Adventures in Driving in Italy

One aspect of travel that you don't always get to experience are the everyday things that you have to deal with at home. Case in point, driving a car, and all it entails. We rented a car in Italy just outside of Florence, and let me tell you, driving in a foreign country is always an adventure. Then again, we live for adventure, though I have the easy job of simply driving. R has to navigate, which she excels at, but it's a tough job, especially when all the towns are in Italian and the road signs leave a lot to be desired.

Now I've found people in Europe drive a little fast, at least for my taste. This is complicated by the fact that we are driving on these small, winding mountain roads with little in the way of side barriers, so I drive even slower. For the record, Italy is very mountainous, though that's what makes it so beautiful and interesting. Either way, it wouldn't be so bad if we were all alone, but inevitably some driver pulls up behind me and isn't shy about letting me know that I'm driving too slow. They let me know this by pulling up right behind me and riding me. Talk about frustrating, though I can't complain, it's their country. They pull off these amazingly dangerous passes around blind turns and at night, it's pretty crazy. If there's a bright side to it, it's that I don't really have to do anything, they just go around me and take their own lives in their hands. It's disconcerting, but c'est la vie.

In fact, during the drive, the kids came up with a fun game (at least for them) of counting all the cars that passed us on the road. This was the most fun on the Autostrade, which is there big "interstate" highway system, and consequently, where people drive really fast. To make it all the more fun, we had a fair amount of rain during our last few days in Italy, and on some of the days, it poured, making driving all the more fun. I will say, however, that even though I was passed with reckless abandon in the early going of the trip, I did manage to storm back and restore the pass:get passed ratio to an even 1:1, i.e., I passed as many cars as had passed me. Does this make any sense? Since the kids are so cute, they made a little statistical sheet complete with pictures of each car involved in the analysis. Sometimes they're so cute it hurts.

Another fun challenge was getting gas, which is way more expensive in Europe, which is why everyone drives this little economy cars that get amazing gas mileage. The US should take note, they simply don't drive gas-guzzling SUVs out here. Gas is charged by the liter, as well, so it's even more painful. I'm not sure, but I think it costs about $200 to fill the tank, and the car is tiny. We had to return the car with the tank filled, so naturally there was no getting around the dreaded Euro gas station.

Now we passed these things throughout our trip, but never really gave much thought to actually using them, and it was kind of amusing. They have these self-service kiosks where you pay first and the pump, not completely different than what you see in America, though in the US, each pump has a pay slot, while out here in Italy, there's one central kiosk where you pay for all the pumps. Fortunately, there is an English option, but the darn thing wouldn't take our credit card. I tried my debit card, but no luck, either. I had to employ the assistance of one of our family computer/technical experts (i.e., our kids). In an ideal world, we would simply put in the card and fill the tank, but since it wouldn't take the card, we had to feed Euros into the machine and pump, then check the fuel level, and if need be, put in more Euros. We ended up doing this three times, and even then, I wasn't sure if it was completely filled up, but we went with it. As it turns out, we were fine, the rental car company didn't even check, they just asked us if we'd filled the tank.

The final piece of the puzzle was returning the car, and for this, we had to locate a small airport just outside of the port town of Ancona, where we were to catch a ferry to Croatia. We managed to get there but then had to figure out how to return a rental car. At American airports, they spell this out to you in big, clear letters, but here, it was not the case. Luckily, we'd rented from Hertz, so we managed to find Hertz signs and parked the car accordingly. Then we returned the documents and keys, the people spoke English, and we were on our way.

For the record, the rental car people were super friendly, and they were by far the busiest car rental. I was told this was because they were the nicest people, and I learned this from the Frenchman next to me with whom I conversed with in French. How cool is that? The conversation started because I thought he was trying to cut in front of me in line, but then we became buddies. I love when that happens.

Until the next time, thanks (merci) for reading, and merci de R pour les pics.

Reflections on Small Towns in Italy

Being the scared and apprehensive American tourist that I am, I tend to find comfort in the familiar, but who doesn't? That's why we eat at McDonalds in Europe and Appleby's in NYC. When we travel to a place that is completely foreign and unfamiliar, I am a bit on edge because I never know what to expect. Then again, that's what travel is all about, embracing the unknown while searching for adventure, and adventure is exactly what we love.

When R was planning this trip, which for the record she always does an amazing job, there were times when she was operating in the dark because she didn't know anything about the places where we were staying. TripAdvisor helped a great deal, but even with the internet, there were places that were obscure to the American tourist, i.e, these were places where only Italian tourists go, and we ended up in two of them.

We were caught a little off guard because our stay in Pienza (at Santo Pietro) was much easier, everyone spoke English, and it was filled with English speaking tourists. When we left (sadly) Pienza, we ended up driving through central Italy (Umbria) and ended up first in Saltar, which is in the province of Urbina, then from there, we traveled to Serrungarina, which is even smaller than Saltar, but only about 20 km away. What was really cool is that the proprietor of the casa, Casa Di Mi, said we were the first Americans to stay there. How cool is that?

Either way, it can be daunting traveling to a place where nobody speaks English, and they won't make any effort to. It really comes down to you trying to speak the native language or simply not communicate, but the process of trying is often highly entertaining. It helps when people are friendly (and the kids get a huge kick out of playing with the local cat/kitten population).

That was the case in both places, and as much as I was daunted at the prospect of trying to speak Italian, my incompetence was not an issue. They were very understanding. The two places we stayed were both small and family run, and even though they were in the process of trying to figure things out and maybe didn't quite have the drill down, they were so nice that you only wished the best for them. Plus, both the places, The San Martino Country House and Casa Di Mi, were clean and beautifully decorated. The fact that Italians like to go there and vacation is not a bad thing, kind of like ethnic restaurants where people of that ethnicity like to eat.

Both places were in small towns, and though it was a challenge communicating, it was a blast getting to know the locals and even attempting to talk to them. At Casa Di Mi, we were totally lost and couldn't find the B&B. I asked an elderly man for help and he stopped what he was doing, changed his shoes, and walked us to the center of town to help us find the place. Nobody knew where this place was, and recommended that we get back in our car and drive up the road. I ended up asking a guy across the street, and he said that we were at Casa Di Mi. It just so happened that his daughter spoke a bit of English, so we were saved. The food at Casa Di Mi was amazing.

All in all, we're getting the most of our authentic Italian adventure. Now I understand why people go to Disneyland or go on a cruise or do Club Med, everything is conveniently taken care of and there are no surprises or challenges, but you sure can't beat the local experience when it's beating you over the head. You just can't put a price on these moments, and it sure makes for a great story.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Killer Travel Shorts

I scored a killer pair of travel shorts from R's mom (thanks JR) and they're perfect for travel. They're really heavyweight to withstand the rigors of being on the road, and best of all, they're stylish and Euro, without being too stylish (i.e., sissy-pants). The neutral gray color hides dirt while also projecting a manly and adventurous image (how's that for a plug?). We have to keep up our real-man appearances while also embracing a little Euro style.

I've been wearing them for days on end, and they're holding up nicely. Plus, they have lots of pockets to hold Euros, Kunos (Croatian currency), and whatever else a world traveler needs, or real-man in training in Vermont.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

AWOL in Europe

Sorry for my absence, as you can imagine, when you're on the road, it's not always easy to find an internet connection. However, that said, it amazes me who actually does have WiFi in the most remote places, so much so that in this day and age, for a business to not have internet is inexcusable. Such was the case at our last hotel in Italy, even though we really loved the place. Small town life in Italy, much more simple and grounded.

In light of this, I need to make this fast and then add more details later. We are currently in Croatia, and believe me when I tell you it's beautiful here. Very reminiscent of the Greek Islands, only filled to the brim with young college students looking to party. It's like Dayton Beach, only European style. It's a bit too much of a big frat party for our tastes, though I could imagine that if you were 21 and single, you'd be having the time of your life. Beautiful people everywhere and plenty of alcohol and skin. Just what every college grad is looking for in life.

Before we caught the ferry, our last two nights in Italy were so interesting, we really enjoyed them. Since we didn't really know the area, it was a bit of a crap-shoot finding a place, R literally had to work in the dark in deciding on a place. She chose two tiny towns to stay in, Saltara and another one that was so small that we were the first American tourists that she'd had. I can't even remember the name, and I can't find it on the map. Either way, nobody spoke English, but everyone was really friendly and warm, I can't stress this enough. It was quite the experience, but the real deal. No fast food or Sponge Bob in sight.

After two really enjoyable days in small town Italy, we drove to the coastal town of Fano, where we caught the coastal route to the port city of Ancona, which was about 1.5 hundred kilometers. We had to catch an overnight ferry there, but it was leaving at 9:00PM, and we arrived in the early afternoon. The way it worked was we had to find a tiny airport near Ancona to return the car, then figure out how to get from the airport to the port. Kudos to R for doing an amazing job at navigation. We found the airport no problem, returned the car (it was Hertz), and then caught a cab to the port. People were very friendly, and at the airport, there were numerous tourists just beginning their Italian vacations, and I actually had a conversation with the chatty French gentleman standing in line next to me, in French, no less. He sort of cut in front of me in line, and from there, a conversation ensued. It was cool.

We caught a cab from the airport to the port, which like most port towns, was a little dicey. There are just unsavory elements to be had in ports, no way around it. If anything, ports in Europe are not as scary (at least to me) as ports in the US. We had several hours to kill, so we wandered about Ancona, first in the old section, then in the more modern part, which was really nice. Very bustling and filled with tourists. We had pizza for lunch, then gelato (most importantly), then it was time to get on the ferrry.

It was an overnight ride, and had a sleeper cabin, but we slept terribly. I've taken several ferries and found them to be just okay, not luxurious in any way, but clean and adequate. Definitely not good for sleeping, but R found it impossible to get a flight directly from Italy to Croatia, so went for the overnight ferry. I now know what a submarine crew goes through. I think the cabin was located near the engine, because it was so loud we had to practically yell to communicate. When we landed in Split, Croatia, we were exhausted.

That did not, however, dampen our spirits in Croatia. The port town was simply lovely, nothing like Ancona. The reason is that Split is a tourist port, whereas Ancona is a shipping port, huge difference. It's a beautiful beach community, though more Euro style, with a lot of history and older, more classic architecture, with buildings dating back to Medieval times.

We landed in Split around 7:00AM, and had to catch another ferry to Hvar around 11:00, so we had time to kill. We toured Split, and it was such a cool town. There is so much going on, and we even found a farmer's market and got fresh peaches. The main square used to be the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, and there are Roman ruins all over town.

From Split, we caught another ferry to Hvar, and let me tell you, it's Spring Break city over here. Throngs of young, beautiful people ready to party. We're a bit out of our element, but it makes for a happening scene. It seems as if the main two demographics here are older people, and the young and hip. There are tons of yachts and sailboats in the harbor, so you get a sense of some money out here.

Our flat is lovely, located off the main drag, so it's quieter. We're spending our time just relaxing and swimming in the Adriatic. The water is crystal clear and just the right temp.

For now, I'll sign off. More details later, so stay tuned. Until then, thanks for reading.

Adventures (and Lessons) in Tuscany

As usual, I haven't been able to keep this blog current, there's just never enough time, and when we wake up, we pretty much hit the ground running and eat breakfast and start our day. With this in mind, I'm going to summarize Tuscany and move on from there. I don't know what else to do.

First off, Tuscany was beautiful, we really enjoyed it there. It helps that our hotel/villa (Tenuto Santo Pietro) was amazing. The service was excellent, they had a pool, the grounds were stellar with fabulous orchards (olives, grapes, figs, apples, pears, almonds) that we could walk through, and best of all (in my opinion) was that it was centrally located so that we could make easy day trips to the small hill towns in the area. My personal favorite was Siena, Italy. Now I just learned all this, but Siena was apparently in competition with Florence to be the center of Renaissance, with Florence eventually winning out. However, Florence became a big metropolis, and Siena remained a beautiful medieval town high up on a hill, complete with narrow cobblestone streets that are perfect for walking. It is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it also has great restaurants, all sorts of shops, and of course, fabulous and historic cathedrals, churches, and museums, the kind the kids just love.

Either way, we went to Siena on our second day in Tuscany, and though it was a bit of a trek, it was well worth it. The city is old and picturesque, and I overheard that it has half the real estate, it has twice the historically relevant artifacts. Whatever be the case, I thought it was more interesting and manageable than Florence. Plus, we had our beautiful Tuscan villa to return to. We wandered throughout the city, hanging out in the Piazzas and having lunch in the cafes. We had heard of several restaurants within the city walls and couldn’t find any of them, and then, while we were searching for the best gelato, we just happened upon the one restaurant that we wanted to eat at the most, called Zest. How cool is that? It scored a high ranking on TripAdvisor.

We had an awesome day in Siena. On our third day, we tried walking to the town of Montepulciano, but have to give up, but not before walking about 3 miles, one way. The kids were incensed, and we almost had a mutiny on our hands. We trekked back to the villa for a swim, and then after a rest, we drove out to Pienza, another medieval town, for a wonderful supper followed by killer gelato.

Our last day, we checked out and drove out to Montepulciano, where we stopped for lunch, and then headed out of Tuscany for Umbria and the east coast of Italy. The drive over was a bit long, but we got to see a lot of the interior of the country, and again, got to stop and visit some more small medieval towns, including Gubbio, which was really cool. Apparently it escaped destruction from WWII and is one of the most well-preserved medieval town in Italy. It was really cool.

We are now in Saltara, which is not nearly as nice as Tuscany, but still quaint. We are staying here for a couple of days before we have to catch a ferry across the Adriatic to Croatia. This should be interesting.

Until then, thanks for reading.

,

The Word

I don’t recall if we’re on day 6 or 7, and you know when you’ve lost track of the days, you’re in good shape when you’re on vacation. One directive that has come down from above (i.e., A&N) is no more visiting churches and looking at statues, which when you really get down to it, is kind of hard to do when you’re in Italy (a uber-Roman Catholic country) and learning about the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which is basically all about Christianity and the power of the Church. Plus, pretty much 99.9% of the images you see involve either the Bambino, Mary, or the crucifixion. Very powerful imagery, but when you’re 8-10 years old, it can get old quickly.

Either way, we’ve left our beloved Tuscany and are on the eastern coast of Italy. I have to say, it’s not as picturesque in my opinion, but we are at the sea, and there’s something to be said for that.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

and thanks to jillianriley for the pic.

Travels in Italy - Day 4 - Leaving the Big City

As much as I love the big city and all the excitement it entails, I have to admit that what I love best about being in Europe is being in the countryside. I felt this way in France and Spain, and on the Greek Isles, if that counts. Of all the cities that we’ve been to, I liked Paris the best, maybe because I’ve been there the most and feel the most comfortable speaking French. Even still, one of the best trips we ever took was in the South of France, in Provence. I just loved visiting all the small towns throughout the countryside. They were so beautiful and filled with history, and the people have always been so nice. I’ve mentioned this before, but the small towns in Europe are nothing like the small towns in the US, they are just so much more cosmopolitan and not backwards in any way. I guess we’re just visiting the right ones, but the small towns in Europe seem to be more welcoming of outsiders.

Either way, on Day 4 in Italy, it was time to catch the train out of Dodge and hit the countryside. Once we were out of town, our plan was to rent a care and head deep into the heart of Tuscany. Our eventual goal was to get to Venice, but in between we are going to stop in Siena, the other heart of the Renaissance, and maybe Umbria.

The train was an adventure in and of itself, as you might imagine. Florence is a pretty big town and a big tourist attraction, so there are a lot of people coming and going. The train station was bustling, though nothing compared to Penn Station or Gare de Lyon. What made it tricky was that we had to get our tickets at the automated kiosks, and of course we ran into problems. For whatever reason the machine wouldn’t take our card, and we had to try about a dozen times until it worked. Meanwhile, half of Florence is standing in line behind us.

The train system in Europe is simply amazing, and something I wish we had in the US, because it sure beats driving. The trains were clean and comfortable, and it’s just fun riding in a train, especially for kids. R picked up some sandwiches and pastries, and we had a nice lunch en route. What’s also nice about being on the train is that everybody takes it, so you get a good cross section of locals and tourists, which makes it fun.

It took us about 2 hours to get to a small town called Chiusi, which of course I’d never heard of, and rent a car. Even though this town was tiny and in the middle of nowhere, again, it was charming and neat, with all sorts of restaurants and boutiques. I thought it would be nice to even stay there a night. In Italy, not unlike Spain, they seem to shut down for a couple of hours in the afternoon to have their siesta, so when we arrived in Chiusi, the rental car place was closed, so we sat and waited, but not for long.

We got into our car and headed into the countryside. The Tuscan countryside is beautiful, very reminiscent of Provence, and for that matter, Spain. I guess it makes sense. It’s actually more hilly than I expected, with beautiful farms dotting the countryside and olive and grape vineyards everywhere. This region is famous for its wines, so there is ample opportunity to have a glass or two.

Now I’m not a fast driver (I just play one on TV), especially when the roads are windy and unfamiliar, and I’ve noticed that drivers in Europe are not only fast, but aggressive. They don’t give a second thought to riding you and then passing around blind turns. Crazy. I was glad to make it to our B&B.

We are currently staying at the Tenuta Santo Pietro near Pienza, and I think it’s one of the nicest, if not the nicest, places we’ve ever stayed in Europe. It’s so beautiful, and I now realize that to truly experience the beauty of Tuscany, you have to park the car or get off the train and spend some time here. We arrived in the afternoon, were show to our room, and we spent some time just wandering around. The place is a 13^th century farmhouse that has been renovated into a B&B, and the place is incredible. Just beautiful everywhere you go, and best of all, there’s a pool, which is key when traveling with kids. There are acres of plum, olive, and grape orchards on the property, and we at fresh figs right off the tree.

The owner is Italian but speaks perfect English, which makes me think he’s spent time in the States. Whatever be the case, it’s really beautiful here, and it’s nice to be out in the countryside.

More later, but until then, thanks for reading.