By: Elizabeth

We all know travel can be stressful. When we’re away from our comfortable place where we call home, the place where we know the roads, the signs are in our native tongue, we’re familiar with the grocery store layout, know our dry cleaner, where the nail salon is and its hours and have a standing appointment with our hairdresser every six weeks this is familiarity. Familiarity brings a lot of comfort and a definite level of ease.

None of this is true when traveling. And I feel the stresses of not knowing where the nail salon is. However, for me travel brings a sense of adventure, I like the newness of things and the unexplored. I like the puzzle of figuring things out. There are people out there who I haven’t met yet, new foods to enjoy and art and architecture I’ve never seen before that will bring wonder and delight. And the flip side of that is the unexpected and the unpredictable.

After visiting Padua (the town west of our apartment) I attempted to take the bus home. Little did I know there is a ‘special’ ticket office for local buses, so after two unsuccessful attempts to buy a ticket, I decided I’d just board the bus and get a ticket from the driver. No such luck. By the way, bus tickets are just €2.70. So, I walked myself down to the taxi stand to inquire about taking a taxi back to the apartment. €40. Ugh. Okay, I get myself into the cab and to my delight the taxi driver speaks perfect english (he speaks five languages). We chat the entire time. It was like having a private tour director.

Georgio gave me info on the ‘hills’ of Padua (Par o Regionale die Colli Euganei) a good hiking area, then told me about the unique hot springs at the base of the mountains (Abano Terme) where you can visit a hotel on a day pass and take in the natural springs and also get all kinds of spa treatments including mud bath exfoliations. Then he went on to tell me some of the best local restaurants, and then . . . where to get the best prices on Italian wine (his favorite grocery store) — who knew?

Promptly, the next day, Michael and I were out for hike in the Colli Euganei Regional Park and northern Italy’s wine country and the day after that we were at a beautiful Four Star Resort swimming in eight different bubbling pools, getting massages and a facial for me. Best €40 I spent on a 30 minute taxi ride. Thanks Georgio!

Arrivederci

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Can there be a more thrilling city than Venice? It’s a complete experience of the senses. You can smell, feel, taste, hear and see so much, it is a dazzling and intoxicating experience.

We took a 30 minute train from Dolo to Venice with just our backpacks for an overnight. In Venice we travelled by the ‘vaporetto’ which are basically canal water buses.

We ate incredible pizza just off Piazza San Marco, tried to get into St. Mark’s Basilica with the wrong ticket. We had tickets to the Doge’s Palace, duh. The Palace did not disappoint, we couldn’t believe the weaponry used in the 17th century. How did those soldiers wear all those coats of armor when it’s 95° outside? We commented that times have certainly changed with 21st century warfare now sending in a drone missile attack on the ‘bad guy.’

In the evening we did a Cicchetti (sounds like spaghetti) walking tour through little alleyways and even a gondola ride across the canal with a young Italian guidewoman. We munched on small snacks or side dishes, served in traditional “bàcari” (ancient Venetian tavern.) Neither Michael or I tried the black squid over white polenta — just couldn’t do it. I would classify cicchetti as the Italian equivalent of Spanish tapas. We also sampled Prosecco and other wines from the Venetian area.

The next day we took another vaporetto to Murano Island known for the beautiful blown glass factories and a glass museum. No, we didn’t buy anything! We came back and found a lunch spot on the canal and then visited the Peggy Guggenheim Museo. Afterwards we went on a search for a perfect chocolate cookie for Michael at one of the famous Italian patisseries. We collected our backpacks and headed back to the train station for a seamless ride back to Dolo.

It’s so hard to describe Venice because it is so much an experience of the senses. You really must go . . . bodies pressing together in the heat, chaos, mixed with efficiency, beauty and awe at the many palaces now abandoned because of flooding and strict laws about preserving the old structures and not enough money to do it. It was great to visit Venice for the weekend and we’re happy to be back at our apartment that is quiet and comfortable and once again cooking very simple Italian meals and sleeping with our pillows from Target knowing we will sleep well.

Real Life

Because we’re on an extended three month journey and we have an apartment we’re re-creating home life in the Italian village of Dolo. That means going shopping for food and planning meals and doing laundry, going to the dry cleaner and planning our calendar. So, it might seem like all our troubles and worries are left behind while away, however, we are still tasked with the daily necessities of eating, feeding, cleansing and personal grooming.

One of the highlights of our trip has been going to the Italian grocery store. While local outdoor traditional markets are intriguing and we’ve visited them — it’s so hot we really can’t buy anything and then transport it back to our apartment without a cooler. Locals just venture out on foot early in the morning, get what they need and head back home.

Today we ventured out and went to the Italian equivalent to REI, ‘Decathlon’ and I bought some hiking shoes and a much needed yoga mat. I’ve been doing yoga on to stretch out my body and strength extremities using a bath towel — but it’s just not the same as having a sticky mat. Since we’re here for five weeks we decided to splurge and spend $10 for a sticky mat.

Because I am gluten-free – – even though I’ve been fine eating pizza and pasta, I still seek out gluten free options to keep my gut happy and I’m amazed at the options in Italy. The Italians have happily embraced G/F cookies, crackers, desserts, pasta, pizza and more, and it’s delicious and superior to everything we have in the US! I’m sending samples home!!

To keep ourselves entertained in the evening (we haven’t watched TV for four weeks) we decided to buy a deck of cards — oops, the first deck that we bought was some foreign Italian game with no clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds. What the heck? I’m also reading a great Italian novel based in Venice — it’s a murder mystery about a great German maestro killed at the Teatro. I love learning about all the Venetian neighborhoods and historical buildings along with the number of espressos they drink in a day, delicious meals they eat, parties they attend and especially all the gossiping about one another that is said to be very prevalent among Venetians.

Ciao for now!

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By: Both of Us

Michael: Once again, we used public transportation to travel from Zermatt, Switzerland to Dolo, Italy. We knew we had a tight schedule that included a taxi to the train station followed by four different trains to Dolo. At one point we had four minutes to grab a connecting train and by the time we figured out which track the next train was on, all we saw was the caboose as it disappeared. Luckily, the next stop was only ten minutes away so we jumped into a cab and essentially raced the train to the next stop. Our cab driver, with limited English skills, told us that he races the train regularly and not to feel too stupid about missing the connection. Nine minutes and €45 later we were on our way to Italy!

Elizabeth: The couple that owns our apartment are a lovely older Italian couple — Gabriella and Alessandro. Alessandro picked us up at the tiny train station in the tiny town of of Dolo. We were the only people that got off the train that was terminating in Venice. Thankfully the apartment has a very sophisticated air conditioning unit in every room. We got a tour by the couple with very specific directions on how to sort the trash. I kid you not, there are four sorting bins! I was so thankful that there was a washing machine as with so little clothing we needed to do a few loads. When I asked if the washing machine was also a dryer Gabriella looked at me a little bit quizzically and announced that in Italy they dry their clothes naturally in the sun. You ought to see the drying rack contraption, someone should have videoed me setting it up as a comedy meme.

Michael: We (mostly Elizabeth!) planned our entire trip, the logistics of which can be complicated at times. One thing we did not anticipate was how hot it would be in northern Italy. And while it’s true that all of Europe is struggling with record breaking heat, we were not prepared for daily temperatures in the 95° range. Walking, our preferred mode of transportation, and waiting at bus and tram stops when it’s kissing 100° is energy sapping (and not the recommended treatment for Shingles) and is definitely altering our sightseeing plans.

Michael: Dolo is a small town of approximately 15,000 people situated between Padua to the west and Venice to the east. We are renting a spacious apartment on the grounds of what was once a grand estate. A little past it’s prime, Villa Tron Mioni is on a substantial plot of land that includes a once stately Villa and several smaller buildings. Our apartment is one of three that they rent out for short term rentals. It’s comfortable and functional and will serve as our base for exploring the area. Being somewhat remote, and with the high temperatures, we decided to rent a car for the remainder of our time here. We opted for what we call a “baby” car, a Fiat Panda. Pandas are not available to the US market, no doubt they would never survive the safety standards. “Pandy” is fun to drive and we are both glad that in our previous lives we owned and drove cars with manual transmissions. Hoping we don’t have any disastrous experiences to share with you along the way.

Elizabeth: The apartment is a little lacking in comfortable pillows and since we are going to be here for five weeks I figured let’s invest in some decent ones. After a google search to find the Italian equivalent of Target, a trip to ‘Ipercoop’ has been one of our highlights so far! It’s like a Target and grocery store combined and it has air conditioning — we have been finding ways to cool off!

One of the most surprising and confusing things that we are trying to get used to is the Italian tradition of ‘riposo’ similar to the Mexican concept of siesta. Ever heard of it? Riposo means to rest, pause or take a break. So most shops and workers close and go home to for il pranzo (lunch), typically the largest meal of the day. This closes down clothing stores, gift shops, grocery stores, banks, pharmacies and post offices around noon and they don’t open again until 3-3:30pm or later. We found it confounding when we were the only people walking around after about 12:30, no cars, no people and ‘chiuso’ on every door.

Michael: We have made two forays into Padua that included a to visit the Scrovegni Chapel, a beautiful frescoed chapel, that seems like a mini Sistine Chapel. We also visited the botanical gardens (Orto Botanico di Padova) on the campus of the University of Padova. You can see this through some of the pics!

Tomorrow we are heading to Venice where we will spend one night. Since it’s basically an island we are hoping for cooler temperatures with a forecast for this weekend a refreshing 89°. We plan on sharing our first impressions of Padua and Venice in our next post. Until then, “ciao” from Italy.

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