Vancouver, Boxing Day December 26, 2008

Greetings All,

We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas Day and are not too stuffed from the food that we all seem to over indulge in. Today was moving day back to the kids condo and boy did we have a lot to move as they had to stock kitchen tools for our Xmas dinner. Two trips in the car but got it all done. The condo we left, I think cleaner then we arrived:0. The balance of the day was spent relaxing with the kids, dogs and watching TV and movies. Jonathan made pizza from scratch for dinner as he did not want turkey again. The pizza was awesome. Two different cheeses, mushrooms, pepperoni and onion.

Sadly this will be our last entry this trip as we are headed home early. Fred's mom has taken a turn for the worst and her time now is very short.

We hope you enjoyed the blog even though it has not been as exciting as our past adventures. Pictures are still to be done and will be available on the flickr site in a few weeks. We will advise by e-mail once this is done.

We hope you all have a Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Sandy & Fred

Vancouver - Christmas Eve & Christmas Dec 24 & 25, 2008

Merry Christmas All,

On Christmas Eve we headed over to Jonathan's friend and co-workers place Faraz and Fraser's condo. It is amazing on the 38th floor with ceiling to floor windows all around. On a clear day you can see the mountains and has view of the False Creek water front. What was strange to us at least is there is no TV. They did have this massive big screen though to watch DVD's on through a projection unit. Amy has brought over the tree from their place and we re-decorate it to make the place look more festive.

The guys are bachelors and it is very evident when we look for standard kitchen tools. For Christmas Eve dinner we have Arn his girlfriend Sayaka, Jonathan, Amy, Fred and myself for lamb dinner with roast potatoes and asparagas plus wine. The dinner is served on make do dishes. Our gravy boat is a huge mug and the ladle is a Japanese soup spoon. They have no carving board as Fraser is a vegetarian and I guess Faraz has no need to serve roasts of any kind. Dessert is Michelle's awesome cookies which are devoured. Too bad Michelle does not do long distance orders and shipping because we could get her lots of business.:) Dinner is a sucess and we learn alot about macro photography from Sayaka. More than we want to know as she takes some gross stuff. Fred and I end up having the condo to ourselves for the night and watch a movie on the big screen.

Christmas Day turns out to a fairly clear day so we get some nice shots. The day is very laid back. Fred and I are up early so we get the veggies ready and relax waiting for the kids to arrive. They finally arrive and gifts are opened. Jonathan makes the stuffing as he has embellished my grandmas sausage stuffing and into our 16 lb bird it goes. We were supposed to have company for supper but they do not show so Jonathan and Amy will have a 1/2 a turkey and then some for left overs. The balance of the day is spent just relaxing reading, playing computer games and listening to music. Jonathan and Amy had to bring alot of utensils over plus carving board so we can prepare dinner properly. I guess the boy's mothers did not teach them too well as they really are missing some basic tools. Jonathan and Amy now have a great gift list for them :). Supper was a sucess and Jonathan's dressing was awesome. After a movie the kids head back with the two dogs Wedge our grandson and Echo a Westie that they are minding. Funny looking Westie not what we are used to and a whiner.

We hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas.

Sandy & Fred

Vancouver - Slush City Dec 22 & 23, 2008

Greetings All,

Monday Dec.22 - Laundry in the morning. Boring but clean clothes are needed and the Marriott does have good guest laundry facilities. After the chores are done we head out to downtown to the Hyatt Hotel to view the biggest Ginger Bread House. They have a nice display of various Gingerbread scenes that have been entered in a contest in Vancouver. Once pictures are taken we then head off to the Vancouver Harbour and the Imax Theatre Area. The walk down is aweful. Sidewalks have not been completely cleared and the street curbs are a slushy soggy mess. In no time my feet are soaked through my boots. Some curbs are so deep that they are going over peoples shoes and we hear alot of cursing and squealing as we walk along. The harbour is beautiful with the white snow covering and the kids, if no one else, are enjoying the snow.

After picture taking we stop the Lion Pub. The pub was like stepping into a pub in the heart of London. A snack of wings and then a walk back to Jonathan and Amys condo. By the time we get there I can literally pour the water out of my boots. Yech!! We take Wedge for a quick walk and then start supper for us. Pasta tonight. Fred and I head back early as we are both very tired for some reason.

December 23 - Today we finally use the car and head out to Surrey BC to a Wal-Mart Superstore to pick up some boots for me (Wellies) and other food stuffs for Christmas day. A nice drive and the snow really does look pretty in the country side. Shopping done we head back to the condo and decide to relax with Wedge. Supper is BQ steak, fries and mushrooms. We will head out to Costco to get water later as the weather is supposed to warm up with lots of rain. The water when rains are heavy take on a brown tint so not good for cooking or drinking. With all the snow melting plus the rain Jonathan figures we are best to be prepared.

Not much news but we are relaxing and enjoying doing basically nothing.

Bye for now.

Sandy & Fred

Vancouver - Girls Day Out - Dec 21, 2008

Greetings All,

It continues to snow here though the weather has warmed up a little. Amy and I went to the Metropolis at metrotown in Burnaby, a mall with 470 stores, the second largest mall in Canada.
Here we did a bit of last minutes shopping, food shopping and got hair cuts. We spent a good three hours here and the best thing was it just started to get crowded as we were leaving. Driving in heavy snow with Vancouverites is most interesting. They have no idea but Amy got us there and back safely.

Tonight I am on KP duty. So I am trying a new recipe we saw on the food channel, a meatloaf. Not one of my favorite foods but the rest of the gang like it so they are the guinea pigs. The meatloaf sucked as far as I was concerned but Jonathan said it was ok, but that he should have made it. I could not agree more. Well that's the way the meatloaf drops :)!

After supper Fred, Amy and myself head out to see the Winter Solstice Lantern Ceremony. We have a nice walk down to the sea front as that is where they are supposed to be walking. All we get is cold, wet and disappointed. The Lantern Walk is lame, no nice Chinese lanterns just some lame IKEA small lanterns and home made ones. The fire dancers show was ok but again disappointing. Back to Jonathan's to plan dinner for tomorrow, warm and dry up then head back to the hotel.

Good night all and enjoy the snow!! (just as we are)

Sandy & Fred

Vancouver - Dec 19 & 20, 2008

Greetings All,

Dec. 19 - After breakfast we decided to head out to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden which was built in the heart of Chinatown. This garden is the first full scale classical garden built outside China and is modeled after a garden developed in the City of Suzhou during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Construction began in March 1985 when a team of 52 specialist from China came over to plan, build and work together with Vancouver architects to construct the gardens. It was opened in 1986 costing $5.3 million dollars. The water way was constructed using a special clay base to give the water a murky green gray appearance that creates a tranquil atmosphere and reflects the buildings and plants. It was very peaceful and serene and must be amazing with flowers in the summer. The winter scenery was very beautiful. Bamboo was growing on what appeared to be small clumps of forests. Still with green leaves the bamboo itself ranged from green brown to black. The younger or thinner bamboo was black. Pictures will be posted later on our Flickr site once we down load or is it up load them.

After our stop with Chinese Tea to warm up we walked through Chinatown back to Downtown and looked for a place for a late lunch and then to pick up Fred's pants that were in for shortening. Lunch was at the White Spot a chain on the west coast. The food was very good and reasonable. We went back to the hotel to drop off our stuff and then met up with Amy to head off to Jonathan's work.

Funnel Friday is a drink fest where they sometimes drink beer through these long funnels in various shapes. We met a lot of gamers who are mostly young people by our standards but then I would expect they know what the video gaming is all about. We had a great time with all the kids and were asked a lot of questions about what kind of kid Jonathan was :). We then end up at Milestones for supper and are further entertained by two of his co-workers Arn and Scott and another person who owns a different gaming company Steve. Dinner was very entertaining Scott was feeling no pain upon arrival at the restaurant and let it out of the bag that Arn's best friend had asked Arn's ex-wife to marry him. Arn had no idea, even though the whole company seemed to know. Even Fred and I knew the secret and we are new on the scene. Well I never saw anyone laugh so hard in my life when he got the news. Apparently his friend has latched onto a real gold digger who knows how to play the divorce system to get the most money out of it. So Arn feels he is getting the best laugh of all out of the news.

We now head off to home with Scott in our care with Jonathan trying to find him a cab. So we walk along singing the Little Drummer Boy with Scott whaling therRump a tum tums. Jonathan finally gets a cab and we head back to our hotel. The kids still want to party but we must be getting old as we head back to the hotel and leave them to it.

Dec. 20 - A easy day today. A nice sleep in and then breakfast. We then head over to Jonathan and Amys. Amy and I head over to Granville Island to search for a turkey for Xmas dinner and see what other goodies we can get. Thank god I decided to wear my heavy winter jacket. It is -10 C and it is not going to warm up any time soon. It is very cold on the water taxi but worth the trip. We score a very nice turkey and I now know were to get rest of veggies for our dinner on Xmas day.

Balance of the day is spent relaxing at Jonathan's and watching movies. Jonathan had made curry chicken for dinner. Man was it hot but yummy. Late snack brie and a special cranberry glaze. Off we go to the hotel in the snow. Yes it is again snowing in Vancouver looks pretty but it still is cold -8C.

Well not much exciting news but thats it for now.

Bye for now and stay warm.

Sandy & Fred

Vancouver Arrival & Day 0ne - Dec 17th & 18th, 2008

Greetings All,

Well after a crazy and stressful move out of our home of 22 years (and no we are not sad at all)
we are off to Vancouver to spend Christmas and New Year with Jonathan and Amy. Our flight was late in arriving due to major head winds. I sat beside a young girl, Amber, who was on the second leg of her trip from Halifax to Vancouver to spend Christmas with her Dad. She was very excited and shared with me some of her family pictures and asked a multitude of questions about the plane and Vancouver. She also got some amazing shots of the mountains as we flew over them.

Fred just shook his head and said this picture taking from a plane must be a female thing. For Amber, I think it was a experience of a lifetime as she had left Vancouver when she was 4 to live on the east coast. I think she must have been around 14 as she had assistance from the airline as she was traveling alone.

Our flight was uneventful and the landing so smooth it was unreal considering the plows were out clearing the runway. Yes wipe the smirks off your faces now, we arrived to more snow than we had in Toronto. Our luggage was slow coming off and Amber came over said her goodbyes and pointed out her dad to us. With bags in hand it was off to collect the car which Fred booked weeks ago, a compact from Hertz. Well, we waited for over 20 minutes for the car. Fred asked why things were taking so long and apparently they did not have what we wanted, at which point he asked what was the point of making a reservation when they can't have a car ready. Her story is the reservation place is in Oklahoma and they do not know what vehicles they have. Needless to say we were quickly becoming unhappy campers. The car finally arrives and we get a upgrade to a Toyota Rave 4 SUV, cool cause now I am sitting up high and hopefully the drive will be less stressful for me. Finally off to the hotel. Upon leaving the airport and hitting the road towards Granville Street flashing lights and a siren is on our tail, Fred is pulled over. Our lights were not on even thought we thought they were as the dashboard lights were lit up. We hand over the rental papers and Fred's licence, which I am sure he checked as he was some time. Lucky no ticket just a warning about the nasty road conditions due to the storm.

At the hotel Amy walks over with Wedge to met up with us. Dogs have amazing memories Wedge greets us outside like he just saw us yesterday. Grandma and Grandpa have arrived. After a short visit we head out for dinner to Browns and met up with Faraz one of Jonathan's co-workers. The food was great but the service according to the two boys sucked. This used to be a hang out of the group that Jonathan works with. New ownership has definately affect the place. From the restaurant we walk back to the kid's place by way of the new studio that Jonathan will be moving in to on December 29th. We will get to help with the move should be fun :).

We get a lift back to the hotel as Jonathan and Amy are heading out to shop at 9:00 p.m. and we are starting to fade. A quick night cap in the bar and bed.

December 18th - Day one:

After a nice sleep in we wake up rested and relaxed. Breakfast is provided by the Marriott and it is wonderful. Lots of choices, eggs, sauasge, pancakes, waffles, fruit, bread, sweet breads, juices, cereals both hot and cold as well as tea and coffee. As we had a late breakfast we decide to relax in the morning. Fred completed some address changes and I sent out an e-mail advising of our next chapter in our life that we are starting.

We then walk around downtown and head to the Pacific Centre mall. This is a mall with a very good mix of stores. Fred need clothes as I did not pack any pants for him with all the rushing around we had to do on the 16th and I also forgot socks for me. Once that was done we walked around to get our bearings then head back to relax before heading back to the kid's condo for the evening.

That's all for now.

Fred & Sandy

London Last Day - Oct 19, 2008

Cheers Everyone,

The time has arrived that we must think about packing and doing any last minute purchases. We had a relaxing morning reading the paper. I was also able to speak to Christopher on Skype for about an hour to catch up on his life in Japan, which was very nice. We also both gave him hell about not updating his blog; so hopefully those of you who have the link will be able to catch up with what is happening in his life. We then headed out to check out a Sainsbury's at Gloucester Rd. for a soup called Moroccan Lamb with Couscous. Alas none is available. Then we headed to Piccadilly Circus to get the tea for our tea granny's in the family, Mom, Colleen and Michelle as well as myself. Our last walk today was only a couple of hours over old stomping grounds back to the flat, then to do the dreaded packing. Somehow packing to go away always seems easier then coming back.

Tonight's supper mostly done by John but with a lot of Adrienne's help is Duck Lasagna, salad and home made Italian ice cream.

Hope you've all enjoyed following our adventures.

Cheerio,

Sandy & Fred

Liverpool Football Match - Oct 18,2008

Greetings All,

Today we are off to an early start as John, Fred and I head north to Liverpool for a footie(soccer) match. I luck out on a ticket as Fred's cousin's wife had a baby boy on Wednesday so no game for him. The drive to Liverpool was fairly good with the only real slow down being near Stoke where there was a 4 car accident.

The routine for game day is the lad's meet at a pub for some pre-game brews. The pub we meet at this time (The Mersey Pride) is bright and has a great selection of food. Both John and I remark we should have had lunch here instead of where we stopped (McDonalds). We will know better next time. After three rounds we all walk up to the game. Brian's (Fred's cousin) son Barry comments that does not matter how cold it is everyone will be very hot by the time we get to the match. It is uphill all the way and I slowly start to fall behind as the guys all walk very briskly. Brian drops back and we chat on out way up, finally catching up and enter the ground.

Our seats are in the Kop. This used to be a section of the ground where the fans stood to watch the game. It now has seats and is one of the livelier parts of the stadium. We are part of the crowd that gets to pass the massive flag of the club around. I take only a couple of pictures as I am told by Fred you just don't do that in the Kop and John makes faces. Toughies I take my shots anyhow. The fans are a wild bunch at times and very vocal when things don't go the way they think it should. We had three in front of us who left a lot to be desired at times. The one guy did try to keep his friend in line though and kept apologizing. When Liverpool scored the winning goal pandemonium broke out. People where hugging each other, screaming, shouting, crying you would have thought they scored the goal. The guy in front of us turned around and grabbed Fred and John and hugged them tight. I must have given him the Sandy Look cause he quickly apologized. I guess I just don't get the team spirit to the extreme thing :). I really did enjoy the game and it was fun being in the Kop. The game ended on a high note as at the very end a rainbow broke out over the stand and looked like it started at the Team's Crest on the top of the roof. Sadly though, I don't think the picture I took turned out.

The drive back to London was uneventful and we had time to pick up Adrienne and head over to the White Swan for a nightcap. Sadly tomorrow is our last day .

Cheerio

Sandy & Fred

Clapham Common - Oct 17, 2008

Greetings All,

Well we're suckers for punishment. We walked again today for 4 hours today and at a more leisurely pace due to the fact I was kind of dragging my ass. We took the tube to Clapham South. We walked up to the Common (just a park really) and around. Nothing much to see and the only points of note was the Church of the Holy Trinity where William Wilberforce in 1807 campaigned successfully for the abolition of slavery. The homes here appear small but there is a lot of renovating being done plus lots of places for sale and let.

From here we decide to walk back to the flat. So we walk on and on and it was a great day for it. A bit overcast by now but a good view of the south west part of London. We eventually find our way back to Battersea Park area; some old stomping grounds. Down along the river bank which is quite high. I decide to take a couple of pictures and Fred asks what do I think I am doing. I am trying creative photography. OMG he says we are in trouble now. The man has no sense of creativity. A two stop day at Pub's; the first at Battersea The Victoria as I needed to use the facilities and the second by John's, the Gallery. Here I chatted with a young man who took our picture for us about London and Italy.

John and Adrienne are once yet again treating us to a sumptuous dinner. Braised pork chops with tomatoes and sage Modena style, mushrooms and rosti potatoes.

Tonight I discover that John and I have another thing in common; the love of music. Music not only the love of listening to great music of all sorts but singing as well. Who would have thought as Fred is tone deaf. John is very kind as he says there is no such thing, but then he has not heard my Mom sing (the secret cowboy voice at Church). Mom you know where this is coming from. John and I both competed in Kwanis as kids in our school choirs and won. So ends a great day.

Cheerio All,

Sandy & Fred

Whirl Wind Tour London - Oct 16, 2008

Greetings All,

Today we hooked up with Meaghan our daughter-in-law at St Paul's Tube Station. She is in London for 5 days for her friends wedding on Saturday. We basically hit all the highlights of London in 8 hours.

The majority of this was done by walking from one point of interest to the next, except Harrods which at the end of the day we took the tube to. St Paul's Cathedral, London Stone, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Borough Market, St George's Pub,Westminster Abbey, Parliament Buildings, London Eye, Thames Path (River Walk), Deans Yard, Buckingham Palace, St James's Park, Green Park, The Horse Guards and Trafalgar Square. Supper was at John and Adrienne's and she finally got to meet them both. A very long but successful day with just a taste of London.

I, of course, feel a foot shorter as this was our longest non-stop walk yet. Some pictures will be posted later but mainly as these were sites we have done Meaghan used Fred's camera to get a record of her visit.

Cheers,

Sandy & Fred

Britisih Imperial War Museum (BIWM) - Oct 15, 2008

Greetings All,

No pictures today and really not much to tell. We walked to the BIWM after lunch and spent 2 1/2 hours in the exhibit In Memorial which is all about WWI. It was really fascinating and also amazing the material that they had as mementos and writing from soldiers of the time. The tragedy of war is always hard to comprehend but the conditions then and the weapons of the time sure give you some moments of reflection. We also looked at pictures artists of the time were not allowed to have shown as they were thought to reflect negatively for Britain and the war effort at the time.

Last but not least a display by Jewish artists whose paintings reflected WWII and the Holocaust. This was very interesting as it spanned artists who were survivors, family members of survivors and a generation that really only heard stories of the war but are removed from it by two generations of the terror of that horrific time in our history.

As this is a short update I thought I would once again relate things I have missed in previous Blogs. Yesterday I did not mention that the Heath had three ponds dedicated to swimming. One strictly for men, one strictly for women and a third for mixed swimming. In this day and age, I guess only the Brits can pull that one off. Also on the Heath, in one of our detours we came across a group of young school girls chatting (well teenagers). They were chatting about their teacher who happens to play rugby and has a nice bum when he tenses his muscles. I wonder what the students say about Christopher? I really don't think I want too know!!! Last but not least I really need a camera that has no lens cap and basically does almost everything for you. I cannot tell you the number of times I have explained to Fred "The Camera is Broken" only to find the lens cover is still on. Missed some damn good shots because of that if I do say so myself.

Well that is all for today. Have a great evening all,

Cheerio,

Sandy & Fred

Hampstead Heath - Oct 14, 2008

Greetings All,

After a breakfast of fried potatoes and egg (potatoes left over from the lamb dinner) and toast we head out by tube to Hampstead. Once again we are in the northern end of the city. The walk is a steady climb uphill again, just not as steep as yesterdays adventure. On our way to the heath which is really a huge park with wooded areas and numerous ponds we pass a modernist home built by Erno Goldfinger. For an architect the home really is nothing to look at. Ian Fleming of the James Bonds books fame and a resident of Hampstead hated the house so much that he named one of his villains after the architect. Thus Goldfinger came into being. We move to Keats Grove, where the poet John Keats lived and wrote from 1818 to 1820. This site is closed, however, as the Trust Society is refurbishing the home and cleaning up the paintings and furniture and it will not reopen until late 2009. We do learn here the value of spit. I am sure you all remember a time when your Mom or Dad would lick a Kleenex and wipe your face or hand of some dirt. Well it turns out that saliva and cotton swabs work wonders in restoring old oil paintings when it comes to removing dirt that has built up over the centuries.

We now enter the Heath and spend a good 4 hours walking along trails. We have packed a lunch and stop at the top of Parliament Hill to eat half our sandwich. This area overlooks the city both to the north and south and I see where we explored yesterday. It is still higher than we are currently. As it is an overcast day and the views to the south are hazy we don not bother to take any pictures. Fred must have tourist guide stamped on his forehead as he is approached by two old dears on what they can see there. We show them the card from our London Walks packet and they thank us and go on their merry way. After a short rest we carry on with our walk and take a few detours as we turn the wrong way. The heath itself does not have regular signs that tell you were you are so it is easy to get turned around. After what seems like hours and hours of walking (actually only two) we reach Kenwood House. This mansion was used as a convalescent home during WW I and is now a historic site that houses artwork, old furniture from the 1600 -1700's as well as jewellery and shoe buckles. The ceilings are constructed after the architecture that we saw in Italy. Unfortunately, picture taking is not allowed and they did not sell postcards that showed you what the inside looked like.

From here we wend our way out onto Hampstead Lane and locate the Spaniard's Inn, a pub built in the 1500's, for some refreshment. We then take a long walk to the Hampstead Tube Station and back to the flat. A long day of walking, in all 6 hours.

Cheerio for now,

Sandy & Fred

Walking amongst the Dead - Oct 13, 2008

Greetings All,

Today after breakfast and a leisurely read of the morning papers we head out to do a walk among the Dead. We took the tube to Highgate which is in the northern part of London. On reaching Highgate our walk takes us past some very historic sites. A pub "The Flask" that was built in 1663 and St Michaels Church where the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge is buried. The roads in the neighbourhood are steep in places (a gentle climb according to the directions) that takes us to the Highgate Cemetery and Waterlow Park. Autumn has descended on London and we sit in the quiet of the park and have our lunch before heading into the cemetery.

There is a tour that you can take in the western portion of the cemetery which we decide to pass on after being greeted by an old snooty English women. We are reading the details about the area and she approaches and basically demands whether she can help us. Then carries on to inform us that we can't have big cameras as this is a cemetery and we need to show respect. Well, needless to say we walk away with comments to each other. As it turns, out as we leave the Eastern Cemetery guess who's conducting the tour of the Western Cemetery? Old Biddy herself. She should not be in that position but hey we are only the paying tourists.

Now I know some of you think we are getting really freaky walking among the dead. But I must say it was peaceful and historically informative. Also, like in Italy whole families are buried on the same site. Some of the more historical figures buried here are Donald Alexander Smith a baron who in 1885 was the Canadian High Commissioner for the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Karl Marx the father of Marxist philosophy and Richard Smith who devised the process for making hovis bread (brown bread). Just to name a few. The cemetery is still used as a burial site today and it was interesting to see recent burials intermixed amongst the old head stones. There were many of the older head stones that you could still read and they stated that the person went to sleep rather than they died. The head stones in some cases were over grown but still beautiful and serene. It is unfortunate that some have fallen over or are in a state of disrepair or are so old that you can no longer read the inscriptions on them.

The next spot is full of life. We walk across Waterlow Park. Here city workers are out trying to clean up the leaves. Can you imagine the never ending job that would be in a park, but they are like the squirrels in the area scurrying around gathering up the leaves to take away to god knows where. We continue our walk with some slight detours as we once again take a wrong turn. Finally we get on the tube and head back to Victoria Station were we get off as it is hot and crammed and walk back to the flat with a stop at the White Swan pub for a drink and snack as supper will be late. Adrienne is cooking Chinese tonight.

Cheerio for now,

Sandy & Fred

London - Oct 12, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving All,

As it is Sunday I am sure you are all enjoying a Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings. This is the 3rd year we have missed out on turkey but its a sacrifice that's well worth it. Today we did a quick shop for Amy (Fred's mom) at Lillywhites a most horrible store if I do say so myself. Hot, crammed and ignorant people. Mission accomplished though in the end. We then walked for about 2 hours covering some old ground and what I thought was new. Supper tonight is lamb abruzzi style with potatoes. We are trying Italian so will see how it goes. Strawberry salad , wine, coffee and dessert. The pictures for Italy are finally done all 1529 of them. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed sharing our travels with you. Once again the link for your easy viewing is:

www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins

Just a quick note for our friend Mike: Us Indians knew what we were doing when we gave you Turkeys instead of Donkeys :)

Cheers

Sandy & Fred

London - Oct 9, 10 & 11, 2008

Greetings All and Happy Thanksgiving.

First off I must tell you something of our initial shopping experience when we arrived on Wednesday. We decided to stop in at Sainsburys on our way to the flat as we had the car and it would be useful in getting the heavier items. At the checkout the lady told us she could not sell us the milk we had picked up as it was the last day of the best before date on the bottle. Wow not sure how she knew it, whether it would not scan or she noticed. That sure does not happen in Ajax as I have had sour milk that was not even at its best before date.

Oct 9 - We are up rather late our first full day and are relaxing with tea and juice before making breakfast. I had just finished commenting that the maid Lourdes had not arrived so I guess she is not coming in. No sooner are the words out and the key is in the door and she arrives.
She must have a specific routine as she starts right away in the kitchen. Of course we are now in the way making breakfast. She has already done the two glasses we left from last night and when I say leave the pans we have dirtied she says she can't because Mr. John pays here to clean and clean she must. Me I am just not used to someone cleaning up after me and so quickly. We head out to get the balance of the supplies for meals and lunches for the next 4 days and to get out of her way.

Walking to Sainsburys we pass a butchers shop and stop to have a look in the window. Lamb burgers, rabbit, chicken, quail and pork are the pick of the day. We decide to change the menu we have made up and go for lamb burgers for supper which we will get on our way back. I always enjoy shopping here unlike at home where I like to get in and out as fast as possible. The variety of meats and potatoes (7 different kinds in the supermarket) alone make food shopping an enjoyable experience. Here we change our menu again. Fresh duck breasts with orange sauce replaces chicken. After a quick stop at the butcher we head back. Lourdes is still cleaning but has now moved down to the living room. I really though she would be gone as the place has been empty since she cleaned the week before. Not sure if she is paid for working certain hours but she is done early to her and asks Mr. Fred do you have any shirts or anything you need ironing. Iron not a word in my vocabulary you take in out almost dry give it a good shake and hang up. No ironing needed. We tell her go home early relax its OK. She thanks us but makes of point that she will tell Mr John she has left early. Honest as the day is long for sure, me I would have been out of there hours ago. Fred has worked all day on the pictures trying to catch up. Seems we have over 1000 pictures as of supper time today. Supper was amazing if not as exotic as Italy and Adrienne's and John's dinners if I do say so myself. The lamb burgers were the tastiest I have ever had and they did not shrink. Brown rice, and strawberries (that tasted like strawberries) and double cream for dessert. Of course our usual wine (though not Italian) :( and coffee. Some TV for me and more uploading of pictures for Fred then off to bed.

Oct. 10 - We decide to do a couple of walks in the morning before going to the Borough Market to get a leg of lamb for Sunday's supper as we are chief cooks as John and Adrienne will not be getting back from Italy until late Saturday night. We get somewhat of a late start and we take the tube to Old Street Station to explore the Hoxton and Shoreditch area. This used to be the epicentre of the British Art Scene back in the mid 1990's. Now it still is host to a number if bistro's, night clubs and Asian food outlets. The town hall of Shoreditch has some lovely architecture. Other than the town hall the only other thing worthy of note is the Geoffrye Museum. This is a series of 18th century almshouses, with a small cemetery and walled herb garden.

We head back towards Old Street Station to start the second part of the walk going the other way. Here we pass a fire hall and one of the firemen starts waving with a big smile on his face so I wave back. No idea if he was waving at us but what the hell being friendly never hurts. Fred says I just wanted to chat up the firefighters. Hey whatever works!! On this walk we come across the Wesley Chapel and Museum. The site where John Wesley the founder of Methodism began his movement in 1738. The chapel is open but as there is a funeral, we pass on going inside. Bunhill Fields across the street from the chapel is a cemetery. Sadly most of the stones are in a bad state due to the elements. It is here that the writers Daniel Dafoe and William Blake are buried. The castle like facade on the building next to the cemetery is the home of of the Honourable Artillery Corps and on the field behind it they practice their ceremonial military displays. The field looks like a pristine football field; green and trim. A slight turn takes us to Finsbury Circus once part of a 16th century park with gardens and a lawn bowling green. Unfortunately most of this area was destroyed during the WW II bombings so the balance of the walk is disappointing as new office buildings and stores have replaced the old historic sites. Lunch was at the Railway Pub. Fred hand roast beef in a Yorkshire pudding wrap and a pint. I had a Philly Club Steak sandwich. Not like ours at home this was wholegrain seeded bread, roast beef, old old cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce and pickled onion slices. Man was it good .Of course wine a french Merlot wine this time. Now off to the Borough Market.

At the market we pick up a few supplies for Sundays supper and as luck would have it they are taping a show of various chefs. We arrive near the end where Gordon Ramsay is having some kind of test on cutting up half of a salmon. Fred is able to get a good shot of Gordon but I unfortunately can't get close enough to ask him what his Mom thinks about his potty mouth. He is not a very big man just a smidgen taller than Fred and those heavy lines on his face are for real. I think he should smile more and frown less. The cheese shop is also a treat. The gentleman who serves us explains that Romano cheese is a pecorino cheese that they do not have as they only carry British cheeses. He recommends a substitute which we will try on the lamb. I also get cheddar cheese and ask for strong and old. He supplies us with tastes and I pick the Montgomery over the Keen. Back to the flat by way of the tube with our shopping. Friday rush hour in the tube is not pleasant. It is hot as hell with people crammed everywhere. We should have walked may have taken much longer but would not have been as exhausting.

Supper is late as we need to unwind, cool down and relax after our tube ride. Duck breast with orange sauce, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Wine, coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. We watch a series on Liverpool done by a comedian who left Liverpool in his 20's to return to see just what makes Liverpool so unique. Very interesting and informative since this will be our home in the near future when we first move across the pond.

Oct 11 - Today is a day of rest. Fred continues to upload pictures onto Flickr and hopefully we expect to be right up to date by Sunday.

Cheerio for now,

Sandy & Fred

Liverpool - Oct 5th - 8th, 2008

Hi All,

Oct 5 - Cecilia gives us some bad news today (Sunday). The flats we were hoping to view on Monday have all been rented so we have to start looking again at sites to find places. It is very cold compared to Italy and the clothes I have are really not warm enough. We head into town to do some shopping and grab lunch. Primark has good prices so I head there. Pick up jeans and 3 tops and another pair of shoes like the ones I picked up when we first arrived in London. They are really comfortable much like wearing slippers. For those of you who don't know me I hate clothes shopping. Give me the home shopping channel or Sears catalogue to shop. Well nothing fits, the jeans are the kind the kids wear around their fanny's and with the size of mine that is one scary sight. So shopping here is a bust except for the shoes and some baby stuff for Fred's cousin John and his wife who are expecting their second in a couple of weeks time. Cecilia takes me to Bon Marche a ladies shop and I score a pair of jeans and two tops. Lunch we have lunch at a Yates pub in town and then head back to her place to surf the net for flats.

I surf while Fred tries to get our pictures that are not yet loaded on flickr into some kind of order and purge the duplicates/blurry ones. Cecilia prepares us a nice supper of roast chicken, boiled new potatoes, cauliflower and for dessert trifle. Mark her son has made sure wine and beer were in for us. Fred checks what I have picked for viewing as I have no idea where in Liverpool the places are as the location maps that are provided are not clear and as many of you know my map reading skills suck. We finally agree on 4 flats. I'm off to bed early again as I am bushed. Fred and Cecilia view pictures of our trip and of Santorini where Elizabeth Cecilia's daughter and her husband Andy run a bar.

Oct 6 - Fred calls up the estate agents and makes arrangements to view some flats (apartments) on Tuesday, unfortunately we can only see 2 of the 4 as the others have already been rented. We head out to Asda (Walmart) to price dishes, cutlery etc as I really don't know what comes in a furnished flat and shipping from Canada will cost us a pretty penny I'm sure and also a conduct a dry run to the locations of the flats so we don't have any problems tomorrow morning. After lurch at Cecilia's we head out to Ormskirk for a family visit with Cecilia's parents Jim and Cecilia. A very nice afternoon and evening spent catching up on family events both past and present.

Oct 7 - Finally what we really came to Liverpool for, the viewing of the flats. Cecilia comes with us as back up for directions. TomTom is good if you can follow its instructions which at times come out very confusing. A bend in the road is sometimes called a turn when there really is no turn and or a turn when you should just be bearing right or left. The first flat is nice but location is disappointing as we can not see the River Mersey. I want the river as a view and not just a man-made pond with ducks. The agent advises that the keys for the second viewing have been taken by the landlord but that he has another one for us to look at on Wednesday morning. We advise him we will leaving for London on Wednesday morning so he scrambles and is able to get us into the second place in the afternoon.

So after a quick lunch, more shops, where I get a jacket we head off to see the second flat. This one is almost perfect. You can see the river but still not as much as I would like. The flat itself is a good size. Two large bedrooms, a separate kitchen fully equipped, and living room. Also the security features are cool. You can actually see who is ringing to get in on a video. While we are not ready to move quite yet as the house has not sold we now know what the expenses are and as they say Location Location Location. We know what Quays are on the water and what views you get. Fully furnished means just that all you need is your clothes. Our agent Jamie will have 10-12 viewings line up for us once we are ready to make the move .

I also get a lesson on how the two finger sign (and I don't mean peace) came into being in England from our agent who does archery. During the battle of Agincourt the English Archers were far superior to the French causing a great many deaths. So when the English archers were captured their two fingers that would pull the drawstring where chopped off so that they could no longer shoot their bows. Those who escaped before being maimed would give the French the so called two finger salute reminding the French of their inferiority. Well so goes the story not sure if it is true but given the love the English have for the French works for me. Guess that would also explain his saying you got to look at a lot of frogs before you find the perfect flat for you!!

We head back for a supper of pork chops, carrots and baked potatoes. Dessert Fred's favorite Eccles Cakes. Look like tea biscuits for those who don't know but are a pastery on the outside filled with raisins. After supper I do some packing getting ready for the drive back to London then Fred takes us across to the local pub the Hare and Hound for a nightcap. It is pouring rain so we drive over and Fred and Cecilia run in ahead of me. I run in and get the crap scared out of me as it is dark and two big buggers are in the doorway which I am not expecting. Cecilia figgers I need a strong belt to settle me down. I settle for wine. Back we go and bed early as the car needs to be back by two tomorrow afternoon.

Oct 8 - We are on the road by 9:00 a.m. Unlike our drive north on the previous Saturday the roads are busy. I have some rather tense moments and the idea of book reading just does not work. Fred checks with me a few times to make sure I am not a total basket case and asks if I would like a rest break. I really just want to get the drive over with and as he does not need a break we carry on. Driving in London is also a treat although not as bad a Rome. Those buses and truck sure seem to come close especially when you think you are on what should be the driver's side.

Needless to say with Fred's expert driving we arrive at John's flat safe and sound. I sure like walking in London way better then driving and don't know how in the hell I will be able to drive here once we cross over the pond! Tomorrow we will have nothing to report as we are catching up with laundry and pictures so don't panic.

Tarah for now,

Sandy & Fred

Arrivederci Italy - Oct 4, 2008

Greetings All,

Sorry if you missed us but we didn't have access to the Internet once we arrived in Liverpool. We are now back and reports will once again be regular.

October 4th and we were the first up and off before the rest even stirred as we had a flight to catch in Perugia at 10:40 a.m. The guard at the airport was not only cute but had a great sense of humor. Fred has a British/European Passport and he gets to just waltz through passport control. My Canadian passport is considered foreign so the guard excuses himself and apologizes that I have to stop and have my passport checked. Fred makes some smart ass comment but I respond that I am special as I get a stamp every where we go and he loses out. The guard agrees but tells Fred if he really feels left out he can arrange to have his passport stamped. Of course Fred declines. The flight is one hour late and when we board the first 5 rows are blocked off for those needing help or the very old and infirm. Ryanair is a discount airline where the fares are dirt cheap. We find out why very fast. The seats do not even recline. The are straight up, no magazine pouches and the emergency instructions are pasted on the the back of the seat in front of you. Guess who gets the only two screaming kids sitting behind them!! The whole damn 2 1/2 hours they did not even cry themselves to sleep. We land hard but are glad to get off the plane. The customs line for British and EU passengers is huge and all others which is me has only 6 people in line. Off I go on my own thinking I will be through in no time for once and beat Fred through. Not a chance, a family of Indians or Pakistanis are holding up the line. Figures, just my luck. Well when I am finally called forward the first question is am I travelling alone? No, I'm with my husband so she wants to know where he is. I tell her, with my luck, he's probably already on the other side waiting for me as he is a Brit, and sure enough he appears. I get the usual questions where, how long am I staying. Get my stamp and before she sends me on my way tells me in future to stay with my husband as we are travelling together I will get through faster and no hassles. Once though immigration the posting for the luggage reclaim area takes forever and guess who Fred spots right away!! Did you guess?? The two screaming kids sound asleep in their strollers. I though I was going to have to pull him back from shaking the strollers and shouting wake up!! :). The bags are finally retrieved and we go to pick up the car. Must be our lucky day cause we get a marble mouth girl who we could not understand and was slower then the second coming. Forty five minutes to get everything sorted out. Then on top of all this the car is at the very end of the parking lot and it is very cold. So nerves are somewhat frazzled at this point in time. Finally, we are on the motorway heading to Liverpool. Overall an okay drive just a few tense moments for me as we are in my mind on the wrong side of the road. Three hours later we arrive at Fred's cousin Cecilia.

This drive was exhausting for both of us even though the roads were straight and not really congested. We figure we were so used to hairpin curves, driving up and down hills that is was boring, so tiring. We were in bed by 9:30 on our first night.

The following are some highlights of Italy that I have not previously mentioned. They have a siesta time from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 P.M. in a majority of the towns which is good for them but not so good for tourists. So if you see something you want to buy you better get it there and then cause the place may be closed when you go back. I experienced this in Assisi. Bet you can all imagine Fred's Big Smile on that one. Some toilets have seats most don't so ladies need to be good squatters. Their dark chocolate is amazing!! The people have been most gracious and as soon as you speak or at least try to speak Italian they speak English even in some of the smaller towns. The one thing you do not see is stray dogs wandering around anywhere. Last but not least the gelato is to die for.

Fred and I will definitely being coming back to Italy for future visits as we have barely scraped the surface of the sites, wine and food.

Cheerio for now,

Sandy & Fred

Assisi - Oct 3, 2008

Greetings All,

I forgot to mention that we went into a church in Todi yesterday. The acoustics were unreal. They were playing music that resonated of the ceiling and was so soothing that one could easily fall asleep. I have found out the significance of the lighting of the candles so I light 3 candles for one of each of the Pagazzani girls our adopted nieces.

So we headed out early to Assisi this morning with Geoff and Tracy to finish seeing the sights that we did not get to see yesterday. There is a lot of walking both up and down hill and being a true hill town some of the climbs are rather steep. Geoff and Tracy are very patient with me bring up the rear 98% of the time. The other 2 are when I manage to get ahead of the group. The town is beautiful and we get into the sites we missed the day bere was efore. The castle was worth the climb up to the top of the city. Here you have a full 360 degree view of the landscape below a perfect defensive post if you where protecting the town below. Lunch time and we stop in a little cafe that is mentioned in Rick Steves book. pizza for Tracy, Hh=-am and cheese sandwiches on freshly made focooci bread for me and Geoff and salami and cheese for Fred. There with beer for three and wine for me. As a hill town Assisi certainly has the most in bEeauty and history to offer and I think ranks up Siena as a highlight in the Umbria area.

Tonight we meet the owners of the house plus their manager. Rob Cushman is a very down to earth person and explains to us his wine making process of which Fred knows some of the process and is amazed that I know. Simple need to know but not the work only the final product is important to my taste bud. A great dinner had by all coleslaw, potatoes, pork sausage kabobs and pear and pecorino salad. Copious amounts of wine again and gelato for desert. We all say our good byes. John and Adrienne are headed down the Almafii coast. Fred and I to Liverpool and the balance to Rome then back to Canada,

We have enjoyed our stay in Italy and could very easily come back for a visit or even live here for a period of time.

Bouna Sera All as we are now on our way to England!!

Sa ndh &b Fred

Assisi - Oct 2, 2008

Buona Sera All,

Today 7 of us headed off to Assisi while Keith and Sandra headed off to Gubbio. The drive to Assisi was about 1 hour. Assisi is another hill town and as we got as close as we could see the Basilica and tried to get as close as we could so that Amy did not have too far to walk. Adrienne and I joined Amy while Fred and John along with Geoff and Tracey went and parked the cars. Amy and I decided it was best if we got a head start for the walk up the hill to theBasilica. Once we are all together we enter the Basilica. Francesco Bernardone in 1202 rode out as a warrior to battle the Perugians and spent a year as a prisoner. He came back a changed man, casting aside the wealth of his family, the decandence of the time and stripped naked in the town square and declared his loyalty to God alone. He started a new order of monks who preached to the common people in the common language of the day preaching a very simplistic life of humility and love. Pictures in the Basilica are an enforced no no here. The Basilica is beautiful and serene. We went into the lower level (the crypt) to view the tomb of St Francis. Around the outside walls of the crypt are the tombs of four fathers (Francis' most faithful companions Friar's Angelo, Masseo, Leone and Ruffino) whose deaths are in the mid to late 1200's. For once, even with all the tourists the atmosphere is tranquil. It is almost as if his spirit is reinforcing his life teachings. He died at the young age of 45, was accepted by the pope of the time and left a legacy of humanism, equality and love of nature we all can relate to today.

We now head to Spello to John's special wine provider, Roberto (or wine guy as John calls him). I thought we were going to a vineyard for wine tasting but this is actually a gentleman that seeks out small vineyards/producers with excellent grapes and amazing wines and introduces them to the world at large. We have a wine tasting event which had we known what was being laid out for us we would not have grabbed a sandwich in Assisi. Two whites a Chardonnay and and grape from Bologna. Then on to the reds, a Borolo, a Sagrantini and a Super Tuscan. The appetizers to accompany the wines were also from the immediate area. Two vareties of olive oil on warm bread lightly salted that brings out the flavour of both the wine and the oil. This was followed by for different olive oil pastes, white truffles, black truffles, sun dried tomatoes and arugula. Finally, a plate of different pecorino cheeses and pork meats, salami and prosciuttto. The cheeses are amazing, I especially like one that is very strong, sharp plus on the hard side. What was most amazing is that some of the cheeses were served with honey which enhances the flavour. Who would have thought that combining those two very different natural products would produce such a amazing taste. We are serenaded by Roberto's cousin who played guitar and sang. Quite a good voice for a elderly gentleman. We ended with me heartily singing along in a version of When The Saints Come Marching In in English and he in Italian. A most enjoyable afternoon. We bought some wine and paste and olive oil to bring back for very special occasions. One to celebrate our 35th anniversary this past August, one for when we sell our house and one for when we move into a place in England.

We decide to go to Todi for the remainder of the afternoon rather than had back to Assisi as a couple of hours is not going to be enough time. Then it's back to the Villa for supper of orange and sage rossoto, veal and italian cookies. Plan for what was to be a relaxing Friday of doing nothing has changed to a day in Assisi.

Arrivederci

Sandy & Fred

Siena - Oct 1, 2008

Greetings to everybody,

After some confusion we head out to Siena in two cars. Geoff, Tracy, Fred and myself in one car and Keith, Sandra and Amy in the other. John and Adrienne with Portia are heading off to do their own thing with what I think is a much needed break from the rest of us.

We decide to walk around the town first to check out the shops and square before touring the Duomo, Museum, Baptistry and Crypt. We take a slight wrong turn and after some exploring get to the square and see where the shops are. We were to meet with Keith,Sandra and Amy for lunch at 1:00 p.m. but as they hadn't arrived by 1:20 p.m. and we are starving (as we got a early start) we pick a cafe in the square to have lunch and where we can watch for their arrival. We are pretty much finished eating when they finally arrive. Arrangments are made with Amy and we go visit the historic sites.

Siena's Duomo is very unusual in that the floor is just as beautiful as the interior of the building.
Pictures (which should be all posted by next week) can only relate the beauty of the work done by the artisans of the time. Complete stories are told on the floor in carved marble while the ceiling with it paintings compliment or tell other stories of a biblical time or historical event. It took forty artists almost tow hundred years to pave the floor of the Cathedral in marble.

We next tour the museum, which contains original facades from the church, marble statutes of various biblical and political persons and well as paintings, tapestries and robes of various popes. Here were are able to climb up to the Panorama del Facciatone for a view of Siena. I only do the first portion of long winding steeps steps. Fred, Geoff and Tracy make it up to the higher level. Fred remarks that the stairs were very step and narrow. Passing people coming down as you were going up or vice versa was an intimate thing. I cool off and enjoy the view.

We head back to the Square to pick up Amy as she has been left to sit and relax while we explore.
She has people watched, been enterained by a village idiot of sorts that plays tricks on tourists in the square for the amusement of tourists eating in the cafes around the square while soliciting for coin later. Prior to heading back to finish our tour we have a drink at a cafe. Amy is walking quite well and we get her up the hill to the Baptistry in no time.

Another seat for Amy while we finish off our tour of the crypt which really is a basement of the original structure upon which the existing Duomo has been built. The paintings here are vivid in colour although they are not complete pictures. The Baptistry has beautiful art work and some detail on the floor.

We head back to the villa after a full day for leftovers from our various sumptuous meals. One slight problem is discovered by Tracy. We have no water!!! Adrienne call's the house manager and the scramble begins. John , Adrienne, Fred and I go to bed knowing water has been pumped into the holding tanks and at least the early bird's will get a shower!

Buona Sera,

Sandy & Fred

Umbrian Hill Towns - Sept 30, 2008

Buon giorno all,

Well today Geoff, Tracy , Fred and I head back to Spoleta to find one of the oldest churches in the world. We take a different route that does not take us over the mountain and seem to be there in no time at all. We stop at what looks to be a very old church however it is locked up. It was not the church we were looking for. Just around the corner from what we thought was San Salvatore we discover the church and cemetery built in the 4th century. The marble doorways and windows are one of the best preserved in Umbria. Inside aside from some restoration done in the 9th century the church has not been touched. The cemetery is amazing, generations of families share crypts and they seem to have a greater respect for the dead then we do. Fresh candles, flowers, pictures are maintained at the various different plots. We spent about an hour walking through the church and cemetery; it was a very serene place.

The next stop was Trevi, which calls itself the Olive Oil Capital. There are over 200,000 olive trees around the town. We stop for lunch here in the square. A light lunch of bruchetta's, breads with various different pates made with olives, tomatoes and just olive oil itself plus a litre of wine and water.

Here we get a cute picture of a tiny little dog that looks like a Chiauau that is looking down on us from a balcony at the restaurant.

A quick walk around town for some photo's of the area and off to the next town.

Montefalco is our next stop and the most interesting for me. It is nicknamed the Balcony Railing over Umbria for it's high vantage point over the valley that runs from Perugia to Spoleta. Here the church of Saint Agostino has three mummy's encased in a glass coffin. One apparently is of a 18th century Spanish pilgrim that never made his trip back home. The other two are what look like nuns but could be sisters or mother and daughter that share a coffin. They are very small in stature. The state of their bodies are really amazing. The Pilgrim is mostly intact, skin dry and you can actually see tendon's around the ankle were the skin has been torn or decayed away. We walk around the outer walls of the town and once again take photo's of the surrounding country side.

Our last stop for the day is Bevagna. This was first built around 220 BC on the ancient consular road, Via Flaminia near enough to Rome to help it become a booming city in its time. There is a rectangular pool that is fed by the River Clitunno where up until 20 years ago laundry was done.
We have gelato here for our afternoon snack and head back to the villa for supper.

Supper is tomatoes and mozzarella with olive oil, basil and balsamic vinegar, veal rolls which John prepares with Adrienne and left over grilled veggies from a couple of nights before. Dessert is an Italian pastry, a roll with figs, raisins and other fruits. Yummy.

Our trip tomorrow is to Siena, which is a 2 -21/2 hour drive, so we spend some time planning.

Arrivederci for now,

Sandy & Fred

Orvieto and Civita - Sept 29, 2008

Greetings All,

Everyone is up and ready for a 10:00 a.m. departure to Orvieto, a hill town which is approximately a hour and a half drive away. We hook up with Geoff and Tracy. Sandra, Keith and Amy are in another car with John and Adrienne leading the way. The convoy has Keith in the middle as he hugs Johns bumper so not to get lost. John take us through back roads to Orvieto through some spectacular countryside.

Orvieto and our first incident of the day. Keith mistakes John's hand signals and steals his parking spot. We of course see this a have a good laugh at their expense and remark we are sure John has a few choice words for Keith. Parking cost 2 Euros for two hours and Keith in his brillance uses his credit card rather than coin. You guessed it the card gets stuck in the machine. Well we all gather around push buttons trying to get the card to eject. No one has tweezers and they think because I have long nails I can get the card out. For anybody who has had acrylic nails, they are useless as they are too thick. Keith's luck is with him because he finds a flat thin wire which he fashions into tweezers and gets out his card. We all rib him saying that it happened because he stole Johns spot. The first stop of the day is at the Duomo (or Cathedral). The cathedral was built in 1330, has one of Italys most liveliest facades and has been compared to a medieval altar. The marble pillars tell a biblical storey starting from the creation of the world to judgement day and hell. The bronze statues represent the 4 evangelists, the Angel (Matthew), the Lion (Mark), the Bull (Luke) and the Eagle (John). Surprisingly the inside of the church is small in reference to the outside. There is a sign that appears to say "No Pictures" and we see someone inside taking pictures. Of course Fred and I comment about people who cannot follow instructions; this as it has been a thorn in our side on many occasions in various locations. We soon spy Adrienne taking pictures, she catches our look, smiles and asks what is wrong. So we tell her. It turns out that we did not read the sign properly. When the picture of the camera has a flash on it with the diagonal line, the sign means no flash photography and not no photographs. We then take a short walk around the town and have some gelato before heading off to our next destination.

Civita di Bagnoregio is the ultimate hill town in the area. In existence since Etruscan and ancient Roman times. The architecture in Civita is medieval as this is really two towns that were joined by a donkey path and bridge which were bombed in WW II. Today's bridge is a modern walking bridge built in 1965 and is quite the hike. Amy sits outside the Gelateria as she does not want to go back to the villa with John and Adrienne. The six of us troop off with three of the group uncomfortable with heights. I'm complaining because there is no place to really hang over and get a sense of how high we really are. The six of us grab sandwiches, wine, beer and water at a little cafe in Civita. It's here that we meet a group of Canadians from Richmond Hill, London, Mississauga , St Catherines and Windsor. I hear a camera clicking like mad and someone makes a comment about how many pictures are you taking? His answer is this way I know at least one will turn out, of course I shout "my kind of photographer!!" We order a sandwich for Amy who is still waiting on the other side of the bridge. Keith and Sandra have a quick walk about town and then head off to meet her. We continue to explore the town and a lady who is 80 plus offers us the use of her backyard to take pictures of the valley below. We kindly pass. Now we know how the old dears of the town make their money. The town was up until recently slowly dying because of the age of the population was 80 plus but rich Romans and Florentines are slowly buying up property and renovating for summer homes. As well we explore a cave like area that was a chapel in days gone by.

We are now head off to Spoleto with Geoff and Tracey to find one of the oldest churchs in the world. After much driving round through narrow streets we give up and head back to the villa having decided to try our luck finding it tomorrow.

Dinner is asausage risotto, salad of tomatoes, buffalo mozeralla, lettuce, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Dessert is fruit cake and stollen. Of course copious amounts of wine. It's now bed time and off to new adventures tomorrow.

Bouna Sera,

Sandy & Fred

Todi Bound with whole Family - Sept 28, 2008

Buon giorno All,

After breakfast we get a late start into Todi. Adrienne has booked a pizza place for lunch for the group for 1:00 p.m. John trys to get parking at the top of the town so that Amy does not have to walk too far, unfortunately because it is Sunday the parking lots are full with the churchgoers. So we all park at the bottom and take the funicular to the top and then have to walk up the hill and down to the pizza joint. A long slow process as Amy now tires easily. The view from the restaurant overlooks the valley and once again it is breathtaking. However it is chilly as we are outside and not in the sun and the wind comes across rather brisk. Margherita, prosciutto, prosciutto and funghi (mushrooms), porchini and salami and asparagus are the pizza's ordered. They are huge!! We end up taking home a box of leftovers of three different types.

We head back to the villa to relax and everyone does their own thing. Amy and I sit on the veranda out of the wind but in the sun and chat. She asks about Jonathan and Amy's Wedding plans and all about Christopher and Japan. I guess she has finally mellowed on that subject.

Supper is once again a three course special. I ask for a small portion of the appetizer, which is spaghetti with porchini and panchetta sauce, the main course is veal and roast vegetables. Fred and I got to do the veggies over a open wood fire. Of Course I did way to many veggies but my god were they good cooked over an open wood fire.

Dinner conversation was most interesting we talked about maids and the quality of their work. John and Adrienne have one and so do Keith and Sandra. Of course I jump in with both feet, fire them if they can't do their job!! Well then off to bed for everyone, tomorrow should prove to be an interesting day.

Buona Sera all,

Sandy & Fred

Mandorelle, the Villa - Sept 27, 2008

Today was our first full day at the Villa (you can view the villa's website at http://www.lemandorelle.com/). The countryside is breathtaking. From the veranda on one side we overlook Todi and on the other and neighbouring farms. There are vegetable, herb, and flower gardens all for our use as well as fruit trees, including a pomegranate tree. There is a pool, however it is cold. It really is fall weather so sunbathing and swimming are out of the question.

In the morning John, Adrienne, Fred and myself head off to Perugia to do shopping for the family for three days of meals. We have a slight detour around town looking for the supermarket before we finally arrive. The place is massive and it takes us two hours to get supplies in for the gang. We just get things unloaded and put away when the balance of the family arrives. Fred's Mom, Amy is exhausted so we get her off to bed for some much needed rest while the rest fill in the afternoon by watching a footie match (Fred & John) Liverpool win 2-0, Tracey, Geoff, Sandra and Keith take Portia for a walk into nearby village of Monticello, Adrienne to the swing to read and myself down by the pool to catch some rays and read. Everyone doing their own thing.

Supper has everyone pitching in. Adrienne has organized the meal, I am the salad maker tonight, John has Fred and Geoff barbecuing the chicken and sausages on wood burning pits both inside and outside the villa, and Sandra and Tracey set the table. As Keith watches he'll be on clean up duty. This all being done while drinking copious amounts of wine. Fred and John figured that six bottles of wine should be enough for the nine of us, somehow I think they need to go back to the drawing board. Supper was three courses, starter was a truffle and sausage lasagna, extremely rich and delicious, main course chicken, sausage and salad. the dessert for Adrienne's birthday a profiterole cake and two other Italian cream cakes. We have enough dessert left over for future nights as it is all very decadent. Those who didn't cook get to clean up and I have managed to be on the team that cooks tonight so no KP duty. Keith, Sandra and Tracey are on duty tonight and do a fine job.

The new arrivals all head to bed by 9:30 as they flew in overnight so no real sleep on the plane.
Tomorrow we are all trooping into Todi at least that is the plan for now.

Ciao,

Sandy & Fred

Todi Bound A 3 Holy! Shit Day!!- Sept 26, 2008

Buon giorno,

Today was a travel day to Todi and the Villa, which is just outside Monticello a small village very near the town of Todi. The drive was highway for most part of the trip. The first Holy Shit of the day was when all of sudden Fred had to hit the breaks around North Florence. There was a accident north bound lanes unfortunately with a fatality. So here in Italy they stop, look and move on back to the speed limit. Had we been on the 401 traffic, would have been backed up for miles on both sides because of the rubberneckers. The drive is through the mountains and some through the valley. The farms have been harvested for the most part since our drive out to Florence and Venice.

Next Holy Shit, Holy Shit, Holy Shit!! was when we did not see any signs to indicate that the lanes were being reduced from 3 to 2. There are trucks on my side and cars on Fred side and no one is slowing down. The trucks are pulling into our lane and the cars are not allowing us to move over. Somehow we get through that unscathed.

We stop for lunch at a roadside rest area. Cheese, crackers, salami, grapes and cookies plus a glass of wine. Back onto the highway and forward to Todi. After leaving the autostrade (highway) we enter onto a two lane dual carriageway, which is not busy. We see a lake in the distance and I ask Fred to stop at the next pull over to get a picture. Well I can't see the lake or past the bushes as I am too short so I extend my arm and hope for the best. So can't tell until we download the pictures if I got the shot.

Last Holy Shit of the day is just near the villa. We climb up some steep hills towards the villa and the second last turn is a hairpin bend with no room for two cars. The car stalls and we start to go backwards. OMG!! Fred gets the car going again and lays rubber to get up going up and around the bend. We do arrive safe and sound.

The Villa is absolutely beautiful and the surrounding country side breathtaking. Vineyards, olive groves, herb and vegetable gardens. Wood burning ovens inside and out plus a pizza or bread oven and pool. Pictures to be taken tomorrow when we have better light. It is also very cool so we need to bring out the clothes for England. Definitely not shorts weather.

Ciao for now,

Fred and Sandy

Venice (Venezia) - Sept 25, 2008

Buon giorno All,

Well today is our last day in Venice and we have once again headed into the historic town. A water bus down to the San Marco bus stop and then take a water bus to Murano. This is an island in the lagoon that happens to be on the very outer rim of old world Venice, due to it's industry glass making industry, which was due to fear of fire from the furnaces. We walk through the town and spend an hour on a tour of a glass making factory. This is a free tour and we see the glass being blown, sculptured and rowed in various shapes. A swan, balls and a vase are what we see from start to finish. As well as a flamingo that was just finished. The artisans work in teams of two or three depending on what is being created. What amazes me is that there is no protective gear being worn at all and the furnace's burn white hot. We purchase some Christmas presents today as well, so I will leave you all guessing as to whether we got anything for you!!

Lunch time was well past so we take a more direct water bus back, then walk some and then take a water bus back to the Rialto Bridge for a late lunch around 3:30 p.m. We again stop at a waterside cafe for Pizza all round and of course Vino Russo (red). Margherita for me and spicy salami for Fred. We meet a mother and daughter who are travelling around Italy and have rented an apartment in Florence along with other friends. They are Americans from Washington State and South Carolina. We also meet a English couple who were celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary, the wife told her husband get your passport in order and have some euros as we are going away. She made all the arrangements, to stay in Venice off the Grand Canal and to take a water taxi from the airport. Unfortunately the water taxi driver was not very vigilant when they were docking, he didn't get the boat close enough to the pier and she fell between the boat and the pier. When we met them they had just got back from the hospital for their first dinner. They were rather cute as they asked us what part of America were we from and when we said Canada they were horrified and extremely apologetic. Canadians they said are definitely different then Americans, we are better :)!

Well not much done but a full slow relaxed day. Back to the hotel to prepare for the drive to Todi and the Family Reunion.

Ciao for now,

Sandy & Fred

Venice (Venezia) - Sept 24, 2008

Buon giorno All,

Well I have died and gone to heaven today, Venice has certainly measured up greater than my expectations to say the least. But now I must tell you about our day.

Breakfast is included here and the variety is very good. As well they know how to cook eggs (unlike the Novotel). Also, for those who drink coffee you can drink it without it dissolving your spoon when it is black. The Maitre d' was a pleasant man who seemed to really enjoy his job which is always a good start to the day rather then dealing with some sour puss.

We head out to get the 9:10 bus into Venice with a bit of a rush on our part. However, we need not have rushed as the bus just zoomed by leaving about 12 people with their mouths hanging open and asking what the hell! One women was particularly upset as they had a train to catch. You'd think if you have that kind of time table you would get your ass in gear so little set backs like this would not get in your way, leaving you with plenty of time to get where you're going. I joked with Fred that some tourists must have really ticked him off earlier so he was getting even :). When the next bus comes along 1/2 the group wave their arm frantically for the bus to stop. As luck would have it both Fred and I both get seats.

We take the water bus down to St. Marks Square, which is Venice's main square. Today we visit St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Frari Church. The Basilica is unbelievable and we bought post cards, which we will scan once we are home as pictures were not allowed. The pictures are not paintings as we've seen in other churches but rather mosaics (one piece as small a babies finger nail) thousands making up the various pictures of Saints, Madonna, and Christ. This is especially amazing to us at least when you take into account this was built in the 11th century, replacing a earlier church. The bones of Saints have been resting here since 830 A.D.We are able to climb up to the Loggia that is a parapet outside the dome which you can walk around. It allows for a great view of the lagoon and the square itself as well as a closer look of the horses, mosaics and statues that adorn the outside of the Basilica.

Next stop the Doge's Palace. This was the seat of the Venetian government and home of the ruling duke of the time. The Palace was built to show off the power and wealth of the republic at that time. What is interesting is the Doge was really just a figure head that was voted into the position by the rich and powerful of the time and could not act on any decisions on his own or even leave the palace once he was in this seat of power. Upon the death of a Doge, his seal was destroyed and a new Doge was voted in place before the previous Doge was laid to rest. The palace also housed a prison and the Bridge of Sighs. This bridge, which linked two sections of the palace was so named as the window's allowed the prisoner their last look of freedom out to the canal before they were imprisoned/executed. We have spent just over 4 hours at this site and decide it is lunch time as it is now approaching 2:00 p.m.

We board a water bus and head to the Rialto Bridge. This is a bridge that spans the Grand Canal and it also has a market area. We have lunch right by the canal in a open air restaurant called Ristorante Florida. Lunch is spaghetti all round. Fred has spaghetti bolognese and I Carbonara, plus a glass of red wine each. We relax and watch the world go by on the canal. After lunch I ask how much is it for a Gondola ride. Shocker here, 100 to 150 Euros, that's right you can do the math. I thank the gondolier and off we walk. I must have looked dejected as he came after us and said he would take us for 80 euros. I know a good ploy, Rick Steve's book said to expect to pay at least 80 euros in 2007. Fred's my knight is shining armour as he agreed and the one thing I really wanted to do while in Venice is now a reality. Luciano, our gondolier takes us along smaller canals and points out various points of interest, for example Casanova's home, which is being restored, Marco Polo's place of residence and a beautiful church whose outside is adorned with pink marble. Luciano himself lives near the train station on the water and does not drive a car or have a drivers licence he informs us. Fred quickly asks does he have a least a Gondoliers licence. Si Si is the reply. They do work long hours especially in the summer hours but he works 4 days a week with 3 off. Well we say our goodbyes to Luciano after a very relaxing and calming ride. By the way the canals themselves are very clean and do not stink as I have been previously told. I could see myself living here except for a couple of major restrictions. Price being the biggest 465,000.00 Euros for a one bedroom flat and secondly but not the least sun worshipping topless would get me hung and quartered I am sure given the religious severity of the area :) :).

Onward and forward as we head off to San Toma and a visit to the Frari Church. It's full title is Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari, quite the mouth full. This church was first founded by the Franciscan Church of Brothers. Pictures are not allowed unfortunately, but the inside artwork and carvings in the structures of the portico and beams are just beautiful. Again the paintings are amazing .

Well we have spent a total of eight hours here today and head back to the hotel to plan our next day. I am sad to leave as we have only touched the major sites and there is so much more to see.

Our plan for tomorrow has changed, we had hoped to go to Bolzano close to the Alps but the drive is longer then Fred though so it's back to Old Venice tomorrow for more exploring!! Stay tuned for our new discoveries.

Ciao,

Sandy & Fred

Venice (Venezia) Bound - Sept 23, 2008

Buon giorno,

After breakfast and signing out from the Novotel we are once again on the road. On the weekend the lights at a major intersection were not working and you can imagine the chaos to get across the road which is really busy. Thank god the lights are working as our way out takes us across this intersection. The drive up the highway takes us into a mountainous area. I am somewhat nervous as the truck traffic is unbelievable. Not just 20 or 30 trucks but 100 at least. I will say unlike North American truck drivers they do stay in their own lane except to pass slower vehicle's and they do have a speed limit that is lesser than cars. The drive takes us around and through the mountains; winding roads and tunnels. We can see that they are currently working on new tunnels through the mountains so in the future the trip may be faster and more direct. The landscape eventually levels off again to farmland and vineyards. The trip takes about 3 1/2 hours.

In Venice we again had a slight detour in getting to the Marriott, arriving at around 1:30. Our room is fantastic although we have separate beds but for 3 nights we can live with that as the rest in most elegant. We are far from the old town of Venice and its canals so we chose a room option that includes passes for the public transportation system. The bus ride into town takes approximately 45 minutes and then we to have transfer onto a water taxi to visit the local attractions. Prior to heading out we grab lunch in the hotel and head into Venice to get the lay of the land for tomorrow our first full day.

The pass while being paper like has a chip in it. The pass is held up to a reader that recognizes the fare on the buses as well as the water taxis. The bus ride into town took less than 45 minutes as the driver wastes no time and has few stops on the way in. We locate the slow boat that takes 40 minutes to get to the far end of the Grand Canal. It was a good way to see all that the Canal has to offer, getting off at the Piazza San Marco. We walk around the square were the buildings are both magnificent and undergoing repair and cleaning. There are three cruise ships in port, so the crowds are huge. We walk up into some small streets and alley ways and bridges over the smaller canals away from the crowds . Once back to the boat we head back to the Marriott as it is getting late. Getting off the water taxi we spot a supermarket and buy some crackers, cheese, cold cuts, grapes, beer and wine for the room as a break from pizza's, pasta and also a break to the pocketbook with restaurant food all the time.

Well I look forward to tomorrow as we are going for a ride in a gondola along the canal and to go into the museums and Church's.

Arrivederci,

Sandy & Fred

Florence (Firenze) -Sept 22, 2008

We got a bonus last night. We had ordered a sandwich, chips and a bottle of wine. Everything but the bottle of wine arrived and when I went up to sign for the sandwich and chips the bar maid realized she never brought us our wine. She apologized and gave us a free a free bottle. She explained the restaurant side was so busy that she spent most of her time over there.

After breakfast we took the shuttle into downtown Florence and did a Renaissance Walk through Florence as recommended in Rick Steve's Guide book. I am happy to say Fred got confused
in navigating with the map and we ended up taking a couple of detours during the day :).

Our first stop was Basilica di San Lorenzo a church in a piazza and part of the core area of Renaissance Florence. In this area there are numerous stalls selling souvenirs of shoe's and leather goods.

Onward to Santa Maria del Fiore, a Gothic Cathedral of pink, white and green marble. The outside of the building was spectacular with all the carvings and sculptures that adorned the building. Inside was disappointing as is was very plain and sombre compared to the outside. We did do a very Catholic thing here though and lit a candle for the Pagazzani girls, Briangh, Michaela and Sophia.

We however do not know the significance of lighting a candle but hope it is a blessing of sorts.
You can climb stairs up to the very top of the outside of the dome but the line up was super long so we thought we would revisit it latter in the day. A total 0f 463 stairs to reach the top.

From here we continue our walk to the Piazza Della Signoria. There are numerous statues that have origin from Rome and others from Florence. As well these are rather gruesome in nature, rapes are depicted, beheadings of unfaithful females, murder of a centaur as well as some other questionable figures. The detail of the sculptures are very realistic in their human features. There is also a founatin were a lot of art students are trying to draw what they see.
Some seem quite good. The town hall is also in this area. We each grab a panini sandwich and a bottle of water and continue our walk.

We head down between the Uffizi Gallery which houses numerous statues to some of the great
personas of Florence. Leonardi DaVinci, Michangelo, two who come to mind immediately. At the bottom of this roadway we reach the Arno River and have our first taste of Gelato. I have chocolate and mint two separate kinds and Fred has mint and chocolate chip . His chocolate chip is vanilla with chunks of chocolate. Decandent to say the least. We sit on a wall and watch a vendor across the street on the river bank sell these little figures that dance to music. We get a lesson is supply and demand as Fred says. There are very few people walking by and two young girls ask about the figures and the cost for them is 1 Euro. About 15 minutes latter more people come along a good 8 - 10 have now gathered. The price is now 2 Euros. He doing a brisk business now.

Having devoured our gelato we retrace some steps we did our first night in Florence to retake pictures that did not turn out. I do a little shoppinmg and buy myself a Italian silk pachima made if Florence. Onward we go to the Palazzo Pitti a museum which however, was closed. Here we turn around and retrace our walk to see how the lineup is for the Duomo dome. By the time we get back I am totally knackered and decide that there is no way I can do the 463 step climb. I offer to wait but Fred says it it time to sit and get a glass of wine as he is parched. We have at this point of time been walking for 6 hours with only the gelato rest stop.

After a glass of wine at a little bar on the Via del Giglio and short rest we now head to the Church of Santa Maria Novella. This is a church that was run by The Dominican Order of Friars since 1221. The inside is beautiful with amazing stained glass windows. Some of the original paintings on the wall have funfortunately aded almost to just shadows while later paintings have upheld well. Here pictures and use of cameras are not allowed which we respected. Of course once again there are a few people who ignore the wishes of the church.

We stop for super at a cafe in the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Fred has penne and I have spaghetti ragu. Red wine of course and water. Both dishes were very delciious and for desert we share a tiramisu. More decandance and I have a cafe latte. We decide to have more wine as we have a hour wait for the 6:30 p.m. shuttle and we are tired of walking. The shuttle does not arrive (we had booked for the 8:30 p.m. shuttle) so we took a taxi back to the hotel.

Our stay in Florence has been very enjoyable though we did not see all we had hoped. So many churches, museums and so little time. Well worthh another visit in the future.

Ciao

Fred & Sandy

Pisa - Sept 21, 2008

Well today we had a late start as we tried to catch up on pictures which turned out to be a painful process for Fred. We drove to Pisa to view the Field of Miracles. Once we found the parking spot that was near the site we spent a good four hours here. The only sad thing about this site is that you run a gauntlet of hawkers of cheesy junk. Sunglasses, toys, cheap jewellery and inside the grounds there is a more of the same cheap souvenir stalls.

As you walk through the gate the overall sight of the three main building is awesome. The Baptistery, Cathedral or Duomo and the leaning Tower which is the Bell Tower are all in white marble and adorned with beautiful sculptures and carvings in the stone. Here is an example of the different time periods that the structures were built as well as the influence of the people of the time. The style as been dubbed Pisan Romanesque. Outside, the walls have a heavy fortress look with few windows to light the inside. The buildings were inspired by Gothic and Byzantine mosaics and Muslim spires. There are also two museums and a cemetery on the site.

Here you can spend your whole life; be christened in the Baptistery, married in the Duomo, awarded in the Tower and last but not least buried in the cemetery. After a lunch at La Buca a pizzeria we toured the grounds itself and went inside the Duomo and Baptistery. Words really
cannot express the beauty of the Duomo or the simplicity of the Baptistery and the wonder of the Leaning Tower itself. The first stone of the tower was laid in 1173 and the last 1372 over two centuries with each architect trying to solve the problem of the leaning. The tower is 200 feet tall, 55 feet wide and weighs 14000 tons and currently leans at a 5 degree angle. The site was built on marshy multi layered unstable soil. In fact all the buildings tilt to one side but are not as noticeable as the tower itself. In the Baptistery we are treated to the acoustics of the building. One of the guards demands silence the sings single notes. They vibrate and echo until it sounds like notes hitting each other in a beautiful resonance of tone and tune. You musical people will understand I hope.

We had intended to visit Lucca as well but it was clouding over and was already 4:30 so we headed back because neither one of us had a desire to be driving Italian roads in the dark.

Due to uploading difficulties pictures will be a while in getting posted,.

Ciao,

Sandy & Fred

Firenze (Florence) Bound - Sept 20, 2008

To start off I must digress back to our arrival in Italy. As were get off the plane we board a bus to take us to the terminal building. The bus drove for maybe three bus lengths if we were lucky and then we had to disembark as we had arrived at the terminal building. We could have walked in less then two minutes. Not sure if they have a rule about walking on the runway so reason for the bus.

Today we pick up the car after breakfast. A short cab ride to the Hertz office at the Hilton, Montmatre. I am somewhat anxious as the Italian drivers are absolutely crazy. They do not believe that the lines on the road serve any purpose at all. Three lanes quickly become four as they drive where ever they can squeeze in a car. Also double parking in Italy has a whole new meaning. No space, who cares just leave the car parked beside whatever car that is legally parked. All in all we get out of Rome unscathed. Only got shouted and sworn at once, not bad considering we had to complete a detour as the Tom Tom's directions were blocked off by the police. The highway was very well maintained and busy. Fred was doing 120 kph and cars were still flying past us.

The country side was gentle rolling hills at first with sheep, cattle, vineyards, some olive groves and fields of sunflowers and tobacco. The drive took three hours in total with a slight detour at the end as Fred had trouble getting the hotel address recognized by the Tom Tom.

I did not realize that Firenze and Florence where the same place so once we reached our destination of Firenze I thought we had to go further. Duh! Once checked in we took the shuttle downtown to do some exploring. With Rick Steeves guide book and a map in hand we set out. As it is late around 5:00 p.m. most of the sites are closed so we walk to get the lay of the land.

The church Basilica di Santa Novella looks magnificent form the outside but we cannot check it out until Monday. Fred then leads us down to the Arno River and along the the Lungarno Corsi. We walk along the river bank exploring narrow streets along the way until we reach the Ponte Vecchi. This bridge has gold and silver jewellery stores on either side of the bridge. My first impression was that Florence did not have the character of Rome. But once we walk along the streets into the old section I quickly change my mind. We stop for a drink in a little pub before heading back to the hotel.

Just a quick note to you all the internet connection is a bit of a hassel in this location as WiFi is only available in the lobby. So the pictures may not get posted until we get to the Marriott in Venice as it seems to have better service.

Ciao

Fred & Sandy

Rome - Sept 19, 2008

Today we started off a bit late as we slept in until 8:00 a.m. However after breakfast we made the 10:00 a.m. shuttle to the metro. As it was very overcast we ditched the bus tour and did another walk. It has cooled off significantly from yesterday and is better walking weather though raining lightly. The street sellers sure have things covered very well and as we get off the shuttle bus they are there with umbrella's for sale. 5.00 Euros and we grab one.

On to the metro again with a quick subway ride to Barberini and short walk to the Trevi Fountain. The statues are unbelievable and huge. From here we go into a small church across the street from the fountain. We then walk along to the Pantheon with a slight detour as we get slightly misdirected (lost) this time duie to Fred's navigational skills not mine. His excuse the map is very hard to read as the print is so small in reality there are so many small narrow streets and alleys that it is very easy to get turned around. Once on the right track and going in the right direction after pulling out the big map one would think Fred had been here before as he knew exactly where to go.

The Pantheon is a major architectural feat when you consider when in was build and that it is virtually intact today. The Pantheon became a church dedicated to martyrs after the fall of Rome so was not pillaged by the barbarians and the locals did not use it as a stone quarry as they had with other historic sites to use. The one piece columns are granite shipped in from Egypt and are the biggest in Italy. The doors into the Pantheon are the original bronze doors. The portico is called Romes umbrella during rain as many gather there as we saw today. The dome inside is 142 feet high and wide and was one of Europes biggest until the Renaissance and Michelangelo's dome at St. Peter's Basilica which while higher is narrower. Raphael and Italy's first two kings are buried here. The tapestries and scuptures are breathtaking especially when youu realize the age of the works. We spent over a hour in the Pantheon alone. Fred was also approached by a cute little old couple I would say in their late 80's who wanted their picture taken in front of the tomb to Umberto the First (a King we think, to be googled to verify). He spoke only Italian but Fred got the deed done.

We next walked onto Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. This is a church that houses a little know Michelangelo statue, Christ Bearing the Cross from 1514. We spent just over a hour here. I asked the priest if we were allowed to take pictures without flash and we were. Down each side of the church were chapels or burial sites of saints, well to do people with amazing sculptures, paintings, tapestries and carved crypts. This is also the first church that we have been in that has had stained glass. It was also nice to see that people here were respectful of were they were unlike those in the Sistine Chapel.

As it was now pouring rain we decided on lunch at a cafe on the street near the Pantheon. I had lasagne and Fred a margherita pizza plus a litre of red wine. We sat for about two hours for the heavy rain to pass and watched the world go by. Once the rain subsided some we walked back to the metro and made our way back to the shuttle and back to the hotel. A less hectic day today but we did get in some major sites.

Overall our stay in Rome has been a sucess. We have seen all the major sites with the exception of the The National Museum of Rome and Borghese Gallery which needs a reservation to get into. Also we missed the Circus Maximus by the Colosseum. Definately a return trip to Rome as there is still much more to see and do. Tomorrow we head to Florence (birth place of Michaelangelo) by car which should prove very interesting given how the Italians drive.

Photos are in the process of being uploaded to our flickr account;

www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins.

Ciao.

Fred & Sandy

Italy Bound - Sept 17 & 18, 2008

Before telling you about our Italian adventure I am going to digress back to day two as I forgot to tell you about the English lesson I received. While walking back to John's and passing the Tate Art Gallery there was a street person is selling papers. Here in England they (street people) buy papers which they can then sell to make money rather than beg. He approaches a women coming out of the Tate who by the way looks like a street person herself to buy a paper. Well she tells him to F off and gives him two fingers. I said to Fred look at that she is swearing at him but gives him the Peace sign. She kind of has her signals mixed don't you think. Well apparently not, because in England the two finger sign is not Peace but you know what! So ends the lesson for the day.

Our flight to Italy was uneventful other they they took forever to show the boarding gate on the screen and our pre-boarding priority was a waste as we got to the gate they were boarding everybody. Still we got decent seats together right near the front so turned out not too bad. With easyJet you sit were you want, it's a first come first serve arrangement with no seat assignments, movies etc. Also as two people did not board we were penalized and our take off time was delayed by 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Italy we took a cab to our hotel. The cabby was very friendly and spoke good English. They drive like crazy in Italy and he must of saw me grab Fred's leg at one point in his mirror cause he said I think madame does not like to drive too fast! He then asked a couple more times if I was okay with his driving. We arrive safe and sound at Central Park Hotel which is a Marriott but there is no signage so Fred was a bit concerned as once we paid the 70 Euros he was gone. Well it is a Marriott so no problem.

Day four and our first full day in Italy. After breakfast in the hotel we hop on a shuttle bus that takes us into Rome proper as we are a considerable distance away from the main sites.

Our first stop is Vatican City. We sign up for a tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel and an explanation of the architecture and changes in Saint Peter's Square. Our guide Anthony has been doing this tour for 4 years and was very well informed. The tour in total was 40 Euros each and worth every penny. The catholics are funny though. I wore a tank top but did have a shirt to go over it as when we left at 10:00 a.m. it was cool where the hotel is located. In the city proper it was hot so off came the shirt. I would not have been allowed to enter Vatican City with the tank top as it was not considered decent, yet all around there are nude satutues and paintings. One statue in particluar is a man holding a scroll in one hand and his chopped off penis is the other and they are worried about decent. Oh well good thing I had the shirt.

As you will see from our pictures the museum is amazing. The art and sculptures are truly a site to behold. One ceiling loks like it has been carved but is in fact a style of painting that with the use of shadows and light and dark colours gives it a three dimensial look of being carved. The cistine chapel which Michaelangelo painted is breath taking. As it is a church we were asked not to take pictures, both Fred and I respected that however the number of people who did not was astounding.

The Swiss guards are hand picked and must be Swiss and attended a religious school as well as a regular college and be nominated to attend the vatican as a guard by their priest. The swiss guards were known to be so loyal and fierce that they would fight to the death in the very early days of the church so one of the Popes had them installed as a permanent guard. Sorry can't recall which Pope. Near the end of the tour I got separated from the group and my earphones stopped working so I was lost. I wondered on my own into Saint Peters Basilica. Talk about impressive.

Statues to Saints are huge and the detail in the marble is amazing. Paintings, ornamental crosses, tombs and canopys. Here pictures were allowed to be taken and as I was looking for Fred and the group I took some but not enough. You could easily spend two hours exploring all the nooks and crannies here but I am sure by now I was missed so I had to find Fred. We caught up with each other outside the Basilica and once I answered his questions like were the #$% did you disappear too we headed off to lunch.

Lunch was a panni sandwich and water. The panni in Italy is not at all like ours. The bread is almost like a pita though thicker and very tasty.

We then travel on Romes subway system to the Colosseum. Fares are cheap 1 eruo one way each, The system inself is however is very dark , dingy and somewhat dirty. All the cars seem to be covered in graffity on the outside. The cars inside are very long and articulated so you need to watch were you stand. They are effcient though as we got to the Colosseum across the Tiber River in about 15 minutes and that also included a change in lines.

We walk the Palatine Hill which is the legendary birthplace of Rome. It is here that Romulus and Remus were said to be found by a shepherd. This was the site of the residence of the Emperors Nero and Augustus and many gardens. We do not even cover half of this archeological site in the three hours we spend here. I am starting to fade and want to go into the Colosseum itself. So this is a return spot to see the balance of the site.

The Colosseum was built by Jewish slaves on a marshy lake bed that was recalimed from Nero's garden after his death. The original circumference measured 1/3 of a mile and the four story mass was supported by a ring of concrete 43 feet high. There were 76 entrances to the place, were spectators could make their way in and out to watch the games and horrors of the day, slaughter of both men and beasts. The stairs up to the second level which is still mostly in tact are extremely steep. Thank god for sturdy hand rails as I had to pull myself up the stair way . Getting down I would worry about once we explored this archtectual marvel. Well in the end I was saved from probably having to go down bum style as we found a lift so we rode down in comfort.

Supper was at a road side cafe across from the Coliseum. Pizza and wine. Now a glass of wine in Italy is truly a glass of wine. I think about 8 oz was served in a proper drinking glass. Well I think I have died and gone to heaven. It was a full day as we got back to the hotel at 8:00 p.m. to shower off the days dust down load pictures and relax. By the way I have spelled Coliseum two different way and both are correct spelling. Stay tuned for more Rome adventures as we head out on a City Bus Tour tomorrow.

Arrivederci