Bonjour! Paris! There is nothing wrong with that! Ever! We switched our flight last minute to a direct with airfrqnce...a bit sketchy, rough seats but new plane. Of course I did the usual multi lingual on the plane...switching from ‘merci’ to ‘grazie’ with nary a blink! That’s multilingual me! LOL

Question...how long can I manage without technology? \240It is great to be back in Paris!

It was a very long ride from the airport and it seemed like forever before we saw tour Eiffel peeking through the buildings...but so worth it. We arrived at Hotel DaVinci...quite old and very Parisienne...pompon dog, little fireplace, dark paneled room with short little chairs. Luckily we got our room at 11 am and it is the only one with un petit balcon! I do so love looking out over the rooftops of Paris!

Tea at Ladurée! Not our usual chic tea but very quaint and old...est. 1862. Macaroons were to die for! They were the lightest and fluffiest just melting in my mouth! Surprisingly, salted caramel were the best. We had a lovely table for two at the window and yet I was hoping for someone to sit next to us...their chair was actually in the fireplace!

Off to explore on my own...no gps...just an old fashioned map...now that was hard work and of course I got lost but knew enough to find the Seine. Paris is becoming more comfortable to me:)I like to think that I blend in and no one knows that I am a tourist...every shopkeeper I met addresses me in French. I love all the passerbys walking around baguette in hand yet I am extremely jealous. It sounds cliche walking the left bank in the rain but that is exactly what I did and I loved every moment of it! 

Picking up Bruce, we wandered back to our ‘old’ neighborhood, met Alex and Matt for a quick hello at the Louvre and then went in search of Tiger the gin joint of Paris! Many, many, many wrong turns...but, VOILA! Amazing and fun! Just to watch the bartenders was worth it! Bruce chatted all kinds of gin with both of them. The tonic of choice was -tada!-Fever Tree. We even got a vial of gin to go! And go we did..,made it back home and not having had dinner, we stopped in the marché next door for a picnic of saucisses and palates to go and the shopkeeper tried to teach me the word for blueberries! lol  ‘myrtille’...just can’t get the right intonation.

Picnic on the bed in our closet room at the roof top...too cold to use our petit balcon:) Bonsoir!

Woke to another rainy day in Paris. I kind of had a bit of trouble sleeping...a little claustrophobic and we would freeze if we opened our door to un petit balcon. THEN for some crazy reason, I started worrying about if there was a fire! Rational, right!?!?! We took it slow even though there was no way to make tea and headed out around 10 in search of pain au chocolat for Bruce and cappuccino for me. Arrived at Cafe Richard, a traditional cafe with instrumental french music playing softly...we had the best first pain au chocolat and cappuccino! Magnifique!

Next stop chocolatier extraordinaire, Jacques Germain...it took so long to pick out 9 pieces of chocolat! We wanted them all...and they are quite tiny. Next, off we went in search of Nogue, the best gluten free pastiterre

The baguette was just so-so...having eaten a true French Baguette in the past, I was not too thrilled. HOWEVER, I did walk the streets of Paris on a Saturday morning munching on a warm baguette! C’est yum! Paris is wonderful anytime!

We moved to our airbnb to drop our bags and met Taylor and Tim there...just a few blocks from where we were staying which is in the same neighborhood that we stayed in the first time we came - Ste. Germaine des Pres. Just loving the left bank- rive gauche with its shops and cafés.

By this point, just about 24 hours in Paris and I had scratched off my entire list of things to do except for my favorite...Musee d’Orsey...off we went stopping for a sidewalk crepe...all things Parisien...

The Musee is/was amazing! I got to explore all my favorites again...just being in the building itself is stunning. I did a quick sketch of un Petit Danseur by Degas and just sighed through the halls filled with the Impressionists...sigh.

Bruce and I headed to a late lunch at La Rose en France on the I’sle. Yum, yum, yum...escargot and French onion soup washed down with Aperol spritz. For dessert, Bruce had an unparalleled creme brûlée and I had warm, drizzly camembert which gets eaten with a spoon! oohlala!

We met up with the family for an early evening cruise on the Seine on Vendettas du Pont Neuf again...that twinkling lady is awesome and it wasn’t too cold to sit up top...but, by the end we were chilly. Dinner was at Briezh Cafe...yummy buckwheat crepes! So Parisian!

Sunrise run along the Seine...The Louvre, Tuillieres, the Lady, early spring lowers, Musee d’Orsey. I tried again to make it to Rue Cler...but it was not to be...I was 3 1/2 miles in...time to turn around. c’est la vie! I simply will have to come back.

Laundry...it’s a struggle! I washed twice and never dried, ie...the apartment is covered for drying laundry’

Cap and pain au chocolate at Paul on our little favorite block off St. Germain des Pres. Fran and I painted here years ago on my first trip to paris...so many memories. You know that you are in paris when the butcher wears a vest and tie!

Weaving our way through the little streets of Paris and on to Shakespeare and Company, one of the top ten bookstores in the world...topped off with a trip to Notre Dame-soooo beautiful:) The cherry on top...sitting at Café a la Tasse with Bruce sipping on a homemade marshmallow topped Aperol Spritz! Aaannnddd a true Parisien tipped his hat to me and stopped at our table to say ‘Bonjour’ on his way past! Bruce decided that he DID want to do the l’orangerie so we hopped in a cab and of course the water lilies were amazing, but then down to the basement and the hidden treasures! Matisse! Cezanne! Renoir! Picasso! Rousseau! C’est magnifique! Really??? Life is grand and I am a very lucky lady

We met up with the others for a Chocolate Tour! Really??? (I do say that a lot!) It was an amazing tour that included the history of chocolate in France! We also passed the designer shops - \240some you have to make an appt! The gardens were starting to bloom and the magnolia trees were just beginning to bud with the most magnificent raspberry color! ALMOST springtime in Paris and checking what is going on at home - 10 inches of snow! - I am truly happy! We passed so many designers - Hermès, Chanel, Fendi, Dior, Cartier...way beyond my league! I smile nicely and pretend to know what I am talking about...bags at 1000 euro that are a steal! Anyway...the chocolat tour was amazing! Even I had to say ‘enough!’ and take it to go. AND we had the best macarons ever! My only regret is not getting the chocolate covered cheese!!! STILL!! 

Dinner was at a café, but of course...La Grille...the food was great but the toilet paper in the WC was the best! 9 toilet paper rollers all hanging on the wall! LOL

TP roulette!

Sunday was Versailles day and we were up early to catch the train because it was free day and we wanted to get in early. As it was we waited a while but it was so much better than getting there later. I was not so very impressed with the actual palace...lots of art work and history, but not having much frame of reference it became quite overwhelming. The best part of Versailles was Ladurée and Angelina!

Then on to Marie Antoinette’s ‘little’ cottage pretty and quite manageable. It was huge but after the Palace, it seemed just the right size...think Goldilocks:) I loved the bedroom up on a ‘stage’ overlooking the garden. The tram back to Versailles palace from Marie Antoinette’s was VERY bumpy, especially when one needs to use the facilities, but it did save our feet.

Bottom line.... not sure I would go back...but the gardens and landscaping would be absolutely amazing in the spring and summer. I also had ‘runner’ envy...wishing I had my running clothes on. Perfect spot for training!

Le Pre - chefs salad and aperol spritz on the sidewalk of paris ...sigh

Bruce napped and I painted and did a yoga practice. Boy was that the best.

Dinner was at Les Près aux Clercs...how you say ‘yummers’ in French! Steak and frites for me with blue cheese sauce and Bruce had duck with honey, orange glaze. I did NOT finish the chocolat mousse!

Since I ran 5 miles yesterday, today I decided to walk and wandered around the neighborhood of Notre Dame and the Seine. Three miles of Paris in the early morning was divine. I met the crew at Paul for breakfast, enviously watching them all scarf down fresh warm baguettes with butter and jam as well as the yummy pain au chocolat...sigh...

Au revoir, Paris...

Bongiorno, Firenze!

THE PLACE we are staying at is amazing! The huge living room windows open on a view of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio with a peek of the Duomo hiding between the buildings. No complaints here! We are staying right above my favorite restaurant -The Golden View, which is precisely where we headed  as soon as we dropped our bags. Ah-maxing lunch...truffles season has started! Bruce had homemade pasta slathered in butter and oil then topped with the most delicate truffles. Me???? Truffle pizza! I am back in Italy! We meandered  - this is what Italy is all about - on our way to the Duomo, found a bench and just sat in awe as Bruce retold me all that he remembered from the first tour he took. BTW...the tourists are still eating sandwiches on the streets of Florence. We continued to weave our way just window shopping and people watching and found a master violin maker in a tiny, tiny shop surrounded by violins in various states and a floor scattered with wood shavings. Great find! Seriously...it must be a dying breed. 

It was great to be in the sun with temps about 10 degrees warmer putting us to 60. In retrospect, Paris was cloudy, cool and rainy every day but being so special no one cared so much. There is something quite magical about sitting in a piazza with a glass of wine and the little bowls of nibbles that come with it...sigh...sigh...and sigh. The day ended with dinner at Yellow Bar and a bit of gelato on the way home. The little bit of extra bliss was walking along the Arno with the Ponte Vecchio reflecting back. Buona sera!

Waking in Firenze! First stop - THE DAVID! What is it about that piece of sculpture? I am not a sculpture person and it brings me to tears every single time! The rest went for a tour of the Pallazzo Vecchio and I simple wandered the streets of Firenze taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. ITALY! Although I do miss the smell of the bakeries of Paris...The sun is shining with bright blue skies and it is suppose to go to the 60’s today!Bar Pesco for cappuccino and gelato in piazza della Signoria Firenze! The church bells ring and it is a lovely sound! I am wondering where all the groups of Italian school groups are off to...field trips? They are young so they must be from Firenze. Possibly because the museums are free this week. I have a habit of using the ‘!’ a lot over here...it’s even in my voice.

PINO’S! THAT IS worth the boing! So fun and yum which we followed up with an hour and a half sitting in the piazza Santa Croce...sunny and warm with a violin playing. Down to a t-shirt. Bellissimo!

Again, I shopped on the Ponte Vecchio...knowing it is a total rip off, I still love the idea of buying a ring there.

More walking up a million and one stairs to Piazza Michelangelo followed by San Miniato with a beautiful view of the city spread below. What a wonderful spot without too many tourists...must have been the stairs!

We did a last minute wine tasting at Enoteca Alessa that was awesome. Gin selection might have come in just second to the wine as there were floor to ceiling shelves of gin! LOL Bruce and I always notice that ever since our London/Ireland trip.  We are so missing the boat on this opening a gin joint which really makes me sad. Selling gin might be easier than teaching kindergarten! Of course we ended the night with an amazing dinner - this is a fact in Italy - at Casella followed by a trip to the geleteria...so so. 

Thursday

Woke early...5, and sat by the huge picture windows overlooking the Arno, with the room dark and everyone still asleep -what a treat! Early mornings are my most favorite because I am alive awake to enjoy it all vs the evening when my energy is low. Got in a two mile walk through the streets and picked up a box of amazingly red strawberries for the bus trip to Siena. The ride was quiet and restful, soon we were ringing through the Tuscan countryside and I saw on a hill in the distance San Gimignano and it’s seven towers and I loved when we rode by my favorite town name ‘Poggibonsi’.

Dario Castagno, our tour guide met us at the station and we were off for our tour of the contrada. Although it was the same tour as the last time, I learned more and was reminded of more. On the plus side, Dario was much more animated...well compared to the last time! In fact, he said, “People read my first book and when they meet me they can’t believe that I am the same person.” Ya think? He set us up with an awesome lunch at a fellow contradee??? more truffles! yum and yum! The Rick Steves walking tour of Siena and the Duomo was great. He really does a good job...sometimes I’m not sure if I have actually done the tour or watched the episode on PBS! It was a great free way to get some info and exercise at the same time. Bruce and I had tea at Bar i’ll Palio, then I headed home on the bus and the rest stayed for a while. 

Friday

Great sunrise running over the bridges of the Arno River plus a lap around the Duomo. Happiness is Firenze before the tourists wake up! I am amazed at exactly how few people there are out and yet there is a lot of noise as trucks are delivering to the shops and restaurants as well as all the street cleaning that goes on...but most shops are not open.

Cafe Perseo again but they take great care of us and give us enough snacks for a meal with our Aperol Spritz and have tables in the sun! But our course we ended with gelato! I’m stuck on dark chocolate with orange if possible.

In the afternoon, I went to the Boboli Gardens but not the Pitti Palace which was the home of the Medici family. Bruce went up with his family and they did both. These gardens were enormous! Honestly, I think I walked \240at least three miles just in there and they were not easy walks- lots of stairs, hills and just general ups and downs. I know it would be more beautiful in the summer with all the flowers but also it would be very hot. The view was great but I like the Bardini Gardens better...while not as expansive they were really pretty and the view of the Duomo was spectacular. Definitely would recommend either. 

Next order of business was the post office. This is definitely a stretch when you have to do business in a foreign country but luckily I looked confused enough and a worker - just his exact job, me thinks, came to my rescue and I got my business done. I was proud of that and also just the fact that I actually found it! I am starting to really understand this center if Florence and while it always seemed to large, I am realizing that is not so much! 

We all got together for a private cooking class at ‘in Tavola’, which is always a fun thing to do. We made pesto pasta, potato stuffed ravioli, chicken marsala, broccoli soufflé and an amazing chocolate soufflé to round out the meal. Nice way to end another perfect day in Italy!

Off for an early run and the waking of birds and a lone rooster. \240The wind was a bit biting and it was crisp and cool . The cherry...the bells of the duomo. 

Slow morning start with homemade yummy breakfast of pear and brie bruschetta!

We roamed near the Central Mercato and had lunch at ZaZa aka Brian Jacobs...delicious risotto with truffles and asparagus. Bruce had amazing eggplant and a salad. THEN off to Vivoli for gelato.

Quick rest and off to Grand Hotel Cavour for the Divina Terrazza for sunset with cocktails! You must hand over your passport to go to this terrazza! Buona Sera...Tuscan G&T in giant goblets right across from the dome of the Duomo with its pealing bells and we even squeezed out a sunset through the low clouds! Great evening and since we had time to kill...back to our new favorite gelato place and finally The Three Tenors concert at Auditorium San Stefano!

saturday 3/16

Well, this morning I finally got smart and rode the bus down into town, starting my morning run there...why is it that I don’t like to run in ugly areas? Or maybe I just don’t like my starting points...I want to run where I want to run, but I don’t want to run to get there? The bus was a perfect alternative and I loved running the river as well as back through old town, stopping at the bakery for a breakfast treat. The tulips are all about six inches up and I am sad to be missing the season. Since we are heading further north, I am sure I won’t see them. The plus side...many restaurants have them on their tables:) I was kind of sad to leave Salzburg although it was a gray, gloomy and wet place to be and I don’t know how the locals bear it. At least being in the sun was not an issue!

WE finally got smart and realized that we could hang out in the first class lounge at the train station with our first class tickets...happiness is - comfy seats and free snacks! We both love train travel as it is so much more civilized than air travel. We have worked our way around the public transit system with a lot of help and luck...even dragging these big assed bags! I try to think about how I could downsize but it seems impossible with warm weather ahead...hopefully! As it is, we are laundering in the  bathroom sink and voila! our room is reminiscent of the teenage years! Vienna! Ooh la la...

the hotel is remodeled and nice! a full size tub! king bed! a couch!modern! bar and breakfast included! Quite: “We can both walk around without having to yield!” We walked to the ring trying to get that orientation down, tea at Café Digals, amazingly outstanding Viennese goulash with lemon and capers for dinner at Lugeck - to die for! Ended the night 

with a drink and apple strudel...not too bad of a start to Vienna!

Monday, March 18

Today was get a new phone day...long and hard! Going to the Apple store is almost as bad as the RMV then add in a foreign country! Uh-huh! Then get a SIM card! I went back to the guy FOUR times! I have very little on my phone as I can’t sign in to anything without MY phone number for verification...do NOT ever lose your phone in a foreign country! It is simply amazing what we use our phones for...I didn’t even know what time it was! No music, no contacts, no Facebook/FaceTime! Everyone was super helpful, but again I was in tears! Then after we left, I realized that I got the wrong phone- I should have gotten the 8+ and I got the 8! Bruce really wanted me to go back but it was way beyond me and what do

I care anyway. I’m back to a cute ‘little’ phone The day was pretty much a wash...Bruce did a scotch tasting and then we had a lovely early dinner at Guttenburg Restaurant, gazing out our lovely curbside window to the actual statue of Gutenberg...I forgot all about him and the printing press! Done early, we headed back to our room to just chill. I think I was asleep by 8! We barely did any of Vienna:(

Wednesday March 20

Early morning Budapest walk was a bit concerning...not having GPS kind of made it hard to be super adventurous but I did walk over the Danube to the Buda side which is a cool thing to do. And I made it home safe and sound. Crazy! I remember coming to Europe with Shawna and relying on Rick Steves hand drawn maps! We are so dependent on our phones now it is crazy! How will the next generation adapt? This morning, I was taking pictures of corners that I turned \240at so I would remember...then I went a completely different way coming back! Ha! One thing realized is that I am using the Danube as a frame of reference thinking of it as straight!!!! Not true! We went to

Gerbeaud Café = yummy!! Unfortunately the square was all torn up so the view out the majestic 20 foot windows was not the best. We went for breakfast but waited for lunch because the menu looked great..,just killed time ordering tea and smoothies - one of our favorite travel pastimes is cafe sitting. In Salzburg they had a New York Times do we were planted, devouring each article!I had my first Hungarian goulash soup and it was excellent...just the right amount of flavor and not too spicy. Loved this! Macaroons to go because it is cheaper and we ate them on a park bench in the sun as we worked our way toward the Great Synagogue. I know not much about the Jewish religion but it has always drawn me as well as WWII history. Very moving and sad and those ARE an understatement! The Hungarian Jews were rounded up and put in a ghetto in the winter of ‘44 and the Nazis were hell bent on destroying them, taking 400,000 on the first day and sending them to Auswitz on day one then practically wiped them out. Too moving for words. There was a wonderful Jewish museum attached.

Next, the Simplza Ruin Bar! Again...no words! There are ruin bars scattered around the Pest neighborhood, Simplza being the first. It was started after Hungary got its independence from Russian communism by a few college students. It is a bar that was started in the Jewish Ghetto, in the remains of an old building left since WWII. There is every piece of junk/crap hanging on the walls and ceilings. I mean every inch covered...very old computer monitors as a point. Bruce was rendered speechless but me???? All I could think of was look at all this crap - not an inch to spare-in must be disgustingly filthy, ESPECIALLY because the bar opens at noon and closes at 4am! No time for full cleaning! I so wish that I had my hand sanitizer, but as a substitute I had a second drink!

We walked and took the tram near home and went to a little Hungarian cafe by the Danube...the view was not quite what you are imagining, but the place was great! We arrived \240at 5:30 and had the place completely to ourselves the whole time! We started with pälinka Hungarian grappa- snd grappa it was! The food was delicious and it was quiet and sunny. On the way home we stopped for a Kürtőskalács, which is like a three in wide freshly made, hot funnel cake covered in butter and rolled in a topping of your choice and filled with vanilla ice cream. Sounds WAAAYYYY better than it was. Finally home, we worked on filling in our empty week of travel and are squeezing in \240Berlin and Amsterdam from March 30 til April 6! Whew!

Learned two words

- szia- sounds kinda like ciao means hello

-kösci- sounds like cur-see means thanks

Thursday March 21

Woke up to no power! The fan went off! It came on in a bit, \240but I was up for the day...got a yoga practice in, hand washed the laundry and set out for a walk. I’m starting to get use to it here...sorta with a lot of help from gps! With my new phone I have to re-sign into my Austrian carrier every time that I change countries. Took a day or so to figure that out! SIM is cheap enough 30 euro for one month 10G. We stopped at this little gluten free/vegan/healthy restaurant and I had a smoothie and a teeny tiny pistachio donut. Loved it! We then spent a good portion of the day lolling about at the Széchenyi Thermal Spa. It was great! Chilly and in the 50s but we stayed outside with the water in the pools a terrific temperature and the sun almost warm enough to lay out comfortably on...well, Bruce was ok with it. \240They weather was so great, that upon leaving g we just walked right into the city park next door. Actually, I saw a little stand with a long line selling Lángos. This was one more gluten item that I needed Bruce to try! Hahaha! Lángos are a mix between fries dough and pizza but the cheese was not melted - we were not big fans. City park was simple beautiful and I was reminded of mamma with the four ping pong tables set up. The forsythia are out here as well as some other earlier budding trees, as well as pansies and daffodils - think spring. Who would have thought we would have four days of sun in Budapest and that just might be coloring our appreciation and liking of them place! Cory Park is at the other end of Andrassy Avenue which is the fancy schmamcy ‘Champs Élysees’ type of street - I have now been at both ends but not in the middle! However, we rode the coolest little subway train right underneath it - It is one of the oldest, is about two cars lone and is only about twelve feet underground \240with beautiful polished hard wood accenting the traditional subway style rule. Right next to City Park is Hero’s Square which is big and beautiful with enormous statues of the heroes of Hungary. According to Rick Steves there are statues of Stalin and other Communist promoting ones, \240it I couldn’t find them. After Russia and the Communist Party exited - only about 30 years ago - the Hungarians decided to keep the statues up to simply ‘not forget’. There is one on a hill on the Buda side that we hope to get to...the Hungarians raised it to praise and thank the Russians for saving them from the Nazis, they kept the statue but changed the inscription. We wandered around the Pest side, enjoying the sun, googling facts about Budapest and simply sitting on benches in the sun. It was a great early spring day that we topped off with dinner at Noosola Café - yummy pork with paprika potatoes washed down with the best aperol spritzes ever. We are truly enjoying Budapest!

Friday March 22

As usual, I got up early and decided it was time to color my hair - mostly because they gave us extra towels and I had to wash the spray painted hair our (regular color) and dry it before I could begin the process. In the middle of taking a shower the light went out because it’s on a sensor and there I am in the pitch black! There often seems to be some difficult twinges in daily life, but it keeps it interesting! Off we went for a new breakfast place, Central, totally old school and right around the corner. Btw...lots of stuff is ‘right around the corner’ ya just have to get your corners straight! Anyway, it was macarons and cap for me, then I left

Bruce there and ran home to get the laundry- 5 euro for a wash and they send you off with a drying rack! We have laundry hanging everywhere! Since I was so quick I had time to sneak in Oh My Green for my pistachio donut and green smoothie! Our biggest job of the day was changing and getting additional train tickets...SUCCESS! Five sets of tickets! The clerk was amazing and again I am humbled by not learning another language:(

Off we went to the Central Hall Market - what a magnificent three story old building filled with the gifts of Hungary - food, clothes and ware, with the smelly fish in the basement part. Another delicious Hungarian meal for me, but Brice said his was just ok. Bruce bought me a BP hat and I simply love it! 6 euro or 1800 forints. Back out to the lovely sunshine to sit in the Café UpDown, to sip a couple of Aperol Spritz to people watch and then the fun begins...we took the tram off to Margrit Island which is a cool 2.4km Long Island I the middle of the Danube that is a city park. It use to be a Dominican Monestery but now there are a couple of hotels, spas, a sports field, playground etc. The best part is that they have miles of walking paths throughout budding gardens and a rubberized running track that is on the circumference! My early morning goal tomorrow! We rented scooters and whooped our way around that place! Think mopeds - so much fun! Until I almost tookBruce out!!! We rested on a park bench in the sun watching people and boats pass by. Pretty perfect! Who would have thought that we would love Budapest and that it would be the sunniest, warmest place so far? We hate to waste one bit of this warmness and sat at Café Anna to wait for sunset...What a perfect spring day topped off with dinner back at Rustico...I can’t ever remember eating this much meat!

Words of today:

Tolni = push

Eggy = cheers (the true one is really is a huge almost sentence word, but I asked for the quick one!

Saturday March 23

Last day:(

Rearranging the laundry to dry! I never spend so much time on laundry as I do in Europe! Then off to Margrit Island for a run...I can’t believe we are leaving just as I am getting my bearings! The cafe square, Central Hall Market and the tram are like a two minute walk in the opposite direction of what I’ve been taking. The soft early morning sun was perfect as it glimmered on Buda. Perhaps we will get there today...or it’s just been a Pest trip!

Amazing run around the island! There is one of the biggest water parks as well as a zoo. It seems like so much and yet there are so many walking paths with green areas. Really lovely. On the way home, I ran past our stop to get a picture of the sitting statue on the Danube. I saw it the other day but there were too many people...7:30 works best. I googled the story \240- sitting statue on the Danube, \240Budapest - and just loved it.

Our last touristy thing to do was ‘The House of Terror, which was gestapo headquarters, then the Communists place of ‘business’. I was dreading it, but it wasn’t too bad til we got to the basement. Just pure sadness that people can hate that much. The rest of the day was spent outside in the sun, 68 degrees, until it was time to leave - think Aperol Spritz!

We had a sleeper car from Vienna to Krakow! Too, funny! It took a while to find the ladder, which wasn’t a problem for Bruce - “Just put one foot on the chair, the other on the sink, and I will boost you up!”

Sunday March 24

We survived our night in the sleeper car! So glad Bruce wanted a two bed instead of a six! I slept like a baby but Bruce had a rough night with not much sleep. Another schlep of the bags on/off the train, through cobbled streets and up three flights! Since it was only 7ish, we left the bags, grabbed breakfast at Marmalade next door (zloty- another new currency for Bruce to deal with, since I still have no credit card and only a few euros!) and off to Schindler’s Factory. Lots and lots of information to intake. The hardest part for me is how people of their down kind turned on each other. The evil and hate is overwhelming...one thing to read about, but swing the evidence takes it to another whole level. My favorite part was the circular room at the end that was called

the random acts of kindness room, in which the walls were covered in many different languages little random act of kindness. We got back to Krakow but it was still way to early to check into our place so we found a table at Café Bonerrowska, in the Main Market Square and drank a couple of Aperol Spritzes soaked up with burgers of all things. G&T is not in vogue here, \240it the sun was shining and it was warm enough to take off our coats and bask on the warmth. We keep soaking up the in because the first ten days were pretty much overcast and cool, so we are banking sunness! Someone was playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and the pretty, white, horse drawn carriages were all lined up to snag the tourists. This is one of the largest squares that we have been to in Europe and it was packed and the streets are 99% free. There was a lot of singing going on around old town which is just an unusual thing to hear...thinking Wódka! The old town is surrounded by a lovely walkway and city park, about 2.5 miles in all and found the Wawel Castle high up over the Vistula River. At the base was a dragon statue and it got my curiosity up...what’s with the dragon everywhere - souvenirs, post cards, etc. So I googled it... apparently in Polish folklore there was a dragon that lived in a cave under Wawel Castle in Wawel Hill. There was even a cave! This trip was so all encompassing, that I spent my research on things other than history so I have taken to googling statues that interest me and Wikipedia is awesome at filling in the gaps with few words.

At night, we went to ‘Wódka’, a teeny tiny vodka bar in old town Krakow...we ordered a flight:

Pear, fig, elderberry, chocolate, grapefruit and orange. Hands down the chocolate was the best! A group of British boys next to us were pounding down the flights. Me? One and done! I picked my favorites and the only one I truly liked was the chocolate, what us micks would call Baileys! We stopped at Donettis for gelato and I must admit it was another in the top ten!

New word:

Zing gawaya hello =

dzień dobry...I think!

Monday March 25

Another early morning run this time it’s old -town Krakow. I’m starting to not know what country I’m waking up in, never mind city. Quick breakfast at Marmalade and then off to Auschwitz-Birkenau...sigh.

I don’t even want to try to explain or describe it all, especially the horror. I am completely appalled at the complete and utter evil that was perpetrated there. And THAT sentence is completely inadequate!

Auschwitz was two story brick buildings, but then we went to Birkenau and the buildings were less than barns. As we came into Birkenau a Jewish service was being performed. Simply too sad.We had a bit of rain with thunder and lightning and it seemed so fitting. No words...think humbled.

Hailstorm greatest is as we returned and we carefully made our way through those cobbled streets...crossing fingers and stopped at a quaint little restaurant called Balaton...so happy to have a delicious authentic Hungarian meal. Oops! We are in Poland!

We fell into bed completely drained and

exhausted.

Saturday 3/26 - I MEAN TUESDAY

Jeez...it is all starting to run together...plus we continue to be in countries with lots of consonants without vowels particularly o lot of vwz’s and they love to serve the same foods - lots of meats and beer.Definitely blurring of the lines. I loved being in Poland first off because Rozalia has roots here! We are staying right on the center of Old Town, which of course is the best place to be - cobbled streets, tons of quaint eateries and shops and lots of great people watching. I love that all of the towns are near water, love my morning runs. I’m starting to really like statues - googling one gives a quick little history and insight about the area. Being here makes life just enough difficult to keep it interesting. Bruce and Zi argue every single day over directions! And this is using GPS! Sometimes, two! It truly is the only thing we fight about, but in the end, it is a god send! Me thinks the GPS is starting to get confused, too!?!?! This trip will make me a better teacher as it reinforces the skills needed to learn to read:

hope for pictures and then look for what you might know...repeated letters and symbols...ATTEMPT to put it all together and get sounds out of your mouth.

I have been laughed at!

Good thing that I took these notes...we are in a European stormy whirlwind! Just like these countries that have been overtakes, mixed and restructured!

Almost missed the train! First time for everything! In my mind I had 10:40...hahaha the train departed at 10:25 and we boarded at 10:23! We both fell in love with fresh ginger tea with honey and lemon...aaaand yum!

The train was long...but not too bad. We started at 10:25 and arrived at 5:30. I was done at 4:30...but still not bad. We do love train travel, except for the schlep...and again we managed our way on another tram system in Prague to get to our apartment that thankfully had an elevator!

Wednesday 3/27

We arrived in the dark of night which is really not the best time for entering a new country. On the other hand, when we get up in the morning it’s like a new stage set! We are on Prague Castle side so we took the tram over to Ild Town. Time for another money exchange...starting to feel like money launderers! Bruce has been great about figuring out the exchange rate but I think he is done! Luckily, after this, we are mostly in Euros, except for a quick one night trip through Switzerland. It is mind boggling to hand over thousands of Czech Kc and understand its only like 12 bucks! We went to a reputable exchange place, thank you...we found out later that if you don’t verbally ask what you are going to get for your money, the money man can charge you like half! And it’s the law! WTH?!?

We were looking all over Chips on a Stick in Krakow and couldn’t find them...well maybe I got my cities mixed up - ya think? The lines are totally blurring. But the chips on a stick are a spiraled potato on a huge skewer that is deep fried. Perfect! Loved it. Besides, one of my safe foods in Europe is chips! We walked around Wenceslas (yes like the Christmas song) square, checked out the very funky, cool, 600 year old astronomical clock and then got the rip off lunch if the century!

They had delicious looking ham so we bellied up, ordered the ham with a side cabbage potato salad and paid the piper! The guy kept saying, “Good enough?” Hell, yeah! We did not register that we were paying be the GRAM! Yep...50 bucks later, as we choked down the expensive not so great ham...we learned our leason and wouldn’t have cared so much but it wasn’t great AND we had to pay to use the bathroom...

Off to our free ($2) tour of Prague- pretty good deal: if you like the tour, you tip. It was a good tour that I would recommend. Not sure how I feel about Prague...too many medieval towns in such a short amount of time? Anyway, we learned enough snd it was just the right amount of time without losing interest. After, we stopped at nearby Liberia Café and had the most delicious ginger tea...no tea, just ginger, honey and lemon. Yammers! Plus it was great to just sit and chill.

Not a bad first day...

Thursday 3/28

Started the day with yoga and brewing our own ginger tea then off for a run along the river...thinking Seine and a mini Paris...buildings, bridges, scullers, barges and a walkway right next to the river. But, I have to say, this is a pretty smelly and loud city at least traffic wise. We tried our hand at grocery shopping and I have to admit that we had to google some foods, such as butter, to figure out what it was or to ask for something. The Czech language is the hardest yet. I also pay with the biggest bill just to be safe! There needs to be more vowels! My head hurts at times...exactly as those kindergartens feel when trying to learn to read. This sabbatical is making me a better teacher in oh so many ways.

Morning walk along the Vltava River and over the Charles Bridge, which is a pedestrian only bridge ordered build by Charles IV...apparently the most famous and loved person in Czech history...they celebrated his 700 birthday or something recently. The bridge is covered by he portrait artists and other craft people as well as musicians. It was also traffic jammed with people. Lucky us because we found the chips on a stick! Best tater chips ever. In our wandering of old town, we happened upon an Absinthe bar...way cool! They put two sugar cubes on a

slotted spoon-ish doo-hickey, pour the absinthe over them and then light them on fire and let the sugar melt into the absinthe. Next you get it in a glass with a water chaser...you need it! Whoa! Burn, baby, burn! No shooting that puppy! These towns \240are blurring together like the hill towns of Tuscany. We searched

Searched for me found the Czech restaurant that our tour guide, Andrea pointed out, \240Sedm Konšelu for lunch. Appetizer of fried Camembert with tarter sauce and mashed potatoes...sounds strange...was strange. The whole meal was a huge disappointment and it was recommended by a local! Last tour of the day was to the \240Jewish Museum and Cemetery...again moving and sad.

We made up for it late with gelato at Créme de la Créme where I got two cups because I did not want the two flavors to touch - lavender and chocolate salted caramel...CSC won hands down.

Saturday 5/30

Great sunrise run down by the water where I saw one of David Cleary’s sculptures: Babies. So made my day as I had been hoping to find at least one of his sculptures while in Prague. The, about 100 feet away, when I got to the river there were over 30 plastic, yellow penguins lined up in a row! Hahaha...made me laugh out loud! We packed and headed out to the train, getting there early enough \240to sit outside in the park with the drinks and the homeless. Too sad. After we got into the train station, we took turns shipping trying to use up all our coins...it was ridiculous! We had tons of groceries but then had to schlep it all. The train was long - six hours, but still enjoyable and we chatted with a German couple that had just spent six weeks going to Antarctica and South America. Way cool!

And then, we were in Berlin and checked into our five star hotel...sigh...ain’t life grand!

Sunday 3/31

Chill morning...yoga, meditate, read...no run in me today. Another cloudy, dark day and I just couldn’t push myself out. Much better to just hang around in yoga clothes.

Amazing breakfast at the five \240star Mandala Hotel...yum! Great buffet and then they come over and ask if you want bacon and eggs or an omelet. Did not leave hungry that’s for sure! Luckily, our room got cleaned while we were at breakfast so that I could do the crazy gypsy woman wash and hang it on the towel heaters to dry without being embarrassed! It almost feels like Lucca, doing laundry every day, ‘cepting this is all by hand.

When we finally got moving, we walked down to the Holocaust Memorial which is a whole city corner with a sculpture of huge concrete blocks of varying heights, yet all the same width and length. There is no true description from the artist, but various interpretations are online. It was truly quite impressive and once again sobering.

“Anybody who visits Berlin must make time to pay a visit to the Holocaust Memorial. Different to a traditional memorial, this site is home to 2711 concrete rectangles placed in an irregular pattern. The idea behind the memorial is to give people a place to reflect on the atrocity in peace blocking out the busy streets surrounding it. The memorial is there so that the city never forgets what happened.”

Break time: tea at the Hotel Adlon - very chic and relaxing. At first they told us there was no room for tea, but then we scored! \240It took forever to get our tea and then we just sat there reading the paper and doing nothing. It sounds like we are busy all the time, but we do so treasure these breaks and make sure that we fit them into each and every day.

The. Berlin. Wall.

What an amazing experience to be standing on the exact spot in which the Berlin Wall stood and to walk through the Brandenburg Gate, especially as we lived through this history from afar. It’s like ‘wow’...the feelings go deep and powerful. The museum on site, gave great details but the most moving part was listening to videos of the people that lived through it all. More sadness. \240It was just plain craziness on how it all came about and how quickly it went up. There is a 27 mile brick walkway that marks where the wall stood all throughout the city. It kind of reminds me of the Freedom Trail and there are sculptures using pieces of the wall scattered around as well as some actual pieces of the wall standing in place. The wall itself did not seem over large, almost like a large, foot think backyard wall, \240but the Russians had a very well thought out design \240that would deter most, and did. The experience was more about what it represented and how the people were in fact prisoners.

All was good til we tried to walk to dinner with the GPS...truly this thing is confused and we have two of them going! Anyway, we are walking all around in circles and the restaurant Mommseneck (guess how many times I had to type that word and have it be accepted, into my phone) was like right there!

I tried the currywurst, which is a giant sausage smothered in a thick curry sauce. One and done!

Tuesday April 2

So excited to go back to Amsterdam...love my tulips AND, of course there is Puccini Bomboni! Bliss and double bliss. After another lovely ‘free’ breakfast at the hotel, we headed off for a long day of train travel, about 7 hours. It was not bad...something about train travel is very soothing and the day passed peacefully.

Before we hit Amsterdam, the conductor said, “Watch out for pickpockets and also hold on to your luggage as they will steal that, too!”

Happiness is to be back in Amsterdam!

Flowers are blooming and the trees are in lime green and honestly...it’s just damn cute! Every single house! We both love it here! Our hotel was great, although all dark brown and dare I say ‘black’??? The two of us had the old age blindness kick in big time...that’s the point at which your eyes don’t see so well in the dark and you sometimes have to use your phone flashlight to read a restaurant menu! Luckily, we had a HUGE floor to ceiling window, which we kept open all night since the down comforter was the strongest one! Church bells were chiming throughout the night and it was simply lovely. There is a little tea house out back that stays lit, and lights under the water of the small pools reflected off our ceiling. Pretty special.

Best part...my credit cards were waiting for me! That had been extremely difficult and I am STILL waiting for Apple to restore all my stuff and STILL, I will have to wait to get home for verizon to restore my phone number so that I can ditch the Austrian one...gotta say that I am somewhat international! Add to that the small wardrobe I am living with and voilá, I blend! HA!

Tuesday April 2

So excited to go back to Amsterdam...love my tulips AND, of course there is Puccini Bomboni! Bliss and double bliss. After another lovely ‘free’ breakfast at the hotel, we headed off for a long day of train travel, about 7 hours. It was not bad...something about train travel is very soothing and the day passed peacefully.

Before we hit Amsterdam, the conductor said, “Watch our for pickpockets and also hold on to your luggage as they will steal that, too!”

Happiness is to be back in Amsterdam!

Flowers are blooming and the trees are in lime green and honestly...it’s just damn cute! Every single house! We both love it here! Our hotel was great, although all dark brown and dare I say ‘black’??? The two of us had the old age blindness kick in big time...that’s the point at which your eyes don’t see so well in the dark and you sometimes have to use your phone flashlight to read a restaurant menu! Luckily, we had a HUGE floor to ceiling window, which we kept open all night since the down comforter was the strongest one! Church bells wer chiming throughout the night and it was simply lovely. There is a little tea house out back that stays lit, and lights under the water of the small pools reflected off our ceiling. Pretty special.

Best part...my credit cards were waiting for me! That had been extremely difficult and I am STILL waiting for Apple to restore all my stuff and STILL, I will have to wait to get home for verizon to restore my phone number so that I can ditch the Austrian one...gotta say that I am somewhat international! Add to that the small wardrobe I am living with and voilá, I blend! HA!

Wednesday April 3

I love Amsterdam! Last night we slept with the gigantic floor to ceiling window wide open- did anybody ever fall out back in the day?- the air felt great and I got to listen to the church bells...all night! It’s not quite as bad as it sounds! There is a little melody that plays softly every 1/4 hour and then the actual bells are on for the hour and the half...off by one hour...I think!...then I was just counting the bells to see if they are right! Jury is out, still. They just went to daylight savings so you would think the opposite would be true. Such a pretty city to walk around, with the endless canals (we do live water!), amazingly quaint buildings and the doorsteps and entryways lined with a variety of pots filled with flowers and plants. This is my first time staying in a hotel or building and there is a back yard!

Walked around and took a quick ferry across the channel to the Noord but decided that we liked our neighborhood best so headed for Puccini!!!, followed by ginger tea at Black and Blue, which we found out is owned by the same people that own Bleu Bistro where we ate last night. Total small world!

Our touristy trap of the day was Anne Frank’s house...I am hoping this is my last encounter with the Nazis for this trip. Bruce was not overly impressed, but I loved being in the rooms in which they lived. I thought it was well done, but if you never read the book it would be pretty meaningless. I actually reread the book about 5 years ago before my first trip here.

Yummy Dutch lunch of Hutspot - meatballs with grave over mashed potatoes containing carrots and onions, at Oude Wester. Later, I walked to the Bloemenmarkt, which was in its past a floating flower market, but now was just a bunch of souvenir shops and they did not seem to be floating...my vote- don’t even put it in the guidebooks! Next stop was The Stedelijk, a modern art museum in Museumplein (think museum quarter), and another disappointment! The last time I came, the place was full of Matisse - floor to ceiling of bright happy colors...well, its true that museums change their exhibitions, but I didn’t expect the craziness I saw. Best part of this late afternoon was walking a few miles around Amsterdam in the SUNSHINE!

Oh, I almost forgot...the ‘Iamsterdam’ sculpture is gone!!! When I got to Museumplein and walked out of the Rijksmuseum, I did a double take! Literally stopped in my tracks and slowly kept turning around looking for it. I’m not that familiar with the city, but this is something you can’t miss! I googled it and apparently they moved it for a special event and then the mayor refused to put it back stating that it was a draw for a terrorist attack! Sad, sad world!

Thursday 4:4

Loved walking early seeing all the kids on bikes going to school...many parents had more than one kid on a bike and often had another on their own bikes. Of course I got lost, I think I’m doing ok and then the canals intersect and I’m done. This is WITH GPS!

And of course let’s start the day with Puccini Bomboni and a cuppa tea! Fortunately/unfortunately...later when I looked in the mirror, I had a big smear of chocolate across my forehead! Nice! And off to Keukenhof. Saddest thing still, \240is the tulip fields all mowed down for the bulbs, but...

Ahhh...Keukenhof...absolutely gorgeous now, yet in another week to ten days and it will be stunning. It was still a cloudy day but boy do those flowers brighten it up with all their colors painting rainbows on the ground. And the fragrances were amazing, too... Bruce commented on the lack of bees! Truth! Someone should set up a honey farm in the neighborhood. And another 1,000 photos of tulips are taken:) How could anyone come here back in the day with a just Polaroid! And if this wasn’t all beautiful enough, the afternoon was spent at the Van Gogh Museum. \240I always liked his work, but it wasn’t until I read his book - \240‘Letters to Theo’ that I truly grasped the painter’s soul and fell in love. On the way back ‘home’ we happened upon a stroopwafel shop! Talk about perfect! Theses are thin \240little round waffle cookies with some kind of caramel-ish syrup inside. I have had packaged ones but never fresh, warm, made right before your eyes! The best! Of course, I shared half of mine with the sidewalk as it was so warm and bendy that it just fell out of my hands. We both were a mess of caramel! Such fun! And of course the eating continued as we stopped at the corner restaurant, Il Panorama and bagged a window seat. We both ordered a new dish - roasted chicken! I don’t think we have had chicken since we left home. Our seat was the best for ‘bike people’ watching...these Dutch ride their bikes like they are cars and they sure as heck ride with such confidence even with all these tourists! How does I not get killed? And not a single helmet to be seen! Plus, there are like mopeds and Vespa’s riding tight sling with them! The most amazing was the four seater...mom on the bike seat, a kid in front of her and two right behind her OVER the back tire! My question is...how did they all get on?

Some have groceries, are smoking and on a phone. I saw a woman with a five foot house plant and what looked like a couple on a date! Great Dutch Day all around!

Friday 4/5

Morning run.... bridges over canals instead of rivers and the endless possibility of getting hurt with all the cobblestones! Gotta keep your eyes on the ground constantly! It truly is safer and best in the morning when there are fewer people, cars and especially bikes. The fairy lights and lanterns were still on and they simply added to the wonder of Amsterdam, along with the early morning bread baking smells...I do so love that about Europe even if I can’t eat it!

Aha of the run:

Heineken was getting delivered through a huge hose, like oil! Loved that!

Another lovely breakfast by the window overlooking the garden and tea house, with the trees and flowers blooming a bit more each day. Mostly, I eat salami, cheese and yogurt for breakfast and Bruce gets to have a lovely croissant, I know it’s lovely cuz I get a bite and it brings me right back to France! I am missing my greens and veggies every day, just not the thing in Europe, but here I get tomatoes and cukes, which is a little plus. Every morning it’s someone’s job to hose down the whole garden walkway plus patio and then squeegee it down! How dirty is it actually getting???

The hotel gave us a box of goodies and two bottles of water as a go away gift...great gesture, but there was nowhere to put it! We are packed to the hilt and honestly, I need to ship some stuff home. I’m trying to wait for the warm weather to come so \240I can send the heavier stuff, but enough already! Just keep this little bit in mind as I move forward 15 minutes and finally arrive at the train station, pockets bulging with a box of homemade brownies (that I can’t eat) and a bottle of water. Get the picture? I go to switch my prescription sunglasses for regular and can’t find them anywhere! Visions of Fran!!! Some things I am so careful with, especially with all this moving about - btw...I never did pack enough contacts to get me through...it’s all in the deets! Bruce tried to be helpful by calling the hotel and then offering his reading glasses. After I tore through the bags on the platform - welcome pickpockets (obviously, I no longer have anything worth stealing!) I let it go as best I could. Hmmm...Bruce opens his man bag and there is the fluorescent pink and orange eyeglass case! In the confusion of the brownies and water, I had detoured from the norm and handed him my glasses! Oh, and I forgot to mention...in the middle of this melee I went to the WC and paid 70 euro to put in a pair of dwindling contacts...this was a glasses day cuz of eight hours of train travel! Are you exhausted yet? We were!

The first four hours were uneventful and there is something soothing about train travel except when they are making announcements in three different languages and you are trying hard to listen for yours, but either the accent is heavy (no finger pointing!) or the rattling of the train impairs the task. I saw bike and walking paths throughout most of the ride to Frankfurt with a lot of people on them. I love that! We were delayed both coming into and leaving Frankfurt and then Bruce got to experience the CRAZY train travel...people are sitting in your seats because you aren’t! Hahaha! Craziness! Try to maneuver three people into the compartment and three people out all while bearing luggage. The walkway was jammed to the hilt with people standing - think the T at rush hour! Craziness for sure, \240but at least we were on the ticket holding side and eventually got our seats. Also, take note...never travel without food and water. Pretty sure there would be no one waiting on us! Oh, yeah, three hours in we got a square of chocolate! Pays to travel first class:)

Munich...a one night stop over and unfortunately we arrived late after a full day of travel and were exhausted. We are now back to Brenda’s bookings(the B list)...sigh...

When I booked, it was called ‘Schillers Hotel’ but when we walked up it’s sign stated ‘Hotel 5’...I thought 5 is less than 6 but at least it starts with an ‘H’ and not am ‘M’. First thing Bruce asks at the desk, “Is this a safe neighborhood?” “But of course! You just need to keep your eyes open.” No lovely tea garden here, but it had a tea pot! We arrived nearing the end of happy hour but had enough time to polish off the rest of the \240free wine and a bowl of snacks! Dinner? Check! Oh, btw, in the elevator there is a sign listing the queue times for breakfast! I climbed into a great bed with a bag of gummies on the pillow and a transistor radio with an antenna on the bedside table. (Gypsies!)

Saturday April 6

I woke up thinking that the sun was shining but it was the rainbow neon lights!

Starting to feel like a real gypsy...washing the clothes in the bathroom sink and hanging on the heated towel rack to dry, collecting extra creamers and honey when I can just in case we run out, and yes, twice I palmed an apple from the buffet! No...we are not broke! These are just ‘Incase of’...for instance, remember when we got two pieces of chocolate on eight hours of train travel.

On to Garmisch-Partenkirchen...what a beautiful alpine town. It took us a while to find our lodging...we wandered up and down cow paths and neighboring streets. Cloudy and overcast but the grass was super green and there were spots of brightly colored spring bulbs emerging. We finally found our new home in the upper floor of a pristine alpine chalet about 1/2 mile out of town. So quaint with the little balcony and heavily carved railing. It was tiny but pristine with a king bed. As soon as we settled we meandered our way into town and - voila! The sun came out and we headed to the first outside cafe, right in the middle of the square, grabbed a table and tilted our heads right up to the sun. Bellissimmo! The waiter talked me into the Bavarian version of an Aperol spritz! Yum Ana yum. What a lovely afternoon, spent just the way we like it, relaxed, people watching and sipping and nibbling away. We took a stroll through the tiny picturesque village so quaint and fairy tale perfect, then back home for a little rest after picking up some staples for breakfast. I love best being able to walk to town.

Sunday April 7

I went out for an early walk through town which was extremely empty and quiet-ish. The Alps hovered around and above, their peaks sneaking through when I passed a corner. The sun was filtering through, a mix of blue and gray kind of sky. It always amazes me how quiet the mountains appear, especially when they are this size!

The quietness of the morning was abruptly interrupted by the deep, heavy, loud clanging of the church bells, and they seemed to gong on for 10-15 minutes!

Chuchbells. What a treat to walk through this quaint, alpine village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on a quiet Sunday. Btw...the squirrels are black here...are we near the Black Forest:):):)

Zugspitze was the plan for the day and even though we got a late start it was simply perfect. Zugspitze is the highest point in Germany and we had to take a train to cog, to the old cable car and straight up. There was enough sun and I was brave! Well...Bruce did slip me a Mickey which I am sure helped keep me on an even keel! But in the light of things, reaching the summit of an Alp by cable car seemed minor. It was wonderful at the top with lots of sun above and clouds below. All we could see were snow topped mountains for miles, or actually forever! Eventually it cleared enough that we could see Eibsee Lake and even Garmisch-Partenkirchen, so far and tiny. I was not brave enough to walk unaided a bit across the top and climb a ladder up to the peak...c’est la vie!

We did, however walk through the buildings and decks to have lunch in Austria!!! The peak is shared by both countries which is pretty cool. An extremely successful day in that it did not rain and I didn’t allow my fear of heights to ruin it!

Monday April 8

Kate’s birthday was one of my first thoughts. She reminds me of mamma...when I think of her I always see her smiling. Today the clouds are so low that we wouldn’t even know that we are in a deep valley surrounded by the alps! It is dreary and rainy and we are hanging low like Eeyores. Yesterday, while wonderful, was a ‘get through’ day. Bruce received a call from Taylor at 3am and telling him that their neighbor’s 19 year old son was missing. So while the world of Boston was sleeping, we were awake and worrying. We got the bad news that he was found and not alive right as we got off Zugspitze. Bruce and his family celebrated holidays and birthdays with them and he watched Max grow from an infant. So, today was another day to get through, as is the mantra of grief. Today was a really rainy day and we spent the morning watching movies before we headed out to the laundromat. Rip off! 15€ for two teeny loads! But, at least it was a break from sink washing:)

We headed to the quaintest little shop / Das Kleine for tea and a treat. I had seen a picture of the building it was in, in some brochure or other and \240had remarked to Bruce that it must be a painting because it looked fake. It is kind of a marbley periwinkle color, but the part that makes it look fake is that it had ornate window frames painted around it. Not sure how to explain it. Anyway, the shop owner was very chatty and we learned a lot. Such as why they do not like any of the big tour buses...the shop owners have to pay a huge tourist tax, but because most tour buses are in and out in 24 hours, they simply eat at the hotel, so the little guys are not making much money. She went on to tell us the secret that she and her daughter’s family will be moving to the center of Germany, near Berlin because they simply cannot afford Garmisch. We didn’t feel bad for long she was very excited to be moving to a farm type home that they bought with a large garden and a huge kitchen that she will bake in with her grandchildren. She plans to open a new cafe near her new home. I simply love getting to know the locals in their environments...best cultural tour for the money. She was also an amazing baker...I’m not exactly sure what the heck kind of cake Bruce asked. for, but it was insane! I got two small chocolate gluten free cookies but then we had to try the German cheesecake that’s made without sour cream or cream cheese so we ordered half a serving size.’Yummy and light!

Not too much to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on a dreary rainy day so after the laundry and groceries chores were done, we ended up at Restaurant Aplehof for lunch where I had the most delicious grilled Bavarian sausages served over a hot pile of sauerkraut...yum and done! Window shopping and home for apps and rummy...

It was nice to have a quiet day, but the weather ahead looks dreary...sigh...

Monday April 8

Kate’s birthday was one of my first thoughts. She reminds me of mamma...when I think of her I always see her smiling. Today the clouds are so low that we wouldn’t even know that we are in a deep valley surrounded by the alps! It is dreary and rainy and we are hanging low like Eeyores. Yesterday, while wonderful, was a ‘get through’ day. Bruce received a call from Taylor at 3am and telling him that their neighbor’s 19 year old son was missing. So while the world of Boston was sleeping, we were awake and worrying. We got the bad news that he was found and not alive right as we got off Zugspitze. Bruce and his family celebrated holidays and birthdays with them and he watched Max grow from an infant. So, today was another day to get through, as is the mantra of grief. Today was a really rainy day and we spent the morning watching movies before we headed out to the laundromat. Rip off! 15€ for two teeny loads! But, at least it was a break from sink washing:)

We headed to the quaintest little shop / Das Kleine for tea and a treat. I had seen a picture of the building it was in, in some brochure or other snd had remarked to Bruce that it must be a painting because it looked fake. It is kind of a marbley periwinkle color, but the part that makes it look fake is that it had ornate window frames painted around it. Not sure how to explain it. Anyway, the shop owner was very chatty and we learned a lot. Such as why they do not like any of the big tour buses...the shop owners have to pay a huge tourist tax, but because most tour buses are in and out in 24 hours, they simply eat at the hotel, so the little guys are not making much money. She went on to tell us the secret that she and her daughter family will be moving to the center of Germany, near Berlin because they simply cannot afford Garmisch. We didn’t feel bad for long she was very excited to be moving to a farm type home that they bought with a large garden and a huge kitchen that she will bake in with her grandchildren. She plans to open a new cafe near her new home. I simply love getting to know the locals in their environments...best cultural tour for the money. She was also an amazing baker...I’m not exactly sure what the h do kind of cake Bruce for, but it was insane! I got two small chocolate gluten free cookies but had we had to try the German cheesecake that’s made without sour cream or cream cheese so we ordered half a serving size.’Yummy and light!

Not too much to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on a dreary rainy day so after the laundry and groceries chores were done, we ended up at Restaurant Aplehof for lunch where I had the most delicious grilled Bavarian sausages served over a hot pile of sauerkraut...yum and done! Window shopping and home for apps and rummy...

It was nice to have a quiet day, but the weather ahead looks dreary...sigh...

Thursday April 11

The day has finally arrived...back to Italy! We booked a one way trip on a scenic train the Bernina Express...a slow four hour ride through the alps...it was simply amazing. The mountains majestically rose all around us and the higher we went the snow just got deeper, whiter and more blinding and the sun wasn’t even out.

We could feel the silence of nature practically oozed into the car. \240We got in up into the clouds again and although we had wished for the bright blue skies, it was still pretty special. We road though this town at/near the top called

Pontresina which was a fairly good sized town with a ski resort, World of Whiskey a

Heineken Plant and a wine distributor! Nuff said! Keep the people happy!I couldn’t believe how much industry was up there...we are talking the top of the alps/the middle of nowhere! Just after we started down, we all got to get off at Alp Grüm - It was just a restaurant??!?! The sun popped out just for a bit- spectacular and completely blinding! Grappa!!! Yes...one of the waiters on the train had quickly set up a tv table bar outside the window and we took a shot of deliciously smooth grappa.

THE ALPS ARE AMAZING! We would definitely recommend the Bernina Express and it wasn’t expensive. Finally...Back. In. Italy. Boy, was my heart happy. Tirano, not to be confused with Torino was a perfect layover, although I wish we had decided to just push through to Bellagio, mostly because it would mean one last stop and schlep! Lilacs, wisteria and tulips (my favorites)in full bloom, which added a bit of much needed color to the old town which was really quite drab with the gray/tan/rock/cement buildings. I did not care! We were back in Italy with the vineyards starting to bloom and the people look and speak Italian! I thought for sure being the first town over the Swiss border, there would be some Germanic influence but NOPE! The Hotel Bernina was 100 yards from the station and we quickly dropped our bags and practically ran across the street to order salami pizza, salad and Aperol Spritz...happiness is! It was great to see all the gesturing and smiling on these Italian faces! double sigh...

Siesta time! This town takes this seriously! There was barely a person out and everything was closed. No wonder the economy is tanking. As soon as vodaphone opened, I was in line to get my new SIM card...because...of course...I had issues with my Austrian one! Bruce went up snd got one, too - 20€ for 15GB and 500 minutes!

I did my second coloring of my hair for this trip...not an easy feat in all the places we have been staying but it is done! Then we headed to the hotel restaurant for another delicious Italian dinner washed down with a bottle of Brunello...

Friday April 12

Up early for a walk and good thing I brought an umbrella! It was very dreary with no view of the alps but I was grateful for the spots of spring flowers, especially those growing out of the crevices!

Breakfast included gluten free snacks!!!

So here in Tirano, there are two train stations right next to each other - one is for Italy and the other is for Switzerland, run by their perspective countries! Ha!

Best people watching in the piazza as I ate and had my tea. Happy train ride...sun filtered, but still sun, Bruce blasted music we were the only ones in first class and we saw the future wines of Italy! Thousands of grape vines all flowering! Probably millions!

Lake Como! We left the train in Varenna and schlepped the bags downhill this time to find the ferry to Bellagio. Soooooo exciting just to be on the car ferry like two little kiddos, the peaks were hidden over low heavy cloud cover but the sun was out over the lake. Any day with sun is a great one!!! Our place is amazing! Spectacular view of the lake and a large room with two balconies! The flowers were blooming and we sat at a table under a portico with the sun warming us as we toasted Bellagio with a bottle of Prosecco...sigh...

We were still posting as the sun set.

Love this! Not enough words. NO words!

Saturday April 13

Up early for a yoga practice and meditation while overlooking the lake.

Great breakfast...but not free, after which we took a long walk down into San Giovani and the on to Bellagio = villas, fustian rhododendrons, blue sky, lime green trees and grass with pot after pot of giant pansies. And then the day proceeded like most of those in Italy, Aperol Spritz in the cafe by the water, wander the streets, alleys and stairways of the old town, peaking into the churches and sitting at the piazza, gelato on hand:) I just love Google, not only has maps helped us maneuver through trains, trams and alleys but it has given us some wonderful restaurants as well. Antico Pozzo has the very best, by far, salami pizza! And we are not usually salami pizza eaters! Absolutely the best! We wandered and shopped the magical twisting and colorful alleys and streets of Bellagio and loved it. It was do not what we expected! Not ONE designer shop! WHST? Let’s keep it that way! I mean, how many Armani, Gucci, etc stores go we need? Of course, I can’t afford them so I am completely biased. I can’t believe how tiny it actually is. I read somewhere that there are only 200 actual residents.Then, we were just done and took the little express train back...it was an uphill walk the whole way. We both absolutely loved Bellagio...not so sure I would love it with hundreds of tourists!

Sunday 4/14

Out for an early morning run that turned into 4.5 miles! Mostly hills snd I got lost at the end! I was glad to do it because the day just went downhill from there weather wise.

I have turned into one of those old lady buffet thieves! I always take honey and cream, but they also have GF toast prepackaged that is edible and a piece of fruit. It is sad to be a buffet thief, but in my defense, there are no shops or restaurants nearby!

The rest of the day was rainy and cold - there was fresh snow on the mountain peaks!- so we did our laundry - Italian style - we paid for there washer and dryer and then had to let the clothes dry for a day by hanging them.

Apparently it is 15-20 degrees cooler than normal for this time of year, but they had a great March. Luckily, we figured how to get the Masters on and had an apples, salami and cheese indoor picnic.

Monday 4/15

Yep...Fran-ism at 3:30am! Woke up after dreaming that I slammed my head on the floor in yoga!!! First thought...Apple sent me retrieval code to Bruce yesterday...to his UK NUMBER! He copied me and got an Italian phone number. Sigh...I can see me trying to explain this to Verizon and Apple when I get back!

GOOD DAY SUNSHINE! The alps in all their glory! ‘Ssswhat I’m talking about!

Well...sun lasted til 9:( and then it was partly sunny which made it a bit coolish. We took the boat to Varenna to do the Sentiero del Viandante walk which was COMPLETELY uphill got over a mile! Unfortunately, we made the wrong choice snd ended up back in Varenna! Still it was beautiful to be outside in nice weather so we had pizza and Aperol Spritz at l’orso cafe, right across from the boat dock. Again, if it were just a wee bit warmer or completely sunny...

Back to the boat yep Menaggio for another waterfront bar and a Spritz. I fo do live that you get free snacks when you order a drink...peanuts, olives and chips. Could be part of why the economy is tanking here. \240Spent some time reading on our balcony until the sun set, wrapped up in a blanket that is with a glass of red to keep me warm-ish. Of the three towns we visited, we love Bellagio best!

Tuesday April 16

My morning run \240was ‘run for the postae’...I NEED to mail some crap home! We are now in warmer weather and this stuff has to go! I really did not bring TOO much, but warm and cool clothes, running clothes and sneaks plus the picnic kit takes up extra room! I truly feel like I could just burn some of this stuff..,but it’s all my favorites! We got a flower start with a quick wash in the machine and sitting out on the patio in the sun! Yes, sun! Then took the shuttle into town around 11:15. Bruce plopped on a bench at the pier and I took a walk through the town just admiring small town Italy and window shopping! The streets are so narrow here that one literally has to pop in and out of doorways or even windows to get out of the way of oncoming traffic! Bruce finished his book and I shared all the things I COULD have bought and he shared Como’s book (he highly recommends it) over an Aperol Spritz on the wisteria covered terrace of

Alberto Firenze before walking out to Ristorante la Punta which is right on the point of Bellagio with like 300 degrees of lake view...sigh...

The rest of the afternoon was a repeat of a few days ago....the best pizza ever followed by a gelato of course sitting on a park bench at the top of the most famous and picturesque street of Bellagio, so of course I did a sketch!

We got back to the hotel around 5 and did a Brody FaceTime! He is so big and I can’t wait to see him in a month. I went trailblazing UP the path from our hotel following the red/white/red or red/white or red... it sure which to follow! Plus what to do when you come to a privato sign? I stopped! It was great though with an olive orchard and a donkey ranch??? Question- do all do keys have a cross on their backs with a varied color of fur? Hoe. To read on the balcony, watch the sun set and pack for LUCCA!

Wednesday April 17

Sunrise walk and a laundry day.

Wisteria is best first thing in the morning. Although the color is going by the scent is still strong. Flowering bushes cascading over the tops of the ancient moss and ivy covered rock walls. The birds! The snow topped Alps! The church bells ringing! The only scary part is when my walking takes me to the main roads and even at this early hour the drivers are careening madly around the curves! Finally, the road becomes one way and there is a chance you will survive in the space between the wall and the traffic! Are they driving faster because there are not many about? And then there’s the passing! Mamma Mia! Good thing it’s cool enough for long sleeved or I would have wall burn on my shoulders! Me thinks it would be better if all roads in these hill towns were one way! Although I admit they have put on walking paths that go up at about a 30 degree angle ...and then there’s the flights of stairs! The shortcuts that get you off the roads,,,HA! Burn, baby, burn!

Off to breakfast and the birth of the buffet bandit! Although, in my defense, I took the salami and cheese but that was instead of eating it there! I mean, truthfully, I had salami and cheese every morning and I just chose to take it to go. I ate everything else the same and nothing extra...so technically Judge Judy, I was just stretching out my breakfast. Plus there was going to be no time to pick up food, especially gluten free, between a ferry and three trains to Lucca! I would definitely recommend the Borga la Terrezza. The staff was amazing and the view was ridiculous! We both so wish we had more time in Bellagio. This morning we had about an hour in Varenna and we were here the other day and I loved it. This whole area reminds me of Cinque Terre, but the views from Bellagio cannot be matched.

Rough train travel today...packed trains, even first class. Maybe it’s because we are in Italy where everyone wants to be! With first class we at least have reserved seats but our huge honking luggage fits like nowhere! The bags have finally gotten too heavy...or I am getting old and weak...I am tired of the schlep! I have stuff that I haven’t worn YET...but we are headed to the 70s now!

I did so love the Alps but there is truly something to be said about the hills of Tuscany! I am so excited for Lucca but what if it is not the same or should I say that I don’t feel the same? On the train ride we are surrounded by the Tuscan hills as well as blooming/budding vineyards and olive groves...come to mama! I actually teared up as we approached. And then...we were here! I can’t believe that almost two years have passed! \240Now THAT is so wrong! So far, it’s the same. It was a long (heavy) walk from the train and we were met by a friend of Carla’s. NO ENGLISH! NADA! And yet, the two of us had a whole conversation! Hahaha - who’s on first! The apartment is smaller but perfect for two and we still have the amazing view of the wall. We got (dumped) our stuff settled and headed out for supplies. Fortunately/UNfortunately there was a street market. Bruce bought 38€ of cheese! When the signore saw him hand her ten she flipped!!! Hahah! The next stand was the meat man and should I say SMART meat man as he immediately enticed Bruce over and he bought 33€ worth of ham! Me??? I bought salad fixings with free radishes thrown in and a jar of honey. And THEN we went to the grocery store! Dinner was grilled cheese - blue cheese, fresh strawberries and basil washed down with a great Chianti! We. Are. Back! Tomorrow it’s all about the wall:)

Thursday April 18

Lucca...waking up to the view of the wall is a wonderful thing. For those that haven’t experienced it or loved it, that may sound crazy. ‘The Wall’ was my own personal training track for my marathon. We are on the third floor and we are eye level with the top of the wall so we get to people watch - runners, walkers, families, bikers. It is lined with all sorts of trees and grass and is simply put - an almost three mile, tree lined, green oasis that surrounds the old city of Lucca. It has parks and water and even a few restaurants and is lit up at night for walking. The Wall literally keeps the outside noisy real world out. This morning I awoke and looked out at the path of the well lit wall and I knew it was going to be a good day. Why do I love Lucca? Well...the wall, which I have just tried so desperately to describe! - but, to me, Lucca is my slow life. It makes me stop and take note of what is important and just how much I DON’T need! Right now, I am thrilled to have a fridge almost as tall as me - including a freezer to make ice! We actually travel with ice cube trays because you just never know when this opportunity will arise. Today, waking up and creating a bag of ice brought me such joy knowing that I can have a glass of ICE water whenever I want. THAT is a simple thing. On top of that, I have fresh fruits and vegetables and a stove! Oh, and let’s not forget the washing machine! Seven weeks on the road...I’m in heaven! Life in Europe is so much slower...it grounds me and brings me back to myself. And the cherry on top...Carla made sure that I had a yoga mat!

After my wonderful lap around the wall, I practiced my Italian and had my tea, listening to the song birds and watching the early morning walkers/joggers on the wall. Every single room of this apartment looks out on the wall and we face east where the sun rises. 70s today!

It was my perfect Lucca day! My newest job is going to the ‘well’ to fetch water! I took one sip of bottled water that I had added some of my ice cubes to and it was like oh, yeah, this water is horrible! However, the water that comes out of the drinking fountains around town and on the wall is great! So off I went with my three scavenged bottles to fill up. I actually made two trips to stay ahead of the game and to make new cubes! Now THAT is a step back in time! After a homemade breakfast - yes, homemade! - grilled pear, blue cheese and honey drizzled toast, Bruce and I walked around the wall. Perfection! Not a cloud in the sky and 70 degrees! Snacked on some of the 40€ worth of cheese with apple and then got the bikes out. Love the bikes and there are two new bikes...or at least newer and luckily Bruce can raise the seat!

Biked to La Grotto in the Anfiteatro- totally touristy but what better way to people watch over a glass of AS! Little girl chasing a pigeon forever, a group sketching, endless gelato eaters trying to catch the drips and then there are the token street performers. The sun was actually too hot and we chose an umbrella covered table. Aaannndddd sigh!

I had to go in to pay the bill and it wasn’t until then that I realized the restaurant opened up on the other end and it was the famous La Grotto known for ham and prosciutto!

Elaine’s! Say it isn’t so! We loved to go to Elaine’s for gelato but it is out of business! Wrong! Her gelato was really good and she had such a sunny fun personality AND spoke English quite well. Fortunately, there is La Bottega del Gelato...( never, ever a lack of gelato spots - think DD in USA!)

It was a perfect Lucca day, ending with a home cooked meal combining all the goodies from yesterday’s market, washed down with a great bottle of red and listening to the cheers and chants from the soccer stadium. I do wish we had made that!

Good Friday 4/19

I was nervous...but...I. Love. Lucca. It’s like when people go to the cape every year! Someday I would love to come for more like two months! I really need to work harder on my Italian, although I got a tip from the tea shop owner in Garmisch-Partenkirchen who said just do Babble - and so I am doing Babble for Italian, yet I still have Rosetta for French! \240Not to confuse things at all:) French is easier because I had two years of it in Quincy, but Babble is easier than Rosetta. Since I am IN Italy, I am doing Babble. I digress. Another spectacular day started with a sunrise run on the the beloved wall with not a cloud in the sky, and 70s. Tea and toast while working on said Italian and writing.

Today was the simple things and the errands of daily life that include trying to communicate. One thing about being in a foreign land is that not everyone speaks English. Last time I was here one of my mini stressors was the trash - it was collected every single day yet a different variety and it had to be on the curb by 9! This year we are upgraded to a card and get to use the dumpsters. Like I said, it’s the little things! So, off I go ready for my walk: \240a backpack full of empty bottles to fill at the fountain and my teeny bag of organic trash (think bathroom size trash buckets), and my card - all proud of myself. Dashed hopes! I got there and slip the card in the slot and nothing? I stood there helplessly just staring at the monster when luckily a man drove up with trash. I tried some of what little Italian I knew - I threw my hands up in the air and put on the most confusing/exasperated face I could. He was not too happy - with me? with the world? No matter...he grabbed the card out of my hand and held it to the card reader on the side! How was I to know? It blended right in with the color of the dumpster and there was a card slide in the front. I then added my lil ol’ Chinese in and bowed as I said ‘Grazie’. Well...the dumpster didn’t open, I went back to my Italian (hands) and he grabbed the card again and held it to the reader LONG ENOUGH so that it clicked, grazie, \240bow. Didn’t end there...I tried to lift the handle...nothing. The guy is totally exasperated by now and my bows are getting a lot smaller - I am only hoping that he has been speaking into a hidden earpiece/mouthpiece this whole time and NOT speaking to/about me. He lifts his foot and smacks it down on the bar at the bottom of the dumpster! Mission accomplished! He left still grumbling and I left smiling and hoping never to run into him again. TOMORROW I will blend in at the dumpsters! Baby steps. I met up with Bruce, who was very proud of my accomplishment (ha!) and we hit the wall for a glorious cloud free walk and filled the bottles!

We are officially less schlep! \240We actually put ON clothes that have traveled with us for 8 weeks but until now, it had been too chilly to wear them. I felt like a million bucks! We somehow managed to find our way to the closest ufficio postale, but not by the quickest route, with each of our bike baskets holding a large bag of unnecessary items for the next 10 days. I know we are near the end of our trip but we simply could NOT drag this stuff down to the Amalfi Coast. If I couldn’t mail it I was going to throw it out! Well...remember the incident at the dumpster??? No one spoke ANY English! The clerk kept insisting on stamps and I could t get her to understand package but thankfully there was a customer at another window that could say ‘pacchetto’. Lesson learned...learn the vocabulary that you need for the day. She gets the box and says in Italian that it costs 5€. Ready? I threw a Germanic coin in the mix. Oh. Boy. The hands were waving like crazy, the other clerk got involved, I tried to take it back quick and replace it with euro but they were having none of that as they had great day. The hands kept flying and the mouths were running and THIS time I KNEW that they were talking about me. Whew!

Officially...Ta-Da!

The Schlep is over! It’s in the mail, as they say!!! HA! Having shipped before, Bruce was a bit worried about the package making it home and scotch taped the whole thing! To his credit, the last time we shipped from Europe, stuff arrived ok but the package was in shambles! So he somehow got scotch tape - the clerk had reopened the box to make sure that we didn’t put anything illegal in there! Ha! We thought we were ok, so Bruce headed out to the grocery and I finished up with the paperwork and the paying. You won’t believe this...my credit card wouldn’t work! OMG! The hands! The mouths! Even the guy in back came out and got involved! Since we hadn’t done the bank errand yet, I didn’t have cash! Somehow I got them to understand that I was going to run just down the street and get Bruce’s card...the hands...the mouths...sigh...We shipped and I filled my bike basket with fresh potted herbs from the market. Pretty anticlimactic but...Love! Errands around town and back to the Anfiteatro per usual...for a well deserved AS and people watch. This lifestyle is sooooo addicting! And of course the afternoon would not be complete without a stop at the Bottega del Gelato for...well...you know - GELATO! Lastly, a stop at the wine shop for dinner wine, the fountain to fill the bottle and one lap around the wall. Btw...at the wine store Bruce went in and came out to get me, “You have to talk to this woman from San Francisco who’s been here for thirty years!” Well, we were both speaking English but all she wanted to talk about was how horrible things are in Pacific Heights and all I wanted to talk about was what it was like to live in Lucca...total lack of communication!

Great pasta dinner at home created from all the Lucca shops and then we tried to pay my Apple bill for my phone...you know...the one that got stolen??? I ended up calling Joe to see if he could pay it for me...sigh...I own a phone in my hands out right but I’m paying for one I don’t have. Birds in a hand??? So far, I have not heard from Joe so hopefully all is well and it is not going to collection! It takes a village to get Brenda around the world! Thanks all!

Sounds crazy...but it was a great day:

I wore a new outfit.

I learned how to get rid of the trash.

I now know where the ufficio postale is located.

And we watched the full, pink moon rise over Lucca from the wall.

Buonanotte, Lucca!

Good Friday 4/19

I was nervous...but...I. Love. Lucca. It’s like when people go to the cape every year! Someday I would love to come for more like two months! I really need to work harder on my Italian, although I got a tip from the tea shop owner in Garmisch-Partenkirchen who said just do Babble - and so I am doing Babble for Italian, yet I still have Rosetta for French! \240Not to confuse things at all:) French is easier because I had two years of it in Quincy, but Babble is easier than Rosetta. Since I am IN Italy, I am doing Babble. I digress. Another spectacular day started with a sunrise run on the the beloved wall with not a cloud in the sky, and 70s. Tea and toast while working on said Italian and writing.

Today was the simple things and the errands of daily life that include trying to communicate. One thing about being in a foreign land is that not everyone speaks English. Last time I was here one of my mini stressors was the trash - it was collected every single day yet a different variety and it had to be on the curb by 9! This year we are upgraded to a card and get to use the dumpsters. Like I said, it’s the little things! So, off I go ready for my walk: \240a backpack full of empty bottles to fill at the fountain and my teeny bag of organic trash (think bathroom size trash buckets), and my card - all proud of myself. Dashed hopes! I got there and slip the card in the slot and nothing? I stood there helplessly just staring at the monster when luckily a man drove up with trash. I tried some of what little Italian I knew - I threw my hands up in the air and put on the most confusing/exasperated face I could. He was not too happy - with me? with the world? No matter...he grabbed the card out of my hand and held it to the card reader on the side! How was I to know? It blended right in with the color of the dumpster and there was a card slide in the front. I then added my lil ol’ Chinese in and bowed as I said ‘Grazie’. Well...the dumpster didn’t open, I went back to my Italian (hands) and he grabbed the card again and held it to the reader LONG ENOUGH so that it clicked, grazie, \240bow. Didn’t end there...I tried to lift the handle...nothing. The guy is totally exasperated by now and my bows are getting a lot smaller - I am only hoping that he has been speaking into a hidden earpiece/mouthpiece this whole time and NOT speaking to/about me. He lifts his foot and smacks it down on the bar at the bottom of the dumpster! Mission accomplished! He left still grumbling and I left smiling and hoping never to run into him again. TOMORROW I will blend in at the dumpsters! Baby steps. I met up with Bruce, who was very proud of my accomplishment (ha!) and we hit the wall for a glorious cloud free walk and filled the bottles!

We are officially less schlep! \240We actually put ON clothes that have traveled with us for 8 weeks but until now, it had been too chilly to wear them. I felt like a million bucks! We somehow managed to find our way to the closest ufficio postale, but not by the quickest route, with each of our bike baskets holding a large bag of unnecessary items for the next 10 days. I know we are near the end of our trip but we simply could NOT drag this stuff down to the Amalfi Coast. If I couldn’t mail it I was going to throw it out! Well...remember the incident at the dumpster??? No one spoke ANY English! The clerk kept insisting on stamps and I could t get her to understand package but thankfully there was a customer at another window that could say ‘pacchetto’. Lesson learned...learn the vocabulary that you need for the day. She gets the box and says in Italian that it costs 5€. Ready? I threw a Germanic coin in the mix. Oh. Boy. The hands were waving like crazy, the other clerk got involved, I tried to take it back quick and replace it with euro but they were having none of that as they had great day. The hands kept flying and the mouths were running and THIS time I KNEW that they were talking about me. Whew!

Officially...Ta-Da!

The Schlep is over! It’s in the mail, as they say!!! HA! Having shipped before, Bruce was a bit worried about the package making it home and scotch taped the whole thing! To his credit, the last time we shipped from Europe, stuff arrived ok but the package was in shambles! So he somehow got scotch tape - the clerk had reopened the box to make sure that we didn’t put anything illegal in there! Ha! We thought we were ok, so Bruce headed out to the grocery and I finished up with the paperwork and the paying. You won’t believe this...my credit card wouldn’t work! OMG! The hands! The mouths! Even the guy in back came out and got involved! Since we hadn’t done the bank errand yet, I didn’t have cash! Somehow I got them to understand that I was going to run just down the street and get Bruce’s card...the hands...the mouths...sigh...We shipped and I filled my bike basket with fresh potted herbs from the market. Pretty anticlimactic but...Love! Errands around town and back to the Anfiteatro per usual...for a well deserved AS and people watch. This lifestyle is sooooo addicting! And of course the afternoon would not be complete without a stop at the Bottega del Gelato for...well...you know - GELATO! Lastly, a stop at the wine shop for dinner wine, the fountain to fill the bottle and one lap around the wall. Btw...at the wine store Bruce went in and came out to get me, “You have to talk to this woman from San Francisco who’s been here for thirty years!” Well, we were both speaking English but all she wanted to talk about was how horrible things are in Pacific Heights and all I wanted to talk about was what it was like to live in Lucca...total lack of communication!

Great pasta dinner at home created from all the Lucca shops and then we tried to pay my Apple bill for my phone...you know...the one that got stolen??? I ended up calling Joe to see if he could pay it for me...sigh...I own a phone in my hands out right but I’m paying for one I don’t have. Birds in a hand??? So far, I have not heard from Joe so hopefully all is well and it is not going to collection! It takes a village to get Brenda around the world! Thanks all!

Sounds crazy...but it was a great day:

I wore a new outfit.

I learned how to get rid of the trash.

I now know where the ufficio postale is located.

And we watched the full, pink moon rise over Lucca from the wall.

Buonanotte, Lucca!

Saturday April 20

Last night we saw the pink moon rise over Lucca and this morning I got our early enough and watched it set over the towers and Apuan Alps, but it was no longer pink.

One of the things that is really flavoring this part of the trip is that there is actually sunshine and temperatures that are conducive to being outside! Changes everything. After my run, I took a shower and I forgot to mention that not only can I see the wall from every room but \240I can even see the wall from the shower! The glass is all frosted up til neck level and it is a great view. Can’t escape it. Here, I remember mamma a lot because I go to the grocery store, sometimes more than once a day. Our morning errands took us on our bikes OUTSIDE the walls! Yes...outside! Sensory overload...horns, sirens, alarms...one must strive to not go outside the walls unless it is absolutely necessary! Things worked out great...we went to the farmacia and then right across the street was ‘Tuttapasta’ the homemade pasta shop!

Gone are the days of some sort of salami and cheese every day to pasta and pizza every day!

And then ‘The Walk’ - our own passeggiata around the wall...early for that but late compared to our usual time. When we finish send we just sat up top and then Bruce went and got our picnic stuff so we stayed for a couple of hours. Bellissimo!

The early evening included one more shop stop - it IS endless, a bike ride around the wall which was ‘crazy take your life in your hands!’ with all the bikes, scooters, skateboards, bike jalopies, runners and walkers and to top it off - la Bottega del Gelato. Great gelato, but talking to the owner - he moved here for a girl and his shop is so successful that he works Würth one other person seven days a week! He never sees the girl or his family but loves his work. Wow! The day ends pasta and chilling, looking out over the wall, wishing for one more lap around...yes, I am obsessed! \240Early evening we heard a familiar sound...a helicopter, which we remembered from last time that they land just outside our part of the wall. Way cool, but the best part is when it gets ready to leave...first you hear the motor and the blades whirring, louder and faster. I guess you can actually HEAR it as it lifts off the ground...suddenly, just like in James Bond...it starts to rise over the top of the wall and honestly you will expect to see someone hanging from a drop line or a battle on the runners! Another quiet, perfect, non touristy day in Italy!

Wednesday April 24

I did get my run and bike in before we left for Firenze at 9. Once we got to Firenze, Bruce left me holding the bags and hopped in a taxi to get sandwiches and a bottle of red from Pino’s for our train picnic. The ride to Salerno was uneventful...I saw poppy fields,Mt. Vesuvius and Italian sheep taking siestas!

The SITA bus from Salerno to Amalfi was another story all together. It was quite warm and crowded and stop and go traffic. We were barely out of town and starting up the cliff side when I asked Bruce, “Did we just bounce off that wall?” Response? “I think so.” Alrighty then...we were off! The traffic was absolutely insane - two WSU traffic on 1 1/2 wide road with cars, trucks and busses going both ways and then just add in the weaving motorcycles (both ways) and the pedestrians walking along the side! There ARE no words! I’ve hit nothing!

Absolutely spectacular scenery and fragrant flowers but also a very distracting ride...it was like I didn’t want to look at what was happening all around me but I couldn’t help myself! \240Seriously, the tiny plants growing out of the rock walls could have been picked from the bus! We were inches away! Our one hour and twenty minute ride took two hours and forty minutes! I won’t complain about packing food anymore either...we had. Or eaten for like six hours and we got to have leftover pasta from the night before we we ate right out of the ziploc and apples. Thank you picnic set:) Finally, we arrived in Amalfi and were not off the bus five minutes when Bruce realized that he had left his man bag on the bus! The one with the passports and tickets! What a nightmare! The bus guy on site was pretty helpless but luckily a clerk from a restaurant helped out and we just hung around til the bus came back at 8! Bullet dodged big time! So Bruce decides that we are not \240taking the bus to our place, but are taking a cab...HELLO! Now we can see EVERYTHING on the roads! Plus the driver needs a beeping hand, then his phone rings! Mama Mia!

We arrive and out comes Anna from the ceramic shop and grabs me in a big hug and starts planting kisses on my cheeks! “Mi dispace!” Next comes Bruce! She literally pulls us into her wonderfully colorful ceramic shop chattering in Ital-glish! I’m back to hands and bowing with big smiles and somehow we get through the check in practice over a bottle of limoncello! So civilized. When it is finally time to go to our room, Anna tucks the rest of the bottle under her arm for us and then fights with Bruce over dragging his giant suitcase up two flights! Hahaha I handed her the small bag of groceries that I had grabbed in Amalfi, but she was not a happy camper! She has to be at least 75, but a tough 75. I bet if he let her she could have done it. We arrived! A little balcony in the ‘red’ apartment overlooking the Mediterranean. Sigh...

Wednesday April 24

I did get my run and bike in before we left for Firenze at 9. Once we got to Firenze, Bruce left me holding the bags and hopped in a taxi to get sandwiches and a bottle of red from Pino’s for our train picnic. The ride to Salerno was uneventful...I saw poppy fields,Mt. Vesuvius and Italian sheep taking siestas!

The SITA bus from Salerno to Amalfi was another story all together. It was quite warm and crowded and stop and go traffic. We were barely out of town and starting up the cliff side when I asked Bruce, “Did we just bounce off that wall?” Response? “I think so.” Alrighty then...we were off! The traffic was absolutely insane - two WSU traffic on 1 1/2 wide road with cars, trucks and busses going both ways and then just add in the weaving motorcycles (both ways) and the pedestrians walking along the side! There ARE no words! I’ve hit nothing!

Absolutely spectacular scenery and fragrant flowers but also a very distracting ride...it was like I didn’t want to look at what was happening all around me but I couldn’t help myself! \240Seriously, the tiny plants growing out of the rock walls could have been picked from the bus! We were inches away! Our one hour and twenty minute ride took two hours and forty minutes! I won’t complain about packing food anymore either...we had. Or eaten for like six hours and we got to have leftover pasta from the night before we we ate right out of the ziploc and apples. Thank you picnic set:) Finally, we arrived in Amalfi and were not off the bus five minutes when Bruce realized that he had left his man bag on the bus! The one with the passports and tickets! What a nightmare! The bus guy on site was pretty helpless but luckily a clerk from a restaurant helped out and we just hung around til the bus came back at 8! Bullet dodged big time! So Bruce decides that we are not \240taking the bus to our place, but are taking a cab...HELLO! Now we can see EVERYTHING on the roads! Plus the driver needs a beeping hand, then his phone rings! Mama Mia!

We arrive and out comes Anna from the ceramic shop and grabs me in a big hug and starts planting kisses on my cheeks! “Mi dispace!” Next comes Bruce! She literally pulls us into her wonderfully colorful ceramic shop chattering in Ital-glish! I’m back to hands and bowing with big smiles and somehow we get through the check in practice over a bottle of limoncello! So civilized. When it is finally time to go to our room, Anna tucks the rest of the bottle under her arm for us and then fights with Bruce over dragging his giant suitcase up two flights! Hahaha I handed her the small bag of groceries that I had grabbed in Amalfi, but she was not a happy camper! She has to be at least 75, but a tough 75. I bet if he let her she could have done it. We arrived! A little balcony in the ‘red’ apartment overlooking the Mediterranean. Sigh...

Sunday-Wednesday April 24

The days have glommed together! Honestly, I had to put it all in one or I would have sounded like ‘Rainman’! It is 5am Wednesday and the rain has stopped, I have the floor to ceiling doors open listening to the birds wake up. I am having a hard time letting go here...but who wants to end up in an Italian jail! The jail here is right next to the wall, but the prisoners can’t see it! True torture, we both decided! Each morning I have gotten up early, while very few are up \240and about, done yoga, run the walk and biked the city trying to get the map of it ingrained in my head. Running early is amazing: i start my run while the lanterns are still lit and end it soon after sunrise. One morning, the sky was fuchsia:) Another day, a fellow runner called out, “Boungiorno!” My heart be still! This early, when few are up and about, I run right down the middle of that 2.75 mile promenade around the city just listening to the birds and breathing in the delicious smells coming fresh various kitchens - you know - when you want to just go up and knock on the door like a true beggar would! Then, I hop on my bike and travel all the winding cobbled streets trying to truly understand how to get where I want to go. It is difficult to do when one is winding and playing dodge-em with the tourists. Where we are it is more of a tangled mess, but on the other side of the Anfiteatro there some semblance of a gridness. I love not having a car and just hopping on my bike, plus with shopping, I can only buy what will fit in my basket and back pack and the basket is usually filled with the water bottles filled at the fountain. Lucca is my retreat zone...just live the slow life each and every day. I know no one I can talk to and don’t speak the language so even trying to have a conversation is difficult and often not worth it. I think we all talk to much! Poor Bruce...sometimes I just have to talk and he bears the brunt of it! HA! Life is simpler here and just not so big. I buy dinner for the day or maybe two days and we (mostly Bruce) have had amazing meals. Brice had homemade ravioli...how does pear and Gorgonzola sound??? So jealous that last night made GF pasta with grilled pear and a very mild blue cheese. Also included are fresh garlic, rosemary, basil and of course a wonderful grated cheese sprinkled on top and all finally splashed with amazing Tuscan olive oil and this great chunky salt that is a little surprise now and then. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I introduced Bruce to grilled fennel! Yum and yum! All of which is washed down with an amazingly great cheap bottle of Chianti or Brunello. We have had some sort of version of this dinner for the past three nights. Grilled pears and cheese often top our toast/baguette for breakfast. It has been wonderful to have a tiny bit full kitchen again! In fact, last night we had made dinner reservations at one of our favorite places and decided to just stay home!

Usually, in the late morning we walk the wall together and then sit up at the picnic bench right across from our apartment and just people watch and read, sometimes a picnic with a great red can get sipped.

The afternoons are for biking, hitting a cafe or two for our AS with a bowl of chips, a stop for gelato at Bottega, shop for dinner and fill our water bottles at the closest fountain. Off we head home for a great dinner, etc.

Lucca IS my happy spot. My home away from home. It is going to be very, very difficult to leave in a few hours time but there IS the Amalfi Coast at the end of the day.

Ciao, Lucca! May I return soon and often to rest inside your walls!

Thursday April 25

This morning I headed up into town by the crazy winding cliff of a road that the Amalfi Coast is know for. I did pretty well except when I had to go over the bridge-ish part average a very high gorge - when will my fear of heights ever stop! In the tiny town of Praiano, I found a sign at the top of a flight of stairs stating “spiaggia” - one of my know Italian words: beach! Off I went down the stairs and then followed by a winding path with high cement walls, doorways to homes cut out with potted flowering plants and heavily ladened lemon trees overhanging from above. The beach was a long, long, long way down and when I got to the bottom it was a cement beach! No sand! But, did have a view of Positano and an endless wide open sea. I counted the stairs on the way up... 380! I think! And that wasn’t to the top! After a path it was another 80+ uneven, nonuniform steps, followed by he cliff road and I made it home. By the crow flying it was less than a mile, however, in total it was 4.5 miles and like 67 flights of stairs! We had tea on the balcony and the next thing you know, Bruce is in the kitchen cleaning up and Anna sticks her head right in the window and starts chatting him up in Italian! She dragged ya up to the garden and filled my brand new, white Cotten skirt with fava beans, mint and lemons! It was just great! Anna then chased us down to hand me a role of toilet paper! Not usual a fave bean fan I was wondering if there was a hidden message! We unloaded and headed to Marina di Praia beach, just about 8 flights down from us, and sat at the Pirata cafe for a few hours just chilling. Not too bad.

Prepping the fava beans is a pain! They had to be shelled, then foiled for 5 minutes and then the skin had to be peeled off each one! We took a walk up the hill on the previously mentioned cliff road and into town before dinner - amazing - driving on this road scared the crap out of us and now we just stroll up it! Our pasta dish was delicious, but the beans did not make or break it. But it was lovely to eat outside with a candle lit and a bottle of red with what seemed like the whole Mediterranean below us. I am choosing to ignore the nightmarish traffic directly beneath us! Buonanotte!

Friday \240April 26

Packed up my backpack with my apple and water, determined to find Path of the Gods. If you try to Google it, there is no one answer on where to find it, except that naturally it is UP! That means steep staircases of 100 steps a pop and some pathways. So I used google maps and it sends me up above where we are staying, over to the west and then down into the town center and down towards the beach where I was yesterday. Something definitely did not seem right, but every time that I reset, maps insisted this was the way. I got to the point of 300 continuous steps down when maps tells me to go right onto a dirt path that is posted with: do not use this path in bad weather! Luckily no bad weather. I went a bit, not feeling very secure and took a pee break...got myself all wet and the little old Italian lady in the cliff-house saw the whole thing. I tried backtracking but there was no other option except down 300 steps and I knew that was not right - been there done that, so I pushed on. OMG! Brambles, cliff walking, scrambling practically on my hands and knees, praying that I would NOT have to come back this way! I got to the top and there was a gate to what looked like a dilapidated old house, but when I smooshed it open on it’s rusty hinges a whole chicken coop erupted in chatter! This whole thing was turning into a “Going on a Bear Hunt” saga. Back down I went, covered in pee, flower fluff and dirt. Luckily when I came out at street level there was a whole new group of people at the bus stop. I wore my pack low, hoping no one noticed! Bruised,scratched and bug bitten, I finally arrived back home 3 1/2 miles and 54 flights later and jumped in the shower. My skin was still red and bumpy so I took a Benadryl .

Of course this was first thing in the morning so we had a whole day of adventure ahead and the two of us headed off to catch the bus to Positano. The bus was like 40 minutes late and jammed with people and hot! My Benadryl had kicked in and I was wiped out, walking around in a fog. Positano is a nightmare! Don’t ever go! We got off the bus and everything looked great, like you see in the postcards and then we were enveloped by the crowd and carried down through winding alley ways, while just as many people were coming up! I caught glimpses of colorful pottery, delicious gelato, wonderful linen clothing and souvenirs galore as we hip hopped on by and finally were dumped out at the beach area. We practically ran for safety to the first restaurant on the beach with an empty table, La Pergola, where we sat for hours munching on different courses just to keep from having to go back into the hot mess of Positano! We took a water taxi back, which was awesome, filled with amazing homes and hotels on the cliffs (up to 10,000€ per night) but the boat was one of those rubber boats with a motor and the guy drove like a bat out of hell so we were like hanging on for dear life! Even with my toes I was gripping! All of this was done through a Benadryl fog topped off with AS! We both crashed for a late siesta as soon as we got home. Dinner was pasta on the balcony with a bottle of red!

Satuday April 27

You would think I would learn my lesson after yesterday, but nope, I packed up my backpack with water and an apple and off I went. Today I decided to start with going down so I went to our beach and wandered the paths up and down. When I was done I decided to leave by the far side of the beach and up to the road and when I crossed the road there was a wooden sign next to a flight of stairs stating “Sentiero degli Dei”! What! This is exactly what I had been looking for and here it was in the other side of town! So...up I went and here we go...it was a rerun of yesterday! Scrabble, climbing hike up well worn stairs that are crumbling in parts and somewhat overgrown, but I hung in there even though it was getting quite cliff-ish. I came to a paved path with another sign stating two more names of places I knew were on the trail so I continued up, up and up. “Great Day for Up” as they say. UNTIL...I arrive at a locked gate! Are you kidding me! What the heck? Where did the trail go? I went back down and back up (flights) and there was nowhere else to go! Defeated again! I went back down and followed the signs to Praiano, I was much higher up in the village and I had a great little hike though all the little walkways - no cars - the bright blue sky above and the awesome sea below, and on either side of me were lemon and orange trees as well as hundreds of pots of flowering plants. Pretty sweet! The duomo was picture perfect and I went to the big grocery to get cantaloupe and prosciutto for breakfast. In the end, I got four and a half miles in and over 50 flights...did not get far horizontally speaking...more of a vertical walk:) and here I thought the hills of Nahant were rough! The best part is sitting on our balcony in the sun, slight sea breeze coming off the water and having my first cuppa tea withvbreakfast which was delicious! Spent the morning on the balcony, not a cloud in the sky, watching the deep blue sea and traffic go by...tried to get Almalfi...but after 1/2 hour and no bus we just headed down to our own beach and had a lovely lunch with a table right at the edge of the sea. G&Ts, and some amazing eggplant. The water is pretty tough today and so not much boat traffic, but simply beautiful to look at and it is so blue, cobalt blue, I guess? Just a great color - almost purple blue. It was a great way to let the afternoon slip by - a keepah as we like to say. Hours of nothing but looking at the gorgeous purple blue sea! On the way back up - EVERTHING/EVERYWHERE is vertical - an old Italian woman that we greet every day got all excited and started chattering away. She holds up lemons for us to catch! Hahah! We had to stand in the middle of the crazy road to do this and luckily we caught them! It was just a great moment and there were huge smiles all around! Perfect memory. The rest of the day was just a chill sort of day on the balcony and we simply could not take our eyes off the water - it was that gorgeous! ( We ignored the insane traffic directly beneath us unless it got real interesting with like four buses trying to pass.) The night sky is spectacular.

Sunday April 28

Backpack. Water. Apple. I was determined. THIS time the plan was to just go up. No matter what got in my way, find a way around it. Just keep going up. So I did. It starts to get a little a bit confusing all these little vias...plus I saw many of them coming and going! Luckily, there were two people with backpacks on the road so I slowed down and finally stopped...here I was 1,900+ steps UP from home, and there are hikers in the area so I must be close. I walked to the next set of stairs and there was the sign! (Many times, I had gone up only to arrive at a dead end of someone’s front door and had to reverse myself.) Up I went...up, up and up! FI.NA.LEE! I made it! I was so excited! I had so few agendas for this trip, but this was one of them. I did not complete the trip but I found the path and hope to come back. I have NOT conquered my fear of heights but it ain’t from lack of trying! The church bells were ringing on my way down ALL those steps - tough on the old knees, but I still had a smile on my face!

Clouds rolled in and we had our prosciutto \240and cantaloupe for breakfast again, but not on the balcony.

Bruce was not feeling well, so we canned Amalfi and I colored my hair, read, practiced Italian and cooked. The sun finally came out and the sky was that magical deep blue and all was right with the world! It was a windy rainy off/on day which is not a bad thing when you have been 60ish days on the road. I will miss Praiano.

Monday April 29

The very last morning...I walked down to the beach and stuck my feet in the water. Next time I come I want to stay in the cliff hotel right above the beach...270 vistas and you only have to go up or down a tiny bit and there is NO traffic! Of course, then I had to go UP! The stairs seem easier now even though I still get knee twinges. Perhaps it’s because I know it’s my last time? I continue to snap the same pictures...lemons, flowers, stairways and sea vistas! Anna seemed sad to see us go and gave us a little ceramic magnet that her son made in the shop under the apartments. And the off to the bus...go hum. We went early to be sure not to miss it and waited an hour. Bruce initially said no to the cab driver but an hour later we jumped in and went all the way to Salerno. Blessing! Especially as it was now cold, damp and rainy. The cabbie also cranked up the Italian music, did a little shoulder dance and gave us a tour in Italian. We did see one of Sophia Loren’s homes right on the water. I would definitely come back. We got an earlier train but had to go second class and arrived in Rome at three instead of five. I am still practicing my Italian. I need to get to the part where I can actually get the words out of my mouth ! I know them but it’s always a day late and a dollar short! SPIAGGIA (beach) only gets me so far! Especially, now that we are in Roma! Practicing it live is necessary...I need to come back. I am already missing the pastel hill towns, olive groves and red poppies as they blur by. Not to mention the smooth liquid gold olive oil, sweetest balsamic, amazing cheeses and perfect lemons, all which make me drool just thinking on them.

Trestavere was the perfect little community to stay in Roma. I had researched, because I was not a fan of Roma and the guide pokes said that it was a little town feel kind of place and it was. We were right next to the Tiber River and although we couldn’t actually see it as we were on floor 1 (2), we had the trees which is always great. After getting a quick settle in, off we went to explore and it was great - cafes, shops and tiny cobbled streets. We stopped in a cafe in a piazza and had our AS and shared the best cheesy meatballs and a pizza as the sun came out. A group of 5-10 guys were crowded around a card table playing a very interactive card game. Four were playing but ALL contributed to the vocal portion. When I asked the waiter what they were playing he said it was some Sicilian game. Very loud! We kept meandering through this lively part of Trastevere, and with the return of the sun the apartments had emptied into the streets for the evening passiagiate or a sweet gelato, of which we did both and watched a very drunk street performer who mimicked all who walked by, including Bruce!

And done...bought our staples at the tabacchi and called it a night. City number 17 on our European Tour!