Verona - Belissimo!

Just as a warning to those who wanted to come shopping in Italy, don't bother. Amanda has emptied the shops. Four pairs of shoes, a few belts, a dress, countless tops, a leather jacket and she's by no means finished...

Verona day 1
Verona, as with everywhere else we have been in Italy, has been great. We weren't sure what to expect with Verona but then with advice from many, especially Guido, we had a great time.


The city centre itself is tiny although beautiful. We saw Juliet Capulette on her balcony. She is much fatter and older now and I wasn't sure what Romeo saw in her. At least that's what I thought until Amanda pointed out that it was just an overweight tourist who'd paid to go on to the balcony...

I'm a bit puzzled with the Romeo and Gulietta (as spelt here) thing. There is a history of the Capello family (where WS got the Capulette name), you can visit Romeo's house and Juliet's tomb, but I thought it was just a story??? I get that Shakespeare was inspired by people and places but it isn't historical fact is it? Please correct me if you know.

Juliet's balcony was easy to find as it was rammed with tourists. Packed. Sardines visiting a balcony that wasn't even there when Bill wrote his famous story. It was still beautiful though, and perfect for the most famous yet tragic love story.


You can call Juliet in many languages. She's a clever thing! I guess from the grave you can do anything though...


She never answered. Maybe she thought it was me who graffitied the wall. It was covered with messages from lovers, even written on chewing gum! Minging!


You can't put letters in the wall anymore (as was depicted in the film 'Letters to Juliet') as it was damaging the structure so it is now, thankfully, carefully preserved, in spite of the throng of visitors. A great thing to see overall. It really was a nice place and you can see why Shakespeare would be inspired.

Verona day 2
Whilst in Verona we went locale... We summered like the locals and visited Lake Garda, a huge lake surrounded by vineyards in the hills, and stunning properties on the water's edge. A winery in the region Bardolini which we actually tasted wine from in the Maldives was situated on the edge, so that was where we headed. We never actually went to the winery itself through fear of getting lost. Our GPS lady (who we named Garmina [said with a heavy Italian accent]) often gets confused and leads us in all kinds of directions so we stuck to the main roads.

Bardolini itself is a quaint little place with a couple of restaurants on the waters edge, ducks and a walking path around the lake. We went to a nice local joint and had our usual; insalata caprese (mozzarella, basil and tomato salad) and a pizza. We had stunning views and watched the holiday goers swimming in the glacial, freezing lake. A lovely day out.


This is as far as Amanda got to swimming. The water was seriously cold!


The highlight of Verona was, without question, the opera. We went to see Aida. It was about a girl, a family, some slaves and a man. That's about all we understood as it was in Italian and we were drinking wine! But whether we got the whole gist or not, it was nothing short of spectacular. Apparently one of the 4 tenors was in it. Obviously not Pavarotti but not sure which one!


The sets were incredible. It was based on an Egyptian theme and the columns were so huge they had to be lifted into the arena with cranes, hence the 20 minute intervals every 40 minutes... through four acts seeing the performance end at 1am! The voices weren't put through microphones but the sound was still amazing, engulfing the arena seating thousands. Accompanied by a full orchestra, it blew us away. The lungs (chest) on the main lead playing Aida were very impressive... :-)



Venezia
We spent one of our days in Venice; a short train ride away but well worth a visit. Only once though. If you come to Italy, definitely do Venice, but don't stay there! Without doubt, Venice has been the most hectic from a tourist point of view. It is amazing though and you can certainly understand the reason to visit. The highlight, and a highlight of the whole trip so far for Amanda and I, was the gondola ride. We got ourselves a Valpolicella wine (we got through a lot of this as it is regional to Verona) and headed into the canals and enjoyed every minute, despite the green slime and the lingering smell of mould. The views were stunning and the history is incredible.


Ideally you wouldn't drink wine out of paper cups but when in Venice... :-)


We left Verona extremely happy and surprised at how much this area of Italy had to offer. This feeling of being satisfied has been the case everywhere, where in a few days you can see a lot, experience what the town and region has to offer and feel complete. Each place has been uniquely different, yet still so Italian, and we have loved it all. It is everything and more that we wanted from Italy. The wine, the food, the people, the language, the history and the culture all make this country so very special.


We are now back in Tuscany in the amazing walled town/fortress of San Gimignano and there is opera on! No time for a fact because the fat lady is singing and we need to get amongst it so ciao for now!

Arrivederchi!

Dave Canavan MSc
www.thechingchokhunter.com

A very quick addition!

I forgot to mention that we saw Michelangelo's 'The David'. It was spectacular! Enormous and incredible in its detail. It was honestly breathtaking when you walked into the gallery and there he was. I'm sorry Dad but you missed out there.

As you weren't allowed to take photographs, we went to the replica outside the Ufizzi so The David can be photographed with The David. :-)


Strike a pose... I got told to get dressed by the police just as i was in the pose so we only got the clothed picture. Sorry about that.


Here's Mindy with the warthog she ate...





And a couple more final Florence shots starting with the slaying of Medusa...











No fact as it was simply an addition. Ok then. The David was intended to be the perfect sculpture so no sculptures before or after could ever compare. I think he succeeded. Great name too!

Ciao!

Dave Canavan MSc
www.thechingchokhunter.com

Location:Via Terre,Verona,Italy

Cycling under the Tuscan sun

When I was a kid, the best bikes had 18 gears in 3 lots of 6. Then, when I got older and my parents bought me the best bike ever (in my opinion), a luminous yellow Marin Muirwoods, it had 21 gears in 3 lots of 7. So when we arrived at the cycle hire to find out our bikes had 24 gears in 3 lots of 8, I thought it a little pointless. Until I saw the hills.

My word, Tuscany is hilly! The first hill of the day we were warned about and it was huge. In first gear, Pedalling like a maniac, making very little headway whilst your thighs slowly turn to jelly, really wasn't a pleasant experience. Amanda nearly passed out. No joke! But it was certainly worth it. After the hill, although there were a few more gruelling mini-mountains, the views were stunning. Cycling through olive plantations and wineries was exactly as you'd imagine it. We then stopped at a winery, had a lovely lunch, tasted the wines and then it was downhill all the way home. Great day. Mam, you would not have enjoyed the hills!















We left Florence the Next morning and went to pick up our car. What was going to be an Alfa Romeo turned into a Peugeot 207. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed but realised that 4 doors are actually pretty handy and the Alfa was only 2 so all good.

Driving in Florence was a disaster. One way, no way, 2 way nightmare! And, they put the steering wheel on the wrong side! What a shocker adjusting to driving on the right and changing gears with your right hand. Very strange I can tell you. But we settled in. I nearly hit a few cars on the right side, and I scraped the hub cap on the curb but I am now a duck to water. It's the most natural thing in the world. Besides, it's Amanda's turn today... :-)

So after a long drive, we are finally in Verona. The opera is on just up the road and the bars and wine are superb. All good so far. Romeo and Juliet today, opera tomorrow and Venice the next day. Life's tough. Oh...and as it's our fourth Monday not at work and traveling, we're heading for a champagne breakfast! Why not hey?!

Fact...Although we are going to see Juliet's balcony today, an actual balcony was not mentioned in Shakespeare's play at all. The quote is: But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? before she goes into the famous "Romeo Romeo..." bit. So it was definitely a window but not necessarily a balcony. Still, it'll be a nice day out! Thanks Dad for the fact by the way :-)

Ciao!

Dave Canavan MSc
www.thechingchokhunter.com

Location:Via Terre,Verona,Italy

Bello Firenze!

On the train to Firenze...


Oh, and in case you're wondering, Chokdee has settled in well and his Italian is improving. Here he is in the courtyard of our beautiful B&B at Mr. My Resort.


Florence is a beautiful place. It is bello! A lot quieter, and slower paced than Rome, with a really nice feel to it. As far as architecture goes, it certainly has its fair share of incredibly huge, stunning buildings, with the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore being the most impressive in my book. Here is a selection of shots, with Mindy's artistic eye lent to a few of them:











The pictures really don't quite get across how incredibly massive it is. To turn a corner and be faced with such a giant is simply breathtaking.

Today is a sad day though as my mam and dad left us to head back to sunny Aberdeen. What a great time we had with them. From seeing the Birth of Venus at the world famous Galleria degli Uffizi, to exploring the piazzas and trying every sort of wine, pizza and even wild boar pasta!








We also managed to get through a magnum of Veuve to celebrate mam and Dad's 40th anniversary. It wasn't too hard to be honest, although it was a heavy bottle!









Of course, in the spirit of Helen, and with the thought of Vic panicking that we may get arrested for inappropriate behaviour, the planking continued...








The word on the street is that planking is out and owling is in. So these are for you...








I'm still loving the planking though personally but we can cover all bases by throwing in an owl or two... :-)

So goodbye mam and dad and congratulations again on your Ruby Wedding Anniversary. A huge achievement in this day in age, and one I hope I live long enough for, for Amanda and I to celebrate!

We are off on a winery bike tour of Tuscany tomorrow, then we pick up our Alfa Romeo on Sunday and head up to the Prosecco hills and the opera in Verona. You've got to love Italy!





Facts.... Pizza was created in Napoli. Bolognese was created in Bologna and the Tikka Masala was created in the north of England somewhere... that's all I've got for you! :-)

Ciao!

Dave Canavan MSc
www.thechingchokhunter.com

Location:Via delle Ruote,Florence,Italy

When in Rome...

Day 1
What a place Rome is. It's like it has been purposely built as a tourist haven. Every corner you turn, door you open or street you meander down, there is always something to see, and it is always spectacular! On the first night we arrived, we headed to meet Vic and Hel near the Castel St. Angelo for a drink. A we were walking down to find them, the view of the castle was incredible, so much so, that I didn't realise that the Vatican in all its glory was right behind me!





The highlight of Rome though, without question, was having all of my immediate family together in such a spectacular place. With a hanger-on (Mindy) but we'll let her off :-)

We walked the whole city, thanks to Vic's teacher-like directions, in the blazing sun. But it was well worth it as we arrived at the Colosseum - a definite highlight of Rome.


From there, we hiked through the main part of the city and saw the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Vittoria Emmanuel and the Piazza Navona. All were spectacular but the main rival for the highlight crown was the Trevi. It is huge and so very impressive.









Obviously the sight seeing was accompanied with lots of wine and great food. This led to the idea that Planking would be fun in all of the major tourist areas. Helen and Amanda turned out to be the main plankers with the best form, although neither could help laughing whilst mid-plank which is technically against the rules....

Here is a short demonstration of the fun we had...









And happy birthday to Vic (it was mentioned more than once) and happy 40th wedding anniversary to my mam and dad. Inspirational! Oh, and as the night went on, so did the planking...









Day 2
Day 2 started very much like day 1. With champagne for breakfast. Why not? When in Rome and all that...

We visited the Sistine Chapel after the champers. It was a bit like herding cattle through the place with all the tourists, although the end result, seeing the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, was very impressive indeed. Photos weren't allowed so Amanda was being covert...


We then went to St. Peter's Basilica which really was amazing. As reluctant as I am to give money to the Catholic church, the history and architecture was breathtaking. Obviously, after that we continued drinking and eating but sadly had to say goodbye to Vic and Hel as they headed back to sunny England. Thanks for coming - it made our holiday. X


The final day in Roma was again a sightseeing, eating and drinking fest. We went into the Pantheon, to the Piazza Del Popolo, and into a random side street church... which was equally as impressive as the major attractions. What a place. We also had the best pizza ever, loads of wine and watched the government protest against the mafia. And we planked some more of course...


The final plank, entitled: The Planktheon!


We are now drinking wine on a train to Firenze (Florence) - Salute!

A Romanesque fact for you. When Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome, were trying to decide whether to build the city on the banks of the Tiber River or in the mountains, the brother who suggested by the Tiber won. He was called Romulus, hence why Rome is now named Rome. I personally think it may have come down to the name though, as Reme as the capital of Italy just wouldn't work!!!

Ciao,

Dave Canavan MSc
www.thechingchokhunter.com

Location:Via Santa Reparata,Florence,Italy