Venezia and Firenze
Arrived in Florence from Padova today. Train ride was only 2 hrs and it was very comfortable as I took the Eurostar train. From Milan to Venice, I was on the IC train, which was a very UNcomfortable 3 hr trip. When my friend M mentioned how much she liked traveling on the trains in Europe, I couldn't imagine why. My only experience up til then was with Amtrak - which I wouldn't consider enjoyable. Only after the Eurostar train today did I understand what she meant.
After my fiasco in Milan I arrived in Venice, albeit two hours later than planned. I had tried to leave P a message on his cell when I realized I was taking the next train but apparently he didn't get my message. Maybe I misdialed? All I knew was that some voice spoke something in Italian which I thought was asking if to confirm the number I dialed but it may have told me the call couldn't go through as dialed. But it was very wonderful to see P and F meet me at the train station. I hadn't seen P in about a year and a half but it was as if it was only yesterday that he was still in Boston. (Luckily he was home in Italy around the same time I was visiting, so we had the chance to meet up). P is my Italian friend who is not really Italian (or so I tease him). He defies all stereotypes of Italians - an Italian who is tall, calm and doesn't like garlic?!
P's gf F went to school near Venice so she was our tour guide and guided us through the maze of bridges and buildings and masses of tourists. I do believe there were more foreign languages spoken in Venice than Italian. The main tourist attractions in Venice weren't very attractive simply because the hordes of people didn't make it a pleasant experience. However, the buildings and monuments (Palazzo Ducale, etc.) were still impressive in their faded glory. We walked into a museum of violins where it was quiet and Vivaldi was playing - and I suddenly had a sense of what it must have felt like to be Venetian in Venice's days of glory. In the future when I hear Vivaldi, I will probably recall walking along the canals of Venice...
Afterwards, we strolled to the outer perimeter of Venice where few tourists were and it was an oasis of calm. Only then did I truly appreciate Venice beauty and charm. That was the beauty of traveling with a local! I probably wouldn't have found those places as a tourist. In the evening, we had authentic Italian pizza which was very delicious. P used to rave about the Italian pizzas back in Boston, so I finally got a chance to try it. later in the evening, I got a chance to try P's mom's desserts which were amazing and very beautiful. i also got to try her homemade limoncello, for which i had the recipe. P mentioned to his mom that i was the Boston friend who had requested the recipe a couple years back. don't worry - i also requested the famous tiramisu and apricot tart recipe this time too! =)
it was really wonderful seeing P again and i hope i will have the chance to either visit him in the future or see him when he visits the Stati Uniti again.
It's finally starting to feel like summer. All of last week, I was half freezing. Temps were high of low 70s or high 60s, and it was quite windy as well. While in Lisbon, I wore a skirt while waiting for my pants to dry (which is a BAD idea when you're in a windy city). it's now mid 80s in Florence and it may be even warmer when i get to Rome in a couple days. Only drawback is I'm starting to collect another souvenir - mosquito bites. =(
After my fiasco in Milan I arrived in Venice, albeit two hours later than planned. I had tried to leave P a message on his cell when I realized I was taking the next train but apparently he didn't get my message. Maybe I misdialed? All I knew was that some voice spoke something in Italian which I thought was asking if to confirm the number I dialed but it may have told me the call couldn't go through as dialed. But it was very wonderful to see P and F meet me at the train station. I hadn't seen P in about a year and a half but it was as if it was only yesterday that he was still in Boston. (Luckily he was home in Italy around the same time I was visiting, so we had the chance to meet up). P is my Italian friend who is not really Italian (or so I tease him). He defies all stereotypes of Italians - an Italian who is tall, calm and doesn't like garlic?!
P's gf F went to school near Venice so she was our tour guide and guided us through the maze of bridges and buildings and masses of tourists. I do believe there were more foreign languages spoken in Venice than Italian. The main tourist attractions in Venice weren't very attractive simply because the hordes of people didn't make it a pleasant experience. However, the buildings and monuments (Palazzo Ducale, etc.) were still impressive in their faded glory. We walked into a museum of violins where it was quiet and Vivaldi was playing - and I suddenly had a sense of what it must have felt like to be Venetian in Venice's days of glory. In the future when I hear Vivaldi, I will probably recall walking along the canals of Venice...
Afterwards, we strolled to the outer perimeter of Venice where few tourists were and it was an oasis of calm. Only then did I truly appreciate Venice beauty and charm. That was the beauty of traveling with a local! I probably wouldn't have found those places as a tourist. In the evening, we had authentic Italian pizza which was very delicious. P used to rave about the Italian pizzas back in Boston, so I finally got a chance to try it. later in the evening, I got a chance to try P's mom's desserts which were amazing and very beautiful. i also got to try her homemade limoncello, for which i had the recipe. P mentioned to his mom that i was the Boston friend who had requested the recipe a couple years back. don't worry - i also requested the famous tiramisu and apricot tart recipe this time too! =)
it was really wonderful seeing P again and i hope i will have the chance to either visit him in the future or see him when he visits the Stati Uniti again.
It's finally starting to feel like summer. All of last week, I was half freezing. Temps were high of low 70s or high 60s, and it was quite windy as well. While in Lisbon, I wore a skirt while waiting for my pants to dry (which is a BAD idea when you're in a windy city). it's now mid 80s in Florence and it may be even warmer when i get to Rome in a couple days. Only drawback is I'm starting to collect another souvenir - mosquito bites. =(
