Wordless Wednesday: September 20, 2017

Cervia, Italy

Travel With Me Tuesday: Italy On My Mind

We always want to go to Italy.  So far we haven't planned any trip this year but it's still doable. I hope.

Truthfully, there has never been a place in Italy we didn't like. I was not overjoyed in Turin last April but even while we were there, I knew a lot of that was my increasing discomfort with my knee.  I truly could not walk much without pain so that colored my feeling. I'd go back there again because we had driven through the city on an earlier trip to Orta San Guilio and it was sunny and warm and the city was enticing. Sadly for me, even the sun last April wasn't enough. I suspect more  ups of Ciccolata Calda would have helped.

click for recipe

Now if you think that cup of ciccolata seems like the thickness of pudding, you are right.  Hot chocolate you eat with a spoon.

But where to go next in Italy. I looked at air fares today and if you want to have a 9-12 hour layover somewhere in Europe, you can get a flight for under $800 round trip. Somehow I don't think himself would buy that. I suspect we would more likely drive from our midpoint city but then how much more would that add in cost? Non-stop flights hover around $1,200.  And still where in Italy....

Places I'm pondering...Trieste, Venice again, Rome again, Naples in the fall or even as far 'away' as Sicily.  I'm also wondering if we should test out another tour and see a few places and make a decision on 1 for next year.  I would certainly have to learn to wear ear plugs to deal with Mr. Snorer. Last time I tried those plugs, I had very sore ears. The snoring has been a serious issue if I don't have a 2nd bed to retreat to.  Renting an apartment has been our salvation.

But in any case on these cold winter days I enjoy thinking of Italy the way some gardeners dream and plan with seed catalogs. I know what gets me through winter chills and it is not thoughts of the work of gardening. Those days are long gone in my mind. Sitting in a cafe with an espresso and perhaps a pastry...now that's worth daydreaming about!

Travel With Me Tuesday: Goodbye to Italy, Once Again

It was fun wrapping up this trip in scrapping land which is not always the case. But making the pages reminded me of how many good things did happen and that not all the days were hard. I still could recall how difficult the walking was and how much I realized I needed surgery. We all have to learn things at our own pace.

This one was going to be two long journalers but that map took more space than I realized so a full page it became.

One just for pretty. His espresso and my ciocalatti.

Then came the true last day and our trip back to Malpensa airport in Milan.  All those cities on the Departures board were fascinating. There were some places I'd never even heard of and I thought I knew the world! Ha!

Once we got to NYC we had a hell of a time getting back to our own home but that was a lesson we learned. A cheap flight out of JFK is not always a good deal. Time = money or exhaustion. Bed never looked so good as early morning we got home.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Across the River and UP the Hill

The trip was winding down at this point and we were blessed by the sun.  We went across the Po and took a bus ride up the hill. That sounds simple but the trip was not. It was a heart stopping trip up the hill/mountain with a crazy bus driver on switchback curves. The trip back was calm and a good end to our little adventure.

Travel With Me Tuesday: A Much Better Day or Two in Piemonte

After our not-so-great day which was mainly made up of resolving our car issue after putting the wrong kind of diesel in a diesel car, the next day was rather quiet. It was, for me, the crash after the worry of the prior day.

Two days later, we made an attempt to go north once again, maybe to see snow?  If not, no problem. I had really seen enough unexpected snow in the 2013-14 winter.  My whole reason for this trip had ended that winter but we were already booked and still planned to go.


It's not often I do a two page spread but once in a while is a good change of pace.

After lunch, yes, I finally saw that snow IN the Alps. We never got as far as we'd hoped as a storm was coming in and we decided to be safe rather than sorry.

But before heading home I had to throw a snowball. It's a tradition and totally required on any of our trips involving snow. A totally successful day.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Up to Switzerland - Fail

Each trip to Northern Italy has involved an attempted trip to the Swiss border. It's never quite happened and this day was no exception. However, this was not due to our lollygoggling but rather our first experience with Blu Diesel which is not a fuel that diesel cars like. Who knew?

The day started off sunny and gorgeous, not too cold so perfect, it seemed, for a trip heading north truly into the Alps.

 With our car no longer moving after the Blu Diesel, we learned once again, that we Americans want everything done Right Now and that is not the Italian way. When it's lunch time, it's lunch time and that does not mean a 15 min gulp of fast food. It's just as well that there was no better restaurant nearby because one of us does not engage in small talk.  Killing time in silence is no fun.

We now know what it is like to ride in a BIG tow truck on the Autostrada. Somehow that is not an experience that is on many life Bucket Lists.  I believe we had pizza for dinner once again.

Not the best day, but certainly one I'll remember.

Travel With Me Tuesday: We Drive to the Med

While in Turin, we also decided to take a trip to the Mediterranean. You know, warm weather, sun, but we were wise enough to know there wouldn't be warm water unless you think the Pacific is warm.

The morning started off with a lot of noise, early noise, which turned out to be the movers in the apartment above. Thing go out the window and are lowered by an amazing contraption. However, it's an extremely noisy contraption. Thus, once again, we had a late start.

It's a very rare occasion when I will even consider eating fast food but there is one thing about a lot of places in Europe that serve real food. These places adhere to specific hours and so a late start means that almost as soon as we arrive in a place, we have to think about lunch or miss it. We ate just under the wire on this day. Other than having the option of rather sorry looking sandwiches and pastries in bars, we were fortunate to have found lunch after our espresso/bathroom stop.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Cars & More in Turin

Certainly not on my bucket list, the auto museum made Dick very happy and I joked that it was because he was as ancient as many of the cars! Actually, that's only half an exaggeration.  Me? I've never had any interest in old cars but I do like seeing other parts of a city so it all balanced.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Day 3 Lunch in Turin

My dh and I were certainly not on the same wavelength regarding food on this trip. I think he would have picked pizza for every meal outside of breakfast. I was more inclined to have pasta and/or raw or dried meats. As we were so close to the Alps and Switzerland, the dried meat I love was plentiful and affordable.  I wanted local specialties not endless variations on pizza and certainly not so many carbs daily.

I also think that he could not translate the menu fast enough and make a decision fast enough when the waiter was standing there, pencil in hand. Had I felt better, I might have had more patience translating the menu for him. Meals were becoming an issue and I just didn't have the energy for it.

 

Travel With Me Tuesday: Trudging Round Turin Day 3

I decided to make these pages as full photos and then a long journaler to tell the story. I like to do that once in a while and not worry about where on the page to put my journaling. A lot of this morning involved trying to find the Apple store and me also trying to find a place to sit down. My knee knew that this trip was not the best idea.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Day 2 in Torino

This is mainly my day in Turin as I spent the afternoon taking a nap after not getting much sleep the prior night. 'His' day was different as he spent a lot of time in a museum while I slept.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Day 1 in Torino

Onward with the 2014 Torino trip. On our first day really IN Torino, we set off with very little knowledge of our way to travel in the city. We had looked at our on-line maps but somehow did not have a feel for the city. Our landlord had left us 1 Metro ticket but no info on where to get more tickets etc.  However, off we went.

Dick was very interested in seeing both the Opera House and the museum.  Sadly, by the time we got into the center of the city my heel and knee were already bothering me. That became the saga of my trip.

Just a note that is in the journaling - those gymnasts or whatever they were gave me the creeps.

Travel With Me Tuesday - Malpensa to Torino

Well I've finally got around to doing some more of the spring 2014 Italy trip. Other trips are still in the scrapbooking works but that's fine with me. They'll all get done when I feel like it. When the Mojo strikes, I scrap. It isn't a job so that's how it should be for me. Ymmv.

Yes, there is a misspelling in the 2nd image. It's corrected on my print copy. I'm sure you are relieved to know that! I always find it amazing that Text editor misses some. Add that to user error, and it's a wonder anything is spelled correctly.

Travel With Me Tuesday: The Torino Trip-A Snow Day

I haven't done a regular Day 1, Day 2 etc of our trip to Milan and Turin back in March of this year but every once in a while I'll do a page. This was one I just did.

This trip was planned in the heat of the 2013 summer. I said "I want to go somewhere that has snow on the ground." In my head I was wishing for Switzerland in late November but in reality the Italians are a lot more fun than the Swiss, the exchange rate is better and the food...well, I'm not sure I've had a bad Italian meal. Swiss food was good but again, I'd be counting the cost of each morsel going in. That's not fun. So Turin, in the shadow of the Alps, in March it was.

Who would know that after the winter of 2013-14 I would be so sick of cold and snow... who knew.

Five on Friday: April 4, 2014

Thing for this Friday; some I found and some my little brain just thought. Lots of times, the found things are ones that I want in my little brain even though I do rely on Contacts in my iPhone or screen shots I've saved on that phone.  Do you do that too?

1. While I just came from a trip, a favorite kind of trip is a road trip - total roadtrip freedom - with the radio rockin'. I have a friend or two who used to do this with me. Yes, we missed exits but we stopped to see a Calder exhibit in DC on the way to a Florida wedding and we laughed the almost-wet-your-pants kinda laugh on the NJ turnpike when we saw a beat up clunker with the immortal words, "If it's too loud, you're too fuckin old!"

Here's a post I found that has a great list of Road Trip Music. I need most of it and I need to take a road trip. Not with dh. He likes silence in the car. :(

2. On this recent trip to Italy, I noticed more and more of the little restaurants that serve fixed price menus now offer options of a primo (pasta) only or a secondi e contorni (meat and veggies) only in addition to or instead of the whole schmear. Not always cheaper but optional. I suspect more of those Italians are eating less and/or spending less time eating especially midday.

Tall Tales from Kansas

3. If you want to do embroidery like the photo above, then there is this little tutorial that tells you how to get those pesky French knots done. One of these days, I may even venture into this. I know I have some embroidery thread round here...somewhere. Trouble is I don't' know where that somewhere just might be.

4. Yesterday was my first day cooking at Hospice. It went well as I went about an hour early to get the layout of the kitchen. Where are the mixing bowls? where is the flour? where are the measuring spoons? etc etc  I also know that standing as one does in cooking outside the home is exhausting on the legs.  At home, I can sit down while some things are simmering away. I'll have to figure this one out AND wear better shoes.

5. Today I'm going to the service for someone I met 28 years ago. He is a peer of mine but as the obit says, he died from a lengthy battle with the disease of alcoholism.  So so sad.

Just Under The Wire

I finally finished my Italy 2012 trip pages yesterday! The last day in Italy was May 23 2012. Whew!!!! I'm not sure if these pages are going into my PL album for 2012 or into a photo book. I think my dh would like a photo book, but that always takes so many decisions...what company, what size, do I want that expense....etc etc

While I ponder these decisions, I'll share the final page.  I was ready to come home after two weeks but it's always hard to leave Italy...arrividerci. Sniff, sniff.

Ah Italia, How I Miss You

For most of this year, I have been watching the fares to Milan. I had hoped to go to Italy at Christmas or any time really other than the midst of summer. However, each email telling me of the latest fares has only told me of a higher fare. Until today.

I quickly forwarded the email to my dh. He looked into it and replied re this great offer..."We would kill each other before it was over:  24hr and 25 min to Milan and 18+ hr return!" Uh, here on the east coast of the US, we are about 10+ hours to Italy...Some good buys definitely are not value for money, unless you are a stronger man than I am Gunga Din.

So instead of planning that trip to Italy, I continued working on the last days of our May 2012 trip. 

Genoa - Passeggiatta

Doing these pages about our trip to Italy, Genoa in particular, makes both of us seriously think about another trip. Italy is so so seductive.  However, looking at our calendars doesn't seem to allow any time until 2014! Can we wait that long???

It wasn't just the food. It was the whole ambiance of Italy. Even with an earthquake.

 

Wordless Wednesday April 10 2013 - I Was There

Nervi, Italy

Food Memories...Make Me Hungry

I realized that I had never finished the pages for our trip to Italy ...last May. Well, before I have another trip to think about I figured it was time to wrap this one up. Today's page is a start. One day at a time, maybe one page at a time. At least I got a good many photos culled in iPhoto, imported into Lightroom and now ready to work on in PSE.  Every page has its own back story of process.

Guess who's having Italian food for dinner tonight???? Italian sausage, gnocchi, maybe even with pesto. I think I'll get vanilla ice cream for affogato.