8. From Siena to Bologna via Abbazia di San Galgano
18 April 2023
Ciao from Bologna –
Before I begin today’s escapades, I wanted to respond to the question several have asked regarding both our decision to take this route and the rationale for many stops and short stints in each location. This is a road trip. We’ve been to Italy many times and wanted to both revisit some places and also see new ones. We have limited time as we are on our way to Geneva to see family; thus we will end up in Milan as our last Italy stop, where we will take the train to Geneva. We spent three nights in Rome and in Todi and two nights in Siena; we’re stopping for two nights each in Bologna, Padua, and Trieste, and then we’ll be in Milan for four nights. Along the drive we are stopping to see some things we had never seen in any of our other Italy journeys. I can write an essay now on the pros and cons of short stops in many places versus fewer stops and longer stays (the latter being our more usual travel mode). But this also has benefits and thus far has been great—with lots of variety.
We left Siena around 11 am, after navigating our way from the public parking lot out of the town. I attached a map of the old part of Siena (the vecchia citta) to provide a sense of the “logic” of the street patterns—not just for Siena but for all European medieval cities — piece of cake to figure it out! We’ve been to many of these medieval cities throughout Europe; they are great to explore and impossible to navigate (especially with a car).
We went on a bit of a detour today because we wanted to stop at the Abbazia di San Galgano which is about an hour outside of Siena—the drive took us a bit out of our way to our Bologna destination, but we really wanted to see this Gothic church with a complicated history, and which is basically abandoned. The Abby of San Galgano was built over a 70-year period starting in 1218 by a group of monks. It is said to be the first gothic church built in Tuscany and was built here because these particular monks focused on building their monasteries close to rivers where woods, marshlands, and plains could be cultivated. But once they built this church, they had to withstand famine in the 1300s, and the plague a few years later. Then the abbey was devastated by mercenary bands … and at the end of the 15th century the monks moved to Siena… In the mid-1700s, lightning struck the bell tower which collapsed onto the roof of the Abbey and the church was finally “de-consecrated” in 1789. What we saw was the shell of the original church. We had seen a similar church—open to the sky—on a trip to the old Czechoslovakia and it seemed… well oh, so spiritual. When we heard about this one, we wanted to see it. The monks chose not to rebuild the roof but to leave the church open, transforming it into a stable after the de-consecration. In 1926 the Italian State recognized the cultural value of the structure and began to protect it. Today, there is scaffolding inside, and I guess someone is working to fix or stabilize the structure. It will take a long time.
But the Abbey also has some additional stories: San Galgano had apparently led a life of debauchery and wickedness as a youth. There is a large stone with of a sword stuck in the middle. The story is that in 1180, Galgano decided to convert to Christianity and made a vow, by sticking his blade into a stone to transform it into a cross. Some say there are too many similarities of this story to the story of Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table.
The drive to the Abbey, which was quite wonderful, followed small winding roads and fields of wildflowers; as we were getting close to the Abbey, we realized we were really hungry and that we were unlikely to find any place to eat. We resolved that we’d stop at the very first place that had food. About 3 kilometers before reaching the Abbey, we saw a sign for a bar and figured they’d have food. We parked and headed into this rather isolated, small bar. Outside some workers were having sandwiches. The guy who owned the place–-probably in his 60s—and who was the only staff, spoke absolutely no English. We said “panini” and he nodded. He then showed us a few different meats and we said “prosciutto” and he nodded; then he pointed to cheese and we nodded yes. Then we asked about tomato (“pomodoro”) and he repeated “formaggio” (cheese); I said “pomodoro” again and he said “formaggio” again, so I realized it was a lost cause. I then tried “verdura”- vegetables; and he said “formaggio”… so we had a cheese and prosciutto sandwich… that we shared. The place was like a throwback, complete with coca cola signs from the 50s (probably worth a lot on EBay) and a poster for some event in 2009. As we were leaving a bunch of motorcyclists arrived who seemed to know the place.
We ate and headed to the Abbey which provided real drama without roofs and windows.. just sky.. It was a powerful statement with typical gothic soaring columns. We strolled inside and outside.
After strolling the site, we began our journey to Bologna where we will stay for two days. Tonight, we had dinner at a little place called Ahime—about 12 tables with a very creative menu that changes daily based on available ingredients. More about this tomorrow and our strolls through Bologna, a city of about 350,000 with some interesting neighborhoods and my strong memory of the many streets with covered archways and a grand town square.
More tomorrow.
Fern
7. Siena… Now we know where all the tourists are
Buona Serra – April 17, 2023
Greetings from Siena-
Today we walked and walked, starting from the hotel to the Duomo, which while inundated with tourists (indeed this is the first place we’ve really encountered lots of tourists) is as I remembered it. The Duomo took 175 years to build, and they built it from back to front (so that mass could be held during construction). Frankly, I don’t remember having to deal with long lines to enter (which fortunately we were able to bypass because we bought tickets online prior to today) and I don’t remember as much chaos brought about by having so many people inside at one time. Anyway, we persevered and then just walked out past and through the wonderful Piazza del Campo––the main public space in the historic center of Siena—one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares. In the 13th Century, there used to be a marketplace on this site. Today, the public space was filled with people of all ages—kids running around, school children visiting with their classes (and teachers trying to explain the significance of the space—as the kids were on cell phones and also playing cards), adults drinking wine and cappuccinos at the cafes that surround the space, and tourists taking selfies.
We then walked about a mile or so into a functioning neighborhood where people shop at small stores; where laundry hangs out windows; where people are walking and eating paninis; and where there are laundromats and little food shops. We strolled and strolled and eventually stopped at a little pizza place where we sat at a counter, ordered three different kinds of very large pizza slices that we shared and two glasses of local wine (the pours were huge—probably 8 ounces each). Our bill for all of this was about $12.00. We laughed at the amount of wine since last night at Campo Cedro we got about 4 ounces at most in a glass (thus requiring many glasses). We then stumbled upon the city’s old synagogue and went inside. It was quite a contrast to the Duomo where every inch of space is covered with frescoes and bas reliefs and decoration of some sort. The synagogue, like all synagogues, was devoid of imagery and decoration. We saw the main sanctuary and the “women’s section.” And then we continued our walk—enjoying Sienna in the sunshine. (Yes, the sun shined today, which was wonderful, although it is still cold.
Apparently, there was a sizeable Jewish community in Siena as early as the 14th Century. In 1571 Jews were restricted to a particular neighborhood -– the ghetto—-and so the synagogue was built in that area. It wasn’t until 1860 that Jews were able to move out of that area. Interesting to note, Jews were not allowed to build houses of worship that could be identified at street level. Thus, the façade is very plain and looks like a residential building. The sanctuary is sort of neoclassical and there is a baroque ceiling. The women’s section on the second floor overlooks the main sanctuary but is only seen through an elaborately carved wood screen (painted white). At the entry level of the synagogue there was a small exhibit of photographs of Jewish families with their husbands and sons who fought for Italy during World War I and who fought with the Partisans against Mussolini and the Fascists; many died in both wars.
Then we took a long route back to the hotel and Mike decided to relax while I strolled for another hour or so, clocking in at 14,000 steps and six floors. Tonight, we ate at a tiny hole-in-the-wall place called Osteria il Grattacielo, where the owner (?)/chef prepares whatever he feels like cooking that day and that’s that. No menu. There are only about 5 tables inside and two tables outside. It’s on a somewhat hidden street under stone arches. The “chef” prepares an antipasti platter, three different kinds of pastas but the sauce is the same only the pasta shapes differ, and one main course, and biscotti and vin santo for dessert. He’s behind the counter all the time, but the restaurant is so small that he tells you what he’s offering and takes your order as well as prepares the food. There is a waitress—his wife– who delivers the food and clears the tables.
Tonight’s pastas had a pesto sauce with fresh tomatoes—I had it with linguini and Mike had it with a fat spaghetti. The main course tonight was pork (very tender, thin slices, room temperature, served with a sort of ratatouille. When we arrived, we were the only diners at 8:15, but by 8:45 all tables were filled and there was one group eating outside. Like eating at your uncle’s house if your uncle could cook.
We left, full and content.
Tomorrow, we head to Bologna, with a stop in Abbazia di San Galgano, which is a little out of the way and we’ll need to circle back a bit… more about that tomorrow.
Best –
Fern
6. Todi to Siena via Perugia. April 16, 2023
Buona Serra – April 16, 2023
Greetings –
Arrived in Siena in the late afternoon, having left Todi mid-morning and making a very quick stop at the Food Coop in town to get some yogurt to eat on the road (breakfast). It was Sunday and most everything was closed. After so many rich and caloric meals, it actually seemed great to just have yogurt while sitting in the car in the Coop parking lot. And after 10 minutes we were off to Siena via Perugia. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and boasts a population of about 170,000. The drive was a big success—managing to avoid collisions, scratches, and other potential disasters given the fact that we drove half the time on streets so narrow the car could barely get through and on the autostrada where most cars are driving at about 50% above the speed limits.
We parked car in the public garage in Perugia and then walked for several hours checking out the town, which has many not-very-interesting buildings from the 1800s or so. With 8 times as many people as Todi, you can sense the fact that it is simultaneously a university town, a government center, and an industrial center of the region. We passed ceramics factories and chocolate factories. It is the largest city in the Umbria region and with its old town and gothic main square, it’s known as a center for chocolate and other delicacies. We strolled and saw several large churches, but all were closed even though it was Sunday and the city was quiet. This was intended to be a brief stop and a chance for lunch. Many restaurants were closed, but we lucked out in that L’Oficina was open and we had a very elegant destination meal. L’Oficina serves really creative, artistically plated dishes—all of which have a lot of ingredients that I cannot possibly remember.
Not wanting to eat a lot, we opted to share three different dishes—each of which were wonderful and thankfully, very small. Before we could even order, they came out with three exquisite tiny plates of different amuse bouche… I think that one was some kind of mushroom dish with potato foam. We also had a squid dish that was prepared in some kind of vinegar—very very yummy. There was also a pate of squab that had foam made from beans and a strawberry reduction. Despite the small size plates (actually large plates with small amounts of food), we were totally full at the end, probably because of the high caloric count. If you are headed to Perugia, put this place on the list—probably for dinner when you have more time to linger. The place was tiny, or so we thought. We ate in the front room with just 9 tables, but when I went to the ladies room upstairs there were two other much larger rooms as well as the one we were in. By the way, we walked past (and actually into the entry way) of a shooting school and range that has been in operation for about 200 years. It was quite interesting as the translated version of their materials explained the organization’s commitment to gun safety and to shooting/guns as a sport and not as weapons; guns are left at the range and only used for either sport or gaining accuracy or for hunting. The range is a teaching location and all members go through lots of training and constant renewal training.
Then we strolled back to the garage and we were off to Siena. Haven’t been to Siena in about 20 years (realizing now that all of our far more exotic travel has limited the amount of travel we’ve done in recent years to in Europe). The drive to Siena was fine, although Mike who is doing most of the driving was totally stressed out with cars speeding past at speeds well beyond the limit and a good deal of construction on the road, making the already narrow lanes even more narrow and eliminating lanes for much of the drive. When we got close to our hotel (Palazzetto Rosso), the GPS got a bit confused or perhaps the navigator (me) was confused so we wound up circling the medieval center at least twice before finding our way. Actually, we needed to go through an arch into the center, but there was a car blocking the very narrow entrance so we thought it was a restricted road and missed the turn. Anyway, we found our way to the hotel through streets where we were glad the car didn’t scrape the walls on either side. Dropped off our bags and went back outside the city walls to park the car… and take a series of six escalators back up to the center and almost to the hotel door.
Palazzetto Rosso is located in the heart of the medieval center.. and has apparently hosted travelers since the Middle Ages, when traders from all over the world came to the Tuscany area to find work. The building is from the 13th century and retains the original facade (albeit very updated) complete with wrought iron signs. But, if those 13th century traders who stayed here could return, they’d be in shock. The hotel is a high design, elegant, tasteful, modern, and minimal statement. It has just nine rooms. We are on the top floor (third floor); the room is large including a sitting alcove and is furnished minimally with a glass desk, hip colors for accents (lime green and purple). There are Pedrali chairs and much of the furniture is by known high-end Italian designers. Given that we are on the top floor we have sloping beamed ceilings. But the architecture and shell of the building retain the old style with extremely high vaulted ceilings, frescoes, and arches. The floors are gray tiles and there are some pretty mod benches and light fixtures. It’s a good mix of the traditional Tuscan with modern design. Every room is different, we are told, and all contain some quirky combination of old and new… like painted friezes, beamed ceilings, Venetian drapes right next to modern design pieces. And we even have a large flat screen TV, so now—for better or worse— we can catch up on what’s been happening on the political scene. (or perhaps not). While we have a very modern bathroom, we were told that some rooms have sinks made from ancient fountains. We also have a glass wall between the shower and the bedroom so that you can see the view while taking a shower.
The location is quite central and so we can stroll and stroll and come back if necessary to refresh.
We had made reservations for dinner at Campo Cerdo; can’t remember where we got the reference. It’s only about 500 meters from the hotel and the walk there was easy—all downhill. As we happily strode to the restaurant at about 9 pm, we almost forgot that this easy stroll would mean a rigorous uphill hike on the return trip. Campo Cedro (translates to Cedar Field) was a big surprise… in a good way. It’s hidden away from any major or even minor street and indeed GPS had a hard time finding it exactly and led us astray a bit. The restaurant is led by a Japanese chef who has been cooking in Italy for more than twenty years. Like the hotel, the restaurant is in a centuries-old building, but the inside is very modern, stark- white with wood finishings. The food was wonderful— very fresh with interesting combinations. Michelin says it’s “one of the most interesting gastronomic stops in Siena.” For the foodies, I wrote down what we ate, except for the tiny starters (which like the ones at L’Oficina) were too hard to remember and they were not listed on the menu. We shared one antipasti, one primi, and one segundi, and one dessert…
First we had veal tongue which had some kind of cheese and it was all sitting on Jerusalem artichoke cream and garlic. Then we had risotto with eel and chives (fantastic), and then we had a miso duck breast with orange and “tubers.” We’ve gotten pretty good at picking local wines which we are loving. For dessert we had a tarte tatin which was “deconstructed” with saffron ice cream. Everything was great and we are getting very spoiled. Campo Cedro is recommended by Michelin although it does not have a star… probably just waiting for one (it’s only 4-years-old). And for those interested, our four course meal plus the little starters, amazing bread and homemade bread sticks, 5 glasses of wine (should have done a bottle but started out thinking we would go easy on wine) and sparkling water… was under $100. Siena is a bit pricier than Todi, but still so much less than the Bay Area.
So we began our day in the 600-year-old palazzo in Todi where it’s all traditional on the inside and outside, and ended in Siena where we are sitting in this very mod hip room. Amazing what can transpire in 24 hours.
Best
Fern
5. Todi to Orvieto to Bomarzo to Todi
Greetings from Todi… April 15 – Tax day?
After a quick yogurt and another stroll around Todi, we headed to Orvieto, supposedly to see the famous Pozzo di San Patrizio (a historic well and a UNESCO Heritage Site) – St. Patrick’s Well… and of course to stroll around Orvieto. It’s been many years since we’ve been to this part of Italy so some stops bring back memories and others are totally new. We arrived in Orvieto about 45-minute s after leaving Todi–through lush landscape, through dozens of tunnels that cut through the mountains, and wonderful views of the river— and we parked in the public lot. We had been told to follow the signs to the train station to find parking, which we thought we did, and then we were supposed to take the funicular to the base of the town. All went well—parked, got our tickets for the funicular and also for the “well”.. and got on the funicular, without paying much attention to signs. Actually, the funicular was about to leave so we just hopped on. Then we began to descend, when we were supposed to ascend. We realized that we had actually found parking at the base of the town and the funicular was going lower – to the train station, where we thought we were going to park. So, we descended to the station and then got the next funicular going back to where we started..
Then we walked through the town – Orvietto is lovely, a little larger than Todi but not as elegant, and not as steep a climb—the latter point being a positive. We had heard about a restaurant called Trattoria Palombo so we made our way there. The place was totally booked, but I went inside and used a little charm (I can do that) and a little NY moxie (I can do that too) and got us a table for 15 minutes later. We strolled a bit more and then went in to eat.. Shared a great lunch with antipasti, pasta arrabiata, and veal scallopini with lemon (lots of lemon!!).. had wine, but no dessert (exhibiting so much will power!). Then we had a mission—to find a jacket for Mike, preferably something waterproof. Somehow, he left his jacket at our house in Oakland and it’s really been cold and damp here. Mission accomplished. And although he thinks the greenish gray color is beyond his usual palette of black and navy and tan, I think it is perfect and the color is very chic.
Then we went to St Patrick’s Well… The Pozzo di San Patrizio … a historic well designed and built between 1527 and 1537, by the architect/engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger of Florence, at the behest of the Pope at that time who had taken refuge at Orvieto during what is known as “the sack of Rome.” It was feared that the city’s water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. The name came from medieval legends that proclaimed that St. Patrick’s Purgatory in Ireland gave access down to Purgatory and that was defined as something very very deep. The well shaft is designed with two ramps that are like a double helix, with only two doors – one leading to the down ramp and one the up side, which enabled mules to carry empty water containers down and full containers up without obstruction. The well is 175 ft. deep and 43 ft. wide. There is a large dome over the well that provides light. A Latin inscription says “QUOD NATURA MUNIMENTO INVIDERAT INDUSTRIA ADIECIT” which Google translates as “Industry added what nature envied to the fort.” Mike, with his high school Latin translates it to say “What nature has provided, industry has enhanced.” Anyway, we started to descend to the base of the well, but quickly decided to just go a few landings and turn around (even though technically we should have gone to the bottom and then up the other side as planned, since if you reverse your route, you cannot exit at the entrance… but we cleverly waited for someone to enter so we could sneak through the door. The steps were very uneven; it was dark; because of recent rain, the steps were slippery; and the steps were very uneven. We decided we got the sense of the well by looking down and across. It would have been exciting, I suppose, to do the 527 steps.. but not slipping or falling was also a good idea.
Then we headed to Bomarzo, the site of a very strange park—made even stranger by the cloud cover and slight damp ground. It’s called The Monsters’ Park of Bomarzo… with numerous larger-than-life sculptures.. and was created in the middle of the 16th Century by Vicino Orsini who had an estate on that site. He built a labyrinth of symbols where “Ladies and Knights could look to have their wishes fulfilled and wander until they got lost” (this comes from the brochure at the park). “He populated the ‘sacred wood’ with monsters and tortoises, obelisks, nymphs, and giant statues.” After his death, the place was abandoned, and no one cared for the structures—considered (again according to the catalogue) to be “jewels of mannerist art.” But after centuries of oblivion, the present owner–the Bettini family brought it back to life. According to Wikipedia, it was commissioned by Pier Francesco Orsini, called Vicino, a 16th-century patron of the arts, greatly devoted to his wife Giulia Farnese (not to be confused with her maternal great-aunt also named Giulia Farnese, the mistress of Pope Alexander VI). When Orsini’s wife died, he created the gardens to cope with his grief. During the 19th century, and deep into the 20th, the garden became overgrown and neglected, but after Salvador Dalí made a short movie about the park and completed a painting based on the park in the 1950s, the Bettini family implemented a plan to restore the park; the restoration project lasted throughout the 1970s.”
We strolled the Garden which is quite a site… and then as it began to rain we headed back to Todi for dinner.
We decided to save time and head back to Cavour which is a quick walk up to the square and off a small alley (close but steep). By the way, we’re averaging well over 12,000 steps and 8 flights a day which does not account for the steep pathways. (But alas, I think we are adding pounds rather than losing, given the amazing meals). We had had lunch at Cavour the first day we were in Todi, and the food was good; it was comfortable and not fussy. They were pretty crowded (unlike the lunch the other day) and we finally got a table in the downstairs stone-walled room, as opposed to the light-filled upper room with great views. As it turned out, there was a table of about 14, including 4 couples and their combined six children—all appearing to be under the age of 6. They were there before us and outlasted us, when we left at close to midnight. So, we watched family life in Italy up close. Not to generalize, but…. The four men (all in their early 40s I’d guess) sat together at one end of the table conversing about who knows what (soccer?) oblivious to the rest of their table which was comprised of their wives/partners and their children. The women, the moms, were totally occupied with the kids who were very very loud and running around the restaurant. The moms barely ate as they tried to make some kind of order (without success), but the dads continued their conversation, eating, drinking, laughing, eating, so casually that you would think they were a separate party from the rest of their group. Indeed, the men had about two chairs that separated them from the women and the kids. We thought we might have some peace by the time we got our dessert but no such luck as the men (the dads) lingered over coffees, desserts, and after dinner drinks… while the women and the children were at the other end of the table, ready to leave with jackets already on. Not generalizing, but maybe the macho culture really still does exist –even among the 40-something group…. In Italy?? Oh the meal… food was fine, but could not compensate for the chaos… oh.. what did we eat: a very nice steak tartare with sprinkling of pistachio dust and good spices, leg of lamb with roman artichoke…
That’s it. Packing time. We leave Todi in the morning and head to Sienna, via Perugia where we’ll stop for a few hours for lunch and to walk around.
Arrivederci Todi.. .We shall return.
Best –
Fern
4. Saluti da Todi. April 14 2023
Saluti da Todi-
Got a bit of a late start this morning, partly because we had a whole bottle of wine with dinner… getting oriented and deciding where to begin our exploration of Todi, beyond our walk in the rain and dark last night and our entry into the town in the pouring rain.
Todi is perched on a two-crested hill overlooking the Tiber River and has great views in all directions (which are a bit obscured for us due to the cloud cover and intermittent rain). It sits at an elevation of nearly 1,500 feet and has a population of 17,000 (about the size of Albany, California). Legend has it that the city was built by Hercules in 1330 BCE. In the 12th Century CE it had 40,000 inhabitants. It’s located in the Umbria region, and was historically a defensive stronghold for the region. It has an exterior medieval wall and a more inner Roman wall, and the most inner wall is said to be Etruscan.
Like many medieval towns and villages, Todi is comprised of stone houses, many palazzi, and several churches. The town is totally connected through a network of steep and very narrow backstreets that meander up, down, and around. It’s one of those towns that is totally photogenic and you feel compelled to stop and shoot every few steps… and so we did, despite the intermittent rain which at times was more than a drizzle. The main square, Piazza del Popolo has the typical arrangement of Italian squares of the period where secular and religious powers face one another. Our house is about a 5-7 minute walk (uphill) to the piazza so we began our walk there and also had lunch at a lovely place, Pizzeria Ristorante Cavour that would normally have a great view. We started—naturally—with an artichoke dish and since the name of the place said “pizzeria” we went whole hog… a great pizza with eggplant, tomatoes herbs and buffalo mozzarella. And some wine.. of course.
Then we did some serious walking and climbing in an effort to both see the town and also to walk off some calories. Stopped in a few churches, but mostly just took in the beauty of the town and marveled at its condition. And despite the narrow steep streeets, cars seem to meander well and deal with blending in as cars come from the other direction to share the narrow road, by backing up or waiting as one car finds a slightly wider section of the road. Most streets are one way and they loop around the town. We came back to the house for a short time to put on heavier clothes; it’s been chilly here in Todi and without sun it feels even colder.
And then we trekked uphill again for dinner at Enoteca Oberdan— a very tiny bar with a teeny backroom that has about 8 tables for two. The chef/owner, whom we met because she spoke some English, grew up in Rome and moved to Todi in 2006. We had a fantastic meal from the daily handwritten menu that is presented on a brown paper bag: a dish with ricotta, artichoke, and mint followed by short pieces of one-inch diameter pasta tubes with tomatoes and pistachios (and I’m sure many other ingredients), followed by a wonderful dish of very tender beef that has been cooked with tomatoes, chopped red peppers, and herbs and I think enoki mushrooms. And ofcourse some local wine which is really good, and yes, the poached pear for dessert (can’t help it). After dinner, we strolled back to the palazzo… this time the walk was all downhill and quite pleasant (but could have used another layer of clothing).
A few things to note, prices for eating in Todi, no matter how high end the restaurant, is about half what it is in Rome. And that’s the same for everything else as well. And, I should note that even Rome was less expensive than the Bay Area. A glass of nice local wine here in Todi is only about $6 or $7; bottles go for about $25-ish. No dish on tonight’s menu was more than $18. So this came as a pleasant surprise. Todi is not inundated with tourists, so you run into locals most of the time at restaurants and about town. I guess no need to gouge anyone since they are your neighbors. I can see that it would be easy to feel comfortable here and use it as a base to visit other towns in the region.
We’re deciding whether to walk more in Todi tomorrow or take a day trip to Orvieto. The verdict is not yet known.
That’s it for today…. All good here in the magical land of Todi.
Fern
PS – for those of you who asked:
– After spending a lifetime working what seemed like 24/7 and in addition commuting for many years to teach and traveling a lot for work, and always having to take our trips in December when most organizations/clients slowed down and when universities were shut down, we felt that (although still working, but less intensely) we could travel during other months of the year. And we sort of made a pact that we’d try to do three big trips in each of 2023 and 2024. So the Middle East trip that stretched from December into January is one; this Italy driving trip is two; and we are hoping to go to Korea and rural Japan in October/November. Our plans for 2024 are more vague, but probably Uruguay and Argentina; possibly Iran, depending on the political situation; and West Africa… But it’s all a long way off, so stay tuned.
– Regarding my book…. It is now about 95% written; just trying to finish the concluding chapter which I have with me and which I worked on on the flight coming here. Hoping to get that done by the time we return. Then I need to do the basic layout and final selection of photos and some graphic elements. I am about to send the 95% part out to a copy editor, in the hopes that a less involved writer can find some places to tighten things up. It’s been a slow trod, but I feel good about it.
3. Rome to Todi via Calcata. April 13 2023
April 13, 2023
Ciao!
We left the Donna Camilla Savelli Hotel right after breakfast, after 2.5 packed days and nights in Rome. Headed for the train station (Termini) to pick up our rental car at Hertz. After a quick check-in despite lines of people trying to rent cars (pays to rent cars a lot as they zip you through) and headed to the garage to pick up the car (we had reserved a small automatic car). When we got there, they handed us the keys to a huge monstrous car with manual transmission that we would call an SUV; remember I drive a mini cooper! The Hertz guy said this was a “standard size car” and that all the auromatic transmission cars were taken. While I drove a stick shift for years (Mike too), it’s been a while. Funny how life changes. Up until 2012, I always drove manual and refused to drive an automatic car. But now, a decade later after having a Prius and then my new Mini, I just couldn’t imagine driving stick again. (Mike drives a Prius which is also much smaller than what they were giving us.) We went back to the little office to say that there clearly was a mistake. They found a smaller car and we put all the luggage in… but then we noticed that it, too, was stick shift. We left our luggage in that car and headed back to the train station to see if we could find something else with another company. We got to Sixt (our least favorite car rental company and where we recently had problems in Amman, Jordan)… But they had a smaller car (BMW) that was automatic; we went back to the car area to check it out and to confirm that our luggage would fit in the trunk (one suitcase—carry on size–for each of us and one computer rollie bag each). Everything checked out, so we had to go back to the Termini office for Sixt to do the paperwork and then back to the garage. In total, walked 7,000 steps only in the train station and garage to rent a car. Three miles? Then we had to go back to Hertz to get our bags out of the trunk of that other car. One funny incident— the Sixt guy who walked with us from the office to the garage to show us the car options said I walked very very fast, not like most Americans; I said I was from NY originally and he laughed saying he now understood. He was also very impressed that we were from Oakland since he’s a big basketball fan (although he cheers for the Lakers). As we walked he also told us that he follows U.S. politics and the U.S. economy because he has been investing in tech stocks and doesn’t trust Italian banks with his money.
Finally, two hours after we arrived at the station, we were off to Calcata enroute to Todi where we will stay for three nights.
It began to rain as we drove, and got heavier as we climbed the small very curvy single lane (two-way) roads to Calcata. Calcata is tiny… Only 93 people reside in the little village hamlet and a total of about 900 if you include the surrounding area (not sure how many miles that line goes). By then we were totally starving, but the only place open (actually we were pretty amazed there was even a “restaurant” in this tiny village) was the town bar, where a very cheery guy made paninis and served alcohol (we opted for water given that we still had more driving to do). While he spoke no English at all, we did fine ordering and having a fairly simple conversation. He was born and raised in Calcata (!!). There isn’t any school in the village so he had to be bussed somewhere to attend school. He loves Calcata. Once he served us, he went outside to play cards with a bunch of locals—beneath a large, faded poster of Arizona.
Calcata towers above deep gorges at about 800 feet where torrential water flows or so we are told. The little village covers the entire table top of these shear free-standing cliffs. We just barely walked into the real village because of the pouring rain but did walk around the edges, and we did drive across the bridge above the gorge to the edge of the earthen column on which the village sits. That’s where the little bar was. In the 1801 writings of the executioner of the Papal State (if I understood this correctly as the historical note in town was not written in great English) two guards were reportedly accused of robbery near Calcata and sentenced to execution. The public execution took place in Piazza del Popolo in Rome.
But Calcata’s charm is that it is a medieval village that clings to this volcanic cliff that seems to rise from nowhere in this densely forested area. With steep pathways, the actual historic village is car-free because the passageways are too narrow even for a little Fiat. Cars do get up into that area where the bar was and like in all of Italy, cars are sort of strewn wherever anyone can figure out where they can fit. Some describe it all as a fairytale… The history goes back 3,000 years and they can trace human presence to prehistoric times. In the 1930s the Fascist government condemned the village because they believed its foundations were unstable, and by 1960 the residents had either relocated to the newly-built “Calcata Nuova” which was nearby, or moved to Rome and other areas in Italy. But in the 70s Italian and international artists and hippies began squatting in Calcata’s abandoned houses and caves. Eventually they bought and restored their residences, opened galleries and cafes, and “rescued” this old village… or so the story goes. The story comes full circle because the new residents and “entrepreneurs” convinced the Italian officials to reverse the condemnation plans.
Since we were there on a very rainy Thursday, it looked fairly gloomy, but we were told there’s a lot more activity on weekends and that the villagers like their solitude. I would die within 48 hours here, although they now have internet access, but no mail delivery.
One resident artist does an annual nativity scene with handcrafted statues depicting real people who live in Calcata.
From Calcata we headed to Todi.. We were really tired and the driving was tough in the rain, and it was getting dark. So we pulled over in a little parking lot of a hotel just near the entrance to the autostrada for a little 20-minute nap in the car. The hotel was called the Park Sabina and the sign said “A Hotel for Business and Romance”…. ??? I actually went inside to use the ladies room and expected it to feel sort of kinky, but it was quite nice. Maybe, what happens in the Sabina stays in the Sabina.
Twenty minutes later, totally rested and restored (!) we headed to Todi. We are staying in a wonderful 600-year old palazzo that was built on top of a Roman amphitheater that was built on top of Etruscan ruins. And to think that we believe our 130-year-old Victorian house in Oakland is old! I’ll tell you all about Todi which is unbelievably breathtaking, in my post later tonight or tomorrow, so as to be able to finish this one now.
The palazzo we are staying in is currently owned by friends from NY (the parents of our godson’s wife). But before we could get to the palazzo we needed to find the place… and then figure out where to put the car. The streets that wind up through the whole town are–like all medieval towns—narrow and steep. And Todi is no exception. We had a pretty good idea of where to go from notes that were sent to us, but it’s still different in the flesh. Turns out we drove past the place twice even though we were following GPS very closely… and then finally figured it out. By then it was really pouring. Mike stopped the car and I jumped out; we got all the luggage and odds and ends from the car and put them on the side of the street, as two cars waited behind us. Mike then left and I somehow maneuvered an umbrella and the bags across the little cobblestone street, found the keys, opened the door and waited for Mike.. He did pretty well finding parking although we later realized he was parked pretty illegally and partially blocking someone’s door, so we moved the car this morning.
The palazzo is huge—my guess about 2,500 sq feet with ceilings heights at about 11 feet. Mike says my guess is pretty good, but it may be more like 2,100 feet… Anyway, it’s up a flight of stairs (internal stairs once you enter) and has lots of rooms. Indeed this morning we discovered another bathroom we hadn’t even found last night. Officially there are two bedrooms (or let’s say, two rooms with beds), an entry room with grand piano (which I assume was here when they bought the place because I cannot imagine how you could get it out, an eat-in kitchen, a dining room, a very large living room, a library, and three bathrooms (one does not have a shower). The rooms all connect so you feel as if you are constantly going in a circle. More on the house and the town tomorrow.. Lots to explore. We did go for late dinner—climbing I’m not sure how many steep stairs—at Umbria Ristorante where we shared the veal tartare which was delicious and huge, a pasta carbonara that was excellent, a wild boar dish, and a rabbit dish and a bottle of wine… and a “calorie-free” dessert (my words—to assuage the guilt). Had we realized the portions would be so huge, we would have ordered less. But we were famished and it was a trying day. By the time we left the restaurant it was about 11:00pm and we strolled between the raindrops back “home.” Tomorrow we explore.
Best to everyone. Tomorrow I’ll also answer some of the questions people have been asking.
For now… Ciao.
Fern
2. Roma Italia April 12 2023
Greetings from Rome – Campo de’ Fiori. Galleria Sciarra. Coppedè. Lots of Steps.
Wednesday, April 12.
Began our day by walking from the Donna Camilla to the Galleria Sciarra, a wonderful building with a covered walkway – a private courtyard that is actually open to the public, and which is not visited by many tourists and actually I think little known except to locals. It’s an example of Italian Art Nouveau–lovely, but unfortunately when we got there (we had never seen it before) there was a lot of renovation going on so it was a bit difficult to truly appreciate the Gallery in all of its glory. But still it was great to see.
From there we walked to the Campo Fiore market which was abuzz with locals getting fruits, vegetables, herbs and other daily goods. It’s the oldest market in Rome, and every morning, (maybe not on Sundays), the square is filled with stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fresh fish, and assorted clothing and accessories as well as “kitchen necessities” like things that curl carrots and make zuchinni into little rosettes. Other stalls have dried fruit, nuts and spices, and florist stalls surround the fountain located in the center of the square. Specialties that can be found at the market include the amazing Roman artichokes, which has already become a daily staple for me. Surrounding the market and on adjacent streets are delicatessens and bakeries. Along the walk we passed hordes of people lining up to see the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain… Glad we had seen those places many years ago when the lines were quite smaller and glad we agreed not to revisit.
Then we walked (hiked) about three miles to get to Coppede, a neighborhood we had never seen on other trips to Rome. It was pretty much an uphill walk (didn’t’t realize that at the onset) but we persevered except for a short stop at a little outdoor Lebanese café to have some cold mezze. Finally we arrived in Coppede, excited to see all these amazing examples of Art Nouveau, Liberty, Art Decò buildings (residences) that seem to have also been influenced by Greek, Gothic, Baroque, and maybe even medieval art. The story that is told is that this neighborhood was the brainchild of an architect (I think from Florence) named Gino Coppedè who designed this neighborhood and oversaw the construction between 1913-1927. It’s an eclectic mixture of all of these historic styles and amazing ironwork. It’s been said that Coppedè is Rome’s answer to Gaudì ‘s Barcelona structures… although I don’t think I’d agree. The area is totally residential except for a few embassies, and not really easy to get to except on foot although there are some trams that can get you there.
But there is always a glitch… On this day, and for a few more to come, they are filming some 1920s italian movie (maybe something very Mafia-oriented) and thus one of the most wonderful buildings in the area and the famous fountain with the frogs were inaccessible—we could see them but could not get close. Street were blocked, but it was great to see all these people in period costumes from the 20s (wonderful dresses and coats) walking about, and getting in and out of 1920s vintage cars. Still we were able to see and get up close to many other houses in the area. Coppedè has apparently been the backdrop for many films in the past decades.
The entry into Coppedè has a very dramatic arch, but the filmmakers had also commandeered that, making it difficult to photograph. I should note that many of the buildings have very impressive frescoes. We were in awe of the whole setting and am still amazed by the craftsmanship and abilities of the diverse artisans needed to create these special places—a big contrast to what we produce today. Then again, I don’t think I’d have the stomach for this in great quantities. Think Gilded Age!!
Finally, after our 9 mile walk, we taxied to the Saint Regis Hotel which has an interesting history and is the lap of luxury with $25 glasses of prosecco and equally priced cocktails. Still it was fun to get inside and see the spaces..
After a brief stop at our hotel, we headed down the street to Antica Pesa which is a well known restaurant more than a century old yet still maintains its quality and manages to keep up with the times. The entryway of the restaurant is filled –floor to ceiling— with framed photos of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant: Sean Penn, Robert Di Niro, Danny DeVito, Madonna, Sophia Loren, and Picasso, and the like. Rumor has it that there is a sister restaurant with the same name in Brooklyn. Will have to check that out on my next trip to NY. We started with artichoke (naturally).. this time done with some kind of mint sauce; a baccalau with cod cappuccino, potatoes whipped into a cream, and some kind of almond mousse, spaghetti carbonnara, and a honey pork with chicory. All very good.
Much more to say about Rome.. it was good to revisit. Tomorrow we head to Todi, via Calcata. That should be an interesting drive. Perhaps tomorrow will be more newsy and less gastronomic. But then again, it is Italy and eating is a sport and an art.
Arrivederci Roma.
Fern
Saluti Dall’Italia. April 11 2023
Ciao!
Arrived in Rome on Monday (April 10) evening around 6:30 after an excessively long layover in Frankfurt (our least favorite airport). Taxied to our hotel which is in the Trastaverre section of the city—a neighborhood I’ve walked on previous trips but never stayed in, so this will be fun. First a bit about this trip. When we made our plans for our December 2022 trip to the Middle East, there was always the possibility that the trip would need to be canceled: Egypt’s economy had crashed; Jordan was having problems; and of course Israel is always problematic. Beyond this, we were supposed to start our journey in Ethiopia and they were having problems with the Tigray. Anyway, we decided to book a backup trip to someplace easy—some place easier than our usual travels to more distant and less-traveled locations. We decided that a driving trip through Italy could be fun and require a lot less planning than the Middle East. So, for those of you who followed the trip in December know, we did go to Egypt and Jordan and Israel, and the backup trip became unnecessary.
But, driving through Italy—to both new places and places we’ve been to sevral times in the past—seemed delightful. So, we decided to postpone rather than cancel that “backup trip” and thus we are now here in Italy. It’s a pretty calm trip and we don’t expect too many crises or problems (to which we are accustomed based on our usual travel). But stay tuned, we always manage to have a few adventures.
And as usual, feel free to ignore this travelogue or to read it. Eventually, it will all be on my travel blog which includes aobut 40 countries, but is missing a lot of photos (and thus I haven’t officially launched it, but it is up there in the blogasphere).
So after reaching the very charming Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli (more about the hotel later), we settled in and then headed for dinner. It was a Monday night and all of Rome had celebrated “Little Easter” (Pasquetta) — everything is closed and many restaurants served big lunches instead of dinner, thus limiting our options. We decided to stroll the narrow and gnarly streets of the Trastaverre in search of an open restaurant and stumbled on Osteria Roody, a little place that has probably been in that location for many decades. Very friendly staff (even though only one English speaker) and we had a good meal –shared the famous Roman style artichoke which was heavenly and a pasta dish and lamb chops with grilled chicory, all followed by great tiramisu. Then we strolled back to the hotel at about midnight to have a nightcap.
Donna Camilla Savelli Hotel is a former convent that was commissioned by a noblewoan whose name is now taken by the hotel. She also apparently funded the adjacent church in 1642. Within the hotel proper there is still a small chapel, where a nun sits and asks for an offereing when you come inside to see the space (which is lovely).
On Tuesday morning, following breakfast, we headed out to stroll Trastaverre and the nearby Jewish ghetto. We stopped in at the Fondazione Museo della Shoah which had large historical photos of Rome during the 1930s and 1940s along with a short film that depicted the roundup of Jews in the area and their subsequent demise. The exhibit and film were interesting, but I felt as if it was all about what the Germans did and had very little about the role of the Italian Fascists and Mussolini.. sort of “whitewashed that part.” We also visited the grand synagogue which is famous for having a square dome.
From there we walked to the Testaccio neighborhood which is one of Rome’s many gentrified areas that used to cater to working families and is now an “in” area, complete with great restaurants and expensive apartments. We were starving so we stopped at the Testaccio Market and meandered the stalls—finally deciding on a fantastic pizza place that makes about 25 different kinds of pizzas each better and more interesting than the other and all available to purchase. You make your selection (after standing on line behind dozens of Italians who seem to all be regulars) and then the pizza guy cuts from the large pizzas the types you select— making them as big or small as you like (everyone gets many different kinds—a sort of “platter of pizzas”) and then the pizza guy weighs your slices and gives you the price. Mike went to find a table in a courtyard in the market, while I made the pizza decisions. Turned out to be a good thing that there was a wait—I was able to see all the different options and there was one English speaking person on line, ahead of me, so I got to hear the options in English. Thus, I was very ready when it was my turn. We had one that had a white cheese base and then lemon and mushrooms (amazing) and one tomato piece: sun dried and fresh tomatoes and red onions with spices; one with roman style artichoke, prosciutto, and some other ingredients; and two other kinds of pies.
Then we walked to the Ostensiense neighborhood which is known for having a lot of murals and graffitti. It, too, was a former working class area and is now borderline chic. The neighborhood was the location for a lot of Rome’s industry and there were major power plants in the area as well. One of those power plants has been turned into a museum, which I am certain the designers and curators had a lot of fun creating. Much of the original machinery remains (now painted black) and all sorts of white marble sculptures (figures) uncovered throughout Rome from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, stand in front of the machinery—great contrast. The “museum” is called the Centrale Montemartini. We loved it—the contrast (and similarity?) between the machines and the sculptures was great: both beautiful and requiring a good deal of artistry. Nearly all of the male statues were missing their penises (broken off) … not sure what that’s about, but I’m sure one can do some research and find some academic who has studied this issue.
Despite having already walked more than 9 miles (which we felt in our calves), we decided to move forward and head to the Garbatello Lots – a neighborhood that was created in Mussolini’s time (and still functioning) that was planned and modeled on British planning concepts for workers who toiled in the nearby factories. By then we definitely needed some gelato… and then—way too exhausted to walk back—we got a taxi (using my new Italy Taxi app!) back to the hotel.
For dinner we headed to Rosciolo which is across the Tiber… and we saw the area we had been walking in all day, at night. By the way, the walking bridge closest to our hotel has hundreds (maybe more) of little locks (suitcase locks? Bicycle locks?) stretching across the entry to the bridge – placed supposedly by young (and old) lovers who carve their names in the locks and then place the lock on the chain and throw away the key. This is probably a copy of what was done on one of the bridges leading to the Île de la Cité in Paris, where all of the locks needed to be removed because the bridge was collapsing since it was not structurally sound enough to handle the weight of over 700,000 locks that had been installed by couples.
We wanted to eat in Rosciolo’s ittle salumeria but with only about 4 tables it books quickly and despite having tried to book well before we left for Italy, we were unsuccessful. So we opted for Rimissi Rosciolo which is owned by the same family but is more of a sit down osteria although it too is lined with shelves and shelves of canned and jarred goods that look totally yummy.
We got the fixed meal which included: an antipasti of tuna, white beetroot, and peaches (amazing); small pieces of lamb with giardiniera (equally amazing); two pasta dishes: fregola with fermented lemon and smoked herring (thought it would be weird but it was delicious); marinated risotto and raw prawns (this dish turned out to be a little strange, although the prawns were super); a cauliflower dish that was made with coffee, kombucha, and Jeruslaem artichoke (another winner); lamb chops with black cabbage…. All followed by ricotta eclairs with oranges. They could have rolled us out.. especially with the wine pairings. I feel like I gained 10 lbs with just the one meal.
Guess it’s obvious that we are not going to any of the famous monuments, chruches, museums… We’ve seen them all before and this whole trip is dedicated to seeing neighborhoods in many cities and to avoiding tourists.
We are good and hope you are doing well.
Tomorrow more Rome, and then we are off on our driving adventure.
Meglio per te (I think this says “best to you.”
Fern
Toronto Girl Trip June 11 2023: It’s a Wrap!
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Greetings from T.O (as many signs indicate for Toronto) on our last day in the city.
Began Sunday with a bit of a late start because we needed to pack and check out of the hotel. Then we headed to the Aga Khan Museum which is about 20 minutes (by taxi) from downtown.
Before talking about our day and the museum, a few points about Toronto that I haven’t mentioned yet.
The city of about 3 million (nearly 7 million if you talk about Greater Toronto) has a nice vibe, is very urban, yet has lots of small and large parks scattered about and is clearly growing— especially vertically. No way to count the number of cranes and construction of skyscrapers as they seem to be everywhere. Lots of glass towers and a changing skyline. There are rivers and some deep ravines, people of many ethnicities and origins (more than 50% were not born in Canada), and is the third largest tech hub in North America. It’s very livable and walkable and seems to have a good deal of cultural facilities and respect for its many First Nation peoples. And unfortunately, like all cities, it’s clear that homelessness is alive and well with tents and unhoused people sleeping on the streets in what seem to be random locations. This trip to Toronto was the first visit for me in at least 25 years so the city looked very different from what I remembered. The long waterfront and harbor as well as the islands remain but I remembered lots of small neighborhoods filled with Edwardian and Victorian buildings and family-sized houses. Some of that still exists, but the overall impression is of glistening, towering (probably expensive) residential towers and also many financial institutions. And many industrial sites have been transformed into eating and entertainment destinations like the Distillery District. I’m guessing that many of those old neighborhoods that I remembered disappeared to make way for all those high rises. Already in 2011 there were about 2,000 buildings taller than 10 stories and when it comes to real skyscrapers (taller than 30 stories), Toronto is set to outpace Chicago in the next few years.
The architecture includes great variety with some buildings dating back to the early and late 19th Century and others newly built. Somewhere I saw a quote that said something like “Toronto is a brash, rag-tag place—from mixed periods and styles.” The CN Tower, completed in 1976, was the tallest building in the world until 2007 when the Burj Khalifa was unveiled in Dubai. And I would be remiss not to mention that when walking we were often on wonderfully shaded tree-lined streets and often found ourselves edging wonderful buildings of the University of Toronto which seems to sprawl throughout the city with its more than 60,000 students and which probably also makes the city feel young and adds to the vibe I’ve mentioned before.
Ok… so on to the Aga Khan Museum. We arrived in time for an early lunch at Diwan, the restaurant inside the museum. The space with its towering ceiling (about 30 feet?) is an interesting mix of modern, sleek, and ornate. There are decorated wood panels that are hand-carved and from 18th Century Damascus… but also very hip and beautiful dinnerware and large glass windows looking out at the gardens. Approaching the grounds (they have a huge parcel), one is immediately struck by the 5 large granite-lined pools into which the buildings are reflected. And the center pool houses a wonderful reflected “sculpture” that is really a series of large black letters that sit at varying heights on simple poles coming out from the pool. The letters are upside-down and backwards and from a distance look like a two-dimensional graphic display against the sky and the building behind. But as you get closer and look into the pool, the letters reflect (in their proper right side readable form) to create a statement in the pool. I think the letters and statements might be changeable, but maybe the statement that is there is permanent. It read “There is a voice that does not use words,” which is a quote from Rumi (and there is currently an exhibit that focuses on Rumi). So perhaps the statement changes with each exhibit. I was mesmerized by the sculpture and could have watched it forever since it’s always changing as the light changes and as the wind moves the water. I loved it.
The site includes two buildings around this formal garden (where the pools are): the museum and the Ismaili Center, a religious and social building which is oriented toward Mecca. Inside the museum there are several galleries and also a glazed courtyard. The main exhibit at the current time was the one on Rumi which was interesting, although difficult to enjoy because some tour guide was explaining the show to a group of tourists and they didn’t use headsets, so you kept hearing her booming voice wherever you went on that floor. Having been to Konya in Turkey some years ago and having sat through the whirling dervish’s performance, it was interesting to see some of the visuals related to that. (When we saw the dervishes, I was dizzy within 5 minutes, and I was just sitting and watching). There was also a “themed” exhibit.. this time on “water.” The exhibit focused on pieces from the museum’s collection that pointed to the importance of water as a life-giving source in Muslim art and literature – from ceramics and paintings to architectural elements and metalwork. And there was an exhibit called “Cultured Pallets” by Canadian-Iranian artist Soheila Esfahani, that included about 100 shipping pallets that were transformed by painting patterns in geometrical ways on the pallets and other everyday objects that are used as temporary holding areas for objects. Each pallet was laser-etched in a process that takes about 700 hours to complete for the whole installation. Then they are hand-painted, with color and some golden areas. Sort of interesting, albeit a stretch to see the artist’s conception regarding “the feeling of in-betweenness — a space where those experiencing migration often find themselves negotiating identities and cultures.”
As we left the museum, we had another chance to watch the pools and re-read Rumi’s statement.. and then it was a taxi to the hotel to get our bags and off we went to the Toronto Airport. 2023 “girls trip” was over and we each went to our respective flights. Unfortunately, my flight left two hours later than scheduled, which meant I would land at SFO around midnight… and then there was no gate at SFO for my flight so that took nearly 45 minutes.. Finally got my car at SFO and was at the house around 1:30 am (body time 4:30 am)… But still, it was a great trip and now we need to plan the 2024 trip.
Best
Fern
Toronto Girl Trip Day 3 June 10 2023
Saturday, 10 June 2023 (18,000 steps)
Beautiful day in Toronto; blue sky; 79 degrees. If anything, a bit too humid for me, but not complaining.
Began the day by walking from the hotel to Chinatown where we waited a bit for a table at a dim sum place called Rol San, which was highly recommended. It was good, but not nearly as good as many of our Bay Area dim sum places.. but still fun and good start to the day. From there, we decided to head to the Distillery District (today was neighborhood strolling day) which is a pedestrian-only area that is home to a lot of 19th century buildings and once was the site of a large whiskey distillery. Today it’s lined with cobblestone streets, hip restaurants, bars, art galleries, and boutiques. We strolled a bit and then walked to the St Lawrence Market area… about 20 minutes away. A former industrial area, the St Lawrence Market area is also lined with restaurants and cafes and little shops. It’s the oldest part of Toronto and is home to the St Lawrence Market which is a huge indoor retail vendor market which is the focus of the neighborhood. There is also a lot of city-sponsored public housing in this area.
Once the center of Toronto, the functions had, over time, been relocated to other parts of the city and the neighborhood declined. By the 1960s, the industrial uses were disappearing and there were many empty and dilapidated buildings. In the 1970s a new progressive mayor decided to turn the area into a residential neighborhood, that would not follow the path of mistakes of urban renewal The idea was for this new neighborhood to be thoroughly integrated into the city without any clear boundaries and to contain a mix of commercial and residential uses and include subsidized as well as market rate low-rise housing. Apparently, the mayor was influenced by the American/Canadian planning activist Jane Jacobs, who had moved to Toronto in the late 1960s following a protracted and very public disagreement with Robert Moses and also because she worried about the fate of her two draft-age sons. It is said that she became tired of fighting New York City government. Jacobs quickly became active in stopping the Spadina Expressway and supporting the regeneration of the St. Lawrence neighborhood.
After walking around the St. Lawrence area, we were in real need of a gelato fix and also some ice cold water.. We finally found a good place and rested up from the walking and the warm weather.
Refreshed, we headed to yet another neighborhood which we believed was an upscale hip area but must have gone astray because we were in a pretty seedy area… but did see a lot of murals. Then we taxied back to the hotel and decided to check out the Toronto Metro system. So, we hopped on a train for a few stops… got off and walked a bit to some random location and then went back by train to the hotel to get ready for a late dinner (finally, back to my eating schedule rather than these “early bird” dinners before the theater.) The train seems efficient but nothing special, sort of like BART.
After a brief stopover at the hotel, we headed to Taverna Bernhardt for our 9:45 reservations. The restaurant is named for the famous French actress and is supposedly an homage to the cooking of the owner/chef’s hometown—Montreal. The special (and one of the few dishes available every day) is rotisserie chicken which sort of melts in your mouth. It’s served with wonderful crisp thick fries, a little cole slaw, and pickle. We started with three small plates: a sea bass crudo, a great baby eggplant dish with tahini, and carrot almondine. Great organic wines… The restaurant is located mid-block on a very residential street in the west side in a little house. We ate outside near the hedges and finished off the meal with 2 desserts: a flourless chocolate cake soaked with cherries and a sunflower and pear sorbet sundae…
Then began the task of finding a taxi back to the hotel. By now it was about 11:30. We tried the apps (I now have two) and it seemed that no taxis were available. So we walked two blocks to a bigger cross street and figured we’d have more luck with the app there. But alas we then found out why it was so difficult to get a taxi. Many streets were blocked off for some kind of street fair. So we reversed course and walked to another large street that was in the opposite direction. We had better luck but had to wait longer than we have at any other time for the taxi… Arrived at the hotel and now I’m finishing this note and packing.
Tomorrow, we head to the Aga Khan Museum and then we are off to the airport for our different homeward destinations. Hope to write the final note tomorrow before my plane takes off.
See you stateside very soon.
Fern
