At this point I will pass the trip report over to DM. I had taken pretty good notes in Paris, but by the time we got to Italy my journal will simply say for a day's activities "walked, ate, museum, ate, walked, ate, ate."

bmarking to read later!

What type of compartment did you have on the train?

This is bubblywine's mother taking over the trip report now. She'll chime in, but we're switching writers.

Day 11
Venice
Sleeping on a night train is a challenge. In this case it was cold and the blanket was thin, the pillow flat and the mattress hard. We were sharing our car w/ an Italian couple in their 40’s, which turned out to be very fortunate. So we arranged our bags at our feet and gave it a try. Eventually we slept.

At 6 a.m. we awoke to a woman screaming (I told you we have bad train voodoo.) Screaming and screaming that she’d been robbed. Apparently someone had stolen her jewels and money, just like in the movies. We half expected Inspector Clouseau to arrive, it was all very odd. Everyone was coming out of their cabins to the hallway to see what had happened.

One of our nice compartment mates went out to find out what was up. He came back and reported that she was on her way home to Venice from a trip to China and was carrying substantial amounts of jewelry. Again, odd. It was in a bag and it was gone. She was hysterical. Several other cars reported that they too had been robbed! Everyone was yelling at the train conductor in the hallway and he said the train stops, people get on, they get off. He can’t control that. He said this happens on the night train.

The four of us then piled back into our compartment and discussed this at length: what had we heard and seen. It turned out a man entered our compartment in the wee hours but one of our Italian friends woke up, sat up and asked him who he was. He apologized for being in the wrong car. Had we left the door unlocked? All eyes turned to my daughter who’d gotten up at one point to use the bathroom. She thought for a minute and yes, she was certain she’d locked the door when she returned. We looked closer and it was easy to picture a simple tool that would lift the latch from the outside. We were glad to have compartment mates who were light sleepers. I hadn’t woken up and my purse w/ cards, camera and passport was at, but not under, my feet and I was sound asleep.

We arrived in Venice around 10:00 and it was another sunny day! So far it had rained just once, the day we spent 4 hours (yes it’s true!) in the lingerie department at Galleries Lafayette.

We quickly got our bearings and jumped onto the waterbus. We had directions from our hotel (take the Rialto stop and go left – LOL!) but sheesh! So we got off and walked left, up and down over bridges. I was carrying my laptop and dragging my carryon bag and it had been a long night.

We stopped and DD asked vendors. Much discussion among the vendors ensued but there was no idea and no agreement as to the general direction of our hotel. The direction felt wrong to us so back to the Rialto stop to try again. This time we went forward and stopped at a square. DD had me wait with the luggage pile (including the giant basket from Kenya in the bright green Printemps bag, our constant companion.) She stepped into a nearby bookstore and had a long conversation inside. The shopkeeper pulled out a map and marked the hotel, our location, and our route. We were just around the corner from the hotel and a short walk took us right there.

DD will want you to know that at this point there was an unprecedented occurrence: she took over the map and navigation tasks. At no time in our family travels has this happened. We have a family of 4. We can’t sing a note but we all have pitch-perfect directional skills. On one car trip through Mexico I found our way out of Mexico City w/ a map and a compass and no wrong turns! And I’m an organizer so normally, the map is mine. DD took over in Italy. It was a little disturbing to join the world of travelers who really aren’t certain where they are ;)

Our hotel was the Albergo Corte Grimani for 2 nights, at 100 eu per night. This was a fantastic hotel, tops on Trip Advisor. We dropped our bags, looked around our room/apartment, and headed out. We went to a nearby bar for coffee & rolls, it was still morning, and the papers were full of photos of Clinton and Obama! Today was Wednesday, the morning after Super Tuesday. Everyone in the bar was talking about the election and since DD and I are avid followers of the political scene and LOVE to talk about elections, I told a gentleman nearby that we were American. We had a fun conversation about Obama & Clinton. He asked if I thought America would really elect a black man. Hmmm, tough question to answer in February 2008. ;)

We walked to San Marco square then found another bar for more coffee. One was not enough after the brief sleep & crazy night on the train. We watched in amazement as the bartender made a beautiful cocktail. It was a spritzer! Lovely! We ordered them later that day, along with Bellinis. We walked around and around, visiting the beautiful churches. Venice had few tourists that day and we were nearly alone viewing the amazing mosaics in the church. We eventually stopped back at the first bar for sandwiches and salads. We might have eaten elsewhere but DD spotted handsome men in striking uniforms (I think they were Italian firefighters, wow!!!) at the counter so we stopped too. It was good and inexpensive.

We shopped here and there and late that afternoon we watched the sun set from Rialto Bridge. It was beautiful and we took lots of photos. We had dinner at a place recommended by the hotel. It was only so-so but afterwards we walked through the narrow alleys and noticed how very quiet it was in Venice. I hadn’t realized until then that it is a place with no cars and that everything really does arrive via water, including police and ambulance services. And firefighters.

Day 12
Today was museum day! I love museums. We first went to our nearby bar for coffee and rolls. This was the one where we’d had the political conversation. The staff were friendly – hooray, we’d become regulars! Then we headed for the Guggenheim. It seemed to take hours to get everywhere in Venice but we didn’t mind getting lost at all. It was all beautiful. We took many, many photos.

We loved the Guggenheim. It’s high on my list of favorite museums. The collection is small and nearly perfect. The building itself is terrific – a home in Venice on the canal. The garden collection is more recent and a really stunning collection of outdoor art. Inside are incredible paintings and for most of our visit, we were nearly alone. Eventually a school group showed up but we had moved along in the rooms.

The small café looked less than promising and we had a recommendation for a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was very good. We watched an unhappy American tourist who complained about her pasta (seafood pasta, said it took too long but wow, it looked good)and a happy Venetian family having lunch together. Then we walked and walked to see the views and enjoy the sunshine.

We got caught up in the commuter crush of pedestrians heading to the Canareggio district, a more residential neighborhood than ours, and watched a large group of stylish mothers with strollers visiting together. What a place to be a young mother! We visited the Ca’ d’Oro, a small palace on the grand canal, and enjoyed the exhibits. We heard sirens and looked out at the canal to watch the police boat hurrying by. For some reason it struck us as wildly comical and we laughed and laughed. We were the last to leave the palace.

For dinner we went to a grocery store for bread, wine and lettuce. Visiting grocery stores while traveling is one of my top favorite activities and this was no exception. Fascinating! The wine section had so many regional things to try. We had some of our super cheese from Paris with salad & wine for dinner. It was super. (This only sounds right if you say Super w/ a French accent.) Our hotel room was really a small and lovely apartment, lots of room for dinner.

Thanks to all 3 of you...this is such a unique trip report because of all the perspectives..it truly makes the trip seem more real. Thank you for sharing!!

At the Guggenheim a very young and nervous looking woman approached us and asked if we'd like a tour of a few select paintings. She looked so anxious that we readily agreed. It was so sweet to have this young art student showing us her choice pieces. What an experience for her.

I love Mother/Daughter trip reports, especially when they include Paris. (I'm trying to talk my Mom into taking one of our own!)

Wonderful report and since I love Italy, I'm eager for more.

Day 13
Bologna

The next day we checked out and caught the water bus. We snapped our last photos of the beautiful buildings in Venice and watched in fascination as a group of 3 well-heeled middle aged tourists were fined for not having tickets. The fine was steep and despite their explanations they were required to pay.

We headed for the train station and we were off to Bologna! We had reservations at the Hotel Paradise for 3 nights.

Ah Bologna! Yum! We checked in, dropped our bags and asked the Hotel Manager where to eat. She sent us off to a restaurant for lunch just a block away. It was 1:30 but they eat late and it was full of university professors and students. Or at least that’s how it looked. We waited briefly in line, stared at each plate that came by, then were seated in one of several back rooms. It was one of those restaurants that seems to grow as you walk through. We had a wonderful lunch at La Montanara on Via August Righi – just a couple of menu options on the fixed price meal. Total w/ 2 courses each, wine & coperti was 36 eu.

We liked Hotel Paradise. It was a great location, just off the main street and near lots of good restaurants. That description might apply to each hotel in Bologna but this one was good, clean, convenient, w/ exceptional service.

After lunch I asked about changing our room as we had one on the top floor with no windows! Skylights but I like to see the street. Turned out they’d just filled up but they could transfer us across the street to an apartment. So we went and looked at the apartment and it was fine, but it was February and it needed airing. We stayed where we were for 2 nights then switched to a larger room with windows on the street for the same price.

Now we need to take a moment to comment on Gelato/gelati. It’s wonderful in Italy,yes, and some may argue with us on this point but we believe that nowhere is gelato more wonderful than in Bologna. Our favorite was Tierra del Fuego on via Indipendenza at 1.90 eu for a giant cone of heaven. In Rome I can forget to seek out gelato for an entire day but in Bologna I'm preoccupied with the stuff. Snacks, dessert, all the time gelato.

This first day we do what we do everywhere: walk and walk and look at absolutely everything. I locate all the nearby perfume shops to see what's different about fragrance in Italy. An emphasis on the Italian companies in the display and stocking and we zip through for quick spritzes. We looked at the two towers, visit the Piazza and the large church, admiring the sculpture and making mental notes to return at the right time the next day for the phenomenal sun dial to work properly. There was a small tour group at the church when we were there but that's the only group we saw in our several days in Bologna. Of course, it was February!

We checked out the market streets and the university area carefully, admired the graffiti, watched a sweet dog wait eagerly for his owner outside a grocery store, then walked some more. Ate gelato. Read many posted menus. Dinner was amazing at Sapori & Gusto near our hotel – 31 eu including wine.

I take small issue with one thing. I remember the best gelato being at Patagonia (like the country). I remember this because the guy gave me a postcard with a photo of the shop on it and the mountains of wonderful gelato. Regardless, the stuff was amazing at every place we went.

BTW, the cocktail you enjoyed so much in San Marco square is called a Spritz, not spritzer. Venetians, and I, love them!

bookmarking!

Hazel - thanks! That's what a year does to my memory.

And you're right of course, the gelato place is called both Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego - I think it's their general theme. The receipts from there are TdF and the sign above the door, the more important information to share, says Patagonia.

Day 14
Saturday and today we wanted to hike to the top of the hill, up through the Porticos to the church at the top. We had breakfast at the hotel – a normal and good breakfast of cereal, yogurt, toast, etc. They had an espresso machine so we ordered 2 cappuccino each. We spotted the copy of the John Grisham novel ‘The Broker’ in the bookshelf, saw the inscription from Grisham and spirited it away to our room to read later. Turned out he stayed at Hotel Paradise while writing the book and he listed his restaurant recommendations! He also climbed to the church through the porticos.

We then headed off to climb through the Porticos.

It was still early and the streets were quiet as we walked through Bologna. We stopped for coffee and to use the bathroom at the last restaurant before the hill climb. The porticos of Bologna climbs for miles up the hillside to a small chapel at the top. From there you have amazing views of the valleys and hills beyond in one direction and of Bologna in the other. We passed a few people on the way up but it wasn’t busy on Saturday morning. Occasionally a jogger would fly by us. At the top there was a mass in progress but we didn’t stay. We rested briefly, then turned around and headed down. The way down was surprisingly quick! It was cold but sunny. A beautiful day.

Once we got to the middle of town we were tired and made a beeline for a restaurant we’d seen the day before, Clavature on via Clavature. It had pumpkin tortelli in balsamic vinegar sauce (wow!) and I’d been thinking about that that the entire walk. We arrived at 12:30, worried about a full restaurant, but we were the only ones there. There’s nothing like walking into an empty restaurant to verify that yes, you managed to find the one dud in Bologna! We were worried but no need, within 10 minutes the place was full, we’d ordered and one of the best meals I’ve ever had was on its way to my table.

The pumpkin tortelli in a balsamic reduction sauce was to die for. It was absolutely perfect. I continued to think about it.

It was hard to top our morning but we tried! From there we went to the museum. Bologna is the home of one of the best, but little-known, painters of the 20th century (IMHO of course) – Morandi. Attached to the Bologna museum is a permanent museum of Morandi. They have his studio reproduced and a large collection of his paintings. Lovely! All housed in a fantastic and huge civic building on the Piazza. DD then napped on a bench in the vast hall while I went on to see the other (mediocre) exhibits in the museum. We admired the views from the windows and then headed out to join in the pedestrian chaos of Bologna. The Piazza was full of people! We people watched there then walked and walked. Ate gelato and walked some more.

Dinner was at Trattoria dal Biassanot on via Piella, another recommendation from our hotel manager and it was good but not fabulous. This was her favorite place and she'd tried to secure a reservation for us the night before but it was full. We had salads (mista for DD, artichoke for me) and pasta (lasagna verde for me, tortellini ragu for DD) and wine. With coperto it was 34.70. The canals in Bologna were interesting, although hard to see, and this restaurant was just across the canal and around the corner from our Hotel.

What was really fun at Trattoria dal Biassanot was this huge, vast, multi-generation Italian family taking up half the restaurant. They must have been celebrating someone's birthday and it was so neat to watch dish after dish coming out with all of them loud and happy. There was one picky little kid who was clearly only eating spaghetti with butter and cheese, just like picky American kid.

Great report, bubbly et al.

Not too many posts to go and my own DM and I will be joining this crowd. It's always nice to be reminded of such nice times.

You walked up?! Good going!

Day 15
Ravenna!

On Sunday we caught the train to Ravenna. For us, with our challenges with trains, getting the right ticket and figuring out how to get on the right train is a thrill. We did it! We took the easy train ride to Ravenna and popped out ready to explore. And we were hungry. We found a restaurant, La Gardela on via Ponte Marino, that looked fantastic and there was a wait so we got on the list for the last seating for Sunday dinner. We had a little time so we walked a few blocks to see the outside of the Basilica and Mausoleum. I love this place and this is my 3rd visit. Each time it’s been similar – the grounds and streets around are quiet and peaceful with the sound of birds. It seems hushed and blessed. We walked by, then back to the restaurant.

Men/waiters in Italy can be flirtatious but this one – wow! I’m not sure anyone else got their food as he was making sure we felt like the Queen/Princess. We had an amazing meal with wine and dessert and grappa. While I can’t find the receipt I remember this as the least expensive meal we had in Italy. Pasta was around 3 eu. It was full of families enjoying their Sunday meal together. We were there about 2 hours.

We went to see the mosaics, which were in no way less stunning after a bottle of lambrusco and 2 grappas. Loved them. The photo I have on my iPhone for DD is her giving a thumbs up in front of the mosaics. It's a little blurry, probably from the grappa but still it captures the whole trip.

Late afternoon we were at the town square drinking hot chocolate and enjoying the parade of families on their Sunday afternoon walk. It was a circle and we saw people walk by at least twice each, running into friends and visiting. We made our way to the train station and Voila! Got on the right train and made our way to Bologna.

We had a very late dinner that night back at Clavature. I ordered the pumpkin tortelli in balsamic sauce again and since we were the only customers left at 10:30 on Sunday night, we got great service. I asked the owner how he made it and so we stood at the kitchen window while the chef went through the preparation for me. We then discussed balsamic vinegar as I'd been thinking of taking a bottle home and I asked how you know if it's the real deal? He said "you must only buy the balsamic if you know the family who makes it." Right. Easy for him to say.

He then gave me a bottle of the balsamic used in the sauce. (I've since seen it for sale in Seattle so it's available here - Cream of Balsamic Vinegar.) It was a wonderful day.

In my notebook I have the recipe for the Pumpkin Tortelli in balsamic.

Pasta:
You mix 1 small pumpkin, baked, with a little nutmeg and salt and pepper. You make the tortelli. And here I have diagrams as he had us practice folding the tortelli using napkins. It was hard.

Sauce:
Saute finely chopped yellow onion in olive oil and butter.
Set it aside
Saute chopped pancetta. Add a few tablespoons Cream of Balsamic. Set it aside
Cook the pasta
Add 2 tablespoons or so of cream to the pancetta/balsamic, add the onions, add pasta and toss.

TDudette - we are crazy walkers! One of the reasons I like traveling to Europe in the winter is all the walking you can do in the cities. I did get a little tired on this trek to the top but it was worth it.