Europe, 2010 -- an overview of our trip

On July 3rd, Catherine and Sierra flew to London. A couple of days later, about 20 Grade 8 kids from Sierra's middle school (and a handful of parents) joined them for a 9-day tour of London and Paris. Catherine and Sierra then took a train to Amsterdam, and Hersh flew there from Vancouver. We all converged on The Conscious Hotel (seriously!!! that's the name!!!) within a few minutes of one another. We spent 3 days in Amsterdam, then on to Berlin, where we joined Savannah in our "home exchange" flat. Ten days later, onto Prague for 2 nights; then, to Bolzano for a night, the Dolomite mountains for 3 nights, Venice for a couple of nights, Assisi for 2 nights, and finally Rome for 20 hours.

The following blog is in reverse chronological order, starting with the end of the trip in Rome, and going back in time to London.

Please enjoy our blog of the trip!

Hersh, Catherine, and Sierra

20 hours of Rome

Shall we stay in Assisi one more night and head out at 5 in the morning to the Rome Airport, or go to Rome the day before, have one night there, and see what we can see? While it would have been splendid to stay longer in Umbria, we chose the latter, and were glad for it. Rome was spectacular! Somehow we fit in many of the major sites. Sierra loved the Trevi fountain, Hersh, views of the coliseum and Piazza Navona, and Catherine, the grandeur of it all! This morning, Sierra had a little Facebook time while we walked up to the Spanish Steps, then back to the hotel via Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
We’re on the flight now, just descending into Toronto, and have been reflecting on what a great trip this has been. No one city or place stands out as more special, no experience “the ultimate.” It was all memorable. Hersh is recalling all of the cobbled streets we walked on – from the S-Bahn Station to our home exchange apartment in Berlin, to the castle of Prague and the Jewish Quarter, to the winding and steep narrow roads of Ortisei, Venice’s curvy narrow paths, and of course Assisi’s walls and roads. Then, Rome…
We feel content, rich in experience and time together, really away “from it all.” To cap it off we have a few days in Toronto with family.

Assisi and Perugia

Assisi and Perugia
A five hour train trip from Venice brought us to Asissi, where our host Alessandra picked us up at the train station. Then she and her family—husband Fabio, Lorenzo (7) and Sophia (6) graciously hosted us for 2 nights through a Homelink hospitality exchange. We hope they come our way next or perhaps we will meet them in New York for a third location visit in the future. We adore them all.
Staying with a local family is a wonderful experience—seeing the town through their eyes—the church within the church at the Basilica dedicated to St. Francis, the hilltop medieval cobblestoned piazza full of lively kids and families at 11 pm at night, the Etruscean castle in the heart of Perugia. There were many highlights: Catherine also went for a 11 km run with Fabio at 6:30 am, part way up the Assisi hilltop and Hersh visited Santa Tecla, the Franciscan monastery he camped in 33 years ago. Sierra played with the kids in the pool, hammock, sang Black Eyed Peas songs together, and did Sofia’s hair and makeup. Despite not being able to speak any Italian and them, and the kids little English with us, we developed a wonderful connection. Ale is an English teacher, and was a fantastic interpreter for us. We figure 2 months together and all would have 2 languages down pat. It may happen someday…
ASSISI HIGHLIGHTS:
• The beautiful rolling Umbrian hills
• Seeing Assisi by night, the sparkling lights in the valley, the rambunctious local kids playing football and other games
• Perugia – walking through the Piazza, eating GROM Gelato: a business of local slow food gelato that would surely be a hit in Canada. Wow! It was amazing…
• The view from the top of Perugia, of the rolling hills, seeing Spoleto, Assisi, and other hill towns in the distance
• Dinner on the second night in a restaurant, outdoors on cobble streets and narrow curving walls of the old city of Assisi
• Meeting and being hosted by this wonderful family – now, friends.

Venice!

Venice and Lido Island

Hersh and I started the day with an early morning walk, managing to get lost and find our way back. Hersh enjoyed watching business owners get ready for the day, sweeping the streets, carrying chairs, and opening for coffee and baked goods. We had the usual croissants and buns for breakfast at our hotel and made it to San Marco Square and inside the Basilica but skipped the long line up for the tower. What a stunning church! I loved the incredible marble mosaics as much as the frescos. Sierra and I were pleased to have worn discreet clothing such that we didn’t need to wear the paper cover ups kindly handed out by the church.

In the afternoon we took the water taxi to Lido island for swimming in the warm Adriatic sea. What bliss! That is, for 10 minutes until Sierra got stung by a jellyfish and started welting up. Luckily the lifeguard had cream on hand to treat her skin. Apparently he sees 6 stings a day…you would think they would put a sign up for unsuspecting visitors who venture out into the deeper waters! We ended the day with an outdoor Italian dinner and a boat ride seeing Venice at night along the canal. Venice was lovely.

Onwards to Venice!

In about an hour, we hit to rails again, this time for Venice. Not sure if when we'll next have internet access...

Ortisei

Here are some pictures of this amazingly breathtaking place... It has really been a blessing to be here again! The first day poured and thundered, then the next 2 days were beautiful. We took cable cars up both sides of the valley, one each day, then hiked the plateau trails. Just really outstanding...

The train (via Innsbruck) to Northern Italy

The train (via Innsbruck) to Northern Italy
The train ride is long and lovely, as was Berlin to Prague (limestone cliffs along a river I

would like to return to cycle in). We are in a long (over 10 minutes), dark tunnel going

down a mountain. We are happy with our choice to travel by train, see the countryside and be

lower impact. We’ll pass on the tunnel going back though!
Bolzano
Upscaling at the Sheraton was fun—swimming, hot tubbing, large Italian-German buffet

breakfast. Now we are off to Ortesei which Hersh fondly remembers from 33 years ago.
Ortesei
After a decidedly unimpressive start in Ortesei, I suspect it will be our trip highlight in

the end (with the exception of seeing Savannah and others in Berlin. We had a first wet,

cold afternoon in a uninviting B and B. We made the best of it, enjoying the local pool and

figuring out the local customs that went with swimming here (shoes, bathing caps, co-ed

locker rooms, outdoor swirly pool and cool Jacuzzi). The clouds parted, we had a lovely

Italian meal and we planned our move to another hotel.
And what a hotel it was! Glorious indulgence, ten out of ten food, service, and totally

relaxing. After hiking in the beautiful, breathtaking Dolomites (a World Unesco park), we

returned to the pool and three part saunas, complete with aromatherapy water spray, various

reviving showers and fresh lemonade. Dinner followed later after Tyrolean appetizers and

accordion music one night. The food, was as Sierra described, the best she has ever eaten.

Hersh and I concurred. Last night we had the salad buffet, roasted vegetable terrine,

Gnocchi and eggplant ravioli with tomatoes, vegetable cheese risotto and amaretto mouse

pyramid cake. Hersh added in a beef dish. The night before (after appies) we had salad,

celery rot soup, tricolor pasta in parmesean sauce (we barely ate this as we were already

stuffed), Hersh has trout and Sierra and I had roasted vegetables with grilled cheese,

topped off with homemade ice cream and the one of the best chocolate cakes ever. We have our

own personal server…Hotel Grones in the Dolomites is a treat we would and will repeat.