Treitman Travel Testimonial

I love visitors and I love them even more when they agree to my request of writing a guest blog post! My most recent guests and I hadn't seen each other in over 3 years, but like with all great friendships we picked it up right where we left of...just thousands of more miles traveled! Although they were taken on the Standard Katie O. Tour I was amazed how that "Naples factor" kicked up the surprise factor making the tour even more memorable. Thank you both for heading to southern Italy to see me and getting a feel for my life here in Bella Napoli, I hope you loved it as much as I do.

Hello Readers,

I’m Tyler, and recently my wife Lexie and I stayed at the Oropeza B&B just outside of Naples. Our train from Rome arrived mid morning on Saturday and the Katie, the proprietor of said B&B was gracious enough to provide a shuttle service from the train station in Naples to her establishment in Monte di Procida. I highly recommend this service as navigating the Italian freeway system requires a higher level of understanding than this tourist has.

The B&B was located in a lovely neighborhood that is close to the coast but also on the highest point of the point at Monte di Procida. Accommodations were more spacious than we had imagined and very tidy. The other guests were nice folks as well. They were always quiet and reserved, tip toeing around like cats as to not disturb the serenity that come from time spent enjoying the view. That view alone is worth the visit, rooftop terrace has 360 degree views of Monte di Procida, Naples and the surrounding isles. You could really while away the hours there with a bottle or two of your favorite libation, as you soak in ancient vista, and contemplate the “bigger picture” or what ever that may mean to you.

What followed our tour of the accommodations was what I would call “hands on traveling”. We found ourselves slicing, mashing, roasting and frying. Indeed this was work on our vacation, how perverse! At least it was work till our task master provided us with wine to drink. At that moment perspective shifted as I realized I was in a cooking class that was hosted by a top local chef. We were taught how to shop for the right ingredients to make some delicious local meals. I do not recall how many courses we made as I may have eaten myself into a euphoric state between the 2^rd and 3^rd courses, or maybe I became overwhelmed and slept through a course somewhere…I can’t quite recall. We made a lemon and muscle pasta, eggplant parmesan, and a pear and ricotta tort. Learning can be delicious. 

Day two was a busy one. We started the morning at Vietri Sul Mare which features a beach that is often covered with broken and wave tossed colored ceramics from the local craftsmen. This sounds like it might be an awful form of pollution but it actually makes for a dynamically colorful painted pebble beach. We filled our pockets with potential mosaic components before hitting the road. The spaghetti noodle that is the road linking the cities along the Amalfi coast brought us to our second course of the day. An aromatic dish Sorrento was. Famous for its production of lemoncello, Sorrento is a city that is best understood once you have walked through the lemon orchard in the middle of downtown. Once you see some of the lemons that are the size of [American] footballs you can understand why the shops and restaurants are so proud of their relationship to the acidic fruit.

The last scheduled stop on our journey, was Herculaneum (and I mean “scheduled” as I don’t count the coastal bicycle race that closed the freeway down for about half an hour). Herculaneum was very important to me being that I have a degree in Archaeology.  Herculaneum, if you don’t know, is the other Roman city to be covered/preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii is the city that everyone knows of as it was discovered many years ago. My last trip to Italy was regretfully lacking due to the fact that Herculaneum was not open to the public at the time.  Herculaneum was by many accounts a more aristocratic community than Pompeii. The tour starts at what is called the ancient beach which is where the shore line used to be prior to the volcanic eruption. The first thing you notice is how many stories down and inland this beach is. I’ve seen many ancient monuments and so far in my travels but Herculaneum has been the most exciting.

 

As you make your way up from the beach you see alcoves built into the dock typically used to store seafaring items and cargo. From there you walk up a long ramp as the city appears to rise up out of the sea for several stories. Once at the top you find your self flanked by rows of multi level buildings on each side. A quick peak into a few of the buildings generally rewards you with clues as to its intended function. To the left there was a building that had a long table with giant amphora pots embedded in it, this was a restaurant. Down the road was a bath house with changing rooms and robe cubbies and hot cold rooms. Around the corner is a lavish house with several rooms and fountain next to a temple, a wealthy priest’s house. A large two story building with several rooms, this was an apartment building. Another large multi roomed building with common areas, this was a hotel. A building with a mill and a giant brick oven, this was a bakery. There was even a building with a large press at floor level, this was a laundromat. Togas apparently needed pressing too. Actually the typical roman laundromat would wash clothes with ammonia derived from human urine. There you have it, next time some one pisses themselves you are equipped with some fun facts which might lift their spirits, no guarantees.

 

 After an hour or so of walking the ancient roads the city will start to transform. At some point it transcends its condition, it ceases to be ruins and becomes a community. Herculaneum is so exciting to me because it is infinitely relatable in the way the Roman Coliseum or medieval castles are not. It takes no effort to imagine the people who lived there, no effort to see the city as they did, and no effort to sympathize with their fate. 

On August 24th 79 AD Mount Vesuvius began to quake and fume intensely. Some may have tried to evacuate through the ash raining down across the Bay of Naples, but several remained in what they through might be a safe place. Remember the alcoves at the docks I spoke about earlier? Some 300 of the inhabitants of the town hid inside these niches built into the rock. Young and old, rich, and poor, baker, blacksmith, and priest were likely praying to their gods for safety. On August 25^th around 1:00 the mountain erupted and Herculaneum would be hit by the pyroclastic flow, a wall of hot gasses burning at 932 degrees blasted the town at 100 mph. Our huddling townsfolk’s blood instantly boiled and their teeth popped like popcorn kernels in their heads. This happened 6 times before the ash settled and entombed the skeletons in the docks. I hesitate to call them “skeletons” because the word is too hollow, at the end of the day they became neighbors with lives and stories to me.

I can’t finish this letter on a somber note, let’s pick it up a bit... 

We got back to the Oropeza B&B and rested our weary feet from our long day. Soon though, our stomachs had a craving that can only be alleviated by pizza. “When in Naples, eat pizza,” I just quoted myself. Katie had a great idea to host a pizza tasting competition, which is a challenge I’ve never turned down. We ordered 4 pizza’s for the 3 of us and started eating like it was August 23, 79 AD (too soon?). There was one margherita pizza, one prosciutto pizza, an eggplant pizza and a weird non traditional one with arugula and corn. We all lost count of how many slices we ate for science.   In the end the margherita pizza from our host’s favorite place was the clear winner. I’d like to think the Herculanean baker would have agreed. 

There's a Line for Baguettes

The stars aligned so Jeff and I got a second trip in while he was in Europe. Next destination? PARIS! With his sense of adventure and willingness to do things I didn't get to do last trip, we adapted to the city's pace and spent a fabulous long spring weekend exploring, eating, and getting cultured. But, this is his post- not mine! Enjoy!

Paris has a pollution problem right now. Several times this year already it's exceeded the maximum PPM levels for particulate matter and as a solution, the city has offered free public transportation on the weekends, including bicycles ("velos"). This was not the case during the two days Katie and I were there, and the one time we tried to rent velos in Versailles, the shop was closed. But that was probably the only disappointment of the trip.

Nevertheless Paris delivered on its promise of being big and beautiful in a rustic kind of way. Cobblestones and ancient stone buildings made a nice backdrop for the tailored snappiness of groomed Parisians. Crepes, frog legs, and truffle chicken made its way into my mouth along with a few carafes and bottles of wine in cafes and parks.

The common social bond shared amongst its residents perhaps stems from the outstanding amount of taxes that supports the French way of life. With a fag in hand, legs crossed, and a beer next to an ashtray, Parisians regale each other in sidewalk seating all hours of the day with their swooning vowels and machine gun consonants. C'est la vie, I've heard.

The Mona Lisa, the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Versailles, and 6 million dead bodies were all visited by my sister and I. We came, we saw, and we conquered some universal bucket list items. We en guarded against pick pockets. We discussed the ramifications of giving every US citizen 1 airstrike to call in at will. And we had croissants.

In all, a fine trip and a perfect way to cap off my stay abroad. Big shout out to my metro navigator, hotel booker, and big sister Katie!

Tours By Katie O: Eat & Shop Your Way Through Southern Italy!

Another visitor, another guest blog on the same trip! Enjoy taking a look at my Zia Janet's photo-blog as she summarizes her trip to Italy.

My title for your tour would be "Eat and Shop your way through Southern Italy!"  I really enjoyed the food aspects, as you can tell! 

Katie demonstrating the proper hand gripping the steering wheel when meeting a large bus on a curve along the Amalfi Coast. 

 

"Why are those people in my road?"

Hanging out in Positano

Seriously, it was an incredibly fun little adventure and haven't had so many laughs in quite a while.  My ceramics made it home in one piece and I'll have them to always remember our little adventure and your great hospitality.

When in Italy...

As most you know, in an effort to add to blog entries I encourage my guests and my travel adventure buddies to write an entry. It not only gives me some time off from writing (ha, I've been slacking lately) but often I'm reminded of events I've already forgotten about in the inevitably different take on the situation.

This blog post is written by my grandma, just back from her whirlwind tour of Italy with my 2 aunts- including a jaunt around Naples. Many new memories were made, but I want to have her tell you all about it. So, here's my grandma's debut guest blog, her take on the trip, and our monthly family letter (slightly edited so you don't get all the family details) penned by her. 

Is it time for a Family Letter? Katie says it is! I will review my notes, and write before my memory fades! I will probably remember this trip just fine, it was great!

Janet and I drove to Portland Tuesday evening to stay at the Radisson, left the car there. We worried about meeting up with Sandy in Chicago, she was coming from Los Angles, but it worked great, and soon we three were on our way to Frankfurt, Germany, on a Lufthansa flight. Not much room, our long femurs made our knees touch the seat ahead, but we survived. Didnʼt sleep much though, and arrived at midnight our time, six am German time. The trek across the Frankfurt airport was long, up and down escalators, from one end of the airport to the other, plus passport check. We barely made our Venice flight. Janet ran ahead to hold the plane, and they were looking for us!

Venice airport gave me another new experience. As we looked for our airport transport to the island of Venice, I saw a guy holding up a sign reading GUFFY, MANGIN, BITTER. It was our boat guide, so we loaded in and sped across the water to the Grand Canal of Venice. The driver stopped, pulled up to a concrete wall, and we were to unload. Sandy made the leap to the dock, followed by me, then Janet. It was like a four foot jump. Pretty good for an old lady! 

We walked to our hotel, about six blocks, maybe, but the streets are so narrow, no cars there. Cobblestones, and steps leading up and over the many smaller canals. We were dragging our suitcases, and I need to add that Janet insisted on picking mine up and carrying it when there were steps, sure helped. Since it was about 9 am, we werenʼt sure the hotel would let us into our room, but they did, and since weʼd been up for 24 hours, we rested for a couple hours. We were on Formose Square, a real happening place all day. Small outdoor cafes, a fruit market, and lots of people coming and going. We enjoyed it. We walked to St Marks square, the main square where the big cathedral, the Doges Palace, and other historical buildings are. 

The next morning we set off for Murano, the glass factories, where Venetian glass is famous. The island of Murano has the glass factories, and we enjoyed that, I bought my souvenir rooster. Then we got back on the boat and went to the island of Burano, my favorite. All the houses are painted different colors, a charming place. We had memorable pizza at lunch, we walked a lot, and then returned to Venice and our hotel. People eat late here, so after dark we walked to the Grand Canal area, for dinner. Janet said we needed to have our veggies and fruits, and weʼd only had pizza for lunch so...we sat at an outside cafe and the spritzers looked so attractive (an orange drink with Campari) that we decided to order those. They had a slice of orange in the glass, and they brought potato chips, so we had our fruit and veggie. We did eat healthy on this trip, and all lost weight! That walking will 
do it! Linc even lost weight, he missed me and my cooking!
! 

We left Venice and took a high speed train to Florence,
 then to Siena. Our one experience with the Roma (gypsies) was 
at the Florence train station. We found our car, and was going 
to get on the train when a young man and girl grabbed our
suitcases, and swung them aboard the train and into the 
luggage rack, then held out their hands! We gave them one
 euro each bag, although he said he wanted five! We met an 
interesting lady at that point. She explained that she didnʼt mind
giving them the euro, they “worked for it” instead of begging.
 She was an English woman artist who had lived in Tuscany 30
 years. She had just returned from a trip to the Seychelle Islands, 
off the East coast of Africa. She and artist friends were there
 painting. She told us about the various hill towns we passed 
until she got off before we reached Siena, our destination. 

We 
taxied to our hotel in the Old City, near the famous Il Campo 
square. Every town has a square, a cathedral, and a dome...The 
churches are beautiful, huge, richly decorated. I never saw a protestant church, but I know there must be some.We spent 4 hours in the Siena cathedral, Janet and Sandy climbed to the very top of the tower, but I stopped about sixth floor. I had a new soup for dinner, bread soup! It was good, beans, some savory broth, and chunks of coarse bread. I will say we never had bad food in Italy, the bread was wonderful, and we had wine with lunch and dinners. The wine seemed a bit watered down, but good.

On Monday we had booked a private tour in Siena, and the guide arrived in her van and it
was pouring rain! We saw the hill towns, wonderful old ruins of churches, built in 1100 and 1200 AD, and saw the sword in the stone. Ask me about that!! We ate lunch in a small village in a cafe where the guide knew the people, then visited a sheep
farm , again a personal friend of our guide. He owns 120 sheep, which he said was the number that his 3 dogs could protect from the wolves. He milks them and makes cheese. Showed us all his equipment, took us into his kitchen and gave us wine and his cheese with bread. Interesting to get to go into a localʼs house
! 

The next day we caught the bus and went into Florence, where we went to the museums, shopped.Walked a LOT. We all bought scarves, aprons, etc here, then bussed back to Siena before dark, Passes a US military cemetery from WW II just outside Florence. Remember, the Allies invaded Italy and fought their was up through as a second front, and we lost lots of soldiers there. More good dinners, ravioli for me. We also enjoy the gelato. Better than ice cream!

Onward to ROME! I think we walked more in Rome than anywhere, to the Coliseum, all over the Vatican Museum and St Peters Square, and church. There must be thousands of sculptures and paintings in the museum, the Sistine Chapel. All those things I've always read about, Iʼve now seen. The coliseum is huge, but I canʼt believe the cruelty of the Romans who enjoyed watching slaves, Christians, being torn to pieces by lions. They had Gladiators (costumed men) who wanted you to pay to take a picture with them. We didnʼt! Ha! 

We were disappointed to find St Peterʼs church was closed that afternoon due to a special mass. That night I thought about it, and got everyone up at six thirty am and said, “St Peterʼs opens at seven am, lets get up, take a cab, go see it, and come back for breakfast” so we did, and we were all glad we did! No crowds, got to see the most famous church in the world, the Swiss Guard, etc. You notice my offer was to “take a cab” I was learning that I didnʼt want to walk everywhere! Cabs were good, and only about $15 each way to the Vatican. Walked that evening though, to the Trevi fountain, the Spanish Steps other sites Iʼve read about in novels and movies. (Remember Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn?)

We left Rome and trained to Naples. Southern Italy is different than northern. Dirtier, less neat, but a charm of its own. Every apartment window has laundry hanging out of it. Katie met us outside the train station, and we drove to her home in Monte di Procida, about a 40 minute drive. I was so impressed with her home. Three levels, at the top of the building. Views from her balconies of the Mediterranean. Capri, other islands just off the coast. 

I was just as impressed with her driving. I havenʼt said much about Italian streets and drivers, but, crazy! People drive small cars, mopeds, scooters, and fast! I couldnʼt drive here at all, but Kate is an expert! I was in awe! Katie took us to her favorite local cafe, Mariella's, where the specialty was chestnut soup...chestnuts were everywhere, roasted on the street vendor carts, and on menus. All Italian dinners begin with antipasti, appetizers, then follows a pasta course, called first plate, then a second plate, or meat dish, then ensalada, or salad, dessert and espresso. Of course wine and a plate of bread. We left the next morning to drive south, Vesuvius, Amalfi, etc. We went to the Herculaneum ruins instead of Pompeii. Both Katie and Kristen said it was better. Fascinating, and grim to think of all those people buried in the ash from the volcano. 

Then we went to Vietri, wonderful ceramic shops. We all bought something to remember it by, then North along the Amalfi coast. All I can say is “beautiful.” Villages clinging to the cliffs, been there for centuries. Colorful flowers and painted houses. All Italians seem to be good gardeners, terraced up the mountain are small plots.This area grows lots of lemons, olives, tomatoes. We stayed in Amalfi at a charming Hotel Amalfi. The highlight there was that I got to ride with Giuseppe who backed Katie's car into the hotel garage. Clearance about 2 inches...ha He was their resident hotel employee who did that. The 
rooms we had there were in the
 garden, each with a balcony or
 courtyard. There were kitties all
 around, so Kate loved that. I loved
 the lemon trees and flowers.
 Again, gelato! We drove the 
coast to Sorrento, shopped,
 picked up bits of tile and shells on
 the beach, and then arrived at 
Kateʼs at dusk.

The next day we 
rested in the am, followed the
coast to a seaside cafe for lunch, 
and shopped in a French
 owned equivalent of Super WalMart in the 
pm. That store was huge, and very interesting. Very different from our markets, lots of pasta, frozen foods were displayed different, etc.

Our travel home was long! Good from Naples to Munich. At Munich we were delayed over 2 and 1/2 hrs due to an AC problem, so sat on tarmac , no AC, stuffy! Of course that made the plane late to SF, instead of an 11 hr flight, it was almost 14. We missed our Portland flight and were put up in a airport hotel, booked for 6 am, so got to the hotel at midnight, up at 4 to shuttle to the airport. Glad to pick up my car and drive home to Roseburg!

I surely am glad to have gone. I had fun, it was wonderful being with Katie, Janet and Sandy. We were compatible travelers, liked the same things-I liked taxi rides! Ha
!

Bucharest According to Irma

Alright, so I already shared with you how my Bucharest turned into a group event. You even already read traveler #3's take on the trip. Well, here's traveler #2, Irma's, answers to the same questions previously answered by her teenage daughter.

Katie: What 3 words describe Bucharest?
Irma: Diverse, sad, food

Katie: What is the strangest thing you experienced on the trip?
Irma: I think the strangest thing I experienced was the statue outside the Modern Art Museum.  I’m not really sure what was going on with the naked man holding a wolf with a snake sticking out from somewhere.

Katie: Describe your trip in 30 seconds please.
Irma: Trip started in a small elevator for two, continued to a missed bus stop and a check by the metro police (for payment), which eventually led us the travel agency before closing time-barely.  After that, public transportation went well, no major catastrophes.  The trip to Transylvania was interesting, but would have been more interesting if it was Vlad “the Impaler(’s)” castle, but it was still nice to visit (in the rain).  I really enjoyed all the different ethnic restaurants we were able to enjoy, including the stop at Chocolat to warm us and experience death by chocolate. Great trip!


Katie: Any words about the weather?
Irma: The weather was very interesting.  It did give us an opportunity to spend time with the homeless man in a wheel chair under an alcove.  I’m still not sure if maybe would should have paid him for sharing the space with him.

Katie: What was your highlight of the trip? You know, the thing you will forever associate Bucharest with.
Irma: The highlight of the trip for me was the trip to the Natural History Museum where we experienced the Human Body Expo, that was a very interesting exhibit.  Another highlight for me was the pure goodness of the hollow bread cylinder called kurtos.

Katie: Would you go again?
Irma: No, but that’s because I like to experience new places.

Bucharest According to Taylor

My solo trip to Bucharest, Romania turned out to be Katie + 2!
How? Well, from what I hear it went something like this:

Irma (my coworker) to her husband: Katie is going all alone to Bucharest this weekend. Isn't that terrible? She says it's okay if I want to join her, and I do because I don't think she should go alone. 

The response? You can go, but take Taylor. 

I love this family! I'm not sure if it's because their last name also starts with "O", when I sit at their dinner table I feel like I'm reliving chats with my family, or the fact that I get along with them so well. Irma and I have traveled together (although there would be no blog post to link as reference, trust me, we marched all over Munich) and more importantly, we traveled well together. Our trip went fabulously- well we had a few minor mishaps, but that's all part of the traveling adventure.

Taylor, the daughter, is my second interviewee turned blog post. Shoot, I don't even know if she wanted to go to Bucharest and was just thrown in the deal or what? What I do know? Her love for bread, easy going nature, and facial expressions made our trip even more memorable for me. Here's her summary, the short form, after all- she is on summer vacation!

Katie: What was your highlight of the trip? You know, the thing you will forever associate Bucharest with.

"The Potato on a Stick"

Taylor: The potato on a stick statue made me laugh every time you guys said it so I'll probably remember that.

Katie: What 3 words describe Bucharest?
Taylor: Loud, Historical, Surprising.

Katie: That is the strangest thing you experienced on the trip?
Taylor: Strangest thing was hiding out under that arch during the rain with the homeless man.
(Make sure you read my version here.)

Katie: Describe your trip in 30 seconds/100 words, please.
Taylor: There was a lot to see in Bucharest. Our trip seemed kind of relaxed, because we had listed what we definitely wanted to see and were able to stop at a lot on the way there. The tours we took to the castles and around the city were very informative. The weather was crazy, but bearable. I liked the wide variety of food, that was available even though it took us a long time to choose, each time. Bucharest had a really interesting history, which was actually kind of fun to learn about. So all in all, I actually enjoyed the trip very much, although I did freak out in the beginning because I thought we were going to be kidnapped and forced into prostitution like all the movies and stories you read about.

Katie: Any words about the weather?
Taylor: Bipolar

Katie: Would you go again?
Taylor: Probably not to Bucharest, because like the site (or whatever it was) said, you can practically see everything in 2 days. I felt like we were seeing things over and over near the end of the time we were there.

Katie: Anything else you'd like to add/put on the record?
Taylor: Make sure you don't end up riding to the very end on the bus.

Alex, You're Not in the US Anymore

Per the new policies for staying at Casa di Nico, all visitors must submit a guest blog. To make this requirement easier I decided to provide a list of questions to be answered. No, it's not quite as fun as having someone journal their experience, but it's something rather than nothing. Bonus? It helps pass the flight back home or combat the jetlag that strikes at 3am.

My first interviewee? Alex. (And no, that's not his legal name. Leave it to me to pass that along to my friends doing a huge favor by picking him up at the terminal to discover first. At least the "Alex is actually MIA" text was resolved within 15 minutes.)

Alex and I met back in Monterey in late 2008 when I was still at NPS and he was at DLI. He was part of a larger group, primarily DLI students that I met through the church I was attending at the time. This group was at our apartment weekly (if not more) for a weekly Bible Study or game night. When I was home last year for my sister's wedding, I learned he was at DLI, learning another language so we met up to watch the Giants annihilate the Tigers in game 3 of the WS. When he decided to take some major leave time, he took me up on the offer (extended to everyone), and decided to come visit!

Not only was this his first trip to Italy, but out of the US. Eek!

If it hasn't been incredibly clear, southern Italy isn't exactly the most first foreign trip friendly location especially when your host is stuck at work so you're out and about solo. Luckily, Alex has a gift for languages, and knowing Spanish he was successfuly fumbled through the many adventures he had...like getting off at the wrong train exit for Pompeii during a local transportation strike.

I realize that I'm becoming very immune to all things Life in Naples, but that doesn't mean others aren't. Given that this was his first trip out of the states I wanted to see just how much of an impact Naples had on him and make sure all those "Italian" things that really aren't normal were documented in his trip reflections.

Katie: What was the biggest shock being outside of the US for the first time?
Alex: Probably how the size of everything is reduced from cars to homes. Waking up and hearing voices that aren't speaking English is a bit of shock when you're not accustomed to it.

Katie: What was your favorite Italian dish/food tried?
Alex: This is a tough call being Italian food is my favorite gastronomically. Probably would have to say I can never enough pastas, especially anything with fettuccine.

Katie: What 3 words best describe Italy? Why?
Alex: Beautiful- for obvious reasons, everything from the ocean views to volcanic mountains to densely populated modern yet historical cities.
Community- Italians are very family oriented and extraordinarily friendly and helpful. People you meet in Italy are not likely to be cold or reserved.
Loud- car horns, moped horns, shouting is considered normal communication, and my personal favorite church bells.

Katie: Most frustrating "culture shock" moment?
Alex: There were a couple. The lack of AC. The most frustrating was having to constantly swivel  your head to look for mopeds and motor bikes zipping by within inches when walking around.

Katie: What is something you will never forget about you 2013 Napoli trip?
Alex: The sheer amount of history the city has.

Katie: What did you learn about yourself during this trip?
Alex: Big changes in my environment kind of make (me) expect the worst. This feeling goes away pretty quickly though after I figure things out and get acquainted. As I age I have less reservations with talking to complete strangers.

Katie: Sum up your trip in 30 seconds or less.
Alex: A one-of-a-kind eye opening experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The sights, sounds, taste, smell, and the feel of Italy have made a tremendous impression on me. Would not have been possible to make the trip without the considerable hospitality of Katie O.

Katie: Any advice for future visitors to Casa di Nico? To Napoli?
Alex: Just remember if you take Space A [Military Air] you should probably buy your ticket back to the states if you're traveling during a busy time of year. Also, don't forget to get your passport stamped. Naples is large and needs more than one or two days to see everything. Lastly, Nico only does the opposite of what you want him to do.

Katie: Next time you head to Italy, what's on your "must see list?"
Alex: Probably Venice, Milan, Verona, and Genoa. I would also like to visit Rome again.

Katie: Anything else you want to put on "record" about your trip?
Alex: I'd love to do it again! I definitely need at least one more visit before I'm mildly satisfied. Only thing that was really annoying was the overall lack of AC in buildings. Thank you so much for having me and helping me plan my trip! 

Hohentübingen Castle & Tübingen

Castle two of our tour took us to Tübingen, a university town. Being a Sunday afternoon most the shops were closed and very few people were out- my kind favorite way to see a town! The day we visited it looked like the town has been sprayed down with fire hoses then flash frozen. Any idea how much fun that was to "walk" around in? Actually, it was a blast but with every unstable step the thought I promised Lori I'd be safe and not injure myself crossed my mind. On a few more dramatic slides I'm positive MAJ 545 was reminded of the promise I made to my marathon training partner. Of course my threats weren't taken too seriously as I was laughing while sliding to a stop and grasping for anything to prevent falling.
My tour guide led me around the quiet town, using the shoe-less guy on a bicycle statue as his reference point pointing out the cathedral and some strange architecture as we made our way up to the castle. The castle is now used by the university but still looks very much like a castle with it's two moats- one with a chair even in the corner of one. The view of the sleepy town below with snow on the roofs, and icicles hanging from eaves made a beautiful scene.

After finding a safe route to descend the hill (the same way we headed up) we visited the main town square where I snapped a few pictures while glühwein was secured to warm us up. It was this point that the next destination was revealed to be visiting the grumpy men. Um. Okay. Why not? And since this part of the town was clearly one of his favorites,  I'm going to let MAJ545 tell you all about it, it's just easier that way:

During Katie's visit to Germany and the day we visited Tübingen, I wanted to introduce Katie to my friends Fred and Stanley in a hidden sqare off the historic town center. Fred, you see, is a contankerous grumpy old fellow who bullies and takes out his frustrations on Stanley. Stanley is affiable goofy little fellow who takes Fred's abuse because he believes that Fred is a good individual who just needs a friend to vent on, which he takes and discards with a grain of salt.

On the particular day I introduced them to to Katie, we first visited the glühwein stand for a cup of hot wine (wine is always preferred when meeting up with these two), Fred was complaining about the cold, the abuse he receives from the local children (who hit him with paint balls) and why his wife lives on the tier below them. It was quite a heated conversation when we arrived, there was some hinting that Stanley had been visiting Fred's wife while Fred wasn't around, and after introductions Fred asked Katie for her point of view on the matter. Katie, ever the diplomat, asked not to get too involved, but after a few minutes tucked in with Fred and tried to block his insults to her knee's namesake. It took a few rounds and both of us getting involved but we were able to settle the matter and on a different note agreed to hunt down the birds that had left their marks on their bodies. After much searching, high and low, we were able to find their tracks but not able to locate their hiding areas. As we departed their square, we said our goodbyes and promised to visit again soon, but had to leave as there was much more to discover in Tübingen.

See? Much easier that way. After meeting those two, stopping in another church (with stained glass windows!), and walking through the snow covered park, we deemed it time to get back into the warm car and go find food. So guess what? That's what we did. Go figure that even in the dead of winter, in Germany a cold beer still tastes delightful with a plate packed with pork and potato dishes. Best thing to do after filling up on all that hearty food? Oh you know, nap away while snow falls from the sky :)

Barcelona Pleasures

MAJ545 found the lack of food mentioned a little disconcerting since we had some fabulous food. Go figure that this is the guy that used to meet me at crazy early hours to run or do some crazy weight workout at the gym- right?

But he's right. I would be leaving out a huge portion of the culture/local feel if the sangria and tapas we devoured enjoyed weren't mentioned so I offered him to guest write. Below is his account...edited only when needed to meet the requirements of E' un po' come's posting requirements. Enjoy!

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Every city/country/region has its own flair.  That certain something that makes it unique and colorful and when looking back on its memories makes you reflect…ah yes that is it.  While living in Belgium I discovered I wasn’t too particularly fond of the location (cold, dark, flat farmland, failed industrialization), or of the natives (Walloon, French), but what made it unique to the other countries of Western Europe was its beer and chocolate.  Both were fabulous and when I travel abroad I look for those small unique qualities that set it apart from its peers.  In Paris it was the food and bad attitudes.   Rome was the pizza and wine.  The U.K. had plenty of horse racing and “make yourself welcome” appeal.  So what was it about Barcelona that made it unique?  The architecture has been discussed in detail by Katie so I won’t bore you with that but I must caveat that after staying there, Barcelona is straight Gaudi not gaudy.  Where I want to expand upon is the food and drink.  

Since we were in Spain I insisted, with no hesitation or disagreement from Katie, that we have sangria.  I’ve never had it before and was quite excited when we picked up our first fishbowl of it under the signage of Hooty the Owl.  I’m not kidding.  Hooty the Owl lives in Barcelona.  Being this was my first sangria, and I’ve become a wine snob living in California, I was first taken back by the ice cubes floating in my fruit filled wine.  But when I tasted it, it was all good.  It was the perfect refreshment after hiking along the streets all day, and a great compliment to sandwiches and tapas (nothing worth noting, standard pub type grub).  Not too sweet wine filled with ice and fruit slices of lemon and limes.  It was picture worthy as some of you may have already seen.  Originally arriving with a straw, that was discarded immediately if not sooner; I quickly located the bottom of the glass while it ran down the back of my throat.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh tasty!

Our second exposure to sangria came after an hour of hiking along the water.  We were attempting to make our way along the shore and piers to Katie’s yacht which happened to be parked across the bay (it had to be over 100’ long and 5 stories tall), when we were ushered into a small fish house overlooking the water that promised to feed us well and get us along with the night.  First impressions were good.  We didn’t speak the language but hand and arms signals, and the waiter’s broken English seemed to work well.  That’s how Katie was offered a whole raw fish on a plate that looked at her longingly.  But that wasn’t what I wanted, nor did she, but that’s neither here nor there.  Since I was in Barcelona I felt that paella was a must and it must be eaten with sangria.  So both were ordered and I waited eagerly for their arrival.

Unbeknownst to me Katie was eye-locked with something above my head.  When I turned, I found several legs of pig (still clovened) hanging just behind me with small white plastic thingies stuck in them.  I was glad they were in there, because it turns out those catch random juices that leak from the legs while they are curing above your head.  I can only imagine the market for those things and how they had to develop.  

I digress…the sangria arrived.  I was a bit disappointed with the size of it upon arrival, but figured I was in a touristy area and not worry.  But then I tasted it and was not as happy with it as lunch time’s version.  Katie felt the same but then dinner arrived and we focused on our meal.  Now this was my first time eating paella and I was excited by the bounty in front of me.  Shrimp, muscles, prawns, rice … things I couldn’t identify, all of which looked and smelled great.  Well you know what they say about books and covers…yeah it was like that.  The seafood was way overcooked and the rice tasted like pure seawater.  Now anybody that knows me and has eaten out with me knows that I refuse to leave a full plate or even a partial plate of food.  Not the case here.  I couldn’t plow my way through it and the substandard sangria couldn’t wash the taste down enough.  So unfortunately it was an epic fail on my part.  Katie ordered the grilled cuttlefish, which I only had a semblance of its existence from the manipede episode of Southpark,  It looked tasty and Katie enjoyed it thoroughly.  Unfortunately the visit put paella in a bad light for me and every time I saw it on a menu (which was everywhere) I thought badly of it.  Too bad, someone will have to come along one day to fix that for me but for now…no more paella for this guy.

The culmination of our time in Barcelona was complete with a great meal and wicked awesome sangria.  As part of our A.D.D. wondering of the streets, I credit Katie for finding the coolest little restaurant in the middle of an ally that we happened to stroll down.  Yes we strolled, since walking is difficult when your face is skyward most of the time.  This little place, which I have no idea what its name was so I’ll call it that little place in the alley, was fantastic.  We arrived close to nine at night and got a cozy (i.e. really close to our neighbors) table and checked out the menu.  I spotted my elixir of choice and ordered up 1.5 liters of sangria (equivalent of two bottles of wine).  My thoughts on ordering so much were simple; with the addition of ice and fruit, wine is pushed out so you have to make that difference up by ordering more.

It arrived in a crock jug, something perfectly suited for a homey little place and it was gloriously sweet and smooth with a nice citrus flavor from the limes and lemons.  We noticed that Barcelonian sangria didn’t get too fancy with its infusions of various fruits like apples, or grapes.  They kept it to the two fruits mentioned before.  Both Katie and I agreed this was by far our favorite version.  I only wished I knew what kind of red wine they had used, guess I’ll just have to ask next time.  But when the sangria was poured all was good in the world.  We had a delightful dinner of tapas choices followed by a main course.  We each had different tapas and since we both have quite different palates, there wasn’t the awkward questioning of sharing our food.  I’m not even sure what we had, but I do remember they were all cooked/prepared perfectly and I would order them again in a heartbeat…something along the lines of sausage, shrimp, roasted red peppers and something dipped in pesto sauce.  It escapes me a bit now, so I know Katie will yell at me for not writing this sooner.  :D  When ordering, I was a little annoyed when I found out the British guy next to me had chosen the last of the rabbit, but I conceded and had a nice steak followed by some tiramisu.  Yes I know it is Italian, but it happens to be my favorite desert of all time and I couldn’t resist.  Especially since Katie didn’t want dessert but was included with dinner so she ordered the flan and handed it over to me.  Score!  

As you may have guessed the sangria was still going down while we ate dinner and this is the only time I will ever say this but I actually wished there was more ice in our crock.  The restaurant had used very little which is good and bad.  Good because we had more of the good stuff but bad because with the just the two of us drinking it took quite a bit of time to get it all down and it was a tad warm by the time we got to the bottom.  Undeterred from our task of completion we overturned the entire crock into our glasses, paid our bill and walked along the street called La Rambla home, at an angle, while dodging street performers and illegal beer sellers.  Then we completed the night with second desert and had some Belgium chocolates, at least I did, that I brought down with me.  I escaped with some Italian coffee thrown at me and knocked out for a couple of hours before making the trip to the airport, an adventure in and amongst itself, and headed back north to the land of chocolate flavored beer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Katie for allowing me the opportunity to write this portion of her blog.  She was quite hesitant to allow an “outsider” to relive her memories, but since we shared them together I was granted an exception.  I just hope that I have done them justice and haven’t ruined this opportunity for anyone else hoping to be published on this page.  Thank you Katie, also, for such a wonderful weekend.  Hanging out with you is a joy and effortless and since we are both extremely A.D.D. in our wonderings and carefree in our itinerary, traveling the backstreets and finding small cafes just wouldn’t have been the same without you there.  I can’t think of anyone I’d rather of been there with and glad you can put up with my lack of public transportation use.  Hope we can do it again sometime in another city, in another country adding another adventure into our lives.
Ja-Rod (MAJ545)