San Gimignano...and Tuscan Sun!! May 22nd

It looked like it was going to be another miserable day - raining again when we got up.  We were determined to continue with our plans and headed off to San Gimignano.  A short downpour when we arrived and then the sun came out!  Finally I was truly in Tuscany!

San Gimignano delle Belle Torri (San Gimignano of the Beautiful Towers) is a lovely medieval city that originally had over 70 towers.  14 of the 13th and 14th century towers still dominate the skyline today.

Steep streets (and no escalators) and narrow little alleyways make it a delight to explore! 

There were many shops lining the streets as well as the weekly market. We picked up some new potatoes, asparagus and fava beans for our final Tuscan dinner tomorrow night. 

There were some very unusual shops too!  See the boar at the doorway?! 

Another shop had one standing guard as well!  We will be sure to lock our gate tonight if this is what is in the woods around our cottage!!

With narrow streets, steep hills and limited space, most vehicles are compact and easily maneouvered.  We have seen a lot of these little guys zipping around!  Love them!!  Dad's thinking of getting one when he gets back!

One of the highlights of the town is the Collegiata church. (The market blocked exterior shots and no photos were allowed inside!) It is very plain on the outside but, like the Basillica in Assisi, it is the frescoes inside that take your breath away.  14th century depictions of events from the Bible line both walls in rich pastel tones.  The vaulted ceiling is a deep blue with stars.  Except for the frescoes, the rest of this church was also dark and austere.  A pleasant change after all the gilt and gold of some of the cathedrals we've seen!

We enjoyed a delicious late lunch at a restaurant on one of the piazzas.  Mom had truffle ravioli with walnuts which she graciously shared with Dad and me!  I enjoyed my risotto with mushrooms and some bruschetta while Dad had some Italian sausage and beans.  Despite the large meal, we were still able to walk across the square to the "world champion" gelato shop.  It was a winner in our books and topped off another perfect day!

And there, just down the hill from the town was my dream field of poppies!  Life is good!

Vienna - 1938-1945 May 13th

Today seemed to focus on the war years and the effects on Vienna and its people - especially the Jews. We began our day by going to "The Gates of Violence" - a monument against war and fascism erected near the Opera. It is a dramatic sight on its own but the history makes it even more powerful. It was built on the site of an apartment building that was bombed during the war. An unknown number of people were killed while taking shelter in the basement and their bodies were never recovered.

The marble used to create the sculpture was taken from the quarry near Mauthausen Concentration Camp (the same quarry where camp labourers were forced to enormous blocks of marble up uneven steps) Images of slave labourers, gas masks and clubs have been carved into this marble and on the ground, between the "gates", is a hunched over figure - a Jew forced to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti from the pavement with a toothbrush.

I find the flowers left at these monuments and memorials especially moving. Who left them and why? Was family lost in the Holocaust or is a survivor remembering the horrors?

We then went to the Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna. An enormous collection of religious artifacts was gathered by a man who lost his entire family in concentration camps and is now on display in the museum. A very informative audio guide detailed the various Jewish celebrations and the significance of these artifacts. Many of them were looted from synagogues and Jewish homes by the Nazis and have been recovered and preserved. Some were even charred from the destruction of the pogroms.

One floor was dedicated to Jewish musicians from the war years. Several emmigrated to the US and made great contributions to the Hollywood movie industry.

The local synagogue was only open for guided tours once a day so we headed there. Except for the sign, one wouldn't know there was a synagogue in the neighbourhood. This was the due to an ancient law stating that only Catholic churches could be free-standing structures. All other religious institutions had to blend in with other buildings in their neighbourhood. As a result of that law, this was the only synagogue that was not destroyed by bombs during the war. Of 59 synagogues once in Vienna, this is the only remaining synagogue.

A terrorist attack in the 80's has increased the level of security here. No entrance without a passport and our bags were searched and scanned. We were questioned as to whether we were given anything to carry in, did we have knives or other weapons...an indication that despite the memorials and museums, things have not changed.

Inside, the synagogue is spectacular. It was designed by an architect who also designed theatres. He applied the same concepts to this building - balconies, a stage-like altar, domed ceiling and colour and light. Magnificent! And again, memorials to all those lives lost in concentration camps. Never forget.

Photography was allowed inside the synagogue but not facing the rear of the sanctuary. I couldn't figure out the reason for this but someone asked and we learned it was for security reasons - so no one could record the entrances and exits!

In a square called Judenplatz, (the site of the 15th century Jewish community) stands another memorial.

It is a concrete box designed to look like a library turned inside out - the spines of the books aren't showing. It honours the 65 000 Austrian Jews who were killed by the Nazis and the names of the concentration camps where so many died are engraved in the platform surrounding the building. The books symbolize the Jews as a "people of the book". It is intended to make one think about the loss of culture and knowledge and potential during this period in history.

It was a thought provoking day but not without its light moments! We were walking through the U bahn station at the Opera and came upon the bathrooms. For .60 euro, you can use the toilette mit musik! Not sure what you paid for since we could hear the opera music in the hallway as we walked by?!

We also managed to see Hofburg Palace - a vast complex of buildings including the Imperial Apartments, the National Library, the home to the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Austrian president's office and several museums.

The Spanish Riding School is also there and we saw some of the famous Lipizzan horses in their stables.

We also saw the cafes where Freud and Trotsky used to sit and drink coffee and think! (This is Cafe Central where Trotsky and his cronies would meet.)

It is a city full of a richness and history that makes Canada seem pretty insignificant! And so we leave Vienna and Austria. It is certainly a country I would like to revisit someday. Tomorrow is our longest travel day - 10 hours on trains! We will take the U bahn (subway) out to the train station to catch the 7:40 a.m. train from Vienna to Innsbruck (so an early morning!) then have a brief wait until we go from Innsbruck to Venice. We will arrive in Venice at 6:30 - a nice time to float down the Grand Canal enroute to our hotel!

Cortona - "Under the Tuscan Sun"?! May 19th

The sun broke through a couple of times today but it was raining again by the afternoon!  We got a good start though and drove to Cortona (5 km from our cottage) to explore that village.  It sits high on a hill and is an impressive sight from a distance. 

It is also the first village I have seen that caters to the out of shape tourists by having ESCALATORS to carry them from the parking lot to the main part of the village and back!! (This is NOT an out of shape tourist on the escalator now!) I don't know if they are a result of the movie ("Under the Tuscan Sun") or just an added luxury/convenience but it seemed to be greatly appreciated by some of the American tourists we met!   

It is certainly worth a walk to get to the top though!

Even with the escalator, the streets are steep and uneven with the old cobblestones and one gets a good workout just "wandering". 

Despite the overcast and drizzly weather, Cortona still struck me as one of the prettiest (and most affluent) villages I have seen. 

Its history dates back to Etruscan times and there are ancient tombs to be seen in the area.  We visited one on our way up to Cortona and had a picnic lunch in the olive grove where the tomb is located. 

Cortona has a definite medieval flavour with the old stone buildings, the piazzas and the narrow streets and alleyways with their window boxes and flowerpots...and laundry! 

 

Via Janelli is a street just inside one of the gates that has medieval houses that are some of the oldest in Italy.  The cobbles here are particularly uneven - worn by how many generations of feet!

We took shelter from a brief rain shower in San Francesco church.  It was built in 1245 by Brother Elias who succeeded St. Francis as leader of the Franciscan order.  It was a very dark and simple church with some large Renaissance paintings along the walls as the only sign of opulence.  No photography allowed inside!

Lots of little shops to explore and some lovely pottery made in the area so it made for a relaxing afternoon. 

We were on our way back up the mountain to our cottage when we met a large tractor pulling a load of logs!  The road is barely wide enough for one vehicle and there are no shoulders - just a ditch - so I really had nowhere to go!  I tried to back up to find a spot to pull over a bit but with no luck.  I got out to talk to the man - no English for him, limited Italian for me!!  He told me something (in Italian) and gestured but I had no clue what he expected me to do - short of backing 3 km back down the mountain!  Finally he got out of the tractor and came to the car.  He reached in and turned the steering wheel then said, "Avanti!"  I'd move a bit then he'd reach in and turn the wheel again and gesture and tell me something?! until finally I figured out just what he was expecting me to do.  I didn't have to go 3 km but I did have to back down the mountain a bit into a more open area.  He got back in his tractor, shouted "Grazie!" and happily drove off!!   Hopefully this will be our last encounter with traffic on this stretch of road?!

Tuscany - May 17th/18th

Tuscany and Provence were the first "dream" destinations when I started planning this trip 4 years ago and I have finally spent time in both places!  I think Cottage Contadina here in Cortona was the first accommodation I found so I was quite excited to finally be arriving - and I wasn't disappointed!

We travelled from Venice to Florence and then Florence to Arezzo to pick up our rental car.  There were masses and masses of poppies everywhere - along the train tracks, on hillsides, in ditches and I finally saw complete fields of nothing but red!  Gorgeous! 

We picked up our rental car in Arezzo and drove to Castiglion Fiorentino to meet the owner of the cottage - Alberto Biliotti.  He was the epitome of an Italian male - lovely! - but unfortunately wasn't part of our rental package!  He told us that the route to the cottage was "a bit windily" so he would lead the way.  "Windily" does not begin to describe it!  We turned onto a very narrow "path" and drove for about 5 km never knowing if someone or something would be coming at us around the next corner (and there were a LOT of corners!!)  I had requested that Alberto not go too fast but I still lost him a couple of times.  We climbed and climbed and twisted and turned for what seemed like more than 5 km!  We finally stopped at a cottage perched on a hill with a spectacular view of the Tuscan countryside.  It was everything I had dreamed it would be! 

The cottage is a restored stone farmhouse with terracotta floors and beams on the ceilings.  It is surrounded by forest and Alberto warned us to keep the gate closed - wild boar tend to roam at night looking for food!  The birds were singing and we even heard a cuckoo in the woods.

My bedroom has French doors that open out onto a patio looking out over the forest. and reminds me of the bedroom in Under the Tuscan Sun!

  I slept well - especially after one last look at the fields and the lights glittering far off in the villages below!

Sunday morning was overcast and there was rain but we had planned to sleep in and spend the day doing laundry (hung outside when the rain cleared), reading travel books and just enjoying the peace and quiet after so many weeks in noisy, busy cities. 

Venezia! (Venice) May 14th/15th

Venice certainly wins the award for "best trip from train station to hotel"!  We walked out the front door of the station to be greeted by the Grand Canal - gondolas, vaporetti and atmosphere!  The other cities we have visited were sometimes "just cities" but there was no confusing this as any place but Venice!

We got the #1 vaporetto and cruised as far as Rialto Mercato - the Rialto Market.   Our hotel was just around the corner.  Pensione Guerrato was built in 1289 and was used as a convent until 1748 so elevators were not a convenience included in the building plans!  60 stairs up to our room but we are fit and healthy so not a problem!  And we had a view of church steeples and the rooftops of Venice!

We headed right back out to find some place for dinner.  Again, right around the corner was a piazza with tables for several little restaurants that line the canal.  An amazing meal at twilight on the Grand Canal in Venice.  Life doesn't get much better than that!!  

I had a crepe like pasta (cresselle?) stuffed with swordfish, pine nuts and raisins and topped with an artichoke sauce.  It was delicious - and the surroundings made it an even more special meal.

We walked back to our hotel just as the sun was setting.  The church bells were ringing, gondolas were floating by and we were in Venice!

We slept a bit later this morning to make up for some very early mornings!  A leisurely breakfast in an elegant dining room to the strains of opera music!  How will I ever go back to toast on the run!

What a difference morning made to the area around the hotel!  We stepped outside to the hustle and bustle of the market...set up right along the canal!   The stands that stood empty last night were overflowing with fruits and vegetables and fresh fish!  Anything you could possibly want was right there - and so were the pigeons!

Stalls lined most of the streets and alleys in the area and we browsed the shops as we made our way towards the Rialto Bridge.  

Venice may be easy to navigate by canal but the streets twist and turn and sometimes even having a map is not much help!  There are signs pointing towards the major attractions so that does help!  We wound our way towards  St. Mark's Square.  It was another of those "turn the corner and WOW!!" moments!

I thought there had been a lot of people in the streets we'd travelled so far but the population on the piazza far outnumbered the streets!

The Basillica is an eclectic mix of Roman arches, Byzantine mosaics, French Gothic pinnacles and onion domes!  Marble from all over blankets the building and frescoes adorn the fascades.  If one gets tired of people watching, hours could be spent just taking in the detail and design here!!  HUGE lineups to get in and only a certain number are allowed in at a time.  We had "places to go, things to do" so opted out of that experience!

The Doge's Palace was home to Venetian rulers for four centuries (1150-1550).  It is a Venetian Gothic building sometimes called "The Wedding Cake", "The Table Cloth" or "The Pink House".  Again, lineups and a gorgeous day, made us decide to forgo any tour!

On to The Bridge of Sighs.  Prisoners who were sentenced in the Palace were supposedly taken over this bridge on their way to the prison.  They took one last look at Venice and sighed!

We walked along the Riva - the promenade - and observed the action there!  One interesting sight was the hawkers on the bridges and along the promenade.  They were selling knockoff designer purses, belts, sunglasses etc.  At one point, we noticed they were packing up their wares.  A few minutes later, two policemen came by and as we moved down the street, we saw the hawkers setting up once again.  In moments, the steps of the bridges were covered with purses and business continued?!  Quite slick!  There must have been a spy somewhere!

We found a boat tour to the islands advertised for the afternoon.  A quick gelato stop at one of the restaurant patios on the promenade then onboard for our tour.

Murano was our first stop.  It is famous for its glass factories.  Due to the dangerous furnaces and to protect Venetian glass secrets, a law in 1292 restricted glass production to this island.  An artisan demonstrated the art from the oven to the final product - quite an amazing process. 

 

We were then, of course, taken to the showroom!  Incredible pieces of all sizes, purposes and prices!

Dad's grandmother, Granny Chambers, came to Venice as a nanny for the daughters for a wealthy English aristocrat, Sir George Farrar, in the last decade of the 1800's.  She told stories of her adventures in Venice to her grandchildren so visiting Venice is particularly special for Dad.  She was a proficient lace maker using the traditional bobbin.  Our visit to the island of Burano, known for its lace making, was reminiscent of her skills.  We were fortunate to see a woman making pin lace - (RESEARCH THIS!!!!)  One piece would take several months to complete and is a dying art.  Exquisite pieces were available for purchase but were almost too delicate to use!

Burano is also famous for its colourful homes - painted in bright colours to help the fishermen find their way home!  

Burano also has a famous leaning clock tower!  It's leaning...because it's sinking?!!!  Who needs Pisa?!

  A visit to the island of Torcello - famous for being the beginning of civilization in this area as refugees escaped marauding barbarians!  There is a 12th century church on the island - a 10 minute walk from the dock.  Since we only had 30 minutes on the island and didn't want to spend 20 of it rushing to get to the church and back, we sat on the dock and enjoyed the views and the glorious weather!  Several people almost missed the boat so I'm glad we stayed put!  One couple did miss the boat in Burano!  Fortunately, the vaporetti stop by on a regular basis so hopefully they made it back to the mainland.