Travel Stories | 9 Countries 90 Days

Our New Italian Apartment

by travel2022 | Aug 6, 2022 | Italy

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.

Quaint Mountain Town of Zermatt

by travel2022 | Aug 3, 2022 | Switzerland

Michael has been to Switzerland twice before, first hiking the famous Tour de Mount Blanc and then again, hiking the Haute Route that goes from Chamonix to Zermatt. His memories of the little town and how beautiful and quaint it is motivated him to suggest we add it into our itinerary so he could revisit it with me. I think it was also The Brown Cow burger place where he and his brother had ‘the best burger ever’ when they got off the trail. The burger was okay, the sweet potato fries delicious!

We happened to be in Switzerland on the day before National Day which seems to translate into our fourth of July. When we queried the locals about what exactly this day represented they said it was a day of celebration and eating, drinking beer and seeing fireworks. There were no fireworks this year because it has been a very dry season and too much chance for fire — sound familiar? When we walked through the town center in the evening there was much merriment and to our pleasure, trios of clothes-matching musicians consisting of accordions, harmonicas and fiddles playing traditional Swiss music.

We are now traveling on the train (that we barely caught) from Switzerland to Italy going through the Swiss-Italian alps via of Milan where the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. We enjoyed our time in Switzerland despite the little hiccups. Our discomforts and health issues were make up for by the wonderful inn where we stayed. The owner/hosts and their staff were delightful and went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. Not only were they charming and gracious, the inn was beautifully decorated with thoughtful furnishings that were tasteful with a dash of art flourishes — and let me not forget to mention the amazing view of the Matterhorn!!! I rarely make recommendations (but maybe I should) but I would highly recommend Hotel Coeur des Alpes (the inn with a heart) in Zermatt.

As Michael mentioned in the last post, we are looking forward to our next leg on the journey — Italy where we have rented an apartment in Dolo (halfway in between Padua and Venice) for five weeks to use as a base for exploring Northern Italy. I’ve already made my shopping list and am ready to go to the butcher, the baker (we don’t need a candlestick maker — it’s 93° here — and remember I bought that puffy in Norway???) and farmer’s market for fresh vegetables and making home-cooked meals that are lighter and more healthy.

Hello Mrs. Matterhorn

by travel2022 | Jul 30, 2022 | Switzerland

By: Michael

After a cab ride to the Antwerp train station, a train to the Brussels airport, a flight to Geneva, two trains to Zermatt and a shuttle to our hotel we arrived to the stunning natural beauty of Zermatt, home of the Matterhorn. Unfortunately, it was raining and our first sighting of her had to wait until the next morning. The entire city of Zermatt is automobile free, the only modes of transportation being walking and biking. The hotels use electric vehicles (think oversized golf carts) to transport their guests so the air is pure and the streets free of vehicles.

Talking with the locals we learned that it’s been a cool and overcast summer this year. We counted our many blessings this morning when we woke up to stunning views of the Matterhorn right outside our large window! We managed to get a short hike in but we are both facing some health issues. Elizabeth got slammed into a railing inside a tram and has badly bruised ribs. Very uncomfortable for hauling our luggage and possessions all over Europe. And I’m suffering from an outbreak of Shingles. I’m tough but there is no denying how terribly painful it is and how ‘ugly’ the blisters are on the left side of my chest and back. Elizabeth took photos of the outbreak but we won’t be sharing. Fortunately, the easy European health care system allowed us to go to a pharmacy, show the rash to the pharmacist, and walk out with prescription drugs to help treat the disease and the pain. Total cost: $25 for the consult and about $50 for drugs and wound dressing. Total time: about 20 minutes. If your physician advises you to get the Shingles vaccination, please do it. This is no party.

Tomorrow we have another full day in Zermatt to enjoy this beautiful city before heading to Italy where we will be spending most of the next five weeks. We are both excited and looking forward to shopping for our own food and preparing our own food and eating in. Eating out has its delights but after 17 days of it, we are ready to get back into our healthy diets and daily routines. Hopefully we both will be on the mend and ready to settle in for a while.

And yes, we are both practicing our Italian. So far I like the word ‘prego,’ seems to cover just about everything. Arrivederci per ora!

Diamonds and Chocolate

by travel2022 | Jul 29, 2022 | Belgium

Of course we got on the wrong train. The conductor was unsympathetic as he announced our faux pas in a loud voice and we were a little embarrassed until the couple next to us was told the same thing. As he cruised down the aisle checking tickets, he informed more passengers in our cabin that they needed to disembark at the next stop and board the correct train. Such is the life of a traveler as we headed to a country where the three languages are Dutch, French and German and we speak English.

We chose Antwerp to visit rather than Brussels because it’s a little bit smaller and easier to get around. It also has a beautiful medieval ‘old town’ surrounded by incomparable Renaissance architecture (check out the pic of the most beautiful train station in the world) and is the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. It is also the gold and diamond capital of the world in addition to having the worlds most sought after chocolate extraordinaire. We shopped for and explored all three but only bought the chocolate. I can certainly understand why people love Antwerp.

Antwerp is a very walkable city and we easily got to the stunning museum, the MAS or Museum aan de Stroom on the River Scheldt. The museum was unique in many ways starting with a ‘listening exhibition’ where we listened to old stories about the art while viewing. We actually enjoyed the exhibit about the history of Antwerp as a huge port and it’s colony of the Congo more than we did the ‘listening exhibit.’ Antwerp’s signature icon is the ‘severed hand’ and there are thousands of them throughout the museum and the city. There are many stories about the hand, none of them pretty. You can buy the hand in many forms— obviously as chocolate, cookies or gold. I didn’t see any diamond shaped hands.

The other exhibit we enjoyed was the Life and Death exhibit that explored the cultures of Egypt, Africa, Papua New Guinea, India, Nepal, Tibet, and Jerusalem. It was a fascinating exhibit about rights and rituals of the various cultures and religions regarding these two inevitable events. A third exhibition looked at food accessibility in the coming years and solutions to feeding our ever growing world population. Europe is very much focused on the future of our planet and the preserving of life beyond climate change through many different avenues.

We had Ethiopian food for dinner, forgoing the popular ‘waffles for dinner’ craze that was apparent throughout the city.

Field Trip

by travel2022 | Jul 28, 2022 | Netherlands

A walk, a tram ride, a train, a bus, walking, and a bike to get to the Kröller-Müller Museum. It took us a little over an hour and lots of determination. We always enjoy getting out of the city, seeing the scenery beyond and exploring big outdoor spaces. This beautiful museum is set in a national park. The Dutch have long goals of reducing carbon emissions and so give incentives to ride public transportation, walk, use a bike and go electric.

At the entrance of the museum there are 1700 free bikes each one complete with a baby seat. There are no hand gears and it’s a pedal braking system. Thankfully, it’s perfectly flat. Suffice it to say that you rarely see a Dutch person that is not fit. It warmed my heart every time I saw a older adult clad with gray hair and wrinkles, leathered skin and gnarled hands happily and confidently riding their bike down the bike path.

Getting back to our room: a bike ride, a walk, a bus, a train, a tram and a walk!

And for real excitement the next day we did our laundry!

Canal Tour, Red Light District

by travel2022 | Jul 27, 2022 | Netherlands

We did the ‘ultimate canal tour’ that included free flowing Dutch beer, French champagne, wine and a custom curated charcuterie platter. We had a native Dutch captain that happily told stories about his hometown and the history of the architecture, canal districts, great places to eat and how to avoid tourist traps. He enlightened us on the red light district and the ‘coffee shops’ that had superior marijuana obviously imported from the USA.

We’ve toured numerous museums but one that stands out beyond the traditional is MOCO — Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art— which included the street/graffiti art of Bansky and other of-the-moment social artists. The museum was packed with younger people and the commentary on the audio tour was especially questioning and criticizing our current social structure. What struck out so blatantly to me was commentary on the US and our current issues that divide us including guns and birth control and our struggle for power of the almighty dollar.

The Red Light District. Oh, yes, we did! How did you come to Amsterdam and not take a tour? It was everything that you would expect. Little ‘coffee shops’ that sell marijuana, people hanging out in front smoking, getting buzzed and giddy. Large windowed stalls where beautiful women danced or enticed one to come in, dressed in scantily clad attire. There was a lot of excitement in every hazy alley, many young boy/men walking around looking nervous. And then the familiar scent of what the locals call the ‘Amsterdam aroma.’ I don’t think you need to inhale to feel a little buzzy.

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes

by travel2022 | Jul 25, 2022 | Netherlands

We arrived safely in Amsterdam! Right before we left to fly into Schiphol our airline let us know that they were not checking bags because of the baggage catastrophe going on — no problem, we have carry-ons! Schiphol looked like a baggage storage facility with bags stacked up, laid out and pretty much everywhere. First stop the IAmsterdam store to pick up our prepaid cards for trams, buses, museums and attractions. Little did we know that what we really needed was a bike!

Pedestrians beware, bikes rule in the Netherlands! They have the right of way, their own paths and are everywhere. Now I come from a biking community, birthplace of the mountain bike, where bikes are extremely popular and given a wide berth along with a lot of respect. Amsterdam is a whole new world! Funny thing is— the bikes the Dutch ride are not sleek, modern, high-tech, titanium bikes that I see all over California. They are mostly old clunkers, often just one speed and some with petal brakes. Like the ones you and I learned on back in the day. There are bike racks everywhere and when those are filled they line the streets and are attached to random fences. The Dutch don’t wear helmets and women are often seen riding with flowing dresses and heels.

Our first dinner was the must try Indonesian feast where I think Michael was the happiest eating so far. The flavors rich and exotic and the price tag meager for the array and variety we consumed. Dining options in Amsterdam are so far-reaching, it’s hard to choose where to go. I’m stuffed.

We took our first excursion out of the city to Haarlem, the town closest to the beach, and rented our first cyclis (bicycles). We toured around the town and were mesmerized by the beautiful Grote Kerk (St Bavo Church) that towers over the Grote Market. We explored the delightful Saturday morning market and bought picnic food for lunch. The Dutch were clearly giddy about the beautiful day sitting outside the cafés enjoying one another’s company while indulging in koffe and assorted patisserie along with the occasional Heineken.

We secured our picnic lunch with the bungee cords provided by the cycli rental company and took off for a 45 minute ride to the beach. After visiting the coin operated restrooms where they are sanitized after every guests, we settled ourselves in for the view across the Atlantic. What we saw where state-of-the-art windmill farms for generating electricity!

It was a short stint at the beach as we had to hurry back for our 2 o’clock reservation at the Coorie ten Boom House to learn about her family whom created a safe house for Jews during World War II. It was a good perspective of the other half of the Anne Frank story (which we visited previously) giving the point of view of the those who risked their lives to hide Dutch Jews during the Nazi occupation. If you haven’t seen it, there is a popular 1975 movie called “The Hiding Place” which chronicles their story.

Off now to another museum and supporting Michael in his never-ending endeavor to find the perfect treat to satisfy his sweet tooth!

Norway in a Nutshell

by travel2022 | Jul 24, 2022 | Norway

By: Michael

I didn’t coin the phrase “Norway in a Nutshell” but it seems to be one of the most acceptable ways to experience the beautiful countryside and fjords of Norway. On Tuesday morning we got up early to catch a train to Voss followed by a bus to Gudvangen. We had an almost four hour layover in Voss, plenty of time for lunch and a gondola ride up a mountainside where we enjoyed watching numerous paragliders launch themselves into space. From Wikipedia: Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like ‘pod’ suspended below a fabric wing. If only we were a few years younger…

We spent the night at the Gudvangen Fjordhotel, an interesting experience as it prides itself on being a replica of a Viking Village (no devices allowed), where we witnessed men and women garbed in Viking attire. On Wednesday morning we went for a short hike along the banks of the Nærøyfjord Fjord, the largest fjord in the world, before boarding a boat that cruised the length of fjord from Gudvangen to Flam. The two-hour cruise stopped at several small hamlets along the way, some of which can only be accessed by boat or by an arduous hike. Can’t imagine what life might be like for those few folks who call it ‘home.’ Once we disembarked from the boat we jumped on a tour bus that coursed up a harrowing single-lane road to the Stegastienen Viewpoint overlooking the fjord. Amazing views but probably not worth the crazy bus ride! Once back on flat ground, one more long bus ride back to Bergen, and we can now boast having experienced ‘Norway in a Nutshell.’ Tomorrow, it’s goodbye to Norway and hello to Amsterdam. See you there!!!

Bergen, Norway

by travel2022 | Jul 21, 2022 | Norway

What a beautiful city! Even though it’s been cold and rainy we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Because of the unexpected colder weather I was forced into buying a new puffy LOL. But it’s super lightweight and stuffs into a tiny stuff sack.

Our small sweet B & B is in a residential neighborhood just 5 minutes walking into town. There are cobblestone streets with narrow little passage ways leading down to hidden coffee shops, cafes, boutiques and of course, excellent sporting goods stores. Bergen has a huge port and a start and finish for many cruise ships and the city swells from 10am to 3pm. Bergen seems to survive on the fishing industry with more kinds of fish than I’ve ever seen or heard of, and the lobsters and crabs are humongous.

After a historic tour of old town with a guide from the Bryggen Museum we rode up the 1000’ funicular for excellent views of the city and a hike around in the rain filled forest. We walked a little over nine miles today!

Leaving Stockholm

by travel2022 | Jul 17, 2022 | Sweden

As mentioned in pervious posts, I’ve been most intrigued by how progressive Stockholm is with its low-impact transportation. People of all ages are riding bikes, scooters and Segway’s in dedicated lanes clearly marked just for them. Of course we were on one of many islands and walked everywhere or took a ferry to adjoining islands where there were relatively few cars.

Stockholm is quiet, clean and beautiful. The Swedes aren’t particularly outgoing, but I wouldn’t say unfriendly, they seem to be just moving through life doing their jobs seemingly happy enough. I know that in the past decades they have graciously invited in immigrants from all over the world and that was somewhat evident, but society is still dominated by light-skinned blonds with blue eyes!

We did enjoy the Nobel Museum, learning about it’s history and founder Alfred Nobel, and his inspiration for creating the Nobel prizes was actually quite noble. As the inventor of dynamite he made large sums of money and was very impressed by people who were also inventors and innovators. He also greatly admired people around the world who sacrificed their personal well being to insure peace, equality and democracy for their countrymen and women. It’s amazing that Nobel’s legacy has been able to sustain these annual awards for over 120 years. Each laureate chosen is awarded approximately one million dollars.

Just a few casualties today— I forgot my hat (that was supposed to last me for the whole trip) at the hotel. Then, going through TSA they found a small scissors that has been through security more times than I can count and confiscated it. Bummer, I used that scissors a lot.

Next up . . . Bergen, Norway and the infamous Fjords! Stay tuned!