A Complicated Journey

 Buon giorno,

I made great plans, and none of them worked out. Sigh. Currently I'm waiting for gate information and boarding at Florence Airport, so I did make it this far.

My packing went well. I managed to wrestle my bags down those steep, narrow stairs. There are light switches, but the light stays on only for a minute, so not much help. I went outside in good time to await my taxi. It didn't come. And it didn't come.

I called my hostess. She answered even though it was way early in the morning, and got me a taxi. I had a thrilling ride down very narrow steep streets and under archways. Fortunately it was so early there was no traffic. We got to the train station in good time.

Then I hit another snag. The train I picked was special because it was direct and fast, and I needed to enter my personal information to obtain a ticket. If my taxi had arrived in time, I would have been able to do this. As it was, no. So I had to settle for the next train, which included a transfer, and I had to navigate more stairs to get to the platform. Fortunately I found help. And then I spoke to a young woman who was taking that train. She spoke good English and agreed to help me with my bags. This was lovely, and made my life easier. She also knew the platform for Florence.

Both of my train trips featured a group of heavily armed police. I have no idea what the deal was, but they asked to see my passport. No one was interested in my train ticket.

At length we arrived in Florence and I bought a ticket and headed for the tram. It began to rain, and I had to dig out my umbrella. The tram is slow, but the airport isn't far, but I got here much later than I expected. I checked in and there was a loooooong line to go through security. So no lounge or showers for me. I didn't even have time to get my tax refund.

Part II Paris to LAX

We got on the plane and sat on the tarmac for close to an hour due to various issues. I already had a tight transfer window in Paris, and this didn't help. But at length we took off, and they fed me--shrimp. I don't like shrimp, but I was hungry so I ate most of them, and the accompaniments were good. I drank champagne because I could.

The thing about Airport CDG it that it sprawls, and I had twenty minutes to change terminals. I had to scamper! Down escalators, up escalators, long halls, even had to take a bus. I knew the flight had started boarding, and my only hope was that it was a big plane and boarding would take a while, so I had a chance.

And I made it--just barely and my luggage did, too, by some miracle. This flight was not Air France, but Delta One, and very nice it was, with my own little cubicle and a privacy door. The Purser came around to introduce himself, warn of of turbulence over the North Atlantic (Really? I'd be shocked if we didn't have it) and to take our dinner order. They were out of the chicken, so I had the beef.

And the champagne flowed. And there was a very nice amenity kit, plus mattress pad and cosy blanket and pillow.

As an apero we were served warm nuts. Here is my starter. More shrimp. Not being as hungry I left them alone. The corn soup, salad, and roll with French butter were first rate.

You can see my reflection in the screen. I looked just awful not having washed my hair and all. I did put on the earrings I got in Florence, so I would look more like a business class flyer. I turned down desert and had port instead, which was not as good as the cheapo stuff I swilled in Porto. Then I slept.

And I slept for about five hours! Not that it did me much good. I did not feel rested. The flight was comfortable. The cabin crew were lovely and the food was good. 

Now to plan my next adventure.

Ciao for now.

A Bit of Rain for My Last Full Day in Perugia

 Buon giorno,

It's chilly and a bit rainy--giving a foretaste of what later in the year will be in Umbria. Stone walls can become bleak. I came back early because of the weather and also because I have to organize myself for an early departure tomorrow. I'm flying out of Florence. My taxi to the train station is booked, and I have done the on-line check in for Air France/Delta.  I have to leave so early because there's only one train that goes directly to Florence Santa Maria Novella Station that does not require a transfer. And readers of my blog know how these train changes don't work out. I'm trying to avoid a similar unpleasant situation.

When I get to Florence I need to take the tram to the airport. I hope I can check in early and get to the lounge. I looked it up, and they have showers there. I'd love a hot shower rather than the tepid sponge baths I've been resorting to here. I could even wash my hair. Apart from any consideration to my fellow passengers, I just feel better traveling clean. I hope it works out.

I am glad I came to Umbria, and Perugia is a wonderful base. I'm sorry I did not get to Orvieto this trip, but I'll try to see it someday. Umbria is beautiful and so far uncrowded. The countryside is enchanting, and the food and drink hearty and delicious. If you don't or can't eat pork though, maybe it's not the best destination. I'll confess that the Porchetta was one of the highlights of my trip.

Perugia involves a lot of up and down. To help out there are scale mobile (that's escalators to you non-Italians) and lifts, but you will get a good workout just walking around the historic center.

                                                    

I also want once again to mention the gracious kindness of the people of this lovely and fascinating city. Every encounter I had with the local people was warmly positive. Many went out of their way to help me out. And what is more, they seemed genuinely to enjoy helping.

So I'm hoping to run into that helpful attitude tomorrow morning. I feel very anxious about the trip. First I need to get my bags down a steep, dark, narrow staircase, and it's always worse going down than up because the weight poses a falling danger.

When I reach the train station, I'll have no problem getting the ticket, but then I'll need to go to a platform across the tracks, and that means going down stairs and up again. I have no problem being a pathetic little old lady looking for help. I just hope I find it. Getting help from kind strangers was how I made it here in the first place.

Dinner is linguine with the last of the Calabrian pesto and tuna. This is first rate and actually something I might recreate at home with American tuna rather than Italian. There's no chance of me getting real peso Genovese, but Calabrian pepper pesto is made by Barilla. I'll look for it.

Ciao for now

Gubbio: The Medieval Town

 

Buon giorno,

It's been a long day, and I'm hungry and tired, but I did enjoy my trip to Gubbio. First I had to find the bus station which is a fair step away from here, and the route I chose was not the best. For one thing it involved an endless flight of stairs down. And then google maps directed me to turn left when I should have turned right.

I knew I was way out of my way when I ended up near the minimetro stop. I asked some folks for directions, and fortunately they spoke a little English. I cannot say enough about the kindness of the people of Perugia. They seem genuinely happy to help! An older woman knew just where I needed to go. I arrived and bought my tickets and asked where to get the bus. I couldn't find the quay, so I went back and asked. The lady acted like I was an idiot because--you know what?--I was an idiot. The quay was right there behind me.

The bus soon came and we were off. One thing I learned today. While Tuscany is beautiful, Umbria is Even More Beautiful. The hills are heavily wooded with a variety of trees in their various hues of green only interrupted by vineyards and olive groves.

It's rather a long ride to Gubbio, but we arrived and I made my way to the historic center. It's a beautifully preserved Medieval town, but first my most pressing need was a toilet. I found one, and it was free, but the problem with free toilets in Italy is that they are ill maintained. There was no toilet paper. Never expect any. This is why I ALWAYS carry one of those little packs of tissue with me.

I had a lovely time just wandering around. I took an elevator up near the top of the town and walked down. It's very touristy, but not tacky and not at all crowded.

I made my way back to the bus stop, and took a photo of the unimpressive Roman Theatre on the way.

It turned out we were waiting at that wrong place, and fortunately a local corrected us. The bus shows up when it shows up, so I had to wait quite a long time, and the bus took a different route home--a a very scenic way up and down and around those Umbrian Hills. Just gorgeous.

Once in town the traffic was clogged, but we finally pulled into the station,  and I found an easier, more direct way home. Now I need to cook some linguine. I've already had my herby amaro and some almonds. My pasta will be dressed with some cacio e pepe sauce got from the store. It will be yummy!

Ciao for now

Palazzo Baldeschi al Corso and Some Shopping

 

Buon giorno,

As I had a Project Day yesterday and am planning another for tomorrow, I thought I'd give myself a comparatively easy day today. And also today was the morning of the planned blackout. I was hoping that the workers gave a generous estimate, and so it proved. The power went off later and came on earlier than they announced.  I'd taken care of all my personal needs before the power went off, as I must use the electric kettle to get warm water.

The Palazzo is fairly nearby, but it has very odd hours, so I saved it for today when it would open in the morning. Bur before it opened I got some cash and strolled around marking shops I intended to visit. and watching the merry-go-round in the Piazza.

I am happy to report that with the exception of a mother and young child, all the riders were middle aged or elderly adults having fun. It's the sort of thing I would do, too.

                                         

Then I walked down that intriguing passage pictured above.

At length the Palazzo opened and I entered. I got a handsome discount for being old and proceeded. on my visit. The young ladies in charge were very eager to help me. I think I was their only visitor at that time--because the joint is not open that much, and visitors need to plan.

Most of the Palazzo has been gutted, but on the first floor some lovely ceiling frescos survived.

The young ladies highly touted the "Special Exhibition" of contemporary artists in dialogue with the Middle Ages. I was unimpressed.

The other floors were more interesting to me. There was a reasonable collection of Renaissance and Baroque works. I enjoyed the landscapes and portraits most of all, and the same was true in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century works.

I saw a very impressive and beautiful collection of Umbrian Majolica. The colors just glowed!  I don't feel right about taking photos of these exhibits because I'm concerned about copyright.

I also came across the personal out put of an eccentric artist, who managed to convince he he was gay. Sure he had plenty of female nudes, but they didn't have the--uh--resonance of his male nudes.

This was a pleasant way to spend the morning, but I also had some shopping to do. I attended a chocolate shop a little further down the street that I found more elegant and less touristy than the ones nearer the Cathedral.

I also returned to the tiny shop selling Umbrian goodies.Let me take a sip of one of my purchases. It's an Umbrian liquer called Amaro d'Erbe. Smells sort of herby, but also like booze. It tastes very nice--not bitter at all, which is what amaro means. But I can tell from one sip that it is strong! I need to go slowly with this, and I have some left for tomorrow.

I slept pretty well, but I had an interesting nightmare. I dreamt I was at the train station about to board when I realized I hadn't packed. I had my luggage, but I'd left my belongings behind.  This won't happen in real life.

Ciao for now

Assisi: In the Steps of St. Francis

Buon giorno,

I've given up on getting hot water out of the tap. I'll just use the electric kettle some more. My hosts informed me that the power is going to be turned off tomorrow morning, so I need to make my arrangements early. 

Not waiting around for hot water, meant I got to go to Assisi. It's an easy trip from Perugia, but it is a Project, and I'm worn out. I stopped at the fancy bakery and used my voucher to get a couple of sandwiches because I'm also hungry. As I came home I spotted a lot of folks sitting outside on this pleasant afternoon enjoying their aperos.

From Assisi station it is wise to buy bus tickets from the kiosk across the street. It's a long way to the historic center and the last part is very steep. In fact the whole place is steep. I got a work out, but it was well worth it.

Francesco Bernardone was the son of a prosperous merchant who horrified family and friends by abandoning his carefree life as a rich young man about town for the life of a religious beggar. He took "Poverty" as his lady, and lived the life of an itinerant preacher supported by alms. Later he founded the Friars Minor with his followers, who dressed in coarse brown robes and lived a life of self denial and service. Francis is one of the most beloved of Roman Catholic saints (Even the late Pope took his name for his own!) (Even hard core Protestants admire Francis) because he was the most radical Christian since Jesus himself.

My first target was the grand basilica dedicated to him and where he is buried. The place is magnificent, but I couldn't help thinking it would give Francis fits if he knew. Why wasn't those resources given to the poor? he'd ask.

I'm glad I got there early. It was already crowded and services were being held, but the place was navigable. I paid my respects at Francis's tomb and sought the way to the upper basilica as the place has two stories. I can't remember how long ago it was, but Assisi suffered a catastrophic earthquake, which damaged the cathedral and crumbled the priceless frescos by Giotto and other distinguished artists depicting scenes from Francis's life.  The works have been carefully and effectively restored.

Giotto is one of my favorites. He revolutionized narrative painting with the use of accurate depictions of three dimensional space and placing figures in it and in relation to each other in a more natural, yet dramatic way.

When I walked by on my way back there was a giagantic line to get into the church. Come early, Amici.

Then I strolled through the town--uphill. Now Assisi is Very Touristy, but I also saw many signs of genuine piety and devotion.  If you want religious tat, you can find it. There are also high end religious and secular items on offer and also a lot of food. You will have no chance to starve.  And the thing about walking up hill is that when it comes time to leave one can go downhill. There are also public toilets scattered about. I used one for .50 Euro, and it was clean and well maintained. It just irritates me when I have to pay to pee.

It's a very pretty town and quite well preserved, and I think it would be fun to stay there except I prefer Perugia. I did (I hope) build up some good traveller karma by helping two women find the bus stop for the airport.

Bus after bus came. "Stazione?" "Non" The woman who was waiting at the stop with me and I sort of bonded, and I could understand her Italian. But obviously we all got home just fine.

Ciao for now

A Certain Amount of Frustration

 

Buon giorno,

This morning I found that the hot water was off again. Sigh. Now I did not have any big plans for today apart from shopping, but as much as I enjoy just Being in Italy it's kind of a waste just sitting around my apartment waiting for things to be fixed. My gracious hosts are upset on my behalf and embarrassed. I don't want to be cranky to such lovely people, but to be frank this has not been fun.

The photo is of an intriguing looking passage. When I first arrived my cab driver sent me up there, but I soon became skeptical, and a young Perugian woman who spoke excellent Englsih noticed my bewilderment and offered help.  I got my grocery shopping done. For one thing, I'd miscalculated and ran out of tea bags. Now I can still have morning tea.

Perhaps you noticed a glaring omission in the Italian food I have been eagerly devouring.

Yeah, Pil, what about formaggio, huh? It's rude to come to Italy and not eat their cheese.

You have that right, and I am remedying that issue with today's apero. I actually don't know what kind of cheese it is. It's semi soft, no rind, but it tastes a lot like taleggio. It's not sharp at all, but it has a distinct and very pleasant taste that goes well with my red wine from Assisi.  This is delightful!

Let's fast forward to dinner. It's a chilly afternoon so a hot meal will be welcome. At the grocery I found some DOP pesto Genovese. It's not even close to being Umbrian, but I really enjoyed it when I was in Genoa, so I mixed it with tuna and had it with linguine.  Here we go.

I knew when I wrestled the container open, that we had found the real deal from the sharp smell of basil. A lot of people have had pesto, and it's been very tasty, but the real thing made with Ligurian basil and olive oil is a revelation.  With tuna and pasta--in this case linguine--it's superb. But let's have a sip of some vin bianco from Orvieto. Mmm. I'm not sure Italians would approve of such cross regional contamination, but it sure does work for me.

Ciao for now

A Day Out in Spello

 

Buon giorno,

With the hot water situation sorted, I am free to take day trips. I wanted to start smallish because the other destinations I have in mind are Projects. Spello is close and compact. Sounded good.

I had a pleasant time and returned home via the porchetta stand. It was crowded, but the meat guy is efficient. Plenty of locals frequent the place. In fact one woman was urging a young American man and me to "try the vegetarian option." LOL no. I'm here for the meats. The young man got a panini that sounded really tasty to me, so maybe I'll have that next time.  This time I knew to ask for un canario, which is what I had last time and what I'm tucking into right now. Sooooo Goooood!!!!

One reason I needed to start small is that I had to figure out the public transportation. There are busses, but the best way to get to the train station is the minimetro, which are small, driverless, cars that run on rails. I bought a ten ride ticket from the machine,  One puts the ticket in a slot so the gate will open, and then one waits for the next container. It's fun to ride.

At the proper stop, it's short walk to the station. I have to say I'm glad I did not try this when I arrived, the cars are very cool, but there are stairs involved.

I got my day return ticket from the machine, carefully validated it, and just missed the train, but another one came along, and I was launched. Parts of the journey were very scenic. For example there were a lot of olives groves recognizable by the silvery leaves on well pruned trees.

I'd never heard of Spello before, but from what the internet told me it was a good destination--and so it proved.  The historic center,  or storico centrale as we Italians say, is a fair step from the station and up hill. I would not visit in wet weather. the streets are very narrow and have rough and slippery-looking footing.

It's a very pretty, neat looking town and was largely empty of tourists. I had a nice time strolling around.

I made my way back to the station and caught the next train home, but I was naughty and forgot to validate my ticket. Uh oh. But I got away with it because no one checked. I just need not to do that again. I gained confidence for the next bigger day trips, but it won't be tomorrow because I have some things to do in town.

Ciao for now