yesterday, while we were at dinner (a smoking-hot waiter served us--mama mia!), another american couple sat in the same room as us. the man seemed to have a great grasp of the italian, but the woman did not have the gift of being a polyglot. so, instead of walking up to the waiter to ask for mustard, she whistled for him. like she was calling for a dog. i almost fell out of my chair i was laughing so hard. why do people do that.
there are no streets or sidewalks in italy, they are all the same thing. you walk in the street and you drive on the sidewalk. the law says you have to miss pedestrians by 1 meter. gee. that makes me feel better.
everything in italy also takes 10 mee-nutes. you walk somewhere, it takes 10 mee-nutes. you catch a bus, 10 mee-nutes. there seems to be a space-time continuum issue here. or the laws of physics do not apply. i cannot be sure.
tim is getting fabulous with his italian. he really is picking up the language rather well. i am very impressed.
we met a lady from australia yesterday. she is traveling around the world for three months. she said she wanted to do it before she gets too old. how brave. she is doing it by herself!
i should go check on the laundry. until tomorrow. caio!
Saturday, April 29, 2006
on the road again...
here we are in lucca. this is italy. no ifs ands or buts about it. it is posititvely wonderful. it tops rome, venice and siena. hands down. it is an ancient city with its walls (100 feet thick) around it. inside are shops, homes, piazzas and little markets. we have only just arrived and i truly feel like i am in europe for the first time. i cannot wait to explore more.
siena, the town we just left, could have been better. it was just like rome, only smaller. the color "burnt siena" originated here because of the color of the bricks. the hotel was very strange. it felt more like a hospital room than a hotel room. oh, and there was no bathtub or half-bath. the shower stuck out of the wall and you showered in the middle of the room. everything was drenched. it was a fun experience, though.
for today, we are doing laundry and exploring the town. tomorrow we can rent bikes and ride around the ramparts of the town. it is only 2.5 miles around.
siena, the town we just left, could have been better. it was just like rome, only smaller. the color "burnt siena" originated here because of the color of the bricks. the hotel was very strange. it felt more like a hospital room than a hotel room. oh, and there was no bathtub or half-bath. the shower stuck out of the wall and you showered in the middle of the room. everything was drenched. it was a fun experience, though.
for today, we are doing laundry and exploring the town. tomorrow we can rent bikes and ride around the ramparts of the town. it is only 2.5 miles around.
Friday, April 28, 2006
the language barrier
so far, we are managing on our little italian. tim did a great job today making and canceling reservations for our hotel on the phone. he actually went down to the front desk to learn the word for "cancel"--kahn-cha-lot-o. i had a misunderstanding with the fella at the smoke shop. i was trying to ask if he could break a $50, but he thought i was asking for 50 metro passes (you buy them at the smoke shop--tabacchi). boy, did he chew me out when i told him i did not want the passes. i even got some authentic italian obscene gestures.
side note--church bells are everywhere!
side note--church bells are everywhere!
food and wine
so far, the food has bee wonderful. tim has ordered some pretty questionable items (like today he ordered a ham/pork sausage. it came out looking like two ironed cow udders). but the pasta and pizza are delicious. we have not had nearly enough wine, though. it is cheaper than a glass of pop! the desserts are not as austentatious as i thought. i suppose i will have to wait for paris for that.
catch up time
hey all. love the comments, but if you are going to make them, please sign your name at the bottom, otherwise i have no idea who it talking.
on to buisness. yesterday we went to the vatican. it was positively breathtaking. it sure puts your tiny life into perspective. the bascillica is huge. in the dome, you can stand an entire football field up end zone to end zone, floor to ceiling. it holds 95,000 people for mass (the Big House in ann arbor holds 100,000, but not for mass). we climbed the 342 steps (plus a 5 minute elevator ride) to the top of the dome. at one point, you are actually climbing over the top of the dome, so the walls curve in. i had to duck. it looked like everyone needed a good dose of v-8. once you got to the top, it was just stunning. that was the point where our batteries in the camera died. so we climbed down and walked around the roof of the bascillica. you know they actually have a gift shop (where we found some batteries) and a coffee shop on the roof of the church? wild.
after the bascillica, we went through the vatican museums. there was a woman in the museums taping everything on a camcorder. she experienced the entire museum through her viewfinder. how sad for her. the raphael frescos were more amazing than they were in my art history class. add to that the sistine chapel, and it could bring tears to your eyes, or at the very least an overwhelming sense of awe. no photos allowed in the chapel, but of course, there were the idiots who took pictures, sat on the steps and talked in their un-church voices. dumb.
well, we blew out of rome this morning. we literally had to run to catch the train. this ride we were not so fortunate to sit in a compartment with others who spoke english. i do not know what happened, but the other lady in our compartment had a misunderstanding with the conductor. we witnessed italian expressions first hand. it got loud, but no one got angry. it was actually pretty funny.
now we are in siena. just a little south of florence. we did not realize, but monday is labor day for the country, so it is very difficult to get hotel reservations this weekend. we are lucky enough to have a room in a small town called lucca. it is supposed to be beautiful. no claim to fame though. it will be nice to slow down. it seems like we are tearing through this country.
we are meeting americans everywhere we go. just today at dinner, a couple sitting behind us came over to our table after they were done eating and asked about our trip. it is like that wherever we go.
well, enough for today. my time on the computer is running out. oh, one more thing--we are idiots. it took forever and a lot of fumbling to realize that you have to keep your room key in the light switch or else it will not stay on.
caio!
on to buisness. yesterday we went to the vatican. it was positively breathtaking. it sure puts your tiny life into perspective. the bascillica is huge. in the dome, you can stand an entire football field up end zone to end zone, floor to ceiling. it holds 95,000 people for mass (the Big House in ann arbor holds 100,000, but not for mass). we climbed the 342 steps (plus a 5 minute elevator ride) to the top of the dome. at one point, you are actually climbing over the top of the dome, so the walls curve in. i had to duck. it looked like everyone needed a good dose of v-8. once you got to the top, it was just stunning. that was the point where our batteries in the camera died. so we climbed down and walked around the roof of the bascillica. you know they actually have a gift shop (where we found some batteries) and a coffee shop on the roof of the church? wild.
after the bascillica, we went through the vatican museums. there was a woman in the museums taping everything on a camcorder. she experienced the entire museum through her viewfinder. how sad for her. the raphael frescos were more amazing than they were in my art history class. add to that the sistine chapel, and it could bring tears to your eyes, or at the very least an overwhelming sense of awe. no photos allowed in the chapel, but of course, there were the idiots who took pictures, sat on the steps and talked in their un-church voices. dumb.
well, we blew out of rome this morning. we literally had to run to catch the train. this ride we were not so fortunate to sit in a compartment with others who spoke english. i do not know what happened, but the other lady in our compartment had a misunderstanding with the conductor. we witnessed italian expressions first hand. it got loud, but no one got angry. it was actually pretty funny.
now we are in siena. just a little south of florence. we did not realize, but monday is labor day for the country, so it is very difficult to get hotel reservations this weekend. we are lucky enough to have a room in a small town called lucca. it is supposed to be beautiful. no claim to fame though. it will be nice to slow down. it seems like we are tearing through this country.
we are meeting americans everywhere we go. just today at dinner, a couple sitting behind us came over to our table after they were done eating and asked about our trip. it is like that wherever we go.
well, enough for today. my time on the computer is running out. oh, one more thing--we are idiots. it took forever and a lot of fumbling to realize that you have to keep your room key in the light switch or else it will not stay on.
caio!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
underwear, stilettos and other musings
there are distinct differences between europeans and americans. the first was the dogs in the restaurants. that still disgusts me.
the second is the lack of underwear. with the low rise jeans that are so popular today, it is pretty obvious when someone is not wearing their unmentionables. honestly, i do not know what is worse--seeing someones underwear hanging out, or their crack fully exposed. at least europeans are skinny.
the fashion here is something to behold. i am a quaker, apparently. and eeegads--the mullet is back! women are wearing a more updated version of the dreaded mullet, but i have noticed on quite a few men that they are wearing their hair longer and slicked on the sides.
more on fashion--if you have a suit coat, you wear it. no matter what you are wearing. it is plainly obvious that the suit coats on the men are from suits they only wear for funerals and weddings. but, there they are, wearing a navy suit coat with jeans and a t-shirt.
manners are even different. you just walk into and through people. no excusi, or pardonne. just blow through. it was strange to acclimate to, but once you are used to it, it is kind of fun.
well, caio for the evening. we are for the Vatican tomorrow!
the second is the lack of underwear. with the low rise jeans that are so popular today, it is pretty obvious when someone is not wearing their unmentionables. honestly, i do not know what is worse--seeing someones underwear hanging out, or their crack fully exposed. at least europeans are skinny.
the fashion here is something to behold. i am a quaker, apparently. and eeegads--the mullet is back! women are wearing a more updated version of the dreaded mullet, but i have noticed on quite a few men that they are wearing their hair longer and slicked on the sides.
more on fashion--if you have a suit coat, you wear it. no matter what you are wearing. it is plainly obvious that the suit coats on the men are from suits they only wear for funerals and weddings. but, there they are, wearing a navy suit coat with jeans and a t-shirt.
manners are even different. you just walk into and through people. no excusi, or pardonne. just blow through. it was strange to acclimate to, but once you are used to it, it is kind of fun.
well, caio for the evening. we are for the Vatican tomorrow!
the caesar schuffle
whew! what a day!
i have to digress for a moment and talk about the hotel again. we have to walk UP 30 (one flight) stairs to the front desk, where i am writing to you. this is also where we have breakfast--cereal, rolls, croissants, etc. oh, breakfast. i love it here. they have spreadable chocolate. yum!
okay, back to our day. we started out on the metro and headed up two stops to the colosseum. it was huge and beautiful. thanks to our travel guidebook, we passed up the hour-long line by buying our tickets at a different booth. after touring the colosseum, we got a picnic lunch from a little baker, a mom-and-pop place. for about six€, we each had huge ham and cheese sandwiches on home made bread. fabulous.
we then walked through ancient rome. the birthplace of modern civilization. i still get goosebumps....several arches, a huge bascillica built by constantine, and the huge finale--the spot and building where juilius caesar was cremated. there is a small monument there, inside a decaying temple to caesar. the funeral bier is still there and some people bring fresh flowers and place it on the spot of his remains. we walked where emperors trod. it really was awe-inspiring.
after ancient rome, we went to capital hill and the monument to victor emanuel, the first king of italy. we were fortunate to have our guidebook, it saved us from walking up the 242 steps to the monument.
we were crossing the street on the way to the pantheon, when we ran into a group of ladies from seattle, traveling with the same guidebook. so, we walked with them to the pantheon--also an amazing experience. we did not realize raphael was burried there, until we happened upon his tomb. again, goosebumps.
leaving the pantheon, we thought we would head back to the hotel for a siesta, but the trevi fountain was so close, that we headed there. what a huge fountain! it has to be as wide as a city block and 40 feet in depth (not water depth).
just the marble carvings here alone are breath-taking. they are everywhere. we were also blown away by ancient rome--priceless carvings, columns, etchings, bits of statue--just laying in the grass.
oh, we also met a little priest named romano. he asked where we were from and told us detroit is the best! i do not think he has been there...
i have to digress for a moment and talk about the hotel again. we have to walk UP 30 (one flight) stairs to the front desk, where i am writing to you. this is also where we have breakfast--cereal, rolls, croissants, etc. oh, breakfast. i love it here. they have spreadable chocolate. yum!
okay, back to our day. we started out on the metro and headed up two stops to the colosseum. it was huge and beautiful. thanks to our travel guidebook, we passed up the hour-long line by buying our tickets at a different booth. after touring the colosseum, we got a picnic lunch from a little baker, a mom-and-pop place. for about six€, we each had huge ham and cheese sandwiches on home made bread. fabulous.
we then walked through ancient rome. the birthplace of modern civilization. i still get goosebumps....several arches, a huge bascillica built by constantine, and the huge finale--the spot and building where juilius caesar was cremated. there is a small monument there, inside a decaying temple to caesar. the funeral bier is still there and some people bring fresh flowers and place it on the spot of his remains. we walked where emperors trod. it really was awe-inspiring.
after ancient rome, we went to capital hill and the monument to victor emanuel, the first king of italy. we were fortunate to have our guidebook, it saved us from walking up the 242 steps to the monument.
we were crossing the street on the way to the pantheon, when we ran into a group of ladies from seattle, traveling with the same guidebook. so, we walked with them to the pantheon--also an amazing experience. we did not realize raphael was burried there, until we happened upon his tomb. again, goosebumps.
leaving the pantheon, we thought we would head back to the hotel for a siesta, but the trevi fountain was so close, that we headed there. what a huge fountain! it has to be as wide as a city block and 40 feet in depth (not water depth).
just the marble carvings here alone are breath-taking. they are everywhere. we were also blown away by ancient rome--priceless carvings, columns, etchings, bits of statue--just laying in the grass.
oh, we also met a little priest named romano. he asked where we were from and told us detroit is the best! i do not think he has been there...
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Finally!
sorry it has taken so long to post. for some reason the internet in venice was so slow! this blog will not be properly punctuated. the italian keyboard is decidedly different that the american one, and i could be typing lines of hyroglyphics before i realized what is going on. oh, there are not any apostrophes either, so no contractions...get a cup of coffee and a snack--this post is a long one!
so, we landed in paris on sunday. little did we know that the airport transfer we needed to make was a 60 mile adventure. after we bought bus tickets to the airport in beauvais, we had lunch at a charming little parisian cafe. LESSON 1: parisians (and italians) bring their dogs everywhere--even in restaurants. we walk in and there is an english bulldog snoozing under a table while the owners enjoyed a leisurely sunday lunch. then, a second family walked in with their bulldog. we were a little unsettled by this, but we were repulsed when the dog actually got his nose into the salad of his owner. disgusting. tim evened us up the repulsion score when he apparently offended a group sitting by the bathroom door. he accidentally left it open.
we took the irish airline, ryanair, to venice from beauvais. if i thought the smith terminal at metro was a dump, this airport was a pole barn--no joke. and there were no toilet seats. no idea how that works. well, the flight would have been great had a couple of kids in the row behind us were not screaming the whole time. when we deplaned, the woman sitting in our row really let the little girl have it. i have no idea what she said, but tim thanked her afterward.
ah, venice. we spent our first hour there completely lost, but that is okay. it is an island. we were bound to find something sooner or later. and we did. piazza san marco is beautiful, but filled with pigeons. i actually saw a kid kick one. we were not able to make it into the bascillica or the palace of the doge, but we did get to murano, an island famous for blown glass. we toured several factories, amazed by the craftsmanship and beauty. we found a small mom-and-pop bakery and got some sandwiches and a cookie. we sat with our legs dangling over the canal, watching the boats go by. it was fabulous.
venice really is an amazing city. there are no roads anywhere. you really do walk or take a boat. all the bridges are just as charming as the next, with gondoliers taking their passengers around. last night, i was leaning out our window (no screens) and could hear a man signing opera and playing an accordian.
today we tried getting in to the bascillica, but it was a holiday, so it was not available. it is disappointing, but we had to move on. we took the train to rome. on the train, we sat with sisters from australia. they were great. it is so nice meeting people from different countries.
the hotel we are at now, caters to americans. we got a great last minute rate. they serve breakfast on a patio every morning. and the hotel starts on the fourth floor of the building. stairs, stairs and more stairs!
well, we are staving (it is after 9 p.m. and we have not had dinner yet), so we are going in search of pizza. caio!
oh, there are bedaes (butt washers) in EVERY room!
so, we landed in paris on sunday. little did we know that the airport transfer we needed to make was a 60 mile adventure. after we bought bus tickets to the airport in beauvais, we had lunch at a charming little parisian cafe. LESSON 1: parisians (and italians) bring their dogs everywhere--even in restaurants. we walk in and there is an english bulldog snoozing under a table while the owners enjoyed a leisurely sunday lunch. then, a second family walked in with their bulldog. we were a little unsettled by this, but we were repulsed when the dog actually got his nose into the salad of his owner. disgusting. tim evened us up the repulsion score when he apparently offended a group sitting by the bathroom door. he accidentally left it open.
we took the irish airline, ryanair, to venice from beauvais. if i thought the smith terminal at metro was a dump, this airport was a pole barn--no joke. and there were no toilet seats. no idea how that works. well, the flight would have been great had a couple of kids in the row behind us were not screaming the whole time. when we deplaned, the woman sitting in our row really let the little girl have it. i have no idea what she said, but tim thanked her afterward.
ah, venice. we spent our first hour there completely lost, but that is okay. it is an island. we were bound to find something sooner or later. and we did. piazza san marco is beautiful, but filled with pigeons. i actually saw a kid kick one. we were not able to make it into the bascillica or the palace of the doge, but we did get to murano, an island famous for blown glass. we toured several factories, amazed by the craftsmanship and beauty. we found a small mom-and-pop bakery and got some sandwiches and a cookie. we sat with our legs dangling over the canal, watching the boats go by. it was fabulous.
venice really is an amazing city. there are no roads anywhere. you really do walk or take a boat. all the bridges are just as charming as the next, with gondoliers taking their passengers around. last night, i was leaning out our window (no screens) and could hear a man signing opera and playing an accordian.
today we tried getting in to the bascillica, but it was a holiday, so it was not available. it is disappointing, but we had to move on. we took the train to rome. on the train, we sat with sisters from australia. they were great. it is so nice meeting people from different countries.
the hotel we are at now, caters to americans. we got a great last minute rate. they serve breakfast on a patio every morning. and the hotel starts on the fourth floor of the building. stairs, stairs and more stairs!
well, we are staving (it is after 9 p.m. and we have not had dinner yet), so we are going in search of pizza. caio!
oh, there are bedaes (butt washers) in EVERY room!
Friday, April 21, 2006
The night before...
Well, here we are. The night before we go. I don't think we'll sleep very well. We're both pretty excited. Our bags are packed--when I say "bags," I mean our one carry-on each. Yep, that's right, we're traveling for three weeks out of one carry-on bag each. Should be interesting. We'll be well-versed in European Laundromats. That's for sure.
Our travel plans have changed once again. We land in Paris and fly to Venice. Venice is having it's independence celebration on April 25, so if it's tough to get a room, we'll explore the area. I've recently read about a little town to the north of Venice that is half Italian and half German. You can supposedly tell the Italians from the Germans because the Germans wear sensible shoes. I'll let you know if it's true or not.
Anyhoo, after Venice, we go to Rome, the Cinque Terre, Florence, and then a week in Paris. I'm taking a cooking lesson in Florence from an Italian chef, which I'm excited about. And in Paris we've rented an apartment in the Marais district. We're also meeting a high school friend of mine, Coen, and his girlfriend, Lucinda, for the weekend there.
Hope you enjoy the posts. I'll be updating this from now on in Internet cafes. I may not get to one every day, especially if we're in the hilltowns, but try to get to a cafe as often as I can.
Ciao! Au voir!
Our travel plans have changed once again. We land in Paris and fly to Venice. Venice is having it's independence celebration on April 25, so if it's tough to get a room, we'll explore the area. I've recently read about a little town to the north of Venice that is half Italian and half German. You can supposedly tell the Italians from the Germans because the Germans wear sensible shoes. I'll let you know if it's true or not.
Anyhoo, after Venice, we go to Rome, the Cinque Terre, Florence, and then a week in Paris. I'm taking a cooking lesson in Florence from an Italian chef, which I'm excited about. And in Paris we've rented an apartment in the Marais district. We're also meeting a high school friend of mine, Coen, and his girlfriend, Lucinda, for the weekend there.
Hope you enjoy the posts. I'll be updating this from now on in Internet cafes. I may not get to one every day, especially if we're in the hilltowns, but try to get to a cafe as often as I can.
Ciao! Au voir!
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