ITALY ADVENTURES 2017 ISSUE 1

We’re on the road again or more specifically on the plane, train and bus.  It’s Italy a la Rick Steves of PBS fame.  With a nine hour time difference it is difficult to know how to deal with jet lag so our adventure begins with an attempt (somewhat successful) to counteract its effects by making some lifestyle changes before getting anywhere near an airplane.  Naturally I totally forgot and instead of trying to change our sleep cycle four or five days before flying it was only three days.  More than that we had out of town visitors, which made getting up at three or four in the morning awkward particularly when we really wanted to go to bed at seven or eight at night.  Our major success in the jet lag department, getting up at two a.m. on Sunday morning for a nine a.m. flight and getting the house totally cleaned before we departed.  Bed changed, sheets washed, bathrooms cleaned and house vacuumed.  

Flying international out of Medford is always such a joy.  It means an hour plus, give or take, trip to either San Francisco or Portland before you even begin.   I now begin to understand horror stories of multiple short flights before getting anywhere near your destination.  By the time we landed my phone showed nearly 10,000 paces all in airports, Frankfurt being the longest with a terminal that must have gone on for half a mile.  Walk that once or twice while you’re waiting out your layover and you can chalk up some distance.  

First stop Milan(o) for two nights.  Not really long enough to get to know the place but enough to dip in and see the highlights..  A really nice business hotel near the train station ends up being a really smart move.  The weather is uncomfortably hot, low 90’s and 90% humidity means sweat is your constant companion but this place had air conditioning and a delightful barman by the name of Massimiano.  A stroll around the area to check out the Italian version of McDonalds and get our bearings leaves us ready for an aperitif and some dinner.  McDonalds in Italy is a horse of another color.  You have probably seen their stateside advertising for McCafe.  They really mean it in Italy.  Am told even the food has an Italian air but the coffee is definitely nothing you will see in downtown U.S.A.  Never mind the espresso machines, there were lovely pastries and gelato.  All at a separate counter from the food. 

Back to the hotel to regroup and consider our dinner options, we agree to meet up with Carol and Frank our longtime European travelling companions, in the bar for a quick drink and perhaps enjoy the delights of happy hour.  Carol has done her research and knows that an Aperol Spritz is the in thing these days.  A combination of Aperol, a bitter orange flavored fortified wine and Prosecco, it glass with ice (an uncommon ingredient) and a slice of orange.  It is a distinctly neon shade of orange and appears totally unappetising to me but she declares it “refreshing” and has continued to enjoy it as her drink of choice before dinner ever since. Mick opts for a Negroni . . . a combination of Campari, Gin and something bubbly, most probably Prosecco.  Frank has a tequila sunrise and I settle for Martini Rosso, red vermouth with a slice of lemon peel.
comes in a large wine

A few free nibbles at a bar is an Italian custom of which I deeply approve given that there is no point even thinking about an evening meal before 7:30 p.m. The bar at Hotel Berna was offering bruschetta, frittata, sliced cheese, salami and pizza.  We sat and chatted and quizzed Max about things to do.  We relax and Max (Massimianno) disappears in to the nether regions of the hotel.  As we begin our conversation about when and where to eat, chunks of sausage appear and then arancini (deep fried balls of rice with a meat and pea stuffing.)  Score, thank you Hotel Berna and Max, no need to go out to dinner.

Duomo

Duomo Roof Detail

With only a day in Milan and jet lag to contend with we choose to take it easy.  If we miss something really important, there is always next time.  Unless of course there isn’t.  My theory, no need to beat yourself up trying to see and do it all, take your time and enjoy what do see.  If you don’t see it you will never know what you missed.  Naturally we need to take in the Duomo, the third  largest church in Europe, right behind St. Peters in the Vatican and a Catholic church in Brazil.  It feels a bit like another ABC day . . .  another bloody church, another bloody castle or another bloody cathedral until you make your way up to the roof.  Stained glass, yes.  Long aisles and majestic altars yes.  Statues and chapels and marble floor, yes.  Acres of pews, yes.  Like I said, ABC.  But the roof is like no other I have experienced, they call it Milan’s forest.  A Gothic forest of spires, staircases and arches, with a view of the city spread out before you. 

Duomo Roof

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

A quick glimpse at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the world's oldest mall.  Housed inside a four-story arcade in central Milan. It is one of those glass and marble affairs full of high end shops like Prada and Borcellino but was actually designed in 1861 and built between 1865 and 1877.  A wonder down some narrow streets and across a few piazzas and we spot the La Scala Opera House.  A rather unprepossessing building despite its prestigious name.  Nothing playing tonight so we pass on by in search of further adventures.

The time has come to move on to art so Mick can begin to fill out his score card with Caravaggio’s and lunch so Gayle can fulfil her destiny of eating her way across Italy. 

Eating in Italy is a nightmare and a dream come true, all in the same breath. 

Caravaggio

The plates are generally small but the number of potential courses can be overwhelming.  An appetizer could be prosciutto and melons or small fishes (heads and all) lightly battered and fried.   Follow this with a pasta or rice course.   Each pasta sauce has a shape/style of noodle that is thought to best enhance that sauce.  The selection of noodles in the grocery store is mind boggling, but perhaps more on that later.  We have not finished, pasta in theory, if not in practice is a course unto itself.  Next comes a meat or fish course, possibly with potato and vegetables.  Now if this were a Ferrari family meal the salad course would be next.  But it seems that this custom has gone by the wayside in the last 50 years.  For dolce (sweet) you may be offered your “bog standard’ Tiramisu and gelato or the more esoteric panna cotta or possibly fruit and cheese.  I have barely begun my discussion of food but then I’m only on day two.  And if you recall this trip is about eating my way through Italy. 

The Kiss

We end our sojourn in Milan with a stop at Maria del Grazie and Michelangelo’s Last Supper.  This was not particularly high on my to-do list, not being a fan of the early religious paintings.  However, the audio tour gave me a real appreciation for what he accomplished.  Can I tell you what made it special, no.  But the recording did bring the imagery to life and provided a glimpse into the techniques that made Michelangelo so successful. 

An hours train ride, at a cost of less than $10 takes us up into the foothills of the Alps and Italy’s Lake District.  Here is where we pick up our Rick Steves tour.  We are booked in to Villa Cipressi, in the town of Varenna, on the shores of Lake Como.  There are motorways/highways/ autostrada in Italy but we have left those far behind.  This is the land of narrow winding mountain roads, tunnels and

Maria del Grazie

bridges.  By all rights there should hardly be roads here.  There is very little shoreline to the lake and the roads and often the villages perch half way up the side of a mountain. 

I cannot begin to describe the landscape but it is beautiful, the mountains are tree draped, the water is glacial blue and the housing stock painted in shades of yellow, cream and soft brown.  This is not a location with much to do, it is an area of relaxation.  There are narrow cobbled streets (contrada) to explore, leading steeply down to the waters edge.  These alleyways are a mix of shops, hotels, restaurants, gelaterias and private homes.  The buildings go up three or four stories and there often are arching extensions connecting one side of the street with the other.  Don’t think for a moment I am talking about streets that carry cars.  There is one road, partially cobbled, that runs through the center of Varenna, while the housing and commercial establishments extend far beyond this street with there only access by foot.  You see tourists bumping up and down the cobbles with there luggage.  I have visions of the locals stealing out after dark with there electric vehicles secretly moving through these alleys with groceries and laundry and other sundries.  Can you imagine trying to run a business, particularly a restaurant where you had to carry all your supplies in by hand?  

 

Varenna

 

ERRATA:

1. Within half an hour I saw three women breast feeding in the central piazza. 
2. The bells, the bells, they’re driving me mad. . .  Mervyn Peake, Gormenghast, I think.  This tiny village is a mecca for weddings and the church bells seem to ring incessantly, celebrating yet another nuptial,
3. It’s Italy, you don’t make accommodations for appearances even if it means wearing six inch heels while walking over cobblestone streets in a wedding dress.
4. It is possible to have room envy.  Your room may have an amazing view but when the temperature remains in the 80s you would happily trade a view for ac or second window.
5. None of these pictures are mine, I had to "borrow" them from the net,  I forgot to bring the cable to transfer them to my laptop.  I may start using my phone.

 

4.