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| Village Italy 2007 - Friends, Experiences, and Memories A Journey through the real Italy on a Rick Steves' tour |
| Just the Journal |
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| Village Italy 2007 - Friends, Experiences, and Memories A Journey through the real Italy on a Rick Steves' tour |
| Just the Journal |
We got up fairly early and had breakfast at the hotel. Arriving back in Piazza San Marco, we beat the crowds and walked around to get a perspective totally different from the day before. We decided to tour St. Marks Basilica first, so we got in line. The architecture and exterior mosaics are breathtaking. Cathy had a small backpack, so when we got to the front of the line, we had to go check it (since it was small, we weren’t sure if it would have to be checked). But, we quickly found the free bag check and were allowed in the front of the line by showing our claim check. You’re supposed to pick up your bag in an hour, but they are not strict about the time. We left Cathy’s bag there while we toured the church, the Correr Museum, and Doge’s Palace. Inside the church is filled with Byzantine mosaics depicting Biblical stories. As we left the church, we took the hint from Rick’s book and bought our Museum Card at the Correr Museum. Since we had all day ahead of us, we quickly toured the Correr Museum before heading for Doge’s Palace. As predicted, the line was long, but with the Museum Card, we passed the line and got right in. Doge is a position, not a person’s name as you might think. A doge is similar to a duke; in fact both words are derived from the Latin dux, or leader. The doge was the elected leader of The Republic of Venice. We spent a couple of hours touring Doge’s Palace. The courtyard itself is fantastic. The arches, the columns, the grand staircase, the views of St. Marks Basilica, all greet you even before you go inside. The Palace is chock full of interesting halls, chambers, rooms, art, and weapons. If you go, be careful, somehow Cathy and I got separated inside and had (more than) a few anxious moments (maybe more like ten minutes) before we found each other again. The flow inside is basically one-way, so it’s difficult to go back and search (especially when you don’t know if the other person is ahead of you or behind you). We decided next time we might bring walkie-talkies for emergency communication. We finished up crossing the Bridge of Sighs and touring the prison area. Afterwards, we walked along the waterfront to find a place for lunch. Eating is pretty expensive, especially in Venice. Wine is definitely a better value than beer. Nearly all (or all) restaurants have a cover charge just to sit down. (This is supposed to cover the tablecloth, silverware, etc.) If you go, plan on spending a lot on food. With some food (and wine) in our bellies, we walked toward the Rialto Bridge. Rialto’s market area was bustling with shoppers and vendors selling a wide assortment of carnival masks, Murano glass, food, and souvenirs. Just on the other side of the bridge, we found “dessert” of several kinds of mixed fresh fruit from one of the vendors. Cathy bought a couple of Murano glass necklaces at one of the shops. We decided to hop on one of the Vaporettos and cruise the Grand Canal. A Vaporetto is a large water taxi or water bus that operates similar to a standard bus. A Vaporetto ride is a great way to see Venice from a different perspective. We stopped at the train station to check out the schedule for the next day’s trip to Pauda. We explored a few of the side streets and alleys before heading back to the hotel for some rest. On the way, we found a great corner shop make their own wine and sell it in two liter water bottles for around 3 Euro. We saw many locals bringing in their own bottles, so we knew it must be pretty good. We had great Cabernet Frank (great at any price, but exceptional at this price). We stopped and bought a couple of gyros from our favorite shop and went back to our “private terrace” to wind down, eat, and plan for tomorrow.
The next morning we checked out of the hotel, leaving our bags to pickup later. Having planned an early afternoon train to Padua, we had all morning to explore some more. We again walked to San Marco and found it crowd free. St Mark’s Square is really low. I heard that a few weeks later, the water was up and they had to put out wooden “platforms” to walk on so that people wouldn’t get their feet wet. I expect this makes for quite a pedestrian traffic jam. Today we headed past the shops toward the Academia Bridge to see what we could discover in another section of Venice. Along the way, we spotted several purple alligators and even encountered “The Three (Green) Bears”. I’m still not sure of their significance, but they caught our attention anyway. Around noon, we headed back to pick up our bags, and then took the Vaporetto to the train station for the trip to Padua (Padova in Italian).
Day 1 - Saturday – 15-September-2007
There are many trains from Venice to Padua, some stop in each small station, and others express to Padua or even farther. Local trains take 20 or so minutes longer and stop a few times. It doesn’t matter which train you take as long as it stops in Padua. We decided to take a local train because it left at a convenient time and we were in no particular hurry. Since we weren’t sure how far it was from the train station to our hotel, we took a cab. It was a good choice, since lugging our bags across Padua would not have added much to the experience! Our hotel, Al Fagiano, was full of eclectic unusual art. We weren’t meeting the rest of the tour group until later, we decided to explore a nearby market that was setup surrounding the nearby square Prato della Valle. Prato della Valle is the largest square in Italy but is actually shaped like an ellipse (or oval). The square itself is chock full of interesting statues and views of Saint Anthony’s. The market was loaded with shoes, clothing, household goods, and just about anything else you may have forgotten to pack (and all at reasonable prices).
We met our tour group later in the afternoon in the breakfast room of the hotel in Padua. Karin Kibbey was our guide. The group seemed diverse. Many of the folks on this tour had been on other Rick Steves’ tours in the past. After we all introduced ourselves and shared some of our expectations, Karin explained some of the details about the tour. Karin asked how many wine drinkers we had in the group and suggested a “wine kitty” (or co-op) since alcohol is not covered by the tour. All the wine drinkers decided to “buy in” to the kitty – a decision that made group dinners a lot easier. Karin also asked us each to pick a “buddy”, specifically someone we were not traveling with. The reason for this would become obvious later (“Is everybody here?”, “ Buddy check?”, “Does anybody NOT have a buddy?”). My buddy was Char and Cathy’s buddy was Diane.
“Andiamo” is Italian for “let’s go” and we were about to start our first excursion. Karin began to explain the history of Italy and then took us on a short walk back to Prato della Valle and through the main part of Padua to Piazza della Frutta. The town hall or court, Palazzo della Ragione, sits beweeen Piazza della Frutta and Piazza della Erbe. It was built between 1172 and 1219 and is said to have the largest roof span unsupported by columns in all of Europe . We had enough time to look around on our own and have a drink. After that, we had dinner together in the La Cova restaurant. Although it might have been nice to dine outside, we sat inside because there was not enough outside seating for our entire group. Karin planned the menu to be classic Italian; lasagna, salad, a variety of pizzas (including horse – which most of us tried), and fresh fruit. On the way back to the hotel, Karin introduced us to a place called “Grom,” the “best” place for gelato in all of Italy. Gelato became a staple in our Italian diet.
Day 2 - Sunday – 16-September-2007
Promptly at 8:50, we met outside the hotel and had another “buddy check.” And then it was “andiamo” again. Karin told us that there was a big farmer’s market in another square and that an antique market had replaced the clothing and household market in Prato della Valle. While we walked through Padua to the Scrovegni Chapel, Karin told us a little about the history of the chapel, the family who built it, and about Giotto (the artist who painted the frescos). The chapel was built and frescoed in the early 1300s. At that time, the church allowed those “with the means” to atone for their sins (or in this case, the sins of their father) and “buy a spot in heaven from the church.” Apparently, the Scrovegni family had lots of sins to atone for, so they built the chapel and brought in an up-and-coming artist, Giotto, to do the frescos. Visits to Scrovegni Chapel are tightly controlled and available by reservation only. Restoring and preserving the frescoes in the chapel is serious business, so before you can enter the chapel, you must spend some time in a climate controlled staging room. The process lasts for exactly the same amount of time that the previous group visits the chapel. They showed us a film (in Italian with English subtitles) that provided a good background on the chapel, the family and the artist and then we are allowed to enter the chapel for exactly 15 minutes. Karin went in with us and gave us an overview of what we were seeing, pointing out the highlights of the stories that were depicted. For it’s time, Giotto’s work appears to capture pure emotion. We were not allowed to take pictures in the chapel, but you can view the frescoes at the official web site for the chapel.
Immediately after our visit to Scrovegni Chapel, our local guide Christine led us on a walking tour and oriented us to Padua. Christine told us more about the history of Padua and the significant historical figures. She told us about one member of the Scrovegni family who had “an important nose”. It seems Italians do not like to be rude, so they replace “big nose” with “important nose” when referring to others. We saw remnants of the old walls and one of the gates into the old city that is still standing. She took us to where the river or canal system was filled in (and is now a street), through the University area and to the Ghetto. A ghetto is an area where the Jews were required to live, not a slum or poverty-stricken area. Here’s an interesting fact: The first woman to graduate from college (in the world - ever) was Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia who graduated from University of Padua in 1678. We ended the tour at the Basilica of Saint Anthony and had the rest of the day on our own. Inside the Basilica at the tomb of Saint Anthony, it’s truly compelling to see all of the photos and notes from those who have lost loved ones and come to pray to Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony, as you may know, is the saint of lost things. In the Treasury Chapel, we saw Saint Anthony’s tongue (which was found intact when they opened his crypt more than 30 years after his death). We relaxed a bit in the gardens and the cloisters. We explored a little more on our own and then found a restaurant for lunch near the university. Along the way, we met David and Bonnie and made plans to have dinner together. After lunch we checked out the antique market and then bought a phone card to call home. You can buy phone cards (and stamps) at a Tabacchi, under the sign of a big white “T”. Some of the European phone cards work better than others. Ask for Europa” brand; it was recommended and always worked for us. Later, we had a casual dinner at Pago Pago with our new friends David and Bonnie.
Day 3 - Monday – 17-September-2007
In the morning, we left Padua on the bus. We met Giorgio Dolche, our bus driver. The words “Giorgio Dolche” in Italian translates to “Sweet George” in English. The bus was comfortable, with plenty of seats so that nearly everyone could have their own window seat if they wanted. Karin encouraged us to keep the same seats each day when getting on and off the bus, then choose a different seat in a different part of the bus each subsequent day. This worked well and allowed us an opportunity to get to know more of our tour buddies. We traveled through the Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions to Ravenna. As a tribute to Pavarotti, Karin bought a CD so we could listen to his music on the bus. (We also listened to some of Giorgio’s Italian music from time to time.) From the bus, we could see colorful sacks of harvested potatoes, many fields of tobacco, and of course, lots of grapes. Karin asked if anyone thought they could name everyone on the tour and Cathy said she thought she could. And she did. Cathy has an amazing memory for names and birthdays. Arriving in Ravenna, we met our local tour guide just outside our first stop, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. The mosaics are nearly 1500 years old. It’s hard enough to imagine anything that old, but the colors and detail are such that they could have been created yesterday. Just across the courtyard, we went to Basilica di San Vitale. The beautiful mosaics continued in the church where they depict many familiar biblical stories. The colors are still vibrant and the “gold” is incredibly brilliant. When the tiles were produced, the gold leaf was sandwiched between two layers of glass so the gold does not deteriorate. The colored tiles have the color infused into the glass so that it does not fade. I can’t help but appreciate the quality and longevity of the mosaics. After finishing the local tour with a short visit to the town, we had a lunch of the local specialty, piadina. Piadina is similar to a tortilla, folded and sealed and then stuffed with “whatever you want”. We had pomodoro (Italian for tomato) and mozzarella (Italian for mozzarella). It was really pretty good and hit the spot. Before leaving Ravenna, Steve and I tried to find a better view of the church by going around to the other side. It was quite an excursion and the view was not as good as from the other side. (Why would they put a parking lot there?) On our way through Umbria we were detoured off the main highway by construction and “had” to take the bus through the hills. Because of the detour, we got to see and appreciate the countryside from a different perspective. Karin began to tell us about our next stop, Montone and “The Capitan” who runs the hotel. Since Karin knew that the Captain’s birthday was the next day, she taught us to sing “Happy Birthday to You” in Italian. Same tune, different words. “Tutia Guiora a ta”. As it turned out, we really got our money’s worth out of this song (there were a few other birthdays later in the tour). Flush with our new linguistic knowledge, we headed for Montone, a small and relatively non-tourist hill town.
Mid afternoon, we arrived in Montone. Montone is very old, but pristine, beautiful, and well preserved. And it’s incredibly clean. Since the only hotel in town, Locanda del Capitano, has only a small number of rooms, some of us got to stay in “apartments.” Cathy and I “scored” one of the Romantica suites (on the top floor with the best views). We had incredible views from our bedroom window and from the private balcony off the main room. Our bathroom even had a “cave” (a reading or meditating nook with a small window). Our view was of the remarkable Umbrian countryside. We took this opportunity to do a little laundry in our room. A short walk up through the town to the church courtyard provides the best view in town. Karin asked us to form a circle to play the “name game”. Cathy got to go first, because she already knew everyone’s name. I know it sounds corny, but it really did help to learn everyone’s name, especially since we were spending two weeks together. Cathy started and all she had to do was say “I’m Cathy.” I was next, so I said, “This is Cathy, and I’m Jim”. We got off easy… Basically, we went around in a circle with each person naming everyone that came before them and then adding their name. There was a lot of “loud whispering” and other “helping” going on, all part of the fun. Karin went last, and did pretty well. After this, we had Prosecco as an aperitif at a local bar in the Piazza Braccio Fortebraccio. (Prosecco is basically white wine with fizz similar to Champagne but grown in the Veneto region of Italy.) We headed back for a group dinner at the hotel prepared by the famous (or perhaps infamous) Il Capitano. It was a beautiful evening, and they had set up to serve dinner at tables outside. In addition to running the hotel, Il Capitano (John Carlo) is the chef. He’s scheduled to be a guest on the cooking channel or food network sometime soon. Since we had other plans for dinner the next evening (on the Captains actual birthday), we sang Happy Birthday (Tutia Guiora a ta) to him. The Captain loved our birthday serenade and made us a special dinner. Il Capitano is a huge character and a talented chef. He wears those funky chef pants that match his eclectic personality. For dinner, we had Ravioli with truffle and walnut sauce, wild boar and fennel. Dessert was poached apples and vanilla ice cream. It was all very satisfying! With our window open to the Umbrian countryside, we heard many dogs barking during the night. We later learned that it was the first day of wild boar hunting season. They typically hunt the boar at night (and with dogs).
Day 4 - Tuesday 18-September-2007
After breakfast, Giorgio took us on a short bus ride from Montone to Assisi. The first stop was in the “new” Assisi to see Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels) where St. Francis of Assisi restored a small, now historic, Porziucola Chapel. Saint Frances found asylum in the old chapel when he abandoned his family and their wealth. It was in disrepair, so he restored it and was given the chapel as a gift by the Benedictines in the early thirteenth century. For those of you who don’t know, Saint Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals (and of the Environment and Ecology). After his death, they built a huge church over the tiny chapel. Here, we went to the rose garden and saw the “thorn-less” roses and a mated pair of doves that never leave the area near the statue of St. Francis. Rosaries from the gift shop are popular items, especially if you or someone you know is very religious. Cathy bought a rosary for her Aunt Dolly. After exploring on our own for a while, we met back at the meeting place. Karin was there and had bought us a selection of small, delicious pastries (I can’t remember the name). Next up, we got back on the bus for a short trip to the hill town of old Assisi. Here we had a guided tour of the Basilica of St Francis given by a local guide. You may remember that the Basilica was heavily damaged in a 1997 earthquake and was closed for nearly two years. It has since been restored, reopened, and is said to be earthquake-proof. For the tour, we used individual wireless headsets because of the requirements to be very quiet inside the church. After that, we walked as a group to the main square (Piazza del Comune) and Karin gave us an orientation and overview of the main sights in the town. We thought we lost Char (my buddy!) and Bette along the way, but they caught up soon after we reached the piazza. We had time for lunch on our own and to explore the rest of old Assisi. Cathy and I had porketta sandwiches from a local sandwich shop. I also bought a small jar of olive/truffle paste to bring home (It smelled so good, I couldn’t resist). We had a few hours to explore, so Cathy and I walked up to the castle Rocca Maggiore and then explored some of the side streets. And we stopped to get a gelato. Cathy found a priest (or monk) and asked him to bless the rosary that she had bought for Aunt Dolly. She said he was very friendly and gave her a big hug (no wonder the priests had so many “nephews”… but that’s another story). On the way back to Montone, we got some rain, so we set our expectations that it might be too wet for the truffle hunt this evening.
When we arrived back in Montone, Deana and Steve came over to see our suite and our views. It started to rain harder. We talked for awhile, hoping the rain would stop, but it kept coming steady. They went back to the hotel (borrowing our umbrellas and promising to come back for us when they were leaving for the bus). We had about an hour until we had to leave for another group dinner and truffle hunt at a nearby agriturismo. An agriturismo is a farm that serves guests foods prepared from raw materials produced on the farm (or at least locally) and may also functions as a bed and breakfast . After a while longer, the rain stopped and it was a beautiful evening. The view from our terrace was stunning. Steve and Deana came back by a few minutes before we left for the farm. Because of all the rain, we were expecting to have only truffle “training” and not truffle hunting. There was even a light sprinkle on the way to the farmhouse. At the farmhouse, Sergio gave us an explanation of the truffle, how and when it grows, soil conditions, harvesting and the microclimate associated with truffles. He talked about the oak forest he planted to help create the right environment. Apparently, the truffle mushrooms like to grow among the oak roots. To our happy surprise, Sergio said that we could go see the truffle “area,” check out the conditions, and maybe even find a truffle or two. Truffles grow below ground, so they use truffle dogs to find them by smell. Pigs are also really good at finding truffles, but with the added problem that they eat them. Truffles are very flavorful and are typically used for cooking in very small quantities. We met Napo, the truffle dog. Napo is trained to find the truffles, and then give them up in exchange for a special treat. Truffle mushrooms are very expensive, so raising them provides an excellent source of (extra) income. Napo found the truffles incredibly fast and “dug them up”. The ones he found were black, each a little larger than a golf ball. After they harvest the mushroom, they always fill in the hole, because the oak tree roots are very fragile. Since it was not too wet, so we got to see Napo find three truffles. When we got back at the farmhouse, Eva and her sister-in-law had prepared dinner. We had very good, typical farm-style “special occasion” foods for dinner including farmer wine, bruschetta, Polenta with truffle cream sauce, penne pasta with wild boar sausage and cream sauce. For dessert, we had fresh grapes along with a fig and pomegranate pastry. They sang Italian folk songs for us and encouraged us to sing a few songs for them. Our table collaborated and made up a song to the tune of Amazing Grace.
Amazing grape, how sweet the taste
To make a wine, like thee (gesture to the wine bottle)
Once on the vine, now you’re divine
And I drink till I can-not see.
During dinner, David made a card for the Capitan’s birthday (which is actually today). Il Capitano invited everyone on the bus to his birthday party at a villa near Montone. Some folks declined and went back to their rooms, but many of us decided to go to the party. After all, how often do you get invited to a party at a villa? In Italy? For Cathy and me, it was a first. As we headed for the villa, Giorgio decided that the last part of the road to the villa was appropriate for the bus, so we ended up walking the last quarter mile to the villa. Nicole had a headlamp in her backpack, so she led the way. Not to be ungrateful, but who carries a headlamp on a tour to Europe? The answer, of course, is someone who is prepared. As we were walking, we could hear 80s American music coming from the party. The villa was great. There was a pool, bartender, a DJ and dancing. The villa itself was a vacation rental with a gourmet kitchen. Roy and Juanita danced all night long. Everyone from the tour danced and later we even got the Italians out on the dance floor. We finally got a few Italian folks (including the Captain) to dance. At about 11PM, in honor of the Captain, we were treated to a Vegas like show featuring fully costumed can-can dancers. After “the show,” they brought out his birthday cake which was shaped like an oversized ”little blue pill” with Viagra written across it. Good natured ribbing and having a laugh at someone else’s expense seems to cross the cultural and the language barrier with ease. Everyone sang “Tutia Guiora a ta” and then we had to leave since… Regulations require that the bus to be off for at least 9 hours continuously during the night. Since we were planning to leave at 9AM tomorrow, we had to get back. We made it back to Montone by 11:30 with time to spare. We had a great time both at the agriturismo and at the villa. We all got some good sleep this night.
Day 5 - Wednesday, 19-September-2007
Breakfast at this hotel was wonderful. We had plenty of coffee, fruit, breads, cereal, yogurt, meats/cheeses, and blood orange juice. During breakfast at the hotel, Il Capitano stuck his head out of the window and talked to us. He said he got back to the hotel at 5AM and had made pasta for everyone remaining before they finally left the party. When we asked if he was alone in his room, he smiled and said he was (but no one has seen the can can dancers around…hummmmmm….)
In the morning, we took the bus for a short trip to Deruta for a tour of a ceramics factory. Deruta is world renowned for their handmade ceramics. The first stop on this tour was the “throwing.” Throwing is work done by hand on a potter’s wheel. While we watched for a few short minutes, the potter took four chunks of raw clay and turned them into four virtually identical, perfectly formed olive oil bottles. This particular factory has only two potters, producing a huge inventory of hand-thrown items. The speed and accuracy of their work was nearly unbelievable. As we moved through the factory, we saw the dipping or coating of the plates, spraying glass dust onto some pieces so that the glaze would adhere more evenly, and the oven for firing (a pretty hot time was had by all). Later we got to watch the artists make their magic and turn the bland gray clay into beautifully decorated pieces of art. We saw lots of freehand painting as well as a stenciling technique called pouncing. To “pounce”, the artist taps a bag of coal dust” against a template to perform the pattern transfer onto the ceramic. The colorful Deruta pottery reminds me of Spanish or Mexican pottery, but with a definite Italian touch. In the gift shop, nearly everyone bought some Deruta ceramic souvenirs, wine corks, olive oil spouts, bowls, coasters, pitchers. (Hummmmm… This must be what “deep” storage on the bus is for….) Back on the bus, Karin gave each of us a small souvenir of Deruta ceramic (ceramic refrigerator magnets, wine corks, etc).
After the morning visit to Deruta, we headed across the Umbrian countryside to visit the Tenuta Le Velette family winery. The winery is situated on a hill with incredible views of Orvieto and the surrounding valley. White wines are a specialty in Umbria, but they also have award winning reds. Cecelia (of the family) told us about the history of the winery and gave us a tour of the “wine cellar”. Later, we gathered in the main house for a special wine tasting (and lunch) while learning which wines are best paired with various foods. Cecelia gave us a few hints on wine. “If you feel like you need to comment on a white wine, you can always say it tastes like apples. This will always be correct.” Cecelia also told us about some interesting Italian expressions like, “He (or she) has short arms.” In Italian, this is a roundabout way of saying their arms are so short that they can’t reach into their pockets – or a nicer way of saying they’re cheap. It’s interesting how expressions evolve so differently across cultures. When we were nearly stuffed (but not quite), Cecelia brought out a special surprise for our group, fresh mozzarella di bufala (from milk of the water buffalo) made less than 24 hours ago in Naples – presented with tomatoes and green salad to represent the colors of the Italian flag. Mozzarella is only considered fresh if it is less than 24 hours old. Mozzarella di bufala is extremely moist and flavorful. If you’ve never tasted this, there is no good way to describe it, but if you ever get the chance, take it! Since we had “inside information” that tomorrow was Giorgio’s birthday, some (most) of us bought some wine to start the celebration early. Sufficiently “wined” and “dined” (stuffed from lunch and fresh mozzarella), we headed for our hotel in Orvieto. Orvieto is a beautifully preserved, somewhat larger, walled hilltown. As we arrived in town, the bus could not go to town center, so we got to walk off part of our lunch on the way to the hotel. Our hotel, Hotel Corso, hosted welcome drinks for our tour, then Karin took us to see the “frescoes of the apocalypse” by Fra Angelico and the “Last Judgement” (1449) by Luca Signorelli in the Chapel of Saint Brizio in the Duomo. They are beautiful and unusual, very lifelike depictions, many of which include some (and in some cases, a lot of) nudity (no photos allowed here either). Also in this Duomo is the Chapel of the Corporal (where the linen tablecloth made famous by the miracle of blood of the host is displayed). The Duomo itself has an intricate façade and striped sides that consist of travertine alternating with greenish-black basalt in narrow bands. It’s really quite impressive. The shops were filled with lots of locally made ceramics, pottery, and Pinnochio souvenirs. We had a gelato (imagine that) and took a break to do some e-mail at an internet café. We had cappuccini and Paul bought some incredibly spicy chocolate (perhaps with cinnamon, chili, pepper or some combination). Cathy, thinking it was just plain chocolate, popped the whole thing in her mouth and we thought we might have to call the fire department. We had a light dinner (salad and pizza) at Pizzeria Charlie’s with Barbara, Paul, Bonnie and David. The local red wine we chose was fairly acidic and by far not the best local Italian wine, but the pizza and salad were good.
Day 6 - Thursday – 20-September-2007
Hotel Corso provides a complete and tasty breakfast including hard boiled eggs, meats, cheeses, breads, yogurt, and coffee or cappuccino. We had most of the day free to explore Orvieto. Cathy and I did a lot of walking, our favorite pastime. We found some great views along the city walls (we had some difficulty getting to the outside wall in some areas because of construction or no convenient cross streets). For lunch, we bought a slice of watermelon from the local grocery, and then went back to our favorite internet café for a huge pesto pasta salad, mozzarella and tomato sandwich, and chocolate éclairs for dessert. After lunch we climbed the tower in city center. The elevator takes you to the second floor, and then there are an additional 173 stairs to the top. On top there were more great views. Cathy went back to the hotel while I wandered the town for another hour or so looking for photo opportunities.
Mid-afternoon, we met the rest of the group for a side trip to Civita di Bagnoregio. Look up “quaint and charming Italian hilltown” in the dictionary and you’re likely to find a picture of Civita di Bagnoregio . The setting is really amazing. The bus could not drive all the way, so we had to take a “shuttle” to the ramp (or bridge) leading to the town. At the beginning of the trail, a newly “planted” landscape tree fell and nearly hit Wendy and Diane (this first ones on the path). After some workers righted the tree, the rest of us carefully passed. This beautiful (and picturesque) old hill town has a “no cars allowed” policy. Paul, Barbara, Cathy and I walked through town and “down” to some caves that were used as hiding places by the locals and soldiers during WW2. Barbara stopped to see an old woman’s garden, knowing full well that she would be charged a Euro to see some tomato plants and a little more. But, she sure does a good sales pitch! The town is full of great architecture, quaint streets, and interesting doors and windows. After exploring the town, we had time for a gelato before heading back. As part of our continuing Italian lessons on the bus, Karin told us about a common Italian saying that you would never hear in the US. If you have a close friend or relative that you think is really lucky, you say (along with the appropriate hand gestures) that they have a “really big butt”. One tour member (who shall remain anonymous) said that she must be “really lucky”. Apparently, Italians do not take offense at his expression. And more apparently, it must be OK to have a big butt, but not a big nose. Hummm… makes you wonder if the polite way to say you’re lucky is that you have “an important butt” (See Padua). Back in Orvieto, we gathered for Happy Hour on the terrace on the second floor. The terrace was a little compact, but we had a great time. We used part of the time to sign a birthday card for Char and a birthday book for Giorgio. Giorgio loves to read and Karin found a book that she had enjoyed that she hoped he had not read. Char is a hardcore shopper (how did she get past tour security?), so Karin bought her a shopping bag. We had dinner together and sang Happy Birthday to both Georgio and Char then topped off the meal with some pretty good Tiramisu for dessert. After dinner we went back to the terrace for a nightcap.
Day 7 - Friday – 21-September-2007
After breakfast, we left Orvieto and headed into Tuscany. Many Italian regions still maintain their own local dialects. In Tuscany, for example, “Babo” means Dad. The rest of Italy uses “Papa” for Dad. “Gonzo” means cool (or groovy… or neat… depending on your perspective) in Tuscany, but would not be used in the same context outside the region. In the small village of Chianciano, we stopped for a tour of an Archeological Etruscan Museum with a local guide, Roberto Bechi. He is packed with information about Tuscan history and will definitely make you laugh. He led us on a whirlwind tour of the museum and gave us the background on the most important artifacts. We saw some amazingly detailed gold jewelry, lots of statues and funerary urns (like Fonzie who was really “Gonzo”, notice the thumbs up) in the Etruscan Necropolis, parts of a second century BCE temple, and some pretty “ahead of their time” plumbing valves in the “Roman Thermae”. Princess Karin posed in one of the displays as an Italian goddess. After exploring the museum a little on our own, we took another short drive to an Agriturismo. Stephano, the farmer, told us about producing “farmer wine” and also about illegal “grappa” (that “he does not make” – wink, wink). Grappa is made from the Pomace (or left over grape skins and seeds) from traditional grape wine production. The Pomace is fermented and distilled into a clear liquid that comes in around 90 proof. It makes me wonder why Stephano knows so much about grappa production… Stephano’s English is excellent, but he continually says pastry instead of paste referring to the olive “mush” created by the olive pressing process. We learned about different types of olive oil, extra virgin, virgin olive oil and olive oil stanza (and there are many more types). We also learned about “first press” or “cold pressed” (these are the same thing). Although a lot of olive oil in the US comes in clear bottles, heat and sunlight break it down, so it’s best to store the oil in dark colored bottles. Before lunch, we had a “tasting” of the various types of olive oil. Tasting any type of oil may not sound appetizing, but stay with me… You take about 2 tsp in your mouth, swish it around, and then breathe in and out forcefully through your mouth to taste the character and quality of the oil. As unlikely as it sounds, you can really tell the difference between the types (and you can wash it down with wine). In the future, we vowed to never buy anything but extra virgin, cold pressed oil from Italy. We had a great lunch starting with, of course, bruschetta. In the US, we always mispronounce bruschetta (the correct pronunciation is “brew-sket-a”). Italian bruschetta consists of simply toast and olive oil, bruschetta al pomodoro is bruschetta with tomatoes (which is what we typically call bruschetta in the US). And interestingly enough, no self respecting Italian would ever be seen dipping bread in olive oil and spices like we do at many “Italian” restaurants in the US. After lunch, we went to the olive groves and Roberto told us about growing olives for oil. Olives grown for oil are smaller than the olives for eating typically grown farther south in Italy. The trees were loaded with small, mostly green olives. We went to the “La Macina” to see the olive press and have a look around. Since it was not the olive pressing season, we saw the equipment used to press the olives and then saw a short film about the olive harvest and pressing the oil. Back on the bus, we headed through the Tuscan hills to our new home in Loro Ciuffena. The Tuscan countryside looks much like Umbria, but it appears to be richer. The houses (which all look like Villas to me) are much larger and typically have more manicured grounds. Lots of tall cypress trees give the area a unique character. Karin talked about how Tuscany is now a “brand” that is marketed all over the world. We drove past Cortona, the town that is the setting for the book, “Under the Tuscan Sun”.
Arriving in Loro Ciuffena, the bus could not drive through town. Karin prearranged for a van to meet us on the edge of town and take our luggage to the hotel. We walked through Loro Ciuffena to find our new digs”. This gave us the opportunity to appreciate the town on a local mini-tour (and stop to take a few pictures). There is a beautiful clock tower and bridge over the river with several waterfalls. We continued walking along the river through town and could hear the rushing sound of larger falls somewhere up ahead. To our surprise, the falls were right at our hotel and just outside our rooms. We shared a huge suite with Paul and Barbara, each side with its own bedroom and bathroom and a huge entry and kitchen/common area. Karin helped plan a party in one of the suites with a large terrace. Since our lunch was so big, we bought some salami, cheeses, fresh fruit, breads, chocolate and lots of wine. Steve added the music, and it’s a (or should I say “another”) party. This setting was perfect for relaxing and enjoying the food, wine and company.
Day 8 - Saturday, 22-September-2007
After breakfast, we had a little free time to explore so Cathy and I walked around town and then climbed down by the river. Mid morning, we had a cooking demonstration where Pamela taught us to make pasta. Typically, they just make the noodles, but since we had had noodles for an organized meal recently, Karin arranged for us to make Ravioli. Karin translated as Pamela showed us how to make the pasta from scratch, then roll it out to the perfect thinness. We filled them with a spinach and ricotta mixture. The key, we were told, is to make sure to seal the ravioli and get all the air out so they do not explode when they’re cooked. We took turns rolling, filling, and cutting (my favorite part) to make several platters of ravioli. The staff took our ravioli to the kitchen to add to some more they had already prepared and finished getting ready for lunch. That gave us just enough time to discuss the cooking experience and have a quick Prosecco. We had yet another huge lunch consisting of our ravioli with duck ragu, roasted chicken and sausage wrapped in beef, and grilled vegetables. And we had more tiramisu for dessert. That afternoon, we took a short drive to a nearby castle, Castello di Brolio. We had to hike up to the castle and (for some reason) it seemed like more work than it should have been. Perhaps it was the big lunch and the Chianti. There is a beautiful chapel on the castle grounds. The castle itself is a private (summer) home and the family was “in residence”, so we couldn’t go inside, we just got to enjoy the outside. There is interesting “damage from the bombs during WW2” visible on the exterior walls of the castle. Later in the afternoon, we went to another really small hilltown (I can’t remember the name) to do some more exploring. We bought more fruit, cheese, bread, chocolate and Chianti and had “dinner” in our suite with Paul and Barbara.
Day 9 - Sunday, 23-September-2007
In the morning, we took the bus to a very small hill town, the hometown of Boccacio (his work may have inspired the Canterbury Tales). The town is called Certaldo. I suspect you can walk, but we took the funicular (funicolare) to the old town at top. Certaldo is an extremely well preserved hill town. We went through the Governor’s Palace (or Magistrates Palace), including a modern art display of huge human heart sculptures. In the church, there were many interesting “damaged” frescoes. In one area you could still see where the prisoners wrote on the ceiling of the cell with the candle smoke by forming a “human ladder”. There are great views from the palace. We could start to see the Alppilwan Alps (which we will see later in Cararra and on our way to Cinque Terre). Certaldo is also very clean and has lots of picturesque buildings, windows, and doors. There was a wedding in progress as we passed the church. After enjoying what Certaldo had to offer, we made our way back to the lift. A funny thing happened on the way down in the funicular; We were riding with an Italian woman and her husband. The woman sat down at the end near us and the man stood in the center. We were discussing the Italian lessons that Karin had been giving us and we were trying to remember how to say “I want you well” which is what Italians say to very close friends, family and loved ones. I could see that the Italian woman was listening to our conversation in English and we were doing our best to remember the correct pronunciation, when she said loudly to me “Te voglio bene” as well as the Italian phrase for “I love you”. At that point, her face turned bright red having realized what she had just done. She called to her husband to explain why she was saying very intimate things to an American man (we all had a good laugh). Back on the bus, we had a short drive to our next home-away-from-home, Lucca.
We arrived in Lucca mid afternoon. Nina gave us a tour of Lucca inside the city walls. There were several interesting paper sculptures on display in various locations. It seems Lucca was having a “paper” exhibition at the time. Apparently, Lucca has the perfect climate for paper production and this drives a sizeable segment of the economy. The very wide city walls are intact all the way around the town. You can rent bikes and ride the walls or just take leisurely walks. The walls date back to Renaissance in the 16th and 17th centuries when they were originally built to defend Lucca against Florence (the enemy). Florence never attacked Lucca, so the walls were never “put to the test”. But they are, let me say, substantial. It’s a few kilometers around the old city, with six main gates and many smaller entrances called “sortie”. Outside the walls, is a huge open space that was originally cleared to keep the enemy from taking cover in the trees and underbrush. The open space serves to separate the smaller old Lucca from the surrounding town. The day we arrived, Lucca was very, very busy and the streets were packed with people celebrating. There was a festival going on. After the tour, Cathy and I went to a local deli and got a couple of foccacia sandwiches with ham, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil. We walked the wall and had a picnic. The sandwich was one of the best we had. There was a fire close by, so the smoke made for an eerie view around part of the wall.
Day 10 - Monday, 24-September-2007
After breakfast, we went to visit a couple of villas near Lucca. The gardens were interesting and the villas themselves were like being in a museum, only better because there are no “ropes” to keep you away from the treasures. We also met Anna, a colorful local with a rich history. Anna shared stories of her life and travels and let us tour her house. After the villas, we had a group lunch – adequate, but not the best lunch on the tour. We returned to Lucca and had the afternoon free. Cathy and I climbed the Guinigi tower with the trees on the top (130 stairs to the top). The trees were planted by tower guards who were tired of standing on top of the tower in the hot sun. After being on top of the tower in the hot sun, it’s easy to see why they planted the trees. Next, we visited Duomo San Marino that houses the “cross that miraculously finished itself” and “was destined to come to Lucca”. We also toured the archeological ruins under Chiesa di San Giovanni. The excavations below the church include many interesting mosaic fragments in the ruins. We visited the festival market and had fresh donuts made with a hint of lemon flavor (They were so good, I had two!). Cathy bought a couple of scarves for herself and Lindsey. Steve’s birthday was coming up, so Deana “put me in charge” of getting a birthday card. I found a carditeria (a place to get greeting cards) with a few choices (not rows and rows of cards like card shops in the US). Since my Italian was pretty weak, the shop clerk tried to help me translate the card. Unfortunately, her English was almost as weak as my Italian. But… we picked out a card that looked pretty funny and even had a guy in the hospital with a broken leg. (We thought this might be appropriate because Steve had injured his leg on his last Rick Steves’ tour and had to walk around on crutches for a few days…). Karin later translated the card and we found out that it was perfect. In the evening, we walked the walls again and had dinner at a restaurant near Lucca’s amphitheater or “round square”. At dinner, we shared a table with other Americans and were surprised to hear them talking about our hometown. What a small world we live in!
Day 11 - Tuesday, 25-September-2007
In the morning, we left Lucca for the Carrara marble quarries. Carrara is in the Apuan Alps on Italy’s western coast and is famous for its snow white marble. And as you get close, you can easily see why. From a distance, the mountains look picturesque and snow covered. Even up close, the white marble (and literally tons of marble dust) looks like freshly fallen snow. Giorgio skillfully executed the hairpin turns that were as sharp and narrow as any in the Rockies. I was more than glad to “leave the driving” to someone else. The local guide that usually gives the tour of Carrara was not available, so Karin filled in with background information on the quarries and the history of the area. For those of you who don’t know, the marble that Michelangelo used to sculpt “The David” statue and many of this other masterpieces came from the Carrara mines. Karin arranged for a “local” to give us a tour of the outdoor museum and tell us about the lives of the miners. We arrived at the small museum on the mountain top and met Walter. Walter was enchanting, knowledgeable, and literally overflowing with character. Walter spoke little or no English, so as he talked about the history of the mining, how the techniques have changed through the years, the tools they used, and small details of their daily lives, Karin translated. Walter injected spirited humor frequently. It was easy to see that he really enjoyed sharing his memories with others. Walter was also a little mischievous and was obviously delighted when (several times) Karin got a more than a little red faced and would not translate “everything” Walter was saying, but, we got the main points of the stories and sufficient detail to appreciate the joys and hardships of being a miner. Walter was born and has always lived on or near the mountain with the miners. After the tour, we bought a couple of small souvenirs in Walter’s shop. On the way down the mountain, Giorgio kept a watchful eye on the rear view mirror to make sure we were not followed too closely by one of the lorry drivers who transport literally tons of stone blocks down the mountain. It’s been said that the lorry drivers don’t stop for anyone. I’m really glad we didn’t have to find out. In the town of Carrara, even the curbs are made of marble. We passed some unusual stone and concrete walls topped with jagged broken glass. Having never seen this before, it was somewhat scary and at the same time, strangely beautiful. In any case, I’m pretty sure that it served its intended purpose.
After the tour of Carrara, we “thought” we were headed for Levanto on the bus. Levanto is a great home base just north of the Cinque Terre. Unknown to us, Karin had a surprise in mind. The sky was a beautiful blue and the wind was calm, so Karin called ahead (cell phones make touring much more flexible) to see if the boats were running from Lerici to Levanto. Our good fortune continued as she diverted Giorgio to the small port town of Lerici on the Mediterranean coast. Giorgio dropped us off, and then took the bus along with our bags to Levanto. Karin had arranged for us to take a boat from Lerici to our hotel in Levanto. As it turns out, the boats only run when the water is very calm. Any chop in the water makes boating too dangerous since the boats cannot dock on the rocky coast line at the Cinque Terre towns. It was a perfect day for boating. We took a shuttle into Lerici. We had time for a quick lunch so we bought pizza and drinks at a nearby bar and sat on the waterfront wall to eat and enjoy the view. After lunch, we took a leisurely stroll around the waterfront promenade, past the pastel tinted architecture, the array of private sailboats, and the 13th century castle before it was time to catch the boat to Portovenere, the Cinque Terre, and Levanto.
Once on the boat, we headed up the Ligurian coast to Portovenere. Arriving in Portovenere was amazing. Portovenere has a beautiful sheltered harbor lined with colorful houses that are six or more stories high along the Calata Doria or the quay. Originally built in the Middle Ages as defense towers, the houses provided an escape out the upper floors on the back side and up to the safety of Castello Doria. A huge four masted sailing ship was anchored in the harbor. The castle sits on a rocky hill above the town. We “disembarked” in Portovenere and had a couple of hours to explore. Portovenere is not officially part of the Cinque Terre, but it’s a small and interesting town, definitely worth the stop. It’s impossible to get lost in Portovenere, even without a map. There are a couple of main streets that run parallel to the water, connected by any number of streets, alleys, or paths. First stop, we walked all the way through town to the Church of St. Peter (dates to 1256). It’s on the north end of town built on a promontory overlooking the Gulf of la Spezia and the Arpaia Grotto. The setting and views are amazing. Everywhere we looked there was a new and different view framed by windows in stone walls. We wandered through the church and then (seeking a high vantage point) I headed up to the castle and to have a look around. The path was steep and rocky, but the views alone were worth the walk. Castle Doria dates to 1161, but had a major reconstruction in 1458. There’s a small fee to enter the castle, but many of the best views are from within the castle grounds. Cathy explored the town and did a little window shopping. When we were ready to leave, Karin bought some Prosecco for us to have on the boat ride along the Cinque Terre coast to Levanto (She was always looking out for us like that!). We all sat on the top deck and soaked up the sun, drank Prosecco, and enjoyed the 360 degree views. Leaving Portovenere, we skirted the promontory providing even more views of the town, the church, the castle, and the grotto. Small villages, houses, and vineyards dot the hills along the coast. The boat stopped at each of the Cinque Terre towns along the way, but only long enough to let a few folks disembark and others board. The boats don’t really “dock”, they just pull up next to the stop and folks carefully get on and off. Since we had all the next day to explore the Cinque Terre, we stayed on board and headed for our hotel. The views of the Cinque Terre towns from the sea provided a great first impression. We arrived in Levanto just in time to enjoy a picturesque sunset. “Que Bello” means “How beautiful” in Italian and it definitely was. Giorgio and the hotel staff had already transported our bags from the bus to the hotel. At the hotel, we got a great room with a balcony that had a handy clothes line for laundry (just in case you need it). The hotel hosted a social hour with hors d’oeuvres and wine. Later, we had an incredible buffet dinner at the hotel with many local specialties, a hearty Ligurian seafood soup (zuppe di pesce) and so much more. Dessert was decadent fresh cream puffs with chocolate sauce. Before calling it a night, we enjoyed a locally made limoncino, northern Italy’s answer to limoncello made in the south of Italy. Limoncino or limoncello is a very common (and inexpensive to produce) liqueur made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.
Day 12 - Wednesday, 26-September-2007
The next morning, we got up in time for a quick breakfast and to catch the first local train heading to the Cinque Terre. We met up with Dave and Cindy and then with Deana and Steve to hike the trails of Cinque Terre. We bought the Cinque Terre card that allows you to hike and ride the train unlimited for 24 hours. Our plan was to hike through all “Cinque” (5) of the “Terre” (lands). The trails connecting the Cinque Terre were originally mule paths that provided the only access to the towns (besides from the sea). The mule paths were recently designated as a national park and are protected. We got off at the northernmost town, Monterosso al Mare, to begin our hike to Vernazza. Monterosso has (by far) the best sand beaches of the Cinque Terre. The hike is one of the most challenging and longest hikes between the towns. The day was overcast, but bright and pleasant. However, the Mediterranean was incredibly rough today, and there were no boats running. We were so fortunate that Karin took us boating the day before. Looking back, looking out, and looking forward, the views of the towns and the coast are outstanding. Approaching Vernazza was breathtaking and picturesque. In Vernazza, we stopped for a break at a small restaurant with outdoor seating and had pizza while the waves were breaking over the rock wall. Pesto pizza is a local specialty. Some of the waves were so intense that water came rushing towards the tables and almost got our feet wet. It’s easy to see where the term sea swept comes from! After relaxing a while, we continued our hike toward Corniglia (all except Deana who took the train). The hike to Corniglia was also pretty challenging and filled with great views. Corniglia sits on top of a promontory about 100 meters above the sea and is surrounded on the other three sides by vineyards and terraces. Just as we arrived, there was a short cloudburst. After the rain stopped, we looked around for Deana. We found her a few minutes later. Due to the train schedules, we got to Corniglia before her. She didn’t realize there was a bus from the lower train station to the town at the top, so she ended up walking. There are 382 stairs from the train station to the upper town. Maybe she should have read the guidebook! We all had a gelato in Corniglia and then headed off on an easier hike to Manarola. Later, along the trail, Cathy saw the same group of Americans that we met at dinner in Lucca. Small world (again). Manarola is the oldest of the Cinque Terre. From Manarola, we hiked the “Via dell’Amore" (Lover’s Lane) trail to Riomaggiore. The trail is mostly paved and got it name because young lovers would rendezvous via the trail between the towns. We had about an hour before the train back to Levanto, so we explored the town and did a little shopping. We took the train back to Levanto to get ready for a small group dinner to celebrate Steve’s birthday. We didn’t give Steve the birthday card at dinner, because we were going to celebrate his birthday with the whole tour tomorrow. On the way to dinner, we stopped for a few minutes to watch the surfers catch some waves – some pretty big waves. At Osteria Tumelin, we had a good dinner with a large salad, pasta with potatoes and pesto (a local specialty), wine, and dessert. It was a very satisfying end to another great day.
Day 13 - Thursday, 27-September-2007
Weather wise, we were extremely fortunate for the entire trip. This day was to be no exception. During breakfast at the hotel in Levanto, there was a huge downpour and lots of hail. It only lasted a few minutes and stopped before we left. But hiking the Cinque Terre trails would not have been a good option for today. We were really glad we hiked the day before. We grabbed our bags and got on the bus for the trip to Lago Orta. “Lake” Orta is the smallest of the major lakes in northern Italy (Maggiore and Como are much larger). Along the way, we had lunch on the road at one of the Italian rest stops called “Auto Grilles”. The Auto Grilles are a combination gas station, convenience store, restaurant, and rest area. A pleasant surprise, the food was prepared and presented similarly to a buffet at a nice restaurant, but was inexpensive and tasted great. We arrived in Orta San Giulio to a light rain. Somehow, on the way into town, we “missed” the bus parking and Giorgio drove us all the way to the hotel (I think this was a violation of policy, but we didn’t get arrested). We checked into the wonderful Hotel La Bussola and had a great view from our terrace. After a short “rest”, Karin took us into the main part of Orta and oriented us. Some folks went to visit Isola di San Giulio to see the church and walk the “path of silence”. Constructed in 1844 as a seminary, it’s now a nunnery for Bendictines nuns. We bought some soap at a great little shop on the corner of the square. The shopkeeper was a friendly woman who spoke perfect English when Cathy wondered aloud about the English translation of one particular soap fragrance. The buildings lining the square have great architectural style. We explored the square and walked up to the church Chiesa dell Assunta (or Church of the Assumption). It started to rain again, so we dug out our umbrellas and walked back to the hotel. The hotel hosted a welcome party and we all brought whatever wine was left that we didn’t want to carry home. We had a nice time reminiscing with our new friends before our last dinner together. Upstairs, we had our last group dinner and Karin asked us to share our thoughts of the tour. There were a few damp eyes (maybe more than few). We presented Steve with his birthday card and a “towel” that was actually a very thin material and an Italian souvenir (but it was reminiscent of the towels in some of the hotels…). We couldn’t help but sing “Wash like an Etruscan” to the tune of the Bangles “Walk like an Egyptian.” David hand drew a special “Thank You” card for Karin that everyone signed, complete with Princess Karin doing her best “Boh” (Italian for “I have no idea”). Since some of the group was leaving very early on Friday to catch their flights home, we said lots of goodbyes and had lots of hugs as well. What an incredible experience with a group of folks that I now consider friends.
Day 14 - Friday, 28-September-2007
At breakfast, I started to feel pretty congested, and Nicole gave me a decongestant (again, showing that she was well prepared). Those of us that were left said our goodbyes. Cathy and I were headed for a short post tour trip to Stresa so we arranged with the hotel to store our bags while we went out to explore a little more of Orta San Giulio. We walked around a little and then hiked up to Sacro Monte where there are many unique chapels. On the way, we stumbled onto an old cemetery that looked pretty interesting, so we stopped for a look. Many of the crypts had photographs of the deceased. I found this really unusual, but also very compelling to see what the people buried here had looked like. Sacro Monte has twenty chapels built from many different time periods (1590 through the late 1700s). There is no charge to enter Sacro Monte and visit the chapels, but donations are accepted in an offering box near each chapel. The chapels range from simple to ornate depicting various religious themes and are definitely worth the time. Sacro Monte has some of the best views of Isola San Giulio, Orta, and the surrounding area.
At the hotel in Orta, they told us there was an alternate train connection that we could take to Stresa that would save us about an hour of travel time, making the trip about 1.5 hours as opposed to 2.5 hours. The trick was to get off in Cuzzago and then take the connection train “direction Milan” to Stresa. It seemed easy enough. The folks at the hotel were really nice and took us and our bags to the train station. In hindsight, “station” is a pretty generous description; it was more of a “stop”. I bought our tickets to Stresa in the “bar” attached to the stop and we had cappuccini (one cappuccino, two cappuccini) while we waited. We got on the train and had all the stops figured out, so we knew exactly when to get off. It was a good thing we did, because we couldn’t see the stop name from the train when we got off at Cuzzago. Walking around the side of the building, I found the Cuzzago sign, so we knew we were in the right place. But… this place was really deserted and it seemed odd to us that there was only one set of tracks. This fact alone seemed pretty strange but what was even more perplexing was that the only schedule on display was for arrivals; there was no departure schedule anywhere. The station was completely empty, in the middle of nowhere, and there was no one around to ask. I walked completely around the building and could not find any signs of life. Since we had about a half hour to wait for our connection, we sat down and contemplated our fate. After a few minutes we heard a train approaching (a comforting sign until…). It passed behind us by 200 feet or so and never stopped. I went to investigate and found a really small, paved but overgrown path leading through the woods behind the station. I ran to the other side and found another station, much bigger with two sets of tracks, but equally deserted. After a little searching, I found an underpass to get to the other side and inside the station found a departure schedule for direction Milan and Stresa. Outside, there was a mini replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Feeling a little better, we sat down and waited until the train came (exactly on schedule). I was really glad we weren’t still sitting at the other station. We won’t soon forget our adventure in Cuzzago. We arrived in Stresa and headed for city center to find our hotel. We had booked a room at Hotel Saini Meuble, but when we arrived, there was a problem with the room. The hotel owner had arranged for us to stay at the Italie et Suisse Hotel on the waterfront with great views across the lake. We had gelato and walked around exploring Stresa’s small, but confusing town center.
