Milano. Meh.

Incredible view of the cathedral in front of dark stormy skies

When Brian and I went to Milan (Milano) in 1994, we really didn't know what to expect.  Or, to be precise, we expected it to be like Rome or Florence, which of course, it isn't.  It's a business and fashion center and many of the buildings of any real historical significance were bombed in world war II.  We didn't have a great time there.  

But, this time around, I wanted to try it again.  I wanted the boys to see a different view of Italy than we had been seeing - and that famous gothic cathedral is just really, really cool!  But, unlike the other cities we planned to see for one week each, we chose just three nights in Milan.  That would allow us to pack in fun stuff and leave with a different impression than I went with.  Or, such was the plan, anyway.  

We arrived late in the day, having spent the day with Alessia's family in Mantua (Mantova) and getting myself a new "do" at the hair salon (parrucchiere).  Our apartment was amazingly spacious and also quite unpleasantly musty smelling.  We set out to find dinner and ended up eating at the McDonalds on the piazza with the cathedral.  Not bad - a sort of fun experience but not exactly stellar.  

What came from there was 2 days of some sort-of fun experiences, but a lot of stuff closed.  We didn't get to see the marionette theatre or the science and technology museum, as they were both closed (the marionette theatre, perhaps permanently).  I painstakingly researched restaurants and found a really neat sounding trattoria only to find it wasn't open on Sunday nights and was completely booked Monday night.  

In addition, our last day involved a super-frustrating wild goose chase to find a place to clean our clothes or have them cleaned.  Apparently, in Lombardia, the region within which Milan exists has outlawed commercial water-based washing machines.  You can get your clothes DRY CLEANED with chemicals but having WATER used is clearly dangerous to the environment.  My Italian is not good enough to get a sufficiently acceptable answer to this strangeness.  But, it's a new enough phenomenon that the apartment we were staying in did not have private facilities for us to use, either.  Apparently the only way to get commercial wash done is to send it out, but with us arriving late on a Saturday and leaving early on a Monday, this wasn't an option for us.  We eventually found a very nice lady who took our wash (only charged us 6 euros for it) and pointed us toward a pretty good gelateria.  All's well that ends well, but sheesh!

On the bright side, we did eat some super-delicious piadini, a local specialty (pictured below) and took the double-decker tour bus which Sam had been begging to ride one like it since Rome (also pictured below).  Milan also can boast giving me the only moment in Italy when I was actually cold.  

Piadini (with bresaola on the left and spicy salami on the right)

Happy Sam on the top level of the tour bus in Milan.  

So, Milan, I say "meh".  Maybe some day I will return to you for business and some colleagues can show me what I missed.  Twice.  Until then, parting is not such sweet sorrow.  

A Night at the Opera

We are not "opera people".  We don't dislike it, but we also don't go out of our way to see it.  But, when planning for this trip, I learned that Verona had an arena where they staged operas.  We were intrigued.  

"L'arena di Verona" was originally built in AD 30 and used for games and shows.  The outer facade was damaged in an earthquake in 1117.  During the Renaissance, it began to be used as a theatre and after, in the 1850's, some operatic performances were mounted there, owing to its outstanding acoustics.  In 1913, the 100th year after Verdi's birth, seasonal operatic performances commenced and were performed every summer except for 1915-18 and 1940-45 due to world wars.  The amazing acoustics allowed operas to be performed without amplification until 2011 when an "electronic sound reinforcement system" was installed.  Whatever that means...

So, even though we did not originally plan to go to Verona on our trip, we couldn't help but notice that Verona was an easy 1.5 hour train ride from Venice.  We planned a one-night detour.  We ordered our tickets for Don Giovanni and packed them carefully away in our luggage.

As it happened, when we were in Venice, we felt like a full week there was more than we wanted and so, instead of Venice to Verona and BACK to Venice, we stayed in Verona an additional two days.  But, the first night was THE OPERA!

Brian had already returned to Philly, so Alessia, Sam, Nate and I dressed up (as much as we had packed for!) and had a dinner at one of the restaurants at Piazza Bra'.  We all had "fancy" cocktails together and a delicious meal.  A word about our surroundings: At the Arena, they produce 6 different operas during the summer and the production changes nightly.  The arena stage is huge and the set pieces for each production huge to go along with it.  The arena has a backstage area, of course, but not enough space to store the set pieces for the 5 productions NOT being performed each night.  So, all around the Piazza Bra' and the perimeter of the arena are huge set pieces from Aida, Romeo and Giulietta, etc.  It was a very cool, if odd, reminder of the workings behind the illusion.

After dinner, we bought seat cushions and found our seats (which, indeed, did need cushioning!).  As much as I had prepared the boys for how to behave during an opera, we did get a couple of "shussh"es until they (Sam, mostly) understood quite what it meant.  The production was beautiful: costumes, set, lights, voices and even acting were wonderful.  The opera started at 9:00 p.m. and ran almost 4 hours so, no, we didn't stay until the end.  And I do wonder how much the boys got out of it.  We certainly could have gone without the boys, but I am happy we shared the experience with them.  Next opera will be easier!

Verona non-opera-related post script: Verona turned out to be the city with the BEST prosciutto crudo we ate in Italy.  Even though Bologna is much closer to Parma than Verona is, this was consistently true.  Verona is also where the boys got (great!) Italian haircuts and Sam chose an Italian-style swim suit.  We peeked at the balcony of Juliette but thought it to be "meh"

Glass Tour in Murano

We had a wonderful opportunity to take a private tour of Murano island.  Having, myself, used murano glass in my jewelry when I had my business, Eclecticat, up and running, I was particularly interested in the beads, but, of course, it's also an amazing educational experience for the boys.

Venice has been a glass-making city for a LONG time.  The glass factories were moved off the island of Venice to Murano in 1291 for fear of fires.  We visited the Signoretti factory (http://www.signoretti.it/) and were able to observe in one of their 10 studio areas where three guys (the master and two apprentices worked) were working to make an amber-colored chandelier.  The apprenticeship period is 15 years and while there are no laws about it, glassmakers are only men.  There are some female designers and finish-work artists, but none who blow glass.  In the past, the glass masters were required to live on the island of Murano and if they were caught having shared any secrets of the factory they worked in, their tongue and one hand would be cut off in punishment.  Serious business!  While we were allowed to take pictures in the workshop, we were not allowed to click away in their showroom.  You can see some of their work if you follow the link above.  There are approximately 400 glass factories on Murano and SERIOUS competition between them.  However, their greatest threat, I heard, is from China where they are getting pretty good at making copies.  

While the majority of the time in the workshop we watched the master and apprentices at work making a chandelier, they did pause at the end for a brief demonstration.  One of the apprentices took a lump of molten glass and sculpted it into the shape of a horse in a matter of seconds while we watched.  You can see the video here.   Then we walked through their showrooms with jaws dropped.  While not all of it was to our tastes, it was all amazing!  I bought a beautiful set of glasses with a pitcher which is being shipped home.  At the end of the tour, Nate was searching for some souvenir that he could buy.  Our tour guide said he would be happy to give us one of the horses that they make in the workshop for the tours.  Wow!  We were amazed!  The catch was that they will not ship them.  They are too fragile to be shipped safely and we must hand-carry them.  He actually gave us three of them as we have two boys and one spare in case of breakage.  With 11 days and 3 cities left in our trip we were really nervous but also thankful so took them gratefully.

At the very end, they offered the boys to try blowing glass!  We went back into the workshop and one of the apprentices drew a chalk circle on the floor for each boy, in turn to stand in.  Check out the videos here and here.  I'm so proud and amazed!!

At the end of it all, the only disappointing thing  is that I didn't get to see any beads being made nor was there an opportunity to buy any beads.  Alas...

Venice - The Vegas of Europe?

None of us had ever been to Venice before. Brian and I both had some preconceived notions about what it would be like: crowded, smelly, expensive and maybe a little bit tacky.  Other than smelly, it DID live up to these expectations, but it also has great value that makes it one of the worlds most visited places.

It occurred to me while we were there that Venice might be a little like how I think of Las Vegas.  Unique, beautiful (in it's own way), crazy, gaudy, full of tourists, and, while it is possible to do inexpensively is usually extremely expensive.  They are both places of which one can grow weary quite quickly - and many don't find a need to visit more than once in their lives...

Our trip to Venice was much like our trips to other cities, in particular because we didn't really do all the usually touristy things one "must" do.  We didn't go to St. Mark's cathedral, we didn't stand on the Ponte Reale, we didn't gamble.  We did a few touristy things, though.  We took a gondola ride with the boys, which was (while very costly) super fun, picturesque and interesting.

What we did mostly, though was walk.   We walked and walked and walked. I had read that letting yourself get lost was the best way to explore Venice - and so that's what we did.  The "streets" in Venice are really so difficult to explain.  Some times there is a sidewalk along a canal and some times there is not.  I'm sure the map-makers have done their best, but it's an exercise in letting-go to try to follow a map in Venice.  Not everything is represented on the map.  Perhaps much like taking off one's watch during vacation, it's best just to think, "We'll get there eventually."  There are bridges everywhere, from tiny to huge and when walking you can find sections with lots of tourist shops and then isolated sections where you wonder, "who lives here...?"

We were so lucky that the weather cooperated - the weather was in the high 80's for the time we were there.  After having seen only weather in the 90's during the first 6 weeks of our trip, this was a great relief.  The apartment, being on the 3rd floor didn't stay in the 80's, but after we figured out how to manage the combination of windows, fans and mosquito deterrent plug-ins, we were happy there, too.  Though, maybe if we ever return to Venice we would stay in a hotel.  :-)

Having been there makes me so curious.  How did this strange place "happen" and why?  I mean, I know a little of the story but not much.  I will definitely be learning more about this unique, beautiful, odd island, even if I don't feel the need to go back.

Museo Galileo

I know it would not be everyone's choice for a trip to Italy, but other than the climb to the top of the Duomo in Florence and the search for Brian's extended family, I have not been inside a church while here.  It is not something that is interesting to me.  I know I'm 'supposed to' want to and there's a lot of 'important' art, but it's not for me.  

World Map 1457-1459

What is for me and what we were all very inspired to see was the Museo Galileo in Florence.  And, it's a little poorly named, as far as I'm concerned because it has so much more than the scientific offerings and discoveries of Galileo Galilei.  The museum has exhibit areas in the subjects of astronomy (of course), time, globes, maps, navigation, the biological world, electricity and chemistry to name more then a few but certainly not all.  Having been to a few 'hands on' science-based museums in California, Pennsylvania and New York, it was awesome to see the actual models, representations and tools used by scientists, some times hundreds of years ago to explore, discover and teach.

In addition to the cordoned-off and behind glass items of historical significance, there was a section much like the Exploratorium in San Francisco where scientific principals were demonstrated through hands-on displays.    This allowed the boys an opportunity to really interact with at least some of the ideas they saw but could not touch.  And, finally, they have a fantastic gift shop and library with many books about science for kids of all ages and in multiple languages.  

Brian and I left inspired to create, teach and raise our kids to question and explore.

Etna - The Young Volcano

We were staying on the northwest part of the island and this island is BIG.  So, the fact that I wanted to see Etna, both for myself and the boys, was rather inconvenient.  It's a 3 hour drive each way.  We had discussed getting a hotel for one night, but decided the logistics just weren't worth it.  But, how many times in a lifetime do you get to see an active volcano?  Not many - or any for some.  So, bright and early one morning, we loaded the car with fully-charged iPads, headphones and snacks, stopped at the awesome neighborhood panetteria, got cornetti (like croissants but typically filled with cream or jam) and hit the road.  It's mostly autostrada driving so no confusing diversions and a pretty straight shot to Catania on the southern side of the volcano.  

We had arranged for a 1/2 day 4WD tour of the volcano through Etna Adventure so we were met by our guide, Francesco.  Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, but is considered a relatively young volcano at only a half a million years old.  It sits atop the African and Eurasian continental plates which makes for some serious drama when those plates shift.  For the kids benefit, I asked Francesco to tell us his "credentials" and how he became a volcano tour guide.  He had grown up in the area, learned English and German in school and, because the economy made it so difficult to find work, especially in Sicily, a friend and he started this business.  They taught themselves about the volcano, its history and environs.  He was a great guide, very patient with the boys and took time to explain more than just the volcano, but how plants recover from eruptions, which grow first and how long it takes a flow area to reforest after an eruption.  

Etna has six distinct craters at the top and also more than 300 vents on its flanks or lateral craters.  While the eruptions from the top are more dramatic, the lateral craters create more threat to the population of the surrounding towns as they can occur quite low on the volcano.  We saw evidence of one of the most recent major eruptions in 2002-2003 which destroyed a small hotel and numerous other structures.  We were able to stand atop this flow and view the remains of the hotel. Most of the other structures were made of wood and were completely destroyed.  

The boys were a little disappointed not to see any red-hot lava. (!)  While we usually do a good job preparing them for new experiences, apparently they had a different idea of what to expect...  For me, I was awed by the volcano itself and glad to have the experience.  And I, for one, was GLAD to not see any red-hot lava!

Thanks Chiara! Recommendations From a Native

I am lucky enough to have been studying Italian in Philadelphia at the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia with a great teacher, Chiara Montera. Chiara grew up in Florence, went to Liceo Classico (the most 'hard core' of Italian high school types) then university and now teaches Italian at Temple University but also makes time for the likes of me.  As it happens, in a major strike of fortune and coincidence, Chiara was scheduled to be in Florence (Firenze) at the same time we were, so we were able to meet for caffè one of the first afternoons we were there. It was great to be able to chat with her in her own town and catch up on my learning process.  We have plans for how to proceed when we are all back.

But the other amazing thing that happened is that Chiara sent me a long and wonderful email list of recommendations: breakfast, lunch and dinner places, stores, sights, and of course, gelato. Here are a few of her recommendations which we experienced:

Breakfast: Scudieri in Piazza S. Giovanni. I went here once to pick up pastries and coffee to bring back to the apartment and another time we all went and sat outside.  The pastries and coffee were fabulous, but the cost to sit was a bit highway robbery so I don't recommend that (and neither did Chiara, to be fair!)  Next time, if we are on the way somewhere, we will simply find a place in the shade of the Duomo to sit and eat.

 Lunch: Del Fagioli on corso Tintori a few minutes from the Uffizi.  We went here twice and we'd go again tonight if it was possible!  The first time we arrived, we were hot and grouchy from a crowded experience at the Uffizi and this restaurant doesn't have the typical tables spilling out into the street.  But we went in anyway.  The staff was not only friendly, but clearly loved what they did and loved the food they served.  To us and to others they responded to questions about the dishes with more than cursory answers - they oozed from their person the reasons why each dish was on the menu.  We ate gnocchi, ravioli, a slow-cooked beef filet and polpette (meatballs).  The second time was with Ale (she had stayed at the museum the first time) and we shared this place with her.  Together, the 5 of us shared a giant and beautiful grilled steak which was perhaps one of the best we have had.

Dinner: we had three dinners on Chiara's recommendations...
Trattoria Nella on via delle Terme near piazza della Signoria.  We went here twice also (noticing a trend about Chiara's recommendations?  The two guys running the place are clearly brothers and were very warm and friendly, especially to the kids.  The food was fantastic and we tried a couple of their specials each time we were there.  Fabulous.  Coquinarius on via delle Oche is a wine bar with great food.  Chiara had told us to ask for Nico who, if I understood her correctly, had been the best man at her and her husband's wedding.  Nico was not there but the young woman serving us went from polite to over-the-top and effusively happy/enthusiastic/excited to know that we knew Chiara and Chris!  We ordered a mixed antipasti platter which was outstanding and a variety of other pastas and dishes.  We drank a delicious white wine which they had recommended and generally felt so happy to have been to there!  

Gelato: Gelateria de' Neri on via de' Neri was delicious.  We have certainly become gelato snobs here in Italy but I would certainly put this toward the top of the list.  Boys had stracciatella and cioccolato (almost 'the usual') and I had mint and chocolate.

We will most certainly keep her email and hope to use it again for more experiences in Florence!  Grazie, Chiara!  Un giorno se tu e Chris andremo in California, spero a darvi una lista similare!