October 15

 We are safely home from our European vacation after a 10.5 hour flight from Rome to Calgary, then a short hop to Saskatoon.

I was being quite faithful in making frequent updates detailing our adventures in Europe, then there was a good reason why I was unable to update.  A pickpocket stole my iPhone in a Rome Metro station.  Fortunately, my wallet was safe and my phone was locked.  Furthermore, we had Linda's phone.  

Let me back up a bit.

From Florence, we traveled through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Pisa.  The Leaning Tower of Pisa is quite impressive.  I had a vision of the tower being a stand alone structure, but there is a beautiful cathedral and baptistry adjacent to the tower.  The funniest thing to me was everyone was taking the same corny photo positioning the photographed person so it appears they are holding the tower from falling over or in my case making it appear I was pushing the tower over.  Tuscany is beautiful with cypress trees, canopy pines, rolling hills, and hilltop villas.  Just like the movies.

After Pisa, we traveled to Rome for two nights.  Linda and I did not participate in the tour of The Sistine Chaper; however, we toured Vatican City on our own.  The main event was a guided tour of The Colosseum, but the crowds, even at this time of year, were enormous. Very impressive!  Later in the evening, we participated in a food tour of Rome a stop in The Jewish Quarter (Probably a bad idea because October 7 was the anniversary of the Hamas attack on the Gaza Strip),

Our tour ended on Tuesday, October 6 in the morning.  Linda and I checked out of our hotel and were taking the Metro to the train station when a pick pocket robbed me of my iPhone.  Rome is crawling with pickpockets.  It's a jungle in Rome.  If you ever go to Rome, be on high alert everywhere!

Being robbed was a definite buzz kill, but we forged ahead taking the highspeed train to Naples.  The train goes 300 km/hour.  In Naples, we transferred to a regional train that took us to Sorrento.  Our accommodation was centrally located so we toured the Sorrento area thoroughly.  Sorrento is all about the lemons.  Lemon dishes, clothing, liquors, tea towels, cutlery, etc.  We ate in several Italian restaurants, sat in outdoor cafes for caffe, ate gelato, and enjoyed the amazing scenery.

The highlights of the Sorrento area were a tour of Pompeii and a boat tour of the Amalfi Coast.  The boat tour took us to Positano, then to Amalfi where we took a bus to Raffalo then we walked down the longest of stair cases back to Amalfi.  Thank God, we decided to take the bus to the top.  Going down the stairs was taxing enough.  The boat that took us back to Sorrento wasn't a large one and the waves were huge.  People were hanging over the edge vomiting, turning green, and praying for the boat to arrive in Sorrento pronto.  We were going to tour the island of Capri, but after that ordeal, we chose to tour Pompeii instead.

Pompeii was awe inspiring.  I will leave it up to the reader to discover Pompeii.  I will say that the level of technology 2300 years ago was beyond my comprehension. Our tour leader was a retired professor who really brought the Pompeii story to life.  Pompeii was probably the best historical site tour in the three weeks we spent in Europe.  Touring Pompeii is a must if you are in Italy.

We were away for a total of 20 days and were quite ready to return home after touring 4 countries and multiple cities.   There were many iconic sites such as the Tower of London and the Eiffel Tower. Throughout the tour, we met interesting people from all over the globe, we ate some great food, and saw beautify landscapes.  

We eventually overcame our horrible experience of being pickpocketed and had a great time in Sorrento.  Now we have a treasure trove of pictures, videos, and memories that are looking forward to sharing in the coming days, months, and years.

There's no place like home.  I love my neighborhood, my city, my province, and this wonderful country of ours.  Moreover, I love my dear family, neighbours, and friends.

Cheers.  

October 3-5

 Traveling southeast from Lucerne, we entered the skiing area of the Swiss Alps toward the Lombardy area of Italy passing through Logano and Milan. We made a stop in Verona to visit the historic area. The big attraction was a balcony where Romeo called out to Juliet. Below the balcony is a statue of Juliet. If you touch her breast…presto…good luck. 

We also had our first helping of gelato in Verona.  Definitely a step up on ice cream. 

Our travel day was dominated by rain. In spite of wind and rain, we took a water taxi into Venice for a 4 course Italian meal. Due to climate change, Venice will likely be under water within 50 years. St. Marks, the main square is the lowest point. Vendors were selling gators to slip over shoes because there was standing water everywhere. Temporary risers were assembled on the stone tiles to keep pedestrians above the water. 

On Friday,  we spent the day in Venice touring the narrow streets, crossing canal bridges, watching glass blowers, eating pasta, sipping wine, and taking a boat tour to the island of Burano. Burano’s buildings are painted a variety of bright colours and the shops sell locally produced garments and lace. 

Today we traveled through Balogna to Florence. Aperol spritz with bruschetta for lunch.  Florence is a beautiful city with amazing churches and cathedrals. Even though October is a shoulder season, the crowds were oppressive. The tour is winding down and we are looking forward to Tuesday when we will be on our own traveling to Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, and the Isle of Capri. 

October 3

 October 3

It is Thursday morning and we are traveling south from Lucerne towards Venice. The Swiss countryside is beautiful…chalets with timbers over stucco, cattle with cowbells, green meadows, mountain forests, compact towns/villages, castles, long tunnels, commuter trains, ornate bridges, and deep mountain lakes. Lucerne is a quaint little city with old German architecture, chocolate shops, Swiss army knives, expensive watches, jewelry stores, and a scenic wooden bridge. 

The Wednesday highlights were taking a vernacular(sp) train up to a gondola ride on Mount Stanserhorn. The gondola was unique. There was an open air viewing deck on top of each gondola. We climbed 6000 feet to a restaurant and observation deck. I did not spot Heidi or her grandfather. 

In the evening, we attended a folk dinner with fondue, oompapa band, elekenhorn demonstration, yodeling lesson, and dancing. Kitschy and corny. 

October 1

 October 1

We were on the bus by 7:30 today on our way to Lucerne. At present, we are traveling through the French countryside near Dijon. Rolling hills, charlais cattle, pastures, forests, castles, and wind farms dominate the countryside. We will be passing through the wine region of Chablis and Burgandy. 

The Paris experience was impressive. Whereas London had narrow roadways and a mixture of architectural features, Paris was dominated by 7 story limestone buildings with ornate carvings and iron works. The statues and landmarks were more grand and stylish. On the other hand, The Tube I. London was more user friendly than The Metro in Paris. 

The plan for later this afternoon is a tour of Lucerne. Tomorrow will include a gondola ride up one of the Swiss Alps and cultural evening of food, song, and dance. Apparently, we will be learning how to yodel too.