Sunday, October 30, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 21, 2011
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
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
Monday, October 17, 2011
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
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
Saturday, October 15, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 14, 2011
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
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
Thursday, October 13, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Local winery
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
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
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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
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
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