Five Cities, Five Distinct Personalities: Verona

Verona is a lovely city...modern and prosperous...though with its most famous landmarks dating back 2,000 years to Roman times.  Verona was never a power player in Renaissance Italy.  It sided with the Holy Roman Empire in its centuries-long rivalry with the the Papacy.  Thus the heavy Hapsburg (Austrian) influence.  

Verona’s tourism is dominated by Romeo and Juliet.  Guiletta’s balcony is a tourist trap to rival the leaning tower of Pisa or Niagara Falls.  Still, the city is lovely and romantic.  An evening stroll is mandatory.

Guilette's Balcony

Across the small piazza from the Capuletti house is the crown jewel of schlock...an erotica shop called Club di Guiletta.

We developed a routine to take place during the passagiata, or afternoon walk.  Every day we stopped at the same bar for a spritz aperol.  It is on a fantastic corner for people watching and they give you a snack to nibble on with your drinks.  Afterwards, we didn't need dinner, but who could resist?  If you go to Verona, the typical cooking of the area includes the use of vino amorena, a local wine.  We tried two dishes made with it.  The first was a risotto that was soaked int he wine prior to cooking.  The finished product was incredibly good and a dark purple color.  The second was pasta with a rabbit sauce made with the specialty wine.  Perhaps there is a common thread here, make that wonderful dishes with a common wine.  We would both go back to Verona simply to eat!

We can't explain how enchanting this city really is, so we’ll just show you.  Even the photos don't do justice to the endearing quality of Verona.

The Roman Arena is 2000 years old, and is home...

...to both the Verona Opera and rock concerts.

The Roman Theater...

...is the same age...

...and still stages plays.

Older still is the Porta Leone and Roman baths...in the heart of modern downtown.

The Castel Vecchio dominated the medieval city.

The old ghetto is now an upscale shopping district.  The synagogue still holds weekly services.

Verona...the pretty little city on the Adige...

...by day...


...or by night.

.

Safe

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8AePM...

Feel free to open this page.

Click here to check the URL yourself.

Trend Micro Page Rating

Siamo Arrivati - Roma to Chiusi to Firenze

We have arrived in Italy and made it to Florence in spite of a few minor glitches.  And just how much luggage do we have?  Too much.  When everything was laid out in CA, it didn't seem like so much.  Once we got to Rome airports, we both said, "What were we thinking!"  

Our flight here was long and neither of us slept.  That made travel to Chiusi, our first stop, a bit difficult.  However, our bikes and suitcases all made it here on our flight, a first for us, albeit the first time we did not take a British Airways flight....we'll certainly continue to avoid that airline.  We managed to purchase 2 carte argenti (senior rail cards for a discount for the next year on train travel) and tickets through to Chiusi at the airport.  Once in Chiusi,

Assembling the bikes - got air?

we took a taxi to the Albergo where we put together our bikes and went for a walk around town.  Of course, I had some problems with my bike, which in the end - found this out in Florence from a bike mechanic - were two bent parts:  Thank you TSA for bending a piece of my front brake and my rear derailed.  Oh, also thanks to TSA for allowing me to carry a floor pump and 6 knitting needles, but not a specialty wrench to secure the couplings on the frame of my bike.  US Airways was great, as they took the pouch with the wrench without charging us for another piece of luggage.  (British Airways had charged us for another bag with knitting right after 9/11. ) 

Overlook in Chiusi

The next morning was clear and gorgeous in Chiusi as we prepared to walk to the train station for the trip to Florence.  Before leaving we met Giulio, our Pienza landlord (1 October to 10 December) who took our suitcases, bike boxes and assorted "stuff" to store until we arrive at the apartment.  He was wonderful about taking all those heavy pieces, full of fall, winter and beach clothing that we neither need nor can carry until then.  Our train was delayed part of the way there, but otherwise it was an uneventful journey.  

Florence is a beautiful city.  That says it all.  We went to a very small synagogue for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur.  It is one of the two progressive (reform) congregations in Italy, the other being in Milan.  There were about 40 people at services, all very friendly.  The service was personal, which was an unusual experience and special in ways that are impossible to describe.  Thank you to Kathie Burton for connecting us to Sharon Strauss, a really nice woman who is a member here and sister-in-law to her rabbi in NC. On Yom Kippur we opted not to go all day to the orthodox shul, but rather did half of a Carol-planned scavenger hunt about Dante's  Devine Comedy.  

Carol (I) read a book called Dante's Florence, written in 1933, that described the location and historical aspects of 32 plaques in the historic center of the city.  

Dante at Santa Croce

Each as a quotation from La commedia (this is how the title of the book is written in italian, and by the way the language is not capitalized.)  The book described the context of the quotation within the story of the work, plus what occurred in the place or to the people it references.  Of course, I made a chart in preparation for the trip.  

Dante's hope, outside the Baptistry

We found all but 4 of the plaques!!! over two days. Back to Yom Kippur, we rationalized the hunt by saying Dante's purpose was to describe our sins and how we "make good" to end up in Paradise rather than in Hell.  Seemed appropriate for the day.  This one is my favorite: "If e'er it happen that the Poem Sacred, to which both heaven and earth have set their hand, so that it many a year hath made me lean, overcome the cruelty that bars me out from the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered, an enemy to the wolves that war upon it, with other voice forthwith...Poet I will return, and at my font baptismal will I take the laurel crown."  Dante was exiled at age 23 from his beloved Florence, and never allowed to return, although others were.  He died at age 56 in Ravenna after longing to return to Florence.

We did a non-traditional tour, not going to any of the usual tourist sites, other than to read Dante plaques if they happened to be there.  The other will await another visit over the next few months.  And, we have been here several times previously, so have been to the various chapels, churches, museums and other sites before.  This was a special, and fun for both of us, visit.

One more comment about Florence.  The city had 70,000 residents in Dante's time (about 1300) which is a lot of people, although fewer than the number of tourists 16 September 2013.   As we walked the streets he walked, we both realized how small it actually was.  It is hard to imagine feuding factions living literally a stone's throw from one another.  To see that Dante lived so close to Beatrice, whom he loved as a young man, and whom he saw get married and die at age 22, was an eye-opener.  To know the history of this city and its people made walking the streets absolutely exciting.  

Brett, our gracious hostess

Sunday evening we had plans to go with Brett Lalonde (Beth Am family, mom is Linda Brill and dad is Jim Lalonde) and her husband Piero and 2 1/2 year old son Vincenzo to a Truffle festival.  Unfortunately, Vincenzo got a fever and intestinal problems about an hour before we were to leave, so he and dad stayed home.  Brett didn't mind taking some time off and letting dad take care of Vincenzo, so we still went.  There was a long, close, and pretty violent thunder and lightening storm while we were sitting under tents with metal frames, in a wet field. Scary....

Carol and Roger at the Sagra Tartufo

It was a lot of fun to spend a little time with Brett and to finally get to a sagra.  We had never been in the right place at the right time to go to one before.  Another Italian experience to check off the list.   

Tomorrow it is on to Verona.

Safe

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KgoiN...

Feel free to open this page.

Click here to check the URL yourself.

Trend Micro Page Rating

Details of The Final Push - Getting Ready for Part II

We can hardly believe that 4 1/2 months have passed since we first left Seattle.  Living in San Carlos, CA, has been quite the experience.  There has been the joy of being close to Tasha, Nathaniel, Tuvya and Ezra, the pain of the local geography - read that way too many short stiff climbs on the bikes - and missing everyone in the Seattle area, especially Lita, Eric, Greyson and Kelsey.

Jeff, Janet, Carol, Roger

We spent two days over Labor Day weekend with Janet and Jeff Gindin in Windsor CA, a few miles north of Santa Rosa.  We got to several wineries, olive oil tastings and Bodega Bay.  It was really nice to have some time alone with them.





It was special spending part of the High Holidays with the Bergson-Michelsons which we haven't done since Tasha and Nathaniel were in Boston many years ago.  That was the year we took our first bicycle trip, ending in Boston the day of Erev Rosh HaShonah.  They were pretty much newlyweds at the time, it was 18 years ago.  This year we spent Erev Rosh HaShona with Nathaniel's sister Abby and her husband Jason at Congregation Emanuel, a wonderful way to start the New Year (thank you both Rabbis Beth and Jonathan.)  The next morning we were our family at Peninsula Temple Shalom (PTS), their congregation and another lovely service to start 5774.

On Shabbat we were again at PTS  for pre-bar mitzvah and bar mitzvah services for our eldest grandson, Tuvya.  He did an outstanding job.  After 3 years of public speaking in Model UN, two national GeoBees and countless appearance before his school's Board of Directors and the local City Council, his "bima presence" was something to behold.  He is 5'6" (at least he was a month ago!) and he projects his voice well.  The best part was that it was obvious he was having a good time leading the entire service.  He was smiling, energetic, and did not hesitate to boldly correct the rabbi when the latter referred to the incorrect haftorah reading.  He also didn't hesitate to get one "whatever" into the service, his favorite comment on just about any topic.  Tuvya included a number of his friends and teachers from school and from PTS in the service, including singing a song with three friends and his brother.

Two of Carol's sisters and spouses, and Roger's sister and spouse were all able to be here.  We were delighted to spend a little time with Janet and Jeff, Deedee and Gary and Carolyn and Ralph.  Carol's other sister, Nancy, was unable to attend as her son got married last weekend in BC, Canada.  Congrats to Dov and Robyn.  We were sorry to have missed their lovely wedding.

Tuvya and his friends sorting books

There was a Sunday afternoon party for book sorting/packing (the culmination of Tuvya's bar mitzvah project)   Tuvya wanted to collect 1000 books for a school library.  He has over 3500 so far, so he is giving some to a local literacy project, as well.  After packing the books, he and his friends had pizza and a DJ.  We got to help pack books and occasionally peek in on the kids.

And more books.....

Bubbe and Pops putting out MORE sweets

 Doing what we do best.

Adults packing books

This does include 2 pair of bike sandals

Along with all of this, we did manage to pack, although I am not sure how that happened.  Thank goodness for FexEx where we weighed the suitcases and bike cases - two of each - to see if they are under 50#. They needed minimal rearranging, two pair of bike sandals moved from Carol's bike case to suitcase, and then somehow still zipping the suitcase.It is a challenge to pack for all four season, and biking, in one suitcase each.  Carol's is carry-on size, although zipped open for expansion.  Roger's is airline regulation sized.  Fortunately, all of Carol's bike clothing is packed into the bike case for extra padding for spokes, etc.  Every time we pack the bikes, Carol is thankful for having couplings, so it breaks down completely.  Roger's bike does not have them.  It also means he can't put much in his case other than the bike.  

A special thank you to Lita for using her talents in t-shirt printing to make us L'Avventura Grande shirts.  We decided to try to get photos of us in them every place we stay.  So, here is San Carlos, CA, May 4-Sept 10, 2013 (with 2 bike boxes, 2 suitcases, and carry-ons

.  

Leaving 100 Laurel Street with mixed feelings

This photo is not appropriate for pre-teens.

Next is some final cleaning up - returning everything we borrowed from the kids - and then we are off for Part II of our adventure.

We promise more photos and fewer details of daily life on future entries.  We have no bar mitzvah photos yet.

Pescadero Here We Come

After a couple of weeks of 25 - 30 mile fairly flat training rides, we decided to go for the brass ring today.  The ride from Half Moon Bay to Pescedaro...longer and far hillier than anything we had tried to date on this trip.

The ride started in Half Moon Bay...right on the ocean.

We rode down the Pacific Coast Highway for 10 miles and then turned inland...only to see this:

Carol looked at the scene and said, “Looks like Italy doesn’t it?”  It rode like Italy as well.  Six climbs more than a mile in length with a grade of 9% or greater.  The toughest was the last...a 12% grade on very tired legs.

A cyclist we met on the way told us this route was the prettiest bike ride in all California.  Who was to argue with him?

Carol was a trooper...both on the way to Pescedaro

...and the way home.

Pescedaro was a lovely small town.  We were so tired when we got there, we forget to take any pictures.  Hopefully, we won’t make that mistake again any time soon.

In all, we rode only 40 miles (39.75 actually) but climbed 4,654 feet.  We arrived home tired and sore but feeling like we had finally accomplished something.  Then---as we unloaded our car---we realized I had left one of my cycling shoes on the sidewalk where we parked at Half Moon Bay...so I had to drive back to retrieve it.

Time to Check In

Hello All,

Just checking in to let everyone know we are alive and kicking in San Carlos, CA.  May 1 we packed up the Subaru, that is, crammed all we could into the back end of it and put three bikes up top.  We took off and got as far as Tacoma, where we had breakfast with Greyson, Kelsey, and Eric before the kids headed out for school.  We missed Lita who leaves early, while it is still dark for work.  It was hard to say goodbye to the grandkids especially, but we had to.  Kelsey made me a fabulous cup of coffee before she went to school.


Our next stop was Portland, where we had lunch with Andrea Burton, whose parents in Winston-Salem, NC, are our good friends.  Andrea went to high school with Eric, a year behind him.  She loves living in Portland where she works in web design (if I understand at all what she does, luddite that I am.)  Hi, Andrea.  We missed seeing you on our quick trip up north - see below - but unfortunately we came through Portland at strange times.



It was great getting to San Carlos and seeing Natasha, Nathaniel, Tuvya and Ezra.  Typically, we see them for a week here and there during the year and it always feels like a meter is ticking away.  This is different.  But, back to the story:  Tasha had taken a look at an apartment I found on-line and approved it for our rental.  When we got here, there was a folding table that seats six comfortably and I imagine 8, if they all really like one another.  There were two card table chairs. Tasha also managed to kind of stock the kitchen with dishes, utensils, a few pots and pans, glasses and wine glasses.  There were a few mixing bowls and measuring cups, too.  We were ready to go.  But wait!  That afternoon we were able to get a new mattress at the thrift shop.  It is kind of soft, so we just put it on the floor.  On Craigslist we found a metal futon for a sofa.  We picked up a couple of little kitchen/convenience items the next day.  We were almost set.  Sunday of that week, while dropping compostables off in the Bergson-Michelson recycling, we noticed a neighbor had put out a white laminate desk with a "take me" sign on it.  That went in the back of the car and off we went.  The next weekend was Mothers' Day and I was in charge of fruit salad.  Two bowls of Costco fruit salad later, we had not one, but two serving dishes.  Remember those early days of life after college, or perhaps while still in college?  We are living them again, although this time with creaking bodies and gray hair.  Imagine this with a 2" beige pad.  


Back to the boys...they left for camp on the 23rd of June for 2 weeks and Tasha left the same day for a 10 day business trip.  Poor Nathaniel is left with us and we with him.  It was fun being able to go to school programs occasionally during the first month here, and just to hang out with one, the other, or both kids.  We are walking distance from their home, but so far, we have done the walking and we have picked them up in the car or they have been dropped off here.  Can't wait until they come back so the four of us can do some hiking together.  

As for San Carlos, we are two blocks from the commercial district, downtown if you will.  Thursdays is Farmers' Market and we have been going every week to shop and have a picnic dinner with the family.  The local produce has been plentiful and good:  Strawberries in May!  Lots of lemon cucumbers and tomatoes.  Apricots last week and peaches, too.  By the way, for a town with about 3 blocks of downtown, there are 5 Italian restaurants.  I have spoken to several owners, they are from Napoli, Postiano, and Bari so far.  The others don't seem like the kind of places one walks into just to ask where the chef and/or owner come from, but I eventually will.  Also, the best bagels I have had in years, made by a Chinese family.

In early June we made a quick trip to Seattle, to attend a wedding - great event - and greet our renters who were coming from Melbourne, Australia.  It was really nice to see the few folks we were able to see while there.  We stayed in Tacoma, to be able to maximize time with Greyson and Kelsey.  It was their last week of school, so we had breakfast together and walked them to school every day.  Our last night there was sad for me, but leaving grandkids always is.  We got up the next morning and thought they would still be asleep, but we got one last round of hugs and kisses before leaving.  We drove as far as Ashland, OR.  When we got up the next morning we decided to recreate a portion of a bike ride we did from Seattle to SF 11 years ago and drove west from Yreka CA, to Fort Jones and to Weaverville before heading back to I-5.  It took an extra 2 hours drive time, but was worth it.  If you ever get a chance to drive through the Trinity Alps, do it.  It;s worth the scenery to put up with road work.

Roger and I came here also to train for la gran avventura, but actually we got sick from watching the kids the first week were here and last week became the start of training.  This week we had rain two days, but will the sun be out again tomorrow.  Cycling here is beautiful.  We ride primarily between the bay and slightly into the coastal range to the west.  It is rural, green, and quiet.  In fact, much of the area is developed, but it is 10-20 or more acre plots.  Most  of the homes are set back from the road, hidden in trees, so it seems less a part of a city or town and more like undeveloped land. 

Since we haven't been out much, we haven't met a lot of people.  We will be back at Shabbat services at Pennionsula Temple Beth El, close by, and at the recommendation of Bryan and Sharon Rutberg who went there while living in San Mateo.  We have met some nice folks there, but have not socialized yet outside of at onegs.  

Meanwhile, we are making progress on our travel plans.  December 12 we will arrive in Melbourne, Australia and will leave two days later to ride to Adelaide with a stop for several days on Kangaroo Island and then in the Barossa Valley.  The western half of the ride is through an area with few services, but we were able to find places to stay every night.  The more we read, the more we know we will have to return, as we could travel just in that area for 3 months and not have time for everything we would like to see and do.   Notice the coastline from Melbourne to Adelaide.  That is basically ALL we see in 28 days! Amazing when you consider how far we go to get there.
     

That's about it for now.  We'll send some actual photos before the summer is out.  Enjoy the next few months, wherever you are while reading this.  I know we will.