Getting Validated

We all need to get validated in life, but this post is about getting a different kind of validation--train ticket validation!
  

When you travel in Italy, you will inevitably take a train, ESPECIALLY if you plan to visit Liguria. Purchasing your ticket can be done in many ways, whether online on Trenitalia's website, at the service window in any train station or at the many convenient Biglietto Veloce ticket machines. Please note, these machines only sell tickets, they do not validate them.
  

Unfortunately, buying your ticket is not the only step required in a stress-free and fine-free train ride.

Brugnato in Fiore

Each year, the small Ligurian town of Brugnato [pronounced 'broon-yato'], transforms its streets into floral fan-fare. Many towns and villages across Italy will have such festivals and if you get the chance to see one, it is truly remarkable.

Book Review: "Inter Rail"

Traveling by train in Europe is an incredibly unique experience. Inside these comfortable steel tubes speeding through the countryside, the outside world becomes vague and blurred as it rushes past the windows. Whether lost in a book, or in good conversation, time takes on a different form while on a train and journeys of several hours and hundreds of miles can pass by in matter of moments. Most often however, this small bubble in the time-space continuum is shared with a complete stranger. This forced intimacy can easily be ignored with the help of ipods, books, computers, etc. or it can be embraced as an opportunity to get to know a random stranger.

But what kind of relationships can be formed from the crossing paths of random strangers? Francesco, the main protagonist in the book “Inter Rail”, by Alessandro Gallenzi, discovers just this when he boldly buys himself a rail pass to travel Europe.

Do You Spritz?

Aperitivo is an Italian tradition, a favorite past-time and a cultural necessity. There are many ways to enjoy this early evening social snack (it is the original Happy Hour, actually), whether it be wine or cocktails, but during the summertime, when the air is hot and your skin is tight from a day at the sea, the most popular drink is the Aperol Spritz. It is a very simple concoction, yet it is so refreshing, and the gorgeous, cheery orange color is enough to lift your spirits and put you in the mood to celebrate.

It's sunshine in a glass, really. "Un Spritz" is so easy to order anywhere in Italy that one can get quite accustomed to the consistency of always getting a good Spritz. Unfortunately, when you leave Italy, a Spritz seems to be a foreign concept and the mere mention can bring a confused look to even an experienced bartender. My friends that leave Italy experience a period of Spritz withdrawals when they realize that it is nearly impossible to have a fix outside the Italian border (which is similar to my experience of ordering a Monaco outside of France, but that's another story).

The Best in Vernazza

It's a known thing that to get good food, you go where the locals go. Trattoria da Sandro is no exception. Just down from the train station, the very first restaurant you come upon is Trattoria da Sandro and after being one of the hardest hit businesses in the raging landslide of October 25th, they are back in business and better than ever! (Look at that beautiful deck, my husband built that deck!)

Vernazza: Six Months Later

As many may know, the Cinque Terre has been working double time to get Vernazza and Monterosso back to normality. It has now been six months since the fateful flood that took lives and destroyed these two villages. But in this brief period of time, people have come together from all over to accomplish what we all expected would take years. Today, a walk down the main roads in old town Monterosso and a stroll through the piazza in Vernazza give the feeling of near normalcy, almost as if nothing had ever happened. Kate Little, who writes LittleParadiso blog, says that seeing pictures of the flood compared to Monterosso today “almost seems like waking up from bad dream”.

Italian Liberation Day

April 25 is a national holiday in Italy. 

In my day-to-day business, all I have heard this week is "Mercoledì è festa" (Wednesday is a holiday) and who is going where on vacation. But does anyone ever think of what this date means to their lives? Probably not.

25 April 1945, was the day the people of Italy were liberated from their Nazi occupation and it forever changed the course of their lives. In La Spezia, there is a very rich history of WWII stories, as it was the main naval base for northern Italy. L'Aresenale was not only a large Mediterranean port, it also housed the Italian ammunition bunkers, a large ship repair port and it was the seat of the German occupation for the area.

An Extra Special Birthday

This year is the first year in my entire life that I celebrated my birthday in Italy. For some reason or other, I have always been outside of Italy for my birthday. So this year, I had high expectations of how to pass my special day. I had considered many options, many places, but in the end I decided that what I wanted most was to spend a lovely day in the Cinque Terre, visiting friends and enjoying the views.

It started with a morning train ride to Manarola to have breakfast at my new favorite place, the Bar dell'Amore. Our friends recently took over this jewel of place located right on the path called Via dell'Amore, or Walkway of Love, between Manarola and Riomaggiore. Make sure to read all about this great new bar here.

Clear Skies A-Head

  

Today I needed to clear my head and get a little fresh air. So off I went, into the hills surrounding the city. I headed down the busy road, past buses and trucks, until slowly, bit by bit, the traffic lessened and the incline increased. Within no time, I was peering over the rooftops, onto the Gulfo dei Poeti, or Golf of Poets.

Ah, I was already thinking more clearly...
But still not satisfied, I continued up and around the winding mountain road, each step leaving my worries further behind until all that was left was my curiosity to see what I would discover.

Travelers: The Cinque Terre is Open

As we head towards the spring season, many are wondering if the Cinque Terre is open, if the hikes are hikeable and if it's even worth keeping the Cinque Terre in their travel plans. The answer is an overwhelming YES!!!

Before going into details, here is an overview: The trains are running on normal, regular schedules with stops to all five villages without interruption or access controls. Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia had little to no damage from the floods and all shops, restaurants and hotels/rooms are open for business.

There's Snow Everywhere!

The Siberian winds have been blowing and all of Europe has been suffering under frigid temperatures and blankets of snow. But while the northern countries are equipped to handle meters of snow and below zero temperatures, Italy is not. It started last week and here in Liguria, we all awoke on February 1st to brisk air and white roads! It is certainly a surprise and a novelty to see snow where you rarely get it. By lunchtime, the sun came out and people were excited to go out and play in the snow, make some snowballs and be fascinated by the crunching sound beneath their feet.

Even the Cinque Terre awoke to white mountains 

Vernazza Still Needs Your Help

Donations, small or large, are an incredibly important part of the rebuilding effort in Vernazza. If you still have not had a chance to donate, or would like to give more, there are several options and programs available. There are two Non-profits funding the rebuilding projects, one directly through the Commune di Vernazza and the other, set up by three American expats in Vernazza, called Save Vernazza. Both accept payments through PayPal.

  

Save Vernazza, ONLUS

Started by American expats in Vernazza, they keep their website, entirely in English, updated with the latest information, pictures, videos and the current rebuilding projects. Check out their site because it is a wealth of information! They can also help you organize a fundraising event in your area. They also accept your information if you would like to come to volunteer during the rebuilding. For their donation information, click here.

Associazione Per Vernazza Futura, ONLUS

Their website, all in Italian, keeps a running total of the amount aquired and gives updates on the rebuilding projects. All the donation information can be found here.

Vernazza: January Update

January has been a busy month in Vernazza. It welcomed the new year, new projects, new donations and even welcomed back many of it’s residents. But it also said goodbye to a tragic year, painful memories and the seemingly permanent and comforting presence of the cooks from the Marina Militare. 

  

   
With their portable trailer, the big tent and some powerful generators, Piazza Marconi was the "epicenter" of activity and comforting hot meals. These guys, lovingly nicknamed "The Navy Cooks", have been there from the very beginning, cooking meals for the residents, the volunteers, the military and the emergency crews. Here they were cooking Christmas dinner. On January 5, their work was finally over and with big hugs and big tears, they were bid an emotional farewell with a goodbye party thrown by the grateful residents of Vernazza.

Leave Your Mark In The 5 Terre

I just learned about a fantastic initiative put together by the town of Monterosso, local artists and residents to create sponsored tiles in a 'dry wall' project. With a donation of just 150 euros, you can have your name, your affiliation or a small phrase carved into a stone-like tile that will make up a future wall in the gorgeous Cinque Terre town. Larger donations will provide larger "stones".

For more information, visit the website Rebuild Monterosso and if you would like to participate, email them at info@rebuildmonterosso.com.

Versatile Blogger Award!

 
I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Sam at TwoBlackDoggies. Thank you so much for the compliment, I really appreciate it. I have learned a great deal about the power of the internet in this last month. Not only its power of communication to spread news and information on an almost instant basis, but also the power to bring people together, no matter how far apart. It has been truly spectacular to see the outpour of ‘virtual’ love sent to Vernazza and all the victims of the October floods. It has been so heartwarming to read hundreds of messages, comments and emails; chat forums and Facebook groups all lending words of support and solidarity. People sharing their stories of their trip to the Cinque Terre or their special experience in Vernazza and wanting to help in whatever way they could. Donating money, sending relief packages and promising a return trip to the “Pearl of the 5 Terre”. 

There is now some news coverage available, but during the immediate aftermath of this tragic event, I quickly learned about the power of blogs. For several weeks it was only a handful of blogs spreading information on the disaster—news that wasn’t available from the media. And working together, linking to each other, we created a network that drew people from the tip of Australia to Singapore; from India to Tunisia; from South Africa to Finland! Never in my life did I think I would be part of a blogging group that would become the source of news for the entire planet. It has been truly amazing. So thank you to everyone that has been a part of this, has linked to our blogs or helped to spread the news about the help that is needed here in Liguria. 

Swiss Getaway

My parents had some business at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and I jumped at the chance to meet up with them for the weekend. It also worked quite well that I had an interview in Paris two days before (Paris? Mais Oui!), so I was able to get a cheap flight to Paris and take the train straight to Lausanne (there are no flights from here to Geneva). 

  

Meeting them at the large train station was surprisingly easy, as they were right outside the door with a fellow Swiss colleague of my step-father's that I hadn’t seen since I was thirteen years old! That was a great surprise and he escorted me up the steep (incredibly steep) hill to our hotel to drop off my bag and then he took us on a mini-tour of Lausanne.

La Polentata!

Before leaving for a trip back to the US, I was invited to join my cousin and his family and friends for la polentata, or polenta party. They live just outside of Rome and I was going to pass a few days with them before my flight out. I was very excited at the prospect of joining a real polenta party! I had never been to one before, and even though my in-laws questioned why I was going to Rome for a polenta party, I couldn’t wait! Italians are very particular about traditional dishes and some think that polenta just can't be made outside of Lombardia (the region that is known for polenta). But seriously, it’s cornmeal in a box…something that can be made anywhere—even as FAR AWAY as Rome.

What Time Is It?

Today I was out early to run errands and get groceries for lunch. But after walking all over town from the calzalaio (shoe repair shop) to the market, I wasn’t sure what time it was. I had to have lunch ready by one o’clock and it struck me—what if I’m running late? I pull up my sleeve to look at my watch--not there. I didn’t put my watch on this morning! Crap, what time is it? Just then, as if God had heard my plea…the church which I happened to be walking in front of gleefully answered my question. 

Push play to hear how I knew it was 12 noon...

Polar Bear Pride

Norwegians have a thing for Polar bears--especially northern Norwegians. I was recently going through some picture albums and came across a few pics I snapped of some of the MANY stuffed polar bears that are scattered all around the small city of Tromsø. (If you've never heard of Tromsø, check out my mini-video: Live From Tromsø, Norway!) Polar bears are not only a part of their history, but also part of their identity and pride.

Tromsø is known for many things, including the land of the midnight sun, having the northern-most university in Europe, called "the Paris of the north" (I completely disagree with that one), the most joked about by locals is being a city where polar bears roam the streets. While this was true a very long time ago, it has of course become old lore. It is still true for some of the northern-most islands of Norway, and I have actually met a few people from islands where polar bear sightings are common (and they're very proud of this). But the only polar bears you'll see in Tromsø are stuffed.

Norway Is Big Sky Country

Before coming to Norway, when I thought of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen, I would think of three or four that stuck in memory. But now, being amazed by breathtaking sunsets and generally amazing skies (even at night) is so common to me that I have lost count.

During a recent conversation with a Tromsø local, I was discussing how incredible it was to have such amazing sunsets as a normal, common occurrence. To my amazement, it was explained to me that these are not just common, but predictable by season. Apparently, during the late summer months, when the sunsets start happening again, they paint the sky with bright pinks and magenta. Fall brings warm, golden sunsets like fire and the winter brings pale pastel pinks as a soft backdrop to the bright white snow. And it is true! I have been in Norway from August to the end of November and I certainly have seen the sunsets change with the season. When I first arrived, the sun was not setting until around 3am--which was really more of a twilight than a full on sunset.