Good Bye to Italy

Saturday, June 27, 2015
Today is travel day which usually means lack of sleep from night before, ultra-early wake up and generally just a long day when flying west.

We departed the hotel at 4:30am and arrived at the airport at 5:00am, the lines for baggage drop were already long.

The Italy to Munich connection we thought would be the most hassle actually turned out to be easy. Got through security and got a bite to eat before our 6:30am departure.

Arrival in Munich was easy enough until we realize the chaos that is called passport control. Thirty minutes later we are allowed into Germany, and all seemed good. We did some final trinket shopping then leisurely headed towards the gate thinking we had plenty of time.

For some reason the gates for flying to America had another security check point which appeared to be a last minute check due to recent events in France. This security check ate up the rest of our free time, but we were still able to make our flight.

Finally onboard, the final leg of our trip would take eleven and a half hours before we reached American soil.

Florence Gelato Tour

Friday, June 26, 2015
What to do today?  We heard Siena was nice, Lucca also nice. Instead we decide to sleep late and do the Galato tour (Brenda/Jamie style).

We had considered going to Carrera to explore the famous marble quarries but could not get a confirmed tour. It is a two hour train ride one way so we did not want to travel to Carrera and not be able to tour the quarries, because there's not much else to see in Carrera.

Instead of marble quarry tour we do a gelato tour. First stop on the gelato tour is Shake Cafe where I sampled the mango flavor (very bright and delicious) and Brenda sampled the melon flavor.

We made a side trip from the gelato tour to visit the Santa Maria Novelle church, for which the train station is named.

We moved our tour to west Florence away from the tourists. Wandering the streets we stumbled upon the city's old wall where we sat for a while looking for our next gelato score. The wall use to surround the Florence before it out grew its current boundaries, now there are only parts of the wall that remain throughout the city.

We now chart a course east, across the city following the Arno river (yes we are zig zagging our path) and find the next stop of the gelato tour, La Carraia. This was a very popular spot with the locals. I ordered strawberry and Brenda had coconut, both were delicious, the locals know their gelato.

Still heading east (attempting to avoid the tourists and tour groups) we arrive at Piazz Santa Croche, where the Florentine football, Calcio fiorentino, was played two days ago. Here was also a good place for lunch at Finisterrse, where we shared a pizza.

 We has watched the match on TV from our hotel room (in Italian so we didn't know what was going on) , what we gathered from Luca, our bike ride tour guide from the day before, was that it was a game just between the four districts of Florence. The game is a cross between rugby, soccer, kill-the-man with the ball and boxing. We heard that the past three years the matches were never finished because everyone got hurt and the game could not continue. We were intrigued by the game while we were watching, but to see the field after the game was kind of unique.

(the church were the game was played in front of)

After a late lunch it was time for third stop on the gelato tour, Forno a Legna. I branched out and had a double, half tiramisu and half chocolate, and Brenda had banana. We have yet to find any gelato that we were not able to finish.

At this point in the tour I would have to say this has been one of the most flavorful tours. I have seen tours available for wine, wine and dine, museums, etc. but have not seen a gelato tour. Someone should organize one in Florence it might just be the most popular tour of the town.

Our last night in Florence, our last night in Italy, me and my beautiful bride stroll down the streets of Florence hand in hand to have our last Italian meal at the OK Bar, street side cafe. The restaurant actually had good reviews on trip advisor. We both had Ravioli, she had it with pesto sauce and I had it with tomato sauce.

A quick check with google fit back at the hotel revealed that we walked 6.25 miles today or took 17, 567 steps today (way above my daily average). The only thing left to do is pack and catch our flights home.

Whenever I travel to another county I always like to check out the McDonald's, its an international fast food place that can be found everywhere. While I don't eat at these international McDonald's its always amusing to the how they incorporate the local cuisine into there menu and I like to figure out the Big Mac economics; compare pricing of Big Macs between visiting country and my home town.

My conclusion: Italian Big Mac combo $7.96 and Pearland Big Mac combo $6.96, a whole dollar difference. This tells me that prices in general are more expensive in Florence than Pearland.

(the italian twist to the menu)

(Big Mac = $7.96 US)

Biking Chianti Region in Italy

Thursday, June 25, 2015
We were met promptly in our hotel lobby by Luca, our cycling tour guide for the day. Finding parking in old Florence can be tough, so Luca parked on edge of town and was now escorting us to the van that would take us to the bikes.

Within twenty minutes we had left the confines of Florence and emerged in Greve, Chianti at Noleggio bike shop where Luca hooked us up with a cool set of "magic" bikes (more on these later).

We get geared up and start our cycling adventure. Luca had laid out the day for us, bike a couple hours then have espresso,  bike an hour more then have lunch for couple of hours. The day is perfect for cycling, cool breeze and sunshine on our face and WE'RE IN Italy!

True to the schedule, two hours into our ride we pull over at a local vineyard tasting room in Limole for expresso and to take in the country side. The past two hours of riding have been amazing with spectacular Tuscan views.

(the view from out expresso stop)

Back on bikes and we are now led off the beaten path to a gravel roadway that has us going downhill for at least thirty minutes. We finally meet back with the main road for more downhill biking, at one point reaching a top speed of 51 kph (31 mph). The fun finally ends as we begin our uphill climb to the town of Radda in Chianti, where we break for lunch at Caffe San Niccolo. On the topic of lunch Luca shared an Italian saying with us, "Italians don't age at the dinner table so we take long meals". And it would be an hour and a half before we got on the bikes again.

Lunch finally over we map out our route back to our point of origin, which is not the same route that brought us to Radda. The route Luca has chosen for us will have our final push to Greve along a scenic downhill run (the day keeps getting better). Of course common sense tells you that what goes downhill, has to climb the hill first, so we begin our after lunch ride gaining elevation.

Now is a good time to mention the "magic" bikes. These marvelous machines are electric power assisted bikes. They do not do the work of pedaling but they have an electric motor that assists in moving the bike as long as pedaling is happening. It has several modes of assist from what I call turbo mode (max assist) to manly-man (no assist). The more assist you need the faster your battery drains, so you must find happy medium between assist and battery reserves. While Brenda and I needed some assist on the uphill, Luca did not have a magic bike, all his uphill biking was all Luca.

(fantastic views)

 

(the roadways)

(this is what I think of when I think of Tuscany, it does exist!)

Our afternoon ride was amazing, the Tuscan country side is beautiful and todays ride was perfect. We pull back into Greve and the bike shop around 4pm, six hours and after we departed and thirty miles of dirt heavier. Amazing day!

(with out guide Luca, awesome day of cycling!)

Its pretty late after we clean up and neither of us feel like dressing up for dinner. We hike over to the Duomo for dinner and people watching at L Opera Caffe and Wine Bar to finish our night.

Florence - Day 2

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
A quick breakfast via hotel and we dash out for the Palazzo Vecchio and the secret passage tour (at least its not climbing).

Arrival at Palazzo Vecchio is five minutes late for us, but our guide is fifteen minutes late (or by Italian time she was on time). I forgive her tardiness because she made up for it with a very good intro to the tour with a comprehensive history of the Palazzo and era period of Florence.

(oh look a secret door)

 

(One of the secret rooms that stored treasures in secret cabinets)

(grand ball room ceiling tiles)

An interesting story told us by our guide was about the ceiling in the grand ball room, each of the painted tiles told the story Florence. It starts with the creation of man and continues until then current day Florence and how history led Florence to be led by Cosimo, It was presented in such a way as to imply that Cosimo was destined to be Florence's leader from the beginning.

(grand ball room)

We sat in the grand ball room after the tour was over to rest from our previous day's hike. Its amazing how sore you body gets climbing over mountains. 

Not as many secret passages as I had expected but the history of Cosimo Meddici was well narrated by our tour guide as well as comprehensive explanation of the secret rooms/passages.

We exit the museum into the court yard and eventually into the plaza where we blend with the mob of tourists and soak in the day.

(the plaza outside the museum, look at them tourists)

We withdrew some cash from Banca Toscana then had lunch at Il Cavallino, a sidewalk cafe on the Palazzo de Signoria. I had some delicious lasagna and Brenda had some healthy food (I'm sure not as good as my lasagna)

 

(doesn't my lasagna look yummy)

(what a beautiful bride I have)

A nice stroll after lunch is always a good idea. We visited Ponte Veccio, a bridge crossing the Arno river. The bridge has shops lining the sides of it, once shops of butchers (tossing remains off the bridge) then shops of gold dealers during the Medecci rule, now they're lined with jewelers. It was in the "guide" book to visit but I'm not sure why, I wasn't too impressed by it, What they failed to mention is that above the shops is a secret, enclosed walkway that Cosimo used to go from his residence to parliament without having to mingle with the public.

(the Arno river)

A little exploring across the Arno river before our next sight, the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi museum is gigantic and to make it worse it seem like it was on every tour company's itinerary for today. It had some very nice works of art and we tried to appreciate all of it, but after two hours our feet had enough. Gelato would be required!

(the hearing room where public pleas would be heard)

(the massive fresco in the hearing room)

(the chart room: maps of the world from the period, earth really was flat back then)

Where does someone find decent gelato in Florence? We leave the Uffizi museum and get some gelato, small size. We walk another fifty feet, another gelato place, another ten paces, gelato. I haven't found any BAD gelato place yet (I will keep looking). The answer to where someone can find decent gelato, everywhere! The Italians love their gelato and so do the tourist.

We rest our weary feet before going to dinner, a quick check with google fit and we discover that we have walked over five miles today, just above 17, 000 steps. No wonder why our feet are tired.

We had a recommendation for dinner from the Hotel folks. They recommended a place around the corner named Academia Ristorante. We look at the place up on Trip Advisor to read the reviews, the place had good reviews so we decided to try it. We had the mushroom strudel appetizer which was delicious. Brenda had the chicken Parmesan and I had the Florentine steak.The food was delicious and the service was great. I will be adding my review on Trip Advisor.

 

(my meal on the left her meal on the right)

Delicious meal and exhausting day, good night Florence.

Vernazza and Monterosso

Tuesday, June 23, 2015
We slept in late either by design or pure exhaustion from mountain climbing the day before. The farmers have shown up today lining the streets with fresh produce. We help out the local economy by purchasing some fruit and pastry for breakfast. We find our corner of Vernazza and enjoy our breakfast watching the tourists rustle by.

A little strolling around Vernazza after breakfast to explore the charm the city has to offer and also to people watch. It was fun watching the tourist near the ferry launch watch the waves crash against the rocks, because they would get caught off guard when a big wave would crash and splash them with water, we knew better than to get to close to the crashing waves.

(watching the tourist get wet)

 (Vernazza plaza)

 (the view from the ferry launch, away from crashing waves)

Against our better judgement we decide to take the coastal walk to Monterosso. You need a ticket to walk on this "walkway", the train station sells them. We inquire with the person in charge of information, "is this walkway easy or like the 531"? He laughed and assured us it was nothing like the 531, easy walk with little ups and downs. So on that bit of information we decide to do it. It should take one and one half hour to complete according to literature, signage and locals. I'm setting my timer, its 12:35pm ....

 

(left: ticket for coastal walkway, right: coastal walkway trail marker)

The hike to Monterosso was not as bad as the hike the day before, yet we still had to walk over a mountain, but the views has more coastal scenery.

(Vernazza in the background as we ascend)

(still ascending with Vernazza in the background)

(some of the coastal views with Vernazza still in background)

(finally over the top we can see Monterosso in the distant)

(a view of some of the stairs climbed on the "walkway")

...3:05pm we arrive in Monterosso, that is two and one half hours AND the Italians lie! That was a frickin hiking trail NOT a walkway. Tired, thirsty and distrustful of Italians we rest our dusty selves at El dorado wine bar for food and drink. I had some tasty lasagne and Brenda had pizza. 

 

(left: my lasagne, right: Brenda's pizza)

Feeling refreshed we are now able to muster the energy to explore the town before catching the train back to Riomaggiore.

The 5:30 train seems to be the popular train for tourists leaving the Cinque Terre area, as we stopped at each town on our way back to La Spezia, more and more tourists kept boarding the train.

(our ticket from Monterosso to Riomaggiore)

In La Spezia we had an hour before the train arrived so we pick up some of the national bread, focaccia. This will be dinner, the train departs at 7pm and travel time is three hours, I feel certain we will not find any place open at 10:00pm. The sixteen minute walk from the train station to the hotel should be interesting. I'm half way expecting to see Phil Keoghan from the Amazing Race at our hotel steps to announce, "...you are the last team to arrive".

The historic Florence area was shutting down when we got off the train, but the rest of Florence was just getting going. We had some gelato on our walk from train station to the hotel, its what you do in Italy.