Window shopping in Bologna....who wants me to bring pasta back home?


The statue of Neptune in Bologna


Bruce Willis has arrived in Bologna

Tuesday was a day off of schoo.l...the feast day of St John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, so Mom, Aunt Clare and I took a day trip. We hit the train station at 8:00 am so that we could take the Eurostar to Bologna. What a beautiful city! We did a little shopping and a little sightseeing, and had lunch in a small restaurant near the towers. There are two medieval leaning towers in Bologna, and the plan was to climb up to the top, until we saw what they looked like - fortified, defense towers...very narrow with very few windows. We decided that that was perhaps not the best plan. But we did see the building where the Council of Trent met for a couple of years, as well as a cafe that Umberto Eco frequented.

In the afternoon, we took another train to Parma. We walked through the center of town and found a little flea market - we are looking for a pair of silver or gold sandals for me so that I can be in fashion here in Italy! But we didn't find anything that worked. We saw some very very beautiful churches, including the baptistry of the Duomo, which was made out of pink marble. It's amazing how decorative everything is - every inch is carved or painted in exquisite style. We had a gelato in Parma, and then back on the train to return to Florence, where I sat next to a woman who had lived in Florence for 62 years. She proceeded to tell me how much better everything was 30 years ago...but I'm not going to let her negativity bother me!

Back in Florence...found ANOTHER wonderful restaurant, very close to our apartment. Another course of prosciutto and cantaloupe...I've had that numerous times now, and I can't get enough. It's perfect for this 90 degree weather. I had planned to go see the fireworks over the Arno river last night (in celebration of the feast day), but I was just too tired, so I went to bed...

Monday....first day of school!

Santa Maria Novella, where we went to church on Sunday

I was so very excited for today, and it all turned out just as I had hoped. I got to school early, thinking that I would finish the registration and paperwork, but I got there before the secretary. I sat outside waiting for 9am, and then saw my old teacher Marco walking up the street. He was very surprised to see me, as he hadn't known that I would be here this week - turns out that that was because they confused my registration and thought that I wouldn't be here until July...but no matter. And even better....Marco will be my teacher, at least for this week. I'm in a class with a young Japanese girl and a woman from Poland, perhaps a few years younger than me. I have already learned so much, just in one day, and Marco tells me that he thinks that my Italian is better now than it was when I left here two years ago....I have no idea how that could be possible, but it makes me happy to hear that.

While I was at school, Aunt Clare and Mom went shopping at San Lorenzo market and bought a few presents and some things for themelves. Then we met up on the Oltr'arno side of the ponte vecchio and had lunch at Borgo antico, a restaurant that we had eaten at in 2005, when all seven of us ladies were here (AC, mom, me, Mary, Melissa, Pam and Yasmine). HUGE portions, including a salad for Aunt Clare that could have fed an entire family.

This afternoon included naps for all three of us, and then another dinner on the other side of the river at Quattro Leoni, which was SPECTACULAR. It seems that every dinner gets better and better....how can that be possible? And tonight, I had my first Limoncello of this trip....Melissa, it's even better than we remember!

Quattro Leoni restaurant on the other side of the Arno river

Tomorrow is the feast of St John, so it's a holiday and therefore there won't be any class at school. We're going to get on the train and go to Bologna, Modena, and Parma. It's still incredibly hot - temperatures in the 90s - so hopefully the air conditioning will be working on the trains!

Sunday in Florence

Today was another day trip, but we started out at mass. Last night, AC and I had checked out the mass times at Santa Maria Novella, the church near the train station. We got up early for 8:30 mass, and were met at the church door by a very stern woman who inquired as to whether we were there for mass or for seeing the church. I answered that yes, we were going to mass, but she gave us a look and asked again. I assured her that yes, we were going to mass - not to view the church and she let us in. We looked suspect, I suppose. But mass was beautiful - it was great to hear it in italian in this beautiful church. The priest was a tiny little man who was wearing levis and nikes under his vestments. He also had to use a giant magnifying glass to read the scripture.

After mass, we had breakfast outside near the church, and then got on the train to Arezzo. If you've seen "life is beautiful", you've seen part of Arezzo. It's a beautiful town, with cobblestone streets, hills and old, old buildings. We used AC's "village walks" cards again, which took us to a few really wonderful places, including a great Osteria for lunch, the house Petrarch was born in, and some fantastic frescos at Chiesa San Francesco. Unfortunately we missed a wonderful festival by one day: yesterday, there was a medieval joust in the center of town in full costume, contested by teams from the 4 parts of town. So... another reason to come back to Italy in the future.... But we did walk into a municipal building, just by happenstance, which had a city model of what Arezzo looked like in the 1300's, before Cosimo Medici levelled the town to build a fortress. Pretty amazing.

After Arezzo, we bought a ticket to try to go to Cortona, but had problems with the train service. Many trains don't run on Sunday because it's a holy day. We made it to Chiusi, where we had a gelato and then decided to save Cortona for another day and head back to Florence. Dinner at a restaurant just around the corner, where mom had spaghetti carbonara, I had pasta with salmon, and AC had an amazing antipasto plate.

Tomorrow is my first day of school, and I'm VERY excited for that. Mom and AC have plans to go to the San Lorenzo market while I'm in class, and then we're going to meet across the Ponte Vecchio on the Oltr'arno for lunch.

I've left out two very important people from this post...the 5 year old we met on the train to Arezzo and the 70 something year old we met on the train back. That will have to wait for tomorrow!

Pictures

Mom filling her water bottle in our cute little kitchen

Me with my main man Puccini in Lucca, his hometown.

Aunt Clare at the top of the tower in Lucca

Mom at the top of the tower in Lucca

Waiting for the bike trip to begin.