Italy, part 2
Wow, Italy, you have caught us by surprise!
Since our first blog about Italy we’ve spent a lovely morning with a couple near (and in) Bazzano – to the market, then for some bakery delicacies, and then.. for the best ice cream EVER at Piccola Parigi. Andrea, our host, was a pleasure to watch in his foodie realm – check out his site if you are in the area and looking for something delicious (or some cooking classes).
Have you ever thought of going to Venice for the evening? We did it.. We took a train straight to the Grand Canal – stood in place at 4pm – and watched where the locals were heading… to the left we went with our picnic in tow for an un-typical experience. We got ourselves lost as we went through one narrow concrete pathway to another 😉 This was the plan. We enjoyed the changing lights as the sun went down, the window shapes, the bridges.. Life in Venice is very intriguing .. the children spotted what was different – A parking garage in water, house doors that open to a boat, streets that lead to steps and steps that lead to water. All of this was very alluring until around 10pm when we were tired and ready to make way to our hotel via the train – then the idea of being lost closed in on us. Eamon said “this place is like a maze!” Zion adds “except this maze has a map” yes, If only we took the map! So we walked and walked.. (maybe next time we will take a water taxi or love it up in an overpriced and incredibly stunning Gondola). At the end of the day, we all remember rather fondly getting lost in Venice – except for Eamon who would prefer to remember a special art exhibit he admired through a gallery window.
Sometimes our road is marked out and other times it is formed by the desire to meet and connect with specific people. With this later purpose, we headed to Brescia and were hosted by a tender family. What we took from this encounter was more then the soul can translate – we only hope to mirror some of their goodness, genuine interest, creative fluidity, and respect in our own lives and towards our children.
From Brescia, we back tracked to Florence because I knew I couldn’t leave Italy without meeting her. The whole drive there I had been telling my boys that we would be seeing Michelangelo’s very large and NAKED sculpture of David. CLOSED MONDAY. Disappointed, we had to regroup! A bike tour was the perfect way to get the history and flavour overview of this old city. Honestly, I can’t believe the value – for 12 Euro my whole family was peddled around for a perfectly customized 20 minute tour. We then got off the bike and returned to our favorite spots.
We were impressed to see sustainable ecotourism taking root in Italy. Ecotourism is: “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990) We had the privilege of rustic camping one night at a farm (I will add the name / link) and staying in the B+B on the second night – to fully experience the warmth of such projects. The only photo I want to post here is of Eamon in the little 3 wheel truck going for a “bumpy ride” – he will most likely tell you this story someday 🙂
This place was in the area of Cinque Terre that had been recommended to us and now will remain an absolute favorite destination. Imagine waking in a tent, driving out of the mountains, and making your way by train along the rugged coast of the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre is a preserved group of 5 villages built into the rocky coast. Oozing with history, natural beauty, hiking trails, handcrafts, and gastronomy! Oh yes, and many places to dip into the sea.
There was more .. but I will save this for another time ..
Ti amo.
arrivederci!
