Rose colored glasses..

One of my favorites emails found in my inbox ...

"OK it's all very nice, but it is starting to read like a travel writer's blog!!!! I find myself being seduced into wanting to join in. That's not what I need right now. I want to see compromising photos; hear stories of total melt downs and if at all possible lost children. Fights over foreigners trying to spouse steal are also acceptable as long as they end in someone's feelings being hurt.
And to spice it up for my kids can Olivia run off with a little Italian fruit vendor?"
dk

I was going to agree wholeheartedly..we do need more drama!! After careful consideration though I decided that I would prefer other peoples dirt and drama right now..(Dave, I do thank you for your follow up email - it was brimming with good stuff!)

Drama is not easy here, in fact nothing is easy.Mike and I have been extremely patient. We are amazed that everything we do involves many steps...washing clothes (no dryer..), buying vegetables, finding the "right" lane and exact change for the toll road, figuring out if we really are allowed to park on the street,navigating,trying to dial a phone number, finding consistent internet connection..the list goes on. Very few things just happen.

We need an 'EASY' button.

For example...We decided to do a day trip to Rome yesterday by train.Steps involved:

Find a travel agent who would sell us the train tickets for that route.We had to wait for the shop to open.. as everything closes here between 1-4pm (what do these people do during this time??)We had to drive to the train station the day before to make sure the GPS actually had it right...it did not and therefore took us an extra 20 min. We had to determine if we could park there for the day..no...parking is no easy task as it is all dependent on the color of the lines. We had to make sure the train was actually running at that time and on that day. This is all the day before! (Keep in mind that we have two back seat drivers offering up their opinions on absolutely everything.) The actual day of the trip was not too bad. We started the drive to the train station being closely followed by someone at 160km/hr along a country road...only to then be passed as we approached a corner..addd some caffeine to that. Then I proceeded to validate the wrong ticket so had to try and explain to the conductor how and why I made such a stupid mistake..all in sign language. (The last trip to Venice I didnt even validate the ticket and just missed a hefty fine...so at least I am learning. ) We did get lucky though and somehow managed to spend the ride in first class so no complaints about that. There are benefits to not speaking the language..

This was all followed by a day in Rome with two children...no comment necessary. Ok just one, maybe two..from Max. "Oh look mommy, a toy store" ...just as we rounded the corner and the view of the Colloseum/Forum is in all its glory.. I also liked "Why cant we go to the zoo?"...and my favorite..."you mean the wall that they didnt finish building"

We have come to accept that everything just takes time and patience.We have settled into the ebb and flow of travelling. I feel like we could do this forever.

Add a warm, wine-induced happy haze to it all and life is good.


P.S. -

We have not lost the children..but not for lack of trying.

We did lose Mike in Rome for an hour and a bit. We didnt try too hard to look for him as we figured he knew where and when we were leaving on the train.He wouldnt let us shop so it was almost a good thing...

Lovely Levanto

The view from our house. A backyard filled with palm trees, palm fan, maritime pine, cacti,rose bushes, lemon trees and jasmine. A beautiful, heady smell fills the air...



Just finished a great week in Levanto, Italy. Consensus is...we will be back for a longer visit in the future. A funky little beach town with spectacular scenery - the locals are friendly, great beach with surf, large public pool on the beach,unlimited hiking(with wine /espresso stops along the way) and very good road and mountain biking. What more could one ask for??

We would have liked some sunnier weather, but I cannot complain - the locals have had to live with seven months of rain.



A little piece of heaven...english mags! Thank you Kelly.

We had the pleasure of spending the week with Darcy, Kelly and family. Our cottage was just big enough...for Anderson alone.



It took 7 of us to look after this one..



Two of us to get him up the hill home..



All sweetness..



Picking up fresh pasta for dinner. I had a 5 min. conversation only using hand gestures and facial expressions...and somehow ended up with what I wanted. I needed Kelly for this one. She speaks franglish with an italian accent and somehow they understand her!?



Maxs first car. We figure it will be just small enough to fit on the valley trail!
These little three wheelers are everywhere...in bright colors.



A day trip to Portofino. A little gem of a town to spend a day or two with your husband or lover. Kelly, the kids and I had a nice couple of hours wandering around. It is no wonder there are many paintings of this picture perfect town.





The boys were suppose to meet us there on bike, but they couldnt find the lower coastal road to Portofino. That would probably be because there isnt one! Who sets out on a long road ride without looking at a map?And trust me they didnt stop and ask for directions either. Kelly and I found them back in Levanto at a local cafe with a glass of wine in front of them. We took their seats, gave them the car keys , a car full of kids and sent them on their merry way...

Mike and Darcy had some great road rides and also managed to squeeze in a stage of the Giro D'italia. The locals are very enthusiastic about the race. There have been some epic stages due to the weather. Mike was able to get out and do part of the "Strade Bianche" stage. He rode the rolling hills of Tuscany and up into the town of Montalcino.

(You guessed it...We are now in Tuscany. I am beginning to think you cannot go wrong in Italy.)

Levanto,Italy - Gateway to Cinque Terra

We have arrived in Levanto, Italy, gateway to the Cinque Terra(Five Lands).




Generations of farmers have worked to create a very unique terraced landscape of vineyards, olive groves and steeply terraced slopes that seem to defy the rugged coastline. Until recently, most of these small towns were inaccessible by car, only serviced by train or boat. It is a hikers heaven.


little signposts all along the way..


The best way to explore is by foot,gaining access to the villages by walking on ancient paths and flights of stairs. The trip from one end to the other takes approximately 12 hours of hiking. This does not take into account time spent stopping for an espresso, admiring the scenery complete with huddles of pastel colored houses or a quick swim in an intimate cove at any one of the 5 villages.


lots of steps..


..more steps..and gateways into little homes perched off the beaten track..


ancient walls and alleyways


dirt paths high up ...with panoramic views..


I have been promised by my children that in the future we will take a week and hike the coastline from Portovenere, here to Levanto. For now, I will have to settle for daily hikes to any one of the medieval villages perched high above us or to the neighboring villages. The pathway to it all begins at the end of the promenade...


serious hikers


not so serious hikers...

The Ligurian Coast

I dont like to dwell on the weather. I try not to comment on the weather.This has come from years of living in a town where the 'how, why, where and when' of our lives are based on the weather.



I have been so busy running from the weather that I have not taken the time to write about our stay here on the Ligurian coast, Italy's maritime region.. I comment on the weather only because it would have been an entirely different experience here in Albissola had it been sunny and warm. It is a seaside resort surrounded by cliffs, coves and beaches. Every couple of km is another colorful seaside town running from the beach and scattered ( not a lot of planned development here!!) high up into the mountains. You can run or ride along the sea from town to town. I believe you can travel all the way from Savona to Genova by foot, stopping all along the way for a quick espresso and pastry...it is now on my list of things to do.

If it had have been warm and sunny we would have spent the week gladly paying for our little piece of sand complete with chaise and umbrellas, both the sun and cocktail kind. We would have swam in the ocean and strolled along the promenade stopping for gelato and espresso. We would have had dinner on the beach looking up at the hundreds of lights twinkling in the hills. If I had my choice we would have also visited the beach disco complete with dance floor just steps from the water...kids allowed!


Beautiful little treasures from the sea...


Instead, we ran/ biked along the promenade in our gore tex, collected sea glass on the beach,toured the local markets,went for drives along the coast and did a lot of sight seeing.We ate a lot. It was all very enjoyable. But we have had 6 weeks of non stop go and I think we were hoping for a bit of down time.I think we were hoping for a little bit of summer..days of no expectation and no plan,where the day just unfolds before you with no concept of time..

I often forget it is only May...


We have yet to be invited onto someones yacht..Mike wont rent us one...so we had to go to a boat show.

We did get a chance to visit the following places...

Genoa, the countrys largest port and birthplace of Christopher Columbus. East of this is Riviera di Levante...West is the palm fringed Riviera di Ponete. Both of them strung with little towns and resorts. On first glimpse, Genoa is your typical port town, a waterfront area dedicated to shipping and all industry related things. It is loud and a tad dirty..or you could say that it is colorful and very real. I personally liked its grittiness.


making money for gelato

Up from Porto Antico, the old port, lies the old town, which incidentally is the largest in Europe. Some of the shops have been in business since the late 19th century.They have dust to prove it. The laneways are haphazard, crooked and uneven. Lots of higgily piggily storefronts with three foot doors (my favorite)It is very easy to get lost.
Via Garibaldi is not to be missed. It is a beautiful street lined with palazzi straight out of the 16th century.Today the palaces have either been converted to art galleries, museums or offices, but their structure and gardens still retain all of their old world charm.

I am beginning to sound a bit like a tour guide..

It has been declared a UNESCO World heritage site.
Our visit to Genoa was gray and stormy, a perfect kind of day to visit an old bustling port. It required little imagination to picture yourself back in those times.


Sorry...had to do it..

Pisa and its leaning tower (we went on a bit of a road trip to Pisa, Lucca and Florence)
Pisa is pretty uneventful..until you step in the walls of the Piazza dei Miracoli (the miracle square). Pure white monuments towering over lush green grass. It had a bit of wow factor. I was very impressed with the grass which has been very sparse in our travels so far...and definitely not for playing, sitting or walking on! We broke a few rules and had a run on it... We dont speak the language.


view from tower

The leaning tower, which is probably one of the country's most familiar sights is not only impressive, but has a very impressive story to it. It has almost fallen over a few times. They have all sorts of videos/pictures/brochuresdescribing the work that is constantly being done to preserve it. Most impressive...the marble stairs winding to the top are actually worn down.



With a little calculation, I figured it is probably pulling in at least 2000€/hour in visitors (on a non busy day).

Lucca.
I loved Lucca. It has such a good neighborhood feel to it. It is full of cafes, cobbled lanes, tiny churches,galleries and good shopping...all contained within its magnificent walls. We had a great dinner and the luxury of watching the kids play soccer in the piazza with the local neighborhood kids. We will definitely be visiting there again.


Waiting for someone to ask him to play..




Florence. My favorite place so far...


Piazza del Duomo..unbelievable attention to detail.




We made the mistake of parking right by the market. It took us an hour and a half and cost us a fortune to walk the mile to the Piazza del Duomo. The market (the best to date) is lively and you cannot help but be drawn in by it. We just wanted to have a small taste of what Firenze had to offer as we will be back here in the next couple of weeks. We did the typical touristy things. We spent time at the Piazza del Duomo. I had a glorious couple of hours by myself as the kids and Mike climbed to the top of the dome to view the city. Not one person asked me where something was..to get something for them..or how to do something...


Ponte Vecchio

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets by the river... walking the bridges including the Ponte Vecchio..and people watching. I even found my perfect restaurant and a paper store. More to come on this lovely city in the near future.


Vintage car parade through the streets of Florence


I have spent more on gelato than wine on this trip...


Drying tea stained pages for journaling...does this count for homeschooling?


a visit to the aquarium in Genoa...homeschooling?

Good to the last drop...

Have I mentioned how good the coffee is here?

We have been deprived for 6 weeks!

The best coffee you ask??? The 1 € espresso.. roadside at the Auto-Grill. Italy's version of the truck stop, but dressed up and beautifully presented....mounds of in season fruit, fresh cheeses and salami, local wine, beautiful pastries...all to go!

I love Italy!

Blown Away!

It has been raining for 5 days.....

We are going on a road trip!

We have become sun seekers,but it seems that there is no sun to be had in Europe. We have looked as far as Greece.

We have had a wonderful time exploring a small portion of the Ligurian coast and its very colorful towns perched high up on the coast line, but it is time for some city... and maybe a leaning tower.

We will see where the wind takes us!

Life altering moments...for some.

Fresh spices and herbs from the market outside Eze, France



We have arrived in Albisola Capa located on the Italian coast in between Savona and Genoa. We are only 2 hours away from our previous destination in Cannes, France yet it is a seems a world away. The sea, the landscape,the architecture, the language...the local flavor, are all vastly different. It is a refreshing change and feels very real.

We are on our second home exchange with a family from Navarro, just outside of Milan. The villa is their second home/vacation home and was built by Francesca's father. It is a very large home on 4 levels perched up on a windy hill overlooking the town and the sea. The view is a mixture of everything this town has to offer. I can view the sea and cliffs, the port and harbour of Savona, the clay tiled rooftops of the town and the surrounding fields of the local farmers. The house itself is what I would describe as old Italian. Lots of chandeliers and antique furniture, very colorful, intricately tiled floors and wall throughout and spacious terraces outside of every room . The view is ever-changing.There is something different to see at every angle.




What I think impressed us the most upon our arrival was the fully stocked fridge!(this is not customary for a house exchange..) Beautiful bunches of fresh herbs,mounds of in season asparagus, eggs, milk, a big hunk of parmesan cheese, buffalo mozzarella,ripe melon and pear, homemade pasta and ricotta ravioli and about 5 lbs of ripe cherry red tomatoes...a chockerblock full of fine smells and flavor. Did I mention the homemade bread and unsalted butter?

Carlos whipped us up a fabulous dinner of fresh pasta with tomato, basil and parmesan, followed by grilled swordfish and asparagus. It was simple, easy to prepare and very enjoyable sitting around the kitchen chatting and eating over the course of the evening.Unfortunately, Carlos is going home tomorrow despite my pleas for him to stay.He obviously does not understand my Italian. I am thankful he did not understand Max when after his first bite of swordfish questioned "Is this rooster?"


a typical breakfast


Mike cooking....a life altering moment for me...




I hate to say this, but Mike and I haven't been thoroughly impressed with "dining out" to date.We had high hopes for Paris and Cannes, but unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to experience some of the fine restaurants that we know exist.We have both decided that it is easier and more enjoyable to feed the kids at home. We have been very good at preparing flavorful, healthy meals with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables from the market. We are loving the markets, but tend to get a wee bit carried away at them. We have both agreed that our style of eating is definitely 5 ingredients max.



Once again, I find I am in need of the internet... this time for new recipes and ideas.The display of all things edible at the market is inspiration enough. I wish I had some of my Donna Hay cookbooks with me!


The food is very fresh at the market!