Italy, Days 6 & 7

 

The last two days of our vacation were extremely relaxing, and a lot of fun.  We swam in the hotel’s indoor pool, bathed in the sun, played some Yahtzee, and relaxed in the relaxation room and saunas.  The food was amazing (and I’m still not over the gluten free goodness!), and by the time we left on Saturday, the wellness experience definitely had us feeling very very well.  :)

We checked out of the Parkhotel Schoenblick and, before beginning the long drive home, went to a castle in Northern Italy.  It was beautiful, and there was an interesting exhibit about Leonardo da Vinci inside.  We explored the castle and took some photos (which you have to check out because P did some amazing things with the camera!).

So then we embarked on our journey back to Magden.  The drive home was uneventful, and although we would have loved to continue our vacation, it was good to be home.

Thank you, Patrick, for an amazing vacation that I will never forget!!!!

Wellness Hotel – Parkhotel Schoenblick

Castle

Part of the Leo dV exhibit

View from the castle garden

P’s fun with photography

Italy, Day 5

 

We checked out of the Hotel Belle Arti and walked around the most romantic city I have ever seen in real life.  There was no way I was leaving Venice until I went on a gondola ride, so we wandered around until we found the place where the rides begin.  It was ridiculously expensive, but worth every penny (or Euro cent)!  The gondola ride is one of the coolest things I have ever done… EVER!  The gondolier maneuvered the narrow canals with such skill and precision.  When we approached an “intersection,” he would yell some nonsense, and, if another boat or gondola was coming from another direction, they would yell some nonsense in response.  Well, as long as they knew what they were doing… that’s the important thing, right?  It was an absolutely indescribable experience… something I can finally check off my list of things to do before I die.  :)

When we returned from the gondola ride, it was time to catch the ferry and head to our final destination of the week… WELLNESS!!!  It was about a four hour drive from Venice to the wellness hotel in Northern Italy.  Being from California, a long drive like that usually means a flat, ugly, and sometimes even smelly, drive (I’m thinking I-5 in case you didn’t guess).  So I expected this drive to be a mere inconvenience necessary to get to the next destination.  I could not have been more wrong!  I don’t know exactly where we were, but it was some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen!!  I do know we went through Cortina d’Ampezzo, where I fell in love… again.  :)  We didn’t stop there, but resolved to go back sometime.  We did stop a bit later to get a coffee and take in the view at this beautiful lake, the name of which I have no idea… but check out the photos.

We finally arrived at the Parkhotel Shoenblick and began my first wellness weekend.  YAY!  We relaxed and napped a bit before heading downstairs for dinner.  P had contacted the hotel ahead of time to tell them about my gluten allergy, and they were ready for me!!  They had a gluten free menu prepared for me, and had ordered breads, muffins, cakes and pastas.  It was AMAZING!!!  This was a place I could get used to, and a place where I could get very, very fat!  :P

Hotel Belle Arti

Venezia

P fitting right in with locals

Gondola ride… Steph’s photo of the year

Palace from 007: Casino Royale

On the ferry leaving Venice

The lake on the way to wellness

Italy, Day 4

 

We checked out of the Hotel Perseo and set out exploring Florence.  I won’t lie…. I fell completely in love!!!  With Florence, of course.  We wandered around, did some souvenir shopping, had lunch, and headed to Ponte Vecchio, one of the most amazing places I have been.  You’ll have to see the photos!  But, of course, if you have already been there then you know exactly what I am talking about.  Then we headed over to the Palazzo Pitti.  We wandered around the palace, where we were supposed to be admiring famous artwork, but really just stared at the ceilings (the main reason we went there in the first place).  P commandeered my camera and was photographing the beautifully carved and painted ceilings.  He was told about three times to stop taking photos, and I was so scared they would confiscate our camera!  (But now I’m sooooo happy to have the photos!!)  We meant to spend only a couple hours exploring, but eventually realized it was six hours later, so we headed back to the car.  P went to pay for our overnight parking, and when he came back to the car, he looked like he had just seen a ghost.  After the initial shock wore off, he was able to tell me how much the parking cost.  I would tell you to try to guess, but you would never get it.  For about 12 hours of parking… 73 Euros!!!!  Yeah… that’s like $120 (or Swiss Francs)!!!  INSANE, right???  I’m still shocked.

So we set out for our next destination, already planning to return to Florence as soon as possible.

Our next stop was Venice.  As we approached the city by ferry, I was immediately awestruck.  It was just as gorgeous and romantic as I imagined it would be!  We checked into the Hotel Belle Arti, left our luggage in our room (which, by the way, was pretty much an homage to red velvet… wallpaper, curtains, etc.), and set out wandering the tiny “streets” and looking for a place to have dinner.  It took quite awhile, but eventually we found a restaurant that was still open (it was almost 10 p.m. at this point).  It was a Wednesday night, so of course… FUN WEDNESDAY IN VENICE!  YAY!!!  So we had dinner and celebrated before heading back to our hotel.  Or at least trying to.  Trying to follow a map in Venice is probably one of the more difficult tasks I have attempted.  We got lost for quite awhile, which was actually really fun.  :)  

We finally found our way back to the hotel, had a cocktail in the outdoor seating area, and went back to the room.  We were just about to go to sleep when we heard people trying to get into the hotel after hours (doors closed at midnight or 1).  They were ringing the bell and yelling to let them in, but nobody came.  P and I looked out the window which faced the front, and the guy started asking us to let them in, which we weren’t really inclined to do.  The guy was complaining that they couldn’t get into the hotel, and P goes, “I can see that,”  and then shut the window.  Hahaha it was so mean, but soooooo funny!

Steph loving Florence!!!

Street artist

Fake David

Ponte Vecchio

Steph and the Ponte Vecchio

P in front of the Ponte Vecchio

View from Ponte Vecchio

Ceiling of one of the rooms of the Palazzo Pitti

The Florence skyline from inside the Palazzo Pitti

Outside the Palazzo Pitti

Hotel Perseo, Firenze

 

Italy, Day 3

We woke up in Lucca and, after stopping for some gluten free gelato (a fantastic find by P!!)… breakfast of champions, we immediately got on the road through the Chianti region toward Florence.  We stopped in Redda, part of the Chianti region of Tuscany.  It was INDESCRIBABLE, as the photos attached show.  

I am so happy that I didn’t have to do any of the driving because the roads in Italy are impossible!!!  The signs are confusing, the pavement is in poor condition, and people drive as if there are no traffic laws whatsoever.  BUT… it was totally worth it.

When we finally reached Florence, we tried unsuccessfully for over an hour to get into the city itself.  We were about to give up and just drive toward Venice, but P decided he was up for one more try… so we mapped out a route, and finally, after about 2 hours, we were in Florence!  It was pretty late by the time we arrived, so we immediately checked into the Hotel Perseo and went to find some dinner.

As we walked around looking for food, we became so thankful that we didn’t give up on going to Florence.  It is one of the most amazing places I have ever seen with my own eyes!!!

In Chianti

In Redda, Chianti

The view from Redda

P’s “photo of the year”

Finally in Florence!!!

Italy, Day 2

Monday

We checked out of the Hotel Paolino and immediately headed for the beach.  We walked along the shoreline for a bit, but I refused to go in the water because P read somewhere that there are tons of jelly fish in that area right now.  But there were people in the water… I guess they either didn’t hear, or didn’t care, about the jelly fish.  So then we laid out on in the sun for a bit before getting some brunch and getting on the road toward Pisa.

An hour or so later we arrived in Pisa, and I saw that famous leaning tower for the first time!  It is amazing!!  We took some ridiculously touristy photos which you may laugh at below.  (Oooh, and we also came across a fellow UC Davis Aggie!!!)  I think the thing I will remember most about the Leaning Tower of Pisa is standing at its base and looking up at the top of the tower… it gives the illusion that the tower is coming down and is going to fall right on top of you!!!  It is such a weird feeling!

We weren’t in Pisa long before we drove to Lucca, a small town near Pisa.  We found a hotel pretty quickly, the Piccolo Hotel Puccini, but then had to find a way to get our bags to the hotel.  Lucca is a small town with small roads… I guess that’s what happens when the town was built before the SUV came about.  So P had the daunting task of driving these little streets while I attempted to navigate, a difficult task in a town that resembles a maze, from the passenger seat.  We got the car parked and the bags in our room and set out to find some dinner.  Easier said than done….  TWO HOURS LATER(!!!), we finally found a restaurant where I could eat!!  (Okay, there were a couple others where I COULD eat, but the risotto had mushrooms in it and that is soooooo not okay with me!)  So we found a restaurant with mushroom-free risotto, had dinner and a bottle of wine, and headed back to the hotel.  Since we wandered around for so long trying to find food, we figured we were probably at least a few minutes away… nope.  Like two blocks.  Yeah, like two blocks.  Oh, and the best part is… on our way back to the hotel we walked past this restaurant where P had eaten before (but we couldn’t find it when we were looking for it), which means the restaurant we were looking for was only a block away from our hotel… and we checked the menu… I totally could’ve eaten there, too!!!  Hahaha whatever… dinner was delicious, and we had a good time.

Italian Vacation, Day 1

Sunday

 

We got on the road toward Ticino, the Southern region of Switzerland, around 11:00 in the morning.  P decided to drive over the Gotthard (big mountains) instead of through the tunnel, so I got a chance to see the Teufelsbruecke (Devil’s Bridge).  (There are a couple photos below.)  While we were on the Teufelsbruecke taking photos, it started pouring rain.  It was still raining when we reached Lugano, which is where we planned to stay the night, so we kept driving straight through to Italy, where the weather improved as we went further south.

We arrived in Tuscany and stopped in Viareggio (after a drive of about 7-8 hours), a cute little beach town on the Mediterranean Sea.  It took us awhile to find a decent hotel for a decent price, but we eventually did… the Hotel Paolino.  After we found our hotel, we went to find some dinner.  This may sound like an easy task, but not so much for me.  A gluten allergy in Italy.  Hmmmmm… I was so sure I would be eating risotto for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!!  My first meal, however, was actually an omelette (for dinner).  Whatever… it was great and gluten free!!!

Day 33 – My Overdue Update

Tuesday

So it’s been awhile since my last entry, but not too much has happened.  The Saturday before last we went to Basel with some friends to watch the Holland vs. Russia quarterfinal.  Unfortunately, Holland lost… but we still had a blast!!!  Except for one problem:  Some girl/lady passed out or got sick and an ambulance had to come down the narrow, crowded street to pick her up.  The driver of the ambulance was driving through the sea of people honking the horn and just pretty much hoping we would get out of the way, which we tried to do.  But as the ambulance was trying to pass us by, it hit the stool we were saving for one of our friends and the stool/the ambulance hit Patrick!!!  He was pinned between the stool and the ambulance and the ambulance just kept going.  So we ripped the stool out of the way (but not before it was bent out of shape) and P was okay, but it still hurt like hell!

The rest of the night was fun… we went to a couple bars in Basel after the game, including RedRocks, my personal favorite.  :)  We later found out that like 180,000 people were out in Basel that night!!

Here are a few photos from that night….

Last Wednesday was Patrick’s birthday (HAPPY B-DAY… AGAIN!!!), so we had dinner and watched the game with some friends at the local restaurant I’ve mentioned before, the Adler.  I was racking my brain trying to figure out what to buy him, and came up with absolutely nothing… then a few days before his birthday, his DVD player broke.  THANK GOODNESS!!!  I know that sounds bad, but at least I finally knew what to give him!  So that’s what I got him… a new DVD player.

Friday night we went to the casino in Baden, “The Grand Casino.”  Ummmm yeah… not so grand.  :P  It was totally nice, and we had a great time, but it is sooooooo small!!!  Anyway, in case any of you had any lingering doubts… we are officially losers.  We lost.  We didn’t even stand a chance.  The only place we won was at the bar.  :)

Oooh, but before we went to the casino, we stopped by the bar where P’s sister, Angela, works.  She made us some fantastic Caipirinhas… Thank you Angela!!!!

P had to work at this sporting event during the day on Saturday, so I decided to head to the Schwimmbad (swimming pool) in Moehlin, a nearby town.  I got on the somewhat crowded bus and sat across from this older gentleman who was riding alone.  He started to say something to me in German, so I told him, “Tut mir leid.  Ich spreche kein Deutsch,”  which means, “Sorry.  I don’t speak German.”  Sorry… had to use a little of my German.  :)  (I hope it was right.)  Anyway, turns out the man spoke English, so he started asking me questions, which I answered because at this point I thought he was just some harmless old guy.  He asked me where I was going, where I was from, etc.  Then he started telling me about where he lives in Basel, and then told me I should come there with him, that he had never seen or met anyone like me, blah, blah, blah… you get the idea.  So I took my phone out of my bag to pretend to be distracted so he would leave me alone, and he noticed that it was a camera phone.  He then insisted that I take a photo of him with it, I declined and told him I really didn’t know how to use it (which obviously I do), and he tried to take my phone from me!  So I pretended to figure it out and took a photo of him.  Then he was grabbing my hand and not letting it go, and trying to hug me and kiss me on the cheek.  Then finally we arrived at the train station, where I was to wait for my next bus, and he was supposed to get on a train to Basel (at least that’s what he said…).

He didn’t get on a train.  He followed me around trying to grab my hand/arm.  Eventually I went inside the train station where there were people working so hopefully he would leave me alone.  He did… kind of.  He stood right outside the door smoking a cigarette and watching me the whole time I was in there.  Then I thought my bus might be coming so I went outside to catch it.  I had to walk right passed the creepy old guy.  He grabbed my arm and tried to talk to me some more, I kept walking and he started yelling after me, demanding to know my name, and just making a scene in general.

Turns out… it wasn’t my bus.  So I had to walk back into the building so he would leave me alone.  I waited in there for a few more minutes before creepy got on another bus (not the train he claimed to be taking).  Then a couple more minutes passed and my bus arrived.  I had an amazing time at the Schwimmbad, but the creepy guy experience was not so fun.  Apparently this kind of experience is not very common here… thank goodness!!

P made fondue again on Sunday… this time without incident.  :)

That’s pretty much it for now.  I have been poolside pretty much everyday since the weather turned AMAZING.  My tan has finally arrived… better late than never, right?  I know you were all worried about my tan (hahaha).  Tomorrow is my last day of German lessons… kinda sad, but oh well.

OOOOOHH!!!  And next week we are going to Italy!!!  YAY!!!!  I’m sooooo excited… I’ve never been to Italy!!  So I probably won’t write again until we get back, which will be just a couple days before I start my studies at the World Trade Institute Summer Academy.  Wish me luck!!!

Okay, one last thing I forgot to mention in my last entry… There was a shooting in my (our) neighborhood back home in SF on June 18th.  I just wanted to say how happy I am that everyone is safe and I hope the TL will be relatively quiet for awhile now.  Take care, everyone, and don’t forget to carry your pepper spray!!!

Day 22 – FIRE!!!

Friday

P set the dining room on fire!!!! He made me Fondue tonight because I have been craving it since I left Switzerland in March. He lit the (flaming thing that goes under the Fondue pot… don’t know what it’s called) and was bringing it to the table, when he accidentally dropped it on the table. The burning oil spilled, and the whole thing fell into one of the chairs and onto the floor. So the table, chair and floor were all on fire!!! I was sitting on the couch when it happened and totally screamed like a girl (of course)! I was like, WHAT DO I DO?!! So I jumped up and grabbed some towels and threw them to/at him and he put the fire out. Just the oil burned… the furniture and floor are totally fine, but it was soooooo intense!!!

But the Fondue was still delicious!!! Thank you, Mr. Patrick!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!! What a game!!! We are watching the quarterfinal between Croatia and Turkey. It is already the end of overtime, and in the very last minute Croatia scored and then Turkey scored!!! So crazy… it was 0-0 until the last minute! So now I will get to see my first set of penalty shots to decide the game… kinda cool, but I wish Turkey hadn’t scored that goal because I really don’t want them to win!! So exciting, though!!! Shoot!!! Croatia lost. Boooo Turkey.

Okay, that’s it for tonight… except:

Thank you to Miss Bonnie for taking care of my plant and getting my mail while I am away… you are such a great friend!!! Love ya!!

And I MUST share this email I got from John… it’s so great!!! Thanks love!!!! (I omitted the gangsta rap version of the message for reasons that would be obvious if I included it):

In romantic letter

Oh my love, how I pine for you right now in my hour of need. I am aware that your absence is by all measures except my heart quite short. I venture to the desert on the morrow with a hanging head and a heavy soul. Ironically, the notion that your lips are marked with smiles may be my only solace.

In haiku

Stephanie my doll
How your absence destroys me
I’m incomplete here

In Shakesperean iambic pentameter

You came you left with hearts amidst your face
You loved you left now I have no soft embrace
My eyes are weak at the loss of your glow
I miss your laugh your companionship, ho.

(ok maybe a little gansta at the end there)

Love you sweetie!!!! I miss you so much!! Get your passport and COME VISIT ME!!! Muah!!!

Goodnight all!

Day 18 – Notables, Etc…

Just a few “shout-outs”…

First of all, Happy Father’s Day Dad!!  I know it was yesterday (and yes, I called him), but I just wanted to mention it.  Love you!!!!

Thank you to the Zurfluh family for having us over for dinner last night and welcoming me into your home!  It was so nice to meet all of you, dinner was fantastic, and I just wanted to thank you again for everything.  Vielen dank!!!

Congratulations to Monica on your graduation from UC Davis!!!  I’m so proud of you, lady!!  XOXO!!!

And finally… Alles gute zum Geburtstag (to) Sascha!!!  So sorry you had to work on your day/night!  Happy Birthday!!  (I have no idea if he will read this, but thought it couldn’t hurt to mention it.)

So, last Wednesday we went to an event for P’s work to watch the football game.  It was mostly co-workers and clients, but a couple of those clients also happen to be P’s friends.  The Swiss lost… again, which apparently means they are out of the Euro, but the event was fun!  Melanie and I decided to take photos with the cardboard cut-outs of the Swiss football players, so check those out if you have a chance… Actually, Melanie took the cardboard version of her favorite player, Senderos, home with her!!!  She’s so funny!  :)

Not much else to report tonight.  We are just enjoying a relaxing night at home with Scrubs and a bottle of wine.  I missed my German lessons on Thursday and Friday because I was SOOOOO sick… and also had to miss my chance to see Sex and the City for the second time.  (Sorry to Melanie for cancelling if you are reading this.)

Ooooh, I do have one complaint…. It is the middle of June and it is RAINING!!!  Like everyday!  How am I supposed to lay out and tan and go swimming?  Hmmm?  I am usually so tan by this time of year!  Oh well, we are looking into a gym membership for me so I will at least be able to work out soon.  :)  Other than that, so far so good.  Later y’all!!!

Day 12 – IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTERALL

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Day 12 of my Swiss Summer, day 6 of my German lessons… I was soooooo frustrated in German class today (we are learning plural forms…. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!).  So I was exhausted when I got onto the train to head home for the day (after a little stress shopping, of course).  I just wanted to get home and watch some TV in English, but when I sat down on the train I heard some familiar sounds coming from the seats on the other side of the aisle.  I know that sound…. it’s English!!  And not only English, but American-ish!!  YAY!!!!  So I struck up a conversation with the two older ladies (who, by the way, looked like typical tourists… one of them had a neon pink visor and matching fanny pack).  :)

Turns out one of them is from Oakland, her boyfriend is Swiss, and she lives here with him in Switzerland.  She also happens to be the one with the typical tourist attire.  The other woman lives in Seattle, and her daughter-in-law (or someone related to her) went to Hastings!!!  (For those of you who don’t know, Hastings is the name of the law school which I attend.)  So we chatted the whole time from Basel to Rheinfelden, where we all got off the train and they headed into the old town, while I ran to catch my bus to Magden.  Aaaaahhh it was sooooooo nice to have a little taste of home!!!!

Ooooh… speaking of a taste of home… Thank you to Reto and Rita for having us over for a BBQ last night!!  It was sooooooo delicious and fun!!!  Good food, good drinks, good game!!!

HUP HOLLAND!!!!