Raindrops In Rome

Another World Series game and .......another early morning wakeup. Kind of a bummer that Sanchez gave up that 3 run homer so early in the game. It just seem to take the wind out of the Giants' sails in Game 3. Hopefully, they will get their offense back on track in Game 4. I think Bochy needs to take Burrell out of the lineup. His ABs were not good ones and they haven't been for some time now. The only good thing about the game was that it was played pretty briskly, so I managed to get some sleep after it was over.

We both got up for breakfast that was provided at the conference. We got down there about 30 minutes before they were going to close up, so not many people were still in the room. We did find our friend Danielle there and her baby Mirabelle. Originally, the plan was to grab a quick bite and do a quick walking tour around the area before the group tour in the afternoon. However, we burned about an hour playing with Mirabelle at breakfast because she's is just too cute.

We hit the road for our walking tour under rainy skies. It would rain, but not hard, for a little while...and then stop....and then start again. I kept opening & closing the umbrella every 2 minutes. It was really muggy, so I also kept taking off my jacket. After a while I figured out that it wasn't the mugginess that was making me sweaty, but it was the pace that Judy was setting in this walking tour.  She had an agenda....to get to this foccaccia shop she discovered with her sisters in the Campo di Fiore. I was getting some odd looks from people walking around in the rain with a short sleeved shirt on and carrying my jacket.

One nice thing about the rain is that it kept a lot of people off the streets. Today we were able to see the Spanish Steps as opposed to the pictures I posted yesterday. In short order, we saw the Spanish Steps, walked by the Tiber River, went to the Piazza Navona, and made our way to the Campo di Fiore. Judy was quite disappointed when we arrived and found the shop closed.

We headed back to the hotel by passing the Pantheon & the Trevi Fountain. Apparently, all the people who were at the Spanish Steps yesterday reconvened at the Trevi Fountain. It was wall-to-wall people there. I can't imagine how many people would be there on a sunny day.

We got back to the hotel just in time to join in for the group tour of the city. They took us to a bunch of places including St. Johns' Cathedral, the Colosseum, the Gianacolo, and ended with a whirlwind tour of the Borghese Gallery. By the time we got to the Borghese Gallery, we both were so tired that we really needed to get a coffee and/or a nap.

We got back to the room after the tour for a rest before the group dinner at the hotel. The intention was to rest for a little, but I turned on the TV and found that the 49er game at Wembley stadium was just starting and being broadcast on the local ESPN channel. Oh, well.....so much for that idea. We did go to the nice, cozy dinner for about 150 people and, by the time that was over, we really needed to get some sleep. Good thing that the Giants game starts in only about 2 hours from now.

Arrivederci Firenze..........

Today we had an early train ride scheduled from Firenze to Roma, so last night we had to deal with the fact that we have to leave this beautiful city. Even though I have visited here 4 or 5 times now, I don't think I will ever tire of coming here. There is so much to do and so much to see..............

When we left on this 3 week trip, we purposely packed light (1 bag each) as we knew we were going to be moving around a fair amount, especially by train. Knowing that I had a business conference that was going to last 4 days, I brought 1 pair of black pants & 1 pair of blue pants figuring that I could bring multiple shirts to wear with those pants to get me through the conference. Well, that decision came crashing down on me last night. Knowing that the blue pants needed ironing and that they were a material that required a cool iron, I plugged in the iron and almost immediately starting ironing thinking that it had no time to really heat up yet..............WRONG!  I touched the iron to the pants and.............sizzle, burn, F@&$#@***!!! So, now I am left with one pair of pants to make it through this conference. DOH!

The train ride to Roma was fine & uneventful. However, when we got to Roma, the city was a mass of people. Apparently, this is a big holiday weekend and not just any holiday, but a religious holiday (All Saints Day) in the city that is the seat of Catholicism. It is hard pack people everywhere!

We took a cab from the train station to the Excelsior Hotel on the Via Veneto which did not seem to be that far of a distance. The cab fare was 40 Euro, which is about $55. Judy insists we were ripped off. I tended to believe her until we checked into our room and saw that the American Breakfast that we could get delivered to the room was 42 Euro.  Yeah, that's right....42 Euro for coffee, juice, eggs, ham & toast.

Judy & I ventured out for a walk towards the shopping area to see if we could find a pair of blue pants to buy before our group tour to the Vatican. We got to the bottom of the Spanish Steps and were overwhelmed by the amount of people everywhere. You just couldn't move. Craziness! we quickly abandoned that idea.

Our group tour took us to the Vatican where we saw some beautiful works of art, sculpture & architecture. It is truly a unique collection that really should seen by all. Words really cannot adequately describe it.

One of the best things about these conferences is touching base with the many friends we've made with people from all over the world. The highlight today was seeing our good friend from Chicago, Danielle, who had brought her 7-month old baby, Mirabelle, who we had not met. This little girl was an absolute doll and was the hit of the conference. Everyone was gathering around her watching her smile & laugh which she did so readily. It was really a treat playing with her.

Getting & Going Up in Firenze

For the 2nd night in a row, I woke up at 1:15am without the alarm going off and got up to see Game 2 of the World Series that was starting at 1:30am here. I have come to the conclusion that my body automatically knows when a Giants game is on and the internal alarm is always ready to function. I had a good feeling about this game, as Matt Cain has been pitching lights out for some time now and I just felt that he would dominate. The only thing I was worried about was whether the Giants would score any runs for him, as they have a history of not doing so when he is on the mound.

As was the case in some of the previous games, Judy stayed in bed and slept until I woke her up with an update. She got a little more rest last night, since nothing really happened until the bottom of the 5th. Judy missed Renteria's HR, but did get up in time to see the rest of the fireworks. Again, another sacrificed night of sleep that was well worth it. We are really stoked to see the Giants take a 2-0 lead. Would it be to soon to think about...........a SWEEP?

Anyway, it was back to bed at 5:30 with really no requirement to get up again at any particular time. However, Judy had an agenda today.........climb up every freakin' stair & hill that she could find in & around Firenze. OK, that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but that is what my legs are telling me tonight. I rolled out of bed a little before 9:00am and the Energizer Bunny was already up, dressed, and chomping at the bit to head out. Our first stop was the Campanile and to climb the 414 steps to get the panoramic view of the center of Firenze. If you do come here, you really should do this as the view is incredible.



Our next stop was Fiesole, a small town on a hill overlooking Firenze. The good news was that we didn't have to walk there.....a local bus took us there.  However, once there, walking around that town was like climbing the Alps. Going up steps are not so bad, because you can see the landing and there are intermittent ends in sight. Walking up steep hills though never seem like you are ever going to get to the top. It's especially frustrating when you get to the top and you see that the next hill is waiting for you just around the corner. All kidding aside, it was a charming little town that did have very nice panoramic views of the city.

We had a nice lunch overlooking some interesting ruins from the Etruscan times (amphitheater, etc.) and headed back down to Firenze to Piazza San Marco. On the ride down, Judy is talking about walking up to Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato al Monte & Forte Belvedere. Thinking fast, in order to save time.....(yeah, that's the ticket) I suggested that we take the local bus from Piazza San Marco (which is on the other side of town from where we were going) up to Piazzale Michelangelo.......and it worked.

Next stop was up the hill to to the church at San Miniato al Monte. It's not far from the Piazzale Michelangelo, but it's uphill and up stairs to get there. It's perched up on the hill over Firenze and I believe that I have some relatives buried in the cemetery that is adjacent to the church.

Next on the agenda was to get to Forte Belvedere which is on top of the next hill to the left as you look back towards Firenze from San Miniato al Monte. You start out the walk going down hill and I was thinking.......this is more like it. However, I soon came to the realization that the more I went down this hill, the more I'd have to climb to get to Forte Belvedere.

By the time we got to the top of Forte Belvedere, I was pretty much done. Luckily, the sun was beginning to go down, so we headed down. After stopping for the obligatory photos at the Ponte Vecchio, we started to work our way back to our apartment.............and the 67 steps up to it! I am going to be glad to sitting on the train for the 1 1/2 hour ride to Rome tomorrow.



Arezzo

I woke up before my alarm went off this morning at 1:15am and managed to find my way downstairs in the dark without bonking my head on the beam that supports the roof. By the time I got the game queued up on the laptop, they were just starting the National Anthem. Perfetto! Although it didn't turn out to be the pitchers duel that it was advertised to be, the result was good. Now.....if we can get just 3 more of those, all will be good.

Judy & I got back to bed at about 5:45am knowing that we had to get up by no later than 8:15 to make our train to Arezzo. It was tough when that alarm went off, but we did it and got to the train station with a few minutes to spare. We were going to Arezzo today to visit one of our oldest family friends, Irene Giannini. She and her late husband, Domenico, were friend of my parents since I was a little pup. Domenico was one of our group of 49er season ticket holders dating back to the Kezar days, along with his brother, Mike, my Dad and me. I last saw Irene 3 years ago when Judy & I were last in Italy, so we were both looking forward to catching up with her.

Arezzo is a small town in Tuscany southeast of Florence about an hour's train ride on the Rapido or an hour & a half on the Regolare. It was once one of the richest towns in Italy due to it being renown for its production of gold jewelry. However, times have changed with the global Recession and the price of gold skyrocketing, this industry is really hurting and Arezzo is feeling the pinch.

We were really glad to see that the sun broke out in full force and was the warmest day we've had yet. The Tuscany countryside with the vineyards and olive trees couldn't have looked nicer. Irene met us at the train station and we walked into town and sat in the square and had a cappuccino. We are turning into real Italians.....even Judy!

After a short stroll through the town, we headed up to the house where Irene lives along with Ivo and some of his family. It is in an incredible spot that has a spectacular view of the town and the surrounding countryside.



Ivo & Irene took us to lunch at a place that we've been to before, La Capannaccia, a real local treasure atop a hill overlooking the town of Arezzo. I remember that my Dad always talked about this restaurant, as it really left a mark on him. The main course is cooked in a hearth over an open fire. Judy had a papardelle con chinghiale and I had a risotto con porcini as a starter. We both had chicken that was cooked in the open hearth and we both agreed that this was possibly the best chicken we've ever eaten. There was not much left on our plates when we were done.

After this wonderful lunch and enjoyable visit with Irene, Judy & I headed back to Firenze. Upon arrival, Judy managed to steer me to and shoe store and then to some other store where I waited outside and people-watched while she was inside. I guess it could've been worse.............she could've made me go in the stores. Anway, it was back to the apartment for a quiet evening and an early bedtime, so we can get another 4 hours of interrupted sleep and, hopefully, the same result as yesterday...........another World Series win!

GO GIANTS!

Montepulciano Wine Tour Addendum

I am writing this while we are awake at 430 am following the World Series and loving what is going on with the game.
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Today's wine tour went well. I loved the first winery and appreciated all the family and winemaking tradition involved in making their Nobile di Montepulciano wine. It was a treat traveling by car on the smaller hill town roads we took to get to the wineries. The ride back on the autostrada was a bit nerve wracking. We were FLYING.....passing trucks like they were not even moving! Good thing I had some wine to relax me.

For our dinner plans, we decided to give our livers and arteries a rest and have a light meal back at the apartment. As we were walking back and planning a stop for food pick up, an unfortunate event occurred that quickly changed my plans. As I was walking down a narrow street in the dark, an unknown liquid substance came pouring down from a window or deck above me and hit me in the head! Good thing we were close to the apartment. Mark ended up doing the shopping while I took my second shower and hairwash for the day.

Off to Arezzo tomorrow morning to visit Irene.

Giants just scored again in the 8th inning of game one making it 11 to 4!

Ciao for now.

Wine Tour to Montepulciano

We headed out to meet up with our guide, Vittorio, for an all-day wine tour to Montepulciano. Judy & I have been on a couple of wine tours in the past in Italy, but not to this town. Montepulciano produces a red wine that is made from Sangiovese grapes, but is not as dry or full bodied as its neighbor, Montalcino, which makes a very dry full-bodied wine from the same grape variety. Montepulciano wines are lighter, easier to drink and are "more elegant" in the words of our tour guide.

The meeting place was at the Biblioteca Nazionale in Firenze which is located right across from the bank of the Arno River. This seems to be a popular meeting place for tour guides as this is the 3rd wine tour we've taken with 3 different guides and we've always met at this location.

The drive to Montepulciano, complete with narrow roads and accompanying switchbacks, took about 90 minutes through some of the most scenic rolling Tuscan hills that one could imagine. Being late in the season, some of the fields had been plowed under & tilled to get ready for the next season. Our guide said that a lot of those fields would be planted with sunflowers, so I can only imagine the colors when those have come in.



We arrived at the first winery by the name of Villa S.Anna, a winery that had been in the family for over 300 years. We had a nice tour of the facilities and were treated to a wine tasting accompanied by some salumi & pecorino cheese. Anna, the owner's daughter, was a very interesting guide and quite simpatica. The estate was quite nice and the workers were busy transferring the grape skins that had been crushed to a cart to be taken to a grappa producer.



We bought a couple of bottles at this winery and then we all headed out to lunch a a little hill town called Monticchiello. The food was very typical of the Senesi (Siena) region and was quite tasty. After lunch we took some photos outside the restaurant that had quite a panaromic view of the vineyards of Montepulciano.





From there we went to our next stop, the Boscarelli winery, It was another similar tour of the facilities and a wine tasting afterwards. This winery was also harvesting their olive trees, so the aromas from the grape crush and the olives were something. After a short visit, it was back to Firenze.



We got back to the apartment and decided to have a quiet dinner at home. We are going to bed early as I have set the alarm for 1:30am to get up to watch Game 1 of the World Series! 

GO GIANTS!