Rome, Italy Feb 13 to 17 2003
Rome is a great city, as everyone knows. You simply wander around the town, blundering into monument after monument. We went to all the famous tourist sites, plus many we don't know, and had a great time.
Our hotel was a few blocks from the Spanish Steps, with our own private terrace overlooking the city. Very nice, but very expensive. Need to find cheaper digs, or our 6-month trip will be 3 months.
Yesterday there was a large antiwar demonstration. They say one million people, wandering around with PACE (Peace flags), and communist flags. One couple overheard our American Accents, and gave us very dirty looks, and moved away from us. Beth glared back. I was too slow to say anything. So we would not be identified as Fascist warmongers, I used my three phrases of Russian from High School and Beth used her few phrases in German.
We are renting a car, and moving on to Florence this morning. I am on my way to pick it up. Driving in Rome traffic is a great challenge, and I may spend the rest of the day getting lost.
Florence 16 to 21 Feb 2003
We spent 5 days in Florence at the Pagnini Hotel near the Arno River. Very nice place. The art is of course tremendous. Eye Candy everywhere you turn. Cathedrals & museums everywhere. Beth's favorite is the David sculpture. He makes me feel just a little inadequate.
We drove from Rome to Florence. Easy to drive into but I made the mistake of driving in the evening for a short tour. We got into a do loop at the train station, made about 4 circuits around the station. Beth says it took two hours, more like 25 minutes, but still bad. She was ready to abandon ship.
It is cold here. Looking out at the snow covered Alps I can see how depressed my father was in World War II, thinking about the next year. His Division fought all through North Africa and Italy, so had two years in the mountains in the snow and mud in foxholes, and anticipated a third before the end of the war. Saw several old pill boxes. Looks like a fun place to fight.
The churches here are incredible. As a protestant, I sometimes think that it was a shame to spend all the money on the incredible size and art in the churches, but if they had not made that expense, the art would not have been produced or preserved. So I thank the Catholics for that. My father was
blessed by the Pope during World War II at the Vatican, and so was I while on leave from Vietnam. A fellow traveler told us we were thus Catholics by virtue of the blessing. So be it.
Took day trips to Sienna and San Gimignano. Both great Italian Hill Towns. Medieval walls around small towns.
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SHOPPING IS FOR THE BIRDS, or,
How Beth gets a discount.
Beth decided to purchase a purse in Florence, Italy, in the open air market. She had run low on money and could not find an ATM. She looked at a purse that cost more money than she had. The shop keeper dropped the price in half, then lowered the price 5 more Euros to match the funds Beth had available. She told Beth that "I will give it to you for good luck. It is always good to help someone who has just had an accident."
Beth did not understand, presuming that something had been lost in the translation. The lady again told Beth that it is good luck to help someone who has had an accident. Beth did not know to what she referred. The lady told Beth that a pigeon had "left its mark" on Beth's back. The lady helped Beth clean up her sweater, and then sent her on her way with the good luck purse.
Venice 21 to 24 Feb 2003
Seasoned world travelers that we are, we had a fine trip from Florence to Venice. First I misread the time and got us to the train station over an hour early. I raced Beth over to the station because I thought we were late, making her very unhappy. Then we got on the wrong train car. Had to fight through traffic to get our bags off that car, run to the other end of the train, hen get on the right car. Beth then got into a tiff with a guy over the placement of her purse. Then it took forever to find our hotel in Venice. We wandered around lost for about one hour.
The good news is, however, that we blundered into carnival. So we bought masks and joined the frivolity.
Lots of concerts, plays, etc. I was captured by some girls who I think performed an exorcism on me, although I was not sure. I had a Phantom mask on, so I guess I am a bad guy. They threw me on a mattress, muttered Italian over me, and made gestures as if to pull my heart out. They also searched my pockets for money. They did not find any, but I enjoyed it. My father advises that they learned this from their grandmothers, who apparently did the same thing in World War II.
Took several boat trips, including a gondola ride. We were too cheap the last time we were here, so this time we did it. Also went to another island to a glass factory, where we bought a small fortune in blown glass.
The canals and walkways in Venice are enchanting. Shops everywhere. Completely confused road network - they clearly needed a good city planner here in the early days.
We really like Venice. It is beautiful, but expensive.
We were supposed to go on to Lake Como today for 4 days, then up to Stuttgart to get the car. Then back to Florence to get the rest of our luggage, and probably mail some home. However, the Italian railroad is on strike, so we are marooned in Venice for another day. Went back and forth on a boat to
the rail terminal. Not too great a tragedy.
Lago di Como (Lake Como) -- Wednesday 2/26
We ended up staying in Venice an extra night because there was a 12 hour rail strike and we could not get out until 11 p.m. It was a real hardship. Carnival was great.
We stayed at the Marcos Hotel in Como. We asked our driver to take us to a three star on the lake. It is perfect as it has accesss to the town and the lake. We overlook the lake from two windows, and the mountain with the funiculare (track railroad on the third). Only 2.5 flights of stairs to the room. We rode the funiculare to the top of a 1500 foot mountain, and hiked around a little.
We took a slow boat yesterday around the south part of the lake, and will take a fast one about half way down the lake today. It is truly stunning here. Italy has been one fesitval for the eyes.
Tommorrow we leave for Stutgartt to pick up Beths little red convertible. She wants to name it Genevieve, or GiGi for short. I point out the car is German, so Gertrude or Gerty for short would be a better name.
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