2 Countries
9 Days (7 on the ground)
2,056 Miles
72 Hours driving time
11 Restaurants
16 Bakeries
5 Gelatarias
1 Ice cream shop
Couple housekeeping items:
Driving: trips to Ireland, North Ireland, England and Wales provided getting used to a gazillion roundabouts and narrow, twisting road that routinely have greatly varying changes in elevation. And this also verfied the need for a small car with stick. In Italy throw in INSANE drivers. I noted:
• Don’t look when merging
• Those lines on the road are a suggestion
• Pedestrians need not look to cross the road
• Moped and motorcycles zipping around like a swarm of bees
• Tailgating is accepted and expected
I took it all in stride and did a great job; compounded by not being able to read signs! Yes, I can negotiate a roundabout with 100 cars while eating a banana and fiddling with the radio.
Gushing: A common thought, “I can’t believe I’m seeing this.” Cliffs tumbling down into blue waters. Ancient countryside villages. The sheer magnificence of nature. So let’s get out of the way the volume of visual intrigue and continuous charm.
Saturday, May 26th, 2012
Milwaukee to Atlanta and 10 hour flight to....
Sunday, May 27th, 2012
...Venice
They say you never forget your first trip down the Grand Canal. This backwards ‘S’ intersects the island.
You crane your neck around every bend anticipating another fascinating view.
Smaller canals branch of into a spiderweb of streets.
The famed Rialto Bridge. And lots of tourists.
If that tower looks familiar Campanile di San Marco is a copy of the one standing in front of The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.
Along the southern edge of the island.
Headed east where it was more desolate and enjoyed the meandering alleys and canals.
Headed back to the busy area.
Best gelato. Ever.
Dinner was Spaghetti with Cuttlefish; a Venetian specialty. For bakery there were those things I love and more gelato.
At the end of the Dorsoduro area looking across at San Marco.
Monday, May 28th, 2012
A combination of being an early riser and jet lag had me running at 2AM. No tourists!
Since it was too early to grab a water taxi it took an hour to walk across Venice to the car park at the foot of the bridge from the mainland.
Aimed the car NW to Padva and then west to Verona, the fictional setting of Romeo and Juliet.
Turned south to the food mecca of Parma for a Sfogliata Cotto E Squacquerone which included Parma’s famed prosciutto cotto.
Maranello. Any true car aficionado’s heartbeat just fluttered. Home to the prancing horse since 1929.
Their museum has 3 galleries so it’s small in size, but substantial in monetary and historical value.
Enzo, one of 349 built in 2002. Value? Around $1.5 million.
Before the trip I was able to reserve one of 10 spots for the factory tour. This is only the second time I’ve adhered to the no pictures allowed rule (tomb of the Popes under The Vatican). This aerial shot shows the expansive campus which was surprising large considering this is a low volume marque. It was absolutely captivating to see this celebrated facility.
You can drive exotic cars elsewhere, Vegas comes to mind, but a chance to drive a Ferrari past where it was built!?!? I had to go with the best of the current models and possibly the best Ferrari every built- the 458 Italia.
How's this for a view?
Notes on the unforgettable drive:
• I thought I knew what ‘it corners like it’s on rails’ means. Now I really do.
• No body roll, no oversteer, no understeer, flat, solid.
• Takes off like a rocket
• Precision steering
• Stops on a dime and gives you 9 cents change
• Please send $250,000 so I can get one
Sant’Agata Bolognese is quite a mouthful for such a small not-on-the-map town, but famed for the cars whose models carry the names of bulls.
The entrance to the Lamborghini offices.
The Lamborghini Museum is just 2 floors with historical and concept models
Bologna’s architecture was bold and hefty overseeing a busy centro (city center).
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
Headed south from Bologna to Florence while busily deciphering traffic signs with my English to Italian dictionary.
It was fitting the first stop in Florence was San Lorenzo central market. (Kiwi Muffin)
This renaissance city had enchantment around every corner.
The apples make it good for you. Pizza from a salumeria.
The 13th century Piazza Santa Croce.
European cities always have wonderful pedestrian streets.
Ponte Vecchio opened in 1345 and has housed only jewelers since 1593.
Piazza della Signoria
The Duomo, built from 1296 to 1461, has a powerful visual impact.
After sprinting the 463 steps to the rotunda the reward was a panorama of red tiled roofs.
Cereali- whole grain. See it’s healthy then! Really. More gelato.
Moving SW from Florence the terrain quickly changed to those rolling hills Tuscany is known for.
Sienna is a large fortress city on a hill.
Piazza del Campo is distinctive from its fan shape.
This pizza place was chosen from witnessing the crowd of local kids earlier. No touristy place for me!
Drove south for 300 miles to the Amalfi coast.
Wednesday, May 30th, 2012
As typical in Italia a road appearing to be one lane is actually 2.
Along the Amalfi coast they wind around cliffs and jagged hills with every turn revealing another panoramic view of a town spilling into the aqua waters below.
The unique atmosphere is compelling as you witness towns competing with nature to have perches to view this beautiful coastline.
Amalfi
Rounding the peninsula from Sorrento drove through the current town of Pompeii to the ruins.
Ancient Pompeii had a population of 10-20,000 over its 160 acres.
On August 24th, 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted preserving the city under meters of ash.
It was quite humbling to walk these pavers imagining sandals striking this same stone millenniums ago.
Amphitheatre held 20,000 spectators.
The baths have recently been reopened.
The most power of Pompeii images are these residents frozen in anguish
A stretch of the ruins houses artifacts and even more mummified remains.
It took an hour and 45 minutes to drive the 15 miles from Pompeii to Naples.
People say Naples is dirty and dangerous. They are wrong. It is also harsh, overcrowded and unappealing.
But this city invented the pizza so I sought out the 142 year old coveted Da Michele.
Pizzas cook in 3 minutes in the brick oven.
Went with the Margherita whose mozzarella (white) San Marino tomatoes (red) and basil (green) represent the Italian flag.
Drove for 5 hours back to Tuscany.
Lodging in the famed Tuscany region had to be a bed & breakfast. My charming room had a terrace with the view of the upper and lower towns of Colle Di Val D'Elsa.
Thursday, May 31st, 2012
Had the upper town all to myself on the morning run.
The morning sun was beginning to burn the dew of the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Had the perfect alignment in the 3rd century BC fortress town of San Gigagnamo.
Perfect weather and at the 7AM hour was able to amble about watching vendors set up for the day.
Outstanding flaky pastry with goey center. I asked the nice the nice lady to pick her favorite sandwich for my breakfast.
Followed the curving roads out of Tuscany which matched the undulating terrain covered with orchards and vineyards.
Headed NW to Pisa which was an inviting town. But do you really want to see that?
Completely tourist. But TOTALLY COOL.
Town walls encircle Lucca’s miles of cobblestone streets.
It was a delightful town to stroll the ancient stone streets wondering what the next bend would bring.
Tidy shops appear frozen in time. Piazzas bring expansive openings to the narrow passages.
Bridges forging valleys and tunnels piercing mountains headed northwest with the autostrade following the curve of the Mediterranean.
Portofino’s gentle curve of colorful buildings bordering a harbor just radiated class.
Portofinesi- apples make it healthy. Really.
Ritzy towns anchored in time along the Italian Riviera.
Genoa was home Christopher Columbus and today its major ports front a sprawling city.
Got out of that insanity and headed north towards Turin.
Tonight’s lodging was on a lake in Avigliana.
Friday, June 1st, 2012
Wide pedestrian boulevards crisscross Turin.
And are intersected by cozy alleys.
Both broken open with expansive Piazzas.
I love these things.
Milan is another sprawling city whose non-descript outskirts (not pictured) diminish as you get closer to the centro.
A trip goal was a Panino from an authentic place and I hit gold with a salumeria that was making these sandwiches in the back. Salt on the focaccia was brilliant when you consider how salt brings out flavors. All the ingredients melded for a tantalizing myriad of fresh flavors.
I’ve been in my share of malls, but nothing matches the 19th century Galleria Vitttorio Emanuele.
The gothic Duomo was built 1386-1809 and its marvelously intricate façade contains 135 marble spires and 2,245 marble statues.
Milans famous fashion district is within quadrilatero della moda.
Time to head out of Milan.
Proceeded northwest to start seeing the Lakes Region starting with Lake Maggiore.
Stressa
It was a continuous display of indelible images.
Baveno
Cannero Riveria
Crossing the border into Switzerland the towns immediately become tidier and drivers exhibited courtesy.
This is some town in Switzerland.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012
Morning run through empty Como and around the lake of the same name.
Drove north along Lake Como once again marveling at the overabundance of charm around every curve.
Bellagio is named after the hotel in Vegas.
The tidy town tilts down to the water.
Textbook perfect Meringue from a crisp exterior contrasting with a chewy inside. Bisciola is the bread of Bellagio and at 6 euros ($7.80) the most expensive bakery I have ever bought. And come to think of it that matches the price of a gallon of gas. (1.75 euro per liter)
Looped south around the lake, through Beragamo (left) and then to Simrione (right) which sits at the end of a 3 mile long by a stone’s throw wide peninsula on Lake Garda.
With the terrain growing each kilometer it took a couple hours driving north on the autostrade to the Dolomites.
From being so close to Austria and this region being part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI there was a definite Tyrolean feel.
Heading east off the autostrade the twisty roads took longer from all the Kodak moments.
The scenery was surreal. Pictures will NEVER do it justice.
Towns are as you’d imagine in Germanic mountain terrain.
Bare rock towers.
Even with towering mountains the sensation of vastness was consuming.
These mountains make our Rockies look like hills.
Cortina is the grand dame of the Dolomite ski resorts.
It’s easy to imagine the vitality of ski season in this active summer town.
The apples make it healthy. Really.
Sunday, June 3rd, 2012
10 hour flight from Venice to Atlanta, 2 hours to Milwaukee.
Arrivederci Italia!