Sophisticated Salzburg

Mirabel Gardens where scenes from sound of Music were filmed

View of Salzburg walking over the Salze River to the old town area

     Were were greeted with sunshine Monday morning and enjoyed a beautiful ride 
from Oberammagau to Salzburg.

When we arrived our tour guide was waiting to take us on a historic walking tour of
 the old town where Mozart was born.  Only licensed guides are allowed to give tours 
in Salzburg and the history lesson we received from our guide was remarkable!  She 
was also valuable in giving us a tip as to where to find "real" Austrian cuisine for our 
free night in Salzburg!

     Monday evening we dined together at a dinner theater and saw a lively performance
 of Austrian favorites from "Sound of Music" to Mozart.  Gary was handed the 
microphone by one of the performers and got to join the group in singing "Edelweiss",
 a real crowd pleaser!

     On Tuesday, our group ventured out to the Kehlstein mountain area to visit a very historic site. The " Eagles Nest " was a mountaintop retreat completed in 1938 by leaders of the Nazi party, and presented to Adolph Hitler as a gift  for his 50^th birthday.  The expertise of German engineering is apparent everywhere.  From the road that was carved into the back side of the mountain, to the brass-lined lift that elevates visitors the last 1838 meters to the mountaintop retreat, a project was completed in 13 months, before the start of conflict in WWII.  When we reached the top, the view was breathtaking!  A short walk to a cross placed near the top of the summit provided an overview of the “teahouse” as it was called.  Most of the inside is a restaurant and the large marble mantel presented to Hilter as a gift from Mussolini, is the centerpiece of the huge octagon dining area.  Enroute to the site, we watched a video that provided information about the construction of the site and viewed film clips of Hitler’s 14 official visits to the retreat.  The film also showed the Allies take over of the site, which was spared from bombing, and renamed “The Eagle’s Nest”.

 

      The weather at the top was very chilly, so a cup of hot chocolate by the huge fireplace hit the spot.  Our next stop proved to be a real surprise.  We visited a nearby salt mine that dates back to 600BC.  Salzburg gets its name as the producer of much needed “salt” that cured and preserved the meats before refrigeration.  The mines at Berchtesgaden are no longer producing much salt, as the extraction process is more expensive than water ( hydro )  processes.  A tour into the mines has become a favorite stop for bus tours in the area.  We were given overalls to wear, and lowered by a narrow train into the mine.  The tour included amazing information about this early extraction process, a ride across on a salt water basin, and two incredible slides that lowered us deeper into the mining area.  All in all, it was an educating and entertaining experience.

      Back in Salzburg, we feasted on Austrian cuisine preferred by the locals on a tip from our guide Isabella.  The Gastwirtschaft served up large helpings of saurbraten, pork, ham sausage, saurkraut and potato dumplings to name a few.  For dessert, warm crepes, ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate…to die for!   “Prost”!

Breathtaking Bavaria!

We finally lost favor with the weather gods, but our trip into the Bavarian countryside was still spectacular. Our first stop was Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a picturesque ski area and the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics where Jesse Owens became a household name.

We were greeted at the Gasthof Fraundorfer (pub) to a typical Bavarian feast with the long tables, big steins of beer, local cuisine and , of course, the ump-pa-pa band.

Enroute to our destination we stopped for a tour of King Ludwig II’s castle.  After the tour, we hiked down the hill from the castle, so we didn’t feel guilty having a second mug of beer at the Gasthof!

King Ludwig II's Castle

Fun at the Gasthof Fraundorfer

Olympic ski jump 1936 style!

Our experience in Oberammagau borders on surreal.  The day that was the main motivation for our  trip to Europe was cool  and cloudy.  Dressed in layers and carrying blankets we arrived in Oberammagau, and were ready for an experience of a lifetime.

The entire village is involved in the production of the play.  After a wonderful lunch in a cozy “gasthof” we got to our seats for the 2:30 start.  The play was performed in German, but we had a book with the English text.  The acting was so powerful, (with no mics used),  the language barrier wasn’t a problem.  This is the ultimate “community theater” with hundreds of people of all ages on stage at times. 

The first act ended at 5:00.  We walked back to our “pub” through the busy streets of the city, with all the shops filled with wood carving and souveniers.  After another wonderful Bavarian dinner and stroll though the shops we took our seats at 8:00 for the second act.

Evening in the open air theater provided a compelling back drop for the last hours of the passion of Christ.  The 4700 attendees sat quietly huddled in blankets and were rewarded with an unbelievable experience.  From the scourging, to the carrying of the cross and the cruxifiction and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the dignity and reality of this event was sobering and spiritual.  At 10:30, we left the theater ans had a very quiet trip back to our hotel.

Passion Play Theater

View of the stage from our seats (Sorry, no cameras allowed during the performance!)

Village shops are all decorated with religious murals.

Local sculptor works on a wood carving

Lovely Lucerne, the Majestic Alps, and old friends

Royal Family meets in Zurich

 Tuesday, we traveled by train to Zurich, where we met up with the Royal Family, who arrived from KC on Wednesday morning. It was great to see some of the friends we have met on previous trips.  After a brief stay in Zurich for lunch, we traveled to Lucerne, the first stop on our tour.  Our hotel was near several historic landmarks including the 13^th Century Chapel Bridge and the Lion Memorial, which was made in the 1700’s as a tribute to the Swiss Army Mercenaries who protected the King of France.

Lion Memorial

Chapel Bridge

 Thursday morning, after all the KC travelers got a good night sleep to recover from their jet lag, we took an hour ride by bus to the Alps for our “mountain adventure”.  Our first stop was the village of Lauterbrunnen, where we boarded a cog-wheel train to continue our journey up the mountain range.  We decided on the option to stop at Wengin and take a gondola to a summit where we could take a 90 minute “level” hike to Kleine Scheidegg, where we would have lunch. What a great choice!  The hike was spectacular!  The weather was perfect  for hiking, and taking in the incredible sights!

The cog wheel trip down the mountain was equally magnificent!  We made a brief stop to visit the Trummelbach Falls, which is an interesting “internal” waterfall that flows inside a mountain.  After all this exercise, we didn’t feel guilty about having some local fondue at the nearby Fondue House back in Lucerne.

Arrivederci Italia!

View of Laglio from the middle road

    Sunday night, when re returned from Padua, we were invited to have dinner with our host family at the B&B.  This was another wonderful evening and a delightful meal.  Included were homemade gnocchi with a mushroom sauce. roasted pork shank (Gary's favorite). and cheesecake.  While visiting with Laura and Giorgio we learned of a third road that goes along the lake.  This is only a "footpath" and is midway between the Panorama or upper road and the via Lago or ( along the lake) lower road.

    Monday , after doing some packing, we decided to go for a walk on the "middle road".  It was a narrow path that provided some wonderful views as well as  great subjects for future paintings.

This is an example of what we saw on our 5 mile hike to Moltrassio.  (maybe like the "Appian Way to Rome)?

Our destination was Moltrassio, because John said he and his wife Evie always had a good meal at the Posta Ristorante, while visiting the area.  He was right!  We had a delightful meal after working up a huge appetite!  Gary had Veal Marsala and I had homemade Ravioli with Pine Nuts!  Delicious!

After our wonderful lunch, we took the bus on to Cernobbio to do a little shopping at the "mall". When we returned to Laglio, (this time by bus) our friend Aldo was fishing in front of the Piazza!  We waved to him and said good bye to his wife Anna who stopped by with her daughter and grand daughter.

All in all, it was a perfect ending to an incredible experience in Italy!

Arrivederci Aldo, grazie!

ARRIVEDERCI  ITALY!

Historic Padua

I can best describe our visit to Padua in three words: eat, pray and love!  The skies were grey for the first time since our arrival in Italy, but the "sunshine" we felt from our new friends who greeted us in Padua more than made up for the clouds.
I will begin with "pray" as the eat and love part are closely related. We had met Sergio and Guilianna at our friend, John's home in KC.  When they heard we were coming to Italy, they invited us to stay with them in Padua.  They don't speak any English, so Sergio arranged for a young woman, Guilia, who works for him in his travel agency, to be our translator and guide for our tour of Padua. Guilia lived in America for 3 years and speaks fluent English.  After a traditional Italian lunch, Sergio, Guilia, Gary and I set out to explore Padua (and wear off some of the pasta).
In the 1200's, Padua was similar to it's neighbor, Venice, with a system of canals throughout the old city.  The canals no longer exist but their existance is very evident.  Our first stop was a visit to the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua.  Pope John Paul II recognized this beautiful basilica as an international shrine in 1993, as one of the most important destinations for pilgrimages in the world.  St. Anthony is considered the patron for lost and impossible needs.  As we walked through this beautiful church we came to the shrine where his remains are buried.  It was so moving to see the hundreds of photos left by pilgrims from all over the world, who are in need of a "miracle" and are hopeful that St. Anthony will intercede for them, to the Almighty.  Mass was being said in the center of the church in 4 different languages and was a celebration with slavic music and customs.  It was a very moving experience.

Basilica of St. Anthony  (Main altar below)

We continued to walk through the streets of Padua where Guilia pointed out all highlights of the
old and new blending together.  She showed us the ghetto which now houses many trendy boutiques and some of the architecture of the Mussolini era.
Our tour ended with 6:00 reservation at the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art to view the Scrovegni Chapel and the frescoes painted by Giotto in 1303-05.  This has recently reopened to the public after some extensive restoration and was similar to our experience at "The Last Supper" in Milan.  After a 15 minute video, (with English translation), 25 people at a time are allowed into the chapel to view the three layers of frescoes which depict the lives of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the Scrovegni family, who commissioned the project.  It is amazing to see the degree of depth Giotto suggested in each scene long before the principles of perspective were discovered.  Magnificant and truly a "prayerful"moment.
Of course, cameras were not allowed and our personal belongings were checked, so to give an idea of what we experienced, I took a photo from a book that we purchased to learn for about this chapel.

The Arena Chapel at Padua

I can combine the "eat" and "love" parts together because they are intertwined.  We were treated to two wonderful, home-cooked Italian meals while visiting our friends in Padua.  The love these wonderful people put into their meals and the pleasure they get out of sharing this experience with their guests is amazing.  Their friends, Victorio and Rosa joined us for dinner.  We have also met them in KC.

Rosa brought her homemade tortelini as well as a special torte for the "feast".  We met some of their children who stopped by for a visit before dinner.   Our meal included Rosa's tortelini in chicken broth, baked salami and cold cuts with crusty bread, a main course of roast rabbit and salad, fruit and cheese, Rosa's special torte, expresso and of course Limoncella!   Bon appetit!

Judie, Guilia, Sergio, Guiliana, Rosa and Victorio 

Rosa's tortelini , with Guiliana's broth

Guilia and Judie,  New friends!

Daily life in Como

Anna, her sister Rosetta, and J&G, and Aldo 

Local Laglio market

Piazza Victoria Market

Bennet Mega food store in Cernobbio

        One of the great things about having the luxury of time to spend within a foreign country is getting to know the local customs and culture of a particular area.  We were able to do this in France, England and now Italy.  After our day of cruising beautiful Lake Como, we were invited to have a "typical" Italian dinner with John's friends, Aldo and Anna.   What a special evening!  They don't speak a word of English, but Anna's sister Rosetta's daughter, ( Sonjia sp) who speaks English, came over after dinner and we were able to visit, with her interpreting.  It is amazing what you can do with hand gestures and of course, good food is universal!  I stopped counting at seven courses! Viva L"Italians!

    Speaking of food...we have visited all types of markets.  The little grocer in the Laglio is our daily stop to purchase our bus tickets, water, fruit, etc.  On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the Piazza Victoria has the open market where you can buy everything from housewares to lingere!  We visited there and then picked up our rental for our trip to Padua over the weekend.

Our "wheels" gave us more freedom to get about and we discovered a "Walmart type" store in Cernobbio where the "deli guys" were dressed in uniforms with bow ties and hats!  Right out of the 50's.

   I couldn't end this post about daily life without sharing a picture of our wonderful family where we are staying.  We are greeted each morning to a typical "sweet" or "salty" breakfast.  Baby Gianlucas, and papa Giorgio are not usually far behind.  I can't say enough for staying at B&B's while visiting other countries!  Not only are they extremely helpful, they are the face of the people and culture you are visiting.  What an education!

   Tomorrow we leave for Padua to visit more of John's Italian friends.  We had the pleasure of meeting them in Kansas City last September.  I may not have wi-fi, so I may not post for a few days.  I will take good notes on St. Anthony and Giotto's home town!  Ciao!

Cruising Lower Lake Como

Aboard the Lago di Como" botello" for a 2 hour cruise to Bellagio

One of my challenges for this blog is "brevity" and if you know me personally, you know how hard that is!

Today's post is extremely difficult for that reason.  I took over 150 photos during the 6 hour excursion from Como to Bellagio and back.  The weather was perfect as the boat stopped at the many beautiful villages that dot the Lower Lario area.  I hope to paint many of these scenes when I return to the "real world"in November.

In the meantime, here are a few highlights!

One of our first stops was at Cernobbio.  Below is the Villa d'Este which was once the residence of King George IV of England's wife.  It was turned into a luxury hotel in 1873.  Many of the important European summits are held here.  The view from the water was spectacular!

Next we have a view of our village of Laglio from the water.  The steeple is the church of San Giorgio and our B&B is a few steps away in the piazza.  The large home on the left with the tall cyprus tree is George Clooney's villa.  He is very much at home in the area and everybody knows him.

The villa above is the home of the owner of Virgin Airlines.  It was difficult to decipher all of this because all the comments given on the boat were in Italian.  I read about this somewhere and put 2 and 2 together.  I call this my "postcard" scene!

Our final destination was Bellagio (very different from the LasVegas version).  The streets were lined with trendy shops and eateries, but with all the crowds of people flocking from the boats, all the restaurants closed at 3:00!  Guess those Italians don't care about their "bottom line" when it comes to their "siestas!

Magnificant Milano!

Move over Kansas City!  Fountain at the Castello Sforenzo

We got along much better on the train to Milan (minus our luggage and a few good night's sleep) and we were ready to explore Milan.  We checked out the meeting spot for our 1:30 tour to see the Last Supper, which was under the clock tower (above) at the gate of the Castello Sforenzo.   We found our way down the trendy Via Dante with its many shops and restaurantes along the way, to the Duomo!  What a magnificent structure.  It was started in 1387 , with the finishing touches added in the 1960s!  

The only way you can see DaVinci's Last Supper is with a tour, since the DaVinci Code created such an interest in the painting.  The tour we signed up for, online, was disappointing but we did get to view the incredible wall mural of the Last Supper for 15 minutes.  One of the incredible things we saw, was the photos of the destruction of the refractory of the Santa Maria Delle Grazie, during WWII.  The entire building was destroyed with the exception of the wall with The Last Supper and the opposite wall with a fresco of the crucification done at the same time as the Last Supper.  Truly a miracle!  There were no cameras allowed but there is a much smaller reproduction just outside the refractory that we couldn't resist standing in front of for a photo op!  

  

Funicular to Brunate

 The weather forecast for Monday said 70% chance rain, so we scrapped our plans to take the boat cruise around the lake.  By noon we could see that they must get their forecasts from the same place as KC!  It was beautiful, so we decided to go back to Como  and take the "funicular" to Brunate.  This is a funny word for  a vertical tram to a mountaintop village. (see picture)

Brunate is at the upper right. The tram
path is a little dark.

The view from the top!

The base of the tram. (funicular)

When we arrived  after our 7 minute ascent to the top, the view was spectacular!  We could see for miles!

 

Brunate was filled with narrow streets that wound around every turn.  The bright sun was creating a "symphony" of shadows around every corner!  I was in heaven with my digital camera recording as I explored.  When we returned to Laglio that evening, I broke out my new sketchbook and markers and recorded my first impression of our adventure in Lake Como!

Sunny street in Brunate