Recap of Summer 2010

FINALLY, I am getting around to another blog post.  It is the afternoon before we leave for our fall trip and I feel compelled to catch up.  So here is a quick recap of summer 2010.

We stopped in London for two nights on our way back to Seattle/Whidbey Island. It was a fun visit and quite relaxing after the hectic few weeks selling and moving out of our house.  We visited the Imperial War Museum (fascinating!), the Victoria and Albert (saw an exhibit of Princess Grace of Monaco's clothes) and rode the London Eye.

The London Eye is a giant ferris wheel. Each "car" holds 25 people although there was only about a dozen in ours. The views were spectacular and it is really something different.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We were only back on Whidbey Island for a week before we headed to Wenatchee for my niece's high school graduation.  She is the oldest of the grandkids so it was a big deal.  Here is Emily with my parents, Marion and Jack.

It felt like we were hardly home in June because less than two weeks after we were in Wenatchee we took a five day road trip to Sonoma, CA.  The purpose was to see the NASCAR road race there but we also managed to stop and see friends in Eugene, OR (formerly of Italy) and two of my dad's cousins and their families.  The race itself was loads of fun. This picture shows the aftermath of a crash that happened right in front of the randstand. Overall the racing was very good. The weather was sunny and cool but that was a lot better than the cool, rainy weather in Western Washington that lasted until July.
 
 

July 4th weekend we drove to Kent, WA to see the Vintage car races and look at all the cars on display.  They were featuring Alfa Romeos and lots of other interesting vehicles. 
 

In mid-July I went hiking near Snoqualmie Pass with some of our skiing friends.

On the hike we passed two lovely alpine lakes. Of course I have totally forgotten their names.  You can see that the weather was lovely and warm.

On the weekend we usually have our big summer party (that we skipped this year) we went to Enumclaw for the annual Northwest Scottish Highland Games.  This photo shows the massing of the bands that is held each day at 12:00.  All the bands competing parade out and play together.  It is quite spectacular.  Dom is a real pipe band fan.  We checked out all the exhibits and booths, met up with friends and listened to all of the band competitions.  Several of the top bands in the world were there including Simon Frasier University from Vancouver, Canada.
 

There was a break in activity until late August when I went on a three day kayak trip with my sister, Patty, and two friends, Deb and Cindy.  The first day was somewhat overcast but we never got rained on.  This picture of Patty is not bad considering I took it blind over the top of my head!

Here we are at lunch our first day.  Our guide, Wyatt, was very good and lots of fun.  We also had a Canadian couple with us, Brian and Kim.  They hailed from Smithers, BC which is pretty far north. 

Our second and third days were sunny and warm.  The kayaking itself was fun (although rather hard work) and it was fascinating being right down on the water.  We spent most of our time close to shore where we could see down into the shallows as well as the beach activity.  No orcas swam by but we saw porpoises, eagles, sea otters and many other creatures.  Our camp site on Cypress Island in the San Juans was visited by racoons and mice.
 
 

We enjoyed the beach camping.  Tents, sleeping pads and pillows were all provided by Anacortes Kayaking.  Wyatt proved to be an excellent cook.  We brought along plenty of wine and the company was excellent.  The scenery was beautiful including this view of the rising moon at sunset.

Our last day was the sunniest and warmest.  This was our view of Mt. Baker from the kayak as we made our way back to Anacortes.

Before we headed off our last morning the guide for the other group that camped near us took a picture of all of us and our kayaks.
 
Although we enjoyed the trip the paddling got to us by the last day.  I am glad we did not do the five day trip!  Next summer we have plans for another girls' trip that are active but not quite so intense.
 

The week after Labor Day Dom and I tore out our bathroom in preparation for a total remodel this winter.  This is the view of our bedroom looking into the bathroom area.  As you can see we did a pretty thorough job.

There is not much left of the bathroom and dressing area that were there before.  Our plan is to convert this area to a walk-in closet (rather than a dressing room) and make the bath area larger.  It will all be very nice when it is finished sometime in March.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Those are the highlights of our summer.  Tomorrow we are off to Italy to look for a new place there.  At the moment we are leaning towards an apartment but we will see what happens.  We will also spend most of October in Rome.  This is something we have wanted to do but was not practical when we had a house three hours away.  Now that we are between houses it seems like the perfect opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Eternal City.  It will also provide lots of new material for the blog. :-)

Last Weekend in Italy!

Lou bundled up to walk at dawn!/Sagra field

Camigliano vineyard and countryside

Villa near Camigliano/Persimmon tree and villa

Old workers' cottages now local bar/Dom with premi!

Pasta for breakfast/Bikers at Bar Bini

We spent yesterday cleaning the house and tools. It was bright sunshine with a good breeze so I managed to do three loads of wash and actually get them dry. Dom serviced the cutter bar mower and other tools before putting them away for the winter. He also spread some fertilizer around the base of the olive trees. It should be done later in the winter but he was there and so was the fertilizer. It also took both of us to haul the patio table and the TALDI bench into the barn. Most everything we needed to accomplish got done so we ended the day feeling pretty pleased. Later on we met Mary and Orlando at Ristorante La Fonte for a last delicious Italian meal.

Today we got up early and went to one more marcia podistica. This one was located east of Lucca in the town of Camigliano. It was still fairly dark when we arrived at 7 am. It was also COLD—not much above freezing although it was a dry morning so we did not have to worry about ice on the roads. I was bundled up, wearing three layers, my raincoat, a ball cap and gloves!

The partenza (start) was located in what has to be the local sagra (festival) venue. The walled field had several permanent buildings (including one with a large kitchen) along its perimeter, a bandstand and a stone dance floor. Parking was located in an even bigger field beyond the walls. It made us wonder what kind of festival the town has each year and when it is held. We’ll have to look into that.

We were not familiar with the town of Camigliano so it was fun to explore another new area. The terrain around it is rolling hills with a number of large vineyards. The area is close to the town of Montecarlo which is a major wine producing area. There are also many new houses in the area so it looks prosperous. The sun rose but high, thin overcast meant it never got very warm. We kept up a vigorous pace and soon warmed up. Even so it was cold enough that I never took off my hat or gloves.

As we approached the finish we realized that there was a huge, well kept villa located across from the field where we started. The small cottages nearby must once have been the estate workers’ homes. Nowadays they have been renovated and a sign identified a couple of them as the bar/clubhouse for the local gruppo sportivo (sports group). When we finished we picked up our premi (prizes—a bottle of wine each!) and had a little hot tea and toast with olive oil. Pasta with sauce was also available but we passed on that.

On our way home we stopped at Bar Bini in Diecimo for cappuccino and pastry. It is always packed on Sunday mornings but we enjoy being part of the crowd. As I waited outside for Dom to pay I saw a large group of cyclists out for a Sunday ride. They were bundled up as well and pedaling fast to keep warm.

Later in the morning I went to mass at our village church. Afterwards I made frittata for lunch. Then we commenced packing. With 15 liters of olive oil to transport it was difficult keeping our bags below the new British Airways weight limit. We had an allowance of two bags each with a maximum weight each of 23 kilos (50 lbs.). Since each container of olive oil weighs about 5 kilos and measures roughly 12x8x4 inches we soon discovered that taking only three bags was not going to work. In the end we had four bags—two large and two small—plus two carry-on bags. Neither of the large bags was full but it worked.

Late in the afternoon we went up to the village bar for a coffee and to say goodbye to our friends. We spent an enjoyable hour chatting in broken Italian and promising to return in the spring. Tonight we are going for a last pizza at Ristorante Il Mulin della Volpe. Tomorrow we are off to the U.S.

A Day in Zurich

Last Monday my father, Dom and I spent the day exploring a little of Zurich. On my brother’s recommendation, we started out by taking the train to a viewpoint a short way out of town. Uetliberg is considered the city’s “home” mountain which seems a somewhat arbitrary designation given the fact the city is surrounded by mountains. We quickly passed from the central train station, through the outskirts of town and into the countryside. There were all different types of architecture, from very modern to quite tradition, the latter often VERY Swiss. After about 20-25 minutes we came to Uetliberg, the last stop on the route. From there we walked about a kilometer up to the top of the hill where we found a large communications tower, a snack bar and a hotel and restaurant. The view back towards the city and the Zurichsee was wonderful. Unfortunately, it was quite a hazy day with high overcast so the mountains were barely visible. On a clear day it has to be a spectacular spot.

The path up the hill is part of the extensive walking tail system that extends throughout Switzerland. Signposts at every intersection gave the distance to various amenities such as train stations, restaurants and restrooms. Having skied in Switzerland I was familiar with the fact that seemingly every wide spot on the hill has a small restaurant or a lift going up another hill and I had heard the walking trail system was much the same. My brother told us a story of friends from Zurich who went to British Columbia and did some hiking. They tromped over several ridges and were shocked and amazed to never find a road, restaurant or restroom. I would have been happy to walk the 6 kilometers along the ridge and down to the lake to the next train station but Dom and my dad outvoted me and we backtracked to the Uetliberg train station.

Because we had day passes and a map of the public transportation system we decided to get off part way and take another route back to the center of Zurich. So a couple of stops later we hopped off and looked around for the tram we wanted. All we saw was the train station. Another look at the map showed us we needed to walk several blocks which we proceeded to do. Once there we checked the posted schedule and discovered the route we planned to take was a commuter line and did not run midday. Hmmm. Another look at the transport map and we figured out another way to reach our destination. It was a bit of a puzzle but we really enjoyed using the superb train, tram and bus system.

Once back in downtown Zurich we found a spot for a traditional Swiss lunch. My father said the restaurant was similar to German beer halls. A room the size of a high school gymnasium, and decorated a bit like a Medieval hall, was full of tables. Seating was somewhat communal although we ended up at a table for four. We all opted for wurst (sausage) and rosti (hash brown potatoes), accompanied by onion sauce and beer of course. It was delicious.

Afterwards we wanted to see the Chagall stained glass windows at a nearby church. Unfortunately, the Fraumunster was closed that afternoon. Instead, we walked down to the lakefront where we saw tourists feeding the swans, gulls and pigeons. It was beginning to threaten rain in earnest so not a lot of people were around. Dom and my dad decided to head back to the hotel for a rest but I chose to walk back.

I headed up Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s great ritzy shopping avenues. There were the usual high fashion stores (i.e. Prada, Gucci, etc.) and, like in Italy, the window displays include (shocking) prices for each item. The night before, on our way to dinner, we had passed by a Bogner skiwear shop. I went back there and took a closer look in the windows. There was a gorgeous jacket with a fur trimmed hood that I could see myself wearing. Unfortunately, I could not see myself paying over $3,500 for the privilege. I also visited another sporting goods store and found some more reasonable skiwear—the Descente jacket I liked was only $800—but not reasonable enough.

I did stop at the Sprungli store—an awesome pastry, chocolate and sandwich shop—where I bought two boxes of pastries and tea cookies. Afterwards, I continued on strolling through part of the old town, admiring the architecture, decorative painting, window boxes and men playing chess in a city park. Back at the hotel room, while Dom napped I quiet decadently read my book and ate “bonbons.” It is a darn good thing that pastry shop is in another country because the contents of those boxes were incredibly delicious.

Later that evening we met up with my brother and had dinner in the older part of Zurich. The restaurant served traditional Swiss fondue and raclette but I opted for venison and spatzli. My dad was the only one of us who had raclette, a meal that involves melting cheese at the table in a special electric oven/grill. The cheese is then eaten with potatoes, little sausages, gherkins, pickled onions and other accompaniments. Dom had about had his fill of restaurant food and ordered only soup and salad. We drank a nice bottle of Swiss Pinot Noir. The country makes some very good wines, both red and white, but almost none is exported.

When we finished dinner the rain was falling in earnest but luckily my brother had two umbrellas. He escorted us to our tram stop, tried to give us one umbrella but we were able to crowd together in a shop doorway until the tram arrived. By the time we got off, perhaps five minutes later, the rain stopped and we were still dry when we reached our hotel.

The next morning we had breakfast with my dad after which we dropped him at the train station as we made our way out of town. We asked Bridget (our GPS unit) to take us home and she did a good job of it. Interestingly, she took us a slightly different route than when we came north. It rained off and on throughout the six and a half hour journey and we arrived back in Partigliano early in the evening.

We really enjoyed our brief excursion and it was fun spending time with my father and my brother. I have always liked Switzerland. As I told Dom while we were there, it appeals to me because it is so “Swiss”—very neat, tidy, and precise. However, I also find that a bit unnerving as, to an American and pseudo-Italian, it seems somewhat unnatural. Still, I would go back in a minute especially if the trip involved skiing.

Here in Partigliano the weather has improved. Yesterday we spent some time out in the fields bringing in firewood and moving the rest of the olive tree clippings to the burn pile. Later in the afternoon we drove to Lucca with the intent of walking through town. Unfortunately, the annual comic art festival was in full swing and there was a real traffic jam outside the walls. In the end, we simply drove around town and came back home.

Today we had what I think of as one of our typical Sundays. We rose early and went to a marcia podistica (walker’s march) at the town of Fosciandora. This locale is further up the Serchio Valley, further into the mountains and the walk was quite “vertical.” All of the routes were shorter than normal (1 km. vs. 2 or 3 kms, 5 kms. vs. 6 kms., etc.) but nonetheless a good workout. The views back down the valley were also spectacular. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so no proof of that here.

On our way home we stopped at Bini Bar for cappucini and pastry. I attended 11 am Mass at the local church and then came home and fixed lunch. Usually we have an egg frittata but today I made fried eggs accompanied by ham and cheese patties and toast. Our afternoon was rather lazy. Dom rearranged our wine “cellar” under the stairs while I hung some laundry, read on the patio and later, after it cooled off, napped and read upstairs. A friend stopped by about 5:30 for a quick visit and a glass of wine after which we watched the Brazilian Grand Prix, the last Formula 1 race of the season. It was a REALLY exciting finish with Felipe Massa, a Ferrari driver and my favorite, winning the race but losing the driver’s championship to Louis Hamilton only because the latter managed to pass another driver on the last curve of the last lap for a 5th place finish. Had Hamilton finished 6th he would have lost the championship. Boo hoo!

During the race I made dinner—stir fry pork and vegetables—and now we are whiling away the evening enjoying the fire, watching TV and writing blog posts. It has been a great day and we are looking forward to a great week.

Tour of Lucca

First thing this morning we went into Lucca to meet Cam and Francesco’s hiking tour group at the hostel. We were 17 to begin with—Cam and Francesco, their ten hikers, 3 Italians (members of Club Alpino Italiano—an Italian hiking club that Francesco is associated with) and Dom and I. At 9:30 I gave the group an extremely brief history of the city and then we began our walking tour, hitting all the town’s high points by our reckoning. Over the course of three hours we strolled past (and sometimes peaked into) the church of San Frediano, the amphitheater, Via Fillungo, Torre dell’Ore, the church of San Michele in Foro, the composer Puccini’s birthplace and statue, Piazza Napoleone and the Palazzo Ducale, the cathedral of San Martino and the top of the city walls. Everyone seemed to enjoy my version of “Lucca Lite.” At any rate we did not lose anyone along the way (for too long).

Today was another glorious day with temperatures in the mid 80’s. Thus, the town was full of tours and tour groups as well as many Lucchesi taking advantage of the weather. At one point while some of us were waiting for the rest of the group to catch up we saw the cutest little boy, no more than two or three, walking slowly down the street with a cell phone held to his ear. His nonna (grandmother) was pushing his stroller and keeping pace with him. It was so adorable I pulled out my camera and tried to take a picture. However, the attention distracted him and he started paying more attention to me than to his phone. I can only imagine that his father often walks along chatting on the phone since all small boys are inclined to emulate their fathers’ actions.

After the tour was over we had pizza and salads at a small osteria adjacent to the famous city walls. Nowadays the top of the former city defenses, a truly stupendous construction that took about 100 years to build, is encircled by a broad street lined with trees. When the weather is nice there are always lots of people picnicking in the sun, strolling, jogging or just laying in the sun.

Dom and I headed back home to work. However it was so hot we decided to wait until the cool of tomorrow morning to continue our chores in the fields. We have had a lazy afternoon and evening. I even managed an hour or so reading in the sun on the patio. Unfortunately, the bugs were biting and my legs are now dotted with itchy spots.

Hiking at Ebey's Landing

Francesco and Cam (on the right and third from right) organize hiking tours in Italy. They have a group meeting in Lucca in early October and I am going to show them the sights on their first day in town. Some of the tour participants, Cam and Francesco and I met at Ebey's Landing on Whidbey Island for a short hike (3 1/2 miles) and picnic. The weather was not promising but it never actually rained on us and it was quite warm and sunny by the time we finished at 2 pm. The view from the top of the bluff was spectacular looking south down Puget Sound. However, it was really windy so we continued on down the trail and ate our lunches down on the beach in a sheltered spot behind some logs. I had never hiked this trail although I had heard about it from a number of people. It is a great spot as you get the long vistas from the top of the bluff as well as the fun of walking the beach. There were hawks soaring overhead, herons in the lagoon, interesting vegetation and lots of shorebirds. It is definitely worth a return visit.