Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Italy: Tuscany

Photo Album. (Written September 25, 2008) The next chapter of our Italian trip was in a “little red jellybean” European Diahatsu stuffed with the four of us, our luggage and a fancy right side cosmetic mirror affixed with duct tape. Tuscany, here we come!

We meandered through the hill towns of Greve, Montelchino, Pienza, San Querico, Cordona and Chivita enjoying the unique shops, trattorias, piazzas and accommodations in each. Italy has a unique accommodation program called “agritourismo” that are basically farmhouses transformed into quaint and unique Bed & Breakfasts. The first night’s place was my favorite. Up a Tuscan hillside off a gravel road we discovered “Le Centinelle,” a 500 year old farmhouse turned B&B complete with a vineyard and olive trees. They make their own wine, olive oil and honey. After a nap, Andy and I awoke to dinner of fresh bread, cheese, meat and veggies in the quaint common area. We sampled Le Cetinelle vino rossi and olio which were both to die for! Along with burning candles in the candlelabras and Luciano Pavorotti filling our ears, it was another memorable evening with the Conlon’s.

We met a lovely couple there from Munich to boot – Robert & Simone. The conversation flowed easily from the get-go as we swapped travel stories and life philosophy sprinkled with conversational jokes and laughter. Andy and I have been planning to go to Munich for Oktoberfest and tapped them for information on the event. They were so kind to extend an invitation to us to spend a weekend with them in Munich! We absolutely can’t wait. We’ll be there October 3 – 5 or so, the last weekend of the Bavarian celebration.

Tuscany has such amazing countryside of vineyards upon rolling hills sprinkled with hill towns created centuries ago. Much of the original architecture remains amongst cathedrals, piazzas and gardens. I can see why people love to visit Italia!

Italy: Florence & Tuscany

Florence Photo Album. (Written September 22, 2008) Ahh, Florence and Tuscany...I (Stacy) have dreamed about seeing these cities en Italia for half my life. A little known fact about me is that I actually have a minor in art history and this is an art historian’s paradise. We arrived at Firenze Santa Maria Nouvella train station with giant smiles on our faces. My Dad and step mom Judy warmly greeted us and walked us through town to the 2 BR apartment in the heart of the city across from the Ponte Vecchio. They are here in celebration of their 15-year wedding anniversary and we are both honored and blessed to be here with them during their special time.

Cappuccino, panini, pasta, pizza, gelato, proscuiotto, pecorino romano, wild boar salami, olio, pomodoro and vino…deliciouzo! Food and drink just doesn’t get better than this. My taste buds are on overload with every bite and sip. I must tell you about this moto bene (very good) meal we enjoyed on our 2nd night in Firenze. Dad heard about Il Latini from a friend who said it was an experience not to be missed and very important to order “la specialite de la casa” or the specialty of the house. No menus here. Our reservation was at 19:30 but we arrived at 19:15 with 50 people already mobbed together outside the entrance on this non-descript street. We could see a single group of people finishing a meal which we assumed to be the servers. Suddenly, the glass doors opened and the mob got tighter. The four of us linked arms in defense and our name was called. “Mi scusi” I called as I pushed past people. You’d think that we were waiting to see Madonna with this pushy group!

A friendly, tipsy waiter sat us down at a table for four complete with a two-litre bottle of Chianti. Ham hocks drooped down from the ceiling as a functional decoration above us. A high-energy vibe filled the room as folks were seated. It’s interesting how humans love the feeling of exclusivity in a situation like this – and I didn’t even know what I was in for! I get a kick out of human nature.

The courses began to flow. Proscuitto (the best I’ve ever had – so tender and not stringy whatsoever), spicy stuffed mini-peppers, salami slices, caprese salad, pate, bread and tomato wheat risotto. Next course – spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli and penne Bolognese. For the main course the four of us had different meats – wild rabbit, veal, prime rib and lamb – all so tender, fresh and delicious with a side of spinach and roasted potatoes. For dessert a chocolate cake, lemon cake, some sort of strudel and something else. By this time, we’d just about finished our second two-litre bottle of Chianti and none of us could recall the 4th dessert dish. And what did the waiter bring next? A glass of moscato spumante (a sparkling dessert wine) and some other wine liqueur. By now the four of us were toasted, dying laughing at just about everything and enjoying each moment with one another. It was a night to remember (or at least of what I can remember of it!).

Another highlight was listening to street musicians play in the piazza at night while we licked gelato. The acoustics amongst the old columns and statues with gentle up lighting was surreal. The Uffizi, Michelangelo, Botticelli…Firenze. It was everything I imagined and more.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

In Cinque Terre, Italy

Buongiourno from Cinque Terre, Italy!

I have a few blogs written on Andy's computer and ready to upload but unfortunately, USB ports on public computers do not allow outside drive connections. So...just a quick note here to let you know that we are alive and well and more stories to come soon from our time in Florence, Tuscany, Rome and Pisa. The next stop for us is Venice then up to Munich for the last weekend of Oktoberfest!

Stay tuned for new photos and stories in the next few days.

Ciao for now!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

A Unique Six in Skopelos

(Written September 18, 2008) Greece. This is the 4th time in 6 weeks that we have been to Athens, a rather unremarkable place. And now that we on the ferry to Ancona, Italy, I breathe a sigh of relief to move along. This ferry is like a cruise ship - a very plush and unexpected surprise!

This time in Skopelos was unique. The weather began muggy, overcast and warm. Next it was hot, sunny and dry. Summer was still here. Jeremy & Bonni rented a house with 3 levels just down the street from our tiny Skopelos House. It had a self-contained studio downstairs that they graciously allowed us to use. Though we didn’t mind sharing a small space with Andy’s parents, it was nice surprise to have privacy and our own bathroom.

The inimitable combination of the 6 of us together for 7 days was a wonderfully matchless dynamic. Originally, we planned to spend the time with Bonnie & Tom (Andy’s parents) in the Skopelos House and cross over with Bonni & Jeremy (Jeremy is Stacy’s best high school friend) for just a day or two at the end of their journey. But they ended up staying that entire time and we all got together daily, sharing a beach day at Velanio or Panormos, eating meals out at the tavernas or sharing drinks on the rooftop at dusk. We talked and laughed and connected on a myriad of levels (thanks to Tom’s questions, and for all you Drolets you know what that implies!). I felt as though everyone was so generous to us and in turn I had a constant feeling as though I wanted to give back. We would, then they would, and it became this ongoing cycle of bounty and thanks. It was a special pleasure for me to get to know Jeremy’s Bonni and look forward to many more years of close friendship with the two of them as husband and wife.

One day, Andy built a deck on the roof using a chainsaw, plywood, sandpaper, palates, a hammer and nails. It was pretty sweet until Father Greece discovered it and threatened us to remove it. It is on his roof after all. We’ll see what happens there.

By the time we left it was cool, windy and rainy. It seemed fall had arrived. Jer, Bonni, Andy and I took the 7:15am Flying Cat in terribly windy weather north up to Volos to catch a bus back down to Athens. People were getting sick all around us and it felt like the boat was going to flip. I had visions of the Stand By Me scene approaching with Lard Ass and the blueberry pie puke-capade. Thankfully I had Dramamine and all four of us made it without joining in the festivites.

So now we’re en route to Florence, Italy to meet up with my Dad & Judy for five days during their 15-year wedding anniversary. Italy has been at the top of my list for years! I am looking forward to the culinary, wine and Renaissance indulgences, indeed.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

3 Weddings & a Hangover

27 days later & I feel exhausted.

I would first like to congratulate 6 of our favorite people in this beautiful world:

To Jeremy & Bonni, Scott & Melissa, Carl & Megan, may the knots you have recently tied be eternal and wonderfully fulfilling. To our lifelong family members, Jeremy, Scott & Megan, cheers to you! We could not be more excited about your newfound happiness. To our newest kin, we can selfishly say that we are excited to have you in OUR lives and look forward to celebrating life with you and yours’ for a long time coming. You are all such remarkable and beautiful people that we care for, admire and think of often.

OK, enough of the sentimental. The days between August 13 & September 9 were like a weekend bender that wouldn’t stop. {sigh} If there was such thing as a month-long party, we just now cleaned off the hand stamp that got us in to the thing! Our itinerary was well known months ago, even before we departed in February we had return flights booked for this monumental reunion marathon. It served Stacy & I as a marker to look forward to as we traversed the rivers & waterfalls of New Zealand, the rice paddies of Vietnam and the sands of the Sahara. We knew our on-the-move lifestyle would not be going anywhere, even though we were in fact ‘going home’.

Dad & Sonja grabbed us at LAX with welcoming smiles and hugs! We were home!! We returned to the US of A, and would laugh and look at one another with a smirk when someone would ask us, “So, where are you staying while you’re back?” “Uhhh…see that silver truck over there with the shell? That’s where.” It was a 4 week road trip not for the feint hearted, but with Emma dog by our side we were living it up and speeding full speed ahead.

First, a monumental Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend plopped us right back into our old reality with so many of the friends we had yearned to reconnect with for 6 months. It was truly a case of men vs women. Scottie’s boys went to the mountains of Bishop, CA for a rustic male bonding getaway and Melissa’s ladies partied their arses off in the new Vegas, Palm Springs! I’ve seen the photos and YES, there was a slightly different dynamic, but NO they did not have more fun than us. BBQs vs Pizza Deliveries? Horseshoes vs Disco Dancing? Rushing Rivers vs Bulging Plastic Penis Straws? C’mon. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed those darn Miller Lites!

Stacy & I reunited for a drive North through SF (Hi & goodbye to Momma C., Shawn-O, Jamers, Leslie & Pilger!) then to southern Oregon where we found out that the California drought had certainly spread across state lines. Too bad. It was beautiful however and Jer & Bonni’s property (doubling as wedding site) was awe-inspiring. Natural beauty engulfed us in the countryside just south of Grant’s Pass. We met so many great people and Stacy was reunited with friends from the 90s. Oh, and the wedding? It was the perfect setting for 2 great people. It felt a lot like the site of our wedding and brought back lots of goose bumps.

3 days in Ruch, OR and we were back in the truck with Emma looking at us like, Where is my home anyways? Redwoods, Radiohead (for Stacy anyways!) and rural scenic routes got us to San Luis Obispo, where Emma and I played with Coop and Abby (Abdominals) for a few days before Wedding #2. Scott & Melissa’s spot at the Cliffs of Pismo was breathtaking. The fog cleared and left us groomsmen (Stew, Mikey & I) with sunny ocean views and diving pelicans all around. The dance party was definitely alcohol-enhanced (for me at least) and it was as if my new Thursday, Friday, Saturday routine was in full swing. I’m getting the hang of this wedding thing!

With hangover slightly subdued by a bagel sammich, Stace and Emma joined me in saying our goodbyes to Cooper David and Sara. Congratulations to the Apobeks!! Our drive took us south to east county San Diego and to the Drolets!! Can it be that we have partied for 2 weeks so far and barely seen a single Drolet (Hi Mom!)? What do we have in store for us! Hope Stacy can re-fuel on the 5 freeway! Dad & Sonja’s lunch in Pasadena helped a lot and we got to see Stephanie Marie too! To be honest, our stress was catching up to us a bit and Emma was the lucky one who got to watch the wife and I work through some stuff. We got to Jeff & Caitlin’s baby shower (Yes, Jeffrey Patrick is having a baby boy!!) before dark and somehow our energy was able to peak for just long enough to make the rounds with everyone at Aunt Nancy & Uncle Tim’s and watch El Jefe open like 100 gifts for Mr. Zachary!

We spent some time with Kevin & Judy poolside in San Marcos and Judy hemmed my wedding pants. What a lifesaver! A trip to the tailor at this point would have been “Ugg!” Another bachelor party, this time for Carlito, found us paying to BBQ our own steaks in the Gaslamp and mouthing the words to Lemmie’s Motorhead lyrics at the House of Blues. That dude is amazing! Lots of family bonding this week was really great. I do realize however, that my ability to cope with the go go go nature of these gatherings has diminished. Phew, I really do need a some silence one of these days!

Carl & Megan’s wedding was a Friday wedding and came on a beautiful and equally hot weekend on Coronado Island. It too was a picureqsue location and my forehead burn told the whole story! I got to spend some really good QT with Jeffrey among others. Uncles Frank and Kevin were good times too! Stacy, Jeff & I had one wacky interlude with a SheMan tranny looking to make a phone call, uhhh, sure. Megan looked amazing and Carl is one handsome sonofabiatch! Dinner turned into dancing and drunkenness for the group. The wedding technically ended at 11:30pm, but the after parties could not be contained. Not even by Coronado’s PD! At one point I looked around as about 40 of us stood in the back parking lot of the hotel and thought, damn, this is some tailgate party! And its 2am!

Saturday was a much-needed ‘down’ day and no, Mom & Aunt Nancy, we would not be able to make it to the El Cajon Pool Party this day. Sorry. Instead we rested for a split second before driving up to meet our new pals from Vietnam (actually from Cali) Louise & Walid, in San Clemente. Even though there were no jackets to be fitted for and no dates for ping pong (SE Asia references), we picked up right where we had left off.

The last order of business for me, besides packing and getting back to vacation, from our vacation…from our vacation, was to enjoy the Chargers home opener with the homies. An early tailgate party followed a long night a JD’s prior. The Chargers looked flat and then got the rug pulled out from under them with 2 seconds left! Damn! My Fantasy Squad similarly got burned when my Tom Brady went down for the season in the first quarter of his game. Aghhhhhh!

I said goodbye to the guys and found Stacy busting her butt in Encinitas to get us ready to depart again. She had gone shopping, organized our goods and most importantly for my well being, she was taking some of her OWN time to recover. 7 months ago we had spent weeks slowly prepping our packs. This departure did not allow for such planning so one Monday spent throwing things together for the remains of summer and the ensuing autumn found us checking mighty heavy bags to Athens. Mom & Pop were going with us to Skopelos this time which was great news. And it wasn’t too bad to be going BACK to Greece after all! We did have to leave Emma one more time, this time with a new experimental human food diet. Coop, I hope all goes well. And thank you so much! Dad & Sonja too!

Now we are back on the road with only us and our minimal gear. A few notes on our calendar for the near future but otherwise our itineraries are clear. Ah, off to Europe. I haven’t even had any time to think about it yet!!

On the Road Again...to Skopelos, Greece

(Written September 10, 2008) I am tired of listening to people talk. For the first time in weeks, I am sitting alone in a beautiful hotel room with nothing but the quiet hum of Andy’s Apple computer and the gentle tapping of the Mac keys. I am a Windows Girl at heart, but there is something much calmer about the sound of punching Mac keys. For 3 ½ weeks straight, we have done nothing but socialize with loved ones. While I immensely enjoyed the heart-warming interactions, I am burnt out with being “on” all the time. It’s interesting how I can feel the strong dichotomy of an immense love and joy with connecting with friends and family after six months of void, yet completely pooped out with the notion of talking to anyone. Ahh quietude. I can feel my fuel tank being filled by the minute.

We made it back to Athens, Greece after almost 24 hours of travel. I surprised myself with the amount of patience I felt during this time. In the past, I would sigh as I looked at my watch, sizing up just how much time was spent or wasted in the wrong line for instance. Now, while it certainly isn’t the most exciting time, I accept the situation for what it is and realize that whether I stand in line for 5 or 50 minutes, it is what it is. It’s nice to not feel worried about the things I cannot control. Instead, I take the time to enjoy the present moment because that’s all we ever have. I take deep breaths, make eye contact and smile at other people. It’s amazing how this mental space can bring such peace and clarity within. And things tend to work out pretty smoothly.

The metro finally dumped us at our station and we climbed up into the hot evening Athens sun. I surprised myself again how calm I felt with not knowing where we were. There was a time that my heart would flutter with nervousness upon entering a new town, disoriented and confused with signs in a different language, new noises and smells. Though each time, we patiently studied a map, found the nearest street corner, pulled out our trusty compass and found our way. Sometimes it would take longer than others, but dozens of times we would reach our desired destination without fail. So now I rest with a feeling of comfort with my home on my back that we will make it. We always do.

I am looking forward to another relaxing time in Skopelos, this time with Andy’s Mom and stepdad. Our friends Jeremy & Bonni (Wedding #1 for us in Oregon) are also honeymooning there at the same time! Good thing I have this peace and quiet now because socializing with loved ones is again right around the corner. And now I am looking forward to it.