About that chandelier…

Blue as the Venetian waters, but not so beautiful

 In honor of Halloween I’m going to write about a scary piece of glass. A few posts back I mentioned that I couldn’t wait to show readers the chandelier from our hotel room in Venice.  Queen of Cups Marilyn, my roommate, said if she could have changed anything in our room it would have been this. Though we were in a four-star rated hotel, the Hotel Bonvecchiati,  the room itself was shabby — I won’t delve into that too much since I’ve already covered it. But for me this chandelier has come to represent more than a lighting fixture, but our experience of Venice itself.  The sharp-eyed Queen of Cups fixed on it right away.

“Something is really wrong with that chandelier,” she said, while I fiddled around in my suitcase, still fuming after my, er, “off with your head” discussion with the hotel clerk downstairs. “When you get done, come here and let’s talk about what’s wrong with it.”

The chandelier was a light turquoise blue, and though we had not seen Venice in daylight yet, I would say it resembled the color of the water we saw as we crossed it from Venice proper to the island of Murano. In fact, the chandelier was probably Murano glass but not particularly fine, so it could have been a plastic copy from Target for all I knew. From her vantage point, the problem with this chandelier was immediately clear to me: It was crooked.

“But why is it crooked?” she asked, her voice carrying the edge of frustration.

“Well, there are two leaves sprouting off to one side, and they are missing from the other side. Probably got broken off at some point.”

She seemed satisfied with that explanation, but still a step beyond mildly irritated over it. We expected better, and frankly had paid for it.  But that’s the thing about Venice: It is beautiful to look at, but don’t look too close, and be sure to bring money.

In time I’m sure I will forget most of things I thought about that hotel, but will still get very tickled about Marilyn’s fixation on that chandelier.  

“My husband would not be surprised,” she said.

Finding Florence

Sitting area outside our room at Monna Lisa

In this latest installment following up on the Four Queens Tour of Italy (remember — we are women queens, and women were queens way before men!) I show you some of our pix from Florence. Our arrival at our hotel was just as I had hoped. We’d been booked at a different hotel, and when researching it online I found several negative comments about it on TripAdvisor, so I came across a different hotel, four star, that luckily was also listed as an option on our AAA excursion that we had already booked.

The Hotel Monna Lisa had been a convent later converted to a palace and then a family owned hotel. Comments on TripAdvisor said the place was lovely, but the front desk lady was not friendly or helpful and was to be avoided. Well, we knew all about Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, so we were not deterred and I’m so glad. The place was the best of all our accommodations. We did feel some pressure to be quiet — a holdover from convent days — but we felt very regal there (as we should, of course) and the hotel in itself was an historic site worthy of exploration. We particularly loved the Monna Lisa room, filled with pictures of Mona Lisa in various altered states (naked, smoking a hookah, etc…)

Road from the hotel to the Duomo

Just a few blocks away, and a wonderful walk to get there, was the majestic Duomo. You have to be there to really experience the size and grandeur of this cathedral, and the inside is equal in its breathtaking beauty. You cannot stand directly under the dome, but if you are up for it you can climb the hundreds of steps (after standing in line) to get to the top of the dome and the walkway around the inside.

The Duomo: you have to be there

It would be great to see the art that way, but we opted instead to visit the archeological site beneath, which was very interesting. The tomb of the dome’s famous architect Brunnelleschi is there, and also, wait for it: a gift shop!

The four queens Gayle, Marilyn, Nancy and Daphne love their pasta in Florence

We found a restaurant on the corner near our street to get back to the hotel, and it was, I think, our favorite dinner of the whole trip. And as I may have mentioned earlier, Florence had THE BEST gelato.

Our Charming Knight

During our progress in Italy, each evening one of us would pull a Tarot card from the deck to see what kind of read we would get — “just for fun,” as my mother would have said. We were all surprised that repeatedly, no matter who was drawing the card, we would get the Knight of Wands! I knew this card represented adventure, and I thought he was our reminder to have fun and go with the flow, as well as our escort! But I’m no expert on Tarot so now that we’re home I decided to check into it a bit further.

My friend Michele Morgan, author of “A Magical Course in Tarot,” says our knight is the adventurer: Couragous and valiant, he plays with risk as if at a game and charges into the unknown with the bearing and confidence of a warrior. Often unpredictable, his competitive, restless nature drives him to seek action and change. He is the first to face down the dragon, storm the battlements to rescue the maiden fair, or carry the flag of his kindom into uncharted lands. To his friends and loved ones he is a champion, loyal and passionate; to those unaccustomed to or threatened by his fire, he can appear arrogant or self-serving. This Prince will undoubtedly infuse your life with enthusiasm and ambition, possibly inciting you to a change of residence or career.”

I think we definitely carried our flag into some uncharted territory, at least for our group, so I can’t imagine a better companion, guide and protector for our trip. Thanks, dude!

Four Queens Favorites

Okay, I promised to upload a gallery of photos when I was back to Internet civilization. Due to severe jetlag I could not face my computer too much, so forgive the delay. Also, going through our photos there are SO MANY that I dearly love, choosing was terribly difficult. I started with this one taken by Marilyn when I bought a purple hat in Pienza. Purple in Pienze (oh dear). Well, I think I look just like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, don’t you?

Okay, well, whatever. Another favorite is the four of us at dinner in Rome. It was a lovely place on the sidewalk that appealed to us, and though the proprietor seemed to be Middle Eastern and not Italian, we enjoyed our meal and he was very attentive to our needs.

In Rome we took a couple of tours, one being a walking tour of the ancient sites. Here’s Marilyn clowning along the way.

We learned that those pock marks in the ancient Roman columns are where marble was attached to the sides. I always thought they were just stone — or solid marble — but no, the Romans had it together in their construction practices and things were built to last.

In Rome, we spent some time on the rooftop of our hotel. This shot just says a lot about Rome — the domes and towers all jumbled in there with the apartments and satellite dishes.

Also in Rome I loved the Piazza Navona, where artists would fill the space with their crafts and paintings and try to sell to the tourists. A beautiful fountain graces the center but I loved the way it was a center of life, but for those of us with aching feet there were so few benches, just big, open space. No wonder the Italians are not all fat with pasta and gelato — they are always walking and never get to sit down!

After Rome there was  Florence, beautiful Florence, and many more favorites to show you, but I’ll pick that up with another post tomorrow. This queen needs her beauty sleep!

Last Day

(Composed on the train from Cetona To Rome, 10/14)

Morning in our Cetona townhouse

The queens have mixed feelings today, as you might expect. We have been away from home two weeks now, and inspite of all the conveniences we do have we are missing the ones we don’t, and missing our own beds, not to mention our loved ones. I write this as we travel south on the train to Roma Termini — the train terminal where we will take a taxi to the airport Hilton in Rome for our last night (because I have an early flight out). We had a nice lunch of crackers, ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato and mozzarella sandwiches, followed by a little Italian chocolate, and now three of the queens are snoozing during the last 45 minutes of the ride.

Daphne, Marilyn & Gayle enjoy cappuccino in Pienza cafe

I look out the window at the gorgeous view, and then the train ducks into a tunnel and our ears pressurize and pop, then just as quickly we’re in the sun again.

The drive to the Chuisi train station drove me crazy. We followed the signs as we have always done since we arrived in Italy — most of the time successfully — but wound up in the old part of town with no sign of the train station. So, we tried again and ended up the same place. Then we tried a roundabout route by the lake and again wound up in the same place, no train station. Yours truly was quite frustrated by this time — we parked, and Marilyn and Daphne found and information office and got a map and instructions to finally get us there. Queen of Swords Daphne says we in America are spoonfed — it’s Life for Dummies — in that the information provided to us from signage of all kinds leads us to expect and demand the same kind and quanitity of information elsewhere.I had followed the sign to Chiusi, but there was no follow-up sign and no directions thereafter. Same at the train station. Our ticket is very specific, Train 585, Track 4, Car 2, seats 81 – 84. But the sign by the train had no satisfying “585″ next to it; none of the train cars have numbers on them; the seats are numbered but not as you’d expect.  It is the lack of clear information that, more than anything else (such as lack of phone support and internet) could deter me from wanting to return.

Last cappuccino, B&B in Cetona: Daphne, Nancy, Marilyn

But, on the ride into Chuisi we did discuss what we might want to do if we came back. In Venice, for example, we had so little time we could only explore on our own a little, did not have time for a professionally-led tour, and did not get the interesting history and stories that could have enriched our visit. In Rome, we would have liked to visit Hadrian’s Villa, Antica Ottica, and Pompeii. We did not have time to visit Siena or the areas around that portion of Tuscany — Pisa, Cinque Terra, and several other places. And, there is Milan and the areas to the northwest that might be interesting.

As our train nears Roma Termini, we have mixed feelings. We can’t wait to return home, but probably will always wonder about the places we had to miss. We are tired and in particulary I am weary of the frustrations, but will miss the lovely cappuccinos and the beautiful narrow streets down to the shops and museums.

View from beautiful Pienza

We miss our husbands and families. And clean towels! I think, nearing the end of the trip, perhaps my focus is tainted and I seem a bit negative about our experience. But I know all the negatives slip away when we relive what we have experienced here, and it has been unforgettable.

The Refuge, Pienza

Time to catch you up again, as the Internet shop was closed yesterday, and oddly many shops also seem to be closed today, so we’re a bit behind in our tales of queenly travels.

First, Perugia. Oh my dear, we were not able to fulfill our pledge of the motherlode of chocolate yesterday, because we were woefully misinformed about this place, and by the time we escaped it I thought I might understand how murder could be committed there. Compared to all the other cities we have visited we did not realize Perugia was so large, or that there were four exits from the interstate highway. We took the first one, assuming it was the only one, and found ourselved in a spaghetti strangle of twisting roads, frantic traffic, honking horns and no way out. We excaped with our lives and only a few horrible expletives from the driver, who has vowed never to return. I am sure there are some interesting sights in there somewhere, but I shall never see them. We saw a sign for Assizzi and took it like a lifeline.

Assizzi was described as “everybody’s favorite” by our landlord, but unfortunately it was not ours. Assizzi is beautiful, sitting up on the hill as it does with its pinkish-white buildings, and the church we entered was one of several that have indredible art and beauty. This I cannot deny. But it is very commercialized with trinkets and junk and busloads of tourists. There is also a paucity of available information (we have found this to be common) unless you have booked a tour, which we had not, so it was difficult to know what we were looking at or where we should go.

This was a long day in the car, and we decided we were not up for another dinner out. We bought pasta, sausage, salad, bread and cheese and enjoyed dinner at the townhouse, where the owner had a well’worn VCR tape of Under the Tuscan Sun. Great evening and early to bed. I have to tell you, we drew cards again before bed and it was my turn. Would you believe I pulled that darn Knight of Wands again? Enough already! So everybody pulled a card and we balanced him out with the Queen of Swords. So there.

The next day we headed to Orvieto to shop for ceramics. Faithful readers, the Queens love Orvieto. High on a hill with lots of twists and turns, lovely ruins, a beautiful park, and a sweeping view over the valley and across the hills. They also have an underground tour which we ran out of time to enjoy. The ceramics were fantastic, and the duomo at the top of the hill was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed a brilliant sunny day, and  followed all this with a wonderful gelato, and then ruined our appetite for dinner,  but who cares?

Today we had planned to drive to Siena, but it was such a long way, so instead we toured the smaller villages to the southwest of Cetona hoping to find the hunting lodge build by the Medicis and visited by Charles Dickens, but no luck. So we headed back to our beloved Pienza. Marilyn’s favorite ceramic shop was mysteriously closed, but I found a gorgeous handpainted pitcher with pheasants on it, and we took a great tour of the Palazzio Piccolomini, which had been built for Pope Pius II. It was beautiful and we could see truly what it would have looked like in the 15th century and got some idea of what life would have been like. It was also the palace where the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet was filmed — we saw and loved this movie when we were teenagers. Okay, that dates the Queens. Sorry all!

Tomorrow is our last day in Cetona. We head back to Rome at about 3 pm. We will be sorry to leave behind the lovely piazza and delicious cappucinos we enjoyed there, but are in many ways looking forward to home sweet home (as Dorothy once said). Please stay tuned for more, because we have some delightful photos to show you as soon as we reach civilization, technologically speaking!

Chocolate calling…

The Knight of Wands popped up again last night, and we need little reminding from him that we are on an adventure with unknowns around every corner, so I think maybe he is with us as an escort and protector. We had a fabulous day yesterday in Pienza which is a beautiful hill town built for a Pope,  and it is chock full of really fun shopping, too. From there we headed to Montepulciano — this town is a huge fortress on top of a great hill with walls around it. It is known for its wine but we had none of that. We walked and walked and wound around the narrow streets and shops and finally made it to the top to see the grand palazzio, where interestingly enough they had wi-fi! If only I’d had my netbook.

Last night in Cetona we had dinner at Merlo, in the tower in the piazza. We were told by Dee and Roy that this was a wonderful place and very inexpensive. We agree — we enjoyed a delicate steamed shrimp cradled in a thin, crisp apple slice with olive oil and herbs (amazing) followed by pasta, steak and a white chocolate mousse that we all shared. Then the cool walk back to the townhouse. An excellent day and evening all around.

Today, we hear the siren sound of chocolate calling to us from nearby Perugia, and so we are off in that direction to find the motherlode.  We won’t stop until we get it — perhaps it is best we have no pictures to show you of that…

More to come!!!

Dark Queens

Faithful readers, the queens do apologize but we did not expect the particular offense we have encountered in the wilds of Italy to have no Internet connections! Not only that but the Queen of Wands finds that her cell phone has gone completely dead,  no thanks to our friends at Verizon. When you see the billboard that reads “Droid Does,” please know in fact that “Droid Doesn’t.”

Adding insult to injury, three of our four queens have come down with nasty little colds, making it hard to enjoy our queenly progress. So, let me catch you up. And, apologies in advance there will be no photos in this post because Daphne, Queen of Swords, and I are seated in a tiny corner of a Tobacco shop on their one little computer using an Italian keyboard and no upload capability. Alas.  We will put up a gallery as soon as technology permits.

And so, in Venice, the Queen of Wands had a bit of a meltdown. We arrived in grand fashion on a lovely train, in Venezia Mestra, but no one had told us you had to take an additional train from this station to the one at the waterfront, where you catch the vaporetta (water bus) to Piazza San Marco and the Venice we all know from the pictures and the movies. We managed, and arrived at our hotel late, so apparently were given the last two (and worst) rooms in the hotel. Indignant, the Queen of Wands expressed her displeasure quite vocally to the the desk clerk, and received no relief for her wants. Picture a grand palace with Motel 6 rooms, only seedier furniture. And do not get the Queen of Cups (Marilyn) started on the glass chandelier — I can’t wait to post that photo for you!!) What can one do?

In the morning we had a mediocre breakfast and headed across the square where sea water was rapidly rising through the vents in the ground and we barely escaped with dry ankles. We were approached by gentlemen merchants who, um, offered us FREE rides to Murano Island as part of a promotion. We started but remembered as queens do that nothing is free and escaped into the crowd — which by this time had grown quiet large, oozing heavily off the nearby towering cruise ship.

We paid our ferry fee to Murano, and island which must be covered with various glass furnaces. The first we approached was closed. The second invited us in for just a few moments to watch the artisans, then quickly herded us into the exhorbitantly priced showrooms ($1,600 for 6 wine glasses and a carafe?). Again we had to escape, and managed to duck into a less costly glass jewelry story where we purchased some modest trinkets for gifts.

Now, let’s talk about our friend and travel consultant Rick Steves. We had already, sort of, forgiven him for not mentioning the extra train to Venice, and decided to follow his restaurant advice for the evening. Our handsome hotel clerk, Fabio, made our reservations at Trattoria da Remigio, supposed to be the best place for authentic Venetian cuisine. We arrived on time and were quickly seated, but here is where our happy experience ends. From this point forward the wait staff was surly, the food unremarkable in any way (except that it was remarkably similar to the hotel food we’d been stuck with the night before) and we were so anxious to leave we could hardly wait to pay the bill.  My advice, fellow travelers, is to follow your instincts. We believe we would have fared much better had we stopped at the appealing restaurants we had passed along the way to this one.

Leaving Venice required a 7 a.m. vaporetto ride, a train to Venezia Mestra, then the final 4-hour train to Chiusi, just south of Florence, to pick up our car. We drove to Cetona — about 4 miles, made several times longer by the Queen of Wands driver who is quite rusty with a stickshift — and found the Piazza. We were met by Dee and Roy, the owners of our townhouse. And if you understand a townhouse to be a place with lots of stairs, that is what we have, but three flights, and very steep. The place is beautiful, with incredible views in almost every direction, but it is not exactly set up for queenly inhabitants — we needed tissues, for example, for the queens with colds, and we had no paper napkins and, ahem, no parmesan cheese for our makeshift pasta dinner!!!!!

Today we had a slow start and very much missed our coffee — we were left with ground coffee but no functional coffee maker — so we had to wait until we were all dressed to come to the piazza for capuccino and croissants. We felt a little better, and had time to enjoy Cetona’s market day and explore the ceramics shop. We stocked up on queenly needs at the nearby supermarket (which would fit well into the cheese section of your local Costco). Then, we took a drive to find the olive cooperative which advertised tours and tastings — our timing was off and it was closed, but we came upon the most wonderful little Trattoria Toscanini, where the owner spoke excellent English, was grateful for the opportunity to do so, and took it upon himself to introduce us to some delicacies, including little fresh baked biscuits and a spinach and carrot tart that was delightful. We also had pasta and risotto, and a special dessert, a lemon tart with some kind of berry sauce (just one and we all took a bite!).

After this we knew we needed to walk these hillside towns, and forget about dinner! So that brings you up to date, and tomorrow we hope to resume our progress, heading via Fiat to Pienza!

Please stay with us — we hope to post some wonderful pictures soon.

An Art Overdose

Today began with the four queens traipsing down the staircase, only to be shushed by the soup-nazi at the front desk (at least we think it was her — and then Daphne shushed us also, so we just can’t be sure who started it). We had a grand breakfast in the gorgeous breakfast room — I’m sorry I have no photo to share of it, my camera cannot do it justice. We got coffee rather than cappuccino, though, to our disappointment, and Queen Gayle could find no strawberry jam.

Our walking tour convened at 9:15, and we learned about the Medici family and the art and politics surrounding them (watch the PBS “Empires” series on the Medici for a really entertaining saga). We saw the copy of The David outside the Palazzo Vecchio, and then passed the Uffizi Gallery and  crossed the

Sister queens Nancy, Daphne and Gayle on the Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio to Pitti Palace — we did not go inside, but had to get back, bypassing all the glittering jewelry, for our appointment at the Uffizi. We had to, well, WAIT, but our wait was much shorter for having tickets in advance. And we did get audio guides this time (not that they functioned properly), but we should have skipped some of the early years to get to those parts that interested us most. We lost each other a couple of times, and before we could reach the 17th century (my favorite period) our feet were done in. We now know it is impossible even for queens to enjoy art when their tootsies are in pain.

We then were directed through three gift shops before we could get to our ID cards that were held while we borrowed the faulty audio guides. By that time we needed sustenance. We searched for an illusive leather shop near the Ponte Vecchio but  alas, we did not find it, and though we came with dollars to spend only the Queen of Cups found a gift for a friend — we were too tired to spend (really, can you imagine?)

We whiled away some time until our selected restaurant opened, and dined on tortellini, pasta ragu and veal rolls with mushrooms. Wonderful, but we couldn’t even manage gelato tonight.

Daphne, Queen of Swords, pulled our card for today: The Chariot — but while she pulled, the Five of Swords jumped out. The Chariot shows the charioteer riding “over a landscape that recalls northern Italy” — so clearly it refers to Venice. The white and black horses he controls pull in opposite directions, suggesting the struggle to balance our needs with our wants (shopping or food?). I can only surmise the Five of Swords, showing a man smoking a hookah while the world tumbles about him, that we will enjoy our time in spite of the troubles Venice faces. If instead it suggests some travails we might encounter, I hope this card helps us be prepared!

Stay tuned. We’ve heard the request for more photos and will heed in furture posts.

Queens ride in style

It is just past midnight in beautiful Florence and I am WIDE awake — I believe the other queens slumber blissfully in their beds. We are in the Monna Lisa Hotel just a few blocks behind the enormous and imposing Duomo, but wait, I must bring you up to date.

After a liesurely morning in Rome, we caught the 12:15 train to Florence. It was hardly a simple affair, as there was no one in the train station to offer assistance, and since we already had our tickets and only needed them validated, we did not believe we had to stand in the two-mile line to do so. Being queens, we were highly offended and intend to have severe words with our travel consultant Rick Steves who we feel did not provide adequate advice on train station navigation. Once we found our way to the correct bin, we boarded and enjoyed our first class seats in silent luxury as the train glided past villas and vinyards.

Queen of Cups Marilyn and Queen of Coins Gayle aboard the train

The ride was so comfortable it ended too soon but we quickly found our taxi to the Monna Lisa and it is a splended place indeed. We wandered about this former palace and particularly enjoyed the various images of Mona Lisa as a vampire, smoking from a hookah, and so forth. Very clever.

I cannot fib — The Queen of Wands (me) had a bit of a kerfluffle by getting lost immediately out of the gate from the hotel, turning the wrong direction when the magnificent Duomo was just a few blocks away had I turned correctly. I am grateful for my supportive and indulgent friend and sisters, which reminds me: Marilyn pulled a card for me tonight and would you believe it? The Ace of Coins — all about the “age of gold” and clearly representing the wonder that Florence is. At the same time she pulled this card two more cards volunteered: The Queen of Cups and Knight of Wands — reminding me the kindness and chaos often go hand-in-hand and balance each other out. I am lucky to have such a queen for my roommate!

Three queens outside the Duomo

Tonight we found a fabulous restaurant just before the street that returned to our hotel, We had lasagne, pasta primavera, fettuccini alfredo and veal scallopini. We are not sorry or guilty about it, either. Every bite was splendid. And just a few steps away we found a light and fluffy triple-chocolate gelato like we have never tasted before. We adored it, and I do mean the royal we.

Tomorrow we rise early for a walking tour and our appointed time in the Uffizzi Gallery. It is highly likely that some heavy shopping will follow. I hope my feet can withstand the pressure. Now, if only I could sleep…

P.S. — In a previous post I forgot to mention the incredible tapestries we saw at the Vatican. The colors and detail in these were remarkable and I recall reading a few years ago about how these were made, in a book by historical novelist Tracy Chevalier — I’ve forgotten the title…Girl in the blue dress, perhaps? It is fascinating research deftly woven into the story.