Venice With Old Friends

I guess I'd better finish up the blog on our 2013 Italy trip, as we are preparing to leave for India in a couple of weeks, and I have a feeling that once that begins, it will be difficult for me to return to this one!

On the last leg of our 2013 Italy trip, we drove to Venice and met up with three friends from Sacramento: Tom and Nancy Griffith, and Keith Rogers (who, somewhat recently, moved back to England after about 25 years in the USA). Although Keith had been to Venice once (many, many years ago), I believe this was Tom and Nancy's first time in this unique city on the water, and Sam and I love nothing more than sharing what is one of our favorite places on earth!

We rode the vaporetto (water bus) over to the island of Burano, hoping to have lunch at a trattoria where Anthony Bourdain ("No Reservations" TV host) says they make the best seafood risotto he has ever tasted. Sam and I tried to eat there one Tuesday back in 2009, but discovered when we arrived that it is closed on Tuesdays. This time, we went on a Monday, and guess what? Of course, they were closed! So, we didn't get our risotto, but we did have a nice wander around the island, which is as colorful as a rainbow!

(Remember, click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Nancy, Keith, and Tom walking back to the vaporetto.

Of course, we did all the other touristy stuff, including an elevator ride to the top of the Campanile bell tower in Piazza San Marco, where we had a bird's-eye-view of Venice and the lagoon.

Nancy got tricked into feeding the pigeons, and then had to deal with the guy who "gave" her the seeds, but actually, wanted a goodly amount of euros for them! (This also happened to Sam the first time we were in Milan in front of the cathedral in 2002.) Nancy handled it well though, and gave him the change she had in her pocket.

We climbed the Rialto bridge with all the other tourists, taking pictures with the iconic Grand Canal in the background.

And we wandered the many walkways, streets and bridges, taking in the timeless ambiance of Venice!

In keeping with our tradition of finding weddings wherever we travel, we saw this couple having their photos taken among the rocking gondolas just outside of Piazza San Marco.

Another good excuse to visit Venice this year was that it was a La Biennale year. This bi-annual international art exhibit is a truly amazing event, especially if you happen to have an appreciation for modern art. There are small galleries all over the city, but the two main venues are the Giardini (Gardens), where individual countries have separate pavilions, and the Arsenale, a huge complex of structures where ships were built when Venice was a super power.

Canal running along an outside wall of the Arsenale.

It's hard for me to choose a favorite piece, but here are a few I really found interesting.

Sometimes the space itself is as interesting as the art that is on display.

Finally, after a day filled with man made art, what better way to end it than with nature's art -- a beautiful Venetian sunset!

To see more photos from Venice and the rest of our Italy 2013 trip, go to my Flickr page and click through my photo slideshow.

Island of Sardegna

On each of our European trips, we like to explore at least one completely new location, and this time, we chose to visit the island of Sardegna (or Sardinia, as most Americans call it), which is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, off the western coast of Italy. 

We left our friends in the countryside and drove to Civitavecchia, a port city just north of Rome, where we boarded a ferry for a five and a half hour boat ride to Olbia. We arrived late in the evening, so we spent the night at a hotel near the port, and the next morning we headed south toward our next destination, Villasimius, on the southern coast. 

Along the way, we drove through a town called Tortolí, and continuing a little farther toward the sea, we stopped at the marina area of Arbatax. It was there that we found these amazing rock formations jutting out of the clear blue/green water. We both took lots of photos, and before we left the area, we had some really good gelato for lunch!

When we finally arrived at the hotel where we were to stay for the next two nights, we were pleased to find a relaxing outdoor seating area and a couple glasses of prosecco (Italian version of champagne) to start the evening. 

That night, we had a delicious dinner at the hotel's excellent restaurant, next to the pool, with a sea view in the distance.

The following day, we explored the local area by car, took a long walk on the beach, and of course, shot lots of photos! The beaches near Villasimius are absolutely gorgeous, with unusual rock formations (very similar to the ones in Joshua Tree National Park) in between sandy beaches.

On our third morning on Sardinia, we left the beauty of the southern beaches, and headed northwest, continuing to circle the island. We stopped in the town of Oristano for lunch, walked around a bit, and visited the cathedral—which was quite beautiful—before heading to our bed & breakfast in Narbolia. 

Narbolia is a quaint little town, surrounded by farm land and wide open spaces. The main reason we were staying there was because I had read online what a nice place the Casa Pisanu B&B is, and we were not disappointed! It is a lovely old home with high, painted ceilings, run by a delightful woman named Rita, who was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction for dinner and sights in the area that she said we must see. 

Dinner that night was a complete surprise to both of us. Rita told us how to get to a nearby village called Vero Milis, and without her directions, we never would have seen the restaurant! Nestled on a narrow, empty street across from the town's church, we found Il Cortiletto Ristorante, which turned out to be a gourmet food establishment! Who would've guessed such a place could exist in such an out-of-the-way location?! It's just one of those wonderful discoveries one makes when traveling off-season, or in less touristy places, and getting advice from locals.

Rita also suggested we visit a place called Torre del Pozzo by the sea, where we would find something called S'Archittu, a natural arch in the rocks. Not surprisingly, people love to jump off of this into the sea below. We sat on the rocky beach, put our feet in the water (I was gently "nibbled" on by a tiny shrimp!), and walked all the way out to the end of the point beyond this arch, where there were great photo ops!

Our last full day on Sardinia, we awoke to Rita cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and in the dining room, we met a young German couple, Ben and Zena, who had also stayed the night. While we ate our delicious and copious breakfast, we chatted at length and learned we are of the same mind on many subjects. They are expecting their first child soon, and are planning a trip to California possibly less than a year from now, so of course, we invited them to stay with us and gave them our contact information. This is one of the aspects of travel that I enjoy so much! Making new friends, with the hopes of seeing them again in our environment or theirs! 

After making a quick trip to the local market for fruit and snacks for the road, we again took Rita's advice, and stopped on the way to Olbia, at an archaeological site in the town of Santa Cristina. There, we saw something called a nuraghe: a stone structure, and the remains of the surrounding village, built in the 16 century BC -- over 3500 years ago! 

School children on a field trip.

In the same area, there is a hypogean temple in the ground, built in the 12 century BC. It's an amazing example of precise architecture from ancient times, and we were able to descend the steep steps to the bottom to see the well that was 50 feet deep at one time.

The temple ground level.

Sam slowly venturing down into the well.

Water at the bottom of the well.

Looking back up at the sky from near the bottom.

After a long day of driving and sightseeing, we returned to Olbia to do some laundry, and spend the night before leaving on the ferry early the next morning, and continue on the last leg of our 2013 trip to Italy! But not before we got one more walk on a beach near Olbia!

(Click on photos to enlarge, and go to my Flickr page to see more photos.)

Before and After the Wedding

For us, a visit to Italy has to include a visit with our dear friends the Colonna family in Sorrento, and before we traveled to Carlantino for the wedding, that's just what we did. I have written about the Sorrentine Peninsula before, and although we have visited it many times, I never grow tired of its beauty and people.

We had a wonderful time with our friends Marco and Antonella, basking in their incredible hospitality, and enjoying the familiar view of Mt. Vesuvius from the Hotel Cristina.

We also took our requisite Almalfi Coast drive, and along the way made a stop at our preferred ceramic factory, Piccadilly. (This is the shop where we bought our small patio table that we had shipped home back in the summer of 2005. Our mission this time was a gift to take to the wedding.) Afterwards, we had lunch at one of our favorite spots, the ristorante across the road, overlooking the clear blue Tyrrhrenian Sea.

My handsome traveling partner enjoying the view in Conca dei Marini.

View of Positano from the Almalfi road

On another day, we drove down to Paestum to see the beautiful Greek temples and ruins there. We had done so once before, many years ago, but we arrived too late, and they were closed. Turns out it was worth the return trip.

Ancient Greek Temple of Posiedon

Finally, much to our delight, there was a Dalí exhibit at the Villa Fiorentino on the main street of Sorrento, which we enjoyed immensely!

As always, it was difficult to say goodbye to our Sorrento friends, but it was made a little easier with the hope that Antonella and her oldest daughter, Ilaria, will be visiting us here in Sacramento next summer! So we said arrivederci and headed to Carlantino to meet up with Maria and attend the wedding.

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that we when we left the wedding very late that evening, we were looking forward to a comfy bed, but I didn't say what the accommodations were. Not wanting to make the hour drive back to Carlantino that night, Maria arranged for us to stay at her cousin's agriturismo near Decorata, a kind of "farm stay" bed and breakfast, consisting of five lovely rooms with bathrooms, and a restaurant, where they serve all homemade food grown on their farm.

Giuseppina and her husband, Michele (pronounced me-KAY-lay), could not have been more hospitable! Not only did they let us stay for two nights, but they also included us in a huge family meal the day after the wedding! They formed a long table with all the tables in their restaurant, and about 20 family members gathered for the midday meal. Even though they spoke almost no English, we had a wonderful time!

(Sam's Photo)

Later that day, they arranged for a beautiful young woman named Maria Pozzuto to act as an interpreter and show us around the area. Maria is a tiny, but amazing Italian who speaks flawless English with a British accent, has a degree in Japanese, and is presently teaching herself Mandarin Chinese! Michele drove and she showed us around Decorata and Colle Sannita; one of the highlights being a visit to a private museum collection of local antique tools and furniture, owned by a very nice man named Giovanni Carletto.

Giovanni Carletto shows Michele and us one of the "pipes" from a very old pipe organ in his collection.

That evening, we returned to the agriturismo, and after a light snack, Michele and Giuseppina took us out for drinks and gelato. On the way back we stopped at the homes of a couple different relatives to say hello (and have another drink!) before finally retiring for the night. Early the next morning, we had to say goodbye to our gracious hosts because we had a ferry to Sardinia to catch, and they would not let us pay them anything after all they had shared with us!  Italian hospitality is a glorious thing!

Giuseppina and Michele in front of their restaurant.

(Click on photos to enlarge, and go to my Flickr page to see more photos.)