http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/klucas/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from klucas en-us Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:50:38 +0000 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:50:38 +0000 I canrsquot believe the summer is over. My students gave their final presentations this morning. And then they packed up their suitcases and got on busses headed for the train station. It really is sad that it is coming to an end so soon. Campus feels so strange without them here. And with them leaving it is starting to sink in that Irsquoll be leaving soon also. Fortunately Ryan will be her http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-408127.html It was another one of those crazy weeks. I cannot believe how fast the semester just flew by My week began by making my third roundtrip in four days to Castelfranco Veneto train station where my dad would embark on his return journey. I offered to get him a cab. But he didnrsquot like the idea of a euro90 cab fare. Instead he would take the train to VeniceMestre less than euro4 and a b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-408123.html When we woke up the next morning in Bolzano the sky was drizzling its last few sprinkles of the day. We went downstairs for a superdelicious breakfast buffethellip lots of strudel and an amazing fresh fruit bar. By the time breakfast was over the rain had stopped and the clouds were being burned off by the sun. We took a long leisurely walk through the town and past the Italian Arch that is http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Trentino-Alto-Adige/Bolzano/blog-408119.html I forgot to mention that we detoured on the way home past the computer lab at CIMBA. We still hadnrsquot confirmed any of our Saturday and Sunday plans. My colleagues had been offering a bunch of terrific ideasmdashfrom Lake Garda to Slovenia. My dadrsquos typical response to ideas was ldquoItrsquos up to you honey. Irsquom just along for the ride.rdquo But eventually we came acros http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Trentino-Alto-Adige/Bolzano/blog-408086.html As far as Travel Weekend 2 plans were going all my dad and I knew was that we were going to go see Venice and hit some spots in northern Italy. But in true Lucas fashion we couldnrsquot make a decision. Part of the reason is that I am ldquosavingrdquo some of the northern cities I want to visit for when Ryan arrives. Another part of the reason is that my dad wanted me to make all decisions http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-408079.html Travel can really do a number on a girlhellip especially when she has to come back and teach a class the next morning. Needless to say I fell behind on my blog. What follows is more of the Cliffrsquos Notes version of my week back in Paderno del Grappa.Monday We went out to eat in Asolo. Right when we were about to order the guy at the table next to me got a very yummy looking pasta with sh http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-407555.html The walking finally took its toll. This morning we got up just as early as normal. But we simply werenrsquot moving very far or very fast. In fact we ate breakfast before getting showered and ready to go. I also did a little catching up on email. Finally at about 830 we headed down to the ldquolobbyrdquo for lack of a better word and checked out. We also had our bags held for us at th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-407547.html Our first full day in Rome started early. We were up again well before breakfast. In fact we were showered and ready to go by the time the croissants breads coffee and juice were put out at 730. By about 745 we had wolfed down our food and were off to face the dayOn our way to Vatican City we accidentally found that the trattoria where we dined the night before was actually at the end o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-407538.html Did I mention that we walked a lot Now you may be thinking that the approximately five hours of walking we did during a lessthan24hour period in Siena was a lot. So did we. And then we arrived in Rome. The first stop on the journey was our hotel. So with bags in tow we headed out of the Termini Station. We did not pass go. We did not collect 200. And we certainly did not hail a taxi. Instea http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-407532.html Travel weekend numero uno. Where do I even begin It was fast and furious. In just three and a half days my dad and I covered hundreds of kilometershellip and no small number of them was on foot As I write this we are sittingon a highspeed EuroStar train heading back north from Rome. Thank goodness I packed my bag on Wednesday night. My dad had Thursday morning to pack his bag and learn ho http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Siena/blog-404381.html After class today I hopped in the car and headed to Venice to pick up my dad from the Marco Polo Airport in Venice. It was a peaceful stressfree drive. I cannot say the same about the return trip.All was fine at the airport. We got his bags in the car. We paid our parking toll. We even got on the Autostrada without incident. But then the heavens opened up for a torrential downpour. It got so ba http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-404376.html I was overdue for a haircuthellip by at least a month or two. And with my dad arriving tomorrow I figured it was time to do something with il miei capelli ldquomy hairrdquo. One of the women who works in the office suggested a place in Asolo that has a stylist who speaks English. I figured it was a smart move especially considering that I know relatively little Italian. I also figured th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-404374.html I moved up to the 800 teaching section. Even though I have given up my leisurely mornings and lastminute prep time I am going to enjoy having the whole day ahead of me starting at 930It had rained last nightmdashnot too hard but enough to clear up the air a little. The skies were the brightest and clearest I have seen them since I arrived. It didnrsquot rain enough however to snap this http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-402277.html This morning I started my day by shopping at the open air market in Crespano. It runs only on Sundays and is a mix of part farmerrsquos market part flea market and part travelling Woolworthrsquos. Remember that place I heard that Crespano Market was quite the shopping experience. But I had no idea.Cars were parked at least a kilometer down the roadmdashand this was early in the morning http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-401926.html Today just seemed to be one of those days where I was being tested on my skills or lack thereof all day long. But Irsquom proud to report that I earned passing grades across the board.It started in the morning with Test One laundry. I bundled up my dirty clothes in a dirty bath towel and headed downstairs to the washing machine. At first glance the washing machine looked like a shrunk down v http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-401659.html I cannot believe that the first week of school is over and the semester is onefourth of the way through. But it feels distinctly different from ldquotime flyingrdquo back home. There it makes sense that time would fly Jampacked schedules strict adherence to clocks multitasking electronic planners and phones the dinging chimes of new emailhellip But here life is so much more serene. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Asolo/blog-401371.html Today I discovered ldquoTabacchi Two.rdquo It is the tabacchi shop located next to the lotto shop misleadingly named ldquoTabacchi One.rdquo Tabacchi Two is actually quite easy to miss. Its door isnrsquot very wide. And in fact itrsquos not really a door at all. In its narrowerthanadoorsized opening there is a drape of doorlength fuzzy ldquoropesrdquo for lack of a better http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-401031.html I am getting into a routine here in Paderno waking early eating breakfast at the cafeteria doing final preparations for my class teaching until siesta going hungry during siesta because everything is closed eating after siesta when everything opens again chatting with my colleagues exploring travel options and heading home to unwind and write for my blog.Today I threw in a little twis http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-400720.html Ahhhh the first day of school has come and gone. I woke up to a rooster crowing. Roosters crow right Then not much later the church bells started ringing. Now donrsquot get me wrong These are pleasant sounds. But not when a nearby rooster cockadoodledoos at sixsomething and church bells ring nonstop from 700 to 710. At that point it doesnrsquot matter what your original intention http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-400414.html All I can say is ldquoWhat a dayrdquo It was a flurry of activity from sunup to sundown. I suppose it didnrsquot help much that I only got about four hours of sleep last night. And then I forgot to eat breakfast. Not a good way to start the first day of the semester. But it wasnrsquot long before my enthusiasm took over for my lack of energy.The day started with faculty orientation. I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Paderno-del-Grappa/blog-400160.html