Milos – Aphrodite's Homeland

Images: SL Basking in the Aegian Sun as Naxos Fades Away; Our First Beach in Milos!

The ferry from Naxos to Milos took 6 hours. It's incredible that we can fly from North America to Europe in that time, but some of the views as we sailed through the islands were magnificent.
We had some reservations about whether or not Milos could live up to Naxos, and it didn't help that we arrived, very tired, hungry and thirsty, at almost 10:00. Unlike Naxos, where our host VanGellis had a big sign welcoming us at the port and a mini-bus ready to take us to the hotel, no one really seemed to know where our hotel was – in fact, no one really seemed to know of our hotel.
We finally found a taxi driver who took us on a fairly circuitous route, but we ended up at our hotel. The Zac-Marie Rooms.
Our hosts here speak absolutely no English at all, so it was a pretty interesting start. I can ask for a beer or carafe of wine in Greek, and I know how to say please and thank you. Our hosts seemed to interpret anything I said as a request for ouzo.
Sometime later, we managed to get a key, and made our way down the road to the closest taverna. This was a family affair, with Ee Meetera out front running the show, O Pateras on the Barbee, O Papoos, e Ee Yaya supposedly minding ta pedhya, who were enjoying the fact that it was long past their bedtime. You don't ask to see a menu – she tells you what they have.
We ended up once again telling them to bring whatever they recommended, so we had grilled eggplant, cheese and onion “pies”, tomatoes, olives, cucumber salads, tzatsiki and souvlaki. There is no wine list – you drink what they bring you. It was a wonderful, warm welcome to Milos.
We realized pretty quickly the next day that Milos would require a different mindset than Naxos. In Naxos, our hotel was actually in a small well-equipped village, a two minute walk from the beach, it had a breakfast room, a swimming pool, it came with a car, and VanGellis and Effi both spoke almost perfect English.
Our room here in Milos is about 2 km from the nearest town, which is Adamas, the Port City, the biggest city in Milos, and very touristy. We are not within walking distance of any shopping, our hosts don't speak English, no Internet at the hotel, and there is no beach nearby. Hmmmm.
We decided to rent a scooter. Brian, you would have been proud of me, I insisted on upgrading from 50 cc to 100cc. Off we went to do our shopping to equip our little room with coffee, milk, fruit, water, etc. You have to give SL credit. Perched on the back of a scooter that is older than I am, as we tear down the narrow town alleys, balancing 3 shopping bags and her purse, all she needs to do now is learn how to do this while keeping a goat, two chickens and a grandchild on her knee, keeping up a shouted conversation with everyone we pass, and she will get honourary Greek citizenship.
Since then, we have been all over the island. We pick a new spot every day. Yesterday, Pollonia, today, it was Paliochori. Our poor old scooter barely made it up some of the mountains, but we got there and it was worth it. Lunch began with fresh, warm bread, olive oil, tapenade, followed by a Greek salad with local cheese, olives, peppers, onions, fresh local tomatoes, capers, and, of course, olive oil. We then had red mullet, grilled over an open fire. Of course, they serve you the whole fish: head, tail, bones and all, and you are left to surgically determine your portion.
This is OK. In fact, I think it adds to the flavour of the fish, and the enjoyment of the ritual of eating. (And I am getting to be an wfully GOOD fish surgeon!)
It underscores an interesting contrast between North American and European approaches to food.
Supermarkets in NA seem to do everything they can to dissolve any connection between what you are about to buy, and the animal it once was. Meat is “aesthetically sanitized”. In the market today, we saw rabbits that looked like rabbits (pretty dead, but still rabbits) heads, feet, even the eyes were still there. Chickens still have their heads and feet – you get the picture. I once asked a darling little 3 year old girl what she wanted for breakfast, and asked if she would like some pig? She laughed and said NO WAY! I then asked if she wanted some bacon, and the little carnivore couldn't get enough!

Goodbye Naxos

Pic: Our Beach at Agio Prokopios

We have grown very fond of Naxos, and are quite sad to say goodbye.

I took a long, long walk on the beach this morning, followed by an invigorating swim. We are now headed off for one last seaside lunch at our favourite taverna before heading for the harbour.

Tonight, we will be in Milos.

Milos - you have big shoes to fill!

I do not know if I will have a stable Internet connection in Milos, so bloggees and bloggites, don't despair, I will post on Milos as soon as I can.

Naxos - Last Day - and Guess What?

Images: SL on our morning walk;SL at the Portara (Gateway Temple of Apollo); Our Bouzouki player last night; PJ outside a house with a beautiful little garden.
We had a terrific night last night with a bouzouki player serenading us with Greek ballads till the wee hours in our favourite taverna. He and I hit it off. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was the only one to clap along with his rhythms till the rest of the diners figured it out and joined in, or whether I kept buying him ouzo, but he let me play his bouzouki! It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the music!

Our day started with our usual exercise. We are trying to walk for at least an hour every morning, with the serendipitous result that we are always looking for new walks, and finding new treasures. The last picture was taken outside a tiny little house in our village, not unusual in its beauty, but worth the picture. Note to JB - I am swimming every night before dinner, so those are NOT man-boobs, they are what we body-builders call pecs.

So, as we have come to expect on this trip, we have been thrown a curve, and things have worked out well in spite of it.

We got a call from our travel agent that there was something wrong with the ferry schedule we had planned to take us to Milos tomorrow. We had to go into Naxos to sort it out.

Long story short, we now have a new schedule, and the ticket agent refunded us e50! We also took a stroll through the Old Market where we were transported back hundreds of years to a maze of narrow alleys, quaint cobblestone paths leading to... you guessed it... ancient Greek tavernas where we enjoyed another spectacular lunch of salads - tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, feta cheese, olives, red onion, - all drenched in olive oil so sweet and spicy you want to drink it, and gyros -traditional Greek and Turkish chicken on a pita.

Scenery, Sunsets.

Images: Old Town Naxos; Ya Mas! (Cheers!); Sunsets at Dinner
If all of this were a canvas, spread on an easel perched on the rocks overlooking the sea,
If something were missing from paradise.
If someone gave me a paintbrush and told me to complete the picture, to make it perfect.
I wouldn't need to add the mountains in the distance, shades of solemn grey, slumbering with shawls of green wrapped over their shoulders.
I wouldn't need to add the impeccably clean houses, patriotic in their navy-blue and pristine white.
It couldn't be the sea, for there are no colours left in the palette to tint what is already a vivid tapestry of green, white, grey, aquamarine, and every hue of blue imaginable.
If you are reading this, you are a friend.
The only thing that would complete this picture is you...
We are having a terrific time, and we miss you all!
Today we visited old Naxos town, then hiked for miles along the beautiful beach. We have bought a new camera, as ours gave up the ghost. Forgive our enthusiasm as we post a few more pics now that we can do the sunsets justice.
Dinner – stuffed squid, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions, and green peppers, grilled eggplant, and broad beans. No French fries, but thanks for the out, Sandy!
Just got off a videoconference with Susan and Bremner, who has broken his wrist!! Have talked a couple of times with JB, and once with Klaude, who sent me her new song!
If anyone else Skypes – please email us your user name at john.lubert@gmail.com and we would love to chat with you!

Naxos - Unwinding

Images: The Mountains in the Interior; Our Taverna on the Sea; The Market in Naxos; The Beach

If the beginning of our adventure was marked by challenges including erupting volcanoes, bad weather and unfathomable maps/roadsigns, the hallmark of this leg of the journey must be complete and utter relaxation.

The island of Naxos is stunningly beautiful, as I hope the pix testify, but the best part is that there is no downside to exploring. If we get lost, it's an island and you can't go too far wrong. If we get lost, we stop and have some fresh fish, and the best Greek salad you will ever find. If we get lost, we get out and explore. No one drives fast here - there is no hurry to get anywhere.

I went for a long walk on the beach this morning before SL got up. There is not much of a market for bathing suits here in Naxos, and let me tell you that God had a pretty good sense of humour when it came to the range of human bodies he puts on display! (SL and I excepted of course!)

On the subject of bodies, we are trying to watch our weight, but I fear it is a losing battle. We walked for an hour this morning, and I swam yesterday in the beautiful pool here at Agios Prokopios Hotel. Every meal we have seems to come with French Fries. I ordered a fruit salad for breakfast - it was served with French Fries on the side. Of course, we feel we would be insulting our Greek friends not to eat them.

The Agios Prokopios Hotel is wonderful. Van Gellis and Effi are the nicest couple you can imagine, incredibly young to own a hotel, and speak almost perfect English. The hotel is spotless, and we get maid service every day. They do the dishes, the laundry, clean towels, etc. All this for $60/day including a rental car!

Tomorrow we visit the city of Naxos (called Chora here).

Naxos

Images: The Sunset Grill; our view of the sunset.

I gotta laugh. I just checked out the Toronto forecast, and though it's raining today, the forecast is for nothing but sunny skies and the temperature up from 26 to 30 by Tuesday! Here in Naxos it is pouring rain and about 18 degrees.
We do not let the weather get us down. Naxos is beautiful.

Last night we ate right by the sea, watching the sun go down. "Eggplant salad", which we might call baba ghanoush on warm, fresh-baked bread, accompanied with stuffed vine leaves. SL then had fried cod while I had a swordfish souvlaki, both accompanied by a tomato and cucumber salad in olive oil.
The sunset was incredible. It was as though Zeus had decreed a light show. The storm clouds allowed bolts of light to beam through as shafts of orange/purple light, and they lit up the mountains as though some director were orchestrating each scene. Fantastic! I have posted a picture, but it scarcely does the real thing justice - the rainbow of colours are not evident, but you can see how the beams come down as if from individual spotlights.
Today we pick up our tiny rental car (remember the BUS?) and head inland for the ancient Greek village of Aperanthos, described as "perhaps Naxos most beautiful town". The taverna we are intending to eat at "Taverna Lefteris" is considered one of the best in Naxos. "The menu features the staples of Greek cooking prepared in a way that shows you how good this food can be. Dishes hilight the freshest of vegetables and meats, prepared with admirable subtlety. The hearty homemade bread is delicious."

There is a music store here, so maybe I'll get a guitar and the DTs will subside......

Greece Travel Day

Images: Group Shot of the "Indian Bikers" (South Italy) as they coalesce outside the ferry; Bikers exiting the ferry

We took the ferry last night from Italy to Greece, arriving in Patra after an overnight sail. Our cabin was small, but comfortable. It was an interesting evening as we were accompanied by 2oo Harley Davidsons belonging to the "Indian Bikers" (none of whom were riding Indians???)
We arrived with all of our luggage, now on foot, having said goodbye to "The Bus" and having to pay an extra 118 Euros for being 4 hours late!
The plan was to take an express bus from Patra to Athens, and then take the subway (Metro) to Piraeus. Remember all that you've been reading about the financial troubles, the strikes, the unemployment, the strikes, ....the strikes??!! Yep, you guessed it. No trains, no buses and no ferries.
We paid over $300 for a taxi that took us all the way here, straight to our hotel. It was almost worth it as we met a great Greek taxi driver named George. We finally got a chance to sit back and enjoy the ride in his new Mercedes, had a nice lunch with George - he paid for it, as he could now afford anything on the menu. Souvlaki and the best Greek salad we have ever tasted, with fantastic feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, and of course, olive oil.

The situation here in Greece is very sad. The Greek people themselves want to work, want to turn things around, but they keep hurting each other and being hurt by the government. The hotel owner was trying to explain to me how much it cost him every time there was a general strike and people had to cancel. Strikes are just as expected and accepted, as the weather; some days OK, some days, not so much. The taxes keep punching the workers and the businesses like they were a boxer on wobbly knees and the government was doing the good 'ol "Rope-a Dope".

Tomorrow, God willing and the river don't rise, the strikers will be back to work and we will be on our way to Naxos.

The Amalfi Coast - Vico Equense

Images: Claustrophobia!; Mt Vesuvius from our hotel today; Mt Vesuvius erupting in 1944

It is now 4:00 Italian time, and SL and I are relaxing at our beautiful hotel overlooking the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius herself majestic in the background.
Our day did NOT start well.
First, K came into our room and the door to her room slammed shut with the key in the lock on the inside. Now, you would think that this kind of thing has happened before, or at least we were not the FIRST ones to do this, but it was a dilemna of Sherlock Holmesian dimension, and noone could unlock the door. Remember that K is scheduled to leave today, and her luggage, ticket, passport, EVERYTHING is inside that room.
Then we discover that my "pouch" is missing. No, JB not my paunch, (we would all be happy to see that GO!) - the leather pouch that has my money, house keys, car keys, epi-pen (I am allergic to bees), and other meds. We deduce that I left it at the restauranto last night, so I leave to track it down.
Va bene, I get the pouch back with absolutely everything intact, and return to the albergo to find that the mystery of the locked door has been solved.
We prepare to leave and I enter the tiny phone booth of an elevator with all of our luggage. It is far too small for anything but a couple of suitcases and one person. SL and K head down the stairs to meet me when I arrive with the luggage. The elevator is coin operated and I have five fifty cent coins. I put in a coin, and press 1. The elevator descends a distance and then stops.

Nothing.

The elevator has glass inner doors which you open when you reach the metal outer doors on each floor, but there are no outer doors. I see only plaster walls. I wait. Do not panic. I wait. Nothing. The elevator is 2 feet wide by 3 feet long. Nothing. I press every button. Nothing. Five minutes go by. Nothing. The elevator is no longer 2 feet wide by 3 feet long.

Do not panic.

I decide to put in another coin. I press 1. The elevator moves, then stops. Plaster walls - no exit doors. I am in Napoli. I do not speak Italian well. K has to get to the aeroporto. I try shouting. Noone hears. Do not panic - panic can kill you. I am sorry to admit that I am now very, very concerned. I press the alarm button. Noone comes. There is no intercom.

Do not panic. I am pressing the alarm with the International Morse Code signal for help. 3 short, 3 long, 3 short, 3 long.... SOS SOS. Nothing. The people on the outside, if they can hear the alarm, cannot summon the elevator because it is in use - by me.

I decide to put in another precious coin, and the elevator starts with a jerk, then stops. Plaster walls - no exit doors. I try to open the inner doors, but they will not move, and if they did, I would be faced with a solid plaster wall. There is no hatch in the ceiling. 3 short - 3 long - 3 short SOS. I lean on the buzzer. Noone can hear me, or at least I can hear noone.

I have two coins left. I begin to suffer from real panic and it takes everything I have not to start yellling for help. Panic WILL kill you... I try visualization to calm me, I try deep breathing, but I am pretty sure that there was a lot more air in this little cubicle when I started. I am pretty sure it was a lot bigger. I am pretty sure that at LEAST three hours have gone by.
I have two coins left. They are the one thing left that is keeping me from a complete loss of hope and the abyss of panic. If I use them and they are both gone.......
I put the penultimate coin in and press 5 for the floor I left from. The elevator starts and jolts to a stop. I see outer doors and explode through them to the safety of the hallway. I had been in the elevator maybe twenty minutes - it seemed like hours.
If you had asked me if I were claustrophobic before this event, I would have scoffed it away. I can now appreciate in a small way the terror that people who suffer from this and other phobias must go through.
We dropped K off at the airport and then SL snd I had an uneventful drive to the Amalfi Coast, which is breathtaking in its beauty.
Our hotel is right on the water, and we went for a nice lunch and met some very engaging Irish folk.
Tomorrow. Brindisi and the ferry to Greece!

Naples

Images: Castel Nuevo; the streets of Napoli (remember "the BUS"!!)

Anyone who tells you that driving in Roma is crazy, has not driven in Napoli. Our host here at the B and B (on the fifth floor - with a tiny, one person elevator) describes it as "chaotica!"
It was a real challenge to find our B and B, as we drove in circles for about an hour, stopping to ask directions every ten minutes, and getting conflicting advice each time we stopped.
Finally settled at the B and B, I had to take "The Bus" to the parking garage, which was located 18 stops, three angry curses, and 72 honks of Napolese horns as I looked in vain for non-existent street name signs. Check out the picture of the streets of Napoli, and remember the dimensions of The Bus.....
Our dinner was unanimously selected the best meal we have had yet. Naples is famous for its pizza, so we had to start with a "piccollo" margharita pizza. Tomatoes, cheese and basil on the lightest crust we have ever tasted.
Next came a seafood pasta with monkfish, mussels, clams, tomatoes in a light cream sauce made with white wine, garlic, olio d'oliva, and LOTS of butter. Absolutely delicious. It was the type of sauce that you had to mop up with lots of fresh-baked bread.
Sweet Melissa left for home on Sunday, so we raised a glass to her. We had grown so used to sharing our meals together that her presence was sorely missed, so much so that we raised a couple more glasses to her. Cin-cin sweetheart! We miss you!
Tomorrow, we valiantly navigate the streets of Napoli to get K to the airport to return to London. We keep our fingers crossed as the news reported that a thousand flights to England had been cancelled due to volcanic ash. Is there a theme developing here????

Internet in Italy

Internet Italian Style
My abject apologies for the lack of regularity in the blog postings. SM and I keep collaborating on them, and in fact, have done a fairly good job of keeping current. The issue is connecting to the Internet in Italia.
There was no Internet in our first hotel, but we did have a fairly decent connection at the farmhouse in Tuscany, where we posted a couple of blogs.
Since then, we have travelled to Sicilia, where there was an “Internet Point” - a type of Internet Cafe right in the town of Baggio, where we waited for our rental agent to direct us to our house. I inquired as to the rates, and was informed that the “Internet es rotto” The Internet was broken. He then proudly cursed the Internet lines in English.
No Internet at the casa we rented in Sicilia. No Internet Point in Castellione.
Back in Roma, no Internet at our B and B, but there was a sign advertising “WiFi” at the Cafe across the road. Nope, did not have WiFi. I did not ask why there was a big indicatzione saying WiFI on the door, but they did point out that there was an “Internet Point” across the street, next to the jewelers. Went there – nope. Not working.
Not sure when you might read all this........

Taormina

Images: A typical house with overflowing flowerboxes in Taormina;PJ and SL in "Commune da Taormina"; The girls on the drive up to Taormina

Taormina
One of the difficulties that I am finding in writing a travel blog is that you tend to run out of superlatives. I am sure that colour commentators on TV must face the same problem. Wide receiver makes a spectacular catch in the superbowl: “That has GOT to go down as the most incredible catch in Superbowl history!!” next play.... Wide Receiver makes a sensational catch, gets up, gives the referee the ball, goes into the stands, delivers three beers to waiting customers, and throws 4 bags of peanuts right on target to those who ordered them.... I mean, what DO you say now?
Taormina – we drove through Giardini Naxos along a beautiful coastline and parked about 200 M below the Centro of Taormina. I gotta give K the props here. She has never once complained about the walking, the stairs, the long drives, the fact that I am always right and she's not....
Once we climbed the stairs, we entered the “Commune de Taormina” - a beautiful park filled with statues, gardens, and historical remnants from another age.
Oh, how I wished my buddy Brian were with us. There was a display of a MANNED TORPEDO from WWI. Two navy types in scuba gear actually rode this thing underwater – not a submarine, more like riding a dolphin on steroids and growth hormones (and with the accompanying attitude) to deliver the explosive warhead in the nose to the intended target.
Taormina itself is very touristy, but for a reason. The scenery is spectacular, as it overlooks the Mediterranean from 1500 feet, and the town retains much of its ancient charm. Window boxes overflow with bourgainvillea, flags flutter from the walls of buildings crowding alleyways, and tenors stroll the streets singing.
We loved San Gimigiano, Sienna, Firenze, and of course, Roma, but Taormina might just take the prize in terms of sheer beauty.
I am not looking forward to leaving Sicilia....

Sicily.

Images: Etna; PJ, SL anbd Etna in the background;SL with Castelligone in the background,; SM reading at our Casa in Sicilly



Sicily.
As described in the “Travel Day” blog, the trip down to Sicilia was pretty brutal, leaving all of us drained.
The night we arrived, our rental agent pointed out Etna slumbering in the very near distance. Now Etna is a real, active volcano. You can see the steam geysering out from 50 km away ( and we are MUCH nearer).
You must remember that volcanoes have played a major role in the theme of this whole trip, and here we were, exhausted from our arduous journey, hunkering down within a volcanic stone's throw from Etna. K was worried and quite unsure about being in such proximity to the temperamental mountain, and it took more than a bit of convincing to get her off to bed.
I am not making this next part up.
No sooner than my head had hit the pillow, than I felt, rather than heard, a deep boom, followed by a rumble. We have slept in beds that make some pretty strange noises, so I turned over, and again, felt a rumbling boom. It was not the noise of thunder. I lay still, and sure enough, another boom, followed shortly by two others in quick succession, then a strange, crackling sizzle. I went into the hallway to find a frightened K, wondering what was happening
We both raced outside to look towards Etna, and ….. nothing. Then the sky light up with Chrysanthemums and beautiful cascading waterfalls of light. Fireworks!! In the middle of nowhere in Sicily. We had forgotten it was Festiva Del Mamma! It was a Mother's Day SL will never forget!
We spent the next day just relaxing in the beautiful sunshine, visiting the nearby town of Castiglione, and hiking through the artwork that is the Sicilian countryside. Every corner we turn we are faced with a new painting of centuries-old farmhouses, framed by vineyards and olive groves against a backdrop of emerald mountains dominated of course, by Etna herself, huffing away in the background as though jealous that we would even spend a moment with our eyes on anything but her.
At night, after shopping at the supermercado, we sit outside by the fire, under Etna's maternal watch, and eat the meals we have prepared of prosciutto e melone (Prosciutto ham wrapped around melon) , pollo arosto (roast chicken), olivia (olives) , fromagio (many different kinds of cheeses), antipasti, pesche (fish), and local wines. The fire reminds us of camping in Killbear Provincial Park, and we miss G, J, and the Gkids more than I can say.

A Travel Day

Images: The Bus
A Travel Day
First you must appreciate the immensity of the Bus. I do not think that "Quattro" and "Quattordieci" sound all that much alike, but I confess to still working on my Italian. Perhaps the gentleman who lost our reservation for a mid-sized station wagon and decided to "upgrade" us to a van thought we needed room for fourteen, not four.
Apart from the transport trucks, we have yet to see anything as big as our bus. We regularly fold both mirrors in and inch our way down streets, with a finger-width on either side.
Today we left the Hotel Olympia in Salerno to drive to Sicily.
I think we have mastered the navigation of the roads, but it is hard to describe the journey that we undertook.
On a PAY road, a TOLL road, we were warned that there was construction and that the trip would take longer than we expected. The construction was the whole length of the motorway – all 450 km of it. Apparently this construction has been underway for twenty years. When we pondered why they wouldn't just take a measly 100km and get that finished, then move on to another section, K's response was, …... wait for it......“No wonder they lost the bloody war...” The 450km took us over 9 hours.
Upon arrival in Sicily, we were to phone our contact, who would take us to our house in Cuballino.
We didn't have a cell phone, so we stopped to use the pay phone. We could not find a pay phone that took real money, and finally figured out that you have to buy a phone card.
So – we went to where the big sign said “Phone Cards for Sale” in English no less. But you guessed it, the young lady informed us that no one sells phone cards anymore. When I asked how they used the pay phones (which looked fairly new) she just shrugged. When I asked WHY they had pay phones if no one could use them, she shrugged again.
A lady who was listening then handed us her cell phone and insisted we make the call on her phone. She refused even a cup of expresso for her kindness. Molto gentile!
We arrived well after dark at Cuballino, which we NEVER would have found on our own, and collapsed, exhausted into a deep sleep, from which we awoke to our first day of sunshine under the beautiful Sicilian sky, with Etna looking sternly down on us from her majestic throne.

Sienna and a (bit of) sun

Images: The University of Pittsburg Singers!; SM and PJ Lying in the sun: Duomo


Sienna!
Guest blog by Sweet Melissa.
With Florence under our belt, and the sun trying valiantly to break through the non-stop rain, we headed off to beautiful Sienna. Though we had success with the Italian train system we still decided to go for a nice drive to the city. We parked the bus and entered next to the severe looking church San Domenica. It may have been austere from the outside, but we soon detected the sweet sound of a male choir. Drawing nearer, we were able to make out the tune – It was the University of Pittsburg singers, and the song? Happy Together by the Turtles! They performed it acapella and beautifully, so Dad rewarded them with a “Go Steelers!” that cut through the applause of the gathering to much laughter and reciprocal applause from the singers.
Upon entering the walled city we headed straight for the Piazza Del Campo . It was as if the heavens decided to smile for us. In a week filled with rain, this day had begun like the rest, but for a brief half hour in the square we were able to join the locals and the other travelers in lying in
the square to soak up the sun.
The Piazza Del Campo is where the bi-annual "Il Palio" horse race takes place. The outer Piazza is filled with dirt, and horseback riders from 10 of the 17 districts race to win the il Palio. The only rule is that jockeys are not allowed to grab another rider's reins. Anything else goes. Participants have been known to kidnap opponents the night before, drug them the morning of the race, or, if an opponent tries to pass you, “Whip him with a leather belt made from the skin of a bull's penis, which leaves the deepest welts and the longest lasting scars.”, according to one race official.
With all of the rain, I just hadn't been in the mood for ice cream, but maybe it was the brief sunshine, or maybe it was my sense of duty to report SMOG, but I finally had the chance to taste my second report. A lovely Natucchio (this is as close as I could remember the name) ice cream that tasted almost exactly like Nutella. Again a 9! I will admit that it is difficult to say whether or not this particular gelato is in direct comparison with the first as it was a completely different flavour, but I maintain that my scale is yet to be defined and is still in its early stages of scientific development.
The ice cream was great...the service not so much. While normally that may have bothered us, it did give Dad a chance to figure out a few swear words in Italian -”Non essere una stronzo!”
After leaving the square we took our time heading up and down the alleys and really felt like we were seeing a small piece of San Gimignano. Each of us found small gifts and trinkets to bring home and enjoyed strolling leisurely through the quaint shops.
We couldn't leave Sienna without seeing their very own Duomo. After having just been to Florence, we weren't sure we would be impressed. Though not as large and ornate, the Duomo was in its own right spectacular. The attention to detail is definitely a sight to see.
Last but not least we visited St. Katerina's church (we remember it more fondly as the German figure skater Katerina Witt's church as a way to remember our meeting place in case one of us got lost). This church was quite different from those we had already seen. The art was this fragmented, almost moder art like, art work that as Nana said, “Looks like someone painted after a bad night out on the town”. That aside, Dad lit another candle for Pal. We had decided that, her feelings about religion aside, it couldn't hurt.
All in all, I think we all left feeling like Sienna seemed to be the best of both Florence and SanGimagnano. If you could only go to one of the three, I think we might say Sienna.

Florence!

Images: Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore; SM and SL pretending not to check out David;King Neptune; and the Ponte Vecchio


Florence!
It has rained every day, and today is no exception. Cold, windy and rainy. There is so much water that the toilets are backing up: our downstairs loo smells like a sewer. The Italians are worried that so much rain may cause the grapes to develop mold. This was a perfect day to tackle Firenze!
We took an early train from Castelfiorentino to Florence to take a break from trying to make sense out of Italia's road system.
I have to admit that, after finally figuring out the ticketing system, the train was on time, clean and inexpensive.
We arrived in Florence and headed straight for the Duomo (Museo Dell'Opera Dell Duomo) and Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore – also called Duomo. The latter has a fascinating history in that the architect, Filippo Brunelleschi won a contest back in the early 1400's to design the dome, and used engineering principles that had never been proven, and many said were impossible. The dome remains today as a triumph of engineering over gravity. The Cattedrale itself would be gaudy if it were not so overwhelming beautiful – part candy cane, part zebra, part church – white green and pink.
The next hilite was Piazza Della Signoria – if you have ever watched David Rocco's “La Dolce Vita” this is the square the show begins at, with David running past the statues.
The piazza is dominated by some of the world's most famous sculptures, including Hercules, Neptune, and of course, David. Now one thing that David is not known for is his modesty, standing quite unabashedly in his altogether. Because of this, you will not see a picture of K with David in the foreground, but I have included one of SM and SL. I could have included many, as each time I lost track of them, they could be found at the base of the statue gazing at his – I am sure it was his face.
David, of course, was created by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. The statue became known for representing the defence of civil liberties (remember when he took on Goliath??). Interestingly, David's eyes glare towards Roma!
The Uffizi, the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Ponte Vecchio (the city's oldest bridge – dating from the 12th century), we did our best to do justice to them all, but to be honest, you could spend a year in Florence and not see all that it has to offer.
We took the 7:00 train back to Cabbiavoli and made ourselves a dinner of pollo arosto, insalada misti, asparagi and, of course vino bianco.

The Mad Butcher of Panzano

Images: PJ in Tuscan field, San Gimignano, Beefheart, SM w Air Friends, PJ with the Mad Butcher, SL and K w the Mad Butcher.

Lubertadventure it truly is! Today we go to San Gimignano, and end up at Darrio Cecchia's Macceleria, an ancient butcher shop that has been in his family for centuries.

First SM and I are off for a walk during a brief respite from the rain that has conspired, without ANY success, to dampen our spirits or enjoyment of our adventure. We leave the farmhouse and walk randomly, but not blindly, for we cannot deny our eyesight the feast we are about to see. The Tuscan landscape is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I know that I have said that before about guitar stores, but to drink in the hills of Tuscany is one of the sweetest tastes we have shared. SM insisted that I be captured in the foreground of one of the scenes we took in together on our morning walk.

After collecting SL and K, we are off to spend an evening at Darrio Cecchia's Officina Bistecca for a vegans' nightmare, but first - San Gimignano. This is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany. As a symbol of its status and power, during the 14th century, the city boasted 72 towers, of which 13 still stand today. We sampled our first gelatos in SG, which has prompted SM to develop the SMOG scale - Sweet Melissa's Opinion of Gelato. She has given SG's gelato a 9. She refuses to divulge the scope of the scale, as it's her first Italian gelato, and freely admits that it is a bit of an inexact science at present.
At this point we do not feel qualified to comment on the adventure that was, and continues to be, driving in Italy. We don't feel qualified for the same reason that SM feels her SMOG scale is as of yet unrefined, pending further research. We can definitively say that driving in Italy has nothing to do with directional signs, speed limits, maps and/or the commandments of driving etiquette handed down to North American culture by H. Ford lo those many years ago.

Panzano - The Mad Butcher of Panzano - The Officiana Bistecca.

If you limit your red meat intake you may wish to read no further. If you are a vegetarian, please skip to the next entry in the blog. If you are a vegan, turn off the computer, and run. Run hard, and run far.

SM, K, SL and I arrived at the restaurant at 8pm where we were greeted as old friends by the staff and sat next to a oversized brazier that looked down upon the carnage of a cow. I am not sure, but it may not have been only one cow. The meal included faggiolli in olio (beans in olive oil), fresh vegetables which were to be dipped in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and spices which was delicious. But, the star of the show was Carne - Meat.

First up, raw minced beef. I remember there was a time around the mad cow issue when restaurants were refusing to serve hamburgers any less than well done. What was served us was raw and it was delicious. Next came the same ground beef, ostensibily cooked, but we suspected it had just been threatened by a candle. Next came ribeye steak, then T-bone (Biftecca Fiorentini) , then sirloin, then filet.

This was accompanied by huge flagons of Chianti (of which someone in our party spilled) and a passing nod to potatoes and other veggies. At the end of the night, the whole restaurant rose to sing happy 80th birthday to K. Then we all enjoyed what are known as Italian Military Liqueurs prompting K to remind her Italian hosts once more, "It's no wonder you lost the bloody war".

I am not making this next part up.

SM, who had flown over on a flight from Paris to Rome (300 KM away from where we were dining), recognized and reconnected with the 2 women that had been her seat mates on the flight over. They came down and introduced themselves to SL and me and to the question, "Does this girl deserve the adoration I have for her?", they responded, "Absolutely, she's a treasure". (But I already knew that!)

Fast forward to the next morning. No. Go to one of those vaselined-lensed, slow-motion, special effects, hallucinogenic, kaleidoscopic shots (Scott - you know what I mean!) to the next morning. We all awoke feeling as one might expect a person to feel after eating enough red meat to congest the arteries of a T-Rex. We do not fault Darrio for the decline of the dinosaurs, but had he been around, the Raptor (arguably the brightest of a dim lot) would have had to invent Alka Seltzer. Also - remember the Italian Military Liquers??

Although we all felt a bit dusty, we all agreed it was well worth it, and that it was a night we would never forget. We then spent two hours navigating Tuscan directions to our farm house 30 KM away.

Tomorrow...Firenze! (and the statue of David's penis)

Day Two - La Bella Roma

Images, SL,SM and K at the Colliseum, J and SM at the Vittorio Emmanuel Monument0, K and SM at the Trevi Fountain, JR at my Casa.

Day Two – La Bella Roma

Everyone was jet lagged and tired, but the excitement of being in one of the most beautiful cities in the world stirred me from my bed at 6 am. I went down to the local bar and had a cappuccino. I do not know what the big deal with crack is...after one cappuccino, my system was jangled awake, and I was ready to take on Roma!

I went for a walk, came back, woke up everybody in the albergo (including those that are not related by blood to me) and yelled “pronto, pronto”. I am still not sure what pronto means...but it woke them up and we headed out to embrace Roma after the obligatory 87 minutes that the women I love partake of showering and dressing and make-up etc.

We were heroes. We conquered the Metro, we saw the Trevi Fountain (again), the Spanish Steps, well there were a lot of steps, and some of them might have been Spanish (or at least a Spaniard may have worked on them), we saw Vittorio Emanuelle Monument and of course the Colliseum.

Caught up in the spirit of things at the Colliseum, and feeling very Gladiatorial, I looked around for a lion to vanquish, but not finding one, stepped on a tail of a stray cat. The onlookers roared their approval, but after a valiant battle was put up by Fluffy, upon the crowd's thumb's up, I had no choice but to release the feral beast.

I then departed to Termini to rent our van for the next leg of our adventure as the ladies went to meet Italian men and lunch on fresh cured meats, vegetables, olive oil, blood oranges, garlic, rocket, pomodore, balsamic vinegar, baked bread and of course vino de la casa.

I pulled up in the van and had to insist to the 3 very disappointed Italian men that there was in fact no room for them in the van. Many hours later, through pouring rain and the most bizarre traffic jam I have ever been in (20 minutes completely at a dead stop for no apparent reason and then total return to highway speed), we arrived at Cabbiavoli.

Our co-residents at Cabbiavoli include: 3 bikers driving Harley Road Kings and Julia Roberts. I am not making this up, OK maybe she's not here this very second, but at one time she was and I'm sure she wishes she were here now with us.
"Family jewel’ by Nerida Piggin © '25 Beautiful Homes' photographed by Nathalie Krag
'...one of the first guests to stay (at the villa) since the renovation, the actress Julia Roberts, felt compelled to send for her favourite photographer in LA to come to take photos of her holidaying at the villa...'"

Tomorrow, the Mad Butcher of Panzano....