Wednesday, May 27, 2009

PHOTO CONTEST: Barcelona, Spain (April 29 - May 12)

Photo Competition
The kids and Lianna had a photo competition one day in a park in Barcelona.
Let us know which photo in each section you like the best.

THE TREES

TREE ONE


TREE TWO


TREE THREE


TREE FOUR


TREE FIVE


TREE SIX


THE BENCH

BENCH ONE


BENCH TWO


BENCH THREE


BENCH FOUR


BENCH FIVE


BENCH SIX

Venice, Italy (April 25-April 29)

Over looking St.Marco Square
Venice, Italy
Mark

From Tuscany we drove to Venice, dropped off our car at the entrance, and walked 300 metres to our hotel! How that worked out was all part of our focus on finding the right hotel and the right restaurant, the right toilet, meeting the right people, getting on the right boat plane bus train, etc. We had just booked the place the night before on the Internet. We took it because it was cheap (for Venice), not realizing it was right near the car rental drop-off area.

Lugging bags from hotel to hotel

Caleb in the narrow streets of Venice

We passed by a crowded restaurant on our first night in Venice - always a good sign when a restaurant is crowded, so we stopped. The weather was cool but there was no room inside and I was ecstatic to see that there was actually a table for us outside. "We'll just have to put up with it," I thought. This was definitely the place to eat. We ended up sitting next to some Italians (the place was filled with them, one of our criteria for eating at a restaurant in Italy especially) and we actually ended up carrying on a conversation with them completely in Italian! They had a son about Caleb's age, and he spoke a bit of English, and between the seven of us we were able to converse. We asked them how they liked Venice, and they looked at us with long faces and shrugged, opening their arms wide as if at a loss: "Eh, we're from Rome" they said in Italian. The only word we actually understood was "Rome", but the meaning could not be clearer, and the four of us laughed and understood what they meant: once you're from Rome, everything else is second, and it's true. Rome is the top.

Artemis tries a mask in Venice shop- there are mask shops everywhere

Caleb with Mask

Mark and Caleb snacking

Some rainy days in Venice
We stayed in Venice 4 nights, and then, suddenly, our trip to Italy was over! We had spent nearly a month here, although it seemed like a second. Everything seemed easy in Italy: we took to the language quickly and without effort; finding food was more about finding great food, as opposed to good food, which is everywhere; accommodation was fantastic; the people friendly and happy and fun; the culture rich and interesting.

Typical tourist scene in Venice as everyone gets lost constantly

Having a chat with a retired gondalier-he bought us a glass of wine while we waited for the rain to stop at this cute restaraunt

Flooding in Venice in San Marco square

The gorgeous canels in Venice

Caleb went crazy for Diabolo every chance he got

Mark contemplating at the Jewish memorial in Venice

Sipping Cappaccion in a local cafe

Cocorico makeup poster near hotel

Artemis in front of an outside art piece

Again we say "Gracie gracie mille gracie Italia!" We will be back, and it's comforting to know it will all still be there, just as we left it, si bellisimo.

Mark

Tuscany, Italy (April 14-25)


Tuscany, Italy
Mark

From Rome we rented a car and headed north, to a tiny village in Tuscany called Secchiano, right in Chianti country. We had no idea what the place looked like, as it was recommended by a woman whose place we tried to rent, but was unavailable. She recommended this place in Secchiano to us, a friend of hers. It was a complete house, two bedrooms, small private patio with view, kitchen living room and dining room, 65 Euros a night. We took it sight unseen and crossed our fingers. Little did we know what we were in for....

Vineyards of Tuscany

We exited the highway and stopped at the large Ippercoop, which is Italy's version of Superstore. This means more types of mozzarella than you can conceive of; huge loaves of fresh bread sold by the kilo; fresh local produce; local proscuito and sausage and cheeses; freshly made pizzas and chickens and rabbit (which we ate whenever we could, as it is delicious); mortadella rolls as large as a tree trunk; and of course fresh pastas in every shape and size. Unable to make up my mind as to which pasta to buy, I asked the woman next to me which one was good. Without hesitation she blurted out "All of them!" The same thing would happen when asking a local which restaurant was good. And they were right.

Approach to Secianno

View of Secciano from a distance

We got lost on the way to Secchiano, and luckily we had a cell phone and got exact directions again from the woman, as the people who owned our rental did not speak English. We've had a cellphone since Borneo, where we purchased a cheap Nokia for 30 bucks CDN. After that we would buy new simms for each country, usually about 25 bucks, and you're off and running. Quite handy at times. We finally found the turn we had missed three or four times and headed up up up as the woman on the phone said. Just keep going up, which we did, passing through very modern and not very pretty small neighbourhoods, wondering if this is where we were going to be staying. Not very romantic we thought. Up up up we went, and as we climbed the neighbourhoods gave way to small farms and old villages. We were on the crest of a hill, with slopes falling off on either side of us. We could see olive trees and grape vines and old stone buildings. Up up up we went until there was no where left to go, and standing there was Gianna, the woman who owned our villa. "Finalamente!" she called as we drove up.

Road up to our Villa in Secciano

Welcome to our Tuscany Villa

Entrance to Villa - previous one a shack nearby

We were on the top of the crest with panoramic vistas all around us. Gianna led us into the small private garden area, which contained a pic-nik table and covered swinging chair, potted flowers, some grass and some tile for patio, all very pretty. Through the glass front door to the inside we were all enchanted by our new abode: beautifully painted plaster and stone walls; varnished wooden ceiling beams; stone and tile floors all impeccably finished and complemented by wooden furniture. In the dining room was a large wood burning stove (which we used daily); the kitchen was tiny with a gas stove and fridge and well equipped for cooking. On the side board in the dining room was a bottle of homemade wine and olive oil, gifts for us from Gianna and Sandro (the wine was gone by morning and the olive oil by week's end). A small living room off the dining room, and then up the slate stairs to the top floor, with two bedrooms with wooden windows so clean we wondered if they were open and a bathroom with all the necessities, including bidet and washer.

View from Bathroom of Villa

Eating in the Villa

Artemis trying wine in Tuscany villa

From the bathroom window in the mornings we could see the horses in the field and the olive trees dropping off down the slope. We were there for 11 short days, during which time we drove around the gorgeous countryside up and down the winding hilly roads. We stopped at vineyards and tasted wine (for free); went to local grocery stores for fresh beautiful food; went through 15 or so bottles of local wine while playing cards or watching the Godfather or the Big Labowski well into the wee hours of the night. We ate amazing homemade pasta and pizza. We snooped around fields and backroads looking for firewood, as we burned quite a bit of it, and despite getting daily supplies from Gianna, seemed to go through it all too quickly.

Hiking through the countryside

Our bottles of Wine over the 12 days

Florence was a short train ride away, and we went there twice; we visited Sienna, St. Gimignano, San Giovani, Tivoli, Rada - where we ate wild boar stew and fresh sausage and pasta. We took walks in the woods, spotting wild boar tracks and deer tracks and empty shotgun shells, as this is a prime wild boar area. It is common to find entire wild boar legs, hoof and hair still attached at the lower part, sitting in perfect display holders in shops. These holders allow the whole leg to be seen and make it easy to slice the meat, which does not need refrigeration as it is cured to a deep red colour.

Door knockers in Florence

Special coffee in Florence

Fountain in Florence

Walking up to the Pitti Palace in Florence

View from gardens in Tivoli

Fountains in Tivoli

Best Gelato in Italy in San Gimignano

Streets of San Gimignano

View from San Gimignano

Next onwards to Venice by car.
Mark

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Artemis in Rome

Artemis at St.Peter's Square
Rome (first impressions)
Artemis

Sitting in are airy hotel room in Cairo, dad calls up the tourist information. We’re all watching him as he says” Hello, I was wondering how much it would cost to by a airplane ticket to…..uh” he looks at us with a look that says “where do you guys want to go?” we all look at each other. I think to myself “how many times in my life will I be able to go anywhere I want in the world.” Dad returns to the call and says “uh how much will it cost to fly to uh, Rome?” We all give him a encouraging look.

And that was how it was decided to go to Rome.

As we get off the plane I am overcome with excitement and happiness! I’m in Italy! I’m in Rome! Finally I’m out of the third world country (not that I didn’t have fun but I think I’ve had ENOUGH) Mom and dad arrange a bus to take us to are hotel we had reserved at the airport about 10 minutes ago.

As the bus pulls up at are hotel we all rush out of the bus and get are bags from the trunk. We step inside the hotel lobby and its gorgeous. With antic-looking couches and big flower pots at the entrance. We’re all so giddy as we check in we’re not even disturbed by the grouchy hotel clerk. We’re all laughing and smiling as we get into the elevator to go to are room. When we open the door to are room I am overcome with happiness and joy! The room is beautiful (well from what we’re use too it was a nice surprise). There are two small beds in the entrance, one a couch and one a pull out bed. The two beds have dark blue covers that are so pretty and old-fashion. Then the queen size bed in the mane room has the same beautiful covers, and guess what? There’s a blow dryer in the bathroom!

Coliseum

We drop off are bags in are room and go out to explore. The first thing we do is go to the closest pizza place we can see. We end up across the street from are hotel in a little place that looks good. The pizza is not a circle but is in huge squares that they cut pieces out of. Most of the pizza did not have tomato sauce and was quit simple but was still really good! After that we continue to walk down the main street. Of course I pass about a million shops I want to go in. I’m so happy to be in Rome and out of Cairo. I am so happy I swear I could cry. I literally have tears in my eyes!

First pizza in Rome

Drinking Cafe con leche

A small walk turns into walking all the way to the coliseum (not that its very far). We decide to go inside another day because we just got to Rome. Rome is beautiful. Every building is old and decorative. I love the small cobble stone streets although, I don’t know how the Italians walk in spike heels without braking their ankle!

Trevi Fountain

Art studio

Artemis standing near bust of ARTEMIS the Godess

By the time we get back its around 6:00 and I'm tired from the flight and walking for 3 hours. We all quiet down. I start doing a collage and Caleb is helping me while dad reads lonely planet and mom sleeps. It’s only till 8:00 that we decide to go out for dinner. I was very tired from the flight but after are “quiet time” I’m ready to go out for supper. We find a restaurant about 10 minutes from are hotel.

Having one of many fabulous meals

I order what I think is spaghetti a la (spaghetti with meet sauce), Dad orders gnocchi (small balls of doe with filling),Caleb orders lasagne (I’m sure you no what that is) and mom orders ravioli (square shaped doe with filling). The anti-pasto arrives with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and bread. The waiter tells us he made a special anti-pasto for us. The anti-pasto includes:artechok,red peppers stuffed with spiced rice, fresh mozzarella cheese, prosciutto ham, salame, basil leaves and grilled zucchini. Well after are anti-pasto we were all stuffed! Then all off are pastas come and we can barley eat theme. The meal was delicious and we decide next time to just get a anti-pasto. So far I love Rome. It’s beautiful, rich with culture and the food is delicious.

Artemis's new ring from Italy
By Artemis Walden