A Day in Florence - April 28, 2010

Last Wednesday Dom and I went into Florence for the day.  We started out by taking two bags of books to the Paperback Exchange (and English language bookstore near the Duomo) and exchanging them for store credit.  Afterwards, we wandered around.  It was crowded but not like it had been around Easter.  The weather was perfect and we enjoyed just strolling around. 

On our drive into town we saw a sign on a bus for a new Ferrari store near the Strozzi Palace.  So, after disposing of the books we went and found it.  Dom enjoyed looking even though the things he really wanted will not fit in a suitcase.  I always get a kick out of the used race car parts they sell with certificates of authenticity, e.g. a toasted part of a carburator for Euros 350!

We crossed the Ponte Vecchio on our way to the Pitti Palace. In the middle of the bridge is this stature of Cellini with a railing around it.  There used to be hundreds of locks on the railing but they have all been removed.

Now there is a sign warning of a Euros 160 fine for "transgressors" who put locks on the railing.  Please note the lock just to the left of the sign.  I have heard the locks are put there by couples who then throw the key into the Arno or each person takes a key and when the relationship ends one partner can remove the lock.  We have seen similar lock "spots" in other cities.

We tried to keep our meanderings to less traveled streets away from the bulk of the tourists.  I love the way the light and dark collide in this view through a passage way.  Sitting on the steps of the church is a beggar I had seen earlier.  She had collected enough money for a sandwich and was eating it in this quiet spot.

Madonna shrines are found everywhere in Italy and often on the corners of buildings in the cities.  This one is particularly lovely and well kept.  I wonder how old it is.  The style is certainly Renaissance but I think this area was all deep under water during the flood in 1966.

On our way back to our car we wandered through a complex of old buildings that is being converted to apartments and shops.  They added small balconies to the units by attaching a modern external structure. 

There were a number of things that pointed to this complex being the former city prison including the name of a restaurant (Restaurant of the Incarcerated!) and lots of the original doors remain.  Some are barred, like this one, while others were solid wood.

We enjoyed our day in Florence and plan to go back again before we leave Italy in a few weeks.

Kate's Fantastic Adventure - Pisa, Florence and the Cinque Terre

After our stay in Sorrento, we drove from there to Partigliano.  That makes it sound so simple but it was really a long, seven hour drive with limited stops.  We did manage a quick run by the Prada outlet near Florence but, as I like telling people, 50% off $500 is still $250.  Personally, I could not find anything that went with my predominantly Eddie Bauer wardrobe or my Whidbey Island lifestyle. 

The next day we took things easy.  Cherie, Emily and I took a large load of laundry to a laundromat, we stocked up on groceries and generally just settled into our spaces in Partigliano.  Cherie and Emily stayed at a nearby rental house while Cindy, Kate and I were at our house.  I had a problem getting the heating system going, in spite of technical assistance directly from Dom in the U.S., so we had no hot water or heat until he arrived.  However, we managed and it helped that there was plenty of heat and hot water at Cherie and Emily's place. 

Late in the afternoon on April 2 we all crawled into the rental car (a Dodge Caravan that seemed quite immense in Italy!) and drove to Pisa. Dom was due to arrive around 7 pm so we visited the Leaning Tower and environs on the way to the airport.

Above you can see Cindy getting a classic shot of Kate "holding up" the tower.  It was really windy while we were there and I loved this shot of the clouds behind the Baptistry. 

After picking up Dom (and all the gear I had him bring!) we all stopped for dinner on the way back to the house.  The next morning (after we all left for Florence) Dom managed to get the heat and hot water running smoothly.  So when we came home from the day o'shopping the house was nice and toasty.

Although we visited the Uffizi, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio, Florence was all about shopping.  As you can see from the many bags and smiling faces, it was quite successful.  This is the only picture I took all day because I just had to record the amount of "stuff" we took home.  The Italian economy no doubt noticed an uptick in early April and it was a good thing we had the Dodge Caravan.

The next day was Easter Sunday.  It was another "lazy" day.  We all went to mass at our village church and then off for a special lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. 

The lunch at Ristorante La Fonte included antipasto della terra (six or seven different items, antipasto del mare (another six or seven different items), two pasta courses (fish ravioli and an asparagus risotto), a plate of salmon and vegetable custard, roast lamb and pork with roast potatoes, and a delicious cake, custard and fresh strawberry dessert.  Mind you, by the time dessert arrived we had been at the restaurant for four hours and we could hardly eat it.  It was all delicious, an incredible experience but not necessarily something we want to repeat soon.

On Easter Monday we went to the Cinque Terre.  I tried my best to talk everyone out of going (whining about crowds, rains and it being over rated) but Cherie wore me down.  As you can see the weather was great (although windy).

We started out in Vernazza which I think is the best of the five villages. 

Kate was having a great time and Cindy was keeping everyone on Facebook up to speed on our trip.

 
Even Dom and I were all smiles.  It is hard to tell from this picture but the sea was rough enough that the boat was not running from Vernazza to the rest of the Cinque Terre.

After wandering around the village and harbor, we climbed to the top of this tower.  I have always wanted to do this and it was well worth the effort.

The views were spectacular from the top of the tower.

Cherie had fun inserting herself unexpectedly into my photos.  Now the entire blogosphere gets to see her lovely expression.  (This is payback for posting Mole and Squirrel on FB!)

After Vernazza we took the train to Riomaggiore, the southern most town.  We found a spot that sold pizza and panini and had a picnic lunch sitting on benches in a piazza in the middle of town.  Afterwards we paid to walk along the Via dell'Amore--The Path of Love.  This is a broad walkway from Riomaggior north to the next town of Manarola.  The walk is about a kilometer and, after the two or three flights of stairs is a fairly level walk.  There are dozens of photo opportunities along the way and we enjoyed our stroll.

Somewhere along the way we found gelato (of course!) and after a stroll around this village we took the train back to our car.  All in all it was a great day--beautiful weather and Cherie, Emily, Cindy and Kate all felt it was well worth the effort.  However, it was CROWDED.  Easter Monday is a holiday in Italy and the rest or Europe and we had a lot of company.

Kate's Fantastic Italian Adventure is nearly over.  One more day to cover--Venice--coming soon.

2010 Marlia Marcia

Last Sunday was the annual marcia podistica in Marlia, a town about 10 minutes away between where we are and Lucca.  It is called Marcia delle Ville or March of the Villas because it passes through many of the classic villas in the nearby hills.  These were once the summer homes of the Lucchese aristocracy and most of them, or at least their gardens, are now open to the public for a fee.  It is nice to be able to see a portion of the gardens without paying plus the views down onto the plain of Lucca are spectacular.

Luckily, it was a nice day.  In fact, I wore shorts in an effort to get some sun on my pale legs.  There were a few others in shorts, mostly serious runners, but it is still a little early for the Italians to be sporting summer attire.

The marcia begins at the site of the weekly Marlia market.  Even at 7 am there were a lot of people around.  It is probably the biggest marcia in the area as it is a three province walk (Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia, I think). 

Here are some of the folks from Partigliano signing in at our table.  As you can see, they are all in uniform.  Like most of the walks there was a Euro 2 subscription fee.  However, the "prizes" we receive at the end are usually worth more than that.  The prizes are donated by local businesses.  At Marlia they included pasta, paper towels and milk.

We arrived quite early at Marlia so we actually went to a nearby bar and had coffee before starting the walk.

We normally do the 5 or 6 km. routes but at Marlia we have done 10 or 12 km.  After walking out of town we were mostly in the hills.  Here we passed by a rather large vineyard.  On the hill beyond you can see the white facade of a villa we later walked right next to.

A little further along the route we were able to look back at the plain below us and the Pisan hills.

This shrine, a combination of a terracotta plaque and fresco, is on the front of a villa we passed.  Next to it was a huge espaliered lemon tree.

This photo shows the countryside looking east.  The hills are like a rumpled comforter with a pattern of olive groves, vineyards, villages, woods and grassy fields.  They flow from the steep mountains to the north down to the flat plain to the south.

I loved this "falling" wall alongside the road.  It looks like it is part of an old building but nothing is left except these few sections of wall.  It drops off steeply on the other side and we could see that the landowner was using it for a spot to burn debris (grass and olive prunings).  These walls have probably been leaning like this for decades but I have to think that someday they will just topple over.

In an earlier photo (of the large vineyard) I pointed out a white plastered villa high on a hill.  This is the opposite side of the building, all stone and ivy.  It was the ristoro (refreshment) stop on our route.  There is a lovely patio with a stone table just to the left of the tents. We then walked around the villa and began our downhill descent.

We were walking with our friend Mary who was a ways ahead of us at this point.  She popped behind a tree to get a picture of us strolling towards her.  So I took a picture of her!

A ways down the hill we happened upon this large gray cat.  He was quite friendly and allowed us to pet him.  As we moved on he sat down in the middle of the road and stared after us.  His expression seemed to me to indicate he was a little put out with us because we quit paying attention to him.

As we approached another villa we were overtaken by this band.  They were accompanied by flag throwers although we missed their full presentation.  It was quite loud as they passed us in the woods.

This is the best villa I took on Sunday.  I am not sure which one it is but we did not actually walk very close to the building.  Our route ran through the woods on the left side of this picture.

As we made our way back into Marlia we came upon another band accompanied by baton twirlers.  There was quite a range of ages in the troupe.  They later came into the market area and gave a lengthy dance performance. 

This coming weekend there are two marcie because Saturday is a holiday (the celebration of Labor Day here) and then there is a regular Sunday walk.  Both are ones we have done before.  Depending on how we are feeling (and the weather) we might do rather short courses.  It is supposed to rain on Sunday morning.  Aaarrgghh!!

Views around Partigliano

A few days ago I took a walk around our little valley.  Here are some pictures from that walk.

This is the bar in the village.  The Wisteria is in full bloom.  Later, after the vine leafs out it provides a nice screen against the afternoon sun. 

A fruit and vegetable truck comes to the village at least once a week.  Here it was parked down by the church with some of the local ladies making their purchases.

I proceeded to hike up the hill through the village.  About halfway through there is a chiesetta (chapel).  It was freshly painted over the winter.

The chiesetta is almost always locked but the windows are often open.  Through one you can see the crumbling fresco and alter along the back wall with some fresh flowers and greenery.

There are wild Iris blooming everywhere.

From the end of the valley, near the town of Fondagno, I could see Partigliano and down towards Valdottavo.

Spring is rather late here in the Lucca area.  The apple blossoms are particularly lovely right now.  There were a number of trees right along the road where I was walking.  They were beautiful and smelled very sweet.









Here is a better shot of Partigliano from across the valley. The main part of the village is clustered around the church but there are a number of houses further up the hill. The chiesetta is in the midst of the higher cluster of homes.

Many of the old fields around the valley have been let go wild.  This one is covered with blackberry vines.

Friends of ours used to own this house.  The new residents have painted it bright yellow.  It really glowed in the sunshine.

The small creeks that run through the ravines and down to the bottom of the valley are splashing and burbling.  Later in the year they are much quieter.

An English couple are renovating the old mill at the bottom of the hill.  The roof is off but it is still waiting for the new one.  Hopefully, the work will commence soon.

Auto e Moto d'Epoca a Roma Fiera - Dom's version

Here are Dom's favorite vehicles from our visit to the classic car show near Rome.

Kate's Fantastic Adventure - Pompeii

On our last full day in Sorrento we visited the Roman ruins at Pompeii.  As most people know, an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. engulfed the city of Pompeii (and other nearby towns) in many meters of falling ash.  It was a large, thriving town and many of its citizens left before they died.  However, a number stayed and they, along with all the buildings were trapped like flies in amber to be found many hundreds of years later.  Naples (or Neopolis - New City) was where many of those who fled Pompeii later settled. 

I only took two pictures at Pompeii.  Here is one of them--Emily, Cherie, Cindy and Kate sitting in the small amphitheater.  As you can see the weather was great the day we were there.

The most interesting thing about Pompeii is that city was well preserved by the ash that enveloped it.  It looks much as it did in 79 A.D. except the roofs of the buildings are gone.  The area began being excavated in the 1700's but that was mostly looters.  Over the next several hundred years there were a number of efforts to systematically uncover the city but none last long.  It was not until the beginning of the 1900's that the newly unified government of Italy undertook the giant project.  Even today, 100 years later, there are still areas of old Pompeii that have not been rediscovered.  However there is about a square kilometer of area that is open to the public and it includes all the main business, government and commercial areas of old Pompeii. 


We took the train from Sorrento to Pompeii (about a 30 minute ride) and spent a couple hours exploring the city.  Our trusty Rick Steves guide gave us a good self-guided walking tour of the area that included the old baths, the largest private villa in town and a bordello.  We would not let Kate go in the latter. :-)

Pretty much all of the art (frescoes, mosaics and statues) have been replaced by copies and the originals are now in the National Archeological Museum in Naples.  Dom and I went there last fall and although it was interesting to see the originals, it is actually more fascinating to see the replicas on site in Pompeii. 

Afterwards we went back to the train station to return to Sorrento.  We must have just missed a train because the platform was nearly empty when we got there.  By the time we left it was pretty full.  It was back to Sorrento for more shopping, afternoon naps, packing to leave the next day, another dinner out and more gelato at Davide II.