Road Trip to Switzerland - Oct 16-18, 2013

Wednesday Oct-16

This morning we said our goodbyes to Lake Como and the lovely lakeside Hotel Vapore, and pointed the Saturn north towards Switzerland. 
Our search for the old authentic Swiss village of Soglio took us well off the beaten path but was worth it. Soglio’s charm is undeniable but I wonder if it is sufficient to save the village; as of five years ago the downwardly spiraling 

population had fallen to 167 residents, 54% over the age of 50.  Fortunately, the local hiking in the beautiful surrounding countryside is a major attraction; it is enough of a draw for Soglio to have its own tourist information center, and the magnificent vistas are sufficient to keep the couple of hotels and restaurants fairly busy throughout the hiking season. 

Thursday morning we checked out of Hotel Stua Granda and started up the Panoramico trail.

The Panoramico climbs well above the 3,600 foot altitude of the town of Soglio then levels off at about mid-mountain, making for an easy to moderate hike.  Since we were driving on to St. Moritz later in the day we only went a couple of hours east on the trail before turning around and heading back.  Regardless of direction, the Panoramico is aptly named.  It is also lined with old abandoned houses, sheds, and huts that add to its character, however; 

even though not especially challenging, its narrow goat paths require you pay attention.  A single misstep can cause you to fall into a ravine.

After lunch we departed for St. Moritz, an dizzying 1 hour drive that coiled higher and higher on narrow, switchback mountain roads until summiting the pass that let us down to one of Switzerland’s glitziest cities.  At our checkin at Hotel Languard we were welcomed by our gracious hostess Franca, a very accommodating room, and this view from our windows:

That evening we dined at the Hotel Steffani; Angie had fresh lake trout and I had Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal cutlets), both were excellent.  
Friday Oct-18 Amidst the glamor and glitz of designer stores and diamond boutiques, the lavish hotels and restaurants, you can sometimes lose sight of the rugged country in which St. Moritz is nestled. At nearly 5,800 feet it sits higher than the mile high city of Denver Colorado,

it is ensconced in spectacular alpine peaks, and it is connected to other towns and cities by the remarkable Bernina Express known locally as “The Red Train”.  I say remarkable not just because it operates with the precision and style of all things Swiss, but for the astoundingly beautiful mountains it traverses, from Davos all the way down to and across the border to Tirano Italy. 

So we took a day off from hiking the Alps to take a train ride through them.  We caught the Bernina Express in St. Moritz and headed south to the Swiss town of Poschiavo (POS-key-AH-vo).

The ride took us through some of the most stunning scenery imaginable, certainly the most beautiful I’ve ever witnessed from a train.  And yes, as we started to ascend the alpine peaks we began to encounter snow.

Finally our journey took us up to the high mountain pass of Ospizio Bernina, for which the Express is named.  From there it carried us down to Poschiavo.

Poschiavo is the largest Swiss town on the Bernina rail line south of St. Moritz – a rather relative term since the town is small enough to be easily walkable.  We were impressed with the quaintness of its hotels and restaurants, and the town’s proximity to the Bernina. 

Over lunch we hypothesized how Poschiavo just might make a great base camp for “someone” planning an extended hiking expedition across southern Switzerland.  We caught our return train back to St. Moritz, and relaxed a bit before having dinner and spending our final night in the Alps.  

On Saturday, after a week long adventure across northern Italy and southeastern Switzerland, it was time to go home.  As the Saturn faithfully transported us the 7 hours back across the Alps and on south to Tuscany, Angie and I were already talking about the possibility of a return to this beautiful, rugged land of mountains for another, longer hiking adventure.  In 2015.  Stay tuned……

Road Trip to Lake Como, Italy - Oct 13-15, 2013

Sunday morning we loaded up the Saturn and embarked on a long awaited visit to Lake Como in northern Italy.  We had talked about it several times and had even driven past the lake on our trip to Alsace France (see “Road Trip to Alsace” blog post dated 5/12/13).  

Additionally, we would use our stay at the lake as a springboard to continue on into Switzerland, visiting the old traditional village of Soglio overnight before spending our last two days in St. Moritz.  It was a little over 4 hours  driving to reach the city limits of Como, located at the south end of the lake, but we pressed on up along the eastern shore to the small town of  Torno.  

I chose the town of Torno because it’s much smaller than the city of Como, and remains true to its authentic northern Italian culture without Como’s overblown commercialism.  It literally sits on the water’s edge and has close proximity to good hiking trails.  That, and the fact that this was the view from our balcony at the Hotel Vapore!

After check in we caught the ferry boat under heavily overcast skies for the 25 minute ride back to Como.  Once disembarked we took in the sights along the waterfront before stopping for dinner; afterwards we took the ferry back and walked around a bit of Torno in the dark before turning in at our hotel. 

Monday Oct-14 - After breakfast we walked up to the highway and caught the trailhead up to Monte Piatto.  Although technically marked as a “trail”, it begins as a series of stone and rocky steps that spiral up the steep mountain, easily more than 2000 of them interspersed with stretches of gravel trails that comprise the long climb up to Monte Piatto.  

The cloudy skies were cool and perfect for hiking, and the higher up the mountain we went the more beautiful the overlooks of Lake Como became. When we finally reached the summit we found the village of Monte Piatto.  At first we wondered how on earth these people managed to travel up here (and how did they run out for a 6 pack of birra?)  

As we continued on we realized the path leveled off a bit and became a double-wide trail made from chiseled and fitted rocks – a road of sorts.  It was a narrow, twisting path that was steep in some places (with treacherous, unprotected drop-offs too), but just enough for the narrowest of tiny Italian cars to make it through for the hardy highland souls brave enough to make the drive.  

We continued on to another, larger mountain village called Piazzago and from there started the long, steep decent to Torno, concluding our challenging, 4 ½ hour hike a short distance from the street to the hotel.  We dropped our hiking gear off in our room and headed back down to the outside veranda at the water’s edge of Lake Como for some refreshment.  

That night we had dinner at Hotel Vapore's fine restaurant.  Angie had Lavaret, a fresh water fish caught right from Lake Como, I had the filet made with a green peppercorn sauce that is very popular in northern Italy.  Both were outstanding, as was the service.

Tuesday Oct-15 - This morning we caught the ferry to the city of Como then walked over to the funicular (cable driven train) for the steep ride up the mountain to Brunate.  From there we took the long hike (surprisingly a lot of it up hill) back to Torno.  It was a great hike – the weather was actually a bit sunny, but with the cool temps the trekking under the canopy of the forest was very agreeable.  

It turned out to be a fairly strenuous trek; 5 hours of solid hiking with some of the descent on steep, slippery, muddy paths scarcely a foot wide with steep drop offs.  It certainly tested our trail craft! Eventually we passed through Monte Piatto on the way down, which led us to a safer, better maintained trail. It was a great hike but it was also a welcome relief when our hotel and its little harbor of small boats hove into view!

That night it was early to dinner and early to bed for a good night’s sleep.  We would need it; the next day we were leaving for Switzerland. 

This adventure continues with the next post, entitled “Road Trip to Switzerland”, and will be published in a few days.

Favorite Things in Florence, Italy – October 12, 2013

This is the first in a series of “Favorite Things” posts, things that I have come to love about Italy and Europe during our time here (over 10 months and counting!) The series will be scattered a bit because it will be interspersed with current tales of our ongoing adventures (we leave for Lake Como and Switzerland tomorrow), but hopefully the series will provide a bit of insight into some of the many things that have resonated with me during our life here.  So, with that in mind (and in no particular order), my Favorites Things in Florence:

Basilica di Santa Croce – It is neither the biggest nor most famous cathedral in the city, but Angie and I both agree Santa Croce speaks to your soul like no other. Its beautiful exterior houses spectacular frescoes, beautiful works of art, and entombs some amazing people from Italy’s early history: Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, plus a monument to Dante, among others. When Michael visited us in June, he and I joined a 2 hour tour up the 5 floors of scaffolding that provided a very up-close review of the recently restored frescoes over the high alter at the front of the church – it was just outstanding.

Golden Open View Restorante (seafood) – It is a maddening task to pick the best steak house in Florence, there are so many good ones, and impossible to pick the best place for pasta, but there is a lesser number of really good seafood restaurants in the city.  The Golden Open View beats them all hands down (Via dè Bardi, #58/r).  It’s on the pricey side, but the service is good and the seafood is fresh and expertly prepared (my favorite is the Pesce Spada alla Siciliana - Swordfish).  The view is spectacular – I always get a window seat in the back because the Restaurant is perched right on the south bank of the Arno River, with great views of the Uffizi Museum and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.

Piazza Signoria – It is my favorite among the countless piazzas in Florence.  Yes, I know that Neptune’s fountain does not run in winter, and yes I know that the piazza is choked with those pesky tourists in summer, but it is still my favorite. *

 It has a couple of decent restaurants, the statues are beautiful, Neptune’s fountain is magnificent, and the Loggia dei Lanzi alcove is home to the Florentines (the city locals) who come out at night just to hang out and enjoy the stars and the vibe of the city.  Plus, it’s only a short walk to and from…. just about everywhere.

Odeon Movie Theater – Sometimes a U.S. Ex-Pat needs an English speaking creature comfort.  The Odeon (Piazza Strozzi, #2) is an entertainment haven for those of us whose Italian isn’t so good.  Twice per week they feature movies in English (with Italian subtitles).  Angie and I saw Argo, Les Misérables, Lincoln, and a few others here.  And it is just so classy and comfortable; the old theater house was obviously used for upscale theatrical performances in its heyday, its now a cinema for the refined and high minded, Italian or American! (cappuccino or wine can be purchased in the lobby)  

San Niccolo neighborhood – For the adventurous among you fancying a long term stay in Florence, San Niccolo is the perfect neighborhood; we know this because it was our home for our first five months in Italy.  It is a quiet, friendly area with its own little piazza (really just a big intersection with a couple of grocers, restaurants and bars) but 

it is a scant few minutes walk across the Ponte Alle Grazie Bridge right into a very happening part of town.  And, for long term Ex-Pats who have their own cars, it is close to the undisclosed, confidential, secret handshake free parking area (and boy did that ever come in handy!)

San Giovanni Battista – The Patron Saint of Florence, Saint John the Baptist harkens to the throngs traversing the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.  This statue is my favorite (and perhaps most historically accurate) rendition of him.  If you lived in the wilderness, made your own clothes, and ate nothing but locusts and honey, you’d probably look like this too!

Piazza del Duomo – This is the haymaker, the most iconic symbol of Florence, the place everyone comes to see; it is home to the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (Il Duomo), the Giotto Bell Tower, and St. John’s Baptistery.  Although the piazza is huge, it is completely dominated by the colossal structure of the Duomo.  And rightly so; by size as it is the fourth largest church in Europe.  Angie and I have climbed its ancient, narrow, winding stone stairwells all the way up to the white Cupola at the very top of the brick-red dome, and the views out over the city are amazing.

House of Sizzle – Ok, let me just say that the House of Sizzle pub and night club was a lifesaver for me during the 5 months we lived in Florence (Via de' Benci, #33,).  Not just because Francesco and Gina are such gracious hosts (they are wonderful people); not just because they serve the best bacon cheeseburger in Florence (nobody else even comes close); but because they televise 

NFL Football !!  I spent more than my share of Sunday nights at the pub, dressed in my Eagles shirt and hat, rubbing elbows and swapping stories with other likeminded Ex-Pats also dressed in their favorite garb and watching live NFL games. It made for a late night (1:00pm ET games start at 7:00pm in Italy), but was always worth it. I even watched the Super Bowl there (kickoff was 12:30am Monday morning….)

Florence Fitness – For those of you who know of my love of pumping iron, you know how important a gym membership is to me.  As soon as we moved to Florence I joined Florence Fitness (Via dei Fossi, #56).  At that time the gym was only 5 months old – all the equipment was brand new and very well laid out.  Dario and the rest of his English speaking staff are friendly and are always ready to help you get the most out of every workout.

Palazzo Pitti – The palace at Pitti Piazza is almost beyond description.   Large but unassuming on the outside, it’s unique architectural construction inside reflects centuries of ruling power opulence; gigantic paintings, breath taking frescos, incredible jewelry, and even a costume wardrobe. And, its furniture, art, and décor reflect its long history as the reigning seat of government for Tuscany and much of the surrounding countryside beyond.  

Boboli & Bardini Gardens – The Boboli and Bardini Gardens are an outdoor haven from the rush and crush of the city. The Boboli is essentially the backyard of the Palazzo Pitti.  The nearby Bardini Garden is much smaller and secluded, but it holds a special place for Angie and I in our hearts – it was our backyard when we lived on Via San Niccolo, and we went there often.

Museo Uffizi –Florence was ground zero for the birth of the Renaissance, and the Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the finest works of the great Renaissance masters: Leonardo di Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Sandro Botticelli, and many others.  Angie and I visited there several times, often with our many summer guests.*

Uffizi Card – This little gem of a card was our passport to Florence.  Angie and I bought the 100 Euro family plan, giving the two of us unlimited access to Palazzo Piti, Boboli & Bardini Gardens, the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia and more.  We used this card so many times, sometimes just to go for a brief walk in one of the gardens.  It paid for itself many times over.  Plus, card holders have their own entrance to the Uffizi, allowing us (and our non-cardholder guests) to bypass the dreadful lines at the height of the tourist season and go right in.

Ciao for now!

* Please note the overhead pic of Piazza Signoria and the Uffizi Hall are stock archive found on the Internet.

Return to the Cinque Terre

Wednesday Oct-2, 2013 

When Michael came to visit us in June, a trip to the Cinque Terre (the five coastal towns on the Italian Riviera) was right at the top of his list.  We spent 2 nights there, hiking the historic fishing towns, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, and eating in the great restaurants.  And, we resolved that when the last of our guests had returned home to the States (and the weather got a bit cooler) we would return.  

We left early Wednesday for the 3 hour drive into Manarola, the second of the five towns.  It was the same town we stayed in last time, partly due to limited hotel availability – the tourist season is still in full swing, with many American and French retirees on holiday.  Even though we arrived early, the friendly staff at the Hotel Da Baranin had our studio apartment ready and we checked in to an awesome view right out our window.

We immediately walked just a couple of minutes down to Trail 6P for our first hike.  Down at the harbor, the entry gate for the Coastal Walk to Corniglia is still locked shut, however, by taking Trail 6P from the upper part of town, and making the climb part way up the mountain,  it turned and dropped us right down on the Coastal Walk and straight onto Corniglia from there.  

The reconstruction crews have done an outstanding job rebuilding the Coastal Walk trail between Manarola and Corniglia, using sturdy new suspension bridges to get us over the chasms and washouts from the horrific mudslides of two years ago.  It was an easy trek onto the foot of Corniglia; I say foot because the trail deposits you at the bottom of a winding staircase of 350+ steps straight up to the town, which is perched on a large rocky outcropping high above sea.  The train station is also located at the foot of the town, and I don’t envy anyone getting off the train and hauling their suitcases up that staircase to check into their hotel!

We walked up for a visit around Corniglia, pausing to buy a collection of watercolors of the five towns painted by a local artist who set up her little “shop” right on one of the landings on the  staircase.  We then went back down to the train station to catch a ride back to Manarola.

Once back in town I could not resist the allure of the Mediterranean Sea, so I changed into trunks, grabbed a beach towel, and went down for a swim in the mighty Med.  The afternoon was quite sunny and the water surprisingly warm for October, so there was  a pretty good crowd swimming, sunning, and clambering over the huge rock outcroppings that comprise the Manarola harbor area.  

Later that evening Angie and I had dinner at the local Trattoria La Scogliera. We started with a cheese sampler and a giant plate of mussels.  Both were very good, but it was the Secondi Piatti that was the big hit – grilled sea bass.  Served whole and “non-spooned”, meaning heads and skins on, they required a bit of picking to watch for bones but were fresh and delicious.

Thursday Oct-3, 2013  After fixing breakfast in our studio we checked out, hauled our luggage up to the car, then walked the short distance to Trail 6.  We had hiked Trail 6 in June with Mike; the accent is steep and challenging, and in many places the high mountain trail is little more than a narrow goat path – it is no place for the inexperienced or out of shape, but the glorious views over the mountains and sea are worth every step.

We made the tricky decent down into Corniglia for lunch before catching the train back to Manarola.  Once at the car we headed for home.

Our return to the Cinque Terre was so rewarding; the mountains and sea are magnificent, the hiking outstanding, and the culture and charm of the seaside towns is spiritually uplifting.  It is a place that resonates with both Angie and I, and without a doubt is one of our favorite places in Italy.