Epilogue

I have been reading and editing my previous blogs.

I realize there are things I missed. For example, I thought I wrote about Michelangelo's David and it appears that I did not. I apparently skipped Lake Como.

I had trouble off and on with Internet connections (Parma was excellent - Como was the worse). The Tablet/computer also created problems during the trip. The keyboard was very temperamental.
Therefore, I will try to fill in the gaps quickly.

First, Betty and I agree the journey was worth the effort. We had slow days but everyday was an adventure. We learnt so much about that portion of Western Civilization that is Italy. We enjoyed the people as much as we hope they enjoyed us. Most importantly, we took the challenge to go to foreign countries and make the journey our own.


Michelangelo's David is beautiful. When you see the mammoth scrupture, you are forced to silence.  David is the center piece of this small museum. The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze is a museum where the guards do not have to tell people to be quiet. David inspires reverence. People stand or sit for long periods of time just looking.

During the trip, I saw Michelangelo's Pieta, Moses, paintings and the Sistine Chapel. They do not inspire as does his David.

Entrance to the Palace Pitti

I have to comment on the museums of Florence. They are separately and "in toto" the history of western art. Uffizi has one the best collection Northern Renaissance art I can imagine, particularly, the Dutch. I would not have guessed.

We went to the Palazzo Pitti twice. The first visit was to view the art.
It is a vast reservoir of Renaissance art. I think this is where I first realize that our trip was tracking the history of art from the Middle Ages to Baroque. There is also a portion of the museum given to the apartments of the Medici family and other rulers of Tuscany and Italy. Napoleon even gets to stick his hat in the galleries.

Raphael is principal here. This was my first real exposure to Raphael. He is quieter in these paintings than in the rooms in Vatican Museum.  Because of repetition, we begin to become familiar with Titan,  Botticelli and Caravaggio (one of my favorites). There are the usual two thousand "Madonna and Child", but you see secularism developing in the portraits.

As with the Uffizi, there is a surprising number of Rubens and Van Dyck. Napoleon stole everything that was not nailed down and in those cases, his soldiers took the entire wall. Almost every painting has a plate saying that this painting was returned.

View from the Palace Pitti Gardens

Our second visit was our last full day in Florence. We stopped at our now favorite restaurant for lunch and had glasses of Processo. We went for the view from the gardens. It is a 360 degree view of Florence and the surrounding Tuscany area. It is November. The gardens are not beautiful. I think it because the tourist season is over and the gardens and workers need to rest. It is still a very lovely long walk.

View from the Borghese Gardens

The first full day with Caroline, was in Rome. We had great lunch at an outdoor cafe in the Piazza de Populo. After lunch we took a long stroll through the Borghese Gardens which is the Central Park of Rome. It is during this stroll that we met Steffano.

Steffano is a classical guitar playing in the park. We hear the melody and walk over to see the street musician. Forty minutes later, we know a great deal about Steffano's life, beliefs and political philosophy (he leans to Fascism but loves all things English including the English Health system). We buy his CD.

Betty, who studied the classical guitar and knows quite a bit about the subject, says that Steffano knows what he is doing.  It is a delightful way to spend an afternoon in Rome. You would not have this experience on a Perillo Tour or a Viking River Tour.

The Ponte Vecchio is a classic. You have to walk across it. Florence is so much more, but it is the most photographed site in Florence. The bridge is always full of tourist taking selfies. Since landing in Europe, the most ubiquitous item sold (except umbrellas when it rains) is the selfie pole. A selfie pole allows the selfie an extended additional 30 inches of distance between the smartphone and him/herself.

The bridge is lined on both sides with jewelry stores. Who knew? In checking the names, apparently one of the families did not get along. There is Gioiello ( I think). There is Gioiello and Sons. There is Gioiello and Daughters. You get the idea. The bridge is the between the Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti. It connected those who ruled from their government office. Uffizi means "office".

We had five days unscheduled between Venice and Florence. We chose Lake Como. The weather had changed to rainy and in the fifties. The last day in Venice had been sunny. There had been flooding again in Genoa but we were safe. The weather was to clear later in the week.

The first two days in Como where not ideal. We walked around a lot.  It was very windy. Lake Como was choppy and uninviting. Even the ferries were running on limited schedule. On Friday, the weather broke and we had sunshine and low 70s. On the water, it was cold but the sun warmed the face.

We did look for George Clooney's villa. Lake Como is a long lake shaped like the inverted letter "Y". The town of Como is at the southeast branch of the lake. It is a remarkably small town. This was our first real adventure using the Italian train system. We left Venice traveled to Milan and transferred to a local train to Como. Como is about 30-40 miles from Milan so it is about a 35 minute train ride. What made me nervous was that the train ends in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The one day of great weather was worth the effort. The ferry was full of tourists and it was mid October. It was still Peak Season , but the crowds were definitely smaller.

After a hour and twenty minutes with the ferry stopping for 3-5 minutes at each of eleven stations, Betty and I got off the ferry at Varenna. The lunch was great with homemade pasta and desert. After lunch, we caught the ferry back to Como stopping at Bellagio. Bellagio is definitely the stop for tourists. I have not the slightest idea why. It is a cool place to sit by the edge of the water for a beer and watch the afternoon move to dusk. I think it is the name. Steve Wynn obviously thought so.

There are no beaches that we saw. The lake is a glacier lake and the deepest lake in Europe so it is cold all year long. It is beautiful and you do have the chance to see the rich and famous.

No, we did not see George Clooney's villa. I found it on the Internet later. It was not the villa we thought. Actually, it is smaller and plainer than the majority of villas on the lake.

We also discovered that in Italy there are overhead cranes everywhere. Since the buildings are so close together and/or built into sides on hills or mountains, the only way to get materials in or out is to lift them straight up, transverse on the crane and then lower to the ground. Construction cost in Italy cannot be cheap.  There are no Home Depots.

I did not share as much as I should have on the food. The food of Italy was uniformly very good. There were only two exceptions during our trip  - a restaurant in Rome Termini area recommended by YELP and lunch in a small restaurant in Milan but it was late so I tend to forgive them.

We ate a great deal of pizza. Italian Pizza is a thin crust. It is not a thin crust like Pizza Hut or Home Run Pizza on Archer Ave in Chicago. The crust is more like California Pizza Kitchen. It is definitely not flatbread. A pie is about 12" in diameter to serve one. There are no medium or large. The basic toppings are tomato sauce and the fresh cheese. The most common pizza is called Margherita - buffalo Mozzarella, sauce and fresh basil.

The Margherita pizza is named for Victor Emmanuel III mother, Margherita of Savoy and is the colors of the Italian flag - red, green and white. Margherita pizza is on every menu and is the least expensive at 8-10 euro (about $10). Pizza is eaten for lunch and dinner. Yes, the Italian word for Pizzeria is "Pizzeria".

Restorante Sant'Andrea Rome, Italy 

Before I write about food, I need to mention the most enjoyable experience of eating and/or drinking in Italy and France. The check never comes. You can order a "un caffe'" and the check never comes. The waiters are attentive. But, simply put - the check never comes.

We had some great meals in Italy. I had a steak in Siena which was great. Tuscany is known for their beef - bistecca. A bistecca is a huge T-bone steak cut at the table and ordered by the kilogram at market price. It is prepared only one way - rare.

One of our Favorites in Rome
Near Trevi Fountain
Eggs and black truffles

Betty begin with Spaghetti with clams and went through Milan to Siena with that as her favorite. I was more adventurous. One of my favorite tries was Pappardelle which is pasta with boar meat. It taste like pot roast.

We always had an antipasto. Everything is so fresh. Italians use a lots of fresh basil. The tomatoes were uniformly delicious and commonly cherry tomatoes. We had caprese often - simple but delicious. We loved the bruschetta, often served with different toppings (particular favorite was with a pate). The bread was so good. We got very particular about our prosciutto (Parma and aged, at least 18 months and Prosciutto can get expensive) and cheeses.

Restorante Sant'Andrea Last Nite in Rome

Italian cheeses are so much more than what we see in the US. The Italian cheeses of Parma are so much more than flakes on spaghetti. Parma Parmesan cheese is softer and flavorful. I had it on sandwiches a lot.

Northern Italians (including Rome) do not use garlic. It is basil. Basil is on everything including sandwiches.

Restorante Life Rome, Italy
Just down the Street from the Apt.

Favorite "Primi Piatti" were Spaghetti with clams, Carbonara (spaghetti noodles with tomatoes, basil, cheese and bacon), Pasta alla Papalina ("Pasta of the Pope" - see carbonara made with prosciutto), Bombolotti all'Amatriciana (squat, ridged tube of pasta (think half a rigatoni))with a tomato and cheese sauce ( a favorite of Rome), Tagliolini and, of course, Ravoli.

Black truffles were in season and more common than I would have thought. I had black truffles with eggs and potatoes for Brunch in Rome. But, I also had in Siena and Florence. Betty had seen the 60 minutes on Black Market Truffles. She thinks they were all "Chinese".

We often stopped for an early lunch. Our practice was to have a light breakfast and a light dinner (we did break that rule a lot in Rome). The advantage of an early lunch is that it grants you a choice of tables . What you want is a table with a great view of the happenings around you. When I got home I googled the restaurants we chose, I found that our choices were excellent.

Piazza Navona is a huge Piazza not far from the Pantheon. It is famous for the market that occurs there in the morning and the Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana die Quattro Fiumi) by Bernini (Yep, same guy that did most of the work on St Peter's. Pope Innocent really ran up the bill). There is the Fountain of Neptune.

We ate at a restaurant called Tre Scalini. Tre Scalini is in the middle of the Piazza on the shady side of the Piazza. The food was excellent. They are famous for their desert, Tartufo, which is a very chocolate (13 different Swiss chocolates).

In Italy, the restaurants, pizzeria, bars etc. have the Maitre'd or head waiter outside the barrier to cajole potential guests to stop. Stop to read the menu means that you will be engaged in a conversation. It is hard to say no.



On our first day in Milan, it rained. So we found a covered mall. The "Galleria" is adjacent to the Duomo. The full name is "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II". It was built between 1865 and 1877. It is a testament to consumerism. The glass roof is a work of architectural art. With a steady rain outside, I was more than willing to give my ideas of collectivism to be dry and eat pizza. Sorry, there is no Apple store (although there are Apple stores in Italy). This is Prada land.

It is not an enclosed mall. The interior is in the shape of a equal sided cross with shops on all sides on the very broad walkway. Each of the cross is open. There are no doors. One minute you are wet and the next dry. One opening is to the Duomo and another opens unto the Piazza where you find La Scala.

Of course, we had to see La Scala. Not seeing La Scala is not seeing Nigeria Falls when in Buffalo.

If you are looking for a great edifice or a huge building towering over the Piazza, you are disappointed. "Teatro alls Scala' was built in 1778 so the area has grown up around it. It is like the first time you find Carnegie Hall.

You buy your ticket to access the museum which allows you to view from an upper box the stage and audience area.

The beginning of the season is December 7th. The theatre holds 1,987 so it is not huge. The building was severely damaged during WWII. There was a major renovation 2002-2004.

The museum was slightly interesting. The museum was primarily portraitures  of artists, composers and composers who performed at La Scala since 1778.  Maria Callas is there looking very calm.

I did not say enough about the Pantheon. The Pantheon, like the Colosseum, lives up to the billing. We saw it three times. The last was with John and Angela. It is smaller than you think.  The documentaries and photos make it seem larger.

The dome that covers the church has a hole in the center to illuminate the interior. Romans did not know how to process glass other than as small decorations and utensils. When it rains. it rains inside. Cleverly, the Romans built drains in the center of the floor to remove the water. Problem solved.

The Pantheon is also a crypt for the Kings and Queens of Italy (there are only three - the last one, no one likes) and Raphael.

What would we have done differently.
1. Seen more on Tuscany and at a different time of the year. Driving is a consideration. Possibly, a tour. Or, hire a driver here and there to take us on day tours.
1.a. Same goes for Lake Como. It is a resort town. There is not a lot to see. It would be "let's go to lunch at that little town we saw yesterday.
2. Practiced my Italian more so I had more confidence.
3. Although all the tour books say that SIM cards or local smartphones are readily available at train stations and Tobacco shops, they are not. The only place I saw them during the whole trip was Da Vinci airport on the way home. By the way, It is a country to country thing. A phone you buy in France, does not work in Italy. I would also buy data plan. Be careful but it would have been helpful.
4. Bring a slightly larger suitcase. Although it was great watching tourists try to push and pull their suitcases up on to the train from the platform, we could have used the room for souvenirs. By the way, that first step between the platform and the train was a good three feet and was not easy for me.
5. Read more on the Internet the night before visiting a museum. Be prepared better. Rick Stevens is not very good - not his fault - they move things around. The audio tours are okay but they only discuss specific numbered exhibits.
6. No night trains to Milan. Take the fast train. Transferring is easy. See luggage.

Finally, the glass horse did not make it. By Templeton, both legs, tail and mane had suffered damage and super glue did not work. But, I kept the broken horse.  It is in my drawer in the new house.

The "Paris" umbrella made it and is in my closet. My trusty 7 euro umbrella made the trip home also.

Thank you all for reading about our trip and my observations.

Next Adventure 2016.