Five Cities, Five Distinct Personalities: Padua

If Verona is the city of love, then Padua is the charming university town.  And, students have not changed their nature since we were among them.

Piazza  di Erbe

Our hostess in Padua was Antonella...

Outside the apt with Antonella.

...a vivacious and amichevole (friendly, with any positive attribute that goes along with it.)  She is in her mid-70s and nearly skips up the three flights of stairs to the apt.  The apartment was just lovely.  It is where her grandmother lived and she grew up there, as well.  Antonella and her husband now live across the street.  The apt is called Al Canton dei Signori   Should you wish to visit the city, I would highly recommend staying there.  As with any place we choose to stay, it is in the centro storico (historic center) of Padua, just off the Piazza Erbe.  Also, we do not stay at any inn, B&B, albergo, agriturismo or other spot not owned by Italians.  It's a conscious choice to support the citizens of the country we are visiting, and to actually be in Italy with Italians.

And here is the street of the apt, with a little street art.

We spent two days prowling each and every street in Padua.  There are surprises everywhere.

A random building on a random street

A Monestary garden

And, like in other cities, pigeons were not welcomed.

To prevent pigeons from landing in public places, under porticos, etc.

And there are lots rules from people, too, always posted.  This posting is near ruins of the Roman Theater in Padua.












There are multiple piazze (plural of piazza) in the centro of any city, all very close to one another.  Always, a Piazza della Republica, one for the cathedral, and often one for a clock tower.  Padua did not disappoint!

   

The clock tower in the Piazza Erbe contains the oldest functioning clock in the world.  While it was not the first clock built in Eurpoe, it was the first to keep accurate time.

The clock face is a bit unusual.  It has 24 hours, and the clock has only one hand...

Note the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice, a winged lion, just below the clock face.

In the Piazza della Populo is Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason, i.e., the courthouse).

It was built in 1172 and houses what is still the largest roof unsupported by columns (267 feet long) in Europe.  How big was this room?  Take a look...

The horse---made of wood---was sculpted in the 1450's to promote a trade fair.  The sponsors liked the sculpture so much they decided to keep it.  The only place large enough to store it was the "Salone," the great hall on the second floor of the Palazzo.

The roof of the building was contructed like the hull of a ship and was then lined with a ceiling that was painted with thousands of stars on a blue background.  All that wood, guess what?  There was a terrible fire and the roof burned.  When reconstructed, it remained a wooden hull only.  Still, it's size is just amazing.

The walls are covered with frescos of seasons, zodiac signs, people, you name it.  It is a huge room, so there was plenty of space for a wide variety of frescos.

There was also some fun street art.  The students are a bit political here, although to tell the truth everyone is up-to-date on current events.  Sitting at an outside bar, one overhears at least one conversation about politics in Italy, one about international politics, one about love, and more than one in a Germatic language which neither of us understands.  We are up north after all.

We had no idea there was a ghetto...

or that there would be any signage.

Like Verona, the former ghetto has become an upscale shopping district.









The  Italian Rites (Ashkenazi) synagogue was destroyed by the nazis during WWII, but was rebuilt by the city following the war.

Front door of the rebuilt synagogue

Even the portal was rebuilt

It is no longer used as a place of worship, but around the corner we heard men in morning prayer.  

The Spanish (Sephardic) synagogue is still operating. We, make that Carol, was not allowed to go inside...not only because she's a woman, but that day she was sleeveless.  There was a man at the door to keep people out and two policemen.

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The Grand Mis-Adventure

This was supposed to be a year of cycling, right?  Well, we'd been in Italy more than a week and hadn't gotten on our bikes yet.  But that time was drawing near.

We had taken the train from Firenze to Verona.  The stop at the station in Verona was short, and we had to hustle bikes and luggage off the train.  We were in a rush, but got everything off...or so we thought.  As we were leaving the train station, Roger realized he had left his helmet behind, and the train had left the station.  Fortunately, we knew of a bike shop a few kilometers outside the city, and  we needed a shake-down ride anyway.  And why did we know of a full service (very unusual to find it all under one roof in Italy) shop?  Five years ago we had gone to Verona to do some biking and Carol's suitcase, which had all her biking gear, did not arrive with us.  British Airways had no idea where it was and after four days gave us permission to purchase new gear.  The suitcase arrived on day 8 with Hawaii inspection stickers all over it.  It had had a great time in the island state and we had found a good cycling/running shop.  Anyway....

We dressed for the ride, and as Roger went to put on his bike shoes, he discovered he had pulled two right shoes from his luggage in Chiusi, and left both left shoes in the bags which remained with our Pienza host.  So, wearing no helmet and street shoes, Roger set off with Carol to the bike shop in San Martino, just outside Verona.  Since it was the end of the season, nobody had any inventory left.  Nonetheless, we found a serviceable helmet and pair of shoes.

The next morning we set out for Padova (Padua).  It was a simple 85 kilometer ride we had done before.  However, thanks to an amazing number of roads with no signs noting where they were going, multiple signs for the same small towns and directions from locals who only drive from place to place and like to take the scenic route to get there (read that:  they visit all their friends in multiple towns on their way from point A to point B), we managed to turn an easy 85 km into 115 km of starts, stops, and generally being "solo un po' persi" (only a little lost.)

At least the Po Valley is flat.  In 115 KM, we climbed a grand total of 74 meters.  The biggest hill was an overpass over the A4 Autostrada.  The Italians call this, "piano, piano (flat, flat)."  Here's what it looked like in one direction:

                  ..and in the other....

A few miles from Padua, we were pedaling  down this pleasant country road.  Light traffic.  Well-marked.  Suddenly, with no warning, the road morphed into a major freeway...the ever-popular Autostrada.  We were terrified but kept on pedaling...because we didn't know what else to do.  Just when it seemed things couldn't get any worse, they did.  That freeway joined another, and we were trapped in the middle of four on-ramps with no idea where to go.  Just then, a police siren blared...seemingly from within Carol's back pocket.  An Italian cop got out of his patrol car, ran up to us and said, in English, "You can't ride your bicycles here."  We explained how we got there.  He told us to ride 2 km to the next exit, and get off.  He'd follow in his patrol car, blocking the speeding traffic from killing us.  So with his lights flashing, he crawled behind us to the next Autostrada exit, hitting the siren and going to our right to block an on ramp and then again as he blocked the off-ramp.  At the bottom of the ramp, he motioned for us to turn left and jumped out of his patrol car to give us directions to the historic center of the city.  Throughout all of this, he was really nice, a smiling and very friendly young man.  Carol wanted to hug him and give two kisses, one on each cheek - this is a two kiss part of Italy, there are three kiss regions, as well - but all he would allow was repeated "mille graze" (a thousand thanks.)  We know this was not the first time he had seen "pazzi turisti" (crazy tourists) somehow end up on the Autostrada.

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.

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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.

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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

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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.