Catching up....
It has been a while since I last updated you and a lot has happened. The reason for the delay is both Fred and I caught colds, which between the two of us lasted about two weeks. Thankfully for us we were healthy over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, so we packed up our bag and departed Nice, France for Florence, Italy by train.
We decided to take the early morning train so that we could enjoy the daylight and take in the countryside views. My experience on trains had been limited to the Cal Train in San Francisco and the train in France was very similar; however once we arrived at the train station in Milan I found out what a real train can be like when the government makes transportation a priority and uses modern technology. The train from Milan to Florence was a bullet train which traveled 300km an hour.
I could not tell that I was even sitting on a train because the ride was so smooth. Our train trip took eight hours (we changed trains twice), but with all the countryside and spectacular views to me time flew by so quickly. We arrived in Florence in the mid-afternoon and found our way to the apartment we had rented for the weekend.
The apartment was a 9-minute walk from the train station and within walking distance of everything. If we ever return to visit we will be sure and look into seeing if it is available. The owner, Signora Pezzati, lives across the street and was so kind. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Florence, check out her website, http://www.soggiornopezzati.it/.
After settling in and getting unpacked we decided to walk around to get familiar with where we were staying and find a place to have dinner. We stumbled upon the Ristorante La Lampara, an establishment that had been open since 1954. Fred and I both thought that if it had been in business for 56 years they must be doing something right. The dinner was delicious. I had a ravioli dish with the most amazing tomato sauce I had ever experienced, and Fred had pizza that was packed full of flavors. Fred ordered a half liter of wine and I my usual H2O, but soon found that my sampling of his wine ended up being a full glass or two. I usually do not enjoy the taste of wines but when a can of Coca Cola costs more than a half liter of wine I will try anything! After dinner we walked back along the cobblestone street and found our building. It was now time to sleep, for the next two days would be packed with all the sightseeing two people could do in a short amount of time.
Pitti Palace
The following day we woke early, had a quick snack, and ventured off to the Pitti Palace. It was so amazing to see and read about the items and art within the palace, and the history alone was so intellectually stimulating. We went on one of the special tours of a few of the rooms not open fore the public to wander into unaccompanied. The most entertaining room was the Kings bathtub, which for years had gone undiscovered and was was being used as an office before the discovery. It was considered modern with running water. The Queen’s bathtub looked like a jacuzzi. It was about six times the size of the King’s. The steps of the Queen’s tub had hooks so that her bath her attendants could affix cloth containing essential oils to refresh her while bathing.
Each room had little doors for the servants to access the rooms and to go unnoticed in the hallways of the Palace. The King and Queen themselves would use hidden doors within their bedroom so they could avoid the hallway and possibly be seen by one of their guests.
Some of the rooms also contained what looked to be corner columns. Come to find out these were heaters used to heat the rooms during the winter. While most of the Palace today has been converted into an art museum many rooms retain the furnishings of those who once lived within the walls.
At times it was emotional to see pieces of art that have existed for hundreds of years through the good times and the bad. Just thinking of how paint can be as delicate as a human life: here one minute gone the next. But for some reason people of that time selected those specific pieces to treasure and keep out of harm’s way… it was truly an emotional experience for me. As was the thought of how many people are not as fortunate as I was to see these magnificent pieces of art up close and in person.
It brought back the memories of my high school art teacher, Ms. Rowntree, who educated us about, some of the finest artworks of history and how emotional she would get when lecturing about certain artworks she had seen. It took thirteen years for me to understand how an individual could have such a close relationship to art masterpieces,, and I am grateful and thankful for everyone who has made this once in a lifetime journey possible.
That night we decided to try a new restaurant, one that was close to the apartment. We had spent about six hours wandering around the Pitti Palace, so, tired and hungry, we stepped into I’ Brincello on Via Nazionale, just a few door away from Lamapara. Once though the door it was like we became part of a huge family. We were shown our table by Andrea, a very kind and handsome young man. Since we had not eaten all day we decided on ordering two appetizers, one being grilled eggplant and zucchini topped with melted brie cheese, and the other being bruschetta. For the first course Fred ordered an eggplant souffle and I ordered a meat pasta; and for the second course we both ordered chicken breast salad with balsamic glaze. I believe that night we spent about three hours in the restaurant watching the locals come in and interact with the staff, and the staff being attentive to everyone’s needs. Again it felt like we were part of a huge family.
One of the waiters, Matteo, was one of those guys you could tell did not do more than he had to do. It was not long before Fred picked up on the fact that his mother was the manager/owner, and after about the 10th time he said mama she mouthed something that made him even more slower LOL.
Day Three
This day was going to be the busiest there was two particular pieces of art that we wanted to see a.) David by Michelangelo and b.) The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, as well as a special cathedral Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore that was recommended to me by a friend on Twitter. The David sculpture is located in the Accademia gallery of fine arts, and I was so thankful that we had decided to visit in the off season. Fred had told me that last time he had visited over thirty years ago their was a long line you waited in just to take a short glimpse of the masterpiece then you were shuffled along your way. Thankfully this time of year is the off season and we were able to spend as much time admiring the sculpture as we wanted to and from all the angles. To sum the David sculpture up in one word I would have to say breathtaking. As we entered the gallery, the first room was filled with paintings and then as you walk around the corner to the other room and look down the widened corridor you see the David sculpture standing alone, and the size alone is shocking.
While we did walk through and view the other pieces of centuries-old artwork, we were always drawn back to the statue of David. We wanted to get just one more look from this angle then another. I believe had we not had an agenda to accomplish we could have spent the entire day in its presence taking in the stunning masterpiece and the history of how it came to be.
From the Accademia, we departed for the Uffizi Gallery to get a view of the Birth of Venus. Walking along the Arno river looking into the shops was beautiful. The Uffizi Gallery was beautiful. Again I was so thankful that we visited during the off season. Although there was still quite a crowd at the Uffizi, we were able to take our time wandering from room to room in all the pieces of art. Then you walk into the room and it has the largest crowd, and off to the left you see this massive painting and it draws you closer by its mammoth size and there she is: The Birth of Venus.
I was in awe, mesmerized. It drew me in closer. Fred had warned me that she is bigger than what I would think. And again I thought back to my high school art lessons when we would either have to study paintings from a small picture in a text book or an 8x10 copy. It was like at that moment things were coming full circle. I had gone from being a kid growing up in a community with less than one thousand people along with being a closeted gay male till I was in my late 20’s, to being diagnosed with a rare immune disease that could kill me at any time, thinking I would never get to travel or see the world, to finding love when I was not looking for it, to moving from Ohio to California to be with the man of my dreams then being engaged, and now I was standing in Florence within arm’s reach of some of the world’s greatest masterpieces.
Jeffrey, you were right when you said “It's really romantic, so get ready for that! And get ready to cry at the museums. So moving.” Thank you, Jeffrey, for all your advice. As my husbear and I were sitting in the café drinking our cappuccino and eating some pastries, you were in my thoughts. Although we have never met in person and only conversed though social media I wanted to say how much of an amazing, strong, courageous, and supportive man you are; and I hope that when or if I ever have to face adversity again I can draw upon your words of courage from this last year to get me though to the other side.
I would also like to thank Fred’s boss, Phil; Phil, you are an amazing friend and business man. When we told you about our plans, the only concern you had was “Will there be internet?” Without the workplace being all virtual unlike a few years ago this trip would have never been what it has been or will be!
To my partner’s mother, thank you for the generous gift. What you have given me is something I truly do not think I could have ever dreamed of.
To my parents, thank you for always supporting me and helping me along the way. I hope I have made you proud of who I am today.
And last but not least but most important thank you, Fred, my husbear, you are the air in my lungs. Without you in my life I truly do not think I would be on this earth. You have forever changed my life and I am so grateful for being a part and sharing in your life. I love you with every ounce of my being today, tomorrow, and forever.
See all our travel pics on Fred’s Flickr. The photo sets are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sf-fred/sets/
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Sharing the experience!
Our first two full weeks in Nice have came and gone quickly, so I thought it was due time to post another update for all our friends following us on this journey! The first week that we were here we mostly walked around the town making sure that if either of us wanted to venture out on our own we would be able to find our way back to the house. If any of you know my sense of direction you will understand how this was very important to me. (When I lived in Ohio I use to have my mother draw me maps with landmarks so I knew I was going the right way to Columbus. That way I did not end up in Cleveland or Cincinnati!) So yes I had to get some landmarks set in my head so I could always find my own way home.
We decided to venture to what I would refer to as the Target of France, Carrefour, to purchase some of the items we decided we could buy here instead of hauling them in our luggage. When we entered the store my body sort of went into sensory overload or maybe even culture shock. This was the first time it hit me that I do not speak a word of French, and if it were not for my partner whose first language is French I think I would have been lost.
After the initial shock and panic attack I got my head on straight and from that point on I was like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to walk down every aisle and see all the different products and labels. It became obvious when were went looking for a specific food item that not all things that Americans know carry over into other cultures. I think we spent about 45 minutes to an hour looking for peanut butter and oats to discover that they are not popular in France, but Nutella is like the Peter Pan of France, and if you want oats (considered animal feed in Europe) buy Muesli cereal.
Towards the end of our shopping experience we discovered that our eyes were bigger than our bags. In Nice you either bring your own reusable bags from home or you purchase each individual bag you need, and you bag your own groceries. So we had to venture back and buy a canvas cart to carry our goods back to the house. What we thought would only be a few hours at most ended up being a 5-hour shopping experience (my partner hates shopping but was a trooper for me! Thanks Babe!!) After that exciting trip we decided to take the light rail back to the house by that time it was dark and the city was lit up and very active but we were exhausted.
The following day we decided to visit Old Nice. We started off by walking along the Mediterranean Sea watching the locals fish, and not more then 10 minutes after we were on our way the rain started but being the troopers we are we continued toward our goal to see Old Nice and grab a bite to eat. Once we arrived in Old Nice it was visually stimulating to see all the small alleys in between buildings just like in the movies, and down every alley there was a little store or a restaurant. There were very few that had advertisements leading you to their business. For the most part I felt you would have to stumble upon them to know that they were even there.
Fortunately for us we did stumble upon the La Plassa Brasserie-Pizzeria at 1, Place Vielle 06300 Vieux-Nice (in case you wanted to Google map it). Fred and I both had a salade Niçouse, which was to die for. It was served with fresh bread. For the salad there were spray bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. With the bread came the most amazing spice-infused olive oil; just thinking of it again makes my mouth water.
We also ordered two main dishes. My partner ordered gnocchi au gratin, which was prepared with an amazing gorgonzola cheese sauce that was so heavy and heavenly at the same time. I ordered the calzone because I wanted to see the difference in what I am familiar with and boy was I surprised! The calzone was filled with cheeses, pine nuts, ham, egg, and a garlic butter sauce, and the dough was very thin and light not a heavy thick crust like I am accustomed to.
Afterwards we decided to just venture out and see what all there is to see, which led us to Sainte-éparte cathédrale et monument du baroque niçois. Fred and I went inside (unfortunately no photography was permitted) but the architecture was amazing. While inside we decided to light a candle for my grandmother and my friend in Ohio who was in the hospital at the time. From there we walked around taking in the scenery snapping some photos, and then retired back to the apartment.
As for this last week we basically only ventured out of the apartment to get some groceries. The weather was cold and rainy the entire week and my partner came down with a cold and was out of service the entire week. I tried my best to help when I could but for the most part we stayed in separate rooms of the house because he did not want me to catch it. Below I have attached the link for the first round of pictures hope you all enjoy. There will be more to come soon, as Thursday we depart by train for Florence, Italy to spend the American Thanksgiving Holiday!
Hope you are all well
Robbie & Fred
We decided to venture to what I would refer to as the Target of France, Carrefour, to purchase some of the items we decided we could buy here instead of hauling them in our luggage. When we entered the store my body sort of went into sensory overload or maybe even culture shock. This was the first time it hit me that I do not speak a word of French, and if it were not for my partner whose first language is French I think I would have been lost.
After the initial shock and panic attack I got my head on straight and from that point on I was like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to walk down every aisle and see all the different products and labels. It became obvious when were went looking for a specific food item that not all things that Americans know carry over into other cultures. I think we spent about 45 minutes to an hour looking for peanut butter and oats to discover that they are not popular in France, but Nutella is like the Peter Pan of France, and if you want oats (considered animal feed in Europe) buy Muesli cereal.
Towards the end of our shopping experience we discovered that our eyes were bigger than our bags. In Nice you either bring your own reusable bags from home or you purchase each individual bag you need, and you bag your own groceries. So we had to venture back and buy a canvas cart to carry our goods back to the house. What we thought would only be a few hours at most ended up being a 5-hour shopping experience (my partner hates shopping but was a trooper for me! Thanks Babe!!) After that exciting trip we decided to take the light rail back to the house by that time it was dark and the city was lit up and very active but we were exhausted.
The following day we decided to visit Old Nice. We started off by walking along the Mediterranean Sea watching the locals fish, and not more then 10 minutes after we were on our way the rain started but being the troopers we are we continued toward our goal to see Old Nice and grab a bite to eat. Once we arrived in Old Nice it was visually stimulating to see all the small alleys in between buildings just like in the movies, and down every alley there was a little store or a restaurant. There were very few that had advertisements leading you to their business. For the most part I felt you would have to stumble upon them to know that they were even there.
Fortunately for us we did stumble upon the La Plassa Brasserie-Pizzeria at 1, Place Vielle 06300 Vieux-Nice (in case you wanted to Google map it). Fred and I both had a salade Niçouse, which was to die for. It was served with fresh bread. For the salad there were spray bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. With the bread came the most amazing spice-infused olive oil; just thinking of it again makes my mouth water.
We also ordered two main dishes. My partner ordered gnocchi au gratin, which was prepared with an amazing gorgonzola cheese sauce that was so heavy and heavenly at the same time. I ordered the calzone because I wanted to see the difference in what I am familiar with and boy was I surprised! The calzone was filled with cheeses, pine nuts, ham, egg, and a garlic butter sauce, and the dough was very thin and light not a heavy thick crust like I am accustomed to.
Afterwards we decided to just venture out and see what all there is to see, which led us to Sainte-éparte cathédrale et monument du baroque niçois. Fred and I went inside (unfortunately no photography was permitted) but the architecture was amazing. While inside we decided to light a candle for my grandmother and my friend in Ohio who was in the hospital at the time. From there we walked around taking in the scenery snapping some photos, and then retired back to the apartment.
As for this last week we basically only ventured out of the apartment to get some groceries. The weather was cold and rainy the entire week and my partner came down with a cold and was out of service the entire week. I tried my best to help when I could but for the most part we stayed in separate rooms of the house because he did not want me to catch it. Below I have attached the link for the first round of pictures hope you all enjoy. There will be more to come soon, as Thursday we depart by train for Florence, Italy to spend the American Thanksgiving Holiday!
Hope you are all well
Robbie & Fred
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
SFO-NCE Day 1 & 2
Our journey began on Sunday when we arrived at San Francisco International Airport preparing for our departure to Zurich, Switzerland aboard Swiss International Airlines. This was my first flight over the Atlantic Ocean, and I have to say if I ever fly again and am able to take Swiss I will. The seats were very comfortable and staff was amazing attending to everyone needs. Our Swiss flight had many options to help pass the time: there was a long list of newly released movies to watch, music stations, games to be played. It was so relaxing I honestly forgot I was even on a plane.
The flight was smooth for the most part and I must admit I love the turbulence. The first turbulence hit as we were being served dinner and everyone had just poured their drinks. I would say about 99.9% had some alcoholic beverage while I asked for Coke Light. Once everyone was served and glasses were poured the turbulence began and I swear everyone was bouncing up and down and the wine was flying. One woman was covered in wine for her husband's glass poured all over her white blouse. She insisted on getting up and the flight attendants refused to allow her so she stripped down to her bra until we were able to move freely around the cabin.
After that excitement it was not hard to fall asleep. Morning came and after breakfast it seemed like only a short time before we were landing in Zurich, Switzerland. From Zurich we departed for Nice, France. This was the first time I was able to board a plane by walking up from the tarmac, something I had always wanted to do. No quicker than we had been served our complimentary drink, pudding cake, and Swiss chocolate than we were on the ground. When we arrived in Nice I was expecting to have our luggage checked by customs but that was not the case since we flew in from Zurich so we retrieved our luggage and met our friend for the ride to the house.
On Monday and Tuesday we ventured out into the city to try and get a feel for the place and familiarize ourselves with ways to get back to the house along with trying to exchange our cash we had on hand for Euro. This was a two day feat. No longer do banks have any cash on hand; it's all distributed via ATM. So we had to resort to exchanging our cash at a travel exchange booth that charged a big fee and % for the transaction. From now on it will be ATM transaction or credit cards only! Lesson Learned. We visited a couple of stores to purchase food and that was an experience of its own that I will share more details with you all later and try and take some pictures of the neat products and labels. As always there is a piece of home wherever we Americans visit, with the well known Coca Cola, Mars Inc., and Tropicana. I hope all is well with all our friends and we are excited to share our experience with you!
Sincerely,
Robbie & Fred
The flight was smooth for the most part and I must admit I love the turbulence. The first turbulence hit as we were being served dinner and everyone had just poured their drinks. I would say about 99.9% had some alcoholic beverage while I asked for Coke Light. Once everyone was served and glasses were poured the turbulence began and I swear everyone was bouncing up and down and the wine was flying. One woman was covered in wine for her husband's glass poured all over her white blouse. She insisted on getting up and the flight attendants refused to allow her so she stripped down to her bra until we were able to move freely around the cabin.
After that excitement it was not hard to fall asleep. Morning came and after breakfast it seemed like only a short time before we were landing in Zurich, Switzerland. From Zurich we departed for Nice, France. This was the first time I was able to board a plane by walking up from the tarmac, something I had always wanted to do. No quicker than we had been served our complimentary drink, pudding cake, and Swiss chocolate than we were on the ground. When we arrived in Nice I was expecting to have our luggage checked by customs but that was not the case since we flew in from Zurich so we retrieved our luggage and met our friend for the ride to the house.
On Monday and Tuesday we ventured out into the city to try and get a feel for the place and familiarize ourselves with ways to get back to the house along with trying to exchange our cash we had on hand for Euro. This was a two day feat. No longer do banks have any cash on hand; it's all distributed via ATM. So we had to resort to exchanging our cash at a travel exchange booth that charged a big fee and % for the transaction. From now on it will be ATM transaction or credit cards only! Lesson Learned. We visited a couple of stores to purchase food and that was an experience of its own that I will share more details with you all later and try and take some pictures of the neat products and labels. As always there is a piece of home wherever we Americans visit, with the well known Coca Cola, Mars Inc., and Tropicana. I hope all is well with all our friends and we are excited to share our experience with you!
Sincerely,
Robbie & Fred
Saturday, October 23, 2010
November 7th, 2010
Many of you might have heard that my Husbear and I have been planning something big and posting little hints along the way via our twitter accounts as to what it might detail. Well here is the big announcement! Last month we were presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Nice, France and have the use of our friend's home and car for the winter (84 Days) while she flies back to her home in California. My partner's mother was adamant that we grab hold of this opportunity and offered to purchase our airplane tickets since we had housesat and watched over the kitty while she was away in Switzerland for a month (hence why we spent part of the summer in Los Angeles). Planning this trip on such short notice has been an adventure of its own and there are still many loose ends to tie up in T minus 15 days and a few hours. For me it was getting my doctors' approvals, medications, treatments, and passport, just to name a few. My partner with the help of a friend in France was getting Internet installed at the place we will be staying at so he can continue to work while we are in Europe. Luckily he works from home and has an amazing boss so any place that has Internet can be turned into his office. Last but not least my partner and I decided to start this blog so that our friends and family could share in our European travels. I have never traveled outside of the US and it has been many years since my partner has. We invite all of you to join us in this exciting journey and please feel free to share any information you might think would be helpful or sights to see along the way.
Your Friend
Robbie
Your Friend
Robbie
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)