Ciao, Ciao...Arreviderci

This was our last day of our Germany, Switzerland, Italy summer vacation. A few short, action packed days in Germany, followed by a deliriously sweet visit to Switzerland. We ended our trip in northern Italy, but that was deceptive, as we kept wandering back into Switzerland. The border meanders around the lakes making it almost impossible to stay in one country.
We navigated trains, funiculars, cable cars, taxis, buses, planes and miles of city streets on foot. We are pros at reading maps in three languages.
Some of our highlights were having antipasto prepared by Miss Jeni. We enjoyed it in their garden in Waldenbuch. Hiking down one of the Swiss Alps....incredibly challenging but rewarding. We were sore for days. Sitting on our balcony in Varenna overlooking lake Como and sharing a glass of wine or two. Sitting on the steps in Bellagio and talking with my new friend Maria, in broken italian. And finally spending fifteen amazing minutes with Leonardo DaVinci and his Last Supper.
Of course there were many many other adventures, many memorable bottles of wine, and many wonderful people.
So until the next time Ciao Baby!

The MotherLode

And I thought Paris was the shopping Motherlode. I was wrong. Every top designer is represented here in Milano, multiple times. I lost count as to how many Louis Vuitton stores we walked by today. Versace, Prada, Gucci, Benetton, Max Mara, Jimmy Choo, and of course one of my favorites, Missoni. If you talk to an Italian it's pronounced Missoooni, with reverence of course. The iconic zig zags and fabulous fabrics are beyond compare. Many try to reproduce it but all fall short.
There were dozens more fabulous design houses represented, all with extravagant store fronts. You have to ask yourself just how important all this is in making us happy. Do the clothes we wear and the accessories we don make us feel satisfied. You know, I have to admit, I love carrying my little LV Speedy I got with my dear daughter at the Louis mothership in Paris. We had so much fun on our mother-daughter trip....ah. I do get a certain satisfaction wearing some of my favorite designers. Vain? A bit maybe. Materialistic? I'm sure...so where's my Missoni I just gotta have some color today.

What We Take For Granted

There are many things that we take for granted living in America. We have our Internet at the touch of our fingers at all times, large bathrooms, free water and easy transportation everywhere. When we travel abroad we leave our data plans at home, say goodby to our kids and leave our pets in the care of our friends (thanks, Gina). We pack light, but never light enough. We always come away with more than we need, pick up things as we go and almost always buy an extra suitcase for the trip home. Such is the life of a traveler.
A few things that I find here in Europe that we would do well to adapt at home are friendly and engaged families. Families that are not plugged into their mobile devices while out to dinner but busy interacting with each other. We would be happier with markets that offer only the freshest bread from the oven, fruit from the garden, and wine from the next vineyard. And what about learning an extra language or two. Why do we feel, in America, that English is the only language that counts. Let's start teaching our kids to speak, I mean really speak, more than one language. French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, or German. It doesn't really matter which, just something.
Thank God for easy accessibility to travel. I pray I will always be able to jump on a plane and see the world. Ciao Baby!

To knit ...Lavorare a Maglia

My handy iPhone Italian translator ap says to knit is lavorare a maglia. A woman today told me it was ferri. No matter how you say it, knitting is one of my great pleasures. It occupies my hands and calms my spirit. Many thanks to Grandma May for teaching me when I was just a teenager. I know it was a ploy of my mothers to get me from underfoot and maybe challenge me a bit. It worked. I am rarely underfoot and it always presents challenges. On this trip overseas I have completed a extremely soft, golden wrap. I used the "Littles Shells" pattern (you can find this on Ravelry). I used Art Yarn's Ensemble light which is a decadent blend of cashmere and silk. I made it a bit larger and am very happy I did. Next, I have started a "Seaweed Scarf" (also available on Ravelry) using Shi Bui's linen in a brick red.
In my travels about, I have seen yarn in many stores. Often, it is available in establishments catering to women so you will find bra's, panties and other lady things. How funny.
So, there you have it, the knitting "issue". If you are in need of something new to do with your hands give knitting a try. It will be the best thing you ever did. Ciao Baby.

Truffles, Pasta and Chocolate

Ok, I admit it, when we travel we are foodies. It doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be fresh and good. Europe began the idea of what we like to call "locally sourced" food. Our figs at La Caminetto were from Moreno's father's garden, so were the tomatoes. They either grow what they eat or visit the market each morning and buy what is good then decide what will be for dinner. There are stores dedicated just to cheeses, others for meats and of course the bakeries for pastries and breads. A foodies paradise.
This morning we left Varenna, Italy, bused back to Lugano, Switzerland, then drove to Ascona, Switzerland. It is another lakeside community where we discovered an amazing black truffle pizza. Truffles are just coming into season in northern Italy. Our dinner was not complete until we had our chocolate gelato. Belissima!

We Are the Same

No matter where you go if you just take the time to talk to people you will find that we have the same desires, the same concerns and many times the same solutions. Is my family happy, which is the greatest generation, who do we learn from, what do we learn, what is the answer to the world economy? It's endless really. What weighs on my soul weighs on the soul of my "sister" in Italy and my "brother" in the mountains of Switzerland. I spoke with Maria today whom I met yesterday. She lives in Siena and is visiting her sister in Bellagio. She worries of her children and their marriages, and complains of her sister's kitchen, "it is piccolo" too small. Does she make pasta? "No!" No more, io refiuto, I refuse! Too much work "we go out to dinner, I pay"! Ok, this sounds very familiar.
Earlier in the day we went to Il Caminetto. A restaurant high above Varenna where Moreno hosted a group of us and gave us cooking lessons. We learned much of the art of what the Italians call "slow food". It is where you choose to eat somewhere that takes the time and care to make it all from scratch. He also spoke of an afternoon off where we would choose to make pasta with our hands (no machines) roll it out with care and make a simple sauce to adorn. Slow food. The art of putting love into what we make. Taking the time to show those whom we love that they are worth the effort we take.
So Maria, take a break. Next time I am in Italy I will make pasta for you and we will talk of our families. Ciao!

PS first picture is Maria and I