Blogs from Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe - page 4

Today we left the lovely little town of Lezzeno and the wonderful Apartment we stayed in. This is also a sad day for Rose and I as Clarke leaves us to go to Berlin and continue her holiday with out us. We have had such a great time with her! So the first stop was Malpensa Airport and then off to Parma to get our bearings as we have an early start tomorrow and need to be at the Information Center in Parma (87km away from where we are staying) by 9:30 am. So a nice lunch in Parma and then on to the accommodation at Serramazzoni (just outside of Maranello) another gem of a spot with IllyCaffe machine for me... We will walk the 200 meters to dinner tonight and be up early in the ... read more

A few words about this series of blogs. I don’t feel that they are up to my normal standards. We have had pretty full days, and even though I have allowed time at the end of every day to do the blog entry, it just seems there has not been enough time. In reviewing the blogs, they seem to lack the depth that I normally write with, so for my readers and myself I am sorry for this. As you know I do this for a few reasons, one is so that Jerry and I will have something to look back in our golden years to remember all the places we have been the second is to hopefully inspire others to travel and experience a world outside of the US and their comfort zone. I can ... read more

The job, as referred to in the title, was a mission to get around mostly unfamiliar terrain in Italy in typical no-stone-left-unturned style. A flight into Bologna set the scene, and a quick zip to Bologna central station provided the first leg of the journey - an hour-long train ride to Ravenna, and the chance to experience a snapshot of what Ravenna has to offer. Not exactly firmly on the tourist radar, Ravenna is a compact enough Italian city famous for two factors - its stunning mosaics, and association with Dante Alighieri, the famed Italian writer. A breeze through the streets of Ravenna will reveal evidence of the artistic mosaic designs which decorate the interiors of a couple of prominent buildings, mausoleums and Basilicas alike. The tomb of Dante is a... read more

It didn’t take us long to escape the bustle of Parma and head out to see Castello Torrichiara. A castle that Glenn had wanted to visit for a long time . Each visit had thwarted him. So this time we were making the effort to tick it off the list. We are losing a little faith in Silly Sat Nag but surely she could find a blooming big castle on top of a hill. As we drove we discussed microwaves. I have one in Suzy. It is a British thing. We like them and loved them in our motorhomes but they are only a use when on site with electricity hook up. Without the electricity they might as well be a storage cupboard. Ours looks almost brand new. You can count on one hand how many ... read more

After a long 28 hours of car to train to plane to train to car we made it to Bologna. For the record Air France is a decent airline. In a sea of airline cutbacks and so-so service we found them to be efficient. The plane was one of the new jumbo liners with 2 decks. We were on the top in a 2 person row which is nice for a 10 hour flight. The food was decent and the wine down right delicious! All the train connections thru Milan went off without a hitch and here we are!!! Bologna for anyone who is an Italy lover like me should be on your next list of stopovers! It's a beautiful, walkable city. And some damn good food and wine! Lasagna here is not like at home, ... read more