A full day at home, and I still can't believe the trip is over! It was sooooo great to get home after our bus ride from Lambert at midnight or so. I think the last time I looked at my watch in the school parking lot, it was 1:50 a.m. Oy.
My Michele was there at the parking lot to take me home!! She was a sight for sore (bleary? Half-open?) eyes, and after a big hug and a toss of the luggage into her car, we were on our way to my home sweet home. We hauled the bags into the back door, and I opened the kitchen door into a house that was... sweltering. Like the inside of a volcano. Seriously, karma? What did I do to you?? The temp in the house was 86 and climbing, and by the time the repair fella came, it was at about 88. At that point in the night, however, I just showered, opened all my windows to the nighttime breezes, and fell on top of my bed into an exhausted sleep.
In the morning, at about 7:30, when I woke up, I called Webb's and left a message; at 8:02, I called again and the angel of mercy on the other end told me a repairman could come to me at 12:00. What to do in the meantime? Play in my treasures! I unloaded my suitcases (which remained weight-compliant, btw, for the entire trip!), throwing much of it in the laundry and investigating and sorting all my souvenirs. Unwrapping each piece brought back the delight of finding them the first time, and I can't wait to share my treasures with my treasured people. Hope they like them! Cuz there will be no returns.... :-)
Mom and dad came over, bearing Hardees and hugs! We played in the treasures a little; they liked their gifts (I hope) and Mom and I then went on to Carbondale--pics to print! Art to frame! Food to buy! Also, the house was hot--the repairman had come and fixed by issue (he told me what was wrong, but I don't remember what he said he did. We'll just say he made the cool-y thing resume its blow-y business. And it was good.)--so a trip to C'dale gave the house time to recover. The pics I took were many! 1041, to be exact. We stressed out the machine at Wal-Mart and were given marching orders and told to come back in a bit; I'll be going back tonight to pick up the rest of them. Can't wait look at them all! Good, bad, and ugly, I'll organize and sort tomorrow. And then bore anybody willing sit and look with my stories and memories. :-) :-)
Good night, dear friends, and thank you for reading and sharing with me! It's been so much fun blogging! I need a new project to blog....
Friday, June 20, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
The Long and Winding Road
Just realized that the end of my last post did not publish! The "o" was supposed to say "orders to be in the lobby at 5:45 to catch the bus to the airport to get home." Yikes!! 5:45 is awfully early to be put together, packed, and coherent, but I am happy to report that all 46 of us travelers were ready to go--despite my own alarm clock betrayal! I had it set for 4:30, but only woke up when Michaelann's phone went off at 5:00--pretty happy that I wasn't alone in a room *last* night. Although. There are worse places to be left behind than Milano.... At any rate, we all made it successfully through security and made it across the ocean without incident. Yay! However--while I know I have Beth's converter, I'm 86% sure I left my own in the bathroom.
Then New York! Land of the free! Home of the brave! Airport of the $8.98 Whopper! Whatevs. Sometimes a girl just needs a burger. With fries. And a frosty Dr. Pepper.
We are currently in Atlanta, awaiting the St. Louis plane. The New York to Atlanta plane was packed with people who are apparently unaware that it is possible, and even recommended, for people to bathe more than once a month. The smell was pungent. Ripe. Wow. I think you have to be actively trying to smell that bad. Maybe it was a contest we were unaware of? Hm. Also, there were three very busy little girls who were eating Doritos out of a crinkly bag. And crunching. And drumming on a book. And then singing. There was no other solution. I had to break out the teacher face. Blessed silence after that. Good thing I packed the teacher face with me. Comes in handy.
After I find a Starbucks, I will be duly fortified to get on the next-to-last leg of the journey; when we land in St. Louis, there will then be a bus ride home. Oy vey. Who's the patron saint of patience? Maybe will google it as I sip my white mocha caramel latte.... Mama, I'm comin' hoooooome........
Then New York! Land of the free! Home of the brave! Airport of the $8.98 Whopper! Whatevs. Sometimes a girl just needs a burger. With fries. And a frosty Dr. Pepper.
We are currently in Atlanta, awaiting the St. Louis plane. The New York to Atlanta plane was packed with people who are apparently unaware that it is possible, and even recommended, for people to bathe more than once a month. The smell was pungent. Ripe. Wow. I think you have to be actively trying to smell that bad. Maybe it was a contest we were unaware of? Hm. Also, there were three very busy little girls who were eating Doritos out of a crinkly bag. And crunching. And drumming on a book. And then singing. There was no other solution. I had to break out the teacher face. Blessed silence after that. Good thing I packed the teacher face with me. Comes in handy.
After I find a Starbucks, I will be duly fortified to get on the next-to-last leg of the journey; when we land in St. Louis, there will then be a bus ride home. Oy vey. Who's the patron saint of patience? Maybe will google it as I sip my white mocha caramel latte.... Mama, I'm comin' hoooooome........
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
A Rendez-Vous in Cuggiono!
Today begins with an easy wake-up call at 8:30 and breakfast at 9:00--what decadence! Time to enjoy a lovely pain au chocolate and a coffee before the touring begins. Ahhhhh... Plus also time to people-watch and smile as they all figure out the orange juice automatic dispenser and the coffee/espresso/hot chocolate dispenser. Sometimes being illiterate in a foreign country is confusing! So many mystery buttons. I saw a sign--a bumper sticker--on the back of a truck today that had a tree, a broken milk (or water?) bottle, and a fish. I spent some time pondering this but I got nothin'. Don't put broken bottles in trees because the fish will suffer?? Don't give drinks to fish because the trees will be offended?? Dunno.
Then back to Milano to check out the Duomo a little closer; we missed our chance to climb (and by climb I mean ride in the elevator) to the top f the church to look around yesterday because it was evening. But today we hopped right on and got to the top with very little crowding! Pics to follow; the view was pretty amazing. I just want to meet the people who figured out the plan--which saint goes where? How much carving? How many spires? How do we get marble up this high? I did find out that during WWII, many of the famous spires (and there are hundreds) were removed to avoid the destruction of the bombing, and then replaced after Italy was liberated. Amazing.
Then we went to Cuggiono to introduce our kids to their Italian counterparts. It was truly a great day; we arrived in time for lunch--pizza! Some of the kids laughed--they've eaten pizza every day at lunch (on their own time) since we got here, but I have not, so my belly was thinking "Squeeeee! Pizzapizzapizzapizza!!!" And it was marvelous. The waiter brought out drinks and then the pizzas started arriving--pepperoni and sausage and cheese, but also, like, asperagus and egg... and red pepper... and tuna... and hot dog... and pepperoni with fries on top.... I tried as many kinds as my belly could hold, but we ended up with eight or nine extra whole pizzas!! Apparently, in Italy, a person orders one entire pie just for himself. Oof. We don't eat that much in one sitting, but it really was cool to see all the varieties of native pizzas. Yum!
Then to the Villa Annoni--the summer home a wealthy family left to Cuggiono for museum purposes--to poke around and see all the Cuggionese artifacts and history. Really interesting--it's pretty clear that Herrin is very much a daughter city; the immigrants just picked up their home town and brought it to us. We then were led to the city cemetery, where the kids were actually quite interested. Every other stone had names we know: Pisoni, Calcaterra, Oldani, Garavaglia, Quaglia, Guadoni... on and on. The kids ran around taking pics of their own names and names of their friends--jackpot. This was the goal of today--we want our kids to pick up the baton and carry the relationships forward into future. Our guides today were Oreste and Ernesto, old and close friends, but also Guido and Matisse and Fabio... very young and olive-y skinned and handsome Italian boys who make it alluring for our girls to make connections and keep in touch. :-) We'll see what comes of this; we had a little meet--and-greet with lots of Herrinite and Cuggionese kids; I would love to see some homestays or exchanges begin happening. Time will tell, but they're already adding each other on Facebook and Instagram. :-) Successful day! Plus they took us to the local gelato shop (panne cotta this time--yum!!), so good news all around!
Back at the hotel, we had a lovely pasta, some chicken and fries, and ice cream (meh. It wasn't gelato) and o
Then back to Milano to check out the Duomo a little closer; we missed our chance to climb (and by climb I mean ride in the elevator) to the top f the church to look around yesterday because it was evening. But today we hopped right on and got to the top with very little crowding! Pics to follow; the view was pretty amazing. I just want to meet the people who figured out the plan--which saint goes where? How much carving? How many spires? How do we get marble up this high? I did find out that during WWII, many of the famous spires (and there are hundreds) were removed to avoid the destruction of the bombing, and then replaced after Italy was liberated. Amazing.
Then we went to Cuggiono to introduce our kids to their Italian counterparts. It was truly a great day; we arrived in time for lunch--pizza! Some of the kids laughed--they've eaten pizza every day at lunch (on their own time) since we got here, but I have not, so my belly was thinking "Squeeeee! Pizzapizzapizzapizza!!!" And it was marvelous. The waiter brought out drinks and then the pizzas started arriving--pepperoni and sausage and cheese, but also, like, asperagus and egg... and red pepper... and tuna... and hot dog... and pepperoni with fries on top.... I tried as many kinds as my belly could hold, but we ended up with eight or nine extra whole pizzas!! Apparently, in Italy, a person orders one entire pie just for himself. Oof. We don't eat that much in one sitting, but it really was cool to see all the varieties of native pizzas. Yum!
Then to the Villa Annoni--the summer home a wealthy family left to Cuggiono for museum purposes--to poke around and see all the Cuggionese artifacts and history. Really interesting--it's pretty clear that Herrin is very much a daughter city; the immigrants just picked up their home town and brought it to us. We then were led to the city cemetery, where the kids were actually quite interested. Every other stone had names we know: Pisoni, Calcaterra, Oldani, Garavaglia, Quaglia, Guadoni... on and on. The kids ran around taking pics of their own names and names of their friends--jackpot. This was the goal of today--we want our kids to pick up the baton and carry the relationships forward into future. Our guides today were Oreste and Ernesto, old and close friends, but also Guido and Matisse and Fabio... very young and olive-y skinned and handsome Italian boys who make it alluring for our girls to make connections and keep in touch. :-) We'll see what comes of this; we had a little meet--and-greet with lots of Herrinite and Cuggionese kids; I would love to see some homestays or exchanges begin happening. Time will tell, but they're already adding each other on Facebook and Instagram. :-) Successful day! Plus they took us to the local gelato shop (panne cotta this time--yum!!), so good news all around!
Back at the hotel, we had a lovely pasta, some chicken and fries, and ice cream (meh. It wasn't gelato) and o
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Verdict
Update: The bed was pretty great. It may have actually been the best sleep of my life. It may also be that I am EXHAUSTED, but whatevs.... :-)
We're Eating Where??
Ciao, Lido!! I always said that when I came back to Italy whilst NOT on a tour, it'd be to Lago di Como (Lake Como) because it was so beautiful, but now I'm TORN. Lido is so chill and quiet and serene... perhaps I could start in Lake Como and then finish up in Lido to relax before the flight home. Ta-da! Problem solved.
Today's morning was spent in transit, but the thing about transit in Venice is that it happens by water taxi. So essentially, we had a lovely breakfast (forewarned is forearmed against the potted meat) and then had a lovely boat tour of the islands between Lido and the mainland to catch our next bus to Milano. Sigh. Life is hard. :-)
The bus ride was about three hours, but we took a couple breaks in the middle to break up the long journey. The first stop was at a rest stop with restrooms, which is a good thing, because some of us needed to rest pretty urgently. The second stop was at an Autogrille, which is a strange European gas stop/trinket shop/grocery store/luncheonette with fresh food served to travelers, and very often these stops are suspended right across the interstate--which means you have to remember the right exit, or you'll find yourself walking out the door that leads to the parking lot on the wrong side of the interstate. :-) The kids quickly figured out how to take advantage of the huge array of offerings at an Autogrille and we all boarded the bus happy and full. We are always getting on buses full of food, and yet we are ALWAYS hungry and there's ALWAYS room for gelato. Must be all the walking. [Don't tell our tour guide, but we're on to her. "A few steps" = a mile or more, "A European block" = thirteen dozen blocks. We see you, Annemieke, and our feet are howling. She also differentiates our pace--either "Parisian pace" or "American stroll"... It's better, I can tell you, to walk like a Yankee. ;-) ] Sometimes a gas station will unexpectedly hit the spot.
Then we arrived in our last hotel, an Ibis Hotel (with none of the sadness of our freshman lit short story; the only scarlet here is in the Ikea light fixtures). The hotel is all modern Italian; very sleek and spare. The brochure on my bed promises the best sleep of my life--TBA. We quickly shed our luggage for a little bus tour with a Milanese guide in VERY fabulous shoes (I will have these. Camel wedges with a colorful stacked wedge) and a VERY thick-a accent-a. We actually got to go into the La Scala Opera House after we looked around the city from the bus--such opulence!! Now my house will need some velvet and gold leaf viewing boxes with crests. Perhaps in my throne room? Hm. Anyway, we got to look at the paintings of the patrons and performers and peek into the actual stage and audience area--never have I seen such grandeur. Golden lion crests, city crests, Italian family crests all in a sea of red velvet. With a huge chandelier. I would love to show you pics, but only pics of the vestibule were allowed--but even that was beyond incredible. Such beauty!!
On to the Milano Duomo--the cathedral in the town square; it's called the porcupine cathedral because of the lattice spires all on top. We walked from the La Scala to the church through the Victor Emmanuel Mall to get there, parading our kids through the line of Prada, Gucci, Mercedes (yes, Mercedes) shops without even having to fight their desire to go in; we could hardly afford to even look in the windows. Pricey, pricey, but beautiful--and taking pictures there was allowed. --For free. Which was the right price. All the kids took a spin on the good luck bull in the middle--a good spin will bring good scores on exams, so everyone took a turn. We'll see how that goes when their post-tests come around.... When the duomo came into sight for the kids as we walked to the end of the mall, I was in the back, but I knew the moment they saw it, because they all got their cameras and phones out and simultaneously oooooh'ed and aaaaaaah'ed and snapped pics; the duomo is one of the five biggest cathedrals in the world, and arguably, the most beautiful. The spires look like a cross between lace and rock candy soaring out of the top, and the stained glass inside is just as awe-inspiring. Lots of pics here, but the info I have is limited; the guides accent was super-thick, and listening through a walkie-talkie thing was near impossible. Alas. I'll google it to fill in the gaps when I get my pics developed. Stay tuned....
Then a "quick walk" of a "few steps" to the Castello in the town. Again, I missed much of the history, but something something king of the region, something something fortification, something something moat. Details later. Gelato now!! Hazelnut today. :-)
We shopped a little in the area, and then headed back home to eat dinner at our hotel: Past, followed by what looked like Salisbury steak and croquettes, then a most divine chocolate cake that looked like tiramisu but which was not tiramisu; there was mousse in it, and a creamy topping with caramel drizzled on it. I'm a fan of the drizzled caramel. If I were Doge, I would decide in my Decision Room that caramel should be drizzled over more things.
Now I sleep, mes amis, and tomorrow we meet up with our mother city connections! Look for our kids to add more Italian students on facebook! I hope we forge some lasting friendships tomorrow (feels like a playdate between our kids and their kids :-) ).
Today's morning was spent in transit, but the thing about transit in Venice is that it happens by water taxi. So essentially, we had a lovely breakfast (forewarned is forearmed against the potted meat) and then had a lovely boat tour of the islands between Lido and the mainland to catch our next bus to Milano. Sigh. Life is hard. :-)
The bus ride was about three hours, but we took a couple breaks in the middle to break up the long journey. The first stop was at a rest stop with restrooms, which is a good thing, because some of us needed to rest pretty urgently. The second stop was at an Autogrille, which is a strange European gas stop/trinket shop/grocery store/luncheonette with fresh food served to travelers, and very often these stops are suspended right across the interstate--which means you have to remember the right exit, or you'll find yourself walking out the door that leads to the parking lot on the wrong side of the interstate. :-) The kids quickly figured out how to take advantage of the huge array of offerings at an Autogrille and we all boarded the bus happy and full. We are always getting on buses full of food, and yet we are ALWAYS hungry and there's ALWAYS room for gelato. Must be all the walking. [Don't tell our tour guide, but we're on to her. "A few steps" = a mile or more, "A European block" = thirteen dozen blocks. We see you, Annemieke, and our feet are howling. She also differentiates our pace--either "Parisian pace" or "American stroll"... It's better, I can tell you, to walk like a Yankee. ;-) ] Sometimes a gas station will unexpectedly hit the spot.
Then we arrived in our last hotel, an Ibis Hotel (with none of the sadness of our freshman lit short story; the only scarlet here is in the Ikea light fixtures). The hotel is all modern Italian; very sleek and spare. The brochure on my bed promises the best sleep of my life--TBA. We quickly shed our luggage for a little bus tour with a Milanese guide in VERY fabulous shoes (I will have these. Camel wedges with a colorful stacked wedge) and a VERY thick-a accent-a. We actually got to go into the La Scala Opera House after we looked around the city from the bus--such opulence!! Now my house will need some velvet and gold leaf viewing boxes with crests. Perhaps in my throne room? Hm. Anyway, we got to look at the paintings of the patrons and performers and peek into the actual stage and audience area--never have I seen such grandeur. Golden lion crests, city crests, Italian family crests all in a sea of red velvet. With a huge chandelier. I would love to show you pics, but only pics of the vestibule were allowed--but even that was beyond incredible. Such beauty!!
On to the Milano Duomo--the cathedral in the town square; it's called the porcupine cathedral because of the lattice spires all on top. We walked from the La Scala to the church through the Victor Emmanuel Mall to get there, parading our kids through the line of Prada, Gucci, Mercedes (yes, Mercedes) shops without even having to fight their desire to go in; we could hardly afford to even look in the windows. Pricey, pricey, but beautiful--and taking pictures there was allowed. --For free. Which was the right price. All the kids took a spin on the good luck bull in the middle--a good spin will bring good scores on exams, so everyone took a turn. We'll see how that goes when their post-tests come around.... When the duomo came into sight for the kids as we walked to the end of the mall, I was in the back, but I knew the moment they saw it, because they all got their cameras and phones out and simultaneously oooooh'ed and aaaaaaah'ed and snapped pics; the duomo is one of the five biggest cathedrals in the world, and arguably, the most beautiful. The spires look like a cross between lace and rock candy soaring out of the top, and the stained glass inside is just as awe-inspiring. Lots of pics here, but the info I have is limited; the guides accent was super-thick, and listening through a walkie-talkie thing was near impossible. Alas. I'll google it to fill in the gaps when I get my pics developed. Stay tuned....
Then a "quick walk" of a "few steps" to the Castello in the town. Again, I missed much of the history, but something something king of the region, something something fortification, something something moat. Details later. Gelato now!! Hazelnut today. :-)
We shopped a little in the area, and then headed back home to eat dinner at our hotel: Past, followed by what looked like Salisbury steak and croquettes, then a most divine chocolate cake that looked like tiramisu but which was not tiramisu; there was mousse in it, and a creamy topping with caramel drizzled on it. I'm a fan of the drizzled caramel. If I were Doge, I would decide in my Decision Room that caramel should be drizzled over more things.
Now I sleep, mes amis, and tomorrow we meet up with our mother city connections! Look for our kids to add more Italian students on facebook! I hope we forge some lasting friendships tomorrow (feels like a playdate between our kids and their kids :-) ).
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