maitaitom
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Here is the summary (and link) of our incredible 2018 trip to Northern Italy ...
After a 13-year hiatus, it was finally time for Tracy (my long-suffering wife), along with traveling cohorts in crime (Kim and Mary) and myself to return to Italy, where we made so many driving errors in 2005 that Italian car rental companies still have wanted posters of us up on their office walls.
To quickly recap our 2005 automobile nightmare, upon picking up the rental car at the Rome airport, I realized I had no idea how to put the car in reverse, resulting in a rather embarrassing moment when Kim, Mary and Tracy had to push our car backward into a Spello parking space, much to the dismay and amazement of local citizens. Each day since then, I wake up each morning and say, “Pull up on the ring.”
A few days later on that 2005 trip we would somehow top that fiasco displaying some true stupidity. Stopping at a gas station between Gubbio and San Quirico d’Orcia, the American brain trust put Super gas into a Diesel car, causing our now deceased Fiat to rapidly lose power, careen down a mountain road and eventually glide through an empty gas station into a meadow when its idiotic driver (aka me) mistook the clutch for a brake. A day that will truly live in infamy.
Our three-week journey in 2018 took us (after a quick afternoon stop in London) to Milan, Bologna, Padova, Ravenna, Piemonte wine country, Torino and Orta San Giulio, and although we navigated the country with relative ease, another of our rental cars sadly met an early demise.
We dropped into so many churches along the way that Mary now has “Withered Finger Syndrome” from all that hand-dipping into holy water. God finally put up “Do Not Disturb” signs at places of worship before we might stop in. Thanks mostly to Kim and Tracy, we have some stupendous photos of many of those historic churches.
Since returning, I have been pleading with Tracy for us to move to Piemonte. I will give up all my worldly possessions for another bottle of Barbera or Barolo or Nebbiolo while staying at perhaps my favorite b&b ever, admiring the lush countryside (including catching a rare glimpse of the snow-capped Alps) from our terrace patio in La Morra. I am still suffering from white truffle pasta deprivation. Not cheap, but sooooooo delicious!
We had been told by many that Milan was not worth a visit. For those who think Milan doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to sights, I’ll refute those claims. Also, thanks to a little bit of ingenuity, we also got a chance to see The Last Supper.
I was very much looking forward to dining in Bologna, since I had read so many glowing accounts of restaurants before we left. Upon further review, I believe I could dine at a different restaurant in Bologna for 365 consecutive nights without encountering a bad meal. Bologna is why I own two Expando belts.
We took a couple of great day trips from Bologna by train:
From fascinating frescoes in Padova (Cappella degli Scrovegni has to be seen to believed) to the marvelous mosaics in Ravenna (stunning), those short jaunts from Bologna were fascinating.
The hill towns and vineyards of Piemonte rivaled, if not exceeded, those of Tuscany and Umbria. I believe of all the wine areas I've visited, this is my favorite.
In Torino (a very interesting town), we especially enjoyed the greatest movie museum on earth and were afforded a rare photo opportunity at some Royal tombs at a remarkable hilltop basilica. We also were “wowed” by a few of those Royal Savoy palaces.
Finally, we received a little R&R with a lakeside wine and cheese picnic at our spectacular B&B in Orta San Giulio. Yes, it was time to stop and smell the formaggio.
Speaking of lodging, we would highly recommend all the places we stayed. A couple of them (in La Morra and Orta San Giulio) were magical, while the others (including an Air BnB in Bologna) offered a home away from home complete with gracious hosts. Oh, and those croissants at our Milan B&B … well, you get the idea.
Although the crew threatened mutiny (or in Tracy’s case, divorce) at various junctures along the way (I can be a tough and evil taskmaster), we kept it together as we walked … and walked … and walked (seemingly only uphill) in every town we visited. The steep streets and alleyways of Monforte d’Alba nearly did me in as did the stairs of the Basilica di Superga outside Torino. I am not getting any younger.
If only I had the dexterity and stamina of a white truffle hunting dog … or Mary, who put us all to shame. I better get in shape for Portugal next year.
Kim’s new camera took some unbelievable shots (well, he helps), while Tracy’s eye (her photographer’s eye … she’s not a Cyclops) make her iPhone photos great, too. Every once-in-a-while I got lucky with a cool photo or two.
We all survived (some better than others) our daily climbs and long walks to consume more pasta and drink more vino, but once again we left enough for the rest of you (although there might be a Barbera shortage) planning to visit wonderful Italia. Whenever we have to depart Italy, I get very sad. This tip was no different. I love Italy!!!
Here is, “We Still Didn’t Drink All The Vino: Mai Tai Tom’s Return To Italy.”
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/italy-2018/
After a 13-year hiatus, it was finally time for Tracy (my long-suffering wife), along with traveling cohorts in crime (Kim and Mary) and myself to return to Italy, where we made so many driving errors in 2005 that Italian car rental companies still have wanted posters of us up on their office walls.
To quickly recap our 2005 automobile nightmare, upon picking up the rental car at the Rome airport, I realized I had no idea how to put the car in reverse, resulting in a rather embarrassing moment when Kim, Mary and Tracy had to push our car backward into a Spello parking space, much to the dismay and amazement of local citizens. Each day since then, I wake up each morning and say, “Pull up on the ring.”
A few days later on that 2005 trip we would somehow top that fiasco displaying some true stupidity. Stopping at a gas station between Gubbio and San Quirico d’Orcia, the American brain trust put Super gas into a Diesel car, causing our now deceased Fiat to rapidly lose power, careen down a mountain road and eventually glide through an empty gas station into a meadow when its idiotic driver (aka me) mistook the clutch for a brake. A day that will truly live in infamy.
Our three-week journey in 2018 took us (after a quick afternoon stop in London) to Milan, Bologna, Padova, Ravenna, Piemonte wine country, Torino and Orta San Giulio, and although we navigated the country with relative ease, another of our rental cars sadly met an early demise.
We dropped into so many churches along the way that Mary now has “Withered Finger Syndrome” from all that hand-dipping into holy water. God finally put up “Do Not Disturb” signs at places of worship before we might stop in. Thanks mostly to Kim and Tracy, we have some stupendous photos of many of those historic churches.
Since returning, I have been pleading with Tracy for us to move to Piemonte. I will give up all my worldly possessions for another bottle of Barbera or Barolo or Nebbiolo while staying at perhaps my favorite b&b ever, admiring the lush countryside (including catching a rare glimpse of the snow-capped Alps) from our terrace patio in La Morra. I am still suffering from white truffle pasta deprivation. Not cheap, but sooooooo delicious!
We had been told by many that Milan was not worth a visit. For those who think Milan doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to sights, I’ll refute those claims. Also, thanks to a little bit of ingenuity, we also got a chance to see The Last Supper.
I was very much looking forward to dining in Bologna, since I had read so many glowing accounts of restaurants before we left. Upon further review, I believe I could dine at a different restaurant in Bologna for 365 consecutive nights without encountering a bad meal. Bologna is why I own two Expando belts.
We took a couple of great day trips from Bologna by train:
From fascinating frescoes in Padova (Cappella degli Scrovegni has to be seen to believed) to the marvelous mosaics in Ravenna (stunning), those short jaunts from Bologna were fascinating.
The hill towns and vineyards of Piemonte rivaled, if not exceeded, those of Tuscany and Umbria. I believe of all the wine areas I've visited, this is my favorite.
In Torino (a very interesting town), we especially enjoyed the greatest movie museum on earth and were afforded a rare photo opportunity at some Royal tombs at a remarkable hilltop basilica. We also were “wowed” by a few of those Royal Savoy palaces.
Finally, we received a little R&R with a lakeside wine and cheese picnic at our spectacular B&B in Orta San Giulio. Yes, it was time to stop and smell the formaggio.
Speaking of lodging, we would highly recommend all the places we stayed. A couple of them (in La Morra and Orta San Giulio) were magical, while the others (including an Air BnB in Bologna) offered a home away from home complete with gracious hosts. Oh, and those croissants at our Milan B&B … well, you get the idea.
Although the crew threatened mutiny (or in Tracy’s case, divorce) at various junctures along the way (I can be a tough and evil taskmaster), we kept it together as we walked … and walked … and walked (seemingly only uphill) in every town we visited. The steep streets and alleyways of Monforte d’Alba nearly did me in as did the stairs of the Basilica di Superga outside Torino. I am not getting any younger.
If only I had the dexterity and stamina of a white truffle hunting dog … or Mary, who put us all to shame. I better get in shape for Portugal next year.
Kim’s new camera took some unbelievable shots (well, he helps), while Tracy’s eye (her photographer’s eye … she’s not a Cyclops) make her iPhone photos great, too. Every once-in-a-while I got lucky with a cool photo or two.
We all survived (some better than others) our daily climbs and long walks to consume more pasta and drink more vino, but once again we left enough for the rest of you (although there might be a Barbera shortage) planning to visit wonderful Italia. Whenever we have to depart Italy, I get very sad. This tip was no different. I love Italy!!!
Here is, “We Still Didn’t Drink All The Vino: Mai Tai Tom’s Return To Italy.”
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/italy-2018/