Traveling by trains in Italy is easy, cheap and convenient. Once you learn how to use the "Fast Ticket Machine", you don't have to wait in long lines at the train station ticket counters. There are several of these machines nearby. You can press a button to choose your language among 8 common languages, then follow the directions and arrows to go forward or go back if you want to change the date or the time. You can also choose the kind of train to meet your budget: local, direct, express, or intercity. (The fast and comfy EuroStar trains require reservations that a ticket agent or a travel agent can do for you.) Once you have finalized you choices, you just insert your euro bill accordingly. Your ticket and your change will come down. Really simple!
On my last Saturday in Venice, I decided to make side trips to Padova (Padua) and Verona. Padova is only 30 minutes from Venice and the train ticket only costs 2.90 euro. Its prestigious university is the second oldest in Italy (after University of Bologna) and was once home to Galileo, Copernicus, Donatello, Dante and Petrarch. Its famous Capella Degli Scrovegni (The Scrovegni Chapel) holds gorgeous Giotto's frescoed scenes from the bible. Only 25 people are allowed in at a time to protect the paintings from excess humidity. Normally you have to reserve tickets ahead of time but I was lucky to get one right away. After visiting all the usual tourists' sights, I also walked around different town squares for people watching. In Garibaldi Square, a street performer was juggling three torches to the tune of lively music from a small boom box. In another town square, the fresh produce and fruit markets were crowded with buyers.
Verona, well known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, is an hour from Padova and 4.95 euro by train. The courtyard of the Casa di Giulietta (the House of Juliet) was full of tourists. I looked up at the famous stone balcony and saw a young girl with long hair posing as Juliet for her boyfriend below, so I took a few pictures too. Then I walked to the Arena, the biggest amphitheater in the Roman world when it could hold up to 25,000 spectators. Now it is the place for the famous Verona Opera Festival every summer. Like most other cities in Italy, Verona has beautiful cathedrals and basilicas with lovely frescoes and paintings inside that I never get tired of looking at. I enjoyed some quiet moments sitting in an empty church with all the beautiful and religious artwork around me, giving me a sense of serenity and peace in my own spirituality.
My two weeks in Venice went by too fast. I've learned so much, walked everywhere and seen so many wonderful sights. My school for Italian language and culture has a dedicated staff and lively, well-trained teachers. I felt a warm welcome on the first day when I received a folder full of practical information for new comers and an orientation session about Venice. The teachers make learning fun with small group work and pair practice, with interesting and realistic reading passages about life in Italy while teaching grammar. There are different cultural activities every afternoon or sometimes in the evening. A teacher would take us on a cultural walk to different parts of Venice each time. I'd always remember the time we were invited to a teacher's beautiful and spacious private home. We had a glass of wine with some biscotti while listening to her talk about Dante and recite dramatically two of his poems. I told her I'd just visited Dante's tomb in Ravenna the previous Sunday. On my second and last Friday at school, one of the teachers had us sing along some lovely Italian songs. That afternoon, we learned how to make tiramisu, and then we all enjoyed tasting it.
Unlike my Florence school where most students tend to be younger and more fun loving, my classmates and schoolmates in Venice are more mature and serious about learning Italian. Many of them are returnees for the second or third time. Others stay for weeks and months. I was enviously impressed! During break time, we would go down to the coffee shop next door for a cup of cappuccino and chitchat in Italian. Among my nine classmates were a retired civil engineer from Germany, a doctor from Spain, a young engineer from Belgium, a shiatsu massage therapist from Austria, a teacher from Korea, an office worker from Japan, a business consultant from Colombia working in England, a lawyer from The Netherland, and a university student from Poland now living in Germany. With such a diverse group, we had lots of fun sharing stories with each other and learning so much from one another in addition to practicing our Italian.
I talked to Nelida during the last hour at the house. What a difference eh? First day, I couldn't even squeeze a word out of my brain and I couldn't pick up much word when she spoke to me. She is so sweet. The time came and I hopped into the taxi. The driver was really nice too – we chatted about driving in Córdoba. The ride was only $20...crazy cheap. As I talked with Nelida, I got Havana's dulce de leche with the leftover money. :D. And now, with no peso left, it was time for me to say ‘chau’ to Córdoba.
I really didn't know what to expect since I didn't know anyone who's done this but it turned out to be a great experience. I was worried of gimmicky banking-on-tourist things but the school sincerely helps you learn the language while maintaining a good social atmosphere. Students are also there with a similar goal and it was easy getting to know them. Extraño a Córdoba mucho y espero que volver allá pronto...
Today was Estancia Jesuítica day J Christine and I caught a minibus at 9am, got to Jesús María at 10, grabbed coffee at a gas station and got to the Estancia. We asked for directions but we got bits and pieces from so many bystanders…From Jesús María, we took a taxi to Santa Catalina. The people at Jesús María helped us get one – they were so kind. We had a driver for 40km round trip and about 1 hour at Santa Catalina for $70 (~US$24). Many people confirmed that we got an awesome deal!! The driver's Spanish was hard to understand but conversed with him here and there. We had to go on gravel for 13km to Santa Catalina as it was tucked away. It was totally worth it.
A beautiful white church popped up in the dry field. The guy explaining the church spoke really clearly and both Christine and I felt awesome understanding his Spanish. He explained that a lot of the decorations came from Perú and that the Romans were replaced by Spaniards in the paintings, etc. The Estancia is actually private and we weren't able to visit. On the way back, we changed course to be dropped off at Colonia Caroya, another Estancia very close to Jesús María.
Estancias were established by Jesuits (Catholic effort against Protestants) to support themselves when the home office of the Spanish royalty expelled them. In their ‘hay days,’ they had huge establishments with schools and various production lines. Colonia Caroya was smaller scale but well maintained.
When we got to Córdoba, it was just in time for the Feria (arts & crafts show), which takes place every Saturday and Sunday evening. After that, we stopped by Alfonsina and I had my first non-teabag maté. As much as everybody drinks it all the time, it's rare to find it served at a cafe or a restaurant.
An order of maté came with ‘maté with bombilla’, a pot full of hierba mate and a thermos full of hot water... First reaction: what am I supposed to do with them?!?! But, I mean, there can't be much to it - steep the hierba, right? It turns out, I didn't do it quite right :p
Venice is a fascinating and amazing city. Built on 118 islets in a lagoon over 1,500 years ago, it is shaped like a giant fish with the Grand Canal winding through the middle. Laced together by 150 canals, 400 bridges and more than 2,000 alleys, it is a completely car-free city ideal for wandering tourists and walkers. Here people move around on foot, by boats, motorboats, vaporetti (steamboats served as water buses), traghetti (gondola ferry boats), or gondolas. It is home to 65,000 Venetians and a stop for over 20 million tourists a year, many of them staying for just one to three days.
Venice is a fun and charming city to walk around and get lost. It's like walking in a maze. Even with a map, it is impossible not to get lost here since there're thousands of narrow streets called calli - hundreds of them with no names and only wide enough for one or two people.
For me, Venice is a great city to practice mindful breathing and walking in addition to learning Italian. Every morning, neighborhood church bells wake me up to tell me that a brand-new day is awaiting me. I open the windows, deeply breathe in the fresh air, savor the picture-perfect scenes in front of me, and watch the boats moving along the canals below. Happiness and gratitude fill my heart and soul as I get ready for school. The school is only 5 minutes away.
At 8:30 am, I walk mindfully down each of the 40 stair steps from the 2nd floor condo. A few meters later, I carefully climb up and down 19 steps of a black little bridge, walk through a narrow little alley and stroll leisurely around the large Campo Santa Margherita square where morning activities have begun in earnest. Three fruit and vegetable vendors are busy displaying their produce and two souvenirs stalls are already up in the center. In the far right, three seafood stands are crowded with buyers. The coffee shops are busy with customers.
I stop by one for a cup of cappuccino and a croissant, then walk around to check out prices of different fruits and fish and to learn their names. At 8:55 am, I mindfully climb up 20 steps to my school on the 2nd floor of a corner building. What a lovely way to begin the day for me...
The fast and comfortable EuroStar train took me from Florence to Venice in less than 3 hours for 34 euro. On the train, I sat across a young Italian coast guard and eagerly practiced my Italian with him. He was returning to Grado, a small town north of Venice after visiting his parents near Rome. He usually works a two-day shift, and then goes home 3 hours away for 3 days. Sounds like an ideal work schedule! He just got married last year and his first baby boy is due in December. "Congratulazioni!" I said to him. Then I read some short news items from his daily newspaper and he helped me with my pronunciation, especially which syllable to put the correct accent or emphasis on, like gelateRIa instead of gelaTEria. We enjoyed each other's company and soon it was time for him to change trains 2 stop before Venice.
I studied the Venice map from my LET'S GO guidebook to see how I was going to walk from the train station to my homestay. My landlady/hostess wouldn't be there. At the last minute, she had to go off to California to visit her daughter and grandkids. Her niece Lorenza would take her place, I was told.
At 11:17 am, the train pulled into Venice. It was a beautiful day when I walked into an island city with old palaces, canals, alleys, bridges with lots of steps up and down, boats, vaporetti, gondole, narrow and short streets crowded with shops and tourists. Making my way out among the huge crowd of tourists at the train station, I tried to follow the directions Lorenza had told me on the phone the night before when I called to ask how to walk to the house in Campo Santa Margherita.
So with my medium-sized wheeled suitcase and my backpack, I stepped out into the glorious morning sunlight to face a harsh reality: Too many steps on WAY too many little bridges. It was hard to pull and push the suitcase along and up and down the numerous steps. I was afraid the wheels would come off from being abused. After about 15 minutes and seeing little bridges right and left around me, I stopped next to a newstand and called Lorenza for help. "Wait right there, " she said. In 5 minutes she came running with a big smile. We hugged and kissed on both cheeks as if we were old friends. Then she helped me pull my bag all the way home and up 40 steps to the 2nd floor condo.
I thought Lorenza would live here with me as my substitute hostess, but she lives with her mother nearby. After showing me everything around the house, she hugged me goodbye and left. So I am here all by myself in a large condo with spacious sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a garden terrace. Looking out from the kitchen or living room windows, I can see the Rio del Malcanton with boats and gondolas full of tourists passing by. I can enjoy listening to the romantic songs sung or played by the gondoliers, and the rousing bells from the nearby church. In addition, the house is only 5 minutes walk to my school, along a clean canal, over a little bridge, through a narrow and short alley, across a large square lined with coffee shops, bars, restaurants, little eateries, ice cream shops and a supermarket.
Today, Federico took us on a field trip to Cuesta Blanca. The class and 2 of his friends caught a 9am bus for about an hour ride. It was a long day. We hiked pretty much all day until late afternoon with a few stops for some reading and study time. Cuesta Blanca had some nice scenery and a river, although it was all dried up - somewhat reminding me of the East Bay - no wonder wild fires are popping up all around Córdoba... By the time I got home, it was a bit past 8pm. I was pretty wiped out because of the sun, lack of sleep and hunger. That night, Nelida whipped up a delicious chicken roast with potatoes for dinner and I washed it down with a few glasses of wine, retreated to my room to finish up my Homework and passed out.
Today was really a Spanish overload. I mean, talk about a smoking brain. I arrived in Córdoba at 9:30am and took a taxi to the house. At the house, I finally met my host mother, Nelida. She briefly showed me around the house – it was large with 5 bedrooms. Then, it was time for me to go to school, as I was already late. The school is about a 30-minute walk from my homestay - not bad. I got to the school around 11am and, Bam, a placement exam. I was tired, gross and hungry. I wasn't excited about this, to say the least. Shortly after, the test was evaluated and I was put in to a class with Federico. At that moment, I had to throw English out the window. Only Spanish was spoken in the class and during the break. Boy, the first hour was intense. I wasn't in the right mode. Everything sounded like music but all 6 of my classmates spoke Spanish really well.
That afternoon, the school organized a quick walking tour of the city. Today was really smoky because of the wild fire in the mountains and ashes were falling everywhere. After the tour, a few other students and I who started today had a make-up session. By the end of that, my brain was just over-dosed... it felt like it just ran out of gas. When I got home, I couldn't even squeeze out any words to say how the day went. We had homemade pasta for dinner and, at 9pm, my housemates and I hitched a taxi to meet up with some other students at a restaurant near Parque Sarmiento. I came back home around midnight and pretty much just passed out as it had been more than a day since I last laid down on a bed.
My two-week intensive Italian course in Florence was over with a final exam on Friday. I got an A and will move on to intermediate level in my Venice school. Saturday 9/13 was my last day in Florence. With a left knee still sore from climbing all the 294 steps up and down the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I decided to take it easy. So I hopped on the Firenze City Sightseeing Bus.
This neat bus company runs double-decker red buses with open tops on two lines: Line A buses make stops in and around Florence while line B buses run another route with some same stops and to nearby Fiesole, a lovely, scenic town on the hill overlooking Florence. Famous people like Alexander Dumas, Anatole France, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, Frank Lloyd Wright, and even Leonardo Da Vinci all spent some productive time there. The city is even older than Florence, dated back to the 5th century and is the favorite summer place for the rich and the famous.
For 20 euro, which you pay when you get on the bus, you get a ticket, a bus route map, and a set of disposable earphones. You can hop on and hop off at various stops within 24 hours as long as you can show your ticket to the next conductor when you get back on. The earphones let you listen to comments and background information in 8 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. It's great for a linguist like me. I can sit on the bus all day listening to the comments in different languages.
With the open top deck, you have a great view and can take great pictures. I wish I had known about this city tour bus when I first arrived in Florence. Then I could have visited more interesting places. In my daily walks to school, I passed by a large fenced- in cemetery at Piazza Donatello but didn't know anything about it. From the tour bus commentary, I now know that it's the English Cemetery (and a Swiss property) where my favorite poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning was buried. Some 1409 non-Catholic people from 16 countries were laid to rest in this cemetery including Walter Salvage Landor, the sculptor Hiram Powers and the great scholar G.P. Vieusseux. Arnold Bocklin was inspired by this cemetery and created the famous painting "The Island of the Dead".
Unfortunately for me, the cemetery is closed on weekends…
Have you ever wondered who invented ice cream? All the guidebooks about Italy, including Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller EAT, PRAY, LOVE, say that the best gelato (ice cream) comes from Florence, Italy. Now I know why, after having eaten at least one ice cream cup or cone a day during my two-week study tour in Florence. And I had to find out the answers to all my “who, what, where, when, why, how” questions about ice cream.
Gelato was invented by Bernado Buontalenti and his last name means Good Talents. He was born in Florence in 1536 and died in 1608. He was very talented and was employed by the Medicis as an architect, a military engineer, a stage designer, and a master of ceremony at the Medicis' court. Buontalenti's main achievements include the decoration of Plasso Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, and the design of the Fort of Belvedere in Florence. Legend has it that when the Medicis had a great banquet for a delegation of Spanish diplomats in the summer of 1565, Buontalenti was in charge of the usual dining arrangements. But he surprised and greatly impressed everyone with a luscious, creamy, cold and delicious new dessert. It was the world's first ice cream. With his chemical knowledge, he just mixed egg yolks, honey, milk, butter, and a drop of sweet wine and froze it. Of course, word of this yummy creation soon spread all over Europe, and then all over the world.
My favorite gelaterie (ice cream shops) are Grom on Via Oche near Piazza del Duomo, Gelateria dei Neri on Via dei Neri and Gelateria Cillo also on Via dei Neri. I'd go there after lunch or after a long hot day and order a small cup or cone with two different flavors for 1.80 or 2 euro. My favorite flavors are pistachio, coffee, fragola (almond), flavor of the month, and at Grom's, gelato come una volta (ice cream - like once upon a time).
After one hour on the train from Florence, I arrived at Pisa last Sunday morning. From the Pisa train station, the red express bus took me directly to the "Field of Miracles" where I paid 25 euro for entries to everything: the Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Cemetery and the museum. Entrance fee to the Tower alone is 15 euro and when you buy the ticket, you'll be told what time you can climb up the Tower.
Since my visit was for 1 pm, I had about 3 hours to leisurely walk around and visit the large Museo of the Opera del Duomo and the Museo delle Sinopie where I watched the 3D show and a video about the reconstruction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then I checked my backpack in the cloakroom around the corner from the Tower since nothing except a camera is allowed in there…
I walked up 294 marble steps with 2 stops along the way to walk out and look around, also to take a break from the tiring climb - the Bell Tower of Pisa is 50m high. The date of the Tower foundation was 1173 but to this date, the name of the architect is still unknown. Bonanno Pisanno worked on it in the late 12th century and it was completed in the 14th century under the direction of the famed Giovanni Pisano, master sculptor of many artworks in stone, wood and gold as well as architect of the Duomo of Siena. It was leaning because the soil shifted. The tilt intensified after WWII because of the large number of tourists climbing up and down. It continued to slip 1mm to 2mm per year. In 1999 after 2 years of intense researches and consultations with experts, technicians began a Tower restoration program, which lasted 10 years.
I'm glad the restoration with scaffoldings around was all over when I was there. Now I can tell all my friends that I've climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Yahoo!!
Last Sunday I ventured to Pisa by train all by myself to see one of the 7 wonders of the world: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
I left home at 7:45 am and spent 30 minutes walking to the Florence train station. With a ticket bought the day before in my hand, I knew the train would leave at 8:30 am, but from what binario (track), I didn't know. It wasn't marked on the ticket...
By the time I saw that my 8:30 train for Pisa would leave from track 1, I only had 5 minutes to run there. But before boarding the train, I was supposed to validate the ticket first, or risk getting a hefty fine, per my Let's Go Guidebook. I looked around. Where was the validating machine and what did it look like? By the time I found one (with the help of another traveler) and had my ticket validated, I turned around to see the train slowly leaving without me...
My first lesson: Get to the station in plenty of time, at least half an hour early, for a smooth ride.
Oh well, the next train was only an hour away and the validation was good for 6 hours. I had time to walk back to the shops area for a simple breakfast--a small bag of grapes and apple slices--and a coffee at McDonalds for 2 euro.
Then I followed the sign to the restroom area. Although my Italian was still limited, I knew enough to read the sign that you have to pay to go there. Other tourists seemed to be confused. There were about 5 turnstiles like at the Washington area metro and I had to insert 1 euro to get in the toilet area. At least it was clean with a good supply of toilet paper and liquid soap.
My second lesson: Make sure to have change for emergencies!
I'm leaving Florence for Venice by train this Sunday and I sure will know what to do!
Another great day. After class, I went to 'Florence for Fun,' a travel agency around the corner from school and signed up for a "Hiking in Chianti" tour this Saturday. We'll hike through the forests and vineyards in Chianti while passing by medieval hamlets and castles. After 2 hours of walking, we'll enjoy lunch with a wine and oil tasting in the historic Sassolini Familyvilla. I'm really excited about this tour.
Then, while walking around looking for an Internet cafe, I asked some young girls standing next to a Vespa to help me. They then pointed at the new building next to us and told me it's a library where I can use the Internet for free. Great! So I went inside, applied for a visitor's card, got set up and here I am now, typing away on a brand-new, non-sticky keyboard.
After 4 days in school, I think I've made a lot of progress with my Italian thanks to the two lively teachers, my international classmates & schoolmates and my homestay lady. The school is very conveniently situated in the center of the city across from the oldest hospital in Florence, two blocks away from Duomo, the landmark cathedral and meeting place of young folks and tourists in town, and only 20 minutes walk from my homestay. Classes are small with 6 to 8 or 9 students so we all get a lot of practice.
The school has five computers with Internet access for us to use free of charge. There are bulletin boards with useful info of all kinds of activities in Florence so we can choose where to go and what to do in our spare time. There are good and reasonable vending machines where I can get a small bottle of water or a cup of cappuccino, espresso or any other coffee flavor for 50 cents, which is a really good deal.
Around the school are small supermarkets where I can buy my own snacks or food and fruits for lunch and numerous small restaurants (or trattorie) for inexpensive lunch. Today I went to The Oil Shop, a small sandwich/salad shop and had a delicious roasted chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread with fresh lettuce and tomato slices inside. It was yummy! Around the corner are various stores, travel agencies and a new library where I can have one hour of free Internet access each day...
About Florence, it's quite different from other European cities I've visited. There is a baroque-style and antique look and feel here as if it's still in the medieval time. The stone or paved streets are shady and narrow with sidewalks on both sides, making it very easy for walking everywhere. There are many walkers, bikers and motor bikers, almost as many as there are cars and buses. It seems there once were many palaces and castles in this cities but now they all look like tall old apartment buildings to me except for heavy and carved wooden gates, doors and old time iron hooks which were used to tie down horses...
It was a LONG walk from Terminal E in Paris CDG to Terminal 2D to change plane. I had to walk really fast since I only had an hour in between. Then I had to wait in LONG line for security check again. But I made it in good time.
When the plane landed in Florence, I only had to wait for a few minutes for my bag to show up. I wheeled it out the "Nothing to Declare" gate and went out to the taxi stand. No custom check… Nothing. A piece of cake!
I showed the cab driver the address of my homestay and asked if he knew it... he said yes. I asked about how much the fare would be... he checked with another driver to make sure and told me about Eu20—23. The taximeter showed that much when I was dropped off in front of the house. It had a locked iron gate so I asked the driver if he could use his phone to call the landlady for me. He gladly did and talked to her for me too. Two minutes later, she came out with a big smile. She said she was expecting me on Saturday. I told her that was the day I left!
Anyway, I was shown to my room on the third floor with a sunroof window that can be opened or closed. My room has two single beds, a desk, a wardrobe, two shelves, a stool and a chair. There are two other young girls going to other schools in Firenze. One is from Pennsylvania, here to study art, and the other is from Germany. Our hostess is very active and loves all kinds of dancing. So she might take us to go dancing one of these nights. She speaks a little English and a lot of French so whenever she needs to explain something for me to understand, we can use French. But I told her I would rather she speak Italian with me afterwards...
By Tammy H. - Guest Blogger from Florence / Venice
1. Tourists Rejoice!
Since winning his election last April, 72-year-old Premier Berlusconi has focused on his two most urgent campaign pledges: Getting rid of rotting garbage on Naples' streets and getting tough on crime.
The Premier kept his promises. In July he launched a plan to remove 50,000 tons of trash that was all over Naples' streets. In early August, he sent in 3,000 soldiers on a 6-month tour to patrol major Italian cities. The mere presence of the grim-looking, khaki-clad soldiers has helped tourists and local folks feel a lot safer, especially in areas around train stations and famous piazzas (town squares).
2. Tourists Beware!
The Italian Premier has set a great example for many Italian city mayors, sending Italy to a new "prohibition era". A wave of new municipal laws and regulations has washed over the country. In Florence, you might be fined from 25 to 500 euro if you do the following, for example:
a. Leave bottles or pour their contents in streets and piazzas.
b. Litter, including dropping cigarette butts.
c. Bathe in public fountains. (It's been hot and dry here!)
d. Urinate in public. (Young tourists drink too much late at night at bars and there are few public toilets.)
e. Let dogs poop without scooping up.
f. Walk dogs without leashes.
g. Play loud music or make loud noises late at night.
h. Decorate city walls, poles, fences and monuments with graffiti.
i. Climb over bridges or onto bridge platform.
j. Hang laundry out to dry.
k. Shake tablecloths out of windows.
So it seems if it's fun, it's forbidden and don't say I haven't warned you.
Wendy spent 2 weeks in Playa del Carmen attending our Spanish Immersion program. During that time she composed a video of her exciting trip and experiences. Click below to watch the video.
