Arrivederci Italia!

Ah...fair Firenze!

This will be my last post on this blog. I am back in the good ol' U.S. of America after a 20-hour sojourn via train, plane, bus and ferry. The jet lag is starting to wear off now and it's good to be back, but I already miss IT-lee, as my mother calls it. Well...maybe not the crowds and hustle & bustle but it was a great adventure full of learning; both the hard way and less hard way. I hope those of you who have slogged your way through these posts have gleaned just a little of what I experienced. So much more could be shared but suffice it to say that if you can, GO! Winter may not be the best time to visit but at least there are fewer crowds and the costs slightly less...not cheap mind you, but reasonably affordable. That's especially true if you do some shopping around before committing - I can't even imagine what it was like before the age of the internet. Need a room in Milan tomorrow? No problem. A ticket to the Scrovegni Chapel? Piece of cake. Trains? Planes? Reservations at Chez Pretense? Got ya covered. But aside from all the day-to-day planning of one's itinerary, Italia is in the end a land of variable climates, foods, people and ways of saying "Buona sera!" (Florence does it different than Venice; go figure.) Thanks for reading and as the locals say,

"Chiao, grazie and buon viaggio!"

Galileo

When most folks think of the Italian Renaissance, they think of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, et. al. But the post-Middle Ages rebirth of knowledge was much more than art. It included philosophy, architecture and science. Most historians agree that the "Father of Modern Science" as we know it, was a man from Pisa named Galileo Galilei. One of Florence's many terrific museums is dedicated to him. 

Playing a major role in the scientific revolution of the time, he is best know for his improvements in the telescope, the development (and mass production) of a military compass and his astronomical observations that led him to support Copernicus' theory of a 'heliocentric' universe; the controversial refutation of the then-current Catholic opinion that the earth was the center of the universe.

This was one of my favorite museums in Florence - especially nice  on a wet, stormy day. It had oodles of telescopes, planetary globes and scientific oddities collected over the centuries by the Medici family, eventually winding up here for our edification. Here is a random sampling of some of the many things I saw:

The clock moves, the earth rotates

Louis XXIV's bedside clock

The first pendulum clock

Can you guess?

San Giorgio

One of the first things you can't help but notice when you drive into Aviano are the surrounding mountains; sweeping vistas of farmland, fields and forest-covered hillsides rise quickly to the lower ramparts of the mighty Italian Dolomites. 

Only a brisk half-hour walk away from town, these hills range from rolling to steep to very steep! And are perfect for getting back in touch with nature after a week immersed in crowds, history and the constant din of city traffic. Unexpectedly we found the hills laced with numerous trails leading hither and yon. 

Hither

Yon

One of Cinzia's favorite places to visit (when the weather cooperates) is an old chapel on a nearby hill named San Giorgio - of 'Saint George and the Dragon' fame. It's the perfect place for a picnic of bread, cheese, olives and fruit since it's a short and easy hoof up to a magnificent view.

It's a lovely spot to sit and meditate on the mountains, the slowly budding trees and greening grass while letting the sun warm your bones; something all too needed in the unusually cold and wet winter most of Europe is having this year.

The Joy of Living!

"Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy's premier mountain resort is exclusively positioned in the breathtaking UNESCO World Natural Heritage Dolomites, one of the most beautiful and unique alpine regions in the world. A 'Best of the Alps' resort and a symbol of style, fashion and the Italian way of life, Cortina is the perfect destination for those who seek a truly special holiday experience where natural beauty, culture, tradition, art, food and wine fuse together in pure joie de vivre."

Joie de vivre, indeed! Somewhat reminiscent of Whistler BC, Cortina - with its spectacular mountains, superb cuisine and Funivia per Cielo (gondola-to-the heavens) - is a beautiful place to spend a few days living the good life of skiing. But unlike Whistler, the town is authentic (my hotel is right across the square from a centuries-old church complete with clanging bell tower) and not quite as cosmopolitan; meaning that the skiers are mostly Italianos...and a few foreigners like me.

The weather continues cold and wet which fortunately means snow here. Unfortunately that also means foggy on top...with occasional sun breaks - so the best plan is to stay low and only skitter up to the top when you see a sunny moment or two. I have had two great days of skiing here: one on traditional alpino skis (boo!) and the other on a pair of my beloved telemark skis. Yes! Do not let them tell you otherwise: there is a little shop of righteous hipsters here that rents "scis tele" and I was very glad to find them. (Apparently I have forgotten how to ski with my heels attached to a ski!)

The Funivia!

Here comes the fog...

But all "fun-ivia" must end and I head down the hill today via bus, train, train and bus back to Aviano. Quick-hit memories: stunning train ride up the valley; scary gondola rides; corduroy runs in the mornings; NO snowboarders, NO play parks; blessed sunbreaks; vino rosso with lunch overlooking fog/limestone peaks/fog/valley views/fog...

And only ONE fur coat sighting! Apparently even the rich and famous know better these days.

NEWS FLASH! A quick stroll on the street outside my hotel this afternoon proved me wrong about the above fur coat comment. Although you have to admit that those guilty of wearing 'critter coats' appear more like skier wannabes.

While the younger après-ski crowd seem to be more into Lycra stretchy pants, down jackets and "boots made for pushing il bambini around town".

 

Chow...Italiano-style

Some folks have inquired about the type of food we've been experiencing here in Italia. After all, it is famous for it's superb cuisine; whether it's a four-course meal (antipasti, primi, secondi & dolce) or pizza on-the-fly. Admittedly I have been less concerned about the gastronomic repasts - especially since most Italians don't even start thinking about dinner until 19:30 or so! I mostly have a cappuccino 

or two :-) for breakfast and/or grab a slice of pizza or panini sandwich for lunch on my way to some museum or hike. Occasionally Cindy and I have enjoyed a delicious evening meal, but mostly we've been making salads in the apartment or filling up on happy hour bruschetta.

Some favorite memories: a 'menu touristico' four-course lunch on a lovely little canal in Venice one sunny day (bread, olives and basalmic vinegar/pasta carbonara/sautéed sea bass/tiramisu with strawberry topping); ravioli stuffed with pumpkin filling at a local restaurant called Casa Bianca; the best pizza ever at a small hole-the-wall in the nearby village of Polcenigo; and countless deli sandwiches hauled along on our many lunchtime hikes.

Pasta Carbonara

Recently though, we have been branching out (meaning we're a little tired of pasta, et. al.) and having Middle Eastern "kee-babs" and even Chinese food! Such decadence, eh? There ARE quite a few opportunities for burgers at McDonald's but we've thankfully been staying away from those. I do however, wish I could find a Popeye's every now and then.

In closing, the food here is 'squisito' (exquisite), If a bit short on the fresh greens and salads. That could be because it's still winter; cold rain today, snow in the mountains. But everywhere you look you see a small backyard garden waiting for the growing season. One thing that Cindy and I have noticed - that's far different from the U.S. - there are NO obese people here whatsoever! Everyone seems quite fit and height/weight proportionate for their ages. I guess that's what bicycling well into your 80s does for you, si?

Chiao, arrivederci and buon appetito!

La Galleria degli Uffizi

One of the greatest collections of Italian paintings anywhere is said to be here in the Uffizi. It features famous works by (in chronological order) Giotto, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Rubens, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio. And these are just the highlights! In between are plenty of lesser known works well deserving of one's time, but difficult to fully appreciate knowing another masterpiece is just around the corner. It's said that most folks spend only a couple of hours in the entire museum; understandable since the breadth and depth of the various works is so overwhelming. 

The Uffizi courtyard

The gallery entrance

The collection starts with glitzy 2 dimensional 'Madonna and child' Gothic altar pieces from the Middle Ages - early Renaissance studies in progressively better and better attempts at perspective and realism. 

Duccio - nice try

Cimabue - better

Giotto - the master!

It then moves on to fleshy works by Botticelli, an incomplete work by Leonardo and stops at Praxiteles' statue entitled, Venus de' Medici - considered the epitome of female beauty in Elizabethan times.

Botticelli's "Primavera"

"Adoration of the Magi"

"Venus de' Medici"

The Elizabethan ideal of female beauty

And just when you can't take anymore, it winds up with a mind-numbing blast of Michelangelo and the rest.

Michelangelo's 'Holy Family'

Raphael's self-portrait

Titian's "Venus di Urbino"

I was lucky to have started early - beating the tour crowds - and well into the museum before I experienced what is called, "Uffizi feetsies" and was required to go in search of a bench and a reviving cappuccino è pasticceria. 

Those who have been here, know the sheer sensory overload one can feel. Those who haven't are in for an art history unlike any other. But I also discovered that it's very important to pace myself; more like running a marathon than a sprint. There is so much to absorb, learn, sit with...I was lucky I lasted five hours and even then I had to skip the last few exhibits - I had finally reached 'beauty burnout' and needed to get some fresh air, a bit to eat and yes! another cappuccino or two. Of course by this time it was afternoon and it's considered tacky to most Italians to order a cappuccino - better to switch to espresso or a frothy macchiato...or even better, a spritz!