Month: October 2017

We departed Italy with slightly heavy hearts (as most folks do). We saw and did some amazing things and savored the time we had with friends from home. Everywhere we stayed in Italy I visited in 2000 when Mom took me on the “Grand Tour of Italy and Sicily” Insight Tour, so each of our stays included some melancholic reminiscence on my part. Mi manca mia mamma.

Our Eurowings trip to Munich was smooth and easy. Getting off the plane – not so much! Forty degrees! Brrr…. we’re not in Italy anymore. Continue reading “October 27-31: Munich, Germany, by Cathy”

Sorrento, on the Amalfi coast, was sadly our last stop in Italy. With Mount Vesuvius looming high above, and sailboats cruising out on the bay, the setting is truly amazing.

Continue reading “October 22-27: Sorrento, Italy by Mick”

Guest post from Burke Ferrari, who, along with his wife, Katie, were on a Roman Holiday to cross off a bucket list trip to Italy in celebration of Katie’s 50th. (Notations on photos by Cathy)

Katie and I flew into Catania, Sicily to begin our four-day meet-up with the Jordans who had flown in earlier that same day. The weather was cooperating and we were able to get a glimpse of Mt. Etna on the flight in. Mt. Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, is also one of the most active in the world. Would we get to see an eruption during our trip? Time would tell… Continue reading “October 18-22: Ortigia, Sicily, Italy (will place in proper sequence later!)”

Rome was not built in a day and neither was finally getting to this blog.  There is a certain pressure that goes along with the blog commitment and I commend my wife for taking on the the task.  For me, a post can tun into that homework you keep putting on the back burner, but you know needs to be done.  That’s even more true when I see the time and detail Cathy puts into every post.  How can I possibly follow those works of journalistic genius (I’m sure she will delete that remark!).  We do love to have a record of this amazing journey, but it also can be a chore.  We even guilt our cherished friends, who’ve traveled far to meet us, into helping out!  That said,  we had an amazing time in Venice and Rome with Ali and hopefully she will be kind enough to add something to my ramblings…

Cathy and I have both been to Rome, but we really wanted to see the two most important and most well known locations that would really have a memorable impact on Mick.  I don’t think there is anything as big and full of history as the Colosseum, it’s surrounding area (The Forum, Palatine Hill) and the Vatican.  Like the Uffizi in Florence, we took guided tours of these two location and they did not disappoint. I won’t go into detail about the information we learned or relearned (or forgot!) on the tours, but hopefully the pictures will give you some idea of what we saw. Just amazing to feel and actually see such significant history there before you and to see Mick take it all in.

Once again, our accommodations were near perfect even though Ali definitely did not like the 47-step, narrow winding staircase (that she white-knuckled up and down daily).  We were one block from the Spanish Steps, close to the metro, and steps away from a great grocery store, gelato shop, and bar.

Next stop, Sicily, where we meet up with with Burke and Katie Ferrari to celebrate Katie’s 50th. Four days in Ortigia should be enough time for us to persuade them to compose the next post!

Venice was abuzz with activity when we arrived – unfortunately, much of it was from the massive number of mosquitoes inhabiting our otherwise 5-star accommodations in the Dorsoduro area! Our dear friend, Alison “Ali” Thompson, met up with us in Venice as the school where she teaches has a two-week fall break. Ali, in addition to being a smart, genuine, quality human being, is also fun and funny and we were all happy to have new company.

The first night, after killing what we thought were all the mosquitoes in the room, we closed the door and used the Deep Woods OFF! wipes (25% DEET) that I’d packed with Africa, not Europe, in mind, we drifted off into peaceful sleep. Until about 1:00 a.m. that is, when that most irritating of all sounds – mosquito buzzing – woke us up. I flicked on the light, stood on a chair, and went around angrily thwapping the walls with a hand towel for what seemed like hours. Ali and Mick were roomies and while I don’t think they had more mosquitoes in their room than Jeff and I did, they sure ended up with the bulk of the bites.

Continue reading “October 10-15: Venice, Italy by Cathy”

We may be far from home, but we are closely watching the news and our hearts are breaking, a little more each day, as the devastation and tragic consequences of the fires in the North Bay continue. We have friends and family directly affected and I think I can say that about everyone I know. And, this on the heels of the latest mass shooting in Vegas. Makes you want to run around screaming “The sky is falling!” like Henny Penny. I can’t remember the moral of the Chicken Little story, but I hope that all the black clouds of late will reveal some silver linings.

The Cities That Have Risen from Ruins

I’ve known Jeff for nearly forty years, having worked together for a dozen years or so in the 1970s & 1980s.  When Jeff visited here (Sunriver, Oregon) in late February, he told me of the family plan to travel for a year with a 1^st October stop in Florence.  Having studied in Rome as a student in the middle/ late 1960’s and early 1970’s, in addition to working as a guide in both Rome and Florence, followed by many visits to Florence over the years, at first I told Jeff I could write up some notes for their time in Florence.  Long story short, I went over to show the Jordans Florence and her treasures.  Treasures I have admired and visited for over fifty years. Continue reading “October 2-10: Florence, Italy with Jeff, Cathy & Mick, by Dan Flaxman”

Italy, home of pizza, spaghetti, gelato and lots of things that end with “o” or “i.” Our friend and “tour guide,” Dan, (learn more about why he was our tour guide on the Florence post) booked a pizza- and gelato-making class on the beautiful hills overlooking Florence, the Renaissance capital of art, sculpture, and architecture. Continue reading “October 7: Pizza- & Gelato-making in Florence by Mick”

The drive from Nice to Florence via FlixBus was beautiful, especially the coastal views on the first leg of the trip from Nice to Genoa.

We arrived ahead of our friend Dan, whose trip had been screwed up due to some kind of strike by KLM, and got settled into our elegant Florentine apartment at 16 Via de Ginori, a few doors down from the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici chapels, where most Medici are buried. From there it’s a blur of art, history, churches, gelato, leather, monuments, pasta; animated, hand-flourishing Florentines, and hordes of other tourists. Continue reading “Oct 2-10: Florence by Cathy”

Continue reading “Sept 28 – Oct 2: Nice, France”