barmatelliandfriends

 

Happy Mother’s Day Mum

These roses  are everywhere we go here.  They remind me of the ones that you had along the garage and trellis all those years ago.  They even smell the same.  Just a tiny memory amongst all the wonderful  memories I have to carry with me wherever I am, thanks to you.

So these roses are for you.  Thanks for being a wonderful mum. Lots of love from Tuscany.

 

 
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We are staying in the little village of Vicopisano which is really pretty.  There are these beautiful pink roses everywhere and they smell divine.  They were even on Wh “shortcut” home from the butcher, see below, and yes we started at the bottom.  I can only say I wasn’t carrying the water, beer and wine in the back pack.

There are lots of these little paths around and up and over the village.  I think we have now just about done them all.

Today we went to Livorno which is by the sea.  Aside from the fascinations of the ro-paxes in port and the ensuing conversations of the merits and downfalls of each one and of course it’s surrounding infrastructure it was sort of like, “Nothing to see here folks, move right along”.  So we did.

Oh first we did a boat ride through the Venezia quarter which was tranquil but sort of confirmed the nothing to see here folks.

We headed north along the coast and stopped at Marina Di Pisa for lunch.  It was wonderful to see the sea.  I didn’t realise how much I missed it.  The wide openness of it, it’s space and colour and air.   Of course this beach wasn’t anything like ours but it was lovely to see.   I can’t believe how people can lie on the stones and sunbathe. Evidently this beach is so packed in summer you can’t find a spot to put your towel.

We found our way home and after the appropriate amount of rest and cup of tea time wandered back down to our local butcher.  He has just done up his shop and it is the newest in town.   It is a father and son business and they pride themselves on knowing where all there products come from.  Tonight it was ravioli, tempura veges, and Wh got some blood sausage for his breakfast.  He is on his own with that.

 

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tips for driving in Italy (from the passenger seat)

get someone else to do it

have nerves of steel

have Flexi side mirrors

go faster than the speed limit or get constantly overtaken.  Just find the slowest car in front and sit behind it.

if you wait at the round a bout you will still be there

actually the Italian drivers have not been to bad you just have to literally go with the flow and don’t back off.

Today we went to an olive farm, which also grows kiwi fruit and makes wine and honey.  It is all organic and the whole day was a lot of fun.

Marco showed us around the farm including the olive press and how they produce the oil.  The old press, which was run by a water wheel was centuries old, just like some of the olive trees.    We learnt lots about acidity and also which ones have the “good for you” bits in.

We then did a Tuscan cooking class with Olympia.  I havnt yet got the recipes as she was emailing them so cant remember the exact names but it went like this

bread, tomato, salad thing,

then pasta which we made from scratch, with sage butter and nutmeg sauce.

then hunters chicken

then tiramisu

They say a picture paints a 1000 words but really these pics only paint 500, as it was all far tastier than these pictures could paint.    Olympia our chef was brilliant and the day took over 5 hours but was really special.
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BFF s favourite dessert is Tiramisu but I never saw nor tasted what the attraction was, I now understand.  So yet again no dinner required.  Our local host asked  which restaurants we had tried and we had to reply that we haven’t yet had dinner, as it’s pretty much not required.

Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

Thinking of you all.  Thanks for your emails it’s nice to hear from home.  That’s a hint to those of you who are slackers….you know who you are.

did you know?

outside of NZ, Italy is the second biggest producer of kiwi fruit.

that if you can’t digest garlic take out the soul of garlic. The little green bit in the centre.  Or leave the skin on and crush it with a knife, then when the dish is cooked take it out.  You get all the flavour but no digestion issues.

Olive trees live for centuries

always leave the pips in olives when you add them to a dish.  Olympus horrified to see on Australia master chef that they made hunters chicken and removed the pips.

And finally just FYI the plates are breakfast/ side plate side not nz dinner size.

 

 

Sculpture of the day I will call “give us a hug”.

Today we went to Lucca.  A walled Medieval city.

We walked. We wandered. We got lost in a good way.

We hired bikes and rode around the perimeter wall.

We ate lunch in a courtyard surrounded by lemon trees, esplayed on the walls.

We ate ravioli with walnut, porcini, and something else.  We ate spaghetti with tomato and some prosciutto type meat and something else.  It was something else, in a good way.

Lucca had lots of piazzas which were filled with pretty flowers that was the dressing on the drab.

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Lots of locals going about there business just doing what they do.

We came home. Wh with nerves of steel driving on the right side of the road.  Skinny, skinny roads with walls, and trees and parked cars and quick pullover truck coming.  I close my eyes and hit the imaginary passenger brake.  My side mirror only hit a tree once, lucky its Flexi.

There is a butcher shop in our village that is sort of like a deli.  He does pre prepared sort of meals amongst a whole lot of other things that butchers have.  You can even ask for a slice of focaccia or bread and he will cut it of the loaf.  Today we got a dish of zucchini stuff and a meatball thing, plus a bottle of red wine with no label on it.   His English is about as good as our Italian so there is no way of actually finding out exactly what is in them.  Came home heated  them up and they were delicious.

I really like this sculpturer, Jimenez Deredia, so had to have two sculptures of the day. This one can be called “bendy”.

Buonanotte

good night.

Travel day today but first let’s be done with Bologna.

No dinner was required last night but we went out wandering and explored the city, with the eventual destination being the recommended ice cream store.

Bologna is brown, I know I have mentioned that before but it really struck me.  The architecture is monstrous, it never fits into a shot or even an eyeful.  You have to deconstruct it.  You have to say look at the arch, look at the balustrade, look at the balcony, look at its brick work, look at is carvings, just keep looking otherwise it presents simply as big and brown.

There is no vantage point in Bologna to take it all in.  There is no hill, or green park or in many instances a big enough piazza to step back from it all, hence it feels claustrophobic and at first I could not help but yearn for an escape.  You have to sort of immerse yourself in it and let it unveil itself to you.

It’s decrepit and disintegrating features become quirky in themselves.  There is no pretence here.  There are amazing colossal, centuries old buildings and literally leaning brick towers in piazzas which are all worthy of comment.   But perhaps what becomes even more interesting is the 14th century building which stands there in a state and somehow says – at one stage in my history I was a church, then a pizza shop but now I just wait for another purpose.  It’s like the food last night – it is what it is.

So travel day didn’t disappoint with a walk along cobbled paths to the taxi rank only to be told by at least 6 taxi drivers all lined up with there vehicles telling  us they were on strike today. So on a bus, eventually and to the train station. On a train that left late and arrived in Florence with what was supposed to be plenty of time to get to our bus but was now a mission. Get to Pisa and as turning into airport where we were to pick up our rental car, the police stop us and send us away.  We have to go back and get dropped off at the new shuttle service and then buy a ticket and come back on the official shuttle train.  Lots of angry Italian with gestures and the odd recognisable expletive we get of the express airport bus and buy a ticket to get on a shuttle train.  Was actually way easier to not speak the language and just literally go with the flow, it did help that unlike the other angry punters we weren’t catching a flight. So with appropriate Tom Tom in place we headed to our base for the next five days.  This is me.

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a quick visit to the village. A bottle of wine, some cheese, olives and other essential supplies, a sunny back deck with a view over the hills one way and the tower the other.

 

 

 

 

 

Bologna was an accidental stop really.  It was the only Italian airport accessed from Prague, with the exception of Rome and we didn’t want to go there.  We are camped for a couple of nights in a little studio apartment in a big brown block, just like all the other big brown blocks around us.  You forget how dark and brown Italy is especially after coming from the colour and light of Prague.

Decided that all men in Italy, or at least in Bologna have a beard and moustache, not a big one,  just that the havnt shaved for a week or so look.  Wh says they probably just didn’t shave yesterday.  I swear it is like 90% of them look like that, I noticed it at the airport and I am still noticing it.

Last night we ventured out for food and got lost, not in the good getting lost exploring and finding new things way, but in the my feet hurt, I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, I’m tired, it’s been a long day and I will just go home and drink water way.    We ended up just eating at the first place we saw a seat, ate an average meal and then came home to bed.

This morning had a lazy morning, did some washing, yippeeeeee, it is always such a ridiculous euphoric feeling when you are travelling and you come across a washing machine and then double bonus a courtyard with a drying rack.

Having a home blue day today which is that sense of missing everyone.  The familiarity of people and places and things that you surround yourself with at home sometimes feels along way from here.  I am not pining just in that mood of if wh said,  shall we go home now?  I would say yep ok.  Just like when you are at the pub and you decide ok that was good but now I’m ready for home.  Actually that’s  a bad example as wh would never be the one saying shall We go home now from the pub.  Unless he was sober driving.  Anway the feeling shall pass, as those sorts of feelings do when you wile them away with new things to think about.

Today we followed some local advice and went to a restaurant called,  e’cucina,  we were told get there early as it fills up fast and they were right.  We got lost, I know! Again! Even got assistance in map reading from a local and still we couldn’t find it.  Then suddenly in a eureka moment  we decided to get out the phone and google map it.  Turns out the local had marked the map wrong so we followed the talking lady and voila.

The photo below is the entranceway into e^cacina.  You go in on the left and then you walk past all the racks with the boxes a veges and stuff on.
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The local told us, that the owner is a very famous chef who decided he wanted to open a simple low cost restaurant to share his food. Left his exclusive expensive one.  It costs €15 and you get water, wine, bread, primi pasta, secondi main then desert and coffee.  It is what it is, you choose, sparkling or still water, then red, white or sparkling wine.  You then get served some cheese.  Then a choice of two pasta dishes and a choice of two mains and two desserts.  There is no can I have my steak medium or dressing on the side it is, what it is.    It was perfect  as between the two of us we had one of everything and it was delicious, all for the same price as last nights very average.  I did take photos of the food but they don’t do it justice, all I will say is that it was fresh and tasty.

the restaurant went from empty to fill in about half an hour.  The photo below is about one quarter of it.  But if you check out the corner you will see the sign for the toilets.  We then had to come home for a siesta.

They say that bologna is the foodies heaven so lucky we leave tomorrow as they may not have baguettes but they have this –

I dislike travelling days.  The packing up of suitcases, getting to airports, checking in, security, everywhere hurry up and wait.  As I sit here now at airport it didn’t disappoint.

We arrived very early of course but when we went to check in our bags the young man informed us, that despite him not having a customer for miles, he could not check us in we had to do it ourselves on the app.  Or we could go to a service desk in the other terminal and pay €160 and they would do it for us.   We had to do it in the next 15 mins as it had to be done at least 2 hours before check in.  So with the usual technology failures and appropriate words and gestures ensued but hey here we are, through security, blogging away so glass half full.

We had a late afternoon flight so there is plenty of time.  The day begins again with an early morning walk.  The sun rises about 6 am so it’s a really lovely time.  This morning we were met by lots of drunks, no that’s too strong, lots of people who had been out all night drinking and were heading home or in the case of a group of young men who wanted directions, looking for the bridge.

I tried to convince them that ideally they should go back to there hotel and drink lots of water and then find the “bridge” later.   One of them thought that was a really good idea as he wanted some water and he thought they had been out a really long time.  Another thought that we might like to see his friends penis, as his friend had a kaftan on due to it being his stag doo. Neither his friend nor ourselves thought that was a good idea. So we gave them directions, they shook Wh hand earnestly and told him he had a very nice wife (yes that’s right, that is moi), and on their merry way they went.  About lunchtime I thought about them and hoped they got home safely and were drinking water.

The Prague marathon was on today so there was lots of activity and streets closed off.  Wh and I shall be able to sign up to compete soon as we seem to have done 10,000 steps before midday and most days do between 10 and 15kms, a couple of 17 Km days as well, and I might add baguettes are nowhere to be found here, only sweet pastry things which I am thankful to say are not my cup of tea.  I am not sure I will be able to say the same in Italy.

This morning after packed up and ready to go we caught a tram over the bridge and explored the Senate building and gardens.  You can have a look through some rooms in the building as the senate is closed on the weekend.  They also had a great photo exhibition of the last 100 years of Prague.  1 photo board for every year.  They have certainly endured.

Yesterday we caught yet another tram and went up the top to the palace gardens which I think I mentioned yesterday as the best way to get into the castle.   We did venture into the castle grounds but the crowds and hordes of those tour sticks with minions following quickly had us head back out the gates.  The view seemed much better from the outside.

Last night on the recommendation of the tour director we went to a roof top bar on top of a shopping mall to have a drink.  We got an amazing table and sat and watched the sun go down.  Wh was really keen on eating some roast duck as it is evidently real Czech food.  This place didn’t have duck but it had stunning views and made a fabulous mojito (wh is not a fussy beer drinker so I can’t really say fabulous beer as it was probably just beer).

 

Sunset over the roof top.

Dinner was a very bad avocado salad, and some great pork schnitzel and bread and as you can tell by above photos it was an evening to remember.

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bye Prague it was a pleasure.

Tips for airlines

when flying – particularly with budget airlines always check the fine print.

when budget flying always pay the extra 5 or ten bucks to select your seat and have priority boarding as most are a free for all.

they are niggly weighers so watch your weight (luggage that is)

Tips for prague

prague is full of treasures that can be stumbled upon and are not busy nor crowded eg senate buildings and gardens, courtyard cafes on back streets, the public gardens with apple and pear trees and wonderful views.

Get up early and wander.  Put your feet up in the afternoon if you must.  The city is at its best sun rise and sun set.  Incidentally this seems to be its least crowded.

Find a roof top bar or restaurant and enjoy the sun setting.

Buy a 24 hour tram pass for 110 KR or about $7.  The 15 takes you between the towns and 22 takes you to the top castle entrance and gardens.  23 takes you in a loop through and stops at all the major tourist stops but is often very full so switch to 22.

wear good walking shoes.  Everything is very cobbley and as I said it’s a walking city.

 

 

 

 

I could post hundreds of photos from Prague.  I am aware when taking them that I have already too many.  What will I do with them all?  But every corner yields another one up.

Last night we crossed the river and went into the back lanes.  We found a courtyard beer cafe.  This could be a long story but I will keep it short.  Two oldish guys turned up and played 60s music, most in English but some in Czech.  They had about 10 groupies of women 60ish, who clapped and cheered and ooohed and ahhhed.    We drank beer and g&t and ate frankfurter things, potato pancakes and apple strudel.  It was great.  The whole night cost us 600 KR, which in case you are wondering is not much especially when wh has two to my one and I had more than one. ( To put it in perspective we got back to the hotel late this afternoon and were knackered so wh got us a drink at the bar, one beer, one g&t and it cost 420kr.)

On our walk we came across my statue of the day.  The pond is a map of Czechoslovakia and it is literally two men having a pissing competition as to how it was going to be carved up.   The Czech lady who told us this was trying to find the word and then she said “I think there is no other words but how you say – pissing – “

 

We got up early this morning and were out at 6.30 as I wanted to get some photos around the Charles bridge and in the square without the crowds.  It was well worth it and was relaxed and easy even though there were lots of people with the same idea.

It was wedding day in Prague and everywhere we went there were weddings.  Check out the photo below with a bride on the steps And one walking towards the road.

We came back to the hotel and had breakfast and showers and then ventured out again.  This time we ventured into quieter zones and found gardens and parks not far away at all.   In one there was of course another wedding but the view over the rooftops was stunning.

We caught a funicular up through another park, which had hectares of apple and pear trees which when in fruit can be picked by all.  In another few weeks the roses and summer plants would be stunning.  I could post another dozen pics looking back down through the trees to the city, or of us sitting at the lookout with our sandwich and beer, or of the funicular itself but I have already loaded quite a few and I wanted to save the one below for last as it’s my favourite.

 
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tips for Prague

eat in the streets back of the main squares.  Full of locals, lots of fun. Cheap.

get up early to explore the Charles bridge and main square

Visit the parks, they provide stunning views and are relaxed after the busy tourist areas and also very beautiful

if you are going to visit the castle take tram 23 and get at the stop before the castle – palace botanical gardens – the security here is very quick and once in the gardens you can go through into the palace grounds without another security check.

if you can stay in the old town as that way you can come back to the hotel between excursions for a refresher.

always have 10 KR’s for toilet which are always spotless clean.

 

 

It is my second visit to prague as the first was such an exquisite taste I had to have more.  Today has not disappointed.   I have  travelled a lot over the past years and I still feel that it is the most beautiful city in the world.

 

It is truly a fairy tale city.  The guide said it is because it is one of the few cities where the old town was not destroyed by  fire in medieval times, nor either of the wars.  It has 100 of years of architecture layered upon each other and all seemingly fitting in.

Prague does take over and I just realised that I forgot to mention Nuremberg, and it’s worth mentioning.   We spent the morning there yesterday after leaving the ship.   We stood on the place of the Nazi Nuremberg rallies where hitler delivered his hate speech.  It’s now a racing car track and sport ground.   It would fit up to 200,000 people and was the beginning of the real propaganda machine.  The war does not escape you in this place as you enter its fold and the old brownstones along the road have patched up bullet holes in them.

They did an amazing job of fixing the old town walls and palace mixing the old and new. Certainly when you see what they achieved here in regards to rebuilding monuments that were destroyed in the war it is incredible.   The railway station was reduced to rubble and was seen as such a focal point for the city that it was recreated. The result is you would not tell the difference.  I don’t know why there was ever a debate about rebuilding the Christchurch cathedral.

We went to a beer garden to have snitchel and bier sausage and of course beer, well for wh anyway.   We ordered the food and the waiter asked if we would like a side of potatoes and asparagus as this is the local delicacy, or at least he pointed to it in the menu and we recognised asparagus and potato words and we all nodded a lot.   The beer, snitchel, sausage was excellent and cost equivalent of about 12 euros  the potato and asparagus, which were more like ginormous white carrots, were boiled, boiled, boiled, boiled or I could describe it like if you put potatoes and asparagus in the crockpot for a day and cooked it like that.  This side dish of asparagus and potatoes delicacy cost 15 euros.  I did say you had to get out and eat like the locals as it was part of the experience.(bet they don’t order sides that’s just for tourists).

In Prague today we stopped and got a sausage and beer (at least wh got beer) we knew about sides and weighing from our last trip to Prague whereby wh got a ham bun thing that when you re-converted it back cost about 15 euro. I watched with sadness as the poor lady in front paid about 15 euro for a great big chunk of ham so When they filled up our sauerkraut, potato side dish thing, to the very top an unbeatable portion I said neine, neine, only little, little.   As the ham or the sauerkraut potato thing is what they stick on the scales and it ends up costing you a fortune.   What a savvy fifty something tourist I am.

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anyway I must fly as body has recovered from this mornings 13,000 steps and its time to go again.  I am reminded of my Gran who always said “do and see everything you can while you still have your legs”.  This is a city of legs, a walking treasure.

 

Did you know that today is international Star Wars day.  It’s true.  May the 4th be with you.

tips for Nuremberg –

Dont order sides

tips for Prague 

go now whilst you still have your legs

buy a 24 hour public transport pass. Cheap and easy.

Be very wary of  ham or potato/sauerkraut dish with street food, they weigh it and rip you of.

 

 

Our last night onboard tonight and I cannot say that I am itching to move on, no claustrophobic yearnings, no itchy feet for something else. Even the bus tripping got less hi Di hi camper and more just meet here, when and where.

I like my ever changing river view.  The quiet, peaceful motion of the ship.  I did not tire of birdsong and people were easy to take or leave as it you just went to be someplace else.

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Tonight we will venture to the dining room for a degustation menu, my hopes are not high that it will change my views on the food but I shall go with an open mind.  Interestingly I overheard a conversation between a group walking back today expressing the same thoughts about the food as me.  Unlike me they however were serious river cruises and evidently this cruise had let them down.  I think I was pleased in more way than one, one that I was not nearly as critical as them, two that I have not turned into horrible food snob.

Today we stopped in Regensburg which is another pretty Bavarian town.   I love all the colourful  painted houses and clock towers on every corner.  It’s claim to fame was a bridge dating from the 11th century which of course was under renovation.  I do not think we have looked at an historic monument that is not under renovation.

Regensburg was not affected by either of the wars so historically it remains fully in tact.  So many of the towns and cities have got patches of ugly, modern architecture blended in with the old, the result of post war reconstruction to provide quick, cheap accomodation.

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This is the first place we have been , since leaving Budapest, where the town centre and shops were open.     Nothing is allowed to open on Sundays in Vienna as it is very religious and then we were too early in Durnstein for shops, Tuesday was a public holiday for May Day hence today being the first time.  It certainly made the feel more ordinary with people going about there daily lives rather than just tourists rambling through historic town centres.

I managed to find my singing egg timer.  I bought one a few years ago in Gothenburg and it’s brilliant.  You put it in the pot at the same time as the eggs and it starts singing when the  ready.  “House of the rising sun” for soft eggs, “ killing me softly” for medium and “ it’s been a hard days night” for hard boiled.  Eggs are perfect every time.  So with shopping complete we wandered aimlessly around the alleys and laneways.

Regensburg Beer garden.

Thursday today and we are busy packing up for disembarkation.  Very quickly, dinner was lovely.  The risotto very tasty and then fillet steak which was slow roasted.  Conspiracy theory – Perhaps they monitor the blogs onboard.  In summation river cruising was great.

Next stop Prague.