Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Big Retirement Trip--Northern Italy, Post 1






Early morning, 20th October, 2009

Nighttime over the Atlantic.
We are due to land in Milan about 7 am. We departed from JFK as the sun was setting on Long Island. I was on the wrong side of the plane to catch sight of NY City. My full-size laptop doesn't fit well in this Boeing 767 coach seating. Fortunately, I have a vacant seat next to me--Lucy has an exit row seat not far away. Last I checked, she looked asleep. The flight from Seattle was about full. I hope Lucy is getting some good rest now, as she was becoming trip-weary by the time we reached NY. She didn’t sleep last night. Too much anticipation. It's been awhile since both of us have been away from home for any length of time together. We'll miss 2-year old Juliet on the weekends. Hopefully we've left Raechelle all pertinent instructions and the animals will adapt to so much time alone.
We asked about upgrading to first class in NY, but were told that we couldn't, at least at the gate, with our frequent flyer tickets. Only 40,000 each--round trip, Seattle to Milan!--low season just kicked in October 15. But, temperature in Milan is 34 degrees F. And, we're headed up to the base of the Alps for our first 2 nights. I've been thinking I was smart--to come in the fall, avoiding the oppressive heat and crowds of summer, but September may be more ideal for Northern Italy. We shall find out...
The program we bought to install in the Garmin, for N Italy did not download successfully. I'm inclined to not pay for a GPS with the rental car. From a Michelin online site, I have printed out "sightseeing" routes, which likely differ with GPS faster routes along toll roads. I'm hoping the pace will be about right--most travel days between one and four hours of road time, most stops for two nights. It will still be a matter of prioritizing what to see & how long to stay.
The gauntlet I subjected Lucy to at the start of our Australia trip is detailed in the 2005 blog entry. That may have been matched by the start of our Mexico-Guatemala trip with 7-year old Dustin in 1980. Lucy visited a friend in LA and got little sleep before we flew off to Mexico. Dustin and I took in Disneyland, The stopover in Mexico City Airport extended to something like 8 hours, before we continued on to Tapachula, a very hot, humid city near the Guatemalan border. I sprung for a cab, and we headed for the one AC hotel in town, only to learn the AC quit working in 1978! Despite our exhaustion, we didn't get much sleep that sticky night, with a slow, dirty ceiling fan barely creating a breeze. Lucy must have figured she was in for 3 weeks of hell with the Peace Corps volunteer turned family guide. The next day, speaking of Peace Corps, we hitched a ride with volunteers, up in to the refreshing mountains of Western Guatemala, where I had reservations at Pension Bonifaz.

Jetlag in Cannobio
It's 3:30 a.m. in the Hotel Pironi's sitting room. To reach a power source (using our adaptor for electricity in Europe), I have taken over a corner of a table covered by brochures of things to do in this northern corner of Italy, 5 km from the Swiss border. While reception gave me a code for internet access, it's not working. I'll ask for help a little later in the morning.
We arrived at Milan's Malpensa airport early yesterday morning. 'Still dark at 7 a.m. 'Nothing to customs. A bit of a walk to our rental car, reserved via Economy Car Rentals (good rate, I think, but truth will be in the final credit card billing). As noted above, we didn't get the Garmin to program for Italy so we didn't bring it. They didn't have a GPS available at the car rental, which suited me, I thought, at the time. But, after the maze getting out of the airport parking, the directions I got from the rental car guy didn't make sense, nor did the Michelin map and directions I had printed before leaving home. I should have pulled over sooner, but we were going through rural countryside, with no gas stations or stores to be seen. Signs on the freeway kept saying "Novara", which fit with the way I thought we should be going--west--but the sun was rising ahead of us. After maybe half an hour, I got off the freeway and made our way in to a hamlet, where I found a gas station. 2nd attempt (1st being the car rental guy) at getting directions from an Italian with little to no English and my efforts at adapting Spanish to Italian marginally successful. But, within blocks of following her directions, I was confused and pulled in to talk to another Italian service station attendant. We got back on the same freeway, going the other way, went past the airport but failed to find the exit we were looking for on the Michelin directions. Eventually, I could tell we were going north, but east of where we wanted to be. 'Drove in to a town, stopped at a cash machine for Euros and went in to a store, where a couple of people agreed on the directions they gave me. But, within a few kms & a roundabout that first mentioned a town the direction that we wanted to go, only to fail to show where to exit the roundabout for that town, we were back to the same toll booth where I decided I needed help, still going northeast! This time 5th--all queried Italians were pleasant and wanted to help me) we went to a manned tollbooth and got directions that worked. The last hour was along the western shores of Lake Maggiore, going through picturesque towns, lots to narrow, curvy stretches along the lakeshore. Unfortunately, it was a gray, overcast day. I can imagine that drive on a sunny day with blue sky. Villas perched on the steep, foliaged hillsides. Big, classy old brick buildings, some with zero clearance from the roadway.
Once in Cannobio, a policeman directed us down a narrow cobbled street to the Hotel Pironi, where we unloaded our bags and I was successful in following the map to the hotel parking, the gate appearing just as I was beginning to think I'd again misunderstood directions. It wasn't yet 3 pm, about 8 hours after our departure from the airport. Estimated time, per Michelin? 1:49 (Read: one hour, forty nine minutes!). Lucy, despite her exhaustion from lack of sleep, was very patient with me. I can only imagine her attitude if the car rental place had a GPS system I declined, due to my initial faith in my printed sightseeing routes from Michelin.
Our room here at the Pironi is large and pleasant. Big, comfortable bed. Friendly desk staff, speak English fluently. After a nap for a couple of hours, we walked--along the waterfront. Very photogenic, in spite of the gray afternoon. Lucy's walking pace exceeds mine normally. Now, most of a month after arthroscopic surgery on my L knee, and following plane flights of 5 and then 7.5 hours, I was lagging behind worse than normal. The thought of even short hikes in the Alps, which begin at the end of town here, appeal less to me, esp. given that going up and down is particularly uncomfortable. We might drive up in to them today, if we don't decide to go visit the lake islands. The forecast is not promising better weather.
'Seems like more often than not I forget something. This trip it's the connection for the camera to the computer. I could buy one here, but I can insert photo albums in to the blog after getting back home. 'Sorry for the delay. I'll let you know as soon as the pics are added.

2nd day in Cannobio--Rebound
It's about 5 a.m. Thursday, 10/22. Back in Hotel Pironi's sitting room. I was here last night, catching up on email on their computer, after continuing to strike out on getting wireless connection for this laptop.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/LakeMaggioreHillTowns#

After some good sleep, we had a breakfast banquet yesterday morning--here at our B&B Hotel Pironi. Gray skies were now sprinkling. We decided on a 10-minute drive to lakeside Carmine, parked and hiked up to Carmine Superiore. On the trail signs it said 0:15, but took me more like half an hour each way. The old church, with the small community tightly build behind it, constructed in the 14th century, is perched above a sheer rock wall of a couple hundred feet. The location was chosen for it's defensive location (like Machu Picchu), when powerful locals worried about even more powerful enemies. Some places requiring serious hiking to get to them (Okay, what's 15 minutes--significant, if it's that steep and you must carry everything in with you!), but otherwise have easy road access. For example, Mt. Washington in N. Hampshire. Carmine Superiore has no road alternative. Yet, people live there. Even on a gray, rainy day, there's another great shot at every turn for a photographer. Pics to follow (Lucy's camera cord has the same connection as mine, so it I can get wireless at a coming destination, I can hopefully insert links to albums!).
Driving back to town, we turned up the Cannobio Valley. We saw a bridge, high over the river and took it. We thought we had been on curvy, narrow roads already, but this one redefines snaking hairpins. We honked at some blind spots, but trusted these fast Italian drivers have good brakes and allow for pokey tourists. After maybe 5 minutes we came to the town of Gurrone. We meandered through cobbled passageways, saw more signs with travel times to various destinations via paths in this mountainous region. 1:15; 2:40; 4:05. Ah, to still be young, with good knees! We visited the cemetery (Inadvertent link to my mortality when I first wrote this!).
Descending from Gurrone, we decided not to continue up the valley, which eventually enters Switzerland. Returning toward town, we stopped at an old church overlooking a river chasm then drove east of town a couple of km, turning up yet another narrow switchback, to the hamlet of Santa Agata. And a church to visit, along with the commanding view of Cannobio below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CannobioLakeMaggiore#

Back in Cannobio, we had a light lunch at a bar on the waterfront. Only 7 Euros, a relief, after the 49 Euro bill the night before, at a nice enough place, but tucked away in a narrow street without view. (The value of the dollar against the Euro is at an all-time low--it takes about $1.50 US to buy one Euro now.) The light rain earlier in the day was becoming steadier. 'Happy to return for a nap at this comfortable hotel. We went back to the same bar for a small pizza and caraff of wine before closing time.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Bergamo#

Another meandering day on the road
Thursday evening, Bergamo Alta. After another delicious breakfast at Hotel Pironi, this morning I calmly paid the 300 Euro bill for the 2 nights, reminding myself that we didn't spend 100 Euros on breakfasts and bigger lunches the last two days, given we took advantage of the Pironi spread both mornings.
Weather continued overcast most of the morning, raining lightly at times. Guards at the Swiss border saw me holding my passport and merely waived us to keep going. It appears there is little concern about border security within the European Union. We rounded the northern edge of Lake Maggiorne and headed down the eastern shore. I didn't realize for some time that we had failed to follow the Michelin directions. We adjusted course and again had to back track and ask questions about how to get to the next town. We skirted pretty Lake Lugano. Finally we reached Como, at the southernmost point of Lake Como. The sun came out as we had a light lunch in a bar on the waterfront, at about 3 pm. I had read that Bellagio was a pretty town, about an hour along the shores of Lake Como, and had originally planned lunch there. Since we were about 3-4 hours behind schedule, it was a no-brainer to pass on the detour to Bellagio. And, while on the map it wasn't the most direct route to Bergamo, I decided to take the toll autostradas, having had enough of "sightseeing" routes for today. Entering Bergamo, we managed to find our way to the ancient upper town without difficulty and were within a block of our hotel, Agnello d'Oro ("Golden Lamb"), when we stopped to ask its location.
No internet or wifi in the hotel. The desk clerk told me the Irish Pub has wifi and gave me directions. 'Sounded close by. After a few blocks and no Irish Pub, I asked a police officer. He motioned it was further on ahead. But, a couple of blocks further and still no pub, I asked a storekeeper. He told me I'd come too far and said it was 2 minutes back the way I'd just come. After about 5 minutes of retracing my steps, I finally found the Irish Pub. I was expecting English to be spoken there. All the Guinness and other sayings on the walls were in English, but the bartender didn't speak much. She did understand my inquiry about internet/wifi and said they don't have it, but it’s available in the nearby plaza. After a Guinness and a sandwich to take back to Lucy, I found a cafe/bar on the plaza that said they do have wifi and are open from 8 am to 8 pm.
While I acknowledge that my lack of Italian is an issue, I have found throughout my travels--it's human nature for people to offer directions when asked, even if they don't know the right answer--they'll make a guess (so often wrong!) rather than disappoint me by saying they don't know.

On the road to Venice
Early Saturday morning. Travel day coming--rest for legs (and hopefully less misdirection on the road!). We did most of the Alta Bergamo tour suggested in Walking in Italy, a book I brought along. 'Starting with the clock tower and views of the city, then the cathedral, on to the house & museum of Donizettiano, one of Lucy's favorite opera composers. We took the funicular (cable car) up to Castle San Vigilio. More views. 'Had a tasty lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking a beautiful farming valley. Skies were beginning to clear. In the distance we could see a large snowcapped mountain in the Alps. Stops at a couple of museums in the city, the second being the Rocca a fortress perched above the massive stone city walls. We then descended several blocks, in search of Lotto's 16th century frescos at San Michael al Pozzo Bianco. We went past it, further down the hill, before realizing it must to behind us. Hiking back up the hill, we found it closed! I was proud of my trek back up to the Citta Alta (high city) without a breather. It was nice that our hotel was only another block from the crest. Time for a well-deserved shower and nap. Still not hungry after the big lunch, on our evening walk to stretch sore legs, we selected a couple of pieces of pizza to bring back for late evening snacks.
Given our record of far-exceeding projected travel times, I suggested to Lucy we might want to pick one stop from 3 places of interest on our way to Venice--Lago di Garda, Verona and Padua. She declared we must stop in Verona--to get a keepsake for Juliet (our 2-year old granddaughter--who must be missing us, as we are her!), given that it was Shakespeare's setting for Romeo & Juliet.

We got to Venice
Mid-morning yesterday (Saturday) I wasn't sure where we'd end up. After breakfast at the hotel, we packed the Citroen and stopped to fuel up. There were 3 choices and to levels of labeling. Up above it said "Diesel" on both the right and the left, but at the handle, the left side said "Gasolina". I thought about asking for help, but decided the left side must be regular and the middle high octane. I proceeded to fill up. Then began the quest for the autostrada. As we entered a limited access road, I saw we were on our way back to Como and began looking for an opportunity to turn around, when the car began to seriously sputter. Fortunately, I was able to get on to a side street and park before it died. I immediately concluded I must have filled the tank with diesel. My first impulse was to go walking, in search of a garage. Lucy had the forethought to pull out the rental car assistance info. Thankfully, we have the global phone, although it took 3 calls before an operator took down our location and promised help was on the way--in "20" minutes. Most of an hour later, a small flatbed arrived. The driver told me he thought it was probably failed fuel pump, and I want to believe he's right (When we get fuel next, I'll for sure ask and then know). We caught a cab to the Bergamo airport, where Budget gave us another Citroen and we were back on the road--the toll autostrada, where suggested speeds are 110 km in the left, fast lane. I cruised at about 130 to 140 kph (80 - 85 mph), moving to the center lane as frequent cars doing upwards of 160 (100 mph) came zooming by.
It was early afternoon and at autostrada speed, we decided we had time to stop at Verona. With help from only 1 local, we found the old center of the city. After searching for a parking lot with an open space, we lucked out and found a curbside spot a block from the famous statue of Julieta. Holding her right breast is suppose to bring good fortune. At the shot next door, Lucy had an apron embroidered for Kathryn and a backpack for Juliet.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Verona#

We made it back to the autostrada, headed towards Venezia (Venice). I had an email from Valentina, here at the Dormus Orsoni, giving us parking options, including parking on the mainland and catching a 10-minute train ride in to Venice. Given our late afternoon arrival, I decided to save time by driving as far as possible and paying the higher nightly rate at the edge of the city. BUT, we got in a line to park that was unbelievably slow. When we finally did park, there were lots of empty spaces, so I don't know what the delay was about. In any case, the vaporetto (water bus) was only a block away. It was dark (about 7 pm), but we managed to get on the right vaporetto and off at the right stop (Giglio), from which it was about a 5 minute walk on the cobbled walkway along the canal and then in to a narrow passageway to Domus Orsoni, where we were still expected.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Venice#

Venice in a day
I wish I'd planned for more time, but we saw a lot of Venice yesterday. It's Monday morning. It will soon be breakfast time here at Domus Orsoni. 'Turns out it's affiliated with a mosaic school. Most of the other guests in this small domus (home) are here to attend the class starting today. After a pleasant chat with a couple from Alberta (she's a student in the mosaic class), we hopped a vaporetto along the Grand Canal, about a 10 minute walk from Domus Orsoni, which is located in Cannaregio--a northern island in Venice, the Jewish ghetto--so named in the 16th century, when Jews were required to live in this area and were locked in at night.
On the Grand Canal vaporetto ride yesterday morning, the sun was shining. It was crowded, as most are. I managed to get a spot standing at the bow and snapped shot after shot as we wended our way through lots of other canal traffic, including gondolas paddled by colorful skippers and water taxis. We got off at St. Mark's Plaza. Lots of walkers, NO motorized traffic other than in the water. Many canals, with quaint bridges. While Lucy entered beckoning shops, I sat on some of the bridges, taking pics of the canals, with colorful buildings crowding in, the gondola oarsmen ducking while gliding under other low bridges nearby. We didn't think twice about skipping the long line waiting to get in to St. Mark's basilica. We meandered though the San Marco neighborhood for a couple of hours, including a tasty lunch (I had spaghetti with fresh fish, Lucy had a salad with lots in it). We hiked over the dangerous-looking Academy Bridge--a simple wooden structure meant to be temporary about 75 years ago. Still in use, though some of the wooden supports are seriously decaying (see pic). The line to get in to the Academy Gallery wasn't long. But, my legs were protesting. And, out front of the gallery was a handsome young Brit selling tickets to the opera in the evening. Lucy bought (Since my teen years, I have a predictable experience at high-brow concerts--I fall asleep). We proceeded to catch the vaporetto, came back to Domus Orsoni for a shower and nap and check of email on their computer ('still no luck getting a wifi signal strong enough, so I'm expecting to wait 'til I get home to "publish").
We took another vaporetto to the Rialto stop for Lucy's opera (a selection of familiar pieces, only lasting a couple of hours). I roamed the northern sector of San Marco, getting off track at one point (everyone talks about getting lost in Venice as to be expected and welcomed as part of being here). A sandwich and a glass of red wine at a small place, opposite a lovely chapel--not a lot of lighting on churches at night, so most of the night pics won't be very bright or sharp. The weather has been perfect here in Venice, Sunny, cool, but not cold.

On to Bologna
Wee hours of the morning, Tuesday. There’s wifi here at Albergo Garisenda in the heart of the old city of Bologna! I’ve managed to link to my home computer (Logmein) and move my notes from the road from my laptop to home . ‘Still no way to load pics from the camera.
Leaving Venice yesterday morning I did it again! ‘Time to refuel our 2nd rental car, after the first died, following refueling. The 3 choices of fuel at the pump yesterday were different than in Bergamo. I had told myself I was going to get help the next time, before choosing a fuel. But, again I went for what I read as “gasoline” and a few km down the road we were dead on the shoulder! During the hour + wait for Budget to bring us a 3rd car, Lucy found a brief discussion of fuels in our Lonely Planet guide—“gasolio” IS diesel!! I try not to dwell on what the financial consequences will be. We got standard, not extra insurance. I did an internet search on the consequences of putting diesel in a gas-powered car. ;No mention of destroying the catalytic converter. Basically, the diesel just needs to get flushed out of the engine and tank. I bet they’ve done it before. I can’t be the first stupid American tourist!

We did our usual ask, go a ways, find someone else to ask, in making our way to this albergo (city inn) a block from the central plaza here in Bologna. We explored the massive church and took pics of the statue of Hercules. Having missed lunch, we were ready for dinner before the rest of the country was—dinner in Italy begins after 7 pm. We found a bar serving bread and a good selection of cold cuts (boloney—this is where it got its start!). With a good glass of wine, it made a meal.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Bologna#

Italy 09, Post 2







Italy blog, October 2009, Part II

Wed am, Oct. 28, Casa Rabatti--Marcella's Place, Ferenzia (Florence)
We left Bologna yesterday morning with relatively little misdirection. The autostrada made its way through hilly country. Lots of tunnels. Lots of trucks. The fall countryside, leaves yellow, had a haze that looked like smog. But, the sky here in Florence is clear.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Florence#

For all my planning, I noticed I only had an email from the place we are staying here. No address. No phone #. We crossed the River Arno, on the edge of the old city. I found a parking spot and went in to a place that advertised international calling. I got Casa Rabatti phone # from a nice young man there. The global phone came through. When Marcella, with her limited English, heard we are driving, she replied: "Very bad". Recently they further restricted vehicle traffic in the old city. We decided to put the car in a garage where we called from and caught a cab here to Casa Rabatti, Via San Zaboni #48. Unless the cabbie was going out of her way to run up the fare, driving here ourselves would have been an ordeal, as she made her way through parking lots in her circuitous route around the train station, to get us here.
My old running buddy at Spanaway Jr. High, Paul, stayed here with Jill this past summer. They learned of Casa Rabatti via Rick Steves. Rick stays here. Paul commented that Marcella is the one Italian he remembers from Italy. Indeed, she is personable, even if it's instructing us what doesn't get flushed down the toilet.
We got a start on seeing Florence yesterday afternoon--'took in the Galleria dell'Accademia, saw Michelangelo's David in all his glory. 'Made our way past the Duomo (cathedral--we'll go inside today) to the Ponte Vecchio. The setting sun reflecting on towers, domes and bridges was nice timing. After a shower and nap, we had dinner at nearby Za Za, at fashionably late 8:30 pm. Outside dining can't continue much later in the year, as it's getting cool at night. But, I'm sure glad we didn't come during the heat of summer, which is notoriously bad here.

Thursday morning, last of Florence
Marcella doesn't do breakfast--first place we've stayed that hasn't. Aside from small coffee bars, restaurants that do breakfast seem absent in Italy. We found a place, but when we asked about eggs we were informed eggs for breakfast aren't an option. Good cappuccinos are easy to find.
We spent some time in the huge cathedral, then joined the line to get in to the Uffizi Gallery, considered the most important in Italy. Once in, it wasn't too crowded. While big, the 45 rooms are laid out in a horseshoe that is easy to follow. The paintings are mostly devoted to Biblical themes. Some portraits. Lots of marble busts along the interior corridors.
Making our way back toward Casa Rabatti, we checked out churches along streets with lots of fashionable shops. A shower and nap again before the wonderful evening meal at La Burrasca, a small trattoria in the neighborhood. We started, as usually, with olive oil and vinegar to spice up the loaf of french bread. And a carafe of red wine. We each ordered a meat dish, along with sides of tomatoes and lima beans. Great seasonings.
No wifi or internet access with Marcella. But, there is an internet place a block away, open 'til midnight. I stopped in to check email, learn that one of our bank accounts is overdrawn, answer more questions for a bidder on a united way fundraiser I'm donating timeshare accommodation to. A few replies about my first blog entry about the trip.
Time to pack and find our way southward to the hill town of Siena.

What a view, but what a bed
We made our way out of Florence without detour. 'Didn't see any place we wanted to stop for "breakfast". Instead of taking the toll autopista, as intended, we ended up on the old highway to Siena. Which was fine. Fewer150 kph speedsters. 4-lane road--an old freeway. Mostly uninhabited hills with deciduous trees--leaves yellow. The instructions I had to find Albergo Bernini, our B&B here in Siena, said follow signs to "the soccer stadium". Approaching town, I saw signs for "Il Campo". I thought: "campo" means "field", so that's probably right. Wrong. We climbed up to town on the wrong side and had to backtrack--traffic is not permitted to drive through the old, walled city (although lots of locals do drive around inside of the walls--with permits).. That wasn't the worst of the car situation for the day. Carlotta, the friendly young gal with good English at the albergo, showed me on a map where there was free overnight parking--lots of it. 'Problem was, there were even more cars--numerous ones double-parked, waiting for someone to leave and open up- a space. After circling for several minutes, I returned to the temporary parking by the church and got instructions from Carlotta to enter the stadium (make that "stadio") paid parking.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Siena#

We have Room #10. My advanced reading had included mention of this room having a great view, so I asked for it. Does it ever have a view: San Domenico Church is framed perfectly by our bedroom window. And, it's nicely lit up at night. From our small bath window we have another postcard view of the cityscape, the magnificent public palace campanile (tower) on the left, the dome of the cathedral to the right. But, my source for the great view didn't mention the bed. Until now, we have had big, comfortable beds everywhere we've stayed. This bed is small (standard-sized), both saggy and hard. And squeaky. It's the middle of the night now and I'm typing here at a desk in the hall. Hopefully, Lucy has gone back to sleep. After falling asleep initially, I was awake and uncomfortable for some time before I got up. I could tell Lucy wasn't sleeping soundly either.
We've been to some beautiful; old cities this trip--Cannobio, Bergamo, Venice. Florence had lots of fine buildings and somewhat picturesque streets, but less stunning than the others. We only spent a night in Bologna, but were less taken with it. I find Siena has the most captivating panoramas of the old city. And, while curvy streets are part of the charm of all, I'd say the lanes in Siena are the crookedest of all.
More cathedral exploring. Pics permitted, providing no flash. My 10x Panasonic is great--it brings the stained glass windows full-frame. Stabilizing features are special too. I was able to zoon right up to Saint Caterina's preserved head! (in San Domenico Church--the one we see from our room).
We had dinner at a trattoria just below our window. Another outstanding dining experience. My hunter's-style chicken was suburb. So was the chocolate cake. Enough dessert? Naw, I finished off with a limoncita--famous Italian liquor. Yummy..
There's wifi here in the albergo. After getting on line earlier yesterday, in the evening there were connection problems. I'm going to pass more time, rather than crawl back in to that awful bed, by trying to get back on line now.

The Hermitage, Cinque Terre
Daily road report: We got out of Siena without problem and took the correct exits to get on the road to the coast. We decided we had time for a detour in to Pisa. 'Lucked out and found a parking spot on the street, only a block from the leaning tower. Took several pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Pisa#

On our return to the autostrada, I entered a roundabout and exited too soon. It turned out to be a lovely road, passing through small towns, often tree-lined. I would have appreciated it more if I wasn't worried about where we'd have a chance to get back on the autopista, which we did at Lucca. There may have been a quicker way to get to the road to Vernazza, here in the Cinque Terre ("5 lands"), a section of coastline popularized by Rick Steves for it's beauty--a string of 5 towns hugging the steep shoreline, connected by train and walking trails--no roads between towns, except by climbing up and down the mountain via switchbacks.
Months ago, when I made the reservation here at the Hermitage, my knee surgery prior to the trip wasn't in the cards. Even without the surgery, I had no business deciding to stay in this place on the mountainside outside of town, up a series of irregular steps. While we were encouraged to leave most of our luggage in town, Lucy didn't know what to leave, so she has most everything. I left a bunch of clothes but brought the full-size laptop. We're paying to park the car at the edge of town, but I was uneasy about potential for a car break-in.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/TheHeritageCinqueTerre#

No dinner available here at the Hermitage. They do provide flashlights. There is a bar at the upper end of town, that we were told was open, so we decided to go there for dinner, But, on arriving, we found it closed. Lucy's knee was giving her trouble so she turned back and I went on down the grocery store (it closed as I was leaving), for cheese, bread, pesto and wine. Au Aussie couple staying here had a corkscrew.
Comfortable bed. Even so, I'm doing my usual wake up/get up for a while thing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/VernazzaCinqueTerre#

Nerina's Room, Vernazza
We asked out of our second night at the Hermitage--the long trek from town too brutal. Fabio, the owner, was not around, but reachable by phone. The maid said the price would be half instead of the full 80 Euros for leaving after one night when we had reserved two. While I tried to play the invalid recovering from surgery, when I think about someone trying to back out on housing with me (not be obligated to give a 20-day notice or asking out at Beverly Beach for lack of being ocean-front), I shouldn't complain. The online description of the location clearly describes the hike up the mountain to get there and offers storage of luggage in town. I missed my opening the first night--a couple of gals showed up at the Hermitage, after dark, hoping to stay. They got on the phone with Fabio and left. I should have asked if they wanted to take our second night and, if so, inform Fabio. The maid called Nerina and we met her here in the town's square, next to the church, right on the harbor. We have a shared bathroom, but we've not seen nor heard anyone to share with.
It was a low-key day here in Vernazza. A small peninsula jutting in to the Ligurian Sea. Winding main street, alleys with stairs, colorful buildings crowded together, a beach, a boat landing, a couple of old towers. Steep hillsides surrounding, dotted with vineyards and a very few villas, high above the sea. A busy train station. We talked about catching a train to the next town, but noted that much of the ride might be underground, as trains arrive and leave town via tunnels. We also considered catching the passenger boat up or down the coast to the next town, but decided against it. The idea of getting back on the Blue Path linking villages was beyond consideration. The Hermitage was mostly up the Blue Path, with an additional series of stairs once we reached the green door. And, heading north out of town, we could see hikers--climbing a huge ridge. No, we made the right plan for the afternoon--a short stair climb to one of the towers right in town and meandering with camera while Lucy continued to shop for scarves and jewelry to take to those back home.
At dinner I switched the camera to view--I was going to delete some of the shots of the farmer in the vineyard that I'd taken while roaming around the Hermitage before breakfast--I kept trying to time the shot to catch his hoe on the upswing. Only 12 pictures showed up! A strange group of 12--some from earlier in the trip, others from different places in recent months. It was unbelievable--that all my pics to select from, for inclusion in my blog, could have vanished! With a turn of the camera setting (auto, scenery, sports, night, etc), I found all my pictures were still there. What a relief!
 
Back in the U.S. of A.
Monday afternoon, JFK, NY. Thanks to Samsung, I've got power for my laptop. Our current converter to European power was sketchy--hit & miss, and my laptop power reserves were gone.
Yesterday morning, as we clamed away from Cinque Terre, I tried to not endanger us on the narrow, twisting road, while catching glimpses of the beautiful terrain and ocean. When we found the autostrada our pace jumped from 20-40 kph to 120-140 kph. Italy has made a major investment in their super highways. Lots of tunnels, rather than climb over hills and mountains. Of course, they are great revenue-makers, as they are toll roads. We missed a turn approaching Genoa (Genova), so we had lunch near the old city. Unsure of how long it would take us to find our place for the night, I was reluctant to venture too far, so all we saw was one impressive building. Approaching Pavia, I figured after passing up Pavia sur ("south") exit I'd best not pass up Pavia norte ("north"). We had instructions to the hotel that mentioned another exit, but I figured it was premised on coming from Milan, not from Genoa. 'Familiar scenario--asking directions, not understanding them, asking again, eventually arriving at the Hotel Italia at 4:30 pm. The big attraction in the area--the Certosa di Pavia (charterhouse), according to Lonely Planet, "one of the most notable buildings of the Italian Renaissance". It closes at 5 pm. After checking in, we jumped back in the car and got to the Certosa just as it was closing. We took a few pics of the outside. I had a tasty calzone for my last dinner in Italy.
Following a nice breakfast spread that they opened early for us at 6:30 pm, we headed toward the Malpensa Airport in the rain. We managed to make about 10 exits on cue (truly a maze of autopistas around Milan). After repeatedly seeing "Malpensa" on highway reader boards, either for exiting or continuing straight ahead, there was an absence of "Malpensa" signs. I figured, since we should be getting closer, if we were still on the right path, we'd see confirming signs. I pulled off and got back on the autopista, using a tollbooth with a live toll person. His suggestion (Go toward Verese) wasn't helpful, as we were headed back in to Milan, with Verese behind us. Exits on the autopistas are not like here in the states, when it's simple to get off, cross over and head the other way. I got off, in to a maze of city streets and after about 10 minutes finally got heading toward Varese and Malpensa again. Meanwhile, I began have thoughts of not making the plane and being told our full fare tickets tomorrow would be $1200 each.
Finally, we reached Terminal 1 (But, should we go to Terminal 2?). Lucy confirmed we were at the right terminal--I left all bags with her and took the car back to the Budget parking lot. As I hoped, I didn't have to deal, then and there, with the consequences of killing two cars. The gal said the final bill will be mailed, so I'll have to wait to find out the verdict of what they charge me.
We made the plane. Actually, with a few minutes to spare. We were able to split up and each have an empty seat next to us, for the 8 hour 50 minute flight to New York. 'Nice to be back.

Summing Up
Advice to travelers to Italy: Take the train. If you must drive, do get a GPS. If they tell you there's none available, go to the next agency, until you get one. This advice doesn't come as a surprise, if you've taken the time to read my repeated tales of woe about being lost. And, wherever you rent a car, be sure to fill the tank with the right fuel! My plan to take sightseeing Michelin routes didn't work--we couldn't keep track of road signs. And, what with the time taken getting off track, I decided, whenever possible, to catch the fast autopistas to make of up for lost time.
I didn't pick up much Italian. My Spanish helped some. Most of the time, people were friendly when approached. In spite of being in areas that attract lots of international visitors, most people, other than in lodging and restaurants, didn't speak much, if any, English. On numerous occasions I overheard travelers speak to wait staff in English, then talk with each other in another language. Initially I was surprised, then realized English is a much more common second language than is Italian.
I’m not much of a museum or church connoisseur. There have been a few museums that really caught me. One in Toledo, Spain. The Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. The museums in Florence weren’t on that list, but I’m glad I visited them. Lucy was awestruck by David and his huge stature. Wanting to document with my camera, it was disappointing that camera use was prohibited in the museums and some churches. Other churches non-flash photos were permitted. My 10X Panasonic was great capturing stained glass windows.
I’ll resist boring you with details about costs. With the dollar at or near an all-time low against the Euro (about $1.50 to buy one Euro), this was not the best time to go, although I was happy with the weather, despite rain to start and on our last day to the airport. Even taking in to account we were frequenting mostly tourist destinations with inflated prices, I have to wonder if Italian salaries are large enough to be able to afford things, including eating out.
As the Picassa links attest, we visited many photogenic places. I didn't stop to take pics of the narrow, curvy roads, often with colorful old buildings crowding the roadway.
It measured up to the anticipation of the Big Retirement Trip. Big, as in 2 weeks is about right. Both Lucy and I are happy to be home, greeted by animals and our own bed!