MAPS
MONDAY
(Day
12)
October 29, 2007
Today was the final excursion of this whirlwind trip, and we saved the most adventuresome for last. We rented a car (some compact boxy Nissan I've never seen in the U.S.) and headed north for Tuscany in search of wine. This was to be our Italian version of the Nappa Valley visits we've made in the past. Of course, the true adventure of this trip is just undertaking to drive in Rome. I haven't written much about Roman roads, traffic and driving because we've taken taxis and had other things to discuss, but suffice to say that everything you've ever heard, read or seen in the movies is absolutely true, only more so. Traffic is insane and anarchic ... scooters are everywhere and appear seemingly from nowhere ... pedestrians all appear to have a death wish ... traffic lanes as marked on the road surface are for reference only and entirely optional ... the "logical option" is always in play, for example if the traffic light is red but nothing is coming, why wait? I should have done a video clip from the front seat of one of our taxi rides ... Valley Fair would do well to install a new thrill ride called "Rome Taxi" ... but I did find this on YouTube. I want to assure you that what you see here is very typical, and really very tame compared to some of what we've seen. The basic premise is that if there is nothing in front of you, you accellerate until there IS something in front of you ... then you brake for it. In fairness to the drivers, the streets don't allow for much of an alternative. Pedestrians are equally a part of the mix, and if you're shy about stepping off the curb you may well spend the rest of your life standing on the corner as the drivers only yield when you are in their path. Driving in Rome is a lesson in diplomacy, involving an endless chain of negotiation and compromise. The Italians are clearly not a risk-averse people, and so daily life is both dangerous and exhilerating. They may not have a death wish, but they are clearly not afraid to die.
So, to my delight, the Avis guy spoke a little English, and he marked out a route on a map for getting out of town that looked remarkably straightforward ... and it was. The only problem was that it was straightforward for going to Florence, and I told him we were going to Grosetto. By the time we figured this out we were well east of where we wanted to be, but we were still in the Tuscan region and after a few harsh words for the Avis guy, I was thanking him for the unplanned detour we were forced to take through the incredible Italian countryside ... even though it took us twice as long to get to Grosetto.
One mundane task, that of gassing up the car in Grosetto, turned out to be a key factor for the rest of the trip ... once we filled the tank with deisel (as required) the car never ran the same, acting as if it were flooding or, the reverse, being deprived of adequate fuel ... bucking and hesitating. This condition persisted, getting gradually worse, and putting a layer of stress on our trip back to and through Rome that we could have done without.
In our seat-of-the-pants traveling style we had not planned in advance to visit a particular winery, but rather to find one once we got there. This has always worked well for us, making it a trip of discovery rather than destination. When the car started acting up we didn't know if it was going to buck its way all the way back to Rome or leave us stranded, so Barb found a Eurocar Rental in Grosetto and came up with a phone number for Avis. Deciding to give the Nissan a chance to see the trip through she also inquired about wineries ... this was our good fortune. We had Googled a few places but were not finding them along the way, so the suggestion of a very helpful person at Eurocar was much appreciated and I have to say that she really 'hooked us up.' She called LaSelva just south of Grosetto and told Rolando (Roland ... he's German, but the Italians call him Rolando) that we were coming. She told us that he spoke good English and would welcome us ... and welcome us he did. LaSelva turned out to be exactly what we had hoped to find: a small winery (actually an organic farm, producing about 200,000 bottles of wine per season) in a serene location in Tuscany. Besides growing grapes in their 2 producing vinyards (a 3rd is in the development stage) they grow tomatos and other produce, and produce cheese from an ancient breed of white cow of that area. Going to their website you'll see that they represent themselves as an organic farm rather than a winery. Roland was so gracious in welcoming us, and after a little conversation to establish rapport, welcomed us up to a veranda attached to the shop from which he could point out the vinyards and other locations of the winery. We asked many questions and discussed everything from the weather to the distribution and economics of wine. It was a perfect Tuscan day.
After getting acquainted this way, he invited us inside to taste wine and cheese, and talk more about his wine. After tasting it we also wanted to know how we could get it in the U.S. Shipping is a big problem, especially with current U.S. restrictions and regulations. In the end we were able to order a few cases of wine to be shipped to us. Even with a very high shipping cost the wine comes to us at a bargain based on their Italian price and what it would cost here, if it could be gotten.
I've already written too much for this one day, but suffice to say that the trip home was a bit of a nightmare, turned into a great adventure only by virute of having survived it. Between the faltering car, missed freeway exits (the Italians don't care much about directional signs) and finding ourselves deposited into downtown Rome to "pachinko" our way blindly back to our rental car return near the Roma Termini (main train terminal), our nerves were frayed and it took the best efforts of all 3 of us to figure out where we were, where we were going, and how we might get there. I drove, Erica charted our course via a collection of maps, and Barb applied instinct, memory and the best understanding of the Italian language among us to finally get us back to the parking ramp and car return. We probably spent 1-1/2 hrs. roaming Rome. See the above description of Rome traffic and multiply that by nightime visibility and nightlife gusto. Total insanity.
SATURDAY
(Day 10)
October 27, 2007, 10:30 pm
First the surprise ... Erica flew to Rome to join us on Friday, our anniversary. This was incredibly special and a total surprise to Barb. Erica and I had planned to meet in the restaurant next to the B&B and surprise Barb ... but it turned out even better when Barb went out to buy some water and returned to the gate to the B&B to find Erica just sitting there on her backpack on the sidewalk. She actually thought she was hallucinating or dreaming or something because she had no clue. It was fantastic!
We all 3 went to the ancient Roman ruins today ... Palatino (Palatine Hill) - imperial residences and the Forum - and finished off at the Colosseum. Absolutely amazing ... sensory overload. Most people have seen photographs and are familiar with at least some of the history of these sites, but there is no way to explain the sense of history, and ones place in it, to be gained from standing on those grounds, walking the stones worn smooth by centuries of Roman sandals, and looking at the remnants and ruins and imagining what it must have looked like in its completed form ... when members of the Roman Senate walked from their imperial residences to the nearby Colosseum for a day of contests. We are not so far removed from all of this and have not changed all that much in our human interests and indulgences, as you can easily envision the MetroDome as you walk the outer concourse and look inward to the entrance tunnels to the arena. Not even the tchotchke vendors, or the Roman soldier impersonators offering a photo with them for a few euro, could detract from the gravity of these places.
THURSDAY
(Day 8)
October 25, 2007, 12:30 pm
I am writing
this from car #2 compartment #8, on the fast train from Piacenza to
Roma. We just left the station in Parma and have settled into these
seats after dragging ourselves and our luggage the entire length of
the train to our assigned compartment. From this point on we expect
a relaxing 5 hour train ride and a short walk to our hotel in Rome.
We will settle in and do a little planning for the days ahead ... and
not much else. It's been a whirlwind so far, and yesterday was both
great fun and great effort. We got a good night's sleep but can really
use this low-key day.
TUESDAY
(Day
6)
October 23, 2007, 5:00 pm
After a good night's sleep in the country we decided to go into Piacenza to stroll and see what we could see. Piacenza also has the closest train station, which we will use for a day trip to Milan tomorrow, and as our starting point on Thursday to get to Rome. We were advised by last night's hosts that it would be a €45,00 cab ride from the villa to Piacenza, and as it turned out, with tip, they were right on the money. Still, a Mercedes taxi is something we'd never seen before, much less ridden in, so it was worth it. It was a very nice day, slightly overcast as every day has been, and pleasantly cool but not cold. We continue to be the most under-dressed people on the street, with everyone else in jackets, knit caps and scarves on what is near shirt-sleeve weather to us.
As we walked the town we did the math and decided that, with 4 more cab rides to go between now and Rome, we might do better to rent a car to shuttle ourselves back and forth between Tavernago and Piacenza. We found the rental place across from the train station and in short order were cruising in a Fiat Panda at half the cost of 4 taxis. After having ridden in a couple cabs, and with Barb's knowledge of Italian street signage and protocol, we made it straight back to the Villa without incident ... and it was great fun. We'll lay low for the rest of tonight, eat here, and drive to Piacenza in the morning to catch an 8:00 am train into Milan for the day.
SUNDAY
(Day 4)
October 21, 2007, 8:00 pm
This morning was a little rough ... not much sleep after staying up late to pack, then getting up early to catch the 7:00 am breakfast and the 8:00 am shuttle to the airport. It kinda messed with the time zone orientation which had been going pretty well. Our flight from Amsterdam to Malpensa was 1/2 hr. late getting in. You knew you were in Italy when the Italian pilot, in an attempt to explain the delay, said, "We were 30 min. delayed, but we're making up time and are now only 10 min. behind, so 'no big deal.'" We saw some interesting things at the airport, including a woman wearing a pair of shoes that looked to be of Persian/Italian influence ... the pic speaks for itself.
From Malpensa runs an express train straight into Milan. That, combined with a short cab ride in a sweet little Audi cab with an Italian driver, got us to the Andreola Hotel in great shape. We were going to just chill and crash, based on how we had felt in the morning, but by the time we got checked into our new 24 hr. home in Milan we had our 2nd wind and were ready for something good to eat (which is just about anything, anywhere, in Italy). With Barb as a knowledgeable guide, we hopped the Metro 2 blocks from the hotel to the Duomo and a little place Barb knew, just around the corner from La Scala, called Caffe Verdi; a funky (by Italian standards) little place with movie posters and operatic tchotchke of all kinds piled around. Red wine and Pizza Diavolo (mozerella, tomato, basil, killer Italian salami) took care of several kinds of hunger ... it was great. We popped into the Duomo for just a quick visit. Being Sunday there was a service in progress, but it's so huge inside that a large congregation of worshippers were unfazed by the equally large throng of voyeurs milling around the margins. This was just a spur of the moment visit ... we plan to go back and spend more timd. Back to the hotel via the Metro, we have promised ourselves to sleep until we wake up, with no greater agenda than to be ready at 6:30 pm when Luigi Fugali picks us up for dinner with Augusta and Franco.
Nighty-night.
FRIDAY
(Day 2)
October 19, 2007, 9:00 pm (1:40 pm Mpls. time)
Found the cheese, but there was a biig line at the Ann Frank House ... we'll tackle that tomorrow. Instead, a short nap and out to dinner at the Bij Ons where Carla and Esther are keepin' it real. Small 'home cookin' cafe up the block from the hotel, they serve up Grandma's Stamppot, a 3 lb. meatball with sauerkraut bacon mashed potatos that'll put hair on your chest. Then on to the Dampkring Coffeeshop (good scene there), checking the window of every boot shop we passed on the way, and there were many. Amsterdam is all about the boots.
Photos are just from walking around all day ... sleep-deprived, overcast, chilly and damp ... doing the Hamsterdance. It was great. Ben, the very tall bellman, told us the hotel was built in former warehouses of the Dutch East India Company. He should know.
Tomorrow
will include the Canal Bus 'hop on/hop off' all day pass and Van Gogh.
THURSDAY
(Day 1)
October 18, 2007, 10:00 pm CDT
We're almost over Scotland ... been in the air for over 6 hours. After a meal of rubber chicken we watched "Mr. Bean's Holiday" (it's Rowan Atkinson ... if you like him, it's a sweet little movie) and followed that up with "Cars" (Pixar animation at its best, and another sweet story) ... watched on the little screen set into the backs of the seats in front of us. The movies help pass the time, but our eyes are too fried to watch a third one. The Air Bus A330 is a nice big plane for this long a flight, but the seats—2 left, 4 center, 2 right—are short on leg room. We're a little stiff but already starting to relax into vacation mode.
It was a good day to be leaving a dreary Minneapolis. A lot of other people must have thought so as the plane is full. We're not close enough yet for the pilot to be giving us the local weather for Amsterdam, but before we took off he said it was nice.
Delia
Accommodation
Ristorante
La Famiglia
Rome
Taxis
A
Day in Tuscany
LaSelva
St.
Peter's Square
The
Vatican Swiss Guard
Vatican
Museum - Starting With The Queue
Inside
the Sistine Chapel (illegal photo)
The
BIG Surprise
Palatine
Hill
The
Forum
Colosseum
Pantheon
Church
of San Luigi dei Francesi
Trevi
Fountain
Spanish
Steps
Roof
of the Duomo
Santa
Maria delle Grazie
Castelnuovo
Barb's
Old Apartment (top floor, right)
Piacenza
Stazione
Centrale Milan
Hotel
Andreola
Walking
Around
L
to R: Don, Barb, Augusta, Luigi, Donatella, Franco
Milan
Malpensa-Milan
Express
Schiphol
Airport
Van
Gogh Museum
Rijksmuseum
Canal
Bus
Walking Around Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Roof Tops
Early
Morning in Amsterdam
Aboard
the A330
Mpls./St.Paul
Airport
TUESDAY
(Day
13)
October 30, 2007
Today we leave Rome and the vacation. It has been an incredible trip, made so with the help of good planning, a strategic lack of planning, recommendations and suggestions by family and friends at home, and the gracious hospitality of old friends and new acquaintances in Italy.
The Delia Accommodation B&B where we stayed in Rome (64 via Gaeta ... 2-1/2 blocks from the main train terminal) was a recommendation of Ingrid & Matt and it was a perfect one. We can't thank them enough, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a convenient, economical and safe home base from which to visit Rome.
Ristorante La Famiglia, right next door to the Delia, is another Ingrid & Matt recommendation and a big part of what makes the Delia a great location. You can eat fancier or costlier in Rome, but not better. It was always busy but never a hassle or a wait. The outdoor area was the most pleasant we encountered, the food and service were superior, and the prices were very reasonable. We ate elsewhere and kept coming back to La Famiglia.
Taxis are a great way to get around Rome, especially from a good central location like the Delia. We probably took a dozen or more cabs in Italy, most in Rome, and they were all fast (exciting, especially in Rome), efficient, and actually a bargain. Our taxis included an Audi and a couple Mercedes-Benz, and a variety of other comfortable, well-maintained vehicles. Props to the cabbies of Italy.
The best part of a great vacation is going home.
Arrivederci.
SUNDAY
(Day 11)
October 28, 2007, 9:30 pm
Today was an experience I would not have wanted to miss, nor would I ever want to repeat. This morning we went to St. Peter's Square, and the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Being Sunday, mass was being held in the square which is totally open to the public. It was a beautiful morning, and I will let the photos and video clips speak for themselves.
As for the Vatican Museum, the crushing line to get in is legendary and on a good day it is a 2 hour wait. By chance, our visit occurred on the last Sunday of the month when admission, normally €13.00, is free. The free admission makes this one Sunday, along with most Saturdays, the heaviest visitation days of the month. Soon after exiting the square we encountered the end of the line—approximately 1/3 mile from the museum entrance. It starts out the full width of a very wide sidewalk where people can walk maybe 8 abreast, and works its way along the Vatican City wall, gradually narrowing as it goes, until the final stretch is 4 abreast, then 2, and then single file into the museum. Movement is in 2 to 4 foot increments: move a few feet-stop-wait-move a few feet more-repeat endlessly. Since this was our only mission for the day, we had no deadline and so decided to join the throng and see it through.
Moving along the queue with literally thousands of other people, you enconter various entrepreneurs in turn: women selling scarves ... more women selling scarves (scarves are the main offering in the early going) ... a beggar ... a man playing "When The Saints Come Marching In" on the accordian ... a man selling (and demonstrating) soap bubble guns ... a "man " selling scarves ... another beggar (on the way in her left hand was bandaged over like a stump; on the way out the bandage was off and she was holding a sandwich in that perfectly normal hand) ... a trio of 2 accordians and alto sax playing the Frito Bandito theme song and the theme from "A Love Story" ... it's a circus.
Two-and-a-half hours later, entering the museum and negotiating the security scan was a relief. That relief faded as soon as we located the line leading through the museum to the Sistine Chapel. Less crushing but equally relentless, it was like a river of humans moving inexhorably forward. In the wider halls there was the option of stepping to the side, out of the flow, to collect yourself; but the idea of an actual museum experience of observation and contemplation was entirely out of the question. In some sections the passage was such that you could only follow the flow and move forward, through oxygen-deprived tunnels, where stopping, or even slowing down, is not an option.
The artwork and treasure is everywhere, and it is absolutely astounding: a glimpse here, a glance there, and keep moving, always pulled along with the flow.
At the end, and at last, you reach the Sistine Chapel ... a large rectangular room with the master work of a great artist surrounding you on every surface. It is people, wall to wall, all trying to absorb and share with their traveling companions the amazement they feel ... referencing books and pamphlets and pointing at the ceiling ... and all the while there is a constant din of security men yelling "no talking" and "silence" in various languages, and "shusshing" loudly; wearing communication devices that beep in sequence, one after the other, like a chorus of obnoxious cell phones; their bleating and beeping far more disruptive and irreverent than the awe inspired murmering they are fruitlessly trying to quell.
Then there is the ban on photography, only in the chapel. Photography (without flash, of course) was fine everywhere else along the way, but forbidden in the Sistine Chapel ... the one place we all endured some 3 hours of cattle-like behavior to see and admire and, hopefully, take back images to reflect upon later. Rules are rules, and they exist for a reason. The problem with this rule is that it exists to protect the licensing rights of Fuji, who financed a great part of the chapel restoration in exchange for exclusive rights to reproduction of the images. It serves not those who endure the trial to gain admission, but those who sell the book on Amazon.com. Did I mention that no less than a half dozen points along the cattle trail through the museum were set up as purchasing opportunities? Little mini gift shops, counters and displays, not unlike the gauntlet of low-rent hawkers we endured outside; but these were the much cleaner and official commercial outlets of the owners of all that treasure. I'll leave it at that, but to say that we were near claustraphobic exhaustion by the time we finally made it out of there, and Dayna will have to go without the Sistine Chapel mousepad I had spied earlier with her in mind ... I'd sooner toss a Euro to the accordian player.
FRIDAY
(Day 9)
October 26, 2007, 4:30 pm
Today we spend our 39th wedding anniversary in Rome. I have a BIG surprise planned for Barb in about 1/2 hr. ... more on that tomorrow.
Taxis are a bargain here—we took one to the Pantheon and from there walked to the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, where master works by Caravaggio are located, then the incredible Trevi Fountain, and the popular hang out, the Spanish Steps. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. (Watch for YouTube clips to be added later.)
WEDNESDAY
(Day
7)
October 24, 2007, 11:00 pm
Today was our last day in the north before heading to Rome. We wanted to day-trip in Milan and end up at Augusta's shop in the afternoon, when she might have time for a cup of caffe and a last goodbye. This meant driving our Fiat into Piacenza, taking the train from there into Milan, and taking the Metro (subway) and bus to other points—a long day of continuous activity, enhanced by constant light rain all day and night. The best part of the rain is that it justified the precious packing space we devoted to 2 umbrellas, knowing that it would be the rainy time of year. We were well-covered with two of the finest umbrellas in Milan.
The train from Piacenza was a 'slow train' making 5 or 6 commuter stops before arriving at Stazione Centrale in Milan. It was funky and pretty crowded, but it got the job done on our pre-paid Eurorail Pass ... otherwise a €40.00+ trip each, one way.
From Stazione Centrale we hit the Metro to the Duomo with the mission of getting up on the roof, in spite of the rain. The smell in the Metro tunnel this morning was overwhelming, made worse by the damp air, but we got our train. It was different at the Duomo in the rain, with the crowds staying mostly under the adjacent covered Galleria and the large central plaza left to the pigeons and a few intrepid visitors (like us). We did a little shopping at a terribly high-fashion department store (take note of my new cappello (hat), then bought a lift ticket to the Duomo roof - and the entire experience from then on was almost indescribable. In America they would never let the public up on a cathedral roof like this—liability overload with steep, narrow ancient stone steps worn into indentations of hundreds of years of thousands of footsteps, minimal railings, and on this day wet and slippery. I took photos at every turn and will let them speak for the thousands upon thousands of intricate carvings, statuary and human ambitions that make up this incredible central feature of Milan, and the 2nd largest cathedral in all of Europe.
From the Duomo we took the Metro to St. Ambrosia, which was closed. Many of the public places that were once open to the public with no security or controls are now, since 9/11/01, closed. We walked to the site of da Vinci's Last Supper knowing that we probably could not get in without a prior booking, and we were right; but Just as interesting was the Santa maria delle Grazie church next door. It is the one-time dining hall for the sisters of this church that is decorated with this most famous fresco of da Vinci. Among the amazing icons and art works were 3 people doing the meticulous work of restoration.
From here it was 2 Metro trains, some more walking and a bus ride to get to Castelnuovo Fabbrico Pasticceria (Augusta's sweet shop), also the neighborhood of Barb's 4 month residency in 1999. Franco was making cakes for a birthday party and the shop was busy, but Augusta got away long enough to buy us a cappuchino at the caffe bar next door, after which we said our goodbyes. In a last gift of hospitality, Franco had a friend, Louis, drive us to the Metro station, saving more walking and an unpleasant bus ride. We caught our two trains back to Stazione Centrale and the funky train back to Piacenza where the little Fiat (left parked all day in a huge, free, public parking area next to the station) got us back to the Villa Tavernago and the end of another long and very satisfying day. Wow.
Tomorrow we catch the 'fast train' with our Eurorail Pass and ride first class to Rome, our primary destination of this trip. We hope to resume daily posting to this blog from there.
Chiao.
MONDAY (Day 5)
October 22, 2007, midnight
This day is hard to describe. It is late, and we are sitting on a bed at the Villa Tavernago in the middle of Italian f'ing nowhere ... outside the town of Piacenza. We were driven here with great care by Luigi Fumagalli and his wife, Donatella, following our dinner at their apartment in Milan. This place is rustic but comfortable. We called ahead to say we would be late, so by the time we pulled in at midnight there was a big note on the door addressed to Barbara Lehnoff with a number to call. Barb called and was told where to find the key (in the flower box on the window sill next to the door) and find the room, and we could check in in the morning. We will be chillin' out here in a major way tomorrow in our attempt to spend a day in the Italian countryside away from the urban life that dominates the rest of our trip.
Luigi is a friend of Augusta Castelnuovo, Barb's friend from her time here in school. It's hard to express the great joy of being welcomed by real people living and working in Milan, something that the paid welcome of even the most professional hotel clerk cannot approximate. Luigi has a sense of humor that is very familiar, and Donatella, bright and gracious, plays off of him very well. Augusta and her husband, Franco, are fine people, and the hospitality they all showed to us was truly an honor.
I won't attempt the Italian names for all that we ate and drank, as I would only mangle them, but I do recall the opening fare of Panatone Gastronomica. This was layers of thinly sliced bread with alternating thin layers of smoked salmon, shrimp salad, and salmon and caviar, stacked up like a multi-layer cake, and accompanied by a traditional aperitif which may or may not include gin (mine did). Bowls of pistachios and olives were also on hand. The main course (a la Luigi) was a choice of swordfish with shrimp in a fresh tomato sauce, or veal cutlets in a diced vegetable medly. both fresh, perfectly done, and delicious. In addition to fresh fruit there was dessert compliments of the Castelnuovo's sweet shop ... four kinds of chocolates and a torte, all wonderful. After hearing so much about the quality of Italian coffee, the Nestlé Instant Espresso at the end of the meal made me smile and was surprisingly good.
And when it was all done, and small gifts were exchanged, and the photo was taken, the true test of hospitality came with Luigi and Donatella driving us out here in the middle of Italian nowhere, enduring a major detour in the main road and the late night strangeness of unknown territory. Their grace in this was simply beyond measure. We could not possibly thank them enough. With levels of bi-lingual facility that ranged from zero (me and Franco) to very competent (Luigi), we proved that language was no barrier to communication.
This dinner was really the focus of the day, but in hanging out and passing the time I took some photos at the Stazione Centrale of Milan, the BIG central train station just 2 blocks from our hotel, a few shots of places we ate, and glimpses of our Milan Hotel, the Andreola.
SATURDAY
(Day 3)
October 20, 2007, 8:30 Pm
It's up to plan 'C' on the Ann Frank House. Being a Sat. morning, and being that we needed to sleep without a wake-up call, we did not get there at the 9:00 am opening time. By 11:00 there was a queue around the corner and half way down the block. We will go there as our only mission when we're back in Amsterdam to fly home. That will be a Wed. and odds will be better. This left us right on time for the Canal Bus to the Museum Quarter.
There are a variety of canal boat operators and they offer a Pizza Cruise, a Jazz Cruise, a Lovers Cruise, and other themes; but during the day they're a great form of metro transport. We picked it up the Canal Bus 2 blks. from our hotel and took it to the Museum Quarter at the sourthern end of the route. We saw the Rijksmuseum (lot's of Rembrandt) and the Van Gogh Museum (lots of ... you know). The park outside the Van Gogh was sunny and expansive and had a bench with our name on it. Some of these pics were taken from that bench.
We walked our legs off (almost like yesterday) because I got us all turned around between museums. Barb finally took over navigation and got us back to the boat. We're in vacation mode, so it was cool to see a part of town we otherwise would have missed, but our (my) legs could have done without the extra walking
Undeterred, we took a quick break at the hotel and headed out again on foot, no camera, for an evening mission: find wine, cheese and boots before the shops close (many at 5 pm and most by 6 pm). A tiny shop called Pancakes! Amsterdam reminded us that we hadn't eatten ... the food on the sidewalk tables looked so good we went in. One ''Mascarpone & Strawberries Special" pannakoken and a "Banana w/ Mixed Nuts" and we were ready to hit the streets again.
Having determined that Amsterdam was all about boots, we figured footwear would be the perfect Amsterdam take-away. Here's a pic of our selections ... no further words are necessary. The arrogant cheese shop locked their doors right on time, but Barb picked a great red wine from a small wine shop. So it was back to the hotel for wiine and a cheese sandwich from room service. Life is good.
Tomorrow we catch an 8 am hotel shuttle to Schiphol Airport for the short flight to Milan.
FRIDAY
(Day 2)
October 19, 2007, 10:00 am
We landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (pronounced "skipal") at about 6:30 am ... of course it was only 11:30 pm in our minds and bodies. Customs and baggage were a breeze; our bags were among the first few to come down the line. With one stop at the information desk we were on the Shuttle Bus to our hotel. We checked in but, being much too early to get a room (it was still dark), we dropped our bags and went for a walk to shake off the 8 hours cramped into an airplane and check out the immediate neighborhood. I was hoping for some sunrise on the canals photography, but it was completely overcast and flat.
We learned a couple things during this excursion. First, the Dutch don't eat breakfast ... at least not at a breakfast restaurant. Even as late as 8:30 there was nothing open ... *nothing*, save for a tiny, great smelling bakery. Even Sara's Pancake House around the corner from the hotel: not only did the sign say not open till 8:30 ... but at 8:45 the place was still totally dark, with the chairs still up on the tables. We walked and dodged bicycles as life gradually started to appear on the streets, and ended up back at our hotel for a wonderful full breakfast buffet ... potato cakes, pannekokens, delicious sausages and scrambled eggs even Erica could love. After breakfast we got into our room where I now sit. We'll be heading out soon to the Ann Frank House and a search for the mother of all cheese palaces.