'Sera, Siena

You spend many hours and days learning to speak that perfect dialect of Italian, thinking the Venetians or the Torinados are going to say "well, that Canadian surely speaks wonderful Italiano, doesn't he"? "Buongiorno", I say, even drawing out that second-last syllable like they do in the North of Italy; "Buon Giooooorrno", "Buonasera" pronouned "buonosaaaayyyy-rah". "Molto bene, grazie"...adding the very Canadian ending to that thank-you - "Gratt-see-eh". But they have you cold...in real usage, it's not buonosera or buongiorno, just "'Sera", and "'Giorno". Throw out that university Italian textbook, discard the Rosetta stone. Just sit in the Piazza del Campo in Siena and absorb the dialect.

The train from Milano to Siena just flew along averaging nearly 300km/hour. The countryside as we entered the Chianti district began to look more like the images of Tuscany that they put in the promotions; beautiful agricultural pastoral scenes, rolling mountain foothills,  interspersed with vinyards, and deep forest groves.  Closer to Venezia, Torino and Milano there is no wasted land...all land is working to support either agriculture, industry or housing there. And closer to Firenze (Florence) and Siena, we start going straight though mountains, long dark passages with only occasional flashes of light as we pass out of one mountain tunnel and into another.

The train station at Siena is in a mall...and you should see the escalator. The first 4-5 sections are moving sidewalk with maybe a 10-12 degree climb; then it kicks up a bit with about 3-4 standard (although somewhat long)  escalator sections at maybe 15-20 degrees; then it gets serious with another 3-4 long sections climbing at well over 30 degrees. I don't think I have ever had my ears pop from an escalator ride, but they sure did this morning.

Like Rome, the city is built on seven hills...or so the brochures say, the lying bastards. Without visiting any section  twice we must have climbed at least eleven, although somehow we only went down  four. The city is straight from those old movies about the great centurion battles; a gated walled city, built in concentric circles that can each be defended until retreat can be made to the next great wall and gate. Narrow streets (characterized by walkways between buildings high overhead) gradually lead to three most amazing sites: The Piazza del Campo (city square and the very heart of Siena, and probably the busiest and most touristy); the cathedral and Duomo that stands high above the great city; and the Fortezza Medecia at Piazza della Liberta, a medieval fortress with impressive panoramic views of the city and the Tuscan countryside outside the walls (see picture).

Pizza in the Campo was nearly as delicious as that first one we had in Treviso. Later in the evening we went to Papei ristorante where we were fortunate to arrive early enough to find una tavola perdue, before they cut off entrance to only reservations. My first ever taste of cinghiale (wild boar) with Papardella (very wide ribbons of fresh pasta) was  a great treat and Elisabetta can vouch for the delicious flavours of ravioli al funghi. A final walk through del Campo watching a full moon rise behind the Palazzo Publico,  and a little gelato for la dolce and we were ready to call it a day and head back to our hotel and for me to enjoy a tremendous Chianti while I write this blog (six Euro and I am guessing you'd be lucky to get this quality of vino rosso for less than $25 at home). I think, I am homesick. No wait, I just need another sip of this fine chianti...aaaahhh, that's better, I'm ok now. Sera, Siena. We'll see more of you, a domani.

Ciao Milano

Milano (Milan) was not at all what I had expected, and something of a disappointment. However we stayed just the one night so it may be unfair to judge by that short visit. Still, for a city hosting the country's major Expo, I thought they would have tried harder to make first impressions count. If not for the viewing of The Last Supper (and the attendant tour) and the marvellous company of our gracious host, this would have been even more disappointing.
The train trip from Torino was quick and comfortable and Milan's Stazione Centrale is truly an amazing piece of architecture. It was worthwhile just appreciating that station while searching high and low for the baggage check-in (they call it "left luggage" which I always find amusing...what is not amusing is how badly the signs are arrayed to send you in circles for an hour until you finally find the luggage dropoff in a tiny corner with no outside signage worth a damn). Visitor information (Ufficio di informazione tourismo)  is non-existent, with the exception of information on the city's Expo. I am pretty sure the porter I approached for assistance told me to go pound sand (or something a little more crude since it seemed to be only one word :-)).
The underground tube is very fast and nicely laid out if you are familiar with a city Metro service. We took a single train to La Piazza del Duomo, and the Cathedral there in the Piazza is truly an incredible work. We met with our guide, Andrea, and began the tour that would end with a 15 minute (solo cinquante minuti!) viewing of the Last Supper, the fresco (sort of) painting by Leonardo da Vinci. If you didn't know already, Leonardo's "my guy"...I am fascinated by all of his creations and his life, so any chance to see any of his work is going to draw me like a hungry dog to a fresh steak. Andrea was an absolute font of wisdom on everything that had to do with Leonardo's life in Milan (he lived there for 24 years) so I hung on everything she had to say. The walking tour covered a lot of history and took over three hours. A surprise opportunity that we discovered on the way was to see an interesting unfinished work by Michaelangelo (see picture). This is "La Pieti" capturing Mary's grief as they lowered Christ from the cross. Bonus!
Leonardo's famous painting of the Last Supper is truly a wonder. It was never a real fresco (painting on wet plaster) but rather used tempura painting on a dry wall, and therefore has not born the test of time and ravages of temperature, humidity, wars and vandalism as many other famous works. But the restorations have been very effective in cleaning up as much of the image as possible to expose Leonardo's brilliant color application. Once again we are brought back to an ancient time and walking the footprints of the master. Elisabetta and I both felt very emotional in the presence of the maestro's work.
After a visit to do some sketching and photos of the Castello Sforzesco, we headed out to Via Collecchio where we met our BnB host, Chiara, and were invited to join her and her friends for a dinner party in her garden. It was truly the best part of our visit as we shared molti vino e cucina e divertimente (lots of wine, food and laughs) with a very friendly group of Italians. We invited them all home to Nova Scotia and they promised to come one of those Christmases in the future.
Ciao, Milano - and now onward to Siena and Tuscany.

Salve, Torino

Our visit to Torino (Turin, to us Inglese folks) was well worth the decision to add it to our itinerary. Although my only real bucket list item for Torino was to see the shroud, we arrived to a number of great surprises! First off, we learned that this year (for the first time since 2010) the real shroud (not the copy that is usually on display) was here for presentation. Second, we discovered that this week is the start of the Torino Jazz festival, with some notable artists including the opening show from Tony Braxton. And finally, we found out that Davinci's "self-portrait" was also on display in the Savoy  castle in the Piazza Castello, the most important castle courtyard in Torino.

To ensure we got a great start, we didn't even check in to our BnB/appartemento when we arrived, opting to check our luggage at a KI-point (a luggage check service at the station) and went directly up to Piazza Castello to reserve our trip to see the shroud. We were given an appointment at 10am the next morning - perfect to allow us to have a decent breakfast before leaving the apartment. Then we had a number of happy adventures (you newfy people will appreciate that) which included the viewing of Il Volto (perhaps the most famous image of Davinci - see the attached picture). While we were at that show, we discovered the rest of the building (Castello Madama) was filled with amazing antiquities, beautiful woodwork, and paintings - and more importantly had a beautiful castle tower that provided an impressive panorama of Torino, and the most beautiful moat level garden (the Prince's garden) that was a joy to wander around in. 

We decided last night to take in an authentic Italian dinner (several servings starting with antipasta and pane (bread with oil and balsamic vinegar), then a prima - risotto and agnotelli, an entree (roast kid for me, the goat, not the bambina, and chicken a la baby for Elisabetta...seeing a patten here?), and then passing  the dolce (sweets), we were forced to try some grappa and wine liqueur with fresh cherries and chocolate biscotti. We rolled out the door, and waddled back to the apartment where we were able to do nothing more than  watch Italian dubbed movies like Backdraft. BTW - Kurt Russell really sounds very funny speaking in Italiano.

The shroud (La Sindone) was truly amazing. Arriving at the park outside the cathedral 15 minutes  before our appointment, we were marched through a series of stop points including a full security check (note, don't bring your favorite pocketknife) and also including a brief video overview that was very helpful in preparing to understand the significance of the various marks on the shroud...and which also clears up why they are so sure this really is the shroud used to wrap Christ's remains before he was entombed. After a brief  wait for the previous group to clear, our group (of about 30 or so) were marched up to an altar where we saw, what I had assumed was a video display of the shroud, but when the docent began his discussion it was soon clear that we were only a few feet from the real shroud hermetically sealed in a display case and backlit so that you can clearly see all the markings preserved in the shroud. I was not as prepared as I thought I would have been for the emotional impact. Knowing you are just beyond arms length of the shroud that is stained with the blood of Jesus (regardless of your religious discipline) is truly an emotional moment. I was very moved, although surprised that the Lord was not all that tall!

That's a hard act to follow, but the rest of the day was likewise divine, including a visit to the top of the Mole Antonelliani (a huge tower you line up for the single lift   to a brilliant panorama of the city...much higher than the castle Madama from the day before). We finished the day dropping into a couple of amazing jazz jams (gypsy jazz in the Mole Antonelliani courtyard and African rhythms in the Piazza Vittoria Veneta) and a walk along the river Po, before returning to a meal made in the apartment (agnotelli and Popettes - tasty little meatballs). Tomorrow it is on to Milano (Milan) for a day before we head to Tuscany. Buona notte, amicos.

Arrivedeci Venezia

Our last day in Venice was the best yet...of course it takes about 2 days just to get your bearings in Venice, but while I might want to stay a day more, I  think that anything over 4 days would be wearying in the city. We had taken the advice of a friend (thank you Roger) to stay in Treviso and we are glad that we did. Although it means a short train ride in and out in the mornings, we get away fom the noise and crowds to a beautiful (quieter) town that has some lovely sites and dining of its own.
Our ride from Treviso to Venice was on a crowded early train, but we were nicely organized having bought a full day vaporetto ticket the day before. From the train stop in S. Lucia, we jumped right on the first canal ferry and headed to St. Thoma parish where we toured Santa Maria dei Frari, a Francisan church featuring an amazing work by Titian (The Assumption of the Virgin) and some beautiful monuments to Titian (who is entombed there) and Canova. Many other amazing works are also worth the visit including the beautiful and moving piece featured in the attached picture.
My wife would likely spend the entire trip in museums, galleries and churches - and I confess to enjoying some galleries as well - but my bucket list for Venice was composed entirely of three key activities: finding and visiting  the Hard Rock Cafe Venezia; feeding the pigeons in St. Mark's Square (because the signs say not to :-)); and riding a bike on the Lido. We did the first two the day before, so today was the day to finish my agenda.
The Lido is a small spit of land that forms a breakwater between the mouth of Venice's Grand Canal and the Adriatic sea outside the Lagoon. We arrived on the island direct from our St. Thoma stop and immediatly rented a couple of bikes from Stefano and his partner at Lido on Bike. We rode a leisurely pace along the back side of the island and the beach strip on the Adriatic, and rode almost the full length of the island down to Marcuola, before heading back in time for a quick bite on the dock and catching the vaporetta back to the Academia museum stop.
We had intended to head out to St. Giorgio, but got a little turned around and realized it would take too long. So we settled on visiting Peggy Gugenheim's collection and the current installations of Charles and Jackson Pollock's works. Another fascinating and unexpected treasure that came by chance and not choice. We got back to Treviso just in time to enjoy a romantic anniversary dinner (gnocchi for her, steak tartar for me) before heading home to pack for the morning. An early rise to make our trains to Torino, and we fondly bid arrivederci to Venezia.

Quindici Anniversare

It's our anniversary - our 15th in fact - so today was a very special day. This is why we are making this trip at this time. and just like our marriage in many ways, it didn't go as expected (actually I can't imagine how any woman could stay with me for 15 years)....but we went with the way that fate pushed us and the journey today (and the past decade and a half) turned out as well and maybe better than we could have imagined.

We have finally figured out Venice's complex transportation system. The first thing you have to know is that maps sold in Venice are created by a secret society who purposely change the names on the map so that none of them will ever be seen in the streets. This same clandestine authority conspires with all citizens to intentionally misdirect tourista so that you have to wander into one of the 4 million shops in Venice to ask for directions, hoping you will buy something to assuage any guilt you might feel for imposing on the shop keeper.

Well there are a few simple rules. First, get there very early or get there mid-afternoon. The whole city's a zoo but especially later morning through mid afternoon; second, use the vaporetta (and get a pass for the length of time you are going to be there) - the vaporetta is the canal bus, a set of ferry boats that traverse the various public transportation bus stops (docks) and they are crowded, noisy, unsteady and totally delightful...and relatively cheap; and if you want to avoid the huge crowds and pesky hawkers trying (surprisingly often effectively) to get you to buy cheap junk, expensive roses and fake paintings, get thee off to the Lido - the long strip of land that creates the natural breakwater in the lagoon that guards the mouth of the grand canal. Get thee a bicyclette (pronounced bitchy-klet), and ride thine arse off all day on a lovely island with beautiful beaches on the Adriatic Sea.

OK more pics and links tomorrow.

giorni una e due (days one and two)

Buon Giorno from Venezia
The first two days are in the bag and time now for some reflection and advice.

The flight

Our route had us backtracking to Toronto before heading on to Zurich and then Venice. Avoiding London on the way in was probably a good idea. The check in trhough Zurich customs was pretty smooth, with no lineups. We did not get much sleep enroute, but the meal was actually pretty good and we got a few winks along the way. That eastern trip with a late afternoon depart is an interesting approach - in part because of the sense of running away from the sun or maybe shortening the day. We saw the evening turn quickly to night and then in the space of a very few hours, saw it rise again from the other direction . As a result it seemed like we had had a full night even though it was about six hours shorter than usual. By the time we got to Zurich and had a little breakfast in the terminal, we fooled our bodies into thinking it was a relatively normal time to start the day.

The hop from Zurich to Venice was accomplished by the use of a large slingshot I believe. We were delayed while they found a new rubber band, but once they fired that thing we were in the air just long enough to take the top off of the water bottle they gave us and then were told we were at Marco Polo airport, get out now (uscire ora per favore)! We were definitely pleased that we had no checked luggage. But we were really nervous that they might charge us at the gate. We got a few dirty looks but they let us through. One thing to keep in mind is that the European size and weight restrictions are even more austere than Canadian ones, so at this point we are thin king we may have to check one or two on the way back. Air Canada allows 10kg, but Air Luthansa and Air Swiss only allow 8 kilos.

Treviso

We decided to stay in a BnB in Treviso on the advice of a good friend who has family there. Although it means a little more train travel into Venice, the prices just 20 minutes outside the city quickly overcome any disadvantages. More importantly, we got to sample a special Treviso treat - authentic Italian Pizza at Da Pino's in the Piazza dei Signori in Treviso. MMMMMMMmmmmmm! More on this (and pics of Venice) when I charge my tablet.

Un giorno prima (one day before)

T-minus 15 hours and counting. The bags are packed, the clothes for the trip laid out for the morning. We have been checking off all the last minute things. The cat nanny was over for a run through the routine. Angela really is awesome and we know not only that the cats will be well cared for, but by the time we get back, the place will be spotless, the bird feeders will be kept filled, the plants watered, and probably a dozen things we didn't even think of. She is the same nanny we had when we went to London a few years ago, and I just have to say it is so good to have someone like that to ease your mind when you are travelling to the moon - or overseas. :-)

So I just finished baking a batch of muffins (some for our breakfast before the flight - the rest for our nanny and her partner). In the morning, we will water the plants and put out some seed for the birds, grab a shower and then head for the airport. Some last minute adjustments in the luggage, but we have everything down to the correct weights and sizes. Don't know what we are going to do if we buy anything to bring back. Will just have to check one bag, maybe? Ship some stuff from over there? We'll work it out.

Original passport, tickets, identification, prescriptions, etc. in one bag, copies of all the same in another. Check. Freeze all foods that will go bad in the fridge, and use up as much as possible in the last few meals, everything else to compost and garbage. Check. Cats clipped and extra hugs all during the day (not sure if that's for us or them, but - Check)

All electronics in the carry on including plugs and converters. Check. Electronic confirmation online. Check(-in). Pay all bills that need to be covered before we get back. Cheque. Now you are just gettin' foolish - Czech.

Seems it's time for bed - one last sleep then the adventure begins.

tre giorni prima (three days before)

Practice packing? I looked at her thinking she was joking - she wasn't. The plan is to travel to the moon (I mean Italy, of course) for two weeks with only carry on luggage. And the packing practice is to make sure we can get what we need in a container that fits the airline limits for size and weight. So, don't leave it to the last minute (no , dear I wouldn't dream of it) and double check the restrictions with each airline you will be using. We heard through the grapevine today that Air Canada will be cracking down on all infractions to the tune of $25 per piece that is oversize - and charging you at the gate! No telling what Swissair, and Lufthansa are going to charge us if we exceed their limits. (Checking their sites we found out that while their sizes are pretty much the same, their weight limit is 2kg less than Air Canada, so we will certainly have to be careful getting this right.)

What to pack? Well, I would've just thrown in a variety of badly mis-matched clothing from the top three drawers of my high-boy until the bag was full. But the missus sent me to check in with Rick Steves and to make sure I put in lighweight, but mix'n'match selections that will make it look like I packed for a year on the Riviera. Quick-dry socks and undies are also a good call since there is no doubt that we will be doing the backpacker's laundry at least 3-4 times while we are there. Which reminds me, we will also need a little laundry soap, a magic eraser, a mini clothesline and a dryer sheet all in its own little baggie.

Compression is a useful trick and so we picked up some roll up space saving bags at Bed Bath and Beyond. There are vacuum systems out there as well, but these are dead simple - you just pack the clothes into the bag, zip it up and then roll up to expel all the air. I put my favorite fleece in there and now I can use it as a bookmark. Seriously! One thing to watch out for - expelling all the air doesn't make it any lighter and in fact filling luggage with compressed clothing bags can quickly increase the weight to the point you can exceed the carry-on (or checked baggage) limits.

quattro giorni prima (four days before)

The worst case...if you are going to the moon for a couple of weeks what is the worst case? It's what you have to think about in a trip like this - you plan to be back right after the vacation, but with both spouses travelling by air, multiple hops, through international terminals and to countries where there are incidences of strife or terrorism, the risk factor is higher and you really have to make sure you have everything covered. Is your will up to date? Do you even have a will? If not, then you should...or at least a very clear letter of intent about what you want to do about the stuff and the people (and in our case, cats) you leave behind. If you don't have time to meet a lawyer before you go, there are some self-service or self-counsel resources out there. I like theSelf Counsel Press materials because they focus on Canadian Law and related resources.

Insurance is another thing that you need to check on for the second worse case: getting sick or injured while travelling. In our case, the college's provider Johnson Insurance offers a really inexpensive package to employees called MEDOC travel insurance. I think it is only available for employee groups they manage, but there are other options out there. One of the best private rates we saw was TD Bank Travel insurance via Meloche Monnex. It is hard to believe just how expensive it is to get medical treatment in a foreign country, and some countries are just absolutely insane. Makes us appreciate how great our country is: the Canadian Medicare program is the envy of most countries in this world.

Trip cancellation and Trip interruption is also a nuisance that is worth looking into covering. In some cases your Visa or MasterCard credit cards may cover this - if you paid for the trip on your cards. In our case we used Aeroplan points for the main ticket coverage. But since the travel fees and taxes were about the same as the retail price of the tickets, we are expecting that our credit cards will cover some portion of interruption should we need to cut it short.

Well, I am going to get past the worst case stuff now and think about the BEST case - four more sleeps!

Buona notte e sogni d'oro!

cinque giorni prima (five days before)

Stephen & Mary Elizabeth May 27, 2000

It has been a crazy and exciting few weeks since we finally committed to this trip - our fifteenth anniversary vacation to Italia! We had been planning this for a long time, but I am not really sure either of us really thought we'd do it. Well, the trip is booked - thanks to many years of Aeroplan point collections; the accommodation made - thanks to Airbnb et al; and this week many of our hoped-for excursions are beginning to come together including Da Vinci's Last Supper (Milan), and the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries in Florence.

I commented to a colleague this past week that "hopping across the pond" for a little vacation is not quite like heading out to the cottage."Closer to spending two weeks on the moon!", she replied - and so was born the idea and theme for this travel blog. It really is like that in the preparation - there's no running back to the house to retrieve the boogie boards. You have to think about being on another planet for the next two weeks in terms of what you pack and what you don't. What can you not live without and what is a like-to-have that will have to be left behind. Then there's all the arrangements for things left behind - primarily our two Calico girls, K.D. and Sasha (they'll be seeing lots of their cat nanny, Angela for a couple of weeks). Is the Will up to date? Travel Insurance? Call the credit card companies and banks to let them know you may need to use the cards a few miles from home. We are planning on coming back...but all the "just-in-case" stuff has to assume you might not! Due settemane sulla luna! Italy might as well be the moon. Over the next few days, I'll try to describe our preparations and provide some hints and tips that we learn in the process (my darling wife is already such an accomplished traveler so much of the learning will be my own :-)) After that, we'll turn this into a travelog and I'll try to post daily so you can share our trip. Ciao, for now.