First catch your octopus - 10 days studying Italian in Tuscany.
Jun 1st, 2011, 05:50 PM
#82
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I hope you'll entertain some questions about the language school, even though you've moved on to Florence. How many students were enrolled in the school? How many instructors? If you don't mind, what did they charge for a week?
Looking forward to the rest.
Looking forward to the rest.
Jun 7th, 2011, 12:49 PM
#85
DAY 10 Tuesday May 17th
For my last day, I thought that I needed a plan. Step one was to go shopping at the San Ambrogio market for food to take back home, and then to store it in the fridge in my room. After that, I would hit the shops to hunt for presents for the family, particularly DD who had been looking after all my plants for me at home. Only then would I allow myself some more sightseeing and relaxation. So after an early breakfast, I set off for the market again. How difficult it was to walk past those lovely-looking porcini and delightful-looking carciofi. But knowing how little room I had in my case, I kept walking til I got to the salumi stall that we’d visited the day before.
The quality of the produce is not the only thing that is different in Italy - the standard of service is far higher too. Unlike the deli at home where I shopped once a week for 15 years and was never recognised, here I was greeted like an old friend and offered any number of different hams and cheeses until I made my choice, of some of the best prosciutto [no point in cluttering up my luggage with things I can get at home], the sweetest cooked ham I have ever tasted, [from Modena, apparently] and some very old parmeggiano, all of which they vacuum -packed for me. Then I went round the corner to another stall where I had spotted some very interesting-looking pasta, and bought some tortellini filled with iricotta and nettle [fine when it’s cooked] and pear and pecorino. The stall-holder even wrote on the packaging how long to cook them for.
Having deposited my treasures back in the apartment, next stop was the bongo la croce where in my wanderings, I had spotted a number of shops selling top end clothes at low end prices. surely I could find something here for DD? Well, I had a lot of fun looking at last year’s Max Mara and Prada but nothing was completely right. Soon I found myself near the Duomo, so after a restorative spremuta [€5 around here, but what the heck, it was my last day] I decided to have a look in the leather shops along the Via dell’Oriuolo. Plagued by the noise of the road workers, these little workshops didn’t seem to have many customers so I was made very welcome, and ended up with a lovely handmade wallet for DH, and a scarf for DD. [no, not a leather scarf, but a very smart linen one, just right for those cooler english spring days].
Mission more or less accomplished, I thought that I would walk over to the Santa Maria Novella, possibly having a look inside the Duomo as I went past, but the queue was even longer than the queue for the Dome, so I just kept going. Sadly, the same happened when I got to the church, so deciding I’d have to leave it for the next time, I headed back over to Oltrarno to see what I could find there.
What I had forgotten of course was that almost without exception all self-respecting shopkeepers in Florence have their lunch between 1 & 3pm, so after finding a shirt for DS I gave up the shopping, and started to think about my own refreshment. I really don’t think that I’m the pickiest person in the world, but try as i might, I couldn’t find anywhere that I liked. Not even the places that are raved about in fodors attracted me. So I kept walking up past the pitti palace, and headed to the area where I remembered that we’d eaten when we’d been in Florence several years ago with the kids. However these restaurants were all full of tourists [OK, I’m a tourist too] and very busy, so I just kept walking, and walking, thinking that any minute I would find an enotecha or a bar, but not a bit of it...there was nothing. Finally, hungry and thirsty [and in need of a loo] I happened upon the Giardino Bardini, where for €6 I was not only allowed into the gardens, but also had access to the cafe and toilets! whoopee!
Directed by the vey nice lady at the desk to follow the path to the right, I soon found the cafe [con i servizi, thank goodness] which was really an open terrrace and grabbed the last table overlooking the gardens and beyond that, the Duomo. For about €7 i was able to have a small beer and a sandwich, the view, and, best of all, a good sit down. Phew.
Like the rose gardens, the giardino Bardini is built on a hill-side and takes full advantage of the site. After lunch I walked under a pergola covered in roses down to an orchard of apples and pears where you could see the remains of the iris garden - I was about 2 weeks too late for them, I guessed. Then round to a formal terrraced garden where you could look back up the hill to more terraces adorned with statues and fountains. Finally, I walked out past a grotto decorated with shells and stones, and down a path boarded by scaffolding laden with every sort of statue and architectural feature you could possibly imagine - just the thing for anyone contemplating renovating a renaissance palace!
The shops were re-opening now, so I wended my increasingly weary way back into town, where suddenly I hit gold - a little shop full of beautiful handmade clothes, where I found an absoutely perfect jacket for DD. Sorted.
The only thing I was missing now was a gelato, and I found a very nice one at the local gelateria near the market [just next to the bicycle repair shop and opposite the basket makers] where I had strawberry and pistaccio for €1.50. So there ARE still bargains to be had in Florence. Finally I walked back to the residenzia and collapsed on the terrace with a cup of tea.
Next - the perils of a lone diner.
For my last day, I thought that I needed a plan. Step one was to go shopping at the San Ambrogio market for food to take back home, and then to store it in the fridge in my room. After that, I would hit the shops to hunt for presents for the family, particularly DD who had been looking after all my plants for me at home. Only then would I allow myself some more sightseeing and relaxation. So after an early breakfast, I set off for the market again. How difficult it was to walk past those lovely-looking porcini and delightful-looking carciofi. But knowing how little room I had in my case, I kept walking til I got to the salumi stall that we’d visited the day before.
The quality of the produce is not the only thing that is different in Italy - the standard of service is far higher too. Unlike the deli at home where I shopped once a week for 15 years and was never recognised, here I was greeted like an old friend and offered any number of different hams and cheeses until I made my choice, of some of the best prosciutto [no point in cluttering up my luggage with things I can get at home], the sweetest cooked ham I have ever tasted, [from Modena, apparently] and some very old parmeggiano, all of which they vacuum -packed for me. Then I went round the corner to another stall where I had spotted some very interesting-looking pasta, and bought some tortellini filled with iricotta and nettle [fine when it’s cooked] and pear and pecorino. The stall-holder even wrote on the packaging how long to cook them for.
Having deposited my treasures back in the apartment, next stop was the bongo la croce where in my wanderings, I had spotted a number of shops selling top end clothes at low end prices. surely I could find something here for DD? Well, I had a lot of fun looking at last year’s Max Mara and Prada but nothing was completely right. Soon I found myself near the Duomo, so after a restorative spremuta [€5 around here, but what the heck, it was my last day] I decided to have a look in the leather shops along the Via dell’Oriuolo. Plagued by the noise of the road workers, these little workshops didn’t seem to have many customers so I was made very welcome, and ended up with a lovely handmade wallet for DH, and a scarf for DD. [no, not a leather scarf, but a very smart linen one, just right for those cooler english spring days].
Mission more or less accomplished, I thought that I would walk over to the Santa Maria Novella, possibly having a look inside the Duomo as I went past, but the queue was even longer than the queue for the Dome, so I just kept going. Sadly, the same happened when I got to the church, so deciding I’d have to leave it for the next time, I headed back over to Oltrarno to see what I could find there.
What I had forgotten of course was that almost without exception all self-respecting shopkeepers in Florence have their lunch between 1 & 3pm, so after finding a shirt for DS I gave up the shopping, and started to think about my own refreshment. I really don’t think that I’m the pickiest person in the world, but try as i might, I couldn’t find anywhere that I liked. Not even the places that are raved about in fodors attracted me. So I kept walking up past the pitti palace, and headed to the area where I remembered that we’d eaten when we’d been in Florence several years ago with the kids. However these restaurants were all full of tourists [OK, I’m a tourist too] and very busy, so I just kept walking, and walking, thinking that any minute I would find an enotecha or a bar, but not a bit of it...there was nothing. Finally, hungry and thirsty [and in need of a loo] I happened upon the Giardino Bardini, where for €6 I was not only allowed into the gardens, but also had access to the cafe and toilets! whoopee!
Directed by the vey nice lady at the desk to follow the path to the right, I soon found the cafe [con i servizi, thank goodness] which was really an open terrrace and grabbed the last table overlooking the gardens and beyond that, the Duomo. For about €7 i was able to have a small beer and a sandwich, the view, and, best of all, a good sit down. Phew.
Like the rose gardens, the giardino Bardini is built on a hill-side and takes full advantage of the site. After lunch I walked under a pergola covered in roses down to an orchard of apples and pears where you could see the remains of the iris garden - I was about 2 weeks too late for them, I guessed. Then round to a formal terrraced garden where you could look back up the hill to more terraces adorned with statues and fountains. Finally, I walked out past a grotto decorated with shells and stones, and down a path boarded by scaffolding laden with every sort of statue and architectural feature you could possibly imagine - just the thing for anyone contemplating renovating a renaissance palace!
The shops were re-opening now, so I wended my increasingly weary way back into town, where suddenly I hit gold - a little shop full of beautiful handmade clothes, where I found an absoutely perfect jacket for DD. Sorted.
The only thing I was missing now was a gelato, and I found a very nice one at the local gelateria near the market [just next to the bicycle repair shop and opposite the basket makers] where I had strawberry and pistaccio for €1.50. So there ARE still bargains to be had in Florence. Finally I walked back to the residenzia and collapsed on the terrace with a cup of tea.
Next - the perils of a lone diner.
Jun 8th, 2011, 09:58 AM
#87
wayfinder - honestly, it was much more fun than I thought it was going to be. Really i was just getting into it when i had to come home.
If i were going to be there for a week, I would want I think to do the same sort of thing that I did this time - to find a pensione near but not in the centre, and get to know that area really well, so that I would start to have a bar and cafe where I was known, shops that I was familiar with, streets that looked like home. I'm not sure whether i would want that to be in the area i stayed in, which I looked very much, or Oltrarno, which you will see I felt very drawn to.
If i were going to be there for a week, I would want I think to do the same sort of thing that I did this time - to find a pensione near but not in the centre, and get to know that area really well, so that I would start to have a bar and cafe where I was known, shops that I was familiar with, streets that looked like home. I'm not sure whether i would want that to be in the area i stayed in, which I looked very much, or Oltrarno, which you will see I felt very drawn to.
Jun 8th, 2011, 10:41 AM
#88
From my previous posts you may have got the idea that I never travel alone - far from it. I regularly have to stay away from home for a few nights because of work, so i am well used to shifting for myself and my own company, albeit not in a foreign country.
but it's one thing to walk into a restaurant at home, book in hand, and sit and eat a solitary meal, it's another to do it in Italy with no book, and no-one to talk to besides the waiting staff, So when i do it, i want it to be as positive an experience as possible.
as this was going to be my last night, i wanted it to be a memorable one, and during the day I'd been sussing out some of the options - though I'd not bee blown away by any of them, and it was difficult to tell what they were going to be like just by reading the menu. So after doing my packing, [including trying out whether all the ham, cheese and pasta were going to fit] i went out without any particular idea of where I was going to eat, except that i knew I didn't want to stray too far as i had to get up early to catch the train to Pisa for my return flight home.
My hosts had recommended a little wine bar round the corner in Borgo la Croce so i decided to start there and see what happened. Looking like a wine merchants at home, with bottles in racks all round the walls, the only thing that suggested that you could actually taste the wine were the table and chairs at the back and the bruschetta set out on the counter. But nothing daunted, I went in and asked if I could have a glass of wine. The result was a invitation to sit down, to choose what I would like -i left it up to him - and then a glass of wine and a selection of the bruschetta. In truth the wine wasn't brilliant, but I had a nice chat in italian with the lady who turned out to be the proprietor's mother, who I had engaged in conversation by saying how much I liked the bruschettta [which were quite spicy and much better than the wine] which she of course had made, so that was a good start.
after half an hour or so, I decided that i was feeling ready for a proper meal, so after paying my very reasonable €3, I set off to find a restaurant. The tripe van was still there, but i really didn't fancy that, so I carried on walking until I had more or less completed all sides of the rectangle, never really finding what I wanted - ok, well perhaps i am picky, but did I really want pizza on my last night? Eventually i was back at the market standing opposite a restaurant called Semolina, which came highly recommended by my hosts, and had tables outside. First of all i went inside looking for someone to ask for a table - nothing. people kept walking in and out, but they seemed neither toe staff nor customers - strange. Then finally a waiter came towards me and went outside so i followed him and asked for a table, and was somewhat surprised when he pointed at one and threw a menu onto it! [note to anyone thinking of taking up waiting at table as a career - throwing a menu onto a table does not impress the customers even if it lands on target]
singularly unimpressed [would they throw my food at me as well?] I made the only decision open to me, and went back to il giova, the restaurant that I'd eaten in the night before. What a difference - a smile from the waitress, a nice table, the menu brought and presented to me along with wine and water - this was more like it.
This time I had the most lovely gnocchi, followed by something that turned out to be a fritto misto, but with chicken and veg rather than the usual fish, and in an act of complete self-indulgence, I treated myself to a creme brulee to finish. as with the night before, the restaurant filled up with a mixture of locals and the well-heeled who had obviously heard about it, and the odd tourist like me. There was much laughter and sharing of dishes, and a good time was had by all including me.
Sadly I had to go home in the morning so at about 10 pm I let myself into the apartment for the last time and having written myself a note to remind myself to get the food out of the fridge, i went to bed.
Tomorrow - Will the food survive the journey home? what will it taste like when i get it there? will it have been worth the hassle?
but it's one thing to walk into a restaurant at home, book in hand, and sit and eat a solitary meal, it's another to do it in Italy with no book, and no-one to talk to besides the waiting staff, So when i do it, i want it to be as positive an experience as possible.
as this was going to be my last night, i wanted it to be a memorable one, and during the day I'd been sussing out some of the options - though I'd not bee blown away by any of them, and it was difficult to tell what they were going to be like just by reading the menu. So after doing my packing, [including trying out whether all the ham, cheese and pasta were going to fit] i went out without any particular idea of where I was going to eat, except that i knew I didn't want to stray too far as i had to get up early to catch the train to Pisa for my return flight home.
My hosts had recommended a little wine bar round the corner in Borgo la Croce so i decided to start there and see what happened. Looking like a wine merchants at home, with bottles in racks all round the walls, the only thing that suggested that you could actually taste the wine were the table and chairs at the back and the bruschetta set out on the counter. But nothing daunted, I went in and asked if I could have a glass of wine. The result was a invitation to sit down, to choose what I would like -i left it up to him - and then a glass of wine and a selection of the bruschetta. In truth the wine wasn't brilliant, but I had a nice chat in italian with the lady who turned out to be the proprietor's mother, who I had engaged in conversation by saying how much I liked the bruschettta [which were quite spicy and much better than the wine] which she of course had made, so that was a good start.
after half an hour or so, I decided that i was feeling ready for a proper meal, so after paying my very reasonable €3, I set off to find a restaurant. The tripe van was still there, but i really didn't fancy that, so I carried on walking until I had more or less completed all sides of the rectangle, never really finding what I wanted - ok, well perhaps i am picky, but did I really want pizza on my last night? Eventually i was back at the market standing opposite a restaurant called Semolina, which came highly recommended by my hosts, and had tables outside. First of all i went inside looking for someone to ask for a table - nothing. people kept walking in and out, but they seemed neither toe staff nor customers - strange. Then finally a waiter came towards me and went outside so i followed him and asked for a table, and was somewhat surprised when he pointed at one and threw a menu onto it! [note to anyone thinking of taking up waiting at table as a career - throwing a menu onto a table does not impress the customers even if it lands on target]
singularly unimpressed [would they throw my food at me as well?] I made the only decision open to me, and went back to il giova, the restaurant that I'd eaten in the night before. What a difference - a smile from the waitress, a nice table, the menu brought and presented to me along with wine and water - this was more like it.
This time I had the most lovely gnocchi, followed by something that turned out to be a fritto misto, but with chicken and veg rather than the usual fish, and in an act of complete self-indulgence, I treated myself to a creme brulee to finish. as with the night before, the restaurant filled up with a mixture of locals and the well-heeled who had obviously heard about it, and the odd tourist like me. There was much laughter and sharing of dishes, and a good time was had by all including me.
Sadly I had to go home in the morning so at about 10 pm I let myself into the apartment for the last time and having written myself a note to remind myself to get the food out of the fridge, i went to bed.
Tomorrow - Will the food survive the journey home? what will it taste like when i get it there? will it have been worth the hassle?
Jun 8th, 2011, 12:33 PM
#89
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I never have a problem with returning to the same place for another meal when on vacation. After all, it's not like I can eat there again next week after I've gone home. Good choice to have a final meal that you know will please you.
Jun 8th, 2011, 01:33 PM
#91
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I always take a book when dining alone, even in Italy.
However, the best part of this story is that you can conclude, " NEXT TIME I will . . . take a book . . eat somewhere new . . . whaterver." Having a "next time" planted firmly in your mind is a wonderful thing.
However, the best part of this story is that you can conclude, " NEXT TIME I will . . . take a book . . eat somewhere new . . . whaterver." Having a "next time" planted firmly in your mind is a wonderful thing.
Jun 8th, 2011, 07:41 PM
#92
It is for this reason that I make reservations, based on buckets on internet food/resto research, in advance. I never do that at home, but I like to book something every few nights when I'm traveling solo just so that I'll have a destination and they'll know in advance that I'm coming. It's not foolproof and really wouldn't work for every personality, but I'm often plagued with "Should I go here? Or here?" syndrome, even when traveling with others. That plus solo-traveler hesitation is enough to derail a whole evening for me.
Which is not to say that this hindered you at all, Ann. Your final dinner at Il Giova sounds delectable. And I don't think ordering creme brulee is an act of complete self-indulgence; I am certain you were just being polite to your restauranteurs. Or something like that. Erm.
Which is not to say that this hindered you at all, Ann. Your final dinner at Il Giova sounds delectable. And I don't think ordering creme brulee is an act of complete self-indulgence; I am certain you were just being polite to your restauranteurs. Or something like that. Erm.
Jun 9th, 2011, 08:49 AM
#93
ellenem - like you I am a definite "book with me at all times" type of person. however i was hindered by the fact that I was saving my last book for the journey home. I found a book shop in Orbetello which amazingly had some english language books, so i splashed out €11 on a paperback thriller, only to find that it was the self-same library book that I'd brought with me and put at the bottom of my case for the return journey. "come sono una idiota" or words to that effect.
I found that a way to amuse myself at Il Giova was to copy out the menu onto the back of the museum opening times that i found in my handbag. However, my handwriting is not brilliant, hence the slightly hazy details of what i was eating. [or was that the wine?] Also the english translations were a bit approximate - it turned out that "cut with vegetables" was a steak which had been sliced up with vegetable garnish, or so i worked out from what was emerging from the kitchen.
Leely - just as I am book at dinner person, i am not normally a dinner reservation in advance person, however i take your point. Had I found somewhere in the day that I really liked the look of, i would have booked a table for the evening. but i do like to see the place I'm going to be eating, so I would not normally book in advance unless for somewhere like the four seasons. Another time, i may follow your example, though i could happily have eaten at il giova for at least another night, there was so much on the menu that I wanted to try.
I do like the idea of having a dessert as an act of courtesy to the restauranteur. I shall adopt that as my excuse in future.
I found that a way to amuse myself at Il Giova was to copy out the menu onto the back of the museum opening times that i found in my handbag. However, my handwriting is not brilliant, hence the slightly hazy details of what i was eating. [or was that the wine?] Also the english translations were a bit approximate - it turned out that "cut with vegetables" was a steak which had been sliced up with vegetable garnish, or so i worked out from what was emerging from the kitchen.
Leely - just as I am book at dinner person, i am not normally a dinner reservation in advance person, however i take your point. Had I found somewhere in the day that I really liked the look of, i would have booked a table for the evening. but i do like to see the place I'm going to be eating, so I would not normally book in advance unless for somewhere like the four seasons. Another time, i may follow your example, though i could happily have eaten at il giova for at least another night, there was so much on the menu that I wanted to try.
I do like the idea of having a dessert as an act of courtesy to the restauranteur. I shall adopt that as my excuse in future.
Jun 9th, 2011, 04:47 PM
#94
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annhig, I've really been enjoying your report (trying to catch up)! I admire your independence and seeming ability to handle your solo travels so easily. But I did get some good laughs about that bicycle - although I'm sure there was nothing comical about it at the time.
Jun 9th, 2011, 09:34 PM
#95
Thanks, Elnap. glad you've enjoyed being along for the "ride"!
Actually, the episode with "la bici" was funny, even at the time. the point when i hit the hot asphalt and realised that it was sticking to the tyres of the dratted thing was just ludicrous, and what the chap who saw me sitting outside his shop picking bits out of the tread thought I can't imagine. "Mad english" probably.
but it had its good side- it reminded me of the fun of cycling [on a decent bike] and when i get the chance, I'm going to try to do some this summer. when it arrives. but i will be a bit pickier about the machine!
Actually, the episode with "la bici" was funny, even at the time. the point when i hit the hot asphalt and realised that it was sticking to the tyres of the dratted thing was just ludicrous, and what the chap who saw me sitting outside his shop picking bits out of the tread thought I can't imagine. "Mad english" probably.
but it had its good side- it reminded me of the fun of cycling [on a decent bike] and when i get the chance, I'm going to try to do some this summer. when it arrives. but i will be a bit pickier about the machine!
Jun 10th, 2011, 10:39 AM
#96
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Thank you for posting this to the end ann, I've followed you all the way..
(I know how difficult it can be once several days have passed to summon up the enthusiasm to finish a TR - I also know how frustrating it can be when a TR dries up half way through...) Is this the right time to mention that I'm kind of half way through the Cornwall to Yorkshire and Back Again TR that seems to have stopped in Wharfedale, Yorkshire after the victorious rugby match and before Dr Who?
So where are you going next? I always enjoy your TRs, and know that one day we'll manage to meet somewhere!
(I know how difficult it can be once several days have passed to summon up the enthusiasm to finish a TR - I also know how frustrating it can be when a TR dries up half way through...) Is this the right time to mention that I'm kind of half way through the Cornwall to Yorkshire and Back Again TR that seems to have stopped in Wharfedale, Yorkshire after the victorious rugby match and before Dr Who?
So where are you going next? I always enjoy your TRs, and know that one day we'll manage to meet somewhere!
Jun 10th, 2011, 01:01 PM
#97
hi julia - thanks for the "hint".
let me finish this one, then try to get the yorkshire one finished BEFORE we go to Brittany in August.
yes - Paimpol seashanty festival here we come!
and i look forward to meeting you too. I'll be the one in the corner with the laptop desperately trying to finish the trip report!
let me finish this one, then try to get the yorkshire one finished BEFORE we go to Brittany in August.
yes - Paimpol seashanty festival here we come!
and i look forward to meeting you too. I'll be the one in the corner with the laptop desperately trying to finish the trip report!
Jun 11th, 2011, 06:39 AM
#98
DAY 11 - Wednesday 18th May.
The last lap or will my case be overweight????
With an early flight out of Pisa, i had arranged an early breakfast and checkout with Max, and Beatrice was there to take my money [no nonsense about the credit card, thank goodness] and get my cab, which whisked me to the station in such quick time, that I was in time to buy my ticket from the queueless biglietteria and catch the 8.03 to Pisa.
Hold on a sec! the timetable doesn't mention an 8.03 train to Pisa. oh well, it's going from the right platform, so why wait for the next one?
so I settled myself down in a remarkably empty carriage [just some chap going to see his family who confirmed that I was on the right train] and got out my book [yes, the same one I'd bought in Orbetello] and waited for the train to leave.
Dead on time we pulled out, and it soon became apparent why this train was not on the timetable...it was going a different way! the route which i had previously been on between Florence and Pisa is not a thing of beauty, but this one was quite pretty and interesting...but that was not what I wanted really. Had I managed somehow to get on the wrong train????Fortunately the ticket inspector came round quite early, and quelled my rising panic with the reassurance that we were going to Pisa, but by a different and only slightly longer route. Phew.
so i sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the ride, and the train pulled into Pisa at almost exactly the same time as the train I should have caught.
AFter that it was plain sailing. not too long a queue for check-in, [my case weighed in at just one kg underweight, despite everything that I had shoved into it] ditto security, and a pleasant half hour in the airport shops [much better the air side of the airport, IMHO] before we were called to board the aircraft. I even found two lovely purses [wallets to those of from you across the pond] which were about 1/4 of the price I'd seen wanted for the same sort of thing in Florence. I even had time to buy a sandwich to take on the plane with me - no cheaper than easyjet, but tastier. By 12 noon [BST] we had landed, and I was soon picking up my car from the silver zone car park and speeding on my way back home , [via the chiropractor whose appointment I made with minutes to spare!].
supper of course was an antipasto of prosciutto e melone, followed by the pasta I'd bought, which had survived remarkably well, and was extremely tasty. DH particularly liked the ricotta and nettle whereas DD and I preferred the pear and pecorino. we finished with strawberries - home grown of course - which I prepared with red-wine in the way I'd been shown in Orbetello. My only gripe? I hadn't taken a larger suitcase!
The last lap or will my case be overweight????
With an early flight out of Pisa, i had arranged an early breakfast and checkout with Max, and Beatrice was there to take my money [no nonsense about the credit card, thank goodness] and get my cab, which whisked me to the station in such quick time, that I was in time to buy my ticket from the queueless biglietteria and catch the 8.03 to Pisa.
Hold on a sec! the timetable doesn't mention an 8.03 train to Pisa. oh well, it's going from the right platform, so why wait for the next one?
so I settled myself down in a remarkably empty carriage [just some chap going to see his family who confirmed that I was on the right train] and got out my book [yes, the same one I'd bought in Orbetello] and waited for the train to leave.
Dead on time we pulled out, and it soon became apparent why this train was not on the timetable...it was going a different way! the route which i had previously been on between Florence and Pisa is not a thing of beauty, but this one was quite pretty and interesting...but that was not what I wanted really. Had I managed somehow to get on the wrong train????Fortunately the ticket inspector came round quite early, and quelled my rising panic with the reassurance that we were going to Pisa, but by a different and only slightly longer route. Phew.
so i sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the ride, and the train pulled into Pisa at almost exactly the same time as the train I should have caught.
AFter that it was plain sailing. not too long a queue for check-in, [my case weighed in at just one kg underweight, despite everything that I had shoved into it] ditto security, and a pleasant half hour in the airport shops [much better the air side of the airport, IMHO] before we were called to board the aircraft. I even found two lovely purses [wallets to those of from you across the pond] which were about 1/4 of the price I'd seen wanted for the same sort of thing in Florence. I even had time to buy a sandwich to take on the plane with me - no cheaper than easyjet, but tastier. By 12 noon [BST] we had landed, and I was soon picking up my car from the silver zone car park and speeding on my way back home , [via the chiropractor whose appointment I made with minutes to spare!].
supper of course was an antipasto of prosciutto e melone, followed by the pasta I'd bought, which had survived remarkably well, and was extremely tasty. DH particularly liked the ricotta and nettle whereas DD and I preferred the pear and pecorino. we finished with strawberries - home grown of course - which I prepared with red-wine in the way I'd been shown in Orbetello. My only gripe? I hadn't taken a larger suitcase!
Jun 11th, 2011, 06:51 AM
#99
POSTSCRIPT - LESSONS LEARNT.
1. Two weeks at the language school would have been 3 x as good as one, but if you can only manage one, it'll still be very worth while. [the only caveat to that is that most schools will not take beginners for one week only].
2. be "flessibile" as they say in Italy. things may not be as rigidly timetabled and organised as you might be used to but go with the flow. the important thing is that you are in Italy hearing, speaking and quite often eating Italian.
3. Don't be shy. most italians love nothing better than correcting your bad italian. Grab every opportunity you can to practise your new skills, even if, as i did in the wine bar, you have to resort to complimenting someone on her bruschetta!
4. leave plenty of room in your luggage for the things you'll want to bring home.
5. be prepared for the fact that you will want to go back. I know that I do!
1. Two weeks at the language school would have been 3 x as good as one, but if you can only manage one, it'll still be very worth while. [the only caveat to that is that most schools will not take beginners for one week only].
2. be "flessibile" as they say in Italy. things may not be as rigidly timetabled and organised as you might be used to but go with the flow. the important thing is that you are in Italy hearing, speaking and quite often eating Italian.
3. Don't be shy. most italians love nothing better than correcting your bad italian. Grab every opportunity you can to practise your new skills, even if, as i did in the wine bar, you have to resort to complimenting someone on her bruschetta!
4. leave plenty of room in your luggage for the things you'll want to bring home.
5. be prepared for the fact that you will want to go back. I know that I do!
