We began our tour of Europe with a few days in Athens, Greece. It wasn’t the best time of year to explore the islands, so we decided to stay right in the heart of old Athens (Plaka) within walking distance of the major sites. We really enjoyed exploring the Acropolis and its newly opened museum, as well as, Zeus’ temple, Adrian’s Arch, and the fun shopping/restaurant district in Plaka. We also met up with my good friend Tommy Mathas’ cousin (Dimitri) one night for drinks. It was great talking with someone new and getting the world perspective from someone living and working in Europe. We are not alone in the financial crisis, and Amercia may be better off then a lot of the European countries from what I hear and see on the news over here.We then fly to a place that is near and dear to my heart, Naples, Italy and the Amalfi Coast. I was lucky enough to have a chance to live and work here twenty years ago, and I was really eager to show Sally and the boys how fun and crazy Italy can be. We rented a car in Naples and drove the fifty miles down to the Amalfi Coast and then took the slow but amazing drive down the coastline to the historic town of Amalfi. It is so incredible that a road could be built into the mountainside like it is, as well as, all the houses that are literally clinging to the side of cliffs. And then there is the food. Southern Italy is known worldwide for incredible food. The pizza was invented here and the best cheese in the world comes from Naples. It is called Mozzarella de Buffala. It is mozzarella cheese made from the milk of the water buffalo. Now I know that doesn’t sound too appetizing when you look at a water buffalo, but they make some sweet cheese. Mix it with some fresh Roma tomatoes, procuitto ham, basil, some Italian bread, and a little olive oil and you can’t go wrong. Needless to say that I ate my fair share of the cuisine and drank a bit more than my share of the cheapest red wine I could find. People love to order expensive wine thinking its better, but the best red wine I have ever had has never been over ten dollars a bottle.
We spent two nights on the Amalfi, just wandering around and enjoying a culture that dates back to the first millennium. On the way back to Naples we stopped by Pompeii and explored the incredible ruins that have been uncovered and restored. The boys were really impressed with the archaeology and the story about Mt. Vesuvius erupting in 79 AD and totally entombing an entire town; people literally frozen in place by the volcanic ash and gases that rained down on them. We had hoped to climb Mt. Vesuvius but the weather was too cloudy for any good views, and we were eager to get to Rome so we went back to Naples and started our Eurail portion of our journey.
Americans are so car focused that we never installed a rail system similar to Europe’s, and we are really missing out on a great way to travel. When I was working in Italy in 1989, I finished my time with a month long Eurail Pass and fell in love with train travel. It was so convenient to just jump on a train and go somewhere. You can get to any town and quickly figure out their metro/bus system and get anywhere you want to go. Our itinerary was to head north to Rome, then on to Venice, over the Alps to Munich, through Switzerland, over to Barcelona, up to Paris, and through the Chunnel to London. We would then end our time with a few days in Ireland before flying home. Our first stop would be Rome, a city so steeped in history that around every corner is a building, monument, or church that is worthy of study. Hail Caesar!!
Rome Sure Wasn't Built in a Day
We weren’t on the train for more than thirty minutes before the boys were in love with train travel. I had booked first class tickets for our Eurail Passes, so not only did we get nice big reclining leather seats, but they brought the goodie cart to us, and it was free. Trains are so much better than planes because there is substantially more room in them, you can basically pick your own seat, you can get up and move around anytime you want, there are very few delays in trains departing/arriving, and if the engines fail, you just coast to a nice stop. The express train got us from Naples to Rome in under two hours, and the boys were bummed the trip was over. We were able to find a nice hotel right near the Trevi Fountain, which made it very convenient to walk to all the best sites. The first afternoon we walked to the Trevi Fountain, and the Coliseum but the interior was already closed for the day. That evening we went to the Spanish Steps and did some shopping, as well as, some gelato tasting!! The best part of southern Italy is just people watching. A lot of the areas are pedestrian malls and they are teeming with people going about their daily lives, as well as, talking and smoking a lot.
The next day we started early trying to see the best sites before the crowds got too bad. The biggest challenge was getting in the Sistine Chapel before the lines became unbearable. We got there just after it opened and were able to walk directly through the Museum right to the chapel. We kind of felt guilty not spending more time in the museum, but there are just so many artifacts you can see before your eyes glaze over. I have always been a fan of Michelangelo’s, and I got to see the Sistine Chapel and his famous paintings when I was here twenty years ago. At that time they were doing restoration work on it and the entire room was filled with scaffolding so you really couldn’t get a feel for the entire frescos. The restoration is completely done now and the space is so amazing. Sitting on the benches that ring the room and gazing up on such a masterpiece just leaves you speechless, just to imagine how he laid on his back, high atop scaffolding, and painted for four straight years, working by himself…all in the name of God and Church. I bought a short book on his life from the Vatican bookstore and read it on the way to Venice. It was surprising to read that he was quite conflicted in his own spirituality and you can follow his inner turmoil through his work and the different methods or impressions that different works portray. The biggest example is in the Sistine Chapel. Years after he finished the ceiling fresco, he was commissioned to paint the Final Judgement on one of the walls. The entire work is in sharp contrast to the ceiling which portrays people in a very ethereal manner. All the characters in the Final Judgement are very harsh in their portrayal, and it was meant to cast a less than perfect light on people. This work corresponds with a time that he was going through great inner turmoil, questioning his own belief and the role of the Church.
From the Sistine Chapel, we walked to the St. Peter’s and toured the Basilica. This is one of the most impressive spaces I have ever been in. I am not very religious, but this holy ground makes you believe in a bigger purpose and man’s dedication to his faith. What really impresses me is the Engineering and Construction techniques there were mastered so long ago. To look at this building and realize that it was built not just without big machinery, but even without electricity is amazing. It is one thing to stack three million large blocks into a pyramid, but to build something like the Basilica is truly amazing. To get up close and personal with the building, we climbed the three hundred and some steps up to the top of the Basilica’s cupola (dome). There is a staircase built within the roof itself and it spirals all the way to the top, with amazing views of St. Peter’s Square, The Vatican property, and all of Rome. Later that day, we went back to the Coliseum and did a two hour self guided tour of the interior, complete with audio guide. The thought of ancient battles in this space complete with wild animals and large movable sets with sixty thousand in attendance really impressed the boys. After another fun night on the town in Rome, we headed north for Venice.
The next day we started early trying to see the best sites before the crowds got too bad. The biggest challenge was getting in the Sistine Chapel before the lines became unbearable. We got there just after it opened and were able to walk directly through the Museum right to the chapel. We kind of felt guilty not spending more time in the museum, but there are just so many artifacts you can see before your eyes glaze over. I have always been a fan of Michelangelo’s, and I got to see the Sistine Chapel and his famous paintings when I was here twenty years ago. At that time they were doing restoration work on it and the entire room was filled with scaffolding so you really couldn’t get a feel for the entire frescos. The restoration is completely done now and the space is so amazing. Sitting on the benches that ring the room and gazing up on such a masterpiece just leaves you speechless, just to imagine how he laid on his back, high atop scaffolding, and painted for four straight years, working by himself…all in the name of God and Church. I bought a short book on his life from the Vatican bookstore and read it on the way to Venice. It was surprising to read that he was quite conflicted in his own spirituality and you can follow his inner turmoil through his work and the different methods or impressions that different works portray. The biggest example is in the Sistine Chapel. Years after he finished the ceiling fresco, he was commissioned to paint the Final Judgement on one of the walls. The entire work is in sharp contrast to the ceiling which portrays people in a very ethereal manner. All the characters in the Final Judgement are very harsh in their portrayal, and it was meant to cast a less than perfect light on people. This work corresponds with a time that he was going through great inner turmoil, questioning his own belief and the role of the Church.
From the Sistine Chapel, we walked to the St. Peter’s and toured the Basilica. This is one of the most impressive spaces I have ever been in. I am not very religious, but this holy ground makes you believe in a bigger purpose and man’s dedication to his faith. What really impresses me is the Engineering and Construction techniques there were mastered so long ago. To look at this building and realize that it was built not just without big machinery, but even without electricity is amazing. It is one thing to stack three million large blocks into a pyramid, but to build something like the Basilica is truly amazing. To get up close and personal with the building, we climbed the three hundred and some steps up to the top of the Basilica’s cupola (dome). There is a staircase built within the roof itself and it spirals all the way to the top, with amazing views of St. Peter’s Square, The Vatican property, and all of Rome. Later that day, we went back to the Coliseum and did a two hour self guided tour of the interior, complete with audio guide. The thought of ancient battles in this space complete with wild animals and large movable sets with sixty thousand in attendance really impressed the boys. After another fun night on the town in Rome, we headed north for Venice.
We only spent two nights in Venice, but walked plenty. The great thing about Venice is its fun to get lost while trying to get somewhere because you eventually find your way and see some neat things along the way. We checked out the major landmarks like the Rialato Bridge and St. Mark’s Square and even found a small jazz club which was playing Brazilian Jazz. Originally our next stop was going to be Munich, Germany and then train to Garmisch for a few days of snowboarding, but I found a way to go directly to Garmisch if we went through Innsbruck, Austria. So we packed our bags and jumped a train to Austria for the night, simple as that. Train travel is so fun. Next blog will be Garmisch – Winter Wonderland.
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