We arrived home Sunday also, from an adventurous canoe trip into a primitive camping area in the Algonbquin Park, Canada. We had 2 portages to get to Booth Lake where we camped. We had 2 beautiful days, with swimming in a clear lake, a sandy beach that even I could walk into bare footed and easily. I will post one picture here, as I do not want to move Sara's beautiful account of their trip to Italy down too far. See my flickr account for more pics.
It was nice to be in Rome in August. Even though it was hot, and crowded with tourists, the streets were pretty much empty of traffic as most Romans were at the beach. It was nice to see my father, though he has aged since we last saw him at Christmas. This upset me very much, though I think his biggest problem is boredom, not to mention that he is under the care of too many doctors, all specialists.We walked around a lot despite the heat. We were grateful for Rome’s many water fountains. Sam proved to be a good walker, he and Chandran would often go off on walks together after we had called it a day with the twins. Franca was happy to see us in her grumpy way and she liked having an appreciative crowd for her wonderful cooking. While in Rome we went to the zoo, and had fun watching the monkey pit. I took Sam, Chiara and Laura to the forum and colosseum, while Chandran and Nick went to the Campidoglio, and saw us through a telescope from there.
the Roman forum
On the Pincio
After a few days we went off to Sorrento with my dad. We took the train to Naples and a car picked us up to take us to our hotel. Sorrento is lovely. It was cooler than in Rome and I think the sea air was good for us all. The hotel had a very nice swimming pool, and this was good as the Sorrento beach is not so great. The twins enjoyed splashing around and making friends. My dad wold join us in the late morning and we would have lunch by the pool.
Sorrento, view from the hotel room
My dad
We went to Pompeii, without my dad, and walked and walked. It is a incredible place, though Nick and Laura hated it. We found a good resturant right at the exit and sat down to lunch and a lovely bottle of Falagnina, a local wine. The next day we went off to find a nicer beach than what Sorrento proper had to offer. I was longing for a sea bathe and felt that both Sam and Chiara should go swimming in the Med. We found a lovely pebble beach in a grotto that had been used as a pool since Roman times. There were ruins of a Roman villa on the rocks around it.
Pompeii
The grotto
We had meant to return to Rome via Cerreto Sannita, my grandfather’s birthplace, but the driver had gone to pick us up at Salerno instead of Sorrento. So we took a taxi back to Naples and the train to Rome. Back in Rome we walked, had dinner with my uncle Mario and Aunt Maria and went to the Vatican.
Dinner with Mario and Maria
We took a train to Umbria so I could meet up with my childhood friend Cristina. It was great to see her. She has an old farmhouse that she has converted into apartments that she rents out, a kind of B&B. Her Sister Rosaria has a similar but bigger place across the hill. Cristina ‘s Mother, Stella, was also there. It is always great to see her, she is so full of energy.
Card Game with Stella and Elvira
Cristina's house
Rosaria's B & B
The kittens
Sam, Chandran, Nick, Chiara, me, Cristina, Laura, Piero and Elvira.
(Nicola is missing he was not feeling well)
After Rome we took the night train to Vienna. This sounds much more fun than it is. There was no restaurant car, and we had not planned for this. Luckily the conducter had a few sandwiches and sausages. My father was not thrillled. Vienna is such a beautiful city, and my father was very glad we went. We stayed a day and then took a train to Salzburg.
The Cathedral in Vienna
My father had an ear infection, so Sam joined us for our first concert (London Symph., conducted by Gergiev, performing Shostakovich’s 8th). The next day my father was feeling better and was able to attend (Vienna Phil. conducted by Dudamel, Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto (soloist Znaider) and The Rite of Spring: fantastic), although the treatment for the earache left him temporarily deaf. Sam and Chiara also joined us. While in Salzburg we did our usual trips to the Castle and Chandran took the kids up the Cappuchin mountain.
At the Goldner Hirsch restaurant
After Salzburg we took what we thought would be an easy train ride to Frankfurt. A delay (all our Italian train rides were right on time, and none of the Austrian/German ones!) and Chandran’s weak german ended us up on a hot, late, and packed train. Frankfurt itself was a bit of a shock. We probably should have done some more research about Frankfurt’s bad neighborhoods before booking our hotel. We were only there for the night, and came back to the states yesterday. Kamala met us at our apartment, and we said goodbye to Sam. He was a great travelling companion.
So far the trip has been very nice. We spent four days in Sorrento, visited Pompei, and swam in the sea. We missed going to visit the ancestral Caiola town when the driver who was supposed to pick us up went to Salerno instead of Sorrento. We took the train instead.
Susi camped with Isabella and family last week end @ Stony Brook State Park. Kly and I went down on Sunday to visit and had a delicious swim. I have sore muscles that have not worked hard for awhile. We walked from the camp ground down and down and up and down, mostly stairs from the camp ground to the bottom of the falls where the river is dammed and a pool created.
The Menon's visited us this week. Yesterday, we all went to Braddocks Bay to a hawk banding site and had the good fortune to be there when a hawk descended and was caught and banded.
We will be in Rome from the 11th to the 14 Tel 011-39-06-6795557 In Sorrento from 14-18 at Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria Tel. 011-39-081-8777111 Then back in Rome till the 23 We will be in Salzburg from the 25 to the 28 at Hotel Goldener Hirsch, Tel. 011-43-662-80840 We fly back from Frankfurt to Newark on August 29 Continental flight 51 departing at 11:20 Am arriving at 2:15 pm. I will also bring my phone hopefully I will get it to work.
on september 13, my father, james norris calvin, and i (& my friend sofie) are walking the boston marathon ahhh in support of the jimmy fund (which, in case you haven't heard of it, supports cancer research) so if you'd like to donate, that would be swell!!!
We arrived home from the Adirondacks yesterday after a long car ride. The four canoes, survived on the cars. We had rain 2 out of 4 days, but fortunately. Day 2 and day 4 were sunny. There was lots of swimming. One rainy morning. we canoed to our cars, one group went to the museum in Tupper Lake, while the other group went shopping in Saranac Lake. Chandran and Chiara taught us Spades, a good card game. The food was good! My photostream has more pictures.
There were 11 of us, 3 tents. Two trips to the put in were necessary to get all of our gear to the Island and back. Sounds like a lot of work!? It was worth it.
The pictures: The 'kitchen'., Moose in restuarant in Long Lake where we ate on the way home, and s'mores.
the Roman forum
On the Pincio
Sorrento, view from the hotel room
My dad
Pompeii
The grotto
Dinner with Mario and Maria
Card Game with Stella and Elvira
Cristina's house
Rosaria's B & B
The kittens
Sam, Chandran, Nick, Chiara, me, Cristina, Laura, Piero and Elvira.
The Cathedral in Vienna
At the Goldner Hirsch restaurant
Playground in Frankfurt
