Sorry I didn't post quickly after I got home like I said I would. I've been under the weather since I've been back and have pretty much been sleeping 75% of the day, but I'm feeling better and here it goes...
I just want to say thanks fo reading this and commenting while I was on my trip. I've found that traveling alone is difficult for me, so it was always nice to know someone was reading and it felt like I had someone along for the ride with me.
Anyway, the trip home was pretty uneventful. I was stuck in a middle seat with annoying hippie woman and her crunchy loser husband sitting in front of me, insisting on pushing the seat back all the way deep into my knees, all the while leaning forward, thus making having the seat back unnecessary. After asking them to remedy the situation, I got some sort of "we can do what we want" self righteous speech which I countered that I guess that's only the case if we're not talking about forced veganism and environmental regulations set on destorying our economy even further. Since they (of course) didn't understand a thing I was talking about in reference to their self righteous, granola-eating, dread-lock hair, ignorant selves, that ended the matter and about 5 minutes later (about 5 hours into the 10 hour flight) they switched seats and the guy raised his up, thus relieving my surgically reconstructed knees of any further pain .
I must say, it's getting to the point where it's pretty hard for me to fly on airplanes. When you're 6'4" and your shoulders are as wide as 2 coach seats, it makes things quite difficult. I guess I'll try to lose any sort of musculature I now possess before I fly to Europe in the future if I go back, because that way I can fit in the seats and maybe wear some capris and women blouses so I look like a European and don't get discriminated against.
Anyway, after being up for about 30 hours I got back to Nashville, fell instantly asleep when I got home and have been on (what is extremely foreign to me) basically a 9 PM to 6AM sleeping schedule the last few days...maybe I'm truly becoming the old man I'm starting to feel like?
And now here I am...taking care of the corgis while my folks are away, cooking up a storm, trying to continue to build on what I've learned...and it's been AWESOME!! Yesterday I made the best bolognese sauce I've ever had (if I don't say so myself...) with homemade tagliatelle pasta. I'm going to keep practicing the tips, tricks, and recipes I've learned, as well as continue to practice my knife skills (I need help - 2 bad finger cuts in one month...eh).
Other than that, I have about 3 weeks to get my stuff together for the move down to Austin. For the first time in quite some time, I have to admit, I'm actually excited about the future. I know I have a great opportunity to do something really big and different from anything the people of Texas have ever had in terms of Italian food, and I'm excited to really start my life in Austin, as the past year and a half has basically been purgatory, just waiting for something to happen.
So, that's about it. If anyone is still reading this and anyone is still interested, I'm going to post the pictures from the last 5 days of the trip or so - definitely some of the best ones - http://picasaweb.google.com/harrison.d.sonntag .
Thanks again for everything and wish me luck in Austin!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Back in Pisa
Im at an internet cafe at the campsite Im staying at in Pisa which is 800 meters from the leaning tower and about 3 km from the airport, so...perfectly situated. The drive today was one of the more stressful ones yet, as my GPS managed to take me TWICE through tiny villages on narrow country roads to points where I was instructed to navigate off-road. Somehow, I managed to make it to Pisa, though. I must say...I'm exhausted. This trip has been incredible. Its been fun, beautiful, inspirational, education, but, most of all, exhausting. I'm sooooo tired. I am looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for the first time in 2 weeks (the bed at the cooking school was about 2 feet wide and 5.5 feet long, so not exactly the right fit for me). Im looking forward, more than anything else, to driving my wonderful Japanese-made automobile on an American road where people follow traffic laws...mmmmm. Anyway, I'm going to make the most of my day here, though, and am just about ready to set out to tackle the leaning tower once and for alland get some lunch and tool around the city of Pisa. I'm pretty sick of sightseeing, but its the last day and Im going for it. Tomorrow I may not post because Ill be traveling back home, but Ill definiately be posting more the next day including all the photos from this past week.
H
H
Friday, September 25, 2009
Toscana = Beautiful
Freshly arriveed at my campsite in the shadows of the towers of San Gimignano, and after being stuck behind a truck carrying freshly harvested chianti grapes for the past hour, I am now sitting at the free internet terminal I was happy to discover here. The drive today was magnificent to say the least. When I drove back into Tuscany, I immediately felt a calming effect come over my body. The traffic slowed, the landscape became breathtakingly beautiful, and the people immediately more receptive to foreigners. It's cliche for any American tourist to Italy to say, but Tuscany is simply just different. It feels like another world away from the bustling cities and kamikaze drivers of the othe other regions. Even the larger cities here in Tuscany, such as Siena and Pisa, are so much more peaceful and relaxing...and Ive needed this.
I cant wait to get the pictures up that Ive taken today - looks like it will either be tomorrow or Sunday night when I arrive back. Anyway, my GPS took me through winding country roads up and over the hills of Tuscany, signs displaying the Chianti signature of the vineyards ever kilometer or so. I even got stuck behind a tractor carrying a trailor full of freshly harvested grapes as it peeled out of the vineyard right in front of me, and I could see the workers harvesting the grapes in the fields everywhere I traveled.
It was simply beautiful, and it was experiences like these that I came here for, unfortunately absent much of the past few days.
Anyway, after getting my tent set up in the campground which is (literally) in the shadows of the impressive tourist mecca of San Gimignano, I headed out to Volterra, about half an hours drive through some of the most beautiful landscape in Italy. After searching half an hour for a parking spot, I climbed up what seemed to be 10,000 stairs into the walled city on top of an impressive hill that dominates the countryside. Immediately, I followed the signs to the Roman amphitheatre just on the outside of the city walls that was unvcovered not too long ago. About 5 minutes walk from that, I saw an archway created by the Etruscan inhabitants of Volterra in 800 BC. Then I went for what I actucally came to Volterra for...the wild boar. I settled on a busy restaurant just off the main square and sat down to a lunch of bruschetta and then a wild boar ragu, which was eveything I hoped it to be and more. Wild boar meat, when done properly, is pork times ten, or in other words, basically the "mana" stuff talked about in the Bible. It was great.
Anyway, now Im back the campsite and will be heading over to San Gimignano in a bit to walk around then get an early dinner before turning in early for the night (once it gets dark at these campsites, its pretty much just time to go to sleep, and Ive gotten used to it).
Tomorrow Im heading from the Siena province of Tuscany into the Pisa province and up into the city of Pisa where I will be staying at a campsite within walking distance of the leaning tower and the sights. Im planning on biting the bullet and actually buying a ticket to go up to the top of the tower. I imagine the views must be magnificent. Then Im going to try to explore more of the city that I really enjoyed a few weeks ago.
Ciao!
I cant wait to get the pictures up that Ive taken today - looks like it will either be tomorrow or Sunday night when I arrive back. Anyway, my GPS took me through winding country roads up and over the hills of Tuscany, signs displaying the Chianti signature of the vineyards ever kilometer or so. I even got stuck behind a tractor carrying a trailor full of freshly harvested grapes as it peeled out of the vineyard right in front of me, and I could see the workers harvesting the grapes in the fields everywhere I traveled.
It was simply beautiful, and it was experiences like these that I came here for, unfortunately absent much of the past few days.
Anyway, after getting my tent set up in the campground which is (literally) in the shadows of the impressive tourist mecca of San Gimignano, I headed out to Volterra, about half an hours drive through some of the most beautiful landscape in Italy. After searching half an hour for a parking spot, I climbed up what seemed to be 10,000 stairs into the walled city on top of an impressive hill that dominates the countryside. Immediately, I followed the signs to the Roman amphitheatre just on the outside of the city walls that was unvcovered not too long ago. About 5 minutes walk from that, I saw an archway created by the Etruscan inhabitants of Volterra in 800 BC. Then I went for what I actucally came to Volterra for...the wild boar. I settled on a busy restaurant just off the main square and sat down to a lunch of bruschetta and then a wild boar ragu, which was eveything I hoped it to be and more. Wild boar meat, when done properly, is pork times ten, or in other words, basically the "mana" stuff talked about in the Bible. It was great.
Anyway, now Im back the campsite and will be heading over to San Gimignano in a bit to walk around then get an early dinner before turning in early for the night (once it gets dark at these campsites, its pretty much just time to go to sleep, and Ive gotten used to it).
Tomorrow Im heading from the Siena province of Tuscany into the Pisa province and up into the city of Pisa where I will be staying at a campsite within walking distance of the leaning tower and the sights. Im planning on biting the bullet and actually buying a ticket to go up to the top of the tower. I imagine the views must be magnificent. Then Im going to try to explore more of the city that I really enjoyed a few weeks ago.
Ciao!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Change of Plans
Well, right now Im sitting in an internet cafe in Perugia, a lovely walled city on top of a hill in Umbria. Things are pretty good right now, but the last few days have been really tough and have caused me to change my plans.
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im alone: 4
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im American: 2
number of times in the past few days Ive almost gotten in a car wreck: approx. 4000
number of women with a baby stroller who (illegally and in great traffic) jumped out in front of my car yesterday while I was in 45 mph lunch hour traffic in Pescara, and I had to jam the brakes to stop 6 inches from her: 1
That was enough for me...
So Ive decided that with the unwelcome reception Im getting, the number of near-miss accidents that flash before my eyes everyday, the simple stress of driving and parking, and the sheer lonliness Im experiencing, Im going to cut my losses short and head home this Sunday instead of Oct. 11.
One week doing this is plenty...any more...Im LITERALLY going to go insane.
This has taught me a lot, about both myself and about Italy.
About Italy:
1. The romantic idea of Italy is just that...an idea. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE this country, Im proud that Im part Italian, and Ive had an amazing erxperience so far and have a few days left. However, the whole romantic idea of driving through Italy, shopping at markets, speaking with the locals, etc that one imagines in his mind is simply imaginary. Modern Italy is frantic, fast paced, the people hate toruists in their country, they all shop at supermarkets now, and the incredible amount of cars has led to a degredation of so many of the beautiful cities here. It is what it is, not what Americans, such as myself, imagine it to be.
2. Driving in Italy is Hell on Earth. I would be having a much greater time if I were not driving...
For those of you reading this under thirty years of age, youll get this, others may not...
Anyway, driving in Italy is a lot like Mario Kart, except you always have to be Toad, or Princess (the characters who always lose bc they have slow, crappy cars). Its a giant race everywhere you go. Every flat surface becomes a roadway and the goal is not to get to your destination safely, but to get there as fast as you possibly can to cross the finish line at all costs. While racing you have to dodge banana peels (pot holes, dogs, German tourists, women with baby strollers) and also dodge the turtoise shells coming at you (Vespas, bicycles, and motorcycles). All the while, you have to watch the screen (GPS) very carefully, because one wrong turn could equal an hour of traffic headaches. Ahh, but its also different from Mario Kart because there is no "Finish Line". When you get to your destination, it begins all over again and you have to begin the arduous task of finsing a parking spot (magical golden star icon, mushroom, etc.)
Make sense?
About Myself:
Ive always thought of m,yself as somewhat of a loner. Ive never been in a real, lasting relationship of any serious length, I have a few very close friends, Ive lived alone for a significant time and will be doing again startin in a few weeks down in Austin. However, Ive never felt true lonliness until this past week. while traveling alone here in Italy...the monumental task of driving alone, staying in almost abandoned campsites alone, not knowing the language of those around me, being deinied a service because I AM ALONE which doesnt help, and the lonliness of being dismissed because of my ethnicity, which is somethign Ive only felt a few times in my life. The first few were concerning my race in college when I was verbally assaulted by groups of minority students for being white, both in the classroom (where it is doctrine) and outside the classroom, where its tolerated...a very strange feeling. The other times were these past few days in Le Marches and Abruzzo. I think that maybe because its not tourist season anymore, the people there feel like they no longer have to accomodate tourists, like its "their time" or something.
Anyway, the point is, Ive learned Im truly not a loner. When Ive been feeling intense lonliness the past few days, all I thought about was my family and friends back home whom I wished I could be with or talk to. It made me realize how dependent I truly am on these people and what a big part of my life they are, because Im truly alone without them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Enough of that...at the moment Im in Perugia and its a great place. I had an incredible lunch today (they were happy for my business!). I had the most dellicious antipasti of prosciutto, different chesses, crostini, salami, and brascola cappaccio (I probably butchered the spelling like ususal, but imagine if Italians made beef jerkey...). Then I had some penne with sausage and black truffle cream sauce (not quite diet food). Man it was good, though!
Earlier today I dove through the mountains of Le Marches into Umbria, some of the mmost beautiful, dramatic scenery Ive ever witnessed. Additionally, along the route my GPS took me, I encountered about every kilometer for a 100 kilometer stretch, were tractors along the side of the road selling the freshly harvested potatoes, onions, and garlic. The drive today, although long and tedious, took me almost to that "Italy of my imagination". For a few hours, it was as if I was transported back into a simpler time. It was undoubtedly the most memorable drive of my life.
So, now Im gonna head back to the camp grounds which are about 40 min away and get ready for the night. Tomorrow I head through Cortona to a campsite right outside the city of San Gimignano and I will hopefully visit Certaldo, too, if I have time. The next day is back up to the surprisinglyawesome city of Pisa where I will be staying in a campground which is supposedly 800 meters away from the leaning tower haha. Then on Sunday I head out.
Theres a delay in the lictures because these public computers wont let me upload the pics from my camera to them, and I havent found wireless the past few days to use my own laptop on. So, Ill keep trying the next few days, but worse case, they'll be up Sunday or Monday.
Pray I dont crash my car in the next few days.....
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im alone: 4
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im American: 2
number of times in the past few days Ive almost gotten in a car wreck: approx. 4000
number of women with a baby stroller who (illegally and in great traffic) jumped out in front of my car yesterday while I was in 45 mph lunch hour traffic in Pescara, and I had to jam the brakes to stop 6 inches from her: 1
That was enough for me...
So Ive decided that with the unwelcome reception Im getting, the number of near-miss accidents that flash before my eyes everyday, the simple stress of driving and parking, and the sheer lonliness Im experiencing, Im going to cut my losses short and head home this Sunday instead of Oct. 11.
One week doing this is plenty...any more...Im LITERALLY going to go insane.
This has taught me a lot, about both myself and about Italy.
About Italy:
1. The romantic idea of Italy is just that...an idea. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE this country, Im proud that Im part Italian, and Ive had an amazing erxperience so far and have a few days left. However, the whole romantic idea of driving through Italy, shopping at markets, speaking with the locals, etc that one imagines in his mind is simply imaginary. Modern Italy is frantic, fast paced, the people hate toruists in their country, they all shop at supermarkets now, and the incredible amount of cars has led to a degredation of so many of the beautiful cities here. It is what it is, not what Americans, such as myself, imagine it to be.
2. Driving in Italy is Hell on Earth. I would be having a much greater time if I were not driving...
For those of you reading this under thirty years of age, youll get this, others may not...
Anyway, driving in Italy is a lot like Mario Kart, except you always have to be Toad, or Princess (the characters who always lose bc they have slow, crappy cars). Its a giant race everywhere you go. Every flat surface becomes a roadway and the goal is not to get to your destination safely, but to get there as fast as you possibly can to cross the finish line at all costs. While racing you have to dodge banana peels (pot holes, dogs, German tourists, women with baby strollers) and also dodge the turtoise shells coming at you (Vespas, bicycles, and motorcycles). All the while, you have to watch the screen (GPS) very carefully, because one wrong turn could equal an hour of traffic headaches. Ahh, but its also different from Mario Kart because there is no "Finish Line". When you get to your destination, it begins all over again and you have to begin the arduous task of finsing a parking spot (magical golden star icon, mushroom, etc.)
Make sense?
About Myself:
Ive always thought of m,yself as somewhat of a loner. Ive never been in a real, lasting relationship of any serious length, I have a few very close friends, Ive lived alone for a significant time and will be doing again startin in a few weeks down in Austin. However, Ive never felt true lonliness until this past week. while traveling alone here in Italy...the monumental task of driving alone, staying in almost abandoned campsites alone, not knowing the language of those around me, being deinied a service because I AM ALONE which doesnt help, and the lonliness of being dismissed because of my ethnicity, which is somethign Ive only felt a few times in my life. The first few were concerning my race in college when I was verbally assaulted by groups of minority students for being white, both in the classroom (where it is doctrine) and outside the classroom, where its tolerated...a very strange feeling. The other times were these past few days in Le Marches and Abruzzo. I think that maybe because its not tourist season anymore, the people there feel like they no longer have to accomodate tourists, like its "their time" or something.
Anyway, the point is, Ive learned Im truly not a loner. When Ive been feeling intense lonliness the past few days, all I thought about was my family and friends back home whom I wished I could be with or talk to. It made me realize how dependent I truly am on these people and what a big part of my life they are, because Im truly alone without them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Enough of that...at the moment Im in Perugia and its a great place. I had an incredible lunch today (they were happy for my business!). I had the most dellicious antipasti of prosciutto, different chesses, crostini, salami, and brascola cappaccio (I probably butchered the spelling like ususal, but imagine if Italians made beef jerkey...). Then I had some penne with sausage and black truffle cream sauce (not quite diet food). Man it was good, though!
Earlier today I dove through the mountains of Le Marches into Umbria, some of the mmost beautiful, dramatic scenery Ive ever witnessed. Additionally, along the route my GPS took me, I encountered about every kilometer for a 100 kilometer stretch, were tractors along the side of the road selling the freshly harvested potatoes, onions, and garlic. The drive today, although long and tedious, took me almost to that "Italy of my imagination". For a few hours, it was as if I was transported back into a simpler time. It was undoubtedly the most memorable drive of my life.
So, now Im gonna head back to the camp grounds which are about 40 min away and get ready for the night. Tomorrow I head through Cortona to a campsite right outside the city of San Gimignano and I will hopefully visit Certaldo, too, if I have time. The next day is back up to the surprisinglyawesome city of Pisa where I will be staying in a campground which is supposedly 800 meters away from the leaning tower haha. Then on Sunday I head out.
Theres a delay in the lictures because these public computers wont let me upload the pics from my camera to them, and I havent found wireless the past few days to use my own laptop on. So, Ill keep trying the next few days, but worse case, they'll be up Sunday or Monday.
Pray I dont crash my car in the next few days.....
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Lonely days in Le Marches
Im sitting at an internet cafe at some sort of supermarket/mall in Pesaro right now. It, honestly has been a strange two days. Ill try to start at the beginning (btw, Italian keyboards are confusing so bear with me)...
When I left off last time I was about to to a carnival/fair in Bologna right around the corner from my campsite. I did, and when I walked in I was greeted instantly by throngs of poeple with long hair, tattoos, and black metal t-shirts...hmm, interesting. I asked this group of people about my age and through some English/Italian/hand gestures I came to realize that a huge metal concert was about to start at this venue right there at the fairgrounds. I hadnt heard of any of the bands (and I pride myself on my metal knowledge), but there was a band there called FinnTroll, so I had to buy a ticket and join in. I would regret it the rest of my life if I didnt go to the metal concert in Bologna...and it was quite an experience. I had to control myself not to laugh a few times at the crowd there. It was like all the Italian metalheads are so unsure of themselves. They want to get into it, but they kind of just act polite and clap a little and then would get pissed if someone started moshing. The bands were nothing special apart from FinnTroll which was a bunch of anorexic looking Scandenavians with long blond hair that sang songs about vikings and mythological monsters...awesome.
So the next day (yesterday), I traveled south and east to the coast of the Adriatic to just north of the twon of Pesaro in the region of Le Marches. I am, literally, the only person camping at the campground right now. Its pretty spectacular though. Its located right on this cliff overlooking the ocean on one side with these rolling hills of vineyards and farmland on the other side. Being the only living person there aside from the manager, its incredibly lonely...in fact, this whole past couple of days has been. I guess Im feeling a little better now because Im starting to get the hang of things, though and am learning some great new concepts/ideas for the restaurant everyday so Ive kind of got my head down and am continuing on, trying to make the most of this time.
So, after I got settled at the campsite yesterday, I headed out to the Independent Republic of San Marino, somewhere Ive always wanted to visit after Greg, in 9th grade, told me there was a 26 square mile independent country within Italy that we could take over and rule if we basically had a horse and a sword to overwhelm them with.
Its hard to describe San Marino, and I hope the pictures (once I can finally get them up along with the others - this public computer wont let me) can help do it some justice. Anyway, after a crazy drive (all drives in Italy are crazy), I followed my GPS to deep inside the republic of San Marino until it told me to "navigate off-road" and I had to turn around and follow the road signs until I found the way up to the fortress city of San Marino which is basically a giant castle on top of a mountain sticking up out of nowehere in a land of green rolling hills. On top of that, itwas cloudy and foggy, so, after I parked the car and took a gondola a thousand or so feet up to the walled castle city, I was basically in the clouds, which gave the whole experience almost a spiritual edge. I would peer over the walls through the clouds down to the farms and vineyards below. It was exactly like how I imagined people in Heaven looking down on what was going on down on Earth when I was a child...eery and beautiful at the same time.
Anyway, after walking around the city and taking a ton of pictures, I had an EXCLELENT pizza for lunch, then decided it was time to drive back before it got too dark.
About driving here...its damn SCARY. I say a little prayer every time I get behind the wheel of my little Italian car. The intersates are no problem, but driving in the cities tkes some guts. Its basically Manhattan at rush hour with no traffic rules 24 hours a day. Ive adapted well and am much more confident, but it certainly has been trying and is VERY tiring.
Anyway, after a dinner of salad, cheese, and prosciutto last night at the camp, I woke up today and head outto this town called Jesi about an hour from the campsite. I drove all the way out there, got there, and immediately turned around. Every guide book I read talked about Jesi being this beautiful little town everyone "must visit". Jesi sucked. It was insane trying to drive near there, there was no place to park, and it looked basically like it had just been bombed - nothing pretty about it. I didnt mind, though, because the drives have been so beautiful. When you drive down the coast here, you have views of the Adriatico ut the driver side window and views of vineyards and fields of produce on the passenger side. Im not complaining...
Anyway, so I headed back towards Pesaro where Im staying and keptseeing signs for this cstle village called Gardara, so I went for it, and it was a great decision.Only about 15 minutes away, easy drive, easy parking, and it was BEAUTIFUL. I later found out that this town is mentioned in the Divine Comedy by Dante and is famous for its castle, which was AMAZING. Additionally, I stumbled across a great little restaurant there where I had and amazing pasta dish with fresh porcini mushrooms and tomatoes, and its somethign I want to try to recreate when I get back.
And now Im back here, in Pesaro, an unattractive, noisy, crowded city Im looking forward to leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow I head out down to the coast of Abruzzo where I will be staying in Pineto, just north of Pescara, a town Im excited to visit. If the campsite is nice, I might stay here for three or four days.
Anyway, thats about it. Im physically and emotionally exhausted, but Im learning alot and having an incredible experience. Just wish I had someone to experience it with me...
When I left off last time I was about to to a carnival/fair in Bologna right around the corner from my campsite. I did, and when I walked in I was greeted instantly by throngs of poeple with long hair, tattoos, and black metal t-shirts...hmm, interesting. I asked this group of people about my age and through some English/Italian/hand gestures I came to realize that a huge metal concert was about to start at this venue right there at the fairgrounds. I hadnt heard of any of the bands (and I pride myself on my metal knowledge), but there was a band there called FinnTroll, so I had to buy a ticket and join in. I would regret it the rest of my life if I didnt go to the metal concert in Bologna...and it was quite an experience. I had to control myself not to laugh a few times at the crowd there. It was like all the Italian metalheads are so unsure of themselves. They want to get into it, but they kind of just act polite and clap a little and then would get pissed if someone started moshing. The bands were nothing special apart from FinnTroll which was a bunch of anorexic looking Scandenavians with long blond hair that sang songs about vikings and mythological monsters...awesome.
So the next day (yesterday), I traveled south and east to the coast of the Adriatic to just north of the twon of Pesaro in the region of Le Marches. I am, literally, the only person camping at the campground right now. Its pretty spectacular though. Its located right on this cliff overlooking the ocean on one side with these rolling hills of vineyards and farmland on the other side. Being the only living person there aside from the manager, its incredibly lonely...in fact, this whole past couple of days has been. I guess Im feeling a little better now because Im starting to get the hang of things, though and am learning some great new concepts/ideas for the restaurant everyday so Ive kind of got my head down and am continuing on, trying to make the most of this time.
So, after I got settled at the campsite yesterday, I headed out to the Independent Republic of San Marino, somewhere Ive always wanted to visit after Greg, in 9th grade, told me there was a 26 square mile independent country within Italy that we could take over and rule if we basically had a horse and a sword to overwhelm them with.
Its hard to describe San Marino, and I hope the pictures (once I can finally get them up along with the others - this public computer wont let me) can help do it some justice. Anyway, after a crazy drive (all drives in Italy are crazy), I followed my GPS to deep inside the republic of San Marino until it told me to "navigate off-road" and I had to turn around and follow the road signs until I found the way up to the fortress city of San Marino which is basically a giant castle on top of a mountain sticking up out of nowehere in a land of green rolling hills. On top of that, itwas cloudy and foggy, so, after I parked the car and took a gondola a thousand or so feet up to the walled castle city, I was basically in the clouds, which gave the whole experience almost a spiritual edge. I would peer over the walls through the clouds down to the farms and vineyards below. It was exactly like how I imagined people in Heaven looking down on what was going on down on Earth when I was a child...eery and beautiful at the same time.
Anyway, after walking around the city and taking a ton of pictures, I had an EXCLELENT pizza for lunch, then decided it was time to drive back before it got too dark.
About driving here...its damn SCARY. I say a little prayer every time I get behind the wheel of my little Italian car. The intersates are no problem, but driving in the cities tkes some guts. Its basically Manhattan at rush hour with no traffic rules 24 hours a day. Ive adapted well and am much more confident, but it certainly has been trying and is VERY tiring.
Anyway, after a dinner of salad, cheese, and prosciutto last night at the camp, I woke up today and head outto this town called Jesi about an hour from the campsite. I drove all the way out there, got there, and immediately turned around. Every guide book I read talked about Jesi being this beautiful little town everyone "must visit". Jesi sucked. It was insane trying to drive near there, there was no place to park, and it looked basically like it had just been bombed - nothing pretty about it. I didnt mind, though, because the drives have been so beautiful. When you drive down the coast here, you have views of the Adriatico ut the driver side window and views of vineyards and fields of produce on the passenger side. Im not complaining...
Anyway, so I headed back towards Pesaro where Im staying and keptseeing signs for this cstle village called Gardara, so I went for it, and it was a great decision.Only about 15 minutes away, easy drive, easy parking, and it was BEAUTIFUL. I later found out that this town is mentioned in the Divine Comedy by Dante and is famous for its castle, which was AMAZING. Additionally, I stumbled across a great little restaurant there where I had and amazing pasta dish with fresh porcini mushrooms and tomatoes, and its somethign I want to try to recreate when I get back.
And now Im back here, in Pesaro, an unattractive, noisy, crowded city Im looking forward to leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow I head out down to the coast of Abruzzo where I will be staying in Pineto, just north of Pescara, a town Im excited to visit. If the campsite is nice, I might stay here for three or four days.
Anyway, thats about it. Im physically and emotionally exhausted, but Im learning alot and having an incredible experience. Just wish I had someone to experience it with me...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
-(Bologna)=Parma
Ok, now honestly I was beginning to get worried about things. Bologna sucked and the food was not what I had imagined. I was beginning to wonder of maybe I had built things up too much in my head, and these next three weeks were going to be very trying...then I went to Parma....
For those of you who don't speak Asian, -(Bologna)=Parma is another way of saying that Parma is undoubtedly my favorite city I have ever visited. After an easy hour long drive down the autostrada, pear trees and vineyards lining the roadway, I reached Parma and, with the help of my (sometimes) helpful GPS, found a great parking garage. So far, so good.
Then I stepped out into the most majestic city I've ever visited. Stores lined the cobble-stoned streets lined with stores fselling giant legs of prosciutto tempting me as I walked past. Old ladies would call out for me to come in to sample their freshly made toretllini and tagliatelle (which, of course I did). Cafe's, gelaterias, and trattorias spilled out onto the quiet, pedestrian-friendly streets. Families were out for Sunday lunch sitting in the shadows of the most majestic 700 year old towers and churches and duomos. Ancient Roman ruins were scattered throughout the city as children rode their bikes under the arches oblivious to what was overhead....Parma. -(Bologna)=Parma
It was about 1 pm at this time, perfect time for lunch, so I settled on a restaurant spilling out into the main square packed with Italians, so I figured it must be good. Man, was I correct, nay, more than correct, for I had the greatest meal of my life!
A very friendly waiter about my age greeted me as I sat down and, in Italian, asked me if he could recommend to me the the house specials (I figured it out hearing "cosa" - see, I'm picking it up!) He pointed on the menu to the two things I was going to order anyway haha! Prosciutto crudo and tortelli. Prosciutto being what Parma is famous for and tortelli (basically ravioli) being what the region of Emiglia Romagna is famous for.
First, the prosciutto...or, should I say, "meat-butter," because that's what it was like. It almost melted as it hit my tongue. I was going nuts. It was beyond even my wildest expectations how wonderful prosciutto could be. I've had some great prosciutto in the past, but this was on a whole other level.
Next was the tortelli. I am not exaggerating one bit when I say THIS WAS THE GREATEST THING IN MY LIFE I HAVE EVER EATEN! It was exhausting eating those tortelli because it took every ounce of my energy not to start growling at the people close to me and scarf it down as fast as I could. It was painful, but the most beautiful pain imaginable to try to slowly savor the tortelli prepared simply with a little butter and the most delicious Parmesan (also from Parma) sprinkled over the top.
At this point I was basically high on food. I asked the waiter over and told him I MUST have a secondo, or meat dish, and, with the help of my phrase book, managed to ask him what he recommended. He simply said, "Ah!" and scurried back into the kitchen. About 5 minutes later a plate of veal with a porcini mushroom bechamel sauce apeared in front of me...wow. It was awesome. Simply awesome. I'd say the three courses I had at this one restaurant are in my top 5 of my life, including the amazing food I had at Toscana Saporita. I really picked a good place.
At this point, I was on cloud 9. I spent several hours just wandering around the city, constantly running into some amazing tower, or ancient Roman ruin. It was simply beautiful. It was everything Bologna was not, everything one could want in a city. I wound up spending about an hour just wandering through the main park in the city which was unbelievably beautiful and everyone was outside enjoying it. I was going to go to Modena in the afternoon, but I didn't care, I wanted to just stay in Parma for the whole afternoon and I did.
It was sad to leave, but I had to, and now I'm back in Bologna at my campsite. The place is great, though actually. I'm sitting in my tent using the wireless internet here which is fast and only costs a euro an hour. I also got some laundry done which was much needed. So, I'm doing well. Just trying to stay dry in my tent (which has been perfect so far). There's this fair/carnival type thing about a quarter of a mile walk from the campsite, so I might head over there in a bit to find some sort of Italian carnival food to eat and see the sights. Tomorrow I head southeast to Pesaro, located on the northern coast of the region of Le Marche where I will begin my slow descent along the coast over the next 10 days or so. From Pesaro I will set out to visit the independent republic of San Marino, Rimini, Fano, and maybe a few other towns depending on how it all goes.
Oh and the pics of Parma are up now at http://picasaweb.google.com/harrison.d.sonntag but sometimes take a while, so hopefully they'll be up soon. That's about it. Wish me luck!
For those of you who don't speak Asian, -(Bologna)=Parma is another way of saying that Parma is undoubtedly my favorite city I have ever visited. After an easy hour long drive down the autostrada, pear trees and vineyards lining the roadway, I reached Parma and, with the help of my (sometimes) helpful GPS, found a great parking garage. So far, so good.
Then I stepped out into the most majestic city I've ever visited. Stores lined the cobble-stoned streets lined with stores fselling giant legs of prosciutto tempting me as I walked past. Old ladies would call out for me to come in to sample their freshly made toretllini and tagliatelle (which, of course I did). Cafe's, gelaterias, and trattorias spilled out onto the quiet, pedestrian-friendly streets. Families were out for Sunday lunch sitting in the shadows of the most majestic 700 year old towers and churches and duomos. Ancient Roman ruins were scattered throughout the city as children rode their bikes under the arches oblivious to what was overhead....Parma. -(Bologna)=Parma
It was about 1 pm at this time, perfect time for lunch, so I settled on a restaurant spilling out into the main square packed with Italians, so I figured it must be good. Man, was I correct, nay, more than correct, for I had the greatest meal of my life!
A very friendly waiter about my age greeted me as I sat down and, in Italian, asked me if he could recommend to me the the house specials (I figured it out hearing "cosa" - see, I'm picking it up!) He pointed on the menu to the two things I was going to order anyway haha! Prosciutto crudo and tortelli. Prosciutto being what Parma is famous for and tortelli (basically ravioli) being what the region of Emiglia Romagna is famous for.
First, the prosciutto...or, should I say, "meat-butter," because that's what it was like. It almost melted as it hit my tongue. I was going nuts. It was beyond even my wildest expectations how wonderful prosciutto could be. I've had some great prosciutto in the past, but this was on a whole other level.
Next was the tortelli. I am not exaggerating one bit when I say THIS WAS THE GREATEST THING IN MY LIFE I HAVE EVER EATEN! It was exhausting eating those tortelli because it took every ounce of my energy not to start growling at the people close to me and scarf it down as fast as I could. It was painful, but the most beautiful pain imaginable to try to slowly savor the tortelli prepared simply with a little butter and the most delicious Parmesan (also from Parma) sprinkled over the top.
At this point I was basically high on food. I asked the waiter over and told him I MUST have a secondo, or meat dish, and, with the help of my phrase book, managed to ask him what he recommended. He simply said, "Ah!" and scurried back into the kitchen. About 5 minutes later a plate of veal with a porcini mushroom bechamel sauce apeared in front of me...wow. It was awesome. Simply awesome. I'd say the three courses I had at this one restaurant are in my top 5 of my life, including the amazing food I had at Toscana Saporita. I really picked a good place.
At this point, I was on cloud 9. I spent several hours just wandering around the city, constantly running into some amazing tower, or ancient Roman ruin. It was simply beautiful. It was everything Bologna was not, everything one could want in a city. I wound up spending about an hour just wandering through the main park in the city which was unbelievably beautiful and everyone was outside enjoying it. I was going to go to Modena in the afternoon, but I didn't care, I wanted to just stay in Parma for the whole afternoon and I did.
It was sad to leave, but I had to, and now I'm back in Bologna at my campsite. The place is great, though actually. I'm sitting in my tent using the wireless internet here which is fast and only costs a euro an hour. I also got some laundry done which was much needed. So, I'm doing well. Just trying to stay dry in my tent (which has been perfect so far). There's this fair/carnival type thing about a quarter of a mile walk from the campsite, so I might head over there in a bit to find some sort of Italian carnival food to eat and see the sights. Tomorrow I head southeast to Pesaro, located on the northern coast of the region of Le Marche where I will begin my slow descent along the coast over the next 10 days or so. From Pesaro I will set out to visit the independent republic of San Marino, Rimini, Fano, and maybe a few other towns depending on how it all goes.
Oh and the pics of Parma are up now at http://picasaweb.google.com/harrison.d.sonntag but sometimes take a while, so hopefully they'll be up soon. That's about it. Wish me luck!
BolognBleghhh and "Heir Sonntag: Savior of German Tourists"
So after going to sleep at 10 pm for the first time in several years, I'm feeling quite refreshed today. THANK GOD! I felt HORRIBLE yesterday, part physical cold/headache, part absolute disgust...I'll explain. Anyway, just found out they have blazingly fast wireless internet here at the campsite in Bologna....was going to leave this morning, but now I'm going to use this as base camp for one more day before I move on.
OK, yesterday I was dropped off at the rental car counter at the Pisa airport to pick up my car for the next 3 weeks. When I finally got to the front of that massive line, I was promptly told by the lady at the counter,
"Too Young. No car."
What the heck? I double checked with the car rental agency to make sure that the minimum age was 23, not 25. After much arguing, and my showing here the rental guidelines I (thankfully) printed out, I convinced her to call her corporate headquarters and ask them directly. It was at this time that these two 40-something year old German guys behind me started jabbing me in the back with their fingers telling me to hurry up like I had some control over it. When I got 2 inches from their faces standing over them and told them I'd squash their faces just like my country did to theirs 60 years ago, they shut up and LITERALLY walked to the back of the line (they were next) HAHAHAHA.
It was at this time that the rude car rental lady told me I was right about the age guidelines...double success.
When I finally got to my car, oh you have to see the pictures of the car, it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how the heck to get it to move lol. Once I did, I figured out that "automatic" in Italy is quite different from driving an "automatic" in the U.S. They haven't quite figured it out yet. It, sometimes, shifts to the right gear, but, usually, is a few seconds late and causes the car to jerk violently as it revs up the 57 horsepower diesel engine. So, I figured out how to drive the car as a "clutchless manual" and change the gears myself. It took me about 30 minutes to get used to it, and I have the hang of it now.
Anyway, I then proceeded to drive east towards Florence, through the grape and vegetable fields of western Tuscany, the, right before Florence, I changed direction to the north and drove through (literally, about 60 tunnels) these beautiful mountains of northern Tuscany and into the province of Emiglia-Romagna. I counted 27 castles on top of hills/mountains in my 2.5 hour drive and numerous other ancient walled cities and ruins of Roman aqueducts. The drive was beautiful, and highway driving in Italy was truly no problem. City-driving...a different story.
So after about 2.5 hours I reached my campsite on the outskirts of Bologna. No problem, except for very rude managers. I can deal with that.
When I was setting up my tent, this older German couple asked me if I could help them move their camper into position. No problem. I went over and pushed it into its spot.
I then went back to setting up my tent and the heard with a stereotypical German accent
"Excuse me. You make strong on camper, ja?"
"Ugh, yah"
So I went and moved theirs and then went back to my tent. 2 minutes later,
"Strong man...(and this 70 year old looking German lady just pointed to her crooked camper)"
"OK, OK."
Thankfully, this was it. Each time I was pushing their campers into place, the old German people would pint to me and make muscles and nod their heads...I think I'm like some sort of physical manifestation of their old "perfect German Aryan youth" of years past, and I really excited them.
So, after getting all set up, I decided to try to find a supermarket to get some supplies and some ibuprofen for my now throbbing headache. I looked up the nearest supermarket in my Garmin Gps which was only 1 km away and set out...big mistake. Following the GPS perfectly, I somehow managed to drive into the Islamic section of Bologna (pretty much most of the city, I cam to find) and was driving around these little crowded streets getting death stares from the women walking around in burkas and their slave masters, I mean...husbands. So I finally, after going in circles for half an hour thinking I was either going to be the target of an assasination or crash into a Smart Car, I finally reached my destination and...no supermarket. Garmin sucks.
At this point I cut my losses and just decided I have to somehow make it back to the campsite alive and then just take the bus in from then on. Thankfully, after another half hour of traffic and death stares, I made it back.
By this time I felt like my head was going to explode. I could feel my heartbeat pulsating painfully in my forehead. The nearby sounds from the mosques (in BOLOGNA!?!?!) calling put the call to prayer didn't help either. "How often am I in Bologna, though? Maybe some great food will make me feel better."
So, I got on the bus and headed in to town. On the bus were these two sophomores from Texas A&M, actually, and we began talking. They agreed we should team up and we'll explore together and then get something to eat.... ehhhh
Once we reached the city center after about a 15 minute bus ride and got off, I felt like I was in a war zone. This was not the Bologna I expected. It was dirty, CROWDED beyond belief, beggers everywhere, street vendors hassling everyone who passed by, about 50% of everyone there was a Muslim immigrant, grafitti covering everything, punk rocker Italian youth running around everywhere having some sort of Che Guevara celebration, and just plain old nasty.
My headache suddenly got a lot worse...
I then went with the two kids from texas and we walked through this giant market into the main park where, apparently, we walked right into this massive group of dirty, hippie, punk rocker Italian youth who started screaming "riot" then went and jumped on these kids and started fighting and it was like this one giant, evil mosh pit. I got the heck out as fast as possible.
It was at this point that I had to get to a pharmacy to get some medicine for my headache and the two kids from Texas told me they would wait at the market across the street in plain sight...didn't see them again to much later.
So, at this point, I set out on my own and found nothing of interest. I must say, Bologna is my least favorite city in Eurpoe I've visited. I never thought anything could top the uber-expensive Euro-trach Mecca of Nice, France, but Bologna blew that place out of the water.
The food is supposed to be great, though, right? I decided to find a place to eat. I settled on this very crowded Trattoria I figured must be good. Everywhere else I passed by was pretty empty, but this place was happenin'.
I ordered some mortadella (a Bolognese specialty) some tortellini en brodo (tortellini soup - Bologna is known for its tortellini) and some tagliatelle Bolognese (meat sauce). Result: mortadella excellent, tortellini sub-par, and bolognese was about what you would get at a diner in Jersey. Very disappointing...
So, at this point I decided I would cut my losses and get back to the camp. The coolest part of the night was when the 400 pound bus driver pulled out this leg of prosciutto from his bag and started carving off slices to eat at the stop lights...sweet. I tried talking to him, but he didn't understand a word of English.
So, I got back to camp, feeling like I was just about ready to pass out from the headache from hell and absolute exhaustion from the city and as soon as my head hit the pillow in my tent, I was out cold and didn't wake up for 11 hours.
Now, here I am. I feel 100% better and am ready to get going again. I have no desire to get back to Bologna, so I'm going to use the campsite today as base camp to visit Parma and Modena which are not too far away, and then tomorrow I'm going to get the heck out of this city.
OK, yesterday I was dropped off at the rental car counter at the Pisa airport to pick up my car for the next 3 weeks. When I finally got to the front of that massive line, I was promptly told by the lady at the counter,
"Too Young. No car."
What the heck? I double checked with the car rental agency to make sure that the minimum age was 23, not 25. After much arguing, and my showing here the rental guidelines I (thankfully) printed out, I convinced her to call her corporate headquarters and ask them directly. It was at this time that these two 40-something year old German guys behind me started jabbing me in the back with their fingers telling me to hurry up like I had some control over it. When I got 2 inches from their faces standing over them and told them I'd squash their faces just like my country did to theirs 60 years ago, they shut up and LITERALLY walked to the back of the line (they were next) HAHAHAHA.
It was at this time that the rude car rental lady told me I was right about the age guidelines...double success.
When I finally got to my car, oh you have to see the pictures of the car, it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how the heck to get it to move lol. Once I did, I figured out that "automatic" in Italy is quite different from driving an "automatic" in the U.S. They haven't quite figured it out yet. It, sometimes, shifts to the right gear, but, usually, is a few seconds late and causes the car to jerk violently as it revs up the 57 horsepower diesel engine. So, I figured out how to drive the car as a "clutchless manual" and change the gears myself. It took me about 30 minutes to get used to it, and I have the hang of it now.
Anyway, I then proceeded to drive east towards Florence, through the grape and vegetable fields of western Tuscany, the, right before Florence, I changed direction to the north and drove through (literally, about 60 tunnels) these beautiful mountains of northern Tuscany and into the province of Emiglia-Romagna. I counted 27 castles on top of hills/mountains in my 2.5 hour drive and numerous other ancient walled cities and ruins of Roman aqueducts. The drive was beautiful, and highway driving in Italy was truly no problem. City-driving...a different story.
So after about 2.5 hours I reached my campsite on the outskirts of Bologna. No problem, except for very rude managers. I can deal with that.
When I was setting up my tent, this older German couple asked me if I could help them move their camper into position. No problem. I went over and pushed it into its spot.
I then went back to setting up my tent and the heard with a stereotypical German accent
"Excuse me. You make strong on camper, ja?"
"Ugh, yah"
So I went and moved theirs and then went back to my tent. 2 minutes later,
"Strong man...(and this 70 year old looking German lady just pointed to her crooked camper)"
"OK, OK."
Thankfully, this was it. Each time I was pushing their campers into place, the old German people would pint to me and make muscles and nod their heads...I think I'm like some sort of physical manifestation of their old "perfect German Aryan youth" of years past, and I really excited them.
So, after getting all set up, I decided to try to find a supermarket to get some supplies and some ibuprofen for my now throbbing headache. I looked up the nearest supermarket in my Garmin Gps which was only 1 km away and set out...big mistake. Following the GPS perfectly, I somehow managed to drive into the Islamic section of Bologna (pretty much most of the city, I cam to find) and was driving around these little crowded streets getting death stares from the women walking around in burkas and their slave masters, I mean...husbands. So I finally, after going in circles for half an hour thinking I was either going to be the target of an assasination or crash into a Smart Car, I finally reached my destination and...no supermarket. Garmin sucks.
At this point I cut my losses and just decided I have to somehow make it back to the campsite alive and then just take the bus in from then on. Thankfully, after another half hour of traffic and death stares, I made it back.
By this time I felt like my head was going to explode. I could feel my heartbeat pulsating painfully in my forehead. The nearby sounds from the mosques (in BOLOGNA!?!?!) calling put the call to prayer didn't help either. "How often am I in Bologna, though? Maybe some great food will make me feel better."
So, I got on the bus and headed in to town. On the bus were these two sophomores from Texas A&M, actually, and we began talking. They agreed we should team up and we'll explore together and then get something to eat.... ehhhh
Once we reached the city center after about a 15 minute bus ride and got off, I felt like I was in a war zone. This was not the Bologna I expected. It was dirty, CROWDED beyond belief, beggers everywhere, street vendors hassling everyone who passed by, about 50% of everyone there was a Muslim immigrant, grafitti covering everything, punk rocker Italian youth running around everywhere having some sort of Che Guevara celebration, and just plain old nasty.
My headache suddenly got a lot worse...
I then went with the two kids from texas and we walked through this giant market into the main park where, apparently, we walked right into this massive group of dirty, hippie, punk rocker Italian youth who started screaming "riot" then went and jumped on these kids and started fighting and it was like this one giant, evil mosh pit. I got the heck out as fast as possible.
It was at this point that I had to get to a pharmacy to get some medicine for my headache and the two kids from Texas told me they would wait at the market across the street in plain sight...didn't see them again to much later.
So, at this point, I set out on my own and found nothing of interest. I must say, Bologna is my least favorite city in Eurpoe I've visited. I never thought anything could top the uber-expensive Euro-trach Mecca of Nice, France, but Bologna blew that place out of the water.
The food is supposed to be great, though, right? I decided to find a place to eat. I settled on this very crowded Trattoria I figured must be good. Everywhere else I passed by was pretty empty, but this place was happenin'.
I ordered some mortadella (a Bolognese specialty) some tortellini en brodo (tortellini soup - Bologna is known for its tortellini) and some tagliatelle Bolognese (meat sauce). Result: mortadella excellent, tortellini sub-par, and bolognese was about what you would get at a diner in Jersey. Very disappointing...
So, at this point I decided I would cut my losses and get back to the camp. The coolest part of the night was when the 400 pound bus driver pulled out this leg of prosciutto from his bag and started carving off slices to eat at the stop lights...sweet. I tried talking to him, but he didn't understand a word of English.
So, I got back to camp, feeling like I was just about ready to pass out from the headache from hell and absolute exhaustion from the city and as soon as my head hit the pillow in my tent, I was out cold and didn't wake up for 11 hours.
Now, here I am. I feel 100% better and am ready to get going again. I have no desire to get back to Bologna, so I'm going to use the campsite today as base camp to visit Parma and Modena which are not too far away, and then tomorrow I'm going to get the heck out of this city.
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