Rome

Following are scenes from Rome, one of our most favorite cities.

Site of Caesar"s assassination

Colosseum

MMAXXI  Muesum of Modern Art 21 century

Start of dinner, food followedSt. Peters

Bernini"s Four Rivers Fountain

Plaza Novona,

Scenes from the Castle

 Bell tower of the Castello

Karen and BIF (best Italian Friend) at the local winery  Note the 5 liter box of rosso

Castello Montefugoni and area

Photo (maybe)

Still trying to figure out where the photos have gone after I have posted them to the blog.

Yikes here it is  This is the gate to Volterra  It is of Etruscan era 200BC

Photos

Photos

Home at last

It's been a week now since we finally arrived back in Ashland, 45 hours after we left Rome. The flight home was uneventful except for 5 hour layover in San Francisco waiting for our flight to Medford.
It was a wonderful trip and we have many good memories of Italy and being with Chris and her brothers and wives. Hopefully we will keep in touch as time goes on. Her brother Tom lives in Anaheim and both him and his wife BIF (best Italian Friend) work for Disney.. I see a trip to Disneyland next year.
Favorite places or events? The Castello Montefugoni was a pleasant stay and we would reccommend it for others. Best meal was in a trattoria C'era una Volta (once upon a time) I had pasta with wild boar sauce , sienesse pork with white beans...Yummmmy. Favorite place is in Rome, piazza Rotunda, home of the Pantheon.
I will follow this with photos. Back on the laptop so it is easy to do.. Never did figure out how to do photos from the iphone.
It was fun doing the blog and hope you all enjoyed our adventures.
Ciao
Gary and Karen

Greetings from Philadelphia and you might ask what are we doing in Philly. Read on dear reader but only after I finish the Rome Adventure. We spent on day at the Vatican Mueseum and St Pauls basilica. Absolutely exhausting but well worth the visit. We had a timed entry so we did not have to stand in a Long line to get in welcome the 21st century. The day before we went the forum, crossed over the oldest bridge in
Rome 2nd century BC. The forum now charges you 12 euro/person. 5 years ago it was free. Use this money to pay off Greeks debt. We did a lot of walking, looking in store windows, checking out newest fashion wave, shoes with clunky heels, shorter skirts and leggings. Off course you have to be a stick to wear this and look good. Also noticed that the Italians tend to quite trim in figure. Not enough Mac D's around. Food in Rome was OK. Did not go to any really nice restaurant. Were not in the mood. Our last night we went to Flynn O'Brians pub for beer and pizza and a soccer match. Was tired of wine. That after noon we went a upscale enoteca for wine and a salad and cold plate of meat and cheese. The shop is very modern lots of glass and steel. Some had gone wrong behind the bar and two of the staff were really at each other. Wish we knew Italian so we could know what it was all about.
Enough old stuff so we went to MMAXXI. Mueseum of modern art 21 century. The building completed in 2009 was a piece of art in itself. The art in side was more about structure, film, story telling. Very litle paintings.
Back to Philly. Left our hotel roomFriday morning in torential rain storm, caught the train to the airport and arrived at our gate with a hour to spare. Alas aleck the crew was still in Rome stuck in traffic and would vet to the airport an hour after departure time. So we missed the San Fran connection in Philly and spent the night at Embassy Suites curtesy of US Air. Actually it was a good idea. The flight to Philly was 10 hours not really excited about another 6 hours to SF. We later found out the Medford Connection had been cancelled. So we visited happy hour at the bar, had a nice filet mignon steak dinner and went to bed. Our new flight leaves Philly at 10 this morning. We hope.
Ciao
Or

Sunday in Rome a beautiful day. Went to find the Campo di Flori and on the way , by sheer luck came upon the site of Pompei's theater, the site of Caesers assignation by Brutus. Sweet. Did finally find the Campo but it wasn't that interesting. Had a market going in the square. It was then off to find piazza Novona, home of the four rivers statue by Benini. Also an art show with local artist. Sepia ink drawings very popular. Left the piazza and headed to the Pantheon for a sit down lunch on the piazza. Lots of people to watch and comment on style which we decided was none. The world is becoming very casual. Lots of jeans and boots. On to the Trevi fountain and we decided it is better to view at night.
Returned to the Trevi in the evening for dinner. Picked a really tacky on to have the experience. Ate downstairs under a arched ceiling below ground level. Food was actually pretty good. Good time was had. The place is packed with tourists.
To bed for another day in Rome.
Ciao

Friday was our last day in the country and all we did was lounge around the Castillo, go to the wall god for Euros and then up to Montesportori for dinner. It was the three ladies birthday celebration and we arranged to have a Cake waiting for them. Usual 3 hour Italian dinner with food wine dolci. We shared a table with a couple from GB and NZ. Fun people that know how to party. He wants to go to Modena to the Ferrai factory for a tour and a chance to drive a Farrai. Sounds sweet and expensive
Left the group Sat morning and headed to Rome via the Chianti region. Nothing seemed familiar from when we were there last (1999?). Finall got tired of the country and took the A1 autostrata into Rome's airport. Arrived in Rome to riots. Did not affect us but k
It looked bad. Burning cars police vehicles and some buildings.
We are in Rome, lovely dinner and now watching Italian TV. Rome is dirtier than the last time we were here in 2006. It is still vibrant and exciting and we are looking forward to the next 4 days
Ciao. G K

Yesterday we went to Voltara and spent the afternoon wandering the streets of this very very old Etruscan hill town. Stopped and marveled at the Porta All'Arco gate into the village. It was constructed in 2 to 3 hundred BC. Imagine standing on stones that the Romam Legions must have marked through. It is also where the women did their laundry. There is also the ruins of a Roman theatre that is very well preserved. Chris explained a lot of how the theater was laid out. I bought a small statue of a Etruscan charioteer from a local craftsman. K and I have been in this town before. Once on a bike trip. How we ever manged the hills I don't know but I am empresses that we did them. Of course that was over 20 years ago.
Dinner was in our room with the gang. Pesto pasta, raviolis, meat wine and bread. Yummy
Today is nothing day with a going away dinner tonight at a local trattoria.
Ciao

Castle view

View from one of the gardens.

OK back on line. Left you after Cortona. Tuesday we went to Montespertoli to the market. Here the markets sell evetything clothes to food. We stocked up on cheese, pesto, pasta for an evening meal in the apartment. Walked around the village and had lunch at a small 7/11 type. Beautiful day and the came back to the castle and just hung out.
Montespertoli is a hill town(duh) like everything around here so it was a beautiful drive up and back. As we were sitting about in the evening sun one of the workers at the castle told us about a winery up the road where you can get wine for 1.57 euros per liter in a 5 liter box. We did and it is pretty good. Fixed pesto pasto at our room for Chris and her brothers/wives.
Not sure if I can do photos yet. Will try today.

I may have found the answer. This is a test

Local winery

Only a kilometer away from the castle.
Buy wine in 5 liter boxes. Yummy
This is BIF (best Italian friend) and K

Cortona

Spent the day exploring Cortona, or at least parts of it. It is hard to control 7 people, like herding cats. Took us about 2 hours to drive via the autostrade so we arrived at to base of Cprtona about noon. It's all uphill from here. We entered town at the Etruscan gate and made our way in the crier of town in time for lunch at Osteria de Teatro, reccomende by Rick Steves. We all (7) enjoyed the food. After that we toured the Diocesan museum and the paintings by Fra
Angelico and Lica Signorelli. Beautiful paintings all dealing with Mary and Christ. Left it and went the the Etruscan Museum. Very modern with the history of the Etruscans in the Cortona area, which was the center of their civilization. They are still finding more evidence of the people in the Cortona region. The 5th century BC seems to be the apex of the Etruscan history.
Visited a enoteca and bought a nice bottle of white wine for dinner which was no more than cheese, bread and wine. Thought we had olives but nope.
Today is rest day since it is 9:30AM and K and Chris are still asleep.
Until tomorrow. Ciao

Ciao

Happy face from San Gimignano

View

Sunday afternoon view looking south from castle.

Arrival

Sunday morning in. Chianti. How beautiful it is. Our original plan was to leave Medford, fly to San Fran, Philly and then Rome. Would arrive in Rome about 9 AM Sat morning. Alas alak hereshow it really went.
Medford to S.F no problem. Go to gate for US Air for a 8:30 departure and notice the plane at the gate has a bunch of
Mechanics working on changing a tire. No problem we are told only a 30 minute job. Two hours later we are still in SF, missed our connection in Philly and have been rerouted from Phill, if we get there. To Franfurt and then to Rome arriving at 7:30 PM Sat. And that dear friends is how it happened.
In Rome we picked up our rental car , a sweet little Puegot diesel station wagon and head north in the dark. Missed the turn for the A1 and stopped at a rest area to regroup. Found out we did not know how to get the car in reverse. 30 minutes later with assistance of a friendly police man all was solved and we were back on the road.
Arrived a castle at 11 PM and were greeted by Chris's family. Had cheese and wine and went to bed at 1AM Sunday morning.
It is now 12. Noon Sunday and it is beautiful.
Ciao til later

Wrap Up

The trip is over and we have been back home for two weeks and enjoying every moment of being on familiar ground.
Here are some basic truths we discovered on this trip.
Regional food still exists. For example Applebees has the same menu but food is prepared differently in other parts of the country.
Some small towns in America seem to be doing very well, Ankeny,IA, Rapid City,SD, Bozeman, MT, while big cities not so well, Memphis, TN.
The further west we traveled the healthier the people appear. Seems like fruits and vegetables are scarce in the Eastern half of the country.
Red wine in New York was served in a aperitif glass. No red wine glass was available.
Roads in general are not in great shape, lots of construction going on in the East.
More RV's in the west.
Lots of wind farms in Iowa. In 2008 8% of electricity used in Iowa was provided by wind farms. Saw lots of wind turbine blades being transported on the interstate, 124' long by 11' at the rotor end so you can imagine how big the transport trucks are.
No problems with iPhone GPS or connectivity.
The devastation from the Missouri River flooding is still present. Driving Route I-29 (N/S) was like driving on a causeway. Sandbags on both sides of the interstate.
Poverty in the Native American Nations appears to be the same whether its in the Navajo Nation or the Sioux Nation.

MOST INTERESTING STOPS, SIGHTS OR EVENTS.

Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, MI
Bikers on Beale Street Memphis, TN
Civil Rights Museum Memphis, TN
Grace Land Memphis, TN
Portland, Maine Art Museum and its use of iPods and cell phone technology
Rapid City, SD with lifesize statues of the Presidents on street corners, 39 in all.
Santa Fe, NM revisited after many years. Still a great place for a long weekend trip.
Worlds best fish tacos in Flagstaff, AZ
Sleeping in a Tipi at KOA campground in Flagstaff, AZ.
Monument Valley and Canyon DeChelly.
Two Harley riders from Staten Island, NY touring the country in only 2 weeks. Met them in Flagstaff, AZ.
All the Harley riders around Rapid City and the Black Hills. It was the week for the Sturgis Motorcycle gathering.
The McKenzie wedge in Bozeman MT. Iceberg lettuce with 1000 island dressing, a balsamic vinegar dressing, Roquefort cheese, bacon, nuts, cranberries. YUM with a great pizza!
Vashon Island with Joe and Denise in Seattle, WA and
Last but not least was Patty and Doug's wedding.

There was one constant that seemed to appear throughout the whole trip and that was motorcycles. It started in CA when I talked the Harley rider who joked about traveling with his laptop and cell phone. Campgrounds have WIFI (can you believe it?)Then on RT 66 at Rays Motel and group of riders from Germany appeared. The guys from Staten Island in Flagstaff. Memphis and Beale Street. Then all the Sturgis riders both going to and coming from SD.
That's it for now until we leave for Italy on October 7th. Gary and Karen

Home

Finally after 71 days away from home and 10,547 miles on the Element we arrived back in Ashland. It was a wonderful trip and we will have many fond memories of friends, sights and events. We want to thank all those who put up with us as we traveled through their neck of the woods. So thank you the Mrs Patty McKee Goodman. My daughter Yvonne, Linda and Boone, Kathy, Joe, cousins
Mary and Ray, Pete and Kathy and Joe and Denise.
We did have plans to camp more on the way home but the Holiday Inn Express Motels were to good to pass.
We have also decided that this is the last time we are going to drive a across the country. After all this we know that we are where we want to be which is the Pacific NW.
So, with nothing more to say we bid fond adue to those faithful followers of this blog and remind you that we will start again on Oct 7 for our two week trip to Italy. However there will be one more entry of what we learned and highlights so check in often.

Vashon Island

K and Denise on Vashon Island with a view of Puget Sound. We had perfect weather. The last two days were spent In Seattle. Went on the underground tour in Pioneer Sq.
On interstate 5 now 150 miles from home. A bottle of champagne awaits.

Photos

See dialog below

Fwd: Montana

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gary Foll <glfoll@mind.net>
Date: August 16, 2011 9:27:01 AM PDT
To: Gary Foll <glfoll.annie@blogger.com>
Subject: Montana

Site of little Big Horn, Custers last stand.  The stones show where the soldiers died. Custer was found in the center. His spot is marker that has been blacked in. We took a tour sponsored by a local two-year college. The guides great great grandfather was a scout for Custer. He is from the Crow tribe. He gave the Indians view of the battle.
Interesting item was that the Indians of that time were about 6 ft plus tall while the soldiers due to weight restrictions were jockey size. Plus there were 1200 warriors bs 220 soldiers. Oops!
In Washington state today.

Sent from my iPhone

Black Hills

Need I show more? Mountain is the same but the visitor center is new as of 1994.
Crazy horse same story. Very commercial and spending. What a project to undertake. No idea when it will be finished.
In Sheridan WY tonight.

Photod

Can you believe a recharging station in a small Iowa town.
The dog is Mary's, Buster or sometime known as bad boy buster.
Another photo of the Corn Palace.

Iowa and S. Dakota

The windmill is from Elkhorn IA, a small Danish community in NW IA had a Danish lunch of unpronounceable items. Also visited a winery. No more to be said.
The photo is of my cousin, Mary . She is a retired school teacher . She bought a IPhone when we arrived so we spent the best part of one DDT helping her do email,Bluetooth, texting and entering contacts.
Saw evidence of the Missouri River around Omaha. Places along the river are still flooded and no end in sight. Part of interstate 29 is still under water. Sad, my other cousinl lives in Dakota Dunes SD has been out of his house since Memorial Day and will not be able to get back until Thanksgiving

After Iowa it was on to Mitchell SD , home of the one and only corn palace. Yes the outside is covered with ears of corn. It is changed every year and is a big tourist attraction
Stopped in Wall drug and thought maybe she would like to go to Seattle with us but K put a end to that idea.
This is also the week of Sturgis SD. This is a scene in downtown Rapid City. More motorcycles again. Remember bikes on Beal St in Memphis
More pictures will follow.

It's been a long day riding our Jackalope that we found at Wall Drug in S. Dakota. It's Sturgis week for all the Harley riders so they are everywhere. Tonight we're in Rapid City about 10 miles from Sturgis. You won't believe us but we did NOT plan to meet up with the bikers here!

Iowa

Spending this week in Iowa with friends and relatives. The first photo is of my high school best friend and his wife. He was in my class and she was a year behind. Highschool sweethearts that married and have been for 56 years. Cheers to them.
The next is with my 100 year old aunt and my cousins and their spouses. Left to right first row, me, Roland Leigh (83), aunt Elizabeth (100), Eloise (80). had wonderful after noon with them reliving our childhood memories. Elizabeth can still read normal size print and has a wonderful quick sharp mind. Gets around on a walker or wheelchair. She lived by her self on the family farm til she was 95.
Told K that this might be what she will have to look forward to if I make it to 100. Did not like the look I got.

Guess who and what

Kept seeing lot of motorcycles heading west toward Sturgis SD. Thought I would put on my do-rag and join them.
This is what our lunches consist of. I had never had marshmallow fluff. K calls it fluff -n-nutter. Tasty but gooey.
Last might we had severe thunder, lighting rain storm. Scary stuff.

Had a problem with the data connected to the photos. After we left the Cape we traveled the MA turnpike to NY and the took Rt 20 across NY. That is where the Tee pee and the Kazoo factory are located. We toured the kazoo factory and then made 3 kazoos, one for each of us and one for Patty.
The picture by the water is Lake Erie in Mentor Ohio. It is very warm and fresh water. Looking out at the lake it looks like the ocean with a small tide. Plus lots of sea birds about. Now are they sea gulls or lake gulls. Maybe a new species?
We did go up to Dearborn MI and toured the Ford Rouge factory where the are
making the F 250 pickup.
Tonight we are in Iowa after a 500 plus mile day all on interstate. Lots of constuction being done on the road in MI. Federal money at work.
That should take care of the photos.

Leaving Cape Cod

This is where we stay when we are on the Cape.

Beach

Just us and a few of our 1000 friends at Marconi Beach on the National Seashore, Cape Cod.
We did go into to water but not for long. Too much sizzling flesh around. Had a nice little picnic lunch and left.
Sat. and Sunday we took the kayaks out on the pond across from the house. Takes a hour or so to paddle around the lake. Wonderful breeze, perfect Cape Cod day.
Karen obtained her Senior Pass from the National Park Service for $10. Free admission forever to any Nat. Park. What a deal. Listening to CNN for the debt crises and as of 5pm EDT no answer. What a mess. They should all be voted out of office.
Tomorrow is pack the car day and get ready to head west on Wed.

Attitude

Woman with attitude. Need I say more?

Cape Cod Specialty

" what flavor would you like, cod, salmon or swordfish, with a sprinkle of calmari on top?"

K

Just to prove that K us also here. Did not dump her or leave her at a campground.

Trip

Mission complete. Started in Carmel CA by wading in the Pacific. Ending by wading in the Atlantic on the Dennis MA sea shore. Took us almost a month but here we are.

Finally after 5095 miles we arrived on the Cape. The last two days were spent in the car, over 500 miles each day. We drove through PA,NY and MA. It was two of the most beautiful days in the car, scenery was wonderful.
We do not have wifi here at the house so I will use the iPhone to update our adventures.
We had many highlites as we traveled this wonderful beautiful country. I will list them later since we are planning to be here on the Cape til Aug.
Ta ta for now

Last day on the road before we get to the Cape. Started in NC, then VA followed by WV, MD and ending in PA. Try that in the west. Five state in 5 hours. Tomorrow it will be PA, NY and MA.

Today started of with a visit to The Grove Park Inn just north of Asheville. Built in 1912 in the art deco style. We just toured the lobby and one of the wings. Huge fireplace ,over 500 rooms. The Inn is set on a ledge overlooking Asheville. Beautiful view.

That took care of the morning, headed into town to spend the rest of the day. Discovered the most wonderful book store that I have ever been in. . Had a glass of champagn to start the day. Its been almost a month since champagn friday night. They were expecting thunder storms that did not happen, good for us. Lunch and then off to see "Midnight in Paris" . Back to the book store for a cheese plate and a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. The name is Battery Park Book Exchange...Check it out on Google.

One surprise to us was the lack of any 4th celebration in town..Nothing, no parade, no sidewalk artisans or events.

Back in the hotel watching the 4th from the capital and hopefully later from Boston.. Off tomorrow to Raleigh and then to the Cape and our journey East will be complete.

.

The Grove Park Inn

Happy 4 th of July from Asheville NC. We arrived on July 2 after a beautiful drive through Tenn. and the Great Smokey MTs. Asheville is larger than I thought, about 80,000 people. The downtown however is compact and easily walkable which was what we did Sat night.

On Sunday we spent over 5 hours at the Biltmore home. The house contains 250 rooms and acres of formal gardens. Based upon some Chateaux in France. Took six years to build completed in 1895 and occupied by the Biltmore family until some where into to the 30s. Still owned by descendents of the family. We were fascinated by the reconnstruction process. A lot of the fine work is being done in France, wallpaper, fabric and furniture.. The gardens were designed by Olmsted who did Cenral Park and Golden Gate Park.. Beautiful walled garden.. This must be the day lilly capital of the world, they are all over, on the interstate deviders and in the fields.

Before we arrived in Asheville we spent two nights with Karens high school friend just outside Nashville in Hermitage TN. Visited Opryland, home the the Grand Old Opry. Took a backstage tour of the theatre. Just like OSF.. Not our choice of music so we did not know any of the performers. Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff etc. We also went to the Gaylord Opryhouse Hotel.. Check it out on Google. Huge gardens all under climate controlled areas.. Did not spend any time in downtown Nashville so no report on that. Karens friend took us on a drive through the town.

Off to spend the day in Asheville..