Destination NOW

The Four B’s: Brixen, Bressanone, Bolzano, Bassano del Grappa

There is something about a snowy day in New Jersey that gets me thinking about our Northern Italy trip, which is a good thing, because those days wandering among these “B” towns definitely belong with my on-line memories.

Our base for our last days was the Goldene Krone Vital Hotel in Brixen/Bressanone. Yes, the town has two names, an Italian one and a German one. Like a few other areas on our lovely planet, this ground had been fought over many times, with the conquerors imposing their language and customs on the conquered. For the current inhabitants of German/Austrian ancestry, the preferred name is Brixen. The Italians opt for Bressanone.

Regardless of what you call it, the town is absolutely charming. We were lucky enough to be there during some kind of street fair. There was music, food and of course, lots of beer.

This alpine town is famous for its very realistic wood carvings. Admit it, if you look quickly, doesn’t this man and his dog look real? I was almost fooled. (But then, that’s not all that difficult to do.

At night, the streets quieted down, but the shops and restaurants were still open and within walking distance of our hotel. We took advantage of a “dinner on our own” night to enjoy a fantastic wine cellar type meal with two of the new friends we made on this trip–Julie and Roger. My only regret is I didn’t write down the name of that fantastic restaurant!

Our first hike, oh so many days ago, was in the Swiss Alps. Now we were given the opportunity to experience the Dolomites. We could either ride a lift way up the mountain to a station hiding in the cleft between the two peaks on the right, or we could go for a hike –but we clearly wouldn’t get as far up. Mike rode; I hiked.

It was hard to believe that it had snowed two days before we arrived, unless you chose to walk–then you were slipping and sliding on a trail that was quite muddy. Any guesses as to who ended up with a muddy butt?

This was the first year the trip was offered by OAT, so the itinerary was still being modified, based on feedback from prior travelers. One wonderful addition was a visit to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, home of Otzi, the “ice man”.

Otzi was found by two German hikers in 1991. What the archaeologists have been able to learn from that discovery is truly amazing. From his remains, they were able to recreate a model showing what they believe Otzi looked like. His tools, weapons, clothes and even the contents of his stomach were incredibly well preserved–for about 4,000 YEARS! Yikes.

The exhibits are accompanied by interesting explanations of what you are viewing. I apologize for the crooked photos that follow. I didn’t want to be a jerk, blocking the exhibits while I attempted to grab a perfectly centered, nicely squared off photo, but I figure you’ll get the idea.

The researchers finally determined Otzi was murdered, and that he probably bled to death from the arrow wound in his shoulder. But Otzi didn’t give up without a fight. From DNA analysis, scientists determined that there were traces of blood from at least four other people on his knife, coat and an arrowhead. Can you tell I really loved that museum?

Fast forward several thousands years to Bassano del Grappa. Over all those centuries, man’s inhumanity to man hasn’t changed.

You can still see the bullet holes in some of the the buildings in Bassano del Grappa’s old town from WWII, when the Italian partisans battled the Nazis.

This plaque tells the story about what happened along the river in 1944.

The trees from which the young Italians were hanged have been turned into memorials.

We all know how devastating WWII was, but when you see the long row of trees, each festooned with photos, names, dates and flowers, you get a feel for the very personal pain felt by the families in this area.

The town of Bassano del Grappa is also noted for (guess what) grappa, and we got to sample some after lunch at the Nardini Distillery. I’ll be honest. I didn’t like it. I’m more of a Franciacorta girl.

Overall, this was a wonderful trip to a part of Italy that I knew very little about. Next trip– to a different continent!

Maximizing Your Travel Dollars

We LOVE to travel, so I’m always looking for ways to maximize our dollars without sacrificing our experiences. Now that we are rapidly approaching the three quarters of a century mark, some of the things we found satisfactory when we were much younger aren’t quite so appealing now. These days, we are not interested in hostels or camping, but fortunately there are many other ways to make travel more affordable. One of them is find a travel company that meets your needs and then stick with them. More and more are offering loyalty programs to encourage you to look no further than their offerings.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that Mike and I have used a variety of companies, but lately we have found that OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) has been providing maximum value for our travel dollars. We like the small group size, the itineraries, the guides, the activity level, and for us, the right balance of free time and structured activities.

It also doesn’t hurt that they have a great loyalty program. Here’s how theirs works. When you take a trip with OAT,(or with their sister company, Grand Circle) you earn a 5% credit toward a second trip, if taken within a 12 month period. If you take two trips within a calendar year, you get a $250 per person discount on the second trip.

Another way to save is to pay by check, 12 months in advance. That will earn you a 7.5% discount. Of course, if you do so, you don’t get the points on your credit card, and you may forgo some of the benefits you card offers. It isn’t hard to do a quick cost/benefit analysis. If you have one of the premium credit cards, it is worth checking out whether it offers generous trip insurance benefits. If yes, those benefits could outweigh the 7.5% savings for advance cash payments.

On your FIRST OAT trip, an easy way to save $100 per person is to be referred by another OAT traveler, so check with friends and family to discover if they have ever taken an OAT trip. When you make your reservation, you simply give their traveler number, and voila, you and your friend have both earned a $100 credit toward future trips. If you don’t have a friend who has traveled with OAT, I would be delighted to be your friend. Here’s my number: 001564068. After YOUR first trip, YOU can refer travelers, which will earn YOU a $100 credit toward your next trip. Easy, right?

More information about all of these programs is available on the OAT w ebsite. Once you get there, click on the “Why OAT” bar at the top of the page and this is what you will see:

In addition to “Ways to Save”, you should also check out “Last Minute Travel Deals” if your schedule is flexible.

Normally, I plan our international travel MANY months in advance, usually well over a year, so we can take advantage of that prepayment discount. But there’s another reason. Because OAT groups are limited to only 16 travelers, the popular times fill up quickly. It seems we all want to travel when the weather is most favorable for our destination, but when it is not over crowded with tourists.

This year, however, we decided to do something different. A trip we have been wanting to take popped up as a “Last Minute Travel Deal” and it just happened to be the ideal time of year for us to visit South America. Sometimes, the last minute deals are for less popular travel times.

This last minute deal saved us $1,000 per person. And because we are taking another OAT trip later this year, we saved an additional $250 per person, for a total of $2,500. These savings really DO add up.

I was a little concerned that the airfare would devour all of our savings because we were booking so late. Fortunately, OAT was able to get us great seats on a direct flight to Santiago with LATAM Airlines. Yeah, I never heard of them either, but a quick internet search allayed my fears. It is the result of a recent merger between LAN Argentina and LAN Chile. Let’s hope it is a HAPPY union.

We are arriving a day early, just in case we get uncooperative weather –not unheard of in the New York/New Jersey area in winter. If we luck out, and arrive as scheduled, we will have an extra day in Santiago to combat jet lag and see the sights.

So, what about you? Do you have a favorite travel company? Ideas for extracting the most value from you travel dollars?

Mantua and Trent

Well, we are getting ready to hit the road (the one that leads to the airport) soon, so I figured if I had anything further to say about last fall’s trip to Northern Italy, now is the time to say it.

My last post was about the city of Verona. Although it was a lovely city, it was a bit crowded, so when we had the choice of spending another day in Verona, or going on an optional trip to Mantua, we (and everyone else on our tour) opted for the optional, and we were glad we did.

Yes, Mantua had the requisite castle, with beautiful frescoes, but the castle also had something I’d never seen before — a moat with lovely sculptures plopped in it. Were they ballerina or fairy costumes? I have no idea; either one works for me.

Mantua also had the mandatory clock tower, but this one was so beautiful, I felt compelled to include two photos of it- the one below to give you a sense of its placement and scale, and the one atop this post to show the beautiful craftsmanship. Just think how amazing it must have been before the frescoes were damaged.

Can you tell this tower has been repaired more than once?

Like other cities, Mantua has an object, which, if rubbed, promises thAt the rub-ee will grant the rub-er good luck. In Verona, it is Juliet’s right breast. In Mantua, it is Rigoletto’s hump. We avoided the fake Juliet balcony and statue, but we ladies couldn’t resist Rigoletto.

What was MOST memorable to me, however, was the “relic” in the Basilica of Saint Andrew. According to the plaque, the soldier that stabbed Christ (Who later became a saint –Longino– but not all that popular, because I’d never heard of him before. Had you?) was prescient enough to know that the blood soaked earth was worth preserving, so he did. For thousands of years. Quite a story, and I’ll leave it at that.

The artist’s interpretation of the event

Our next stop was Trento, the site of the Council of Trent, where Catholic bishops got together and did something important that I learned about in high school but have since forgotten. Here too, we encountered a magnificent cathedral. Could this be The Stairway to Heaven that Led Zeppelin sang about? Take a look. It sure doesn’t seem to lead anywhere else. If you took a tumble from the top, Heaven may be where you’d land, but probably only if you went to confession first.

Right outside the church, beside Neptune’s fountain, it was quite festive. Lots of young people holding flowers and plaques, wearing laurel wreaths on their heads were milling about.

Our group is nothing, if not astute. We immediately figured this was some kind of commencement celebration. I’ll tell ya, if I had been given the choice, I definitely would have gone with the laurel wreath instead of the mortarboard monstrosity we had to put on our heads.

If this cold weather continues, I may get it together to do one final post: the last days of our trip in the Dolomites and Alpine villages. Ciao!

The Land of The Lombards

When you think Italy, what comes to mind? Art in Florence, Rome’s colosseum, the Amalfi Coast? Bet you didn’t immediately think of the Lombard region, and that’s too bad, because it is pretty special. This post will introduce you to three gems of Lombardy: one well known, the other two less so.

Lake Isola
Remember Christo, whose 2005 spectacular Gates in Central Park had New Yorkers smiling even during a frigid February? (If you don’t, that’s okay. It isn’t essential to the post. I just happen to have fond memories of the event, so why not throw it in?)
Well, in 2016, he created the Floating Piers in Lake Isola. So, ya gotta figure this area must be pretty terrific for Christo to travel all the way across the Atlantic to Italy to create one of his massive installations.

These posters give you an idea of the scope of Christo’s project.

Even though our visit was post-Christo art exhibition, it was still worth spending time in the Isola Lake area. Check out what the little island looks like “unwrapped”. It was once a monastery, but now it probably is privately owned, by someone who is fantastically wealthy, who wants to escape people like us ogling his/ her (probably his) property.

Franciacorta
Almost everyone has heard of Prosecco. But what about Franciacorta? This sparkling wine, made from the Franciacorta region’s grapes, is equally delightful. I suspect that, like the Lombardy region, it just hasn’t been successfully marketed.

We walked through the Berlucci Vineyards, to their winery, where we enjoyed a tour, wine tasting and a great lunch.

Our hotel, the Relais Franciacorta was absolutely beautiful. It was rather far out, in the countryside, which was fine with us. We loved the gardens and all the hotel’s little nooks and crannies, one of which was the perfect venue for sharing the bottle of Franciacorta purchased at the vineyard.

And, as a bonus, a huge motorcycle group was holding an event at the hotel, giving us an opportunity to view totally unique bikes, like this one. I’m guessing that’s the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) riding shotgun (or would that position be called “front gun”? They didn’t have motorcycles during those Wild West days, so who knows.)

Verona
One of the big attractions in Verona is “Juliet’s Balcony”. Yeah, Shakespeare’s Juliet. There was a long line at the entrance to the jam-packed courtyard where Roméo was supposed to have stood while gazing at Juliet, who was above, on that legendary balcony. But this “balcony” was actually a movie set, created several decades ago. We figured if we wanted to see movie sets, we could go to Universal studios, so we skipped that attraction. Instead, we visited the Juliet Society.

The Juliet Society is a group of volunteers who answer letters written to Juliet that come from all over the world, like the one below.

Still, even we couldn’t escape Hollywood’s reach. You see, the Juliet Society was used as inspiration for the movie, Letters to Juliet.
Okay, I’ll confess, when I got home I borrowed the movie from our library, and it was really, really sappy. It’s all about a letter that had been lost for several decades, was found by a volunteer, who then went on a mission to find and reunite both the writer and the intended recipient of the letter. I don’t have to tell you how it ends. I’m sure you just know.

The actual site, the one WE visited, bore no resemblance to the movie set. For the movie, the Juliet Society was housed in a gorgeous villa, complete with mamas in an adjoining kitchen, cooking great lunches for the volunteers. How surprising that Hollywood’s “take” is so very, very different from reality.

When in Italy, I usually find it difficult to decide which meal was THE BEST and which restaurant experience was THE BEST, but this time I had no problem proclaiming that Il Punto Rosa Hosteria deserves both titles. This little gem is on a side street, and it isn’t very big, but between Google and Trip Advisor, I’m sure you’d be able to find it. If we ever get back to Verona, you can bet we will be having dinner there!

Time for a couple of random photos of Verona, a heartfelt confession, and we’ll call this post done.

First the confession. I am a lazy blogger, who lives the Quaker philosophy of “when the spirit moves you“. (Okay so that’s one of the only two things I know about Quakers. The other being that they are pacifists. Oh wait. I just thought of one more. Richard Nixon was supposedly a Quaker. But I digress.) The point of that digression is I blog when the spirit moves me. And it didn’t move me last October, during the second half of our trip. It took a frigid January day in New Jersey to get me hankering to revisit those glorious Italian fall days. What could be better than reliving wonderful days in Italy when it is icy outside? Nothing, right?
We were in Verona on day 9 and 10 of a 15 day trip, so who knows? If it is cold again this week, we may just taking another trip down memory lane, to Brixen, Bassano del Grappa and the Dolomites.

Okay, so here are those random Verona photos I promised earlier.

We walked past the mob waiting to get in to see the fake Juliet balcony. What’s with the sticky notes, you ask? The sappy movie erroneously led viewers to believe that the Juliets pluck them from the wall, then answer them. They don’t.

As with most Italian cities, Verona has its share of beautiful buildings, and statues, but hey, just look at what else you can experience while there.

Verona has it all. Go shopping for cannabis “light” first, then wander down to the Colosseum. Yes, Verona has one too. If you get wasted enough, you might actually believe you are in Rome, doing battle with gladiators. One more thing to cross off your bucket list.

Speaking of bucket lists, I sure hope Lombardy is now on yours.

Torino and the Bernina Express

Why visit Torino, a charming little town close to the Swiss border? How about vineyards, apple farms, lakes, mountains, a beautiful cathedral, archaeological sites, cobbled streets and a train station from which you can board a single gauge train? Are those reasons enough?

Enroute from Milan, we stopped at Orrido di Bellano, to view the gorge and waterfall,then headed to Varenna for lunch alongside Lake Como. Dinner was in the wine cellar of a restored old Torino villa.

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The first two days were great and action packed, but the BEST day was the third, when we boarded the Bernina Express. Theoretically, we could have ridden it all the way to St. Mortitz, but instead we disembarked in Diavolezza to take a cable car part way up the mountain to a terrace and restaurant.

The view was spectacular from there, but some of us wanted an even better glimpse of the glacier, so off we went. I was very glad I had packed my hiking boots, because we had to get past a couple of icy patches to reach the summit.

245294A1-0624-4CF4-B5B5-ED6B0DCED501 — From left: me, Ellen, Julie and Elisa. Can you figure out which one is the guide?

What a great place for a photo op!

The Divine Duomo

See how happy she is, wearing her new dress?

We’ve all been told you have to dress appropriately if you want to tour the Duomo. That isn’t entirely true. If you happen to be wearing something a bit too revealing, no worries. The Duomo staff will give you a lovely, suitable outfit to wear. Best of all, you get to keep it when you leave. Take a look.

If you have been following this blog, you’ll recall that I toured the Duomo a few days ago, while in Milan on my own. I am now on the OAT trip, which started with a walking tour of Milan, including a guided tour of the Duomo. I’m glad I did both, because different tour guides emphasize different things, so YOU, dear reader, get the benefit of both, without having to endure an overnight flight.

Both guides cited identical facts and figures: when construction started (1386), how long it was under construction (centuries), and on and on. The main fact I retained was the Duomo has 52 columns. Bet you can figure out why.

As you can see, each column is topped with statues of saints, but I have no idea who is who, and neither guide (quite wisely) bothered to tell us.

Only one called our attention to the beautiful marble floor’s embedded sun dial, with figures of the zodiac appropriately placed. Check out Aries the Ram.

As usual, the Duomo showcases art representing saints that died horrific deaths. Catholics seem to have a deep appreciation for pain and suffering.

I missed the portrait of St Agatha on the first tour. We had seen many portraits of her in Sicily, in the process of having her breasts chopped off. In Milan, the painting isn’t quite so graphic. St Agatha is shown being healed by St. Peter, who visited her in prison. As you can see from her bloody garment, he is just starting to work his miracle.

BOTH guides made sure we saw the statue of St. Bartholomew. HE was skinned alive and HIS statue leaves little to the imagination.

In case you’re wondering, that’s his skin draped over his shoulder. Look to the right of his elbow. His face managed to stay intact, and every hair on his head and beard is still in place. Pretty terrifying for young Catholic children, wouldn’t you say. No wonder we grew up so twisted.

Those Romans certainly dreamed up creative ways to launch Christians into the afterlife!

While touring the Duomo terraces a few days ago, I noticed what looked like a rooftop restaurant. I figured it was probably super expensive and rather exclusive.

What a nice surprise when our OAT guide brought us over there for a drink and cookies. We enjoyed yet another view of the Duomo, while sipping our cappuccinos. Here’s Elisa, our guide, explaining where we are going next. Check out the chocolate shoes for sale at gourmet chocolate shop inside.

Time to stop blogging and start experiencing…so I leave you with some Milan highlights.

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Two Days in Tremezzo

I LOVE Italy’s mass transit system. Functional AND beautiful, Milan’s train station mixes old architecture with modern technology. How appropriate to have an Apple sculpture in front of that classic building!

This was my starting point for my two day solo adventure to Tremezzo. Never heard of it? Neither had I, prior to planning this trip, but Rick Steves recommended it, and I figured he knew what he was talking about. The Hotel Villa Marie was reasonably priced, highly rated by Trip Advisor, within walking distance of the ferry and bus line. It sounded like the perfect spot to, as they say in Italy “fare niente”, do nothing.

Well, I didn’t exactly do nothing, but I DID take it slower than usual.

This lakeside park is located between the Villa Marie and the center of Tremezzo. I didn’t stop at the cafe in the park—there were too many other choices, but had I stayed in Tremezzo a few more days, I would have savored a Bellini by the shore.

Had I known there were going to be fireworks, I would have climbed to the terrace to watch the show. Instead I leaned out my window and tried out the fireworks setting on my new point and shoot Canon.

E1D7FC20-9974-4C5A-95CB-1B7AB94042EB — The tower made it easy to identify the Villa Marie

F6EB1FCA-9181-4857-8A84-A05EB1A48784 — The terrace is a romantic spot. Too bad I was here without my sweetheart.

C9ABB42F-954B-4CB1-9077-8102654610AA — I have no idea what we were celebrating. My visit?

The Grand Hotel is indeed quite grand. At €600 per night, I decided I could do without the grandeur. I DID, however, have lunch there. Soup, one Bellini and a bottle of water came to €52, but the view and the music were free. A high point was when the pianist looked at me, played “New York, New York” then waved. How did he know? I hung around to watch him play the sax, but left before he got to the guitar.

My favorite spot was the majestic Villa Carlotta. According to guide books, most people spend 45 minutes there. For me, it was two and a half hours, wandering along the trails, ogling the flowers and exotic plants, and visiting the mansion.

Lucky for me, there was a free concert, with different orchestras, playing very different music—from the Beatles to the William Tell Overture—during my visit.

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Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Tremezzo, I much prefer traveling with a buddy (or buddies). It just is more fun making memories with someone else by your side. And, I will confess, after navigating the train, ferry and metro with back pack and wheeled carry on, I very much like having someone else handle my luggage and logistics. It was a great two days, but I was quite ready to meet up with my man in Milano!

I’ll end this post with a few random photos of lovely Tremezzo.

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Two Days in Milan

Day One

I’ll be honest. The first day of every overseas trip is always a wipe out, which is exactly why we try to arrive before a tour begins. So, not too many photos from day one, but a couple of tips.

The train from the airport to Milan’s central station is an easy and inexpensive option. Just be sure to buy your ticket in advance. We were feeling pretty smug when we walked by the long line at the ticket window. Although you select a particular time, fortunately you don’t have to get it right. You can take any train within a three hour window of the time on your ticket. Our flight arrived early (how often does THAT happen?), so we were able to board an earlier train than the one we were ticketed for.

We stayed at the Hotel Sanpi, which is within walking distance of the train station, although we opted to take a taxi. Those €6 were well spent! We were TIRED. The Hotel Sanpi was recommended by one of the posters on the OAT Forum (thank you, Ted). It was a great choice.

After a quick nap and lunch, we headed to the nearby public gardens. We walked past an art museum, a planetarium, and the Museum of Natural History, whose exterior reminded me of a Muslim mosque we’d seen in Spain. We didn’t have the energy to go inside ANY of those places. In fact, a good part of the afternoon was spent on a park bench, staring glassy eyed at I can’t remember what.

There are lots of restaurants close to Hotel Sanpi. We didn’t like Il Carpaccio, where we had our first bad meal in Italy (I make better risotto), but the Azzurra Grill more than made up for our lousy lunch. The veal chop with white wine and artichoke sauce was amazing, as were the profiteroles.

Day Two

Mike was up and out early, headed to Cremona to spend the next three days hanging out with his violin buddies. As for me, I planned on going wild in Milano.

Step 1: purchase the €4.50 24 hour metro pass, and head for Milan’s hot spot—the Duomo. Hey, you go wild YOUR way, and I’ll go wild mine.

With my iPhone in hand, eyes fixed on my downloaded google map, I was able to find my way to the metro station a few blocks away. For a normal person, it would have been an easy task, but I have always been directionally challenged.

As I was headed toward the Duomo’s ticket window, a young woman representing Gladiator Tours, wearing killer palazzo pants (I really should have gotten a photo of them) sold me a package tour, including “skip the line” for the terraces, the cathedral and the museum, all for €30. Was that a good deal? Initially I didn’t think so, after I saw the prices at the ticket window, AND learned that my ticket didn’t include the elevator. (180 steps to the top). BUT, I was mistakenly sent to the wrong door, so as an apology, Gladiator Tours gave me the elevator ride for free. All good, so far.

But wait, there’s more. “Skip the line”doesn’t mean that you actually don’t wait in ANY line. You still have to go through security, being wanded, one by one, AND then you wait for the elevator, which fits ten people at a time (one of the ten being a staff member). THAT took almost 20 minutes.

Here’s what I saw when I exited the elevator.

Yep, lots of repairs. After walking as far as I could, I encountered yet ANOTHER line. This one was for the elevator down. Well, I backtracked, and when I did, I discovered you could walk through a passage to get to the Duomo’s OTHER side, which was FAR more interesting. If you took the stairs up, that is the side you would have initially encountered.

If you are so inclined, you can climb 80 more steps to get to the rooftop. (Yes, I have a thing about counting steps. I can’t help it. It’s what I do.)

Ready for the GOOD photos?

What’s HIS story?

okay, here’s a religious statue.

I decided to REALLY skip the line, and walk down the steps to meet the Gladiator guide for the tour of the interior of the Duomo. She was FANTASTIC, even though she wasn’t wearing gorgeous palazzo pants. Of course, our OAT trip will include a Duomo tour, (but not the roof), so I can do an instant replay. I’ll wait till then to share my interior photo, even if I decide to skip the tour and go to the mall for gelato and people watching. It never gets old.

11337780-EAAD-450A-B785-F6527F1DF16E — Wonder if they do your “make over” while still on skates? I wasn’t curious enough to find out.

Anyway, after the interior tour (with “whisperers”, so we could easily hear the guide), I figured that the €30 was not such a bad deal. I skipped the Duomo museum, opting instead to take advantage of my metro pass to cruise around Milan on the tram and underground.

I THOUGHT I’d prefer the tram. Nope. You can’t really see THAT much. It is impossible to understand what the conductor is saying, plus there are no maps on the trams, AND the stops are not clearly marked. So yes, I got lost. But no big deal. I hopped off, crossed the tracks, and kept walking till I found another stop. I had MUCH better luck with the subway, which WAS clearly marked AND had maps.

Rick Steves suggested visiting Naviglio Grande, which he described as “Milan’s old canal port — once a working-class zone, now an atmospheric nightspot for dinner or drinks”. Who am I to ignore a recommendation from Rick? So, off I went.

The canal was interesting, for about five minutes. I admired the “love locks” that European cities seem to fancy.

Not so sure about the nightlife. Maybe I was too early.

Here’s the only other patron at my sidewalk cafe. Looks like he is also drinking an aperol spritzer.

Check out the buildings across the way. Don’t you want to do unspeakable violence to the inventor of spray paint? (And I’m a pacifist at heart.) What possesses someone to mark up buildings and other random surfaces? Makes me think of dogs, trees, and fire hydrants. But I digress.

Including my little jaunt to the canal, I ended up getting 5 trips out of my 24 hour pass. That’s much better than paying €1.5 per trip, wouldn’t you say? Bet you didn’t expect math would be in this post.

I’ll leave you to ponder graffiti, sidewalk cafes and metro passes. On to Tremezzo…

Northern Italy and the Dolomites

What could be better that Northern Italy in the fall? Right now, nothing comes to mind, which is a good thing, because that’s where we will be for 19 glorious days.

We arrive in Milan 4 days before our OAT trip starts. How in the world did it happen that one of the least fashion savvy women on this planet will be in Milan during fashion week? I imagine the streets will be loaded with even more beautiful people than usual, wearing exquisite clothes. Will that change my determination to travel with only a carry on and backpack? The answer to that question is “not a chance”. Initially the plan was for us to exit the plane and head for the train without a detour to baggage claim, but then we got a call from our trip leader. She reminded us that although it will be warm in Milan and Tirano, temperatures will drop during our visits to the Swiss Alps and the Dolomites. So, that means we will need bulkier items. I was able to fit everything into my trusty Eagle Creek carry on, but Mike’s clothes are considerably larger than mine. So, one of us will be checking luggage. That’s okay. I’ll get a chance to see whether international flights are as picky as domestic ones about carry on size. On our last domestic flight, I discovered that United has changed the dimensions for allowable carry ons to 9″ x 15″ x 21″. My trusty Eagle Creek bag is 10″ x 13″ x 22″, or 2,860 cubic inches, versus an allowable 2,835 cubic inches. Really? Will the gate person play hard ball? Because we will be waiting at baggage claim anyway, it doesn’t really matter. I’m determined to pack light regardless, because after our first night in Milan, Mike and I will be going our separate ways, and I will be traveling solo by train, bus and boat.

Mike is heading off to Stradavari’s old stomping grounds –Cremona–to hang out with his violin making buddies. While he’s there, I’ll be in Tremezzo, on Lake Como. Wonder if George and Amal will need a baby sitter for the twins? And will I have packed the proper outfit?

Ah yes, packing. I did my usual clothes “auditioning”. It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed to amp up my quick drying wardrobe.
For my last “one bag” trip, I used a laundry service midway, because I spent half of the trip in just one place–Beja, Portugal. This trip, however, I will wash as I go, because over 19 days, we will be staying in 8 different hotels. This also took some serious retooling of my laundry aids. The expandable clothes line I packed last time was pretty worthless when I couldn’t find two suitable attachment points that would also allow me use of the bathroom (thus the need for laundry service).

Thanks to my travel buddy Sally, I now own “clothespins” that can be looped over shower bars, and foldable hangers.

What I had never done before is something that bloggers Terri and James of Gallivance recommend: try living out of the bag for a week. Of course, they were preparing for an around the world trip lasting several months, while I’m just going to one country for less than three weeks, so I didn’t feel the need to literally live out of my bag. Instead, what I HAVE been doing is limiting myself to the clothes that I plan on taking and washing them out in the sink. So far so good. My LL Bean travel pants have been drying in less than 8 hours!

Some travelers swear by packing cubes. In the past, I relied on my jumbo zip lock bags instead and they have served me well, but this time I decided to give a packing cube a try. This cube opens on both sides, and is divided into two compartments–perfect for stashing things that I will be using on a daily basis. To my surprise, I was able to fit pajamas, underwear, toiletry bag and laundry supplies, plus a few small items–jewelry and scarves. So, I can pull this out in every hotel, and I have the equivalent of two bureau drawers. Take a look.

Side 1

Side 2

Best of all, it fits nicely into my carry on, leaving just enough room for everything else. If you are interested in what I was able to jam into my bag, here’s a link to the Google spreadsheet.

Of course, this list could come in handy in the event that my luggage is lost. (Which it was, briefly, on my trip to Portugal and Spain earlier this year.)

I suspect the reason I haven’t used packing cubes was my carry on is already divided into neat sections. As for whether I folded or rolled, the answer is, I did both.

Okay, so enough with the packing. Full disclosure, although I sincerely hope that what I share is helpful to others, I REALLY have recorded it to help me, because I tend to forget what I took, what worked, what didn’t, if I have’t written it down. Yes, a mind is a terrible thing to lose, or waste, or whatever is going on with that empty space atop my shoulders.

On to the other preparations. I got tickets for the train from the airport to our first hotel, from this very helpful website. There are others, but I found Trainline easy to use. Who wants to deal with unfamiliar ticket machines, in another language, while jet lagged? Not me. Being a bit obsessive compulsive, I also got tickets for when I’m traveling solo to lower my anxiety level. From the Como train station, I have a choice of taking either a ferry or a bus to my hotel in Tremezzo. Thanks to the internet, I have the schedules for both, and can decide which option is most appealing once I get there.

What a difference from my travel days in my early 20’s, when I got on a plane to Colorado without any reservations, with very little money, and only a vague idea of where I was going and what I was going to do when I arrived. With google maps, trip advisor and the internet’s search options, I can be somewhat spontaneous, while limiting the risk of bad decisions. (The thought that a bad decision was possible never crossed my mind in my younger days!)

Hope you’ll follow along on this next adventure.

Traveling to Iceland? These Tips Are For You

Well, full disclosure–these tips are MAINLY for OAT travelers who will be taking the Untamed Iceland trip, BUT some of the information just might be useful to everyone, even those of you who decide to “do it yourself”.

Arrival
If you opt to arrive early, or you purchase airfare on your own, you will not be met at the airport by an OAT representative. Not a problem. It is relatively easy to get from the airport to downtown Reykjavik and to the Hilton Nordica.

One of the many corrugated iron buildings in Reykjavik

Although you COULD take a taxi, that is an expensive option, especially given that Airport Express (the Gray Line) and Flybus offer convenient and cost effective alternatives. More importantly, you don’t really save a lot of time taking a taxi.

We chose the Gray Line, which has buses leaving on the hour and the half hour. Click here for their web site, if you want to purchase your ticket on line. You can also buy your ticket when you arrive, but why add one more thing to do when you are jet lagged? If you happen to be delayed and miss your time slot, it is not a problem. You just get on the next bus.

When you clear customs and enter the arrival hall, look to the far left. The Gray Line representative will be standing there, wearing a bright orange jacket. He checks you in, asks where you are staying and directs you to the bus. (You go out the door, follow the covered walkway ALL the way to the end, where it veers to the left.) If you miss him, that’s not a problem either–just walk to the bus and you will get checked in there. When you arrive at the bus terminal in Reykjavik, smaller vans are waiting for you. The staff moves your luggage to the correct van, and off you go, directly to your lodging. Our cost was $26 per person and the van dropped us at our hotel within minutes.

What to Pack
Layers, layers, layers. Even in the summer, it is cold (and wet) in Iceland.

Many of the activities (ATV, horseback riding, whale watching) provide “outfits” for you to use. The blue “jumpsuits” we wore during our ATV ride made us look like we were either auditioning for a Ghostbusters movie, or preparing for a lunar landing. The best part is they were fleece lined.

Still, you need to bring along warm clothes that can be layered. Wool socks are wonderful for keeping your feet warm.

Walking sticks are a matter of preference. I used mine on a walk behind a waterfall,

Can you see the people walking alongside the falls? Look for dots. They are actually colored jackets.

through a volcanic crater, and to the glacier.

They are especially helpful when you are walking through mud or on slippery surfaces. (What isn’t obvious from the waterfall shot above is how slippery and uneven the rocks were getting to and from it, but we all did just fine and were glad to have had the experience.)
If I hadn’t brought the walking stick, I would have been okay. (If I pack it, then damn it, I’m USING it!)

Comfortable, waterproof hiking boots are critical. You don’t need the real heavy duty ones. I was happy with my Merrill boots that are slightly higher than a pair of sneakers. I wore them every day.

At one time, OAT forum posters had recommended bringing water shoes and towels to the Blue Lagoon. Both are no longer necessary. What you DO need is shampoo, unless you are content using the gel that Icelanders use for hair, body, and whatever else you want to wash. That and conditioner are the only hair products the Blue Lagoon supplies in the locker room.

You should also bring your credit card and leave it in your locker, because you can buy drinks while you are in the water. You get an wrist bracelet that acts as a key to your locker, your “cash” while in the lagoon, and your way to exit…after making good on any purchases, that is, which is why you need that credit card. I LOVED the Blue Lagoon. Fun fact: our guide told us the name was inspired by the old Brooke Shield movie.

bus — Debby and Laurence, enjoying Icelandic beer

It is a good idea to keep your rain pants, buff, gloves, and binoculars in a zip lock bag that you either take with you every day, or leave on the bus. The bus is big enough for everyone to have their own seat, which makes travel very pleasant and comfy, and there is plenty of room for your “stuff”.

We enjoyed a “beer tasting” on the bus. Surprisingly, given the composition of our group, no one started singing “ninety nine bottles of beer” on the bus.

A bug head net is useful. I wore mine over a baseball cap, which kept the net off my face, and the net kept the bugs out of my eyes and mouth. I wish I’d kept the net with me, in my pocket, because those bugs had a way of showing up unexpectedly, sometimes when I’d left the net on the bus.

There is something you DON’T need to bring. All of the hotels have hair dryers. Normally, I bring my own because I hate dryers attached to the wall (and all except the Hilton had the wall-attached dryers). Given the weather in Iceland, it is a mistake to be concerned about hair. Between the rain and the wind, your hair is going to go wild anyway.

Food
Yes, it is expensive. Take a look at what $58.80 will get you: two cups of soup, two baguettes, no drinks. (It is very wise to carry a refillable water bottle).

As you can tell from the cutlery and the tray, this was not a chi-chi restaurant. Nope. This was purchased at a gas station/rest area/gift shop/snack bar.

I must admit, though, the soup was absolutely delicious, and I’m a picky eater. No fermented shark for ME.

We were on our own for dinner the second night of our stay in Stykkisholmur. Because we’re a group of friends traveling together, we all chose the same restaurant, Narfeyrarstofa, for the variety on the menu–not just fish entrees, they also had hamburgers. The food was excellent. Check out the way the scallops were presented — on a board!

Mike and I chose the same thing: lamb, which was absolutely delicious, and a glass of red wine. Our total (just got our credit card bill) was $105, which I thought was reasonable for what we got. But then, I’m used to New York/New Jersey food prices.

We had another “on our own” night in Akureyri and once again, found an excellent restaurant. Strykid is on the 4th floor of a building, facing the water, so the view is every bit as wonderful as the food. For about $74 per person, we got a three course dinner–delicious cauliflower soup, chicken breast and chocolate cake. No food photos. We were too busy laughing and talking to pull out our cameras, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Odds and Ends
My iPhone 7 took great photos when the light was tricky or when it was rainy or misty. Unlike my Panasonic Lumix, it didn’t fog up or get raindrops on the lens. The top two photos were taken on a rainy day with my iPhone; the bottom one with my Lumix. Of course, the iPhone doesn’t have a powerful zoom, and photos get pixilated when you enlarge them too much. Still, I was glad I had it with me.

It was raining during ALL of the above photos.

Hold on to your coins. Many of the rest rooms charge 200 kroner (about $2.00). You need to insert the coins into a turnstile to access the rest room, so you can’t do what we did when we were poor college students in Boston–hold the door open for your friends. There ARE machines where you can insert your credit card to get change at most places, but if you buy anything using Icelandic kroners, you are probably going to end up with change, and this is a good way to use it.

Trolls welcome you to the center of Akureyri

The hotel in Akureyri is at the top of a hill, but the hill is walkable if you are in reasonably good shape. You just take your time, maybe stop off to check out the botanical garden before continuing up. The other options are a taxi, which will cost about $26 for the .6 mile between the hotel and the center of town ( according to my fitbit) OR a free bus – number 6- which runs every hour and only travels in one direction. For the trip back to the hotel, the bus takes the scenic route. I missed that experience, choosing to walk up and down, but others rode the bus, and reported that it takes about 20 minutes to get back to the Icelandair Hotel.

Horseback riding was a fantastic optional event. We were picked up at the hotel and transported to the horse farm, which is located in a very scenic area. The cost for transportation, an hour’s ride, and the necessary gear (Helmets, gloves, and if desired, snazzy orange or green jackets) was $90. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take photos while we were riding, but the views were breathtaking. The horses were very used to inexperienced riders, so there were no mishaps AND the horses are closer to the ground, which helps with mounting and dismounting.

For the flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik you might want to keep your good camera handy. Mine was packed away, so I used my iPhone to take this shot of the scenery. My Lumix would have been a better choice. It is a short flight, and is a great way to see the interesting topography of the countryside.

Be sure to check out Air Iceland Connect’s seat pocket. They put a little journal in each row so travelers can add comments. I particularly enjoyed this one.

On our departure day, most of us had flights leaving around 5 PM, so we had time to spend in Reykjavik. What a difference it makes when you aren’t jet lagged. We all went off in different directions. Some took in a concert at the Harpa, others enjoyed an art museum. Four of us took a cab to the Volcano House (2600 kroners each way) where we saw two films that chronicled Iceland’s last two big eruptions. The films last about an hour and are very well done.

After that we walked around the town, successfully completing our quest for a Christmas store. To me, these cute ornaments are the perfect gift–unique, representative of the country, small enough to pack and something that I know the recipients will use. Now I’m wishing that I bought more.

For those that want to stay close to the hotel, there is a sculpture garden within two blocks, and the botanical garden is only slightly further away. The night before, after our farewell dinner, four of us took advantage of good weather and long daylight to walk to both places. We were still out after 10 PM, hoping to catch a sunset. (I gave up).

Overall, this was a very interesting trip, with fascinating landscapes, and lots of memorable experiences. The best part, for me, however, was being with an incredible group of fun people.

If you would like a day to day account of the OAT Iceland trip, including great photos, I suggest you check out this blog by my friend, Nancy.

Happy travels!

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