Travels with the Clarks

ITALY - PART DEUX

2010-08-18T20:55:00.006-05:00

O.K., now where was I? Oh yeah, we'd just gotten to Rieti (pronounced Ree-ay-tee). I was sort of backed into the decision to go there. Susan really wanted to spend some time in a small town, in a villa preferably rather than a hotel, in other words, someplace different - very different.

Our friend Nick Beaudin's cousin just happened to own a place in scenic Rieti province, Italy. You're probably seeing where this is going by now, but just in case you're not - we rented the villa for 5 days in early June, and with one minor exception, it was fantastic! The exception was the fact that the place was at the bottom of the hill, which under normal circumstances would be a good thing for an old guy like me, with bad knees. Sadly, one enters the village of Paterno at the top of the hill! I calculated that had there been stairs, instead of steep paths, there would have been 155 of them.

The view at the left is that from our patio (or is it veranda?). It was one of the most pleasant parts of a fairly long trip, but this wasn't even the best view from this spot. Of to the left, about 10 kilometers away was a national forest with the letters D V X formed at the top of the mountain. The initials are actually a representation of the name DUCE - for Benito Mussolini!

With Paterno as our base of operations, and a small red rental car as our chariot, we took on the highways of Rieti and Tuscany, and more importantly the drivers of those provinces. Despite what Susan thinks, I'm a pretty good driver, and I'm much more cautious when driving in Europe than I am in the U.S. - an actual defensive driver! Who'd have thunk it?

Defensive driving in Italy involves having right side tires over the white line at the shoulder (for British readers, switch sides). The proper defensive move is to get as far on to the shoulder as you can, slow to a crawl and pray!

IT WAS A GREAT TRIP, WHAT'S NEXT?

2010-08-04T20:41:00.007-05:00

Last time, I speculated about the upcoming trip to Italy and points north. Not too much turned out the way it was planned, but it was a great trip nonetheless!

Highlights? Way too many to list them all. We left Chicago on June 1st and flew to Rome. You can't do much in Rome with just two days, but we caught a few of the touristy things including the Trevi Fountain (above). Our hotel, the Concordia, was midway between Trevi and the Spanish Steps. Most of our full day in Rome was spent between the Pantheon (right) and the Vatican City. For a first timer in Rome, I was blown away by the Pantheon. It's not much from the outside, but inside it's simply amazing. We walked to the Vatican, taking back streets and meeting a few incredibly nice people, including the waitress from Sardinia in a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant just west of the Pantheon. By the way, she really didn't care for the Italian President - Berlesconi.

The Vatican was a really unique experience. They have the art of moving people down to a science. Those of you who know me understand that I absolutely hate standing in line. Imagine thousands and thousands of people trying to get into St. Peter's Cathedral at the same time, and all of them ahead of me! Suffice it too say, even I had no complaints about how fast we got inside.

The artwork was fascinating, and the cathedral was huge. I had borrowed a book years ago from a friend of mine in Springfield. The book, entitled Basilica detailing the building of St. Peter's, the intrigue, the fights but it really helped me to appreciate the magnificence of this landmark. And this is just the first two days....19 to go.

On Friday morning, June 4th, we caught a commuter train to Fara Sabina in Rieti province. We had rented a house there with the help of our long-time friend Nick Beaudin. Nick's cousin owned this place in Paterno, a town about the size of our block at home! The couple that serve as caretakers/tour guides, Susan and Bruno Micocci were great. Susan met us at the train station, and took us across the street to the car rental place. Since the rental place had no one who spoke English, Susan was a godsend. Driving in Italy, was something everyone should do once, but never have to do twice. It is written that Italian drivers believe that it is not only their god-given right to ride your bumper, they believe that it is actually required by Italian law!

Our first night in Rieti was highlighted by a cooking class in Fara in
Sabina, not to be confused with the train station 10 miles away. Our chef Mauricio was really enjoyable and taught me a lot, and even showed Susan a few new things. Maybe I am biased but the food was pretty good.

Next time: The rest of Rieti, Assisi, Florence, the Magnani Papermill and Lake Como - and we're not out of Italy yet!

IT'S NOT THE GRAND TOUR, BUT...

2010-02-14T09:28:00.002-06:00

It all began about three years ago, when I foolishly asked Susan where she'd want to go if she could go anywhere! I didn't like her first two answers (Singapore and China), so I kept pressing until I got a better answer.

As fans of TV's Rick Steves, the PBS Travel Guy, we agreed that a trip to Italy, including the Cinque Terra, was our perfect trip. Well, the trip is on, but the Cinque Terra may be off. Come June, we're off to Rome and end up three weeks later in Denmark (or Sweden). The specifics of the trip are Top Secret, which means we haven't figured it out yet. As of this morning, we'll travel to Rieti, a small village northeast of Rome. We'll rent a villa there from a relative of a friend. Day trips to places like Assisi, Perugia and La Specia are certainly on the table.

From there, we could travel to Florence, Pisa, Milan, Luganno and Zurich, as we wend our way north. From Zurich, one of our favorite cities to visit, we'll probably fly to Oslo or Copenhagen. Eventually, the plan is to take a combination of trains and boats to Bergen, Norway and from there the fjord trip to Flamm. Susan has taken the trip once before and thoroughly loved it.

The itinerary is not set, but it promises to be great fun. Interested? Then join us.

FRANKFURT & POINTS WEST

2009-02-15T14:46:00.006-06:00

We just recently returned from a short trip that included Germany, France and Luxembourg. This time we tried a slightly different model for travel - it involved limited use of road maps, no GPS, and where possible no hotel reservations! It was an incredible way to travel... not a good way, but incredible nontheless.

We did have a reservation for several nights when we first arrived. We traveled up to Koblenz, Germany - a spot that we had briefly passed through 35 years ago. Back then it was cold, wet and I was sick. This time I wasn't sick. We did have a chance to walk down to the Deutchen Eck, or the German Corner where the Rhine and Mosel rivers come together.

The following morning we drove up to Cochem, which is supposed to be the most picturesque spot on the Mosel. Our hotel was right on the river, and it was really nice. Would have been even nicer if anything had been open in town, or if the car park was a little closer to the hotel. It was six block straight uphill through really narrow streets.

We chose to drop the car at the Frankfurt train station the next day, which on paper looked pretty good. Finding the station was actually pretty easy, finding AVIS at the station - not so easy! We finally found the office and got the car returned in time to get taken for a ride - literally and figuratively by a Frankfurt cabbie.

We were in town for a trade show - Paperworld at the Messe Fairgrounds. This is a truly impressive facility. Ten multi-floor buildings each floor probably in the area of 100,000 square feet. We spent parts of four days on mostly one floor of one building!

On Tuesday morning we set off for the train station again to pick up another car, only to be told that we had to go "downtown" to get it. How much more "downtown" can one get than the Central Train Station? Fourty five minutes after arriving, we drove off in out rental car bound for La Barouch, France. I dare you to find it on a map without Googling it! Five hours later we slid into town, halfway up the Vosges Mountains outside of Strasbourg, France.

Susan had e-mailed the hotel ahead of time to see if their restaraunt would be open. They replied that while it wouldn't, several others would be open in town. Well, as we went out for dinner with our friend Maria Pfaff, we came to realize that perchance our hotel had erred - there was nothing open. We finally found a pizza place open in an even smaller town 15 miles away.

On our way back to Germany to fly home, we decided to head back by way of Trier, Germany and Luxembourg. This is where the no resevrations came into play, and it wasn't fun. We did find a hotel in Trier that was convenient to the Autobahn (and nothing else!). It was affordable, but bore a striking resemblance to a flop house. We chose to go elsewhere, and headed into the city center - specifically towards the Porto Nigra. We found a great hotel and after only 40 minutes managed to get to it.

Turns out that Trier is a pretty interesting place, and we'll try to get back there for a more complete visit - maybe even in warm weather. Our trip back to Frankfurt was highlighted by a very quick side trip to Luxembourg where neither Susan or I had been before. Because we had plenty of time, we took mostly back roads and really enjoyed a relaxing ride.

It was a successful trip and we managed to survive the lack of reservations etc. Next time, oh heck, next time will have its own set of challenges which we'll deal with. I'm already looking forward to it.

TRAVEL IN THE INTERIM

2008-11-14T19:49:00.003-06:00

While the trip to Italy is still in the works, the world must go on in the interim. We were blissfully planning an idyllic trip to the Southern Hemisphere that could have included Australia, Hong Kong and Hawaii, when we received an e-mail from one of our favorite suppliers asking us to consider meeting with their staff at the Paperworld show in Frankfurt in January. January in Germany?

We'd done this a few years ago, and Susan and her sister did it last year, so it's not unprecedented - just cold. The skiiers out there would probably be drooling at the prospect, but alas I cannot really get into that mindset. Besides, very little skiing gets done in Frankfurt these days.

The Paperworld Fair is truly amazing! Numerous huge exhibit halls are located just outside if the city center. The Frankfurt commuter trains routinely stop at Messe, and a train pass comes with the Fair registration. In addition to the art materials sections, there are separate fairs for Beauty Supplies, Office Supplies, Christmas materials and who knows what else.

A few years ago, when I went with Susan, we were walking the show one day, and kept bumping into an acquaintence who became a greater pain in the %&^ with each meeting! When I saw him coming down the aisle late in the afternoon, I'd had all I could take of him, so I ducked into the first booth that I could, and pretended to be interested in their products!

It wasn't too long before I realized that I actually was interested in some of their supplies, and a serious conversation began about the brayers and hand tools. The acquaintence is long gone from the art materials industry, but we're still selling the German Brayers and tools. Sometimes you just get lucky.

FLORENCE

2008-10-25T22:28:00.006-05:00

I intended to write this a long time ago, but a variety of things have intervened. First, let it be clear to the casual reader that a trip to Italy prior to 2005 ranked in my top ten list of places that I wanted to see firmly in 77th place!

I went to Italy with all of the enthusiasm I would have mustered for a trip to the dentist for a root canal. In reality a root canal would probably gotten a slight edge.

Susan backed me into a corner and pride would not allow me to admit that my not wanting to go to Italy was keeping her from returning to a favorite place. I have to admit that after 31 years of marriage, I had really screwed up! We first travelled to Venice (see the earlier post on Venice). A few hours by train left us in the middle of what could be Italy's most beautiful city. A short cab ride took us to the Hotel Pendini on the Piazza de la Republicca. We were just blocks from the Duomo and from the Ponte Vecchio.

Not surprisingly, the food in Florence was to die for. We didn't find a meal that was less than spectacular the whole time we were there. Sadly, since I don't stand in lines if there is any way around it, we missed the two treasures of Florence - the Uffizzi Gallery and the Academia Gallery - the home to David. Reservations just weren't available for either during our short stay. Next time, perhaps, a little advance planning would be in order.

As far as customers go, Florence is similar to Venice in the number of calls available. We have for many years supplied Santa Reparata International School of Art, either directly or through individual students. While making the call there in 2005, it was suggested that a distributor in Florence could be a great thing. I, of course, agreed since it would make it easier to justify a return trip.

The logical choice was Zecchi's Art Store, a stone's throw from the Duomo. We made a late evening call on our last evening in Florence. To be generous, Zecchi's staff was somewhat less impressed with us than we were with their city. They didn't yawn, or ask us to leave, but neither did they show even the remotest sign of interest either. Well, the salesman in me wants another crack at their stern facade.

Next time is starting to look like 2010, but I'll be ready to return any time...I'm a convert.

CHANGE OF PLANS

2008-05-28T20:57:00.004-05:00

Wasn't it Robert Burns who said," The best laid plans of men and mice oft go astray."? Well, it's close enough for government work. Most of you are probably aware that our travel plans are put on hold for 2008 due to a family wedding. It seems like Lizzie and Josh will do more traveling this year than Susan and I.

The big day is November 8th. Currently plans are for a wedding of epic proportions. Maybe "epic proportions" is a little over the top, but it's going to be a great time, even if it means that the trp to Italy will take a little longer to put together.

It doesn't mean that there is no travel in the offing, but we'll be focusing on the domestic side of things for a while. This Fall, it looks like North Dakota (mid America Print Council), Tennessee (college reunion which I swore I'd never go to) and hopefully New England (some long overdue sales calls) are on the top of the list.

Regular trips to Springfield and Washington, DC are soon coming to an end (January 9th to be specific), and our lives will soon be our own again.

Nonetheless - keep thinking about joining us in Italy. We'll be refining the itinery until it's as close to perfect as we can get it.

MAMMA AGATA OF REVALLO

2008-03-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

The cooking career of Mamma Agata started at the young age of thirteen. She went to work in order to help her family and was employed in the kitchen of a wealthy American lady who owned a summer villa in Ravello, overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Mamma Agata’s first experience in the kitchen proved her to be a natural, and in just a few months the meals shifted from American food to the regional specialties of the Amalfi. They called her “Baby Agata” since she was so young but dedicated to her craft.

Either cooking for a large gathering or an impromptu poolside lunch, the approach was always the same. Traditional dishes with regional ingredients replaced formal ones and Mamma Agata always remembered her guest’s favorites. When Fred Astaire came to call, after a lunch of spaghetti alla puttanesca, he would waltz the hostess’s elderly mother around the courtyard. Humphrey Bogart was more reserved, and quietly ate his alici fritti while taking in the view. The pasta e fagioli was a dish exclusively reserved for Anita Eckberg, a gloriously tall woman with skin like milk. But, the favorite memory that Mamma Agata shares is that of Jacqueline Kennedy, who impressed her with “un eleganza molto simplice” an elegant simplicity that was unique only to her, enjoying mozzarella and tomato salad by the pool.

She worked until her middle twenties, when she married and had children. When her children became adults, she was sought after to prepare private dinners for politicians and writers such as Agnelli and Gore Vidal. In 1997, the idea of the cooking school was born, in order to share her many talents.

“Mamma Agata” has been the chef for many major Hollywood actors and actress, Humphrey Bogart, Anita Eckberg, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Fred Astaire, Charles Cubbon, Van Hefflin, Federico Fellini (big pasta e fagioli eater), Jacqueline Kennedy (1962 in Ravello), Marcello Mastroianni, and for important international journalists, writers and politicians such as Susanna Agnelli.
Mamma Agata Interview »

VENICE

2008-01-20T20:19:00.000-06:00

So much has been written and said about Venice that you all probably know everything about it, but if my experience is any indicator, you've hardly scratched the surface of this wonderful city. From the Rialto Bridge (left) to Murano, Venice offers unique experiences to everyone.. Susan and I spent just two days there in 2005, and I can't think of a single moment where we were disappointed.

Our trip to Venice actually began in Lugano, Switzerland early on a Saturday morning. We were told that there was no room on the train, or at the very least, no reservation available. We changed trains in Milan, and even though we had 1st class train passes, the best we could get were 2nd class seats with our reservation to Venice. The car that our seats were on was at the far end of the train, and we were late , so we jumped on the first car, intending to walk back to our car inside the train. It was a great idea, until we realized that 10 feet inside the first car, the mass of humanity standing in the aisles was not going to part for us.

Only a couple sitting in the wrong compartment who were unceremoniously moved by the harried conductor, allowed us to sit down - an hour and a half into the three hour journey.

Arrival in Venice was an adventure. Fortunately, a friend who has spent a lot of time there over the years, gave us the game plan on getting anywhere in Venice. We bought a two day Vaparetto pass which allowed us unlimited access to Venice's "mass transit" system.

The Grand Canal is Main Street, with as much traffic as any major city, except it's all boats. We traveled most of the length of the Grand Canal to get to our destination - the Academia Bridge. Our hotel, the American Hotel, was on a quiet little canal a few blocks away. The staff was great, the room was reasonable, and the stairs were numerous. The sidewalk cafe at the base of the Academia Bridge was a wonderful first meal in the city. We had a great view of San Marco (St. Mark's Square), across the canal. Walking the neighborhoods was a real learning experience. We found numerous potential customers in areas that probably hadn't seen an American tourist in years.

Sunday morning, Susan found a church that did Gregorian chants. We had to back track all the way around the city to get to it, and while the church was quite beautiful, the chants were remarkably mediocre. We met a pair of sisters, biological, not religious, from Canada who had spent some time in Tuscany at a villa that sounded fantastic. Who knows, maybe on this trip we might be able to find it ourselves.

On the way out of town on Monday, we met with our new friend Matilde Dolcetti at the Scoula Grafica. Matilde and her son run one of the most prestigious graphics workshops in Italy. Our visit was an opportunity to finally connect with a long time customer, and to hopefully cement that relationship.

Next: On to Florence

VARENNA

2008-01-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Our proposed Day 1 starts (or is it ends?) in Varenna, Italy on beautiful Lake Como. After the flight from Chicago to Zurich, a relatively short train ride to Varenna is the order of the day.

Varenna is on the Golden Triangle of Lake Como. This is the triangle formed by Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna. These three towns accommodate car ferries. Passenger ferries also run from these terminals. Varenna is the only lake side town that has a railway station, from which ferry connections will take you to the other main towns. Como, Lecco and Colico at the Lake's extremities are the others.

Varenna is the ideal location for exploring the Lake. We recommend you plan your days out by ferry and sample the riches of each town and village. No need to worry about wine or time, just eat, relax, shop and enjoy the calming influence of this beautiful lake

Varenna is the place to get away from it all, but also be in touch with the rest of the Lake. For the romantics, the historians or for those who love peace, tranquility and a history that goes back thousands of years this is the place. Varenna is an ancient fishing village with close to 1000 residents spread along a steep hillside overlooking Lake Como. The first evidence of Varenna existence dates back to 493. After the nearby isalnd of Comancina was destroyed the population increased and flourished. The warring factions, as with much of Lombardy saw Varenna at odds with Como on many occasions and the rule of Varenna pass in typical Italian family tradition from the Visconti family to the Sfondrati's. Today Varenna is a lovely spot to chill out, although be aware that shops and even restaurantsd have been known to shut for lunch, so expect the better things in life to take longer.

Piazza's, Walkways and Villa's

What is there to do in Varenna? It would be quite easy to give you a days itinerary if you wish to just visit some of these are listed below. We would however recommend Varenna as a base for exploring due to its location on the so called "Golden Triangle". Villa Monestero, which is few minutes walk from the central square (Albergo Royal Victoria) toward Fiumelatte. The villa, as the name indicates, was a Cistercian convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. It was founded in 1208 by a group of faithful followers who had escaped from Comacina Island, after the Island was destroyed during the war between Milan and Como. For more comprehensive information see this link of http://www.discovervarenna.com/ Another villa, not quite as grand but worth the visit and of historical interest is Villa Cipressi in Via IV Novembre, which also meets the waters edge! These Villas and their grounds will occupy a few hours! We suggest you stroll through the cobbled streets and explore the narrow alleys. You may even find out why people leave bottles of water outside their houses. There are a few restaurants along these streets, small, family run and with a good choice of Italian foods. For the more Pizza orientated there are two on the main square one attached to the main hotel. The waterfront in Varenna is relatively small with boats bobbing in a very small harbour area and the expected restaurant with tables and chairs covering this splendid view!You can walk to the ferry, along a wonderful promenade over the water, past a wonderful ice cream shop, the friendly ducks (check out the villages ornitholigical museum aswell) and lazy fish drifting in the sparkling water. The Ferry area is naturally less tranquil, but has some magnificient villas overlooking the wharf and its own piazza. If the ferry isn't there already, then sip a late Latte at the local cafe and soak up the refreshing lake air!

For the more athletic

For the more athletic then there are lots of walks up hills and down valleys. For example, Perledo, only a 3 minute drive is a good hike and results in magnificent views over the Lake.

The altitude also proves a bonus on blisteringly hot days. If you want to enjoy this vista at breakfast and over an evening glass of wine then try staying at the magnificient Vista D'Oro Apartments, a brand new exclusive and beautiful development on the hillside overlooking Varenna.The 7th Century Queen of Lombardy, Theodolinda lived the last years of her life in Castello Vezio, a castle, the ruins of which can be found at the top of the hill overlooking the town. This castle lent protection and thus prosperity to the locals, enhanced by the opening of a quarry for Black Marble. This marble was used for local building and was also used in the famous Duomo of Milan. You can walk up to this castle and see what remains, imagine the wealth and power and wonder at the views! In contrast one of Varenna's more famed son's, GB Pirelli, did not bring any wealth or fame home, no tires, no factories and not even a calendar!

THE TRIP BEGINS

2008-01-02T18:34:00.000-06:00

Recently, Susan and I were filling out forms for what was to us a new website - www.tripadvisor.com. During a discussion about places we have been, and places we'd like to go, we began to formulate a plan for a group trip to celebrate a milestone birthday.

As these things usually do, it took on a life of its own, so we've begun sending out rough itineraries for a trip to Italy scheduled for about 18 month from now. We don't expect that everyone will do the same trip, and maybe no one will do it all, but for the time being it'll be fun to plan for it.

So, as of today we're looking to start our part of the trip by flying from Chicago to Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich is an amazing city with great restaurants, good transportation and fantastic shopping. From Zurich we head to the lake country around Varenna, Italy.

After a day or so in Varenna, we head back to one of our favorites - Venice. We went to Venice in 2005 and were so taken by the city that we can't wait to get back, while it's above water. The trip from Venice to Florence is a relatively short jaunt by train.

Florence is one of Italy's truly fantastic cities. The history, art, culture and food are absolutely top shelf. I suspect that no one will see more than just a slice of Firenze in the 3 days that we'll be there, but it's still worth the trip.

From Florence, we're off to Rome - the Vatican City, Colisseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and about 3000 years of history. I'm really looking forward to this part of the trip - never been there before.

Next, we'll be off to the Isle of Capri by way of Naples. Susan has always wanted to go there, and where she wants to go so do I. But, the best part of the trip from her point of view may be the next couple of days in Ravello, along the Amalfi Coast. We're hoping to book a class at Mama Agata's cooking school. From the pictures at her website, it is glorious location with the opportunity to learn to cook Italian style from an expert.

Finally, we'll head back to Rome to catch a return flight to Chicago. Of course, who knows? We could head back up north to the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) in Northwestern Italy, or maybe Lake Como or, well let's save that for another day

Day 1 Travel to Zurich, Switzerland

Day 2 Arrive in Zurich http://www.frommers.com/destinations/zurich/

Day 3 Train to Varenna, Italy

Day 4 Day in Varenna http://www.varennaitaly.com/english.html

Day 5 Train to Venice

Day 6 Day in Venice http://www.venetia.it/

Day 7 Train to Florence

Day 8-9 Free Days in Florence http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/florence_italy.ht

Day 10-11 Rome http://romeitaly.ca/

Day 12-13 Isle of Capri http://www.capri.com/

Day 14-15 Ravello http://www.sorrentoinfo.com/surrounding/ravello_italy.htm

Day 16 train to Rome

Day 17 Return to US

The web addresses are listed just as starting places for you to look at - from there, you're on your own.