journeywithmadonna

Le    Venice was great but we were glad to leave the crowds so took the early morning train back to Maestre to pick up our car and head somewhere although we weren’t exactly sure where.   In Venice we met a couple of young women who were living in the Netherlands but one was originally from Venice so she mentioned a couple of places that were worth visiting.   The first was a place called Soave and both Jim and Marilyn quickly tuned into the wine, Soave I guess, that was a very well known white wine.   So we headed there and the first two pictures above of Jim were taken there.  It was a very  picturesque little place and is well known for the valpolicella grape which is used in one of my favorite wines, Amarone.   As mentioned earlier it is also known for its famous white wine, Soave, but given that it was around noon when we arrived we decided against having wine and had a gelato instead………equally delicious!   From Soave we headed towards Bardolino, a small town on Lake Garda that was also recommended and that’s where the other three pictures were taken.   When we arrived it was 22 degrees and I am sure that every Italian for miles around was there as the place was exploding with people.   There was no place to park the car and it was difficult to walk the streets of this beautiful little seaside resort known for its light fruity wine, which I don’t like.  However we had a long walk on the beach boardwalk and by suppertime it had emptied a little and we had a great meal of pasta and salad with a little wine that wasn’t fruity as none of us liked that variety.   Headed to bed early and by 7am we were walking on the beach and there wasn’t a soul in sight…….amazing! That’s when I took the pictures above……….a beautiful seaside resort when it’s not crowded – guess we have lived in Tidnish too long.

We were thrilled to arrive in Venice on such a warm day, 20 degrees, and even more thrilled when we arrived at our air BnB apartment and met our host Nicola. The place was  fabulous – large, clean, two bedrooms, outside sitting area and it had everything you need…..and more. We immediately walked the neighborhood, got a few groceries, took a few pictures, and after showers, a few appies and a glass of wine we decided to go for dinner. Found a neat little place about a ten minute walk from the apartment and the people coming out said it’s great and that they had been there a few times so we thought “why not here?”  Let me tell you ‘why not there!’   Marilyn was the only one pleased, not thrilled but pleased,  with her dinner(calamari).   Jim’s lasagne was too dry and blah! and my sea bass, what little there was, was over cooked and dry and the roasted vegetables, all two of them, were tasteless!   If I was able to speak Italian I would have complained but since I can’t we just paid the bill.  Anyway you just chalk it up to a bad choice, which we did, and we  decided to call it a night, or so we thought.  For  the next two hours plus we wandered around looking for where we lived……..and this had nothing to do with the wine we had for dinner!   The first hour and a bit wasn’t too bad as it was a beautiful night and after all “everyone gets lost in Venice, it’s part of the experience” but towards the end of the second hour when everyone had to use the bathroom, was tired, thirsty and cranky it was no longer fun. We started to see the same places over and over again and the same people who had given us directions would just smile and look the other way.  We also met many others who were lost and couldn’t help themselves, never mind us, so it was a little social event as well……at least in the beginning.  Finally we met a bunch of young Americans who were from NY and they stirred us back in the right direction as they too had been lost and in the process had been in our neck of the woods.  One of the young men  gave us his map of Venice as they were leaving the next day and in order to thank him we agreed to cheer for the Buffalo Bills, whoever they are(all right I know who they are!)   About 40 minutes later, which meant we had still gone around in circles,  we were thrilled to see our door and pretty well collapsed upon arrival.

By 8am the next morning we were up and ready to run the paths again and had forgotten about our little ‘lost in Venice’ episode the night before.  Jim had a rough agenda which included touring the sites, a walk to San Marco, a water taxi home……..or at least somewhere close to home!    We spent another glorious day wandering around, enjoying the sights and were amazed by the crowds which apparently are nothing compared to summertime.   The old ‘carless’ city of Venice has a population of roughly 60,000 and on average have 55,000 visitors a day or approximately 20 million per year.    This was no surprise because  as we were wandering around  people/tourists/screaming children/delightful children/teenagers/dogs were everywhere and this is November!   After a full day of exploration, and feeling pretty tired, we found a great Mediteranian/Middle Eastern restaurant that was fabulous………….there wasn’t a crumb left on any of our plates!

It is also worth mentioning that it was in Venice that we had our best Air BnB experience to date!   We have used Air BnB in Canada, the U.S., Portugal, Spain and Croatia and Nicola’s apartment topped them all!   He was such a wonderful young man and dropped off a St. Martin’s shortbread(see below) treat and explained that on November 11 kids wander through the streets making noises with pots and pans and whatever they can use to make noise and ask for coins or treats to celebrate St. Martin, something similar to our Hallowe’en but different.  He said it’s also a celebration of the good weather in early November, similar to our Indian summer…….you’ll have to google it as I am too tired to type anymore……..good night!

Padua is a beautiful  city that has a very prestigious university, founded in 1222, and hosted Galileo, Copernicus, Dante and Petrarch – we are in good company!   Totally  enjoyed it here and our Hotel Pelligrino was just across the street, well kind of, from St. Anthony’s Basilica.   St. Anthony has always been one of my favorite Saints and is known as a miracle worker and the finder of lost articles which is why I have prayed to him so often……….and often it works although I hope he remembers I still have one outstanding item!   I told my parents years ago he was my favorite Saint and they commented that he was the saint of ‘lost causes’ and I Remember thinking they were referring to me.   Anyway, I digress, but the Basilica was so worth the visit and St. Anthony is worth the google as he was quite an interesting man.   We all loved Padua as it was so alive with youth, history, art and anything else you could imagine especially those Zona Traffico Limitato zones.   They are trouble, and expensive, and often you don’t know you’re in one,  until you’re in one on a oneway street with drivers honking for you to  keep moving as you are in their  way……so you do, hoping for the best, and hoping you’re not caught which apparently can take a couple of years to catch up to you…..Time will tell!   Even with the crazy traffic and ZTL zones it was so worth the stop and is a place I certainly would come back to….but for now we must move on.

That’s because I have been walking around all day looking up, up, up!  Raveena is an amazing city of roughly 154,000 and is known mostly for its 1500 year old churches and its West Byzantine mosaics…….absolutely spectacular! It has an amazing history with art that represents Roman, Gothic, Byzantine and medieval periods.   Today, however, it is booming because of a big chemical industry and the discovery of offshore gas deposits but as you walk around downtown you see none of this.   What you do see, however, are hundreds of cyclists as it is known as one of Italy’s best cities for biking.     I am amazed at how relaxed they are on their bikes,  with no helmets, as the drivers around them just seem to not even notice.  I noted many cyclists talking on their phones as they cruised by,  but never did see anyone biking and texting, thank the Lord!   I, however, was not nearly as brave and didn’t even take out a bike that was free at our Hotel Astoria.   Once again the hotel was great and the Italian breakfast that was included was superb.  Also worth mentioning that it was in Raveena that I had my best meal thus far at Ca de Ven(house of wine).  Apparently it’s the most famous restaurant in Ravenna, according to Rick Steeves, and offers regional cuisine in a 16th century warehouse, communal style.   I had the grilled chicken and vegetables and almost licked the plate.    Oh and did I mention wine with that!

……..was at the top of our list of places to visit even though it’s not in Italy!   Jim came across it in the Globe and Mail, I believe, sent it on to Marilyn who quickly agreed it was a must.   It’s actually surrounded by Italy, is called the Republic of San Marino and is about a 40min drive from San Leo on those very narrow, windy roads but so worth the barfing……just kidding!

View from top of San Marino

Are we there yet?

San Marino, all 61 sqkm of it, is  a world heritage site with a population of 32,000 and is an “…..exceptional testimony of the establishment of a representative democracy based on civic autonomy and self-governance, with a unique, uninterrupted continuity as the capital of an independent republic since the 13th century”…….at least that’s what their pamphlets say!  This is a worth a ‘google’ if you’re interested as it has a fascinating history and is considered to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP and has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe.  San Marino has no national debt and a budget surplus……must send this on to PM Trudeau as an example of what’s possible.  Unlike Canada it’s the world’s smallest repiblic and has had more female heads of state than any other country.   In addition to all that info it has more vehicles than people which might, once again, explain the crazy driving on the roads.   We enjoyed our stay there and hiked around for a few hours climbing stairs, seeing the ruins and, of course, a little window shopping.  I might add that there are way too many stores for such a small population so obviously tourism is one of their major industries……….although once again it wasn’t too busy when we were there.   We didn’t spend the night in San Marino as we so enjoyed the solitude and fabulous hotel we found in San Leo and we happily returned there for a siesta, followed by great pasta and excellent wine to wash it down.

San Leo, northeast of Assisi, has a disputed population – one site said 26 and the other site said 44!   But no matter what the population, it has so far been the highlight of our trip and on that point we all agree.    We are in a wonderful hotel, Castello, run by an extremely caring and attentive young couple who serve a super breakfast and are willing to answer any questions you might have about the area.  San Leo is on a hilltop overlooking the comune of San Leo, with a population of around 3,000, and the drive up the side of the cliff was breathtaking but not quite as breathtaking as when you walk up to the fortress and look down.  A few pictures that won’t help you understand the beauty but that’s how it goes when an ipad  is your camera!

If I lived in Assisi this is where it would be

Driving in Italy is scary and I’m talking from a passenger’s perspective as I am never behind the wheel and it seems Marilyn and Jim are happy that’s the case. However Jim is usually pretty relaxed when he’s driving, but in Italy there’s no time to relax as the moment you do so, someone is either speeding up behind you, cutting you off or making a two lane road into a freeway. Those of you who have already driven in Italy know what I am talking about and have lived to tell the tale. We are slowly acclimatizing and take back all of the nasty things we said last spring in Panama about their driving capabilities ………..it seems we have met their match, and worse, in Italian drivers.  The drivers may be very aggressive but once they are out from behind the wheel of a car, they are wonderful – very helpful, very curious and seem to have a great sense of humour and I suspect able to laugh at themselves, but maybe they’re laughing at me……….who knows, who cares?

From Guilianova we drove for 3-4 hours inland totally enjoying the beautiful scenery, rolling hills and  sunshine – that is when we weren’t holding our breath because of approaching and passing vehicles!    We decided to make Assisi our stop with the plan to stay for a couple of nights to relax and enjoy the surrounding area.   No doubt all, if not most, of you know Assisi is named after the famous St. Francis  of  Assisi and from my childhood memories it was because of his love of animals and his peaceful nature, which as an adult have come to mean so much more.  The town of Assisi is dedicated to St. Francis, otherwise known as Francesco Bernardone, who in the early 13th century believed in, and preached, non-materialism and a simple lifestyle.  He was made one of the patron saints of Italy in 1939 and his home  town of Assisi is today unbelievably commercialized and the basic industry of the town.  We spent two nights and one full day staying right within the walls of Assisi at the Belvedere Hotel which, of course, meant parking the car in a parkade outside.   Our accommodation was fabulous and Enrico, the owner of the hotel, was not only a local, roughly in our age group, but when Marilyn and I were struggling to ask him questions at check-in he said, with a smile on his face, “why don’t we speak English”……..so we did!  Our first night in Assisi, which was our second night in Italy, was very relaxing as it was so quiet, peaceful and uncrowded and we enjoyed a great Italian meal,  with wine of course, and headed to bed shortly thereafter.    The next day, Sunday, we woke to the early morning ringing of Church bells……..and for the rest of the day crowds of people surrounded us as Sunday is a special day for families and tourists to arrive.  We hiked around the hills of Assisi sharing the narrow streets with foreigners from every country I am sure, as well as Italians coming to learn more about their patron saint.  Enrico said every Sunday is like this, but to be there in the summer is crazy as the population explodes  mainly during the day as for many people it’s a day trip; he stated that he was so looking forward to a break and for all the tourists to be gone.    It reminded me,  just a little, of living at the seashore in Nova Scotia and how quiet it is, especially traffic wise, from October to May and how it picks up over the summer and by September we are looking forward to not sharing the Tyndal Road  with all the cottagers – OK it might be a stretch but you get it, don’t ya?  Enrico sure  was right because come sundown Assisi was quiet once again and we casually found a restaurant that we just walked into and found another  great meal and wine.  I have attached a few photos hoping you can catch a little of it’s beauty!  First two pics are the view from our room.

Quite the hike up but worth the view!

Basillica of St. francis where he is buried(around 1226)

……….is a university town and a world heritage site where we stopped for a stretch and a walk following a couple of hours in the car after we left Assisi.  It’s population of 15,000 seemed to be mostly young folks, or so it seemed, as the streets of Urbino were full of young people when we wandered through around lunchtime.  The city is famous for its arts and culture although we did not take the time to visit any as they were all closing for siesta when we were wandering through.   Decided to keep on driving as we’re headed towards San Leo, another world heritage site, and will fill you in when we get there.  Ciao!

Rome-Teramo-Giulianova

Jim and Marilyn enjoying the beautiful beach at Giulianova.   We had a short walk on the beach and decided not to stay here because it was really too built up and touristry, although there were not many people around as all the beach houses, hundreds of condos and many hotels were boarded up for the season.   We decided to drive along the coast for about an hour before we headed inland, to where we are not sure.  Hoping to find a little gem of a place along the way so we can start talking about the fabulous food and wine……stay tuned as there certainly will be more to come on that topic!

Well we got a second wind once we got off the plane and headed to pick up the rental car. Our only concern was getting out of Rome alive as we had heard so much about wild Italian drivers who followed no rules of the road but their own – within a few minutes of being in the car we realized what that meant. Thank the Lord, however, we had listened to Cathy and Keith who had an Italy GPS and said “take it along in case you need it”………and we very quickly set it up and were on our way. We had decided to avoid the autopista, or whatever the super duper highway is, and take the more rural roads although I might add they were nothing like the road from Amherst to Tidnish!   We knew we wanted to head towards the Adriatic so put Atri, a town close by, into the GPS and from there it was clear sailing. We drove for about 4-5 hours, well Jim did, while Marilyn and I chatted in hopes we could keep him awake as we drove through unbelievable countryside and national parks. Traffic, for the most part, was not heavy and as the sun started to set we though that’s enough and settled into a Town called Teramo in the Abruzzo region of Italy, which actually was not too far from where Cathy Hunter’s roots are – maybe her GPS brought us there! Followed  signs to a hotel called Gran Sasso which was just right there, but where? We must have passed by it ten times before one of us actually spotted it and Marilyn and I jumped out to check it out and left Jim to find a parking space which was very much like finding a needle in a haystack!   Anyway it was great, clean, safe, affordable and central so out come the passports and the assistant was off to help Jim squeeze the car into the eye of an needle!   We knew very little about Teramo but knew we all needed a good night’s sleep and a bite to eat before we crashed…….so pizza and wine from  the little take out/eat in did the job……..and before we knew it the sun was up and we were off on another adventure.   Worth mentioning, however, that our hotel was great and Terramo, with a population of over 300,000, is a university town with a fabulous market, great hiking/biking and bird-watching.    We decided to head out of town towards the Adriatic as the temperature was 20C and we were looking forward to being on the beach.    Fill you in tomorrow or the next day as I am starting to fade……..sleep well.