One of the friends I met while in Italy returned to the USA a few weeks before I did and she talked about her "re-entry". She was also away about 3 months. I think "re-entry" is the right word. When I would come home from a regular vacation, I would be a little down for awhile but then back to my routine. As with this trip, often my luggage wouldn't show up, but would finally be returned to me. So, my luggage was delivered within 24 hours of me getting home. Seymour was really happy to be home and would run while taking his walk (as far as his leash would let him), but he also learned that when he didn't want to walk anymore, he could refuse to walk anymore unless it was to my arms - to be carried! But Seymour was thrilled to finally get his chicken tenders treat again. I surely would bring a package next time!
For me, after being away for 3 months, I got used to many things that I now miss and/or want to try to incorporate into my current life.
1. Believe it or not, I miss the language barrier I often had to deal with. I smile thinking about all of the gestures I added when trying to communicate. Most people then tried to use broken English to clarify and often we ended up with wide smiles. They did appreciate me trying to speak Italian and I appreciated when they would correct my pronounciation. It was actually a closer bond than one would have by just knowing how to speak the language. But it does make me want to get out the Italian language CDs I bought (and didn't use) before the trip.
2. I really miss the espresso. The first morning back, I tried using 2 different coffee makers and 2 different kinds of coffee to get that flavor back. Neither worked. My friend told me that there is an Italian Grocery in Austin, so I will have to stock up there.
3. I couldn't find anything I wanted to eat for breakfast the last 2 mornings. After 3 months of either pasteries or crusty bread and wonderful jam, nothing else sounded good to me. I finally made a loaf of French bread with my bread maker and got some jam. It's almost satisfying.
4. I did buy some fresh pasta and pesto that I will try out. I also saw that I can make pasta with my bread machine. Will I?
5. I found some olive oil imported from Italy as well as some Modena balsamic vinegar. I made a salad last night and it did bring back some of the memories of that wonderful flavor. Their best salad had tuna fish, fresh olives, tomatoes, and a little hard boiled egg. Not really any different from what we have here, except the olives are fresh. The olives I used last night just did not taste right. I'm sure I'll get my taste buds to ge used to them again, unfortunately.
6. I really miss walking for a purpose. I miss walking to the train or bus and walking around - even lost - to see the sites. I'm not sure how I can incorporate that back in my life here. We really do need to have better public transportation.
7. I miss walking past history - old town walls, beautiful churches, etc. Just the idea of heading to the small grocery store and passing 4 century building that are still intact or have been restored, is awe-inspiring.
8. I don't miss waiting in lines for long periods of time, but I think it has helped me be a little more patient. I hope that lasts for awhile.
9. I really miss taking Seymour in to most of the places I go and people smiling and talking to him, which opened up communication between us. I almost put him in his sling to go te grocery store here, before I remembered - - -
10. I appreciated that many people opened up to me about their feelings of world issues, including how they viewed the USA. I think it is important for us to know those feelings and then try to change them. I hope I left them with some more positive thoughts of Americans. When I saw signs like "American breakfast" and "ice" - although I sometimes craved both - it made me a little sad because I think that when you go to a different country, you should try to adapt to it.
11. I really miss the price of groceries there! I came back and had a hard time putting things in my cart because they were so expensive. $3.40 for a loaf of bread when I could get a couple crusty small loaves of bread for about 60 cents. Fruits and veggies there were also much less expensive, as was good chocolate and wine. What I did miss from the USA was the variety of foods and "stuff" we have here. And I actually missed being able to run into one store and get everything I need. I also missed finding a variety of dog food and treats in the stores. I did notice that the veterinarians sold some of the higher quality dog food. But, on the other hand, it is a bit overwhelming to go into big stores with lots of merchandise now. It is brain-overload. I think that we have too much and too many choices. It ends up that we never have enough "stuff" - and I am particularly guilty of that! I hope to change that.
12. I don't miss the stores being closed for 2-3 hours during the day. I invariably goofed around enough to finally get the shops by 1:15 pm - when they had already closed. They then opened again from about 4 pm to 6 or 7 pm, so the hours weren't that long. Some of the larger department-type stores did stay open, but those weren't the ones I wanted to shop in.
13. I miss the simplicity of life; going to the grocery store every other day or so to get what you need for the short term. Seeing people out in large groups in the city squares socializing in the evenings and especially on weekends. I saw a much stronger sense of community. You often saw young people pushing older people in wheelchairs, letting them sit in the sun and watch people. I know that part of the reason for that was financial since many homes are passed down from generation to generation and they probably all live together, but it still was nice to see. I did see one nursing home run by nuns. It was located in a very nice part of town. I personally wouldn't want to have to live with my kids, but I also wouldn't want to have to live in a nursing home, so I don't have a good solution for aging.
Overall, I have many thoughts running through my head, just trying to adapt my life to include more of what I experienced in Italy. I do hope to return.
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Pompeii, 10 Tins of Dog food, a Large Bottle of Olive Oil - and a Dog - UPDATED
Just another day in Napoli. I was going to go to Capri today but decided that finding Seymour dog food was a higher priority. Since I was going to stay in Napoli, I might as well go to the train station to get my ticket to Roma. I bought a 1 day ticket for the public transportation here and decided to take the tram that stops across from my apartment. I kept watching the stops and was pretty sure I missed the one to the train station but decided to just ride the tram all the way around again. Not!
The tram stopped and the driver came back and asked what I was still doing on it. He also pointed to Seymour and I think he said dogs aren't allowed. I said I was going to the train station and long scary story later, he pointed for me to get off of the tram and get on one in front. So, I was riding on the next tram, very worried that I wouldn't find the stop to the train station again - when it stopped. There was a bus in front and lots of police and people started exiting the tram. So I got off, not sure where I was.
But I did see a small supermarket and found that they sold dog food. So I purchased 10 tins, and a large bottle of olive oil - and some chocolate. Then I started walking. After about 30 minutes, I recognized the area around the train station. Actually I hardly recognized it because in the 2 days since I had been there, they started construction there and it looked totally different. But I was happy to find it.
I went inside and bought my ticket to Roma from one of the machines without a problem. Then I decided that since I was there, I would check on the trains to Pompeii. For 6,20 euro, I got a round trip ticket to Pompeii.
When I got to Pompeii, I found that it was OK to bring Seymour in, in his "sack", which was great. But for 3 hours, I walked around Pompeii carrying 10 tins of dog food, a large bottle of olive oil, some chocolate, and Seymour. I am very glad I have a few of those expensive aspirins they sell here, left.
Pompeii was another place that was very different from what I thought. It is a whole city. UPDATE: 25,000 people lived here. It is vast. It is 66 hectacres of which 44 have been excavated I know a hectacre is bigger than an acre, but you can look it up if you are curious. I was awed and impressed with all of the restoration they have done. You can get a feel for how people lived. Here are some pictures:
The road and sidewalks were built around 200 BC. I AM NOT SURE OF THAT DATE - SORRY!
Some of the original frescos are on the walls. They were painted in layers by different people, depending on their expertise.
These are some of the buildings:
This is pretty cool. This is a temple as it is now, and after that is a picture of what it was probably like back then:
These are like the Roman baths. There are about 8 in this room. Friendly folks!
This is actually like a restaurant. The holes are where they put the food bowls.
They are in the process of renovating this house:
I took lots of pictures but don't want to bore you. Here is the first picture of me and Seymour I asked someone to take. So we are in the theater of Pompeii:
They grow grapes here, just like they did back when Pompeii was a living city. The wine is called Villa de Misteri. I may see if I can find a bottle of that wine. But I would need to drink it here since I really can't carry anything back home. Sorry, folks.
Here a a picture of Mt Vesuvius behind Pompeii - no words to describe it:
UPDATE: This is what I get from trying to understand what a nice Italian man is saying to me about Pompeii! Here is what the tour books say: The total population of Pompeii was about 25,000. An earthquake hit in 63 AD and much of the population left. Most of the people hadn't returned when the volcano erupted in 79 AD so there were about 2,000 people who died due to the volcano. The book also talks about the occasional "stray dog" - we say two sleeping there, and the noticeable lack of signs. THANK YOU! I was hopelessly lost in this maze of buildings. That is why I started talking to the man who works there - who I obviously didn't understand!
visiting here does makes me want to read more about Pompeii. I didn't buy any tourist books - again, no room. How nice it would be to have someone who just carried my stuff, and didn't tell me it was too much. Maybe I'll buy a few lottery tickets when I get home!. Actually they sell lottery tickets here and I've thought about buying a couple but wondered if someone from outside of Italy could win the big prize? What a dreamer I am!
If all goes as planned, and as you know that doesn't happen very often, tomorrow will be Capri!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The tram stopped and the driver came back and asked what I was still doing on it. He also pointed to Seymour and I think he said dogs aren't allowed. I said I was going to the train station and long scary story later, he pointed for me to get off of the tram and get on one in front. So, I was riding on the next tram, very worried that I wouldn't find the stop to the train station again - when it stopped. There was a bus in front and lots of police and people started exiting the tram. So I got off, not sure where I was.
But I did see a small supermarket and found that they sold dog food. So I purchased 10 tins, and a large bottle of olive oil - and some chocolate. Then I started walking. After about 30 minutes, I recognized the area around the train station. Actually I hardly recognized it because in the 2 days since I had been there, they started construction there and it looked totally different. But I was happy to find it.
I went inside and bought my ticket to Roma from one of the machines without a problem. Then I decided that since I was there, I would check on the trains to Pompeii. For 6,20 euro, I got a round trip ticket to Pompeii.
When I got to Pompeii, I found that it was OK to bring Seymour in, in his "sack", which was great. But for 3 hours, I walked around Pompeii carrying 10 tins of dog food, a large bottle of olive oil, some chocolate, and Seymour. I am very glad I have a few of those expensive aspirins they sell here, left.
Pompeii was another place that was very different from what I thought. It is a whole city. UPDATE: 25,000 people lived here. It is vast. It is 66 hectacres of which 44 have been excavated I know a hectacre is bigger than an acre, but you can look it up if you are curious. I was awed and impressed with all of the restoration they have done. You can get a feel for how people lived. Here are some pictures:
The road and sidewalks were built around 200 BC. I AM NOT SURE OF THAT DATE - SORRY!
Some of the original frescos are on the walls. They were painted in layers by different people, depending on their expertise.
These are some of the buildings:
This is pretty cool. This is a temple as it is now, and after that is a picture of what it was probably like back then:
These are like the Roman baths. There are about 8 in this room. Friendly folks!
This is actually like a restaurant. The holes are where they put the food bowls.
They are in the process of renovating this house:
I took lots of pictures but don't want to bore you. Here is the first picture of me and Seymour I asked someone to take. So we are in the theater of Pompeii:
They grow grapes here, just like they did back when Pompeii was a living city. The wine is called Villa de Misteri. I may see if I can find a bottle of that wine. But I would need to drink it here since I really can't carry anything back home. Sorry, folks.
Here a a picture of Mt Vesuvius behind Pompeii - no words to describe it:
UPDATE: This is what I get from trying to understand what a nice Italian man is saying to me about Pompeii! Here is what the tour books say: The total population of Pompeii was about 25,000. An earthquake hit in 63 AD and much of the population left. Most of the people hadn't returned when the volcano erupted in 79 AD so there were about 2,000 people who died due to the volcano. The book also talks about the occasional "stray dog" - we say two sleeping there, and the noticeable lack of signs. THANK YOU! I was hopelessly lost in this maze of buildings. That is why I started talking to the man who works there - who I obviously didn't understand!
visiting here does makes me want to read more about Pompeii. I didn't buy any tourist books - again, no room. How nice it would be to have someone who just carried my stuff, and didn't tell me it was too much. Maybe I'll buy a few lottery tickets when I get home!. Actually they sell lottery tickets here and I've thought about buying a couple but wondered if someone from outside of Italy could win the big prize? What a dreamer I am!
If all goes as planned, and as you know that doesn't happen very often, tomorrow will be Capri!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, November 11, 2011
Matera, Italy History and Information
Here is more interesting information about Matera. It looks like a number of movies were filmed here and check out which movie star is associated with this town. They also mention that The Omen was filmed here.
We are off to explore more of the city today. The knee is much better but I will not go crazy with 3-4 hours of walking up and down the steps this time. And I don't think I can get over to those caves in the hills on the other side of the river - I didn't bring the right shoes :)
More pictures and stories later today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera
We are off to explore more of the city today. The knee is much better but I will not go crazy with 3-4 hours of walking up and down the steps this time. And I don't think I can get over to those caves in the hills on the other side of the river - I didn't bring the right shoes :)
More pictures and stories later today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera
Thursday, November 10, 2011
My Apartment in Matera, Italy - and Other Facts
I think I really lucked out with this apartment. Originally she had listed that they didn't take pets, but I wrote and asked if she was flexible and she was. She has 2 cats that have never seen a dog. Unfortunately, when the one cat saw Seymour it ran. So far, the animals haven't been around each other and it will hopefully stay that way.
So, here is my little place. You come in through a front gate that leads to the owners place downstairs. Up the stairs (more stairs!) is where we are staying:
This is the little patio outside of our apartment:
And here is another angle of the view from this patio:
The open room you walk in to is the basic living and dining area. In Italy, I have found that there is rarely much in the way of "living rooms" (or 'sala') but they always have a big dining table and the TV is mostly kept in the dining room. I have to say I miss not being able to see the TV from the couch or the bed! So, here are a couple angles of the great room:
Notice the TV on the desk. The couch is on the opposite wall behind the table. I love those cut-out sections of the wall. This is all made of stone.
Notice the living room - couch.
This is the dressing area and the bath is right beside it. She has all of the amenities you could think of - even a fluffy robe that matches the fluffy bath towel.
Up the ladder (more steps!) is the loft bedroom. One thing about Italy is that they don't have the soft pillows I am used to. Most pillows feel like folded up blankets. I usually partially blow up my inflatable neck pillow and use that for my pillow.
I also love the barrel ceiling. I would give this apartment a "10".
As to other things she had for us, beside her boyfriend making us that cake, she had juice, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, cookies, crackers and jellies. She also had fresh garlic, oil and vinegar (from Medina) and some other spices. Perfect!
Other facts about Matera - they are - or were a big manufacturer of Italian sofas. Her boyfriend worked for the company for years; then they closed all but two of the factories and sent the work to China (sound familiar). So he is looking for another job. He is very good at building and fixing mechanical things, as well as cooking! I suspect that he is the one who remodeled this apartment. He doesn't speak any English unfortunately.
Stephania is from Rome and would like to move to a bigger city. She works for a group that puts on plays around the county and they have a bus they use to do it. Unfortunately, things have gone downhill and there are only 2 people left in the company, so I don't think it is functioning now. I told her that it reminds me of the book "One Day". I had never heard of anyone with that job before reading the book, and then talking to her.
Unemployment is high in Italy; over 25% for young people. I did find out that when employed, the employer must pay for total healthcare benefits and at least 6 weeks of vacation plus maternity leave. At least 6 weeks of vacation??? How great would that be?
I also want to find out more about the rivalry between northern and southern Italy. When I told Stephania that I could live in Arezzo, she responded "That's northern Italy, right?" I hope to get more information about this.
Time to figure out how to open the washing machine - seriously. It is a top loader but I can't get the top to open. I also can't figure out how to turn on the TV. I need my 3 year old grandson to give me some lessons!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
So, here is my little place. You come in through a front gate that leads to the owners place downstairs. Up the stairs (more stairs!) is where we are staying:
This is the little patio outside of our apartment:
And here is another angle of the view from this patio:
The open room you walk in to is the basic living and dining area. In Italy, I have found that there is rarely much in the way of "living rooms" (or 'sala') but they always have a big dining table and the TV is mostly kept in the dining room. I have to say I miss not being able to see the TV from the couch or the bed! So, here are a couple angles of the great room:
Notice the TV on the desk. The couch is on the opposite wall behind the table. I love those cut-out sections of the wall. This is all made of stone.
Notice the living room - couch.
This is the dressing area and the bath is right beside it. She has all of the amenities you could think of - even a fluffy robe that matches the fluffy bath towel.
Up the ladder (more steps!) is the loft bedroom. One thing about Italy is that they don't have the soft pillows I am used to. Most pillows feel like folded up blankets. I usually partially blow up my inflatable neck pillow and use that for my pillow.
I also love the barrel ceiling. I would give this apartment a "10".
As to other things she had for us, beside her boyfriend making us that cake, she had juice, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, cookies, crackers and jellies. She also had fresh garlic, oil and vinegar (from Medina) and some other spices. Perfect!
Other facts about Matera - they are - or were a big manufacturer of Italian sofas. Her boyfriend worked for the company for years; then they closed all but two of the factories and sent the work to China (sound familiar). So he is looking for another job. He is very good at building and fixing mechanical things, as well as cooking! I suspect that he is the one who remodeled this apartment. He doesn't speak any English unfortunately.
Stephania is from Rome and would like to move to a bigger city. She works for a group that puts on plays around the county and they have a bus they use to do it. Unfortunately, things have gone downhill and there are only 2 people left in the company, so I don't think it is functioning now. I told her that it reminds me of the book "One Day". I had never heard of anyone with that job before reading the book, and then talking to her.
Unemployment is high in Italy; over 25% for young people. I did find out that when employed, the employer must pay for total healthcare benefits and at least 6 weeks of vacation plus maternity leave. At least 6 weeks of vacation??? How great would that be?
I also want to find out more about the rivalry between northern and southern Italy. When I told Stephania that I could live in Arezzo, she responded "That's northern Italy, right?" I hope to get more information about this.
Time to figure out how to open the washing machine - seriously. It is a top loader but I can't get the top to open. I also can't figure out how to turn on the TV. I need my 3 year old grandson to give me some lessons!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, November 4, 2011
I started off this morning not knowing what we were going to do today.
Pretend this is a "hidden object" game - can you find Seymour NOT wanting to get out of bed?
Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice. So, we went out and I didn't bring my umbrella - it was drizzling, I didn't bring my guidebook or my Italian notes. I went out for a coffee and ended up in Orvieto, Italy.
We went to the train station to see where different trains were going and decided to get a ticket for Orvieto. It is about 1 hour-ish away. On the way, we passed Cortuna, which is the place made famous by "Under the Tuscan Sun" and I have added visiting there to my "to do" list before I leave Arezzo.
Back to Orvieto. This is the place I tried to stay but couldn't find a reasonable place. Although I loved Orvieto, I'm glad my home base is Arezzo because it is less touristy.
When you get off of the train in Orvieto, you head to the funicular, which was just like the one in Livorno.
I took this picture through the window so you could see the funicular coming down the hill.
When you get to the top of the hill, you can either take a bus to the duomo or walk. A group of tourists following a woman with a flag took the bus; Seymour and I walked.
The town population is about 21,000 so it's a larger village with lots of upscale shops. The claim to fame is the Orvieto Cathedral/Duomo. It is a Gothic/Romaesque style with lots of mosaics. I don't think you can get a good feel of it through pictures. It is breath taking, but here's my try:
This was another church that I couldn't take Seymour in. The only good think is that I go in to the admission booth where they tell me I can't take him and that area is usually where the main part of the church interior is located so I do get to see some of it for free.
Around the church is a square that is filled with ancient buildings:
Here are some passageways, etc. that I always enjoying seeing - and sharing:
I saw this statue in a window and know (but forget) the artist. I love his work, though:
There is a city park at the edge of the city, so you can see the city walls, the views, and possibly parts of a castle.
This is a city worth spending a couple of days exploring. There is so much to see. Maybe next trip.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Pretend this is a "hidden object" game - can you find Seymour NOT wanting to get out of bed?
Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice. So, we went out and I didn't bring my umbrella - it was drizzling, I didn't bring my guidebook or my Italian notes. I went out for a coffee and ended up in Orvieto, Italy.
We went to the train station to see where different trains were going and decided to get a ticket for Orvieto. It is about 1 hour-ish away. On the way, we passed Cortuna, which is the place made famous by "Under the Tuscan Sun" and I have added visiting there to my "to do" list before I leave Arezzo.
Back to Orvieto. This is the place I tried to stay but couldn't find a reasonable place. Although I loved Orvieto, I'm glad my home base is Arezzo because it is less touristy.
When you get off of the train in Orvieto, you head to the funicular, which was just like the one in Livorno.
I took this picture through the window so you could see the funicular coming down the hill.
When you get to the top of the hill, you can either take a bus to the duomo or walk. A group of tourists following a woman with a flag took the bus; Seymour and I walked.
The town population is about 21,000 so it's a larger village with lots of upscale shops. The claim to fame is the Orvieto Cathedral/Duomo. It is a Gothic/Romaesque style with lots of mosaics. I don't think you can get a good feel of it through pictures. It is breath taking, but here's my try:
This was another church that I couldn't take Seymour in. The only good think is that I go in to the admission booth where they tell me I can't take him and that area is usually where the main part of the church interior is located so I do get to see some of it for free.
Around the church is a square that is filled with ancient buildings:
Here are some passageways, etc. that I always enjoying seeing - and sharing:
I saw this statue in a window and know (but forget) the artist. I love his work, though:
There is a city park at the edge of the city, so you can see the city walls, the views, and possibly parts of a castle.
This is a city worth spending a couple of days exploring. There is so much to see. Maybe next trip.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Ended Up in Orvieto, Italy
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday in Livorno, Italy
There is good news and bad news. First the good news - I finally got to eat some fish in this port town. The bad news is that the fish was in fillet form, on a sandwich, from McDonalds :) I tried but never found a place that had anything except pasta or pizza. McDonalds is right beside the Information office I have stopped in more than anyone else in the history of Livorno. I went in twice today - first to ask where that infamous mall is located - and second to get another 3 day Livorno bus pass. Luckily I bought the pass because I either lost or something happened to my first one. But it was expiring tonight and since I'm only going to be here 2 more days, I just started my new pass today.
I was told that the mall is on the other side of the train station "no easy way to get to it" my friend from the info office said. What kind of mall has no easy way to get to it? So, I took the bus to the train station and found my way underground to the other side, walked past some industrial buildings and got to the mall. I know I should have taken a picture of it. It was called the HyperCoop (I think). It was a large round building that was 3 floors. The first floor was all parking, since I guess most people drive to it. The second floor was about 1/3 the Coop grocery store that was kind of like a Walmart and then there were a number of small stores around the circle. They had elevated moving walkways instead of escalators and have shopping carts that you can use to go all around the mall. The third floor was only a partial floor and looked like it had a couple of fast food - meaning pizza or pasta - places there.
I was looking for a pet store to get clippers to cut Seymour's nails and to look for a new carrier for him. No Pet Store in the mall and no clippers in the Hyper-grocery store. How do people take care of their dogs over here????
When I came back to the hotel, Dai's husband told me about the Pet Store on the Bus 10 route (not again!). I decided to give it another shot. I had to take a bus from our albergo to the train station and then another to Piazza Grande to get the Bus 10. Not all buses go to the train station nor do they all go to Piazza Grande so it can be tricky - but I have another 3 day pass!
It was starting to get dark but he told me to look for the McDonals and the pet store is across the street. I peered out the bus window and finally saw a McDonalds - was that the one - but no pet store. I am giving up finding anything here. Maybe in Lucca or Assisi.
So, I have no pictures today but I do want to take one of the front of this small hotel. The owners say it is ugly but it has grown on me. Tonight I washed clothes in the sink and borrowed the owner' drying rack and washed a bunch of clothes by hand so they are now drying by my window.
Hopefully tomorrow will be a more interesting blog.
I was told that the mall is on the other side of the train station "no easy way to get to it" my friend from the info office said. What kind of mall has no easy way to get to it? So, I took the bus to the train station and found my way underground to the other side, walked past some industrial buildings and got to the mall. I know I should have taken a picture of it. It was called the HyperCoop (I think). It was a large round building that was 3 floors. The first floor was all parking, since I guess most people drive to it. The second floor was about 1/3 the Coop grocery store that was kind of like a Walmart and then there were a number of small stores around the circle. They had elevated moving walkways instead of escalators and have shopping carts that you can use to go all around the mall. The third floor was only a partial floor and looked like it had a couple of fast food - meaning pizza or pasta - places there.
I was looking for a pet store to get clippers to cut Seymour's nails and to look for a new carrier for him. No Pet Store in the mall and no clippers in the Hyper-grocery store. How do people take care of their dogs over here????
When I came back to the hotel, Dai's husband told me about the Pet Store on the Bus 10 route (not again!). I decided to give it another shot. I had to take a bus from our albergo to the train station and then another to Piazza Grande to get the Bus 10. Not all buses go to the train station nor do they all go to Piazza Grande so it can be tricky - but I have another 3 day pass!
It was starting to get dark but he told me to look for the McDonals and the pet store is across the street. I peered out the bus window and finally saw a McDonalds - was that the one - but no pet store. I am giving up finding anything here. Maybe in Lucca or Assisi.
So, I have no pictures today but I do want to take one of the front of this small hotel. The owners say it is ugly but it has grown on me. Tonight I washed clothes in the sink and borrowed the owner' drying rack and washed a bunch of clothes by hand so they are now drying by my window.
Hopefully tomorrow will be a more interesting blog.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Livorno, Italy
Since I only took a few pictures today I thought I would also share this website of pictures:
http://www.livornonow.com/image
First, I took this photo at the train station in Pisa - Seymour waiting for the train - so little!
I am at the Albergo Houston owned by a woman from the USA and her Italian husband. This is a small family-run place and cost 40 euro/night. I am their first guest from the airbnb website. Here is my room:
Notice the fan!! I have been using it non-stop. There is also a little TV that I haven't tried yet, but I think it only gets Italian stations. There is only a sink in the room and the bath is shared and is in the hall.
Here is the bathroom. Since i am the only one here, it is all mine, and just a few doors down.
The whole place is very clean. She cleans the rooms and bath every day. There is a common area at the front where you check in that has a TV, a coffee machine and stools and high tables. I spent last night there talking to the family. They are really nice people. They have 2 children, a 3 year old daughter and a very sweet 16 year old son. He Called in an order for me for chinese food last night. It took over an hour to get here and didn't taste like back home. There was no rice with it and I have to say that I had to make many trips to the bathroom all night. Won't be trying that again!
This morning I had coffee, a croissant, an apple and she had some other packaged cookies sitting out. The coffee machine is the kind that you usually have to put coins in, but she has it working for free. I accidentally drank the coffee she was making for herself but I liked it so that is now my coffee of choice. I will have to look up the name.
The family lives in some of the rooms on this floor. The hotel sits on a main street so it is a bit noisy, but no worse than any of the other places I've stayed.
I went back to the train station this morning and got a round trip ticket to Pisa. I will probably go tomorrow. Then I walked into the town center and guess what I found?? Another outdoor market! Walked around there for quite awhile and then headed to the harbor to check it out. They usually have a tourist bus running that you can get on and off all day for 10 euro but I found out that this is the off season so it only runs when the cruise ships come to town. That will happen next Mon and Tues. The owner Dai, sent me a link to a website about paying 5 euro for 3 days of travel on the city buses plus discounts for many places in town. Two of the buses go up the coast so I will do that later in the week.
The other thing I am looking for is a pet store so I can buy clippers to cut Seymour's nails and see if I can find another crate for him - but the clippers are most important! The Tourist Information office gave me a map and marked 2 places I could go - both are a long walk, in fact one might be a bus ride so maybe I will get lucky and find a bus that goes past the pet store.
We are staying in the basic city part of Livorno. Not a lot to see here; you have to go into the city center to start seeing some of the old sites.
But it is only about 20 minutes from the train station and seems safe, so the location is good.
Here are a few pictures I took on my walk this morning:
I am totally exhausted from walking so much. I probably walk about 4 hours a day. Seymour and I are probably just going to take it easy the rest of the day - one more walk for him - and then start fresh tomorrow. I bought my traditional bread, cheese, fruit, olives, and chocolate to keep me full! I do plan to get some seafood before I leave since we are right on the coast.
I am making plans to stay at a B and B in Assisi next week and then on to that apartment in Cinque Terre. I haven't made plans after that except that I am going south for the rest of my trip.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
http://www.livornonow.com/image
First, I took this photo at the train station in Pisa - Seymour waiting for the train - so little!
I am at the Albergo Houston owned by a woman from the USA and her Italian husband. This is a small family-run place and cost 40 euro/night. I am their first guest from the airbnb website. Here is my room:
Notice the fan!! I have been using it non-stop. There is also a little TV that I haven't tried yet, but I think it only gets Italian stations. There is only a sink in the room and the bath is shared and is in the hall.
Here is the bathroom. Since i am the only one here, it is all mine, and just a few doors down.
The whole place is very clean. She cleans the rooms and bath every day. There is a common area at the front where you check in that has a TV, a coffee machine and stools and high tables. I spent last night there talking to the family. They are really nice people. They have 2 children, a 3 year old daughter and a very sweet 16 year old son. He Called in an order for me for chinese food last night. It took over an hour to get here and didn't taste like back home. There was no rice with it and I have to say that I had to make many trips to the bathroom all night. Won't be trying that again!
This morning I had coffee, a croissant, an apple and she had some other packaged cookies sitting out. The coffee machine is the kind that you usually have to put coins in, but she has it working for free. I accidentally drank the coffee she was making for herself but I liked it so that is now my coffee of choice. I will have to look up the name.
The family lives in some of the rooms on this floor. The hotel sits on a main street so it is a bit noisy, but no worse than any of the other places I've stayed.
I went back to the train station this morning and got a round trip ticket to Pisa. I will probably go tomorrow. Then I walked into the town center and guess what I found?? Another outdoor market! Walked around there for quite awhile and then headed to the harbor to check it out. They usually have a tourist bus running that you can get on and off all day for 10 euro but I found out that this is the off season so it only runs when the cruise ships come to town. That will happen next Mon and Tues. The owner Dai, sent me a link to a website about paying 5 euro for 3 days of travel on the city buses plus discounts for many places in town. Two of the buses go up the coast so I will do that later in the week.
The other thing I am looking for is a pet store so I can buy clippers to cut Seymour's nails and see if I can find another crate for him - but the clippers are most important! The Tourist Information office gave me a map and marked 2 places I could go - both are a long walk, in fact one might be a bus ride so maybe I will get lucky and find a bus that goes past the pet store.
We are staying in the basic city part of Livorno. Not a lot to see here; you have to go into the city center to start seeing some of the old sites.
But it is only about 20 minutes from the train station and seems safe, so the location is good.
Here are a few pictures I took on my walk this morning:
I am totally exhausted from walking so much. I probably walk about 4 hours a day. Seymour and I are probably just going to take it easy the rest of the day - one more walk for him - and then start fresh tomorrow. I bought my traditional bread, cheese, fruit, olives, and chocolate to keep me full! I do plan to get some seafood before I leave since we are right on the coast.
I am making plans to stay at a B and B in Assisi next week and then on to that apartment in Cinque Terre. I haven't made plans after that except that I am going south for the rest of my trip.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Padova, Italy
Padova and Padua are the same place. I have to wonder why we have changed the spelling of so many Italian cities - we say Venice, they say Venezia, we say Rome, they say Roma, we say Padua,they say Padova. Doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I went there on Tuesday. It is a university town and is also where St Anthony is buried. He was only about 34 when he died. I actually could have stayed in this town for 4 days. I really liked the feel of it - got very lost - but that is my life here.
When you get off of the train, you are in the industrial part of the city. I am sure I took the long way around but did come to the old city wall. Probably most people take the bus into town, but I like to walk. These are some of the sites I passed before I got to the walled part of the city.
Saw some interesting statues
This is St Anthony's statue.
Here are some photos inside the city walls. This is St Anthony's church/burial. I didn't get to go in because it was closed so I touched the fake casket outside the church to ask for help in finding my keys I lost about 3 years ago.
This is out of order, but here is the city wall.
A good view of part of the market.
They had a large market in the center and then in these covered areas they had rows and rows of meat counters. I bought a 1/2 kilo of fresh figs; ate quite a few and left the rest for the people at the farm.
There were street artists acting out some kind of funny story and everyone sang the same song at the end. Seymour, as usual, hated the singing.
I don't know who is in these caskets, but they looked old :)
Another view of the church - pretty impressive!
This was in front of the Church where St Anthony is buried. I don't think this is his casket, but it was close enough for me to touch, so I did.
This was just a small portion of the market in the city center. I stopped and got a salad and beer at one of the local places. They had the Medina vinegar so I was pretty happy. Next to me, it looked like someone had just graduated from university; she was wearing a green leaf crown, as did a few others I saw. I like the feel of a university town.
This was an amazing park with statues all around. There were monks gathered in the park, talking or something.
As usual, I got lost in the city and asked for directions to the train station. Two people said I was a longgggg way from the train station and said I should take the bus. I said that I liked to walk, but about 30 minutes later, I looked for a bus and was thankful for the ride to the train station. My feet, and Seymour's little body thanked me!
When I got back to the farm I was exhausted. I went out to the back porch to use the wifi internet but unfortunately the wife was in the chicken pen behind me killing chickens for dinner, so I didn't feel like staying there any longer - and I was very tired and had to pack to leave this morning; that is why there was no post last night.
I just arrived at the Albergo Houston in Livorno, Italy. It is a small family run hotel and I am staying here 7 days. It was supposed to be a 15 minute walk from the train station and of course I got lost (this time I blame it partly on not understanding the directions I received) but I walked around for 2 1/2 hours. I finally sat down on a bench and Seymour whined to be picked up and immediately crawled into his sling! He's never done that before! So as tired as I was, I was pulling a heavy suitcase with a very heavy backpack on and Seymour in his sling. Luckily I did see where the hospital was located :)
More on Livorno on next post.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
When you get off of the train, you are in the industrial part of the city. I am sure I took the long way around but did come to the old city wall. Probably most people take the bus into town, but I like to walk. These are some of the sites I passed before I got to the walled part of the city.
Saw some interesting statues
This is St Anthony's statue.
Here are some photos inside the city walls. This is St Anthony's church/burial. I didn't get to go in because it was closed so I touched the fake casket outside the church to ask for help in finding my keys I lost about 3 years ago.
This is out of order, but here is the city wall.
A good view of part of the market.
They had a large market in the center and then in these covered areas they had rows and rows of meat counters. I bought a 1/2 kilo of fresh figs; ate quite a few and left the rest for the people at the farm.
There were street artists acting out some kind of funny story and everyone sang the same song at the end. Seymour, as usual, hated the singing.
I don't know who is in these caskets, but they looked old :)
Another view of the church - pretty impressive!
This was in front of the Church where St Anthony is buried. I don't think this is his casket, but it was close enough for me to touch, so I did.
This was just a small portion of the market in the city center. I stopped and got a salad and beer at one of the local places. They had the Medina vinegar so I was pretty happy. Next to me, it looked like someone had just graduated from university; she was wearing a green leaf crown, as did a few others I saw. I like the feel of a university town.
This was an amazing park with statues all around. There were monks gathered in the park, talking or something.
As usual, I got lost in the city and asked for directions to the train station. Two people said I was a longgggg way from the train station and said I should take the bus. I said that I liked to walk, but about 30 minutes later, I looked for a bus and was thankful for the ride to the train station. My feet, and Seymour's little body thanked me!
When I got back to the farm I was exhausted. I went out to the back porch to use the wifi internet but unfortunately the wife was in the chicken pen behind me killing chickens for dinner, so I didn't feel like staying there any longer - and I was very tired and had to pack to leave this morning; that is why there was no post last night.
I just arrived at the Albergo Houston in Livorno, Italy. It is a small family run hotel and I am staying here 7 days. It was supposed to be a 15 minute walk from the train station and of course I got lost (this time I blame it partly on not understanding the directions I received) but I walked around for 2 1/2 hours. I finally sat down on a bench and Seymour whined to be picked up and immediately crawled into his sling! He's never done that before! So as tired as I was, I was pulling a heavy suitcase with a very heavy backpack on and Seymour in his sling. Luckily I did see where the hospital was located :)
More on Livorno on next post.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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