Venice, Italy May 2010

We saved the best for last...Venice. Again, that is so hard to say because every single leg of our journey was my "favorite" at the time. But Venice is such a romantic, old, worn-out, sinking city on dirty canals with a variety of bridges in every direction...and I love it. The signage is a bit confusing at times. But if you wander far and long enough, you will eventually arrive where you intended to go.

Many of the buildings have chipped paint, no paint or just plain worn-off paint. The city has such character--especially if you love old architecture--which I do. (John says he is glad I love antiques because he is more likely to be kept around as he ages!)

The gondolas are covered with tarps/coverings when not in use. Sharon discovered these steps....they went nowhere...except directly into the water. Most likely they are used to board a gondola ride.

Yes, the water can be dirty, but when you look past that one little issue, you find such charm in this magical, unique city. Every street, canal, bridge, building is a picturesque moment and we took advantage of every photo op. Again, only a fraction of the pictures taken appear in the blog.

Shops in Venice sell so many hand-crafted leather products, but these gloves were one of the most unusual colorful items found. The quaint shops are also filled with leather handbags and shoes, dress shops, mask shops, bakeries and gelato shops also market their wares.

Flower baskets are abundant throughout the Venetian neighborhoods. The colorful flowers cascade over the rails adding a splash of color in unexpected areas.

The sweet, soft, calm side-canals were my favorite places to capture on film. It seem like no one else was around when we found this restful area. The water shimmered from the remnants of afternoon sun. I want to live on this block in this neighborhood. Did I mention that I LOVE Venice?

On our first night in town, I dragged Sharon throughout the city. We dined here on the Grand Canal near a Gondola Station..their personal gondola prepared and waiting for the next paying customer.

Again, John says I'm happiest when I'm traveling and I happen to agree. I couldn't stop smiling during our visit. I'm just so giddy when visiting Venice.

The only way I could be any happier would be if someone asked me to live in their home for a year...or two...but three would absolutely be my max! Unless of course, someone offered more! Venice doesn't get any better than this.

My favorite all time photo! Fresh Italian underwear drying in the sun.

Fresh food markets are scattered throughout Venice proper. We rounded many a corner to find fresh produce stands with Italian families greeting us--begging us to buy, bright red peppers, green peppers, dried tomatoes, asparagus, cheeses, and the fresh fish of the day. Squid (Calamari) is one of my favorites...but Sharon avoids this sea creature and could barely look at it while on display.

Sharon's turning "50" in 2010...October "15" to be exact. But we celebrated early in Venice. Upon arrival to our hotel, a bottle of chilled champagne was waiting for us to enjoy during the visit. Paul--the owner--was so excited to present Sharon with his gift, we didn't have the heart to tell him that her "real" birthday was not until fall. So we climbed the stairs to the roof terrace, opened the champagne, and had our very own birthday party. Cheers, Sharon! You don't look a day over 29!

We purchased a water bus pass and rode the ferries in the evening to enjoy the city light.s on the bridges and town. The Rialto bridge is in the picture above. During the day we traveled to both the lace island-Burano, and the glass blowing island -Murano, to make several purchases.

As we drifted through the canals on foot and/or ferry, we discovered charming churches, unique buildings, and this gondola making shop. Several gondola's were in varying degrees of creation so we snapped pictures to capture the moment.

It is more common to see a building in disrepair in Venice than perfectly coiffed. For me, that is part of the charm. I want to lasso these buildings and take this look back home to Oregon. I know it isn't possible, but I would love our town to be surrounded by such intense history as found in Venice.

Busy and beautiful, the Grand Canal has a great deal of activity day and night.

Left, this grandmother impressed her family in St. Marks Square by holding multiple pigeons.

The bakeries are tucked everywhere in Venice: side streets, main streets, alleyways, doorways....you can smell the aroma before you actually find the culprit. And they look so tasty. You have to try at least one....of each. Venice is a dangerous place!

Ca Dogaressa http://www.cadogaressa.com/was our home away from home in Venice and we couldn't have selected a better place to stay. The staff was lovely, most spoke some English. They offered a computer to use in our room to check email. Breakfast was served on the working canal, entertaining us while we dined. The food was plentiful--a wide variety offered and served until we had to say..."enough...no more food." This property is off the touristy area and requires walking to see and explore the Venice island. Boats loaded down with supplies brought boxes and crates of fresh food in every day. It is a way of live for Venetians, but definitely a more difficult one because only so much weight can be placed on the boats. Trip after trip each morning keeps the boat masters busy with scheduled deliveries.

We were surrounded by such old beauty in Venice. I must go back. Once, twice....is not enough time for this outstanding, unique beautiful city. Get lost...get really, really lost in Venice....and find your secret special place. Take notes...because you will likely never, ever find that same sweet location again.

Lake Como and Italian Alps May 2010

How could it be possible for any of the additional stops on our tour to be better than the last?...but each stop exceeded our expectations. Lake Como was a calming, beautiful place to rejuvenate--after our last calming, relaxing stop. And Varenna was the perfect home base for exploring the quaint lake towns. No matter where I looked or walked, the glass-like blue water and the Alps were easily viewed taking my breath away. My traveling companion, continually heard me repeat..."I love Italy!"

Albergo Milano http://www.varenna.net/
overlooks Lake Como, nestled just above the path leading to/from the restaurants, ferry dock to the other lake towns, and the city square. The view from the hotel balcony was spectacular during the day and night. Our first evening in Varenna, we dined on the hotel balcony watching the sun set, while enjoying our most expensive meal in Italy. But it was well-worth it! Each morning, a breakfast was served on the same deck with more of the same magnificent views. The breakfast was not large--but it was adequate--and tasty.

This is what Hotel Albergo Milano calls a "lateral view" of the lake. You actually have to step out on the deck in order to see the lake and the mountains. The Italian Alps were dusted with snow during our May visit.

From the interior of our room...we could see the sunny golden yellow estate next to our hotel with perfectly manicured trees and shrubs. The view was equally gorgeous from the room or from the balcony, and we felt fortunate to be spending time on the lake.

My shrimp bruschette served at the Hotel Albergo Milano. Superb!
In the morning, I would wake earlier than Sharon to take a walk. There were many winding, tiny streets throughout this sweet, charming town. During the quiet mornings, I took tons of pictures. Sadly, I could only place a handful on the blog.

One of the shops in town placed colorful pillows on the steep steps leading down toward the water inviting passersby to rest a bit. Cobblestone walls and streets, narrow alleyways, rod iron gates and rails, and greenery are just some of the endearing qualities of this picturesque place. The town is terraced into the hills with roads barely wide enough for one car to pass--let alone two. I must go back.

This is the walking path that weaves along the waterfront--great for strolling with a friend or lover....while enjoying some gelato!
Bellagio seemed bustling compared to Varenna. In reality, it was a lovely place to spend a day shopping, eating and exploring. Outside dining is the "norm" throughout Italy and especially here on the lake. Most people prefer eating the "fresh" Italian cuisine in the fresh air. The brightly painted bike on the cobblestone street seemed an irresistible Italian moment.


The old stone church caught my attention in Bellagio. I couldn't resist the pointy steeple and perfectly round window.
This was our view of Bellagio from the ferry as we were heading to another lake town.
Italy at its best!

We took a day trip via bus to Lugano, Switzerland on the worst day of the week: Sunday. Everything was closed. But we were determined to visit another European country since it was so close to Italy. The views during our ride over the border were extremely similar to Italian terrain. In fact, if we hadn't seen the "Welcome to Switzerland" sign, I would have sworn we were still in Italy. Our last-minute decision to make this journey to Lugano provided only one hour of hurried exploring since bus service was extremely limited on Sunday. But it was still worth the quick trek to this colorful, family-friendly community. Lugano is a busy city with large high-rises in the city center. It is much bigger than expected with a huge lake park filled with picnic-ers lounging in the Sunday sun on blankets.

We stayed 3 nights (over a weekend) at the Hotel Albergo Milano and I wish it could have been a month. My favorite lake towns were: Varenna, Mennagio, and Bellagio. We saw very little in Cadenabbia, except an old church with great stained-glass windows. It would have been nice to linger a bit longer in Bellagio and Switzerland. We could have easily spent an entire day exploring Lugano had we landed on Saturday rather than Sunday. Balancing travel can be tricky. We planned the basics hoping to allow for some spontaneity. Yet this would have been an instance that some pre-planning could have allowed us more time to see Switzerland. We could have easily swapped exploring the lake towns on Sunday and Lugano on Saturday, since Italy doesn't close down on the seventh day of the week. Even so, it was a magical time on Lake Como.


After viewing the Italian Alps from Lake Como, we headed for Northern Italy to Castelrotto to see the Dolomites. Petra, owner of Haus Silbernagl http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187859-d671428-Reviews-Haus_Silbernagl-Castelrotto_South_Tyrol_Trentino_Alto_Adige.htmlo offered her bed and breakfast for 36,50 euros per person, per night..."with view of Dolomites for free!" I did a quick day-trip here in 2007 and wanted my friend to see this Italian gem. After people visit Italy and share their Italian experiences, you rarely hear about a visit to the German-style towns nestled in the valley of the Dolomites. We stayed in the Castelrotto at night, but visited Alpe di Suissi via glass Gondola during the day. Our visit was a bit early for the spring flowers in Alpe di Suissi, but the skies were clear and the paths weren't crowded. This area offers miles of paths for serious trekkers--many dressed in lederhosen using walking sticks. Goats, cows, and other mountain wildlife can also be found in the meadow. Horse-drawn carriages provide sight-seeing tours for those who prefer to ride rather than walk. In this gorgeous mountain setting, one can easily imagine Julie Andrews suddenly appearing, singing..."the hills are alive..." I was certain I could hear the music!

Returning to Castelrotto in the evening, the German-painted buildings and German cuisine were the "norm" for the area. We had dinner at the same place twice because it was so tasty--especially the German yeast-desserts.

The trip into the Dolomites is mentally painful for me. The roads to this beautiful country have extremely steep drop-offs and rock-wall barriers that do not look as if they could prevent the large shuttle buses from cascading over the edge in the unfortunate case of lost brakes. Even though I did not have to worry about that, most of the drive found me burying my head in my hands, refusing to look out the windows, while my friend joyously snapped photo after photo of the daring views. She continually reported..."look at the castle....look at the vineyards....look at the drop-off!" Despite traveling in/out of the mountain area, we had a great time in Castelrotto and Alpe di Suissi. May was a perfect time to visit this area.

Cinque Terre area May 2010

Leaving Lucca, our next overnight stop was to be Monterosso al Mare in the Cinque Terre National Park. Yet there was time to make a short pit stop in Pisa. Even though I visited the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" in November 2009, I wanted my traveling companion, Sharon, to see this phenomenon. I mean, afterall, how many times do you get to see a leaning tower--truly leaning--like it could fall over any minute? My husband says he's totally okay just seeing a picture in a book. That doesn't work for me. After all the years of seeing photos of this Italian landmark, it is still incredibly impressive to view in person. Take time to visit all the buildings on the grounds as they all have something special to offer. The cathedral was especially worth a stop because of the many gorgeous paintings and stain glass windows. Both Sharon and I took millions (aka a lot!) of pictures of the beautiful art.

We arrived in Monterosso (one of the five villages of Cinque Terre http://www.lecinqueterre.org/eng/ along the Ligurian Sea) in the late afternoon. We stayed at La Poesia, http://www.lapoesia-cinqueterre.com/eng/index.htm a charming bed and breakfast in the older part of town. It was just slightly
difficult to find ...down one of the little side streets--but well worth it once we did. The rooms were rather small, (we stayed in the Clizia Room) but they were sweetly decorated and had lovely, sparkling clean bathrooms. The courtyard, where they served an incredible welcome snack with grapes, wine and a variety of cheeses as well as their gigantic fresh breakfast was a beautiful place to retreat and relax any time of day.
The courtyard had several trees filled with fresh sunny lemons hanging from the branches teasing us to pick them. Bright, colorful flower blossoms cascaded over the iron railing. Nicoletta, the owner (photo to right), was a remarkable hostess who made sure we had plenty to eat each morning.


Upon arrival to La Poesia, enjoying the courtyard while our hostess Nicoletta brought us wine, fruit and cheese. Note the adorable checkerboard painted flooring!



Monerosso beach at dusk....wow....I wish I were there right now!

Monterosso beach during the day...


Me and Sharon enjoy a drink under an umbrella on the beach...a perfect way to end another busy day of sight seeing.

There is a pathway (some sections
"easy" while others "difficult") between the five villages in the Cinque Terre National Park. One of the easier legs of the journey takes you through a rock tunnel to the portion of the trail, Via Dell' Amore, http://www.travelsignposts.com/Italy/sightseeing/cinque-terre-via-dell-amore where people from all over the world bring and attach locks to the rail, fence and any other lockable surface as a symbol of "locking their love" forever.
The villages in Cinque Terre are built into the cliffs overlooking the sea. The buildings in each of the villages appear to have been painted with soft radiant pastels as if they were individually touched by an artist's paintbrush. In fact, during our visit to Vernazza (photo above) we found an artist from South Africa painting the village from the waters edge. She was trying to capture the town as the late afternoon shadows softened the colors even more. We were awed by her work and watched for quite some time. Hopefully, we will come across her work on future travels as she was a very talented artist.


I love anything seafood... and this was one of my amazing Monterosso meals at the little restaurant, Ristorante Il Moretto, at the "Y" as you pass under the tunnel and enter old town. Delicious!


We were fortunate to be able to spend three nights in this welcoming little village. One day we hiked the path between the villages--as far as we could go. That's actually not saying much because several portions of the path were closed due to landslides so we were only able to hike between the first two villages. On our final day in Cinque Terre, the sun came out full force for a day trip via shuttle boat to Portovenere.

I couldn't resist this display of flowers and wooden boxes in Portovenere.

Wa..la...I'm in Portovenere, Italy!



A picture perfect setting from the Portovenere castle. We spent the afternoon in this sleepy seaside town exploring the hillside fortress and the shops in the village. And of course...there was always time for gelato!