What I did on my summer vacation: Europe 2011
Forgive the length of this note, as it does cover the 14 days of our wonderful Paris/Italy tour this summer. It is simply intended to be a trip diary to help me remember what we saw, what we did, and some of the many details of our visits.
6/13-6/14
Travel day(s). How often can one watch the sun set, wait a couple of hours and watch the sun rise, all on the same flight. Not to often, and yet, we did. Travel east to Europe proved brutal for me. Even in the Business Class cabin, with Benadryl to help, sleep proved elusive. At least good sleep. So our travel day found us in Paris, exhausted and spent as we had departed the US at 5pm and found ourselves in Paris at 9am the following morning. Of course we did gain 6 hours in the air. Apparently planes fly along the east coast to the tip of Canada and then strike out across the ocean and for our flight, flew between Ireland and the French coast.
Customs proved much easier than I expected, and the bags were waiting when we cleared. A good travel day. We took a few minutes to walk in the Tuileries Gardens right across the street from our hotel, and find an ATM so we had some spending money, but other than that sleep was the order of the day.
6/15
Our first day of sightseeing and the weather in Paris is not being kind. Cloudy, rainy and yet we are off to see the Church of Notre Dame first, on the Ile de la Cite in Paris. Construction on the church began in 1183. The tiles in front of the church show where the small roads once resided in the olden days of Paris. Surprisingly it fell to me to ask the tale of Quasimodo. Indeed once upon a time, homeless people would be invited to ring the bells and be given food for their efforts, but the Victor Hugo story is truly a work of fiction.
Next we visited the Eiffel Tower. Along the way we saw the famous The Veteran's Hospital (L'Hôtel national des Invalides) where Napoleon is buried. We did not stop in to visit, but certainly stopped for photos and to appreciate the grandeur of the place. Also on the drive we passed the French Military Academy established by Napoleon, École Spéciale Militaire De Saint-cyr.
The rain caught up to us at the Eiffel Tower and we escaped it by dining at the first level restaurant, 58 Eiffel Tower. We enjoyed a great view of the city and good food, all accompanied (to our amusement) by American 1980s music.
We spent some time after lunch enjoying the break in the rain and taking pictures. However, a busy tour schedule waits for no one, and we were soon whisked away to Trocadero for a better view of the tower. Our afternoon concluded with a tour of the Arc de Triumphe. The 284 step climb to the top rewarded the traveler with some great views of the city and we certainly stayed for awhile to cool down from our stuffy ascent in the heat and humidity of the day.
6/16
Versailles is today's agenda: the palace, the courtyards, and Marie Antoinette's Village. My commentary will be brief, because it is hard to describe a palace with miles and miles of corridors and rooms, and no original bathrooms. I am still stunned at the opulence afforded the royal family and at the notion nobleman would contend for the chance to wipe the Royal ass. Well, at least they brought him his clothes, his shoes, dressed him, and no doubt someone did the unseemly deed.
After a lunch on-site, we visited Marie Antoinette's village in the back of the site, and it proved to be a wonderful getaway from the palace life and a neat view into village life in the late 18th century.
We ended our day with a dinner cruise on the Siene River, which gave us some nice views of the city and another chance to enjoy a great meal.
6/17
Our tour of the Louvre, a visit to Mona Lisa, on to the Garnier Opera House, and finally Monmarte, home of the artists.
The Louvre is more crowded than you can imagine. What a zoo. However, the building itself being a former royal palace, is worth a visit, but the many amazing works of art were a sight to see. We did enjoy seeing 3 of Da Vinci's other works and several other masterpieces during our brief tour before battling the hordes to see Mona Lisa.
Second on the day, the Opera House. It proved to be an amazing display of opulence, architecture and culture. It is considered the masterpiece of the Neo-Baroque period. It is also the inspiration for the story "Phantom of the Opera." I cannot do justice in describing it in much detail, but suffice it to say, the detail work is amazing, the building is beautiful and it features a ceiling in the main auditorium painted by Chagall.
We ended the tour of Paris with a walking tour of Monmartre and a visit to the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, another truly beautiful church. The area has been home to many famous artists through the years and still provides a great view of the city. We had our best luck shopping and taking in the art of Paris here, and as an added bonus, we got to see the famous Moulin Rouge on our way to the area. The kids were amused by the ride down the red light district, and most of the adults were simply hoping they were not paying too much attention.
6/18
Simply a travel day from Paris to Florence. My first flight on an Avro RJ85 Aircraft. The flight proved easy and smooth, and the Florence airport offered my first bus ride from a plane to a terminal in all my years of travel. Rode to the Castello del Nero (a converted 12th century castle now a resort in the town of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. Truly a beautiful resort and our rooms (ours adjoined the kids room) found us with a nice private terrace to overlook the Tuscan countryside.
6/19
We began the day with a tour of Tenimenti Andreucci (chiccowines.com) and got a history of the family business of wine making and Flavio Andreucci went to university to learn more about geology, soil, and agriculture to combine the best of the old school with the technology of today. They have the fermenting machines on their property as well, and then pump the product up hill to the barrels, where it is stored until it is ready for bottling. They keep a reserve for up to 4 years. They even do the packing and shipping, all from their facility under their house.
After the tour we did a wine tasting of all 3 of their wines: Giobatta, Regale, and Costavecchia. They also offered cheese and homemade dark chocolate, made by his wife. All of the kids actually tried the wine and to our amazement, Sam actually liked wine. Of course, he liked the most expensive one the most. Grandpa bought everyone some wine (well, we skipped it despite Sam’s seeming to like it).
The family also grows olives and produces olive oil. So this November, after the first pressing, we will be getting a case of some amazing Olive Oil to enjoy instead of some wine.
After the wine tour and tasting we travelled to San Quirico d’Orcia for lunch. The town was hosting a Renaissance festival as well, but we simply chose the venue for lunch, as we were quite hungry. We dined at Trattoria al Vecchio Forno. The meal proved to be amongst the best. We dined Family Style again, just sharing plates of various dishes and enjoying them all. This is where some of the more interesting desserts were found: Chocolate Salami with Orange Sauce, and (Amanda's trip favorite) Puff Pastry with cream and strawberries.
We concluded the day with a brief tour of Pienza. Pienza is where Pope Pius 2nd had been born and he kept a home there as a retreat and had the town "modernized" (15th century style anyhow) and it became an ideal for future urban planning in the time. Today it is recognized as a World Heritage Site by the UN. The town was once occupied by the Germans in WWII however, and today you can still see bullet holes in the old buildings.
6/20
Today we toured Siena and it's famous Piazza del Campo, the town square (although it should be pointed out it is not shaped that way), the Palazzo Pubblico (it's iconic Town Hall), and the Torre del Mangia (the bell tower). They hold the famous Palio horse race here every summer (well 2 races actually: July 2 and August 16). A traditional medieval race featuring the 17 Contrade (City neighborhoods which once formed battalions for the city's defense in the past). We each chose a favorite Contrade to cheer for this upcoming summer. The shops in Siena were nice as well, and we enjoyed touring the famous city and it's unique character.
The latter half of our day went to cooking school in the Tuscan mountain town of
Volpaia. This quaint town is home to Ristorante “La Bottega” and the Barucci Cooking School. We learned from Carla and her mother Gina the art of Italian cooking. She shared several of her famous family recipes with us and the all important style of how to prepare them properly. We learned to make Pappa al Pomodoro, Panna Cotta, Homemade Italian Garlic Toasted bread (sorry I forgot the Italian name for it), Bolognese Sauce, and the chicken liver patte (I really need to get the recipe list out again and find the authentic name for this dish). The kids got to help make homemade pasta with Gina, and they can no doubt appreciate how hard it is to make true homemade pasta now.
Carla then allowed us to sample much of her menu at dinner, along with my Pappa al Pomodoro, Grandpa's Patte, and the Panna Cotta we helped make earlier. Carla is truly the ideal Italian cook, as she spent much of her time roaming the restaurant to talk with her guests and make the eating experience a night to remember. I don't think anyone in the family left here in a state less than stuffed to our ears.
I should mention here, the drive to Volpaia is a lovely drive, despite the winding roads and time needed. The walk around the city proved to be amazing too, and short as the city is quite small.
6/21
Our second trip into Florence. Apparently the grandparents were too worn out after the Siena and Volpaia run the day before and chose to rest with the younger kids (and Sam stayed to help) for the day at the resort. So the adults went into town for a walking tour and some shopping.
Our day began with a visit to the Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti, to see the amazing Statue of David, by Michelangelo. The museum also featured several of Michelangelo’s unfinished marble statues, and I wonder if he did not leave them on purpose to show how he viewed the stone, as a statue trying to emerge from the confines of the rock. Not being an art student or humanities guru (surely they could tell us), I simply thought it to be a brilliant way for him to show his way of seeing a statue and helping the viewer appreciate his unique vision.
We were all struck by how large and magnificent the work is. It is very hard to believe the statue, once planned to just be a part of the façade of the church, simply sat outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence from 1504 until 1873. Then it was moved to it's current interior location inside the Accademia Gallery.
They did a wonderful job of building a nice structure to house it. The museum gives it the proper (amazing) perspective. Our guide did a great job of explaining how to view David, from the front where he appears nonchalant, maybe post-battle. Then step to the right and you can see David’s intense stare more as though he is preparing for battle. Several of us were truly struck by the size and detail put into the work. You can clearly understand why so many wait in lines for hours just to glimpse Michelangelo's masterpiece.
Along the street after leaving the, you can stroll down the road in front to see many buildings from the times of Leonardo and Michelangelo. For this history buff in me, it is truly amazing to think they walked these same roads some 500 years ago. Indeed many of the roads in the classic Renaissance cities remain the same dimensions as they once were.
The road strolls down to the Cathedral featuring the famous Duomo by Filippo Brunelleschi (which dominates the city skyline when viewed from hills nearby) and the famous Baptistery doors, called Gates of Paradise done by Lorenzo Ghiberti and took him nearly 21 years to complete. Indeed, the name Gates of Paradise is attributed to Michelangelo, as this was the description of the doors. While the real doors are currently undergoing cleaning and will be displayed in the cathedral when complete, the replicas currently installed were commissioned in 1990 and still took a year to make. The originals are still under restoration to remove nearly 500 years of weathering and wear and tear.
The next stop, Santa Croce, features the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. Each is a work of art of it's own and shows the tremendous respect these men earned in their life's work.
The main courtyard in front of the church had been setup for an annual city-wide soccer exhibition, a tradition of many years. The façade was beautiful and although we could not really take photos, it was magnificent. Dante Alighieri has a shrine in the church, but he is actually buried elsewhere. The monks who worked in the church over the years became quite famous for their leather working skills and today there is a renowned leather school in the back of the site.
After a quick bite, Amanda and Donna went shopping, and I alone went to the Uffizi Museum. I simply could not be so close to so many masterpieces and not go. Botticelli had always been my favorite Renaissance artist and the Uffizi features his great ones and several others. Nobody else wanted to go. So, I viewed Botticelli's Birth of Venus, the Annunciation and the Proclamation? Madonna and child, Madonna and child with 5 angels and 6 angels. The head cut off one, and his self portrait.
In the same wing, I also saw 2 more of Da Vinci’s works, the Annunciation and ?? along with another he supposedly half completed and a student finished. I concluded my visit with a quick viewing of the museums one Michelangelo work, a painting called The Doni Tondo.
6/22
Today we traveled to Lucca and to Pisa. Lucca is a different style of city from Florence and Siena, although it did also feature a city wall, limited areas of entry and a city square, well courtyard in a circular shape actually.
The main area in the city is actually an old Roman Amphitheater which the townspeople have converted to be apartments and shops. Very interesting and creative use of the old structure. Here we shopped some, and got to see more “old world” living as many of the shops closed for lunch, only to reopen later.
Our lunch here however was pre-booked and we dined at Buca S. Antonio, which has been in business since 1782. Think about that. The restaurant has been there only 6 years less than America has been in existence. Wow!
Along the way to Lucca we did see a field of sunflowers, which helped Amanda get her dream to see a field of sunflowers with her own eyes in Italy. They are not yet in season, but enough had bloomed in a few spots to grant her wish.
Pisa itself proved to be the biggest letdown of places we visited in Tuscany. Crowded, extremely touristy (is that a word?), tons of merchants, and hot as hell. For a coastal city, I expected more of a breeze.
The site, while beautiful, is overloaded with tourists and merchants and thankfully our guides had pre-arranged our ascent to the top of the leaning tower. Only about 100 people an hour get the chance to go to the top. You can begin to feel disoriented the moment you enter the tower, and going up the spiral steps, which are well worn with over 700 years of use, you alternate feelings between leaning left or right; between a sense of climbing and a sense of walking straight. Indeed the final staircases are so narrow my shoulders could actually touch both sides of the staircase.
The views were nice, but not to die for. Other views are truly more breathtaking, but to say you went to the top of the leaning tower is the real draw.
We also visited the Baptistery (known for it's famous echo effect and indeed it is amazing) and the Cathedral (including the famous chandelier Galileo saw swinging each service and noted that no matter how far or high the swing went, it always took the same exact period of time to swing back, thus he discovered the idea of the pendulum.
During our ride home, AJ got to see a few more fields of sunflowers, and the driver go to make an emergency pit stop for all the grandkids to pee. J What a great way to end the day.
6/23/11
Our travel day from Tuscany to Rome. We took our guide back to her home just south of Florence to start the day, and on our way back south from Florence, we passed a terrible truck accident on the other side of the road where a Semi had blown its left front tire and apparently swerved into the concrete barricade divider and rolled. It landed on its side, blocking all lanes of traffic on the other side and leaking gasoline. By the time we reached it, the fire crews were on-site, there appeared to be no serious injuries thankfully, but the road on the other side was completely closed and packed, and the police had begun turning people back at the closest exit back down the road, thus making our side rather congested and slow going. Since this road had no shoulder, no breakdown lanes or other way for anyone to get past the wreck, those poor souls were all quite literally stranded for what appeared to be hours to come.
Some were taking pictures of the scene, some just watching, but others provided us with more entertainment and memories. Sadly, I had already stowed the camera, and with us moving at about 20-30 MPH we did not have time to get it out and snap shots to remember. One couple had fallen asleep (or rather had their hats over their eyes, feet out the window and the look of napping). A short bit later, a fellow was standing behind his car, hatchback up, removing his pants. Yep, that is right, removing his pants. Thank god he had boxer briefs on, and not Underoos or a speedo, and he changed into some shorts. It was hot and I guess he simply knew he was going to be stuck and to make the best of it. Our lesson: modesty is something in short supply.
A bit later we did see another gentleman using the concrete wall of the interstate as a urinal. No real attempt to hide, (or really draw attention either), but I guess Italians are just used to making use of what they have. There were no rest areas, no buildings around, so…he answered natures call.
The drive through Umbria and other areas between Florence and Rome were nice enough, and we enjoyed seeing the varied landscapes.
Two other small notes: Autogrill appears to be the Italian version of Stuckeys (all over the interstates) and we had the notion the Italians waste no land or space again, as nearly every house or area we saw from the road had a crop in the area (vineyards, olive trees, etc). Hats off to them.
6/24/11
Vatican, visit to the Colosseum at night by myself for pictures with less people and better light.
The Vatican was overrun with tourists and visitors. Many of the normal lines to the Sistene Chapel were diverted through the old Popes apartments in order to keep the crowds spread out. We did pass through some interesting areas (esp. the map room – containing paintings of the known world at that time), and the royal staircase (where ALL visitors to the Pope from Queens and Kings to Presidents must ascend).
Once we entered the Sistene Chapel, we joined a throng of gazers staring at Michelangelo’s masterpiece and the many works of other great artists, including Boticelli. They do not allow pictures inside at all, in fact, several people were chastised heavily and the locals take great offense to photos being taken inside. It is a holy place and the works are too valuable to allow flashes.
They also require strict silence so those inside can reflect, ponder and pray while in the holiest of churches to the Catholic faith. After all, this is the same room where Popes are elected. The Police help enforce these rules and so do the locals and tour guides. Truly seeing Michelangelo’s amazing work was awe inspiring. I can see why so many people linger in the chapel.
After the Sistene Chapel we visited Saint Peter’s Basilica and had a chance to see Michelangelo’s Pieta. The apostle Peter is buried here and was the first Pope. Again, it is an amazing church and rich with history.
After the tours, we stopped briefly at the gift shop and bought a few books and I sent a few friends a post card to be stamped from the Vatican. It will be interesting to see how long they take to arrive.
Lastly, we all returned to the hotel and had some free shopping/roaming time on the schedule. I decided to take a cab downtown by myself at around 20:00 to see the Colosseum in the light of dusk and get some pictures with the better light dusk offered.
I had a wonderful time just wondering around and taking photos, never bothered by anyone and with almost no crowd at all. My only real encounter with locals (other than the illegal street vendors) was a few cats who were wondering about the ruins. Right next to the arena, were the pens where the animals and gladiators were prepared (or waited) for their matches, especially before the floor of the arena was converted.
Then I took a cab back to the hotel, and walked down to the fountain right next to the hotel. I took some nice pictures from there, and got to see another unexpected sight: a McDonald’s restaurant there at the corner, where a patron emerged with his tray containing 2 Big Macs, 2 things of fries, and 2 beers. Yes you read it right, beers. Well, probably McBeers. Heh!
6/25/11
Visit to the Colosseum, inside, up to the second tier. The crowds were overflowing, the sun out and the temperature brutally hot. We found a nice tunnel with shade to hear the lecture from our guide, and after we roamed the second tier, and the lower level to see the hypogeum.
Truly, this was the highlight of the trip for me. As someone who designs and builds systems for a living, and enjoys understanding how and why things work the way they do, the Colosseum really represented the pinnacle of the trip through history in Europe to me.
To realize this project, completed in the years 70-80AD is amazing. Even with today’s technology and skills, a project of this scope would take a few years at a minimum. They did this with no cranes, no power tools, no trucks delivering supplies as needed, managed logistics making sure the right parts were delivered at the right time to keep the schedule smooth, and no electricity. They had no Home Depot or Lowes to go to when they needed something.
The Romans actually invented bricks, and concrete simply to complete this epic project.
It was all done without computers, simulations, building codes and the like. Just very smart, innovative people who knew they had to address the issues of weight, support, weather, money, and still please an emperor who certainly would not accept delays or failure. What an amazing achievement, and the fact it still stands today is the biggest testimony to their skill and work.
A major earthquake in the 1300s brought down the outer rings missing from the major structure. That area of the Colosseum had the weakest soil underneath.
There is simply far too much to say about the Colosseum and its history to list here, but suffice it to say, I enjoyed walking in it, seeing the craftsmanship, and I certainly did here what I had done at every sight throughout our trip, I touched the walls and thought of the stories they could tell.
After the Colosseum we needed to cool down, so we visited Tre Scalini, a famous restaurant right by the Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi (the Four Rivers Fountain), and famous for it's original Black Truffle (a.k.a. Tartufo). Maybe not as warm and friendly as many of the other places we had visited, but the Tartufo was quite good.
Next came the building where Julius Caesar had been murdered, now the Italian Stock Market's home. We moved on to the Pantheon, and then Trevi Fountain. At the fountain, everyone followed the rules and tossed coins, despite the crowds. The real tradition is tossing a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder ensures you will return to Rome one day. Some new traditions hold that 2 coins will bring love and 3 will bring marriage or divorce (depending on your status).
We ended our tour with the Scalinata Della Trinita Dei Monti, a.k.a. the Spanish Steps. These too were crowded as it was a Saturday, but we did get to visit and climb them, as our bus was waiting up the hill.
Truly the entire trip was an amazing whirlwind tour of history, culture and learning about the French and Italian people. I can honestly say, we never once encountered anyone who was rude to Americans, or who treated us poorly because we were not natives. I did gather many French and Italians are not found of Germans, and indeed the only rude people we encountered on our trip were German tourists or Japanese tourists. And even those were the minority. Most people were polite.
I still can't get over the "new" buildings in those countries being older than our country. I hope we can return one day and I hope many of my friends and family get (and take) the opportunity to see it all for themselves. I just wanted to write this as my own trip diary to help me remember the experience. All I have left to say now is ... Au Revior and Ciao!
6/13-6/14
Travel day(s). How often can one watch the sun set, wait a couple of hours and watch the sun rise, all on the same flight. Not to often, and yet, we did. Travel east to Europe proved brutal for me. Even in the Business Class cabin, with Benadryl to help, sleep proved elusive. At least good sleep. So our travel day found us in Paris, exhausted and spent as we had departed the US at 5pm and found ourselves in Paris at 9am the following morning. Of course we did gain 6 hours in the air. Apparently planes fly along the east coast to the tip of Canada and then strike out across the ocean and for our flight, flew between Ireland and the French coast.
Customs proved much easier than I expected, and the bags were waiting when we cleared. A good travel day. We took a few minutes to walk in the Tuileries Gardens right across the street from our hotel, and find an ATM so we had some spending money, but other than that sleep was the order of the day.
6/15
Our first day of sightseeing and the weather in Paris is not being kind. Cloudy, rainy and yet we are off to see the Church of Notre Dame first, on the Ile de la Cite in Paris. Construction on the church began in 1183. The tiles in front of the church show where the small roads once resided in the olden days of Paris. Surprisingly it fell to me to ask the tale of Quasimodo. Indeed once upon a time, homeless people would be invited to ring the bells and be given food for their efforts, but the Victor Hugo story is truly a work of fiction.
Next we visited the Eiffel Tower. Along the way we saw the famous The Veteran's Hospital (L'Hôtel national des Invalides) where Napoleon is buried. We did not stop in to visit, but certainly stopped for photos and to appreciate the grandeur of the place. Also on the drive we passed the French Military Academy established by Napoleon, École Spéciale Militaire De Saint-cyr.
The rain caught up to us at the Eiffel Tower and we escaped it by dining at the first level restaurant, 58 Eiffel Tower. We enjoyed a great view of the city and good food, all accompanied (to our amusement) by American 1980s music.
We spent some time after lunch enjoying the break in the rain and taking pictures. However, a busy tour schedule waits for no one, and we were soon whisked away to Trocadero for a better view of the tower. Our afternoon concluded with a tour of the Arc de Triumphe. The 284 step climb to the top rewarded the traveler with some great views of the city and we certainly stayed for awhile to cool down from our stuffy ascent in the heat and humidity of the day.
6/16
Versailles is today's agenda: the palace, the courtyards, and Marie Antoinette's Village. My commentary will be brief, because it is hard to describe a palace with miles and miles of corridors and rooms, and no original bathrooms. I am still stunned at the opulence afforded the royal family and at the notion nobleman would contend for the chance to wipe the Royal ass. Well, at least they brought him his clothes, his shoes, dressed him, and no doubt someone did the unseemly deed.
After a lunch on-site, we visited Marie Antoinette's village in the back of the site, and it proved to be a wonderful getaway from the palace life and a neat view into village life in the late 18th century.
We ended our day with a dinner cruise on the Siene River, which gave us some nice views of the city and another chance to enjoy a great meal.
6/17
Our tour of the Louvre, a visit to Mona Lisa, on to the Garnier Opera House, and finally Monmarte, home of the artists.
The Louvre is more crowded than you can imagine. What a zoo. However, the building itself being a former royal palace, is worth a visit, but the many amazing works of art were a sight to see. We did enjoy seeing 3 of Da Vinci's other works and several other masterpieces during our brief tour before battling the hordes to see Mona Lisa.
Second on the day, the Opera House. It proved to be an amazing display of opulence, architecture and culture. It is considered the masterpiece of the Neo-Baroque period. It is also the inspiration for the story "Phantom of the Opera." I cannot do justice in describing it in much detail, but suffice it to say, the detail work is amazing, the building is beautiful and it features a ceiling in the main auditorium painted by Chagall.
We ended the tour of Paris with a walking tour of Monmartre and a visit to the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, another truly beautiful church. The area has been home to many famous artists through the years and still provides a great view of the city. We had our best luck shopping and taking in the art of Paris here, and as an added bonus, we got to see the famous Moulin Rouge on our way to the area. The kids were amused by the ride down the red light district, and most of the adults were simply hoping they were not paying too much attention.
6/18
Simply a travel day from Paris to Florence. My first flight on an Avro RJ85 Aircraft. The flight proved easy and smooth, and the Florence airport offered my first bus ride from a plane to a terminal in all my years of travel. Rode to the Castello del Nero (a converted 12th century castle now a resort in the town of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. Truly a beautiful resort and our rooms (ours adjoined the kids room) found us with a nice private terrace to overlook the Tuscan countryside.
6/19
We began the day with a tour of Tenimenti Andreucci (chiccowines.com) and got a history of the family business of wine making and Flavio Andreucci went to university to learn more about geology, soil, and agriculture to combine the best of the old school with the technology of today. They have the fermenting machines on their property as well, and then pump the product up hill to the barrels, where it is stored until it is ready for bottling. They keep a reserve for up to 4 years. They even do the packing and shipping, all from their facility under their house.
After the tour we did a wine tasting of all 3 of their wines: Giobatta, Regale, and Costavecchia. They also offered cheese and homemade dark chocolate, made by his wife. All of the kids actually tried the wine and to our amazement, Sam actually liked wine. Of course, he liked the most expensive one the most. Grandpa bought everyone some wine (well, we skipped it despite Sam’s seeming to like it).
The family also grows olives and produces olive oil. So this November, after the first pressing, we will be getting a case of some amazing Olive Oil to enjoy instead of some wine.
After the wine tour and tasting we travelled to San Quirico d’Orcia for lunch. The town was hosting a Renaissance festival as well, but we simply chose the venue for lunch, as we were quite hungry. We dined at Trattoria al Vecchio Forno. The meal proved to be amongst the best. We dined Family Style again, just sharing plates of various dishes and enjoying them all. This is where some of the more interesting desserts were found: Chocolate Salami with Orange Sauce, and (Amanda's trip favorite) Puff Pastry with cream and strawberries.
We concluded the day with a brief tour of Pienza. Pienza is where Pope Pius 2nd had been born and he kept a home there as a retreat and had the town "modernized" (15th century style anyhow) and it became an ideal for future urban planning in the time. Today it is recognized as a World Heritage Site by the UN. The town was once occupied by the Germans in WWII however, and today you can still see bullet holes in the old buildings.
6/20
Today we toured Siena and it's famous Piazza del Campo, the town square (although it should be pointed out it is not shaped that way), the Palazzo Pubblico (it's iconic Town Hall), and the Torre del Mangia (the bell tower). They hold the famous Palio horse race here every summer (well 2 races actually: July 2 and August 16). A traditional medieval race featuring the 17 Contrade (City neighborhoods which once formed battalions for the city's defense in the past). We each chose a favorite Contrade to cheer for this upcoming summer. The shops in Siena were nice as well, and we enjoyed touring the famous city and it's unique character.
The latter half of our day went to cooking school in the Tuscan mountain town of
Volpaia. This quaint town is home to Ristorante “La Bottega” and the Barucci Cooking School. We learned from Carla and her mother Gina the art of Italian cooking. She shared several of her famous family recipes with us and the all important style of how to prepare them properly. We learned to make Pappa al Pomodoro, Panna Cotta, Homemade Italian Garlic Toasted bread (sorry I forgot the Italian name for it), Bolognese Sauce, and the chicken liver patte (I really need to get the recipe list out again and find the authentic name for this dish). The kids got to help make homemade pasta with Gina, and they can no doubt appreciate how hard it is to make true homemade pasta now.
Carla then allowed us to sample much of her menu at dinner, along with my Pappa al Pomodoro, Grandpa's Patte, and the Panna Cotta we helped make earlier. Carla is truly the ideal Italian cook, as she spent much of her time roaming the restaurant to talk with her guests and make the eating experience a night to remember. I don't think anyone in the family left here in a state less than stuffed to our ears.
I should mention here, the drive to Volpaia is a lovely drive, despite the winding roads and time needed. The walk around the city proved to be amazing too, and short as the city is quite small.
6/21
Our second trip into Florence. Apparently the grandparents were too worn out after the Siena and Volpaia run the day before and chose to rest with the younger kids (and Sam stayed to help) for the day at the resort. So the adults went into town for a walking tour and some shopping.
Our day began with a visit to the Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti, to see the amazing Statue of David, by Michelangelo. The museum also featured several of Michelangelo’s unfinished marble statues, and I wonder if he did not leave them on purpose to show how he viewed the stone, as a statue trying to emerge from the confines of the rock. Not being an art student or humanities guru (surely they could tell us), I simply thought it to be a brilliant way for him to show his way of seeing a statue and helping the viewer appreciate his unique vision.
We were all struck by how large and magnificent the work is. It is very hard to believe the statue, once planned to just be a part of the façade of the church, simply sat outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence from 1504 until 1873. Then it was moved to it's current interior location inside the Accademia Gallery.
They did a wonderful job of building a nice structure to house it. The museum gives it the proper (amazing) perspective. Our guide did a great job of explaining how to view David, from the front where he appears nonchalant, maybe post-battle. Then step to the right and you can see David’s intense stare more as though he is preparing for battle. Several of us were truly struck by the size and detail put into the work. You can clearly understand why so many wait in lines for hours just to glimpse Michelangelo's masterpiece.
Along the street after leaving the, you can stroll down the road in front to see many buildings from the times of Leonardo and Michelangelo. For this history buff in me, it is truly amazing to think they walked these same roads some 500 years ago. Indeed many of the roads in the classic Renaissance cities remain the same dimensions as they once were.
The road strolls down to the Cathedral featuring the famous Duomo by Filippo Brunelleschi (which dominates the city skyline when viewed from hills nearby) and the famous Baptistery doors, called Gates of Paradise done by Lorenzo Ghiberti and took him nearly 21 years to complete. Indeed, the name Gates of Paradise is attributed to Michelangelo, as this was the description of the doors. While the real doors are currently undergoing cleaning and will be displayed in the cathedral when complete, the replicas currently installed were commissioned in 1990 and still took a year to make. The originals are still under restoration to remove nearly 500 years of weathering and wear and tear.
The next stop, Santa Croce, features the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. Each is a work of art of it's own and shows the tremendous respect these men earned in their life's work.
The main courtyard in front of the church had been setup for an annual city-wide soccer exhibition, a tradition of many years. The façade was beautiful and although we could not really take photos, it was magnificent. Dante Alighieri has a shrine in the church, but he is actually buried elsewhere. The monks who worked in the church over the years became quite famous for their leather working skills and today there is a renowned leather school in the back of the site.
After a quick bite, Amanda and Donna went shopping, and I alone went to the Uffizi Museum. I simply could not be so close to so many masterpieces and not go. Botticelli had always been my favorite Renaissance artist and the Uffizi features his great ones and several others. Nobody else wanted to go. So, I viewed Botticelli's Birth of Venus, the Annunciation and the Proclamation? Madonna and child, Madonna and child with 5 angels and 6 angels. The head cut off one, and his self portrait.
In the same wing, I also saw 2 more of Da Vinci’s works, the Annunciation and ?? along with another he supposedly half completed and a student finished. I concluded my visit with a quick viewing of the museums one Michelangelo work, a painting called The Doni Tondo.
6/22
Today we traveled to Lucca and to Pisa. Lucca is a different style of city from Florence and Siena, although it did also feature a city wall, limited areas of entry and a city square, well courtyard in a circular shape actually.
The main area in the city is actually an old Roman Amphitheater which the townspeople have converted to be apartments and shops. Very interesting and creative use of the old structure. Here we shopped some, and got to see more “old world” living as many of the shops closed for lunch, only to reopen later.
Our lunch here however was pre-booked and we dined at Buca S. Antonio, which has been in business since 1782. Think about that. The restaurant has been there only 6 years less than America has been in existence. Wow!
Along the way to Lucca we did see a field of sunflowers, which helped Amanda get her dream to see a field of sunflowers with her own eyes in Italy. They are not yet in season, but enough had bloomed in a few spots to grant her wish.
Pisa itself proved to be the biggest letdown of places we visited in Tuscany. Crowded, extremely touristy (is that a word?), tons of merchants, and hot as hell. For a coastal city, I expected more of a breeze.
The site, while beautiful, is overloaded with tourists and merchants and thankfully our guides had pre-arranged our ascent to the top of the leaning tower. Only about 100 people an hour get the chance to go to the top. You can begin to feel disoriented the moment you enter the tower, and going up the spiral steps, which are well worn with over 700 years of use, you alternate feelings between leaning left or right; between a sense of climbing and a sense of walking straight. Indeed the final staircases are so narrow my shoulders could actually touch both sides of the staircase.
The views were nice, but not to die for. Other views are truly more breathtaking, but to say you went to the top of the leaning tower is the real draw.
We also visited the Baptistery (known for it's famous echo effect and indeed it is amazing) and the Cathedral (including the famous chandelier Galileo saw swinging each service and noted that no matter how far or high the swing went, it always took the same exact period of time to swing back, thus he discovered the idea of the pendulum.
During our ride home, AJ got to see a few more fields of sunflowers, and the driver go to make an emergency pit stop for all the grandkids to pee. J What a great way to end the day.
6/23/11
Our travel day from Tuscany to Rome. We took our guide back to her home just south of Florence to start the day, and on our way back south from Florence, we passed a terrible truck accident on the other side of the road where a Semi had blown its left front tire and apparently swerved into the concrete barricade divider and rolled. It landed on its side, blocking all lanes of traffic on the other side and leaking gasoline. By the time we reached it, the fire crews were on-site, there appeared to be no serious injuries thankfully, but the road on the other side was completely closed and packed, and the police had begun turning people back at the closest exit back down the road, thus making our side rather congested and slow going. Since this road had no shoulder, no breakdown lanes or other way for anyone to get past the wreck, those poor souls were all quite literally stranded for what appeared to be hours to come.
Some were taking pictures of the scene, some just watching, but others provided us with more entertainment and memories. Sadly, I had already stowed the camera, and with us moving at about 20-30 MPH we did not have time to get it out and snap shots to remember. One couple had fallen asleep (or rather had their hats over their eyes, feet out the window and the look of napping). A short bit later, a fellow was standing behind his car, hatchback up, removing his pants. Yep, that is right, removing his pants. Thank god he had boxer briefs on, and not Underoos or a speedo, and he changed into some shorts. It was hot and I guess he simply knew he was going to be stuck and to make the best of it. Our lesson: modesty is something in short supply.
A bit later we did see another gentleman using the concrete wall of the interstate as a urinal. No real attempt to hide, (or really draw attention either), but I guess Italians are just used to making use of what they have. There were no rest areas, no buildings around, so…he answered natures call.
The drive through Umbria and other areas between Florence and Rome were nice enough, and we enjoyed seeing the varied landscapes.
Two other small notes: Autogrill appears to be the Italian version of Stuckeys (all over the interstates) and we had the notion the Italians waste no land or space again, as nearly every house or area we saw from the road had a crop in the area (vineyards, olive trees, etc). Hats off to them.
6/24/11
Vatican, visit to the Colosseum at night by myself for pictures with less people and better light.
The Vatican was overrun with tourists and visitors. Many of the normal lines to the Sistene Chapel were diverted through the old Popes apartments in order to keep the crowds spread out. We did pass through some interesting areas (esp. the map room – containing paintings of the known world at that time), and the royal staircase (where ALL visitors to the Pope from Queens and Kings to Presidents must ascend).
Once we entered the Sistene Chapel, we joined a throng of gazers staring at Michelangelo’s masterpiece and the many works of other great artists, including Boticelli. They do not allow pictures inside at all, in fact, several people were chastised heavily and the locals take great offense to photos being taken inside. It is a holy place and the works are too valuable to allow flashes.
They also require strict silence so those inside can reflect, ponder and pray while in the holiest of churches to the Catholic faith. After all, this is the same room where Popes are elected. The Police help enforce these rules and so do the locals and tour guides. Truly seeing Michelangelo’s amazing work was awe inspiring. I can see why so many people linger in the chapel.
After the Sistene Chapel we visited Saint Peter’s Basilica and had a chance to see Michelangelo’s Pieta. The apostle Peter is buried here and was the first Pope. Again, it is an amazing church and rich with history.
After the tours, we stopped briefly at the gift shop and bought a few books and I sent a few friends a post card to be stamped from the Vatican. It will be interesting to see how long they take to arrive.
Lastly, we all returned to the hotel and had some free shopping/roaming time on the schedule. I decided to take a cab downtown by myself at around 20:00 to see the Colosseum in the light of dusk and get some pictures with the better light dusk offered.
I had a wonderful time just wondering around and taking photos, never bothered by anyone and with almost no crowd at all. My only real encounter with locals (other than the illegal street vendors) was a few cats who were wondering about the ruins. Right next to the arena, were the pens where the animals and gladiators were prepared (or waited) for their matches, especially before the floor of the arena was converted.
Then I took a cab back to the hotel, and walked down to the fountain right next to the hotel. I took some nice pictures from there, and got to see another unexpected sight: a McDonald’s restaurant there at the corner, where a patron emerged with his tray containing 2 Big Macs, 2 things of fries, and 2 beers. Yes you read it right, beers. Well, probably McBeers. Heh!
6/25/11
Visit to the Colosseum, inside, up to the second tier. The crowds were overflowing, the sun out and the temperature brutally hot. We found a nice tunnel with shade to hear the lecture from our guide, and after we roamed the second tier, and the lower level to see the hypogeum.
Truly, this was the highlight of the trip for me. As someone who designs and builds systems for a living, and enjoys understanding how and why things work the way they do, the Colosseum really represented the pinnacle of the trip through history in Europe to me.
To realize this project, completed in the years 70-80AD is amazing. Even with today’s technology and skills, a project of this scope would take a few years at a minimum. They did this with no cranes, no power tools, no trucks delivering supplies as needed, managed logistics making sure the right parts were delivered at the right time to keep the schedule smooth, and no electricity. They had no Home Depot or Lowes to go to when they needed something.
The Romans actually invented bricks, and concrete simply to complete this epic project.
It was all done without computers, simulations, building codes and the like. Just very smart, innovative people who knew they had to address the issues of weight, support, weather, money, and still please an emperor who certainly would not accept delays or failure. What an amazing achievement, and the fact it still stands today is the biggest testimony to their skill and work.
A major earthquake in the 1300s brought down the outer rings missing from the major structure. That area of the Colosseum had the weakest soil underneath.
There is simply far too much to say about the Colosseum and its history to list here, but suffice it to say, I enjoyed walking in it, seeing the craftsmanship, and I certainly did here what I had done at every sight throughout our trip, I touched the walls and thought of the stories they could tell.
After the Colosseum we needed to cool down, so we visited Tre Scalini, a famous restaurant right by the Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi (the Four Rivers Fountain), and famous for it's original Black Truffle (a.k.a. Tartufo). Maybe not as warm and friendly as many of the other places we had visited, but the Tartufo was quite good.
Next came the building where Julius Caesar had been murdered, now the Italian Stock Market's home. We moved on to the Pantheon, and then Trevi Fountain. At the fountain, everyone followed the rules and tossed coins, despite the crowds. The real tradition is tossing a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder ensures you will return to Rome one day. Some new traditions hold that 2 coins will bring love and 3 will bring marriage or divorce (depending on your status).
We ended our tour with the Scalinata Della Trinita Dei Monti, a.k.a. the Spanish Steps. These too were crowded as it was a Saturday, but we did get to visit and climb them, as our bus was waiting up the hill.
Truly the entire trip was an amazing whirlwind tour of history, culture and learning about the French and Italian people. I can honestly say, we never once encountered anyone who was rude to Americans, or who treated us poorly because we were not natives. I did gather many French and Italians are not found of Germans, and indeed the only rude people we encountered on our trip were German tourists or Japanese tourists. And even those were the minority. Most people were polite.
I still can't get over the "new" buildings in those countries being older than our country. I hope we can return one day and I hope many of my friends and family get (and take) the opportunity to see it all for themselves. I just wanted to write this as my own trip diary to help me remember the experience. All I have left to say now is ... Au Revior and Ciao!
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