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Heading to Tuscany
  • Laurie Reynolds
september 2023

Heading to Tuscany

En 18-dags äventyr från Laurie Läs mer
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  • Resans start
    5 september 2023
    Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany
    1

    On our way

    5 september 2023, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    When I came home from my Camino this year, Joe was feeling a little left out. So when he said — I’d love to go back to Italy one more time — I volunteered to make that happen. Big sacrifice, I know. So here we are in O’Hare. I had my moments when I thought it wouldn’t happen, but Joe has been really motivated to keep his physical activity up, do balance exercises, walk a few miles a day, all these things that usually I have to nag about. So it’s really a win-win.

    Hotels are now the way for us to go, so I found a nice one in Florence with a fitness center and got a room for a week. We are not going to do the rush-rush-rush tourist agenda of our younger days. One attraction a day and that is it. Rest of the time for cappucinos, piazzas, walking, and eating. No David this time. Maybe the Uffizi, but no crushing to see Venus. But I will climb as many towers as I can while Joe is napping.

    After Florence, I think we will go to Cinque Terre, Lucca, and Siena. But that is all subject to change depending on how our week in Florence goes. I wasn’t sure about how Cinque Terre would be for Joe’s somewhat limited mobilitiy, but a recommended boat ride option convinced me! Small boat for 8 people, prosecco on board with some charcuterie, I can deal with that. So the current plan is to spend three nights in Monterosso (northernmost town in Cinque Terre) , two in Lucca and two in Siena. It will be crowded, I know, but the weather looks great and we will just deal with the crowds.

    We have, I think, a great way to get to Florence. Champaign-Chicago-Barcelona-Florence. Left Champaign at 2:30 pm and we should arrive in Florence by about 1 pm. We are in Chicago and will soon be taking off. .One leg down, two to go!    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany

    Arrived in Florence

    6 september 2023, Italien ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    When we were waiting to deplane in Barcelona, the guy behind me got a call from the friend he was meeting up with and learned that the immigration control line was two hours long. Since our flight to Florence was leaving in less than an hour, and the next flight to Florence was at 8 pm, I was a bit concerned. But I had made a resolution that this was to be a no-stress zen trip, so I just crossed my fingers.

    Turns out the liine was endless, but there was a separate line for connecting flights. Our very own security check, our very own immigration official, and we were through in a few seconds. Made the flight to Florence in plenty of time, then whizzed out of the airport since we had no checked luggage, and got a taxi to our hotel.

    Our hotel is a bit faded, but it checked all the boxes - in an old building, in the historic center (though on the edge), with a fitness center and elliptical. And the staff are oh so helpful and friendly. After lunch in one of the four cute cafés within a stone’s throw of our hotel, Joe took a nap while I went to the elliptical. I was determined not to take a nap (that always messes me up with jet lag), so I got Joe up and we walked down to the real action near the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Signoria, Duomo. It is CROWDED. Definitely high season. But we don’t notice it much in our area, where most of the patrons in our lunch café were Italians.

    500 m walk to the restaurant for dinner, across the river — Cambi. I am always a sucker for pasta, and the tagliatelli with mushrooms and cream sauce was quite good! Lots of people eating steak florentine, but a big chunk of beef just didn’t appeal.

    Time for bed, hoping to wake up early but if I sleep in, oh well.    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany

    Church with a view

    7 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I slept through the night and woke up with no jet lag at 7:15. Woo hoo! Joe was still asleep, so I headed out for an early walk, down to the center of the historic center. Lots of activity there, not the tourists, but those preparing for the tourists — street cleaners, delivery trucks, people going into buildings filled with apartment rentals carrying bundles of sheets and towels, a lot of hustle and bustle. Walking over the Ponte Vecchio with only a handful of people on it, sitting in the square in front of Santa Croce without long lines of tour groups, it was all very pleasant.

    When I am tempted to complain about “the tourists,” I usually think of my favorite billboard, somewhere outside Atlanta on an always crowded interstate. This is a billboard put up by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and it says “You aren’t STUCK in traffic. You ARE traffic.” Same applies here.

    I waited to have breakfast with Joe, and it was very good. Our destination for today was the Church of San Miniato. Romanesque, up high with beautiful views. The story of the Saint whose relics are there (at least as told by Guide Michelin) is a bit less than glorious. Apparently he was a Tuscan ruffian, not an Armenian king on pilgrimage to Rome. His miracles included being thrown into a dungeon with lions and emerging unscathed, and then climbing the hill where the church stands carrying his own severed head. The church is peaceful, uncrowded and we were lucky to hear the organist practicing — there’s always something wonderful about organs playing in ancient spacious churches!

    We had taken a cab up, and the idea was that we would walk back to the hotel. As we descended the hill (stopping in a café for a long while) and crossed the bridge, it seemed a shame not to continue on a couple hundred meters to get to Santa Croce. A few hundred years later than San Miniato and much grander, there’s a good cross section of Italy’s best and brightest buried there — Galieo, Michaelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini. Very very beautiful, inside and out.

    I saw a lot of people eating good-looking sandwiches with the same wrapper and got directions. Turns out it’s a very famous sandwich shop. Long line moved fast! All’Antico Vinaio. Joe and I couldn’t even finish one, but it was YUMMY. We will probably return.

    We followed our tried and true routine of getting back to the hotel by 3:30 or so, so Joe could nap while I went to the elliptical and had some time to write up this little piece of prose. Someone tried to get out through the fire escape, and it set off a piercing alarm. Joe did not stir, so I know he’s getting some deep sleep!

    We’ll head out for dinner around 7:30. This is a great routine for us, and Joe really seems to be enjoying it so far!    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany

    Medici day

    8 september 2023, Italien ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    It's getting a little hotter, pushing 90 now. I took my early morning walk around the San Lorenzo district, doing reconnaissance for our visit later this morning to the Medici chapels, San Lorenzo church, the palace. The main market was just opening and it's always fun to walk around a real market.

    We are falling into a good routine-- I walk for a couple hours, we eat breakfast, we head out to the destination, we sprinkle our visit liberally with cafe stops. After lunch, back to the hotel for Joe to nap.

    We spent the morning in Medici territory - the San Lorenzo church, which was the church for the Medici family and close to their palace. It has a beautiful Annunciation by Fra Lippo Lippi (I remember him and Fra Angelico, whose Annunciation is in the Prado, from my Spanish Art class in 1970!) We also went to the Medici Chapels, a huge, ornate, imposing pantheon with only 5 people buried inside, I guess they were the most important Medici, because the rest of the line has far more humble tombs. There are even a few Michaelangelo statues. My takeaway of the Medici family is that they had a very impressive trajectory -- from little known merchants and "modest money changers" to the creators of an impressive business empire and control of the city, along with their patronage of the arts of course!

    While Joe napped, I substituted my elliptical workout for a climb up the cathedral dome, and then to the top of the bell tower. It's been a bit complicated figuring out how I can do the climbs, which require timed entry, and still coincide the rest of my visit with Joe's timed entry for the non-climbing part of the visit. Hopefully we can visit the cathedral and the Baptistery together tomorrow.

    It was the hottest part of the day when I got to the cathedral, but the wind at the top of the 481 steps (416 for the bell tower) was so refreshing. Lots of great views after so many twisty turny steps up.

    Our hotel has been making our dinner reservations and so far so good! We had a nice walk to the plaza in front of Santa Maria Novela and then hoofed it to Armando’s Trattoria.

    Get Outlook for iOS    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany

    Cathedral Day

    9 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    My morning jaunt started at the train station to see about a day trip to Pisa. We have time and it’s close! Trains run frequently and are cheap. I got the Pisa info I needed and went to the Santa Maria Novella piazza (my favorite so far) to watch the day come to life.

    Since Joe is the world’s slowest cappucino drinker, and since he wanted two this morning, I had plenty of time to talk with the concierge guy about visiting Pisa for a day, buying tickets, etc. He suggested that hiring a driver would be so much easier for Joe (using him as an excuse for my taking the easy way out!). Problem solved.

    Today was our day to visit the cathedral. I had done the climbing parts yesterday afternoon, so this was all about the ground floor and below. Cathedral, museum, baptistery. The cathedral itself is not one of my favorites, though the dome is very impressive. Too bad they tore down the Romanesque predecessor. The book says it’s gothic trending to early Renaissance, but it is awfully clunky and imposing inside to my way of thinking. Though I am surely no expert. Some remains have been excavated below the current cathedral floor, going all the way back to a Roman home, an early Christian church, and Romanesque Santa Raparata. The museum houses tons of pieces that were removed from the gothic cathedral when the marble was put on; they are displayed beautifully. There’s a pieta (not completely finished) by Michaelangelo that was to be for his own tomb, but apparently he stopped working on it because he found too many imperfections in the marble. The romanesque baptistery has beautiful mosaics; some are in scaffolding for restoration, but there was a lot to ooh and ahh over.

    Just a note about the timed entry tickets. Seems like it should work great, but the problem is that there is one line for which some people have timed entry and some don’t. Too complicated to explain. As a result, there was a lot of screaming and shouting and pushing when four of us made our way to the front at our assigned time, and at the direction of staff. One large group was particularly angry because they also had timed entry, but had been waiting in line for 45 minutes, not knowing they were supposed to jump the line when it was their time. Luckily there was a couple from Wisconsin with us and we stood firm. I am not sure why the staff who motioned us to the front did not come to our defense when the shouting and shoving started, but it made for some excitement!

    For the first time, there was someone else with me in the hotel’s small fitness center. Good to have another body in there moving around to keep the lights from going off so frequently. Minor annoyance, not a complaint, I am very grateful for it. We have a dinner reservation in a place highly recommended by friends. It’s in a part of town we haven’t been to, so we’ll take a cab over early and walk around a bit.    Läs mer

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    Uffizi

    10 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    This morning was a good time to do some wash. That will postpone the need for a laundromat trip, and it’s pretty depressing to sit inside a laundromat while you’re in a beautiful place. I had left stuff soaking last night, and my handy dandy lagarto soap was all I needed. 5 minutes of scrubbing and that was it. Walking the camino every year makes me an expert in this particular domestic chore.

    The crowds at the Uffizi were very large, especially around the Botticellis, no doubt about it. But the medieval rooms much less so. I love the slightly byzantine Madonnas. And there in front of me, at the bottom of a large picture of three saints, was a hat with a scallop shell. I had been hoping to see Santiago, but he was pretty much going incognito in this picture. I wonder why his scallop shell was so well hidden. And I’m also not sure how I was lucky enough to see it!

    All in all, the visit was not the terrible crush I had feared. Joe particularly enjoyed stopping at all the Roman busts lining the two long hallways, seeing if he could remember a bit of trivia about the particular emperor or god depicted.

    We spent a long while on the rooftop cafe enjoying being within spitting distance of the Palazzo Vecchio. I’ve found the perfect substitute for my much loved Fanta de Limón (a camino favorite). Here it’s “Lemon Soda” (and the can proudly proclaims that it’s “solo limoni siciliani”).

    I think some quality rest time is on order today, especially since we have an early departure to Pisa tomorrow. And many restaurants are closed on Sunday anyway. On the way back to our hotel, we passed the only sandwich shop that has ever been the subject of a New Yorker article, I’ll bet.
    https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/t…
    I brought two back for dinner in the little sitting area off our bedroom, and we will take a stroll along the river before bed.    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany
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    Pisa

    11 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Originally I hadn’t included a stop in Pisa, but several friends recommended it, and we had an extra bit of time in Florence, so why not? It was another hot, sunny day, and Pisa was crowded crowded crowded, but the monumental complex is, well, very monumental.

    The travel part was easy, with the driver showing up at our door at 8:30 and dropping us off about 6 hours later. We didn’t have a whole day to explore more of the city, and I decided to keep us centered in the cathedral square rather than rush around to see some more monuments. This was the perfect length of trip for Joe and allowed us to see things at leisure and enjoy another café up several stories high and looking out over the tower.

    I was actually a little cynical about the leaning tower before we got there, but it really does take your breath away up close. It looks like it has been cleaned very recently and it is a sparkling white marble beauty. And in spite of all the people posing to place their hands so the photo looks like they are holding up the tower, it was easy to get an unobstructed view and enjoy its intricate and ornate carved arches. Actually, there was beauty aplenty, given that there are three romanesque buildings (baptistery, cathedral and tower) all within a few hundred feet of each other. I did not climb the tower, but was more than content with the views of the outside. The cathedral and the Baptistery had lots to see and admire, too. The height of the arches in the cathedral was gasp-inducing, two rows of barrel vaulted perfection. There are also some beautiful mosaics of Christ the Pantócrato behind the altar, but it was hard to get very close to them.

    I had never heard of the Camposanto (though Michelin tells me it is as famous as the other buildings). It’s a 13th century burial ground, more than 600 graves, an open-aired long rectangular nave surrounded by romanesque arches filled in with delicate beautiful gothic lacing. It looks just like a huge cloister inside. The walls had some huge 14th century murals involving macabre death scenes and the last judgment. Appropriate for a cemetery.

    We have one day left in Florence, and no major sites left to see. I had planned to go to the Archaeological Museum, but this trip was so nice that I asked if we could do it again tomorrow. We are still undecided between Arezzo and San Gimignano (again, based on recommendations of some good buddies), but either option looks great. And yes I know there will be crowds.    Läs mer

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    Plan B

    12 september 2023, Italien ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    I always write these snippets before we go to dinner, but I woke up this morning remembering last night’s terrific meal (sea bass, seafood pasta, zucchini flower salad with burrata, mint and tomatoes — YUM) but the very best was the lemon sorbet and pistachio biscotti. When I told the waiter how good they were, he brought me a little bag. I am saving them. Osteria di Giovanni, one of the best so far!

    This morning it was pretty clear that Joe was zonked. Not even the lure of a couple of cappucinos did the trick. Time to let him rest. So I was lucky to learn that the driver could come in the afternoon. It means that ultimately we will not get inside Santa Maria Novella (though we have enjoyed many hours sitting at cafés in the plaza with decent music buskers and lots of people enjoying themselves), nor will we get to the Archaeological Museum. We can deal with that. I always try to schedule more time than “needed” in a place so we can adjust if something like this happens, and I’m glad to have this last day in Florence to let Joe recharge. Once again, the elliptical and the lovely café outside our hotel door came to the rescue!

    I got more votes for Arezzo than for San Gimignano, and had decided to go for it. But several people at breakfast this morning raved about San Gimignano. The guys at the desk agreed with them, pointing out that the drive to San Gimignano is more scenic than to Arezzo. My guess is that Arezzo is less touristy and that we would have really enjoyed the frescoes that Irene told me about, but I have to say that San Gimignano was quite nice. And our driver took an off-road route for most of the way, going through that beautiful iconic Tuscan landscape— hills, vineyards, villas, cypress trees. Funny how different the vineyards of Tuscany look from the vineyards of Spain even though the main ingredient is the same.

    It was very crowded — September is absolutely no longer shoulder season. No point in grousing about all the tourists, so we just tried to concentrate on the beauty of the town and the piazzas. Had a cold drink in a little café about two seconds off the main drag where it was quiet, shady, and calm. Then Joe sat on a bench with the old guys while I got him some ice cream. Nocciato (hazelnut) and pistacchio are my hands down favorites.

    So our touring in Florence is done. Our last dinner awaits. Onward tomorrow!    Läs mer

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    Travel Day

    13 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We left Florence and headed to Cinque Terre by train. I had planned the trip to be as stress-free as possible. Late departure (12:30), 15 minute connection time in Pisa, arrival in Monterosso around 3. I would definitely not want to do this with anything other than carry-ons. Flights of stairs to make connections and no elevator in sight.

    We saw some rocky mountains and Google maps told me it was the Apuan Alps. I saw something that looked like mining, and before I could wonder too much, I saw the name of the town we were passing!

    The owner of our B&B in Monterosso met us at the station to walk with us there. It’s in the historic center, the home where she was born. Very charming. La Poesia.

    Joe took a nap and I followed the walking path out of town for 40 minutes out and then back. Got some pretty good elevation in! I won’t be able to do any of the village to village walks, but I plan to do a bunch of out and back walks when Joe is resting. It’s a beautiful setting and the temperature is great. Crowded, but no surprise there.

    We’re at a very cute tapas place for a light supper. Good restaurants all fill up, so I’ve already made reservations for our next two nights!    Läs mer

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    Day in Cinque Terre

    14 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Along with about a million of our closest friends, we spent the day hopping on and off boats to go into some of the little villages that have become tourist magnets. We are tourists and we are magnetized, so how can we complain. The owner of our B&B told us in no uncertain terms that we should chuck our plan of taking the train and stick to the ferry. I was dubious, but followed her advice. She was absolutely right. Entering these villages from the water is so much more beautiful than going through a tunnel to town from the train station. Only one of our boat rides was what I would call crowded, though they all had a good number of passengers. Based on what some people at lunch told us, the trains were being used by big tour groups (only saw one on all our boat rides) and that makes things more difficult.

    We bought a day pass and started out on the 9:30 ferry. We spent about an hour and a half in each town, so Joe could have a gelato and I could climb the local castle or hoof it up to the overlook. We did stay several hours in Manarola, where we had a long and excellent lunch of mussels and some exceptional white anchovies, which I haven’t had in a long time (boquerones in Spain). The towns are all very picturesque, but seem to be totally dedicated to the tourist business. There are vineyards nearby, so someone is making a living doing something other than selling gelato and boat tickets!

    People were all extremely patient and helpful when Joe needed extra hands to navigate some especially unfriendly steps or ramps. No jostling or pushing either. I am glad we came, but I don’t think I would come back, unless it was in the dead of winter. I’m sure I’d love walking the trail, but I think I’m too hooked on the Camino to make a switch to Italy.    Läs mer

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    Day on the Water

    15 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    I was wrong about two things - one, I was afraid that we would have had so much ferry time yesterday that today’s boat trip would not be so fun. And two, I said I wouldn’t want to come back here. Going slowly up and down the coast was really great! And I got a much better view of the trails I could walk if I were to return. So maybe I shouldn’t say never, because they look fabuloso.

    I am so glad I booked this boat trip weeks ago, because a couple in our B&B was very disappointed they couldn’t get anything for the next four days. It was a bit pricey, but oh so worth it. The views of the villages were amazing, the water was super clear and warm, and I even got to swim near a huge jelly-fish, but only after I was assured that this one wouldn’t sting. One of the young guys on our boat (there were 12 of us total) picked it up, but no way I was interested in that.

    Joe did not get off the boat to swim, but had a seat in the shade and did not mind sitting there doing nothing for our swim time (or at least that’s what he said). After swimming they served us a very nice spread of tapas type food (each one made locally and with an explanation of what it was and who made it!) with some prosecco to accompany it.

    The weather looks like it’s turning, and our boat company has already cancelled the trips for the next three days, not only because of thunderstorms but also because the water will be quite choppy and this little boat can’t take too many waves. We have been quite lucky!

    I did some up and down walking on the trail and saw the bunker we had seen from the boat. The Nazis occupied the town for three years and there were many bombardments. It’s so sobering to see a reminder of how horrible things were years ago.

    One last dinner will be in another highly rated place, which I was able to reserve on Wednesday when we got here. If it’s anything like last night’s meal in Osteria (caprese salad, seafood ravioli for Joe and pesto for me), we will be well fed!    Läs mer

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    Another travel day

    16 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Back on the train to Pisa to connect to the train to Lucca. All of this is a little hard on Joe but he’s been a trooper. Up and down the stairs, crowd huddling in the shade, one person says—I just heard the platform was changed. The masses move to the stairs. Another says —no that’s a different train. Finally a real Trenitalia person appears and tells us to stay put. Then the train arrives and there is more confusion. Nothing that anyone who has traveled by train in Italy hasn’t experienced. And I am not knocking Italian trains. They put US trains to shame a million times over. Connection in Pisa was effortless, and even though I could not figure out how to get my ticket stamped, the very nice men in uniforms just told us to sit down and not worry. Note to self: next time, make sure to use the Trenitalia app. Much easier.

    Our hotel is in the middle of the historic center and about a 30 minute walk in Joe time from the train station. We walked because our B&B didn’t open till 2 pm. It was sunny and a bit hot but we went straight through the historic center.

    Joe napped while I walked around. I went to the plaza built where the Roman amphitheater once was and two pretty stunning Romanesque churches. All the columns and capitals were from Roman temples, so no display of Romanesque inside.

    After Joe’s nap and shower we grabbed a couple of slices of pizza from a place where the 35-50 person line had evaporated. Then the aimless walking took us to the entrance of San Giovanni, another Romanesque church that sits on a 9th century crypt, which sits on a 4th century baptistery, which sits on a 1st C BC Roman villa. Unfortunately no entrance was possible because of the Puccini (who’s from Lucca) celebration. But we learned there would be an opera concert in the church this evening. A performance of some “ greatest hits.” So we bought the tickets and had a light snack in a café nearby. In a beautiful square. Where we are waiting till concert time. This is a charming place, no doubt about it. Some tourists but most definitely a real city.    Läs mer

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    Opera in the evening.

    16 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    At our Puccini celebration concert, we heard bits and pieces from Madame Butterfly, Toscana, Turandot, La Boheme. One tenor and one mezzo-soprano who alternated. Then a couple of pieces together. I’m no opera expert but even I recognized something from Madam Butterfly! Very fun in a Romanesque church no less.

    Then we took a stroll around the lit-up cathedral, followed by a light dinner in a cute café restaurant we passed on our way back to the hotel. This was a very nice intro to Lucca.    Läs mer

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    Tourist day in Lucca

    17 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    I got back from my early morning walk at about 9:15, and based on Joe’s response, I was not too optimistic about how our day would unfold. But two cappuccinos and a big breakfast later, he was ready to go.

    The cathedral visit, and seeing the archaeological excavation under San Giovanni, were both top notch. All these layers, and bits and pieces of each layer remain, going back to the Romans from about 2 C BC. It was fun to climb around the sub-church layer, where archaelogists had identified the villa, the early Christian church, the Baptistery, and even a 12 C church destroyed later that century to make way for the current church. I climbed the two bell towers while Joe waited patiently. The Cathedral has an 8 C Volto Santo, which is a wooden crucifixion that comes with the tradition/legend that it was carved by Nicodemus shortly after the Resurrection. Carbon dating disproves that theory, but it has been confirmed as being from the 700s. They are currently doing serious renovation work on the cross and figure of Christ, so it is not hanging in its chapel. But the work space is glass-enclosed, so you can watch the work when it’s in process.

    After the cathedral and church, we found ourselves on the 16-17 C walls that surround the city. They replaced the original Roman walls, and the later medieval walls, expanding the perimeter of the city as they went. This is now an absolutely wonderful 5 km Via Verde - lots of bikes and carts and walkers on a shaded path that has multiple access points within and without the walls. Joe and I walked about 3 km on the path, and I’ve walked the whole circle twice by myself — once in early morning and once when Joe went to take his nap.

    Since we hadn’t eaten any lunch, our last pre-nap stop was at a café outside one of my favorite churches - San Frediano, with a white marble facade (brought over from the Roman amphitheater) and 12C mosaics on top.

    We’re doing a zoom baby shower for my niece and her husband in a few hours, and I will be there!    Läs mer

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    Another travel day.

    18 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I decided to take a cab to the Lucca train station, though we had walked from there to our hotel when we arrived in Lucca. The whole trip to Siena was very easy. Two regional trains with a 20 minute transfer in Florence. On arrival in Siena, I continued the luxury travel theme and decided to take a cab, because the walk would be straight up and tough for Joe. Unfortunately, there were about 10 parties in front of us and it took us almost a full hour to get to the front of the line and hop in a cab. Apparently, Siena’s cab contingent dropped to under 50 during covid and is now up to 54. But oh well.

    Our hotel is right in the middle of the historic center, very convenient. I had to manage cathedral tickets again to account for Joe not climbing the tower. With timed entry and different tickets to visit different things, it was a bit complicated but I managed. After a quick lunch, Joe took a nap and I headed to the porta del cielo, which took us up and around the cathedral dome. I had about another 90 minutes to just walk and get oriented. This is a tremendously beautiful city, just wow. It has been a bit cloudy this afternoon, but that doesn’t detract from the medieval and gothic beauty.

    We ate dinner in a slightly upscale place called Tre Cristi. It’s about two minutes from the hotel, which was good for Joe. He was feeling good after dinner so we walked to the main square and then on up to the cathedral, both beautifully lit up at night.    Läs mer

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    Cathedral Day

    19 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I decided to head out in a new direction this morning before breakfast. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the data I had bought as part of Verizon’s “international plan” was about to expire. I had quite the time wandering lost in the early morning, and Joe was happy to keep on sleeping!

    We spent most of the day in the cathedral, the baptistry, the crypt, and the museum. With two breaks in the duomo square café for aqua frizzante. It was a great visit. The exterior of the cathedral (mostly 13 C) is an unbelievable frenzy of columns, capitals, arches, and more. The cathedral’s marble floors, decorated with biblical and mythological scenes in the 14-16C, are uncovered only for a few months of the year, and we were lucky to see them. But my favorite was the crypt, the ancient church that lies under the current cathedral. It was only discovered in 1999, I read, and it has some beautiful 13C frescoes of Christ’s life. In the museum, there is a walk several hundred steps up to a great “vista panoramica.” Joe sat patiently in a very airconditioned gallery in front of a priceless Madona and child.

    We had a light lunch in the main square, nothing great (except for the view), but enough to hold us till dinner. When I left Joe back in the hotel for his afternoon rest/nap, my plan had been to climb the Torre Mangia in the main square. Not sure why I hadn’t figured that the tickets were likely to be sold out, and so they were. My other choices were the Pinacoteca, which houses the best collection of Siena romanesque, and the San Domenico church, where the severed head of Santa Catarina de Siena is in a reliquary for all to see (her body is in Rome). I started with the Pinacoteca, and found some medieval pilgrims begging, but no Santiago. Then I walked over to San Domenico, where I didn’t spend much time with the gruesomeness, but did enjoy the walk and got terrific views of the cathedral from below.

    Dinner tonight in Siena at a very highly rated place, though it may be wasted on my un-foodie palette . Joe is still holding up very well, and remembers that he is in Siena!    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany
    1132

    Repositioning Day

    20 september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Just like the cruise ships that move from summer in the Mediterranean to winter in the Caribbean, we needed to reposition ourselves back to Florence. Our flight leaves from there very early tomorrow morning.

    When I woke up this morning, it occurred to me that I had time to climb the Torre Mangia. So I left notes all over for Joe, in case he woke up, telling him I would be back no later than 11. I had a quick breakfast, and got myself to the ticket line. Since I was early, I was able to get in the first group to go up. About 25 at a time, and a good little bit of cardio to get to the top with its great views. I met a Canadian couple who, like me, is always unable to resist the temptation to climb a tower, climb a castle, climb whatever happens to be there to climb.

    I was back at the hotel and able to bring Joe up a tray for breakfast, so he got a good sleep today. We’ll make up for that tomorrow, with a 4:45 departure for the airport.

    We left the hotel a little after noon and walked through old Siena one more time. I haven’t done any shopping, but I couldn’t resist getting something for my granddaughter who loves drawing and painting. She would have loved that store! Then a few minutes in Piazza Salemberi listening to the cellist playing, and finally on to the bus stop.

    When we got to Florence, we had a short walk to our hotel — unfortunately the place we spent the week had no availability for today, so I just booked something near the station. Turns out it is a stone’s throw from the church I had slightly regretted missing, so I headed over there while Joe took a nap.

    Santa María Novella can be summed up in one word - frescoes! They are everywhere, inside the church, in the cloisters, many in excellent condition from the 14 and 15 C. The nave is long and very high with romanesque barrel vaults. I remembered that Nils had asked about a Giotto crucifixion, so I was delighted to see it hanging in the nave. This is definitely a not-to-be-missed church if you like romanesque and early gothic.

    One last dinner in Florence, then one heck of an early morning to the airport.    Läs mer

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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsHeading to Tuscany

    Travel day —Home again

    22 september 2023, Förenta staterna ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Yesterday was the day that makes you wonder whether you’re crazy to keep on traveling. We had a 7 am flight from Florence to Madrid. Though it was all booked on one ticket with American, that first leg was on Vueling, which is a low cost airline. That’s fine but for some reason they were unable to give me my boarding passes for the rest of the trip and told me that I would have to get them in Madrid. And then, even though we had business tickets, the lounge wasn’t an option because our first leg was on a low cost. Not a huge deal, but things were crazy crowded and the coffee was very bad. Probably wouldn’t have been much better in the lounge though.

    Once in Madrid, getting those boarding passes was not easy. There is one, yes only one, customer service desk in T4 where these boarding passes could be obtained. The line was slow, and the Iberia customer service representatives did not have an endless reservoir of patience. Luckily we had about 3 hours in between planes, so we were able to navigate it and still had about an hour in the lounge to gird our loins for what was to come next. Joe had a banana and a glass of white wine, interesting combo. The one advantage of this segment of the trip is that since we went through security in the Schengen zone (Florence), we didn’t have to go through security again to get to T4 and our international flight in Madrid.

    The Iberia flight to Boston was fine (why Boston, you may ask - well it all had to do with the cheapest business tickets I could find!). But once in Boston things got hectic and confusing again. I couldn’t recheck our luggage in the international terminal — even though we had carryons, I always check them on the way home. Since our ticket was booked on American, we had to take the luggage over to the domestic terminal. This requires a ride on a transfer bus that seems to come whenever the driver feels like making the rounds. In fact I remembered from one of my caminos flying from Boston and having to ask a car rental bus driver to take me over to the international terminal because the clock was ticking and the transfer bus was no where to be found. Note to self: no more international transfers in Boston. But we made it to Terminal B, checked in again, got through security again, and got to our gate. Our Iberia flight had been 40 minutes late, but luckily (at least for this leg) our flight from Boston to Chicago was also late. So we made the connection.

    Once in Chicago, we had about 30 minutes to get from L gates all the way to the end of G. Joe got a good cardio workout, probably the best he’s had in a long time. As we were walking down G, we heard an announcement that our flight was in final boarding, so I ran ahead, let them know we were here, then ran back to luckily find Joe making his way towards our gate. We made it, got to Champaign, and thought nothing about having to sit for a half hour waiting for the Uber to get home. That was a luxury!

    I don’t expect anyone to really read this rant, but I do like to have a record of it so I can remind myself that we can deal with really bad travel days. Joe suggested this morning that I start planning another trip to Italy, but I think I’ll wait a while for that.    Läs mer

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    Resans slut
    22 september 2023
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