Friday - Venice

We're all home safely now (and glad to be back with Grace), but I thought you would like to hear about the last few days of our trip, which were just as exciting. :)

Friday morning we got up, had a little breakfast and took a taxi to the train station to catch the train to Venice. It was a Eurostar train which covered what would've taken us two hours in the car in one hour. The scenery was beautiful, but there's just something about riding on a train that knocks me right out, so I slept most of the way unfortunately.

The train drops you off at the Grand Canal the central waterway for Venice. It is like Grand Central in NY, but on the water. It was pretty amazing. The vaporetto (water bus) was easy to take, and we bought an all day ticket. We'd planned to do some sight seeing before going to our lunch, but unfortunately we underestimated the time it took to get to our destination (and we went the long way round) It ended up being a neat trip around the Grand Canal, but sadly we missed out seeing the Market which Cara was looking forward to.

We got off at our stop for the restaurant my music minister had recommended; "Vini da Gigio". The staff were very kind and helpful and the food was terrific. Cara ordered the "Black Spaghetti" which is a squid spaghetti, colored and flavored with black squid ink. It was very different than anything I've ever had before, but quite good! I recommend trying it and Venice is famous for it. Though it leaves your teeth a little colored for the day. :)


Following lunch, we went to the famous Rialto bridge, and meandered through the shops. There were all kinds of interesting and expensive things to buy, and we enjoyed walking through the colored glass shops in particular. Even though Venice was breezier than Verona, it was every bit as hot. So, we stopped at a little gelato place and sat in an alleyway and cooled off.

Venice is very picturesque, and I really enjoyed my photography there. Lots of interesting people, boats and buildings.

A square near Vini da Gigios

There were beautiful little nooks and crannies like this one.

Look at these massive jars of Nutella! These could last me at least a day or two.

Can you imagine living here?

Backless dress fail

All kinds of pretty views...

We were starting to get tired, so we decided to hurry up and go to the Piazza San Marco before heading back. We took the vaporetto again and it dropped of us a block away. The square was slammed with what seemed like thousands of people, and was remarkable. It is so grand, that it was hard to capture a picture that did it justice. We walked through the square, and before going in the cathedral, sat down in the square at a cafe to get a drink. When they brought the menus, drinks were 12 euro ($17) and the appetizers were off the charts. We declined, and scurried away to try and hold off till dinner.

The line for Cathedral San Marco was out the door, but moved quickly. Although it was out in the brutal sun, it was nice to really see the details of the building. The beautiful gold leaf on the outside was only a preview for what was to come inside. They don't allow photos on the inside, but I took one before I realized you shouldn't... It's something you'll have to go check out yourself, and was truly unbelievable and beautiful. Also, they claim to have part of the "true" cross there, and forgive me for being skeptical.. but... They were actually charging to see some of the indulgences they had, and we weren't about to pay.. No disrespect to my Catholic friends, but it reminded me of the fair, where you pay money to go see the bearded lady, or two headed goat and find out it's some optical illusion. I actually respected them not allowing photography since it is a place of worship, but then they were selling souvenirs, and other "blessed" items as you walked out the door. I guess they have to pay for heavy security and staff to handle all of those people in a day, but still - Jesus didn't kick the photographers out of the temple... :)





After that, we walked through the shops in the square, and I found a pretty tie (which was reasonably priced) and was the only souvenir I bought myself on the trip. Cara kept reminding me I did get a car as a souvenir. We got back on the boat to the train station and tried to take the earliest train back. We had timed it poorly, and the next train was an hour and a half wait for the two hour ride. Cara bought me some water, and we sat in the smoky station and waited. The train finally arrived, and we were some of the first on board, grabbing a decent seat, and it seemed cooler once we were out of the sun. However, the train soon filled up, and we sat across from an elderly Italian couple that talked the ENTIRE way back, all two hours (as we tried to nap) They must've cut off the air too, because it got hotter and hotter as the trip went on. The little display screen said it was 90° inside the train and it was every bit of that. Finally at one stop, some people got off, so we moved to another seat for the remainder of the trip, and at least it was quiet, but still miserably hot.

We took a cab back to the hotel, and it was awesome because the cab had the air conditioning on, and was playing Abba. We smiled the whole way back. After grabbing a quick shower and changing clothes, we walked to a nearby cafe in an alleyway, and had a wonderful dinner. We strolled back to the nearby square, and sat on one of the monuments to people watch, but the monument was still radiating heat from the day's sun, so we decided to just go back to the hotel and pack up and get some sleep before heading to Como the next day.

Thursday - Verona and the Opera

On Thursday, Cara and I slept in a bit, hoping to get some rest in Verona. Our excessive meal the night before was still weighing heavily on us, so honestly, I don't remember eating breakfast. We meandered around the city, seeing various plazas and the arena. Verona is very beautiful and reminded us of Florence, but more spread out.

It got terribly hot, and we stopped in for lunch at a cute little cafe around 1145. Unfortunately they didn't open until noon, but the obliged by giving us a table and we sat and enjoyed the shade and breeze. We ordered a prosciutto and melon again (we did every meal) as a starter, because we thought it would cool us off before the main meal. The table was in a doorway, and what we thought would be a great view of the piazza (and cool breeze) turned us into a display, which everyone came by and looked. Although it was cute in theory, it got kind of annoying. While we ate, a little boy fiddled on the violin nearby and provided a bit of entertainment. What we ordered for the main course was unconventionally large and we were so stuffed that we couldn't eat most of it. Although we felt badly, we had to leave it. I think we were still recovering from the night before.



We continued to walk around the town, and stopped in front of the arena for a gelato, bottle of water and sat on the grass in the park. It was much cooler, and we enjoyed the people watching, as there were hundreds milling around. I had to go the bathroom, and luckily they had "pay" toilets nearby, which was an interesting new experience. Glad I had some change on me. We walked to the Castlevecchio and across the nearby brick bridge. Both were interesting and beautiful. It was hard to really enjoy it in the heat. We stopped off for a bit in the shade to call Grace, and it was good to hear her voice.



We went back to the hotel early, and caught a nice hour long nap before going to dinner and the opera. We grabbed a shower and put on our "fancy" outfits for a night on the town. For dinner, we wanted something light, so we walked back to the arena to pick up our tickets ahead of the show. There were even more people there than when we visited earlier in the day and we saw some interesting outfits, including one guy in shiny silver shoes and plaid pants. We grabbed a seat at a cafe in the piazza, and had a the obligatory prosciutto and melon, and both had awesome pizza. It was so fresh. On both sides of us were German couples, and as one left, a French man sat down and ordered TWO prosciutto and melons. It was awesome, and I was glad we weren't the only one's that were addicted. The tiramisu we ordered was terrific and different from the night before. Cara and I decided that it's better here in Italy because it's not overdone. Most restaurants in the US put too much coffee/chocolate powder on top, or douse it in too much rum. Here it's perfect!






The opera started at 9, so we finished up dinner early and went and got our seats. The arena was mostly empty at that point and we had a ball watching the Italians work there way in, all dressed in their posh outfits. We had pretty good seats, but thankfully far enough away that it didn't warrant a suit. As it darkened around 9pm, a wonderful cool breeze kept us comfortable and was so refreshing after such a hot day. We bought seat cushions and read-along translation guides which were helpful to scan during the intermissions (all 3). The music from the orchestra and the singers was astonishing, and we closed our eyes several times to soak it all in. It was truly one of my favorite things I've experienced, and it gave me goosebumps to hear some of the music we've all heard sung properly. Carmen is an interesting show, and Cara and I were still discussing the story and moral a couple days later. We had no idea the show would last for 4 hours (with 3 - 20 minute breaks), so we were very grateful for the previous nap and walked straight back to the hotel at 1am after it was over, both acknowledged what a wonderful time we had.



We had to get up early the next day for the train to Venice, so we went straight to bed. More on Venice tomorrow. :) G'night!

Wednesday over the Alps into Verona

After such a full day on Tuesday, Cara and I slept in a bit, and returned to the pasty shop to get another "Oh My Stars" kroeler. We knew it was going to be a long drive to Verona (Google Maps said 4 hours). We checked out of the Marriott in Munich and got on the road.

Getting out of Munich wasn't too bad with the nav leading the way and it was interesting to see the city from the road. Once on the Autobahn again, it was smooth and fast just as I thought. There were frequent slowdowns for either small construction or congested areas, but it was very fast and required full concentration. There were numerous tunnels, and I'd roll down the windows and rev the engine. What a glorious sound it makes!

We passed into Switzerland as we got into the Alps and it got progressively more beautiful as we started passing snow capped mountains. Although the speed limit dropped to ~120km/hr (80), people were generally cruising at 100mph or more. The Alpine scenery was emerald green as you can imagine and Cara and I loaded up "The Sound of Music" on the ipod. I know it sounds cheesy, and it was :) But we had a great time singing along. The views were terrific but we passed a beautiful church and village on the right, and I asked "I wonder how you get there?". As fate would have it, an exit popped up that had to lead there. We turned on and found our way to the church. The village was fairly empty since we imagine everyone was at work. It was a fantastic stroll around the village and we got our fill of walking and pictures, and were back on our way.





About noon, we passed the Alps and passed the Italian border. This started the Dolomite mountains which were very different in topography. (very "lord of the rings"-y). It was amazing, curvy and fast, much like driving past Asheville, NC on I-40, but much smoother, and better drivers. I drove pretty hard until about 1pm, and we were both starving. We stopped for lunch at a gas station and ordered a couple of proscuitto and mozarella sandwiches. (Amazing what you can get at a gas station) While they were being toasted, Cara and I stepped back to get a couple bottles of water. Out of the corner of my eye, a man walked up to the counter and asked (in Italian) for one of the sandwiches (when there were other types to choose from) From context, I heard the attendant politely tell him they were spoken for. The guy broadened his shoulders and pointed at him and (again from context) said "Give it to me now". The attendant was obviously intimadated and reluctantly obliged, to Cara's and my disbelief. I got pretty angry, and expressed my discontent, but the man ignored me and walked out the door. The attendent apologized profusely, saying he would fix us another, but I just picked something else off the counter since I was starving. I cooled down and decided not to make a big deal out of it since the man was probably a local which had either some sway or power that the attendant was too scared to go against. It was a very strange experience.

I talked Cara into driving at that point, and although she was nervous at first, she did a wonderful job. As fun as it is driving there, the roads in Italy are much tighter than the Autobahn and very close in the construction zones. (Still going 80-100). The scenery continued and it was nice to have a breather and be able to really look as you can't pay any attention while driving. About an hour from Verona, I took over again, and we dropped out of the mountains and things really flattened out.




As we arrived in Verona, the road got very tight and busy. It was pretty intimidating navigating the tiny streets, but passing over the river and into the old city was beautiful. We got finally found our hotel, the Hotel Victoria and parked on the little street outside. As we got checked in, luckily the parking deck had availability and they said they would help us get parked. We had no idea what we were in store for. Two bus boys came out to help us, and had to navigate a labyrinth of steep inclines and right angle turns which teh car barely fit through. It was very unnerving, espcially since I wasn't used to the new transmission and we had to make several 10-point turns to make it around several corners. I don't think Cara and I breathed the whole time. We were both amazed that we pulled through without scratching the car.

The hotel room was gorgeous, and very spacious, and by European standards massive. The walls were covered in beautiful fabric, with heavy curtains. The bathroom was all marble, and had a huge jacuzzi and seperate glass shower. We were really glad to call it home for a few days.



It was pretty late, so we got cleaned up and walked straight to dinner using my Blackberry's Google map GPS, which took us right there. My colleague at work had recommended the Risterante Cenacollo, and I had booked it in advance. They offered a tasting menu, which I thought would be a great idea. In a very Italian style, they brought us food off the start... a wonder proscuitto and melon. We again, had no idea what we were in for. They brought us plate after plate of amazing food,literally eight courses consisting of:
- Prosciutto and Melon & bruschetta
- roasted zucchinni, tomato, endive and stuffed mushroom
- polenta with gorgonzola
- fried mozzerella with tomato and basil (& roasted peppers)
- Eggplant parmesan
- mushroom risotto with tortellini
- Mixed grill meats with lamb and potatoes
- Tirmasu & Peaches
- Biscotti & Lemoncello

We literally started joking that they were trying to kill us with food. At that point, they brought us this incredibly large plate of meats, and just before we started thinking about eating it, they brought a whole other dish of lamb and potatoes. It was rediculous and we knew they were trying to kill us. I cannot describe to you how much food it was. If you think you've gotten full at Maggiano's, I tell you it was nothing compared to this. This was two Thanksgiving dinner's worth. The tiramasu they brought for dessert was incredibly good, probably the best I've ever had, and I joked to Cara that they would bring us something else. Sure enough, they didn't disappoint, and brought by these wonderful biscotti. At that point, we had to be wheeled out and shock-paddled back to life. We had to run for our lives, or they would've kept trying to feed us until we died. Seriously tho, the most unbelievable part was the check. It was only 80 euro, and for the feast of a lifetime, was unbelievably cheap. I didn't think it was right, and the guy assured me it was. We decided to leave them a heavy tip and got out of there with our lives intact.

We tried to walk it off, by walking to a nearby piazza, (which was beautiful) filled with "20 somethings" hanging out. We had a good time people watching for a few minutes, and headed back to the hotel for a good night's rest.

Delivery Day (full edition) :)

All... thanks for reading along, here's the real account of the delivery day. Apologies for the delay, but the last couple days have been non-stop!

Tuesday morning
Cara and I slept in a bit and stopped at a cute little bakery near the hotel for breakfast. Cara ordered a pastry and water and I ordered a kroeller and macchiatto. The doughnut was out of this world, and when Cara had a bite, she justifiably said "Oh my stars!". :)

After breakfast, we trained over to the Olympic park where BMW Welt complex is located. The subway system is very efficient and amazingly clean. It was really easy to get around and I would rank Munich with London in terms of accessibility.


The Welt center is truly a piece of artwork, starting with a "vortex" of glass, we were told "sucking all the creativity and ideas from one area and blowing into "clouds" into the rest of the building." Really beautiful!

We went to the reception, where they showed us up to the Owners lounge. We sat while we waited to speak with our specialist. She came over and introduced herself and called us to her desk. Then, she had us fill out the necessary paperwork and helped us plan our whole day's schedule for the museum, factory tour, and delivery itself.

Museum
We only had an hour before the factory tour at 1130, so we hurried over to the museum across the street. The museum was beautiful inside and thoroughly detailed BMW's history and contained some amazing examples of their engines, motorcycles, art and of course cars. I wish we had more time to spend there, but we saw enough. I kept telling Cara "10 minutes to go", "We leave in 5", etc. I loved the Isetta, and the 2002 which I posted in the last blog entry. And there were tons of cars which were breathtakingly beautiful!

I thought this looked like a toy:

I'd like to have this set:

and this one too:

Factory
It was very hot outside, so we broke a sweat walking back across the street bridge, to meet the factory tour group. We sat in a room and a young German girl showed us a presentation before getting us all hooked up with remote audio. Every BMW is built to order and identified at a given point with a specific customer. She led us through the entire process of creating a 3 series, from the metal press to the robot welding. We saw the paint rooms and then the engine creation.

Finally, they automatically "marry" up the body with the chassis and suspension in one step. Really amazing to watch all that automation. The last step is driving the car onto a test machine and checking all the specs. It was fascinating, but very hot and we were worn out when it was over. Sorry for no pictures, but they wouldn't allow it.

The Delivery
We walked back to the lounge and caught an exciting peek of the car in the delivery area. Can you see it?

We were both starving, so we grabbed a complimentary sandwich, some fruit and drinks to cool down. Soon after, our delivery specialist came over and told us it was time for delivery.

He reminded me of a mix between my uncle Tom and Caesar the dog whisperer. He was very kind and genuinely dramatic about the process. As we walked down the stairs, he had us look over the rail as a spotlight shone down on the car and it began rotating. It was very cool! (And the car looked beautiful)

He walked us on down to the car and was very patient while we inspected and took pictures. I asked if I could sit in it and he exclaimed,"Of course! You can do anything you want, its your car!". He took his time pairing up my phone and ipod, and showing me the intricacies of the new iDrive car computer menu system, which is awesome and intuitive. Finally he said, "I know you can't wait anymore, it's time to start the engine!"


I hit the Start button, and the engine turned over twice and purred to life. He took our video camera and told us to drive the circle lap inside the building, which it was hard to do without smiling. Many people had gathered around to watch, so we definitely felt on display. He told us we could lap as many times as I wanted, but we were ready to go.

Goodbyes and Autobahn

We said gracious thank you's and "auf wiedersehen" and drove down the circular ramp to the exit. He had shown us how to enter locations in the nav and even put the monastery we were going to visit that evening in for us. The nav worked very well and easily guided us there. At first I was a bit nervous, but driving on the autobahn is so natural and easy. The signs are very instructive, and people drive incredibly well. It helps that the lanes are wide and smooth as glass. Most of the way we were cruising at 80-90mph, but when the magic "end restrictions" sign appeared, I dropped it to 4th gear (out of 7) and we head up to 120 easy as pie and all legal. What was truly amazing is how undramatic and smooth the car was at that speed. All the while I remained focused, as people would even come up behind at much higher speeds, and I would move over well in advance. Did I mention what a lovely sound the car makes? Wow, it's truly a pleasurable sound. What an experience.

Andechs Monastery
The monastery was back in the country, so we got off the autobahn and had a blast driving through beautiful green hills. Cara commented that it reminded her of Wisconsin, and I heartily agreed. No wonder so many Germans settled there.

The monks at Andechs actually brew an amazingly smooth beer, and use the proceeds to build an incredible church. We sat on the hillside to eat dinner, overlooking a picturesque town, which was backed by the snow capped Alps. We couldn't understand a word of the menu (except for bratwurst) and we'd already had that the night before. The waiter recommended the duck, which he said was "fantastic". It was good, and was served with pasta balls and an apple kraut. Cara and I both agreed it wasn't as fantastic as the view.




We toured the church and surrounding village before driving back to the hotel in Munich.
We reluctantly parked and parted with the car on the side of the road since it was extremely expensive to park at the hotel. Although we were exhausted, Cara and I sat down I the lounge for a couple hours and "people watched" to keep from going to sleep too early. Finally at 10, we called it a night.



What an amazing day, and apologies for the long posting (and delay) but at least I gave you a preview before!

Thanks to you all for your emails and well wishes! My next post about our drive and stay in Verona tomorrow!