Karen

Back-dated from Oct 6, 2004

Bella Italia!

After spending 5 days in beautiful Toscana as the locals call it, I’ve come to the conclusion that I feel very comfortable with travelling - especially in Europe. It’s actually quite simple.

You pay a very nominal sum for air travel, get a first come, first serve priority seating, sit on a plane for a few nominal hours, get off in the warm, sunny air - a far cry from the wet, damp atmosphere I’ve currently been enjoying - and voila, instant travel.

Oh, and please don’t get me wrong - I enjoy wet and damp, although I really enjoy dry, warm and sunny, too. Different perspectives, is all :)

The driving got a bit of getting used to. Although I now know why the Italians are such good Formula 1 drivers - they do it day in, day out on their twisty, narrow roads competing for lane space with truck lines. Kudos to dad for his driving skills - along with all of the other drivers out there. I’ll put that on my list of ways of getting into the hospital while here travelling in Europe this year.

The countryside was AMAZING. Describing curving roads, drop-off ledges, chianti-lined lanes, olive groves, falling-down houses, built-up houses, churches snuggled on hillsides engulfed by trees (how they were ever built I’ll never know) just doesn’t do the actual picture justice. It’s must-see countryside.

And must-eat food. I haven’t eaten so much in AGES. Well, last time I was in Italy, I guess. Nothing beats fresh pasta made by hunched over, aged Italian women who have been making fresh pasta since birth. The mouth-watering prosciutto and melon combination, chianti pumped out of barrels at the bar, succulent wild board, errr - pigeon… (sorry, couldn’t find a suitable adjective - although mom may suggest “horrible” or “never-again” or “ick”). But for those of us who didn’t have the pigeon, there was nothing to complain about.

The villa rocked. Kudos to mom and dad for finding it. And it is a real, Italian castle, we figure from the Medici era (i.e. old). It was very medieval in style and had a ton of history to coincide. It was occupied by the Nazis during the second world war. During the liberation, however, the English tanks unfortunately contaminated the well, so bottled water was a must - a small price to pay for its current splendour and beauty. There were also mines planted about - we were all hoping that they’ve all been found…

The Chestnut Festival was a huge hit - partly because we were all excited to have gotten there after the harrowing, curvy roads (see note above). Unless you were A) the driver, B) the front-seat passenger, or C) had a stomach of steel, you were feeling the effects and quite woozy = multiple stops to enjoy the breath-taking views.

Florence - ah, Florence. The city for bargaining in the markets. And, of course, the amazing architecture and history :).