We are catching up on some delayed blog postings so you will find 4 new ones posted today. We are now caught up with our travels so far. We have now arrived in Munich and are in the home of our friend Marina and Renata. We will be in Munich through Monday. Blessings to you all!
Friday, June 9, 2017
Swiss Alpine Hiking and the Melody of Cowbells
We enjoyed another slow start day with breakfast in our hotel. The Hardleys had stayed at the same hotel (Hotel Alpina) back in 2009 on a last minute trip up the mountain. On that trip they had planned to stay in Interlaken the entire time, but quickly realized that there was enough time to go to the small town of Murren. The hotel was full of hospitality then, and almost ten years later we found the same to be true. The breakfast was very complete, with a wide variety of meats, cheeses, breads, yogurt and granola type cereals. You could even boil an egg if you wanted one. Coffee was free flowing and the wait staff seemed to take so much joy and pride in their work. A few times the woman working there said "it is not problem, I want to see your day start off well" when we asked her for things. Just a small reminder that whatever your job, do it with joy, as no job is too small or unnecessary.
Our hearts and bellies full, we set out on a hike to the nearby town of Gimmewald. This was a hike the Hardleys had done on their last trip, and though it is straight downhill one way and straight up hill another way it is an easier one along a country road. They learned about the town from the Westmont Kinesiology department faculty who used to go there on the Kinesiology Europe Mayterm trips.
By this time it is around 10:00. The high for the day should have been around 60 degrees, which would have made for a comfortable hiking day. The walk downhill was an easy one (of course!). Along the way we stopped at the little shops that were operated by the farming families. A number of the farming families would have small boxes or refrigerators with their cured meats and cheeses for sale. It was a self service system where you paid money into an open bin and made your own change. We bought a sausage and a cheese and can't wait to try them.
Walking through town we bumped into the Honor Store, which is a small gift shop for the region. This shop is all on the honor system. If you want to purchase something you wrote what you bought on an envelope and put the money inside. Drop it in a bin and you are done. The store donates all of its profits to various sustainability projects.
We tried to catch a pizza at the Mountain Hostel in town because we had heard that they had decent sized and priced ones but there was no one there. This is the one downside of small towns and being at the beginning of the season. Not every restaurant and shop is open. Sometimes this can be fine, but if you hit Murren too early in the season you can find that a good number of places are still closed from the winter. On the Hardleys last trip they came very early in the season, so only one hotel, one restaurant and the Coop grocery store were open. If you missed the closing hours on the last two the. You went without dinner. :)
We decided in the hike back up that we would try a slight detour to a small water fall. Unfortunately, maps of the area being what they were, we were not quite sure where to turn to go to the waterfall. Some of the maps are more playful for the tourist and less informational for the joker. We had a sense of where we needed to be and took a chance that the sense was accurate. Always a great way to go hiking, yes? :)
It turns out that our sense was correct and we were on the right path. The hike was down a bit more on the hill, but we were able to see the waterfall easily. On the way back up we stopped for a view and a bit of wine. It was helpful, as the 60 degree day did not feel like 60 degrees once you had been hiking for a few hours.
Back on the way up the hill we were trying to be mindful of the time. We knew that the community pool closed at 5:15, having missed it by about 30 minutes the night before. Some time in a cool pool and warm spa sounded good to our aching muscles.
We stopped off at the hotel and changed the contents of our hiking bag for swim gear. We had a small snack in the room of the left over meats, cheeses and bread that were in our hotel refrigerator. Knowing that we would be leaving in the morning, it seemed prudent to work through the food we had since we had also skipped lunch. We were at the pool by 4:00. Once we had figured out where to go (we accidentally changed in the team locker rooms instead of the public locker rooms, oops!) we were in the pool. The pool itself was warm, and we had hoped that the spa would be warmer still. Unfortunately there was not much of a temperature difference, but the jets in the spa felt good nonetheless. So good that both Tim and Christyn fell asleep!
Our hearts and bellies full, we set out on a hike to the nearby town of Gimmewald. This was a hike the Hardleys had done on their last trip, and though it is straight downhill one way and straight up hill another way it is an easier one along a country road. They learned about the town from the Westmont Kinesiology department faculty who used to go there on the Kinesiology Europe Mayterm trips.
By this time it is around 10:00. The high for the day should have been around 60 degrees, which would have made for a comfortable hiking day. The walk downhill was an easy one (of course!). Along the way we stopped at the little shops that were operated by the farming families. A number of the farming families would have small boxes or refrigerators with their cured meats and cheeses for sale. It was a self service system where you paid money into an open bin and made your own change. We bought a sausage and a cheese and can't wait to try them.
Walking through town we bumped into the Honor Store, which is a small gift shop for the region. This shop is all on the honor system. If you want to purchase something you wrote what you bought on an envelope and put the money inside. Drop it in a bin and you are done. The store donates all of its profits to various sustainability projects.
We tried to catch a pizza at the Mountain Hostel in town because we had heard that they had decent sized and priced ones but there was no one there. This is the one downside of small towns and being at the beginning of the season. Not every restaurant and shop is open. Sometimes this can be fine, but if you hit Murren too early in the season you can find that a good number of places are still closed from the winter. On the Hardleys last trip they came very early in the season, so only one hotel, one restaurant and the Coop grocery store were open. If you missed the closing hours on the last two the. You went without dinner. :)
We decided in the hike back up that we would try a slight detour to a small water fall. Unfortunately, maps of the area being what they were, we were not quite sure where to turn to go to the waterfall. Some of the maps are more playful for the tourist and less informational for the joker. We had a sense of where we needed to be and took a chance that the sense was accurate. Always a great way to go hiking, yes? :)
It turns out that our sense was correct and we were on the right path. The hike was down a bit more on the hill, but we were able to see the waterfall easily. On the way back up we stopped for a view and a bit of wine. It was helpful, as the 60 degree day did not feel like 60 degrees once you had been hiking for a few hours.
Back on the way up the hill we were trying to be mindful of the time. We knew that the community pool closed at 5:15, having missed it by about 30 minutes the night before. Some time in a cool pool and warm spa sounded good to our aching muscles.
We stopped off at the hotel and changed the contents of our hiking bag for swim gear. We had a small snack in the room of the left over meats, cheeses and bread that were in our hotel refrigerator. Knowing that we would be leaving in the morning, it seemed prudent to work through the food we had since we had also skipped lunch. We were at the pool by 4:00. Once we had figured out where to go (we accidentally changed in the team locker rooms instead of the public locker rooms, oops!) we were in the pool. The pool itself was warm, and we had hoped that the spa would be warmer still. Unfortunately there was not much of a temperature difference, but the jets in the spa felt good nonetheless. So good that both Tim and Christyn fell asleep!
We stayed almost until closing time. On the way back to the room we debated on dinner plans. Christyn was feeling tired and opted to stay in the room. Tim, Michelle and Susanne headed back to the street to see what the options were. There was always the choice to eat at the hotel restaurant, and though it would be a fine option, we were also looking for something a little different. Kim at the hotel in Interlaken had recommended a few different Swiss dishes (aside from the traditional fondu pots of cheese) and we were hoping to find a place that offered some of them.
The great thing about European restaurants is that they will display their menus outside of their shops so that you can see before you sit down. The problem is, the menu at this restaurant was blocked by a group of 6 locals who were sitting at the table under it. Not wanting to disturb them, we asked the waitress for a menu. She was carrying 8-9 drinks on a tray at the time and said "Yes, you sit, I bring it to you". Not wanting to commit to a table without seeing a menu we waited for her to deliver her drinks. When she came back we asked again for a menu, and now slightly irritated, she repeated her instructions to sit.
We dutifully sat, hoping that the menu would include the suggested meals we were looking for. The sun was going down, and Michelle was soon cold. She went back to the room and grabbed both jackets and some socks for Susanne. While Michelle was gone, the waitress came to get our order. The menu was full of long German words that challenge the American tongue and a rough English translation below the German description. Luckily our waitress could speak English, she was an older thin German lady with graying hair, but she was curt and efficient - picture the stern school teacher you had growing up that had perfected the disapproving glare. When Tim asked her about the items on the menu, she looked at us quizzically with a narrowed eyes (implying...cant you read english?). Another attempt to ask her how she would order Rosti she told Tim that this is his problem not hers. If she tells him how to order then it becomes her problem. Understanding the issue, Tim said "If I order it, then I will eat it." Relief came over the face of the waitress, as we had broken through the cultural issue. She said she would order Rosti with meat, Tim said I want that too but that wasn't an option under the Rosti section of the menu. She had Tim flip the page and shows him the meat section and the side orders that you can choose from which includes Rosti. ***The American comparison...I walk into McDonalds and ask the cashier how he would eat Fries. While I look at the side-order section of the menu, he directs me to the Value Meal area and tells me fries are included in the meal deal. Silly Americans :)
So what did we order: 1) Schweinsbratwurst mit Zwiebelsauce mit Rosti; 2) Rindsgeschnetzeltes and 3) Kaseschnitte mit Vorderschinken und Spiegelei
Which to the enjoyment of our waitress we tried to pronounce. The third one, she practiced with Tim a couple times, she collected the menus leaving Tim holding one. Then said to him, "Practice, when I return you try again" with a big smile on her face.
When she returned with the beer we ordered, she looked at Tim and said, "Soooo." Let the butchering of the German language begin. We had a good laugh and she said to keep trying.
When Michelle returned back to the table she was apprised of the interactions that had unfolded since her departure.
So what did we order: 1) Schweinsbratwurst mit Zwiebelsauce mit Rosti; 2) Rindsgeschnetzeltes and 3) Kaseschnitte mit Vorderschinken und Spiegelei
Which to the enjoyment of our waitress we tried to pronounce. The third one, she practiced with Tim a couple times, she collected the menus leaving Tim holding one. Then said to him, "Practice, when I return you try again" with a big smile on her face.
When she returned with the beer we ordered, she looked at Tim and said, "Soooo." Let the butchering of the German language begin. We had a good laugh and she said to keep trying.
When Michelle returned back to the table she was apprised of the interactions that had unfolded since her departure.
The plates of food arrived and we were delighted with the smells...except for Tim's dish which had the pungent smell of a very strong cheese melted over the entire dish. We got 1) Sausage in onion sauce with hash browns, 2) egg noodle stroganoff and 3) Toast with ham completely drowned in cheese with a sunny side up egg on top. And once we tasted all the dishes, they were wonderful! Even the stinky cheese tasted good.
Full to the brim we paid the bill and asked to take a picture with the waitress. She was more than happy to, but suggested that we all go around the cow statue that was near the front of her shop. We were more than happy to oblige.
Full to the brim we paid the bill and asked to take a picture with the waitress. She was more than happy to, but suggested that we all go around the cow statue that was near the front of her shop. We were more than happy to oblige.
Back in our room we prepped for the next days adventures. It is a solid travel day, with our first transport leaving at 9:28am and arriving in Munich at 5:28. We have many connections to make as well, and a few of them are only 5-10 minutes apart. Since Swiss trains run like clockwork, we should be fine, but none in our group tend to rest until we are in the last leg of a multi-leg trip. We will see what adventures tomorrow brings!
Jumping Off of Mountains and Climbing Back Up in Murren
The next morning Tim greeted Susanne and Christyn with the exciting news that a van would be picking them up to go paragliding at 9:45 that morning. Their paragliding pilots were named Max and Flo and after a short drive up the mountain and brief instructions, they were ready for takeoff. Both Susanne and Christyn agree that paragliding was an amazing experience and the views of Interlaken and the turquoise lakes from flying above are unmatched. After landing in a field across town, they were driven back to the hotel, despite the fact that Tim and Michelle were waiting for them at the park a few streets away. Susanne and Christyn headed to the park, and while Tim and Michelle were taking pictures of the incoming paragliders (hoping one of them was Christyn or Susanne because you can't tell from the ground) the Jacksons walked up behind them and said Hi.
We headed back to the hotel to gather our things and say goodbye to Kim then hopped on a train to Lauterbrunnen. We stored our bags at the train station there and then walked through the valley past waterfalls and cows and over bridges to reach Trummelbach Falls. Trummelbach was definitely worth the fee of 11 Swiss Franks to enter, we walked through caverns and along paths carved into the inside of a mountain to view the waterfall that flowed through it. There are a total of 10 interior falls in this location. The upper ones you access by a tram that takes you inside of the mountain. You then walk down some stairs to access the lower falls.
We took our time checking it out, taking pictures, and eating Pringles (our one American luxury on the trip) before catching the bus back to Lauterbrunnen. We bought some picnic foods at the Coop in Lauterbrunen as we were not sure if the Coop in Murren would be open for the season yet. We then headed to the lift to Murren. The lift up was very exciting for Christyn and Susanne because they had never been on one before and the views of the mountains were gorgeous. Once at the top of the hill there was a little train that took us along the mountain top to the city of Murren.
We checked into our hotel and made a great little picnic on the balcony with views of the alps with bread, cheese, meat and wine. We tried to go to the sports center in town, where hotel guests can use their pool, and discovered that the swimming pool closes at 6 (last entrance at 5:15). As we had eaten a late lunch and no one was hungry, we opted to turn in early to get some rest after a busy day.
We headed back to the hotel to gather our things and say goodbye to Kim then hopped on a train to Lauterbrunnen. We stored our bags at the train station there and then walked through the valley past waterfalls and cows and over bridges to reach Trummelbach Falls. Trummelbach was definitely worth the fee of 11 Swiss Franks to enter, we walked through caverns and along paths carved into the inside of a mountain to view the waterfall that flowed through it. There are a total of 10 interior falls in this location. The upper ones you access by a tram that takes you inside of the mountain. You then walk down some stairs to access the lower falls.
We took our time checking it out, taking pictures, and eating Pringles (our one American luxury on the trip) before catching the bus back to Lauterbrunnen. We bought some picnic foods at the Coop in Lauterbrunen as we were not sure if the Coop in Murren would be open for the season yet. We then headed to the lift to Murren. The lift up was very exciting for Christyn and Susanne because they had never been on one before and the views of the mountains were gorgeous. Once at the top of the hill there was a little train that took us along the mountain top to the city of Murren.
We checked into our hotel and made a great little picnic on the balcony with views of the alps with bread, cheese, meat and wine. We tried to go to the sports center in town, where hotel guests can use their pool, and discovered that the swimming pool closes at 6 (last entrance at 5:15). As we had eaten a late lunch and no one was hungry, we opted to turn in early to get some rest after a busy day.
The High Speed Version of Venice
As plans were coming together we learned that Ariella could drop us off at their local station, Busa Di Vigoza, just 5 minutes from their house. Unable to find easy parking, Susanne and Tim hopped out of the car while Ariella, Christyn and Michelle circled the block. Susanne and Tim ran in for a quick stop at the Tabachi to buy train tickets, and with an attempt at Italian and some gesturing, we were off to the local train station.
We arrived at the Venice station with a few minutes of planning necessary to finish our next day travel plans to Interlaken. As Tim worked on this, the girls stepped outside for Susanne and Christyn's first views of the busy Grand Canal. How fascinating to watch the variety of floating vehicles of various sizes shuffle around each other, loading and unloading passengers and small cargo deliveries. Tim and Michelle worked their magic to figure out which water bus, Vaparetto, to crowd onto to tour the Grand Canal and stop at our first destination, San Marco. While on this ride we listened to our audio guide as Rick Steves pointed out the history of this beautiful floating city.
We hopped off and joined the crowds in the St. Mark's Square/Piazza. According to Rick, Napoleon described this place as one of the most elegant drawing rooms in Europe surrounded by the Doge's Palace, Campanile-the bell tower and the Correr Museum. Our hope had been to see the inside of the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs but given our timing and the crowds, we observed from afar. (This will give Tim and Michelle something to do on another trip.)
I must add that the next event occurred merely by chance and is the beginning of two unfortunate events for Christyn. Spoiler alert: the day was still a good day with extra gelato to top it off.
By this time in our day of scurrying, we decided to grab a 'take away' sandwich. We were eating as we quickly hustled to the next vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore's Tower when, unbeknown to us, we had attracted a few seagulls overhead. One gutsy seagull swooped down on Christyn's sandwich as it was right in front of her from her recent bite and flew away with it. What a shocking assault!
We hopped on a vaparatto to cross over to San Giorgio island and a ride up San Giorgio Maggiore's Tower. The Church was beautiful with high ceilings filled with murals of detailed depictions of Christ and priests. One notable difference was the large paneled mirrors in a circle formation displaying a particular modern artist's message of service. This work was intriguing but out of place in the center of the church. Where we would typically expect an area for worshippers they were demonstrating art. We went past the display and to the ticket booth to purchase our ride up to the top of the bell tower. We also passed a WC, and we all took advantage of the free toilet as we waited for the elevator. (A note to those that haven't traveled to Europe, public bathroom are few and restaurant bathrooms are for customers only. So, if you see a free bathroom, use it.) into the top of the tower...The views were breathtaking of Venice! Susanne was in full picture mode. Then Tim called Susanne and Christyn over just as the bell overhead rang 1:00. It's not fair that Tim recorded the moment of surprise on video. What a brother!
Onto another vaparetto from the tower to the island of Murano and into a glass presentation. Perfect timing! This wasn't the typical tourist presentation, we had lucked into a real glass manufacturer. It was a great viewing of how the master and his apprentice make the large leaves on their famous chandeliers. Then we enjoyed a private conversation from a masters grandson on the evolution of their techniques while walking through the factory shop. After, we were off to shopping and to grab some gelato.
We arrived at the Venice station with a few minutes of planning necessary to finish our next day travel plans to Interlaken. As Tim worked on this, the girls stepped outside for Susanne and Christyn's first views of the busy Grand Canal. How fascinating to watch the variety of floating vehicles of various sizes shuffle around each other, loading and unloading passengers and small cargo deliveries. Tim and Michelle worked their magic to figure out which water bus, Vaparetto, to crowd onto to tour the Grand Canal and stop at our first destination, San Marco. While on this ride we listened to our audio guide as Rick Steves pointed out the history of this beautiful floating city.
We hopped off and joined the crowds in the St. Mark's Square/Piazza. According to Rick, Napoleon described this place as one of the most elegant drawing rooms in Europe surrounded by the Doge's Palace, Campanile-the bell tower and the Correr Museum. Our hope had been to see the inside of the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs but given our timing and the crowds, we observed from afar. (This will give Tim and Michelle something to do on another trip.)
I must add that the next event occurred merely by chance and is the beginning of two unfortunate events for Christyn. Spoiler alert: the day was still a good day with extra gelato to top it off.
By this time in our day of scurrying, we decided to grab a 'take away' sandwich. We were eating as we quickly hustled to the next vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore's Tower when, unbeknown to us, we had attracted a few seagulls overhead. One gutsy seagull swooped down on Christyn's sandwich as it was right in front of her from her recent bite and flew away with it. What a shocking assault!
We hopped on a vaparatto to cross over to San Giorgio island and a ride up San Giorgio Maggiore's Tower. The Church was beautiful with high ceilings filled with murals of detailed depictions of Christ and priests. One notable difference was the large paneled mirrors in a circle formation displaying a particular modern artist's message of service. This work was intriguing but out of place in the center of the church. Where we would typically expect an area for worshippers they were demonstrating art. We went past the display and to the ticket booth to purchase our ride up to the top of the bell tower. We also passed a WC, and we all took advantage of the free toilet as we waited for the elevator. (A note to those that haven't traveled to Europe, public bathroom are few and restaurant bathrooms are for customers only. So, if you see a free bathroom, use it.) into the top of the tower...The views were breathtaking of Venice! Susanne was in full picture mode. Then Tim called Susanne and Christyn over just as the bell overhead rang 1:00. It's not fair that Tim recorded the moment of surprise on video. What a brother!
Onto another vaparetto from the tower to the island of Murano and into a glass presentation. Perfect timing! This wasn't the typical tourist presentation, we had lucked into a real glass manufacturer. It was a great viewing of how the master and his apprentice make the large leaves on their famous chandeliers. Then we enjoyed a private conversation from a masters grandson on the evolution of their techniques while walking through the factory shop. After, we were off to shopping and to grab some gelato.
This is the second unfortunate incident that occurred to Christyn. We were walking along enjoying our cones and headed towards a water fountain when a bird overhead dropped a mess on Christyn and some others nearby. Thankfully there was a store around the corner where we bought Christyn a new Venetian shirt. Plus more gelato shops to replace her cone. This might be the moment that affects our animal-loving Christyn to only love birds from afar!
We caught the vaparetto back to the main island. We had two hours to wander In the general direction of the train station. We took the back streets to the Rialto Bridge and when we were lost we just asked "dové Rialto"...which we did several times. Of course along the way we stumbled upon more shopping, kabobs, cannoli and generally enjoyed "getting lost" while exploring the fascinating streets and waterways of Venice. Plus, Tim found a wine shop with Fragolina which was perfect on this warm day with a little ice in a plastic cup. As we were leaving the Rialto market we stumbled upon the local traghetto stop.
To finish our day we hoped onto a 2€ traghetto, which is a little larger that a gondola, to cross the canal. What a thrill! Arriving at the train station with a few extra minutes, we sat on the steps watching the Venetian world go by. Then we were off to catch the train back to Padua.
To finish our day we hoped onto a 2€ traghetto, which is a little larger that a gondola, to cross the canal. What a thrill! Arriving at the train station with a few extra minutes, we sat on the steps watching the Venetian world go by. Then we were off to catch the train back to Padua.
Ariella met us at the station with a big Italian hug and we were off to their house again. We attempted to swim but the weather changed and it was rather cool but not to cold for Tim and Carlo Alberto.
After swimming we enjoyed another delicious meal of noodles and sauce with bacon from a region that suffered from an earth quake several years ago. Then Ariella brought out sliced cantaloupe and prosciutto and taught us how to eat them together. An odd combo from an American standpoint, but the flavor combination was delicious. We have enjoyed the history and pride their family has shared with us. We cheered "Ching, Chene!"
After swimming we enjoyed another delicious meal of noodles and sauce with bacon from a region that suffered from an earth quake several years ago. Then Ariella brought out sliced cantaloupe and prosciutto and taught us how to eat them together. An odd combo from an American standpoint, but the flavor combination was delicious. We have enjoyed the history and pride their family has shared with us. We cheered "Ching, Chene!"
Good Food, Good Swims and Padovian Hospitality
We needed to check out of our rooms at 10:00, but our train was not set to leave until 10:45. The timing here gave us something very unusual, almost unheard of on this trip. Free time. That ever elusive thing, free time is a close cousin of sleeping in, which is also rare on our European adventures. But as we did not want to hike again, and the stores were not yet open, there was not much for us to do in the morning.
We planned to sleep in a bit and have a slower start. Meeting around 9 we bought some sweet rolls at a local bakery and cappuccinos near the harbor. We found a bench in the harbor and looked at the ocean while we finished our breakfast. We took a quick trip back through town and bought some food at the local Coop grocery store. With a 6 hour train ride ahead of us we did not want to go without food on the train. After that, with a few moments until our train departed, we took a short walk through the upper end of town.
One of the things Michelle has noticed on this trip is the friendliness of all of the people we encountered. We try to live as locals whenever we travel, and that includes learning basic phrases in the local language and trying local foods. But in this trip, these small things have yielded some wonderfully tender moments. Like the older woman walking into town as we were walking out of town with her wildflowers in hand. As we passed and said good morning in Italian she smiled and said an effusive good morning back to us. Joyous connections like this just warm a travelers soul.
With the train quickly approaching we grabbed our bags and headed towards the train station. We were all hoping that the train rides on our way out of town would be better than the train rides into Vernazza! We did have 4 changes that we needed to make, but with Tim's planning we knew when each would arrive, when each would leave and what platforms we needed to move to in order to catch each leg. If we made all of the trains we would be in Padova by 4:00 and meeting up with Nicola, a friend of Tim and Michelle's.
Thankfully the train rides were largely uneventful and we made each connection easily. There was one leg where we stopped on the tracks due to an "electrical failure". Which induced a moment of slight panic as who knows what the failure was for and how long it would take to fix. Thankfully the delay was only about 10 minutes, and we had a 30 minute buffer at that station.
When we arrived in Padova Nicola was there to meet us and took us on a grand tour of the city center. We commented to Nicola that it was warmer than we were anticipating, to which he informed us that the entire country was under a heat wave during the week we were there. Which made sense, because we were envisioning 70 degree weather based on historical averages, but were experiencing mid to high 80s each day.
The first part of the tour started at the Abbey of Santa Giustina, which is one of the biggest churches in Italy. As we were not planning to enter a church we were wearing our traveling clothes. That meant that Christyn was not wearing appropriate clothing. Thankfully the church provided cover ups. She wrapped one around her waist, looking quite stylish mind you, and rolled along through the church.
We learned that the church is the resting place of the apostle Luke. Here, in this church rested some of the remains of a man who walked with Jesus. Take that one in for a moment. It's a heavy thought.
The church also sits in front of the second biggest square in the world. While we were there a carnival was in town, so the space was full of rides, cotton candy and lots of kids. :) There was an interesting juxtaposition between the interior significance of the church to the exterior activities on the square.
The heat of the day was getting to us already, so a stop was made for a quick gelato. The shop had banana gelato, and we all seemed to end up with the flavor as one of our scoops. Nicola informed us that banana is not a traditional gelato flavor, but it was tasty nonetheless.
The tour continued down the Main Street, which was recently closed to pedestrians. The only people allowed to drive on the roads are those who live on the street, and they had to drive very slowly as the street can be congested by shoppers, especially on the weekend.
We also saw the fruit and vegetable market, the astrological clock in one of the city squares, and the University of Padova. The University of Padova was the first university in Italy. Nicola and his wife Arielle (the friends we would spend the next two days with) met at the University, so the buildings we saw were special places for them.
For our final stop we entered the Saint Antonio church. It was a delight, for the look of the church as well as the people in it. On prior trips when we have attended mass we have lamented on the lack of worshippers there. In this service it was nearly packed, and not with tourists trying to find a place to simply rest their feet. This church also housed a number of holy relics and had a brochure with a self guided tour to help you understand it all.
While on the tour Nicola received a call from Ariella asking where we were. Apparently Nicola had said he was giving us a quick tour, but it was taking longer than planned and she had prepared dinner for us. Two years ago Tim and Michelle were with their friends the Smith's in Venice and had been invited for dinner at Nicola and Ariella's house. It was the most amazing meal with multiple courses. We put some pep in our step and hustled back to the car.
At the house we were introduced to Ambrey and Carlos Alberto, Nicola and Ariella's two children. They were learning English as a second language in their school, but were a bit shy in talking to us. They could, however, understand most of what we were saying. Since Susanne and Christyn know sign language, it was helpful to use signs to explain various concepts and ideas.
Ariella took us on a tour of the house, which had a huge remodel over the last few years. Almost every inch of the house had been renovated. The kitchen was also moved to a different area on the main floor and a pool was added in the back yard. The renovations were all so beautiful. One of our favorites was a metal bookshelf with a latch hidden inside a book, which allowed the bookshelf to pivot on the wall and revealed stairs down to the laundry room, basement and sauna room. It was unexpected and ingenious.
The pool was a feature we used quickly, as we were told there was enough time before dinner to take a quick swim. Nicola had instructed us to bring our swimsuits, and after a hot day and a long walk the cool water felt refreshing. The kids were already in the pool, and before long we were all engaged in a serious game of "keep away". Carlos Alberto was the funniest as he would always pass to his sister and when he was in the middle he would ride on Nicolas shoulders in order to have a higher reach. The sun was going down and it was soon time to clean up and get ready for dinner.
Tim and Michelle were in the downstairs room behind the hidden bookcase entrance. Susanne and Christyn were in an upstairs bedroom. The bathrooms in the house were all remodeled with the coolest showers. The shower head was square and dropped from the ceiling versus a wall. The walls were covered in a stack stone material on two sides and a glass panel on another side. Then in the place you would expect to see a door there was none. It was completely open to the room. The floor was a solid piece of stone with drainage holes cut out in a square shape. The whole floor slanted slightly towards the drain hole so that no water escaped from the open side. It was amazing. Michelle told Tim that he should have moved forward with a bathroom remodel at our house before this trip because now she has lots of new and expensive ideas. :)
Once we all freshened up we were happy to see that Nicola's aunt Christine and uncle Daniello had arrived for dinner. Tim and Michelle were excited as on an earlier trip to Venice Nicola and Ariella hosted Tim, Michelle and their friends the Smiths for dinner. At that dinner Christine and Daniello also came, and it was a delightful meal and conversation, made all the more interesting as neither Christine nor Daniello spoke much English. Tim and Michelle were very much looking forward to reconnecting.
Daniello quickly asked what kind of gelato we wanted for dessert. To which we responded banana! You should have seen Daniello's face. He quickly scrunched it up and said "banana? Bagh!" He and Carlos Alberto left quickly after that to go grab the dessert.
Christine and Ariella are both excellent cooks, so we were all in for a treat. We started with the first course, which consisted of two different kinds of pasta, a bow tie pasta with tomatoes, olives and mozzarella cheese and a trofoili pasta with pesto sauce on it. Both were delicious and could have been full meals in and of themselves. We all went back for seconds.
The second course was a green salad with an olive oil/salt/pepper dressing and sliced roast beef with au jus sauce. Both were delicious. Most of us went back for seconds.
Finally was dessert, the infamous gelato. Ariella also brought out some sliced strawberries and banana. And to everyone's surprise, one of the flavors of gelato that Daniello purchased was banana. :)
Wonderful conversation ensued and we all stayed up way too late. The Hardley's were surprised to see that Daniello and Christine had been practicing their English in the years since our last visit. With the help of our trusty Google Translate app we were able to navigate conversations quite easily. There are some benefits to modern technology.
Tomorrow we are set to travel for one quick day in Venice then dinner again with Nicola and Ariella before we are off to Switzerland the following day. Ciao!
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Personal Safety Update
Just a small update in light of the recent events in London and Paris. We are all safe and secure. We are now in Switzerland (the blog posts are about 2 days behind) and plan to be here until Friday. On Friday we head to Munich to stay with friends through Monday. If there are future events we will update this page with additional information on our well being.
Blessings to you all.
Blessings to you all.
Th Magic of the Cinque Terre Strikes Again
Sleep was just a few hours until Tim and Susanne were up and out again (6:15 AM!) Christyn and Michelle had requested time to sleep in. We took the opportunity to hike a bit of the trail to Monterosa al Mare...since it was early, the ticket booth was still closed allowing us to push past it a bit further than would have been possible had it been later in the day. The hike from the "village" is a steep staircase of rocky, uneven steps. The views quickly unfold before you at each turn...and Susanne had to stop at each turn to attempt to capture them. The pictures will not due the reality justice as this is such a beautiful area. As we climb, the houses grew further apart and the greenery of the terraced gardens surrounded us. We still had sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea as well. We stopped at a great lookout, going further would have hidden the village as the trail bent around the natural curvature of the hills ahead of us. At this spot we had amazing views of the village, the harbor and the sea...just not a big enough lens to capture it all. We enjoyed a few minutes rest, still glistening in sweat from the hike up, to ponder the beauty before us. Alas, we had to head down to make it past the ticket booth before we were caught on the wrong side without a ticket.
We strolled into Vernazza with an eye towards breakfast. We stopped at a pasticeria to pick up some sweet rolls, apricot croissants and a quick cappuccino (this place only had coffee to go). We strolled down to the benches at the harbor enjoying the coffee and a "danish" with views of the fishing boats bobbing up and down. A hike up to the apartment to check on Michelle and Christyn revealed that they were still sleeping. We left the rolls on the kitchen table and headed out for another hike. This time we headed inland, under the train platform and into the hills along the main -err, only road. The stream flanked us on one side with houses clinging to the steep walls of the valley and sometimes built into the rocky outcropping. The sounds of the occasional waterfalls created a wonderful ambiance broken by the random car traveling along the narrow road. We passed the old rusty water wheel built into the house, and a "Nona" on her way to town carrying a bouquet of flowers. The pace of life is slower and relaxed. We reach a "Y" in the road and stopped to take some pictures and pick a couple of cherries from the nearby tree. We then turned around and headed home.
Upon arrival back at the apartment we found Christyn and Michelle just getting up. The decision was quickly made to stay for an extra day in Vernazza. The only problem was, we were again faced with the issue of not having a room. We went back to the travel agency we contacted yesterday, and she informed us that her last room was booked the day before. We needed to check out by 10:00am, so we took our packs to the little store that found us our apartment for the evening and asked if they knew of any places for four people for one more ni ght. Francesca said the knew of no apartments, but that they had a room for two people and they would call their contacts to see if another room could be secured for two more people. Within 5 minutes there was an older Italian man who spoke no English at the doorstep ready to take two of our group to the new room. The second room would not be available until later in the day, but we could leave the bags for that room in the store until it was available.
Susanne, Christyn and Michelle headed to the available room. The man brought us to a woman named Maria who spoke very little English but very rapid Italian. She explained to us the rules of the room, and there were a fair number of signs translated into English and German to help. She would point to a sign, we would read, then she would explain in rapid fire Italian. Thankfully for us, she also used plenty of hand gestures and sounds so that we could follow along. She explained all about the cats in the neighborhood that could get into the room and how to prevent it, we learned that the gals should not go to bed with wet hair on the pillows, and a bath mat should be put on the floor after a shower. Also, when we left the room we should turn off all of the lights and leave a water bottle in the doorway as a signal so that she knew it was ok to come in and freshen up the room. She was a delightful older woman who didn't seem to mind at all that we only understood a portion of what she said. Her house was also right above the room she was renting and she let us know to shout "Maria, Maria" if we needed anything and she would come running.
Maria's house was on the trail between Vernazza and Monterossa al Mare. We decided to head up to the checkpoint on the side behind Maria's house to see what kinds of views we could get without buying a ticket for the whole trail. We easily decided the night before that even if we stayed in Vernazza one more night we would not do the full hike between either of the two towns. There were too many people on the trails, and the weather was hovering around 85 degrees Having done the full hike in 2009, Tim and Michelle knew that shade was scarce and the hike would be just miserable. We opted to use the day to explore and relax. We did not get too far up the trail before we encountered the ticket booth, so we had only partial views of the harbor and city. Nonetheless, the views were still quite beautiful.
We headed back into town to cross to the other side of the trail, this time headed in the direction of Cornelia. The beginning of this hike takes you high into the houses on the hill of the city. A beautiful trip, and fun to see so many tiny lanes and homes all stacked on top of and next to each other. On the trail there is a restaurant that overlooked the ocean and had signs for appetizers and drinks. Curious, we went inside to look at a menu. The prices seemed reasonable and the view could not be beat, so we opted to end our short hike on the Cornelia trail at the restaurant to take advantage of the views and the shade.
The restaurant had 4 different kinds of bruschetta, so we tried three with a bottle of wine. Christyn found milkshakes on the menu and decided to try a melon flavored one. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, with the blue expanse of the Mediterranean Sea in front of you and the beautiful stack stone of the rocks behind you. So much so that we made a reservation for the same table for dinner at 7:30. Seeing as that the next day would be full of trains, we thought it best to start dinner early.
Tim and Michelle left lunch early to go grab their bags and check into their new room. On the way they opted to stop off at the castle tower in town. The 1.50 euro entrance is well worth the views. The tower is on the highest point in town perched on the edge of the rock cliffs overlooking the ocean. There are sweeping views all around. Looking to the south you can see Cornelia in the distance and to the north the largest village in the Cinque Terre, Monterossa, is visible. It was our first time to the top of the tower, always nice to add a new experience to a familiar spot. On our way down the tower, we passed Susanne and Christyn as they headed up.
We reached Francesca's store and she walked us up to the room, leaving Franco to mind the store. The new room was slightly higher than the last apartment, and she explained as we entered the common entrance that her house was to right, our door to the room was on the left. The room was quaint with bed, small refrigerator and in the bathroom a beautifully blue tiled shower. The window opened up to peek-a-boo views of the sea. A quick change into out swimsuits and we were off to meet the Jacksons at the same spot we swam the day before.
The beach was much busier, as it was earlier in the day. We dropped our towels and shoes and headed in the water. The saltiness of the sea makes swimming and floating very easy, you only need to be aware of the boats coming and going. We decided to swim out past a large rock outcrop beyond the crowd. A small cove protected us from the waves on the other side but everything was rock. There was no easy way to sit and relax. The water being so clear we could look down and see the rock formations and sea life below. We opted to try our luck at the open water, so we climbed over the small rock barrier and carefully slid into the water timing our drop to coincide with the waves. The water was choppy, but not bad once we swam away from the rocks, we gently swayed up and down. If we stopped swimming the natural current was pushing us into the harbor and the buoyancy would nearly keep your head above water. We swam into the harbor, as Michelle and Christyn got our and dried off, Susanne wanted to "touch the sand" so Susanne and Tim swam further in to the small beach area. As Susanne's feet touched sandy floor she was happy, and since we did that thirty feet off shore it made Tim happy that we wouldn't have to fight the beach crowd to touch dry sand. Back at shore we parted ways to our respective rooms to shower and dress for dinner. On the way to dinner Michelle opted to go back to one of the shops they visited earlier in the day and purchase a new pair of pants. The legs are so full that when she is standing it looks like she is wearing a very long skirt. She had seen a few people on the trip wearing them so far and thought they would be a fun memory/souvenir of the trip.
Arriving early with the sun still well above the horizon, we started with a round of cocktails and pesto bruschetta. The sun slowly lowered towards the sea making the surrounding landscape jump out further. Michelle ordered lasagna with meat sauce and Susanne and Christyn ordered the lasagna with pesto. Tim had a pasta dish with a mixture of shrimp and mussels. We complimented dinner with a bottle of the Cinque Terre wine and stayed late into the night. The hike down from the restaurant revealed the romance of the Cinque Terre as the glow of the lights of the town reflect off the aged buildings. The small alleyways and stairs create a picturesque setting to stroll around the quiet town. Another amazing day lost and found in the magic of the Cinque Terre.
Check out time is 10:00 and our train to Padova was leaving at 10:45. We all turned in early anticipating a long training day ahead of us. We could only hope that it did not involve the same kind of excitement we experienced on our way out to the Cinque Terre.
We strolled into Vernazza with an eye towards breakfast. We stopped at a pasticeria to pick up some sweet rolls, apricot croissants and a quick cappuccino (this place only had coffee to go). We strolled down to the benches at the harbor enjoying the coffee and a "danish" with views of the fishing boats bobbing up and down. A hike up to the apartment to check on Michelle and Christyn revealed that they were still sleeping. We left the rolls on the kitchen table and headed out for another hike. This time we headed inland, under the train platform and into the hills along the main -err, only road. The stream flanked us on one side with houses clinging to the steep walls of the valley and sometimes built into the rocky outcropping. The sounds of the occasional waterfalls created a wonderful ambiance broken by the random car traveling along the narrow road. We passed the old rusty water wheel built into the house, and a "Nona" on her way to town carrying a bouquet of flowers. The pace of life is slower and relaxed. We reach a "Y" in the road and stopped to take some pictures and pick a couple of cherries from the nearby tree. We then turned around and headed home.
Upon arrival back at the apartment we found Christyn and Michelle just getting up. The decision was quickly made to stay for an extra day in Vernazza. The only problem was, we were again faced with the issue of not having a room. We went back to the travel agency we contacted yesterday, and she informed us that her last room was booked the day before. We needed to check out by 10:00am, so we took our packs to the little store that found us our apartment for the evening and asked if they knew of any places for four people for one more ni ght. Francesca said the knew of no apartments, but that they had a room for two people and they would call their contacts to see if another room could be secured for two more people. Within 5 minutes there was an older Italian man who spoke no English at the doorstep ready to take two of our group to the new room. The second room would not be available until later in the day, but we could leave the bags for that room in the store until it was available.
Susanne, Christyn and Michelle headed to the available room. The man brought us to a woman named Maria who spoke very little English but very rapid Italian. She explained to us the rules of the room, and there were a fair number of signs translated into English and German to help. She would point to a sign, we would read, then she would explain in rapid fire Italian. Thankfully for us, she also used plenty of hand gestures and sounds so that we could follow along. She explained all about the cats in the neighborhood that could get into the room and how to prevent it, we learned that the gals should not go to bed with wet hair on the pillows, and a bath mat should be put on the floor after a shower. Also, when we left the room we should turn off all of the lights and leave a water bottle in the doorway as a signal so that she knew it was ok to come in and freshen up the room. She was a delightful older woman who didn't seem to mind at all that we only understood a portion of what she said. Her house was also right above the room she was renting and she let us know to shout "Maria, Maria" if we needed anything and she would come running.
Maria's house was on the trail between Vernazza and Monterossa al Mare. We decided to head up to the checkpoint on the side behind Maria's house to see what kinds of views we could get without buying a ticket for the whole trail. We easily decided the night before that even if we stayed in Vernazza one more night we would not do the full hike between either of the two towns. There were too many people on the trails, and the weather was hovering around 85 degrees Having done the full hike in 2009, Tim and Michelle knew that shade was scarce and the hike would be just miserable. We opted to use the day to explore and relax. We did not get too far up the trail before we encountered the ticket booth, so we had only partial views of the harbor and city. Nonetheless, the views were still quite beautiful.
We headed back into town to cross to the other side of the trail, this time headed in the direction of Cornelia. The beginning of this hike takes you high into the houses on the hill of the city. A beautiful trip, and fun to see so many tiny lanes and homes all stacked on top of and next to each other. On the trail there is a restaurant that overlooked the ocean and had signs for appetizers and drinks. Curious, we went inside to look at a menu. The prices seemed reasonable and the view could not be beat, so we opted to end our short hike on the Cornelia trail at the restaurant to take advantage of the views and the shade.
The restaurant had 4 different kinds of bruschetta, so we tried three with a bottle of wine. Christyn found milkshakes on the menu and decided to try a melon flavored one. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, with the blue expanse of the Mediterranean Sea in front of you and the beautiful stack stone of the rocks behind you. So much so that we made a reservation for the same table for dinner at 7:30. Seeing as that the next day would be full of trains, we thought it best to start dinner early.
Tim and Michelle left lunch early to go grab their bags and check into their new room. On the way they opted to stop off at the castle tower in town. The 1.50 euro entrance is well worth the views. The tower is on the highest point in town perched on the edge of the rock cliffs overlooking the ocean. There are sweeping views all around. Looking to the south you can see Cornelia in the distance and to the north the largest village in the Cinque Terre, Monterossa, is visible. It was our first time to the top of the tower, always nice to add a new experience to a familiar spot. On our way down the tower, we passed Susanne and Christyn as they headed up.
We reached Francesca's store and she walked us up to the room, leaving Franco to mind the store. The new room was slightly higher than the last apartment, and she explained as we entered the common entrance that her house was to right, our door to the room was on the left. The room was quaint with bed, small refrigerator and in the bathroom a beautifully blue tiled shower. The window opened up to peek-a-boo views of the sea. A quick change into out swimsuits and we were off to meet the Jacksons at the same spot we swam the day before.
The beach was much busier, as it was earlier in the day. We dropped our towels and shoes and headed in the water. The saltiness of the sea makes swimming and floating very easy, you only need to be aware of the boats coming and going. We decided to swim out past a large rock outcrop beyond the crowd. A small cove protected us from the waves on the other side but everything was rock. There was no easy way to sit and relax. The water being so clear we could look down and see the rock formations and sea life below. We opted to try our luck at the open water, so we climbed over the small rock barrier and carefully slid into the water timing our drop to coincide with the waves. The water was choppy, but not bad once we swam away from the rocks, we gently swayed up and down. If we stopped swimming the natural current was pushing us into the harbor and the buoyancy would nearly keep your head above water. We swam into the harbor, as Michelle and Christyn got our and dried off, Susanne wanted to "touch the sand" so Susanne and Tim swam further in to the small beach area. As Susanne's feet touched sandy floor she was happy, and since we did that thirty feet off shore it made Tim happy that we wouldn't have to fight the beach crowd to touch dry sand. Back at shore we parted ways to our respective rooms to shower and dress for dinner. On the way to dinner Michelle opted to go back to one of the shops they visited earlier in the day and purchase a new pair of pants. The legs are so full that when she is standing it looks like she is wearing a very long skirt. She had seen a few people on the trip wearing them so far and thought they would be a fun memory/souvenir of the trip.
Arriving early with the sun still well above the horizon, we started with a round of cocktails and pesto bruschetta. The sun slowly lowered towards the sea making the surrounding landscape jump out further. Michelle ordered lasagna with meat sauce and Susanne and Christyn ordered the lasagna with pesto. Tim had a pasta dish with a mixture of shrimp and mussels. We complimented dinner with a bottle of the Cinque Terre wine and stayed late into the night. The hike down from the restaurant revealed the romance of the Cinque Terre as the glow of the lights of the town reflect off the aged buildings. The small alleyways and stairs create a picturesque setting to stroll around the quiet town. Another amazing day lost and found in the magic of the Cinque Terre.
Check out time is 10:00 and our train to Padova was leaving at 10:45. We all turned in early anticipating a long training day ahead of us. We could only hope that it did not involve the same kind of excitement we experienced on our way out to the Cinque Terre.
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