Pisa and Vernazza in the Cinque Terre

October 28 and 29, 2015

Our walk through the town of  Pisa

Pisa and Vernazza in the Cinque Terre

The Arno River in Pisa which also runs through Florence

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Today we got up early, walked to the train station and hopped a train to Pisa. We had to transfer trains but we managed OK and arrived in Pisa where we found the place to leave our luggage so we could go and see the leaning tower and a few other sites. Today turned out to be a very rainy day, which we were expecting, so we didn’t see or do as much as we had planned. We walked up to the Field of Miracles from the train station. The cathedral, leaning tower, baptistery and museums are all located near to each other. The walk through town turned out to be interesting. It is not in very good condition, but the older part of town has the winding, narrow streets with uneven pavement, all kinds of shopping areas and restaurants, interesting architecture, all leading to the grand tourist attractions. We got there in time to see the cathedral and the tower and take pictures before it started to pour, so we found a bus and took it back to the train station, picked up our luggage and boarded another train that took us on our journey to Vernazza, where we are spending the night.

The Cathedral and Leaning Tower

Our tiny room and huge terrace

Vernazza, is one of five towns along the upper western coastline of Italy. It is in what they call the Cinque Terre (five lands). They are perched on the sides of cliffs and you are able to hike between the towns. There is also a national park not far away. However, today has been so rainy that there have been some mud slides and not much hiking can be done. This town is so picturesque and quaint, it is hard to imagine that a place like this even exists. It’s kind of a small, less fancy version of the Amalfi Coast. To get to where we are staying, we walked from the train station, along the main avenue, which is car free, and then climbed steps forever until we reached our Airbnb spot. We have a teeny, tiny room with a huge terrace (bigger than our room) overlooking the sea and town. It’s gorgeous, even in the rain. We climbed up more steps to a tower above us to get an even better view. There is a church and an old castle right down by the sea. We did walk around the main square and by the church but it was getting too late and raining too hard to climb to the castle. We are hoping that it will be clear in the morning before we leave so we don’t have to deal with the rain pouring down the steps, which are uneven, steep and scary. Right now, you can hear the church bells ring and I am getting tired, so I’ll sign off.

From just above our terrace

Tomorrow will be a travel day back to Milan to catch an early flight back to the USA on Friday morning. This has been a wonderful, experience-filled trip that we will never forget. So as not to bore people to extinction, I was rather general and didn’t post many of the people and life pictures that make the trip most interesting for us. Thanks for following along.

Update:

Some of the steps up to our room

It rained all night but stopped just as we were ready to go down the steps to get the train. After a lovely train ride along the coast to Genoa, we arrived in Milan, took a train to our Airbnb spot, which is near the airport and practiced getting to the airport from our place. We have to take the first train out of here in the morning, at 6:12 a.m. to catch our 7:25 a.m. flight. Luckily, it is only a 10-15 minute walk to the train station and a 4 minute train ride to the airport. I think we are all set and ready to be back home, so see family and our own bed.

It’s been a wonderful journey!

The church in Vernazza

T

The main street in Vernazza

 

Siena for a Day

 

 



The shell-shaped Piazza

October 27, 2015

Siena for a Day



Today, we boarded the high-speed train to Florence from Naples and then got on a regional train to Siena. We arrived a little after 14:30 (2:30 pm US time). We finally figured out how to get to where we wanted to leave our luggage and started exploring Siena. The old section of Siena is another charming old town filled with hilly, winding, narrow cobblestone streets. In the center is a huge shell-shaped piazza surrounded by restaurants and shops. Of course there is a huge Duomo and several other large churches and museums.

City Hall in the Piazza

One thing that we did see, which didn’t seem to fit in with the historical character of the town, were a number of “Chubby Women” sculptures by the artist, Xu Hongfei, which were very funny to look at, but I don’t know how appropriate they really were. The sculptures are traveling through cities all over the world. We did join one of them for a picture, however.

In front of the Duomo



If you are a shopper, this would be paradise for you, other than the prices are a bit steep. We roamed around and window shopped a little, took pictures and then went to pick up our bags and found our Airbnb for the night.

With one of the chubby ladies

The place we are staying is a very contemporary apartment. The owner is out of town, so his friend met us, gave us instructions, and left. We walked to a mall near the train station and got something to eat, not necessarily Italian. We are getting a little tired of a daily diet of all things Italian, not that we don’t love their food. Actually, they have quite a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern places here to eat but we thought that since we were here, we should eat Italian. After you have lived and traveled overseas, you realize how fortunate we are to live in a country where many cuisines are available to us and we can have a huge variety in our eating. In many countries, the same ingredients are used in varying ways to make their food . . . especially the spices and it gets a bit boring. We then stopped at a local grocery to stock up for breakfast and travelling tomorrow. One thing that we found here that we really like is their porchetta (spiced pork roast with the skin on so it becomes crackling . . . takes us back to our Jamaica days where they do a similar thing with pork roast). It is so yummy, even cold, and the crackling is out of this world, if done right.

A very hilly city

One of Ten

On an interesting side note, to get out of the train station and up to the street where we needed to be, we had to take a series of 10 escalators, three of which each equaled four flights of stairs. Remember, I said that this was a hilly town. I guess they figured if they wanted tourists to come, they better help them along a bit.  Once you are in the old town, you just go up and down hills . . . no escalators.

It’s been an enjoyable day, but my right leg is talking to me and saying that, “Isn’t this a bit much?” Only two more days before we leave, but tomorrow we head to Pisa for a few hours, enough to lean with the tower and see a church or two and then on to Vernazza a little town in the Cinque Terra (a series of five little towns) region of Italy, right on the sea, where you can do hiking. However, it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, so I think, our hike might be in jeopardy. We will see.

Until the next time. Talk to you in a while.

Our Apartment

 

 

 

 

Naples, Pompeii and Amalfi Coast

 The Amphitheater in Pompeii

October 25-26, 2015

Naples, Pompeii and Amalfi Coast

Yesterday, we arrived in Naples via a comfortable train. Our Airbnb site is fairly close to the train station so we didn’t have much trouble finding it. We were greeted by an Italian-only speaking Mama who oriented us to our studio apartment. It’s amazing how well you can communicate with hand signals not speaking each other’s language.

From a wealthy home overlooking Mt Vesuvius

You guessed it - a brothel room (the beds were not soft)

One of the reasons we came to the Naples area was to see Pompeii, so we headed out soon after we arrived and boarded a train to take us there. The train station was a fair distance from the actual ruins but we found it and spent several hours touring the site. It is a huge area, but about two-thirds of it is under reconstruction, so we were unable to see all that we would have liked. We toured a large amphitheater, a small and large theater, a basilica, several homes of wealthy and poorer people, the forum area and one of the thirty brothels that were in the city in its day. We also saw many relics that have been recovered from the area, including some people who were found in the positions they were in when the mountain erupted. As far as ruins, they aren’t as imposing as many of those at Ephesus or Jerash, Jordan, but interesting nevertheless. Of course, this entire area is all watched over by Mt Visuvius. It made for an interesting time of walking on some very uneven ground and ancient roads and learning more of how people lived 2000 years ago.

On our walk back to the train station, we enjoyed a bit of real life in Pompeii City, today. Sunday night, around the main church, as in many parts of the world, many people were out eating and shopping and enjoying a little festival that was in town. There was even a traffic jam in little Pompeii. On our walk we stopped and got some local food to take with us . . . all very good. We arrived home safely.

A main road overlooking Mt Vesuvius

A result of Mt. Vesuvius

Today, we decided to go to see the Amalfi Coast which is on the opposite side of a peninsula that juts out on the southern end of Naples. We took a local train to Sorrento and then caught a bus that drove us along the coast. We went as far as Amalfi. First of all, the local train was an experience in itself . . . much more urban, crowded with locals and tourists. We were serenaded by a Roma couple and then another Roma lady played the accordion. They were both accompanied by their little children who went around with a cup for whomever wanted to contribute. Some of the locals got very upset and were trying to get them to quiet down, but no luck. Actually, the music was lively and pleasant to listen to, even though it was a bit loud.

A Circumvesuviana Train

The bus ride to Amalfi, along the coast is breathtakingly beautiful and harrowing if you are afraid of hairpin turns and cliffs that fall straight into the sea. It isn’t for the faint of heart when it comes to the driving. The road is very narrow and busy but the bus driver managed to get us there safely. We passed through several towns that are built scaling the cliffs. It is an extremely picturesque area. In Amalfi, we walked around one of the main areas and went through the Cathedral of Amalfi, complete with St Andrew’s bones, so they say. We were able to get a seat on the way back and decided to not stop in Positano in fear of losing our seat and having to stand all the way back. Since Roger has a tendency to get car sick, we didn’t want to take that risk of him not having a seat during all those curves. It was just as beautiful on the return trip as it was going. One thing we decided was that we were glad that we weren’t here in the summer. There were many tourists today but not anything like it is in the summer months. It must be terrible with all the traffic and people.

On the way to Amalfi

When we got to Sorrento, we hopped back on the Circumvesuviana train and headed to Naples. We haven’t seen that much of Naples, but wouldn’t have missed the two places we did go. We walked around the train station area a little tonight, enough to buy some pizza in the city of its founding. One slice had potatoes and basil on it and the other was meat and tomatoes. Both delicious. We also stopped and got a sfogliatella, puff pastry filled with ricotta cheese. It’s a treat for which Naples is known and is was yummy. Needless to say, I’m sure we gained a bit of weight today since we sat most of the day.

Tomorrow, it’s on to Siena. Talk to you later.

The Amalfi Coast

The Cathedral of Amalfi

On the steps of the Cathedral of Amalfi

Positano

On the way back to Sorrento

 

Rome Continued

 

Trevi Fountain

October 23-24, 2015

Rome Continued

We are getting ready to leave Rome in the morning so I want to try and get the blog up to date on our Rome adventures. Yesterday, we decided to get out early and check out Trevi Fountain, of Three Coins in a Fountain fame, and the Spanish steps. We took the Metro and walked the rest of the way. When we got to the fountain, it was closed for renovation so no three coins for us. We did get to see it without water. Boo Hoo.

Spanish Steps

Next, we walked to the Spanish steps, which are a famous meeting point in Rome. They were also under renovation, so we didn’t get to walk up them, just look. We were thinking that we were batting zero but the day was going to improve.

We have some friends from church, Kerry and Susie Shelton, who were also in Rome yesterday and we had planned to meet for lunch, so we boarded the Metro again and headed to their hotel. We even had taken a picture of the Google earth screen with directions but when we got out of the Metro we were all turned around and headed the wrong direction. It didn’t take us long to realize that we were heading the wrong way, so we turned around and headed where we were supposed to be. They were waiting for us in front of their hotel.

Piazza Navona

We walked to the Santo Antonia church, which was beautiful, walked through the Piazza Navona where all the artists were out displaying their art, and ended up at the Pantheon, which served as a model for Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s. It was built around two thousand years ago. The only lighting for the church comes from the top of the dome. It is a masterpiece.

Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

By this time, we were hungry and our friends were still in jet lag, so we headed off to Vatican City before it closed via walking. We made it there in time to get into the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel via a guided tour. The Vatican is huge so we added thousands of steps to the fitbit, for sure. After viewing hundreds of pieces of outstanding and beautiful art of various forms, we ended up in the Sistine Chapel, which is stunning, to say the least. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the ceiling. With all the other art present in the chapel, as well, it was a breathtaking experience. We then were able to go into St Peter’s Basilica, which is the one of the largest churches on earth. Mammoth comes to mind. It is filled with all kinds of art, elaborate carvings, mosaics, sculptures and anything else you can think of. Gorgeous, but mind-boggling. I’m glad that we don’t  have to rely on fancy buildings for worship, but that the Lord lives in the hearts and lives of those who believe in Him.

Last evening we met up with Kerry and Susie again and went out to dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant. The food and service were fabulous, as well as the company. A great memory to add to our trip.

 

St Peter's Basilica

This morning, we took the Metro to catch a bus to the Appian way and the catacombs. This particular site is just outside of the city walls. It is a more rural, beautiful and peaceful setting. We walked a two mile section of the road and visited the Catacombs of St Sabastian. No one could be buried within the city of Rome before the 4^th century so there are thousands of underground tombs where the Christians were buried. Most of the pagans were cremated because they didn’t believe in the bodily resurrection.  We were able to walk through several levels of the tombs. Very interesting! The tour ended at the church that stands over the site. There are 60 catacomb sites in the Rome area. We just saw one site.

Michelangelo's Pieta in St Peter's Basilica

After returning to the city, we walked around the area of the Vittoreo Emanuele Monument and climbed to some good lookouts over the Forum. We went to a few other churches, one standing over the traditional site of the prison where Peter and Paul spent some time. Unfortunately, the prison site was closed for renovation. In this area is also Trajan’s Column and Forum.  We then walked up to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore where they were having mass in two languages, taking confessions in at least four languages, and a male choir was practicing some Gregorian chants. Busy place and elaborate, as well.

Inside St Peter's Basilica

By this time, we stopped to get something to eat, and picked up some groceries for breakfast and our train trip to Naples in the morning. Visiting Rome has been an unforgettable experience. It leaves us with wonder and awe.

Out to eat with the Sheltons

The Appian Way

San Sabastian Church above the Catacombs 

Enjoying the beauty of the Olive trees

Overlooking the Forum -by Arch of Septimius Severus

Vittoreo Emanuele Monument

 

 

 



 

 

 

  

Assisi and Rome

Up to Assisi

October 21-22, 2015

Assisi and Rome

Basilica of St Francis

We arrived in Rome safely last evening after stopping off in Assisi and spending the day. What a charming and quaint little town. It is perched high on a hill right outside the town of Santa Maria Degli Angeli where the train arrives. We stored our bags and took a bus up to the first stop and walked around the town, mostly up, the rest of the way. The main place to see is the Basilica of St Francis, a huge complex including several areas of worship that overlooks the town below. There are several other churches to see but none near as interesting or imposing as the Basilica. It is really quite stunning. The town, with its cobble-stone streets, has been very well preserved and well kept. The houses are built of stone/brick which often have wrought-iron ornamentation and carved doors. The streets are very narrow but they have a great bus system set-up for a town that small. It reminds one of a something you see in a fairy tale. If you are considering a trip to Italy, try to put Assisi on your list of places to visit.

We then hopped on the next train to Rome and arrived about 6:30 p.m. On the train we met a couple from Ann Arbor, who were touring around Italy for several days. They had just come from Florence, also. Interesting to share experiences.

We arrived at our Airbnb site, which is fairly close to the train station. It’s completely different from where we stayed in Florence, but it is in a convenient location and has a great bed and Wi-Fi. Important things first, you know. It’s on the sixth floor, but has a lift. We unpacked and went out to find a grocery to get some breakfast and lunch food and pick up a bite to eat. Nothing too spectacular, just a panini and a slice of pizza which we shared. Very good!

Today, we spent touring the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. My goodness, when those wealthy Romans built things, they didn’t do things small. The places are all huge! As far as ruins, they are in remarkably good shape, considering many of them are from before the time of Christ. We walked and walked, and walked and, did I say, walked!

It’s interesting to think that this is the city to whom Paul wrote his most theological epistle, the city from which he wrote the Prison epistles and 2 Timothy, and from where Peter and Paul were both imprisoned and killed. It’s also the city from which the emperors ruled the Roman world. The various emperor palace ruins are outlandishly huge. Think Donald Trump in overdrive.

Outside the Colosseum

Since where we are staying isn’t too far from all those sites, we walked to and from. On the way back, we stopped at a little bakery/restaurant and ate some of the best food we’ve had here. We wanted to try some different things, so we had suppli (fried rice balls with tomato sauce and cheese) which were yummy and some, fresh out of the oven, focaccia-type bread that they use to make pizza. You can just eat it plain. It was so very moreish! We tried several other things, too, but those stood out.

Inside the Colosseum

By that time, we needed to rest the feet, so we went back to our room, rested and then walked to the local COOP store to get some food for tomorrow. Thus ends our day.

Glad I had my hiking boots

The Forum

Arch of Titus

Menorah on the Arch - Taken from Jerusalem in AD 70

A fountain on the Palatine Hill