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Thoughts and threads of passion and experience that have woven the fabric I call my life. Sharing experiences, memories and ideas so that they are out in the world for you to find when the time is right.
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 The intricate detail on the carvings at St Francis Basilica in Assisi Great day, but long and busy. We were up and going shortly after 6am to get packed and head over to the Hotel Diana to leave on our 4 day tour. The last legs of our journey through Italy, heading north to eventually end up in Venice. We got going out of Rome about 8 am, after loading all the tour participants from 3 or 4 different hotels, 37 folks in all. After about an hour, we had a pit stop at a little roadside cafe that looked like it had the most amazing pastry. Sadly I wasn't ready to eat any more after having had the hotel breakfast prior to leaving. I still regret that missed opportunity, it looked so good! Our first stop was at Assisi where we had the opportunity to tour St Francis Basilica. We had the opportunity tour of both the chapel and the crypt where he is buried. It's amazing to see the response of dedicated Catholics at his tomb, almost 900 years after his death. I was truly moved by their passion and love for the man.  Horse and rider in the gardens of St Francis Basilica, Assisi We ate lunch at a great little restaurant in town, then carried on where our next stop was Siena. There we had a 20 minute walk to get to the Middle Ages town square, and had another hour or so to tour and relax. We decided not to go to the museum, instead enjoying our time in the square, taking pictures and exploring the courthouse. Finding wine corks representing the area to add to our collection, we went and had a couple of drinks at a cafe that offered free wifi. Deciding to have a bite to eat there, we ordered an appetizer that we assumed to be a 'fondue' of some sort, based on the name 'fondue' but what we got was a plate with arugula lettuce covered by some mild meat, maybe pastrami, with some cheese melted on. It wasn't what I'd expected, and the dish didn't do anything for me, but the bread they served with it was great. Nice, white crusty bread. Another reminder that we should have learned more Italian! Upon leaving Siena we carried on for our first night's destination as we headed on to Florence.
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 "What a wonderful privilege to have the weakness of a man and the serenity of a God." After lunch, we continued the tour, but it was already almost 4 and decided we'd had about enough bus riding and touring, as my foot was starting to throb after my attempt at jogging last week (really, who did I think I was kidding :) ), and Cecil was still not feeling 100%. We checked out a few of the shops closer to our hotel, went to the rooftop bar for a drink, then headed out to explore the route we'd need in the morning so that we would know where we were going the next morning to catch the tour bus.  Fountain in the square For supper we wandered just a little further down the street from where we ate the previous night. We found another little restaurant with tables on the street, and opted to dine there. I'd say it was likely one of the best meals we'd, Cecil having a Sicilian Salmon dinner, and I the lasagna. As the place filled up and got more crowded, a couple were seated beside us, almost elbow to elbow. As we began to talk to them, we realized that they were from Kenora, Ontario! They knew so many of the people we know there...it was a little freaky! We met more neighbors in one day in Rome than on any trip to Winnipeg! We enjoyed an hour or so of great conversation with them then headed on our way.  View from our rooftop bar at the hotel. By 8:30 our day had caught up with us. We headed back to our room for an early night to be ready to be at Hotel Diana by 7:15 the next morning. Part of us felt guilty that we were not out exploring more of the sites and sounds, but the reality is that there are just more people, honking horns and rushing cars than we can handle more of for one day. That one of the challenges of being a hill billy in the twenty first century. We'd never seen so many tour buses coming and going from any city we'd been in before, and the sheer number of tourists was mind boggling, considering it was the last Friday afternoon of September. Not at all what I would consider the busy season....so I wondered what the busy season was like here! I still regret that we only had one day here to explore, because I am sure if we didn't have to cram it all into one day, we'd have seen so much more, but I felt blessed that we actually had the chance that we had. To see for ourselves, as much as we did, while we both have the good health to enjoy it. What a Great day.  The Roman Colosseum Got up good and early, feeling that the sooner we got going, the more we might see. We hadn't even got across the street when a young woman selling tickets for the hop on/hop off tours managed to grab us. It was what we'd already made the decision would make the most sense to us, so we got started by 9, being jostled by dozens of other tourists waiting for the buses. Why did I ever think I was the only one that might want to tour Rome? Our first stop was the Colosseum, where we decided to sign up for a tour by someone who could explain it all to us. It was absolutely amazing to be standing in what's left of the building where its estimated 700,000 people lost their lives in the 400 years it was actively used. What was most amazing, that most of those lives were sacrificed in the name of entertainment. What a structure for what was available 2000 years ago. It was amazing to see and walk through. As we were waiting for the second tour to start, the folks we were touring with began to gather, and I heard one of the fellows say he was from Brandon, Manitoba! Talking to some girls from Calgary! To come so far away and be bumping into people that live an hour away! Crazy! The tour included a later tour of the birthplace of Rome, the Forum and the place where Caesar was murdered. We were walked through the area by a man named Paul who originally came form Denver, Colorado. He'd been in Rome 13 years, studying the history of the birthplace of civilization, and brought much of that history to life for us with his knowledge and his stories. As we sat on a broken piece of a marble column, listing to his tales, we realized that this could easily be a column that Julius Ceasar might have brushed against himself, in his days leading Rome. Crazy to think about, to be in these places that have been part of every history lesson we had growing up as children.  The tour included a later tour of the birthplace of Rome, the Forum and the place where Caesar was murdered. We were walked through the area by a man named Paul who originally came form Denver, Colorado. He'd been in Rome 13 years, studying the history of the birthplace of civilization, and brought much of that history to life for us with his knowledge and his stories. As we sat on a broken piece of a marble column, listing to his tales, we realized that this could easily be a column that Julius Ceasar might have brushed against himself, in his days leading Rome. Crazy to think about, to be in these places that have been part of every history lesson we had growing up as children.  We found the bus after that, and made our next stop the Vatican. After a long walk from the bus drop off, through the dozens of peddlars trying to sell you their wares, we ended up in Vatican City. One of my fondest hopes had been to see the Sistine chapel, and the statue of David, but the line up of people heading into the Vatican Museum must have been well over 500 people long, and stretched around the entire outside of the circle enclosing the Vatican. I am sure had we decided to push through for the museum tour, we'd have waited in line for 3 to 4 hours, and with that many people ahead of us, I am not sure what we'd have even seen inside. So we made the decision to let it pass, and started making our way back down to the bus stop. We were both getting pretty tired from all the walking, so decided to stop in one of the restaurants on that strip for a light lunch. The prices definitely reflected the tourist area we'd wandered into...but they had chairs, bathrooms and water. I was willing to pay for that! 
Our last glorious Otranto Sunrise
We started our last morning in Otranto with another sunrise. On the way down to the sea we came across a snail edging along the sidewalk. Cecil picked him up and took him down to the water with us. Spiritually and symbolically speaking, the snail symbolizes steady footing and stability. They carry their homes upon their backs which is symbolic of carrying our security in our hearts. Not only sure of foot snails are also symbols of slow and steady progress. Stability and success do not appear overnight. Rather, success usually comes at a snail's pace.
The snail shell symbolizes the perfection of nature’s creativity, which is also echoed in mathematical fractals (repeated patterns). The spiral shape of the snail shell is symbolic of the labyrinth. Interesting at this time in our lives. The orange tabby cat that lives here at the resort came down to the water with us that last morning as well. He's been our companion on a few of our early morning ventures. I hope he finds others to accompany when we depart. On our way back to the apartment we came across another snail going the opposite direction. Hmmmm. 
One of the snails that we found on our morning walk to the beach. I am always curious as to the messages nature is sending to us through her many creatures.
We returned to the apartment to clean it up and get on our way, ensuring that we'd allow more time to make our way to Brindisi and our next challenge, which was to find our way to the rental drop off and get our train to Rome.
Following the route laid out by the GPS, we made our way though and around lazy little towns in the hot, dry sometimes barren southeast corner of Italy. We arrived at Brindisi with plenty of time to kill, so we made our way to the Roman Archaeological museum, near the port. We didn't' realize that it was so close to closing for siesta, but they were good enough to let us in, and allow us the time that we wanted to look over the artifacts, many dating back to BC. It was an amazing opportunity to explore our known histories beginning. Finishing at the museum, we made our way to the train station and the Maggiore car rental, to drop of the little fiat 500. We got our bearings and headed out to find a place to grab a bite to eat. We ended up at the only pizzeria that we could find open at that time of day. Not sure what some of the ingredients listed were, and both feeling too tired to be too adventurous, we settled on Hawaiian pizza...who'd have thought...in Italy! I am sure that the Italians just cringe when that is ordered, but I was longing for a taste from home. It was only the third pizza we'd had here, but by far my favorite...with a lite covering of ham, fresh pineapple and a hint of curry. Upon finishing, we headed to drop the car of and begin the long wait at the train station, for our train to Rome that wasn't scheduled to leave until 17:13. Luckily there was no end to the people to watch around, as we put in the next couple of hours. I will admit though, in the time we were waiting, we both found ourselves feeling vulnerable for the first time since our arrival (well, other than at the hands of the crazy cabby on the way to Maratea). As we put in the hours waiting, there were a couple of fellows that seemed to be hanging around the station just watching for opportunity, rather than a connection or a person to pick up. It was just our intuition, but we both felt our radar on high alert with them. Luckily it wasn't a feeling we experienced again on our travels. I was glad when the train finally arrived, and we headed off. 
View from the deck of the little beach side restaurant
It's amazing how time gets lost when there are no firm commitments to honor, but we are still bad at just going with the flow. So many years of total structure and ensuring that all the little pieces that had to be in place day in and day out were. Wish I was better at letting that go, as we spent the morning figuring out what to do when. I guess it's the only way that we can ensure that each of our hopes and wishes are being met, one way or another. My working towards learning to be more care-free continues to be a work in progress. At 10ish we headed down to the beach. I worked away at reading the rest of my book, Cec went for a long swim. I should have joined him, but the lack of hot water in our apartment was a hindrance. Salt in my hair meant a cold shower....when the breeze is cool, it dissuades you from wanting to endure that. After a couple of hours, we made our way back down the beach to the little stand that we ate at two days ago, but much to Cecil's disappointment, they were out of salmon, and instead he ended up with a panini that was filled with a version of pastrami. 
Resort pool, pristine but closed to us.
That afternoon I actually finished my book and realized it is likely the first book that I have read that is just pure pleasure and fiction in years. I am always busying my time with books on wellness, spirituality, self-help, coaching, leadership.... all of which I enjoy immensely, but none that are purely just for the quiet enjoyment that I got from this one. I loved the opportunity to give myself the gift of getting lost in a good read, realizing it's been way too long. Then I have to ask myself why? We headed over to Alimini 1 at 2pm, hoping to catch the shop that is supposed to be there before the siesta break...again, no luck. I am not really sure the shop ever really opens. It is so bizarre to us as Canadians, to imagine that as we enjoy day after day of +26 weather, they have all but closed down around here because the season is over! There were only a handful of us at the huge resort. The pool was warm and beautiful, and we'd seen it being cleaned, but it was closed to us as well. Still, I kept telling myself, "I am here, it's southern Italy, and how lucky I am." With an open mind and heart, all is well. After two weeks in Europe, I had to admit that I was missing home just a little. The family, my king size bed, my familiarity. Although I didn't feel I was in a rush to get home, I didn't feel bad about my vacation coming to an end either. I think that makes me one of the very lucky ones. 
Spectacular Otranto Sunrise
We'd set the clock for 6am the next morning, and headed down to catch the sunrise. That day we got a spectacular view, as the clouds gave way to the glory of the eastern rising. We enjoyed it thoroughly, wondering why we didn't make this a part of our day to day life, rather than a rare occasion in a distant land. It was breathtaking and much more enjoyable because we'd remembered to take our towels and sweaters.  Visiting Otranto The plan for the day was to explore Otranto. We'd been lost in the town a couple of times, but never really seen too much of it. Over morning coffee, I had read through the brochure that was given to us when we checked into the hotel, and decided to make sure that we saw both the remains of the castle as well as the Cathedral. We parked a few blocks away and were there in good time, prior to 9am. The streets were relatively calm, with many shops not yet even open as we began to explore the seaboard and the streets leading up to it. We continued to make our way along the marina wall until we found the outer shell of the castle. Once inside, it was like we'd walked into an entirely different town! The streets became even narrower, lined with shop upon shop selling all manner of souvenirs, jewelry, shoes, clothing, pastas and breads. There was little you couldn't find there, although many of the restaurants and shops were still closed. We walked to the end of the castle walls, then made our way back, stopping to check a few of the many shops for souvenir ideas, and local crafts. Pottery is a huge thing in the area, and many of the shops had walls and walls of cute chubby little pottery people, dressed in every kind of apparel. They were adorable, and several caught my eye, but the worry about how to get them home with out having them shatter convinced me to leave them where they were.  The entrance to the Cathedral in Otranto After finishing most of the first street's sites, we took a walk upward, on another narrow winding street, not knowing where it lead, but curious to continue exploring. Half way up or so, we realized that we had found the Cathedral that I'd read about. We entered in, and found ourselves in a beautiful ancient structure. There wasn't a clear indication as to when it was built, but the Pantaleone Mosaic on the cathedral floor was to have been done by a monk from the Abbey of San Nicola di Casole between 1163 and 1166. His artistry depicted life of all kinds from that period, both mythological and real, as the floor was covered completely with symbols, animals, humans and what is likely the 'Tree of Life'. How painstakingly patient he must have been to place the tens of thousands of tiny tiles in their position as he created the artwork that remains today. When the Turks attacked Ontranto on August 14, 1480, many women and children took refuge in the Cathedral we stood in, but history tells that in the end the sanctuary was invaded, and most were killed. Over 800 people died trying to defend the town from the invasion, and in one small room on the right side of the church, glass cases house the bones and skulls of many of the murdered people, the men, women and the children. It's a chilling reminder to all of the brutality of war. There is an eeriness to spending time in such a place, as you think about the horror of their deaths, the lives unlived, the centuries between then and now. This is but one reminder of atrocities that have been committed when men pit themselves against men. You can't help but think about how the spirits of those who died live on in the history and architecture of this town, and so many other ancient towns like it. It's a reminder of the shortness of life...both theirs and our own. It makes you want to grab onto life with both hands and hold on tight, as all to soon it will be over. 
Bones behind glass
I was left wondering how many dreams were sealed behind the glass with the bones of the dead. Then I had to ask myself what dreams have I put behind glass, not allowing them to breath and come to life. How long will I leave them there stagnant and protected, before I realize that the days are long, but the years are short, and the clock continues to tick. What dreams do you have tucked behind glass yourself? When will you take them out, dust them off and bring them to life?  While travelling, I am glad I made the choice to relax and enjoy the wines of the areas after a year of not consuming any alcohol. We are back into wine country here, wine and corn fields...lots of them, just as in Switzerland. I really must google and see what all the corn here is raised for...it's a bit of a mystery to me, but my guess is to feed the cattle to produce the milk for cheese! I am so happy to finally be getting this opportunity. Its been a long time coming, and really just so hard to believe that we are finally here, and still asking myself, what is it that has always drawn me to want to explore this beautiful part of the world. Why has Italy always called to me, when so many other places on the map never have? I wonder if maybe the next few weeks will answer that question, as I wander and explore, and we gather this experience together. We made it to Maratea...by the skin of our teeth. Our train broke down in Sapri, and when i looked at the map it was closer to go from here Maratea than our planned stop at Scalea and back to Maratea was. We had time with the breakdown to go and find out that we could get a cab here for 40euros, about the same as trying to arrange train and cab when the train was fixed so we opted for that. The view between there and Maratea was breath taking, but the ride was death defying! Never have I ridden in a vehicle with a driver that was so prone to attempting suicide on every hairpin curve and bend! The ride over was approximately 30 minutes, but it was hard to tell when you're hanging on with white knuckles, looking over the cliffs to the sea below. The direct switchbacks along the road were endless, and our cab driver was not opposed to pulling out and passing the vehicles that were going a shade slower to him at any bend in the road...and there were many, many bends! I was very surprised to see that we made it safely and in one place, although to the wrong place. We ended up at the top of the mountain at the Ritz! It's another hotel with the same name as ours, but several hotel standards above with marble floors and 360 degree views of the sea below. Didn't take too long to see that we were in the wrong place, but fortunately they sent the hotel van to take us down to where we were meant to be. We arrived at Club Residence Pianeta Maratea, a large sprawling series of apartments in a timeshare area. We got checked in with little problem,but unfortunately, everything here is stairs...which will be fine when we are not toting our luggage up the miles of stone steps to get us to our little bachelor pad. Of course I tend to view everything through the disability lens when I'm travelling...knowing what would and wouldn't work with the experience we lived. This would not work if your mobility is an issue, that was for sure. There is nothing fancy about the unit, in fact it did look a little tired and worn. However, we must admit, the place was chosen because it was close to water and was within the limited amount of points we had with our timeshare, so it's not expected to be a 5 star. That said, it does have everything we need right here...pool, laundry, travel centre, mini-mart, restaurant and bar. We ventured down for supper when we got settled, to find that they didn't start serving until 7:30 after the staff had eaten. So we settled in for a wine and beer and relaxed with the amazing sunset that I was unable to capture as I left my camera and phone in the room. I had a 'special pasta' with tomato, mushroom and bacon sauce, while Cec enjoyed the grilled seafood entre. Mine was okay, his was very good, although not too filling, but the piece de resistance was ending the meal with a Sicilian Canolli...now that was amazing! Our meal including beverages, came to only 40 Euros. We ventured over to the mini-mart to get a few supplies. They have a butcher on hand, with many cuts of dried/smoked meats, as well as olives and cheeses. we ended up with 4 bags of food that included 6 beer and a bottle of wine for 38 Euros, less than expected for sure as we really thought that the onsite store would be much more expensive for sure! When we later looked at our bill, we realized that the 250ml of Pepsi was our most expensive purchase! Costing more than a litre of white wine, and almost as much as 4 Peroni beer! Who'd have thought! We climbed the many steps back to our apartment, managed about 30 minutes before we fell into bed. Except for the leg cramps from lack of drinking water the sleep was wonderful, and caught up on about 9 hours! Yay  View from the train on our way to Maratea, Italy It was our second last train of a very long day. We left 7am in the morning and with an estimated arrival in Maratea about 8pm. It has gone well. The first train change was more than a little nerve wracking as we really didn't know if we had it right or not. We only had 20 minutes to find the next one, but we did it! On our way to Scales, I became a little nervous again as it looked like we would have to go past Maratea and double back. It was a bit of a rush and an adventure, not knowing if we could make ourselves understood when questions arise. As we rocked along the sun shone a brilliant blue on the water to our left. This is the sea that I had dreamed of seeing for so long. There have been beautiful views to the east of us, but there has also been a dry dirtiness in much of what we saw. Farmland, more than I ever imagined, with big round bales of hay, and combines working in the field. That was so not what I expected to see...but another surprise. Things became greener as we made our way south. The train stations were an interesting shock to us, so much active conversation, the excited Italian voices raising above the whir of the trains, and lots and lots of smoke. We've become used to having so many places where you can't smoke, but that is not so the case here. At every stop, cigarettes light up immediately upon departing the train, and the waiting lines are full of the strong, pipey smell of the many cigarettes that people inhale deeply, obviously enjoying. There also seem to be so many dogs on the platforms. I am surprised, as I don't imagine taking my dog on a train ride would be all that much fun, but many seem to do it here. What a different world from what we are used to at home! How wonderful to get to explore it!  And now....Finally, Italy. We have been on the train for almost 1.5 hours, leaving the mountains in the north, and about to enter Milano. The terrain has changed. The trees, lakes and rivers are beautiful, and much like my imagination said they would be. The houses we have seen along the way, so much different than the homes on the Swiss side of the mountain...definitely what we'd call a Mediterranean look to them. I am tired from the late nights and early mornings, but soo excited and happy that this dream is realized. After the last few days of hiking and walking with Cecil, I am glad that we are doing it now, as i wonder how much longer his lungs will allow him to enjoy this sort of travelling. He's struggled a couple of times with his breathing and his knees are causing him greif. For my own part, all I can say is thank goodness I lost the weight that I have. The walking has been slow with my dizzy glasses, but easy in terms of how I feel physically. What a treat to just enjoy seeing so much without the side effects that the extra 70 pounds had. LIFE is GOOD.  Sailboats on Lake Geneva Winding our way back around Lake Geneva, humming 'Smoke on the Water' all the way, we eventually ended up in France, at a small town called St. Gingolph for a dinner of perch and fries. The fries were the best I think I have ever eaten! Fresh, tiny and cooked perfectly as the waitress dished out portions from a large heated tray on our table. The starting salad was fantastic. Like all the salads we'd had since arriving, presentation is everything, with each vegetable laid out separately on your dish, in an effort to please the eye as much as the pallet . Two bottles of wine later, we made our way home, heading to bed to prepare for the next busy day. It may have only been for one dinner, but I am now able to say of the places I've been blessed to experience, France is among them! Who would have thought! |
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