Dateline: Asti

Arrived in Asti yesterday evening after a 3.5 hour train ride from Levanto. At some point a whole bunch of kids boarded our train car. It got a little noisy. If it weren't for my iPod I probably would have screamed. But it was all good. The hotel we're staying at is just steps away from the train station, so that was a huge convenience. As well, the hotel is fairly new so the rooms were well appointed and comfy. You actually had room to manoeuvre in the bathroom versus what we had in Levanto.

Today we went to the Luca Ferraris vineyard and winery. It was about a half hour bus ride from Asti. After being given a small tour of the facilities, we had a wine tasting session. I think we tried about 5 different types of red wines they make as well as a moscato d'Asti. Yummm! I really like the sweetness of that one. Some of the folks in the group made some purchases of bottles of some of the wines. I asked to have a case of 6 bottles (2 of 3 kinds) shipped home. I left my address and email so they can let me know if it would be possible to ship back and how much it would cost.

After the wine tasting, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. For 15 euros we were treated to a 5 course meal. The antipasto was a plate of local cheese made with both cow and sheep's milk served on a small bed of greens and topped with a preserve made from grapes and some chopped walnuts. The piatti primo was a lovely penne dish with a light sauce that had tuna and breadcrumbs(?) in it. The piatti secundo was thin slices of veal and a vegetable caponata. Then there was a cheese course where we sampled 4 different cheeses of the region. For the dolci, it was a custard/mousse like dessert made with chocolate and almonds. It was all quite delicious. The meal was served with some local wines. This was quite a feast for a lunch!! I was quite full after all of this!

Afterwards, we got to visit the studio of a local artist. Some of his works graced the bottle labels of some of the wine we had. He also designed a huge glass piece for a church in Torino. This was a nice little treat.

Soon it was time to catch the last bus back to Asti. Our group leader wasn't sure where the bust stop was so he had to ask a few people. We eventually found the stop and the bus arrived more or less on time.

Right now, some of the folks decided to go do some shopping. I decided to pass on that and get some rest and maybe take a nap. But before I take a nap, I figure I'd do some updating here since this internet point is just around the corner from the hotel.

It's interesting to note that some of these internet points are also western union locations. As well, it seems like cheap long distance calls can be made from these places. I first noticed this in Lucca that a lot of non-Italians were making use of these cheaper LD rates to call home.

Tonight, I might join the others in search of dinner. We have an early start tomorrow morning. We will be catching a train to Milan where we will have a few hours for some quick sightseeing and shopping. Afterwards, it's off to Lake Como.

At this point, I'd like to control how much shopping I will do between now and the end of the trip. My bag is already fairly full, but I think I have devised a way to make it from Rome to the airport at the end. I hope to visit the Murano glass factory and museum while I am in Venice. I might make a few purchases there as well. So I really need to conserve baggage space. I also would like to avoid having to buy another piece of luggage for all of this stuff!!!

Anyway...

Dateline: Levanto

For our last evening in Lucca, we planned a bit of a potluck type of dinner. Since the apartment I was in had a huge dining table in the basement we would have the dinner there. For my part, I would prepare a simple pasta dish making a tomato sauce similar to the one shown in the cooking course in Rome. As well, I was going to make the ricotta dessert too. The challenge was to find all of the ingredients. I had no problems finding most of the ingreidents. The only thing missing was the chocolate and the almonds for the dessert. The other women in the group who were shopping for other foodstuff managed to find some chocolate and almonds. Yay! The dessert was saved. Some of the items that were brought for the dinner were a selection of olives, marinated eggplants, anchovies and some salami. There was also a nice greek salad that one of the women made. Along with my pasta dish, there was also some nice lasagne picked up from a local market. For dessert, there were a couple of types of tarts and the ricotta dessert. Of course, we went through a few bottles of vino! In fact, weàve been having a few bottles of vino every night since we got together!

Yesterday, after we got into Levanto, we caught a ferry that took us to Portovenerre. On the way, the ferry stopped at 4 of the 5 Cinque Terre villages. The only one it did not stop at was Corniglia because it did not have a port. In Portovenerre, we had a chance to walk around and check out the sites. Later, after getting back to Levanto, we had signed up for a little pesto making lesson. We were shown how to make pesto the traditional way with mortar and pestle. We tried pest made with a blender and pest made the other way. Guess which tastes better! :) Then, right after that, we went for dinner.

Today, we went to Manarola and walked from there to Corniglia. It was about a 30'45 minute walk. By then it was late morning and the sun was getting to be quite hot. Shade was a valuable commodity! We hung around Corniglia and got a bite to eat before catching the trian to Varnazze. Some of the others decided to make the walk to Varnazze instead. We strolled around Varnazze checked out the sites for a bit. Then around 4:30 a few of us caught the train back to Levanto. I rested a bit before coming to this internet point to check on emails and such. :)

Dateline: Lucca

Okay, so after traipsing about in Firenze, we took the train to Lucca. In Lucca, they have these apartments for Intrepid travellers here. I'm sharing an apartment with a mother/daughter duo from Oz. The place is really nice. The kitchen looks like it was recently remodelled. And there is a basement with a huge dining table. Great for a gathering of the travellers for a dinner.

Today we took the train over to Pisa for the morning. Aside from the tower and the cathedral next to it, there really wasn't much to Pisa. This afternoon most of us rented a bike and cycled along the wall that surrounds Lucca. It was a very pleasant ride.

Tomorrow is a free day in Lucca. I will probably wander around the town and take some photos here and there. :-)

Dateline: Florence

Made to Rome in one piece and wallet intact. Found first night's hotel which really isnt much to write home about. Was really too tired to do much other than wander around the general vicinity of the Termini and look for food. Found a supermarket and picked up a few nibbles.

Day 2: I checked out and hauled my stuff to the meetup hotel (about a 10-15 minute walk). Then after catching my breath for a little bit, I made my way over on foot to meet the woman for the cooking class. We went over to the nearby fish monger and picked up some octopus. Then over to the nearby market place to get the rest of the ingredients for what we were going to make. On the menu were:

- Antipasto of fennel, blood oranges and oven-roasted olives.
- 1st course of rigotoni with tomato sauce and fried eggplant.
- 2nd course of octopus braised with onion, cherry tomtoes and some marsala wine
- Dolce was fresh buffalo ricotta mixed with dark chocolate and toasted almonds on fresh strawberries.

The cooking class was fun and informative.

That evening, met up with tour group and went out for dinner (more food!). the next day, we did an orientation walk of Rome. Since we started relatively early, we got to see some sites with very few tourists (such as the Spanish Steps). In the afternoon, we were pretty much on our own. We decided to go up to Gianocolo for the view of Rome from a hilltop. Afterwards, we went to the Colosseum and then walked back. For dinner, some of us went to Hostaria da Bruno (found in Lonely Planet).

Yesterday, we got up early to go over and get in line for the Vatican Museum. Unfortunately, while getting in the metro, one of the travellers had his wallet pinched! Not a great start to the day. When we got over to the line-up, the group leader took the couple over to the carbinieri to report the theft. Otherwise, the rest of the day was relatively uneventful, but this even kind of put a damper to things.

After all that, we got our bags from the hotel and caught a train to Florence. After checking in, we did a walk around the town and then up another hill for a view of Florence. Florence is more scenic.

And that brings us to today. This morning I went to the Ufizzi Museum and took my time strolling through the galleries. Then I met up with a few of the other travellers for lunch. Then I visited the Duomo (but didn't climb it). It was rather nice. Then I went over to the Mandarina Duck and bought (wait for it) 2 bags and a wallet). I won't mention what they cost. :-p

And here I am updating this. Will be heading back to the hotel soon to meet up with a few others to head over to some artisan/crafts fair.

Ciao!

Walls and such

Earlier when I was logged in, I was reading the latest entry from Matthew Good. To some degree I can relate to what he's saying. But I guess depending on the person, the reactions could vary. I suppose I came across my "wall" last October when I decided to make my trip to Japan. I had previously visited Japan twice with my ex. I suppose it was difficult at times because I would be walking in areas in Tokyo where we had been before. I think Kyoto was maybe a bit more emotional. I remember so many things and parts about the city. Maybe it's because it's a very navigable city. Or maybe we had explored so much of it before given that we had spent nearly 2 weeks there in Spring of 2005. In any case, I think I would go back again. Perhaps later this year when/if I go to Hong Kong with my folks. I'll have to visit Tokyo again with renewed eyes and mind. It will most likely be a solo trip again, but hey, why wait? When you're ready to go, go. And I guess one should try not to let bad memories get in the way of making new and better ones.

Almost there!

Currently sitting in Schiphol airport. The flight over took less than 6 hours due to a tail wind. The flight to Rome is only at 10:45AM. Ergo, I am sitting here checking on email and a few things. I think the hotel I'm at the first night has terminals. Will give a more complete first day update then. :-)

Countdown

In just a few hours, I will be heading for the airport. The airport is about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from my place, depending on traffic. It will cost me abour $25. My flight is scheduled to take off at around 6:55PM. I think I need to be at the airport at least 3 hours before my flight. I think. In any case, I think I will call for a cab around 3:30PM.

I think I am making myself anxious for no reason. I keep thinking about whether or not I've forgotten to pack anything. I worry if I packed too little or too much. Why am I getting a bit anxious about this trip? Maybe it's because I am going somewhere I've never been to before on my own. In the past, my trips have been with my ex, or for work, or some place I've been to before.

Anyway, about two and a half hours to go.

Bound for Italia!!

Well, I had decided about 2 months ago to just go ahead and plan my vacation. I wasn't totally sure yet where I had wanted to go. There was an interesting trip to Costa Rica with GAP Adventures. Then I started to look towards Europe. Eventually, I decided on a trip with Intrepid Travel. La Dolce Vita.

La Dolce Vita seems like a nice trip to get an initial taste of Italy, albeit mostly in the northern part. The trip stars in Rome and then onward to Florence. After taking in Florence, we would head to Lucca with a day trip to Pisa. From Lucca, it's on to Cinque Terre where we would enjoy the quaint little villages that make up Cinque Terre. On the way to Piedmont, a stopover in Milan for a few hours. Then, after enjoying some vino in Piedmont and maybe some truffles it's off to the Lakes District and Lake Como. After enjoying the beauty that is Bellagio, we head off to our last stop, Venice.

This tour covers 15 days. However, I decided to arrive in Rome a day early. With this extra day, I decided to sign up for a cooking course through Blu Aubergine. I'm really looking forward to that. At the end of the tour in Venice, I decided to spend the night there before catching the train back to Rome. One last night in Rome and then it's back to Montreal.

This will be in total 18 days of vacation in Italy. :)

I can't promise that I will be able to update this blog on a daily basis. I will not be lugging my iBook around Italy. If I happen upon an Internet cafe, then I will try to make a quick blog entry. Otherwise, I will have to record everything the old-fashioned way: pen and paper!!! :)