PandJwithM

England - Part 1 - London town

2010-11-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

I arrive at London Heathrow airport then venture to meet my parents who had started their vacation a few days before me. I catch an express train to Paddington Station where my folks meet me. We take the "Tube" (underground train) to Maida Vale, a suburb of London, where we will stay for the next couple of days. I drop off my suitcase and we head back out to start sightseeing.

It is a beautiful sunny day and early afternoon as we walk along the Thames and check out the options of things to do. There is a festival taking place along the riverbank. We thought we would jump on the "Eye", a clear glass ferris wheel that provides 360 degree views of London, but it is busy as it is Sunday and sunny. So instead we walk past and down the river to view Big Ben and the Parliament buildings. Then cross the Thames on the Westminster bridge. This takes us near the Westminster Abbey, which is closed for mass. So we wander over to Trafalgar Square and get a bite to eat at an underground cafe called "The Crypt". On the floor of the cafe are tombstones of actual graves dating back to the early 1700's. Seems the residents don't mind the intrusion as it is a popular place. The food was pretty good too! The bread pudding delicious.

We spend the afternoon taking photos, no surprise, and visit the National Art Gallery to view paintings by Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh to mention a few. We end the day walking through the Cavalry Museum at Whitehall and into St James Park where Buckingham Palace is located.

The next day the weather turns to rain. But, that doesn't stop us from taking in the sights. We ride the "Eye" which is less crowded this day. We also go back to Westminster Abbey which is open and we take the tour. Next we head back to Trafalgar Square to buy Theater tickets for the musical "Billy Elliot". I try fish and chips English style at a nearby pub. The beer is good though the fish and chips did not live up to my expectations. We walk over to Picadilly Square and do some shopping before going back to the hotel for the evening.

My last day in London, for this portion of the trip, we go to the Tower of London and see the crown jewels and the home of the likes of Henry VIII and where Anne Boleyn was beheaded. By now we have a good grasp on the public transportation and find it easy enough to navigate around. We have the scrumptious 'clotted creme'. It is out of this world. If you like fresh baked scones with plenty of whipped butter and jam along with English tea then you would be in heaven, like we were! We venture from here to St Paul's cathedral where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married. Later in the pouring down rain we wander around Covent Gardens to shop and eat dinner. Then jump on a bus to Victoria Station to catch the show we bought tickets for the previous evening. We really enjoyed the live performance in the old theater. We have a pint after the show to chat about it and watch some English football before hitting the sack.

The next day we are off to the countryside...more photos to come.

Roma!

2009-11-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is the final destination of my wonderful Italy trip. What an incredible journey it has been. We leave Florence for Rome on the bullet train. Forget trying to take photos out the window...everything is a blur. We arrive in Rome within a few short hours. But not before I have a tussle with an Italian traveler. I was helping to carry my Mom's suitcase and it was too large to fit in the overhead. I discovered that there are additional compartments between the rows of seats to stuff your luggage. As I was starting to stuff my Mom's bag in one I realize that I am holding up other travelers from passing by so I move myself and the suitcase aside to let a few by. The last traveler I move aside for tries to slide her suitcase in the same compartment I want to use. I speak up letting her know that is where I am placing mine and she rattled off in Italian something that didn't sound very nice as she hunted for another spot for her suitcase. I soon forget this as we settle into our ride. My Dad has headphones on listening to an mp3 player and when our eyes met he said in a rather loud voice "Puccini!". Telling us what he is listening to. This got my sister and I to laugh. A few minutes later Dad gets up and while still listening to his tunes says even louder "Bagno!!" To let us know he is on his way to the bathroom. Geez Dad!! My sister and I pretend we don't know him, though that isn't working very well as we are doubled over with laughter. The stereotype of the American traveler!

Once in Rome we roll are bags for what seems like an hour looking for our hotel. We finally find it, on the 4th floor of a building in the city near the Trevi fountain. The lift (elevator) is only big enough for two people and a suitcase. Thank goodness the room is quite comfortable by European standards with a balcony that faces the street. We drop off our luggage and head on out to see the city.

What an amazing city it is. Fountains everywhere and piazzas every few blocks where tourists take photos and locals gather for conversation. We walk a short distance from our hotel and come across our first relics. At first you think that the buildings are old and you admire the architecture then you come around a corner and there is a scene that immediately takes you back to the days of Caesar. Instead of being over a hundred years old you are talking over a thousand years old. Among the many we saw were the Colesseum, the Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, The Forums of Augustus, Roman and Trajan, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Vatican City. To walk where the chariots once raced at Circus Maximus. To view the wondrous paintings and sculptures of Michelangelo and Bernini in St Peter's Basilica. My Dad and I climbed the 323 steps to the top of the cupola and looked out at the metropolis of Rome that spread for miles in all directions.

My final eve with my family was spent indulging once again in the tastes of Italy, vino, pasta and gelato! Then a walk by the Trevi Fountain for night photos and to follow the Italian tradition of dipping our fingers in the fountain which is told will bring us back to Rome once again in the future. Ciao Roma, arrivederci!!

Italy - Cinque Terre

2009-11-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

In the third segment of my trip while we were staying in Florence we took an overnight excursion to Cinque Terre. This was of our own making, my Dad planned it out. He excels at trip itineraries. We take a train from Florence to La Speza stopping briefly in Pisa on the way and then onto Cinque Terre. The name translates as 'Five Lands'. Starting from the northern town they are, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

These towns are literally perched on the edge of the hills near the water and one, Corniglia, is a thousand feet up on a cliff above the Mediterranean. At one time there was no way to navigate the hills, unless you are a goat, from one town to the other. There wasn't even a road to get there until the 1960's. Nowadays there are four ways to visit, by train, by car, by trail and by ferry - weather permitting. The trails are well maintained and a hikers paradise. You pay a small fee to access the trails as this area has been designated a national park.

We disembark in Monterosso and find it is sectioned off into a new and old town, divided by a tunnel in the hillside. We find lodging in the old town side and after a quick bite of foccacia, a local bread and man is it yummy, we begin to explore. We start to hike our way from Monterosso to Vernazza and 20 minutes into it my Mom calls it quits and rests on a bench formed in the rock on the side of the trail, we are about 60 feet above the sea here. Dad and I continue on while Mom waits for us. We are under the impression that the next town is just around the corner. After huffing and puffing our way up a steep set of stairs carved into the hill we walk a switchback in the trail to see another set of steep narrower steps and then another set and another one beyond that. My Dad turns to me and says...."time for a 'birra'". I smile my response and we return to where my Mom is sitting. Later we overhear a group of hikers discuss how the 90 min hike from Monterosso to Vernazza was a helacious trail, quite strenuous to hike. Dad and I are relieved with our decision and we toast ourselves!

The towns of Cinque Terre are very colorful with brightly painted old structures stacked up the hills with narrow avenues that slope down to the beautiful green-blue waters of the Mediterranean. This is a popular destination for travelers and even in the off-season lodging was a bit hard to find. Reservations a must for the best restaurants. We ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant on a bluff overlooking the water. We feasted on homemade pasta with fresh caught prawns. I tried the local flavor that the region is known for, pesto. It was my favorite meal the whole trip. We sampled the local white wine and it was nice and light. The temps were in the 80's that day so it was a perfect evening to stroll around town.

The next day we hopped a ferry boat and cruised to Vernazza, a much easier way to travel then the trail! After many photos later, we grabbed another ferry ride to Riomaggiore and walked the popular 'Via dell' Amore' trail. This is the shortest of all the trails, connecting Riomaggiore with Manarola. The trail is aptly named for couples have strolled this to admire the view and probably because it is the only trail with level enough terrain for one to actually enjoy a conversation along the way! The temps were in the low 90s this day and when we completed the trail we headed for some gelato to reward ourselves and to cool off! I was envious of those swimming along the shores, but alas no suit with me. My Dad made the mistake of wearing long pants, but he used that as an excuse to have more gelato.....why didn't I think of that???

Final photos to come of Roma!

Italia - part two

2009-10-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Florenza and Tuscany -

Our next destination is Florence. We catch a train from Stresa back to Milan then onto Florence. This takes most of our day. A short taxi ride from the train station to our resort 20 minutes outside of the city center. We are staying very close to the Stadio Artemio Franchi that is home to the Florentina soccer team. During games the streets flood with purple and red speeding by on motorbikes and on foot cheering loudly as they go by. Otherwise a fairly quiet suburb. Our favorite spot in the morning for a croissant and cappuccino was just around the corner.

While in Florence we viewed the usual galleries such as the Uffizi with Renaissance artwork and the Academia where the magnificent David stands. I have never experienced such awe over a sculpture before. Michelangelo's work is simply breathtaking and the lighting could not have been more perfect to display his masterpiece. I wish I had neglected the "no photos" signs as the majority of other tourists were doing and captured the David's image.

From Florence we took a couple of day trips into Tuscany and Umbria. We rented a car and drove from hill town to hill town. This was quite the adventure. I was the driver and the roads are extremely narrow and winding with impatient Italians passing you on the curves. There is no slowing down to check the signs, when there were signs. Fortunately I brought a Garmin along. Love the autostrada. Drive as fast as you can, unless your Mom is a back seat driver. We visited Casole Val d'Elsa, Volterra, Pienza, Orvieto and Montepulciano. This is wine country and yes it is delicioso!

We strolled through each town admiring the architecture and enjoying the culture and uniqueness of each one. The olive trees and crystal of Casole Val d' Elsa, the Roman ruins and intricate lanterns in Volterra, the incredible duomo (church) in Orvieto and the vineyards of Montepulciano.

More to come....

Italia!

2009-10-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

My trip to Italy with my folks and youngest sister was a blast. Two weeks of history and travel. Of course I had my eyes behind the camera for a good portion of it, well, when I wasn't eating gelato : )

Let's begin my trip. We flew into Milan only to grab a quick bite of pizza in the airport and catch a bus for the small town of Stresa on the southern tip of Lake Maggiore. Beautiful, quaint town with lots of small shops, boutique hotels and summer homes on the banks of the lake. It was raining horribly the evening we arrived. We took a short traverse around town getting drenched, then gave up and went inside to taste a sample of Italian vino before heading to bed. The next day we awoke to blue skies and it remained that way the 4 days we were there.

Our first full day in Stresa we took a train around the west side of the lake into the Alps and crossed into Switzerland stopping at a border town, Locarno, on the north side of the lake. Attractive town, very clean with lots of bicycles and friendly locals. We wandered around town in the sunshine. Stopping for a carry out sandwich of fresh bread and salami that we ate on a park bench next to the lake. We returned by ferry. Lake Maggiore is breathtaking and very long. Our return took just shy of 3 hours. We came back and strolled around town to find an outdoor cafe to indulge in a dinner of pizza and vini. My Dad and I were in heaven.

The next day we visited three islands on the south end of the lake. Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Madre. The first has mostly small shops along narrow alleyways. The second is noted as a fishing village with delicious restaurants serving homemade pasta and fresh fish. Here we tasted our first 'birra', Italian beer. The third island was completely covered with an amazing garden and an early 16th century castle owned by the Borromeo family. We will end our journey here for Stresa. Next to come will be Florence!

Enjoy!

soggy Nikko

2009-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

dogs, dogs, everywhere dogs....

2009-06-29T14:55:00.001-07:00

Little Red Riding Hood....

2009-06-29T14:52:00.001-07:00

Marty Feldman eyes!

2009-06-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Even shepherds swim.

2009-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

drinking on the run....

2009-06-29T14:49:00.001-07:00

Lab + Water = Love

2009-06-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Give me that!

2009-06-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Wanna play?

2009-06-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

Love those eyes.

2007-04-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

My sweet Maggie, now in heaven. The best girl ever.

2007-04-10T14:48:00.002-07:00

Guess who?

2007-04-10T14:48:00.001-07:00

Poncho in his heyday!

2007-04-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Sandy tongue, yukky!

2007-04-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Maui healing from a war wound and not thrilled about it.

2007-04-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

What a handsome boy!

2007-04-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

Look retrieving already : )

2007-04-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Jackson as an infant, what a cutie!

2007-04-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Come on Mom throw it!

2007-04-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

A day at the beach - Jackson

2007-04-10T14:15:00.000-07:00