Abruzzo 2.0 – 2nd Yr Italian Cooking School(+ Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence)
Oct 27th, 2013, 11:54 AM
#81
kwren - my trip report from when i went to Tuscany on an italian course has quite a lot about the area around Santa Croce and the other stuff I did, as I stayed near there after I'd finished my course and wanted a few days in Florence to practice what I'd learnt.
Oct 27th, 2013, 02:53 PM
#83
what sort of Italian course was it? Immersion?>>
well, sometimes i did feel as if i was drowning, but no, not quite immersion, more walking out into the water til it's up to your navel!
we did 4 hours of lessons every morning and then went on excursions in the afternoons/ evenings. I stayed in a hotel rather than with a family - a mistake i now think. I've now been on another week's italian course in Rome with the college where I learn italian, again staying in a hotel, and next year we're going to Sorrento, AND staying with families.
well, sometimes i did feel as if i was drowning, but no, not quite immersion, more walking out into the water til it's up to your navel!
we did 4 hours of lessons every morning and then went on excursions in the afternoons/ evenings. I stayed in a hotel rather than with a family - a mistake i now think. I've now been on another week's italian course in Rome with the college where I learn italian, again staying in a hotel, and next year we're going to Sorrento, AND staying with families.
Oct 29th, 2013, 08:46 AM
#84
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Hi kwren!
I'm back from my trip and now caught up with your trip report! ;-)
I returned on Saturday night and was back to work on Monday, but definitely feeling the effects of jet-lag! I hope to get a trip report of my own up in the next couple weeks!
I'm back from my trip and now caught up with your trip report! ;-)
I returned on Saturday night and was back to work on Monday, but definitely feeling the effects of jet-lag! I hope to get a trip report of my own up in the next couple weeks!
Oct 29th, 2013, 04:23 PM
#88
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ONE MORE HOUR - CAN WE SQUEEZE IN SOME SHOPPING?
Our last day of the trip: We had an early breakfast while watching the quiet piazza and a bride and groom being photographed. We packed and my husband got ready to relax when I had a brainstorm…let’s do some last minute shopping!!! How could I waste my last hour in Florence?! We took off on my new mission to buy scarves for Christmas gifts! All the booths in the street market were coming to life – gotta nab even the early tourists! This was an easy trip and I had fun bargaining. I bought half a dozen, found some mini cannolis, had a quick peek at the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, and got back in time to watch the crowds pouring into the Piazza Duomo. It was nice to be sitting above observing.
Not much time in Florence overall, but definitely quality time!
Finally it was time to call for our taxi, which the hotel did for us, and we were on our way to Florence Airport.
Our last day of the trip: We had an early breakfast while watching the quiet piazza and a bride and groom being photographed. We packed and my husband got ready to relax when I had a brainstorm…let’s do some last minute shopping!!! How could I waste my last hour in Florence?! We took off on my new mission to buy scarves for Christmas gifts! All the booths in the street market were coming to life – gotta nab even the early tourists! This was an easy trip and I had fun bargaining. I bought half a dozen, found some mini cannolis, had a quick peek at the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, and got back in time to watch the crowds pouring into the Piazza Duomo. It was nice to be sitting above observing.
Not much time in Florence overall, but definitely quality time!
Finally it was time to call for our taxi, which the hotel did for us, and we were on our way to Florence Airport.
Oct 30th, 2013, 04:56 AM
#89
good for you, kwren. I still have some of the very nice scarves I bought in Florence - the rest I gave to people as presents.
personally i hate that dead time before you go to catch the plane - I'd much rather get up and go.
personally i hate that dead time before you go to catch the plane - I'd much rather get up and go.
Oct 30th, 2013, 12:36 PM
#91
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PROBLEMS COME IN THREES
When we arrived at the airport, DH realized that he forgot to give the keys back to the hotel when we left. Luckily, the taxi driver offered to return them for us for an extra 10 Euros, a bit steep considering he was going back there anyway, but we were happy to be rid of them. I did write to the hotel to be sure they received the keys and they did that same day.
Airport security – I got through no problem. Then *sigh* I hear, “Sir, do you have any liquids in your carry-on?” “Why, yes I do…olive oil”
WHAT??!!
DH had packed 5 bottles of olive oil in his checked luggage, but for some unknown reason had left 3 bottles of orange olive oil in his backpack. DH was in the proverbial hot water. “OK sir, discard them in that bin over there.” “OH no”, I quickly said! “We’ll take them back out with us and I’ll figure something out.”
“Sir, do you have a weapon in your luggage?”
WHAT??!!
“No, I don’t”
“Yes, I see a square mosaic tile which is very dangerous. The edges are sharp. It can be used as a weapon. We must confiscate it!”
“OH no, we made that together. Look - it’s a heart. It has a beautiful border. It’s not dangerous!”
We had packed the mosaic that we had made in the class in Abruzzo in the computer section of DH’s backpack because of the wonderful padding, but never imagined that it would give us a problem at security. This wasn’t an oversight like the olive oil was. I pleaded. I begged. I offered to cut off the corners. They just didn’t care. I wouldn’t give it up though. We took the offending olive oil and mosaic back out of security, not able to give them up.
We went back to check-in, but our luggage was in the bowels of the airport and not accessible. Of course I knew that but had to ask, just in case. We then asked what it would cost to put them in a box and pay extra to send them as an extra piece of luggage. $200! The agent was as appalled as we were. As “valuable” as these were to us, they were just not worth that much money – it was more sentimental value. She suggested we go to the cargo area and ask them if they would help us, but no one spoke English there and my Rosetta Stone lessons hadn’t yet covered begging and bargaining to get contraband on a plane!
Next, I left DH with the oils and mosaic and went through security alone to see what they might be selling in the duty-free store. There was some orange olive oil, but it looked really gross. Olive oil with dried up sunken brown peels. Nothing like the delectable oil we had bought in Abruzzo after our tasting. This was unfortunately not the solution.
So I had a brainstorm. We’d get some tiny plastic bottles for the olive oil. I'd learned during 3 rounds of questioning of the security agents that each person can take up to 1000 ml of liquids in 100 ml bottles, that we could take the large bottles but they must be empty. They could not even have 100 ml of oil in them. The other half of the brainstorm was that we’d just knock off the tile cubes from the mosaic and reassemble it back home. Nothing could be easier, right?
I happily went off in search of tiny bottles and finally found a set in the airport newsshop…$20 for 4 tiny bottles. I quickly decided that only 1 2/3 of the large bottles of the olive oil, 400 ml, would be making the journey so I went to find DH to tell him of my happy solution. When he heard that it would cost $20 for 4 tiny bottles, he started complaining. I cut him off with *THE*LOOK*OF*DEATH* so he wisely decided to agree. After all, this oil was for his mother-in-law!
So we went outside on a mission.
Now you must imagine 2 people outside the airport, one pouring olive oil into small bottles and the other banging a mosaic on a concrete pillar. Funny that no one even seemed to notice. I filled up the 4 small bottles and repacked them and two empty large bottles in the backpack.
The mosaic didn’t fare as well. The banging only served to smash the tiny tile cubes so in the end, we took a picture and tossed it in the garbage. Very sad. Our broken heart.
It was no great work of art, but it was certainly something we already cherished.
I now digress…I have to share a story about Massimo from the palazzo and what he planned to do with 5 pounds of salame he was bringing to the US last year. If he would have gotten stopped, he said he would have sat right down and eaten it all in front of the security agents. We had laughed at the time we heard that, but that story now came back to us. We decided to take a swig of olive oil right from the bottle in Massimo’s honor. It was the least we could do before tossing the remainder.
So we now have pictures of us smashing the mosaic, pouring the olive oil and each of us taking a big gulp of it from the bottle. (I didn’t really drink it, but DH did!)
The time until boarding sped by, and before we knew it we were back on Air Berlin (surprisingly comfortable this trip unlike the flight 2 weeks prior) to Dusseldorf, and on to JFK. The free rum and wine were appreciated. We had a beautiful approach to JFK - the sky was covered with a solid layer of clouds above which was a stunning sunset. The perfect ending to our wonderful vacation. The 400 ml of olive oil made it and we have a story about a mosaic which will go down in the history of interesting travel moments in our family.
I wrote to Massimo when I got home and suggested that he tell all future guests to pack their mosaics in their checked luggage. He was shocked by my story and asked which airport had done this to us. When I told him it happened in Florence, his answer was, " No wonder, that's Tuscany for you!"
When we arrived at the airport, DH realized that he forgot to give the keys back to the hotel when we left. Luckily, the taxi driver offered to return them for us for an extra 10 Euros, a bit steep considering he was going back there anyway, but we were happy to be rid of them. I did write to the hotel to be sure they received the keys and they did that same day.
Airport security – I got through no problem. Then *sigh* I hear, “Sir, do you have any liquids in your carry-on?” “Why, yes I do…olive oil”
WHAT??!!
DH had packed 5 bottles of olive oil in his checked luggage, but for some unknown reason had left 3 bottles of orange olive oil in his backpack. DH was in the proverbial hot water. “OK sir, discard them in that bin over there.” “OH no”, I quickly said! “We’ll take them back out with us and I’ll figure something out.”
“Sir, do you have a weapon in your luggage?”
WHAT??!!
“No, I don’t”
“Yes, I see a square mosaic tile which is very dangerous. The edges are sharp. It can be used as a weapon. We must confiscate it!”
“OH no, we made that together. Look - it’s a heart. It has a beautiful border. It’s not dangerous!”
We had packed the mosaic that we had made in the class in Abruzzo in the computer section of DH’s backpack because of the wonderful padding, but never imagined that it would give us a problem at security. This wasn’t an oversight like the olive oil was. I pleaded. I begged. I offered to cut off the corners. They just didn’t care. I wouldn’t give it up though. We took the offending olive oil and mosaic back out of security, not able to give them up.
We went back to check-in, but our luggage was in the bowels of the airport and not accessible. Of course I knew that but had to ask, just in case. We then asked what it would cost to put them in a box and pay extra to send them as an extra piece of luggage. $200! The agent was as appalled as we were. As “valuable” as these were to us, they were just not worth that much money – it was more sentimental value. She suggested we go to the cargo area and ask them if they would help us, but no one spoke English there and my Rosetta Stone lessons hadn’t yet covered begging and bargaining to get contraband on a plane!
Next, I left DH with the oils and mosaic and went through security alone to see what they might be selling in the duty-free store. There was some orange olive oil, but it looked really gross. Olive oil with dried up sunken brown peels. Nothing like the delectable oil we had bought in Abruzzo after our tasting. This was unfortunately not the solution.
So I had a brainstorm. We’d get some tiny plastic bottles for the olive oil. I'd learned during 3 rounds of questioning of the security agents that each person can take up to 1000 ml of liquids in 100 ml bottles, that we could take the large bottles but they must be empty. They could not even have 100 ml of oil in them. The other half of the brainstorm was that we’d just knock off the tile cubes from the mosaic and reassemble it back home. Nothing could be easier, right?
I happily went off in search of tiny bottles and finally found a set in the airport newsshop…$20 for 4 tiny bottles. I quickly decided that only 1 2/3 of the large bottles of the olive oil, 400 ml, would be making the journey so I went to find DH to tell him of my happy solution. When he heard that it would cost $20 for 4 tiny bottles, he started complaining. I cut him off with *THE*LOOK*OF*DEATH* so he wisely decided to agree. After all, this oil was for his mother-in-law!
So we went outside on a mission.
Now you must imagine 2 people outside the airport, one pouring olive oil into small bottles and the other banging a mosaic on a concrete pillar. Funny that no one even seemed to notice. I filled up the 4 small bottles and repacked them and two empty large bottles in the backpack.
The mosaic didn’t fare as well. The banging only served to smash the tiny tile cubes so in the end, we took a picture and tossed it in the garbage. Very sad. Our broken heart.
It was no great work of art, but it was certainly something we already cherished.I now digress…I have to share a story about Massimo from the palazzo and what he planned to do with 5 pounds of salame he was bringing to the US last year. If he would have gotten stopped, he said he would have sat right down and eaten it all in front of the security agents. We had laughed at the time we heard that, but that story now came back to us. We decided to take a swig of olive oil right from the bottle in Massimo’s honor. It was the least we could do before tossing the remainder.
So we now have pictures of us smashing the mosaic, pouring the olive oil and each of us taking a big gulp of it from the bottle. (I didn’t really drink it, but DH did!)
The time until boarding sped by, and before we knew it we were back on Air Berlin (surprisingly comfortable this trip unlike the flight 2 weeks prior) to Dusseldorf, and on to JFK. The free rum and wine were appreciated. We had a beautiful approach to JFK - the sky was covered with a solid layer of clouds above which was a stunning sunset. The perfect ending to our wonderful vacation. The 400 ml of olive oil made it and we have a story about a mosaic which will go down in the history of interesting travel moments in our family.
I wrote to Massimo when I got home and suggested that he tell all future guests to pack their mosaics in their checked luggage. He was shocked by my story and asked which airport had done this to us. When I told him it happened in Florence, his answer was, " No wonder, that's Tuscany for you!"
Oct 30th, 2013, 03:27 PM
#93
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I'm sorry, I am laughing at the visual of you giving L the look of death. I guess you'll need to have a private mosaic class with the David when we go back for 3.0.
Just had a thought, could you have bought a small piece of luggage at the airport and packed the mosaic in it and checked it? Something to keep in mind if it ever happens again.
Just had a thought, could you have bought a small piece of luggage at the airport and packed the mosaic in it and checked it? Something to keep in mind if it ever happens again.
Oct 30th, 2013, 05:16 PM
#94
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Hi johnny
Yes, that look of death basically said I dare you to tell me not to buy those bottles. I wish you could have been there to see it! I'm sure you can imagine L caving pretty quickly...you know how I felt about that olive oil!
I don't recall seeing luggage at the airport - it was a small place - but the $200 was the cost of the extra checked piece so that wouldn't have worked. BUT I did have my extra duffle bag as the carry on, as you know, and that worked out well!
Can you imagine how happy Massimo was to put Tuscany down! Abruzzo all the way for him!
Yes, that look of death basically said I dare you to tell me not to buy those bottles. I wish you could have been there to see it! I'm sure you can imagine L caving pretty quickly...you know how I felt about that olive oil!
I don't recall seeing luggage at the airport - it was a small place - but the $200 was the cost of the extra checked piece so that wouldn't have worked. BUT I did have my extra duffle bag as the carry on, as you know, and that worked out well!
Can you imagine how happy Massimo was to put Tuscany down! Abruzzo all the way for him!
Nov 14th, 2013, 03:47 PM
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Found this while looking for that little cheese shop in S. Stefano and it sounded so very familiar. Like I had been there in a previous life..or 2.0. I'm smiling the whole time I am reading it. Like a 'Merican I have been eating the grape must on ice cream!! But the more proper Italian use is on cheese. Reading about your reunion with Olga and Pasquale reminded me of the precious few times with Nonna Lena.
Nov 14th, 2013, 07:08 PM
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I just finished dinner and continued reading to your sad ending. When you work on the itinerary for 3.0 I have a few things to add. I have located a petting zoo up in the Dolomites. (I still thought that 2.0 included a trip to a petting zoo.) It looked like a bunch of goats but they were Italian goats and I have never petted Italian goats. Since 2.0 took so many things off my bucket list I need to add a few more so goats it is. Since it is not in Tuscany Max may not mind the road trip. I hate to break your heart but I brought my mosaic home right on top of my carry on bag and nobody even blinked. I didn't think I had room and didn't want the extra weight after raiding the antique shop in Vasto. But CP,LB, you or somebody convinced me that it needed to have a home in PA. I thought about giving it away but I didn't want everyone to fight over it. MT can be a nasty hair puller and girl fights are so ugly except to men. I'm glad you and L did not end up with it. An even uglier scene at the airport for the 'Mericans. I noticed you were still able to enjoy a pear at dinner in Firenze. Massimo said it used to be his favorite fruit. Also a fruit carving class would be a nice addition to next years trip. I will gladly teach the class. You "made my day" by reading about your trip. I definitely would have eaten the meat off the bone too. We need to shop for fresh figs and blood oranges at Wegmans. I got addicted to the red orange juice.
Nov 15th, 2013, 12:52 PM
#99
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Hey Til - grape must and ice cream - yum! What else have you used it for? It's sitting here in its little jar wondering what to do in 'Merica! Let's get together!
taconic - hope you enjoy it. Did you read 1.0? That was also a great trip, but amazingly, this one topped it!
Kay - I'm so glad you just posted - it made me happy to think about that dish at 4 Leoni (now called 5 Leoni in our family because of my husband Leon being there) once again! Wasn't that the best?! Glad you enjoyed the report!
taconic - hope you enjoy it. Did you read 1.0? That was also a great trip, but amazingly, this one topped it!
Kay - I'm so glad you just posted - it made me happy to think about that dish at 4 Leoni (now called 5 Leoni in our family because of my husband Leon being there) once again! Wasn't that the best?! Glad you enjoyed the report!
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